Why Believers Are Not Afraid of Unbelievers

 

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    Many believe the Holy Bible to be outdated. And that it is no longer applicable to today's generation of self-centered fulfillment.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

I Am Christian's Feet

 

MATTHEW 16:24

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your way, take up your cross, and follow Me."

    Just as Jesus called His disciples then, He calls each of us who want to follow Him even now. 

    Calling the disciples:

Matthew 4:16-22; Mark 2:13,14; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 5:1-11; Luke 5:27,28; Luke 6:12-16; John 1:35-51.

    Calling all people:

Mark 8:34 

And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 

 Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved. 

    I am Christian's feet and I am a "whosoever". 

    I am Christian's feet and I am beautiful. 

Romans 10:15 

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Isaiah 52:7).  

Nahum 1:15 says to "look to the mountains for the one bringing good news". Therefore my feet have been made sturdy to walk upon these mountains. - - 

Psalm 18:33; Habakkuk 3:19. 

My path is broadened that I might not stumble -- Psalm 18:36. 

    I am Christian's feet and I walk in The Word {Exodus 15:26}. I walk by faith {2 Corinthians 5:7}. I walk in The Spirit {Galatians 5:16}. I walk in The Light {John 12:35}. I walk with wise companions, not foolish people {Proverbs 2:20}. I walk The Way of Holiness {Isaiah 35:8}. I walk the path of life {Proverbs 15:24}. 

    I am Christian's feet and I follow Jesus Christ...wherever He leads me. For I have taken up my cross and I would rather live and die with Him than without Him. 

Matthew 16:25, 26

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. 

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

1 Peter 2:21

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps.

I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS - Lydia Walker

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER 

WELCOME HOLY SPIRIT - Hilde M. Bedsvaag 

WALK WITH YOU - Michael Bethany 

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Leave It All For The Sake of The Kingdom

 

    Luke 18:29,30

"Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times more in this age - and in the age to come, eternal life."

    These words were said to the rich young ruler, who had observed the law and obeyed the commandments since he was young (verses 18-28). But Jesus knew this man's heart, as He knows all hearts, and that the man would not be so easily persuaded to give away his treasury. Are we not just as guilty when we refuse to part with whatever we hold most dear to our hearts? 

     

    God is the God of Restoration. 

    Matthew 6:33

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

    Matthew 19:29

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My Name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." 

    Mark 10:29,30

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life."

    There's your real prosperity gospel. Our souls prosper when we surrender everything we have, leave (the opinions of) everyone we love and give all that we are to His mighty hand. For in His hand is Life and Life Eternal. God wants to be first in our lives. So does everyone else. But only we can make a decision who we will listen to and follow. 

    We must consider the consequences of our intended direction, taking time out of our busyness to contemplate the results of our actions. This would be the wise action to take. Seldom do we make wise decisions, especially when we are young children or young adults. But God desires us to seek Him out first, whether early in life or early in the day. To put what He wants (His will) ahead of what we want (our own will) for our lives. 

    LIFE: Job 12:10 & Acts 17:28; Psalm 31:15

DEATH: Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

    LIFE ETERNAL: John 1:1-3; John 20:27

DEATH ETERNAL: Revelation 20:14,15

    PROSPERITY: 1 Chronicles 29:12

LACK: Philippians 4:11,12

    Why does the Bible say 'many are called but few are chosen'? (Matthew 22:14). Because all of us are called to do our part in the kingdom, but not everyone wants to be in this kingdom. Nor does everyone want to do what it takes to serve in this kingdom. 

    We are all called to salvation. Yet, the path to salvation is narrow. It is the width of a cross. The path to salvation is small. It is the size of a mustard seed. The path to salvation is both old and fresh. The call to be saved through Jesus Christ still rings out, yet the plan of salvation was set in motion when Adam and Eve sinned. 

    We are all called to serve in this kingdom. In whatsoever capacity God sees fit to use us, that is where we will serve. But wherever we serve God, it will be for the advancement of God's kingdom. 

    We are all called to love each other like Christ loves us: willingly, wholeheartedly and sacrificially. 

CALLED TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND

For The Sake of The Call - Steven Curtis Chapman

My Portion - Isla Vista Worship

Seek First - Jason Upton

Love You Just Like That - Jason Upton

Magnificent Obsession - Steven Curtis Chapman

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Lauren Daigle

    

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Follow Christ

 

   

Matthew 4:19

"Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

    Not all fishermen use lures. Some use nets. Some use spears. But those fish are meant to be eaten. 

    When a Christian goes fishing, they are the bait. The Love of God exemplified in Christ in us is the lure. God is the Fisherman. The Holy Spirit is the line...and the net. The fish are the people who have yet to hear and believe and receive the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

    How does Christ make us fishers of men (mankind)? Through our faith in God; by trusting in Christ as our Saviour and allowing The Holy Spirit to mold us into holy people. 

