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Watching from Afar
By Robert
It's easy to just sit back and watch, isn't it?
To remain nice and comfortable, just observing the world, but never doing anything. You stay nice and safe within a "bubble", insulated from the world, never having to do much except what is immediately needed to keep yourself comfy. An occasional drink, a snack, maybe get the remote or turn up/down the heat/ac, open a window, make food for yourself, etc. All the comforts of home, all right there for you to enjoy, provided you don't have to move too far to get it, right? If we have to get up, it's most likely just not worth it and we can most likely do without it, unless pressing need forces us to do so, and then we groan about having to take physical action to actually get or do the thing we want or need.
Same thing goes with christianity: we expect to be "fed" by our pastors and the books and videos we watch, as they pre-digest the gospel for us, explain points and difficult passages for us, glean info out of the Bible for us, etc. We don't do that ourselves; it's TOO HARD. We might end up straining ourselves. We sit there and just quietly observe, not interacting, not teaching, not doing much of anything except just sitting in the sidelines, lurking in the shadows. To become involved is too uncomfortable for us, lest we actually be asked to do something that requires effort on our behalf. Then it taxes us: "we actually HAVE to make observations and learn lessons out of scripture for ourselves? We need to teach someone biblical truth? We have to show a fellow christian what scripture says? We have to make a comment, or post a post? Someone needs our help and it's inconvenient?....THAT'S TOO HARD!!!"
To make matters even worse, we worry about saying something and someone disagreeing with us, or even becoming angry at us for saying it. It would just ruin our day if someone were to question us about why we believe what we believe, sending us into a depression that would last and last. Someone telling us we're wrong is the worst thing in the world, and if we are disapproved of, our value seems to diminish, doesn't it? So we don't risk saying anything or doing anything to attract attention; Instead, we hide in the recesses and let others fight the good fight and we remain "in reserve". We watch from a distance, making sure we avoid the hard parts of the battle that would require us to take a stand and proclaim our allegiance.
And all of this is in DIRECT contradiction to SCRIPTURE.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." ( Mark 16:15 KJV)
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)
God did NOT give us scripture so that we could win Biblical Jeopardy, nor did he save us so that we could merely sit there and suckle milk like infants while there are still others out there who so desperately need the word. He did NOT give us armor and a sword just so that we could look pretty and shiny like a polished up statue gleaming in the sun!
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV, emphasis mine)
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. " (Ephesians 6:11 KJV)
Not only are we in a war which we need to stand against Satan trying to push us off the Rock of our salvation, but there are those out there who NEED us to minister to them. Yet, the church has fallen silent and still, huddling in terror in the church buildings and chapels, terrified to come out. Like scared children we cower and do nothing except to utter perhaps a prayer or two and then retreat for cover in out fortresses decorated with comfortable pews and a nice cushy lay-z-boy pulpit!!! we hide from teaching anyone about scripture, and we cower in fear at the thought of standing against heresy, fearful that we will be rebuked by those who disagree with us.
Do we fear God, or men?
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, KJV)
The time has come, my brothers and sisters, to stop hiding. In these last days, we MUST be bold in the word, and whether on a forum board, online, or in real life, to bring the word of God to those that need it. We must teach those that need to be taught, and stand for the truth where heresy is being promulgated. Hiding in the shadow, sitting on the couch, relaxing in a "bubble" is NO LONGER AN OPTION!!! What would Jesus say to you if he saw you doing that? Would you feel okay explaining to him that you were more scared of offending men than of disappointing him?
We need BOLD people of faith; people who are dedicated to the Lord to the point where they WILL NOT BACK DOW FOR ANYTHING, NOT spineless jellyfish who skitter away whenever a challenge comes up.
Caleb was such a man:
"Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” (Joshua 14:6-12, NIV, emphasis mine)
At 85 YEARS OLD, Caleb was STILL willing to go out and do the Lord's will! He trusted God so much that all it took was the word and Caleb marched with everything he had! AT 85 YEARS OLD!!! How many of us have that kind of spiritual guts?! He didn't sit in his tent waiting for someone to do it for him; HE DID IT IN THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD!!!! Do all of you reading this (yes, I MEAN YOU!) mean to tell me an 85 year old has more intestinal fortitude than you do? An old man has it in him where we who are decades his junior (even more so now) are GUTLESS?
And we are God's CHILDREN, a promise he didn't have, yet he went forth anyways!!!
If this is convicting you, consider it the Holy Spirit giving you a good swift kick in the can, getting you out of that bubble and off that blasted couch!!!! With the end days at hand, this is no time for us to timidly mill about, hoping our name isn't called on the roster. We need to be out there doing what we can; it doesn't matter if it seems too little or not enough, you let god judge that. But we need to do SOMETHING, and not merely hiding in the rear. This is NO time for spiritual cowardice.
(If you are reading this: YES, I MEAN YOU. )
YBIC,
-Robert
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