The Bible tells us, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg
you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians
5:20 nasb).
In other words, we Christian believers are representing Jesus Christ to all the world, believers and non-believers. Years ago, my dear Friend and mentor, Pastor Sam Lacanienta, told us of a time when he was pastor of a church in the Philippines. The Philippine Ambassador to England, Pastor Sam's relative, attended on of his services.
After the service, as they were talking, Pastor Sam asked him what it means to be his country's ambassador to another country. He told him, and I am paraphrasing from memory, "My job as an ambassador is to represent my country and to do my best to not embarrass her nor bring shame upon her."
That, in a nutshell, is our job as representatives of Jesus Christ - to bring glory to His name and not to shame His name.
Recently an incident happened which caused me to reflect upon that thought, an ambassador for Christ. For a few years I have had a neighbor, a man in his early forties, who is very nice - and although we would often speak, say hello, etc., we have never really stopped to chat. At times I have wondered why, but I suppose it is because we tend to move in different circles. Until about six months ago when, instead of just walking by, nodding hello, and keep walking - I stopped and started talking with him. Turns out we had more in common that I thought.
Then, a few days ago he stopped me and asked, "Bill, you're a Christian, aren't you?" "Yes," I replied. And, he asked, "Can I talk with you?"
We talked for a while and he told me of marital concerns. Now, I am not a marriage counselor, nor any other kind of counselor - but I sensed he just wanted to use me as a sounding board, i.e., he just wanted to verbalize his feelings. Two things I did suggest, but not in a way to push him - was that I would like to invite him and his wife to go to church with us - and the second thing, I asked if he had considered talking with a marriage counselor.
As our discussion was coming to a close, I told him to feel free to knock on my door any time he feels like talking and we left it at that. Later, I thought about it. I have never told him I am a Christian - although he did know that I had a Bible study at my home a few years back. He did not attend, but his friend, another neighbor, did. I am just thrilled that he sees me as a Christian.
And, that caused a flash-back to the mid-1990s when I worked for a computer company in Orange County owned by a Pakistani - and my immediate manager, Agha, was a Pakistani Muslim. One day our group was having a meeting to discuss new products and how to present them to customers. As Agha was explaining what we should say about the new products, Beverly, one of my co-workers, told him, "Bill cannot tell them that." Agha looked shocked and asked, "Why not?"
And, Beverly told him, "Because Bill is a Christian and he cannot lie about the product." Wow, even I was a little surprised - for she and I had never really talked about it at work. She knew that Dory and I are church members and attend Bible studies - but Beverly and I had never had a real discussion about it. Yet, inside I praised God that she saw Jesus Christ in me.
That flash-back led to another slightly different episode. In January 2002, I wrote a short blog titled, "Today, I Cried." This is what I wrote:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Today, as I was ironing shirts and blue jeans, a male survival skill taught me as a youth by a wonderful mother, I was listening to a Good News Radio, a Christian radio station in Riverside, California. The song they were playing, "I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy," sung by the Heritage Singers, really touched my heart. The words spoke of meeting loved ones in heaven.
I thought of my mother who went home to be with the Lord in 1994. A thought came to me, possibly from the Holy Spirit, which made me cry. I thought about those loved ones, especially my mom, who have gone ahead and wondered if they know about me now. I found solace and sadness in the fact that the Bible teaches us that there will be no more tears in heaven. So my mother's pains, her unhappiness, her heartaches were left behind when she went home to be with the Lord.
In my heart, I could picture her in heaven, with Jesus, and she is always smiling. She is always happy. Then I remembered the question that many have asked, "Will my loved one, my mother, my father, my brother or sister, my wife or husband, my child - will they know what is happening to me here on earth, what I am doing, how I am living? Will they know the many times I have failed to act and walk as a Christian should? Would my mother be happy with what I am today?" And I saw, what to me was the answer.
I see Jesus, every time I do something right, going to my mother and telling her what I have done that really pleased Him. Oh, I know how happy that makes her. But, what about those times when I do things which I know do not please Jesus? What does He tell my mother then? The answer, He tells her nothing. Because He wants her to be happy, so He tells her only the good things about me, the things I do which will make her happy.
That is when I cried. Because I know that the things which He cannot tell my mother far outweigh the things He can tell her. And I know then that, once again, I have made Him very sad - and once again He alone has carried my sins upon His wonderful, cross scarred shoulders. Once again, He alone has borne my stripes. That is why I cried.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
One last short story, a true story I read a few years ago. A pastor was visiting in a hospital when a lady walked up to him and said, "Thank you. Because of you I became a Christian believer." The pastor, somewhat embarrassed, told her, "I am sorry. But, I don't remember you."
She smiled and told him, "No, we never met. But, when your mom was in the hospital years ago, I was in the same room with her. When you were visiting with her the nurses had drawn the privacy curtain - but I could still hear. As you prayed and read the Bible to her, I was convicted. That day, in our hospital room, I prayed and asked Christ to come into my heart. So, because of you and your mom, I was saved. Thank you."
How do these last two thought tie together with my initial "Ambassadors for Christ" thoughts? Glad you asked. If we are faithful ambassadors for Christ, people will see Him in us - and even though we may not openly witness to everyone - just their seeing Christ in us could be the "seed" needed to encourage them to begin seeking Him.
And, one day when you and I join my mom, my brother, Bob, and all our loved ones and friends in heaven - there just may be a few we do not know who will walk up to us in heaven and say, "Thank you. Because of your witness I became a believer." Oh, what a glorious moment that will be for us.
How does it feel to be an Ambassador For Christ? Keep in mind that Christ did not save us just so we can be "Couch Potato Christians." No, He told us to "GO, Make disciples, Baptize them, Teach them. . . Be His witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15). How is your Great Commission today?
