From: jesus_is_lord To: List Member Subject: Hard headed Date: Thursday, July 27, 2000 7:07 PM jesus_is_lord This email is prompted by an email I just sent to someone. As I wrote that email, it came to my mind that somebody may need to know that speaking a word in Jesus name is not going to win you the popularity contest. This is not news to those who are already serving the Lord of a truth. This email is for those who may not be on the battlefield yet. Those who are contemplating it. They are saved, but they want to go deeper into enemy territory. I thank God for every one in that category. I want to give my little perspective. I haven't lost life or limb to the enemy. I haven't even experienced REAL persecution. But I can tell you one thing based on my little bit of experience-- You got to have a HARD HEAD in this war. Ezekiel 3:8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. 3:9 AS AN ADAMANT HARDER THAN FLINT HAVE I MADE THY FOREHEAD: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. ***************************************** Soft "Christianity" allows you to follow the theological party line, attend a few game nights, tell a few jokes, wear a WWJD bracelet, sing carols around the Christmas tree (Jer 10:2-5) and chill. You only tell somebody about Jesus when it is safe. Don't try to rock the boat theologically speaking. Softies don't get too much opposition inside or outside of "Christendom". The only problem is that softie ain't what the Bible teaches. Following Christ is not going to win you the popularity contest with the world or "Christendom". But, hallelujah, it'll win the contest with Jesus! Amen! When you get out on the battlefield, sometimes you gonna get hit. YOU GOT TO HAVE A HARD HEAD. Though yo' head may be swimmin', Jesus will dust you off, encourage you and send you right back on the field. Hallelujah. Along the way, He shows you some fruit so you can see He is using you for His glory. When the going gets tough, you got to KNOW WHOM YE HAVE BELIEVED, hallelujah. 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I AM NOT ASHAMED: for I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, and am persuaded that he is ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH I HAVE COMMITTED UNTO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY. On occasion I think about Jesus observing me down here--fallin' down, reeling, letting Him down, lifting Him up, praising His name, and workin'. Sometimes I say, "Jesus, you done left me down here!" Sometimes it's like, "Look at this, Lord! Behold their threatenings-- now grant unto Thy servant great boldness." Other times, "Lord, I'm so sorry..." When you decide to "go public" with your Christian walk, you've put your whole self out for everybody to see. There will always be somebody to agree or disagree. Somebody to love you somebody to hate you. Everyday ain't a good day. The worst words come from other Christians. You learn that you can't expect one good thing out of an unbeliever so they don't hurt you. It's the Christians that do. You learn how to take it. You learn how to keep helping them even when they getting on your nerves. Jesus uses all this stuff to exercise your senses in good and evil. You exercise your physical body with weighty objects or strenuous activity. So it is in exercising your spirit. That's why the Bible says the trying of your faith worketh patience. In order to get sharp you got to go through some furnaces of affliction. You got to have a hard head and a made up mind to keep going in Jesus' name. God gives you a hard head so that when you would quit, you won't. The Holy Ghost will prompt you to continue and because you are used to obeying Him, you keep going in spite of yourself. Peter says we are kept by the power of God. That's why I have to say "Hallelujah" so much. The Father drew me (I didn't choose Him, He chose me and drew me--no man can come unto me except the Father draw Him), the Holy Ghost convicted me, Jesus washed me in His own blood, the Holy Ghost regenerated me, He teaches me and guides me. Every right and good thing about me came from the Lord! He even replaced my corrupt mind, with His mind! Oh, hallelujah! How can I stop praising His name? I can't do it! *************************** In the following email, I started out pressed down but even as I wrote, the Lord started bringing things to my remembrance and telling me I need a hard head. The antecedent to the email was an email from a sister who wrote encouraging me about the email, "I'm afraid for you". Here is my response-- Dear Sister: Greetings. It is amazing to me how many different responses I can get to the same email. While many agree, one said I rambled...another implied I'm heartless. You know, my continuing this ministry has solidified in my mind that Jesus Christ is the Lord. I would not do this if it were up to me. My flesh oftentimes asks why I keep writing when I know I'm going to get a bunch of flack everytime I do. If it was up to me, I wouldn't do it. There is no end in sight of this internet ministry. I can only count on death, debilitating illness, poverty or the police to stop it. Therefore, I can expect to keep on getting bombarded. I believe that's why the Lord gave me the Ezekiel 2:4,6 verses to be my signature. To remind me where I am at (a world of scorpions, briers and thorns) and what I am doing (saying thus saith the Lord). I'm not trying to get pity, but I just feel like telling the truth of the matter. Fiery darts day in and day out. Week in and week out. Month in and month out. Year in and year out. Before you know it, it could be decade in and decade out! Lord have mercy! Conversely, the Lord has used this ministry to take me to new places, places I previously could not have known like this. All of this is toughening me up. In this last and evil day we need to be tough as a piece of iron. Our skin needs to be like leather. Our foreheads hard as flint. Our knowledge of the word flawless. The Bible believing Christian is going to get knocked up side the head by Christians and non-Christians. You got to be hardheaded with a made up mind and a lockhold on Jesus. Otherwise, anybody will knock you down and you won't get up. for Jesus' sake, tracy -- http://www.jesus-is-lord.com ...I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Ezekiel 2:4, 6 You got to have a HARD HEAD in this war. ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to jesus_is_lord-unsubscribe@listbot.com FREE SHIPPING OR FREE SUNGLASSES at wonderfulbuys.com! We're giving free shipping on all our great buys plus get free sunglasses. Also, register to win a Total Gym 3000 ($1000.00 retail value). Click now, limited time offer. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/wonderfulbuys