How to be Set Free

God tells us that anyone who has surrendered his or her life to Jesus fully, as Lord and Savior will not face the coming final judgment of the Lake of Fire. 8 Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Only by surrendering your life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that is admitting you are a sinner and confessing your sin to Jesus will set you free from the coming eternal hell awaiting those who do not repent and surrender to Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life [a]in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

The practices of the Old Testament are no longer needed because God sent Jesus Christ, His One and Only Son to fulfill the requirements of the Old Testament for sin, a blood sacrifice, Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the judgment of the world. 3 For what the Law could not do, [b]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of [c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk [d]according to the flesh but [e]according to the Spirit.

If you continue to live “in the flesh” giving in to the sinful desires of the mind acting them out in your body, this will only lead you to an eternal hell. A mindset on following earthly things and sinful desires is hostile toward God Almighty. The mindset on sin is set on self-destruction. 5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind [f]set on the flesh is death, but the mind [g]set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind [h]set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

There is only one way to please God and that begins when you admit you are a sinner and you have sinned against Him. You must repent of your sins, which means you turn away from the things that are evil and contrary to God’s Word. You must ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior and fully surrender your life to Him.

Prayer: Dear God, I believe that Jesus is Your Son, that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose from the dead on the day. God I have sinned against You. Please forgive me of my sin and Jesus come into my heart. I surrender my life to You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Passages borrowed by Biblegateway.com Romans 8

Is God’s Word Enough?

Over the last fifteen years of equipping and training and strategizing in evangelism tools, methodology, and mentoring soul winners, I have seen a decline in evangelism. But not so much in the process of evangelism but more so in the practice or the belief in evangelism.

But as I reflect on the current situation with fewer churches doing or living out evangelism resulting in fewer salvations which results in fewer baptisms, which results in congregations hitting a plateau, then begin a decline and eventually dying a slow death. I realize that it is not the practice of evangelism that is not being done but much more obedience to Jesus’ command to go and Make or Win disciples.

Is God’s word or the Bible not enough? When we must ask “Is there a reason or a motivation for a believer to go out and witness” than the very essence that Jesus Christ forgives and saves us if we confess and repent of our sins. A changed life is at the core of a hot hearted, passionate obedient soul winner.

At this point, a soul winner is made when your life is redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16 says we are not to be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The implication here is we will not be disgraced if we go make Jesus known. Because He is the One True Way to God, He is God in the flesh. Jesus saves all who will turn to Him by faith.

The moment an individual confesses his sin and turns away from the sinful life and turns to Jesus by faith, God’s cleansing and life-changing Spirit, His Spirit, will take up residence in the redeemed person, (which is the guarantee of God’s Saving grace. Ephesians 1:13-14). It is God’s Spirit in the person that will drive and give the person a passion to go and tell others how Jesus changes and restores lives.

Do we need a new reason or a better reason to go and win lost people for Christ than our own life-changing story of God’s grace in our lives? A new process or method is needy for those who lack the maturity or the experience of a committed soul winner. I have seen Christians who were intimidated to go and tell others about Jesus be transformed into a confident and passionate soul-winner after a couple of hours of personal mentoring in evangelism.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus instructed us to go and teach others what He has taught us. Acts 1:8 Jesus promised His Church that the Holy Spirit would indwell us, and we would become His witnesses! Once you are saved, born-again, redeemed by Jesus you get all you will ever need to go and make disciples.

And how often should we go and make Jesus known? Jesus commanded His church, those who are redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ, to go and evangelize and make disciples of all peoples. Matthew 28:1-20. Acts 1:8 “you will receive the Holy Spirit, which is God’s power and you will be Jesus witnesses.” The Koine New Testament Greek grammar means that you will begin to witness and will continue to be witnesses for Jesus.

God’s power never stops being in you. The only reason God’s power would be hindered is when you sin and do not confess your sins daily. God’s Spirit is squelched or is withheld when sin is present in your life. Remember you are bought with a price you are not your own, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. You belong to God.

Do you need to be reminded why you should go witness? If you have confessed your sins to God and asked for Him to forgive you and asked Jesus to save you, then God’s redeeming power and His Holy Spirit is in you. You are a Witness for Jesus. Go Tell others how Jesus Christ has changed you!

If you have never been saved, by surrendering your life to Jesus, pray, Dear God, I have sinned against you, I am sorry, I believe Jesus is Your One and Only Son, that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose on the third day. Jesus, I turn away from my sins and surrender my life to You. In Jesus Name.

