Is Your Name Known In Hell?

-Bill Petite

Being a Christian is more than going to Church once or twice a week. Being a Christian involves working for Jesus and contributing to the building of His kingdom. It involves serving others and doing some things others don't want to do. Who cleans the bathrooms at the Church building? Who does the cleaning or takes out the trash? Who takes care of the landscape and the lawn or who removes the snow and cleans up after a storm? Well, unless you attend a super mega-church that contracts this stuff out, those attendees who volunteer do all this. In my opinion, a mega-church who contracts this stuff out is neglecting an opportunity for some to serve but that is a topic for another time. Being a Christian means working in God's service; we teach/preach, teach Sunday School, counsel, evangelize, plant churches, serve in the mission field, serve in music/worship ministry, work in para-church organizations and so much more. When we were saved, there was a burning in our hearts to serve Jesus and tell others about Him. But, for some, a time comes when that flame becomes a flicker and the desire to be involved in His work has weakened. We must be careful not to allow this to take over our Christian lives. If and when it might happen to a Christian, it is a slow process, not an overnight thing. The Christian who has moved a certain distance from Jesus doesn't wake up one morning and decide he/she will slow down in this work or move away from this work or loose their desire to serve God. It is very subtle and it happens to many Christians and most of the time, if not all the time, something else has moved in and crowded the desire to do the work for Jesus and it begins to play a bigger role in the life of a Christian than Jesus. The work which had been done is now a thing of the past and instead of taking three steps forward for Jesus and being knocked back one by the enemy, the Christian is now taking one step forward for Jesus and being knocked back two! This is loosing ground, operating in the red and slowly the person is moved farther away. This is one example of how a Christian becomes absolutely harmless to the enemy. This Christian, who once was a ball of fire in the Lord's work, is now barely a spark. The enemy laughs because he knows there is no threat concerning this person. This Christian isn't telling anyone about Jesus anymore, there is no steps forward for Jesus anymore and there is no threat whatsoever to the enemy! This once on fire Christian is no longer known in hell as a threat to the enemy's tactics against the Church.
If you are a Christian, is your name known in Hell? When I was a very new Christian, I was always told the people who the devil worries about are the big name pastors and evangelists like Billy and Franklin Graham, Greg Laurie, James McDonald, John Piper and many others. But I believe that any Christian who is doing a sincere, devoted and committed work for Jesus is known by the enemy. A Christian doesn't have to be a big name mega-church pastor or a world renown evangelist to make the target list of the enemy. I believe we are going to meet people in heaven who did so much more work for Jesus than the biggest name Christian we have ever heard of. There are Christians, today, doing such a mighty work for Jesus and causing so much damage to the enemy. We will never know these people until we meet them in heaven and then it won't matter who was the most popular Christian worker. This world has had somewhat of an affect on the Church causing some to be made celebrities and placed in the spot light or on platforms. This is a man thing (not speaking about gender), a need to be important, in the light or being a celebrity. Jesus gave us the best example; serve the people and move on to the next work. Don't hang around for the award ceremony. There are plenty more people who need the spiritual healing of the Lord. We should never allow ourselves to believe we are not receiving our due after we have completed a work for Jesus. Just move on to the next project He has for us!
When we do this, and continue to share our testimony, witness to the unsaved, teach Bible studies, Sunday sermons or whatever He has for us, we are making a name for ourselves in hell! Check out the follow Bible passage from Acts:

 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”  Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”  Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.  Acts 19:13-16  NLT*

