Romans 1:16-17 (NKJV): For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
GOD LOVES US, and GOD IS GOOD, GOD IS JUST, GOD IS LOVE. And He shows it every day, giving us new breath, new life, second and third chances, open doors, new opportunities, blessings and promises, gifts and talents, purpose and passion, protection and provision. Above all these things though, GOD gave us His only begotten SON, JESUS CHRIST, through whom we truly LIVE and have SALVATION, REDEMPTION, FREEDOM, DELIVERANCE, FORGIVENESS of SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, REBIRTH, LIFE, STRENGTH, and LIGHT.
For those of us who love GOD, who have accepted JESUS and have SURRENDERED our whole lives, hearts, souls, minds, and might, and will to HIM; to those of us who are FILLED with and LED of the HOLY SPIRIT and KNOW of the GOODNESS, GRACE, MERCY, and LOVE of GOD and have put our FAITH, HOPE, and TRUST in HIM, the GOSPEL is indeed "GOOD NEWS," and we are not ashamed to TELL IT, SING IT, WRITE IT, SHARE IT, and SPREAD IT throughout this city, this country, these nations, this world. We're not ashamed to read the Bible, have Bible studies or prayer meetings; we're not ashamed to quote scriptures or post verses or devotions on social media, even knowing that some folks won't "like" us or want to read or hear GOD's message. We're not ashamed to be labeled "holy rollers," "JESUS Freaks," or "Bible lovers" because we know who we are in CHRIST and whose we are for eternity. We're not ashamed to be DIFFERENT—PECULIAR—UNIQUE—nor are we ashamed to ALIGN ourselves with GOD, with JESUS, with the HOLY SPIRIT, when it is more popular in this generation for people to align themselves with politicians, leaders, kings, queens, celebrities--the powerful, the wealthy, and the elite.
For those of us who are SOULED OUT for GOD, our worship is sincere; it's for real, and it is nothing to be ashamed of--nothing to hide from our families, friends, colleagues, strangers, or acquaintances. We might not be called as preachers in a pulpit, but if we BELIEVE IN JESUS, the SAVIOR, REDEEMER, DELIVERER, HEALER, KING of KINGS and LORD of ALL, and we read GOD'sWORD as TRUTH, then we know that all of GOD's ministers are not confined to standing on a platform, giving a sermon from a pulpit, in a building made with human hands.
WE ARE the CHURCH as well as the BODY and BRIDE of CHRIST, and JESUS' GREAT COMMISSION was for HIS DISCIPLES--HIS FOLLOWERS--to ABIDE in HIM and in HIS WORD and to GO outside the BOX (that pew, that building, that comfort zone) into the highways and byways, into nations, and FISH for the SOULS of men, women, and children.
Our CREATOR, BUILDER, and FOUNDER is GOD; our ROCK, CHIEF CORNERSTONE, and TRUE VINE is JESUS. And we're sons and daughters IN CHRIST, ADOPTED BY GOD; we're BRANCHES and FRUIT-BEARERS GRAFTED into GOD's FAMILY TREE, into HIM--JESUS--our DIVINE TREE of LIFE.
We're SEED-SOWERS, LIFE-SAVERS, LIGHT-BEARERS, and CO-LABORERS BEING SALT and LIGHT in a WORLD of GOOD and BAD; PLANTING and WATERING in a FIELD of DRY DIRT, HUNGRY and THIRSTY SOULS.
We then PLANT and SOW in FIELDS ripe for HARVEST for GOD's KINGDOM and GOD through the HOLY SPIRIT draws, then GIVES the INCREASE. Our lives then, whether we live or die, are UNTO the LORD, and He lives in us, and we live in and through HIM.
So, if we live, we live in faith IN CHRIST, and if we die, we die in faith IN CHRIST; and this means JESUS IS LORD of the living and the dead. And for those of us who have SURRENDERED our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our lives to CHRIST, the ANOINTED ONE, and for those of us who have chosen to SERVE GOD, LIVING for HIM, LEAVING our COMFORT ZONES, GOING BEYOND ourselves and our boundaries, and SHARING the GOSPEL bring us no shame but give us an honor and privilege for which we should THANK GOD daily, for we BELIEVE IN GOD, and we KNOW in our hearts, our minds, and our souls like Paul the Apostle that to live is CHRIST and to die is GAIN.
