The day has arrived that we must ‘shake the dust off our feet’ in regards to some of the people in our lives that we have been trying to persuade to Christ. When the time arrives to ‘shake the dust off’ in regards to a specific person, the Lord will speak to your heart. It is important to listen, because God knows the heart and He knows the point at which a person has decided that their ‘final answer’ is ‘NO’. Beyond that, you are wasting precious time.
He may already be speaking this to your heart about some of the people in your life, and you may have found it very confusing–but He does not call us to devote our life to persuading anyone to turn to Him. When He sent out the twelve disciples to different villages, two by two (as their first ‘solo flight’, as Christians ministering the gospel through the power of God) Jesus gave them specific instructions. Part of that instruction was:
‘if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.’
His desire is that we present the truth, live the truth, and minister in what ways we are able. We are not to so heavily invest ourselves in someone that we bind ourselves to them and make their choice our responsibility. The Lord wants people who truly desire to walk with Him–who choose Him out of their own free will, not from constant badgering or guilt.
He called us to be witnesses–to the truth and to what He has done in our lives–not salesmen. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to persuade men of their sins and personal need for a Savior. In fact, if we go beyond presenting and living the truth and ministering as we are able, we may very well have the opposite effect and actually get in the way of the Holy Spirit and cause a person to harden his heart! People come to Jesus out of hunger! Force feeding has the opposite effect.
And that brings us to the unfortunate situation of people who are ‘unequally yoked’. If you are married to an unbeliever, you need to prepare your heart. The day is soon coming that you will be confronted with a choice: will you choose to join your unbelieving spouse and turn your back on God, or will you stand firm in your faith, and lose your spouse?
When the time to choose arrives, the Lord will speak to your heart
‘Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.’
Will you heed His voice?
There comes a time when you have to let go of your hopes for someone and accept things for what they are. I am not saying you should leave your spouse–that is a choice for the Lord to direct you in. I am saying, don’t be surprised if your spouse leaves you.
Prepare your heart for the possibility that your spouse will leave you, in the not too distant future, if you continue to serve God. Evil has greatly increased on the earth and people are now, consciously or not, making spiritual decisions. As things get more difficult, they will act out of what is in their heart, and the spiritual decisions they have made.
Make up your mind now, what you will do when that time comes. You will be very vulnerable to making a choice you will regret, when that horrible day arrives. There are few things more agonizing than being left by the one you love. But the Lord will sustain you through that time, if you choose to remain in Him.
The hour that Jesus spoke of has arrived:
‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law–a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’
There has recently been a shift in the spiritual realm. It seems that people are no longer restraining the evil that is within their hearts. Evil wants nothing to do with good, and good wants nothing to do with evil. Everyone seems to be choosing one side or the other. The Lord is calling us again, to devote ourselves fully to Him, and to begin to emotionally distance ourselves from those who have rejected Him.
[Here is a word to those of you who think that you can hide behind your unbelieving spouse:
Do not listen to the lying whisper that tells you you can just keep quiet about being a Christian, find some way not to get ‘The Mark’ and be ok, (because you know your spouse will take it and will still be able to buy and sell, thus providing for your needs)! The Lord knows your heart and is not pleased. Repent and put your faith in Him.]
It’s Time To ‘Shake The Dust Off’ (Part 2)
Dontbefooled666's Blog 
Good morning. For the past two or three years, one thing that has been really impressed in my spirit (I mean REALLY IMPRESSED) is the need to love not our lives in this world. To ensure that Jesus is truly our first love; even if it means a departing of an unbelieving spouse. I have a wife who professes to be a Christian but doesn’t show fruit to support this claim. She loves her life in this world and I’m fully aware that, if she doesn’t come to Jesus, the time will come when we will part company.
A “dry run” so to speak transpired about a month ago. She wanted to get the kids flu shots; siting all of the rhetoric as to why it “must be done.” I was against it and she accused me of endangering out family because of ambiguous beliefs. Eventually she conceded, but it got me to thinking. This was somewhat a model of things to come. Someday, a mark will be required in order to provide sustinence for our children. This mark will gain one access to the necessities of this life, but will forever separate all who receive it from the presence of the Lord. It is in such moments as this when we find out if our faith is genuine or we’re harboring seeds of unbelief.
Loving this world will cause a person to make really bad decisions.
Thanks for visiting this topic. I fear that very few of us; even those who ponder such things on a daily basis, truly understand the ramifications beyond a theological embrace. May we all draw close to Jesus and settle these things in our heart.
Blessings always in Jesus name.
timbob
I can empathize with you in the difficulty of your situation. It sounds as if you are really drawing close to the Lord and finding your peace in Him. That, of course, is important above all.
I feel impressed to say something that you’ve already likely considered. Jesus said that we would be betrayed for our faith, and that our enemies would be the members of our own household. It MAY be that you and your wife will be together, until that day.
The scriptures instruct that if your wife, the unbeliever, leaves you, you are free–but otherwise you should remain with her. This is a hard thing to say to anyone who is suffering. But, unlike our modern society, we are to see suffering differently. It is not something we should run from, but something we should understand we will all endure–for different reasons, and in different circumstances.
Through suffering, God shapes our character and strengthens our commitment to Him. We are especially blessed with a deeper bond with Him as we experience what it means to ‘lean on Jesus’ while walking through the ‘Valley of Death’.
What an important illustration you are making for your children, your wife, and the world, as you CONTINUE TO LOVE her and stand by her–drawing your strength from God. As a man, you play the role of Jesus in this illustration. Jesus never leaves us, although we may choose to leave Him–but he gives us no reason to.
