...favor

The following testimony exhibits God's hand of favor. The incident occurred in Russia, right after the wall had fallen but where the doors were already being closed to the Gospel that was simply being preached and not lived out in the lives of those who claim to know it - just as it is happening here in America and many other places in the World today.

The leader of a national ministry was invited to Russia by some very high government officials who wanted to know which principles of the Bible could be of help to them. Upon arriving, it became very apparent that the lack of love and wisdom, plus the demonstration of pride, arrogance and un-Christ-like behavior on the part of United States "missionaries" that had preceded this minister's group, had all but closed the doors to a certain powerful high official. They were told it would be months before they could gain an audience, but that they should register and they would be put on a waiting list.

On a cold winter's morning upon arriving at the place of registry, the minister and his group found the office empty. Because no one was there to take their coats, the minister in charge stepped to the other side of the railing near the coat rack and had the coats handed to him. He, in turn, hung them up one by one, so that the group would be ready when called upon.

Unknown to them, this small event was being observed by a secretary to the high official that they needed to see in order to proceed with their work there. When the secretary reported that, "There is a leader downstairs who is serving his people," the official immediately granted the representative of Jesus Christ an audience; and the doors that had previously been closed and locked tight were now graciously opened. Because of this single, seemingly small incident, the Gospel is, at present, being proclaimed with God's power behind it. The observation of the life of Christ lived openly from the heart is a glaring testimony of difference in contrast to the way a world that has no answers lives.

II Cor. 5:20 states: "So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us, we [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you, for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God." (Amplified) Christ's personal representatives! Think of the astounding implications that statement makes. To the world, we are the only representatives of Jesus Christ that they will see, so that they might accept Him and inherit eternal life with Him in heaven. How have we used this honor?

Recently in prayer, the Lord impressed this on my heart. "My people have humiliated Me before the world. Powerless prayers, selfish lives, a self-serving gospel and disloyalty have made My people saltless, to be trampled on by men." Over the subsequent weeks and months, the impact of who we are versus who we as Christ's representatives are supposed to be, has caused me to examine my own life in the light of His Word; and has put a new fear of God in my heart. 

If the above statement was truly the Father's heart, we need to examine it more carefully. Webster's dictionary defines "humiliate" as "to reduce to a lower position in one's own eyes or others' eyes." Think of that. The people God Himself has chosen to live on this earth for the sole purpose of growing to know more of Him and to represent Him to a world so that they might know and be reconciled to Him, have made Him look reduced and smaller, instead of high and lifted up. How ludicrous!

Powerless prayers, selfish lives, a self-serving gospel and disloyalty are pretty self-explanatory. That statement makes the results of such representation very clear, so let's see if it's true, in general, of the body of Christ. Matt. 5:13 states: "You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality) how can its saltiness be restored? It is not good for  anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men." 

The loss of saltiness will be evidenced by men overcoming the salt-less ones and walking all over them - humiliating them. Powerless prayers - hundreds of "prayer warriors" taking cities for Jesus over many years, and our cities are living hells. Selfish lives - neighborhoods of people all over this nation who don't even know that a Christian lives in their midst. Self-serving gospel - prayer times of "Help me, Lord" instead of weeping for those who will spend eternity in hell. Disloyalty- our overall lives show to whom or what we are really loyal. Our actions and our lives indict us. And the result is that we have no power or respect, no matter how loud we shout, or how much we organize, or how hard we fight, or how strongly we demand our rights.

Hundreds of millions of dollars and hours are spent to attempt to maintain our rights; and more restrictions continue, more rights are lost, and more ridicule is openly expressed. Our power, or lack of it before the world, allows all that we do to be held in low esteem in the eyes of man, and put underfoot as of no value. 

So, where do we go? 

What do we do?

As representatives of God, the only place we can go to get forgiven for our disloyalty is back to the One we have humiliated. We must make sure, however, that our motives for going to Him are not the same selfish motives that we have used to misrepresent Him. James 4: 9-10 says: "[As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve even weep [over your disloyalty.] Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins.] Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant.]

There is still time and there is yet great hope to have significant lives for God; but we must, once and for all, make sure that our lives are for Him. We are not our own, and must live to serve Him for His glory.

Where do you choose to stand in these closing minutes of God's timetable? Whom do you really choose to serve and represent? What kind of salt do you choose to be?

Live a life representing the Jesus of the Bible before the world, and your life (significant to God's plans, and in His eyes) will shine brightly in this dark world. All for the honor and glory of the One Who is worthy, Jesus Christ.

-jim corbett