Listen to how Jim Caviezel lives out his faith in a hostile environment. How he deals with Hollywood. Taking the role of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ was costly for him in terms of the roles he was then offered by producers. In fact, they dried up. Mel Gibson told him in advance of Jim taking the role that this would be the result. It is costly to be an obedient servant of Christ but Jim would have it no other way. This is an inspirational video and is a challenge to all believers.
Category Archives: Disciples of Christ
WHO IS TO COMPLETE THE GREAT COMMISSION?
Jesus told eleven unremarkable people with no platform of any kind to go find other people in every nation. When they found these people, they were to teach them to be the same kind of disciples they were. He was telling His disciples (then and now) to influence culture, not from the top down, but from the bottom up. Jesus’ plan is to change the culture through you and me – not a professional class of priests, pastors, full-time ministers, or cultural elites.
Paraphrasing Scripture Jesus says to us: “I have all the power and authority in the universe. The master of the universe and beyond is your friend. I picked you to be on my team. Now since I am the master of the universe, I want you to report directly to me. I’m giving you an assignment that is of the utmost importance—to find others just like you in every nation, 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“. Teach them my protocols.
“In the last days perilous times will come … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse…” (2 Timothy 3:1,13)
The Bible doesn’t say that things will get better in the last days, but “worse and worse.” That tells us that humanity will become more corrupt. Rotten will become putrid. The issue is deeper than what concerned most of us leading up to the US Presidential election—abortion. Christians are the big hindrance to same-sex marriage, the normalization of homosexuality, gender identity, euthanasia, assisted suicide, sex education, and many other issues.
This is why we mustn’t forget our agenda. Jesus said to preach the gospel to every creature. This is because the gospel is the power of God to salvation. It not only saves from wrath, but it can transform sin-loving sinners so that they love righteousness.
DID GOD GET A GUERNSEY AT THESE OLYMPIC GAMES?
I am not sure where the idiom “guernsey” originated but it came to mind so I thought I would use it. Its typical meaning “If someone or something gets a guernsey, they get public recognition for an achievement or a quality”.
I think God did get a guernsey at these Olympic Games. I have already posted on several athletes who have won medals and they gave the glory to God for their achievements.
From a spiritual standpoint, these people were, in many ways, doing what they were created to do. Like a bird soaring in the air, a rose bush blooming where it’s planted, athletes from around the world showcased their mettle and ability. Whatever sport I couldn’t help but think of the following Psalms: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” Pslam 103:1 and “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:6.
One hundred years ago, at the 1924 summer games, Eric Liddell – the famed Scottish sprinter whose life was portrayed in the 1981 film “Chariots of Fire” – made history with his record-breaking first-place finish in the 400-metre race. This wasn’t his best event. He was scheduled to run in the 100-meter race but because it was scheduled on a Sunday he withdrew. When asked about running, Liddell once said the following: “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run, I feel his pleasure.” But that’s only part of the quote: “You will know as much of God, and only as much of God, as you are willing to put into practice. Christ for the world, for the world needs Christ!” Liddell, who spent his post-Olympic life as a missionary in China, understood his purpose was not limited to the Olympic stage nor his ability to run fast. Yet, he could see how they were connected.
Daniel Roberts also got it. He was interviewed a week before he left his home in Georgia to compete in the 110-meter hurdles, in which he placed silver. He wasn’t aware of Liddell or his faith, but when told, he immediately beamed with a broad smile and said. “That’s cool that even back then there were disciples out trying to just live their faith out loud and not be ashamed of the gospel”. “At the end of the day, that’s all I’m trying to do” Roberts added “And if maybe 100 years from now someone can say the same thing about me, I feel like I’ve done something right”.
However, the smiles and emotional highs often quickly fade in the waning weeks, months, and years. That’s especially true for retiring athletes. Marilyn Okoro, who represented Team Great Britain in track and field in 2008 and 2012, retired after the Tokyo Olympics. She struggled to give up a sport to which she dedicated thousands of hours in addition to blood, sweat, and tears. “By the grace of God, I feel fully recovered from my retirement,” Okoro conceded in an interview before the start of the summer games. “Every athlete will tell you it’s a big question mark of your identity. And one thing for me, I knew my identity was in Christ.” “It was my faith that pulled me out of that season. And God has really shown me that there is life after sport. There’s life in Him,” she continued, explaining her plans to attend the Paris games to pray for the athletes.
