7 Reasons Why far Too Many Youth Ministries Aren't Thriving Like They Could (and Should) Be

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Let me make something crystal clear before I begin this post...I love youth leaders! I'm a fan, some would even say a "fanatic", for both youth ministry and youth leaders. I've taken on the haters of youth ministry and taken flak for it.

But having said that there are a lot of youth ministries out there that are not making the eternal impact they could (and should) be. And there are reasons why. Here are 7 reasons why many youth ministries aren't thriving:

1. Not soaked in prayer

If we spend more time talking to teenagers about God than talking to God about teenagers we should stop wondering why our teenagers seem spiritually apathetic. Prayer is the primary tool of the youth leader that gets left in the toolbox. Without it we are powerless and pitiful. With it we, like the early disciples, are unstoppable. Intercessory prayer must make it to the top of our lists and into the heart of our schedules (1 Timothy 2:1-8.)

2. Refusal to go deep

Teenagers want to go deeper into the Word than you might imagine. Theology should not be viewed as the dry, dusty stuff of stuffy seminaries. Instead it should be viewed as the stuff of life.

How does the intimacy among the members of the Trinity tie into the life of a teenager? (Answer: Because they are invited into this incomprehensible fellowship! John 14:23) How does the reality of an eternal salvation give teenagers self confidence? (Answer: Because if they aren't afraid to die they don't have to be afraid of anything! Hebrews 2:14,15.) And on and on the list of how the intensely theological can relate to teenagers in immensely practical ways.

3. Avoiding the hard questions

From suicide to drugs to sexting to LGBTQ issues to whatever far too many youth groups avoid the hardest of subjects or just deal with them in a squishy superficial way. But teenagers want to wrestle through how Scripture relates to the issues they are surrounded with everyday. That means we must be willing to kick over the bucket of controversial topics and allow the Spirit of God and the Word of God to mop up (2 Timothy 3:16-4:2.)

4. Not challenging teenagers hard enough

My son gave me a critique of one youth ministry he visited. He said, "Dad, it was lame. All they did was fun and games and some short little lesson that didn't really challenge us." Teenagers want to be challenged. They want to be pushed. The need to be pressed. Like a great coach, the greatest youth leaders call teenagers to something higher. Like Jesus challenged his disciples to go all in (Luke 14:25-35) we must do the same with our teenagers!

5. Focusing on fun and games instead of Jesus

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Youth groups that focus on fun and games or building relationships (or whatever) instead of Jesus are building their youth ministries on sinking sand. Like the foolish man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:24-27) it will come crashing down. But those youth leaders who build their youth ministries (music, lessons, games, mission) on the Rock will stand the test of time.

6. Investing in the crowd, not the core

Jesus ministered to the crowd but invested in the core. He had large group meetings but poured his life into his "studying leadership team" (aka "the disciples.") And those young men (and women by the way! Luke 8:1-3) led the movement after Jesus left and took the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Let's, like Jesus, program for the masses but pour our lives into the teenagers who are ready and willing to be made able to lead the way!

7. Giving up too soon

I've met youth leaders over the years who have started building a Gospel Advancing, disciple multiplying ministry but got discouraged somewhere along the way and gave up. They reverted back to the typical youth ministry because a transformational one was too much time and effort. But as Galatians 6:9 reminds us, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Instead of giving up, get started! If you want to build a youth ministry that makes a big difference check out Gospeladvancing.com and learn the seven values that you need to start embodying and applying. They are straight from the book of Acts.

Join a growing community of youth leaders who are saying "Enough is enough! By God's grace we are going to reach this generation with Christ's message!"

What are some other reasons that some youth ministries aren't thriving like they should be?

Originally posted at dare2share.org

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Apostolic Re-Birth Word and Prayer Conference

Its another time of the Great MANIFESTATION and IMPARTATION of His Spirit... There's already a shifting in the atmosphere.... It's unprecedented.... something new.... we are gathering because He has Spoken..... And the Spirit of God Moved..... and He Said Let there be..... And There was..... and He saw it was Good!!!! Its RE-BIRTH WORD AND PRAYER CONFERENCE..... 100HRS IN HIS PRESENCE.... COME AND INVITE OTHERS.... 08160884109(Whatsapp and SMS only)

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A Terrible Earth to Split USA (Watchout)

California earthquake foretells two larger earthquakes coming soon

 God's Prophet Sadhu, Selveraj Prophesied about an Earthquake which is about to rip the whole USA is coming soon as revealed by the Lord to him. Watch the Video on Youtube Here

It was also revealed to Elizabeth Marie (Read Here)

 Kevin Mirasi also gave his account of the Revelation given to him which also lined up with what the other two said which is detailed below.


