Tag Archives: boldness

Fruitless Abandon

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With agony of soul, I woke up this morning.  I saw God’s desire clearly laid out; “Bring my word to the people that they may have life.”

I looked to the people and saw how they reject this call!  I saw how they turn their face from anyone who will be bold in Christ.  And the agony grew.

Oh!  How much He is willing to give!  How fearful we are to receive!  All the while, today will end like many others have; fruitless for eternity, filled with fear, perplexed at the growth of wickedness, and resigned to simply endure.

Let everyone examine.  Is this right?

Fear Constrains. God Releases to Boldness.

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I woke to be with the Lord this morning.  In our time together, he revealed a mystery to me.  I will try to relate it as best I can.

Why are people so reluctant to grasp a fearless doing of the Gospel?  What cuts some apart to boldness, while most live out the Gospel as if in secret?

The answer is simple, they fear.

Fear of man compels most to withdraw from public displays of Holy Truth.  Desire to “profit” among men drives most into a life of subdued worship and expression of God’s Holy Will among men.

They hear what the bold disciples say.  But they also see how such bold men are treated.  They quickly weigh the prospects of shunning, and make the determination that such travail is not worth the effort.  They must make a living.  They must eat.  They must compete in this wicked world.  And a bold proclamation of the Gospel will surely diminish their chances of survival.  Men will certainly hate them and exclude them from “prosperity” among men.

But what makes the difference between those who fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, and those who believe yet hide (to whatever extent)?

Two things play within the bold.  It’s hard for me to describe which one comes first.  Perhaps they come in unison.  One provocation to boldness is the blessing of God in the way of knowledge.  God causes the bold one to understand that the way of God is absolute, true, and sustaining no matter what.   The other provocation is that the bold perceive the wickedness of man as endless chaos.  No matter what they do, man will never protect.  Man is incapable of sustaining.  Man is full, and endlessly so, with lies and empty promises.  And the riches of man, that so called  “profit”, can provide nothing eternally valuable.

It is written, “They hated me for no reason”.  The bold receive the same treatment.  Their brothers and sisters in Christ see this treatment of the bold and withdraw to secrecy.  It’s that simple.

There were only 12 Apostles.  There were only 72 that were sent out.  And of the mass of men, there are (in my personal estimation) less than 1 percent of the population that will give all to God for the sake of His Holy Son’s Honor.  And it’s quite possible that I have over estimated the number of those who are bold for Christ.

I have seen many rise up to boldness.  But I have seen very few remain bold.  Usually, when a man stands up for Christ, the world around them beats them back into submission, and quickly.  They sink back into the “profit” of man and never rise up again.   Let no one misunderstand the power of the world to destroy.  This even happens, often, to men who wear the titles of pastor, preacher, evangelist, and so on!

If you would be bold for Christ, then be bold.  But first it would be wise to learn to hate the ways of man’s “profit”.  For they will surely use it against you to drive you back into their slime.  But if you would be willing to loose all for Christ, then, by all means stand!

Who is willing to die for Christ?  Who is willing to receive the beatings that man is all too ready to dispense?  Is it you?  If not, then ask yourself, “Why do I fear”.

God will sustain the willing heart.  He will feed the wicked, why won’t he feed you?  And if they come and take all you have, what have you lost?  These sayings are readily available among  Christ’s people.  But the key to making the decision to be bold lay in a fearless belief.  Are the promises of God TRUE?

A Purposeful Tongue Lashing

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How many times do the people of God need to be encouraged before they will take the mantle of the Gospel upon their shoulders?  How easy it is to encourage them to be lax in the things of the Most High God.  They readily embrace social peace.  But war against what is wicked is relegated to a tiny few.

As a child abhores spinach, yet craves the sweetness of sugar, so the people of God have sought peace with the wicked.  And as the sugar will rot the teeth of the child, so this craving for peace has rotted the Church of God.  Where is the healthy mouth?

It is ridiculous to make a call for action for the entire Church.  But let those with understanding mount up for the sake of the Gospel!  To prayer with all of us!  To the things of God, with godly zeal, with every willing man and woman of God!

