NEWSLETTERS
DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST
I can remember the day vividly. I was driving down the street taking my child to daycare and the phone rang. It was my husband. He was calling to tell me a close friend of ours died. When I heard the news I sat on the phone in silence. Various thoughts began to race through my mind. What happened? How did she die? But most importantly I thought to myself - was she saved? Did she have a relationship with Christ? Sadly to say, many of us ponder these questions after it is too late. As the day went on my heart grew heavy. Tears began to stream down my face. Not only was I grieving the loss of our friend but I was also grieving over the thought that I may have lost “one” that the Lord had entrusted to me.
We see a vision of an hourglass with time running out. Many of us think we have all the time in the world to tell a friend, a co-worker, a loved one about Christ. The reality is we only have TODAY for tomorrow is not promised. We hear the Lord saying “Do the work of an evangelist.” These are the same instructions that Paul gave Timothy in 2 Timothy 4: 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
What is an Evangelist?
The word "evangelist" comes from the Greek word, euaggelistes, which means a messenger of Good News. The term is only mentioned three times in the New Testament:
If an evangelist is a messenger of good news, perhaps a lot more of us have been called to do this type of ministry than we think. After all, haven’t we all been called to share the Good News?
What are the duties of an Evangelist?
Phillip is the only person specifically named an Evangelist in the New Testament (Acts 8:21). We can see some of the things he did as an evangelist in Acts 8 when he went to preach the word of God in Samaria.
Go ye therefore
In 2 Timothy 4:5, Timothy is told to “do the work of an evangelist.” Although this was not the ministry gift given to him by the Holy Spirit, there was still a need for him to do this type of work. We like Timothy have also been charged to “do the work of an evangelist.” In Matthew 28: 19, Jesus commissions us to "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Even though you may not have the title of Evangelist, God still expects you to reach the lost.
We encounter people everyday that are in need of hope, encouragement, deliverance, and healing. These people are in search of Jesus, yet they may not know it. They need to hear the Good News, yet no one has shared it. Are you willing to give of your time so that the kingdom will not lose one “entrusted to us?”
What a tragedy it is that many Christians go through life keeping their Faith to themselves, never telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ. When was the last time you witnessed to someone who didn’t know Jesus? When was the last time you engaged in conversation with a stranger? When was the last time you explained the Scriptures to someone who didn’t understand them? Pray and ask God to provide you opportunities to do the work of an evangelist. Share the Good News with those in need of hope. The harvest is ripe, the laborers are few. Matthew 9:37 Ask the Lord of the harvest that you would be one of the workers sent out into His harvest field.
Activation Prayer
Father God, I ask you to forgive me for all of the missed opportunities. For all the people you sent my way and I didn’t offer them the Good News of Jesus Christ. And God I ask you to provide me with opportunities to do the work of an evangelist. Help me be a bold witness for Jesus Christ. I pray that I will be unashamed of the Gospel of Christ. I pray that I will be one of your laborers sent out into your harvest field. I pray for your gospel to reach the four corners of this earth. Use me as an ambassador to carry your message of Good News everywhere I go. I pray that your message of Good News will reach every tribe and every tongue. That none would perish and all would come into repentance and be saved. In Jesus name. Amen.
You Bear the Authority to Shift Atmospheres
(includes prophetic activation prayer)
We recently saw a vision of an army of mail carriers. These were no ordinary mail carriers. These men and women were traveling all over the world distributing mail...and they were illuminated. They shined brightly with the Glory of God. You too are a carrier of the Glory of God who has been charged with spreading the Gospel message to others. As a carrier of the Spirit and Glory of God you have the ability and stability to shift atmospheres. This is an expectation of every believer. The light of Jesus Christ within you should shine forth wherever you go penetrating the darkness and establishing the LIGHT of Christ in that place (Matthew 5:16, Luke 11:36).
There is Kingdom material within you and therefore you have the Authority to dispel darkness and shift atmospheres. When you walk into a room do you shift the atmosphere or does the atmosphere shift you? Have you entered an oppressive atmosphere and found yourself soon feeling heavy as well, or did you stand up in your Kingdom Authority and release the light of Jesus Christ to overturn that force of heaviness.
The Bible contains numerous examples of righteous men and women who used their spiritual weaponry to shift atmospheres. Their life examples provide us with a blueprint of how to shift atmospheres wherever we go.