If you prayed that prayer and you meant it, I want you

• To find a Bible teaching, preaching Church.
• Join by baptism, believer’s baptism identifying with Jesus Christ
• Go to https://billygraham.org/devotions/ to start a daily devotion.
• Get trained to do effective evangelism; https://billygraham.org/what-we-do/discipleship-training/online-training/
• Begin reading the Gospel of John and read one chapter every day. Upon completion, then go start over at the first book of the New Testament, The Gospel of Matthew and read a chapter all the way through. When you finish start over again, do it for the rest of your life.
• Go and start telling everyone how Jesus changed your life. Of his death for our sins, and His glorious resurrection.
  • 1 Corinthians 15:1-4,
  • 1 Peter 3:15, “be ready to give an answer”;
  • 2 Corinthians 5:20, “we are God’s Ambassadors!”
  • Romans 1:16, “not ashamed of the Gospel”

Do you ask, “Who is Jesus?”

The Devil’s Lie about Evangelism

After reading an article on ways of evangelism, and watching teens, twenty and thirty something’s boldly speak out, march and protest on national television, and get in face of a politician’s spouse shouting, I am compelled to post a few words from my book Breaking the Evangelism Code.

Don’t let the devil fool you that home visits, door to door, street evangelism, passing out Gospel tracts does not work today. He is a liar and deceiver. They will work if you die to yourself and let Jesus be Jesus in you and through you.

 

From Breaking the Evangelism Code:

 

The church has fallen for the devil’s lie that evangelism does not work. What better lie to promote! He could not stop the church from doing evangelism by persecution. So he did the second most effective thing, tell the church that evangelism does not work anymore. The church today lives as though the gospel is powerless and acts as though the gospel is in some type of code.

The church appears to be in a state of confusion and stumbling around as though intoxicated by some cheap wine or fermented drink that the devil has concocted when it comes to evangelism. The church seems as though it is in a thick fog and acts as though the gospel is in some type of cryptic code, needing to be solved before it can tell the world about Jesus.

While the church struggles trying to discover a new approach or grasp which evangelism strategy or method works best, the world is going to hell on jet fuel. The declining church continues to listen to some of our leaders and individuals, whom we have deemed as the experts, who fan the flames of disillusionment and gospel-phobia, while the devil is running havoc on our families, our marriages, our churches, and communities. He continues to lead many lost people to an eternal fiery hell while we sit around trying to figure out how to grow the church without going outside of our walls or leaving our soft pews to do intentional evangelism.

Evangelism is the good news that the world needs to hear. The message of the gospel is that God set up a roadblock to hell; it is called the cross. It is all about the cross. Jesus died on a cross so we would not have to pay for our sins in hell.

How Did Paul Pass on the Gospel– 1 Corinthians 15:3b

1. A. Paul preached the Gospel in the Major cities

Jesus sent Paul to take the Gospel to the known world of his day. In the New Testament, in Book of Acts and in his letters/epistles, we see how Paul proclaimed the Gospel during his four missionary trips.

1st Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14): Paul preached and evangelized on the island of Cyprus, In Iconium the entire city heard Paul preach the gospel.

2nd Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22): Paul preached in Debre, Lycaonia, Lystra, Iconium in Pisidia and Antioch in Pisidia. From Antioch he traveled to Europe and evangelized in Philippi, and Macedonia.

3rd Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-20:38) – Include travels to regions of Galatia, and Phrygia, visits churched in Galatia. Wrote letters Galatian church. While in Ephesus, Paul wrote first letter to Corinthian church.

4^th Missionary Journey – God sent Paul to Rome to appeal before Caesar, so upon his release, Paul could go to Spain and preach the Gospel according to his letter found in Romans 15:24, 28.

The Cities Need the Gospel!

There is a need for a ministry, denominational funded urban city evangelism strategy. This strategy should mobilize committed soul winners, to work alongside churches, to mentor and equip Christians/churches across the US landscape to intentionally evangelize people of all walks of life. Why?

Studies show people are moving back into the cities, the majority are lost and without Christ. I have a strategy to mobilize, equip and reach lost people with the gospel.

In one article published by USA Today, March 27, 2014, the population shift can be seen. [1]

A new merchant in the East Harbor section of downtown Baltimore was begging people to shop at his establishment. “Young people are not going to make that plunge to a suburban house because they think there’s risk to it,” he says. “And on top of that, they can’t afford the down payment.”

There are some churches and organizations starting new church work in Baltimore. But as one expert in evangelism and strategy, who was the denominational leader in the state, said, “if you start a new church in an inner/urban community and you invite individuals, addicted to heroin and other drugs, they are not going to attend your church.”

