Stand Up, Stand Up For JESUS

As Christians, we have a responsibility to STAND UP for Jesus. I've been reading a book To Seek and To Save by Paul Chappell and I'm definately going to have to get a highlighter today. What an outstanding book. As I'm been thinking about my weakness in being the witness I should be for Christ, I had this thought: I believe in products so much so I almost promote them daily; I have my data ready to show comparisons with other products; I would take a firm stand and say you'll not get anything else that will do what this product does and I'd even loan out what I have in my home just to let them find out for themselves. BUT for Jesus, I am a bit more reserved. WHY? Fear of rejection! Fear of loosing friends! Fear of loosing my business! Fear of loosing family! Fear of being mocked! BUT...should we fear those particular things? NO...we should fear for THEM and THEIR eternal destiny...especially if they are on their way to hell. God has so impressed my heart to STAND UP for HIM! Not to be ugly, not to be unkind...though when we do take a stand for Him we'll have others look at us as if we're being judmental. It never ceases to amaze me that even those that are anti-God will still know this verse: Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that ye be not judged" So for taking a stand for Marriage between one man and one woman...I am judging OR AM I? If we are to Stand Up, Stand Up for JESUS...don't we STAND UP for what JESUS stands up for as Christians? When you do decide to STAND UP for Jesus, sometimes you'll wish you'd just sit down. I've lost friends, family, hostess/customers because of my desire to STAND UP for Jesus. Does that bother me? SURE! Does it break my heart? SURE! But I soon realize that God blesses those that Stand Up for HIM! and in the end, IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL WHEN WE SEE JESUS. As I was typing out my testimony the other day, I began to think about HOW THANKFUL I should be that someone STOOD UP FOR JESUS to ask me "If you were to die today, do you know 100% for sure you'd go to Heaven?" That question changed my life. I was raised in church. I knew some of the Bible. BUT that was the first time someone EVER took the Bible and SHOWED ME how to be saved. That it's not what I CAN DO but what has been DONE through Jesus Christ. What IF that pastor never approached me and asked me that all important question? What IF he had been thinking about where he and his family were going to eat after he preached a great sermon? What IF he was tired and wanted to just go home and rest? What IF....? Would I be saved today? Would I have a marriage today? I don't know but I am SURE glad he TOOK THE TIME to Stand Up For What Jesus impressed upon his heart to do that morning. We had a visiting preacher at our church and he mentioned how he had went to visit on a Saturday morning. To make a long story short, the wife said she'd ask her husband if their daughter could go on the church bus the next morning. Sometime during the day, the Lord laid on his heart to go back to that home. Of coarse, we will come up with all kinds of excuses why we SHOULDn't do something but HE WENT back that night. The husband told his wife if the man showed back up to tell him that their little girl could go on the bus. The next morning, not only did the little girl come but some of her family. In the end, several family/friends got saved. What IF he hsdn't went back that night as the Lord impressed upon HIS heart? God really convicted me on how many times if I'd DONE what HE impressed upon my heart...how many people may have come to know Jesus Christ. I want to be yeilded to HIM. When the Lord impresses something on my heart, I want to DO IT! Sure, some will reject us. Not every story will end like the above. I have shared the gospel and my testimony with someone recently and they DID NOT want to hear it BUT I did what I KNEW the Lord wanted me to do. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." We may not see immediate results, but though some may reject it initially, somewhere down the road a trial will come their way, or they'll be faced with a tragedy and they'll begin searching for SOMEONE to fill that void that EVERY unsaved person has. I desire to STAND UP for JESUS...that I will LIFT HIGH HIS ROYAL BANNER...that I will PUT ON THE GOSPEL ARMOR, and WATCHING UNTO PRAYER.

Back To Blogging

WOW! It's been almost ONE YEAR since I've posted anything on my blog. I have been contemplating getting back into my devotional thoughts and just sharing life...outside of Facebook :-) There is life outside of Facebook...I'm slowly learning that. Pinterest? Anyone heard of that new adventure? WOW! It's very time consuming but FULL of ideas. With anything (shopping, sports, shopping, chocolate, shopping, frapps, chocolate...you get my point) it's easy to become addicted! BUT...I am working on breaking my habit of getting on Facebook multiple times a day. So we'll see...it's a great 'tool' to keep in touch with family, promote your business' etc but too much of a good things isn't good sometimes :-) So I look forward to posting something soon that I hope will encourage you. It's funny because I forgot what my last postings were about. When I got up this morning, I heard this noise going on and it was so loud and crazy sounding I couldn't really figure out what it was. It was almost annoying. I walked to the back door, peeked out the window and there on top of TWO HUMONGOUS oak trees were LOTS of birds just singing their little hearts out. Then I got on Facebook :-) and read a posting about being a blessing to others and instantly I began to think, "Lord, Make ME A Blessing". As soon as that thought entered my mind, my thoughts starting going toward writing a devotional thought on blessings. BUT then I got on my blog and realized that is what I posted about almost a year ago. It's okay though because we should NEVER get tired of being a blessing to others. I look forward to sharing my thoughts soon. (Thanks to Amanda Richardson for inspiring me to get back to blogging :-) My thoughts have turned to action :-)

Piano Book Giveaway

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