YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES Acts 1:8
Greeting to you in the name of Jesus:
Every time I go back to the book of Acts I am reminded of the fact that our job in its most complex form is simply to be witnesses of what we have seen and heard through Christ Jesus our Lord. What seems to be making that so difficult these days is that no one has gotten close enough to God to have an interaction with Him. We have started to try to hide from any real communication with God for fear that we really would have something to talk about...therefore we would be obligated to do so.
It seems like those who do have contact with God on a daily basis cannot be shut up, but that isn't that many people, and it seems they getting to be fewer in number all of the time. This trend indicates one of two things...either we are on the verge of a great persecution or we are going to see the end of things very quickly. I tend to think that the persecution will come before the end comes according to scripture. I don't think that anyone will be spared in having to give an account for his or her beliefs, and in more cases than not within this country people have never had to pay any kind of price for their faith. Paul had said something very close to that to one of the new testament church's when he said " you have not yet contended in your unto blood". Jesus used the words " you being sent out into the world like sheep sent out among wolves". I have to ask the question for a great majority of Christians within the modern church where has your sacrifice for Christ been?
We hear an awful lot about the idea of receiving power from God to witness to the world with great results, but that is only if we allow ourselves to be used of God to witness at all. That does not mean that God has lost His power or ability to back us up in our life for Him, but it does mean that in too many cases we have simply stopped trying to live for Him. That has to change...and it will change either through our personal dedication to Christ to change our life and to witness in this world to what we have seen and done, or it will come about through a forced persecution of those in Christ by this world around us. Either way we will be forced to give an account. I hear all the time from people who have said " I just hope that I have the strength to stand for Christ under those circumstances". The point is that we have the strength through Christ if we allow Him to rule our lives; but if we have been playing games with our faith in Christ, and if we have had an ulterior motive in our worship of God it will come out when we are cornered and have no where else to run.
The power of God's Spirit does not reside with you just because you say that you believe. The power of God resides within those who live out their belief in Christ. That is what the first church discovered very quickly when they accepted Jesus as Lord. God is changing us so that we can stand underneath the pressure of this world...we are being transformed through the renewing of our minds and hearts, and if that is not happening for you it is past time for you to look into why it isn't happening. You are in my prayers at all times my friends...may you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
Every time I go back to the book of Acts I am reminded of the fact that our job in its most complex form is simply to be witnesses of what we have seen and heard through Christ Jesus our Lord. What seems to be making that so difficult these days is that no one has gotten close enough to God to have an interaction with Him. We have started to try to hide from any real communication with God for fear that we really would have something to talk about...therefore we would be obligated to do so.
It seems like those who do have contact with God on a daily basis cannot be shut up, but that isn't that many people, and it seems they getting to be fewer in number all of the time. This trend indicates one of two things...either we are on the verge of a great persecution or we are going to see the end of things very quickly. I tend to think that the persecution will come before the end comes according to scripture. I don't think that anyone will be spared in having to give an account for his or her beliefs, and in more cases than not within this country people have never had to pay any kind of price for their faith. Paul had said something very close to that to one of the new testament church's when he said " you have not yet contended in your unto blood". Jesus used the words " you being sent out into the world like sheep sent out among wolves". I have to ask the question for a great majority of Christians within the modern church where has your sacrifice for Christ been?
We hear an awful lot about the idea of receiving power from God to witness to the world with great results, but that is only if we allow ourselves to be used of God to witness at all. That does not mean that God has lost His power or ability to back us up in our life for Him, but it does mean that in too many cases we have simply stopped trying to live for Him. That has to change...and it will change either through our personal dedication to Christ to change our life and to witness in this world to what we have seen and done, or it will come about through a forced persecution of those in Christ by this world around us. Either way we will be forced to give an account. I hear all the time from people who have said " I just hope that I have the strength to stand for Christ under those circumstances". The point is that we have the strength through Christ if we allow Him to rule our lives; but if we have been playing games with our faith in Christ, and if we have had an ulterior motive in our worship of God it will come out when we are cornered and have no where else to run.
The power of God's Spirit does not reside with you just because you say that you believe. The power of God resides within those who live out their belief in Christ. That is what the first church discovered very quickly when they accepted Jesus as Lord. God is changing us so that we can stand underneath the pressure of this world...we are being transformed through the renewing of our minds and hearts, and if that is not happening for you it is past time for you to look into why it isn't happening. You are in my prayers at all times my friends...may you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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