Are We Fighting the “Good” Fight—OR—Are We Living As In Flight-Mode?
If we knew impending danger was imminent, would be sit down with a cup of tea?
If we knew the world as we know it was going to change, to end, to be destroyed, would we place our head on our pillow and just go to sleep?
If we knew time was precious, that mere days exist, that opportunities need not be wasted, would we keep our feet propped up on the ottoman or would we lace up our shoes and go?
“Calling the Called” is an initiative I have read about during the past few months, and each time I read the newsfeeds, I sense an urgency, a desire for those who know God, for those who already attend the local churches to go, to be called, & to accept God’s calling.
One of my favorite cities to visit in America is St. Augustine, and it warms my heart to consider that there had to be a beginning, a first, a place where someone first explored, first arrived, first called “home.” In walking the streets of that historic city, I felt like I was stepping back in time, that I was transported back to the day when the city first began. Sure, today there is a certain “commercial” existence, but look past the trinkets, the postcards, and yes, even the magnets—there one will find the His-story of the founding of the first USA city.
There had to be a 1st so there could be a 2nd because a 2nd can never exist unless there is first a 1st.
St. Augustine was a real man who claimed—People were a multitude defined by a common object of their love.
Think about his words.
A multitude.
A group.
A large number of individuals.
A crowd of people gathered.
A mix of flesh and blood defined by one commonality.
Man, Woman, Boy, and Girl—bound together—by their love for “a common object.”
By their love . . . they are bound.
By their love . . . together in sameness of thought.
The multitude is defined in solidarity.
The multitude is held together by their love for One.
Churches are plentiful in America, more plentiful than other countries. Yet just because there might be a plethora of church buildings does not mean that there exists an active, testimony-sharing group of believers.
We can either be church attenders—OR—We can be the called, caring about those who do not yet know the Savior.
We can either be church planters—OR—We can be church sitters, planted where we reside, unmoving and maybe uncaring about the world of the lost.
In reading a missions’ report, I read this statement, and quite honestly, as simple as it seems, as common-sense as it seems, these words spoke to the depth of me.
“In a world where more people are alive today than ever before and more people are lost than ever before, the gospel is the only solution” (Paul Chitwood).
More people alive—Today!
More people lost—Than Ever Before!
More people—Alive, Existing, Breathing, Living—But Walking in Darkness, Separated from God!
More people—Who Need the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Only Solution!
I pause and I wonder—Are We Fighting the Fight—OR—Are We Fleeing the Fight?
Are we Existing In Flight Mode—Running Away From Opportunities—To Go, To Speak, To Do, To Serve—Wherever God Leads?!!!
SEE WITH ME GOD’S WORD.
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Just as it is written,
FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE ARE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced [persuaded] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8: 35-39)
ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED.
THE DEVIL & HIS HOST OF FALLEN ANGELS ARE CREATED.
EVERYONE, EVERYBEING, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CREATED—BUT ONE!
THE ONE WHO EXISTED BEFORE EVERYTHING—GOD!
THE ONLY “UNCREATED” PERSON—FATHER GOD, JESUS CHRIST, HIS HOLY SPIRIT—THE TRINITY!
THE ONLY “UNCREATED” PERSON—JESUS CHRIST!
THE ONE WHO COMFORTS US, LEADS US, & GOES WITH US—GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT!
We are either fighting the fight—OR—Fleeing the Fight!
We Are Either Fighting the “Good” Fight—OR—We Are Fleeing the Fight, as in Flight-Mode!
SEE WITH ME GOD’S WORD.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
(Ephesians 6: 10-13)
We must, like Philip, be willing to listen to God’s leading, willing to go where God leads, and willing stay in the Word of God, for as we—ARE LEAD, ARE GOING, & ARE IN THE WORD OF GOD—That is when God will bring us to others, who may not understand the way of God.
Like Philip, we must ask them—“Do you understand what you are reading?”
Like Philip, we must come up next to them and sit with them.
Like Philip, we must open our “mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8: 35).
From the Scripture—we share the LOVE of GOD with others.
From the Scripture—we preach the FORGIVENESS of JESUS CHRIST with others.
From the Scripture—we are led by GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT to go to others.
Let us not just sit down with a cup of tea but let us share the LOVE of GOD over our cups of tea.
Let us not just place our head on our pillow and just go to sleep but let us share the SALVATION of JESUS.
Let us not just exist, & let us not waste the opportunities, & let us not just keep our feet propped up on the ottoman but let us lace up our shoes and SHARE JESUS with the world.
“Calling the Called”
We are either fighting the fight—OR—Fleeing the Fight!
We are fighting the fight—OR—Are we living as in Flight-Mode?
Are we fighting the “good” fight—OR—Are we merely existing?
Maybe we need to stand up 1st so others will come, go too!
Maybe we need to be the 1st, so there can be a 2nd, so other Christians will be encouraged by our action & go too!
Let us be a people “the church, the called,” the multitude defined by a common love—God’s Love!
As Paul Chitwood said, we live “in a world where more people are alive today than ever before and more people are lost than ever before, the gospel is the only solution.”
SEE WITH ME GOD’S WORD.
“We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name [the name of Jesus], and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
(Acts 5: 28-32)