These guys thought they could simply use the name Jesus and the evil spirit would obey. But they were like a guy going to a shootout without ammo in his gun. The evil spirit did not fear these guys, they did not have the Holy Spirit residing within them or didn't have Jesus with them. They were nothing but weak human beings and the demon had nothing to fear! But, what did he tell them? He knew Jesus and Paul; both Jesus and Paul were known in Hell! Of course Jesus is known in hell, He is God. Paul was known in hell for the work he was doing for Jesus and in the name of Jesus. When Paul and any other Spirit filled Christian went to work, they were/are able to accomplish the task because Jesus was/is with them. They are known by the demons of Hell! Don't be fooled by believing the work you are doing for Jesus is just some minor thing or something so small that it is not that important! If all you have done in the previous 10 minutes is mention Jesus to someone, you have done a mighty work against the enemy!
Here is what the enemy loves: He loves Christians who are dormant, stale and never say anything to others concerning Jesus and His Church. You might be wondering how that could be. Well, the sad truth is there are many Christians today who never talk about Jesus; they are saved, go to Church once or twice a week but never really have grown spiritually and don't have any desire to share Jesus with anyone. That's one example but there is another and he really loves this one. It is the person who thinks they are saved and they go through all the motions. They attend Church (probably a more toned down version, not too Spiritually healthy), they get involved in activities and possibly even hold board positions. They never tell anyone about Jesus because they don't really know Him or have a relationship with Him. They will talk about the Church they attend but never in a Spiritual sense. They might even invite someone to attend their Church but it is always the Church that is emphasized and never Jesus. Satan loves these people because they are trapped by the thinking of themselves as Christians when they are nothing more than someone who attends a Church service every week. They never do anything to further the building of the kingdom. If they attempted to ever drive out a demon, it would have the same results as the seven sons of Sceva. Their names are not known in Hell for any work for Jesus; they names would only be known as soon to be residents. That sounds harsh but the fact is if a person dies without knowing Jesus as Lord and savior, Hell is their final destination and the Bible is full of warnings about this.

 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’  Matt 7:21-23

Another passage which paints a better picture of this is Matthew 25:31-46. It actually portrays the situations I mentioned above concerning people who only think they are saved but are not. Satan will never bother these people because they are right where he wants them to be. They will never do any work which might prove to be harmful to his agenda. And if they ever did, it is possible they might receive the same treatment as the seven sons of Sceva. F.B. Meyer had a humorous thought concerning these people or the seven sons of Sceva.

"When the sons of Sceva started on the demon, he turned on them and said, 'You little dwarfs, you Lilliputians (a very small person), who are you? I have never heard about you before; your name has never been talked about down in Hell. No one knows you, nor about you....." He goes on to say, "Yes, and there is a question that was put to me today: Does anyone know of me down in Hell? Do the devils know about us? Are they frightened by us? Or do they turn upon us?"  -Bible Believers Commentary, William MacDonald, p. 1644

Is your name known in Hell? Are you a Christian who is doing the work of God and causing misery for the enemy? Or, are you someone who really doesn't care about the work of God or maybe you don't even want to hear about Jesus. He's not in your life and that fact doesn't matter to you. If so, you will never be a threat to Satan because you are right where he wants you. He will never bother you in any way and risk moving you close to salvation. If you are a Christian who is not doing a work for Jesus, you too will never be a threat to the enemy. Your salvation is the biggest thorn in his side but not a threat. Here is some advice, get to work. Start doing anything which will help build the kingdom. Tell others about Jesus, share you testimony and what He has done for us. Get started and see what a blessing it is to be a part of His work. If you are someone who just believes you are saved but you have never accepted Jesus as your savior, start a relationship with Him now. Don't delay any longer. Ask Him to forgive you for your sin and acknowledge Him as Lord of your life. You will be a new creation in Him, a new life and will have that desire to start working for Him and have your name known in Hell as one who is a hazard to the work of the enemy!

*All scripture reference is NLT

Taking Jesus Serious

-Bill Petite

We live in a society were most people (the unsaved) don't take Jesus serious. Those who are not Christians believe Jesus was just a man or some fictional character created by the men who wrote the Bible. Most Atheists really believe this to be true; some might believe He was a man who walked the earth at one time, had a following and was dramatized as a god. Many people in this world don't buy into God, Jesus or any god other than themselves and most don't want bothered with the Jesus fairy tales. Have you ever tried to talk to someone like this about Jesus? It is amazing. They simply don't want to hear anything about Him and they will not hesitate to tell you so. We can't force Jesus on anyone; if they don't want to listen, we need to move on. There is a scripture in the gospel of Matthew concerning this,

 Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.  MT 6:7  NLT*

When we continue to tell someone about Jesus who really doesn't want to hear it, we are giving the gospel to someone who wants nothing to do with it and will begin to trash it and walk all over it. The person will begin to attack the gospel, turning on the one attempting to share and it can get ugly. So, when a person says no and doesn't want to hear anymore, don't cast those pearls to the swine and give the person the opportunity to harden their heart any more than it might already be. There is always a possibility of another occasion which they will be more willing to hear. We need to take Jesus serious in every area of life.
I love reading the gospels; I love reading those passages where Jesus speaks, the accounts of His working and His teaching. I love those passages where He tells the Pharisees how far off the mark they are, how legalistic they are and that He truly is the messiah. These  passages describe the authority of His teachings, instructions and warnings. Do we take these passages and His words serious when we read them? Do we grasp the importance of what He says to us in the gospels? We need to understand that these are not just some words in a book to be read when we get time. We must know how much Jesus loves us and understand the truth and meaning behind everything He says to us in these words, in this book! In John 17, He prays for us, those of us who are Christians today, right now. Read that chapter slowing and understand and grasp the love in those words. After Jesus prayed for Himself and His disciples, He then prayed for all Christians,

 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. JN 17:20-21

Can you sense the fact that this is personal? When you pray for a friend or family member, that is personal and sincerely out of love. That is the same thing here. I remember the first time that sunk in as I was reading it; Jesus, the Son of God, is praying for me! Are we taking Jesus serious?
The Apostle Paul committed his entire life to serving Jesus. After he was saved, he immediately began to teach the gospel and never looked back. As a missionary/church planter, he suffered some terrible persecution. It didn't stop him or slow him down. I can't admire and respect his work enough and sometimes wonder why I can't even have a fraction of the faith and commitment he had. I pray at times that Jesus would give me just a small portion of the faith and commitment Paul had in his work for Jesus. He is one of the best examples of taking Jesus serious. Can you imagine the work we could do if we were as committed as Paul was? I know there are some Christians in this world who are and they too are suffering for the work they are doing but they will not stop or slow down. When they are thrown into prison for this work, it doesn't stop. They continue that work behind the walls of the prison. I know there are super faithful and committed Christians in this world but what if there were more? I put this question to me first and then to anyone reading this post. I don't want this writing to sound as if I have arrived at the finish line of God's work and there is nothing else for me to accomplish for Him. I am very far from it! I pose these questions only in the hope of getting more Christians to think, consider and act upon what Jesus has said to us in the gospels and other parts of His word.
I was teaching last week and used the reference of Jesus sending out the 70 disciples. The Lord put it on my heart to emphasize the fact that He has given us authority to do His work, but also the most important thing concerning our salvation. I want to place that passage here for the purpose of context concerning the authority He has given us.

 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!  Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.  But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”                      LK 10:17-20 

Jesus told these disciples that they should rejoice most concerning the fact that their names are recorded in heaven! We should not go about boasting and bragging about the work we are doing for Him as if we are the power behind it. Jesus has given the authority over the enemy to us but when and if we distort that by testing the Lord, we are in for a fall. That is pride, not faith. When we take Jesus serious concerning the authority over the enemy, we need to be wise enough to know we are to yield to the Holy Spirit in those situations and not our own power. Concerning this passage, William MacDonald says in his Believers Bible Commentary,

It is as if He were saying, "Yes, you are quite heady because even the demons have been subjected to you. But just remember, pride is the parent sin. It was pride that resulted in the fall of Lucifer, and in his being cast out of heaven. See that you avoid this peril."          William MacDonald, Believers Bible Commentary, p. 1409

The passage in Proverbs tell us that pride goes before the fall. We must be careful as we go about doing God's work for Him. I have witnessed many who have attempted to steal the show from Jesus and suffered the consequences.
Finally, and probably most important, love. The love which Jesus displayed for us by dying on the cross, dying in our place, for our sin is the ultimate display of love. We know this, or we should, and we need to fully and completely understand what Jesus means when He tells us the following in His word,

