Thursday, October 10, 2013

Making An Impact For Christ in This World

In the comment section of a previous post, I happened to mention that this blog appeared on Technorati's "Top 100 World Blogs" list.  However, our notorious nemesis,  GMpilot,  seemed to object to this because it is also labeled as a political world blog list.

He wrote:

"Oh, congratulations on making Technorati's list...although I find it funny that a blog whose primary goal is “to defend the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith” has made it onto a list of political blogs!"

My reply regarding that particular point:

About Technorati. They choose to list my blog in several categories. When certain stories get picked up by other sites and traffic increases, my ranking goes up under the particular category that the aggregate site chooses.


Part of defending the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith involves engaging within the culture. You left out the next sentence in my blog goals:

"We defend our Constitutional Republic and Charters of Freedom, especially when speaking out against destructive social and political issues."

Keeping this brief conversation in mind, I would like to first share a great message, and then a not-so-coincidental encounter.

I ran across a letter that I had received a few months ago from the Truth in Action Ministries.  In that letter, they told of a story about a former Oklahoma County District Attorney named Wes Lane, who saw one of Dr. D. James Kennedy's videos where he pointed into the camera and said, "You can know the purpose of God for your life."  It caught Wes's attention and dramatically changed his world.

The letter continues with Wes Lane quoted:

"Even though I had been walking with God for probably a dozen years or so at that point in time,"  Wes said, "that had not registered with me.  I was assistant district attorney in Oklahoma City, and until then I didn't understand the concept that all of our work is holy."

God used Dr. Kennedy's teaching to help Wes understand that he was not a leader who happened to be a Christian, but a Christian leader assigned by God to a specific sphere of influence --to be, as Jesus commanded, the "salt of the earth"  (Matthew 5:13).

*  Salt is a preservative that keeps food from getting rotten, just as a Christian's influence should preserve decency and morality in the world;

*  Salt stings in a wound, just as a Christian's loving influence should make sin feel uncomfortable;

*  Salt is a source of purification and healing, just as Christians should be a source of comfort and healing for those in distress;

*  Salt makes things taste better, just as the life lived for Christ brings joy to the soul;

*  Salt causes thirst, just as the life of a Christian lived out in the world should make others thirst for the living water that is found only in Christ.

Salt has incredible properties, but none of them are of use if the salt never gets out of the salt shaker!
Christians are to take advantage of the position of influence that God has given us as parents, employees, church leaders, etc. in order to make an impact for Christ in this world!

THAT is precisely why this blog exists.  Without the desire to make an impact for Christ in this world, all that I share regarding religious beliefs, or when applying God's Word to the current cultural and political issues of our time would be futile.  People NEED to see the hope that is in Christ Jesus - for there is no other Name under heaven by which we may be saved!

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”


I would like to share a story about an encounter that my friend Donna N. and I had after our 2 mile walk on Tuesday afternoon.

I was walking with Donna back to her car when an elderly gentleman rode up on his bike.  He was about 3 parking spaces from where we were.  He yelled out, "Hello."  We waved back and said hi.  He then asked, "Are you two Christian ladies?"  Donna and I looked at each other in amazement, then replied, "yes we are."  The reason that we had this reaction was because Donna was just sharing information about a documentary that she saw on the Discovery Channel that made the claim that all major religions (except Islam) have some sort of triune god in their traditions.  She stated that the number 3 has much significance in the eternal realm as well as here on earth.  Back in 2005 (during the days where I was studying Intelligent Design vs. Evolution), I shared a blog post called The Trinity All Around You.  It is fascinating to see how science reflects the concept of "3's" just as Donna stated in her discussion with me!

Back to the man on the bike.

 As the gentleman got off of his bike and then started lifting it onto the back of his car, he asked us if we would like a copy of his artwork.   Donna and I walked up to him to try and help him with his bike, but he did it on his own.  He told us his name is Phillip.  We introduced ourselves to him.  While he went into his car to get the artwork, we helped strap the bike in place.  He had a folder filled with copies!  He stated that he drew the first drawing (a beautiful portrait of Jesus!) in a college art class. 



The obviously liberal, anti-Christian professor chastised him for choosing something "so religious."  I was not a bit surprised to hear about the professor's reaction.  So typical of the lunatic leftist fringe that wreaks of anti-religious bigotry in colleges these days. 

*Sigh*

The assignment was to draw a picture of something or someone important in your life.  Phillip stated that Jesus IS the most important person in his life!  [Amen!!]

