Ambassadors & Cheerleaders
“I have heard a message from the Lord, and an ambassador has been sent to the nations:
"Gather together, come against her, and rise up to battle!” (Jeremiah 49:14, NKJV)
Those who know the Lord have been called to be His ambassadors here on earth. We have been chosen for a high calling, something not to be taken lightly. We represent His Name, His authority, His life in those places and to those people He has placed us in and about.
Being an ambassador, as the dictionary says, is one who is “an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country. It is a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity.”
This is not a choice we have, but a very specific duty and obligation the Lord Himself has given to each one of us. The choice we do have is whether we will carry out our duties and responsibilities or not, and to what extent.
When an ambassador is sent from his homeland to another country, to represent his government to that government and country he now works in, he doesn’t just decide to think and do what he believes he is to do. He has been sent to give the input from his sending President and the authorized leadership he walks under. Otherwise, he is not representing the rightful authority, but his own. That is not his purpose, nor his decision.
When Jesus sent out His disciples, as ambassadors, He gave them certain commands they were to follow.
“These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
"Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” (Matthew 10:5-15, NKJV)
Because they represented the government and authority that Jesus had, they were required to follow His instructions and do as He Himself would have done.
We are to do the same. We are to be the ambassadors that the King of the Universe has sent us here to be.
In addition to being good ambassadors, we are also called to be cheerleaders. As those who are commonly found at sporting events, the ones who typically do the “Rah! Rah!” and “Go team go!” (but with a little more creatively than I just used…), they cheer on, whether for the ones just starting out in their first year on the soccer and football fields, or the professionals with years of experience. Cheerleaders are commonly walking the perimeter of the field, getting the crowd fired up in support of their home team. They bring encouragement.
As the psalmist wrote, we need cheering on. From Him personally, and through each other.
“Who will champion my cause against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? If Adonai hadn’t helped me, I would soon have dwelt in the land of silence. When I said, “My foot is slipping!” your grace, Adonai, supported me. When my cares within me are many, your comforts cheer me up.” (Psalm 94:16-19, Complete Jewish Bible)
“First, I thank my God through Yeshua the Messiah for all of you, because the report of your trust is spreading throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit by spreading the Good News about his Son, is my witness that I regularly remember you in my prayers; and I always pray that somehow, now or in the future, I might, by God’s will, succeed in coming to visit you. For I long to see you, so that I might share with you some spiritual gift that can make you stronger — or, to put it another way, so that by my being with you, we might, through the faith we share, encourage one another. (Romans 1:8-13, Complete Jewish Bible)
As ambassadors also, cheerleaders represent the owners of the sports team and must be physically fit to properly perform their cheers and encouragement for the team they also represent. So, we too must keep ourselves strong, and keep building one another up in His purposes and plans.
We often will find ourselves put in locations and events where we are called upon to cheer on our friends, our co-workers, our family, our nation. We have been chosen to share the light, the truth, that which will bring encouragement to those looking for such, so much needed in our times.
A spoken word here, a Scripture shared now, an acknowledgment of approval given to one who is discouraged – all of these can be done as we represent the King, being His ambassadors and His cheerleaders.
People need the Lord. (Thank you, Steve Green, for your song powerfully sung decades ago!) People need to hear good news, have good news, and abide by good news.
We have been called as ambassadors and given the job of being cheerleaders, to share with our neighbors and the nations the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His righteousness, honesty, truthfulness, and holiness that we all need currently.
Be a good ambassador, and cheer on while doing it!
Now think on this.
Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).
Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.
If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
Please donate online safely through our website. Click here: DONATE
Contribution checks can be sent to:
Love For His People, Inc.
P.O. Box 414
Pineville, NC 28134
Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)
Please share Now Think On This with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. Others will be thankful you did.
Now Think On This #416 - in the year of our Lord 04.24.19 – “Ambassadors & Cheerleaders – Wednesday 5:07 am
No comments:
Post a Comment