Many are familiar with the statement: We are ambassadors for Christ. We represent the company of “Father, Son and Holy Ghost – Unlimited.” Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 3:2, that we are living epistles “…..known and read of all men.” Our lives speak! 2 Corinthians 3:5 reminds us that “….our sufficiency is of God,” and not of ourselves. Jesus stated that we are IN the world but not OF it.

A brother testified that, during the course of the week, he attended a customer’s home to carry out some plumbing maintenance. The customer, a man, showed the brother a beautiful church organ he had acquired. As they were both inspecting it, the owner displayed his admiration for the instrument and the beautiful sound it produced. He commented that he did not want it for what it was originally made for – “church music,” and stated quite strongly, “I don’t want any of that God stuff here!” The remark found a reaction in the brother who had to deal with and process his irritation. As he did so he realized that the customer was rejecting not the TRUE GOD, but a false image of Him – a gross misrepresentation of God by a religious system that is prevalent in our society. What the man was really saying was “I don’t want all that stuff I think is God.” He was rejecting his concept of God and the Church he had experienced. God had been grossly misrepresented to him by his experience of a religious system causing the name of God and Jesus Christ to be an offence to him. I think Jesus would have prayed: “Father, please have mercy and forgive him, he does not know Who he is rejecting.”

Some “Unbelievers” were asked their opinion of Christians they had experienced. Sadly their comments were that they had found them judgmental, self-righteous and often boring! Of course it cannot be said of all Christians, but it is shocking to think it can be said at all! We can so often distort the image of Christ to a lost and desperate world.

What kind of ambassador am I for Christ? What image do I portray to the world? Am I a good steward of the grace and mercy God has lavished upon me? Do I give it away to others? Let the Holy Spirit answer these questions – we cannot bear testimony of ourselves.

We live amongst a corrupt world in turmoil. But this is only the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 17:26, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” We are exhorted to be “…as wise as serpents, yet as harmless as doves,” Matthew 10:16.

In the very first book of the Bible the Holy Spirit is mentioned – Genesis 1:2 “….and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

In the very last book of the Bible, Revelation 22:17 we read, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come,” speaking to our Lord Jesus.

Both of the above verses speak of the Holy Spirit, the divine Executor of God’s will on earth and in us. Throughout the books of the Old Testament testimony is recorded where the Holy Spirit was put “upon” men, but not indwelling. But in the New Testament to those who received Jesus, the Holy Spirit was indwelling. We cannot live our Christian life without His divine guidance.

We are in a dispensation where God requires us to walk circumspectly with Him in the midst of a world where many governments, councils, committees etc. are corrupt. We need to recognize that, in finality, “the government is on His shoulders.”

1 Timothy 2:1-2 We are exhorted to pray for all men, Kings and all in authority, “….that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”…..amongst a corrupt world. We are required to live in this window of time, but the Spirit of Christ is not confined to a dispensation of time. We can be discouraged if we only see this moment.

GOD IS NOT IN TIME – HE IS ETERNAL – TIME IS IN GOD!

God sees the bigger picture, not just our tiny window of time. God’s eternal purposes will not be thwarted! Eventually “…every knee shall bow” to Him.

We live in “the now”…the present. 1 John 3:2 “NOW are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” We are learning to walk, live and work out the release of the kingdom of God from within us, living peaceably amongst a world in turmoil. That is our daily challenge, to see the bigger picture from God’s perspective and look beyond our “window in time.”….to submit and give precedence to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that we may end our wilderness wanderings and enter into our birthright, the Promised Land!