Stand Up for Jesus
These words are the first verse of an old hymn that we still sing: Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From vict'ry unto vict'ry his army he shall lead till ev'ry foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed. (Rev. George Duffield, 1861) Public Domain. https://hymnary.org/text/stand_up_stand_up_for_jesus_duffield
Welcome, friends, to another week. The song above is very trustworthy and has stood the test of time. Therefore, this week's question is, will we stand up for the gospel or give in to the world's demands? Recently I watched Brylan Riggs' YouTube commentary concerning a teacher not compromising God's word. She declined to take part in the gender lie. As a result, the school board fired her for not lying to her parents about "preferred" gender pronouns. Nor would she permit boys access to the girl's locker rooms or call a boy a girl or a girl a boy. She stood up for Christ and the Bible and was not ashamed of the gospel. This teacher could have readily agreed to submit to the school board's authority. However, the loss of salary, threats, or any actions they would have taken did not deter her from the truth. Instead, she chose to obey God rather than an artificial system. (Acts 5:29)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
Considering the above event, let's compare it to the rich man in the Bible. How many will be like him? (Matthew 19:24)
Several weeks ago, I spoke about Christians who die for their beliefs in other countries; likewise, millions have been shunned or lost everything they own due to their faith. However, though we have not reached punishment by death yet, make no mistake, it is only a matter of time before our government implements death. Many will give up their family and friends; true Christians will die, while others will run or submit to the system. (It is one thing to profess Jesus, another to stand on his word, and still, another to die for him.) As I wrote prior to this blog, the disciples, except Judas, stood for Christ even to death. This teacher did not compromise, She did not die for Christ, but lost her job, yet she knew and believed Christ would provide.
I will close with these thoughts. First, we should pray about everything and keep serving Christ. Peter, therefore, was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Acts 12:5. The word of God is powerful and sharp. It divides joints and marrow. Therefore, the rubber meets the road when we accept Jesus as our savior. Though Paul and Silas were imprisoned and beaten, God used this event for his purpose as a jailor converted to Christ. Nothing we have on Earth can compete with the splendors of Heaven. When we realize he has our back, there is nothing we can't do. That said, the mark of a genuine Christian is faith in Christ and not in ourselves. Many people say they have faith in Christ; however, when testing comes, will they run away or stand up for Jesus as this teacher did? Acts 16:20-23.
I hope, this blog is a blessing to all who search for Christ and an encouragement for those who have found the Lord. He offers salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), no questions asked once a person believes with the heart. It is too late to accept his offer of salvation when we die. God gives grace and mercy daily. Please consider his gift of salvation. I would love to hear from you. Please email me at mailto:dorothy@savedheartfaith.com or mailto:dburrell38@yahoo.com I hope you have a great week. Please remember to visit YouTube for the shortened companion video to this blog. Thank you for reading this week's blog.
