.holding nothing back

It's time for believers everywhere to give ourselves over to the concept of reckless abandon.

reckless abandon - a complete surrender to SUPERnatural impulses without restraint or moderation; freedom from inhibition or conventionality.

This concept is more than a concept. It's an attitude, an action and more importantly, a state of being. It says, in essence, "I choose not to allow anything or anyone, including myself, to hold me back from living my life as God designed...in abundance and complete surrender to His purpose and plan!"

In this life, there are countless obstacles that would present themselves in order to dissuade or distract us from living the abundant life. Obstacles brought about by the enemy or just obstacles from life itself. However, many times the obstacle standing in our way is in fact ourselves.

I've identified several ways that we as believers hold back:
1. Caring Too Much About What People Think
What will they think if I lift my hands in worship? Everybody will stare at me if I "jump for joy." I can't share the gospel, what will my friends say?

2. Absence of Trust
How can I follow God's plan for my life when I need x amount of dollars to sustain my comfortable lifestyle? My future is uncertain right now, so I'm going to do what I think is best for me.
See Matthew 6 and start seeking first HIS kingdom...

3. Ignorance of Who We Are in Christ
E.W. Kenyon said “The reason that the majority of Christians are weak, though they are earnest, yet they are weak, is because they have never dared to make a confession of who they are in Christ.”
We have to learn and acknowledge every good thing we have in Christ. (Philemon 1:6)

4. Focusing on Past Mistakes
No one will listen to me because I used to do the same thing they're doing. I can’t witness to my friends because they heard me cuss last week. I acted up in class last year so I won’t do well this year either. I failed 9th grade because I slacked off, I should just drop out.
Let's follow Paul's example in Philippians 3:13-14 by forgetting those things that are behind and moving forward! God has chosen to forget our sins and past mistakes. Let's accept his forgiveness and advance!

If we want to live the abundant life, we have to make a quality decision that we will live our lives with reckless abandon!

.fishin' tools

At the beginning of this month, our church started an outreach campaign called Launch. Based on Luke 5:4 where Jesus commanded Peter to "launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch," this campaign is an all-out effort to launch out in our respective worlds and be fishers of men.

So I've been doing a little research on some tools for doing just that in order to help our congregation make fishing a reality in their lives. One such tool that I've discovered is simply to create a link on your web page (i.e. blog, facebook, myspace, twitter, etc.) to one of the sites created by NAMB with a clear and compelling gospel presentation.

Here is a link to one that I like: FLIPZ.

Here are two more: ALIVE. SEEK.

So, go ahead. Launch out and put a link on your page. It may lead one of your friends into a relationship with Jesus Christ!

.eager or ashamed?

When it comes to preaching or proclaiming the gospel to others, we can be in one of two categories. We can either be eager or ashamed. Now I realize that you may categorize yourself in the middle, but you should work toward going in the direction of EAGER! If you're not eager, then you're ashamed.

Romans 1:15-16 NIV "15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (italics mine)

eager - adj. - marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest (impatient at delay or restraint)
ashamed - adj. - restrained by anticipation of shame (a consciousness of shame or guilt, i.e. embarrasment)

You and I should be eagerly looking for the opportunity to rescue the perishing instead of looking the other way when those around us are lost, hurting and dying.

Naturally speaking, what kind of human being would you be if you had a lifesaver and someone around you was drowning yet you didn't throw in the very device that would save his life? In the same way, you and I have the very thing that will turn their broken and tired lives around, yet we hesitate to dive in and rescue them.

Being ashamed will hold you back from not only sharing the gospel with others, but also from living life to your full potential. Break through the barrier of shame and recognize that what you have inside you is the POWER of God to rescue those in need.