Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Shameless Audacity – Part 1 - Motivation



This week, Michael writes that in Luke 11 Jesus told a story about a man who knocked on his neighbor's door at midnight and said, "friend, lend me three loaves of bread for I have a guest who has come to visit and I have nothing to set before him." The neighbor replied, "my children and I are already in bed and I can't get up and help you." Yet because of the persistent knocking the neighbor will finally get up and give him as many loaves as he needs. The key to receiving is in "shameless audacity" to keep on asking.  The King James Bible uses the word "importunity" meaning shameless persistence.  The context of this verse says, "what father if his son asks him for bread will instead give him a stone?" Persistence is the key to receiving. Faith and faithfulness to God's promise will take you through the storms of life. Though the storms may rage, Jesus said to his disciples, "I'll meet you on the other side." The disciples finally learned by walking with their master to be courageous, audacious, and shameless men of God.  Jesus himself exemplified these qualities. 

When you have a hunger for salvation by grace, Jesus will reveal himself to you and the Holy Spirit will teach you the things pertaining to life and godliness. God will bless us when we come to him on His terms. According to 2 Chronicles 7:14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Therefore humble thyself under the mighty hand of God and he will lift you up. Pride cannot approach the throne of God. He will answer those of a humble and a contrite heart. 

Shameless audacity motivates those who are desperate enough to forsake decorum, etiquette and political correctness. In such desperate times, we have no feelings of guilt, regret or shame. Guilt is a powerful motivator. However, shamelessness overcomes guilt. Repent means to turn around, to change your mind. Desperation results in shamelessness to cry out to God with a broken and a contrite heart. At such times our desperate plea is "Father, please help me to become more like my Lord.  My desperate desire is to become just like Jesus."  


"Turn from thy wicked ways" means to seek God's grace and mercy. Bless others before myself.  We must seek God's face instead of his hands. The first of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt have no other Gods between your face and my face."  The first and great commandment is "Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart soul, mind and strength."  This is the prerequisite to the second commandment, "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Let's continue Michael's message on Audacity on the next post.
In Christ, Brian

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