"Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor"

C. H. SPURGEON

"Therefore, to you who believe, He [Jesus] is precious..." 1 Peter 2:7

If Jesus is precious to you, you will not be able to keep your good news to yourself; you will be whispering it into your child's ear; you will be telling it to your husband; you will be earnestly imparting it to your friend; without the charms of eloquence you will be more than eloquent; your heart will speak, and your eyes will flash as you talk of his sweet love. 

Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor. Recollect that. You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about him. Of course I do not mean by that, that those who use the pen are silent: they are not. And those who help others to use the tongue, or spread that which others have written, are doing their part well: but that man who says, "I believe in Jesus," but does not think enough of Jesus ever to tell another about him, by mouth, or pen, or tract, is an impostor. 

You are either doing good, or you are not good yourself. If thou knowest Christ, thou art as one that has found honey; thou wilt call others to taste of it; thou art like the lepers who found the food which the Syrians had cast away [2 Kings 7]: thou wilt go to Samaria and tell the hungry crowd that thou hast found Jesus, and art anxious that they should find him too. Be wise in your generation, and speak of him in fitting ways and at fitting times, and so in every place proclaim the fact that Jesus is most precious to your soul.

Source: 

A Sermon and a Reminiscence 
A Short Sermon by C. H. SPURGEON. 
From the March 1873 Sword and Trowel http://www.spurgeon.org/s_and_t/srmn1873.htm

What Does It Really Mean to Follow Jesus Christ? by Pastor Greg Laurie

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it. . ." — Luke 14:27-28

 What Does It Really Mean to Follow Jesus Christ? by Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship

When Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover, John's Gospel tells us that many believed in His name after they saw the signs He did. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because "He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24–25).

To put it simply, many believed in Him, but He did not believe in them. Many believed in Him in a shallow, superficial sort of way, without any real commitment attached. They were interested in Him, curious about Him, drawn by Him, and perhaps even felt affection for Him. But the loyalty of these crowds was a mile wide and an inch deep. Jesus knew that when push came to shove, the multitudes would simply drift away. For that reason, Christ did not commit Himself to them.

There are many people who say they want to follow Jesus. And that's good. But that commitment will be challenged. We must decide to follow Jesus—not because our best friend is, not because our boyfriend or girlfriend is, not because our parents are, but because we have chosen in our own heart of hearts to follow Christ.

Many of us can get caught up in the moment. It's like watching an Olympic medal ceremony. We see someone representing their nation standing up on that pedestal. As the gold medal is placed around the athlete's neck and the flag of his or her country is raised while the national anthem plays, we say, "I want to be an Olympic athlete. That's what I want to do." But do we realize the hours, days, months, and years these athletes dedicate to one competition?

We get excited about the medal ceremonies. But are we willing to go through the training? Are we willing to count the cost? Is our commitment to Him and Him alone? Are we willing to be real followers of Jesus?


Source: http://www.harvest.org/devotional/archive/devotion/2012-10-06.html Copyright © 2012 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000

A Follower by Pastor Bob Coy

Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 
-Matthew 4:19 (NKJV)

A FOLLOWER
by Pastor Bob Coy of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale

The disciples were a diverse cast of characters. There was Peter, boisterous and blunt. There was John, sensitive and sublime. There was Simon, the zealot, who was committed to the cause of rebelling against the Romans. Then there was Matthew, the tax collector, who was committed to collaborating with Rome.

Yet there was something they all had in common. They were all called at some point or another to follow. Jesus didn't leave them where they were when He encountered them. Instead, He invited them to drop what they were doing and follow Him.

For Matthew, it was his collection table. For Peter, it was his fishing business. Each one had to leave a lifestyle and an identity, all for the purpose of pursuing Christ's presence. And they did, as evidenced by the fact that we primarily know them as "disciples" (which literally means "learner-follower"), not as tax collectors and fishermen.

Just as Jesus called his disciples to follow after Him, He does the same with us. In the process, He calls us to lay down those things from which we derive our sense of identity so that our identity is found in Him. It's probably not a tax collector's table or a fishing net, but it might be a prestigious title, a car, or an image that says, "Check me out. This is who I am."

More than anything else, God wants us to be His followers. But for this to happen, we must be willing to set aside certain things so we can be in His presence. Then, and only then, will others identify us as disciples.

The Active Word Daily Devotion (RSS Feed) (Also Mailed for Free)

Source: http://www.activeword.org/dailydevotion.cfm?keyword=02-Feb-08  ©2011 Active Word

Equipped With Answers by Pastor Bob Coy

Always be ready to give a defense to 
everyone who asks you a reason for 
the hope that is in you... 
-1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

EQUIPPED WITH ANSWERS
by Pastor Bob Coy of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale

What makes Christianity different from every other religion in the world? Is there any proof that Jesus really lived? How can a person be sure the Bible is true?

How would you handle these questions? Would you have a good answer for them?

You should, because being a believer means being equipped with answers-answers to questions that pertain to our faith. Jesus told us that we're supposed to love God with all of our minds (Matthew 22:37). That means our minds are to be engaged and educated about Christianity. It means reading a few books, taking a few classes, and investing in some information so we're ready when the questions start coming our way. In short, it means being an answering machine for Jesus.

