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ENDORSEMENTS

“Mark Alan Williams is one of the best Christian bloggers, especially on sensitive subjects”

-Jason Holland Director of Operations Joshua Nations

“Loving your biblical responses. So much counseling is a chasing after wind, yours offers such a scriptural bridge.”

-Mike Kellogg 

Former host of Music Thru the Night, Moody Radio network and National Religious Broadcasters

Hall of Fame Award winner

“I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated your posts on LinkedIn. Many of them have been quite timely and an answer to prayer. Keep up the good work!!!” 

-Dave Meyers President, ZimZam Global

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Intro

I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. C. T. Studd

To live within the sound of church or chapel bell was not enough for Charles Thomas (C.T.)

Studd, (1860-1931), an English missionary to China, India, and Africa. C. T. Studd was born into privilege and wealth, but God had other plans for his life. His father, Edward, was converted after hearing the famous American evangelist Dwight L. Moody speak. Then subsequently, C. T. and his brothers were also converted.


But, 6 years after C. T.’s conversion, he realized that his commitment to the Lord was

lacking and he decided to give everything up, and seek God’s will. He wisely said, "I

know that cricket would not last, and honour would not last, and nothing in this world

would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come."


This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.


I currently live within the sound of church bells and I grew up within the sound of them as well. I think they are beautiful, but, it wasn’t the sound of church bells that brought me to Jesus Christ. It was the witness of so many authentic Christians, and it was hearing the message of the Gospel and my response to it that saved me. I didn’t need to hear bells, I needed to hear the Gospel and I did at a church service where a pastor explained Christ’s death, resurrection and transforming power to save. And then it took my softened heart to believe and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.


The Gospel message is the sound that we should want to hear, more than the sound of church bells, because it’s the Gospel that transforms and saves lives. And in response to what Jesus Christ has done, I am motivated to live for Him, volunteer at my church, and serve with ministries and organizations; that are passionate about saving souls and discipleship.


How many people are content to live within the sound of church or chapel bell, but never step foot inside of a church to hear the Gospel message. Or, how many are content to live within the sound of church bells and attend, but never take the Gospel to heart or share Jesus Christ with others.


They haven’t counted the cost of discipleship, but C. T. Studd did and he chose a life of hardship and sacrifice, because of His commitment to Jesus Christ.


And when others questioned him about the decisions he was making for the sake of the Gospel, he could only reply with this quote:


If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” –C. T. Studd

Although salvation through Jesus Christ is a free gift from God given to us by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), it was not without cost to Him.


To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, one must realize the cost of His sacrifice and respond with a commitment to follow Him wholeheartedly; without reservation and whatever the cost.


Additionally, we should want more than to live within the sound of church bells, and be actively involved in helping to fulfill Jesus’ “Great Commission”. To do so we have to daily surrender ourselves to Him. As a result, we give up our own way of living and submit to His will and rule in our lives.


  • Romans 12:1 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (NLT)

  • Mark 8:34-37 says, “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (NLT)

Great missionaries like C. T. Studd, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot and so many more were not

content to merely live within the sound of church bells. They gave their lives, and left their

homes and families, to be used by the Lord to spread the Gospel.


We also shouldn’t be content to just live within the sound of church bells. We like them, should be passionate about spreading the Gospel; and endure hardship and danger if necessary, so people would be rescued from going to hell. If we can’t, then we should at least support the work of missionaries prayerfully and financially.


As Christians, we can follow in the steps of these great men of faith, by surrendering our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, seeking His will, and living by faith and trusting in Him.


John 12:24-26 says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25  Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26  Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.” (NLT)


This famous quote from the poem, “Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past” by C.T Studd, is a sober reminder of the brevity of life and that only what’s done for Christ has eternal value.


Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. –C. T. Studd

Have you surrendered your life to Christ?


Please click here if you would like to accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior now and

read more about the next steps that you can take to grow spiritually in your new faith.


Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.


Help Spread the Word!

If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or

otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance.

Thanks for your help!


Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. –C. T. Studd | Click To Tweet

For more FREE Inspirational Quote Cards you can use and share click HERE.

