Stand For Jesus

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 23rd of August, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.  

We start in the Book of Jeremiah 20:9:

"Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name."
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not."

Oh, when you have met Jesus, you can't keep quiet. Then we go straight to Romans 1:16, a verse we all know so well, don't we? 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

Just the other night, I was watching the Cincinnati Open Tennis Championship Final. The Ladies' Title was won by a young Afro-American girl, not even 20 years old - It was so beautiful to see her first-ever major tournament, and when she won it, she was like a little girl, dancing around the court, full of joy and glee! Then came the speech, this young girl, in front of thousands of people, said, "First of all, I want to thank my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for making this possible." She said, "In my hotel room, for the last two weeks leading up to the final, I was crying, I was afraid, but He was with me." Then she went on to pay tribute to her mom, dad, brothers, sisters, her family and her team. It was so beautiful to see in a world where there is so much compromise and everybody is so afraid to speak up and tell people about their love for Jesus. 

You know, one of the hardest place to witness is in your own home, isn't it? But we need to stand for Jesus and He will give us the courage. Do you remember that old song?

I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
Oh, no turning back, praise the Lord, no turning back.

When none go with me, I still will follow,
Though none go with me, I still will follow
Though none go with me, I still will follow,
No turning back, praise the Lord, no turning back.

And then the last verse:

The world behind me and the cross before me,
The world behind me and the cross before me,
The world behind me and the cross before me,
Oh, no turning back, praise the Lord, no turning back!

Go and tell somebody today that you love Jesus,
God bless you and goodbye.