Behind the scenes, there was a huge prayer and evangelistic movement with “hundreds upon hundreds” of salvations according to Frank Shelton, a four-time chaplain at the summer games. His team of volunteers was part of a multi-national initiative to pray with athletes, coaches, and spectators throughout France. “We had the honour to see souls saved on the street,” Shelton wrote in an email. “Some of the athletes I met said, worship was happening in the village and I saw video footage of them praising God near the Olympic Village. What was so beautiful was how so many athletes gave glory to God.”
Shelton acknowledged the outrage over the opening ceremony but had this to offer. “I reminded all those disgruntled at home after the opening ceremony that if we have to wait for the ‘perfect conditions’ to share the Gospel, we will never get started”. “As Christians called to share the faith, we must resemble a dedicated fireman. Why? We just need an opening to run in and through when everyone else is running out or quitting.”
Shelton shared a story to summarize the ministry outreach in Paris. It was of a chaplain for track and field walking and conversing with track star Grant Holloway. Frank said that another chaplain wrote, “God just opened the door for me to start a Zoom Bible study with some of the Olympians long after we leave Paris.” What if the last two weeks were only a sampling of something bigger and better the world has to offer?
Shelton summed it up with “Praise God, folks are hungry for the Lord. True winning isn’t just going after gold but God. However, when we seek Him first and His righteousness all these other things will be added unto you. Sometimes that includes gold, too!”
FIJI OLYMPIC ATHLETES PRAISING GOD IN THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE
The harmonic singing of hymns praising God by the Fiji Olympic athletes, coaches, and staff during their worship gatherings in Paris’ Olympic Village has gone viral on social media.
Australian water polo player Matilda Kearns, housed near a building hosting teams from the Oceania countries, shared videos on Instagram of the Fijian athletes gathered in worship on a Sunday afternoon.
Five days earlier, Kearns shared another video from inside her room listening to the Fiji worship hymns that received over 600,000 likes. “So beautiful,” she said. “Everyone has come out onto their balconies to listen to it.”
In the videos, the Fijians are heard singing “Mo Ravi Vei Jisu.” According to Classical FM, the Fijian hymn translates to: “Put your trust into the Lord and he will guide your way.” Team Fiji shared a video of the members singing the full song in a July 21 Facebook video.
In interviews with the media, athletes have reported that they have been pleasantly surprised to hear singing from seven Fijian rugby players early in the morning. “They tend to start around 6:30 a.m.,” an Australia team staffer told Reuters. “No one is bothered by it. … It just sounds beautiful.”
The Fijian men’s rugby team made headlines in past years, taking home the gold medals in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic games before taking home the silver medal this year. After winning the gold in 2020, the the men’s rugby sevens team united to sing the hymn “E Da Sa Qaqa.” “We have overcome, we have overcome, by the blood of the Lamb, in the Word of the Lord, we have overcome,” they sang in their native language.
Captain Jerry Tuwai told The Guardian at the time that the team starts with prayers and songs and ends with prayers and songs. “That song says that our God is a loving God, and that while we always tend to go stray from what He expects from us, He still loves us, and gives us good things,” he said.
ARE YOU BOLDLY AND COURAGEOUSLY DECLARING JESUS CHRIST AS LORD & SAVIOUR?
Our God is awesome! Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.“ 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
Scripture defines us as those who are “more than conquerors” in the trials of life.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39
We are victorious because we are precious in the sight of a holy, majestic, and loving God. To be a Christian and serve Him who is worthy is the highest calling anyone can receive. We are deemed “a royal priesthood, a holy nation,” and “God’s special possession.” In this identity, we are to “declare the praises of Him who called” us “out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10
A mind centered on Christ explains why we exist, where we came from, and where we are going. A mind fixed on Christ allows us to respond to anything we should face.
Why would anyone want to keep the wonderful truth of Christ to themselves? May we be bold and courageous so we are His army — a Kingdom — that reflects a zeal for the Lord and a passion to share His truth and proclaim His name boldly.
