Christianity's Biggest Challenge Is Not the Unbeliever

Do you really believe what this Book says?

 Convincing Christians to Believe Jesus Is Harder than Winning Converts

For almost a decade I've been teaching a Bible study called "From Genesis to Revelation." In the course of those years I developed a thematic statement designed to encourage those in the class, but which was really my own issue. "If we really believed what is in this Book, we would live our lives very differently."

The further we went in the reading, finishing the Old Testaments and entering the New, my own faith grew and grew. It wasn't my first time through the Bible. Far from it. But the slow line by line reading of the Bible over so many years, including preparing a lesson each week, was impacting me. Do I still have issues of belief and trust regarding the Bible and God? Sure, but fewer than I did a decade or even a year ago. 

But this much became clear to me. The vast majority of folks who call themselves Christian probably are not. They aren't doing any of the most basic requirements of being a Christian. For many the emphasis seems to be on trying to be nicer or sinning less. These are excellent goals, but have little to do with the Gospel.

In a way, it reminds me of talking with atheists, agnostics, or folks who claim they aren't Christians. You lay out simple, but profound truths that are going to impact their life in a major way for the better, and then give them the hope of heaven. But they will argue with you about evolution or how come there are so many religions or denominations.  They will bring up the problem of evil, suffering, or say things like "I wish I had that kind of faith."

Compare that to conversations you might have with someone who has stated they were saved. "I feel at peace about living with my girlfriend." "Why shouldn't homosexuals who are Christians be able to enjoy loving one another?" "I just can't get into reading my Bible." There is no way I can afford to tithe." "I would go to church, but there are hypocrites there and all those Christians are judgemental.

You can point out that the Jesus they say they are following has clearly laid out the ways you are to live in order to have the best possible life on earth and earn the most crowns in heaven. You might even go so far as to suggest that if they aren't actively dealing with known sin, seeking a closer and more intimate life with Jesus, and producing fruit they may not be heading to heaven. But many are just as hard-hearted as those who make no claim of knowing Jesus.

If we believe Jesus, then we need to repent and ask the Holy Spirit to provide us with the strength and wisdom we need to be nice and sin less, but also to spread the gospel and change the world. But just as God left it up to us to accept His free gift of salvation, He has also left it up to us to decide to be true disciples. We have choices every day whether to follow Jesus, obey His words, carry His cross, and have the discipline to work out our salvation.

Most, almost all, Christians make daily decisions to seek comfort rather than sacrifice, prefer being liked rather than being holy, consuming worldly input rather than Biblical, and striving for personal gain rather than praying for Kingdom increases.

Don't you want the most that life has to offer? Are you satisfied with your current spiritual condition? Don't you desire to serve Jesus in such a way that He will say "Well done thou good and faithful servant" when you join him in eternity? The alternative is "Go away from here. I never knew you."

If you want to change direction, that is repent, and get on a path to being all that you can be as a God Called - He Needs Your Decision! This new book is designed specifically to help any born again Christian to increase their belief and faith. It takes you wherever you are today and empowers you to move to the next step, and then the next, until you are fully surrendered.
follower of Jesus, you might want to pick up

Once upon a time, someone helped you to see that the Gospel was real, that Jesus was the Messiah, that God loved you, and that you needed to repent and be born again. Today, I'm hoping I can be that person who helps you to see that all of those things are true, and so is everything that the Bible says.  And since all those things are true, you should get serious about what the Bible directs you to do. Otherwise, your first decision seems utterly useless.

Lukewarm Christian Is an Oxymoron

Love God more than anything else including life itself. 

Sorry if this insults you. If you are not passionate about your Christian walk, you may not be on your way to eternal life with Jesus. 

Jesus said to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:16 

So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Does that passage leave room for interpretation. Is Jesus being hyperbolic here. I don't think so. He is actually just repeating himself.  See Matthew 7:19

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Does that sound like it leaves room for "Don't worry, you can still get into heaven if you are nice to your family and friends? Fruit mean acts, deeds, discipling others, staying in the Word, being sacrificial in your love of God and others, and so much more. 

There are many, many more such verses that I can site. But you probably already know them. These two should be enough to make the point. 

Where does this leave you?!

I think I can say that you are somewhere on the spectrum between cold and hot. And I would maintain that where ever you are on that continuum, you are at a decision point. Will you become more devoted, more passionate, more intentional, more disciplined, or will you stay right where you are?

I've written a book that others tell me has already moved them toward becoming true disciples, taking up their cross, giving up their worldly interests, and surrendering to God's call on their life. 

God Called - He Needs Your Decision is available on Amazon and depending on when you read this may also be available through other outlets.

God Needs Your Decision

 

God Needs Your Decision to Follow Jesus

Then God needs your decision to:

• Trust Him
• Listen to Him
• Obey Him
• Repent of known sin
• Read His word
• Love Him
• Love others
• Become a disciple
• Disciple others
• Spend time in prayer
• Intercede for others in prayer
• Go for us
• Be fruitful
• Tell others about Jesus
• Be prepared to defend the faith
• Hate your mother, father, sister and brother
• Give up everything
• Carry your cross
• Go to church
• Fellowship with believers
• Be humble
• Be meek
• Seek after righteousness
• Be a peacemakeer
• Be pure of heart
• Seek the kingdom first
• Be submissive to your spouse
• Love your wife like Jesus loves the church
• Revere and respect your husband
• Be slow to anger
• Show kindness
• Love your enemy
• Forgive those who have wronged you
• Forgive yourself
• Be merciful
• Have patience 
• Fast as necessary
• Pray without ceasing
• Learn your Master's voice
• Have grace
• Be thankful
• Tithe
• Give over and above the tithe
• Give cheerfully
• Serve others
• Consider others to be better than you
• Finish strong
• Worship Him
• Praise Him
• Seek that His will be done
• Pray for wisdom
• Pray for strength
• Do everything as unto God
• Cast out idols
• Put God first
• Not judge others
• Avoid temptation
• Pray against the evil one

I'm hoping you didn't just scan down this list and think either, "I'm okay," or "How can I possible do this?"

