Did you ever see someone on a street corner holding up a sign and yelling through a megaphone to passersby about Jesus? It seems to put most people off, and it does not seem like a very effective way to let people that know Jesus loves them. Do you think it convinces many people? Does it seem to turn more people off rather than on?
As I continue my journey of building my relationship with Jesus, I’m learning more about me. I went to see a film called Silence. It is about a 17th-century priest trying to bring the Christian faith to Japan. It was sad and inspiring to see how people were persecuted for their beliefs in Jesus. In my understanding of The Bible, we’re supposed to be delighted and joyful when we are persecuted for our belief in Jesus.
Hold that thought. As a fan of the New England Patriots, (sorry Falcon’s fans), I love Bill Belichick’s philosophy, “Do your job.” Though he’s talking about football, I think it applies very well to being Christian. We each have our own positions with our own unique talents to help God execute His plan. As a follower of Christ, what is our job? My pastor explained to me that the biggest part of our job is to let people know about Jesus and the God that loves them. It is remarkable that many people have heard His name, but they may not realize that God loves them, even if they have behaved in an evil way. My church did a study about the fact that Jesus loved prostitutes, murderers, and atheists. Even though they may not love Him, He loves them.
OK, back to our man barking on the corner with the sign and the blow horn. Although many people passed and did not say anything out loud, do you think he was criticized or condemned in their minds? Though it may not be very effective, did more people hear His name that day? Maybe this man is not crazy, maybe he doesn’t care what other people think of him. Maybe the man on the corner is putting Jesus first and doing his job. Maybe I care too much about what people think of me. Maybe I’m crazy.
Thank you, God for Grace, Truth, Love, and Laughter,
Darren
(Reminder, this is just a journal of my mistakes, experiences, and thoughts along with my journey to having a closer relationship to God. I do not claim to be an authority on the subject. If you want to know The Way, read The Bible.)
What church do I attend? Verve Church in Las Vegas
http://vivalaverve.org
P.S. Thank you, especially, for grace.
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https://darrenlacroix.com/category/godblog/