Noah: The Standard Bearer
Noah lived in a time when great wickedness filled the earth. Even in the midst of such perilous times Noah walked righteously and blameless before God. In fact the Bible says that Noah bore the standard of righteousness alone. He was "the only blameless person living on the earth at that time, and he walked in close fellowship with God" (Gen 6:9). Imagine being the only person living holy and righteously in the midst of a world overrunning with wickedness. He was alone in his efforts to uphold the standard of truth and his lifestyle of holiness drew the attention of Heaven. God sealed Noah and his family in the ark while the rest of the earth was cleansed by water. Noah was in alignment with the will of God and his example of righteousness helped to shift the atmosphere of the world from corruption to renewal.
Daniel: Bearing the Shield of Faith
Daniel had the stability to shift atmospheres. A lifestyle of fasting and prayer laid the groundwork for the signs and wonders that flowed in his life. "And in his upper room , with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before God, as was his custom since early days" (Daniel 6:10). King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and requested that someone tell him the dream and its interpretation. The King's wise men were unable to do it and so the King issued a decree that all the wise men be killed, including Daniel. Daniel prayed and sought the Lord concerning the matter. He returned to the King with a word from the Lord. Daniel caused an atmosphere of utter chaos, fear, and death to be driven out as he released the dream as well as its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was successful because he did not attempt to do this by his own knowledge or understanding. He sought the Lord for revelation concerning these matters and in so doing the lives of the wise men were spared and God was glorified.
Hannah: Bearing Down in Prayer
Hannah's pursuit of God demanded that the atmosphere of barrenness and reproach in her life change!! She was radical in her pursuit of God and year after year would not be denied. Disappointment and delay only fueled her pursuit of what God had promised her. For years Hannah was a prisoner to barrenness (1 Samuel 1:8-13). God heard her cry and saw her faithful heart. He responded by opening her womb and releasing her promise. Through faith-filled persistence in prayer and pouring out her heart before the Lord, the cloud of barrenness over her life had to dissipate and the manifestation of God's promises for her life shined forth. Through prevailing prayer, Hannah gave birth to an atmospheric shift.
Paul and Silas: Can you bear to praise Him?
Paul and Silas endured great suffering for the sake of the Gospel. In Acts 16 we find Paul and Silas being unjustly accused. They were beaten and thrown into prison. Despite the brutal treatment, they did not waiver in their Faith. They had fresh wounds from being beaten and yet these men began to sing songs to the Lord and offer up praise. In a place of captivity and hardship they began to praise God. They were shackled and bound but they understood that where the presence of the Lord is there is liberty (2 Cor 3:17). They also understood that God inhabits the praises of His people (Ps 22:3). And so their praise was an open invitation for God, their Deliverer, to come in and move in the midst of their situation. An atmosphere of captivity was transformed into a place of liberty and salvation because of their praise.
Jesus: Bearing the plight of the world?
He is by far the greatest example of one who transforms and shifts atmospheres. Everything about Him shifted atmospheres. Sickness dried up in His presence (Luke 8:44-46, Matthew 8:1-4). Demons begged for mercy, trembled and fled (Luke 8:28-30). Poverty and lack were turned into abundance in His presence (Matthew 14:17-21). He conquered atmospheres of deception, doubt and wickedness and established the precedence in how we are to bear the Light of Christ wherever we go. He came to earth on divine assignment and gave His life that we might be freed from the clutches of darkness.
Our Savior is the Light of the World and likewise He has called us to be lights in the midst of darkness (Matthew 5:14). God has equipped each of us with an arsenal of spiritual weaponry that will help to dispel forces of darkness and establish Jesus Christ as Lord. Bear the standard, bear the shield of faith, bear down in prayer and let your praises ring forth. The Kingdom of God is within you and it needs to come out of you. How else will the world be illuminated with the truth of Jesus Christ? The hour for blending in and hiding your Faith is far spent. Its not about who you are but whose you are that endows you with Kingdom Authority. You bear the Spirit of God and have a Kingdom assignment to show forth the Light of Jesus Christ wherever you go. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Activation Prayer
Father I give you adoration and praise today. I thank you that this is a Kairos moment in my life and that atmospheres in my life are shifting NOW to line up with your perfect will. I decree that a fresh wind of Truth, a fresh wind of Revival, a fresh Wind of Revelation, and a fresh Wind of Favor are being released in my life NOW to drive out every force of darkness. Awaken me to my purpose and destiny. Propel me into the Kingdom work you've called me to do. Lord use me to LIGHT the way for others to come to you. Use me to shift atmospheres wherever I go. I ask you to increase Your LIGHT within me. Help me to shine brightly for you, and in so doing change the world. In Jesus Name. Amen
DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST
I can remember the day vividly. I was driving down the street taking my child to daycare and the phone rang. It was my husband. He was calling to tell me a close friend of ours died. When I heard the news I sat on the phone in silence. Various thoughts began to race through my mind. What happened? How did she die? But most importantly I thought to myself - was she saved? Did she have a relationship with Christ? Sadly to say, many of us ponder these questions after it is too late. As the day went on my heart grew heavy. Tears began to stream down my face. Not only was I grieving the loss of our friend but I was also grieving over the thought that I may have lost “one” that the Lord had entrusted to me.
