Welcome
to the Blog
Get equipped to reach your friends and family with the hope of the Gospel. Each of our posts are written to inspire and challenge you to grow and step out of your comfort zone in faith.
Every kid is terrified of the high dive, yet because of peer pressure and other reasons they take the jump. Climbing the ladder, they regret their decision, looking for a way out, but they look back and see the line of kids prodding them along. In shear terror they make the leap, and come up out of the water realizing that it wasn’t that bad and kind of fun, but they don’t want to go through that again. Sharing your faith can feel similar, but it doesn’t have to. We’ve all been there. We want to be a witness, we feel the pressure to go for it—we make the jump and reach out, then realize it wasn’t that bad but don’t want to go through that again sealing evangelism's fate of it ever becoming a lifestyle. This is why many believers have a hard time sharing their faith. We put so much pressure on a moment, psyche ourselves up, push through fear of being misunderstood and rejected and we plow through. Sharing the love of God with another was never meant to be shared from pressure and performance, but from rest and the overflow of your life in God. Here are three keys to Pressure Free Evangelism : Quit trying, and start overflowing. Romans 6:5 says that believers have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection. That means we die with Him and are alive in Him. This is more than a theory, but a present reality. It is a work of God’s grace, not to be earned, but what believers receive by faith. The love of God is overwhelming when this beautiful and eternal truth is received, making children of God feel safe and secure to part with anything sinful or destructive. This reality is the birthplace of an overflowing life in Jesus—shame, guilt, sin and accusation have been nailed to the cross, and we are now alive in Him, and confident to share what He has done in us. Thanksgiving, rejoicing and exuberant praise is the only proper response to this revelation of the Gospel. A thankful, rejoicing life is an overflowing and powerful life. The next time you want to share Christ with someone, start with authentic praise from your heart to the Lord—then let it overflow to others by sharing what God has done for you! 2. Jesus is the Savior of the world, not you. Many believers take on the pressure of being the super Christian whose responsibility is to make sure others believe like us, even if it means arguing and becoming a salesman with the Gospel. This belief turns people off and doesn’t reveal Christ to anyone. Instead, share a testimony of what the Lord has done in your life. Love the person in front of you and treat them like Jesus would. 3. The Holy Spirit is the greatest evangelist. The Spirit of God knows exactly what each person needs to show He cares about them and is revealing Himself to them. As we learn how to recognize what God is doing in the moment, we will have a better understanding of how to partner with Him. This is called co-laboring with the Holy Spirit which is where the power happens, and evangelism becomes fun and easy, free from pressure.
This is a blog written by Jack Hayford. You can find the original blog that was published on his website here . The publishing date is unknown. “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." – Genesis 12:3 God is speaking about America today, as well as to it. And we are wise to listen. There’s reason for hope, and cause to chart a course of faith-filled action. Over the years, my faith has been stirred and my convictions steeled: America shall be saved! Those words have repeatedly come to my ears-and heart-not only in my personal times of prayer, but as one anointed prophet after another has risen to declare them. Without consulting each other, many noted and trusted preachers have sounded this basic message: If the living Church will rise to be the Church God intends, America can be turned around. Though seriously imperiled, the future of America is salvageable. The Bible reveals that Abraham’s seed can turn the day for nations. Thus, praying believers, led by pastors impassioned by living faith, are the key to this or any nation’s rescue. This isn’t mere nationalistic small talk or patriotic excitement; it’s a prophetic assignment. Our influence by means of prayer holds the potential to determine our nation’s destiny. So what can we do? We can trust the promises in the eternal Scriptures. There are clear steps to walk in: Believe the promise The first step is to be caught in the grip of God’s 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 promise: “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.” Beyond merely quoting this verse in some superstitious or sentimental manner, join with other believers in prayer and make it a point of corporate covenanting. This is an agreement with the Almighty, we’ll do our part in prayer, convinced You’ll do Your part in redemptive grace. Bless your enemies Facing certain distressing aspects of America’s behavior has caused some Christians to become “fueled by fury.” While pulpit-thumpers are inciting many believers to anger, Jesus is calling us to be an answer to our nation, not to be angry with it. “But I say to you, love your enemies…and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” – Matthew 5:44. Let’s make one fact clear: We can never pray effectively for either an individual or a nation that we don’t love, and we can never pray successfully for a society if we are filled with anger toward it. Value life Proverbs 31:8 says: “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die.” Addressing the issues of abortion and euthanasia is not a digression from spiritual concerns. We’re at a crisis point in our national experience about whether future generations will value life, at its inception and at its conclusion. But here