SCRIPTURE
"…prepare to meet your God…" Amos 4:12b
SPOTLIGHT
Henry J. Heinz was the creator, and owner of the H. J. Heinz Company, which produced over 60 different types of food. Heinz was best known for creating Heinz Ketchup, and the company slogan, “57 Varieties.” When this wealthy man’s will was read, it contained the following confession; “Looking forward to the time when my earthly career will end, I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I also desire to bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which there were unusual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left me by my consecrated mother, a woman of strong faith, and to it I attribute any success I have attained.”
Can you keep your faith in Jesus Christ a secret? Henry Heinz did not want to. Christ, Himself, could not keep His Presence a secret. Having traveled to Tyre, He went to someone’s house in order to escape the crowds. [Mark 7:24-30]. I don’t believe He wanted to do this because He lacked compassion toward people. Mark’s Gospel is filled with references about His love for all people. However, it was impossible for Him to be near people and go unnoticed. A Syrian Phoenician woman, came to Christ and begged Him to deliver her daughter. So He did.
Amos could not keep it a secret. His name means “burden” or “burden bearer.” In one sermon, he summarized his deep concern for people when he said “Prepare to meet your God.” His relationship to God was so close that he had to warn about God’s judgment on people because they: 1. Had turned away from God | 2. Were cruel to the poor | 3. Were living selfishly.
Christians are just ordinary people helping other people to prepare to meet God. Like Amos, they have a burden to tell people the Good News. They cannot forget how making Jesus Christ their Savior and Lord, has given them life to its fullest. (John 10:10)
There are somethings in life that you just can’t keep a secret! One of them is a personal faith in Jesus Christ. If the relationship between you and your Savior is as genuine as He desires, you will be singing the black gospel song, “I just got religion and I can’t sit down!”
A personal growing relationship with Jesus Christ means that it is not possible to be a secret Christian. A way of determining the vitality of your connection to Christ is to ask, “Do people know about my personal relationship with Christ? How well known is my faith? How secret is it?” If people don’t know you are born again, that indicates your closeness to Him isn’t what it should or could be.
Anybody who has a personal growing relationship with Jesus Christ will not be able to keep it a secret. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. When a believer enters darkness, there will be light. Jesus Christ is the truth. When a believer enters dishonesty, there will be honesty. Jesus Christ is life. When a believer enters the stink of death, there will be the sweet aroma of resurrected life.
Someone near you is in need of knowing Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. That person is not yet prepared to meet God. Don’t go unnoticed! Share your faith. Help someone today to get prepared for his/her all important meeting with God.
SOMETHING TO DO
What creative things can you do today to open up opportunities for you to share your faith in Jesus Christ?
1) Pray for the people sitting on the bus with you.
2) Make a list of all the people you work with, and begin to pray for a different one each day.
3) Eat lunch or have coffee with someone new.
4) Invite a neighbor to a special Christian event/concert.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I ask that You would give me eyes to see people the way You see them. I know that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all people. I want to help people to be prepared to meet You. Help me today to represent You well! I so want people to be ready to meet You, because of something I do, or say, this day. AMEN!