Who Have You Told? · Faith Flex

Who Have You Told?

We see in the example(s) of Yeshua/Jesus that relationship is key in reaching others. I mean REALLY reaching them. An often overlooked step in the process of sharing faith is developing the kind of relationship that "pays for" some measure of authority in a person's life.

All too often, today, in faith circles we are taught that sharing our faith is caring for others, the Love God/Love People principle - if you will. But is it really?

The world rejects the message, quite often, because they see the surface of who many believers are and the lives they lead and choose to call them out as hypocrites. NOT always because they don't live perfectly by their professed faith, but because they have problems too.

Then believers end up back peddling to explain faith in God isn't about a perfect life, but the ability to handle it. Then we look like we're saying they can't really handle their problems, and when we fall apart because of our human-ness they cry out "hypocrite!" all the more. They aren't indoctrinated to see things they way a believer does, but somehow we just seem to expect them to.

Of course they are secretly breaking. But you haven't paid the price to KNOW THAT.

Real spiritual authority comes through relationship.

Yeshua/Jesus showed us one example of this in John 6 (around vs 50) when He told the crowd, if you're going to follow me fom this point on, you'll need to eat flesh and drink my blood. Many claim He was talking about Covenant, and in a way I suppose that could be true, but that's another thing that means many things to different people.

I think of it like this, from a modern perspective - you are what you partake of (eat). He was about to endure the greatest of human trials! Dying for people who don't deserve it; including many of whom don't want it, accept it, or even believe it will matter. A lot who dont' care one waybor or the other, especially those innHis future - like the unbelievers of today. So, in a manner of speaking, He was saying "If you wanna' partake in what comes next, your gonna' have to do things that go against your nature".

The disciples all still fled - it want their norm to challenge Rome's military might OR the religoous leadership. Peter denied him 3 times in one night, for fear of beimg included in the trial and being out to death. The rest of the 120 (not seen again until Acts 2) who presumably were the only ones in that crowd of thousands to NOT leave over His telling them they'd need to become cannibals to be with Him on the rest of His journey, are no where to be seen until its all over - like 50 days over! They aren't mentioned until Shavuot (Pentecost).

It takes relationship to truly win people. Statistics show that less the 25% of people who make a commitment at mass meetings and altar calls are even concerned with that commitment only 1 year later. But those won by relationship typically find a deep seeded understanding of the "indoctinated" views and are convinced because it's REAL to them. It's not emotion driven or a decision made based on positive peer pressure. It's a known life change and a truly New Beginning.

Consider this passage in relation to all this:

(Yeshua/Jesus is speaking)

Matthew 7:13 Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in that way: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it.

So, think on this and let's chat. Stay focused. Keep the rabbit trails relevant and connect them to a point about this OP. Any that are not clearly connected will be deleted. 😉

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