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Recently,
while shopping, my mother gave a
hearty greeting to a fellow shopper.
Hello, its a beautiful day isnt
it? The stranger paused, his eyes
brightened then he responded. Yes
it is, and I know something about
you that you dont know I know. Oh
and what is that? said my mother.
You love the Lord, dont you?
Yes, I do. Thank you for noticing.
Two things
inspire me about that true story.
One, my mothers faith was obvious
enough for someone else to notice
and two, the stranger was observant
enough that he gave credit to the
Lord. Both are examples of real
Christianity in action. They
illustrate functions that all of us
can carry out. We are either called
to shine or to notice the shine in
someone else. With a little focus on
the things that are most important,
these functions become a lifestyle
they become believable Christianity.
About once a
week I pass a billboard that posts
the following question from God, Do
your words and actions cause others
to believe in Me? This sign always
challenges me to look at my day and
seek an answer to that question.
For many in
the world, Christianity seems like a
religion of rituals that has very
little impact on their everyday
life. They see church goers dress,
act and talk in a strange,
Sunday-only style of conduct and
they dismiss Christianity as an
out-of-touch system of values. On
the other hand, some are blessed to
encounter Christians who seek out
the beauty of each day and live out
the praise God deserves. The world
needs more Christians who are
obviously and believably impacted by
the values of Christ.
Some time ago
I visited a congregation for the
first time. To introduce them to my
wife and children I used a picture
of our family as an illustration in
my sermon. Afterwards a woman
remarked that it was obvious the
boys were my sons. I beamed inside.
Others have told me that the boys
act, talk and even walk just like
me. Few things give a father greater
validation than having someone
notice his children are living out
the attributes of his life.
Are you a
walking illustration of the Fathers
attributes? Do your words and
actions cause others to believe in
God? Has anyone ever acknowledged
the similarities between you and the
Father? Is it really that obvious?
Acts 4:13
(NIV)
When they saw
the courage of Peter and John and
realized that they were unschooled,
ordinary men, they were astonished
and they took note that these men
had been with Jesus.
Acts 16:25,
29-30 (NIV)
25 About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening to
them... 29 The jailer called for
lights, rushed in and fell trembling
before Paul and Silas. 30 He then
brought them out and asked, Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?
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