I remember when I first heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, No one had ever shared the Good News with me before, and having grown up in predominately Orthodox Jewish neighborhood – Jesus really wasn’t talked about. Have you read my testimony? If not, let me share with you how Holy Spirit used a vessel (actually a few vessels) and shared the message of salvation with me. One I had never heard before. (Click on the pink link below to read my testimony):
Pardon Me, I Should Have Started with My Testimony
I was the first person in my family to accept Jesus as my Savior, make Him LORD OVER my life and in my excitement to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, the reaction I received from those I loved most was not the joyful reaction I received… I was ridiculed and mocked and ostracized, made fun of and accused of becoming a “Jesus Freak” and I was treated as the black sheep of my family because of my newfound faith. In fact, one family once said to me with deep hatefulness in their heart towards me – “I HATE your God….” I cannot tell you how that made me wince, felt like a blow to my heart. To say I was crestfallen would not sum up my hurt feelings of being rejected.
AND THE DEVIL LAUGHED IN DELIGHT
You see, ol’ slewfoot was not at all happy about losing a soul to his enemy – the Creator. He was NOT happy at all! The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:4
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
What is the BEST way the devil can strike back at you? By trying to keep the minds of those you love most blinded to the Gospel of Truth.
AND IT HURTS!
But here is the thing we need to remember, and one that after 37 years of having accepted God’s gift of salvation that I have learned…
AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE YOUR LOVED ONES – GOD LOVES THEM MORE!
And why shouldn’t He?
HE CREATED THEM!
Jesus said in Matthew 10:37-39
““Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.”
So, what do you do when you are rejected for your faith?
INTERCEDE THROUGH PRAYER OVER THOSE YOU LOVE! DON’T TURN AWAY FROM GOD BECAUSE OF IT, TURN TOWARDS HIM!
The Bible says in James 5:16:
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
You *may* be the ONLY light of Christ they get to see,
SO, BE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
Matthew 5:14 says:
““You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”
Let the light of Christ radiate through you! Determine in your heart that NOTHING will keep you from drawing nearer to Him! Growing in Him! Christ died FOR you, so live FOR Him! We can’t SAVE or CHANGE anyone’s heart – but God can! We are to be vessels that shine the light of Christ to a dark world! To determine that NOTHING will keep us from walking in His truth! And it has been my (sometimes hard) experience that if you in faith pray for those you love the most God will bring them to a point in their lives when salvation IS the ONLY way. Three of my dearest loved ones made a profession of faith before their lives were over. And that is only three that I know of… God IS able, and God KNOWS the desire of your heart (especially when it lines up with His).
At your deepest moments of persecution and despair, remember that the God you have chosen to serve is GREATER than any demon, any devil, any situation, you just have to keep your eyes on HIM. And don’t belittle prayer! It is the MOST powerful weapon we have – along with faith! The Bible tells us in Romans 8:31-39:
“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Do not despair if you are persecuted for your faith, for such was the case with Jesus and with the Apostles… Remember that God IS greater than ANYTHING you might face, and He IS with you! Jesus told us that we would be persecuted for our faith, so we should not be surprised when it happens, but we should take comfort in the fact that the victory has already by won! The devil’s days are numbered! Jesus IS going to return! Will He find you to be faithful? To withstood? Will He find you to have trusted and believed in Him? Will He find you courageously letting His light shine through you? The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:2:
“For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
We need to be like watchmen on a tower! Praying as we wait for the Messiah to return – for return HE WILL! War through prayer and intercession for those you know and love! Believe God for their salvation and be prepared when He wants to use YOU to lead them to the LORD. Don’t let fear or rejection or animosity or hurt keep you from listening to the voice of Holy Spirit! Pray for a discerning spirit! The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12:
“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.”
Your arguments over the salvation message has not been met in the physical, but it is a SPIRITUAL battle, and the weapons of your warfare are
FAITH, PRAYER, FORGIVENESS, LOVE, PATIENCE, LONG SUFFERING!
We can’t BUT God CAN! Let Holy Spirit lead you, use you and guide you in ALL you say and do – because only God is able to change hearts to the point of salvation, and it is His will to do so! There is ONLY so far you can go with a person, in the end it’s between them and God… Trust in a God Who gives up to our VERY last breath for redemption, as much as you love your loved ones, He loves them more… Praying and interceding on their behalf isn’t “the least” you can do – it’s the most, you just have to believe…
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