We see a vision of an hourglass with time running out. Many of us think we have all the time in the world to tell a friend, a co-worker, a loved one about Christ. The reality is we only have TODAY for tomorrow is not promised. We hear the Lord saying “Do the work of an evangelist.” These are the same instructions that Paul gave Timothy in 2 Timothy 4: 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
What is an Evangelist?
The word "evangelist" comes from the Greek word, euaggelistes, which means a messenger of Good News. The term is only mentioned three times in the New Testament:
|
If an evangelist is a messenger of good news, perhaps a lot more of us have been called to do this type of ministry than we think. After all, haven’t we all been called to share the Good News?
What are the duties of an Evangelist?
Phillip is the only person specifically named an Evangelist in the New Testament (Acts 8:21). We can see some of the things he did as an evangelist in Acts 8 when he went to preach the word of God in Samaria.
|
Go ye therefore
In 2 Timothy 4:5, Timothy is told to “do the work of an evangelist.” Although this was not the ministry gift given to him by the Holy Spirit, there was still a need for him to do this type of work. We like Timothy have also been charged to “do the work of an evangelist.” In Matthew 28: 19, Jesus commissions us to "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Even though you may not have the title of Evangelist, God still expects you to reach the lost.
We encounter people everyday that are in need of hope, encouragement, deliverance, and healing. These people are in search of Jesus, yet they may not know it. They need to hear the Good News, yet no one has shared it. Are you willing to give of your time so that the kingdom will not lose one “entrusted to us?”
What a tragedy it is that many Christians go through life keeping their Faith to themselves, never telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ. When was the last time you witnessed to someone who didn’t know Jesus? When was the last time you engaged in conversation with a stranger? When was the last time you explained the Scriptures to someone who didn’t understand them? Pray and ask God to provide you opportunities to do the work of an evangelist. Share the Good News with those in need of hope. The harvest is ripe, the laborers are few. Matthew 9:37 Ask the Lord of the harvest that you would be one of the workers sent out into His harvest field.
Activation Prayer
Father God, I ask you to forgive me for all of the missed opportunities. For all the people you sent my way and I didn’t offer them the Good News of Jesus Christ. And God I ask you to provide me with opportunities to do the work of an evangelist. Help me be a bold witness for Jesus Christ. I pray that I will be unashamed of the Gospel of Christ. I pray that I will be one of your laborers sent out into your harvest field. I pray for your gospel to reach the four corners of this earth. Use me as an ambassador to carry your message of Good News everywhere I go. I pray that your message of Good News will reach every tribe and every tongue. That none would perish and all would come into repentance and be saved. In Jesus name. Amen.
You Bear the Authority to Shift Atmospheres
(includes prophetic activation prayer)
We recently saw a vision of an army of mail carriers. These were no ordinary mail carriers. These men and women were traveling all over the world distributing mail...and they were illuminated. They shined brightly with the Glory of God. You too are a carrier of the Glory of God who has been charged with spreading the Gospel message to others. As a carrier of the Spirit and Glory of God you have the ability and stability to shift atmospheres. This is an expectation of every believer. The light of Jesus Christ within you should shine forth wherever you go penetrating the darkness and establishing the LIGHT of Christ in that place (Matthew 5:16, Luke 11:36).
There is Kingdom material within you and therefore you have the Authority to dispel darkness and shift atmospheres. When you walk into a room do you shift the atmosphere or does the atmosphere shift you? Have you entered an oppressive atmosphere and found yourself soon feeling heavy as well, or did you stand up in your Kingdom Authority and release the light of Jesus Christ to overturn that force of heaviness.
The Bible contains numerous examples of righteous men and women who used their spiritual weaponry to shift atmospheres. Their life examples provide us with a blueprint of how to shift atmospheres wherever we go.
Noah: The Standard Bearer
Noah lived in a time when great wickedness filled the earth. Even in the midst of such perilous times Noah walked righteously and blameless before God. In fact the Bible says that Noah bore the standard of righteousness alone. He was "the only blameless person living on the earth at that time, and he walked in close fellowship with God" (Gen 6:9). Imagine being the only person living holy and righteously in the midst of a world overrunning with wickedness. He was alone in his efforts to uphold the standard of truth and his lifestyle of holiness drew the attention of Heaven. God sealed Noah and his family in the ark while the rest of the earth was cleansed by water. Noah was in alignment with the will of God and his example of righteousness helped to shift the atmosphere of the world from corruption to renewal.
Daniel: Bearing the Shield of Faith
Daniel had the stability to shift atmospheres. A lifestyle of fasting and prayer laid the groundwork for the signs and wonders that flowed in his life. "And in his upper room , with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before God, as was his custom since early days" (Daniel 6:10). King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and requested that someone tell him the dream and its interpretation. The King's wise men were unable to do it and so the King issued a decree that all the wise men be killed, including Daniel. Daniel prayed and sought the Lord concerning the matter. He returned to the King with a word from the Lord. Daniel caused an atmosphere of utter chaos, fear, and death to be driven out as he released the dream as well as its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was successful because he did not attempt to do this by his own knowledge or understanding. He sought the Lord for revelation concerning these matters and in so doing the lives of the wise men were spared and God was glorified.
Hannah: Bearing Down in Prayer
Hannah's pursuit of God demanded that the atmosphere of barrenness and reproach in her life change!! She was radical in her pursuit of God and year after year would not be denied. Disappointment and delay only fueled her pursuit of what God had promised her. For years Hannah was a prisoner to barrenness (1 Samuel 1:8-13). God heard her cry and saw her faithful heart. He responded by opening her womb and releasing her promise. Through faith-filled persistence in prayer and pouring out her heart before the Lord, the cloud of barrenness over her life had to dissipate and the manifestation of God's promises for her life shined forth. Through prevailing prayer, Hannah gave birth to an atmospheric shift.
Paul and Silas: Can you bear to praise Him?
Paul and Silas endured great suffering for the sake of the Gospel. In Acts 16 we find Paul and Silas being unjustly accused. They were beaten and thrown into prison. Despite the brutal treatment, they did not waiver in their Faith. They had fresh wounds from being beaten and yet these men began to sing songs to the Lord and offer up praise. In a place of captivity and hardship they began to praise God. They were shackled and bound but they understood that where the presence of the Lord is there is liberty (2 Cor 3:17). They also understood that God inhabits the praises of His people (Ps 22:3). And so their praise was an open invitation for God, their Deliverer, to come in and move in the midst of their situation. An atmosphere of captivity was transformed into a place of liberty and salvation because of their praise.
Jesus: Bearing the plight of the world?
He is by far the greatest example of one who transforms and shifts atmospheres. Everything about Him shifted atmospheres. Sickness dried up in His presence (Luke 8:44-46, Matthew 8:1-4). Demons begged for mercy, trembled and fled (Luke 8:28-30). Poverty and lack were turned into abundance in His presence (Matthew 14:17-21). He conquered atmospheres of deception, doubt and wickedness and established the precedence in how we are to bear the Light of Christ wherever we go. He came to earth on divine assignment and gave His life that we might be freed from the clutches of darkness.
Our Savior is the Light of the World and likewise He has called us to be lights in the midst of darkness (Matthew 5:14). God has equipped each of us with an arsenal of spiritual weaponry that will help to dispel forces of darkness and establish Jesus Christ as Lord. Bear the standard, bear the shield of faith, bear down in prayer and let your praises ring forth. The Kingdom of God is within you and it needs to come out of you. How else will the world be illuminated with the truth of Jesus Christ? The hour for blending in and hiding your Faith is far spent. Its not about who you are but whose you are that endows you with Kingdom Authority. You bear the Spirit of God and have a Kingdom assignment to show forth the Light of Jesus Christ wherever you go. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Activation Prayer
Father I give you adoration and praise today. I thank you that this is a Kairos moment in my life and that atmospheres in my life are shifting NOW to line up with your perfect will. I decree that a fresh wind of Truth, a fresh wind of Revival, a fresh Wind of Revelation, and a fresh Wind of Favor are being released in my life NOW to drive out every force of darkness. Awaken me to my purpose and destiny. Propel me into the Kingdom work you've called me to do. Lord use me to LIGHT the way for others to come to you. Use me to shift atmospheres wherever I go. I ask you to increase Your LIGHT within me. Help me to shine brightly for you, and in so doing change the world. In Jesus Name. Amen