You seem to me to be ‘solid’ in your faith and your walk with the Lord. I encourage you to continue doing what you are doing, no matter how hard it gets (and it will get harder). God will not allow you to endure more than you are able.
However, I also feel impressed to remind you of a certain trap of the enemy, so that you will be on guard against it–because it has proven effective for him, time and again.
Especially in our culture it is so tempting to walk away from your situation, to ‘look out for yourself’, to ‘have what you are entitled to’, etc. If you, in spite of what the Scriptures instruct, feel that you simply MUST leave, understand that you are not to get involved with, or marry, anyone else. By leaving, you would probably not be where the Lord wants you but, if I understand the Scriptures, you would be permitted to live by yourself, with the Lord.
And here is the trap I was speaking of: if you step out of God’s PERFECT will and into His PERMISSIVE will, you are one step closer to sin, and in a very vulnerable position spiritually.
The first step away from God, and towards sin, is the hardest. After that, each step toward sin comes easier, and the enemy has more faith and persistence in drawing you, because he has already seen a measure of success.
At some point, a beautiful Christian woman steps onstage, and the enemy convinces your heart that she is the one God has chosen for you. Our culture, ‘Christian’ friends, and your heart (because all of us have evil hearts) will convince you that this is true, and you become ensnared in something that is NOT the will of God.
So, be aware and vigilant. Count the cost well, when you are tempted to be the one to leave.
On the one hand you can be a shining example of Christ’s love for His Church (loving not just in word, but in deed; fulfilling the marriage vows you took–of loving, honoring, and cherishing your wife–not just the ’til death do us part’ portion), and drawing your strength from God.
Or, on the other hand, you can slowly begin to stray away, to try to provide for yourself rather than looking to God to do it and, by shifting your faith to yourself, begin to lose strength in your fight against sin. This will ultimately, one little step at a time, ensnare you in deep sin and destroy your resolve to live righteously, and maybe even your ability to come to repentance.
If you like word pictures, see Peter walking on water as where you are now. See him sinking as He takes his eyes off the Lord as where you will be if the enemy is able to entice you to look away.
More than ever, we need to remember that this world, and all that is within it, is passing away. It is more dangerous than ever to take our eyes off Jesus now.
I don’t say this to judge you. I say this because I know, and because the Lord impressed it on me to share it with you. Time and again, I have fallen away. I have come to fear my own heart more than I fear the devil. Because, God will not allow the enemy to snatch us from His hand–but He will allow us to walk away, if that is what we choose.
Guard your heart and don’t give the enemy a foothold. Be aware of his schemes and, if you think you are standing firm, be careful lest you fall. Remember, our hearts are deceitful above all.
The days are evil, the time is short, but He is mighty to save us and He is with us always–right up until the very end.
Hi again. Thanks so much for the encouraging response. The past few years have been interesting. My wife has threatened to leave and a couple of times it seemed as though it would come to pass. Each time, I was at peace; even when the outcome was in question. I’ve told her on a number of occasions that I will not be the one to initiate such a breakup.
Over the past few years, I’ve learned to walk in the Spirit and not react to situations that seemed designed specifically to cause me to react. There have been times when physical circumstances were chaotic and I had to call out to God; asking for a better view of the eternal picture and the real battle that was playing out. We oftentimes get caught up in the wranglings of the flesh and completely miss the real battle that’s going on.
I love my wife dearly and keep her in prayer as she is in need of a relationship with Jesus. This weighs on my heart much. However, I must also remain aware of the pitfalls associated with this situation. At some point, a son of perdition is going to come into power. This son of perdition is going to appear to “make everything better” and decieve through flatteries, those who know not God. A person who opposes this man, who seems to have brought about peace and security, will look like a baffoon. Subsequently, anyone who chooses to receive this mark, family members, our kids, neighbors, lifelong friends, and what have you, will turn on those who hold the testimony of Jesus.
And this is where we find out where our true affections lie. I think of Peter who was solidly convinced that he would never deny the Lord Jesus, yet when the moment of temptation came, he caved. It’s easy to say, “I’m determined to love not my life unto the death” but the real test comes when we’re called to act in accordance to this profession. I want to think that I’m prepared spiritually for this, but overconfidence can be devastating.
This is such an important topic; even though it doesn’t seem to be discussed much in the realms of mainstream “Christianity.” There are so many pitfalls and when those of our own household are in the mix, the dangers are multiplied. Something that you said really hit me. Moving from Gods perfect will into his permissive will is basically one step closer to sin. I’m going to remember this and share it with others.
Thanks again for taking time to respond. Blessings always in Jesus name.
timbob
I agree with all you’ve said, and am encouraged by your faith in God. You have yielded yourself to Him and He is doing a wonderful work in you, molding your character for all eternity.
It never crossed my mind to write on this subject, until the day I posted it. Perhaps it was a timely word meant just for you. I wish only to speak the truth of God, and let the chips fall where they may.
Who knows whether your love will save your wife. I believe, if you love her ‘as Christ loved the church’ through sacrificial actions etc., that either her heart will open to the Lord and she will serve Him too, or she will go her own way. If she does leave, she will be without excuse, having had God’s love and blessing poured out on her, day by day, through you–and your conscience will be clear.
But who knows, maybe it will be your steadfast love that convinces her that it’s safe to place her trust in God. And perhaps you will live to see that day!
No matter what–keep your eyes on Him!
This is a word for me. Thank you for your post.