| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net The world seems to be accelerating to corruption and depravity. So why do Christians, who seem to predominantly be the ones complaining about it, seem so happy? Are they slow? Naive? I get stuff in the mail almost daily warning me about Jewish conspiracies against Gentiles, all the bad Moslems, all the bad Republicans, all the bad Democrats, all the bad antigun people, all the bad minorities, all the bad majorities, all the bad government weather control- drugs in the contrails- poisoning our water bla bla bla bla bla --- End time stuff. For the record, I love to talk about end time stuff, but I don't preach on it a great deal. because it takes away from our Prime Directive as prescribed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These marching orders, the New Testament instruction to the New Testament Church, is described well in 2nd Cor. 5:19-21. "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." So let's turn the Spiritual Switch: The reason I as a Christian have peace and happiness is due the fact that I am forgiven, have a future, am accepted in the beloved, and know that just as God saving us wasn't a knee - jerk reaction to the worlds sin - "According as he hath chosen us ion him before the foundation of the world," Eph. 1:4, Neither are all the end time prophesies a knee jerk reaction to current events. Think on that for a moment. The same God who loves and died for (instead of )my sin, is in total control. That gives me great peace. That is liberating. "So preacher, what exactly should I be about as a Christian?" Here is a New Year's Resolution for you. As a Christian, you influence the unbelieving world by what you are not what you have. The Bible says you ARE Salt and Light (Matt. 5), not that you have salt and light. This is no benign statement. Your presence as salt and light throws a great monkey wrench into Satan's world plan. Salt is the condition, while Light is the Mission. Salt brings (to you and those in your avenue of witness) flavor, preservative, melts a cold hardened heart, and even heals. These are not isolated one time gifts God gave you, but rather traits you manifest or even become. Light exposes things taking place in the dark. Here is the rub. We don't like conflict, and those being exposed don't like being exposed. They resist the procedure, sometimes violently. But we are to shine forth and expose anyway. "unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence." Psalm 94:17. let me encourage you. The smallest bit of light casts out darkness. If you are not "Saved" or have not a relationship with Christ wherein He is your Lord, you neither Are light, nor can you shine light. Not on your best day. Not the kind of light we are talking about. The believer is Light, because Jesus is the "Light of the world" John 8:12. We reflect His light, or none at all. There is good news however; John 3:16. How about that for a Resolution? I promise someone is praying for you. God Bless. |
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