(Ezekiel 33:1-9)God will give you confirmation, often in a strange way, that you are right
where you need to be and doing exactly what you need to be doing! Last
Monday evening the Lord gave me a strange but powerful confirmation that the
work we are doing each day on the Liveprayer television program is
accomplishing what we want in reaching unbelievers. The Tampa Bay community
has a free weekly publication called "Creative Loafing' (formerly the Weekly
Planet), that serves the arts and nightclub communities, while dealing with
the news and social issues of our day from a liberal point of view. It also
features restaurant reviews and the back pages are used to advertise adult
businesses. Most major metropolitan areas have a similar type of a
publication.
Each year, they give out awards they call "Loafies" in a Best of the Bay
special edition (See:
http://tampahappenings.creativeloafing.com/gbase/BestOf/BestOfAwards ).
They rate everything from the best grouper sandwich to the best blues band
to the best radio announcer to the best park. They also hand out "Loafies"
to different people in the community. This year, they awarded me a "Loafie"
for the "Best Jesus Freak Gone Over the Edge." Even though there was some
light hearted humor in being named the winner, for me it was really an honor
since it is validation that we have been successful in what we have been
working to accomplish since the TV program started back in March of 2003.
All I could ever ask is that people notice what we are doing and that they
pay attention, since that means they are hearing the message!
As a follower of Christ, a servant of the most high Lord, all we have is His
message. NOTHING ELSE! Despite the illusion so many high profile men and
women of God are under, especially those who are on TV, they are not
celebrities, they are not stars, and this is not Hollywood! We are nothing
more than spokespeople for the Lord and despite how clever we may convince
ourselves into thinking we are, we only have one message that matters, THE
GOSPEL! All the rest is wood, hay, and stubble! If we are doing what we do
for ANY other reason than to serve the Lord, if we have any other message
but the Gospel, than we have totally failed God!
Listen, I see daily and have shared with you from the day we started the TV
program how effective it is. We know that each and every day from the
hundreds of emails we get and the phone calls we take on each program. I
have tens of thousands of emails from viewers telling me how God impacted
their life through the TV program. We have over 10,000 souls we know who
will be in Heaven as a direct result of the Liveprayer TV program. So I
don't need some cute award from an alternative newspaper to tell me what we
are doing is impacting lives and souls for all eternity. What that award
DOES is confirm that people who may or may not believe in God but for the
most part have rejected the Truth of the Bible and faith in Christ, notice
what we are doing and are paying attention, which means they are hearing the
message!
My friend, that is all any of us can ask. All you can ask of your unsaved
family members, neighbors, classmates, the people you work with, those you
meet along your daily journey, is that they hear your message. God gave
each person free will. We can't force anyone to believe. We can't force
anyone to give their heart and life to Jesus. We can't force anyone to live
their life according to the Bible. All we can do is share the message of
Christ's love and the Truth of God's Word and than pray for that person.
People are hearing the messages of the world loud and clear virtually every
waking moment. Even Christians are hearing the messages of the world all
throughout the day. Why do you think so many Believers fall into sin, go
the way of the world despite having placed their faith in Jesus Christ?
THEY ARE INFLUENCED BY THE MESSAGES THE WORLD IS SENDING THEM CONSTANTLY
THROUGHOUT THE DAY!
That is why we have been commanded by God to share our faith with others, to
share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why I challenge you all
the time to become more bold and not to let those opportunities we all get
each day to tell someone about Jesus pass you by. We take for granted that
people will hear the message from someone else. We take for granted that
because the person is alive today they will be alive tomorrow. THE FACT IS
GOD PUT YOU IN THEIR LIFE TO SHARE WITH THEM THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST'S LOVE
AND THEY MAY NOT BE ALIVE TOMORROW SINCE TOMORROW IS PROMISED TO NONE OF
US!!!!
Does that mean the person you share Christ with will fall on their knees and
accept the Lord by faith on the spot? They might! You will never know
until you give them that opportunity. But even if they don't, you have done
your job. You have planted the seeds of everlasting life into their heart
and mind. You have been obedient and faithful to do what God has commanded
ALL of those who follow Him to do. In the end it is up to each person to
make that choice for themselves. However, God has given those who know Him
the responsibility of sharing with those they meet along their journey each
day the words of everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ.
I love you and care about you so much. I am excited about this award
because it means we are making penetration in the marketplace. We are
boldly, visibly, and loudly making our case for Biblical Truth and Christ in
the same marketplace that is feeding the masses a steady diet of the lies of
satan literally 24/7. We stand out and are noticed because there are so few
who are taking that public stand any longer. Many view us as extremists and
intolerant since we live our lives so different from the way the world who
rejects the Bible and Christ lives theirs. We refuse to give in to the sins
this world embrace. We refuse to live down to the standards of this lost
world but live up to the standards of the Bible. So we appear as a
"peculiar people" to those outside of the faith.
The great news is that this visibility allows us to not only bring the
message of hope in Christ to so many who don't go to church, don't read the
Bible, don't believe in Jesus, but reach those who are hurting and lost and
looking for answers and hope in their life. As a follower of Christ, God is
calling YOU to be bold and visible as well in letting people know about
Jesus. My friend, those who die without Jesus are going to go to hell!
THAT IS A FACT! Knowing that fact, how can you not tell the ones you meet
about the Lord? I will be praying for you today as God moves on your heart
how critical it is that you not shy away from those opportunities to share
your faith each day, but boldly embrace them! Remember, it is an order not
an option, and it is not you they accept or reject, but Jesus!
God loves you and He knows we are frail flesh and blood. We all need to be
encouraged from time to time. We all need to some confirmation so we know
we are on the right path. God will give you that confirmation along your
journey. Often, it will come in a strange form like a "Loafie," but it will
be God saying "Well done, stay the course!"
