Hide it Under a Bushel, NO!!

"Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:15-16

I say this out of my own guilt; Christians need to stop hiding in their comfortable homes, their comfortable social circles, their comfortable worlds. I, WE, know that we are called to share God's Word with everyone. Romans 10:14-15 says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Sure, God is just and will only hold us accountable to what we have learned (read: if a tribe somewhere never has the gospel shown to them, God will judge them according to their hearts. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20)but this doesn't mean we can just sit back, relax and hope 'those people' happen to recognize God somehow. There is a specific call for the church to send out believers into the world to share the gospel.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 we read that, in Christ, we are reconciled to God and therefore "Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us." Ambassadors go into other nations to represent their country/cause to people who don't necessarily know anything about that country/cause and they do the business on behalf of their nation or beliefs. Because Christ died for us, we are new creations in Him and we are to go into all nations and do the business of the Lord, working as the voice and hand of Christ!

"He gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13 We are to work as one body to share the love of Christ through His resurrection for one purpose -to build up the body of Christ! Good works aren't what get you into heaven. They are a result of your love and devotion to God. There is nothing you could possibly do to make you good enough to earn God's love. HE LOVES YOU ALREADY and is just waiting for you to accept that! It isn't He who has turned away from us; we have turned away from Him.

We are called to do the work of the Lord while here on earth and with that comes suffering. Yes, that means life will not be perfect. Becoming a disciple is not a magical way to become rich, healthy and have a perfectly comfortable life. God might use you in some way that you don't really have to go through many trials. But he might use you in a way that causes suffering in every way imaginable, as a test of faithfulness to Him. "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.." Here's the beauty in the suffering.. "..But take heart! I have overcome the world." What an incredible promise! Christ calls us ALL to live for Him, to share God's Word, and though He tells us very clearly that we will endure trials and suffering because of this calling, we don't have to worry because He is risen and waiting for the right moment to draw us all into His arms, into God's glory!