Reflecting God :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: October 28, 2018November 8, 2018 by RR7

“A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health“ (Proverbs 13:17).

As Christians we represent Jesus. Representatives reflect on the company they work for, and people judge the company by those who represent them. For instance, a good salesman will listen to the needs of a customer and know what product he has that will best fill that need. That reflects well on the company he represents. In the political arena there are ambassadors. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines an ambassador as “An official envoy, especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.”

That sounds like an important position, and it is. Did you know that you’re an ambassador?

This world is only a temporary residence for anyone, and a Christian’s true home is in Heaven. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God“ (2 Corinthians 5:20).

While we live on this side of Heaven, we are ambassadors for our Lord in this lost and fallen world. It’s important to reflect Jesus in all we say and do. We must represent Him honestly.

When we first come to Christ, we come dragging a load of sin with us. No matter what sins you were drowning in, Jesus still died for you. He loved you then and He loves you now. All your sins are forgiven when you accept Jesus for salvation.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us“ (Romans 5:8).

You need to repent of your sin. Repent is to understand what sin is and turn away from it. Once you know you cannot save yourself from damnation and then turn your life over to Jesus, you need to change your mind about sin…ask for forgiveness.

It’s important to study Scripture to understand what sin there is in your life and turn away from it. If you intentionally hold on to a sin, then you haven’t repented. Jesus needs to be your Savior, but He also needs to be your Lord. If He is your Lord, then you submit to His rule over you. His light won’t shine through the blackness of sins you refuse to let go of. He is patient, and the Holy Spirit will keep urging you to turn from sin. The full joy of your salvation can only come when you let go of sin. Study Scripture and apply it to your life.

We’re all sinners, so how can we reflect God’s love? Studying Scripture will show us God’s way. As we study, we learn to judge our life by His standards, not human standards.

Prayer helps us to seek God’s guidance and gives us strength to resist temptation. As we grow in our understanding of God, we learn to conform our will to His. The closer we walk with Him, the more we will reflect His love and His light. The sun is a powerful source of light which God created on the fourth day of creation week. That same day, He created the moon which reflects the light of the sun. The Son of God is the light that Christians should reflect. Just as the moon reflects sunlight, Christians need to reflect Son-light. We can’t reflect His light if we choose to continue walking in darkness.

After Jesus had forgiven a woman who was taken in adultery, He told her to go and sin no more…leave the darkness of sin behind. Then He turned to the crowd. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life“ (John 8:12).

This world is a dark place filled with wickedness, and we need the Light of God’s love.

Another time when Jesus spoke to a multitude of followers, He said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid…let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven“ (Matthew 5:14 & 16).

Christians reflect the light of God into this world so that He will be glorified.

What was it that brought you to Jesus? Was it a huge building with stained glass windows? That building might draw you in out of a cold winter’s night, but it will never bring you to salvation. Salvation comes from understanding that you’re a sinner and that only the blood of Jesus can take your sin away. The only way you’ll come to know that is if an ambassador for Christ shares the Gospel with you.

“And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak“ (Ephesians 6:19-20).

Unfortunately, Christians quite often keep silent instead of speaking boldly. Why do we keep silent? One reason might be that we haven’t studied Scripture and are afraid to be asked questions we can’t answer. Another reason is that we aren’t reflecting Christ like we should. Many Christians live with one foot in the world and forget that we’re supposed to turn away from the lusts of the fallen world to follow Jesus. You cannot reflect His light if your motto is “Do as I say, not as I do”. You might also keep silent because you’re afraid of judging. If we first get the mote out of our own eye by submitting our will to Jesus, we can better see to discern God’s will in all things.

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment“ (John 7:24).

According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, the use of the word krino (translated judge) in this verse means “to form an opinion.” For example, Scripture tells us that stealing is a sin. If you see a fellow Christian shoplifting, should you ignore it? None of us are perfect, but we can use Scripture to form an opinion regarding our own actions as well as the actions of others. We cannot be a reflection of God’s love if we allow a brother or sister to continue in sin. When Jesus met a sinner, which was everyone He met, He didn’t leave them in sin. He loved everyone enough to lead them out of sin and eternal death into His love and eternal life. We need to reflect that love to others.

Scripture is clear that God is love. He IS love. Sugar is sweet, water is wet, and God is love. If we claim to be born again, we need to let it show through our actions and words.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love“ (1 John 4:7-8).

John wrote these words to believers, and says to “love one another.” If we care for fellow Christians with the love of God, then those who don’t know Jesus will see our love for each other and want to be a part of it. That’s when a door is opened to share the Gospel. Jesus commanded us to spread the Gospel throughout the world, and what better way to open doors to reaching the lost than to love our fellow Christians. Don’t get me wrong. A kind word or a bit of food could be the reflection of God’s love that draws a lost sinner to salvation.

Don’t ignore the lost, but give them the Gospel message. Do all things in the name of Jesus and for His glory.

In showing God’s love to others, don’t allow sin to diminish your witness. In other words, don’t become a thief to reach a thief. “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good“ (Romans 12:9).

It takes judgment and discernment to recognize what is evil in the sight of the Lord and to abhor it. Jesus never turned a sinner away, but He never joined in their sin. Jesus became sin for us when He sacrificed Himself on the cross, but that’s very different than sinning as an excuse to reach the lost. Jesus is our example to follow. He loved the people around Him, but He didn’t allow their sin to corrupt Him.

“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him“ (1 John 2:4).

Be vigilant over your own walk with God. We’ve all heard of pastors who seemed to be on fire for the Lord, and their congregations grew by leaps and bounds; but then sin overtakes them and they are brought down. Their sin reflects on all of Christians and mostly on our Lord. Their lusting after the riches and pleasures of this world show where their heart is. It isn’t with Jesus. Like all sinners, they can repent and find forgiveness in Jesus, but damage is done to all Christians. We need to look at our life and our actions daily to be sure that we are walking right with Jesus according to His word.

The unsaved world around us takes pleasure when a Christian fails. That shows that people are watching us. “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked“ (1 John 2:6).

Let all those around you see Christ reflected in your life.

The moon reflects sunlight. It orbits around the earth, and the earth orbits around the sun. Each day there is less light reflected as a shadow begins to cover the moon. Eventually the sun’s light is hidden. That’s how sin can block the light of Jesus from shining in us. Be vigilant over your walk with our Lord and let His light be fully reflected in your life.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

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Get On Your Knees and Fight :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: October 21, 2018November 8, 2018 by RR7

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations“ (Psalm 33:11). Satanic powers have permeated our nation. It’s time Christians turn wholeheartedly to the Lord and seek His counsel.

Brothers and sisters, there’s a crisis in America. Christians have quietly sat back and watched as our nation sinks in wickedness. Even some who claim to be Christian have participated in the evil, or at the very least condoned it. In the name of tolerance, we side with Satan. It’s been a slow process down this road of destruction, and it’s almost come to the point of no return. Almost.

The liberal agenda is out to destroy Godly values, and thus destroy our “one nation, under God.” We’ve had a long succession of presidents who weren’t working for the best interest of America and were in opposition to God. It’s hard to say when this trend started, but the liberals want to destroy the freedoms Americans have enjoyed since the Constitution was signed into law. Barack Obama was the latest.

Socialism and globalism are what the liberals desire; and anyone who opposes them is, in the words of a very pitiful woman, deplorable. It’s hard to believe that someone who was serious about being president would call the majority of the population deplorable. I used the word pitiful to describe Hillary because her sin and hatred must be eating her up. She and her husband Bill are ringleaders of the liberal agenda. Fortunately, during the last presidential election, Christians woke up.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land“ (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Those words were written to Israel, but Christians are called by His name and belong to God. We came to the realization that the liberal agenda is totally opposed to God. That’s when Christians got on our knees and prayed. After praying, we voted based on the important issues; and praise God, Hillary Clinton was defeated.

The fight isn’t over. Once again it’s time to get on our knees and fight…then vote.

Satan is the true enemy, not people. Christians need to be alert. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world“ (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Evil is on the rise throughout the world and given much positive exposure in the media. The liberals want all sins to be acceptable and oppose anyone who is against them. Let’s take a look at a recent attack.

President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill a vacancy in the Supreme Court. Mr. Kavanaugh is conservative and opposes the murder of unborn babies. The liberals feel it’s a woman’s right to kill their baby. Their tactic was to bring in a woman who claimed that decades ago, when she was an underage teenager, she chose to attend a party where alcohol was available. She put herself in danger. It seems that her foggy memory of that party involved Mr. Kavanaugh, who was a young man at the time. She said that young Mr. Kavanaugh approached her in a way she has now decided was sexual harassment.

