A Life Changing Experience is Just the Beginning

If we are do what Jesus has commanded us to do we must realize that it is not enough for people to have a ‘Life Changing Experience’ they must move on to a ‘Life that is Changed’ and then become ‘Life Changers .’ This requires a plan if people are to grow from new believers to disciples to well equipped leaders who can do the work of the ministry, build up each other and grow to maturity in Christ. Let's start at the begining.

Making Disciples: The Forgotten Secret for accomplishing 'what Jesus began to do and teach.' Ac 1:1-2: In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. NIV

What were those instructions that Jesus gave His followers? Mt 28:18-2018: Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." NIV

The Apostle Paul expands on this command and the responsibility of leadership in Ephesians. Eph 4:10-13 11: And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. NASU

In these verses we see greater insight into 'the making Disciples and the teaching of all that Jesus commanded', and what it means to continue what Jesus began to do and teach.

There are three leadership responsibilities spelled out in these verses that tell us what the church should be doing once people have believed in and received Jesus as the Messiah or Christ.

Equipping the saints (people who have believed in and received Jesus as savior);

1. To do the work of the ministry or work of service (serving God by doing what He commands in His Word).

2. To the building up (mending, encouraging, instructing and giving hope according to the Word of God) of the body of Christ(those who have received and believed in Jesus).

3. To help believers in Jesus the Christ to come into maturity as measured by Jesus Himself.

Where do we start? We must be saints, people made clean or holy by the Messiah. Many churches have stopped proclaiming Jesus as the only way to God as we see in John 14:6, calling themselves Christians without believing in and receiving Jesus as the promised Messiah and only way to God the father. Jn 14:6-7: 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." NIV

Without believing in and receiving of Jesus as the Messiah there is no Christianity! Until this happens we can not continue to do all that Jesus began to do and teach, nor can we call ourselves Christians.

Where do we go from here? Check back soon or sign up to get automatic updates on the right above my profile. Check @ http://equipperstoolbox.blogspot.com/ for a list of suggested reading.

Life Builders Ministries

I am constantly on the look out for effective ministries that have both integrity and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. One such ministry is Life Builders. I have found Charles Hefton, the founder to be a man after God's own heart, a man who is humble and whose cup overflows with the presence of the Living God. I have taken material from his site and pasted it below as well as placed a link to this life changing ministry. I highly recommend this ministry!

http://www.mylifebuilders.com/

Life Builders Ministries

Life Builders is a non-profit ministry that helps individuals, organizations and churches equip and develop to achieve growth, health and balance. Focusing on five areas, Life Builders challenges you to life-changing principles.

Life Builders was founded in 1998 by Charles Hefton. Charles is regarded as a dynamic leader, mentor, motivator and visionary. His diverse career has encompassed professional and community service, including leadership roles in business, church, education and government on both state and national levels. Charles has a contagious enthusiasm and an amazing ability to see to the heart of matters, which makes him a popular inspirational speaker. He can assist in a one-on-one situation or work in a group environment to achieve clearer vision, goals and strategies.

Build Your Life

Do you need a little outside motivation to accomplish a goal or get out of a rut? That is what Life Builders is about - helping people equip and develop to accomplish all God has for them. Life Builders will use a one-on-one coaching approach to help you as an individual:

• Get a clear picture of where you are
• Identify spiritual gifts
• Set goals
• Develop a strategy to achieve those goals
• Eliminate obstacles
• Keep focused and accountable to achieve success

Build Your Church/Organization

Life Builders offers a variety of resources and helps for churches and organizations.

• Leadership Training
  · Goal Setting
  · Conflict Resolution
  · Utilizing the gifts/people in your church
• Time Management Training
  · 3 areas God expects us to manage
  · Establishing priorities
  · 80/20 Rule
• Boards
  · Vision
  · Responsibilities
  · Managing Meetings
• Parliamentary Law
  · Procedures and instruction
  · How to chair a meeting
  · Parliamentary services also available

Email: info@mylifebuilders.com

Becoming True Disciples

INTRODUCTION
Today God is calling Christians to fulfill His plan for our lives, that we become Like Christ and do what He saved us to do, BECOME TRUE DISCIPLES

The Mystery of the Ages

Eph 3:1-10
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery , as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. NASU

Rescued from the Kingdom of Darkness

Col 1:13-14
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. NASU
Eph 1:13-14 The Holy Spirit in Us is His Promise of His Kingdom within Us
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance , with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. NASU