Let us open our eyes and look around.  Witness the compromise!  Take note of what is unholy.  See how the things of the Glorious Lord Jesus have been brought to such a small affair.  It is considered a trophy to attend church twice a year!  It is considered holy restraint to keep your lips sealed among the wicked!

How near the end of things must it be, that the church has become so complacent?  Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Valentine’s Day, and so many more, have taken the place of the crucifixion and the resurrection.  And suffering for the name of Christ Jesus has become an abhorrent obsession of a few.

So many Bibles in the world, yet so very few read and understand.  So much time for prayer, yet there is hardly a flake of callus on the knees of God’s people.  So many opportunities to speak out against wickedness, yet you would think Christians are mute; at baptism God rips the tongue out of the man!

If now is not the time to rise up for Christ, tell me when it will come upon us.  What are the signs I should look for, that I might see an explosion of zeal for the Living God’s Christ?  Who, among the children of God, will rise up and embrace the things of Jesus?  And do we need to wait another 7 days for this to happen?  Is it necessary to wait even another 10 minutes!

Who will come and die with Christ?  Who will render his life to prayer, a serious and diligent study of the Word of God, and become an ambassador to the Holy Lord Jesus in this wicked and adulterous place?

Is it true that it takes imprisonment to wake up a soul for Christ?  Will you wait for a house to house search before you commit to a boldness for Christianity?  What are you waiting for?  Define the obstacle so that we can speak of it openly!

Look how foreign these words are among what is called civilized Christians.  So very well dressed on Sunday.  But so putrid against holiness throughout the week. 

The debate among God’s people is not directed at how brightly we should burn.  It is more the focus of what can we get away with.  Where is the holy and burning fire of obedience among Christians today?  Has it not been replaced by wealth, social integration, and dedicated complacency?  Unholy lies dance in our streets!  Children murder one another!  And if one man is caught spreading the Gospel, all Christianity feels vindicated!

Decide for yourself if this is right.  Why should we listen any longer to words of restraint?  Who elected the cowards as our leaders?  Will God not support and catch those who step out from the cowering crowd?  Or has faith in Christ really become such a rare and elusive animal?

I am so tired of watching us hide.  It is sickening to the stomach to see the Glorious Lord Jesus hidden like some abomination among men; as if he had been a rapist, a thief, a murderer, and every other wicked thing!  Do you really think God will honor such purposeful obscurity?

By His Grace

Peace, of God!

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Man is not ashamed of his greed.  He is only fearful of being exposed. 

The zealots of false religion do not hide their zeal.  They are only fearful that their lies are exposed or denounced. 

The timid are not ashamed of their fear.  They are dressed in false peace.  They are only fearful that someone may rightfully ask “too much” of them.

Man pursues what he desires.  And with all his strength he is zealous to gain or retain.  But make no mistake, so is God! 

Why should God’s people not be zealous for the things of their master?  It is like man to be zealous for all He desires.  Why can’t that zeal be reigned in for the Son of the Most High God? 

What right do we have to fear?  Where is it written that God’s people will fear?  Is there such a thing as cowering in the Kingdom of the Most High God’s Holy Son?  Isn’t it true that he has spoken exactly the opposite?

Men desire what they want, and with all their strength they pursue it day and night.  All God’s people are purchased from man.  How is it that when a man becomes a Christian he loses his desire to pursue?  Before we belonged to Christ we fought tooth and nail to keep what we desired. 

Who told us that the Peace of God rips desire from our heart?  Capture such who say these things and put them to open shame!  For the fruit of their false words diminishes the Army of our God.  Our brothers fight with less strength, because the liars turn away their fellow warriors from the battle between righteousness and ungodly wickedness!

There is a war that has been since before you were born.  This war will continue until God says “Enough”!  Do you desire to take part?  Then by all means, with what is left of your ability, move yourself to the fracas!

If you are an able Christian, with healthy arms and legs, run to the battlefield.  If you were wounded and nearly dead, grab hold of rocks and grass, and slither yourself to the field of blood.  Let your soul stand for Christ!

Let us endure the “holy pain”, for the sake of the glorious Lord Jesus.  Let us put our selves in a conspicuous place.  Let us swallow fear.  Let us fight for Christ!

