Advancing Against The Flow

Christians are called to be world-changers… for Christ. Leading and loving people to Jesus. Living in ways that honor and please Him. But American culture is flowing powerfully in the opposite direction. So how do we stand firm AND advance His Purposes against that flow?

By Powering Up. With the Power that is above every power.

Here’s my first FRIDAY installment in this new blog series. Fridays will be all about Kingdom POWER. Lessons we can learn from battle-tested business leaders. Resources we can access, individually and collectively, to help us all lead more powerfully and impactfully for Christ in an increasingly challenging marketplace.

Make no mistake. I’m not suggesting this is easy. But if we ever hope to help the lost and hurting find their way to The Way, we must be willing to stand against culture’s flow… come what may.

Like the first apostles.

Imprisoned by the high priest and Sadducees. An angel freed them (!) and told them to go the temple courts and tell people about Jesus. They did. The Sadducees discovered their absence and confronted — threatened — them.

The apostles answered: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” Gamaliel, respected teacher of the law, advised the Sanhedrin: “Leave these men alone! Let them go. For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

The Sanhedrin relented. They flogged the apostles, ordered them (again) to not speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. The apostles left, “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”

Did they stop witnessing? NO. “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:17-42)

How about us — you and I?

Is our Purpose — leading and loving people to Jesus — from God? Indisputably. So our Purpose is unstoppable… it cannot fail. But can we succeed without suffering? Unlikely.

Will we — in America — ever be called to suffer like the apostles did? Unimaginable? Perhaps. How about suffering that falls short of theirs — like ridicule, bullying, harassment, personal threats, economic boycotts, government directives, lawsuits?

Unimaginable? No. As will be noted here every Wednesday, suffering of this kind happens in America every day. To business leaders, employees… and many others.

How about us — you and I?

Are we ready — willing and able — to suffer like they do? To rejoice that we’ve been given that privilege?  To then keep going… no matter what? For the sake of Christ… and all He holds dear?

Maybe. Or maybe not… yet.

That’s why I’m feeling stirred to write this blog. So you and I can be INSPIRED, ENCOURAGED, and EMPOWERED by the brave men and women on the frontlines of this spiritual battle in the marketplace.

Leaders who love the Lord (and their neighbors) enough to not just “go with the flow” of a culture that dismisses (even despises?) Jesus. Leaders who draw on every possible resource as they learn to walk more closely with Him without caving into culture or alienating the very people He wants us to reach.

How are you Powering Up for this journey? Please post your comments and counsel below!

Diana Furr… a.k.a., Abba’s Girl

This blog may have raised questions for you. If you’d like to connect, engage, or get further help from me, you can…  EMAIL me at [email protected]; CALL me at 863-446-1660; or request a complimentary initial CONSULT with me at  http://tinyurl.com/DianaFurr.

2 Comments

  • Sandy says:

    I read a very interesting article recently about how we, the Church have been camouflage Christians. We have tried to blend in instead of advancing the Good News. As God’s soldiers/warriors the time has come to be visible and take back what the enemy has stolen. It doesn’t matter where we are in our walk with the Lord, we need to step up and fulfill our commission as soldiers of the Most High God.

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