God has daily loaded us with blessings (Ps. 68:19); many of them we may often take for granted. Just a few of those “overlooked” blessings would be the nation in which we reside – even with all its troubles we have more freedoms and Bibles than anywhere else in the world. Even the poorest of us have more than many, many people in other countries. Another blessing is the ability to read; there are many, even in our own nation, who are unable to read this article, the Bible, or even an interesting story. There is another often overlooked blessing which comes from the Hand of our Lord, the ability to think, discern, process, and disseminate the information we receive.
The above “often taken for granted” blessings are what I would like to write about today: What do we do with the freedom we have to pass on the information we receive from trusted sources and the information we judiciously discern to be false according to the Word of God? What of that information which runs contrary to common sense and true science?
Some people receive and absorb all the good that comes within their reach; others simply look to be entertained by the freedoms and blessings, forgetting that we have received them at the Hand of God. The question is, what will we do with these blessings, one of which is Truth. Will we hide it, keeping it for ourselves – as Richard Newton describes below – like a dark lump of coal? Or will we share Truth, allowing it to reflect its sparkling beauty like a diamond, spreading its dazzling light before all who will see to behold, to learn from, and to be transformed by?
“A piece of coal does not reflect any light; all the light that falls on it is swallowed up and kept to itself. This is what makes it look so black, so dark, so disagreeable. Selfish, miserly people are like coal in this respect. They don’t reflect or scatter about them anything they receive. Whatever God gives them they swallow up and keep to themselves. And the sparkling diamond and the dull, ugly-looking piece of coal are not more different from each other than liberal, generous-hearted Christians like Lady Huntingdon and John Wesley, are different from such miserly people as most of us know, I dare say.” ~ Rev. Richard Newton, D.D.
Let’s take the information from this week’s Decency Minutes (DM), for example. Give thanks to God for your ability to read them or to hear (another often overlooked blessing) Bill Johnson narrate them, by clicking on their title.
DM #1: We hear a lot of positive proclamations from government, friends, family, and even the church at times, regarding the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. Yes, the winds have shifted to some extent, but those who are caught up in its deception still give blowback, often vehemently so. If you’ve read the Bible, you know the truth of Romans chapter one; you know that its truth extends well beyond those caught up in the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. Will we have the boldness to proclaim the dazzling truth with a diamond’s grace, IN LOVE for God and in love for man – even in those uncomfortable situations with family and friends? Or will we sit on our knowledge like a lump of coal? Shine the light of truth on their path and show them its destination of destruction. Let them know that Jesus paid the price for them; they need only trust in Him and be transformed by Him.
If it’s been a while since you’ve read Romans 1, I would encourage you to do so. Take note of verses 25-32. Also, Paul’s proclamation of not being ashamed of the gospel in verse 16.
DM #2: This script deals with the need for righteous elections and what part we can play in helping to make them so. Some believe that truth has no place in politics – sadly and ironically, there are many politicians who would agree with them. But truth is for all areas of our life, including politics. We ought not to be content with the status quo; let us speak boldly about the need for election integrity and encourage others to help bring it about. Prayer, first and foremost, then putting feet to our prayers by having congenial conversations, urging our elected officials to do what’s right, voting righteously, and encouraging others to do the above, as well.
We can’t afford to be a lump of coal when it comes to our freedoms or speaking truth about various bills or even laws that have been passed. While we need to be careful about the speech we use while letting the truth shine upon the deeds of wicked leaders, we ought not to shy away from it. Remember that Scripture speaks to every area of life and the elections (as well as silence) have consequences.
DM #3: Islam is Islam around the world. Its tenets run contrary to Truth and particularly against those who believe boldly in the Lord Jesus Christ. While acting like a diamond, in this regard, might cause you great physical harm, remember Christ’s words in Matthew 10:32-33. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Again, Paul said he was not ashamed of the gospel (Rom. 1:16), neither ought we to be. There’s a great price to be paid for silence, both for the souls of others and our own. The Nigerians know well the cost of being a diamond; yet they refuse to be a lump of coal. May we follow their example as they follow Christ.
In all these examples and in any others you may face this weekend or in the weeks to come, I leave you with Paul’s words to his young son in the faith, Timothy. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7) So, don’t hide the light of truth under a bushel – LET IT DAZZLE and LET IT SHINE!
For decades the month of June has been hijacked to foist gay propaganda.
Yet while the efforts to demand acceptance of LGBT depravity continue, many entities and individuals are finally refusing to comply. For example, Red states are replacing Gay Pride Month with “Nuclear Family Month” and corporate sponsorship of Pride events has dropped dramatically.
Even Target, once the leader in LGBT propaganda, now features on their June website a promotion of Americana and family as God designed – a father, mother, and children – rather than the perversion that LGBT ideology tries to legitimize.
Yet Republican Congressman Mike Lawler continues to promote LGBT ideology, posting a celebration of “Happy Pride Month.”
Yet the sin Pride Month celebrates doesn’t lead to happiness. God gives individuals and nations a choice – follow His way and find life or reject Him and receive the due penalty of our sin.
Are you concerned about election integrity and the freedoms which belong to you and your children? Then it’s VITAL that we do ALL in our power to keep our elections open ONLY to those who are legitimate voters.
Bill HB 4765 does just that and it’s already passed in the House. Now the senate must pass it.
This bill ensures that only eligible citizens can vote by putting the responsibility to verify registrants on Michigan’s Secretary of State, using any available proof of citizenship on hand. It’s been thoughtfully crafted with several mechanisms to avoid creating difficulties for legitimate voters while improving the robustness of Michigan’s voter rolls.
Make elections trusted again by contacting your Michigan state senator at (517) 373-2400. Urge them to vote for HB 4765 for election integrity.
Note: Earlier this week we posted an article with more information on HB 4765. You can read it here.
Don’t Take a Safe Day at Church for Granted
“3 Christians killed at evening prayer vigil; gunmen abduct 15 others in attack.”
When you hear a headline like that one from the Christian Post, we can still make this assumption pretty safely – it didn’t happen in the United States.
We take our safety for granted when we attend church events, and when the unimaginable happens, as it has several times in recent years, it still takes us completely by surprise.
But, a safe day at church is not something Nigerian Christians can take for granted. Every time a church in the Middle Belt of Nigeria is not attacked, every night a Christian village is not raided, is an answer to prayer.
As the ideology which poses critical threats to our Christian brothers and sisters in Nigeria grows in the United States, our prayers ought to be not only for Christians in Nigeria, but here at home as well.
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