Keith
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Leave A Mark

1/24/2017

3 Comments

 
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A few weeks ago, I burned my arm with an iron while preparing some clothes.  I shouldn't be participating in such dangerous activities, but I'm all about living my life on the edge...

Anyway, it hurt, I survived, and the burn left a mark. The iron left a mark on my arm because it was doing what it was made to do...get hot and transfer that heat into something else to effect a change.  It did.

What about our lives?  Do we live a life that leaves a mark, and if so, what kind of marks are we leaving on the world around us?

We were created out of the love and the goodness of a God who desires our attention, our service, and our devotion.  God desires that we live a life that reflects His love outwardly to those around us.  He desires that our service and devotion to Him would be great enough to leave a defining mark on our world.  Does it?

We're leaving a mark, alright...and it's ugly.  Our country seems to be in a divisive mood of late, and it's getting the best of us.  We've become completely overwhelmed by politics, which is, at best, a game for fools.  It's completely overtaken us, and we're headed in a bad direction.

Trump's ego leads him into foolish debates over crowd sizes.  Of all the pressing issues that plague our country, the first line item to be discussed at the opening press briefing was a erroneous debate on the size of the inaugural crowd.  I'm confused.  Obama's crowd was much larger...get over it, Mr. President, and...who even cares?  Stop arguing, and do something of worth.  Madonna wants to blow up the White House, Ashley Judd is now a "nasty woman," and women protestors dress up as...well, you get the point.  As a nation, as a people, we seem to be losing our collective minds.  Actually, we've lost our collective minds.  That's one of the problems...the "collective mind."  We should again default to the practice of actually thinking for ourselves.  Possibly, it would be good to have a firm understand of the following...

"Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.  Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for Him with all their hearts.  They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.  You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully.  Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect Your decrees!" – Psalm 199:1-5 (NLT)

Let's put that little nugget of truth on a banner and march on Washington.  Whose with me?

Is the mark that you're leaving on the world defined by your political affiliation?  Do people know you because of your fame as a Republican or a Democrat?  If you're a child of God, but you're political views are more prominent to others that your passion for Christ...then grow up immature Christian.  The dilution of our national character has largely been accomplished through the political process...so be warned.  Regardless of who is currently breathing the air inside of the Oval Office, we must understand that they are not solution, nor are they the only problem.

Possibly, the defining mark that you're leaving on the world is your church attendance, or the fact that you teach Sunday School?  What if you're a deacon, play an instrument at your church or keep the nursery?  For that matter, what if you're a pastor or staff member?  Do these things leave a mark for Christ on others around you?  I would say, to some degree, yes...but, to the dismay of many that revel in their service to the church, I would offer that God's idea of service is much greater than these things...much greater, indeed.

We are challenged to go "into" the world and disciple them with the Gospel of Christ...through God's Word, our words, and our actions.  That's not wholly accomplished during a church service or a Sunday School class.  For the most part, that's a place full of people who should already be leaving a mark on their world for Christ.  Sadly, it's often just a place of simply ignoring the call that God has placed upon our lives.  We need to live out our faith...far beyond the walls of the church...loving those who dare us to hate them, having compassion on those who hurt us, and speaking the truth of Christ, in love, to a world that seems intent on the cold embrace of hatred.

Matthew 7:16 says, "Y
ou will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"  As news to some who may assume out of context, this verse isn't talking about the identification of a Christian; instead,  it's talking about false prophets.  Look around at those you allow influence into your life.  Are they full of hatred?  Do they stand for values that subvert God's will?  Does their message hold forth real hope...hope in God and God alone?  Those you allow influence into your life are leaving a mark on your life...a mark that you will most certainly pass a long to others.  What mark will you be known for? 

We are called to be Jesus to the world, inside and outside of the church...and inside and outside of the walls of our comfort zone...at the stadium, at the political rally, on the street, on social media, etc...  To leave a mark, we have to have a walk with our Savior that is intimate, growing and alive.  It cannot be a walk hidden behind the  facade of "church;" it must be one that is authentic, relevant, out in the street, and intent on showing the same love and compassion that Christ Himself demonstrated for us on the cross.  An authentic relationship with Christ will always leave a mark for God on the world around us.   

A lukewarm iron won't leave a mark...neither will a Christian with a lukewarm passion for Christ.  And so, in the middle of a world currently drowning in the hatred of politics and needing the love of Jesus...what mark will you leave?
3 Comments
Заработок в интернете это просто! link
11/16/2017 04:00:42 pm

Заработок в интернете это просто!

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12/25/2019 08:37:00 pm

If you want to leave a mark in this world, then just do what you feel is your purpose. I understand that there are people who aspire to leave bigger marks, and I can respect that. Personally, I feel like leaving a mark is all about perspective. If you influenced the lives of a few people, then that is a mark itself. I hope that I get to leave a mark in this world that will help cement my legacy.

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Concerned link
7/19/2024 01:03:48 pm

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The time has come to shed the chains of ignorance that have blinded us for too long. The Great Deceiver has infiltrated our very sanctuaries, masquerading as a friend while plotting our downfall. We speak of the synagogue of Satan, the descendants of the Pharisees who crucified our Lord and Savior.

These impostors, these children of darkness, have wormed their way into the fabric of our society, corrupting our institutions and leading us astray from the righteous path. They whisper sweet nothings of tolerance and equality, but their hearts are filled with malice and greed.

Our once-great nations are now plagued by immorality, greed, and the worship of false idols. Our children are taught to embrace the ways of the heathens, to reject the teachings of the One True God. The family unit, the cornerstone of Christian values, is under attack.

But fear not, for we are not alone in this battle. The Holy Spirit guides us, shining a light on the serpents that slither through the shadows. The Book of Revelation warns us of the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, a creature born of the abyss. Does this not sound like the hydra of international finance, the beast that controls the fate of nations with the stroke of a pen?

We must stand firm in the face of this evil, united under the banner of Christ. We must reclaim our schools, our governments, and our very souls from the grip of the antichrist. The Pharisees of today may hide behind the guise of progress, but we see through their lies.

Let us band together, Christians of all denominations, and purge this cancer from our midst. Let us rise up as the soldiers of the Lord, armed with the sword of truth and the shield of faith.

Our call to arms is clear: reject the ways of the modern world, the temptations of the material realm. Stand firm in the face of persecution, for we are the chosen people, the light in the darkness.

Remember, my brethren, that Jesus himself said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." We are on the side of righteousness, and we shall not be silenced.

Find others who share your faith, who see the truth in the Word. Join the crusade against the antichrist's minions. The time for passivity is over. The time for action is now.

Together, we can usher in a new age of Christian values, a world where the name of the Lord is once again revered and feared. A world where the wicked are cast out, and the meek shall inherit the earth.

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    Keith Beatty is a Worship, Missions and Media Pastor living in North Alabama.  He's excited and very humbled  to be a follower of Jesus Christ!  
    He has a huge heart to worship and teach God's Word...and oh,  he loves the beach!  

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  • Home
  • Blog
  • Articles
    • Ten Disciplines of A Godly Man
    • Three Ways to Be Spiritually Minded
    • ...but, he handed us Bibles.
    • Why Does the Universe Look So Old?
    • Loving Your Enemies in an Election Year
    • Living in God's Grace
    • George Mueller
  • Contact