We Keep Asking God to Bless America. He Already Has. Now It's Our Turn. Pt. 2


1 Timothy 2:1-6


The second thing we must do is:


WE MUST LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY

Vs. 2 "That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." God wants us to be godly people, holy people. 

Are you a beast at times? At home? At work? At Wal-mart? While driving or shopping?

We can be pretty good people at the church building most of the time, but God is very much interested in how we act and react outside and away from our church activities.

I Pet. 2:12 "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds (and your good life) and glorify God..."

Max Lucado tells this interesting story about his encounter with a prophet. "I wanted breakfast. I got a prophet. I went to the deli to order some breakfast. For a couple of bucks you can get all the eggs and sausage you can handle... A prophet had the same idea. He was short and thin - a wispy fellow with cropped, unkempt hair, and a bushy, red beard.

"By the time I got there, he was already ordering his food. Meticulously ordering his food. ‘Do you serve a breakfast taco with no meat? Just potatoes and eggs? Is it salted? How many potatoes?’ The deli lady lifted the pan so he could see.

"Maybe he wanted to be sure he got his money’s worth. Maybe he observes a religious diet. Or maybe he was just picky. I couldn’t tell. But I could tell that he was polite, painfully polite.

"As someone was preparing the prophet’s food, a second worker appeared. He thought the prophet hadn’t been waited on and asked if he needed help. ‘No, I’ve been helped. But since you asked, may I ask you if you are a believer in Jesus Christ? I am his prophet and I am sent to you.’

"As the prophet was about to leave, he turned to the deli lady and said, ‘I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ for your kind assistance.’ And he caught a glimpse of the deli man and said to him, ‘I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.’ He didn’t say what for. Perhaps a generic blessing.

"As I was about to leave I bumped into Lawrence. Lawrence is a friend from my church. Bumping into Lawrence is no small matter. He’s an ex-pro football player. Everything about Lawrence is big, and everything about Lawrence is kind. A strong hug from Lawrence can last you a week.

"And that’s what he gave me...a good hug, a warm handshake, and a genuine question about my well being. Not much, just a couple of minutes of kind concern.

"As I was leaving, I was struck by the contrast of the two encounters. Both the prophet and Lawrence are followers of Christ. Both are unashamed of their faith. Both love to carry a Bible. Both like to bless people. But that’ where the similarities end.

"One wears sandals and a robe, and the other wears tennis shoes and jeans. One dresses like Jesus, BUT THE OTHER ACTS LIKE JESUS. One introduced himself as an ambassador for Christ; the other didn’t have to. One stirred my curiosity, but the other touched my heart."

If we want to change America for the better and all people for the better, we must live righteously or holy lives but without presenting a "holier-than-thou" image. We must kill the "beast" within us.


To review:

1- We must pray unceasingly
2- We must live righteously


To be continued.


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