Tag Evangelism

Disciple Makers

Allen Frederick 4 Comments


Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky

So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” Matt 28:19-20 (GW)

God looks at the church as if they are already making disciples. And in fact we are. The only question that remains is what kind of disciples are we actually making? Are we making disciples of Christ or of the Anti-Christ? Are we making children of God or children of the devil? What lessons are we teaching those who look upon our lives? Are we showing forth a dedication to God or some other allegiance? What takes priority in our life? Is it God or the world? Leisure or some hobby? Travel or retirement? Are we loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength? Do we really see it as our responsibility to be making disciples? The truth is you are whether you intend to or not.

Your decisions and actions will shape those with whom you come in contact with and your lifestyles will pattern an example to others of what you deem important. If your life is led, for the most part, without a God consciousness then your actions and activities will reflect that viewpoint. When was the last time you actually talked about your love affair with Jesus? When exactly was the last time you told someone else about the hope found in Christ? When was the last time you actually talked about the goodness of God? When was the last time that you spoke up for the saving grace of God? When was the last time you testified to the blessings of God? When was the last time you actually told someone about something God had done in your life? When was the last time you spoke of your faith?

Contrast that with the last time you talked about the weather, or what was on TV, or how things were going on the job, or a school activity, or some other community event. Do you find your conversation to be about everything but God and His kingdom? If so then you are making disciples of the devil and not of God. God expects the church to be disciple making organisms. And you can tell by the declining numbers the church is not doing a very good job of it. If we were fruit bearing trees there wouldn’t be enough fruit to make a pie. Why are we not producing fruit? Why is the tree barren? What has happened to the life of the church?

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous , and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. 2 But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. 3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. 4 Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away. Psalms 1:1-4 (AMP)

Have we relegated God so far back on the back burner that we have actually grown cold? Have we become so much like our surroundings we are indistinguishable? Has our witness been so tarnished that our testimonies ring hollow? Has the fire of God’s love simply gone out and we are dead towards the things of God? Whatever the reason for our inability to witness and make disciples for Christ I wish to remind you disciple making is a requirement of the church, and by extension, of us. It is not a suggestion or an option but the intended purpose of the church. If the church is nothing more than a social gathering place, or a weekly retreat and escape from the cares of the world, then we have missed the grander design for the church. If we  fail to reach out to others and invite them into a right relationship with their loving heavenly Father, we are not walking in love toward our neighbors. If we fail to mention in our daily routines the love of God and the mercies of God we are allowing Satan to ruin lives and destroy souls.

Rise up church and be the salt and light God desires you to be. Rise up church and make a statement in the world. Rise up  church and make a difference in your communities. Otherwise you might as well shut the doors, board up the windows and put a for sale sign on the front lawn because you no longer are fulfilling the Lord’s calling, nor are you walking in the Lord’s purposes.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey
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Information Overload!

Allen Frederick 2 Comments

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Their ears never hear. Their minds never understand. And they never turn to me for healing.”’Acts 28:27 (GW)
We have a lot to explain about this. But since you have become too lazy to pay attention, explaining it to you is hard. Heb 5:11 (GW)

I never realized how many emails I averaged on any given day until I got home after being away for only one night and found over 300 emails in my inbox. Checking my email periodically throughout the day gave me a false measure of the huge volume of time-wasting info sound bytes I was receiving on a daily basis. Granted many of those emails held inspirational value but when I sat there and compared the time it took to actually go through each one, or to put it better, delete the ones I was not going to read, my eyes were opened to the sheer volume of worthless data bytes that were sent to my inbox.

Not everything we hear or see or read is worthy of our time and attention and yet, if you are anything like me, you too will find yourself bombarded with tons of information on a daily basis. Over a lifetime these sound-bytes will add up to be a very huge number. Now I would not mind if each day I would find an additional 300 dollars placed in my bank account, at least at the end of the year there would be something of value accumulated.