You aren't okay. And you don't have to do those things. You need to make a choice, a decision, to be about doing those things. You need to desire to be the kind of Christ follower who is in the process of becoming like Jesus. You need to pray that the Holy Spirit will enable you and guide you to be that person.

It will take a lifetime of devotion and a huge amount of faith, but God has promised us that we can do all things through Him.

If this post touches your heart at all, and makes you think maybe it is time to up your game in the most important relationship you have or will ever have, spend a few hours reading God Called - He Needs Your Decision! In this book you will be provided with one path, one approach to getting to surrender, holiness, and being a true disciple. 

Do you know someone who should read the book? Please gift the a copy. Does your church have a bookstore.  Please suggest they carry the book. Go to Amazon.com for current information on pricing. For bulk purchases, please send me an email at RandyKirk77@gmail.com

The Number 1 Question Christians Want to Know. What Is God's Will for My Life?

God's will for your life is clear from Genesis to Revelation

When you Google "God's will for my life," you get 170,000,000 results. I didn't have time to read them all, but you can be sure there are plenty of differing opinions about the answer.  I don't presume to know any more than the next person about the subject, but I'm going to tackle this issue from the broadest sense for this post. Then, in another post, I'll come at it from the narrow perspective.

God's will for your life is the same as it is for my life and for every other Christian. It is the same in the New Testament as it was in the Old Testament. If there was ever a case of folks missing the forest for the trees, this is it. When you finish, please let me know if you think I've completely missed something in the comments section that follows.

1.  God wants you to have the best possible life on earth.

Once you get your arms around this, it is life changing. Other religions have gods who punish them or do deals with them or they must do crazy actions to please their god. While our God punishes unbelievers, there is no time where believers are punished. We may do crazy things in an attempt to please God, but He never requires or suggests we do so.  Quite the opposite. And we can't negotiate with God.

The Bible says:

Deuteronomy 4:40
Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.

1 Kings 11:38
If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.

Isaiah 3:10
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.

Exodus 15:26
He said, "If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."


Jeremiah 7:23
but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.

For the New Testament you need go no further than the most famous sermon of all time, the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells us who will be blessed. And blessings will flow to those who are humble, repentant, meek, seeking righteousness, and pure.

Simple, straightforward.  God wants us to do things that will be of benefit to our own bodies, to our own emotional health, and to our own souls. These same actions will be the best possible for the community as well. God's will for us clearly starts with our living a blessed life on earth.

Knowing that God's will is that you have a blessed life should cause you to get much more serious about following His commands. Let me ask you, do you ever drink Drano? Do you have a taster check out the canned peas before you eat them? You trust the instructions and the makers of these products. We humans don't trust our maker that way.

2.  God wants us to love Him and love others

You knew that! In combination with God's desire that you live the best possible life, the greatest commandments must lead to that blessed life if you follow them. God's commands are not for the purpose of helping Him out or making Him happy. They are a love letter written to you so that you will do well. 

What are you doing about learning how to love God? Is it part of your plan for today? This week? This year? Do you know what it means to love others? What are you doing to become better at that?

So it is God's specific will for your life that you follow the two Greatest Commandments.

3.  God wants you to be a disciple

Do you think that becoming a disciple is optional? Do you know what it takes to become a disciple? Can you list the items Jesus said it would take to be a true disciple? Jesus spent the greatest portion of His time of ministry taking 12 men and making them into disciples. If He saw it as being that much of a priority, my guess is that His will for your life is that you become a disciple.

That would mean:

• Obeying Jesus
• Taking up your cross and following Him
• Giving up everything, even family 

4.  Jesus highest priority for us is that we make disciples

Once again, I'm suggesting that there is no mystery to God's will for us.  Jesus has given us many specific directions for ways that we can be fruitful in this life. But we all agree that one of those items stands above the others. We call it the Great Commission.

Most Christian I talk to are very confused by what the great commission says. It does not say go and make converts. It does not say go and convince people to try church. It says make disciples. You can't be a disciple until you have decided to accept the gift of the Gospel and follow Jesus as Lord. That is a work only the Holy Spirit can do. We are called upon to tell others, and that is certainly a high priority. But the highest priority is to make disciples. To be more specific, we need to help those who are already professing Christ to do those three things above. If they are failing to do those three things or desiring and making decisions designed to move towards those things, they are not true disciples and they are likely not saved.

You therefore can know God's will. He wants you to help folks that are slipping away from the hope of heaven. In many cases they are slipping away because no one nurtured their growth after being planted. You see, thousands come to Christ every week, but as we pointed out in this post, maybe only 10% of folks who accept Jesus are headed for heaven. Not my words, but the words of J. Vernon McGee.

God's will for your life? Have a blessed life, love God and others, be a disciple, make disciples.
If you do these things, I maintain that God's very specific will for your personal life will be made known. You won't have to ask, because you'll be too busy doing it. And because you have been faithful in these things, He will be chasing you down for new assignments.

Did I leave anything out?

ps My new book, God Called - He Needs Your Decision! speaks specifically to these issues, and gives a pathway to becoming a true disciple. Check it out at Amazon

Only 10% Who Accept Christ Are Going to Heaven

How many are headed to heaven? How can you make a difference?

