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“But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (1 Corinthians 16:8-9)

In our minds, open doors and opposition do not belong together. Have you ever heard that phrase, “God is opening a door?” We often take it to mean that God is putting an opportunity in front of us, lining up all the circumstances just right. All we have to do is open the door and walk through it. Whatever’s on the other side – a conversation about Jesus, a new job, an exciting project – will work out perfectly. Nothing will stand in our way.

I’m standing in front of a door of my own. My team is getting ready to launch a strategy that aims to begin a nation-wide movement of one million Christians committed to surrendering their lives and to reach their world for Jesus (see TheLife.com). Enormous amounts of time, energy, and money are being poured into this project. Many people are making the commitment while others struggle with the challenge. With the potential to impact the spiritual direction of our nation the stakes are high.

My prayer partner called me up a while back. “I have some bad news,” she said. “I have a strong sense that there is great opposition heading for you.” She continued, “This is the verse that came to my mind.  ‘… a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.’”

In life with God, open doors and opposition often go hand in hand. The apostle Paul could see God opening a “great door for effective work” right in front of him. But he could also see obstacles and enemies up ahead, ready to oppose him. Paul recognized that great opportunities often lead us right into fierce battles. When we venture into work that threatens our greatest enemy, we should not be surprised when he takes notice.

If you prayerfully stepped through an open door and now you’re experiencing opposition, be encouraged. You didn’t misread the situation. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Remember that God never sends us into battle unprotected. He sends us with full-body spiritual armor. (Ephesians 6:10-17) When we put that on, we can walk through any open door – opposition or no.

Prayer:  God, when a door from you opens up, help me to remember that I can be right in the middle of your will for my life and still be facing opposition. Help me to trust you even when circumstances aren’t perfect. Please give me the courage to fight for You, and protect me with your armor. Amen.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

Do you feel pressured to do more for God?  Many of us do.  Deep down we know that our lives should be about serving God – that they should matter in an eternally significant way.  But our days are so full.  Work, school, family, sports, errands, gardening – we look at everything we have going on and even though it seems impossible to fit more in, we feel like we should.  We should be doing more for God.  We should be volunteering at a soup kitchen, or helping out with the Alpha Course at church, or leading a mens’ group.

I need to shift my perspective more than I need to shift my schedule.  “Set your hearts on things above…  Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”  Paul is encouraging the believers in Colossae to see the world in a new way, to look at everything from the vantage point of heaven.  Yes, I could try to cram more into my insanely busy life.  Or, I could take Paul’s advice and shift my perspective.

Imagine what a difference this profound but simple shift could make!  We would begin to see every human encounter from a spiritual viewpoint.  Every stranger we bump into, every business meeting we attend, every customer we serve, every buddy we play hockey with would become an opportunity to express the love of Jesus.  We would begin to live a life that’s not about ourselves, but a life that’s about the people around us.

Take stock of your life.  Maybe you have plenty of time and energy to spare, and God is calling you to do something new for Him.  But maybe your schedule feels packed.  Ask God to help you look at your life with a new perspective – His perspective.  Let Him show you the needs and the opportunities that surround you all the time.  Then experience the incredible joy of joining Him in what He’s already doing.

Prayer:  God, I want my life to count for you.  Help me to set my mind and heart on heavenly things.  Help me to see every minute of my day and every encounter I have from your perspective.  Help me to shift my focus from myself to You and the people around me. Give me the courage and the faith to share Jesus – in word and in deed – with everyone I meet. Amen.

In our culture, many have never heard of having a personal relationship with Jesus. Sometimes it feels fake or forced to start a spiritual conversation. TruthMedia offers several tools that help begin that conversation you’ve always wanted to start. 

Soul Cravings Prequel

Small and simple, this book deals with issues that are common to all people.  It’s welcoming and inviting and makes it easy to start a spiritual conversation. Over 80% of the people who receive this booklet want to engage in a faith discussion because it starts where they are – with what their soul craves.

  Leonard Buhler, president of Power to Change, explains how the Soul Cravings Prequel can help you share your faith.

Purchase Soul Cravings Prequel

As They Pass By

We know the Gospel, so why is it so hard to share the Gospel? When we see a great movie or find an awesome deal we can’t wait to tell our friends. But when it comes to talking about spiritual things we clam up. We tell ourselves that they’re not interested, that they might be offended.

On March 31, a small film crew set out to interview 300 people about faith, fear and whether or not Canada is ready for the Gospel. Over 14,000km and 300 interviews later, they had an answer.

Join the discussion: Try our As They Pass By online interactive study!

Get a copy to share with your small group

Crave: The Documentary

What role do our deepest human cravings for intimacy, destiny, and meaning play in our search for God?

Crave: The Documentary explores how regardless of race, background, or spirituality, we all have one thing in common: the cravings of our soul. Crave features intimate interviews with people young and old. What they have to say about life’s biggest questions may surprise you.

Explore the meaning of this video through our interactive life lesson series on cravings!

Purchase Crave: The Documentary

Sometimes being right is wrong. This is a lesson I’ve learned as a leader. I can come up with an amazing idea, a great system, a brilliant solution to a problem. I can figure out the most efficient, productive way to handle a project. I can see all the flaws in how other people are coming at an issue. I can be absolutely, one hundred percent right. And still completely wrong.

Say you’ve expressed your opinion. You’re convinced it’s the right call. But the people around you aren’t so sure. They see things differently. They’d rather do it their way. You can stick to your guns, and insist that everyone adopt your proposal. You can throw logic and arguments at them until they recognize they’re mistaken.  This is one time when you might be right.  But you’ve alienated everyone around you.  You’re on your own.  You’re right, but you’re also wrong.

>The goal of the good news about Jesus is “to have eternal life”  (John 3:16)
> Jesus said that he came so that we could have “life to the full” (John 10:10)
> Jesus taught that he is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14.6)

Our prayer for you is that you are experiencing this full life promised to us by the power of the Spirit. If you are, encourage someone you know to discover more about the life Jesus offers. People are open to the message of Jesus if they are approached in the right way. To learn more about how to do that take a look at “Crave: The Documentary.” In this video you’ll see a number of examples of how willing people are to discuss spiritual things.

You can find “Crave: The Documentary” at http://powertochange.com/itv/spirituality/crave-the-documentary/. Take a look, and then begin to pray about someone, a friend or co-worker, who needs to hear the great message of what life is really all about.

Serving Jesus together,
Leonard Buhler

Following Christ is a life-changing commitment. Leonard says, “Could it be that we have focused our lives on what God has given us, instead of what He calls us to do?” We know that God calls us to a life of radical transformation. In this final lesson we’ll look closely at a very sobering passage of God’s word, Luke 9:23.

Jesus Christ had taught for the previous three years and had healed many. He’d allowed a select group of men access to him day and night. Following a time of prayer and of sharing with these followers he said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  (Luke 9:23) How would you have responded to this challenge?

Take the next step: Commit to God’s calling on your life

It’s hard to forgive someone when you have the resources to get even. But being able to forgive people who don’t deserve it is a key success factor for any leader.

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For Leonard Buhler, it’s his faith in Jesus that gives him the strength to forgive.

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Take this online study to learn how forgiveness can bring freedom

On a recent trip to Mexico with Leader Impact Group Leonard met with Christian business leaders who wanted to learn how to share their faith.  What he saw encouraged and inspired him.  If you want to learn  to share your faith, we can teach you how.

Related
Discover how faith fits in everyday life – At home and at the office

Related
Take this online study to learn how forgiveness can bring freedom