Those RED sandals took me many places today, but by the time the sun was going down, I could be found at Suncoast Church, in the coffee bar, chatting with friends about Paul the Apostle and Radical Christianity.
Radical Christianity. That sounds scary! Pictures flood my mind of crazy, obnoxious Bible thumpers threatening hell, fire and brimstone if I don't believe.
Tonight I heard an interesting testimony. A few years ago, a couple young guys had been partying and ended up at Taco Bell to cure their munchies. When they were done eating, they headed out the door where they were met by two young guys, on bicycles, who asked them if they knew Jesus. They thought that was rather weird, but next thing you know, the young evangelists had the boys, on their knees, in the parking lot, asking Jesus to forgive them and come into their hearts, saving them from eternal damnation. One of the boys, (all grown up now), confessed that they were not in their right mind that night, and were driven to prayer out of fear. Nothing substantial came of it. They just carried on with life as usual. Nevertheless, within two years, the boys returned to Christ. Each of them, having all their wits about them, made a sincere confession of faith. They are now both living whole-heartedly for God!
Radical means...
revolutionary, life changing, extreme,
thorough, comprehensive, extensive,
profound, in-depth, to the fullest extent.
The early Christian church consisted of many so-called "radicals." Acts 17:6 refers to the Apostle Paul and his evangelistic team as men who were "causing trouble" and "turning the world upside down."
I've always been rather intrigued by the Apostle Paul. One minute he's headed to Damascus searching for Christian believers to persecute them, and the next minute, he's confessing to be a Christian, himself. In an instant, his life was changed. He was never the same again. From that moment on, he gave his life to winning the lost to Christ. He became a radical Christian, ultimately dying for His faith. (And that's putting it mildly.) Not only did he die for his faith, but he lived for his faith... to the fullest extent. For that, he was stoned, left for dead, beaten, abused, jailed, shipwrecked and more. Wow! What happened in that instant that changed him? He had a God encounter.
In Galatians, 1:15... Paul states,
"... God was pleased to reveal his Son in me
so that I might preach him among the Gentiles..."
In an instant, on a road, God revealed Himself to Paul. They had a little talk. Even though Paul had been educated to the fullest degree in the Jewish faith and was actively living that faith out... everything changed in a moment's time, when He was utterly convinced that Jesus is the Son of God.
On Sunday, April 10th, 1983, I had a God encounter. Instantly, I gave my life to God and became a Christian. When I went to work the next day, a business colleague, who shared an office with me, noticed that I was different. I couldn't help but share my story with her. Within a week, she too had a God encounter and was born-again! She was never the same.
A month went by and my boss asked me to step into his office. He closed the door behind me. Sitting down behind his desk, his hands folded, he looked me straight in the eyes.
"I've been observing you for the last month and I've noticed that you've completely changed. You're smiling. You're happy. You're whole countenance is different. You're glowing. I must know... 'What happened to you thirty days ago that has brought about this amazing change?'"
You can imagine how awkward it was telling him that I discovered God was real, and that I had given my life to Christ. My boss wasn't all that surprised. I wasn't the first that he'd seen this happen to. He was very receptive and after some conversation, it became apparent that God was at work in his life as well.
Several more months passed by when I was scheduled to attend a private meeting with another manager in the company. As I sat down at his desk at 8 a.m. with my cup of tea in hand. He sipped on his morning coffee and stated quite sincerely, "I'd like you to save my soul!" Yes... God was working on him as well.
Several of the people I met with tonight, in the coffee bar, have had God encounters of their own. Like Paul, their lives have been changed. There's no going back to the old way... whatever that might have been. They are convinced that Jesus is the Son of God. Now, they are living for Him! They are walking and talking with Christ. They are pursuing a deeper relationship with the Living God, Himself. No sense in trying to change their minds. They're sold out!
What's really interesting is that they don't view Radical Christianity as they used to. You're either in or you're out. You either believe that Jesus is the Son of God, or you don't. And if you do... well, it's not something that you can keep quietly to yourself for long... not because someone tells you that you have to share your discovery with the world, but because of the fact that when you've been given the greatest gift imaginable -- God -- AND allowed to share Him -- well, quite frankly, you feel compelled to bless everyone and anyone around you... especially those whom you love dearly! You don't want to Bible thump, but somehow, in some crazy way, it's perceived as that. Often times, you don't say anything -- not a word! yet you're still accused of preaching. How can that be?
God is at work in the lives of these new believers in Christ. He's changing them in ways that only God can! They don't have to say a thing. It's written all over them. They're glowing. There's hope, joy and peace, where there used to be emptiness, sorrow and unbelief. It's a good thing. It's a God thing!
And now they are finding it necessary to compile their own personal stories, of their unique God encounter experience, in which they came to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Will they too be "World Changers?"
Will they be accused of...
"causing trouble?"
"ruffling feathers?"
"making people a little uncomfortable?"
"turning the place upside down?"
Too late!
They're already doing that!
They are becoming Radical Christians, on fire for God!
They're already doing that!
They are becoming Radical Christians, on fire for God!
Me too!
Wearing RED shoes,
Gail