Some church leaders think even a smaller percent are true disciples

The venerable J Vernon McGee makes the point that of those who come forward on any given Sunday to accept Jesus Christ as Lord, only 10% were genuine conversions. McGee points out that in his discussions with other church leaders at the time (1970's?), the number might even be smaller, even as low as 3%.  His point was made during his exposition on the parable of the sowers in Matthew 13.

We all know the story. Some seed (Word of God) fell by the wayside and was taken away by birds (demons).  Some fell on a rocky place with little soil, sprung up fast, then withered and died under the scorching sun. Some young plants were overtaken by thorns and choked out. And some on fertile soil that prospered and bore much fruit.

Whenever I hear a sermon preached on this passage or read it during my quiet time, I admit to taking an inventory. I deeply desire to go to heaven. I look forward to meeting Jesus and Old Testament saints and others who will be there. I'm so curious to see what the next great chapter looks like. Am I saved? Do I have a deep certainty that Jesus will say "Well done, thy good and faithful servant," on my arrival, and not, "I never knew you."

Certainly you must take that same inventory of your spiritual life from time-to-time. Am I fruitful. Do I show evidence of having Jesus in me. Do I have a personal relationship with Him. Am I pursuing holiness. Am I surrendered. Am I doing the work of making disciples (helping saved Christians to become true disciples).

J Vernon McGee and others say that only those seeds which took root in fertile soil are heaven bound. He and others say that the parable teaches that this would be 25%. I don't think the parable says that at all. It merely says some.

On the first day of law school, the dean will say, "look to your right and to your left. In 3 years two of you will no longer be here."  If you look to your right and to your left, is it possible that 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 of those on your right and left won't be part of your praise team in heaven?

Commonly, this type of "lesson" would end with an admonition that you get your disciplines in order, get on your knees and repent, get back to church, improve your prayer life, read the Bible more, and so on. All of those are good ideas. But I think those works will grow out of the right heart. What is a right heart:

• Love God
• Love Others
• Give Up Everything
• Die to Self
• Take Up Your Cross
• Obey Jesus
• Go and Make Disciples

Seven simple concepts. Seven ways to live that will GUARANTEE the most blessed life on earth and a place in heaven. Each and every one of those seven requires something from you. That something is a decision. The decision to accept Jesus is only the first decision you will make as a new Christian or as an old, mature Christian. These are decisions you will make, then need to remake every day. To make those decisions you will need faith. The kind of faith that moves mountains. And the faith comes from asking the Holy Spirit to help you.

So where are you on this circle of life? You'll need to jump on somewhere. Will it start with being
more disciplined, or start with a tearful, face down period of repentance of having too little faith and being to consumed with the things of the world. Or will it start with loving someone you haven't been able to love, forgiving someone you haven't been able to forgive, or finally giving up some idol that has you prisoner.

Tell me your story in the discussion section below. Then you might want to check out the book I've written that goes deeper into this discussion about choices. God Called - He Needs Your Decision! is available at Amazon.

Christian. Are You Interested in Finishing Strong?

Finish the race, and help someone else finish strong, too.

No matter how you've done up until this point in your life, you face a decision

Has your Christian walk been a straight line? Do you get up every day, enter into authentic devotionals, connect heart-to-heart with the God during prayer, read your Bible with your ears open to the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit. Do you then go about your day loving God and others, giving others a picture of Jesus through your actions.

Or maybe you are currently way off the path, even a prodigal. Or maybe you are the prodigals brother, whose self righteousness may have been the point of the parable. Maybe you're faithful, but prideful. Maybe your dealing with an area of significant sin in your life that is interfering with your ability to serve Jesus in the way that you could.

Most of us are somewhere in between these extremes. And I don't know anyone whose Christian walk doesn't resemble a roller coaster more than a smooth sail on a flat lake.

From my reading of the scriptures, God doesn't seem to be too concerned about what you've done up until now. Resting on your laurels and giving yourself a high five for what was done in the good old days can't be found in scripture. Have your actions been recorded and will they produce rewards in heaven? Sure! Are those accomplishments something that have produced good consequences for you and others? Of course! But the Bible seems to make clear that we need to continue to be strong in the faith and available to God's calling, right up until He calls us home. If you disagree, please note your scripture reference in the comments.

On the other hand, you may have had some rough times recently. Did you steal, hurt someone, lie, have sex outside of marriage? Have you been lukewarm in your faith. Jesus says he would spit lukewarm water out of His mouth. Maybe you just feel far from God, and your prayer and devotional time is missing or meager. Maybe you aren't in church or fellowshipping with other believers. 

It is never too late. In the secular world there is a saying about tomorrow being the first day of the rest of your life. In the Bible we here the exact same thing very poetically:

Hebrews 12: 1 (NIV)” So let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us ”

1 Corinthians 9: 24 (NIV) ” Run in such away to win the prize." 

2 Timothy 4: 7 to 8 (NIV)” I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, my coronation, which the Lord the righteous Judge, will award unto me on that day “.

Have you finished the race? Some of us act that way at times. What might you still accomplish in the time you have left?

I once taught a class in goal setting. One of the men in the class came up to me afterwards and said, "Randy, I'm 66 years old. How can I set 10 year goals. I'll be dead in 10 years."

Eleven years later I spoke with him about that conversation. We both enjoyed a good laugh over it. What might he have done during that decade if he had chosen to ask God for some opportunities to serve and listened for direction. 

