Just when you ask God for something...

As I often do, I had a conversation with God this morning as I was driving my car. The conversation largely was about my appearance and ‘primping’ in the morning. (God had me examine WHO others see when they look at me and what (Who) shines forth from within me)
What sticks out from this talk with God this morning, now almost 5 hours later, is the sincere request that I prayed to God as I drove. I prayed that God’s Spirit would be ALIVE and FLOWING within me today. I prayed that people would see CHRIST in me; not ME, not my outward appearance or anything other than GOD! I share this, because it directly relates to the scripture that I've included at the end of this writing.

Following is an account of an incident as it occurred this morning:
I traveled to a nearby town to have breakfast this morning and as I sipped coffee, I opened my lap top and logged in to my Facebook account. Waiting for me was a message that told me that a long ago friend, with whom I am a “Facebook friend” but really have no contact on FB or otherwise, had responded in a very negative and vicious way to a link that I posted (last evening) concerning Muslim demographics in the world. The video that I shared contained some very startling facts and statistics about the world population and the growth of Islam vs. Christianity in the world. The video was a definite ‘eye opener’ for Christians. I posted the video in hopes of waking up fellow Christians to the importance of sharing the Gospel message with the world.

Anyway…as it turns out, when I attempted to access the coment or ‘angry attack’ that followed my video link, I found that the vicious comments had been deleted, probably by the writer, sometime between 3 and 4 am. I guess that’s the way God wants it! Interesting, that the person who viewed the post (and messaged me) “just happened” to be awake during the wee hours of the morning and “just happened” to view the post. (Nothing is by accident…”Thank you, Lord”!)

As I see it, this occurrence wasn’t so much an attack on me, personally, but an assault on Christ. I am sad that so many in the world are blinded to the goodness and the love and power of Christ, but it is reality. Satan is the prince and power on this earth and he has deceived the hearts of the masses. I hate it, but it is Truth. I hate that my old friend is hostile against the One who died for him and against the Master that his dear parents served and loved.

This incident has caused me to see clearly and to experience, first hand, some of the hostility that is commonly directed toward Christians. I was bold in posting a video that promoted Christianity and I was attacked because of it. Just as I prayed this morning, I allowed CHRIST to shine forth and use me as He needed to advance His Kingdom and He did! It's all OK...I understand completely what is happening in this world and what is going on in the hearts of man. I understand because my heart was in the same condition, many years ago. I just pray that GOD may be glorified through this incident and so many incidents like this. May any suffering or hardship serve to spur me on to greater boldness and a deeper reliance on the power of God in my life!

God’s word gives me strength and hope in light of whatever persecution or hardship comes my way! The following scripture conveys exactly what my life has been about today:

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (NLT)

”Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

AMEN!