Ambassadors of Christ: Productivity/Motivation

 

Comparison is a thief of joy. A reminder not to covet. Anytime you think someone else’s life is better than yours, there’s someone looking at your life saying the same thing. God gives you time talent and treasures to attain what you need in order to be a healthy productive member of God’s community.

            Colossians 3:17-23

¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Instructions for Christian Households

¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

²¹ Fathers,^[a] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

            Matthew 6:19-20

Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

            Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 

 

AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:20)

 

Culture <> Lifestyle

 

            Matthew 5:16

 

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

            Ephesians 2:10

 

¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

            1 Corinthians 10:31

 

So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

 

Openthebible.org (4/23/15)

 

https://openthebible.org/article/how-to-be-productive-according-to-the-bible/

 

How to Be Productive According to the Bible

By Kevin Halloran –

 

It’s like an ambassador’s guide to stay motivated in an unmotivated world 😊

Evangelism: Starter Kit (Part III)

 

Another branch of the Ambassadors of Christ is the field team. 

They are the part of the F.B.I. (Firm Believer in Christ) Romans 1:16 

S.W.A.T. (Spiritual Warriors Advancing Truth) 2 Corinthian 10: 4-5  

They serve alongside special agents and other important roles in God's Kingdom.

 THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD

1. BELT OF TRUTH: The belt of truth (Jesus’ teachings and commands) hold up your spiritual pants up and centers all you do, John 8:31-32.
2. BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: The breastplate of righteousness (given to you by Christ at the new birth) protects your heart and gives you your identity, 2 Corinthians 5:21.
3. SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE: The shoes of the gospel of peace (peace with God because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection) is what guides your life and gives purpose to everything you do, Romans 10:14-15.
4. SHIELD OF FAITH: The shield of faith (faith in God’s Word) protects you from all the attacks of the enemy (doubt & fear), Romans 10:17.
5. HELMET OF SALVATION: The helmet of salvation (the mind of Christ) guards your thoughts and lines them up with the will of God, Romans 12:1-2.
6. SWORD OF THE SPIRIT: The sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) is the weapon you use against your carnal thoughts (1 Peter 2:11 & 2 Corinthians 10:5) and the devil’s temptations (Luke 4:3-4).

Leading Others To God

Just remember, soft heart, humble approach, be teachable. Continue to thirst and hunger for righteousness and the Spirit will continue to give it to you. TRUTH understood and applied becomes WISDOM. In Truth, you have Wise Dominion.

Salvation is deliverance, victory, to heal, to free, to preserve, to make whole.

PSALM 3:8 and ACTS 4:12-deliverance is God’s plan for man through Jesus Christ. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Salvation is God’s work.

JOHN 6:44 no one can come to me unless the Father draws him near.

God chose you. Christ is your King. Follow His rule. You are a son of Monarchy; not a son of anarchy of the world and the devil. There is no such thing as “finding God or Jesus”, they’re not lost! You are! Jesus finds you, not the other way around. God chooses you and you accept God’s gift of salvation. That’s the difference. Now reach and teach and make a difference.

2 peter 3:9 - ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

glc.ccf.org

Your tools for evangelism:

1.       Prayer – literally means to petition the King and to call upon God for something. It is exercise of your faith, hope and belief in the promise of God.

James 5:15-16 ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

 Pray before during and or after you minister with someone knowing that Holy Spirit will give you utterance and the King will hear your needs and God will respond in His Will.

James 4:8 - ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Philippians 4:6-7 - ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2.       Knowledge – true knowledge is from God. When God speaks, listen. Know the Word intimately, not just by memory or by phrase.

2 Timothy 2:15 - ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Understand scripture. Know what you are reading and what it truly means. True revelation comes from having a relationship with God. You know it not only by Word, but by experience. You know it, because you lived it. Know where to you find it in the bible. Sew it in your heart and you will know where to go when asked.

3.       Engagement – be not afraid to have conversation about and attract attention from anyone who longs to know the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will guide in you what to say.