Go to Amazon http://bit.ly/GodCalled

Would you do me a favor. Go over to Amazon.com and pick up a copy of my new book, God Called - He Needs Your Decision! You can get it in Kindle, and it might be available in print too by the time you read this. Look at the reviews. Most of them come from solid Christian soldiers who are hard at work for Jesus. But almost ever reviewer talks about change that took place in their life after reading the book. 

Buy it now at http://bit.ly/GodCalled

I honestly don't care about the money. I have a business that pays for my needs. If you can't afford it, send me an email. I'll find a way to get it to you for free. Do you have someone in mind who needs a copy? Can you gift them a copy? If not, send me an email. We'll get a copy to them. My personal email is RandyKirk77@gmail.com

The world badly needs a bunch of Christians to finish strong. The forces of evil are winning. We know the outcome, but we are still commanded to be faithful and hard at work until Jesus comes again. We need to be sowing the seed to the lost, then discipling those who accept the gift.

How else might you help in the effort to make disciples as commanded by Jesus. Let me know in the comments or by email. 

Become a True Disciple, then Go and Make Disciples

 

Jesus was very clear about disciples. Is His church getting this right?

Oswald chambers said in My Utmost for His Highest for April 24:

“We have a commercialized view—we count how many souls have been saved and sanctified, we thank God, and then we think everything is all right.  Yet our work only begins where God’s grace has laid the foundation.  Our work is not to save souls, but to disciple them.  Salvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace, and our work as His disciples is to disciple others’ lives until they are totally yielded to God.  One life totally devoted to God is of more value to Him than one hundred lives which have been simply awakened by His Spirit.  As workers for God, we must reproduce our own kind spiritually, and those lives will be God’s testimony to us as His workers.  God brings us up to a standard of life through His grace, and we are responsible for reproducing that standard in others.” (emphasis added).

One goal in writing God Called - He Needs Your Decision was to provide a pathway, even a recipe, for moving from pew duster to disciple, from lukewarm to on fire, from prodigal to servant in the Father's house, or from mature dutiful soldier to fully surrendered child of God. From the early reports of those who've given me feedback, there is a unanimous chorus of conviction leading to change. See reviews here and here.

The other goal was to share with everyone that it is Okay to hear from God. Bill O'Reilly created shocked headlines when he declared that the Holy Spirit gives him the ideas for his books, including Killing Jesus. I have heard from the Holy Spirit on several occasions including through visions and the "still small voice." The experiences are documented in the book along with clear directions for how to discern truth when the experience is extraordinary. There is also a section on how to avoid allowing experiences like that from becoming idols. But, the bottom line is that we need to be open to hearing from God, even if through a donkey.

From God Called - He Needs Your Decision!


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Disciples give up everything

These texts make it clear that to be a disciple one must:

·                 Obey everything that Jesus taught

·                 Hate his relatives (by comparison to his love for Christ)

·                 Carry Christ’s Cross

·                 Give up everything

That certainly leaves me out. What about you? On the other hand, I’m not certain that Jesus intended for us to have achieved all of those things before we can be disciples. I do believe he intends for to make a clear decision that we want to do these things, and that we will be available to do these things when called.

If we review the lives of both Old and New Testament saints, they did not give up everything every day or every week. Rather, they were available to give up whatever was necessary to respond to God’s call. They were learning how to do those four things.

Jesus spent three years training the Twelve virtually full time how to be disciples. One could argue that even our seminaries spend more time on theology and counseling than they do on developing disciples. In order to “create disciples” so that there will be enough workers to gather the abundant harvest, the church may need to become much more proactive about specifically doing the necessary work to equip willing followers to be disciples.  

 To be a disciple seems almost impossible, not to mention difficult. But we are promised blessings and that our yolk will be light. I pray that if you choose to read and act based on this short book, that your blessings will be inspirational and transformational for you and those you touch.

"Most of us (Christians) are not Disciples" - Chuck Swindoll of Insight for Living

 

Chuch Swindoll http://Insight.org

Do most in the church of Jesus Christ even know what it is to be a disciple?

I have been a huge fan of Insight for Living and Chuck Swindoll for as long as I can remember.  On May 8 and 9 the sermon turned to the issue of discipleship.  Since that is very near and dear to my heart, I made a special effort to tune in by computer and listen.  You can, too, at http://www.insight.org/ 

Here are some of the points which line up very nicely with the key themes of my recently released book, God Called - He Needs Your Decision! 

He first noted that a new Christian should not be thrust into leadership roles or even service too quickly.  He makes a comparison to a new baby and says that the baby Christian needs time to heal, learn, and spend time with Jesus prior to starting to serve. 

He also points out that the word discipleship is overused and under appreciated. I think he means that most who use the word use it incorrectly to refer to a process of seeking converts and trying to bring them to a point of accepting Jesus.  This is not discipleship.  Rather discipleship has two sides. 

First there is the process of being discipled or trained up in the ways of Jesus. Swindoll recommends that you ask two or three spiritually mature individuals to help you work out your faith. The goal is to reach a point where you have picked up your cross and followed Jesus, which includes giving up your possessions and your very life. 

At some point in this process you will be in a position to disciple others. You don’t have to be perfect to do so, but you have to be clear-eyed about you interests being God centered rather than earth centered.  One way you might know is if those around you clearly see that you’ve been “with Jesus.”

Swindoll told a variation on the story of the pearl of great price. He said that when the man asked the owner of the pearl what the price was, the trader said the price was not set. The man said he would pay whatever the price was. The trader said the cost would be everything. The trader showed him that this included his money, house, car, wife, kids . . . everything. The trader then said he would loan these things back to the man, but that he would have title, and could ask for them at any time. 