 Back in 2012, The LORD showed me that when California, USA will get a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, then it should be known that the mega historic earthquake will be happening shortly therein, thereafter. How short is shortly; only The LORD knows. But in the vision (supernatural dream) of The LORD, it was an extremely close time-frame.
So on 22nd September 2017, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck offshore near California. The news channels reported as follows:

“A shallow magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck beneath the Pacific Ocean off the Northern California coast Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. According to the USGS website, the quake was felt by some people in the greater Eureka area.”

Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes off Northern California coast (Source: Los Angeles Times)

Magnitude 5.7 earthquake hits off northern California (Source: Reuters)

It made me deeply meditate upon that particular vision of The LORD of 2012, especially now that California’s neighbor (which is indeed USA’s neighbor) Mexico is rumbling and shaking in a historic manner, in the last couple of weeks and days.
While posting and sharing across the prophecy of The LORD back then in 2012 (29th May), I titled it as follows:

“A Prophecy (Dream) Where I Was Shown a Series of Earthquakes Imminently Going To Hit California, USA: a 5.7, and then a 7.5 and finally a 9 or 10 on the Richter scale.”

I furthermore stated as follows when posting and sharing the prophecy of the LORD in 2012:

“In this dream, I found myself attending a wedding ceremony here on the earth. As the wedding ceremony continued, news started going around that a huge earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale had just occurred in California, United States of America. At the wedding, we felt a bit of the shaking from the earthquake.

I then promptly started proclaiming to those present in this gathering while under the inspiration of a powerful voice which was very amplified (the voice of the LORD) “Repent!!! Repent!!! This is what the LORD has been sending across the globe to be His ultimate sign/warning of the very imminent coming of Jesus Christ to Rapture His bride!!!”

After a short while later, while still in the wedding ceremony, we felt another earthquake and this time the news reported over the radio (I don’t know which radio this was, but I believe it represents all the communication gadgets like mobile phones etc) stated that another huge earthquake had once again just occurred again in California, USA at a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale. I myself together with those present in the wedding felt the shaking and it was very clear that this second shaking was bigger than the 5.7, which had hit earlier. I then found myself proclaiming to the people present as I once more talked in a very powerful inspired voice, “There is still a bigger earthquake coming to California, USA and this time it will be a 9 or 10 on the Richter scale!!!”’

NOTE: Incidentally, I attended a scheduled wedding on 23rd September 2017, and it is on the same day that I got the news of the 5.7 magnitude earthquake that had hit California, USA. That definitely goes accurately as per the words of The LORD, in that vision of The LORD 5 years ago. In my entire life, I have attended about 5 weddings. I happen not to be a “fan” of attending weddings, per se, somehow. The wedding I attended on 23rd September 2017 was the first wedding I have attended in this year of 2017.
With California’s neighbor (and indeed USA’s neighbor) Mexico in a historic seismic motion and rumbling at the moment, it makes me to meditate deeply and reflect very deeply about California, USA soon being hit by a mega historic earthquake; at the perfect timing of The LORD.
SHALOM!!!
Scripture Reference:
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Mathew 24:3-8)
PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN ABSOLUTE REPENTANCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS, TRUTH AND COMPLETE SURRENDER TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (YESHUA/YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH). TIME IS ABSOLUTELY OVER; THE MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST IS IMMINENTLY COMING TO PICK HIS BRIDE!!!
Your Brother in Christ Jesus, and a Shepherd of The LORD

Author: Kevin Mirasi

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Purification Process Making God’s People Weapons of War

Sometimes we can surprise ourselves by the way we act or the things we say. I’ve been surprised a lot lately by my own attitude problems. Each day, I’ve been fighting through it in my prayer time, pressing through until I know I have the victory, but then the next day I find myself right back in that same place again, so the whole process starts all over again. After a few days of that, it got to the point where it was hurting my confidence before God, making me think I must be way off the mark. How can God accept such a mess?
That’s where I was again earlier today, but again I pressed through it until I entered the secret place where I knew all was well, but this time, the Holy Spirit turned it around, so instead of hurting my faith, I was encouraged because He showed me it was all part of His purification process through which He is making His people into weapons of war, ready to fight in the great battles ahead.
I saw it was like the way metal is purified in a furnace when making a sword. Intense heat is applied to separate all the impurities so only the pure metal remains, as shown in this diagram.