1 Corinthians 9:22 - …I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

You will be able to meet them where they’re at. Jesus calls out to all people of all walks of life in every condition and circumstance. You will be amazed how just a conversation or an acknowledgement can open doors to someone who is hurting. (Luke 4: 18-19)

Remind them Jesus lives for them and God loves them and is ready to heal and restore them. If someone pays you attention, give them their money’s worth. They will pay with their time and take interest in the God in you

Evangelism Class Parts 1-3 courtesy of class notes from DeMaster Thomas, 9/27/16-10/4/16

New LIfe Covenant Church, Chicago, IL - Humboldt Park

THE POWER OF PRAYER

Before we get started, let's break this down: what does "power" mean: it means the ability to act on the effect a charged energy and control it. "Prayer" means: a deliberate communication with a spiritual entity or deity. Put to all together and you have the ability to control your communication with your deity. This is a privilege, not a right. In our history, during the time B.C., we developed our own ways of communicating that proved to be inefficient, selfish, filtered and tainted.Today, nearly 2030 years later, A.D., we are still doing the same thing! So, how do we know if we are speaking respectfully to the Utmost Elder? This is not our parents or boss at work, this is The Parent and The Boss of Everything! But don't get nervous and say, forget it, I'm just going to do my own thing. It's easier than you think. Let's take a look.

  First-pray with a "child-like" faith - ASK. Remove your adult filters and just ask! Do you remember when you were a kid and went to ask for something? You had a heart filled with an idea and expectation of receiving, then you asked and believed you would get an answer. It may not have been the answer you were looking for, but you knew if you asked, you would get a response. If what you ask for is in line with what you need, you will get it right at the time you need it. Hard to believe, but so true it's scary and so simple, a child can do it :-)

 Second-pray with confidence and belief. Before you ask in prayer, ask yourself the same thing-do I need what I am asking for? Is it in line with the good will and betterment of self and others? How will what I ask for be applied and when? If you can answer this for yourself, then you can ask in prayer and it will be done for you.

Third-pray with humility and trust. This is the head spiritual energy and deity that is beyond your physical, material world. Remember who you are speaking to and welcome warm receive with open arms. Be humble and trust you will be heard. This is open conversation, but it is respectful conversation as well. Act in accordance with confession and thanks.


This is the full body of prayer. Grace will bathe you, you will be sufficient in all things at all times and you will be good in every plan you execute. Now be careful how you apply this. We live in a world where there is excess, too much of one thing goes to one person and we possess the power to spread happiness to others in need. When this "pay it forward" motion is continued, every person is reached and everyone receives the answer to their prayer in one way, shape, form or fashion or another. If a person asks for food, do you give them a rock? No, I hope that you would feed them. What you give to others as they ask of you is exactly what you will get in answer to your prayers. Okay, this is a little confusing, let me rephrase this. Prayers are answered through the actions of one person to another. Both parties have power: the power to ask, believe and trust and the power to fulfill, honor and uplift.

 So what happens next? You pray, the Holy Spirit delivers, you get a reply, open the "spiritual" envelope and hope for the best. An answer to our prayer is the most frustrating part of the process, because we are humans with child-like hearts and when we don't get the answer we expected, we are hurt, sometimes angry and feel let down. The only answers to prayer are:
1. YES-go and do good with what you have been granted.
2. NO-because it is not right for you and this is to protect you.
3. GO SLOW-this will be granted and given to you, in time, be patient and prepare, it is coming.
4. GROW-there is more you need to learn before what you seek can be given to you.
5. GO-prayer granted, you're welcome.

Power is the most amazing ability a human has. Prayer is the greatest form of other-world communication known to human kind. Put them together and you have the ability to actually "talk" to the Son of the Creator! And that is nothing short of a miracle. No matter your faith or background, culture or belief, this is an open line and all are welcome. So go ahead, give it a try and let Him know what's on your heart today. 

Until next time, I am DeMaster Thomas and this - is Real Living

Who I Am

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM

I NEVER WENT TO LAW SCHOOL

YET I AM  A JUDGE

I NEVER WENT TO MEDICAL SCHOOL

YET I AM A HEALER

I NEVER HELD AN OFFICE

YET I AM KING

I HAVE NEVER BEEN MARRIED

YET I AM THE DEFINITION OF

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

I HAVE NEVER BEEN AN ASTRONAUT

YET I AM A TRAVELER OF SPACE AND TIME

BUT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ME

TO YOU, I AM A STRANGER

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM

 

-DeMaster A. Thomas-