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  JN 13:34-35 

We are to love each other as He loved us. Now, I am going to admit right here, right now, I fall short of this far too many times. There are times when I am just self involved and miss it, blow it and feel the conviction. Think, consider what He is saying. Love each other as He loves us! This means not to only love your friends but also your enemies. Your enemies! Can you love that one person who simply drives you crazy or the one who treats you like you are lower than dirt? How about the one who is always super mean to you? Yes, that is what Jesus is telling us to do. So, are you now ready to take Jesus serious? I worked in the same office with a young woman who was excited about reading the Bible and getting to know more about God. She asked me if her and her soon to be husband would be married in heaven and when I told her there is no marriage in heaven, she freaked out! She just could not accept that. She had to be married in heaven. When I explained the fact that they would be both be in heaven if saved, that simply was not good enough and didn't want to hear anymore about it. She was not ready to take Jesus serious. We cannot afford to make that same mistake. When we go to Church to worship, consider what the words to the song or hymn you are singing are saying. Do you understand what you are singing? Consider what the pastor is saying as he teaches from God's word. Do you understand what it means? If you don't, then talk to him or another leader in the Church or a mature Christian. We must take Jesus serious or we are simply going through the motions. If a person is not saved, going through the motions will not get them saved! If you haven't done so yet, start taking Jesus serious.

*All scripture NLT








 

The Love We Have For Others

-Bill Petite

The world we live in, that system known as the world, is a me first world; people will always think of themselves before others. When I say this, I mean the majority of the people. Allow me to give you a couple examples. Today, my wife and I were in a grocery store at the deli counter. As we approached the counter, a woman with a small child raced up in front of us. That didn't bother me because I know how this society acts in the me first mode. We were willing to wait our turn. Then a second woman came to the counter right after us and it was apparent they knew each other because before the woman behind the counter to take her order, she and her friend were going at like two school girls, babbling on and on. The woman behind the counter had said, "Next!" twice but she could not be heard over these two 30 something women acting like 15 year olds. I knew it wasn't right to simply let them ramble on, since she was in front of us, but I was tempted to just give my order to the woman. As I was about to interrupt them, she finally heard the woman say again, "Next!" Now, I was irritated by the scene they had created but I wasn't going to let in get to me. Well, that was all good but when the woman behind the counter finished with the first customer and said ,"Next", her friend jumped right ahead of us and gave her order! Was she aware she wasn't next? Absolutely not!! How could she since as far as she was concerned, her and her friend were the only two people in the world at that instant. I did the only smart thing I could do; I walked away. I walked away because if I had not, I would have given the woman a tongue lashing which would made her extremely angry and would have blew my Christian witness and any display of love I might have for anyone. I told my wife we would go to another store and get what we needed since it was apparent the woman working the counter had ignored us also. So, to the other store we go where people are in such a hurry I was almost ran over twice by grocery carts. I was beginning to wonder if I had a target on my back. But, I stayed cool and refused to allow it to get to me. It wasn't as easy as I have made it sound.
How can we show the world God's love for them if we react to these situations in an adverse manner? Here is what Jesus told His disciples in John 13:34-35:

 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  NLT*

How will those who are not saved see the love of Jesus for them if we don't allow them to see it? We should be looking for ways to show His love to others when we are in public. It is the best way for people who aren't saved to see Jesus! We should be ready to help those who are elderly, those who are disabled in any way and those who simply cannot help themselves. There will always be those times when we are in a hurry but we should never be so self involved that we fail to notice the needs of others. It is the little things. It doesn't have to be major accomplishments. I saw a WW II vet in the store last week and I always try to talk with those guys when I see them. His eyes locked on to mine as I came down the isle and I saw the WW II hat he was wearing and I knew I had to stop and talk to him. I explained that to him and that I was a Viet Nam vet. It was a brief talk because the store was really crowded but I could see the look on his face saying how happy he was that anyone would stop and take a few minutes with him. I don't bring this up because I did it, I simply use it as an example.
Let me show you the other side of this. I was in Southern California visiting family and friends some years ago. We were in a restaurant following a mid-week Church service. As we were waiting to be served, another local pastor was seated not far from our table. His order was brought to him and immediately he jumped to his feet and began to verbally abuse the waitress concerning his food. He was yelling at her about his food being cold and how long he had watched it sit at the pick-up counter. Briefly, I was embarrassed; embarrassed that this pastor, representing the Christian faith, had acted in this inexcusable manner. There was a young man, in his teens, seated at the table with this pastor and I couldn't help thinking of what this type of influence would have on him. After the brief time of embarrassment, I mean really brief, I became very angry. This was righteous anger and I was just about to get up and approach him when a senior pastor friend of mine cautioned me of the consequences for everyone at the table with us. Better judgment ruled and I stayed seated but my anger was very slow to subside. I felt so bad for that waitress who was working without any help and she just stood there mortified and embarrassed by this poor excuse for a Christian pastor (I say this because of knowledge of other areas of his life and attitudes).
How could that man ever come back into that restaurant and share Jesus with anyone? Who would be willing to listen to him? We cannot act this way as Christians; we cannot treat others with this type of hostility and then expect them to listen to our testimony. I remember what I was like before I was saved and I would have probably dropped that dish right at his feet as he handed it back to me with that attitude. But, on the other hand, if I was a Christian and did that to an angry customer, I would never be able to share Jesus with them. I recently read a book in which the author shared comments by a friend of his who is in the restaurant business. His friend expressed that Sunday lunch is his worst meal of the week because that is when all the Church people come in. They are rude to the servers and leave skimpy tips. Along with a very skimpy tips are those phony 100 dollar bill tracts which attempt to tell people about Jesus while denouncing the excessive need for money! This is so insulting to those who work in this industry. They really depend on tips for their salary. In the state where I live, the waitress gets an hourly wage of $2.85. So, the tips are what make up the difference and when a table receives a bill of $100-$150 and the tip is $5, that is an insult and a cheap shot to these people. My daughter-in-law works in this industry and I know from her experiences how rude and cheap all people can be let alone Christians. The idea of leaving any tract with the skimpy tip is, as the world always says, hypocritical!!
Christians, we know how the world sees each other. We know and understand how they scratch and bite and fight to be at the top or at the front of the line or in the shining light of importance. We should never allow this attitude to enter into our lives. We should never find ourselves competing with the ways of this world. The work place is another important place to allow those unsaved souls to see Jesus shining through us. We have many opportunities to allow Jesus to be seen in our lives in the work place and we should take advantage of it. Don't allow the job to push Jesus aside; with Jesus we can do our job so much better. I know there are many who just hate their job but, as a Christian, did you ever stop and consider this is where Jesus wants you? The work place is a mission field so take advantage of it. The Lord will always open doors for us to share Him on or at the job site. Don't let this world intimidate you regardless where you are. He is with you always and He will pave the way for us to do His work. Remember this from 1 JN. 5:4-5,

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.  And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

That is really comforting to know; we should all be overjoyed by the fact that we belong to Jesus and He has paid the price for our sin and has given us eternal life with Him. He will always be with us, provide for us and will be faithful even when we are not! We gain nothing by living as the world does, by treating others as the world does and by living for this world. We gain everything and more by allowing Jesus to work in and through our lives in this world. Remember what John said in 1 JN 4:4, "....the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world."

*All scripture is from the New Living Translation

Compromising Your Faith

This post originally published at www.modernchristianliving.com                 -Bill Petite


Compromising your faith is something we could catch ourselves in the middle of at any time during our routine day. That's OK, as long as we recognize it and back out of whatever

situation we find ourselves in at the time. There are always going to be those times when we get caught up in a situation or we find ourselves in a conversation we need to get out of or any other number of ways in which the devil will attempt to trip us up. The important thing to remember is, when we recognize it, get out! It is too easy, in this world today, to get into a compromising situation. If we are walking close to God, it will be like a flashing neon sign and easy for us to recognize. Regardless where it is, people will attempt to drag us into their worldly schemes and activities; we must be aware that the enemy of our souls is a very slick character and wants to cause us as much harm as possible. The Bible tells us about this very thing,

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.          1 Pet. 5:8   NLT   www.biblegateway.com

