Not or well Ashamed of the gospel and admitting to be a God loving person

With all the terror attacks and with so many criticising religion lots of people are really getting afraid to tell others that they honestly believe in God and read the Bible regularly.

God loving people are already a rarity.  But having them hide will not help to get others coming to God.

In these time were the world is much more confronted with agony, hatred and when we nearly every day hear about fighting here and there, and terrorist acts, we should know it is even more important to be sure of what you believe and where do you want to go for.

ISIS militants attack church in Normandy, France. (photo credit:Reuters)

Lots of people are ashamed of the gospel and lots of people are not keen on talking about the gospel, God and His commandments.  These days it also looks like many people do have problems to not only keep those commandments, but to keep to the most basic human laws of dignity.

Today we do not find many who are willing to have their tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream. (Jeremiah 17:8)

We are told that all who do this kind of planting become healthy trees and will “not fear when heat comes” at that time “its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought …” (verse 8). In verse 10 we read,

“”I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:10 NAS)

From this and other verses we may conclude that in a certain way we get what we saw. It is Jehovah Who searches our heart and tests our mind. We can not hide anything before Him. How He sees us, how we think and act, shall have our Creator to act, to give us according to our ways, according to the fruit of our actions.

We should know that man may look at us and see us how we pretend to be, but Jehovah sees us how we really are and think.

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”” (1 Samuel 16:7 NAS)

“The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.” (Proverbs 17:3 NAS)

This testing can also happen by what happens in this world and how we react on it. All the churches will have to see that Jehovah, the One Divine Creator of heaven and earth is He Who makes search into the secret thoughts and hearts of men: and that it is Him Who will give to every one of us the reward of our works. (Revelation 2:23  )

It is never time for us to take life easy when there is work in the service of our Lord to be done. The Lord has given us, if we are truly his servants, different talents, abilities and opportunities and when we shirk using these, could we in a sense start thinking, “my Lord delays his coming”?

Coming closer to times which would not be easy for many, neither for us, we not only have to make ourselves strong. We also should use our abilities and let other get to know Thé  God Who is “the fountain of living water.” Not only we should trust Him but we should show the reason why others also better put their trust in Him

When we trust God there is no reason at all to be afraid of man and to be ashamed for our faith.

The apostle Paul in today’s reading writes

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 NAS)

Jesus also demanded his pupils not to be ashamed of him.

“”For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”” (Mark 8:38 NAS)

Today we are living in a world where there is even more sin than in Jesus’ time. Today many may find it a sport to have just good fun on all sorts of levels, be it ethic or not.

The writer of the letter to the Romans which gets our attention today was not ashamed nor afraid to show others for whom he went and for what he believed. It took some time before he really got to know the real Jesus, but once he got the insight, he went for him. For he knew him whom he has believed, and he got persuaded that this son of man, who he was willing to follow, is able to guard that which he has committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

Today lots of people ridicule the gospel. It is up to us to show them that there is much value in the Scriptures. We also do have to show others how in this world there are people and groups who do everything to make the Word of God “black.”

As followers of Christ we should do like Paul, going out in the world, showing others the reason why it is best to believe in Jeshua, Christ Jesus the Messiah.

Paul’s point is that the Gospel makes sense, compared to the nonsense surrounding the many gods (of human imagination) the Romans believed in. Today, we can say it makes sense – compared to the nonsense of evolution that everything that exists, sort of invented itself, and there is no need for a creator God.

We should show others how so many things were predicted and that what is happening was also foretold and should be to us a warning to take heed.

There is no reason for us to be afraid of man when we are willing to let this gospel of the resurrected man become a power in our lives.

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Preceding articles

You know neither the day nor the hour

Fear of God reason to return to Holy Scriptures

Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus

Wanting to live in Christ’s city

A voice and a Word given for wisdom

When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith

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Additional reading

1. Don’t be afraid to fall
2. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
3. Born to Shine not to fear!
4. Bringers of agony, Trained in Belgium and Syria
5. Signs of the Last Days
6. A world with or without religion
7. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
8. A way to prepare for the Kingdom
9. Preaching to an unbelieving world
10. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong

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Further reading

1. What Do I Have to Gain, And What Do I Stand to Lose?
2. Lost
3. Why are you afraid?
4. Fear Factors
5. Afraid of my voice…
6. Ship in the Storm
7. Dark Cloud
8. I have a tendency to sabotage relationships; I have a tendency to sabotage everything. Fear of success, fear of failure, fear of being afraid. Useless, good-for-nothing thoughts. Michael Buble
9. Why You Can Never Let Fear Stand In The Way Of Your Dreams
10. Safe zone
11. I love my privacy
12. What would you have imagined?
13. Reflection
14. It’s okay to love yourself … God does
15. I’m not afraid
16. Overcoming the Fear of Relapse — The Change Blog
17. If You Want Things Safe Like Me
18. Never To Surrender Never To Yield 
19. Sacrifice
20. Automated Weapons
21. War Is Constant
22. A better way
23. Be not deceived!
24. “Profit & Loss”
25. Fashion Is Not Truth
26. The people in our new neighborhood
27. Spreading the Gospel in an Unconventional Way
28. Is the Role of the Church in the Community Just to Baptize People?
29. We are Chosen For Something
30. You were made for greatnes not mediocrity
31. Gospel- July 29, 2016
32. Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant