Significance of Words

This comment was said to me by friend online yesterday. "Why are you always talking to me about Jesus when I am a Christian." This person's comment deeply troubled my spirit. Although I tried to overlook the comment, I simply could not! Therefore, I knew, I needed more time with the Lord God this beautiful Sunday morning, and not anything more than time with Him! I chose not attend church yesterday morning, but stayed home to pursue the Lord God and later attended church last night. Problem defined by professed Christian friend: "I am always talking about Jesus." I inquired of the Lord God, "Is this really true of me? Yes or No? "Lord, do I always talk about you to this friend?" I knew in my heart the answer was no because the Holy Spirit testifies in my spirit the answer, No. I talk about Jesus, but I also talk about other things with this friend. Therefore, the word always, changes the significance of this statement from containing solely truth, but this statement  also contains the truth and a lie, the very essence of the definition of deception. Truth: I talk about Jesus. Lie: I always talk about Jesus. "Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed, and do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to everyone who ask you to give an account for the Hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong." 1 Peter 3:13-17 (NASB) Nuggets of Truth: I am instructed to be zealous for good. If I do experience suffering because of right behavior, I am blessed. Do not fear people who try to intimidate me, and choose not to be troubled. Welcome Christ into my heart as Lord every waking day. Always be ready to make a defense to everyone who ask me why I have Hope. I am instructed to tell them with gentleness and deep respect for Jesus that Hope is a person, Jesus, the very flesh and blood beloved Son of God and Son of Man. Jesus occupies first place in my life, my thoughts, my words, and my actions! Therefore, any person who slanders my good behavior in Christ will be reviled and put to shame. Jesus is the filter in my life. Jesus daily seeks to filter through my desires and thoughts that did not originate from Him! This is the very reason when I answer, the words affect my future because only God knows my future and has the answers. I have no answer about my future without God. If I do have an answer and I have not turned over my tongue to God, it's simply my answer. "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil. Everyone who is proud in his heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly He will not go unpunished. By loving kindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by fear of the Lord, one keeps away from evil. When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be a peace with him. Better a little with righteousness than great income with injustice. The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. A divine decision is in the lips of the King, His mouth did not err in judgment. A just balance and scales belong to the Lord; all the weights of the bag are His concern." Proverbs 16:1-10 (NASB) Nuggets of Truth: God tells me that my plans originate from my heart, but when it comes to answering someone, this only comes from God Almighty. All a person's ways seem clean to them, but God weighs my motives. God is interested in my motives because my motives determine my actions. I am instructed to commit my works to the Lord that I choose so He can establish my plans. God has made everything for his own purpose even people who are wicked for the day of evil. We are living in evil days because satan and his hierarchy are still abiding on earth. Satan's goals are to steal, kill, and destroy my life. God says proud people are an abomination in His heart and will not be unpunished. Iniquity or sin is atoned for by  lovingkindness and truth. Fearing the Lord keeps away evil. When a person ways are pleasing to the Lord God, even the person's enemies are at peace with Him. Better is a little income with Righteousness, than great income with injustice. Who is Just? Only Jesus is Just and He is the final Judge of every person's life declaring you guilty or not guilty.  The mind of man plans their way, but the Lord directs his steps. Whoever occupies first place in my life, has authority over my life and directs my life. Anyone who really knows me as their friend, knows Jesus has authority over my life and directs my life. Since Jesus is my best friend and always 'has my back', I arise everyday ready to greet the new day. I know Jesus divine decision is without err and therefore, He is the best one to advise me. God has just balance and scales and all the weights of the bag are His concern. Therefore, I arrived at a conclusion: The problem addressed by my friend with my communication is the subject: Jesus! "For this is contained in Scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed." This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the very cornerstone," and, "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the Word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the Day of Visitation." 1 Peter 2:6-12 (NASB) People will either choose Jesus as their Cornerstone Rock or their Rock of Offense in their life. If the person chooses Jesus as their Rock of Offense, they will be offended by you talking about Jesus! It's that plain and simple. Therefore, every person has a choice about what they do with Jesus! If Jesus is truly the foundation of a person's life, they will enjoy conversations about Jesus and His work in their life because Jesus is continually at work in a believer's life. "Jesus will also confirm my life to the end of time, blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom I was called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NASB) Nuggets of Truth: Jesus confirms who I am through the end of time, eternally blameless and therefore will be declared not guilty on the Day of  Lord Jesus Christ but, God's adopted daughter whom He called to believe in Jesus. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in me will perfect it until the Day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NASB) Nuggets of Truth: My confidence comes from the work of God in my heart who is busy perfecting my heart to reflect His heart. "The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I myself am working.' For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He was not only breaking the Sabbath, but also calling God His Father, making Himself equal with God. Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." John 5:15-19 (NASB) Nuggets of Truth: A man who was healed on the Sabbath by Jesus informed the Jews he was well. Since Jews did not believe in working on the Sabbath, in the Jew's eyes Jesus had broken the Sabbath rule by doing His work on the Sabbath. Jesus also told the Jews that His father God was at work and He was simply doing what He saw His father God doing.
As I pondered all these Scriptures, I realize I am not really the problem in this person's life. Jesus is the problem, not me. Jesus is either the problem or the solution in every person's life. Until a person sees Jesus is not the problem, but the solution to all their problems and possesses all the answers to their life, they really do not know who Jesus truly is! Any person who desires to limit my conversation about Jesus has a form of godliness, but has denied God's power in their own life. "Now flee from youthful lust and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing they produce quarrels. The Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God would grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the Truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive to do his will. But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these." 2 Timothy 2:22-26; 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB) The person wants to determine how they want to live life and desires for Jesus to transform Himself to fit into a person's life, but Jesus will only transform the person's life, since Jesus is perfection without sin. I believe whatever is most important to you will be brought to the forefront of your mind continually day and night. "Now I make known to you, brethern, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which you are also saved, if you hold fast the Word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He appeared to Cephas, then, to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethern at one time, most of who remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I will, but the Grace of God within me." 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 (NASB) Nuggets of Truth: The grace of God labors within each believer throughout the Scriptures and continues today. "Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed, and do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to everyone who ask you to give an account for the Hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; so that in the thing you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong." 1 Peter 3:13-17 (NASB) Nuggets of Truth: Choose to be zealous for good. Do not fear people who try to intimidate me, or people who try to give me trouble. Welcome God into my heart everyday. If people ask me why I have Hope, tell them with gentleness and deep respect that Hope is a Person, Jesus, the beloved son of God who occupies first place in my life, my thoughts, my words, and my actions! Jesus is the filter of my life who seeks to filter out all my desires and my thoughts that did not originate from Him! Whoever occupies first place in my life, I will share with others. Anyone who really knows me as their friend, knows Jesus is the reason I arise everyday to greet the new day. The real problem in my communication with my friend is the subject: Jesus! If Jesus is truly the foundation of a person's life, they will enjoy conversations about Jesus and His work in their life. I believe any friend who desires to limit my conversations about Jesus has a form of godliness, but has denied God's power in their own life. This person mixes truth with lies and simply deceives themselves by their own deceptive thoughts and words. This person wants to determine how they want to live life because they are self sufficient and really do not want Jesus input. The person desires to be in control, rather than simply receive self-control only supplied by God. I believe whatever is most important to you will be brought to the forefront of your mind continually day and night by the Holy Spirit.