“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20, NIV (emphasis added)

Why didn’t Jesus tell the guys to bring the Gospel to Jerusalem? Why not just the places that had been the most accepting of His message? Why not just the nation of Israel (they were God’s chosen people)?

Instead, He chose to overwhelm them with the task to create a sense of urgency. He said “go to all nations.” Our passion to be efficient and effective in our ministry has minimized our sense of urgency. Jesus did not say develop the best strategy, although a strategy is not bad. Jesus did not say to be the most efficient, although efficiency is great. He said “GO to ALL NATIONS” or literally, “as you are going to all nations, tell them.”

It was an expectation that the disciples had a sense of urgency wherever they were. But, our sense of urgency has been cloaked by our desire for analysis. Our sense of urgency has been cloaked by believing that numbers do not matter. Our sense of urgency has been cloaked by the size of the task.

I’m reminded of a story that I heard once of a little boy who was asked to define the word all. His answer, “All means all and that’s all all means.”

All nations means all nations and that’s all all nations means. If the church believed that people who die every day really go to hell, we would be doing more about it.

It’s easier to build a strategy, but all means all. I wonder if the people from the nations who were unreached at the judgment will be impressed with our developing, ineffective strategies that were sought after over the simple telling others about the Gospel in all nations?

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV (emphasis added)

Now, let’s change the passage a little by adding pastors for the word people. Think about it – if my pastors, who are called by my name…. What would happen if pastor’s would:

• Humble themselves – realize they need God’s help and the help of other pastors. We are not fighting each other – our fight “is not against flesh and blood.”
• Pray and seek my face – look to Him for guidance and direction and pursue Him more than anything else.
• Turn – honestly, church leaders just need to confess some sin and admit they are not perfect.

Then. Did you see that? THEN. Then God will hear, forgive and heal. My thoughts: hearing, forgiving and healing creates a movement.

If we want to see God move in our country and world, it starts in the hearts of people and specifically PASTORS.

The problem in the US is that we have individual churches sharing the Gospel instead of churches linking together to create a movement of the Gospel.

His words have been bouncing around in the void known as my mind for days!

Think about this – If the approximate 400,000 churches in the United States reached out to 750 people each, we could effectively tell each person about God’s love and create a movement for the Gospel in America. (For the math deficient, 400,000 churches * 750 people = 300,000,000 people – the approximate population of the US)

Some churches can do more – others can do less. BUT, we all can do something.

My question: How can we effectively link churches together in our country and world to create a movement for Christ?

These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom…. (Colossians 2:23)

The world is more about doing than being. So, as we walk with Him, the wisdom of the world continually pushes us to focus on what we “do or do not do” over who we are becoming.

So, in the current direction of your life, who are you becoming?

If you are becoming the person God desires you to be, your doing will align with His Word and Will.

Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel. (Joshua 24:31, NIV)

Under his leadership, during his leadership and beyond his leadership, Israel served the Lord. It led me to these thoughts.

• Does your leadership lead others closer to Christ?
• Will the way that you are living and leading be carried on by those who outlive you?
• Are others experiencing more of God because of the way that you live and lead?

After some reflections over the past few weeks, the focus of leadership for a believer has a dual focus: spiritual and secular. So often we only focus on the secular leadership principles of hiring or firing. But in ministry, a strong walk with Christ is key to being a great leader.

Don’t just finish strong – live a life that impacts the future of those that you are leading. That’s beginning, living and finishing strong.

So be very careful to love the LORD your God. (Joshua 23:11, NIV)

If someone were to look at your life, would they say that you are careful to love God?

It hit me…like. a. ton. of. bricks.

I’m careful when the kids have a milk on the carpet. I’m careful when I’m backing out of the driveway. I’m careful when I make decisions. I’m careful to spend time with the Lord daily.

But, am I careful to love God? Am I careful to cultivate the most important relationship in my life?

What about you? Are you careful?

However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely. (Joshua 17:13, emphasis added)

What happened?

They grew stronger. They began to rely on themselves. They got to the place where they could make decisions on their own.

And, instead of driving the Canaanites out, they made them workers. No problem….right? They could accomplish more. They could rest more. They could serve God more.

But sometimes when things “seem” right, they are wrong. This New Testament verse effectively tells us what happened in this Old Testament passage:

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

The Canaanites would ultimately begin leading the Israelites away from God.

Are there areas in your life that just “seem” right that God has forbidden for you? Don’t trust yourself or your thoughts – trust God and His Word to guide you.

There’s an invisible line that runs throughout your life. That’s right – you can’t see it. But it is there and you know when you get close to it or when you cross it. The line separates so many things -

• immorality & morality
• words of life & words of death

So, how close do you get to the line in your life?

Some things are moral, but you are walking the line on the side closest to immorality. Some words are not “bad,” but you are walking the line on the side closest to death.

I’m always asking God to show me where the line is according to His word, and then I ask Him to keep me from getting close to it. Sometimes crossing the line just means that you hurt someones feelings with your words, but other times crossing the line ends in ruining your family or someone else’s family.

God, always make the invisible line obvious in my life.

What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign, evident to all who live in Jerusalem, has been done through them, and we cannot deny it!  Acts 4:16 (emphasis added)

Does your church have any obvious signs that God is present? Do people experience God at your church in such a way that they cannnot deny it? Is it known by everyone who lives in your city?

I want Faith Promise to have obvious signs.

There’s a lot of talk today about discipleship or helping people grow to look like Jesus. Last week I was reading in Proverbs and came across this verse

There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth. Proverbs 30:12 (HCSB)

My mind began to race – Are we people of a garbage faith? It seems that more and more the argument is centered around MY perspective and MY beliefs instead of a simple analysis of God’s Word and what He says about our life. Just reading the New Testament clears up so many things about what a true Christ-follower should look like.

But it feels like we are becoming a generation that is “pure in its own eyes.” It feels like we are deciding that parts of Scripture are no longer applicable. It feels like we are pulling a “Thomas Jefferson” and cutting the Bible in pieces to fit our life and perspective. We are all guilty in some area.

So, instead of talking about what we believe it means to be pure, would you join me in a pursuit of what the New Testament says about purity and Christlikeness?