Nowadays, we face many social and peer pressures to conform and be compliant. People tell us “not to rock the boat”, but to trust political leaders and media sources that try to intimidate us. It is noteworthy when someone stands up for their faith and convictions, others gain confidence to join with us, for courage is contagious.
That’s our destiny and our charge, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life, and grace… If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk, and act as He would. Knowing Him is so much more than simply quoting scripture and going to church. It’s living the Word as life unfolds day to day.
Our culture wants to discourage believers by dispelling the claims of the Bible. Many of the social icons within this nation are a host of blasphemers and hypocrites. Our societal norms have been adjusted to accept all kinds of behavior that only two decades ago would have been ludicrous. Even a few of those running for political offices around the country deny that our moral compass is off. It would seem that getting the vote is more important than taking a stand. Some suggest that charisma is more important than character.
One day as he rode along a trail, his horse stumbled. Houston spontaneously cursed, reverting to his old habit. Immediately he was convicted of his sin. He got off his horse, knelt on the trail, and cried out to God for forgiveness. Houston had already received Christ, but God was teaching him to live in fellowship with Him moment by moment.
There will always be those who challenge our faith in Jesus by saying, “How can Jesus be the only way to God and Heaven? I believe that all religions lead to God. We all get to God by different roads.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
I find too many believers are struggling with personal issues taking away the joy of their salvation. And then there are the many believers who have conflicts with others in the church. We may have forgotten what the Apostle Paul said to the Ephesians: “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”.
The West Coast Offense has lots of motion from the running backs and wide receivers. The many short passes in this offense allows gifted runners to break tackles in the open field and gain much yardage. I know I need help calling the plays in my life. I appreciate knowing that the ultimate Coach and Counselor runs my West Coast Offense.
Ask the Lord if there is someone who needs your hand to pull him on board. It might take some sacrifice, but there’s a life at stake.
God wants us to deepen our relationship with Him. He desires to abide with us every second of every day. To really know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to trust and obey His commands.
A tribute to our beloved lab, Penny. May we follow her example of serving our Lord and one another with a selfless love. May we be as pleasing and devoted to our Master as our Penny was to us.