Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 212
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
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It
is an age-old truth that you can discuss God with anyone, but many will not
discuss Christ with you. Michael brings
our attention to a great verse that gives us some beautiful advice that is
simple to observe…especially by the grace of God.
DAY 56
Contrast Changes People
And if any place will
not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave,
as a testimony against them.
--Mark 6:11
As a believer you must understand that it is contrast,
not conflict, which changes people. If someone will not
be quiet and let others talk, do not bring it to his attention; simply be quiet
yourself and let him talk. Contrast
will be the loudest protest. There are some topics that you simply cannot discuss with certain
people. Those topics are easy to spot, for when you make an observation,
halfway through the sentence, before you have completed the thought, they will
be disagreeing with you. Do
you have to discuss those topics? If not, simply change topics, continue
loving, and move on. The contrast is that you did not get upset over
those things.
Over the years,
through several hundred hours of lecturing, I have developed something of a
thick skin. I have been accused of things I was not doing or teaching, of
things I was doing, and of things I could not see I was doing. However, experience has proven that the best
approach is to keep my eyes off the accusations and on the Father, to maintain
moment-by-moment abiding. In that context, with His light shining on my problems, His might is
there to set me free, and He is the One I want to please.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Almost everyone acknowledges and possesses “a god.” Very few truthfully acknowledge the One
God. So, therefore, Jesus gave us the
peaceful advice: “If any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the
dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” Almost hilarious, isn’t it, when you really “get
the picture.” In that day, dust was
everywhere…dirt floors, etc., but more dirt outside. Picture the guys or gals leaving a place
where they were not welcome or the homeowners would not listen to them…Jesus
said it will be a “testimony against them” when you shake the dust (from their
floors) off your feet AS YOU STEP OUT ONTO the dirt of the ground outside their
home. In other words, you are silently
and simply showing them their wrong.
And Michael tells us that this “contrast” is the upper road to take…instead
of conflict…arguing with those who won’t listen and we cannot convince of their
error. That “convincing” is the work of
the Holy Spirit. Our not arguing will be
our loudest protest! State Truth. Leave the “arguing” to God.
This reminds me of one time out knocking on doors while taking some info
about our church to those in the neighborhood nearby. A fellow answered the door. He was a “member” (never went, but was a
member) of a church of a different persuasion than ours. Now listen, even when I offered to share a
scripture with him, he said, “No. We don’t
have a bible. We don’t use a bible. We use the booklet our church gives us.” I was stunned for a moment. I really was at a loss as to how to
proceed. But God gave me a “push” toward
the car! Well, amen. I now KNOW what God was doing. He was living Mark 6:11 through me!
Having grown in grace, I now have the simple wisdom of Michael’s words: “the
best approach is to keep my eyes off the accusations (or, rejection) and on the Father,
to maintain moment-by-moment abiding.” It doesn’t take me long to head
for the car!
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital
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NOTICE: another blog on
Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the
Wilderness. You can access by logging onto
www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches,
TX 75963 936-559-5696
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