I got the call to day to fill in tonight and conduct the service.
Of course I hate being up in front of people, I like being the center of attention but not in front of everyone.
So I told my wife and she said yeah so?
Not at all the sympathy I was looking for.
So since I was going to have lunch with my beautiful baby girl today I told her, she said that's exciting. I said no it's terrifying because I am not worthy and in her inimitable way she said "Well who is?"
That got me, That struck me to the very core of my being.
Who is?
It's not where I stand that makes the difference.
It is who's Word I am proclaiming. If God waited for someone worthy to spread the message, the message would not get spread.
Dr, Miller is a favorite preacher of mine and I like what he does standing for the reading of God's Word. It gives it respect and makes it less ordinary and routine. You are reading God's Word give it reverence and respect make it a special thing.
Exo_8:20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Psa_33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Act_26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Standing, It's a common thing we do and take for granted. Yet it has such grand meaning and purpose.
Take a stand. where do you stand? What do you stand for?
We sing stand up for Jesus, yet do we?
This means more than hitting like and sharing on facebook. and by the way sending a picture of money or a picture of Jesus and hit like and share for a blessing doesn't qualify.
Here at church you all know me, you know who I am and where I stand.
At work they all know I am married, a christian, and where I stand.
But what of those outside my circle?
Do they know where I stand? Can the guess or see where I stand? Those that I pass in the streets or in Walmart? those I see at the restaurants? yes we pray in restaurants before we eat and not because we want people to see how pious we are but because we are thankful for the food.
We sing ye soldiers of the cross.
But are you?
Can people tell who you stand for based on your uniform?
You can tell a marine by their attire and the way they carry themselves. You can tell a military man most times by the way they walk and talk.
Can people tell who you are and that you are a christian without seeing you in church?
Are you a soldier of the cross?
Do you lift high His holy banner so that it doesn't suffer loss?
The image in World War 2 of the flag of the US being raised at Iwo Jima is one of the most enduring images from that war. The Flag of the United States while important is not nearly as important as His Holy Banner.
Have you raised His Banner lately? Have you hoisted aloft the Bible? The Word of God and told everyone of your Commander in chief?
Do you go out with the two edged sword ready to fight for your God?
Heb_4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
We sang of victory unto victory but do we have victory?
Can we have victory without conflict?
Can we have victory if we never engage? Can we have victory if we never even see the battlefield?
The battle field isn't even that far away but we never venture there.
We go from our air conditioned cars to our air conditioned church to our air conditioned houses, We work for money and try to have family time and me time but when do we have battle time? Witness time? When do we engage in the conflict?
Do we engage?
We sing that we dare not trust our own the arm of flesh will fail you but trust in Christ alone.
Do we trust in Christ?
And I do not mean for salvation we must ,to be Christians, trust in Christ. But after the first full trusting on Christ where we accept Him and His Free Gift of Salvation, do we Trust Him and Him alone?
Or are we trusting in the money we make?
or are we trusting in our charm and wit?
or are we trusting in someone else to tell them?
Stand up for Jesus.
Stand in His strength alone to spread His message. The Gospel. The Good News.
Stand up.
Be the Standard Bearer of the Gospel. Use the Sword of the Lord to help you. You can not fight this world alone, you can not win on your own.
Of course I hate being up in front of people, I like being the center of attention but not in front of everyone.
So I told my wife and she said yeah so?
Not at all the sympathy I was looking for.
So since I was going to have lunch with my beautiful baby girl today I told her, she said that's exciting. I said no it's terrifying because I am not worthy and in her inimitable way she said "Well who is?"
That got me, That struck me to the very core of my being.
Who is?
It's not where I stand that makes the difference.
It is who's Word I am proclaiming. If God waited for someone worthy to spread the message, the message would not get spread.
Dr, Miller is a favorite preacher of mine and I like what he does standing for the reading of God's Word. It gives it respect and makes it less ordinary and routine. You are reading God's Word give it reverence and respect make it a special thing.
Exo_8:20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Psa_33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Act_26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Standing, It's a common thing we do and take for granted. Yet it has such grand meaning and purpose.
Take a stand. where do you stand? What do you stand for?
We sing stand up for Jesus, yet do we?
This means more than hitting like and sharing on facebook. and by the way sending a picture of money or a picture of Jesus and hit like and share for a blessing doesn't qualify.
Here at church you all know me, you know who I am and where I stand.
At work they all know I am married, a christian, and where I stand.
But what of those outside my circle?
Do they know where I stand? Can the guess or see where I stand? Those that I pass in the streets or in Walmart? those I see at the restaurants? yes we pray in restaurants before we eat and not because we want people to see how pious we are but because we are thankful for the food.
We sing ye soldiers of the cross.
But are you?
Can people tell who you stand for based on your uniform?
You can tell a marine by their attire and the way they carry themselves. You can tell a military man most times by the way they walk and talk.
Can people tell who you are and that you are a christian without seeing you in church?
Are you a soldier of the cross?
Do you lift high His holy banner so that it doesn't suffer loss?
The image in World War 2 of the flag of the US being raised at Iwo Jima is one of the most enduring images from that war. The Flag of the United States while important is not nearly as important as His Holy Banner.
Have you raised His Banner lately? Have you hoisted aloft the Bible? The Word of God and told everyone of your Commander in chief?
Do you go out with the two edged sword ready to fight for your God?
Heb_4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
We sang of victory unto victory but do we have victory?
Can we have victory without conflict?
Can we have victory if we never engage? Can we have victory if we never even see the battlefield?
The battle field isn't even that far away but we never venture there.
We go from our air conditioned cars to our air conditioned church to our air conditioned houses, We work for money and try to have family time and me time but when do we have battle time? Witness time? When do we engage in the conflict?
Do we engage?
We sing that we dare not trust our own the arm of flesh will fail you but trust in Christ alone.
Do we trust in Christ?
And I do not mean for salvation we must ,to be Christians, trust in Christ. But after the first full trusting on Christ where we accept Him and His Free Gift of Salvation, do we Trust Him and Him alone?
Or are we trusting in the money we make?
or are we trusting in our charm and wit?
or are we trusting in someone else to tell them?
Stand up for Jesus.
Stand in His strength alone to spread His message. The Gospel. The Good News.
Stand up.
Be the Standard Bearer of the Gospel. Use the Sword of the Lord to help you. You can not fight this world alone, you can not win on your own.
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