Imagine if every Christian was able to give a good answer to the three questions that we've already looked at. What if they were able to share that Christianity is the only belief system where God is the one reaching out to man instead of man reaching out to God? What if they knew how secular history corroborates the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth? What if they could explain how there is an inexhaustible amount of prophetic, archeological, and scientific evidence to prove that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God?

Here's the point: We have some solid answers to the questions that the world is asking. But are we as equipped as we should be? If not, why not? Being a Christian isn't an excuse to become mindless. Quite the contrary. It's our identity "in Christ" that sharpens our understanding and elevates our intellect...because now we have a real cause worth dedicating our hearts (and minds) to.

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Source: http://www.activeword.org/dailydevotion.cfm?keyword=21-Sep-12&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+awdevo+%28Activeword+Devotional%29&utm_content=FeedBurner   ©2011 Active Word

A Faithful and True Witness by Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa

A Faithful and True Witness by Pastor Chuck Smith

In the Book of Revelation, it speaks of Jesus as the faithful and true witness. He was a faithful and true witness of the Father. So that if you want to know what God is all about, and if you want to know what God is like, you can look at Jesus and discover exactly how God thinks—how God feels and what God is like. He was a faithful and true witness of God. So much so that when Philip said to Him,

"Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Show us the Father?’" (John 14:8-9)

Jesus could declare that because He was a faithful and true witness. You can know what God is like by looking at Jesus.

The name Christian was coined in Antioch by the world. As they observed the lives of the believers in Jesus Christ, they called them Christians, which meant Christ-like. It is wonderful when the world gives you that title. It is not something that you have to go out and declare. Well, I am a Christian, are you? Are you Christ-like? It is glorious when that title is given to you by others after having observed your life. They say, “Oh, he is a real Christian. He is really like Christ.”

If a person would say to you, “Oh, but I would love to see Jesus Christ,” You should be able to say, “Well, if you have seen me…” You see, that would be a faithful and true witness. Jesus was able to say that of the Father. “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” He was a faithful and true witness of the Father.
Now He wants you to be a witness of Him. He wants your life to be so like His, that it is a witness of Him.

And people will know what He is like as they observe you. And if you want to take a test of self-examination, just read 1 Corinthians 13, removing the word charity and inserting your own name, and you will find out how true a witness you are. You see, you can take out the word charity and insert the name Jesus and you do no violence to the text at all. It flows. It fits. But unfortunately, when we insert our name it does a lot of violence to the text. But that is an indictment against us. It means that we have not yet yielded fully to the work of the Holy Spirit, who God has sent to help us, to give us the power to be witnesses.

Taken from "The Person and Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Chuck Smith", "The Holy Spirit in the Believer, Part 2", tape number SHS309.

A More Powerful Witness by Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa

A More Powerful Witness by Pastor Chuck Smith

So, many people associate witnessing with just the verbalizing of your faith, or your testimony, to someone else—talking to them about the Bible, about Jesus Christ, about salvation, about God’s gift of eternal life.

And we think of witnessing only as verbalizing to others concerning their need of Jesus Christ. But witnessing is far more than just giving a person an invitation or telling someone about Jesus Christ. A more powerful witness than simply telling someone about Jesus Christ is a believer living the life of Jesus Christ before them.

When we talk about being a witness for Jesus Christ, we are talking about the life that bears witness for Jesus Christ. Often times, what we say is thoroughly discredited by what we are and by what we do. You see, you can be witnessing to someone verbally and you can be telling them how wonderful the work of Jesus Christ is in your life. “He gives you such glorious peace and you need to know this peace of Jesus Christ.”

But that witness can be discredited if, while you are working beside them, any time any little irritant comes along and you blow up, and you get mad, and yell at everything and everybody, and then you say, “but Jesus gives you such glorious peace.” Or if you are talking about the joy of the Lord and you are always going around grouchy and grumpy and snapping at everybody—what you say will be meaningless to them because of what you are.

So, it is extremely important that our life bear witness of the peace of Jesus Christ and the love of Jesus Christ. And then they will see, as it is worked out in our lives.


Taken from "The Person and Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Chuck Smith", "The Holy Spirit in the Believer, Part 2", tape number SHS309.

Video - "Sharing the Hope"

Mark Cahill - "Sharing the Hope"

Mark Cahill urges Atlanta Christians at the Great Exchange to not lose a second of time in sharing the hope they have in Christ. Remember "If it doesn't matter the day you die it doesn't matter"! Check out Mark Cahill Ministries at markcahill.org

Video - "Hey Stranger"

Mark Cahill - "Hey Stranger" 

Mark Cahill talks on witnessing and evangelism.

Check out Mark Cahill Ministries at markcahill.org

Know God?

You may know of God, but do you really know God?
Yes, He loves you, but is there a relationship between you and God?

God tells us in His Word, the Bible, that He created the heavens and the earth. He made the plants and animals. He also made the first people, Adam and Eve. God wanted people to love and obey Him not out of complusion but out of a choice. But Adam and Eve disobeyed a command from their Creator. This disobedience is called sin.