Only the pure metal is used to make the sword. Then it’s polished until it shines brightly, reflecting the light. A finished sword can even appear transparent because it so clearly reflects the light, like the one shown here.
Like the sword, our refining process begins with the fiery furnace. Trials and afflictions force the ugly impurities in our heart to separate and rise to the surface so we can confess them and give them to God, which gives Him our permission to remove them from us, leaving only our pure devotion for Him.
As the impurities come to the surface, we hear our wrong attitudes, which for me sounded something like, “Come on God, you know you’re supposed to do this for me, right? After all I’ve done for you, the least you can do is help me out with this one request, right?”
Of course, I never get answers to those kind of stupid questions. He waits for me to finish and humble myself so we can move on.

Scripture References:
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:3-5)
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Author: James Bailey

James Bailey is an author, business owner, husband and father of two children. His vision is to broadcast the good news of Jesus Christ through blog sites and other media outlets.

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THE MANIFEST PRESENCE OF GOD by Walter Beuttler

 
Chapter 1/ The Importance of the Manifest Presence of God
Several years ago, the Lord asked me to shut myself in with Him. I found a place where I could be totally alone with the Lord, in fasting and prayer.
Sunday afternoon, I realized that I had spent 48 hours in prayer, fasting, and seeking the Lord, with no results. I had neither felt nor received anything, nor was I aware of His presence. I knew the Lord wanted to speak, but He did not do so.
Then I said within my heart, “It takes God a long time to speak.” No sooner had I said this, than the Lord spoke to me in a voice that was as clear as a bell, and as sharp as a razor. This was a voice which was not audible, but a voice that I heard. He said, “To hurry God is to find fault with Him.”
The Lord said I was criticizing Him because I thought He was too slow. I apologized and asked Him to forgive me. As soon as I did this, the Lord walked through the door into the room where I had been waiting upon Him. I did not see or hear Him, but it was so real that sight could not have made it any more real. The Lord walked in, and His presence followed behind Him, which was as a Royal Dignitary walking to His Throne with a long robe following which spread throughout the entire room.
The Lord came and stood to my left, approximately an arm’s length away, and He stayed there for four hours. During this time, He taught me from His Word on the subject of “Knowing God.” I was given a Scripture, which I found and read. Then it would marvelously unfold so I could see its beauty, depth, and purpose.
The next summer, I was in Bangkok, Thailand. As I walked along the street, I saw a lotus bud lying on the side of the road. I picked it up, pulled the petals back and delighted myself at the beautiful arrangement of the lotus within. This was as the Lord did, as He marvelously unfolded His Word in all its beauty and fullness. Our knowing Him is very near to the heart of God. This is a “knowing” that includes the knowledge and personal experience of the “manifest presence of God.”
At six o’clock, the Lord turned, faced the door and said, “And the Lord left him to try him.” With that, His presence collected from all over the room, and followed Him as He left.
These four hours of “personal teaching” from a “personal Christ” on the “true knowledge of God” were beyond anything I could have anticipated. I did not know that later He would send me into more than one hundred countries to share what I had learned during that time.
In sharing the experience that followed this visitation from the Lord, I am very carefully choosing each word. This is the absolute unembroidered truth, recounted as accurately as I know how.
The Lord had said that He “left him to try him.” In school, we teach, and then give a test. I thought that since the Lord had been teaching me, He would test me on what I had learned. I waited, but nothing happened, so I thought I would go to bed. It was only eight o’clock, but I had slept very little since Friday.
Then Satan walked through the door into the room, as if the door had not been there. I was standing by the bed and recognized him at once. He entered precisely as the Lord had entered, and stood where the Lord had stood. Behind him followed a satanic presence, like a regal robe of some sovereign, which spread throughout the entire room exactly as the Lord’s presence had done. I was not aware that I had any fear as Satan spoke. His voice was not audible, yet it was a clear distinct voice that I heard.
He said, “The Lord did not visit you.” I answered out loud, “Yes, He did.” Next, he said, “The Bible is not the Word of God.” I responded, “Yes it is.” Then he said, “The Lord did not teach you,” and I replied, “Yes He did.” Following this exchange, he said, “Why don’t you deny God?” I said, “Why should I?” He responded, “Because God is not a real God,” and I said, “I know He is real.” Then he said, “You are not saved,” and I said, “I know that I am saved.”
