No Better Way To Put It

Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 NIV

Let’s face it, we are fragile, we seek approval, often we don’t want to make others uncomfortable at the idea of introducing Jesus as our best friend, fearing what people might think of us. Certainly, it is practical to be sensitive about what people think when it keeps in check insensitivity and obnoxiousness.  

But Nevertheless, if we fear what people might think of us, then we may inadvertently drift toward idolatry.

Let me explain some of my thought process this week - We should be motivated by what God thinks about us—and He loves us. But giving greater preference to what others think of us instead of what God thinks of us honors others more than God and therefore is a form of idolatry. 

I’m certain an antidote to this idolatry is to grow deeper into God’s word, His mercy, the very love of God and then discover our identity in that love! And knowing Jesus Christ as our saviour means that He comes into our life and takes over!

It is a totally new outlook that is not satisfied with anything less than Holy Spirit dwelling in the furthest corners of the soul and the understanding that comes from His indwelling.  

Becoming a Christian means no longer living for yourself but for God in obedience to Him. We must (we get to) leave the old life behind and step into a new way of living, where Christ makes possible what we think impossible. 

Remember too my friends that To say you believe in Him and then continue living as though nothing has changed is to deny the power of God in our ransomed lives!

There are lines that need to be drawn. Those lines are between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. There are only two camps. Those who are for the Lord and those who are not. It’s like when Joshua was getting ready to attack Jericho. 

Joshua 5:13-14 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for His servant?” 

Whether people are for us or not is irrelevant. The question is, are they on the Lord’s side. Side note to fighting amongst our brothers and sisters in Christ-  - Let’s not set our sights on conquering His allies!

The time is coming when we will each give an account of our life before God.  Do I want God disapproving of what I just said or did, or do I want the people around me disapproving of what I just said or did? When we keep that in mind and have that kind of long-term thinking, it’s going to change what we say, what we do, and who we try to impress. It’s the people-pleaser antidote. 

Our human nature wants to be liked, wants to compromise, divert, and leave out the truth: at times God's truth. We've all said at one time or another “I just leave that up to God” "To each their own" or “Everybody has to make up their own mind.” 

There’s a word for that: cop-out! Those are politically correct, people-pleasing cop-outs. In those moments, when we could say something that would be politically correct and wouldn’t offend but would be a lie, remember these truths. 

And in that pressure moment, try to remember..... what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. He didn’t deny us. He didn’t back down for us. He died for our sins. He created us. He saved us. He forgave us. He’s taking us to Heaven. We cannot not deny him. 

Joshua 1:9 NET I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the LORD your God, am with you in all you do. 

Did you catch that! God speaks, “I want you to step out; to march into uncertainty with the confidence that every place is yours. It’s yours because it’s Mine. The fire that I ignited in your soul when you scouted the land can now be fanned into a blaze. Move forward. Occupy the land. Occupy the streets. No dream is too big. No territory too untamed. I’m here: not just for tomorrow or the next day, but for all of the days of your life.”

All of us have been given the assignment of sharing the Gospel, to be Holy Spirit-filled ambassadors of Christ that the Lord has called us to be. We may struggle with this because we lack the confidence, the passion, or even the know-how to do it. But if Christ is our Savior, then we are His and we have been called for this very purpose. 

1 Peter 2:9 NIV "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." 

We get to speak with one voice, offering God's truth in a swirl of worldly lies, whispering hope in the world's self­-destruction.  Every interaction we have throughout the course of a day either builds up our culture or breaks it down. It either blesses other people or burdens them by adding unnecessary drag. 

Oh man I think if my various daily moments - Thinking through every interaction engaged in yesterday/today we should ask ourselves which added clutter to a life by adding unnecessary drag to someone else? 

What adds heaviness to my daily walk, to my husband’s… when I go off on a tirade about a news headline  - This is why we tell people about Jesus. We long for others to know of His peace, His empathy and compassion for all people of all walks of life - Resting in the very love and forgiveness of Christ authenticates our witness and gives it vitality. Caring about men and women who have not yet encountered the grace of God will fuel our actions, guide our tongues and encourage our trusting faith. 

We can be open to Holy Spirit as He gives time to look at our own walk with Jesus, as He gives us opportunities to meet with the unbeliever who has no faith yet, and the long time Christian, disillusioned and wavering in their faith, or the new believer ready to share what Jesus did in their own mission on Earth, and what He continues to do year after year.

Revelation 4:8 NET Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around and inside. They never rest day or night, saying: “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”

We hear Him WHEN we move towards Him - declaring at the foot of the cross is offering I AM HERE - it is seeking Him - looking for Him, trusting Him.

We aren’t to ask ourselves who am I? We are to turn our eyes to Christ and see who He is then we will see the people God created. 

We are not our past- because we are not to have our identity classified by the world no my friends not what others see us as - we are Gods created - made in His image - living for only His kingdom is true freedom.

Let’s step forth solid on God’s word for His glory - for His kingdom - we cannot halt in fear of rejection, or dwell in the comfort of complacency - we get to (we must) reach out strongly to those we encounter - God is moving their lives into our paths and our lives into theirs so that they may hear our story of redemption and in turn pray to Jesus for mercy and salvation. 

Romans 1:16 NIV For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Talk to people about how you are only standing because God lifted you up, and if that is not always an opportunity, pray for them! Jesus teaches us that through our active and intercession focused prayer life we can be voices to God blocking the enemy from stealing and robbing lives of peace, of health, of faith, of eternity with Him. 

1 Timothy 2:1 NET It is the Lord who acts on our prayer reports.... send up prayer reports as well as praise requests. At times when the Lord is about to reproach or rebuke or punish, our prayers can stand in the gap and intercede for people First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people.

If we waited until we thought we were ready to share the gospel, the mission of God shared through His people would come to a halt.  We cannot wait until we are comfortably ready. We have to accept that we often function awkwardly throughout life—and that is OK. 

Every new endeavour in life reveals that we are awkward, if we are not awkward some place in our lives, then we are just not growing.  For others, the uncomfortableness may be a result of watching those who shared the gospel abusively. There are those who use the Bible as if it were a club to coerce and bludgeon people to God. Such insensitivity seldom bears kingdom fruit. 

But if we judged any segment of society by its worst examples, nobody could stand. To cease our witness to the world around us because of negative Christian interactions in an age where abuse or silence is society's accepted option, sharing Jesus with a graceful demeanour affirms the Lord’s message and goes a long way toward healing and reconciliation to God. 

When we do so, God is pleased. But as much as God loves it when we do this, the enemy hates it, the flesh resists it, and the world is repulsed by it. So we must be ready to proclaim the word of God, to speak and share the true Gospel from the Bible, and stand firm in our faith - that’s revival. 

When daily routines start to pile up let’s keep our ears, eyes and hearts open to Holy Spirit’s showing us who to pray for, who to share a kind word with. As we pick up our kids from school, make disciples. As we work at our jobs, make disciples. 

God has placed us in our neighbourhoods, towns, villages and cities for a reason. He has revealed His great love to each of us and He has already orchestrated great relationships for us to invest our time and prayers. 

There is no better way to put it. God fills our heart with a burden and a passion to act on behalf of His people. Therefore where we are residing at any given season in our lives is where God has planted us. He may move us to another location. He may not. 

Many of us will have the most kingdom impact, growing old, by the Lord’s grace, holding His lantern in a town needing His light. Embrace the commission. There is no choosing to live through the Spirit of God without choosing to be changed by Holy Spirit.

The way we speak, the way we act, even the way we feel, these things must shift as we change from relying on our own strengths to leaning on the strength of God.