DISCIPLESHIP IS MEANT TO BE RADICAL
“Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:21-22
This hard saying of Jesus addresses our priorities and makes us consider our attachments to people and things. The request of the unnamed disciple actually seems quite reasonable. It could be argued that he was simply working out the biblical command to honour father and mother. In Jesus’ day, the duty to bury one’s relatives had become so important that it took precedence over all other religious commandments, so this saying of Jesus is even more striking.
As with several other statements of Jesus, hyperbole is used to make a point, but this saying was recorded to underline the fact that discipleship is meant to be radical – it requires that we are flexible in our attachment to things as they stand.
When God calls us to embark on a particular course we can usually find a good reason to be otherwise occupied. God may require us to embark on an actual journey or it might involve a new departure, a new venture. Whatever the call, a flexible attitude is needed; it also requires us to create those spaces of prayerful attentiveness, listening to the Holy Spirit so that God can redirect us. The combination of attentiveness plus freedom from attachments is key to effective discipleship.
John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer says it all: “‘I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low for You. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine, and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen”
Attaining freedom from attachments is often a very gradual process, completed over many years. This process is aided hugely by having a rhythm of prayer, which constantly redirects our gaze Godward and allows him to bring about the necessary changes in our lives.
It is important to remember that God goes before us and is working in people’s lives before any encounter we might have with them. All mission is really God’s mission. We are called to join him in what he is already doing. Even Jesus said that he can do nothing by himself; only what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19). When we believe that God is already working in the world, already fulfilling his mission, our task is then to keep in step with the Spirit.
Understanding these principles will be even more important as we get closer to the last seven years (the last week of Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy given by the Angel Gabriel)
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks, it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end, there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week, he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” Daniel 9:24-27
What an amazing prophecy. Concerning the prophecies given to Daniel, he was told “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.” Now we are living in those days, we can see that the book of Revelation unpacks much of what Daniel was told would happen in the last days before Jesus returns to restore righteousness and rule and reign with the Saints for the prophesied Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom on this earth.
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6
REACHING PEOPLE DIGITALLY WITH THE GOSPEL
Provide good content and you will get a good response. Jesse Bradley, a former professional soccer player-turned-pastor is on a digital mission to reach World Cup fans with the Gospel.
Jesse Bradley, a preacher at Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington, told CBN’s Faithwire he’s seen thousands of soccer fans embrace Jesus since launching his effort. “We’re able to create content where we share the Gospel. I share my story, and people are making decisions to follow Jesus,” he said. “We’re reaching millions of people. We’re seeing over 18,000 already make first-time decisions.” But it’s not limited to simply counting decisions made for Christ. The effort also has a discipleship element, with Bradley partnering with Global Media Outreach, a company leveraging technology to spread the Gospel. “They … follow up, and we help those people find a church,” he said. “So, it’s not just decisions; it’s disciples.” Bradley said the stunning results from the campaign are indicative of a “massive hunger across the world now for God, for hope, for faith, for Jesus.” He said the interest levels are high. Bradley and his team are telling his story and using his testimony to bridge soccer and Jesus in unique ways. Here’s how it all works.
TRUE BELIEVERS WILL OBEY JESUS COMMANDS
Pretend actors-for-Jesus can quote Scripture, but their desires haven’t changed. They merely feel good that they now have religion, too. Their faith is not a central transforming reality; it’s an add-on to enhance their lives. They believe in a god made in their own image, not the true God of the Bible. They worship a cosmic genie who meets their needs and gives them what they want. They may call themselves servants of Christ. But in fact, they are masters, calling the shots, claiming what they want to claim and believing what they want to believe, and expecting God to come through for them. And when He doesn’t, they either blame Him for not being good or blame themselves and others for not having enough faith to get their way.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-22
How different from the biblical description of us as slaves of Jesus Christ! Yes, the original word is best-translated slaves, not servants, and describes those who are sold out to His ownership and committed to doing whatever He calls them to do, including dying on His behalf should He so desire.