After this, he said, “You are praying too much,” and I said, “No, I am not.” Then even stronger, he said, “You will lose your mind because you are praying too much,” and I answered, “I am not praying too much, and I will not lose my mind.”
This went on for some time while I stood by the bed. Then it seemed as if the room began to turn, and I was in the center of a merry‑go‑round that went faster and faster. Then he said, “See, you are loosing your mind.” I said, “No, this is only an illusion – nothing is moving – you are trying to deceive me and make me think the room is moving when it is not.”
This was a very serious matter, as I began to see triangles, circles, squares, trees, rocks, and mountains, as everything moved around in the room. Then he again said, “Are you ready to deny God,” and I said, “No, I will never be ready.”
I firmly held my ground as he attempted to cause me to deny all that the Lord had taught me. Then he turned and went out through the door. As he did, the whole satanic presence collected, and followed him like a regal robe out of the room, and I was again with the Lord.
I noticed that it was now ten o’clock, and thought I would now go to bed. Then Satan walked in the second time and stood where he had been, and again his presence followed him and filled the room. This time, everything seemed to be much stronger. We went through the whole thing again with one difference; there was a tremendous power that came from him. When he spoke, “Are you ready to give up?” It came with an authority that was frightening.
I noticed that I was weakening. I could tell that my answers were no longer as resolute as they had been. He kept hammering away to cause me to give in, and I resisted until I had no more will to resist. Finally, I said within myself, “I can resist no longer,” and threw myself on the bed, seemingly in defeat.
Just as I struck the bed, I felt something stir within me. I knew it was the presence of the Holy Spirit. I now concentrated on this presence that was inside of me. Satan was still there, but I ignored him and concentrated on this presence of the Lord. As I did this, the presence began to slowly expand and sing. It was not me that sang, but the Holy Spirit within me. I clearly heard Him sing the chorus, “Isn’t He wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, isn’t Jesus my Lord wonderful.”
As the Holy Spirit continued to sing, His presence became larger and stronger. I listened, and presumably the devil listened also, but said nothing. I was occupied with what was going on inside of me. Finally, His presence reached my throat and I joined in and sang with Him. Satan still had nothing to say, as I sang out loud while the Holy Spirit sang within me.
Then the Holy Spirit stopped, and I waited. He (the Holy Spirit) spoke and said, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, then the Spirit shall raise an arm in defense against him.” With that, Satan turned and quickly left, and the glory of the Lord filled the entire room. The Holy Spirit came to my defense at the very moment I had become too weak to resist. Now it was midnight. The next day, I returned home.
You may wonder, why did this happen? For four hours, the Lord had been teaching me things about the knowledge of God, and about His personalized manifest presence. The enemy sought to destroy the very thing the Lord had given me. The one thing the devil hates is for us to personally know God. He does not want the Lord’s people to experience the “personal manifest presence of God” in their lives.
I believe the reason the devil tried so hard to defeat me is due to the vital importance of this message concerning our “personally knowing the Lord,” and the “reality of His manifest presence.”
Take Time to read and ponder as you trust God to create the thirst for his presence.
....to be continued... (Watchout this Space)
(CHAPTER 2 - THE ERROR OF UZZAH)
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The Ladder of God’s Election

The plain truth is, that God’s scheme of salvation is like a ladder let down from heaven to earth, to bring together the holy God, and the sinful creature, man.
God is at the top of the ladder and man is at the bottom. The top of the ladder is far above, out of our sight, and we have no eyes to see it. There, at the top of that ladder, are God’s eternal purposes, – His everlasting covenant, His Election, His predestination of a people to be saved by Christ. From the top of that ladder comes down that full and rich provision of mercy for sinners which is revealed to us in the Gospel.

The bottom of that ladder is close to sinful man on earth, and consists of the simple steps of repentance and faith. By them he must begin to climb upwards. In the humble use of them he shall mount higher and higher every year, and get clearer glimpses of good things yet to come.

~ J.C. Ryle

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The Courage to Confess Christ

“Let us all pray daily for faith and courage to confess Christ before all men. Of sin, or worldliness, or unbelief, we may well be ashamed.
We ought never to be ashamed of Him who died for us on the cross. In spite of laughter, mockery, and hard words, let us boldly avow that we serve Christ. Better a thousand times confess Christ now, and be despised by man, than be disowned by Christ before His Father in the day of judgment.”

