Until All Have Heard

Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." NIV

We know that Jesus is coming again, but when? With all the pain and suffering in our world, not to mention the rise of immorality, the question looms in our mind, "when Lord"?

The Saints in the day of the Apostle Peter also wondered. They were under great persecution for their faith and they looked up daily, hoping, longing for the Lord's return. "When Lord?" was their question too.

In 2 Peter chapter 3, we find the Apostle writing words of encouragement to the burdened church. Scoffers had risen and they were making a mockery out of the church's preaching of Christ return. "Where is the promise of His coming?" they would ask. The church became disheartened. Then Peter gave them a precious Word. He reminded them of the heart of God and of His integrity, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3: 9 NKJV)

There it was! Words of comfort to the discouraged church. In essence he said, "God is suffering long with you in the midst of all the wickedness of this world because He wants men, women, boys and girls to be saved!" Surely Peter remembered the words of our Lord in Matthew 24:14. Jesus said that He would not come again until His Gospel (Good News of Salvation) was preached among all nations.

Several weeks ago I learned of an amazing research project called "The Joshua Project." The goal was to identify the people groups of the world who have yet to hear the Name of Jesus. They published that there are still 6642 people groups who have not heard the Gospel.

Now here is where this gets exciting. There seems to be a moving of the Holy Spirit among believers everywhere to get serious about spreading the message of Jesus. In fact, mission groups are now targeting these "unreached" people groups to give them the hope of eternal life. My friends, when all nations have a witness of the Gospel, there will be nothing left holding our Lord back from coming for His Church!

Join me in prayer that the Holy Spirit will move upon me, you and every Christ-follower on this planet. Let's pray together that God will give us a burden to share Jesus with every soul possible. May we spread the message of Salvation in Christ alone to every ear who will listen. Until all have heard, may Jesus find us busy, working in His fields!

You can learn more about the Joshua Project at www.joshuaproject.net

Pray the Word of God over your children

I recently had the opportunity to be in a service with Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God. His insights on prayer and personal revival are amazing. During the service, he made a comment concerning his children and grandchildren. He said there is a passage of Scripture that he reguarlly prays over them. This intrigued me. He went on to testify that each of his 5 children are now serving in ministry for Christ in some fashion and that his two oldest grandchildren are now in Seminary.

The first time I ever heard someone praying Scripture was about ten years ago when a man challenged me to pray a passage from Ephesians over a non-Christian who I was praying to receive Christ. It was such a simple concept, I wondered why I hadn't thought of it before.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword..." (NKJV).

Think about it. When you and I pray the Word of God over our Children, we are praying the most powerful words ever penned on paper. We are praying God's Words!

So, what is the verse that Henry Blackaby prays over his children and grandchildren? It was Isaiah 59:21:

Isaiah 59:21
"As for Me," says the LORD, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore."
NKJV

Take a moment right now and pray this verse over your children and grandchildren. Pray that the Spirit of God and the Word of God will not depart from their heart!

Christians Living out their Faith!

There are times in your life when God places you in the midst of people who exemplify what it means to be a Christ-follower!

Each year I travel south to get refocused on my calling from God. For 5 days I worship the Lord and learn from His Word at the Pastor’s Conference at First Baptist, Jacksonville, FL. A wonderful church led by Dr. Mac Brunson.

At this conference the preaching is powerful, the music is inspiring and Jesus is lifted up and glorified! Yet, it is the precious members of the Church that volunteer up to 12 hours a day serving the visiting pastors and hosting them in their homes that makes this one week a year, a week to encounter God without any distractions!

Let me share two examples with you. Their names are Richard and Elaine Gills and Kenneth and Ina Dobbs.

For the past 5 years, Richard and Elaine Gills have opened up their home to me and my staff. They are our “host family.” And family is the key word. After just a few minutes with this sweet, godly couple, you feel like you are part of their family. They have prayed for us, taken us to Elaine's favorite Chinese restaurant, introduced us to their friends and simply loved us with the precious love of Jesus! O’ how Richard and Elaine have showed us the heart of Jesus! Praise God for this couple. Richard and Elaine own and operate a container company and they send packages to missions around the world! What a precious couple!

Then there is Kenneth and Ina Dobbs. (pictured, sorry Richard and Elaine, I didn’t get a chance to take your picture!)

Kenneth is a retired US Postal service worker. He serves First Baptist Jacksonville as an Usher. The story of how our lives crossed is amazing and nothing short of the Sovereignty of God. For clarity, First Baptist Jacksonville has over 27,000 members and the Sanctuary seats over 9000. A couple of years ago, my Executive Pastor, Harold and me were finding a seat on the right side of the Sanctuary before the evening service. The usher working that section that night was Kenneth. A conversation started between us as we waited for the service to begin. Then, Kenneth went on to do his duties. Harold and I knew that Kenneth would greet hundreds of pastors that night and therefore, we put no thought to the idea that Kenneth would remember a couple of preachers from Kentucky.

Several months later, I was dealing with a difficult situation in the ministry. Normally, if I am having a difficult day my secretary will protect my time so I can pray and read the Word of God. However, on that day, she came into my office and said that there was a man from Florida on the phone and that he was insistent to talk to me. You may have guessed it, it was Kenneth Dobbs! When I answered the phone he said, “You may not remember me and you may think I am crazy, but I have been praying for you for the past few days and God told me to call you today and tell you that.” Needless to say, I was humbled and exhilarated in the Holy Spirit all at the same time. God knew the struggle that I was going through and had a man 1000 miles away to pray for me and call me. What an awesome God we serve!

Since that day, Harold and I have become very close to this godly couple, as we have with Richard and Elaine. The Dobbs look for us at the conference each year; take us out to breakfast or dinner or both! We have been in their home, they have prayed over us and this year we were blessed to meet their daughter Lisa and her husband Bob.

Friends, let me encourage you to love the way Jesus loves and to share that love with those you come into contact with. Each one of us can be a Richard and Elaine or a Kenneth and Ina to others if we will love people with the love of Jesus!

When I think of these two couples, I remember the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Church in Philippi,

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from this first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in your will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”
Philippians 1: 3-6 NKJV

The Value of Your Testimony

Have you purchased any cologne or perfume lately? If you haven’t, you better prepare yourself before you go on your next shopping spree for your favorite body fragrance. Depending on your choice, you could spend around $60.00 for just a few ounces. Though it may be expensive, most of us would agree that spending a little extra for the “good stuff” is better than the alternative. There’s not much more appalling then no cologne, except maybe some cheap cologne that comes from a convenience store bathroom. When it comes to body fragrance, you either attract or appall others by your choice and the amount you use.

Did you know that your Christian witness is like a cologne or perfume to God? It really is. Notice this verse, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2: 15 NKJV).

When studying the books of First and Second Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writing to a young church who loves the Lord Jesus, but in many ways, their lifestyle is not measuring up. Paul is encouraging them to take an honest examination of their life and not allow anything to hinder their testimony of God’s Saving Grace.

A Christian’s testimony becomes evident in two ways.

First, there is the public profession of faith and baptism. What a beautiful picture is painted in the hearts of men and women in the Church when they watch a person who has confessed faith in Christ be immersed in baptismal waters. To everyone watching, that person is proclaiming that their “old” self has been crucified with Christ and now they have been made “new” by the grace of Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).

Second, there is the daily walk of the believer. As a child growing up in church I remember the frequent testimony of Ms. Mossie Long in our small church. With her walking cane waving in the air she would announce to all listening, “you may be the only Bible some people ever read!” How true her words are. James, the half-brother of our Lord, never denied that we were saved by grace through faith, but he did admonish Christians to remember that it is through our “works,” our lifestyle, that the world will believe our confession of faith. “I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18)

So, how valuable is your Christian testimony? It will either be like an expensive cologne purchased at a fine department store, or it will be like cheap bathroom cologne out of a quarters only machine. The decision is up to you.

In his letters to the Corinthians Paul said,
1. Remember who you are!

You are “called to be saints”:
1 Corinthians 1:2

You are His “Temple”:
1 Corinthians 3:16-17

2. Don’t let your lifestyle hinder your testimony.

“Be Holy”:
2 Corinthians 6:16-18,
2 Corinthians 5:9-10,

“Be sensitive to the conscience of others:”
1 Corinthians 8: 1-13

"Let Christian love be your guide."
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13

Keep watch on your faith.style="font-weight:bold;">span>
2 Corinthians 13: 5-6

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. “