1 Corinthians 9:19-23

P 3116 Let’s quit labelling people.

/ DVH

“Now, even though I am free from obligations to others, I joyfully make myself a servant to all in order to win as many converts as possible. I became Jewish to the Jewish people in order to win them to the Messiah. I became like one under the law to gain the people who were stuck under the law, even though I myself am not under the law. And to those who are without the Jewish laws, I became like them, as one without the Jewish laws, in order to win them, although I’m not outside the law of God but under the law of Christ. I became “weak” to the weak to win the weak. I have adapted to the culture of every place I’ve gone so that I could more easily win people to Christ. I’ve done all this so that I would become God’s partner for the sake of the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23TPT.

Hubby and I have discovered that ‘sorting’ people in our minds into groups, is detrimental to sharing our faith, so we’ve stopped doing it. We decided what Paul says is extremely valuable in everyday life. What I mean by this is, we can inwardly categorise other people as ‘Christian’ or ‘non-Christian.’ And that the result of that is we speak differently to those-who don’t-know-Him-yet. Here’s some free advice — treat everybody the same!

We were convicted by the Holy Spirit that living like that, is His Way. Believers, non-believers, people of another faith … these are all people Jesus died for and His chosen sacrifice for them makes them worthy of our love, attention and respect. The church seems to have delegated the power of God to just few brothers and sisters, who we thought were more holy than us because when they prayed for people we saw results. Now everybody else is just supposed to muddle along – making sure the flowers are done for Sunday, and leaving spiritual things to the more spiritual people! Rhubarb. I can’t think of a single part of my body I don’t need. What army sends only its generals off to war and leaves the troops behind?

Most people are content to go to church and be nice to everyone around them, in the hope that the-people-who-don’t-know-Him-yet would want to come to church with us and be like us. And … … how-zat-workin’-out-for-ya?? We seem to be unaware that the reality of God Himself is present among us at church, because He promised to be there. And I don’t care if you sit in a pew or on a deck chair in the park!“Wherever two or more are gathered in My Name!!…” Let’s put our Saviour back where He belongs – in the centre – not doctrines or sermons. And let’s do it simply because He belongs there. We cannot afford to major on rules instead of love. We are clearly instructed “…to owe no man anything but love..”and God is not just talking about MONEY. 

The thing is, Love doesn’t play favourites. It treats everyone it meets with Grace, and kindness, simply because everybody is made in His image. One of the most important things that can fall off when we skip over our devotion to Him, is that we quickly revert to religious form, without any power!

Jesus is not partisan. He treated everyone around Him as His Father’s children. That included Roman soldiers, His disciples, Jarius, Pontius Pilate, Samaritans, etc., the Lord responded to everyone and anyone who spoke to Him and He didn’t bother to check their credentials. Jesus answered people’s questions and prayed for them for healing and deliverance with no prejudice or restriction at all. They were not required to get baptised or to follow Him – in order to be healed.

Instead LOVE motivated everything He did.“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” Revelation 22:17. Jesus says: ‘come” and … so does HIS BRIDE! The only prerequisite for preaching to people seems to me to be that they want to hear, and they are thirsty!

If we feel like we need to force what we say out, the other person will notice. Instead we need to reverence His Presence in every part of our daily lives, so we when talk about Jesus that’s what will show. Let’s bring Him into our everyday conversation and say things like: “When I talked to the Lord this morning He said this!”“God’s been teaching me about Himself.”  Let’s outwardly make Him a part of our everyday lives and not be sour, like a pickle, toward  other people if they swear. 

Let’s talk about Him to everybody, not just brothers and sisters in the Lord. When hubby and I do this we have only experienced astonishment from others. Wherever they are and whatever they believe. And then they cry! Because they never thought God cared about them enough to want to speak to them! They all know they don’t belong to our club! Our exclusiveness is excluding ordinary people who might want to know.

What I’ve learnt from Jesus’ example is GOD LOVES ALL HIS KIDS. Whatever colour, race, creed, religion they have – He regards each one  as His own.They don’t have to join a church, to be told HE LOVES THEM. Hubby and I refuse to own any denomination when we are talking to others. The Lord wants to touch their hearts not their heads!

