Be Bold, Be Strong...Thursda

03 29 14 

I was inspired this week to share the following scriptures after Patricia and I listened to the first message of a 2006, 6 CD series, by Duane Sherriff (a frequent guest speaker at CBC Colorado), entitled “The Authentic Jesus”.  In his message, Duane emphasized the importance of standing firm on the true Gospel of Christ and not watering it down with “PC” (politically correct) ambiguities but instead relying wholly on the “BC” (Biblically correct) message and person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

 - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Colossians 2:8

In one of Andrew Womack’s recent classes, he gave the example of people sinking into a bog of quicksand with a bunch of others and thinking, “Well, I’m at least not as deep as those other people are.”  In many instances, the Church has succumbed to the lie of the enemy that in order to be a true Christian, one must be tolerant of all of the sin and decadence around them.  Worldly influences try to convince us that we should embrace a ‘progressive’ level of philosophy that transcends the ancient texts of religion.  What they don’t realize is that they are captured by a lie – this progressive thought is actually as ancient as Sodom and Gomorrah.

Ephesians 4:11-24 - And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 
{this shows the importance of Holy Spirit gifted individuals to help encourage and explain the Word to us} 
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 
{sounds very familiar to Colossians 2:8} 
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 
{this verse speaks to the importance that we all have in encouraging one another through fellowship.  We all have a part to play – large or small – in building each other up}
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

So, whether we are responding to a ‘Truth-challenge’ from a person considered to be an ‘outsider’, a fellow believer who is weak in knowledge and wisdom, or even our physical bodies, we should continue to renew our minds to always take a bold stand on THE TRUTH as determined by our FATHER GOD through the infallible Word of God.

We can do this in non-condemning ways.  We don’t need to act rudely by yelling or screaming when we rebuke a lie.  But we also shouldn’t sit back and accept it.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 - And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Colossians 4:5-6 - Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. 

May we all be encouraged to STAND FOR CHRIST with our light of TRUTH shinning in a darkened world.

Blessings,

Karl Hirsch

Shared by
Kathryn Hanson

CBC San Jose, CA