Category: Christian ambassadorship

Fearful Versus Fearless

Monday, February 4, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

As our world wallows in fear and uncertainty, we have peace and strength in Christ.

In recent months, I have spoken to Christians and lost people who are concerned about national and world events. Both lost and saved people alike know that our culture, especially in the United States, is undergoing significant change. Decades ago, one Christian brother lamented, “Society’s moral fabric is rotting.” I wonder what he would say today?! To exacerbate the situation, the quality of much of Christendom’s teaching and preaching is just as godless and unscriptural as society’s morality. But there is hope!

God did not take us to heaven the moment we trusted Christ as our personal Saviour. Instead, He left us here on earth. Why? Jesus Christ, “the light of the world” (John 8:12), now lives in us members of His Body. We Christians are the vessels in which God has deposited the life of His Son, so He can then manifest His spiritual light to this dark world! Beloved, it is our privilege to be here as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Let us not shrink away in fear.

Instead of being fearful and hiding in our homes to avoid the evil world system, we can be fearless beacons of hope and light in and to this lost and dying world. Paul’s encouraging words to the Philippians were: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain” (2:14-16).

We, the Church the Body of Christ, may be a small group of people, and yes, we King James Bible Pauline dispensationalists are a remnant within that remnant, but God Almighty is on our side, and nothing He does is in vain. Let us fearlessly continue in sound Bible doctrine!

Saint, Why Sayest Thou Nothing? #7

Saturday, February 2, 2013

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13 KJV).

You are not alone in being shy about witnessing for Jesus Christ….

Until we leave these physical bodies of sin, we will continue to deal with our weak, sinful flesh. Hence, we are not always bold in witnessing. The world still appeals to our flesh: we keep quiet about the Bible in order to keep our social standing—our “friends” and their “respect.” We want to avoid conflict and persecution. As our Lord Jesus Christ declared, “It is the spirit that quickeneth [makes alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

Though our flesh is weak, and “good for nothing,” we who have trusted exclusively the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, have life in Christ! Rather than pining away in the old thinking patterns (the ‘say nothing’ attitude), we can have faith in God’s Word. We can believe Christ’s words and let them transform us. “…The word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

The Holy Spirit lives within us members of the Church the Body of Christ. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit strengthens us through His Word, and gives us the boldness to preach and share Jesus Christ with this lost and dying world. As the Lord told Paul, “Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee…” (Acts 18:9,10). God says the same thing to us!

Remember, if the people suffering in hell could come back, they would urge you to tell their surviving family and friends about Jesus Christ, lest they too wind up suffering God’s righteous wrath forever. The rich man in hell told Abraham: “…Send [Lazarus] to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment” (Luke 16:27,28).

“Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee….”

Saint, Why Sayest Thou Nothing? #5

Thursday, January 31, 2013

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13 KJV).

You are not alone in being shy about witnessing for Jesus Christ….

Once the Apostle Paul began his ministry, and started preaching the glorious Gospel of the Grace of God (that we are saved by grace through faith without works), legalism (works-religion/Mosaic Law-keeping) contradicted his message and confused and divided Christians (sound familiar?). Two areas where legalism was dominant were Ephesus and Galatia.

Paul instructed Timothy, a church leader in Ephesus, to “charge [command] some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). They have swerved from “godly edifying” and “faith unfeigned [genuine],” and have “turned aside unto vain jangling [useless, foolish talking]; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm” (verses 6,7).

Sometime later, Paul writes a second epistle to Timothy. It is the Apostle’s final letter. Paul pens that he is “mindful of [Timothy’s] tears” (2 Timothy 1:4). Timothy is very discouraged in the ministry, as evidenced by Paul’s encouragement: “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (verses 6-8).

Timothy is now ashamed of God’s Word and of Paul’s imprisonment. He once courageously proclaimed God’s Word, but now he is craven. The false teachers in Ephesus have intimidated him to silence, lest they have “competition.” Paul instructs Timothy not to fear the lost world. He should endure the suffering that comes with being a Christian. He should speak up about God’s Word! How can he do this? “According to the power of God!” Dear saints, our flesh is weak, but God’s power is more than sufficient to give us boldness to speak His Word to this lost and dying world.

Saint, Why Sayest Thou Nothing? #4

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13 KJV).

You are not alone in being shy about witnessing for Jesus Christ….

In Mark 14:27 (cf. Matthew 26:31), just before His arrest, the Lord Jesus declared to His disciples, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night.” Peter replied, “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (Mark 14:29; cf. Matthew 26:33). When Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him thrice, Peter spake the more vehemently, and all the other disciples affirmed that, to the death, they would never be ashamed of Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:34,35; Mark 14:30,31).

