BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

(Continued)

It has always been necessary for true followers of Jesus Christ, who from the early beginnings of the church have been called Christians, to be people of courage. No more has this been so, than when facing the possibility of persecution for the faith. The Apostle Paul, who is credited with writing thirteen, or rather fourteen books, if Hebrews is included in his writings - of the New Testament of the Bible, states in 2 Timothy 3:12 that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. I was listening to a news bulletin last night on the Vision Radio Network, a Christian radio network in Australia, and heard the sobering statistics that for the past decade, around the world, something in the order of 100,000 Christians have been martyred for their faith each year. The vast majority of these would have been in non-Western countries. 

True Bible-believing disciples of Christ have to be willing to lay down their lives for Him every day, not always physically obviously, but we all have to boldly rise to the challenge of living out our lives for the glory of our Creator God in the midst of a broken and hostile world. 
The much parodied church ministers in films and on television, often shown as weak, wimpy looking individuals with their sheepish and mindless congregation members, is not a picture of the church as God intended and intends it to be. Christianity is not a religion for wimps. It requires total commitment and the self discipline of soldiers in an army, prepared for battle, or that of elite athletes training for the most prestigious sporting events, to live the life that God has called each of his disciples to live - with boldness, strength of character and true courage for the times.
If you have read my previous blog post, the first part of this current topic, you would have read about my experience in the taxi with a young Christian woman who was very bold in her witness for Jesus - and the personal challenge that brought to me to be more bold and courageous in my stand for the Lord God. Interestingly, a number of years ago, I received a prophetic word from a respected pastor, who was known for his accurate prophetic ministry - concerning an aspect of ministry the Lord was preparing me for, that I would lift up my voice with boldness, and in so doing, would get behind people's guards, and bring the healing anointing of Jesus to situations. I am believing for that to be increasingly fulfilled in my life, as I draw closer to Him, build myself up in His Word, and through prayer become stronger in faith, strength of character, and the courage to face any challenge God places in front of me.
Proverbs 28:1 says The wicked man flees though no one pursues,
                                   but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
It would be fair to say that a lion is afraid of no one, and that is how we, as Christians are meant to be, if we are walking closely with the Lord.
In Isaiah 8:11-14, the prophet says: The Lord spoke to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:
                             Do not call conspiracy
                             everything that these people call conspiracy;
                             do not fear what they fear,
                             and do not dread it.
                             The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
                             he is the one you are to fear,
                             he is the one you are to dread,
                             and he will be a sanctuary;
Regarding these just quoted verses, Rick Joyner says in his book "The Harvest" : If we have the true and holy fear of the Lord we will not fear anything else. Then He becomes our sanctuary! Then our work will be untainted by human motives or self promotion.
The apostolic commission of Paul was destined to arouse the rage and opposition of not only the religious establishment but of the entire Roman Empire. This frail human vessel charged unrelentingly into the face of the most powerful principalities and powers of his age with so little compromise or consideration for his own life that he shook those powers to their very foundations. Freedom from the fear of man and demon is a prerequisite for true ministry.
Christians, those true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who are seeking Him with their whole being, and seeking to be more like Him, will be disciples who display strength in these dangerous times, and who step out boldly with real courage as they stand for uncompromising truth and righteousness in the spirit of Love!

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

I have been driving taxis for the past eleven years in the city of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia's southern island state.

As a Christian, over the years, I have probably had many opportunities to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ by sharing something of my faith, and thereby planting seeds of the gospel in the hearts and minds of my passengers. Sadly, though, many of those opportunities I have let slip by, without saying a word. 

Recently, I picked up two adult women, a mother and her grown daughter, probably in her late twenties. As soon as we commenced the journey, the daughter asked me the pointed question: "Do you believe in God?", to which I replied in the affirmative. In a short space of time, possibly only about thirty seconds, she very succinctly stated the gospel in a nutshell, that she believed God loved the world so much that he sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the Cross in our place and for our sins, and that if we believe in Him, we will be saved and have eternal life.

I was blessed to have picked up two Christians, but also was somewhat challenged by this young woman's courage, and boldness in declaring her faith and love for the Lord. I thought that, no doubt, she had probably asked other taxi drivers the same question, and had continued to present her condensed, but accurate gospel message - and probably, at times,had been told that they did not believe, or that they were not interested.
It was easy for me to share my faith in the Lord when I was an announcer on Christian radio stations in New Zealand and in Tasmania, there being nobody physically there to challenge or ridicule my belief in the God of the Bible. From memory, in my broadcasting ministry spanning over ten years, I can only remember one person in Christchurch ringing to criticize something I had said or music I had played - and he was a man who was known to be a little "strange" in his outlook. Some may say that he was perhaps "a sausage short of a barbecue", but perhaps that would be being unkind.
The Bible says in Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
I think of my evangelist friend from New Zealand, Ray Comfort*, who was also the associate pastor of the church I attended for several years when I was working in Christchurch in the 80's.
He now heads up a far-reaching ministry based in California, USA. Ray was, and still is, a man who is very bold and courageous in his stand for Jesus publicly. He is not a tall man, so it was a common sight to see Ray every week day in the Christchurch Cathedral Square at lunchtime drawing crowds of people, as he stood on a small stepladder boldly proclaiming for all to hear the powerful message of the gospel. He had plenty of hecklers, as well as some competition from the then iconic Christchurch "Wizard", but Ray persevered over the years with boldness and courage, and saw much fruit for the kingdom of God. Even though his ministry is respected by many leaders in the Body of Christ (the Church) worldwide today, and he could easily confine himself to the safety of a television or radio studio, or a welcoming church, to proclaim his message, he still regularly witnesses to individuals face to face in the marketplace settings of southern California, where he now lives, as well as in other places. 

In the first chapter of Joshua, as we see Joshua preparing to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, their Promised Land, or the Land of Promise, the Lord says to Joshua three times in verses 6 to 9 "Be strong and courageous". The Lord admonished Joshua and the Children of Israel to give close heed to the Law, the written Word of God to them at that time, given to and through Moses. If they would be careful to observe and meditate in the Law day and night, the promise was that the Lord would be with them wherever they went, as they boldly and courageously followed Him.
We must do the same, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:10 "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might", or in His mighty power as it says in the NIV. Christians are likened to soldiers in an army. We are in a battle, and as soldiers in an earthly physical army, we, like them must be bold and very courageous as we engage in the spiritual battles for the hearts and souls of men, to see them delivered from the grasp of our arch foe, Satan. 
To be continued....................

To access Ray Comfort's extensive ministry material, go to www.wayofthemaster.com
                                                                                                  or www.livingwaters.com

The Butterfly Bush

                                          by Tessa Harvey                        

On the way into the city

A butterfly bush perches

precariously

on the rooftop corner

of a dingy tenement building.

Its small brave branches

touch blue sky.

Etching out a fragile prayer of hope.

Its roots cling to a corner of 

life-giving dirt.

I love to see it there

Tracing its beauty

Far above the traffic's roar.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV