“Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house.”

I’ve always loved reading this passage and refer it to how worship is suppose to be.  I was thinking how valuable our lives are and how we sometimes don’t like to “waste” it on unimportant things.  Yet as we live our lives out, we end up wasting our lives on small insignificant things that won’t even matter in the end.  How many countless hours are wasted on Facebook or in front of the T.V.?  Really, do we really have to watch every single new show that comes out?  What do you get out of it?  How much of your life goes into God or how much of our lives go into helping others?

We can be like that very expensive bottle of perfume being stored away and never really allowing others to smell the aroma of God in us, only on special occasions.  Some die with the entire perfume still in them.  What a waste.  You think God gave you this life so that you can watch uncountable hours of T.V. or to go through this life without ever sharing anything about Him?  How are people going to know how good God is if we never tell others of His goodness?  We need to pour our lives out to God and into others.

Don’t waste what God has given you.  At the end of your life, what aroma will you leave behind to others?  Will they even know that you were a Christian?  How much of God did you pour out into others?  Yea, I know we can be so distracted by all the shows, games, gossip, and other insignificant things to care about eternity.  We like to enjoy things NOW, but what happens when you die?  Pour out your life to God and into others.  Don’t leave this Earth with all of your perfume.  That you may present God an empty bottle, so that He can reward you with something greater.

Don’t think too much about it.  Just share your testimony or share God’s goodness to others.  Pour out what God gives you into others.  Leave the aroma of God in someone’s life.  Don’t be selfish with God’s goodness.  Someone needs a word that only you can give.

2 Kings 17:40-41 (NIV)

“They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices.

Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were

serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue

to do as their fathers did.”

There are some stories in the Bible that are just a tragedy. After all that God had done for the people of Israel, they still didn’t surrender their hearts to Him. God showed Himself to be a good and just God, but they still didn’t want to serve Him completely. I have always wondered why. But then again, God has done great things for us too and we have a hard time surrendering our lives to Him. The sad part of this story is that it went on generation after generation.

How one generation lives will effect the lives of the next generation. How would you like your kids to live their lives? Like yours or like your generation? If we don’t do anything now to cut with bad practices and repent from our sins, our children and grandchildren will follow in our footsteps. If we never take God’s Word seriously and persist living our own way, our next generation is gonna have a problem with their spiritual lives.

What is interesting in these verses is that it says that they would worship the Lord, but at the same time they would continue worshiping their idols. I’m sad to say, but many in the Church are the same way. They fake being a Christian at Church, but outside of Church, they are worse than unbelievers. How can we win souls for Christ if we are living a double life? How can you say you love God and then be unfaithful to Him?

God sent His Son to die for you on the Cross, but He doesn’t intend on leaving you like you came. There’s a change that must take place inside of you. You must make a decision to pursue God or pursue your idols. Everyday you have to make a conscious choice to willingly do good and pursue God. This is not a matter of feelings, but of faith. Everyday you have to make moral decisions that will effect you and the next generations, whether good or bad. Should you tell a “white lie” to get away from trouble or be honest about it? Should you steal or just be true? Everyday you make choices, but you have learn how to make the right ones more often than not.

The Israelites wanted to know how the other nations did their worship and in doing so, they began to copy and imitate the other nations. They became the followers when God had called them to lead. Seriously, you are not fooling anyone but God. When you live a double life, it will get harder and harder to love both. Eventually you will need to make up mind, is it God or your idols. Just let me ask you, when was the last time your idol healed you? Or when was the last time your idol did a miracle in your favor? Don’t take God for granted. He cannot be fooled. This might be your second or however chances God has given you already, but this is your chance to get back with Him. Leave that idol aside and surrender your life to Him completely. He only wants the best for you. He wants to love you and bless you, is that too much to ask for? This will not only benefit you, but your descendants. Quit playing Church and start acting like the Church. If you’re gonna call yourself a Christian then live like a CHRISTian. It’s not to late, He’s waiting on you to make up your mind.

Prayer: “Father, I know I haven’t been right with You. I need You more than anything. I completely surrender my life to You and to You alone. I give up all of my idols and sin. I recognize that Jesus died for me on the Cross and He set me free. I receive Your gift of salvation. I want to live for You, help me. I pray that Your Spirit may dwell in me and guide me continually towards You. In Jesus name, Amen and Amen!”

If you made that prayer, CONGRATULATIONS! You just been saved! Attend a Bible believing Church. Pray constantly and read the Bible daily. Let us know about your decision and we’ll help you pray. God bless.

Oh and remember, you’re not alone in this.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”

Before Jesus left this Earth, He left us with a mission. It was a mission to win the world. It is because God has always been interested in conquering the entire world, to bring back the original status of man. This commission that He left us with has a two way deal. The first deals with us and the second deals with how we will deal with those we come into contact with. So lets begin.

1. You. Before we can begin winning the world, you have to win yourself. Have you completely given your life to God? Have you really had an encounter with God to the point where you can leave your sins behind? We cannot go preaching a gospel that we don’t believe. Do you really believe what the Bible says? You need to be in line with the Word of God in order for this to take effect. We cannot just be hearers of the Word, we need to be doers. Jesus spent His whole life trying to teach and minister the people that were suppose to set the example to the entire world. But they didn’t get it, only a group of 12. He gave Himself to them for about three and half years teaching them everything. He had to correct them and teach them a lot of stuff that religion didn’t teach. He had to reprogram their minds and hearts. When it was time for Jesus to leave, they were ready to reach the world. And as soon as the Holy Spirit fell on them, that’s exactly what they did. They conquered the known world. But it began as a personal transformation. You really need to evaluate your life. You have been chosen for this time, its time to get up and rise to your calling. This is where we know who the real men and women are. In times of trials, great leaders are born.
2. Make disciples. After you have surrendered your life to God, it is easier to go out there and win. The problem is that some are sacred to be leaders because that will mean they have cut back on some “white sins”. In order to make disciples, you need to be a disciple first. For you to have authority, you need to be under authority. There is a process in becoming a leader of nations. When you have gone through that process, it’s easier for you to help others go through it. So we have this calling of making disciples, the question for us is, when will we become disciples? We have to let go of pride and submit ourselves to a leader. We all need someone to learn from. When you submit yourself to an authority, you learn to leave behind all those childish and arrogant ways. You learn how to depend on God and less of you. Everything you learn will help when you become a leader. Making disciples has a lot to do with you. You will reproduce yourself into others. That’s why Jesus spent so much time with His disciples. He made sure that when the time came for them to train others, they would be like Jesus. And what an impact they made. Would you say that your disciples are like Jesus? Or better yet, is your life a reflection of who He is? God’s plan involves that we reproduce the image of Christ in others.

God desires for the world to be saved. He also wants the Church to produce disciples that will impact the world. With just a few, God was able to shake nations and kings. I believe He wants to do it again. Will you be a disciple of Christ and make other disciples of Christ? It’s our time now!

Lets look at some examples of consolidation in the book of Acts:

“They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.” Acts 14:21-22 (NIV)

“Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Acts 15:36 (NIV)

“Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” Acts 15:40-41 (NIV)

From the verses above we can see that consolidation was a practice of the early church. It was done with the purpose of building character in all of the new believers, re-affirming their experience with God, and ultimatly strengthening the churches. It is vital to give this care immediately after the person makes the decision to follow Christ, just as it is vital to care for a newborn baby immediately after its birth.

Always keep in mind that winning a soul for Christ is only the first step. The next step is consolidation. The enemy will steal the fruit from you if you let your guard down. The way to prevent this through the prayer and support you give when consolidating.

In verse 45 the Bible tells us that the message Paul and Barnabas were preaching was not well received by the Jews. The Jews were filled with hatred and spoke abusive words against them. In fact in verse 50 it gets worse when the Jews stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from the region.

However, the thing to learn here is how Paul and Barnabas reacted to this rejection. Did they get discouraged? Did they fight back? Lets take a look at what they did:

“So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:51-52 (NIV)

There are three things that we can learn from the reaction of Paul and Barnabas. The first is that they shook the dust from their feet. This is a way of saying to the region that since it has rejected the gospel, its dust is not even worthy of being on their feet. It is saying that they wish not to take anything with them from that region.

