September 28, 2009
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Excellent Reminder!!
This devotional from Pastor Roy is so true! Read this carefully and
take to heart the thoughts here concerning HOW we share the truth with
others.
Blessings, Bee“Without a doubt, we are living in a world controlled by people who are
in open rebellion to God. Working with hard hearted people requires
that we respond to them in ways that powerfully confront them with the
love and holiness of the God we serve. When we give people eternal
truth, it’s important that we see ourselves as God sees us. We aren’t
telling people what we think, we are telling people what God thinks.
If we apologize for God’s truth as we share it, it is clear that their
rebellion is stronger than our conviction and we won’t be trusted or
believed. When God called Ezekiel to be His prophet, He equipped him
to serve effectively in that dangerous time and place. God promised
that He would make his servant stronger than his enemies and unafraid
of their rebellious reactions. God promised him conviction that would
effectively confront their rebellion.
The key to our effectiveness in sharing God’s truth is based on that
truth having it’s genuine effect on us first. God doesn’t want us
going around using his truth as a club that makes them look bad and us
look good. He wants us to wrestle with the truths He has given us as
people involved in the same cultural setting and in the same time
framework. He wants us to have come to terms with His truth at a heart
level, not just a head level. People who attack others with truth on
the head level stir up guilt, anger and resentment, but are powerless
to get people to react to the love that is always behind God’s warnings
to us. If God didn’t care about bad people, us included, He wouldn’t
warn us, He would just do away with us. We are here as part of God’s
safety net to warn the few around us that are looking for truth and a
genuine relationship with God. There is no way we can know the effect
God’s truth will have on others, but faithful obedience requires us to
focus on obedience, not the outcome. May the Lord help us to never
give up the eternal ministry He has given us in our time and in His
plan.“ Pastor Roy
Ezekiel 3:8
But look, I have made you as obstinate and hardhearted as
they are. 9 I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So
don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are
rebels.” 10 Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into
your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. 11 Then go
to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign
LORD says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”
