Someone once said, "Cheating is easy. Try something more challenging... Like being faithful." The Bible gives us some great examples of ordinary people who remained faithful to God in the midst of challenging circumstances. One of these examples is Daniel. Daniel 6:10 gives us the following account of Daniel- "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." Oh, for a few Christians who will decide to serve God REGARDLESS of their circumstances!
II Timothy 2:1-2 says, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." We don't need more TALENTED people in our churches- we need a few FAITHFUL people!
The story is told that Andrew Jackson’s boyhood friends just couldn’t understand how he became a famous general and then the President of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never succeeded. One of Jackson’s friends said, “Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the pike from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now.” Another friend responded, “How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn’t they usually say three times and out?” “Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat—he would never stay ‘throwed.’ Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andrew Jackson would throw him and be the winner.”
Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”
This is a truth that people need to hear. The start of the Convention process in Cleveland this week has really put a burden on me. While grassroots people like you, your family and myself work hard to advance principles we hold to based upon the Bible and our founding documents(divinely guided, if you ask me), so many people have fallen into mischief because they know no other way than the world's way. I think this is how Satan works it. The whole picture of Satan as a ghoul is a false one. He is the shiny object in the room pulling us away from the teachings of God through the Bible. We must continue to get up after we've been knocked down because it is then that God may ymuse us to do his work and we can be a light for others.
ReplyDeleteKeep writing. It's good stuff, Mitchell.