The second thing we can learn here is that they moved on and went to Iconium. Paul and Barnabas did not stay and fight with the Jews, nor did they get discouraged and give up. They simply pressed on with their mission. The reality is that the clock is ticking, our time here on earth is limited so don’t waste all your time and energy on one person. If they reject the gospel, keep them in prayer, but move on.

The third thing we can learn here is that after they moved on, they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Despite being rejected they still had the joy of the Lord, the Holy Spirit was still with them. The truth is that when someone rejects the Gospel, they don’t reject you, they reject Jesus. So don’t take it personal, just let Jesus deal with them. Besides, its actually a blessing for you:

“Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man” Luke 6:22 (NIV)

So is it going to be rejection left and right when I share the Gospel? While you should prepare for rejection, there will be plenty of people who will gladly receive the Gospel. In the following verses we can see Paul and Barnabas successfully preaching the gospel as it is being well received:

“As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.” Acts 13:42-43 (NIV)

If you’ve read chapter 9 in the book of Acts, you’ll come to find that Saul was made blind for three days by the Lord. This was for a good purpose, because the Lord had seen the potential in Saul and wanted to utilize him to expand the kingdom of heaven.

You can see this in the words God spoke to Ananias, a disciple the Lord was going to use to heal Saul:

“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:15-16 (NIV)

It does not matter how much someone opposes, God can always provide them with a unique experience that changes them. Of course lets hope that He doesn’t have to make them blind for three days like He did with Saul, but if thats what it takes…

This is something to keep in mind next time you come across someone determined to oppose the kingdom of heaven.

Do you have an experience you’d like share with us? If so, please share them with us by leaving comments below.

“Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:3-4 (NIV)

The above verses are an example of the benefits a leader can obtain once he has formed a strong team of disciples. A leader who tries to do everything on his own accomplishes nothing but failure. The strength of one person may be plentiful, but when faced with a task suitable for a team it is simply not enough.

We can also see an example of discipleship in the time of Moses:

“You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” Exodus 18:18-23 (NIV)

Moses was burning himself out trying to do everything on his own. However, after receiving advice from his father in law (Jethro), Moses ended up doing exactly what had been recommended and it was a success.

The key principle of discipleship is the reproduction of yourself in another. Notice how Jethro told Moses to look for capable men. Men who feared God, were trustworthy, and hated dishonest gain. These were qualities that were found in Moses. In other words, Jethro was telling Moses to look for people who shared his virtues. These were the men that had followed in the footsteps of Moses, men who became like him.

Imagine 12 disciples burning with the same passion as you are to establish the kingdom of God on earth. Imagine those 12 disciples forming 12 each with the same passion and character as you. They form into 144 disciples. Imagine those 144 doing the same, they are now 1,728.

OK, enough with the math. But you see, the possibilities are limitless. Entire nations can be won for Christ through a good model of discipleship.  So don’t go at it alone! If you have a fire with in your heart to do the things of God, then set someone else’s heart on fire too.

“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” Acts 5:42 (NIV)

After Peter and John had been beaten and whipped for preaching the name of Jesus, still they continued. Many threats were given to them, but their zeal and boldness did not permit them to stop. They truly were filled with the Holy Spirit.

One of the verses in this chapter that grabs my attention is the advice that a pharisee named Gamaliel gave to the accusers of Peter and John:

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39 (NIV)

The later of the verses above had been proven true when God sent an angel to rescue Peter and John from jail (see Acts 5:18-20). Since they were doing God’s will, He was with them and backed them up.

I encourage you dearest reader, not to let fear keep you from fulfilling the great commission. Instead trust God, He’s got your back!

In this verse, as in many others in the bible, we can see a clear distinction that God makes between sheep’s and goats. The question is, which are you? Is there a clear distinction between you and a nonbeliever (One who does not believe or have faith, as in God or a philosophy)? Well, keep reading and you will find out.

First, lets take a look at why God refers to humans as sheep’s and goats. There is a huge difference between a sheep and a goat. There should always be a difference between us and nonbelievers. We shouldn’t act, speak or think alike. We should always strive to be the light, to be different and be an example. Sure, we will always make mistakes, but everyday we can choose not to repeat those same mistakes and learn from them instead. It’s important to live our lives so that people know us as Christians, not because we say we are, but because they see the way we live. Sheep are sheep because they look and act like sheep. Goats are goats because they look and act like goats.

John 15:18-19 (NIV) “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you”

Sheep and goats face challenges differently though. If you look closely at the life of a goat, whenever it has to face a challenge it runs away, it rebels against its master and runs off alone. Sometimes for us it’s the easiest thing to do too, to runaway. I know I’ve said many times “maybe if I left the country or the state, all of my problems would go away.” and as nice as that would be, it’s just not true. So unpack your bags, you’re headed for quite a journey.

So what about sheep? when they face a challenge they like to do it together, they stick together and they look for their master for guidance. As a team, we need to stick together. We are called to care for each other, pray for each other and lift each other up. More importantly though, we need to look to our master who is Christ and be guided by Him and our Pastors/Church Leaders.

Another important distinction between the two is that sheep like multitudes of sheep and goats like leading sheep astray. Sheep become stressed out when they are separated from their flock members. Ask yourself, does it bother me at all when I miss a service? Or am I satisfied congregating once a month, or once a year? Have I conformed? As sheep it’s important to surround yourself with other sheep at all times. To influence and be influenced by other sheep.

Meat packers have an interesting nickname for goats. They will train an old goat and name him “Judas”. The purpose of this goat is to lead sheep to the slaughter house. In a congregation goats will divide it, leading the sheep astray. This is what happens sometimes within our church walls. Undercover goats work hard to lead sheep astray. It is something that needs our attention and needs to change.

Sheep also have good hearing. This tells me that as Christians we must be good listeners as well. I believe that a good listener is a good winner of souls for Christ. People want to be heard. Be someone that listens, someone that comprehends and brings people towards Christ. Not one that leads others astray. Don’t be like the goat that is capricious, impulsive & unpredictable. Goats don’t care about anyone but themselves and will trample you to get what they want.

If you want to be a sheep, start acting like one. If you want to be a follower of Christ, you have to be like Christ. This requires you to listen and treat others with kindness just as Christ does. Respect people and treat them as if they were Christ Himself.

So you decide, are you a sheep or a goat?

]]> http://transformedonline.com/2010/03/01/are-you-a-sheep-or-a-goat/feed/ 5 http://transformedonline.com/2010/02/26/win-souls-for-christ/ http://transformedonline.com/2010/02/26/win-souls-for-christ/#comments Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:15:07 +0000 Ruth Palacios http://transformedonline.com/?p=67 Winning is very important in my church. No, not winning as in ‘I wish I could win the lottery’ but winning as in ‘We need to win souls for Christ!’. This got me thinking about the word ‘winning’ though. What does it mean to win? And how do people win?

Winner: noun
‘A person or thing that wins; victor’.

Have you ever wondered what makes a person a winner? or what it takes to win? Let’s look at football for example. How does a football team win the Super bowl?

1. They have creative strategies

2. They practice until perfecting their specific skill

3. They work together as a team

4. They motivate each other

5. They sub for an injured teammate

6. They focus on their goal (SUPER BOWL!!)

So if everyone knows what steps it takes to win the super bowl, why don’t all the teams win? Well, the answer is that some teams aren’t willing to do all the steps, or just do them half way. Whether it be lack of commitment or giving up easily, there is always a reason why it just doesn’t happen.

Yes we can all be winners, but are we ALL willing to pay the price? Jesus paid the price. He knew what He had to do. He knew what His ultimate goal was. Jesus is the ultimate winner. He won souls all His life, He won on the cross and defeated His enemies. And He wins every time someone genuinely repents before Him. WOAH! Just speaking about Him gets me excited!!

So get creative and think of new ideas on how to win souls. Perfect the skills that God has given you and use them in your favor. Work together with your cell group and church members, motivate each other and help each other when one is down. Lastly, focus on your goal…WIN SOULS FOR CHRIST!!

I challenge you to take these steps and apply them in your Christian walk towards becoming a winner of souls!

See biblical references : Matthew 4:23, Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10, Mark 16:15, Luke 8:1, Acts 3:6