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"The man or woman who is wholly or joyously surrendered to Christ can't make a wrong choice - any choice will be the right one." ~ A.W. Tozer


☠ Ever not enjoy your job?  Think you're overqualified and underappreciated?  If you think you're irreplaceable and your boss doesn't realize it yet, consider this job post: 


"Wanted: individual who has an exquisite palate for
food and drink; able to detect even the slightest hint of poison in an array of foods and drinks.  Benefits include being a close trusted advisor.  Must be responsible and 
loyal to death to King Artaxerxes.  Other skills - able to pour a good glass of wine.  Also, probably single."

☠ Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king.  That means he was responsible for pouring and testing the king's wine for poison.  I mean, I've had some good bosses but there's not a boss in the world that I am willing to do that for.  


Except one.

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; 
knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  
It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Col 3:23-24



When Nehemiah heard the city walls of Jerusalem hadn't been rebuilt, he used his position of influence to get the king's support to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and he used his God-given talents of organization and leadership.  He was sold out for the Lord.



We have some good friends that are getting ready to go to Albania on a two year mission trip to live and work in a small rural town with the Albanian people they have come to love.  People who for centuries were denied any right to worship, as their dictator declared their nation the first "atheist nation".  They are a young couple sold out for the Lord. 

☠ Yes, there's plenty of turmoil and very offensive anti-Christian rhetoric circulating our nation, but as yet we enjoy the freedom to worship when and where we please.  Biblically we know that is going to change. 

But right now we can openly share our faith through our actions and our words.  We can live upside down from this world like Jesus directs us - love those who don't seem lovable, serve those who don't appreciate being served.  We can, because

"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than He who is in the world." 1 John 4:4

If ever there was a time to be sold out for the Lord and His mission, it is now.  

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,  a worker who has 
no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15

☠ The spiritual battle for the souls of this world is intensifying and we should encourage each other to be sold out-from our daily encounters to our established relationships.  Let's use our God-given talents to live our faith out loud as our job so others will be directed towards Jesus, and drawn away from the poison of this world!

✙ Heavenly Father, it seems our broken world has let You down, and yet You are slow to anger & desire that no one should perish.  Your love and mercy surround us every day, protecting us & preserving us.  Forgive us when we make idols of ourselves & things; both as a nation and personally; help us to see where idols are in our lives & replace them with You.  Show us how to be sold out for You & You alone, so others may know You as their Savior.  Amen.







Comments

  1. Beautiful post about the urgency of the Gospel and all of our parts in this! We love you Terri and are inspired by your faith. Writing from our training conference in Germany, will be in Albania in a week. It’s been amazing to meet so many people from around the world that are sold out! Love you and thank you for all your support - the Chessers

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