I Know You

“In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?' She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.'

“The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?' She again replied, 'Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.' The defense attorney nearly died.

“The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, 'If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair (borrowed).”

Isn’t it great to know that our Father in heaven knows us inside and out and still is willing to love us? If our sins are forgiven, He won’t hold them against us and they can never come back to haunt us. “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:10-12).

God loves you!

Mike 

God Opened My Heart

“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us” (Acts 16:13-15).

Speaking with reference to Lydia, what does Luke mean when he says “...and the Lord opened her heart…?” This phrase has occasioned much debate in religious circles. Some view this as a unilateral, sovereign action of God on Lydia’s heart. She was one of those whom God had individually and unconditionally chosen to be saved and, as a result, she was irresistibly given the grace and faith necessary to cause her to  respond to Paul’s preaching.  In other words, due to what God did for her, she had no choice but to choose to be saved.  If she hadn’t been one of the elect, God wouldn’t have opened her heart.

But does it strike you as odd that God would unilaterally and sovereignly choose some to be saved and some to be lost, especially when the Scriptures teach that God desires everyone to be saved and come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4)?  Doesn’t that make God show partiality in salvation, something the Bible says He does not do (Acts 10:34-35)?

God opened Lydia’s heart here just like he does for everyone else -- through the proclamation of Christ (Romans 10:17).  Yes, we are saved through the sovereign power and efforts of God, but it remains every person’s choice to accept or reject what God sovereignly offers through His power and efforts.  The “chosen” are everyone who chooses to put their faith in Christ.

God loves you!

Mike

Influencers

Perhaps you have heard someone described as an “influencer.”  What does that mean?  “Over the last decade, we have seen social media grow rapidly in importance. More than 4.59 billion people actively use social media. Inevitably these people look up to influencers in social media to guide them with their decision making. Influencers in social media are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views. Brands love social media influencers because they can create trends and encourage their followers to buy products they promote.”*

But you know what? We don’t need to have a YouTube channel with several hundred thousand followers to be an influencer. We don’t even need to know how to spell “internet.” We are influencing others everyday with the way we think, act, and speak. No one is exempt. Sure, our influence may not be as far-reaching as others, but we are still affecting others -- for good or not-so-good.

Jesus referred to our influence in this way: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

Be an influencer for Christ this week. Eyes are watching and ears are listening as we make our way through life. How will they be influenced by what they see and hear?

God loves you!

Mike

*https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-an-influencer/