If you’d like to hear the entire message, please check it out at http://www.insight.org/

On Becoming a Gardener in God's Garden

 

Night blooming jasmine

In my opinion, I have no gardening skills. As is common, God may have other ideas!

The joke in my house for many decades has been that I have a black thumb. Put me in charge of any plant and I can kill it for sure. Here in California we have a weed called the bougainvillea that is really beautiful, but still a weed. The legend about the bougainvillea is that once you have the plant in your yard it takes over. Not so for this great gardener. I have managed to kill even these.

I also really despise any type of yard work or gardening. I don't particularly like any type of physical labor, have no interest in digging around in the ground, and am not great at following instructions or following up on living things. I like to start projects and then let others keep them running while I go on to the next one.

When we purchased our home 25 years ago, one of the selling features we most liked was the great landscaping put in place by the previous owner. The back yard was particularly beautiful. But given neglect and a few months habitation by a golden retriever, and you have a not so great back yard.

About 18 months ago, at a time when I was getting back on my horse after some difficult years, I decided to try and fix two plants that were in huge trouble. One was a night blooming jasmine that had built a glorious crown of white flowers on top of our patio for a few years. Unfortunately the stems winding up the patio support were such a mess that something had to be done.

Then there was a white bougainvillea that I had hoped would blend in with a red one, but which was growing completely out of control. I bought some gloves (bougainvillea have nasty thorns) and id a bit of reading online. I called my sister-in-law with the green thumb for advice.  

The Jasmine growing back

I was told that I need to remove all the incredible beauty of the jasmine that was on top of the patio cover, and cut the plant right down to a few inches from the bottom. Even though the plant was giving a beautiful display on the outside, the core was not beautiful at all. Therefore, it needed to be pruned. Then we could start over. The jasmine survived the pruning, and is now about 2 - 3 foot high, and beginning its ascent up the patio support again.

In my personal life, I feel as though I had created a lot of very nice blooms, but that maybe there was some ugliness that needed to be pruned out. God has allowed me to spend the last 7+ years being pruned and rebuilding. This time I will be keeping a careful eye on those foundations to make sure they are not allowed to take away from the potential blossoms that God has in store.

Then there was the bougainvillea. In this case I bought some garden ties and I loosely guided the larger stems in ways that would create the best result. I watched the plant daily, changing those ties as needed to allow it room to express itself, while giving gentle guidance to other branches. Over the course of a year, the plant became very full and well shaped, but the blooms had stopped. Bougainvillea have several seasons per year, but even when completely out of season still have flowers if there is enough sun. I couldn't imagine why there wasn't the reward I was hoping for.

That very morning

In this process that God had allowed me to move through, I was feeling closer to Him than ever before, and my spiritual life was showing a lot of fruit. But there were still some really important relationships that had not been restored. Even after over a year of redirecting my paths and learning how to be disciplined in places where sin had resulted in out of control patterns, I was not seeing the hoped for flowering.

Then finally, a wise counselor was able to speak truth into my heart in an area that I would have never dreamed was an issue. This wise counselor explained that this issue was for me the most important aspect of my being that was getting in my way of the greatest potential joy.

I repented of my sin, and went to those who had been hurt most by it. As part of the conversation, we began to speak in metaphors. In trying to get results in others that I believed was in their best interest, I was too frustrated to allow it to happen in their or God's timing. This is the very reason why I had always failed as a gardener. But now, I had proven that I could tenderly nurture these two plants without insisting on my outcome. The outcome was up to the plants and God, not me.

The very next day, I looked out at my bougainvillea. The flowering had begun. It was as if God had given me a huge high five for finally getting the point. Meanwhile my Bible reading that morning had been the book of James. In James 5 verse 7, it says  Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

While the context is related to the Lord's return, the lesson was still the same. Being patient with those in my life who are closest to me, and allowing them full freedom to bloom in their own way and time is a challenge for me. I have asked the Holy Spirit for wisdom and His direction in helping me to be an amazing gardener in His garden.

 

Almost Nothing About Book Marketing Is the Same as it was 20 Years Ago

I launch a book and learn new stuff

Last week I was excited to launch my 8th book over the course of 35 or so years. My long tenure has put me in the position of having now done almost everything possible in the book biz, except for a text book. I tried pretty hard to get When Friday Isn't Payday and the updated version Running a 21st Century Business into the classroom, but the hill was steep (like a cliff), and the reward wasn't worth it at the time.

But I have:

• Sold books through a local small publisher into a niche market - bicycle retail stores
• Sold a major book to a major publisher for wide distribution - business books noted above through Warner Business Books
• Used a New York Literary Agent to sell a book. Same books
• Used a smallish national publisher in the Christian market - A Generation Betrayed - Its Time to End the Sexual Revolution
• Self published a niche book for $50 each
• And now, I am self publishing a Christian market theology book on Kindle, Amazon print, and audio.

Did I miss anything?

If you are a Christian who wants to take your faith to the next level, please check out my new book: God Called - He Needs Your Decision!

So how does all of this tie into our business blog? Book selling is another business. And the marketing of books is very instructive for other types of business. After creating the product, which requires the better part of a year, and an investment in the mid four figures, you now need to let folks know you have a product they might want to buy. As with any product or service today that might be free (blogs, videos, website, FB, Twitter, radio interviews, TV, etc) or have a cost (print advertising, booth space, online ads, and sometimes the use of a publicist.)

Covers (packaging) were always a critical issue, but in a book store the customer might only see the spine. Spine art and color is even a science. Now, the book cover is critical and must be very bold in a thumbnail size so that the title and mood are clear and readable.