again, any self-righteous moralizing will only distance us from our society. Instead, may our hearts be broken by the realization that the underlying cause of this sinful devaluation of life is the emptiness of a society that has lost hope for tomorrow. Live in purity The early Church showed that the way to assert moral superiority in a corrupt culture is by example, not by taking the role of an adversary. Let’s not shoot at society but shine in it. “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blames and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” – Philippians 2:14-15. Serve the needy To be in a position to “save” America, the living Church must capture the moment amid social need and crisis in our communities. Winning the trust of those we want to reach with Christ’s life begins with showing them His love, which can only be done through serving. Jesus said good works create a platform for the gospel: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven” – Matthew 5:16. Preserve liberty I lament the preoccupation some American Christians have with changing our nation through a political agenda alone. Without first laying a foundation in prayer, love and good works, their otherwise worthy goals often have a clanging sound to them. However the preservation of America’s liberty does necessitate taking certain action. Our participation in the political privileges of our free society is actually the responsible exercise of our role as disciples of Jesus. Demonstrate, declare, and dispense the Gospel Finally, let’s evangelize! The only way a nation can be saved is if souls are saved. To leave this until last is not to diminish its importance, but to accentuate it. It’s also to make clear that our gospel will be more readily received and believed if we’ve done the other things first. I’m persuaded we’re at a glorious crossroads of possibility. Let’s band together around the promise of a sovereign visitation of Heaven on Earth!
“Every area of our life not glistening with hope means we are believing a lie and that area is a stronghold of the devil in our life.” When I first heard this Francis Frangipane quote, I became discouraged. I realized I had good Biblical doctrine but bad life beliefs. My life was changed when I realized every belief or conclusion not having hope was under the influence of a lie. Hope is the belief that the future will be better than the present and we have the power to help make it so. Hope is an overall, optimistic attitude about the future based on the goodness and promises of God. I believe that after love, hope is the most powerful leadership and influential quality there is. Our hope level determines our influence level, and he who has the most hope has the most influence. Truly, it is very difficult to influence that which you do not have hope for. In Ezekiel 37, when God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”, he was basically asking, “Ezekiel, what do you think about this? What you think will determine what I can do. Do you believe these bones have a good future?” After Ezekiel responded with, “Oh Lord God, you know,” God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and tell them they were going to live. He didn’t say, “Ezekiel, watch me prophesy and change this by myself.” No, the Lord has to partner with someone who has hope to accomplish His will. (By the way, these bones came to life and became a great army.) God is not afraid to show us how dry things are, as long as we do not get our beliefs out of their dryness. We live in a time where we see dry bones - dry morality bones, dry unity bones, dry leadership bones, dry family bones, dry freedom bones, dry church bones, and more. Yes, we are to do everything God has called us to do to help bones from getting dry, but, ultimately, it does not matter how dry they get. What matters is whether we have renewed our minds enough to believe the bones can live. We all have at least one area in our lives (a very dry area) that is screaming at us, “This really is hopeless! Things will never change! It is only going to get worse!” You are hearing this and so am I. Recently, I was battling for hope in an area of my life and could not seem to get over the heaviness I was feeling. So, I went to my wife, Wendy, for help. She asked me a powerful question, “Steve, what do you need to believe to have hope in this area of your life?” Bingo! That is the question. It led me to focus on the promises of God, my biblical identity, and to believe my past prayers were working (even if I did not see them working). As I did, my hope increased. I want you to consider an area right now where you lack hope. As you ask God the question, “What do I need to believe to have hope for this?" I believe He is going to speak powerful truths to you which will demolish lies creating anxiety, hopelessness, the victim mindset, and discouragement. As I close, let me say this: Believing what God is saying will always lead to hope. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13). Increasing hope is the evidence I am renewing my mind with truth, while decreasing hope is the evidence I am renewing my mind with lies. Our hope level is the indicator of whether we are believing lies or truth. I believe that right now as you are reading this, God is revealing truth to you that will bring personal breakthrough and increased influence. You are a modern day Ezekiel who has hope for the world, and you will see dry bones in your life and in your nation come alive in astounding ways. – Steve Backlund