“Harbor East symbolizes a population shift taking place across the nation, reflected in new data released today by the Census Bureau. It finds that population growth has been shifting to the core counties of the USA’s 381 metro areas, especially since the economic recovery began gaining steam in 2010. Basically, the USA’s urban core is getting denser, while far-flung suburbs watch their growth dwindle.”

William Frey, a demographer at Washington’s Brookings Institution, a research and policy group, stated, “People are hanging tough in urban areas,” he says. “Some of them are going to stay there for the long term. The trend also is driven by increasing numbers of young people delaying or foregoing marriage and childbirth, which often prompt moves to the suburbs.

Frey says many outlying suburbs once grew in spite of whether the cities they orbited were thriving. Now, he says, the equation is changing. If exurbs are “part of a prosperous region” like Washington, D.C., they’ll survive. If not, he says, “Those places aren’t going to come back.”

So what should the strategy look like? The strategy should be comprehensive and include, a three step plan to equip, evangelism and gathering new believers into new churches. I have developed and tweaking and using such a plan. Mission teams of trained men, have resulted in thousands of professions of faith.

The weakest link to evangelism is always follow up. Most churches in the inner cities are not ready to take in the harvest when God provides it. This is why new church starts should be equip in this strategy.

Over the span of fifteen plus years, I have personally mentored numerous men and women, and some youth, how to evangelize in the inner city.  The team members on these inner-city mission teams are committed Christians who are still using this plan, in their locations.

There are men who are ready to go and lead by example how to engage lost people with the gospel and how to transition into a decision for Christ. We just need the funding to mobilize the team.

If you are any other organization is interested in helping us mobilize trained soul winners who can mentor others contact me. In the meantime, thousands of people are being misled, and dying who headed for an eternal hell.

M28evangelism.com/ M28evangelism@gmail.com

Other articles on young people moving back into the cities:

1. Why Young College Grads Returned to American Downtowns in the …

https://www.citylab.com/life/2016/02/urban-revival-america-college…/470415/

Feb 23, 2016 –

2. Why Millennials Still Move to Cities – Newsweek

http://www.newsweek.com/2015/…/why-cities-hold-more-pull-millennials-cloud-317735.ht…

Mar 30, 2015 –

3. Back to the City – Harvard Business Review

https://hbr.org/2010/05/back-to-the-city

4. So Are People Moving Back to the City or Not? – CityLab

https://www.citylab.com/design/2011/11/so-are-people-moving-back-city-or…/487/

Nov 14, 2011 –

5. More Americans Moving to Cities, Reversing the Suburban Exodus …

https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/03/…moving-to-cities…/359714/

Mar 27, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

[1] See below for more links on population shifts into the cities.

The Focus on Prayer and Evangelism

In 1984, the year I was saved, churches had a Pastor of Evangelism and staff. He helped keep the church focused on the Great “Missionary” Commission. Then came the day when churches did away with the Staff Evangelism person and team. This was the trend in early 2000 – 2001, 2002, 2003-.

The decrease in salvations and baptisms recorded the following years soon followed among leading churches, both were already on a downhill slope. The decision to eliminate a key role in the local church accelerated the decline.

If a church wants to impact its community, then the focus on prayer and evangelism are foremost.

And the bigger a church gets the more evangelistic it must become, or face becoming a memorial in the community.

Is it time for churches to retool their staffs and get back to prayer for the lost, and evangelism as the major emphasis. The battle for the souls of men and women continues as many churches have sat unengaged on the sidelines.

In the book of Acts, we learn that the apostle Paul carried the Gospel to Rome, the capital city of the world of his day, by doing intentional evangelism in the metropolises, towns of his day. Then he gathered believers into house church groups.

Workplace Evangelism That Works

Your evangelism efforts should be done with skill and excellence. Our faith should lead us to strive to excel on the job. Don’t let your witnessing hurt your work effort. Be mindful that you are paid to do a task. As the Apostle Paul reminded us, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” Colossians 3:23. Are we giving our employer the value of our work for the task they pay us? To fail in our witness as an employee, can become a serious integrity barrier with co-workers we seek to reach with the gospel.

You should conduct yourself ethically. Unbelievers are quick to spot a phony. They know or at least expect us to live a godly life. If we are hypocritical, they feel a right to disregard our message. Go the extra mile to avoid questionable practices.

You should build relationships. Get to know your coworkers.  Ask questions about them and their families. Share about your family with them, this will usually open a door for conversation. Get to know your colleagues, make a list or keep a journal about things they share. You can refer to these for future conversations. Many people are glad for someone to listen to them. If they know you care, they may turn to you in a time of need.