Once the multitude came and bound Jesus, “all the disciples forsook him, and fled” (Matthew 26:56). When thrice asked whether or not he was with Jesus Christ, Peter denied it all three times (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-62). “And Peter went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). The very men who claimed they were going to die for and with Jesus Christ, were the ones who abandoned Him during the moments leading up to His death!

Our flesh is weak, as the above verses demonstrate. We can say we will do one thing, but end up doing the opposite. Nevertheless, there is hope for them… and us! Many weeks after Calvary’s crosswork, these timid men, “…Prayed, [and] the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Earlier, on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter preached a magnificent sermon to Israel (Acts 2:14-40). “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (verse 4).

Notice this stark difference. Christ’s disciples were shy and weak in their own strength. However, when they relied on the power of the Holy Ghost, they boldly proclaimed God’s Word! The same is true with us today. We grow timid and fearful when witnessing because that is our weak flesh. However, God the Holy Spirit is more than willing to speak through us!

Saint, Why Sayest Thou Nothing? #3

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13 KJV).

You are not alone in being shy about witnessing for Jesus Christ….

In John chapter 9, Jesus Christ heals a man who was blind from birth. Because it is the Saturday Sabbath, the pedantic, “law-keeping” Pharisees are filled with anger (verse 14). They proceed to interrogate and harass the healed man, further hardening their unbelieving hearts. Unless they can ask His parents if he was blind, they will not believe that he was healed. So, they call forth his parents.

Read their “testimony” in John 9:20-23: “His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.”

Notice why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” They would have to admit that Jesus Christ performed the healing miracle, and this they refuse to do because it would jeopardize their social standing. They would be labeled a “God nut” and they would lose their “friends,” so, they do not dare declare Jesus is Christ/Messiah.

John 12:42,43 summarizes this issue: “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

People do not always welcome us with “open arms” when we preach the Gospel of the Grace of God, so we are prone to stay silent, just as these people in the Bible did, lest we are relegated to a “Bible-believing fanatic” status. This should not be so. Thankfully, with God, there is a solution!

Saint, Why Sayest Thou Nothing? #2

Monday, January 28, 2013

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13 KJV).

You are not alone in being shy about witnessing for Jesus Christ….

The LORD sends the prophet Jeremiah to warn Judah and Jerusalem of God’s impending judgment, that the Babylonians are coming to take them captive, and to carry them back to Babylon. Once Jeremiah preaches, he learns just how stubborn and wicked the Jews are.

“O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jeremiah 20:7-9).

The Jews, upon hearing God’s Word through Jeremiah, mock him. They do not want to hear what God has to say, so Jeremiah vows never again will he speak in the name of the LORD. Yet, notice, God’s Word had filled the heart of Jeremiah—it was like “a burning fire shut up in [his] bones”—and he could not stay silent for long. Soon, he was preaching God’s Word again! (Later, the Jews want to kill him, Jeremiah 26:8. Years later, he is thrown into a muddy pit and imprisoned, Jeremiah 38:6.)

Jeremiah is just one example in Scripture of God’s people being shy when sharing His Word with others. Sometimes, Jeremiah wanted to say nothing about God; other times, he spoke about God. Why is this? Why do believers not speak about God’s Word all the time? That is, why are we not bold all the time in witnessing? Why do we grow shy at times? One of the reasons is we fear the negative public reaction (see today’s Scripture).

But, there are other, more specific, factors involved, too.

333’s 600th – A Daily Banquet for the Inner Man

Sunday, January 20, 2013

“I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways” (Psalm 119:15 KJV).

Beloved, as we reach another milestone, rejoice in Christ with us!

Nothing compares to God’s Word working in you when you believe it (1 Thessalonians 2:13). It takes the lost and dying sinner and makes him or her a saint of the Most High God. It grips the hearts of saints and causes them to do the work of the ministry. It is a lighthouse of hope when the storms of life ravage a soul. It leads one to a deeper understanding of what God is doing today, which results in a greater appreciation of our Creator and Saviour Jesus Christ. But, unless we read the Holy Bible for ourselves—and mostly importantly, believe it—it cannot and will not profit us.

Just as our physical bodies require adequate food to survive, our souls need sufficient sustenance. Religion starves us by offering “morsels [read that crumbs] of ‘truth,’” but our inner man requires more than a skimpy daily ditty of “spiritual wisdom” if it is to mature. Religious tradition will not lead us to spiritual maturity. God uses His Holy Bible, not church tradition, to “effectually work in them that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Our purpose is to teach God’s Word, the Holy King James Bible, so it can be understood and enjoyed. We intentionally pack each and every study with as much sound doctrine as space permits. We do not simply talk about the Bible. We study it, consider it, and then believe it, remembering that context is of utmost importance. When studied correctly—“rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15)—God’s Word literally becomes a banquet for your soul!

