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Standing Room Only



 "Sir, my greatest concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." ~ Abraham Lincoln


Remember long division?  Remember in about 4th grade when you could no longer just put "R" for remainder, but had to continue dividing and make it a decimal or fraction?  Math just got harder from there.

It's pretty sad when the word division is not even positive.  It just means separating something into parts.  I feel like cell division is a good thing.  And dividing up a pizza or cookie dough just benefits us all. 

✊ But our world sure took that to the extreme, right?  We've separated just about everything into parts or sides.


✊ The "us vs. them" mentality can really dominate and commandeer our thinking today in this rabid political climate.  It shows up in every part of our culture, whether we mean it to or not.  We have to watch what words we use, our body language & how/where we spend our money.

It's a lot.  And the Bible says it will get more extreme.  So how do we respond in a way to all this that's honoring to God?

Some may think we are called to be 'meek', thinking it means to be weak. But it means more of a humility towards God and towards others.  It's pretty difficult to be humble sometimes, and to some people.  It takes a true reliance on the Holy Spirit to define our worthiness, rather than this world. 


 

✊ Daniel and his friends took a stand when the Babylonians held them in captivity, trying to force them to conform to their society and give up their religion.  They held fast and God delivered his friends from the punishment of a fiery furnace and Daniel from the lion's den.  (Daniel 1,3 and 6).  

Jesus Cleanses the Temple, by Ray Downing

Jesus chose different times to take stands when He walked this earth.  He said He did not come to bring peace to this earth (Matt 10:34-39).  One time involved overturning tables (Matt 21:12-13), but other times with His words when He was rebuking the religious leaders (Matt 23:1-36).  

✊ It's OK to take stands against things that are not of God.  His Word tells us to take stands-
  • against the Devil-
"Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil and 
he will flee from you." James 4:7

"Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm 
against the schemes of the devil." Eph 6:11

    ✊ against injustice-
"He has told you, O man, what is good; what does the Lord require 
of you but to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
 Micah 6:8

"Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity." Prov 22:8



    ✊ for freedom-
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore and 
do not submit to a yoke of slavery." Gal 5:1



    ✊ for our redemption & eternity with Him-
"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, 
Christ died for us." Rom 5:8

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, 
that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13



When we know why we were created, who we belong to,  and what God says about our future, we can take a stand for Him & feel confidence & peace that only comes from Him.


✊ Wouldn't it be cool to see a "Standing Room Only" sign for God?




✙ Dear Lord, during this hour, on this day, for this season, could You fill us with courage and boldness to stand for You and what You love.  Help us stand firm against the temptations and schemes of the devil in our lives, and help us encourage others to do the same.  Let us be an encouragement to our brothers & sisters in You, so we can be salt to this lost world, like Daniel & his friends were back then.  Amen. 
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