Skip to main content

Sold Out

 

Google images

"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.







Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 26, 2024 at 5:04 PM

    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

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Fight Back the Darkness

  Crosswalk image Nothing makes Satan weak in the knees more than when we are on our knees."   ~ Skip Heitzig, Pastor Death.  Killing.  Violence.  What do we do with such heavy hearts in such a dark time? With the knot in our throats and the pit in our stomachs that are weighing on our souls?  When we look around us, nothing on this broken earth can fill our void of sadness and despair.   So we look up to the One who created all things and who alone has the power to bring light and help: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.   What does help look like?  When does it come?  How much will we get?  Anger, confusion, bitterness, hostility, helplessness and fear overcome us in different ways and at different times.  We want reasons- we ask, "Why, Lord, why?" We instinctively want a reckoning- someone to pay for the injustice that has happened....
2 comments
Read more

Christmas in July

  Google image "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try  to keep it all year." ~ Scrooge, A Christmas Carol 🌞Alright, alright - I hear you.  Please don't talk about Christmas while you are enjoying summer.  (But someone needs to hear this - there are only 157 days left.)  And you know what comes out  first- the school supplies, then one day later the autumn decor.  Then three days after that is Christmas everything.  And my happy meter spikes:)  I can already smell the pumpkin spice latte.☕ Now some may think I'm trying to throw shade on the whole summer experience. 😎 And you would be right.  I only endure summer because fall is just around the corner, and I am finally able to celebrate this time of year appropriately, without a start to school.   I will admit I love the poppies that are growing in my yard.  And of course the baby deer.  And the garden tomatoes and peaches.  OK, summer does have some redeemi...
1 comment
Read more

Salt or Pepper?

  "You are the salt of the earth.  But remember that salt is useful when in association, but useless in isolation."  ~Israelmore Ayivor, Christian author 👀 "Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you."   What a great song by  The Police , though a bit strong.  But do you  ever feel like you're being watched?  Like you are being judged because you profess to be a Christian, so people are evaluating your responses, your actions, your intentions?   As Jesus says in the book of Matthew 5 , we are to be the  ' salt of the earth' (Matt 5:13).  What does that mean, as a follower of Christ? 👀  And what if  sometimes we're more like pepper - spicy, with appearances of soil, and we make people respond with a sneeze - they just want to get us out of their system?  Are we kicked out for letting God down? (Why did I choose a cat for this one?) What does s...
1 comment
Read more