There will be those times when a Christian will know right away that the situation is a compromise to their faith. There might be pressure applied by friends to take part; maybe these friends are other Christians or maybe they are not. For the non-Christian friends who attempt to drag us into their worldly activities, it is a great time to witness to them by explaining why we cannot participate. There will probably be some intimidation, mocking and an attempt to pressure us into taking part. But when we make our stand and stand fast on our Christian ethics and morals that alone will be a witness. If we give in to the pressure, we compromise our faith and send the message to these unsaved people that it is alright to take part in these types of activity or they might get the impression that this Christianity stuff is nothing more than a front which we use to make ourselves look better than the rest of the world. Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ; He is our Lord and savior and the truth is, we are living a better life than the rest of the world, a life in which we have eternity in heaven with Jesus to look forward to, but we don't use that as a tool to rub in the faces of those who are not saved. We use it to encourage them to consider who Jesus really is and allow them to see what He has done in our lives. There is no greater testimony than what Jesus has done in each one of us. If our unsaved friends have been around us before we were saved, they see that testimony every time they are with us. But, if we are witnessing to them, telling them how Jesus has changed our lives and we give in to the pressure to take part in something we know is wrong, we have destroyed our testimony and compromised our faith. If these friends are Christians and they are trying to talk us into taking part in a compromising situation, then when we recognize it, we need to lovingly explain to them what the situation represents and how wrong it is to take part in it. This could be an opportunity to encourage this Christian in his/her faith; this person may be a new Christian and this would present the opportunity to help the person, being newer in the faith.

Working in the secular work place is a good example of being challenged on a continual basis to compromise our faith. Many will stretch that break or that lunch or slip out before quitting time. I had a man tell me a few years ago that he was caught leaving work ten minutes early on a certain day. The supervisor told him if he was going to leave early, leave two hours early. The supervisor told him by leaving two hours early, anyone who saw him leaving would assume he had approval, but ten minutes was obvious that he was simply trying to get a head start. He told me he took that advice and got away with it for two years! I guess I have to tell you the one thing that makes this account stand out; he is a Christian. Now, he wasn't the only guilty party here. The supervisor who instructed him to do this (this was not his supervisor) was also guilty and encouraged him. This could be tempting but, I would always be looking over my shoulder because I know that is wrong and I would be waiting for Jesus to lower the boom on me in one way or another. I have heard Christians asking why people who are not Christians can get away with doing or not doing certain things. I believe that when we accept Jesus as our savior and enter into His grace and are a part of the family of God, we are then expected to live by His rules.  We grow in our faith and spirituality and we have the desire in our hearts to live that way. But, Jesus still wants us to live that way and when we compromise that standard of living, the Holy Spirit is going to convict us. So, why do the non-Christians get away with certain things? They are not living according to the same set of rules we are. They are living according to the standards of the world.  Job, when questioning God, asked something similar, concerning the world getting ahead while the faithful suffer,

Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power?  Job 21:7   NKJV

Our best example to follow is Jesus. He has given us our manual for living, the Bible. We should not be concerned with living by the standards set forth by the world. We are to be holy; that means to be set apart and in this case, set apart from the world in the way we live. I'm not the best person to be advising this because I have as many hang ups as the next person. But, there are none of us who are perfect in the flesh. We have, however, received the Holy Spirit who lives within us and will give us the spiritual guidance we need, if we allow Him. With that in mind, why then do we make our lives so complicated by trying to live a double standard? I know Christians who want to get as close to that invisible line which separates us from the world. They don't really want to cross over but they love living on the line. This is a dangerous lifestyle; a Christian could at any time compromise his/her faith. When a Christian lives on the line, that person becomes numb to the effect of evil in the world and before they know it, they are more than willing to cross that line. I know this because I have been there and Jesus didn't throw a life line, He grabbed hold of me and jerked me back. To me, this reaffirmed the love He has for me. He could have easily allowed me to cross over and enter into that world of evil compromise. The good news is, He will do that for any one of His people. He paid the ultimate price for us and He will not allow us to go wandering off.

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.                               MT. 18:11-14   NLT

So, even if a Christian does find himself in a compromising situation, you can be sure that Jesus, by His Holy Spirit will come looking for you. This is so reassuring to know that we have a savior who loves us so much, He will come after us when we get lost, He will forgive us and cleanse us and set us on the right path of life, with Him, again.

