Friday, February 1, 2013

Lifting Jesus Up

My Utmost For His Highest
 
The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the gospel of God. He welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason— these things kept him unmovable in his devotion to the gospel of God.’  CHAMBERS
 
When I read the Chambers devotion today, it caused me to think back over events in my life.  Particularly the times when I was unjustly accused.  At the time, I did not see it as related to my faith so much as it was to disagreeable people who wanted something for themselves. At the Bible study with the Haitian staff yesterday, we had an interesting discussion about the primacy of who we are as Christians.  In other words .. I am a Christian before anything else (2 Corinthians 5:17).. my denomination, my nationality, my ethnicity, my social and financial status … everything .. all of these other things can become gods in our lives and set themselves up against God.
 
What that means with respect to heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation is that we must hold fast to who we are in Christ in the midst of those storms.  Rather than respond with our flesh to what happens to us .. we must respond like Jesus did.  Remember Jesus in the garden.  The people came to seize Him. Peter pulled a knife and cut off an ear.  Jesus rebuked him and replaced the man’s ear.  Peter said “Oh no they are not taking Jesus.”  Jesus said “Oh yes they are.”  He would fulfill His purpose for coming to the Earth which was to redeem it.  We must fulfill our purpose for being in the world after we are Christians which is to proclaim that redemption through Jesus. It doesn’t matter what happens to us ..good or bad .. our message is the same … our testimony true … in all things and in all circumstances .. good or bad .. God is to be glorified and Jesus lifted up.
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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