The last two years have made the future feel unpredictable for a lot of Americans, causing many to lose heart, while strengthening the resolve of others. There is no doubt that we are facing some really serious issues as a nation that are impacting all of us at a local level like never before. We are living in the aftershock of the pandemic and political unrest, media distortion and confusion about what’s true. We are facing inflation and higher gas prices, divisive cultural issues, moral insanity—and the list goes on. Studies show that hope has been shaken for millions. "Heading into 2022, Americans are experiencing high levels of worry and much more temperate levels of hope. Eighty-four percent of Americans say they are either extremely (55%) or very worried (29%), compared to the 42% of Americans who describe themselves as extremely (18%) or very hopeful (24%)" (Clary, Benjamin. Mood of the Nation: “Majority of Americans are “Extremely Worried” about the Country in 2022,” apmresearchlab.org, January 12, 2022). Everyone has had hopeless moments—more have lost hope than not, not because God failed, but because our source of hope has been amiss. “When your intake of the news is more than the Word of God then your discouragement is self-inflicted.” - Bill Johnson The American people want hope, truth, compassion, stability and leadership. How do leaders, parents and families navigate these choppy waters? Historically, the people of God are no strangers to strenuous times, and the Lord has always been faithful to lead them through if they will yield. Our history in God is rich and full of encouragement for times like this: He spared Joseph in the face of injustice, causing him to thrive in terrible circumstances and ultimately using the evil done to him to spare Israel from famine. He led the children of Israel out of slavery, split the Red Sea and dealt with their enemy in one swift blow. He delivered Israel from the oppression of the Philistines over and over again, dealing with their giant with a 15-year-old shepherd boy. He provided His one and only Son to deliver them from an oppression more significant than anything political or national, but internal—from sin, bondage and oppression giving lasting freedom. He empowered His followers with the same Holy Spirit that was on Him, to be bold before the same men who crucified Jesus. Then they ended up turning the world upside down with the Gospel. As followers of Christ our reason to hope isn’t based on current events but an internal knowing that His Kingdom reigns above it all. Jesus Christ is the hope of America. Here are 3 keys to moving forward with confident hope no matter what you are facing today: Set your hope in the Lord God is not shaken by the unpredictable, and if we anchor our beliefs in Him we too will not be shaken. Romans 15:13 (NKJV) says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in BELIEVING, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” A life of abounding hope is the result of believing no matter what is going on. Activation: Spend a few minutes in silence with God and ask Him this question, “God, have I had my hope set on any wrong sources?” Take a minute to repent and confess Him as your source of life and hope, receive mercy and allow Him to renew your heart and mind. Declaration: Declarations are like a battering ram against the lies of the devil. When God uncovers thought that needs renewed, find a declaration in God’s Word and shift the atmosphere in your head with it. 2. Strengthening yourself in the Lord leads to explosive hope David revealed a key that is imperative in tough times. If we strengthen ourselves in the Lord before attempting to move forward, we will move with explosive hope that leads to action. If there has ever been a time where we need men and women of action it’s now, but if it’s going to be profitable it needs to come from the heavenly realm of strength, not offense and fear. We have seen strength demonstrated in the moms of America who have been showing up at school board meetings standing against the onslaught of hell that is coming against our children. We see this in legislators fighting to end abortion. We see it in the everyday believer who dares to be a witness for Jesus when it’s not popular. Activation: Take a minute to acknowledge the Lord as the strength of your life. Where you feel weak, invite Him to be strength for you. Declaration: Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” 3. Moving with God releases hope Hope is released from people who make agreements with the Spirit of truth. So how do we find what’s true amongst the confusion? The story of Joshua is a great place to start: “Joshua was on his way to Jericho when the angel of the Lord appeared to him. Joshua asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’” (In other words he was asking, “Which side are you on?”). “He replied, ‘Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’” (Joshua 5:13–14, NIV). The Angel of the Lord wasn’t looking for a side because he came to lead the way and Joshua wisely yielded. If we want to move with bold faith and release hope, then we need to take the same approach as Joshua who said, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” (Joshua 5:15, NIV). As an ambassador of Christ, I am not entitled to my own version of truth, but need to speak what the Lord is saying. Truth is not relative and subjected to popular opinion in culture—it is absolute. The Gospel never changes for culture, culture changes for the Gospel. The battle we are facing is not light vs darkness, or good vs evil as much as it is truth vs lies. Jesus’ last command He gave His disciples was to go and preach the Gospel to all creation! The proclamation of the Gospel is what will break the deception and lies of the devil, releasing hope in Jesus. It’s time to stand and speak the truth. It’s time to proclaim the good news—there is only one hope for America, His name is Jesus! We are primed for the next great awakening that will usher in a mighty wave of God and lost souls into the Kingdom of God! Now is the time! Who will say yes? Activation: Sit with God's Word for what he is saying today. Declaration: Tell the Lord, “Yes God, I’ll go anywhere for you!”
Subscribe to Stay in Touch
Contact Us
Thank you for subscribing!
We will keep you updated.