Each daily devotional is designed to cause you to think outside of “religious norms.” You see what God’s Word actually teaches rather than what it is often presumed to teach, and as one brother says, “The ‘old Book’ is made a ‘new Book.’” Every day, we study the King James Bible rightly divided. We “meditate in [God’s] precepts,” and we “have respect unto [His] ways” (today’s Scripture). What a spiritual banquet it is!!!! 🙂

Thank you, dear readers, for your continued prayer. We pray for you upon every remembrance. On to #700!

Wilt Thou Serve the Denomination, Or the Lord? #2

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23,24 KJV).

Beloved, we have a choice—we can serve a theological system (which is worthless), or we can serve the Lord (which is priceless).

When someone who is searching for the true and living God eventually does find out about Jesus Christ and trusts Him alone as personal Saviour, he or she then has a spiritual minefield to navigate. Deciding which denominational church to join is not as easy as it initially seems. After all, these 38,000-plus groups claim to be “Christ’s followers,” but they each teach something radically different. How will this poor Christian soul ever learn the truth? Which denomination, if any, is right?

Satan’s apostate religious system accomplishes exactly what he intended it to—it deters the Christian from serving the Lord. Soon, the person becomes loyal to the denomination and its (faulty) theology. Eventually, the issue is no longer, “What saith the scriptures?,” but “What saith the denomination, preacher, or statement of faith?”

We are not to serve man, nor seek to please him—we are to serve the Lord, not some (man-made) denomination! Today’s Scripture declares, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;….” Ephesians 6:6,7 confirm: “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). If we want to do God’s will in our lives—if we are to be “throughly furnished [equipped] unto all good works”—the complete revelation is within “all scripture.” “Scripture” (“writings”) restricts the authority to a Book, thus excluding popes, teachers, theological systems, preachers, and seminaries….

Wilt Thou Serve the Denomination, Or the Lord? #1

Monday, December 3, 2012

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23,24 KJV).

Beloved, we have a choice—we can serve a theological system (which is worthless), or we can serve the Lord (which is priceless).

Colossians 3:22 begins: “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:” Today’s Scripture then follows: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;….”

Compare that to Ephesians 6:5-7: “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”

Christian employees are exhorted that, when they work, they should not put on a show. That is, we should not be faithful workers for the sake of being seen of others (“eyeservice”) and praised by others (“menpleasers”). Our motivation for faithfully executing Christian service within the workplace is to please the Lord Jesus Christ. We should serve the Lord “in singleness of heart;” to wit, with a sincere (non-hypocritical, non-selfish) heart. We really do not deserve the credit or the praise for our good works—after all, “[We are] crucified with Christ; nevertheless [we] live, yet not [us], but Christ!”

Even though today’s Scripture and these other verses are directed toward Christian servants (slaves, employees), we can still benefit from the doctrine, for we too are “servants to God” (Romans 6:22). Just as we are to be faithful Christian servants “on the job,” we are to be faithful servants of the Lord on this stage called “life.” The same doctrine that governs a Christian in the workplace should, in the grand scheme of things, guide us as we function in our Christian ambassadorship on a daily basis….

Anonymous

Thursday, November 29, 2012

“And I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3 KJV).

Although the name of the Christian is unknown, the name of Jesus Christ, which the unknown Christian preached, is well known.

I recently met a dear brother in Christ who has a television ministry. He explained how viewers do not always know his name when they write him letters, but they do remember what he taught from the Bible. His mentality was, “As long as they took notice of what God’s Word says, my name is unimportant.” We should share that attitude, dear brethren in Christ.

We read about “a brother” whom Paul sent with Titus to Corinth, but he is never named (2 Corinthians 8:18,22; 2 Corinthians 12:18). In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul exhorts an unknown Christian (signified by the second-person singular pronoun, “thee,” as opposed to the plural “you”). We read about one, Clement, but that “true yoke-fellow” charged to help the women who worked with Paul in the ministry, is nameless. What mattered is that that person’s name was “in the book of life” (God’s record of the Christians’ names).

To the world, we Christians are “nobodies.” As 2 Corinthians 6:9 expresses, “[We are] unknown, and yet well known…” They know about the message we preach, but they know little to nothing about us individuals. What matters most in life is not that we Christians become the most famous people in the world. In light of eternity, what matters is to know God through Jesus Christ, and thus, become “known of God” (Galatians 4:9).

If no one remembers our names, despite our ministry work in the Lord, let us rejoice that at least the name of the Lord Jesus Christ went forth. After all, only His name “is above every name,” and furthermore, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Let us Christians in the ministry be content to remain “anonymous.” 🙂