    It is not enough to believe that God is. Everyone believes in some kind of god, even those who believe there is no God believe their own words to be true: making themselves their own god. Some will even go so far as to believe that some of the Holy Bible is true, picking and choosing verses as if they were shopping in some spiritual grocer's. 

    "Follow Me", Jesus says. "Follow Me wherever I go. Let Me lead you through valleys, valleys dark, valleys dense. Let Me tend to your needs and nourishment. Let Me carry you when the Way in which we must go is too difficult to walk alone or too deep to swim across. 

    "Follow Me to the synagogues, to the temples, to the people who need to hear My Father's Words. To the people who are searching for The Word of Life. To the people who are hungry for The Bread of Heaven and The Living Water. 

    "Follow Me to the needy, the poor, the broken, the lonely, the desperate, the tormented, the possessed. Follow Me to the hurting, the weeping, the judged, the dead and dying. 

    "Follow Me to the courtyard. Watch Me remain silent and behave in like manner. Follow Me to the cross when you take up your cross. Follow Me to the grave and enter My garden.

    "Follow Me and I will walk with you. Follow Me and I will talk with you. Follow Me and I will sing over you. 

    "Follow Me," Jesus says, "and I will make you fishers of men."

CALLED TO FOLLOW CHRIST 

I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

I Give Myself Away - Wm. McDowell

I Found God (When I Stopped Looking For Myself) - Ben Laine

I Will Follow - Chris Tomlin

My Soul Follows - David & Nicole Binion ft. Travis Greene

I Have Decided - Forerunner Music/Jaye Thomas

    

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Serve Christ

 

    John 12:26

If anyone Serves Me, he must follow Me: and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, The Father will honor him. 

    To serve Christ is to follow Christ. To follow Christ is to know where He began His ministry and start from there. 

    The first place He went is to be baptized in the river-Matthew 3:13-17.

    Secondly, Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days, after which He was tempted by Satan three times-Matthew 4:1-10. 

    Thirdly, He evangelized, preaching the gospel of the repentance of sins and living a changed life-"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

    Fourthly,  He encouraged people to join Him as He ministered to the people in the towns He traveled through-Matthew 4:19; John 1:35-51. He discipled men from various walks of life into the gospel of salvation-Matthew 10:4 (the disciples 12). 

    Fifthly, He ministered to the needs of the people everywhere The Father sent Him. All required forgiveness. Many required healings. Some were raised from the dead. As The Father spoke, The Son obeyed-John 5:19; 12:50. 

    Sixthly, He was arrested for treason and tried in a mockery of a trial; forced to carry His cross after being tortured, the weight of which He could not bear alone. He hung on this cross He had to carry and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

    Seventhly, He rose from the dead, having conquered death, hell and the grave. He received a new body in which He was unrecognizable to everyone who knew Him until He spoke or their eyes were opened to who was speaking with them.

    Ultimately, He ascended into the eternal presence of His heavenly Father. 

    Throughout His earthly ministry Christ retreated several times from the public eye to pray, to speak with His Father in private. To receive strength and instruction and loving devotion. Having Him thus as our example, we, too, should desire to get apart from the madding crowd and seek alone time with our heavenly Father. 

    We see that to serve Christ is to follow Christ. Come, let us serve Him together. 

CALLED TO SERVE CHRIST

I Will Wait For You - Shane & Shane

Spirit Break Out/Not By Might - Sean Feucht & Kim Walker-Smith

Belong To You - Here Be Lions

Strength of My Life - Vertical Worship

Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me - CityAlight

I Will Serve The Lord - Carman

Not My Will - Kim Walker-Smith

Where You Go, I'll Go - Jesus Culture 

I Am The Body of Christ (poem)

I AM THE BODY OF CHRIST

I am the body of Christ.

And I hurt. I know pain.

Excruciating pain from the whips on my back.

Heartache pain from the brokenness within and without.

Two extremes with no inbetween.

I am the body of Christ. 

And I smile. I know joy.

Unspeakable joy where words are not enough.

Cheer-filled countenance that shines from within.

Two extremes with no inbetween. 

I am the body of Christ.

What He suffered we will suffer.

He Who knew pain also knew joy.

He Who knew Joy also knew suffering. 

He Who knew suffering also knew heartache.

He Who knew heartache also knew compassion.

I am the body of Christ.

His hands. His feet.

His back. 

His eyes. His ears.

His heart. 

He is my Strength, my Hope.

He is my Faithful Witness.

He is my Joy, my sorrow. 

He is my Peace.

He is my Grace, my Provision.

He is my Everything. 

Because He's everything to me.