A New Heart and New Spirit

Eze 36:25-27

26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. NASU
2 Co 5:17 A New Creation
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. NASU

Make Disciples…Teaching Them to Observe (do) all that I commanded you

Mt 28:19-20
19 " Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." NASU

The Messiah Is to Be Revealed in Us

Eph 4:11-16
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. NASU

Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30
" For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 "But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. NASU

What Must We Do To Become True Disciples?
John 3:16, Ephesians 4:11-13, Acts: 17-11 Joshua 24

Acts 17:11
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. NASU
Choose you this day Whom you Serve"

Joshua 24
"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." NASU

Every Day we must choose to say yes to Jesus and no to ourselves and the ways of the world.

Artwork:http://www.majesticartworks.com/

Recalling the Hope of Glory

Our daily journey of faith is often consumed with the experiential elements of our walk with God and often needs to be expanded and strengthened with the anointed insights of those who have gone before us and disciplined Biblical study to keep our walk with God from becoming shallow and weakened by an over exposure to our own understanding of life and God's relationship with us. This expansion and strengthening of our perspective and grasp of God's Word will allow our worldview to grow more to fit God's and keep us from developing an understanding that is more about us than God has designed and desired that we have.

Recalling the Hope of Glory by Allen P. Ross is one of those studies of God's Word that will help us not to get off course and that will allow us to drink deeply from the river of life, which can give us a more complete understanding of why we worship. This will make our journey more fruitful and full of God's light and wisdom. To see more about this book please click the link below and it should take you to the Equippers Tool Box for more information about this book. http://equipperstoolbox.blogspot.com

Worldview: Fire of God or Philosophies on Man?

I have been fascinated as I have traveled on this journey with Jesus at how very much He has changed my world view. Beginning that day when He reached out to me and rescued me from the mire and dust to see how many false things I believed about the world around me, the nature of people, their and abilities, as well as, the spirit realm.

I experienced something as a young believer who was passionate about following Jesus that changed the way I saw and experienced the world around me and within me. Today we would call what happened to me a Biblical immersion (immerse: reflexive verb to become completely occupied with something, giving all your time, energy, or concentration to it). Every day for months I immersed myself in the Word of God reading the Bible and praying for hours about what I had read everyday. This total emersion not only illuminated (transitive and intransitive verb to provide somebody with knowledge or with intellectual or spiritual enlightenment) me but challenged everything I believed, everything I understood and the way I interacted with the world and everyone in it. Every thought, action and belief came under the conviction and illumination of the Holy Spirit. I spent many and hour repenting and grew in grace and truth. This process did not stop but has has continued for many years now and I have come to understand that my World view has continuously been changed and molded as I have submitted myself, my experiences and beliefs to God.

Another significant part of my transformation was the Christ like love and wisdom of my first pastor, his wife and the church they led. Pastor Jim and Julie Maley and the people of what is now the Pueblo Christian Center taught me by example what the Good News of Jesus looked like in everyday life.

My journey as a believer has also been shaped by others in the Kingdom of God who have written books which are important in adding to or understanding of what we are a part of and just how our Worldview impacts our usefulness to God. One of the many books that have impacted me is below.

This book opened my eyes to the area of Worldview many years ago and is still around, now in its 4th addition. James Sire's "The Universe Next Door" is a wonderful resource and should be mandatory reading for all Christians who interact with anyone who was not been raised in the Church. Sub titled 'A Basic Worldview Catalog' the reader of this book is treated to insights, such as how the Church's weakened Spiritual state led to the rise of false religions and a dependency on science as the underpinning of mankind’s belief systems.

If you want to know more go to the IVP web site http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=2780 or the Equippers Tool Box @ http://equipperstoolbox.blogspot.com/

The primary reason for mentioning this book is the comparison of the transformational results and power of a Biblical immersion in the Word and Spirit of God and the contrasting de-transformational results of a life which is not filled with the truth and power of God.

When Jesus came he spent three plus years proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Many could not or would not allow their worldview to be changed by the truth and power He proclaimed through a life that did the will of the Father and that was empowered by the Holy Spirit. One of the most fascinating Biblical accounts of Jesus' impact on people is the aacount of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Lk 24:13-18
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a
village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were
talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they
talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and
walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things
that have happened there in these days?" They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19 "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a
prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The
chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and
they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to
redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took
place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb
early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that
they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our
companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it
is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it
and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each
other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the
road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Their hearts burned within them! The fire of God not only illuminates it also burns away the impure and all that is not of God.

