Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1Jn 4:17,KJV)

One of the things I remember while growing up was when my dad told my elder sister that diplomacy is the art of calling a person a fool and he will thank you for it.

As I grew up to become a preacher of the Gospel, I forgot how to present the Gospel in a manner that would attract my target audience. I had zeal but lacked knowledge and wisdom.

I went after sinners filled with hate. I was a ‘repent or perish’ preacher and people shut down. They knew they were sinners, what was the use of rubbing it in without showing them how to live sinlessly?

I was distraught. The message was right but my presentation alienated instead of attracting my target audiences.

I decided to do a study on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. And it changed my ministry and the presentational aspects of my message without removing the core values of the Word of God.

The message of the Cross brings salvation.

The Bible says Christ went about doing good. (See Acts 10:38) His Words were not hate speeches. The sinners loved him and came to Him to be saved, healed, restored and affirmed. Only the religious bigots felt threatened by His messages.

And I remembered the wisdom in being diplomatic and I applied that principle while lecturing in the Bible Colleges.

I think I somewhat defaulted again, which caused a friend to tell me quite recently that, “you never change things by fighting existing realities; you change things by introducing a model that makes existing realities obsolete”.

Christ is the model that makes existing realities obsolete. When Christ comes into a situation it changes for the best

Now, we know we are in a season where people will despise the truth of God’s Word in favor of the lies of the devil and political correctness. Shouldn’t we like Jesus Christ model love while presenting our repent or perish Truths?

The existing reality is that ‘men shall be lovers of themselves and the world will degenerate further due to the corrupting influence of sin’.

How does further condemning people who are in the throes of degeneration save them ?

I saw a video recently of how a Church group went out to a gay protest group and showered them with apologies and love. And several were overwhelmed with the show of love. At least now, they have established a connection.
And can now give them the good news of salvation.

I once had a fellow Fb minister take an axe to me because she felt I was not teaching about sins. I was blocked when I said to the individual, I’m a preacher of righteousness, you should abide in your calling of calling out sinners, and I will teach them how to live righteously and together we shall win souls and build lives for the Kingdom.

For me, Fb has been a great platform to reach the world for Christ. Due to heightened religious hate, they are more stringent with religious organisations. Be wise brethren as a serpent and calm as a dove. Let it be said of you that the prince of this world cometh but finds nothing of his in you.

RESTRATEGIZE

Hate is of the devil.
Some of my pages came under tough scrutiny by FB and I too had to go back to the drawing board. I did a recheck on my mission and I discovered that some of our posts were truly inciting and hateful. I took them down and represented the same messages in the Spirit of Christ and had people seek me out for counsel.

The aim is ;
¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.(See Acts 26:18; KJV)

I refuse to cut short my ministry like John the Baptist and minister to those outside my job description.

However, like a true soldier I will fulfill the ministry committed to me by faithfully standing at my post and doing what I am called to do, where, when and how HE called me to do it.
Shalom!
From #theWatchMan
Hephzibah Christly
#theSpiritualWarrior