CONFESSING HIM WITH LIPS AND LIVES
Prayer: Lord may we always confess You with our lips and our lives.
Scripture: Matthew 10:26-33 “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 “What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. 32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. NIV
My Pastor asked the question one Sunday, “Would anyone be surprised to find out that you are a Christian?” I began to think, “No, usually within the first minute of talking with me I have either spoken about my job with FACE and the Nation Day of Prayer, or talked about what God has done in our lives that week, or at least asked how that person is doing and committed to pray for them if they share a complaint or struggle. My biggest concern is guarding my commitment, not my confession. I am constantly checking my lips and life for fear, doubt, pride, selfishness, anger or other attitudes and actions that could have me labeled as a hypocrite. My biggest concern is not that someone would be surprised to know I am a Christian; it is that I would ruin my testimony.
I realize that I am very blessed with a lot more freedom to speak up and speak out about being a disciple of Christ. More laws are being passed every week to make it more and more difficult for a Christian to share their faith with others. Public school teachers do have religious rights in their schools and I encourage you to know and exercise your rights and to know your legal limits. There are still many ways to confess Christ in your commitment to live for Him and conforming to His character. A life that expresses Christ rarely needs to prepare a sermon.
Fear is growing in the schools over the past years. Teachers and students fear that confessing to be a Christian will put a target on them that might push everything they say and do under a microscope of scrutiny and even sabotage. Perhaps you have even felt some heat since you began corporately praying at your school. Jesus said, “Do not fear them, only God. Fear illuminates who or what you trust and respect most. A reverent fear of God expresses your trust and love for Him. Fear of anyone else confesses that you believe that person is more powerful and worthy than God. I thank God every day that you have chosen Him and intercede for Him to bless you with supernatural protection, provision and power.
Next Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016 is See You at the Pole. See You at the Pole™ is a global movement of prayer which is student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led. It revolves around students praying together on the fourth Wednesday in September, usually before school and usually at the school’s flag pole. It involves student in elementary schools, middle/junior high schools, high schools, and colleges/universities across the globe. Adults often pray in support of the students on campus by gathering nearby, at their places of work or worship, or at city halls. It is a BIG day in the lives of your students; it is a day, early in the school year, when they stand together in the most visible place on campus and confess that they are Christians in front of their peers, teachers and administrators. I have sat in my car and cried as I watched students from the parking lot have insults yelled at them, things thrown at them, teachers or principals stopping them. I have heard about many schools where only one student stood and prayed alone. I have seen students stand off to the sides with the battle of flesh and faith warring inside them as they knew they should go pray but refuse to stand for Christ because of what they might have to give up or the ridicule they might have to endure. Knowing how hard it is to take a stand as an adult; I beg you to intercede for your students, especially next week. Begin praying for them now and if needed, be willing to take a stand for their right to pray at the pole on your campus. You can read more about See You at the Pole at www.syatp.org.
Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]