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  • Writer: Mark Alan Williams
    Mark Alan Williams
  • Sep 29, 2019
  • 5 min read

Please consider this carefully!


Recently a friend wrote me an email asking if I had written anything about why we

should want to disciple others. He wrote: “we human, including Christian type, always

ask - out loud or subconsciously –‘what is in it for me???’ or what benefit do I get from

the action or offering you are making? Question for you Mark  -  Have you made a list

the benefits of DOING discipleship;  to both parties.”


He also wrote what prompted his question. He is “trying to get discipleship training going

at the church. So what do you say to motive people to get off the bench and take action?"


This is Jason Resende, of Uberlandia, Brazil. Jason is a wonderful disciple-maker!

I immediately realized what a great question he is asking. So now I’ve thought about it

and would like to answer with:


5 Reasons to be a Disciple-Maker:


Note, I have also written 5 Reasons to be Discipled for those wondering if they need

discipling.


1. The joy of obeying Jesus.


Being a follower of Jesus means obeying Him, right? Hopefully we can all agree

on that. And in fact, if we’re not willing to obey Him, we should question if we are truly


By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His

commandments.” (1 John 2:3 Berean Study Bible)


One of Jesus most fundamental commandments to us is “The Great Commission.

The one imperative in it is to “make disciples.” (Matthew 28:19)


And as we think about and do it, we should also think about the fact that Jesus

never tells us to do something in order to make us miserable. He instructs us to do

His will in order to create in us a sense of joy, fulfillment, purpose, meaning,

direction and so on. We experience the joy of doing His will.


2. The joy of doing what Jesus did.


How did Jesus spend His ministry time? The vast majority of it was spent in small

discipling groups.


Naturally we’re impressed with the teaching of and then feeding of 5,000. But

doing that was a small amount of Jesus’ time and frankly, it was likely some of

the least impactful. Consider John 6:66; “At this point many of his disciples turned

away and deserted him.” (NLT)


On the other hand, who “turned the world upside down?” (Acts 17:6) It was a

relatively small group of disciples who were most impacted by Jesus, primarily

the twelve disciples.


WWJD is a popular phrase for many. In case you missed it, it’s an acronym for

“What Would Jesus Do?” Many have worn bracelets with WWJD on them, or had

car bumper stickers with WWJD, or coffee mugs.


It’s a popular slogan, but to be more than just a slogan, to do what Jesus would do

is to be a disciple-maker.


3. The joy of helping others grow spiritually.


Recently Carolyn and I visited a church and we saw a couple who we haven’t

seen in perhaps 20 years. We chatted for a few minutes and then as we were

leaving the husband unexpectedly said, “By the way, your ministry really


How did I feel when I heard that? I felt like the Apostle John who wrote, “I could

have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.” (3 John

1:4 NLT)


Our ministry, Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, has a huge vision. But in the end,

the number is big because the number represents individuals! It represents individual lives touched by Jesus, real people saved, walking with Him, and reproducing more disciples.


4. The joy of growing, by helping others grow spiritually.


When we help others grow spiritually, we usually grow more than they do. It’s

funny how that works—maybe it’s because we feel that we have a responsibility

to know more, do more, apply more.


It’s awesome!


And what’s also great about disciple-making is that you don’t have to be a:

  • public speaker

  • a Bible scholar

  • a charismatic personality

  • an up-and-comer

All you have to do is find someone who doesn’t know as much as you do and

begin to help them learn more! Or several people, like Jesus did.


Then, as you begin to share with them, you begin to grow more than ever.


5. The joy of making life count.


Life is short! Who knows, this might be our last decade, our last year, our last

month, our last week, or even our last day. Maybe it is not any of these for you

and me, however there is a near 100% chance that it is our last century. And I’m

old enough now to tell you that even a century goes by quickly!


Someone asked a great question, “What are you investing your one and only life

in that will last for eternity?” Jesus said to do that! He said:


Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and

vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for

yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy,

and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-20 NIV)


Yes, Jesus was talking about money, however an even more important resource is

our time. How are we investing our time? Shouldn’t we be investing our time in

the Big Picture of what God wants us to do: make disciples?