Information too can be valuable if we are discerning. Knowing what to heed and what to discard can have a positive or a negative effect on our life. If we heed valuable information and fashion our life accordingly then we can live a successful life, if on the other hand we spend far too much time digesting worthless and foolish advice and information our lives could end in tragedy.

There is a far more sinister effect information overload can have upon a person, and that is to desensitize that individual so that they are no longer able to discern valuable information from worthless drivel. Loosing one’s ability to differentiate valuable content from mindless rubble is a dangerous position to be found in. If we treat all information as equal we place ourselves in a position to become dull of hearing and blinded to truth. Even when presented with SOLID evidence, because we have lost focus on what is valuable, we are unable to receive the truth as anything more than just another sound-byte. We end up approaching all information peddlers with cynicism and skepticism. Discarding whatever does not suit our particular situation or attitude, we toss aside anything that requires more than a second or two to process. We do not wish to be bothered with weighty issues that might require more thought and research. We want our information in easy to swallow sound-bytes and do not wish to be bothered with a lengthy discourse.

This was the state of the religious people of Christ’s day. Although they prided themselves on being a learned people they were unable to ascertain the clear truth of God manifested in the life of Jesus Christ. Their eyes were blinded to the truth of God’s love and God’s ways and their ears  stopped to the knowledge of God’s word. Although surrounded by overwhelming evidence they were unable to process the information. They had grown comfortable in their own thought processes and did not wish to have their ideas challenged. They had become lazy when it came to information gathering. They did not desire to find out what was true or what was not true, they just picked what sounded good to them at the time and disregarded anything that did not.

Should we be on guard against information overload as well? To answer that question all we really need do is turn on the radio or television and listen for about an hour and see what type of information is being broadcast. Is it uplifting, soul stirring, energizing or simply a waste of time and mindless blather?

As I sorted through my inbox with the intention of separating the worthless from the valuable, I too became aware of the millions of mind numbing bytes wasted on most of the emails sent to my inbox. I am now on a journey to eliminate waste from the bird cage. I am on a journey to block all correspondence from sources that do not provide valuable content. I do not wish to spend my day reading and responding to matters of insignificance. I do not wish to be found wasting my time having to delete these unimportant emails. So from this day forward I am instituting a new email policy. If the information contained in the email is not of eternal value then the sender will be added to my spam filter and their emails will be dead on arrival.

So like Jesus says, there are many things He would like to tell me, and in order to have the desire to hear those things I will have to de-clutter my inbox. Caution, the eagle is cleaning out the birdcage. Beware of flying debris.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey
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God is With Us

Allen Frederick 10 Comments

image Wherever I go, He is there. So goes the children’s song we sang all week at Vacation Bible School. The words are simple, the melody is catchy, but the message it carries is timeless. The Lord promised His disciples that he would be with them always even until the end of the age.

The promise was not only for that time and that place but even until the end of the age. What comforting words to have heard from the Lord. Jesus was asking His disciples to go into all the world and teach others about the love of God through Christ Jesus. It was a hostile environment in those days to be labeled a “Christian”. I believe much of the same circumstances exist today with the persecution of Christians increasing around the world. Even in America, where freedom of religion is protected in the Constitution, Christians are finding it much more difficult to practice their religion freely and openly. It would appear the spirit of Anti-Christ is alive and well in the world.

Can we rest upon this promise given to the early church in a hostile world today? Do the words of Jesus still hold forth the same comfort as when they were first spoken? Do we as the church in the world today believe that God is with us? I fear that many live their life as if God is a distant relative they visit once a week. Perhaps you place a call to God daily but then go about the rest of your day forgetting that you spoke with Him.