Like any business in today's market, but even more so, the potential for sales is driven by reviews. Getting folks to read it and review favorably prior to and during launch can make or break a book. Yes, you can have another round of promotions, months or even years into a book, assuming it doesn't have an expiration date (due to timeliness issues), but the initial launch is where you have the best chance to build excitement. I have participated in numerous grand openings, and I always suggest spending as much as possible to get that early visibility.

What about success rate? Generally, I would speculate that it is about the same as Amway. Most authors have no stomach for marketing or speaking, and the real money is made selling the book after giving a talk (which often includes an honorarium to boot). Most authors become very discouraged after the first book doesn't do well, and don't create that string of books in the same market that establish the author's brand and build audience.

I am somewhat of a freak in the business. I don't write for money. I do know how to market. I have written in 4 distinct genre's, and I have had 80% success in terms of either making money or helping folks with the message. I'm not sure I would recommend my approach, other than to go into the book business with no expectations of making money on the books...ever. Then recognize that the only hope of doing so is luck or very hard work. OH! Once again, it sounds just like any other small business.

4 New Christian Books Announced w/ Introductory Prices at 99¢ on Kindle

PRESS RELEASE
May 1, 2014

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Lorilyn Roberts
352338-6012
Author Lorilyn Roberts


The John 3:16 Marketing Network connects Christian authors with readers.
Four Christian books to add to your vacation reading bucket list.


GAINESVILLE, May 1, 2014 - The John 3:16 Marketing Network launches four new books in May by Christian authors Randy Kirk, Laura Davis, Emma Right, and Lorilyn Roberts.

May book launch books

God Called - He Needs Your Decision! by Randy Kirk challenges Christians to go beyond being lukewarm, "lazy" disciples and answer God's call with renewed passion. Christian thriller Dead Dreams, written for teens by award-winning author Emma Right, embraces Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death." He Who Has an Ear: Who the Seven Churches of Revelation are Today by award-winning Laura J. Davis explores the 21st century church and God's message to the church in the latter days. Am I Okay, God? Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension by best-selling author Lorilyn Roberts addresses many hot topics teens face including bullying, self-esteem, salvation, and the end times, and exhorts young adults not to waste their salvation.

"The John 3:16 Marketing Network aims to reach readers with fresh, undiscovered talent from new and upcoming Christian authors," says Lorilyn Roberts, its founder. "With members from all over the world, we model the role of Jesus' disciples, sharing the Gospel through the written word to the uttermost reaches of the earth."

To learn more about these books, the authors, or the John 3:16 Marketing Network, please visit Christian Books.

Launching a New Book - God Called - He Needs Your Decision!

Do you have even a few hours available to help make a difference for the kingdom? 

As we launch this new book, I wonder if you'd pray about helping get God Called into the hands of many more Christians.  

Do you have even a few hours available to help make a difference for the kingdom?  I wouldn't ask for your help if this was a money making venture.  I make a fine living as a marketing consultant, and have no concern about whether this book loses money (current status) or eventually provides some help in sending my youngest son to college.

Rather, this book, like all the other books I've written, was created to help folks prosper.  Most of my other books are about running small businesses.  This one is about another kind of prosperity - Kingdom riches.  The Bible clearly says that if you do the things laid out in this book, you will be blessed on earth and later in heaven.  Early readers are already talking about their blessings:


If a baby were born and failed to thrive, the family would rightly consider it a great tragedy. When a Christian is born and fails to thrive, however, many people don’t notice. God Called—He Needs Your Decision! by Randy Kirk is an invitation to Christians to thrive. It is a spiritual counterattack to the widespread misconception that “being” a Christian is a passive state. Randy invites Christians to “do” Christianity.

Katherine Harms, Editor


“I started attending church again after reading God Called  JS

“I read the first few chapters of God Called but couldn’t go on.  Too convicting” TB

“After reading half of God Called, I started making big changes.” CC

Even as a Pastor sometimes we can lose focus on what it really is to be a
true disciple of Christ.

I would recommend it to any Pastor or leader of a church
Great Stuff!

Robert Hill - Administrative Pastor
Core Church Los Angeles


When asked to read a copy of God Called I readily agreed, but was duly surprised at the impact the contents had on my own thinking and life. Being in an active ministry with my husband, I know what sacrifice and hard work means, and thought I knew what giving all to Christ meant. Yet I was convicted by the words that proved to me: to be a true disciple of Christ, one must be perfectly willing to do God’s will, to accept humbleness as part of their life and to choose to live this way with no strings attached. God’s will is my will.

I sincerely encourage all Christians to read and act on Kirk’s book, God Called—He Needs Your Decision! Well, done, Mr. Kirk. You’ve given readers a powerful book.

Carole Brown author The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman

God did not call a specific group of people to discipleship - the young, the mature, the outgoing.  He called all of us to become disciples, disciplined ones, ready to listen and follow where He leads. My first reaction when I hear this  message is to duck my head in condemnation, knowing I am not living up to this commandment. However, in his new book, God Called—He Needs Your Decision!, author Randy Kirk immediately moves toward the positive possibilities that can lead to major advances in our lives and purpose.

Just reading the first few pages, God spoke a quick word to me, setting me free from years of bondage to what people will think of me if I follow Jesus full out. Using Randy's simple steps of faith, this is a must-read for your next step in growing in grace.

Cheryl Colwell   author  The Secrets of Montebellis and The Proof

The Psalmist tells us that deep calls unto deep . . . Take the plunge into
the River of Life with Randy Kirk's newest book, God Called—He Needs Your Decision! and drink deep from the well that never runs dry.  Find keys to intimacy with Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit hidden in plain sight.  Come away refreshed and longing for more of Him.