This place of testing is nearly finished.  Will we be caught as desirous of “peace”?  When the Son of man returns will he find us amiable and willingly among the ungodly and the wicked?  Will he find us embroiled in friendship with the world?  Or will he find us being ripped to shreds on the battlefield of godly intent?

By His Grace

Crushing Fear

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Can one man make a difference for Christ?  Do worms eat dirt?

Through the actions of one man, Adam, all humanity was condemned to die.

Through the actions of one man, Christ, all humanity is offered eternal life.

I started to write this and remembered all the leaders God has raised up.  But the intended audience for this post is not in such a position as they.  And the provocation for this post was a tiny man in a tiny place.

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I sat in the driver seat of my truck facing the sunrise,

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The pathetic body

as almost 200 people passed by the front of my truck to go to work, I kept myself busy with reading.

Did anyone notice?  That’s not my call to make.  I offered the opportunity of “Sonrise” to everyone who passed.

One slice of time in one day.  And everywhere I go, the message is brought.   

Underneath the hat, lay a Christian spy.  Everywhere he goes, he searches for weakness in the enemy camp.   Can something be done?  Can something be said?  What can I do to allow the Gospel to infiltrate the domain of wickedness?

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The parking lot

It is not reasonable to assume that everyone who dismounted from those cars is strong in Christ.  There are about 150 cars there.  Statistically speaking, 1% of those who passed by might have understood the visible message.  (I’ll round it off.  I don’t think there was a “half” person who pass by my truck).  Two people might have been influenced by the display.

I’m making a fool of myself by showing how I strive to serve the Gospel.  But I’m trying to make a difference here.  I’m trying to inspire others to do similar things.

I have found that most Christians are terrified to testify for Christ verbally.  The human body is not just a set of lips.  And the ingenuity of man is proven.  If a Christian wants to testify, he can find a way.

I will end this post with a rather sobering thought.

Try to envision your appearance before the Holy One.  What will be said of you if you died today?  Are you striving to further the cause of Christ, regardless how great or small the effort?  Or are you letting fear shove you into a dark corner?

We will all stand shoulder to shoulder with those who were beheaded for Christ.  Those who were torn apart by the rack will be there too.  Those whose bodies were ripped apart by lions will stand there with us.  Many had been imprisoned for years, for the very name of the Lord Jesus.  Perfected souls of mutilated bodies for the sake of their love to Christ.  And shall we appear empty handed?  Can you possibly imagine the shame of having hid the beautiful message of salvation because of fear?

Let us go and die with him!  For if we die with him, He has promised we shall surely live with him. 

And if by chance, you need further inspiration , read what is said in Revelation 21: 

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

I have no strength to inspire you more powerfully.

By His Grace

An Unwarranted Suppression

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I do not need bars or scars to mark out the place of my imprisonment for the sake of Christ.  I am constrained by his excellent strength within the place he has set me himself.  And it becomes my great joy to serve Him in this very place of obscurity.

How greatly I desire that all my brothers and sisters should perceive their place in the same fashion.  May zeal consume us to be joyful in our place of holy affliction.  For we have not arrived among the things we own by circumstances of chance.  But it is God in Christ who draws us to this place.

It is God in Christ who will draw us to himself.  And even now the signs of his ownership dress us with glory!  See how our hearts are marked by his indelible seal.  See how Desire desires to consume us.

Do we restrain his will?  Do we restrain the desire of God among us?  This has no Holy right to exist.  But receive this word of urging.   Receive and be strengthened for his Lovely sake.  How should the Gospel of Christ Jesus be suppressed?  How should that which burns within us find any extinguishing?  These things within us, these things of Christ, are delivered to us from eternity to eternity.

It is a childish matter to be able to point out the suppressing of the Glory of God among men.  But among the people of God, it would be right if one had to search far and wide to find such a suppressing.  Yet how my heart sinks to realize, one does not have to search very hard at all.

Does this need to remain among us; this willing restraint of the Holy will of God?  You know the answer is “no”. 

This word of exhortation is complete.

By His Grace