“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as slaves (servants) of God.” 1 Peter 2:16
We are also called children of the King, and there is a time when we will enjoy all the privileges of royalty. But now is not that time! Presently we experience some royal kingdom privileges, including constant and unhindered access to the One who sits on the throne. We can “come boldly before the throne of grace,” as Hebrews says. God’s Holy Spirit dwells within us. He has promised to provide what we need to serve Him (Matthew 6:25-32). But when it comes to enjoying all the material provisions living in the King’s mansion provides, we are not yet there.
We are still on foreign soil—hostile soil—where people are fighting against God’s kingdom. We are not just tourists or palace-dwellers; we are “strangers and exiles on the earth,” who are “seeking a homeland” (Hebrews 11:13-14), and longing for “a better country, that is, a heavenly one”.
“But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:16
God has prepared a heavenly Jerusalem which John saw coming down from heaven onto the new earth which the Saints will inhabit after the White Throne judgement.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:1-3
What we need in our churches today are fewer actors and more sold-out followers of Jesus—converted people living lives centered on Jesus, the King of kings.
God is raising up leaders that are truly sold out to His purposes of making disciples. Find and connect with these leaders.
“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 28:19-20, NIV).
“The Kingdom of God is not going to be advanced by our churches becoming filled with men but by men in our churches becoming filled with God.” —Duncan Campbell
Taken from another great article, Our Mission: Make More Disciples and Fewer Performers JULY 7, 2022 by RANDY ALCORN
WE MUST SHOW OUR CHRISTIAN COLOURS
Cooper Kupp’s team, the Los Angeles Rams, ended up winning the Super Bowl, and Kupp was named Most Valuable Player. But regardless of that, even if they’d lost and Kupp had not played well, he says it would have still been his best year in football ever. In fact, in the interview, Kupp says that because of his growth in his walk with Christ, even if his team hadn’t won a single game it still would have been his best year in football ever! (Here’s an article) about Cooper Kupp and his wife Anna Marie. She says, “We have prayed for a season to glorify our Savior Jesus Christ and you are doing just that my lovey.)
C. S. Lewis wrote, “We must show our Christian colours if we are to be true to Jesus Christ.
We cannot remain silent or concede everything away.” Even the Apostle Paul requested that the Ephesian believers “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:19–20, NIV)
If Paul needed prayer for boldness, who doesn’t? When he was given the MVP award Kupp said, “I don’t feel deserving of this. God is just so good…”
In these last days may we be fearless in making the gospel of Christ known so that we may bring glory to God just as Cooper Kupp and his wife Anne Marie are doing.
WHEN GOD’S DISCIPLES GO MIRACLES FOLLOW
Missionaries working with Southern Baptist Convention (IMB) reported baptisms were up 81% from 2019 to 2020 (the most recent year for which data is available), and salvation testimonies continue to pour in.
The increases are particularly significant in a denomination where many cite missions as their reason for joining and staying.
Typical Testimony: A 53-year-old Thai man with chest pain went to see an IMB medical missionary outside Bangkok. The man collapsed in the clinic and regained consciousness only after the IMB missionary, a physician, performed emergency medical procedures.
As they waited for an ambulance, the man prayed to receive Christ, prompting the doctor to ask, “When did you start to become interested in God ’s story?”
The man pointed to the place on the floor where he collapsed and said, “Right there. Before that, I had never been interested at all. But when I collapsed, I heard God call my name three times, and I knew he was warning me.”
That wasn’t an isolated incident, according to IMB reports. The evangelistic surge, missiologists say, is attributable to the fact we are there (obedient to God’s call), the pandemic, and the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. Several years ago under David Platt, IMB transferred ministries from missionaries to national partners.
“We have seen the Holy Spirit working across the globe in mighty ways,” said Wilson Geisler, IMB director of global research. One missionary team “saw the first believers among an incredibly tough-to-reach people group.” Another “saw more people coming to faith in 2020 than in the previous three years combined.
Jesus promised that in the last days before His return the GOSPEL, the GOOD NEWS, the only good news in a time of tribulation will be proclaimed throughout the whole world. Do you want to be part of the team proclaiming the GOOD NEWS? You can be like David (“I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” Acts 13:22), just obey the indwelling Holy Spirit.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24: 14
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 