Do you ever pause to acknowledge His presence in your day? Or do you perhaps feel your privacy is being invaded by this constant companion? I would hate to think about being alone at this time in history without the comforting knowledge of God’s abiding presence. I dare not think about what my life would be like without His constant help and encouragement. I tremble at the thought of facing life’s challenges alone and self-reliant. I, like Gideon, do not see myself as a brave soul, but more of a reclusive introvert. Some might just call me a closet coward.

rowboat_2929c I must confess that left to my own strengths, my weaknesses are far too evident. It is only when I rely upon God’s abilities do my insecurities not seem so great. I take comfort in knowing that I have not been the first, nor shall I be the last Gideon to have walked this earthen sod feeling insignificant when faced with overwhelming odds. (Judges 6:15) Nor shall I be the last Israelite who stood terrified in the shadow of Goliath. (1 Samuel 7:23-24) Nor dare I say that I will be the last disciple who fears drowning when confronted by an unrelenting flood of despair. (Mark 4:38)

Some people seem to have an inert ability to face any obstacle stoically. Not I!

However, I have lived long enough to know that God is faithful, and He will never leave me comfortless. He is always there and all I need do is acknowledge His abiding presence and allow him to have control of my life’s circumstances. He will never leave me nor forsake me. He shall be with me even when the world comes to an end. Those are comforting words. But do we believe them?

Do we actually believe that wherever we are God is? That means God tags along with us throughout our days just looking for an opportunity to be there for us. How often do we neglect to acknowledge that abiding presence. Are we like the disciples caught in the violent storm at sea with Jesus asleep in the boat? They exhaust themselves attempting to bail out the boat while JESUS continues to sleep in the stern. Why was Jesus asleep while the disciples were fighting for their lives? (Mark 4:38) Because Jesus knew God was with him and he knew that God was in control of his life. He knew he was one with the Father. Can we say the same? Are we able to find rest in the midst of the storm?

him

31 What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] Romans 8:31 (AMP)

What obstacle do you suppose is too big for God to handle? What in this created world can defeat God? That is right, NOTHING! If God is with you no matter where you are, could it be said then that you are the instrument through which God desires to impact the world around you? Do you suppose that the same God who was with Jesus also resides within you? And the same power that raised Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal body. (Give life to, energize, make fully alive.)

LentFifthAepcl If the Spirit of the Lord is able to resurrect the dead do you suppose that same Spirit is able to work mightily through you to impact your circumstances? Do you suppose your life can be changed for the better because of God’s abiding presence? If God is with you and you acknowledge His presence.do you think  that you can feed 5000, move mountains, or speak in His name and bring salvation to a lost soul? What do you suppose we could accomplish in His name if we only believed he is actually alive and well and living within us?

Wherever I go, God is with me;
wherever I am, He is there.
I’m never alone;
He won’t forget me.
I’m never afraid; I know He’s near.
Wherever I go, God is with me;
wherever I am, He is there.
I’m never alone;
He won’t forget me.
God is near.

August Edition of Pop Goes the Gospel

Allen Frederick 4 Comments

Welcome to this month’s Edition of “Pop Goes the Gospel” another exciting expedition through cyberspace stopping along the way to gather some spiritual nourishment to strengthen our walk with the Lord. The fruit is ripe, the water is warm, the sun is shining so grab your sunblock, a beach  towel, and enjoy a cool summertime treat. Let the carnival begin!

'Pop Goes the Gospel'

'Pop Goes the Gospel'

Feature Article

Trent Cotton presents Using Chicken Little to Teach Kids about Mistakes posted at Christian Men-Christian Warriors. This month’s feature article is a lesson learned from the Children’s film Chicken Little. This is a must read for all who are dealing with “sins of our past” getting past our past reputations. Got a bad rap, check out this month’s feature article and learn along with Trent the lessons of Chicken Little. Thank you Trent for your submission.

In Culture

NCSue presents Making sense of paradox posted at IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.NCSue asks us all to take another look at the paradoxes of Scripture. She offers up a new look at how Christianity seems senseless to those who are skilled and learned in the world. God’s ways surely are not our ways. A must read. Take time to answer all the questions there will be a quiz.