CONCLUSION:

Perhaps you’re willing, but a big question is: “Can I do it?” The answer is, “Of course

you can! Jesus never tells us to do something we cannot do!”


So, drop defenses such as:

  • I don’t know enough about the Bible

  • I’m not smart enough

  • I don’t have answers

  • I haven’t studied the Bible enough

  • I’m not spiritual enough

And don’t say, “I don’t know how.” If you’re saying, “I don’t know how,” you need to

check out a tool we’ve created for you! It’s called “Discipleship Journeys with Jesus

(DJJ), and it’s a free resource that makes it far easier to “make disciples” because it gives

“tracks to run on.” Thousands are being discipled using these studies based on biblical

journeys with Jesus. You can join with them. Just click the link and sign in.


Help Spread the Word!

If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media

or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical

guidance. Thanks for your help!


Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

NOTE: Social media is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won't

miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You'll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth.



Where is the safest place in the world? According to Independent News, the safest place to live in the world is Iceland. Statistically speaking, Iceland may be the safest place to live, but can one live there or anywhere else safely; unless they are in the will of God?


This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.

Although the safest place is in the will of God, I sure haven’t lived this way perfectly. But I did

learn as a new Christian to be careful about taking advice, because, sometimes the counsel that I received was contrary to the Bible.


Many times, when I’ve been uncertain what to do, the Lord has made His will very clear to me through His Word. In that sense it’s been easy to make some decisions, because the Bible was clear, but that doesn’t mean that the decisions themselves were always easy. In fact, the decisions have not always been popular ones. But, in the end God has saved me from a lot of trouble on many occasions, by living according to His will.


Sometimes I have failed to live according to His will and I’ve suffered painful consequences.

However, I am grateful that He has allowed me to learn from the poor decisions I’ve made,

because they are reminders that it’s not worth being outside of His will.


The safest place is in the will of God, but that doesn’t mean we will be immune from suffering. The truth is that sometimes we can be in God’s will and be in grave danger. Just look at the lives of the Apostles or even Jesus Himself. They were all in God’s will, but faced persecution, danger and even death.


However, the safest place is still in the will of God, because we can trust His plans for us due to His flawless character. In other words, His will is best, because He is perfect in wisdom, love, faithfulness, goodness, and He is omnibenevolent which means; “Omni, meaning “all,” and the word benevolent, meaning “good” or “charitable.”


"Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1 NLT)

The will of God is the safest place because, He is with us. Even if everything around us is

crumbling and our lives are in peril, our souls are secure in Christ, and God will remain with us in the midst of all calamities.


Psalm 46:1-3 says, “God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble.   So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the center of the sea, and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake with its action.” (NLV)


The safest place for us to live is in the will of God, yet, some people make decisions based on


How can we know God’s will? It’s not always clear and sometimes we need to spend extended

time in prayer and receive Christian counsel along with the Word, to make the right decisions.


The Bible tells us to offer ourselves to God daily as a living sacrifice. This means that we surrender our lives to Him and trust Him to work in us. As we make it a priority to study His Word, He changes our minds and helps us to learn what He wants us to do.


Romans 12:1-2 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.   Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (NLT)


Here are several Bible verses that reveal God’s will for us. His will for us is:

When we are in the will of God, we can know that we are in the safest place, because we have His blessing and His promises.


"The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” (Psalm 18:2 NLT)

To live outside of the will of God, is to live a disobedient life that is characterized by sin,

deception and temptation; that can ruin and destroy lives.


However, even if we have chosen to live our own way, we can make a course correction and

choose to follow God’s will. We can confess our sins and receive forgiveness. In addition, we

can either receive Christ as our Lord and Savior if we have not already done so, or recommit our lives to Him if necessary.


In addition, we can ask for God’s help and we can trust Him to empower us to do His will.


Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (NLT)


Do you seek the will of God for your life?


Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Please click here if you would like to do so now.


Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.


Help Spread the Word!

If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or

otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance.

Thanks for your help!


"The safest place in all the world is in the will of God." -Warren Wiersbe | Click To Tweet

For more FREE Inspirational Quote Cards you can use and share click HERE.


Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won't miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You'll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth.



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