I'm not easily shocked, but I always drop my jaw when I hear Christians deriding evangelism. Jesus made it pretty clear, that's our primary mission.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
I'm not necessarily talking about what I do: I feel I do what God has called me to do. I answer to God and go as directed. I care about pleasing God.
I honestly don't want recognition or praise. I might get a grin and a thumbs up for every 10 frowns or "ignoring you"s. Every 30 drive-by's, and a half dozen "OH, God! She's coming over to the car! Floor it!" I've even seen people make illegal turns on a red light to get away from me. I just walk around with a sign! If you want Bibles I'll give them but I don't bite!
I'm not in it for human praise, and that's a good thing. I don't really get it. I don't want it. I worry about pride and ego. If I get proud, I'm useless and God has to find someone else to do "my" job.
I do want to be used by God, however that may play out. Cleaning toilets, moving heavy boxes, or standing on the corner with the free Bibles sign. After all,
Romans 10:14-16
New King James Version (NKJV)
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
So, I know I'm doing what I'm called to do, and I'm happy to do it. Ron quotes a gospel rapper and says I "Minister to the sinister".
Today I was discussing "The Knockout Game" with another person online. He had a lot to say about ignorant black youth. I said, hey, that's my demographic. Let's go to the ghetto and knock them out with God's love.
He didn't agree, and I was frankly shocked at one statement. I'm not repeating it. I just told him he'd have to answer to God.
Why would anyone resist God calling them to reach out to the unreached? They're going to hell! What better "revenge" on the Devil, who drives all the "ugly" in the world, than to snatch his servants from hellfire and send them to Heaven, instead!
I have already talked a lot about various offenses I have "suffered" from ignorant black youth, I won't repeat them. Suffice to say: mulitiple robberies. Physical violence. The devil wants me to hate my recipients, and uses whatever he can to make me hate them.
But Jesus said:
Matthew 5:44-45
New King James Version (NKJV)
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
I'm commanded to forgive them, and I have. I really only have one person I haven't forgiven, and I'm working on it. It's a white man, the police officer who blamed me for Ron's accident, and robbed him as he lay there dead in the road, then wrote up a false report. I'm working on it.
Everyone who's harmed me, or upset me even, gets prayed for every day. I'm commanded to do that. I aim to please God - that is my #1 goal these days. I am sure I have lost readers over this. That's OK. Jesus is worth it.
That's why I can't see why anyone would choose to disobey Him. Preach the Gospel! Pray for those who hurt you!
It's worth it, at the end.
I'm commanded to forgive them, and I have. I really only have one person I haven't forgiven, and I'm working on it. It's a white man, the police officer who blamed me for Ron's accident, and robbed him as he lay there dead in the road, then wrote up a false report. I'm working on it.
Everyone who's harmed me, or upset me even, gets prayed for every day. I'm commanded to do that. I aim to please God - that is my #1 goal these days. I am sure I have lost readers over this. That's OK. Jesus is worth it.
That's why I can't see why anyone would choose to disobey Him. Preach the Gospel! Pray for those who hurt you!
It's worth it, at the end.
2 comments:
I post on RR-BB too, and I'll just say that anytime race comes up that particular poster goes nuts on how much they DESPISE blacks and everything a black does is wrong.
I figure they had an incident in the past and didn't handle it was well as you have in not judging the individual.
Keep on helping--you are doing good.
Thanks! I just thought that was a little extreme. I mean, if you read my post you know I have had a lot of "abuse". I turn it over to God, follow the Biblical plan. That's all.
God in me has enabled me to forgive a lot; but that's God's credit and not mine.
That's what we're supposed to do. What I find upsetting: unreached people read the forums and repost hateful stuff like that on *their* boards, to prove that "Christians are a bunch of jerks". That's why I always try to take the high road.
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