Expect The Unexpected Continued...

 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord, repent and live!"   ~Ezekiel 18:32


I hear a knock at the door. It seemed friendly enough so I decided it was safe to answer it. I've never been thrilled with unannounced visits from strangers and I usually don't answer when they come a knocking, but the Lord has been working in my heart about how I treat people I don't know.

We have a couple of different "organizations" that come to my door quite often, too many times to count. And then there is the salesmen, carpenter, I even had a banker  once,  interweaved into the mix of unscheduled visits to my front door.  I'm very shy by nature but God reminds me I have a new nature now, the old is dead, and He has made all things new!

I have in the past either turned a cold shoulder, by not answering the door, or given uninvited quests the brush off, often not as politely as I should. My shyness is not an excuse for rudeness and I am slowly but surely working on it. Praise be to God who will complete the work He has started in me just as He promises in His Word!

As I think back to the lady in Safeway that came at me wanting to touch the growths on my ear because  she "reads energy" and tells me she can help me with that, I realize another vital mistake I made. Not only did I not tell her I belong to Jesus and He is my healer, but I also treated her like she had the plague when, "I backed up, and said in a panic no, no, no and got out of there as fast as I could!"

God's Word says, "our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  (Ephesians 6:12)  People are not the enemy, the power or influence directing them is. Most of them don't even know they are misguided and are being manipulated by the enemy for his dark purposes.

Most likely the lady at the grocery store had good intentions and genuinely wanted to help me. I not only missed an opportunity to share my hope and my joy, who is Jesus, but I also missed an opportunity to share His love with her. Sometimes I wonder, "will I ever get it right?"!

I just love Ann Voskamp, author of "One Thousand Gifts", and blogger
http://www.aholyexperience.com/ .  In her post today titled, What in the World Should Christians Wear?        She nails it!!!  “It’s souls that are the eternal priorities…”

"And what are we really here to do but to live the Great Commission — not the Great Optional? 

How will I feel standing before Jesus, robed in His sacrificed righteousness, only to see that all my excuses to not share the gospel were but cloaks for selfish fear and pride?

Who in the world hides good news? When you know God is the well of all enjoyment and sin the pit of all entanglement — then isn’t it clear what to run from and Who to run to? Why be afraid to share this? 

There may not often be great opportunities to change the world, but every single day there are small ones —  and all the small can do nothing but add up to great.

And there could be the humble bold who claim the Truth, wear the grace, and speak the unashamed — that one more wanderer might be clothed in Christ….":
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“Someone asked “Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved?”

It is more a question — Whether we — who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not — can be saved.”

 ~ Charles Spurgeon

As I went to the front door, all the while remembering how I treated the lady at the store, and many who have come to my door before now,  determined to be kind, I open it. As I see the familiar dark tidy suites and crisp white shirts, I smile and politely say, "hello". They ask me a couple of questions and as sweet as I could, I explain, yes I'm familiar with your "organization" and I'm not interested but thank you and have a nice day." God bless you", I say with a wave and smile! 


Dear Holy Father, thank You for your great mercy and patience with us who have missed many great opportunities to share Your Love and Grace with this dying world. Please forgive all of us who belong to You and are guilty of not being good stewards of Your perfect Love and Gospel of grace that saves us from death. I pray that You would fill our spirits with boldness to share You and Your Love with everyone You put in front of us! In the beautiful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I pray, Amen