DeMarcus presents Growing Spiritually posted at Self Improvement Articles.DeMarcus offers us a quick but thorough look at growing up Spiritually. Thank you DeMarcus for your submission.

Rich Bordner presents My Story « The Pugnacious Irishman posted at The Pugnacious Irishman, College life can be ruthless for a young child of God or in the case of Rich a proving ground. The trying of our faith is a requirement if we wish to grow in that faith. A faith that is not tested is not faith at all. Thank you Rich for your candied story of life after high school, and your journey toward a deeper walk of faith.

Jeanine Mathis presents Question: Can You Boycott Heaven Because of Who God Allows to Be There? posted at Walk in Light, Jeanine tackles and interesting question found while surfing the net. I liked this article because it pointed out that there is only ONE JUDGE and it is not us. My conclusion to this post was well you have to read it and decide for yourself. Thank you Jeanine

In Church Life

Keith Tusing presents Leadership is Tough posted at CM Buzz.Keith offers a short but sound lesson on the difficulties of leadership. He says that if you are not being criticized it is possible you are not doing anything for the Kingdom, so get used to it. Good job Keith and thanks for your submission

Bible SEO presents Beatitudes: Blessed are Poor in Spirit – 8 Part Series posted at Bible Study Exposition Online, saying, “This bible study lesson is an eight part series of the Beatitudes mentioned in Matthew 5. This first part covers the meaning and context of beatitudes; it also deals with implication of being ‘poor in the spirit’, and the promise of Kingdom of Heaven.” Take some time out this week and do this study on the Beatitudes, it will do you a world of good.

andriel presents The Mystical Theory of Atonement posted at ReturningKing.com, For those who love an deep theological exegisis Andriel offers up plenty of ‘spiritual meat’ each and every issue of Pop Goes the Gospel. Once again andriel offers up such a post. This is a must read for anyone who seriously wishes to delve into the deeper things of God. Warning this is not for the casual reader this post will make you think.

Rick Schiano presents Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Be a Christian posted at Ricks Victory Blog.Rick offers up a TOP TEN List every Christian should strive to emulate. This is not a silly TOP TEN list as seen on late night TV but a serious list of the TOP TEN attributes of a TRUE CHRISTIAN. See how you stack up to the TOP TEN.

In Media

Alvina Lopez presents 50 Awesome Online Communities for Christians posted at Online Bible College Degrees – Online Bible Colleges.Another top 50 list from the folks you like to post list the students at Online Bible Colleges.

In Life

Sacha Calagopi presents Stuck in the Airport posted at God’s Word For You Today, Sacha another first time contributor to this carnival offers up a glimpse into what it is like to have to wait. This reminds me of an old saying ‘When my ship comes in I will probably be at the airport” giving voice to the frustration many feel about supposed missed opportunities. Savha points out that waiting on God is not an exercise in futility but rather a preparation for flight.

Jessica Nagel presents Gratitude posted at Sustainable Halo.This simple post from Jessica Nagel asks just one thing. What are you grateful for? Stop by and leave a reply and tell the world what it is you are grateful for.

In Family

Brooklyn White presents 100 Best Blogs for Christian Moms posted at Online Christian Colleges.Brooklyn White from Online Christian Colleges offers up yet another Post of Lists. This one is dedicated to the Christian mom and the 100 best sites. I am sure you will find something valuable in this list.

Bill presents Blessed in His Image posted at The Covenant Blessing, Bill a first time submitter to this blog carnival offers up an insightful post on being made in the image of Christ. He reminds us that we are all made in God’s image and if we really understood how fearfully and wonderfully we were made it would help us improve our self-image.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of pop goes the gospel using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Pop Goes the Gospel- June 2009 Edition

Allen Frederick 6 Comments

'Pop Goes the Gospel'

'Pop Goes the Gospel'

Welcome to the June 2009 edition of “Pop Goes the Gospel.” I am a day late getting this up on the net because I was away this weekend. It was nice to be away and not having to think about my “TO DO” list but like all vacations they come to an end and the “TO DO” list has become a “DID NOT DO” list. So the first on my “DID NOT DO” list was to post the latest edition of “Pop Goes the Gospel” so here it is. Enjoy!

