People of Influence

"We are meant to be the influence of society, not the other way around."

WE CAN’T REACT to people. We are not fighting against people (Ephesians 6:12). We can’t react to pulpits nor entertainers nor politicians, neither godly nor ungodly. No matter what they say or what they are doing that we do or don’t approve of, we are supposed to pray for them not hate them, not criticize them, not laud them over and above the image of Christ in our heart. No man is greater than He is, and none is kinder nor sweeter nor more faithful. None stronger. None more holy. Holiness is purity given to us by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We can’t earn it through any self-will or self-effort. We can’t perform good enough to accomplish it. It is given, and in humility, we receive it. We honor it within us and upon us by choosing to be the love of God toward sinners. We don’t react to them either, except in the overflow of the love of God in compassion. Not pity, nor stern correction, but mercy. We give encouragement and KEEP OUR OPINIONS of their behavior to ourself.

God is in the salvation business. We are His children given His Spirit to behave like Him. To be His hands and His feet and His voice. But to be His voice, we must hear Him speaking and know Him. We assume too much. I’ve said this in other writings. But I see this all the time, assumptions from preachers, from teachers, from congregations, from musicians and singers. We assume we know what God has said in prophecy, where there is often truthfully spoken words but misinterpretation. A prophet is supposed to spend more time BEFORE God than they do speaking before people. They are supposed to digest the message given to them and understand it before releasing it. There are, of course, times where God speaks outside of what a prophet has learned, but then, they are given great understanding and revelation of it to make it known. And prophecy should never discourage or spark us to fear and panic. It should turn our gazes toward the Savior, who is the Prophet sent to earth, and lift our voices to heaven to pray through what God has willed.

FOR MORE on Prophecy and Prophets, see Rick Renner’s book, “Apostles & Prophets.”

There have been many prophecies about these United States, but I have spoken what was given to me, and I have complete confidence in it. He is in control. He is King here. Nothing is outside of His view, nor His power to correct and heal. The Message Bible of Ephesians 1:20 says, He is “in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule.” It goes on in Verse 23 to say, “At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.” We are meant to be the power of God upon this earth, vessels of gold dedicated to the praise and worship of our Almighty Creator. We are living stones bound together to become the house of God. We are meant to be the influence of society, not the other way around. They do not influence us.

This includes hot topics like government agencies, male and female marriage, abortion, and the flagrant display of sin on television and in print. And it begins with you and me. We choose to follow after the things of Christ, to be like Him in character. We are as merciful, as loving, as kind. But we are also as firm in what we do not believe, in what we do not accept. The fine line, that which keeps us from our human behavior, from strife and debate and hate, is the Spirit of God within us. Not only that He guides us into godly living, but He enables us to speak His words, words of our trust in His goodness, wise words. Jesus spoke this promise to His disciples saying they would be brought before kings and governors and the Spirit would give them the words to speak (Matthew 10:18-20). He prevents us from looking like and acting like the world, the godless, and the unsaved. Jesus loves them. He loves all men. But we are children of God and must sound like children of God.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26)

“The old me who lived for self–who sought to get instead of given, the me who lived on the survival-of-the-fittest principle–died when I recognized the true significance of all that Christ has done. That old me no longer lives, but Christ–with his character of self-sacrificing love–now lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live by trust in the Son of God, who loved me and freely gave himself to win me back to trust and to purge humanity from selfishness and death.” (Galatians 2:20, Remedy)

Image by Nika_Akin at Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com