The first man, Adam, rebelled against God's command and brought death, suffering, and separation from God into this world. We see the results all around us. All of us are Adam's descendants and we have been born with sin and have entered into this rebellion and sin. You were created by God and for God, but your sin separates you from God.

The Bible says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God. The Bible says "The wages of sin is death." but also that "God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."

God does love you, and he demonstrated His love for you by sending His Son Jesus who died on the cross (the sinless Man) who paid the penalty of sin for everyone who trusts in Him. The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life". And He offers you a relationship with God because of what He did.

Christ died for our sins, was buried, and He rose again the third day from the dead. He was seen by the twelve apostles, and after that He was seen by over five hundred people at once. After that He was seen by his step-brother James, and He was seen by Paul also who formally persecuted the followers of Jesus. Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father.

God reaches out in love and freely offers forgiveness of sin, a relationship, and the gift of eternal life if we receive Him as our Savior and Lord. Because Jesus is the Creator and the way to Heaven we can look forward to eternity with Him and be free from death, pain, sickness, and suffering one day. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."

Do it today, ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Savior and Lord. The Bible says "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name."

-Repent: Turn from sin and turn to Jesus (Acts 3:19)
-Believe: Trust in the finished work of Jesus (John 3:16-17)
-Receive: Invite Jesus to come into your life (John 1:12-13)

If you want a personal relationship with God and have your sins forgiven, here is a suggested prayer...

Lord, You have promised that if I will confess my sins, You will be faithful to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I want to turn from my sins, and live in a way that will please You. I thank you that Jesus Christ died on the cross, paying the price for my sins, and then rose from the dead. I accept Him now as my Savior, my Lord, and my friend. Thank you for giving me a new life in Christ. I surrender myself to you and thank you for loving me, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Remember the words are not important but the attitude of your heart as you repent and trust in Jesus.

Have you trusted in Christ because of what you read here?
If so, please send us an email, we would love to be praying for you. Send us an E-Mail.

Now visit our "Getting Started" page for some key steps in the right direction.

Witnessing Downtown at Lunch

I got to go downtown again on my lunch break and got to talk to a guy who works at the Orland Farm Sanctuary with all different kinds of animals raised on today's industrialized farms that are abused from what they call factory farming. He was not sure what happens when we die, and said that he will find out when he gets there.

I got to share with him about the Bible, Christianity and Jesus Christ. He was very interested and there were a lot of things that he didn't know about. Like he didn't know that we could be saved and what that really meant. It was really an awesome conversation to talk about being secured in Jesus and knowing that we can be in Heaven.

I also got to talk to some Spanish speaking guys at the Jesus Center who were talking about Michael Jackson's death and wanted to know how he died. I told them he had died of a heart attack. If you haven't heard about Michael Jackson's death your living under a rock. The man I had met before I got to encourage again and hand him the Gospel of John to take home and read.

Witnessing at the Downtown Plaza at Lunch

Met up with Raymond at the downtown plaza and we prayed together before stepping out in faith. I got to talk with a guy who is a believer in Jesus. He is out of work and looking for a job. He still has some personal struggles and temptations and allowed me to pray for him. We had an awesome talk about the Bible, the Gospel, and I got to give him a tract, and share my personal testimony about how Jesus has changed my life.

Before in our conversation he had said that he didn't have a pocket Bible, so I asked if I could get him one. Well I didn't have one on me or even in my car, but found a recovery Bible at a local bookstore downtown. When I gave it to him he was so thankful, and had said that he had one of these before but not as small as this one. Remember to do crazy things like buy Bibles for people we don't even know, it impacts people and can change there lives. What a wonderful day I had.

Witnessing at the Jesus Center

ur church planed to be down at the Jesus Center (they offer hospitably in the name of Jesus) and I knew this was for me too. The Jesus Center is a place where people can come and get food and clothes and God's Word. It was early and I really don't like getting up before the sun does, however the Lord is not working on a time table. I had such a blast and was able to share with 5 people, 1 who I had talked with before a previous time.

I got to talk to one who believes in Jesus, but a friend has invited him to Jehovah Witness meetings where he is now going. I told him that the 144,000 is Israel and not the church, and he said that he thinks there are a few seats left in Heaven. We had a great talk about the Bible and I got to encourage him to read his Bible and talk to God.

I got to talk to a second guy who believes in reincarnation, but went to church before. He lost his son, and then went through a divorce. His heart is broken. I told him that I would be praying for him. Another guy I got to talk to also believes in Jesus but his wife of a very short time died. This left him very heart broken and upset with God. He is trying to fix the broken heart, but only Jesus can do that. We had an awesome talk.

Also down at the Jesus Center I talked to a guy who has an Islamic faith and grew up in Iran. We had a super cool talk about how the Qumran says our works will be put on a scale and how a sure way to get into Heaven is to die for the faith and in the process take others lives. He doesn't believe in that now. I told him about Jesus, and he said that Jesus could not forgive him because of his sin. We had a good conversation indeed.

Please pray for them, I was able to plant seeds, water some, and please pray as Jesus will do the rest. Step out for Jesus and be Bold!