Will you allow God to immerse you in His Word and Spirit, allowing His Spirit to illuminate and burn away all that is not of Him?

Your World View will Change to His World View even as Moses' was changed when he spent 40 days and nights in the presence of God!!

The light of His glory will not fade, but it will transform us as we immerse ourselves in His Word and Spirit continuously!

Contending With God

The LORD said to Job: Job 40:1-1440:1
2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!"
3 Then Job answered the LORD:
4 "I am unworthy — how can I reply to you?I put my hand over my mouth.
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer — twice, but I will say no more."
6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:
7 "Brace yourself like a man;I will question you,and you shall answer me.
8 "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
9 Do you have an arm like God's,and can your voice thunder like his?
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,look at every proud man and bring him low,
12 look at every proud man and humble him,crush the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave.
14 Then I myself will admit to you Job that your own right hand can save you. NIV

What Do Three Former Presidents Have In Common?

A preacher of Jesus Christ untarnished by a political agenda, his name, Billy Graham.

I had the opportunity to watch the Billy Graham Library dedication on TV the other day and there they were Bush the senior, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter all praising this humble man of God in their own unique way.

There was Billy looking more like an Old Testament prophet than a 21st Century Evangelist. His long white hair catching the light as if the Glory of God had become visible upon him. Then there were the three presidents, each one with good memories of Rev. Graham and his ministry to them. They were doing what the Bible instructs us to do, "Give honor to whom honor is due."

In a day when believers seem more captured by the politics of the day then the power that has made this man able to minister the Good News to more people than anyone else in history, there he sat frail in body but strong in God!

Then there were the three presidents, each one with good memories of Rev. Graham and his ministry to them. Emotion flowed from them as they shared stories of their time with Billy.

Maybe we need to consider the life and ministry of Billy Graham if we want to truly see our world changed for the better. His single focus on obeying God's will for his life will one day soon cause him to hear the father say, "well done you who are a good and faithful servant."

We have many choices to make each day on how we will spend our life and resources, May God help us to make choices that see the accomplishment of the agenda and work of His Kingdom. I am not saying that a Christian should not be involved in politics. I am saying, our life should be totally His and not our own.

Not everyone is called to be an evangelist, but we are all called to please the one who created us. So, let us each carry out the call He has given us and may we do so, with all our mind and heart and soul!

Thank you God for Billy Graham's example and life!

Equipper

The Equippers Network Family of Blogs

A Family of Blogs designed to help accomplish His Vision in your life.

The Equippers Network Family of Blogs is a major part of the Equippers Network mission. 'Empowering churches, Individual believers, Market place and Ministry leaders to fulfill God's heart in the earth today according to Ephesians 4:11 -13

To:

1. Fulfill their call to release the Life of Jesus among the people of the earth.

2. Build up fellow believers/followers of Jesus.

3. Encourage and assist believers to grow into maturity, reaching the full stature of Christ.'

The Equippers Network exists to help you fulfill God's calling and to minister His revolutionary life today. The Equippers Network is a resource for Chritians who are experiencing a dramatic change in the ideas and practice of being Church today as we seek to fulfill God's plan to make disciples of all people groups.

George Barna states in Growing True Disciples; "We need to be igniting and nurturing people’s passion for God and get out of their way.” Those with a unique Vision, those who are called by God need continuous mentoring and training if they are to be sent forth as radical believers, healthy people of the Spirit who are focused on accomplishing what Jesus has called them to at all cost.

The Equippers Network vision is to mend, equip, train, mentor and release people into cutting edge Spirit led ministry that flows from God's heart. My passion is to help believers fulfill to the fullest measure God's Call on their life by Coaching and Training them as God works in them, so that they can fulfill Ephesians 4:12-13 to:

1. Birth, Develop and Mature the calling or assignment God has given them vision for.

2. Build up believers by means of connecting them with others who are seeking to fulfill God’s vision for their life.

3. Bring believers to Maturity as passionate followers of Jesus the Messiah by means of Relational Discipleship, Coaching, Mentoring, and Hands on Training and Teaching.

God the Great Creator has given us the His unique ability to create and have the vision to create ministry. These Creative Visions for Ministries flow from His calling in the believer’s life and all that he has created us to uniquely be by His grace and power working in us.

