I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20(NIV)
Are we ashamed? Do we (I) have courage?
While channel surfing last night during commercial breaks, I ran across a movie on TBN. It caught my attention, because a guy was heckling another guy in a diner about being a Christian. He also would insult him by calling him Jesus. It was obvious that the heckler was trying to make the Christian mad so he could prove the point he was trying to make, that all Christians where "hypocrites". The Christian young man eventually responded very quietly and caring about God's love for him. No matter what he said, the heckling continued and even got to the point I thought the guy(heckler) was going to hit him (Christian). When the food for the Christian arrived, he did however reach and pick it up and messed up the plate.
After all that, the Christian young man stood and faced the heckler and told him, God loved him. The heckler went ballistic, giving all the reasons why he shouldn't believe that God loved him. His dad left when he was young, and his mom had to scrub toilets and he was in and out of jail and he was only 32.
When he finished his tirade, the Christian young man turned toward the door and handed the diner owner his payment for the food he was unable to eat. The group noticed that he was walking. They rushed to the counter to pay for their food so they could chase after the Christian.
The diner owner told them it wasn't necessary but they insisted. He said it wasn't necessary and they asked, "Why"? "Because the guy you were calling Jesus paid for your bill in full". They all three stood stunned.
Although I have been a Christian since the age of six, those words still hit me in the face. "Your bill is paid in full".
Because Christ has paid the bill in full, why aren't we (I) more courageous in living our life that it is known that by the way we walk, live, and breathe that we are his. And when death does finally come knocking at our door others will say as they did on this tombstone in 1856...
To the memory of our Father Anderson West, Born Dec.5 1790 in Greenville, SC
"After eight years of Job like suffering, died the death of the Righteous May 11, 1856. His prominent traits of character were, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Supported by an inflexible will and determination, his answers were Yea and Nay. Never in his eventful life using profanity or wicked epithets, and avoiding all manner of intemperance, acting upon the principle that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose".
Dear God, help me to determine to live according to your purpose. To have the courage to stand for you this year and the years to follow that I am allowed to be here. Amen