Feature Post

This month’s feature blog post was submitted by Robert Minto. Robert has submitted in the past and as usual has great things to say. His article is well written and contains plenty to makes us pause and reflect.

Robert Minto presents Identity & “The Good Shepherd” posted at The Veil Away, Robert relates the Film “The Good Shepherd” with our identity in Christ. What does our identity say about us? Does keeping our identity a secret bring with it consequences? I choice this post to feature this month because it was well written and addressed an important question. Who are you, really? Nice job Robert and congratulations on being chosen this month’s feature blogger.

In Media

Justin Allison presents Influence of the local church posted at Old Testament Ecology.Justin asked and answered the question: “What impact does the Gospel have in people’s lives in comparison to the impact media, the government, the workforce, or life in general have?” His conclusion: “To sum up, the local church which I am a part of has much more influence in my life than taxes, government, or media.” Read the rest of the story to find out how he arrived at this conclusion.

In Church Life

Fiona Veitch Smith presents The Cyber Church posted at Fiona Veitch Smith, Fiona makes a compelling case for “cyber-church meeting places. Her rationale would seem to flow that with the ever increasing use of the Internet for everyday activities shouldn’t church attendances be considered along with shopping and information gathering? Is the cyber community disconnected from real life? Read this post and decide for yourself. Comments are always welcomed. Let the poster know you were there.

andriel presents The Basis for Salvation: Man is Sinful posted at ReturningKing.com, Andriel a regular contributor to this blog carnival is never shy about tackling hot button issues and once again he tackles a biggie; sin. Read his post on this touchy subject and see for yourself.

In Culture

Aaron M. G. Zimmerman presents Mockingbird: U2: Seekers to Saints to Sinners to Saved (by Grace)–Part 1 posted at Mockingbird, saying, “This is the first of a four part series on U2’s interaction with evangelical Christianity. It tracks them from their early fervent piety, to their struggle to reconcile their faith with the demands of legalistic Christians, to their prodigal years, and finall to their recent re-discovery of grace as the beating heart of the Gospel. It comes from the Mockingbird blog, a site whose constant purpose is to find connections between pop culture and the Gospel of God’s one-way love for sinners. The blog does this with humor, a bit of irony, and a ton of grace.”

Keith Tusing presents How to Partner with Parents and Protect Kids in Our Culture posted at CM Buzz.Keith offers a basic how-to for a churche’s ministry to children. He cites the need for a church’s cultural input into a child’s life. He suggests the need for more “voices speaking truth and wisdom” in a child’s life considering they are immersed in a sea of cultural corruption daily.

Kiesha presents Don’t Let Your Fears Talk You Out of Success posted at Highly Favored.Kiesha shares some personal stories of missed opportunities in an attempt to encourage everyone to not let opportunities pass you by because you are too afraid to act upon them. Take a chance and let God make up for your inabilities with His ability. This is a good read.

In Education

Shannon Christman presents The Christian College Porn Star: How Should Christian Schools Handle Students’ Sin? posted at The Minority Thinker, Shannon asks a tough question, and I believe she did not mean for it to be rhetorical so she welcomes other’s input on the subject. What should a Christian do when he/she sees a brother/sister in Christ overcome in a sin? The bible says Brothers and sisters, if a person gets trapped by wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should help that person turn away from doing wrong. Do it in a gentle way. At the same time watch yourself so that you also are not tempted. Gal 6:1 (GW)  What say you? Take some time to answer Shannon’s question. Spark some dialog.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Pop Goes the Gospel using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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