We stood there and chatted for quite a while, learning more about Phillip and his ministry.  He told us that he is 82 years old and has been in ministry for 52 years!  He currently ministers at a church nearby and also to patients in wheelchairs (as well as those suffering from Alzheimers disease) in a nursing home. 

Phillip is fulfilling his calling!  He is being salt and light in this world through his preaching and his artwork! 

He had another picture which showed a mother holding a baby with Jesus "spiritually" behind her.  The paper asks, "Pregnant?  Jesus loves you mother!  He loves your baby very much!  Save his life!"  Of course this is his pro-life message to those who might be considering abortion.  He has this message taped to the inside of the back windshield of his car.


 

There are MANY ways in which Christians can make a positive impact; even when there is chaos and turmoil all around us.  I would encourage all readers to see how God can put your gifts and talents to work, to be both salt and light in this world!

~  Christine



4 comments:

GMpilot said...

It's a good thing you wrote “seems to object”, because I don't. You've got to be quite good to get Technorati's attention, and I remember how enthusiastic you were about blogging when you started this.
You stated “Part of defending the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith involves engaging within the culture.” That makes you one of those “in the world, but not of the world” types, right?
I still find it funny, but I don't object.

I'd like to add something that was left off the salt list:

* Salt is a source of sterilization. In ancient times, when an army captured an enemy city, the conquerors would demolish and burn it, and then spread salt on the ground so that nothing would ever grow there again. Just as Christians have done to civilizations before, or contrary to, their own.

I'm amazed. It must be a really slow news day, for you to invoke me in your column! But no need to thank me; just doing my job. After all, I'm not just your nemesis, but your favorite nemesis! Any notoriety I may have is due to you.
When you talk about Obama and others in such disparaging terms, as you have every week over the past five years, I have to wonder: in what way is this 'making an impact for Christ'? In my experience,
no one will listen to you if you insult them all the time.

BTW, it's now nine years (as of yesterday) since we first “met”. I should think of an appropriate gift for next year.

Christinewjc said...

GM,

This post was not really about "you." I simply utilized a portion of your comment in order to inform readers how you purposely left out the second sentence in my blog's goals.

Let's call your action a sin of omission.

The bulk of the post had to do with how being salt and light for Christ in this world brings the gospel to the forefront in the minds of people. Some do so much more adeptly than I. Thus, I shared the encounter with 82-year-old Phillip who has answered his particular call from the LORD.

About disparaging Obama.

The names that I have given him are descriptive in nature - pointing out to readers what the man represents despite the media of mass deception's attempt to shield him from any criticism.

Let's see what I have called him.

1. ObamaFRAUD - because he has hidden his records in order to hide something about his past that he did not want voters to know about. Wayne Allen Root has a theory about the fraud that he is hiding.

2. ObaMARXIST - Read the entire page at Commieblaster.com for proof of this allegation!

3. ObaMAO - See #2.

4. ObamaLIAR - See Pinterest: Lies Obama Told Me.

5. Well...the first four will keep people reading for hours so I can stop there. Besides, I don't want to get far off the topic of this post.

GMpilot said...

CJW: ”This post was not really about "you." I simply utilized a portion of your comment in order to inform readers how you purposely left out the second sentence in my blog's goals.”

Yeah, because NObody EVER reads a blog masthead, right? It's right at the top where people can see it, but no one ever looks there and reads it for themselves. As for sins of omission, whatever happened to your post about Obama's breakdown? Or wasn't that real?

All right, I won't stray far from the topic of your post. So...How is disparaging the President “making an impact for Christ”? Is that the sort of thing he would have done?
You know him better than I do, but reports of his vicious tongue have never reached me. Maybe I'm reading the wrong documents.

Wayne Allen Root has a head full of theories, as do many others. I have one of my own: that the world was created last Thursday, and everything that's in it appeared just as it is now, complete with history that never happened, events that never occurred, and populated by people you've never met*. But I have no evidence to prove any of this, and neither does Root with his theories.
If he actually had evidence, he would reveal it...wouldn't he? Or did Obama buy/scare him off, too?

Since your skin is so thin, you should learn to stop throwing things at people. They just might throw something back.

*That just might be plausible. After all, not long ago your blog buddy steve claimed he'd never been to Russia...so maybe there really is no such place!

Christinewjc said...

Christ once turned over the money changers tables at the Temple. He also called the Pharisees, "a broad of vipers."

I think that Christ calls them as he sees them.

He knows all about Barack Hussein Obama - and one day Obama will either meet Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ (highly unlikely - at this point) or, at the Great White Throne Judgment for unbelievers.

Obama may escape justice here on this earth, but he won't in eternity!

Neither will you.