There will also be those times when we will have to make a stand for what we know is right and know the worldly consequences will also be difficult to deal with. As Christians, we do have those standards which we live by, or should be living by. When the world asks us to break that standard of living and do things their way, we have to decide what we are going to do. The world is very good at applying the pressure and that is because they have the ruler of this world, Satan, encouraging them and advising them in ways to create these schemes. Most, if not almost all those in the world, who are not saved don't even realize it is Satan behind their agenda and that is the way the devil wants it. He loves it when people don't believe he exists because it allows him to operate in total incognito. We need to be close to the Lord in our daily walk through this life. It is really easy to be tripped up when we wander too far away from Jesus and then we are a prime target for compromise. But, when we make our stand for Jesus, we can be sure the world will come after us. I'm sure most reading this have heard about the couple who was forced to close their bakery in Oregon because they declined a request by a lesbian couple to bake a wedding cake for them. The husband and wife, who owned the bakery, knew in their heart that this would be a compromise of their faith and what they believe the Bible teaches, so they refused to compromise. That is making a stand! It cost them their livelihood; they were forced out of business by the gay agenda in that community through a campaign which rivaled any mob or mafia organization! One woman who supported the lesbian couple made a statement that she wished them the best but she was glad they were forced to close their business down. That is a contradiction of terms if I ever heard any. But that is the way of the world. “Sorry about your bad luck but you deserved it!" The following is just one of the hateful responses they received as a result of their decision.

"You stupid bible thumping, hypocritical b****. I hope your kids get really, really, sick and you go out of business," noted the advocates in one vulgar email.   

http://www.christianpost.com/news/gay-advocates-get-wish-as-christian-bakers-who-refused-to-bake-cake-for-lesbian-couple-forced-to-close-shop-103610/

Heartless, intolerant people asking for tolerance! If you are thinking about compromising your faith, this is the type of people you will be dealing with! We live according to the standard set forth by Jesus in His word and the world hates it. In the eyes of the world, we are narrow minded fools. We have even been referred to recently as monsters! Monsters? Who is behind this? If you know what the Bible teaches, you know this is a direct quote from the devil himself by way of the human he has spoken it through! This couple had to make a decision and they knew if they baked this cake, it would say loud and clear they support what this lesbian couple is involved in. They don't support same sex marriage and therefore decided not to make the cake. It cost them their business but that decision will last for all eternity, the business would have been burnt up with the other things of this world. (1 Pet 3:12)

In response to what has happened the wife had this to say,

"I am who I am and I want to live my life the way I want to live my life. I choose to serve God and I believe in the Bible. And I believe what it says and I want to live by that," said Melissa.  "I don't want to shove it down anyone else's throat or anything like that," she added. "I would hope to have the same respect, you know, that things don't have to be shoved on me and force me to do something I don't want to do." 

http://www.christianpost.com/news/gay-activists-used-mafia-tactics-to-shut-down-bakery-says-christian-couple-103744/

So, there may come a time in our Christian life when we will have to make a decision to compromise our faith or make a stand for Jesus and what we truly believe in. I have had small challenges, small in comparison to what this couple in Oregon experienced. But what will we do when this challenge comes to us? Will we stand or will we compromise and say, "It's only a cake, what's the big deal?" The big deal is what does the cake represent?  Regardless of the challenge, if we recognize the attempt to get us to compromise our faith and damage our witness, we then can easily make the decision which is right. We must refuse or decline to be a part of the worldly activity which would represent that which stands in opposition to God's word and our Christian belief and ethic. We can never let our guard down because the enemy is on the prowl and he is looking for someone to destroy. Compromising our faith is not an option in our Christian life.

 

 

What Does The World See In A Christian

                                                                                                                                   -Bill Petite
There are a lot of things and events happening in this world we live in. Some of those things are detrimental to our morals and values as Christians. How do we manage our opinions or statements concerning these topics when asked? Do we harshly criticize and come across as a bully? Or do we make comments which lead the world to believe we think we are better than them? One of the most recent hot topics which the Church has had to deal with is Gay marriage, Gays ordained in certain denominations and the topic of Gays in general. How do you answer when asked about Gay marriage or the Gay lifestyle in general? Is there a demeaning response that carries the idea of hate? I only ask about the hate thing because a large portion of the world thinks we, Christians, all hate all Gays. We are considered bigots because we don't share their same ideas concerning this lifestyle. Is this lifestyle Biblical? Or is it anti-Biblical. The Bible is clear in many passages that the Gay lifestyle is not approved of by God. (Rom. 1:24-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Lev 18:22) Now, if you are Gay and decide you don't care what the Bible says, that's your prerogative. It doesn't excuse you of this sinful lifestyle but it's your life and it is only between you and God and if you choose not to recognize God, your on your own; and there will be consequences. But, the general consensus of the world is that we Christians hate anyone who is Gay. Christians are seen as hateful, hypocritical and bigots. Why are Christians looked at with these opinions? Because far too many Christians act this way.

Back in the '80s and '90s when Christians were handcuffing themselves to the front doors of abortion clinics and making physical threats to those who would attempt to enter, what do you think the world was thinking? Yes, they thought Christians were all like this and they are a bunch of radical, narrow minded hatemongers. How can you not understand why they felt that way when a doctor was gunned down attempting to get into the clinic where he worked? It only takes a small number of people to act in one way for the world to get an impression and think of the whole group in the same manner. Recently we witnessed the tragedies in Ferguson, MO and saw all the riots. Did that give you the impression that everyone who lived there was like that? It did for a lot of people. How many saw those who were trying to stop the violence or clean up the mess? Not many and the media is mostly responsible for this but it still led many to have the wrong impression concerning the people who live there. A small group from that area took advantage of the situation to support their own agenda. The situation is the same in the Church today.

When the world sees Christians saying negative things about a worldly agenda, the world automatically thinks every Christian on the planet is just like that. In my opinion, there are far too many Christians dabbling in worldly problems which we should have no part of. Politics is one that makes Christians look like a bunch of buffoons. I don't have issues with Christians running for public office; it is the Christians who want to be a talking head about the political situations. A pastor attempts to jump into the limelight by making a comment concerning a candidate or an issue and is simply made a fool of because he has made himself to look like a fool. Well, the whole world sees the entire Church in this same light. I can't find any place, no place at all, in the Bible where Jesus stepped into a political situation or made comments concerning politics at all. No place did Jesus engage in the politics or governmental workings of this world during His 3 years of ministry on this planet. Churches opening the Sunday morning service to engage in political agenda and issues. What passage of the Bible does this stuff come from and what do you think God is feeling or thinking while this takes place. And, while this goes on, the world sees the Church as a bunch of hypocrites and liars and again, buffoons.

When Christians go to Church or to a worship service, how do they act when they depart? Now, remember, not every Christian is like this and I firmly believe there are more Christians living a devout, holy life than those who aren't. But, remember, it only takes a small amount to make the whole group look bad. Yeast is referred to many times as a symbol for sin. Anyone who knows anything about yeast knows a small amount will spread throughout the dough. It is the same with sin. But, the point here is that it only takes a small number of Christians to leave Church service and live like the world, to make the whole Church look the same. The world doesn't know Jesus, they don't know the Church. They think they do and therefore they draw their own opinions. The world sees the Church as a bunch of hypocrites because they see a few people acting like they are not saved. So, how does the world see us if they witness a Christian they know out there partying and acting like the world? What does the world think when they see a Christian they know cheating on his wife? What does the world think of Christians when a Christian they know is caught with an illegal substance? It is obvious; they think we are a bunch of hypocrites!

The Christian life is about a transformed life, a renewed life. It's about doing a 180 degree turn from our life of sin; it's about repenting and allowing Jesus to change our lives.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.   2 Cor. 5:17

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Rom 12:2

We don't think like the world any longer. We think like a Christian who follows Jesus is supposed to think. One who reads and studies God's word, one who seeks to live a holy life, not the life of the world.

 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”  1 Pet. 1:15-16  

Don't live like the world if you are a Christian; anyone who lives in any of the worldly ways which have been mentioned in this writing will never be able to convince anybody to consider Jesus as their savior. They will only see what they have been allowed to see and it is not Jesus! The world has to see Jesus living in us; it has to see what Jesus is doing in our lives. It is easy to go into Church service on Sunday morning, check the box and say you were there and met your commitment for the week. But, ask yourself, "Is this really all that Jesus has for me. Is this all I want from Jesus, just fire insurance?" Jesus is more than that to us and for us. He gave His life so we could have life! It's not about being seen in the building once a week, it's about serving Him and His people. Allow the world to see Jesus in you, not the world. They can see the ways of the world anywhere, but they have to see Jesus in each and every Christian.