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Often, people ask me or write me about situations where they are concerned about what other people will think. In the last week this has happened over 7 times. It made me think about several things but in the forefront was the thought, “Who are we trying to please.” Should we worry about, “What the neighbors will think?” and/or “Are we being a good witness?” These are valid concerns, but I believe too many of us overlook that what God wants us to do in most cases are things the majority are not doing. Simply put, Do not lie. Do not commit adultery, Love the Lord our God with all our heart, Honor thy mother and father, Love thy neighbor more than ourselves. Need I go on? The point is that most do not do these things and yet we are worried what they will think. I wonder if Noah was worried about what his neighbors would think on building an ark in the desert. We know Peter was concerned with visiting the Gentile, Cornelius Acts 10:28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him…” But in both these, it is always more important to do as God tells us than not to do as he directs due to what our neighbors will think. I received a letter tonight from a BC friend that wrote me when I told her about my next blog post being on this subject. I would like to share it at this time: Living in a community as tiny as ### with a seminary at its core, those words have entered my mind a few times, although when I am convinced that I am doing the Lord's work, then neighbors or not, I do it. Last August when I first moved to ###, the Lord enabled me to purchase an old bungalow. It needed many repairs done to it and I quickly discovered how expensive paying the local handyman was. At the same time I realized that my neighbors, although drunk most of the time, were actually quite talented at home repairs. They were very happy to do them for me at a reduced rate and I began to feed them and share Jesus with them in the process. It was during this time that the little voice began to whisper in my ear, "What would the neighbors think!" Daniel and Alfred were sometimes at my house late at night and on occasion I would take food to them around 9 or 10 in the evening. People could easily begin to assume the worst about the new divorced lady who is spending too much time with two alcoholic ex-cons on disability. But these characters who to most people would seem scary and dangerous became my brothers and Alfred actually prayed the sinners prayer with me one night, although his drinking habits have stayed the same, I believe a change is beginning to come about in him. Daniel is now in jail and I visit him once a week. He will be in until the end of September. In his spare time he reads the New Testament and we discuss it on Sunday afternoons. My life has been so blessed by getting to know these two guys and I hate to think about what if I had listened to that little voice? Too often we listen to that little voice. I consider it as the flesh speaking and not God. It causes doubt and takes us away from trusting the Lord. The second point was on keeping our witness strong. We need to remember that we get into our comfort zones. No one likes changes or to leave that zone. But God is known to push us towards better things, which is outside that comfort zone. How would we feel if we saw our pastors talking to a prostitute? Yet, Jesus spoke to the prostitute at the well and told her to go and sin no more. The crux of the problem is that the issue is whether we are to do what is right or wrong, not what appears to be right or wrong. If others choose to be judgmental on appearances, then they are wrong in and of themselves. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 1:1. I feel it is no accident that they put it as the first verse in a book so many loves. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. Mockers are gossipers. Several years ago, I had a lady tell me that an elderly lady came into her store every week a few times. The elderly lady was a church going person, but it concerned the shop owner that she always spoke badly about homosexuals. I excused myself for a minute and went out to my car to get my Bible. Upon returning, I told her that I was a young Christian and knew very little, but had read this verse the week before and thought it applied to the lady speaking about the homosexuals. About this time, an elderly lady came over to the counter and looked down and read Psalms 1:1 and then left very fast. The shop owner told me that was the elderly lady. She had come into the store while I was retrieving my Bible. The point of that story is not to put down the elderly lady, but to show that although we don’t agree with something like homosexuality or something else. The way we handle ourselves must still be Godly. I do not agree with someone stealing, committing adultery or many other things, but how I handle it still always needs to follow the teachings of Christ and God. The main point is I feel we need to keep in mind to do what God teaches us regardless if the neighbors or those that are not walking the walk agree. Which in most cases they won’t agree. Romans 14:20 says, “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.” If someone is not walking the walk then they are probably already stumbling, I am not causing it. One of the biggest debates has always been on drinking. I will not debate here if it is right or wrong and hope the comments don’t take that direction either. What does concern me is that many that take the side of not drinking one minute, the next minute will be saying WWJD, What would Jesus do? To my best recollection, he practiced all the Jewish customs and holidays. That meant every Sabbath at the end of the week and most holidays, they blessed and drank wine. We all also know that his first miracle recorded was turning water into wine. I wasn’t there to drink that wine, but if Jesus made it, I will speculate and believe that it was the best wine ever made. I am not advocating to drink, but to not be hypocritical. I believe that Jesus drank wine, but also that he never got drunk which the Bible also says to not do. Back more to our point. Too many worry about what others think. We have to remember that no one, even Jesus, can please all…Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions." If you look at the preceding verse Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' So we see in one someone is eating and drinking and in the other they are not. In both cases the judgmental found fault. They were not pleased with John nor Jesus. There are people you cannot please and if you read on in that chapter it is shown that they are better to be forgotten. They won’t like one preacher because he uses a monotone voice during sermons and then they won’t like another because they are too demonstrative yelling and pounding on the pulpit. One preacher will be too profound and the next too simple. There are a lot of people that no one can please as we see even back in our Lord and Savior’s time. In conclusion, let us have wisdom proved right by our actions and not by what others or our neighbors say because too many will find wrong regardless of what we do. Blessings, Michael Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 4 : Go to Church Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 3 : Sin and Repentence Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 2 Salvation Christianity for Dummies: Prologue and Chapter 1 : Praying In the Heat of the Night: Testimony Chapter 4 Judging and Gossiping , Commitment and Covenant: For All (Part 15, 16 and End) Commitment and Covenant: For All (Part 13 and 14) , Commitment and Covenant: For Men (Part 11 and 12 ) Commitment and Covenant: For Men (Part 9 and 10 ) , Commitment and Covenant: For Women (Part 8 ) Commitment and Covenant: For Women (Part 7) , Commitment and Covenant: For Women (Part 5 & 6) Commitment and Covenant: Relationships (Part 4) , Commitment and Covenant: Relationships (Part 3) Commitment and Covenant: Relationships (Part 1 & 2) , Walk the Walk Self Esteem....and the 8-Cow Wife , I am a Christian…So What Now? Communicating According to the Scriptures , Friend vs. Spouse Christ in the cells of our body. , The Love-Hate list |
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 5/12/2008 12:51 pm |
"deepestfaith replies on 5/12/2008 12:53 pm: Thanks Marilyn. I will check my notes when I get home tonight. Samaria has another profound representation but I need to check my research on it before I misquote the facts." I'm sure Samaria has far more reaching representation than what I said - I look forward to hearing about that Michael. Guess I should have explained better - running into Jesus changed the Samaritan woman's life - she totally got out of her comfort zone by accepting His Living Water and she stepped out of her comfort zone of her bad past and her pain and she stepped out of her comfort zone into a place of witnessing to her townspeople about Jesus - she couldn't help it - she was so excited in her new found freedom. Of course - Jesus didn't step out of any comfort zones - but He totally did something out of step for a normal Jewish person - He didn't care what others thought - He was about the Father's business and looking to please His Father and not people - I guess that's the comparison I had hoped to make. Blessings!! I'm enjoying your comments to the other folks - you use a lot of wisdom here!! How can we NOT praise Him - Marilyn
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5/12/2008 11:07 am |
OK!!!  Thank you. Awesome...keep teaching us. Thank you, God, for Michael and using Him to teach us great truths. No need to comment on this one, little brother. It is just a hug to you and God. I'm so thankful for you both  Peace,Beth In all thy ways ackowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Prov 3:6
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 5/12/2008 7:45 am |
Interesting post! As far as doing what's right or wrong as opposed to appearing what's right or wrong, may I share scripture: "Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:22 There are people within close proximity who I can only demonstrate witness to, in other words, are not approachable with the Gospel. They watch my behavior though! Any thoughts? God bless!  - Pat -BigChurch finally came through !! My Testimony ... Updated.
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5/12/2008 6:43 am |
Very well balanced article Michael and I love the example you gave of the lady and her neighbor guys - that's quite profound. Another interesting example might be when Jesus (in John 4) went through Samaria and ran into the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well - she had been married many times and had a terrible reputation. The thing is Jewish people had a lot of issues with the Samaritan's and usually avoided them. Had Jesus avoided Samaria and this woman - she would never have found out about 'the Living Water' and she would never have witnessed to all her townspeople about Him. If Jesus had been concerned about what His Jewish neighbors had thought - He would never had gone through Samaria at all and these people would never have found Jesus as Savior. That thought just popped into my mind as I was writing here so thought I would share it with you. And to me Samaria represents a type of comfort zone. Blessings!! How can we NOT praise Him - Marilyn
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5/12/2008 5:40 am |
Michael, This was a wonderful post. Very well written and inspiring. Thank you for sharing it with us!!! "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14: 27  
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5/12/2008 5:01 am |
Well said, Michael...you always challenge us to strive for the no-compromise, "my utmost for His highest" daily walk. The spirit of God is reflected beautifully in what you wrote. Deena He is no fool if he should choose to lose the things he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose.....Jim Elliott Deena 
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5/12/2008 3:30 am |
Amen! I often have conversations regarding God's will and always come back to the simplicity in Christ that allows me to follow His footsteps and leaves me a single minded Christian. Too often I am confronted with double minded people that fail to see that their struggle is not with others but themselves. I am reminded that if we walk in Righteousness so shall we be blameless before men and judgement. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke 1:6 KJV Always! Daniel
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5/12/2008 2:23 am |
Wow! This is very inspiring..thanks for sharing it! Penelope Captive of Hope 
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