Don't be a Lone Ranger........

Does faith in Jesus Christ make you any different than anyone else? Different yes, better no! If you are born again you are a new creature. I saw a young lady over the weekend that hated life. She felt she was forced to go to church and she hated everything it was about. She was even writing in her journal about how much she hated it and herself. Then someone knelt down beside her and shared how much God really loved her and to listen to the words of the praise songs that were being sung. The girl finally stood up and was reading the lines on the overhead screen about how much Jesus loves her. This young lady had so much hate built up in her you could feel it. Well, a good friend of mine brought the Word after the worship music was over and brought it hard. At the end of the service the alter was full of young people and leaders too! Lots of praying and decisions were happening. Well, later that evening someone told me that the young lady got saved and I said "Really!" They said "Sure did!" Then they said there she is and pointed to a girl that was smiling from ear to ear and walking with a purpose. The first words out of my mouth were "That's not her". They said "Yes, it is". I looked again and saw that this young lady was truly born again! I say all this to encourage you to stand strong! Do not let the world put duct tape on your mouth! Live a life worthy! Let's dig into the good stuff to see what God has to say about it......... 

Bible verse: Philippians 1:27-28 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Now check this out, Paul is writing to some friends of his, Christians in the town of Philippi. They were going through some rough times, heck probably just like you are going through. They were being treated badly because they believed in Jesus. Guess what? Paul could relate, he was writing this letter from prison for the same exact reason.

Now, this letter is full of encouragement for believers, but Paul was also urging his friends to do better. To live better! It matters how we live, he said, because people are watching. They're looking to see if faith in Jesus makes any difference in the lives of those who trust Him. I mean what's your salvation worth to you? Show its worth in how you live. And don't make it a "personal thing." Stand for what you believe together. Firmly. Fight for it together, so close that you seem like parts of the same person. Man, this is how we are to be! Be fearless. Bond together! We shouldn't be lone rangers out there. There is some super human strength when we come together.

I ask you today. Does standing and fighting and sharing real life with other Christians make us stronger? How can it makes us fearless? I am praying today for God to help unbelievers see Jesus in you and the people in your church. Take a second today and write down a few of the ways you do or could "stand firm in one spirit" and "be as one" with other believers in your life. Have a great and blessed day!