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
In other words, we Christian believers are representing Jesus Christ to all the world, believers and non-believers. Years ago, my dear Friend and mentor, Pastor Sam Lacanienta, told us of a time when he was pastor of a church in the Philippines. The Philippine Ambassador to England, Pastor Sam's relative, attended on of his services.
After the service, as they were talking, Pastor Sam asked him what it means to be his country's ambassador to another country. He told him, and I am paraphrasing from memory, "My job as an ambassador is to represent my country and to do my best to not embarrass her nor bring shame upon her."
That, in a nutshell, is our job as representatives of Jesus Christ - to bring glory to His name and not to shame His name.
Recently an incident happened which caused me to reflect upon that thought, an ambassador for Christ. For a few years I have had a neighbor, a man in his early forties, who is very nice - and although we would often speak, say hello, etc., we have never really stopped to chat. At times I have wondered why, but I suppose it is because we tend to move in different circles. Until about six months ago when, instead of just walking by, nodding hello, and keep walking - I stopped and started talking with him. Turns out we had more in common that I thought.
Then, a few days ago he stopped me and asked, "Bill, you're a Christian, aren't you?" "Yes," I replied. And, he asked, "Can I talk with you?"
We talked for a while and he told me of marital concerns. Now, I am not a marriage counselor, nor any other kind of counselor - but I sensed he just wanted to use me as a sounding board, i.e., he just wanted to verbalize his feelings. Two things I did suggest, but not in a way to push him - was that I would like to invite him and his wife to go to church with us - and the second thing, I asked if he had considered talking with a marriage counselor.
As our discussion was coming to a close, I told him to feel free to knock on my door any time he feels like talking and we left it at that. Later, I thought about it. I have never told him I am a Christian - although he did know that I had a Bible study at my home a few years back. He did not attend, but his friend, another neighbor, did. I am just thrilled that he sees me as a Christian.
And, that caused a flash-back to the mid-1990s when I worked for a computer company in Orange County owned by a Pakistani - and my immediate manager, Agha, was a Pakistani Muslim. One day our group was having a meeting to discuss new products and how to present them to customers. As Agha was explaining what we should say about the new products, Beverly, one of my co-workers, told him, "Bill cannot tell them that." Agha looked shocked and asked, "Why not?"
And, Beverly told him, "Because Bill is a Christian and he cannot lie about the product." Wow, even I was a little surprised - for she and I had never really talked about it at work. She knew that Dory and I are church members and attend Bible studies - but Beverly and I had never had a real discussion about it. Yet, inside I praised God that she saw Jesus Christ in me.
That flash-back led to another slightly different episode. In January 2002, I wrote a short blog titled, "Today, I Cried." This is what I wrote:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Today, as I was ironing shirts and blue jeans, a male survival skill taught me as a youth by a wonderful mother, I was listening to a Good News Radio, a Christian radio station in Riverside, California. The song they were playing, "I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy," sung by the Heritage Singers, really touched my heart. The words spoke of meeting loved ones in heaven.
I thought of my mother who went home to be with the Lord in 1994. A thought came to me, possibly from the Holy Spirit, which made me cry. I thought about those loved ones, especially my mom, who have gone ahead and wondered if they know about me now. I found solace and sadness in the fact that the Bible teaches us that there will be no more tears in heaven. So my mother's pains, her unhappiness, her heartaches were left behind when she went home to be with the Lord.
In my heart, I could picture her in heaven, with Jesus, and she is always smiling. She is always happy. Then I remembered the question that many have asked, "Will my loved one, my mother, my father, my brother or sister, my wife or husband, my child - will they know what is happening to me here on earth, what I am doing, how I am living? Will they know the many times I have failed to act and walk as a Christian should? Would my mother be happy with what I am today?" And I saw, what to me was the answer.
I see Jesus, every time I do something right, going to my mother and telling her what I have done that really pleased Him. Oh, I know how happy that makes her. But, what about those times when I do things which I know do not please Jesus? What does He tell my mother then? The answer, He tells her nothing. Because He wants her to be happy, so He tells her only the good things about me, the things I do which will make her happy.
That is when I cried. Because I know that the things which He cannot tell my mother far outweigh the things He can tell her. And I know then that, once again, I have made Him very sad - and once again He alone has carried my sins upon His wonderful, cross scarred shoulders. Once again, He alone has borne my stripes. That is why I cried.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
One last short story, a true story I read a few years ago. A pastor was visiting in a hospital when a lady walked up to him and said, "Thank you. Because of you I became a Christian believer." The pastor, somewhat embarrassed, told her, "I am sorry. But, I don't remember you."
She smiled and told him, "No, we never met. But, when your mom was in the hospital years ago, I was in the same room with her. When you were visiting with her the nurses had drawn the privacy curtain - but I could still hear. As you prayed and read the Bible to her, I was convicted. That day, in our hospital room, I prayed and asked Christ to come into my heart. So, because of you and your mom, I was saved. Thank you."
How do these last two thought tie together with my initial "Ambassadors for Christ" thoughts? Glad you asked. If we are faithful ambassadors for Christ, people will see Him in us - and even though we may not openly witness to everyone - just their seeing Christ in us could be the "seed" needed to encourage them to begin seeking Him.
And, one day when you and I join my mom, my brother, Bob, and all our loved ones and friends in heaven - there just may be a few we do not know who will walk up to us in heaven and say, "Thank you. Because of your witness I became a believer." Oh, what a glorious moment that will be for us.
How does it feel to be an Ambassador For Christ? Keep in mind that Christ did not save us just so we can be "Couch Potato Christians." No, He told us to "GO, Make disciples, Baptize them, Teach them. . . Be His witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15). How is your Great Commission today?
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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