Be ready to share Truth

The events of last week hit home with me, and pointed me to a realization that we as believers must be determined and ready at all times.

The world is watching us now more than ever. So, be ready to share Jesus.

1 Peter 3:15-16 (KJV) – “15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

“16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”

Jesus pointed out fervently that He did not come to unite this world, but to be divisive.

Luke 12:51 (KJV) – “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.”

That division separates the dark from the light – evil from good – in all areas of life.

This is a demarcation that illuminates evil in the world and sheds His light on those who will hear His words.

There must be a separation between the world and a life in Christ.

Darkness and light cannot mix.

How are you mixing with the world?

Are you a lamp in the darkness?

Now, disciple, have good conversation this day about the salvation from Jesus that the world needs.

3 Questions for now

Talk around the water cooler is likely full of hot topics and raw opinions after last week.

Be bold, and ask some questions.

When there is a hot news topic, let the questions flow:

• “I hate/like that guy.” What leads you to hate/like that guy?

• “I wish all this political nonsense would just go away?” What is troubling you about what is happening in politics?

• “Why can’t people just all get along?” May I show you what has given me peace in life?

I’m always amazed how the Holy Spirit will lead us if we’re open to listening to other people.

Be kind. Love others. Be bold.

Shawn’s noodling rant:

(“Noodling” is a term I swiped from my mentor. The meaning is to “ponder” or “think deeply about” a topic that God is challenging us with through scripture or the Holy Spirit, or both.)

Are you ‘staked’ to Jesus?

One of the things I am often asked to do is to review and unpack a real-world event and relate how we are to respond to this event in a Biblical manner. Harmful, heinous, impactful events occur every day in our local communities, across the country and throughout the world.

Believers seek to understand these events and determine how they should react.

In history relative to our nation, there were native American warriors from various tribes who knew how to commit to defending the ones they loved.

Warriors from various Plains Indians of the 18^th and 19^th centuries used a tactic referred to as "standing battle" or "staking.”

A warrior would tie himself to a fixed point (often a stake in the ground or a tree) to show commitment to the battle at hand.

This was fighting without retreating.

The idea was that by tethering themselves, they demonstrated a profound sense of courage, duty, and commitment to what they believed, and to those they loved.

The battle scene was set – win … or go down fighting.

When bad things happen to good people we can react emotionally, wanting to fight back. These are “normal” emotional reactions to when a fellow believer – speaking his mind in the last true free-speech society on this earth (our nation) – is literally gunned down for all the world to see.

But … we cannot be staked for battle in this way.

We must be staked to Jesus.

Jesus pointed out fervently that He did not come to unite this world, but to be divisive – a distinct separation of good from evil. His Words spoke Truth, and the Truth of God angers the sinful who will always attack the faithful.

But in contrast to someone staked out for a potential final physical battle, Scripture shows us that God’s armor helps us to defend – in an ongoing manner – against evil in the world.

Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) –“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.”

And to fight on, we must be tethered always to Jesus.

Ephesians 5:8-11 (KJV) – “8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

In works and speech, we are to challenge – expose or warn of – sinfulness, and seek to bring someone to repentance with the realization that they need Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV) – “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

John 8:12 (KJV) – “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 12:46 (KJV) – “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

Seeing a father slain, a widow grieving, two children crying out for their father … or news of hundreds of Christians slain in Africa in the past year (which is almost never exposed in the media) … I need Jesus’ hand on my shoulder to remind me of His way.

So, what is practical for us here in our nation, our community, our families going forward?

How are we to react to this persecution – this open hatred and outright violence against the church which is being exposed time and again by vile media pundits and hate-filled keyboard attackers on social media – hate and anger that has been simmering, heating up to a boil that results in a high-profile murder of a believer?

Luke 6:27-29 – “27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.”

For all that is going on in this world, all the hate and attacks, this, again, can be difficult.

And Paul, once a persecutor of believers, gave us clear instructions.

Romans 12: 9-21 (KJV) – “9 Let love be without dissimulation (be it true, not fake). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

“14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

“19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Yes, as addressed earlier, we are in a never-ending battle with darkness in this world.

But we are not to repay evil with evil.

Matthew 22:36-39 (KJV) – “36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Connecting all this to the times we live in – for those still looking for a sign that says believers should be engaged in this battle for the souls of the lost – I pray we don’t need anything more than last week to inspire us to action.

Charlie Kirk was staked to Jesus. Believers across the world who die for their faith are staked to Jesus.

All went down fighting – in peace and love for the lost, sharing their faith.

Charlie believed what he was doing was his calling.

He was faithfully committed to engaging through a public platform in the truth of the Gospel to the masses, and in a civil manner, … all the way to the end.

What is your calling within your part of this world?

I hope we can go forth in this world tethered to our Savior, sharing his Salvation to all those in our sphere of influence.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) – “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The stakes are high, let us consider how we go forth in this world of today.

Romans 10:14-15 (KJV) – “14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”

Now, disciple, the Good News of Jesus is what this world needs to hear from us.