You should keep an office stash of evangelistic materials to give away—books that share Jesus story, gospel tracts, pocket New Testaments, and your testimony on CD or Christian athlete and on a variety of topics. Choose materials that are appropriate for your coworkers.

You should pray daily for your colleagues. Keep a list of needs they share with you, or find out about at work, and pray through that list regularly. Let them know you are praying for them.

You should not neglect your job to witness. If you can be in the process of completing your work effectively while talking to someone, that is a worthy goal. But, if your witnessing hinders your work, then consider witnessing during breaks, lunches, and after hours.

You should not overwhelm your listener with too much information. It can be easy, especially for a passionate believer to share more than can be processed. Remember, you work with the person and you will see them again. It is best to offer wisdom nuggets and let the person digest the information. You can always talk again at the next break or day. Remember to exercise wisdom. Evangelism involves three, the work of God’s Spirit, the work of the witness and the work of God’s word. You want to whet a person’s appetite, and stimulate curiosity. Workplace evangelism is a building process with your witness a step at a time. Remember, you want them to make a solid, thoughtful commitment, not a hasty one.

You should never be ashamed of your faith, Romans 1:16. People hold onto and believe all sorts of crazy things. Most people today are not embarrassed about their beliefs. As a matter of fact, many are very outspoken. You should never be ashamed of your faith in Jesus Christ? If you have built friendships with your coworkers and treated them with respect, they will probably be willing to listen to you.

You should always seek ask “does what I have been sharing make sense to you?” And, “are you willing, and ready to place your faith in Jesus?” “Are you ready to surrender your life to Jesus and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior?”

You should have them read, Romans, 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10 and 13.

You also consider having them read Luke 18:9-14 about the tax collector you prayed to God asking for a blood atonement.

The Fight For America’s Soul

There has been a coup to overthrow America and its Christian foundations for years.

The first event was 1962, the Supreme Court ruled to take the Bible of out of school. When schools first were started, the Bible was used for teaching young boy and girls how to read.

The second event was 1963, the Supreme court ruled to stop prayer in schools. A basic prayer, was students prayed for other, their teachers and family. Now bullets, and bullies are a common reality.

The third event was 1973, when the Supreme court ruled it was okay to murder the unborn by sadistic methods.

The third event was in 2005, when the Ten Commandments were ruled to be taken off the Court rooms.

Since the first two events, SAT scored plummeted, premarital sex and abortions sky rocketed, murders in schools have increased, sex crimes, and crimes rates went off the charts.

The Satanic fueled coup continues. Pastors, preached the full counsel of God. Don’t hold back. I am accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ, and not man for preaching biblical, theological, Holy Spirit directed, led communicated sermons. America is going to hell on Ward Speed.

Pray for your church, prayerwalk your sanctuary, and grounds. Prepare yourself, the devil will not like it when you preach on sin, salvation and Jesus.

IF you are not currently experiencing and spiritual warfare, then check to see if you are preaching evangelistic messages, and pointing people to Jesus.

The devil does not mind you tickling the ears of people on the way to an eternal hell.

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3

 

Giving the Right Gift This Time of the Year!

This is truly the most wonderful time of the year. And at the most wonderful time of year, we all face the same dilemma and questions, “What should I give to (you fill in the name)? This is so true especially if you work in an office with various individuals. This year I bought extras gifts, at a warehouse just to have some with me in case I was given a gift by a friend/coworker.

How about that salesperson at the store where you shop? What should you give, or should you give a gift if they were to give you a little something for Christmas, a candy cane, or chocolate? What type of gift should you give?

You may have noticed that most of the membership warehouse stores have sales representatives standing by the side to greet you with an opportunity of a lifetime! (joking). I have spoken to these men for months. Yesterday, I was walking to the exit and again I was greeted by the sales representative. The man was holding up cards with the word “CASH” on the cards while stating, we offer cash off toward the purchase a new A/C or furnace unit.

As I approached the man I reached into my pocket for a gospel tract. As I handed him the tract,  with the front so he could read the cover, I said, this is a free ticket that will get you to heaven. I said, “Merry Christmas” with a big smile. The man took the gospel tract, looked at it and smiled back at me.

Salvation, is God’s free gift of eternal life, is the true gift of Christmas. God gave you salvation because someone explained or shared about Jesus Christ death, burial resurrection as payment for your sin. When you share the gospel, you are “re-gifting” God’s free gift of salvation to all who will believe.

“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus, will be saved.” Romans 10:13.