By Angela Wittman
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:15,16 KJV)
When it comes to knowing the difference between right and wrong, by whose standard do you use? Do you take a look at the latest poll to see if certain behavior is sinful? Or do you look to the never changing Word of God and those ministers who preach it faithfully without eliminating certain portions of Scripture, which may not be "politically correct"?
Do you go to church to have your ears tickled? Or do you want to hear the Word of God preached? I am sure many of you will say you want to hear the Word preached, but just don’t tell me what I can and cannot do...After all, that’s judgmental, condemning, and legalistic... Or is it? God has always had faithful ministers to confront sin, exhort others and show us the way to repentance. He still has men today who have courage and the boldness of the Holy Spirit to call America to repentance.
Who are these men, you may ask? Many are in the pulpit, and they are preaching the Word of God faithfully. They are not “seeker-friendly,” but they are God friendly, and may He bless and encourage these men known as Pastors and Elders.
There are other men who follow in the footsteps of John the Baptist, Elijah and Elisha, and the other prophets we are told of in Scripture. Many of these men are called “Street Preachers” and they are often insulted, spit upon, ridiculed and mocked. But in my eyes, they are blessed, kissed with the dew of God’s grace, honored in His sight, and given the very words of God to speak.
Many of these men live in poverty, and this is to their credit, but to our shame as Christians. Some of these men have wives and families to take care of, and they often hold down full-time jobs while ministering on the streets. Some of these men have given up their rights to own property and they have left good paying jobs to follow Jesus and call sinners to salvation. A few are controversial when confronting the sins of child sacrifice and sodomy. I often read news reports of these men being arrested with trumped up charges and having their private property confiscated because it has offended the cultural elite. This is also to their credit, and to our shame as Christians.
My question to those confessing the name of Christian is where is your compassion for these men of God? Are you praying for them daily? Are you thanking God for their faithfulness to confront sin in this morally bankrupt nation? Do you tell them how much you appreciate their ministries? Are you helping with financial and emotional support? If not, dear friends, I implore you to repent, ask the Lord’s forgiveness, and treat these men with the respect of their calling.
After all, we expect the world to hate them, but as Christians we are to love them and lay down our lives for them, if need be. Won’t you help a brother in need?
May God bless America by rising up more “Street Preachers.”
(This essay is dedicated to those men who the LORD has laid upon my heart to encourage, while praying and fasting for their needs... I think you all know who you are, and you are of great worth in this Christian woman’s eyes and heart.)
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:15,16 KJV)
When it comes to knowing the difference between right and wrong, by whose standard do you use? Do you take a look at the latest poll to see if certain behavior is sinful? Or do you look to the never changing Word of God and those ministers who preach it faithfully without eliminating certain portions of Scripture, which may not be "politically correct"?
Do you go to church to have your ears tickled? Or do you want to hear the Word of God preached? I am sure many of you will say you want to hear the Word preached, but just don’t tell me what I can and cannot do...After all, that’s judgmental, condemning, and legalistic... Or is it? God has always had faithful ministers to confront sin, exhort others and show us the way to repentance. He still has men today who have courage and the boldness of the Holy Spirit to call America to repentance.
Who are these men, you may ask? Many are in the pulpit, and they are preaching the Word of God faithfully. They are not “seeker-friendly,” but they are God friendly, and may He bless and encourage these men known as Pastors and Elders.
There are other men who follow in the footsteps of John the Baptist, Elijah and Elisha, and the other prophets we are told of in Scripture. Many of these men are called “Street Preachers” and they are often insulted, spit upon, ridiculed and mocked. But in my eyes, they are blessed, kissed with the dew of God’s grace, honored in His sight, and given the very words of God to speak.
Many of these men live in poverty, and this is to their credit, but to our shame as Christians. Some of these men have wives and families to take care of, and they often hold down full-time jobs while ministering on the streets. Some of these men have given up their rights to own property and they have left good paying jobs to follow Jesus and call sinners to salvation. A few are controversial when confronting the sins of child sacrifice and sodomy. I often read news reports of these men being arrested with trumped up charges and having their private property confiscated because it has offended the cultural elite. This is also to their credit, and to our shame as Christians.
My question to those confessing the name of Christian is where is your compassion for these men of God? Are you praying for them daily? Are you thanking God for their faithfulness to confront sin in this morally bankrupt nation? Do you tell them how much you appreciate their ministries? Are you helping with financial and emotional support? If not, dear friends, I implore you to repent, ask the Lord’s forgiveness, and treat these men with the respect of their calling.
After all, we expect the world to hate them, but as Christians we are to love them and lay down our lives for them, if need be. Won’t you help a brother in need?
May God bless America by rising up more “Street Preachers.”
(This essay is dedicated to those men who the LORD has laid upon my heart to encourage, while praying and fasting for their needs... I think you all know who you are, and you are of great worth in this Christian woman’s eyes and heart.)
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