Michael J. Webb, Bestselling Author of The Master's Quilt



Are you hungering for a closer walk with God? Do you realize that you need something more than what you have in your spiritual life? Then God Called by Randy Kirk is the book for you to read.

From the first chapter this book caught my attention. Filled with nuggets of wisdom and the instructions and encouragement to step out in faith for a fuller walk with God, this book carefully points out what it takes to go a little further in your daily life: to become a true disciple of Christ. Easy? Not at all. But for a very real sense of satisfaction in knowing you’re doing what you’re suppose to do at the right time in your life, becoming a disciple of Christ will give you a peace and fulfillment from a choice and decision that you must make. Excuses abound plentifully, no matter what age you are, to prevent one from praying the prayer of discipleship, and yet it all depends on your desire and willingness: are you willing to become humble and forsake all to follow Christ?

Kirk’s scriptures drive home his points and his knowledge in the topic is outstanding. His examples and quotes and expounding pinpoints the problems individuals have, the cost many will have, and the solutions to a life of happiness.

I heartily recommend this book for all serious Christians!

Katherine Harms

What can you do to help?!?

1.  Buy a copy.  Spend around $2 for the Kindle edition. This will help Amazon rankings and thereby increase the book's visibility.  Of course, I hope you'll read it and get an amazing blessing, too!  (the book will also be available in print by mid May and audio by early June.  They will cost a bit more).

2.  Tell every Christian you know.  This book isn't for those who don't believe.  They wouldn't get it.  There are other great books for them.  This is actually a book for mature believers.  Tell them about the book by email, in person, on Facebook, Twitter, or any other way you spread the word.

3.  Recommend that your church bookstore offer God Called.  If members of your church read and act on this book, their blessing will extend to the church.  Sold out disciples can create amazing results in any church.

4.  Here's a really big one - Review the book on Amazon.  That would be a massive help.

5.  If you do those four things and you want to help even more, send me your email, and I am positive we can find a way for you to expand your impact.  Send it to RandyKirk77@gmail.com

Book Review: The Proof by Cheryl Colwell, Historical Adventure

The Proof by Cheryl Colwell

A Fun Adventure backed by Excellent Writing

I belong to a Yahoo Group made up of Christian authors who act cooperatively to help one another become successful in the book business.  One of the really great parts about being in such a group is that I get to read unknown or barely known authors.  Of course, this could be a great blessing or a real drag.  Not all folks who think they can write, should.

After a few months and around ten reads from the group, the overall quality has been better than I would have ever imagined.  You can find several of the reviews here on the blog.

Cheryl Colwell's new book was no exception to this string of outstanding books.  Her novel, The Proof, did just about everything you could ever want a novel to do:  Captivating characters who you came to care about and want to know more about; scene development that was so clear you could almost reach out and touch the walls; adventure (even including swords), that kept the pages turning as fast as possible; plot turns and twists that were surprising, yet believable; historic and geographic settings that were like travelogs and time machines in their clarity; and gentle teachings about both truth and character.  Did I leave anything out that you hope to find in adventure fiction?

Oh!  The writing!  I guess I alluded to that earlier, but in truth that is often the missing ingredient in otherwise delightful Christian writing.  Actually excellent writing is sometimes commonly missing in major best sellers like Killing Jesus.  Cheryl is a seriously good writer.  Bill O'reilly take note if you ever consider changing writing partners.

The book is primarily set in Italy, but the adventures take place over 20 centuries as a religious relic is fought over by good guys and thugs.  The relic is believed to possess supernatural power, not just monetary value, setting up the ongoing tension.

If you like mystery, suspense, adventure, and intrigue in historic settings, you can't possibly go wrong with The Proof.

Are Christians Judgmental? What Is Judgmentalism?

 

Christian Judgmentalism - Can We Know Someone Else's Heart?

Matt 7  ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Have you ever complained that the church is full of people who are very judgmental?  Or have you heard others make this claim?  It would appear that the issue is at least 2000 years old, given Jesus's stern rebuke above.  Has anyone ever called you judgmental?

I have pondered my own potential sin in this area and the potential hypocrisy of my actions and those of my fellow believers.  I realized that I was far from clear on the very meaning of judgmentalism, much less the question of when it may or may not be appropriate to judge others.  I began a deep study of the subject, and as so often happens, a few recent circumstances gave me an "aha" moment.  

I write the following with a bit of trepidation.  My thinking may be very flawed, and my scriptural scholarship might be far from what it should be.  I look forward to getting your input, arguments, recommended readings, and any other additional information that might help me to broaden and deepen my understanding, and the understanding of those who read this blog.


On the other hand I have found that there is no definition of judgmentalism in most dictionaries, and even judgmental is not defined in the way most of us use the term.  Moreover, in reading various articles and comments online, folks have a wide range of opinions regarding what the word means, and when and if it is appropriate to be judgmental. 

Clearly it is sin to judge another.  The question then is what does it mean to judge.  If I see someone abusing a child, is it Okay to judge that action as being wrong?  Depending on the nature of the abuse, should I take some kind of action?  Of course.  There is no place in the Bible that suggests we should look away from sin.  There is no place that says we should not call sin what it is.  In fact, we could be sinning if we fail to take action.

But, when we judge the heart of the person doing the sin, we have crossed the line.  We cannot know the motive, the circumstances, or the background that led to the inappropriate action.  

Here is my starting point.  To avoid the likelihood of being judgmental, I want to make the assumption about everyone that crosses my path is doing the best they can.  If I start with that assumption, then it becomes difficult to judge their heart or motives.  I may overcome my starting assumption by finding out the details of some action which seems to be harmful to the individual or those around them.  My thinking about their wrong heart might come from their own statements about their actions or from some self evident action that gives clarity. 