Question: What was a teenage girl doing at that party? She seems to be the only one who remembers it.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour“ (Exodus 20:16).

Her unsupported accusations of an incident that may or may not have happened decades ago were a ploy by the liberals to keep a conservative out of the Supreme Court. This nearly destroyed the life and career of a man who has now been confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. I pray for God’s protection over him.

Not everyone is as easily manipulated as the liberals would like. Brothers and sisters, don’t be swayed by a favorite celebrity who speaks out for a particular candidate, but look at what that candidate stands for. Cast your vote for a person who supports Biblical values.

There’s a satanic attack upon America. The enemy is within our own borders and is more evil than we can imagine. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places“ (Ephesians 6:12).

There are weak-minded people who have allowed themselves to be duped by Satan and his minions. These people have had their way much too long. It’s time to fight for our rights. Our freedom of religion has been perverted to mean freedom from religion. Christianity is banned from anything having to do with government, but secular humanism (which is practiced religiously by liberals) is taught in schools. Instead of “See Spot Run” books, children read about having two daddies or two mommies to teach tolerance, but it’s unacceptable for a Bible story to be read. If you’re a Christian parent and don’t see anything wrong with this, then you need to wake up.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it“ (Proverbs 22:6).

Pray for the children. Pray for America. Pray that God will guide this coming election.

Christians have kept silent too long. The first amendment to the Constitution reads as follows: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Freedom of religion means that if you want to be a secular humanist, a Muslim, or any other religion, you’re free to practice it. I cannot violate that right. The flip side is that I have a right to love and serve Jesus openly, but liberals are trying to take away that right. Christian rights are being trampled into the ground. There’s a controversy over private business owners who refuse to make wedding cakes for the non-Christian practice of homosexual “marriage.” Christians must stand strong for the Lord in Christian love. On the other hand, large corporations like YouTube, Facebook, Google, and others are allowed to close accounts and ban videos that are not liberal in nature.

Peter and John faced a choice of keeping silent or speaking out for Jesus. They chose Jesus. “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard“ (Acts 4:18-20).

What about peaceful assembly? Just try to have a peaceful pro-life gathering or a meeting to promote a God-ordained one man/one woman marriage. The liberals will violently attack. Many of them are calling for violence against conservatives. This is a satanic mindset. Do these people have rights under the Constitution? Yes they do, but so do Conservatives. If Christians don’t get down on our knees and pray to our Lord, we’ll lose our rights. Pray, then vote for candidates who uphold the Constitution and have values that don’t mock God.

The first step in casting a wise vote is to know God’s word. Scripture is our authority, not what we “feel” that God says or means. Human beings are prone to sin. Because of that, many people try to twist Scripture to make it look as if God has changed His mind and approves the particular sin which they embrace. God never changes, so we can rest assured that Scripture hasn’t changed. We use Scripture to discern acceptable behavior. When we realize that we are sinners and need Jesus to save us from eternal death, we give our life to Him. That’s when we need to repent of our sin and allow Him to change us. Repent means to change your mind about sin.

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of this death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin“ (Romans 6:5-6).

Jesus bled and died for your salvation, so don’t treat that sacrifice lightly. In every moment of your life, you need to pray for His guidance and His help to mold your will to His. Make a commitment to base all of the choices you make on God’s word. These choices may be about friendships, jobs, or electing someone to represent you in Congress. Before making a choice, get on your knees and fight the satanic influences in your life. Prayer is your communication with God. He listens to you, and you need to listen to Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You so freely give. Too often those blessings are taken for granted. Please forgive us when we don’t say thank You. I ask You now to turn the hearts of Americans to You as we are considering how to vote in this upcoming election. You will bless us if we seek You with our whole heart. Please open the eyes of voters to the wrongs that have been taking place and guide us to vote for the person who opposes the sins that have been gripping this nation. Please turn America back to You.

You are God Almighty, the Alpha and Omega, and there is none like You. America is not our permanent home, and we are just passing through on our way to eternity with You. While we live in this temporary home, I pray that we will do all we can to honor You in all things. Please forgive us of our wicked ways. Please guide us in casting our votes in the upcoming election. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

In America, we will soon cast our vote for men and women who will determine the path that America will take. That path will lead to destruction unless Christians cast ballots against Satan’s servants. Only God can make America great again, but He won’t honor legalized sin. Get on your knees and fight…pray. After praying, get out and vote.