The only difference between the-people-who-don’t-know-Him-yet, and you or me – is His GRACE. I never talk about doctrine, because that stuff can divide people, I just say whatever He tells me to say. Mentally sorting people into categories is odious, so let’s repent, and quit doing it, and treat everyone we meet as our Father’s kid instead. Inclusion is powerful. Bye. 👋

P 3071 Jump on in, the water is fine.

/ DVH

“Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralised—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 MSG.

Perhaps the church has been so busy avoiding people who supposedly sin … like we don’t!  … because we are afraid of being contaminated(!)  When we live like this we are walking away from an extremely ripe field of grain. We don’t have to BE them, to talk to them. We simply choose to go with Love Himself, personified in us. Jesus goes before us, and He is with us, and He will remain with those people who need Him, long after we have left!

Speaking as a grey-haired old lady who has approached a bikie gang, plus, on another occasion, a couple of loose bikies strutting around a holiday town … I, too have had some conversations outside my comfort zone. On one occasion I felt like I was tackling two Goliaths!! But God spoke to me and He said: “If not you then WHO?”I’ve repeated the first story in this blog somewhere, in the past 8+ years, but the second one was pretty daunting. 

We pulled up in our car right next to these two huge bikie guys leaning against a lamp post talking to each other. And, joy of joys …the Lord spoke to me and told me to speak to them. My dear hubby immediately knew what I was going to do … so he left the car too. I climbed out of the car and tottered over trying to look casual. Then I said: “Great bikes boys!” Well, they were, their bikes were immaculately kept. Meanwhile I had to look UP to speak to them both – they just kind of nodded and kept talking to each other, probably hoping I would go away. 

I’ve learnt from my hubby that if you are going into the lion’s den you had better be prepared to stand up for Jesus right away or you will just peter out, and look like a goose. So I said: “God told me to tell you that Jesus loves you.” Jesus definitely loves them, but in those few seconds I wasn’t quite so sure how I felt!  – UM … maybe terrified? However THEY both looked at the ground. One of them kept on looking at the ground — it seemed like he was hoping that the ground would open up and swallow me.

Anyway the other guy stared into space but he interacted with me a bit, whilst I explained that I was probably his mother’s age and she might be concerned for his safety. Bikies like to hurt one another where I live. Then I said again that Jesus wanted them to know that He loved them, very much. The guy looking at the ground had a little tear roll down his cheek, and he kind of sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand and nodded at the other one, who was staring anywhere but where I was. And then they started to move away. So did I! I jumped  back into our car so fast – you would have thought I was Gout-Gout!

My point? That was a God-appointment. In that kind of appointment the Lord reminds people He is real, by waving at them, through whatever we do and say. He calls to them, telling them He loves them. People usually react really well – but twice in 20 years we’ve been rejected. That’s pretty good odds wouldn’t you say? One guy nearly climbed over his desk to throw us out … so we left!  Another older lady was quite vocal about what was wrong with Christianity. So again, we quietly left. Of course we prayed for them!

God appointments are like that. They are times when we are set up by the Lord to be ourselves. We are not supposed to be an evangelist, or a prophet —you just be you. The person who loves Jesus. You are a witness – His witness. A witness tells what they know and what they have seen. Plus they answer questions if they are asked some. Half the time some overly enthusiastic people flood the poor schmuck they are talking to, by trying to stuff a life-time’s worth of witnessing Jesus at work in their lives into one encounter. 

Remember, God will send someone after you’ve gone. You are just being salty that’s all. Here’s some don’ts I learnt from a full-time evangelist. After the encounter, don’t jump, laugh, dance, sing, and create a hullabaloo anywhere near the person who was happy to listen to you. They will know you are talking about them, just respectfully leave. Don’t overload them. They don’t need 35 scriptures, or 12 how to come to Jesus brochures. 

Every time we are fake we are separating ourselves from the very people God asked us to speak to. We’ve all been saved by the very same Grace we are now offering them. I can only encourage anyone reading this to “jump on in the water is fine.” And if it goes wrong? “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming …” Easy peasy. Bye. 🤣