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Friday, March 19, 2010

Courageous Words

One day, recently, on the playground, Landon said to a "little competitor" these words-"Hey, my sister plays basketball and I'm GONNA take karate!!"  Sounds rather menacing, right? Well, it must have been to his nemesis on that particular day, because he went away. Grandanny and I had a good laugh as we have many times over the years at the funny and unpredictable words that came forth from Mark and Amy and now, our grandchildren. When they are between the ages of 2-4, it just doesn't get any better. We admired Landon's courage even   though the reasoning wasn't very good.

 As I dealt with a negative aspect of our words last time, the cruel and cutting things we can say, today, I want to see how we can positively use that little member in our mouths to benefit others and to glorify God, which is our reason to be here on Planet Earth.

Have you noticed, Christian friend, as I have observed recently, that freedom of speech seems to apply to everyone today except the Christian? Case in point, - recently Brit Hume, a news journalist whom I have admired from a distance for awhile now for his intelligence, his fairness, and seeming respectful way that he deals with people, was asked to speak about the Tiger Woods scandal. Mr. Hume remarked that he would hope Tiger would find forgiveness, redemption, and restoration in Jesus Christ. I had heard that Mr. Hume was a Christian but I must admit, I was pleasingly surprised that he answered this way in front of millions of viewers, in American and abroad. I was not so surprised in a short 12 hours, on the morning news shows , that his simple statement about his faith had erupted into a firestorm, some calling for an apology, because "after all, Tiger Woods is a practicing Buddhist."

I just ask, I am just wondering, if Brit Hume had suggested that the teachings of Confucius, maybe yoga and meditation, maybe any other religious leader might help the great golfer get back on track, would there have been such an outcry?   "Oh,", they say, " he was proselytizing!" Pray tell, what is that all about? I just looked in a very old Webster's and it said one word  "convert."  When did that become so offensive that we cannot try to convince others that what Jesus did for us, He will do for them? Now, I totally agree that Christianity can't be forced on anyone. That would do no one any good. We certainly don't believe that those who don't believe our Book should be killed, no , no, we love and pray for those. But, Believer, withholding the Answer, the Way, the Truth, the Life, as Jesus Himself described Himself, is like a doctor knowing for a surety that he has the cure for all cancer but he decides to keep it under lock and key. Only, not telling others about Jesus is a million times worse because the doctor has a temporary physical cure while we are dealing with eternal issues.  Yes, eternity is at stake here!!

In the last blog, I asked "why does the world hate Sarah Palin and others like her who just seem to want to do what is right?"  Today, my thought is why are most peoples' voices heard and even respected today, from pro abortion, pro gay right, pro criminals and even terrorists' rights, understanding for child molesters, but "let's see what we can do about silencing those backwoods, ignorant, Bible-totin' Christians? "Jesus told us in John 15:18-19 -" If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you." In John 7:7, He explained that they hated Him because He testified of them, that their works are evil.

Today, if the world even dare bring up His name, they want to use it to prove that the loving Jesus would never condemn- He only is all about love. Well, in one way, they are right. The world is condemned on their own already outside of Christ and He hung on a cruel tree while some of the most crude, cruel, cold, and callous insults ever said were hurled at Him! And He did it because of His great love for you and me but sin was the issue on that cross- yours and mine- and the world never has and still do not want to deal with that concept. "Sin?", they ask, "you mean our hang-ups and vices, our faults, nobody's perfect, you know?"  No, none of us are but He is and our sins have separated us from God and dealing with that in our lives through the grace and mercy of  God and through forgiveness because of the blood of His Precious Son is the way back to Him. Why did He suffer there on that cross, think about this, if there was another way or if any way will do?

Dear ones, as of right now, we can still speak the truth in America without the fear of imprisonment or worse. A man and his teen daughter from my church have just returned from India- evangelizing and teaching Indian converts to Christianity how to do the same. A quote from him in an email while they were away struck me "They (the new believers) came back so excited because they had for the first time, the ability to share Jesus without fear of being arrested........Then my thoughts turned to America and how the most we had to fear would be being looked at strangely."  Poor us.

America, I believe, may be headed in the same direction as we see our rights dwindling and our government growing larger every day. All of Jesus' words are of utmost importance but some last ones He left us with are found in Matt 28, in what we have called the Great Commission. "All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and. lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  He said "go tell" and "go teach."

Now, in closing, let me be as transparent with my readers, as I can be. I had an easy time with the first blog on our words, I have always been sensitive about the "down and outer' because I knew the sting of cruel words and did not want to use that mechanism of name-calling knowing there could be lots thrown at me. BUT, with this matter of courageous words, I feel I fail miserably, at times. You may struggle with the other. I don't know but I do know this, we need to take courage and not fear what man can do. We have the Answer and we should not shy away from proclaiming the Truth, yes in love, not arrogantly, not angrily, not looking down at the ones who we are trying to reach, but loving them to Jesus!! 

Our words can be used for good and this is one way we can do that. Tell them and teach them! May God empower us to do so!!

Looking up, Deborah
     We have His power and presence and promise as we go. That is so better than having a basketball playing sister and a future in karate!  :)

1 comment:

  1. Amen, amen and amen...give us boldness Lord Jesus to tell others about you without apology!!

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