Distractions - A Dime A Dozen!

Ever notice when you decide to move forward spiritually distractions come out of nowhere! 

For those of us who follow Christ passionately the things that come to throw us off our assignment or intended goal are usually okay "things."  

If they were ungodly or unlawful we wouldn't give them the time of day.

However, the tempter is a devious dude and he packages the distractions in a way that we "buy it" and give way for them to shift our focus. Subtle at first and then as the days, weeks go by the gap widens. 

We can easily see this when making plans to eat healthier and/or exercise. Boom! It's somebodies birthday or our feelings take a hit and we dive for the ice cream.  You know it's real!

I encounter this regularly when it comes to opportunities to develop our skills in evangelism and discipleship. We all know Jesus told us to be busy with it, and yet so many things "come up" and we decide to postpone or put it off until "this or that" is completed first. 

Somehow we buy into the idea that there is plenty of time to get around to learning how to be more effective ministering to others.  However, tomorrow may be too late.  Here's a true story:

🔥  A woman attended the KAM training at the request of her Pastor. She wrote to me and said, "I don't think I can do this as I've never led anyone to Christ." I said, "Do you trust the Lord?" She said, "Yes." I encouraged her to attend the training and see what God has in store for her. 

She was sitting up late, one night, waiting for her teen-age sone to come home, practicing her KAM tools. He came in hoping to quickly go upstairs when she called for him to come and visit with her a bit. He  noticed all the materials surrounding her and asked her about them, to divert the topic from his evening activities. She took that opening and asked if she could share with him what she was learning. 

Absolutely, anything to keep her from digging into his night. As she shared, the KAM Gospel tool, tears began to run down his face. He gave his heart to Jesus that night. The transformation was immediate. What joy for her to have her first salvation be her only son. 

He asked if he could invite his friends over for breakfast so she could share this with them. She was delighted to say yes. Her son then shared that he and his friends had made plans that evening to commit suicide together that weekend. They felt they had no reason to live, the world was so messed up.

The next morning all his friends received Christ. This mom was overjoyed. Imagine, is she had not been preparing herself, that moment would not have transpired and instead of rejoicing she would have been attending his funeral and those of his friends.

All the teens joined her in the KAM ministry in the church and led many to Christ, got them filled with the Holy Spirit, healed and discipled to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

She wrote to me a few years later that she had the joy of watching her son be commission in the military as a chaplain because he wanted to help our service men and women find Christ. 

What if she had delayed getting the training? I would have been too late. YOU don't know what tomorrow holds for those you hold dear.  

🔥 That’s just one of thousands of amazing stories of God using ordinary people doing exploits in His name through the plan of KAM.

KAM is the affectionate name for Kingdom Advancement Ministries. This is the God-given, anointed Evangelism and Discipleship training I've spent over 4 decades equipping believers with in over 20 countries. I've also assisted several hundred churches with an on-going proven, time-tested organized ministry of KAM that doubles and triples their congregation with new souls. Very exciting!

People get excited to be trained...then, guess what? Distractions begin to rear their head. Weeds sprout up in the garden. All of a sudden the excuses come. Busy schedule. Tight budget. Gotta do this and that first and then...

Jesus encountered that too! "I will follow You," they said, "but first let me..."  Luke 9:57-62

Our reasons make sense to us. However, in light of eternity they don't hold a candle. 

     

Prayer Corner: "Dear Heavenly Father,  I realize how easily I have let distractions deter me from preparing myself to be a vessel of honor, fit for Your use.    I pray for people around me. Now it's time to invest in myself. Train myself to be a missionary in the field where You have planted me so I can bring them into Your family or help them grow spiritually.    Thanks, Jesus, for saying it straight up that now is the time to reset my priorities and pull out the weeds trying to crowd out my fruitfulness in Your kingdom.  Amen."