~ J.C. Ryle

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Expecting the Trials of Life

Trials, we must distinctly understand, are a part of the diet which all true Christians must expect. It is one of the means by which their grace is proved, and by which they find out what there is in themselves.
Winter as well as summer–cold as well as heat–clouds as well as sunshine–are all necessary to bring the fruit of the Spirit to ripeness and maturity. We do not naturally like this. We would rather cross the lake with calm weather and favorable winds, with Christ always by our side, and the sun shining down on our faces. But it may not be. It is not in this way that God’s children are made “partakers of His holiness.” (Heb. 12:10). Abraham, and Jacob, and Moses, and David, and Job were all men of many trials. Let us be content to walk in their footsteps, and to drink of their cup. In our darkest hours we may seem to be left–but we are never really alone.

~ J.C. Ryle

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Christ Suffered, So Shall You

Let it never surprise us, if we have to endure mockery, and ridicule, and false reports, because we belong to Christ. The disciple is not greater than His Master, nor the servant than His Lord.
If lies and insults were heaped upon our Savior, we need not wonder if the same weapons are constantly used against His people. It is one of Satan’s great devices to blacken the characters of godly men, and bring them into contempt.

~ J.C. Ryle

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8 Symptoms of False Doctrine

Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly dangerous.

1. There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error: their “earnestness” makes many think they must be right.

2. There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge: many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides.

3. There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days: many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties.

4. There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anybody can be in the wrong.

5. There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers: they are incessantly using Scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense.

6. There is a morbid craving in the public mind for a more sensuous, ceremonial, sensational, showy worship: men are impatient of inward, invisible heart-work.

7. There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, and a determination to forget that Satan often masquerades himself “as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

8. There is a wide-spread “gullibility” among professing Christians: every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed, and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.

All these things are peculiar symptoms of our times. I defy any observing person to deny them. They tend to make the assaults of false doctrine in our day peculiarly dangerous. They make it more than ever needful to cry aloud, “Do not be carried away!”

~ J.C. Ryle

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Be On Guard Against False Doctrine

Let us be on our guard against false doctrine. Unsound faith will never be the mother of really sound practice, and in these latter days, departures from the faith abound. See then that your loins be girded about with truth, and be very jealous of receiving anything which cannot be proved by the Bible.
Do not think for a moment that false doctrine will meet you face to face, saying, “I am false doctrine, and I want to come into your heart.” Satan does not go to work in that way. He dresses up false doctrine like Jezebel — he paints her face and attires her hair, and tries to make her like truth. Do not think that those who preach error will never preach anything that is true. Error would do little harm if that was the case. No! Error will come before you mingled with much that is sound and scriptural.

~ J.C. Ryle

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The Doctrine of Perseverance

When I speak of the doctrine of perseverance, I mean this. I say that the Bible teaches that true believers, real genuine Christians, shall persevere in their religion to the end of their lives. They shall never perish. They shall never be lost. They shall never be cast away.
Once in Christ, they shall always be in Christ. Once made children of God by adoption and grace, they shall never cease to be His children, and become children of the devil. Once endued with the grace of the Spirit, that grace shall never be taken from them. Once pardoned and forgiven, they shall never be deprived of their pardon. Once joined to Christ by living faith, their union shall never be broken off. Once called by God into the narrow way that leads to life, they shall never be allowed to fall into hell. In a word, every man, woman, and child on earth who receives saving grace, shall sooner or later receive eternal glory. Every soul who is once justified and washed in Christ’s blood, shall at length be found safe at Christ’s right hand in the day of judgment.

~ J.C. Ryle

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Do Not Tolerate False Teaching

If we would hold fast that which is good, we must never tolerate or support any doctrine which is not the pure doctrine of Christ’s Gospel.
There is a hatred which is downright charity – that is the hatred of erroneous doctrine. There is an intolerance which is downright praiseworthy – that is the intolerance of false teaching in the pulpit. Who would ever think of tolerating a little poison given to them day by day? If men come among you who do not preach “all the counsel of God,” who do not preach of Christ, sin, holiness, of ruin, redemption, and regeneration, and do not preach of these things in a Scriptural way, you ought to cease to hear them.

~ J.C. Ryle

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