tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87950669192192769512012-02-29T16:45:13.132-08:00Simply Mobilizing is my blog to assist in promoting the idea of the 'ministry of all believers.' Encouraging all followers of Jesus to participate meaningfully in the world Christian movement and church leaders to equip God's people for works of service!Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-85852369795191754222012-02-24T19:29:00.001-08:002012-02-28T01:08:28.841-08:00

The best book I have read on Apostles was written by Dr. Larry Caldwell entitled ‘Sent Out.’ In his book, Dr. Caldwell, in a scholarly fashion, connects the ministry of Apostles with those who advance the gospel into frontier regions where Christ is not yet named! Missionaries planting churches among unreached peoples have the most legitimate claim to the title Apostle - more than any other

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-88700548815627686482012-02-16T00:58:00.000-08:002012-02-16T01:02:44.078-08:00

Have you ever felt a little embarrassed when asked what your ministry is? You lower your voice and mutter out of the side of your mouth, “mobilizer”! I think this embarrassment is wide spread among mobilizers! Mainly because a scan through a concordance doesn’t pick it up! Is our ministry truly Biblical or are we ‘para-church’ with no real Biblical moorings? Personally, I believe our ministry

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-43321671759107119422012-02-16T00:53:00.000-08:002012-02-16T00:55:31.815-08:00

Here's the link to the previous series of blogs in all one space for you click and read. 1) Christianity as a 'Movement' 2) Jesus, a 'Movement Messiah' 3) Luke's Sequel – The Book of Acts! 4) The Gospels and Acts - a Seamless Connection. 5) The Amazing Growth of the Early Church 6) The Coming of the Holy Spirit 7) Old Testament, Gospels, Book of Acts and Early Church. Where are we

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-66058375731786947282011-09-04T02:29:00.000-07:002011-09-04T02:29:52.948-07:00

Most Christians are connected with a local church or, at the least, most would have experienced their informative days as a Christian, in a local church - believers in the non-western world even more so as they place very high value on community.  The local church and what they learn from their association with the local church contributes significantly, to the formation of their Christian

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-17747340942372688212011-08-28T01:58:00.000-07:002011-08-28T01:58:07.833-07:00

So, why don't all God's people actively, effectively and enthusiastically participate in the world Christian movement?  Is God no longer, as generous, in giving visions, dreams and prophecies to ALL His people? Has He become more selective over the generations? Has Jesus waned in His enthusiasm to disciple ALL nations? Has the Holy Spirit indeed ceased to work miracles as some theologians have

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-66473865280394437472011-08-20T23:35:00.000-07:002011-08-20T23:35:10.686-07:00

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  (Eph 2:10b) How far 'in advance' did God prepare these 'good works' and what exactly are the 'good works' we are supposed to do?  Well, at a bare minimum they were prepared around four thousands years ago, and the 'good works' is our participation in God's world-wide kingdom

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com1Philippines12.879721 121.774016999999965.026671 115.96226699999995 20.732771 127.58576699999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-14420905004387132462011-08-14T19:26:00.000-07:002011-08-14T19:26:00.673-07:00

Recognizing and honoring the contribution of the 'nameless' workers in the world Christian movement is the key to the completion of the Great Commission! This is the true celebration of the 'ministry of all believers', as Christ intended all along!  This pattern was first seen in the Book of Acts, when 'nameless' people planted the most significant church, possibly of all time, the church at

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com2Philippines12.879721 121.774016999999965.026671 115.96226699999995 20.732771 127.58576699999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-32163149396230439932011-08-07T18:19:00.000-07:002011-08-07T18:19:08.238-07:00

Visions, dreams and prophecies feature prominently in the prophecy that launched the Church age (Ac 2:17-18).  What is their significance to the outworking of the gospel going to the ends of the earth? And what is their significance to the 'ministry of all believers' which Joel's prophecy establishes?  Well, the answer is very simple! God wants to work through us  - and how can He possibly do so

