This week, Michael writes that men and
women of God are remarkable. Not because of who they are but because of
whose they are. A man of God is God’s man. A woman of God is God’s woman.
God made his people remarkable through Christ. Christians are
remarkable ... they are stand out lights in a world of darkness.
Matthew 5:14-16 “You
are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it
gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
in heaven.”
Einstein said that
the definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing while expecting
different results. Men and women cannot change themselves. So, why keep trying. Only
God can change a person’s heart and life. Repentance means to “turn around”. It
means to “change your mind”. Repentance is to change the focus from myself to
turn unto God. When virtuous character is lost, then all is lost. Plato sought
after the Greek concept of “Arête.” Arête is characterized by virtue, superior
excelling excellence, and complete wholeness. He never found it and
neither will we. Perfection is only in the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus the
Christ the son of the living God. Walk every day in the newness of life
following after Christ.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct
your paths.”
Many people are raised in a
violent environment where “turning the other cheek” was a foreign concept. They
have been taught the false gospel of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
When you live in such a world, everyone is blind and toothless. The devil is up
to his old tricks. The devil and the politically correct culture of the secular
world will indoctrinate us to adopt the victim mentality. The world
teaches us to say to Christians who speak biblical truth, “you hurt my
feelings. I’ll sue you for intentional infliction of emotional
distress. You’ve infringed on my right to the pursuit of happiness.” In
the world of political correctness, we’re in for a rude awakening. But Jesus
said, “blessed are they when men shall
revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for
my sake….for great is your reward in heaven.”
Hebrews 10:31-33 “It is
a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to
remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a
great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both
by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them
that were so used.”
You can’t have a testimony without a test. A
gazingstock is an example held up so that others can see what God has done. The
Greek word translated “gazing stock” (theatrizō) means to be made a spectacle of ... to be brought
before the theater. Many of those whom God has made a spectacle of in the
theater of life have given their lives as gladiators in the arena for Jesus
Christ.
Let's continue Michael's message on remarkable men and women in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment