HEBREWS 12:2
Looking unto JESUS, The Author and Finisher of our Faith,
Who for the Joy set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
And is set down at the right hand of the throne of GOD.
When our focus is on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, spending time alone with Him in prayer and meditation of The Word of God, we will be able to endure the mocking cries of those who do not believe that Jesus Christ is Lord of All.
Our goal from the day we become born again believers through faith in The Name Above All Names -- JESUS CHRIST -- is to persuade others to believe in Him also. We call this soul-winning. Proverbs 11:30 "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise."
But our job doesn't stop with just telling someone about JESUS and what He's done for us, we must also encourage them to live a holy and righteous life in Christ through the power of God's Holy Spirit. It is The Spirit of God that is breathed into us which gives us the power and strength to preach and teach and disciple and evangelize wherever we are. Without the power of God's Holy Spirit anyone who declares themself to be God's anointed leader is a liar, for The Spirit of God is not in him or her.
When Paul preached the gospel of salvation through JESUS CHRIST in Caesarea to King Agrippa, the king stated that 'he was almost persuaded'. Paul made a very compelling defense, yet the king, at that time, was not quite convinced that this gospel was true.
Many believe the Holy Bible to be outdated. And that it is no longer applicable to today's generation of self-centered fulfillment. An unwillingness to change and an inability to see the need for change will continue to bring about the downfall of any nation who chooses to attack Christians who refuse to disobey God. Though the enemies of the cross may appear to be winning, that appearance is an illusion, for God is still on the throne and He is still in control.
As believers, we, too, must endure our crosses; for each of us who believe must put aside that which is in this world and take up our crosses, too. Luke 9:23 "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to follow Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
And each of us who make up the body of Christ must be prepared to suffer for the sake of the gospel of salvation through JESUS CHRIST. We must be found worthy to suffer. To get there we need to spend much time with our Lord and Savior. I used to regard my gardens as my sanctuary. There I would pray and write and sing and listen to God speak to my heart. I am older now and cannot play in the garden like I used to. But I can sit there and listen to Him even now.
The sufferings we go through are not as important as how we go through them: with HOPE, with GReAT exPEctAtions, with JOY, with a strong desire to see our Lord and Savior at the end of our sufferings.
We have a Peace That Passes Understanding when we have JESUS in our hearts and The Holy Spirit in our lives. A Peace that only comes from knowing that JESUS CHRIST is our LORD (ruler of our lives, for we have surrendered ourselves to His Authority) and SAVIOR (saving our souls from eternal damnation and punishment in hell).
Expect to be jailed for being a Christ-follower. Expect to be tortured for being a Christ-follower. Expect to be killed for being a Christ-follower. Expect to be taken into glory for being a Christ-follower.
We are not volatile, nor are we violent. As Christ stood silent before His accusers, so should we who follow Him. We do not debate with fools. The Word of God is their Judge, not us. I am a Christian, a faithful follower of my Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST.
Are you? Are you focusing on what God wants you to do or are you focusing on what you want to do in this life He has given you? The choices we make now will impact our destination after we die. And then it will be too late. Do you want to know real Peace? Then you need Jesus. Do you want to know Unspeakable Joy. Then you need Jesus. For whatever it is you are looking for to make you happy, you won't find it without knowing JESUS CHRIST as your personal Savior. It is a commitment each of us has to make on our own. Each one of us is responsible for the soul-saving decision of whether or not we believe in The Name Above All Names. And that includes you who are reading this.
I am not afraid. I have all of my armor on (Ephesians 6:10-20) and I am ready to be of service to my King. I am not ashamed of my Jesus. I am loved by Him and I love Him in return.
WE ARE NOT ASHAMED -music video-Carman