Below is The Equippers Network family of Blogs:

Equippers Network http://equippersnetwork.blogspot.com/ This site has teachings, exhortations and book reviews.

Equippers Edge http://equippersedge.blogspot.com/ This site offers materials for leaders within the Equippers Network.

Equippers Tool Box http://equipperstoolbox.blogspot.com/ This site reviews books, music and other resources and suggest materials for leaders so that they might more effectively be used of Jesus today.

Equipper's Blog http://equippersnetwork.vox.com/ Speaking Light To Those Who Follow Jesus, So that they can be a part of What He is doing In The Earth Today.

The Equipper's Resume http://equippersresume.blogspot.com/ This Blog tells "My Story". It is about the opportunities I have had to serve, to lead, to learn and make a living along the way.

It is all ‘By His Grace’

The Equipper

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders

We will begin a detailed review of this book on The Equippers Edge Blog in the near future @ http://equippersedge.blogspot.com. Please check that site in about a week to begin the review. Your comments and interaction are invited.
(Equipper)

The material below is from the sites linked below.

"In Off-Road Disciplines, Earl Creps reveals that the on-road practices of prayer and Bible reading should be bolstered by the other kinds of encounters with God that occur unexpectedly—complete with the bumps and bruises that happen when you go “off-road.”

Becoming an off-road leader requires the cultivation of certain spiritual disciplines that allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to arrange your interior life.

Earl Creps explores twelve central spiritual disciplines—six personal and six organizational—that Christian leaders of all ages and denominations need if they are to change themselves and their churches to reach out to the culture around them."http://www.earlcreps.com/

http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787985201,descCd-tableOfContents.html

Table of Contents

Introduction: Off-Road Disciplines.

Part One: Personal Disciplines.
1. Death: The Discipline of Personal Transformation.
2. Truth: The Discipline of Sacred Realism.
3. Perspective: The Discipline of POV.
4. Learning: The Discipline of Reverse Mentoring.
5. Witness: The Discipline of Spiritual Friendship.
6. Humility: The Discipline of Decreasing.

Part Two: Organizational Disciplines.
7. Assessment: The Discipline of Missional Efficiency.
8. Harmony: The Discipline of Blending Differences.
9. Reflection: The Discipline of Discernment.
10. Opportunity: The Discipline of Making Room.
11. Sacrifice: The Discipline of Surrendering Preferences.
12. Legacy: The Discipline of Passing the Baton.

Epilogue: Three Coffee Houses.
Notes.
Acknowledgments.
The Author.
Index.

Earl Creps—a popular speaker and leader—is director of the Doctor of Ministry program and associate professor at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) in Springfield, Missouri. He has been a pastor, ministries consultant, and university professor. Along the way, Creps earned a Ph.D. in communication at Northwestern University and a doctor of ministry degree in leadership at AGTS.

This Title is Part of the Following Series:Leadership Network Publications

Joins the week of January 29th for the beginning of this online interactive study discussion @ http://equippersedge.blogspot.com

America Alone: The End of the World as we Know It

Today we are focused on Mark Stein's book, America Alone: The End of the World as we Know It

I want to refer you to a review listed below.

America Alone: The End of the World as we Know It Is the free West "sleepwalking into a trap of its own making while blissfully ignoring the many danger signs that are everywhere"?

by Harry Antonides @Canada' s Christian Community Online http://www.christianity.ca/entertainment/books/2007/01.001.html

We do not get into politics on this site so please see this article as a chance for the Church to answer some questions;

1.Is the basic tenet of this article and book true?

2. If the the basic arguement of this book is true, what should the Church be doing to bring Christ to our changing world?

3. Do we need to be doing things differently then we currently are?

4. Do we need to fall on our faces and cry out to God to hear from Him or do we believe we just need to work a little harder to accomplish our current plans?

Please read the article and come back to this blog and leave a comment?

"America Alone: The End Of The World As We Know It brings together some of the big themes of Mark's writing in recent years - demography, the unsustainability of the welfare state, a resurgent Islam, and the west's loss of civilizational confidence. The result is an incisive examination of how the world could look the day after tomorrow, on the brink of a new Dark Ages. Permanence is the arrogant assumption of every era, and ours is no exception. But in Europe, the Middle East and beyond history is on the march, and moving very quickly."

from Mark's own site. http://216.92.123.84/product28.html