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-70864485463435672472011-08-01T04:08:00.001-07:002011-08-01T04:11:14.714-07:00

In his prophecy, Joel was careful to clarify God's full intentions in pouring out His Spirit on "all people".  It would result in the ingathering of a great harvest into Christ's Kingdom involving people and peoples from all over the world, beginning at Jerusalem and ending at the uttermost parts of the earth (Ac 1:8, 2:21).  The harvesters, of this great harvest, would be 'all believers'! Joel

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-59111562060525626192011-07-24T20:38:00.000-07:002011-07-22T20:44:50.930-07:00

The New Testament marked the beginning of the world Christian movement. It also marked the beginning of the age of 'the ministry of all believers'! To miss this connection is to miss the plot entirely!  The Old Testament saw select ministries such as prophets, priests and kings, endowed with the Holy Spirit to carry out divine activities within the nation. Nothing more was needed as the

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-88729813938274716192011-07-10T23:47:00.000-07:002011-07-09T23:57:38.087-07:00

We have been looking at the ‘world Christian movement.’ From my first post I have been attempting to lay a strong Biblical foundation. It is important that we see the world Christian movement as being rooted in Scripture both Old and New Testaments. I have also been wanting us to see that this is the single greatest happening on planet earth since the time of Christ and will be until he returns!

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-69121880949311338262011-07-03T17:39:00.000-07:002011-07-09T23:04:57.491-07:00

When we look for reasons for the amazing growth of the early church, especially as recorded in the Book of Acts, the work of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of the early Church, with the Holy Spirit, stand out as the key factor.  The ‘Age’ of the Holy SpiritThe ascension of Jesus marked the beginning of an era, in the outworking of God's purposes on earth, which would be characterized by the 

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-61102239965023945642011-06-26T04:01:00.000-07:002011-07-04T04:09:30.877-07:00

In the first 300 years, Christianity went from a stable in Bethlehem to the Lateran Palace (the official residence of the Roman Emperor). This Palace was gifted to the Church by Emperor Constantine, who moved his headquarters to Constantinople. The positives of the Church gaining this ‘official recognition’ is debatable, but the fact remains, that as a 'movement’, Christianity was so widespread

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-48652985606849346572011-06-19T23:36:00.000-07:002011-07-09T23:06:19.478-07:00

Just one more post on 'Luke' before we move on to tracking the amazing advance of the world Christian movement - beyond Acts chapter 28!   I really do love this guy - I appreciate so much the fact that Luke wrote the Book of Acts. Luke, it seems, saw something of the wider, global scope of Jesus' ministry and was determined to help us all to understand, precisely, just what that was!    The

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-14643448483392750752011-06-12T20:58:00.000-07:002011-07-09T23:07:41.062-07:00

Luke's Sequel – The Book of Acts!   We are following the theme, 'Christianity as a movement' and looking at the Biblical basis for this!  In continuing to develop this theme, we now turn our attention back to Luke. We ask the question, why did Luke write the Book of Acts?  Why didn't he leave it for Matthew, Mark or John to write? They being Jews were surely more qualified than he, a Gentile, to

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-1621862066932588262011-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:002011-07-09T23:09:43.208-07:00

In my previous blog, I suggested that Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, was very selective with whose ministry he chose to record in his narrative. He focused on 'movement' figures or 'regions beyond' figures!  From where did Luke get this idea?   In Luke's first book – the 'Gospel of Luke,' he said he had "investigated everything carefully from the very first" (Lk 1:3). Luke saw something

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795066919219276951.post-43829742047141656812011-05-30T06:16:00.000-07:002011-07-09T23:10:27.240-07:00

Christianity was always intended by God to be a ‘movement’ - spreading out in ever widening circles from Jerusalem to Judah then into Samaria and continuing throughout the whole earth! Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, understood this!  He recorded the activities of those who were spearheading this advance. He began with Peter, James and John and the other apostles then focused only on the

Max Chismonnoreply@blogger.com3