Lets use smoking as an example.  The culture has certainly decided that smoking is bad.  Moreover many believe that one person's smoking habit may harm others around them through 2nd hand smoke.  Clearly there are health issues for the smoker which may mean the smoker is robbing their closest family and friends by subtracting years from their life. 

For these and other reasons, those who don't smoke, and even some who do, look down on smokers.  They consider the action to be a negative action, but in many cases the attitude of the one doing the judging will see themselves as superior, and the one doing the smoking as foolish, a willful contributor to negative health consequences for others, and a unconcerned polluter of shared air.  It doesn't matter that they have never met the person, they can see into their heart and determine their motives. 

My thought is that to abhor the action is not judgmental.  I might agree that smoking is a bad idea for any one of the reasons stated, or other reasons of my own.  When I see someone smoking I might even think, how sad for them.  Neither of those feelings is judgmental.  I don't have enough information about them to form any judgment about their character or motives regarding smoking. 

Change of scene.  I am now watching a young mother.  She is holding her toddler and smoking, or a dad is smoking in his car with his kids in the car and windows rolled up.  Surely now I can judge the person to be a jerk or fool.  Now I should be able to look down on them.  Under my theory that they are doing the best that they can, I would say we can still see the action as wrong, dangerous, or even negligent, but I have no idea about the state of their heart in the matter. 

Now we will add some more to the story.  I know the man.  He acknowledges that second hand smoke may be dangerous for his kids in the car.  He makes excuses that he is only in the car with them once per week.  Do I now know enough to find him guilty of sin?

Two things.  1.  There but for the grace of God go I.  2.  I can't even know my own heart, how can I know his. 

When God tells us in the Bible in multiple places that we are not to judge others, He appears to have these two ideas in mind.  You are very likely doing one or more things in your life that are equally worthy of being judged, some of which you may know about, and some about which you are not aware.  You may be creating much more harm to yourself or others through your actions, so it is hypocritical for you to be mentally judgmental of the mom or dad.

This idea is easy to understand, and should be enough for us to stop being judgmental.  But the second issue is a bit harder.  Why do you do the sinful things you do?  Why do you fail to do things you know you should do?  In some cases, that failure to act is also sin.  Can you honestly say that you never sin?  Of course not. 

Maybe your sin is gossip.  You know that you sometimes talk about others for no other reason than to be popular, or sometimes you maliciously intend to hurt the persons reputation.  You have tried to stop, but you still fall into the trap.  Have you looked seriously at your motives?  Why do you do it?  Why can't you stop?  I'm betting that you aren't really sure why. 

Maybe your issue is anger, drinking too much, overeating, or sloth.  The potential list is long.  But here is the funny one:  You may believe that someone you know is judgmental and is judging you.  They have given you a rebuke because of some action, or maybe just a loving heads up about some sin in your life.  But you have added motive.  You have judged them to be judgmental, rather than having a pure heart of love, with the hope of helping you change your direction. 

Maybe it was in their tone or in the way they told you about the issue.  Maybe it was really just the way you heard it.  Even if they did a bad job of telling you, you still can't know their motive.  And this becomes the crux of the issue. 

So, now we come full circle.  Are Christians judgmental.  Absolutely.  Christians are not perfect.  Are committed, church attending, Christians more judgmental than those who are not believers or not strong in their faith?  It may appear so in that they have clear cut beliefs that are not subject to change.  On the other hand, secular folks are judgmental about all kinds of things, even the fact that Christians may choose to forgo things like liquor, swearing, drugs, gambling, etc. They judge us to be goody two shoes or worse.

But it does come off as hypocritical if Christians are judging others.  So, we should be careful to avoid doing so, just as we are careful to avoid other sin.  The ironic thing is that if the entire body of Christ were 100% perfect at not judging the hearts and/or motives of others, it would not change the mind of many who are lost or wavering.  Many will continue to judge us to be judgmental, because they will believe that they can see our motives, and that our motives are not pure in their estimation. 

However, this is true regarding all sin.  To the extent that we can have grace for our fellow beings, regardless of their actions, repudiating the action, but judging the person to be doing the best that they can until there is clear and uncontrovertible proof that their heart is impure, we will win some to Christ when they see that part of Jesus in us.

One last thought.  The US system of criminal law is built on this principle.  Motive is critical to reaching a verdict and must be determined beyond any reasonable doubt. 

Have You Had A Clear Call from God?

from http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com

 

Did You Hear Still Small Voice?  Nudge? Angel?  Vision? 

I am writing a book on the subject of "Hearing God's Voice."  Various Christian writers, preachers, and other luminaries have indicated a wide range of opinion about the possibilities of how that might happen and also a very diverse set of personal experiences of how they had personally heard from God. 

Recently, Bill O'Reilly received some notoriety by telling "60 Minutes" that he had been inspired to write "Killing Jesus" and others of his works as a result of being awakened by the Holy Spirit with the idea for the next work.

Some speak of carrying on a conversation with Jesus.  Others say that any communication with the Lord that is even remotely like a voice isn't Biblically sound communication. 

I would appreciate your own personal experience of how this works.  If you have been sold out in a way that most Christian's don't ever experience, you are of special interest to this request.  Was your original decision to answer His call on your life something you could share?  Do you "hear" from God regularly?  Does this communication come in different ways?  Without turning this into a need for something "experiential," would some of these callings be more "supernatural" as opposed to nudges or leadings?

If you have the time and/or inclination to respond, I would like to be able to use your response in the text of my book, cover content, or to publicize the book.  I am reaching out to many other Christians  and would love to have your views represented.