This weekend I saw disciples of Christ doing what disciples of Christ must do, and I was honored to be numbered among them.  

The charge and commission from Scripture is clear.  Do not be ashamed of Christ, His gospel, or His words (Mark 8:34-38).  Make disciples of all nations and teach them all that Christ has commanded us (Matt 28:18-19).  Preach to those who have no hope that they can be born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).  Declare to the world that its deeds are evil (John 7:7).  Proclaim the excellencies of Christ to those in darkness (1 Peter 2:9).  Rescue those being led to slaughter (Proverbs 24:11). 

Proverbs 24:11 brings up an interesting point.  This last weekend the saints here at Wellspring Bible Fellowship interposed for our community and brought the gospel of Jesus Christ into conflict with the ever advancing LGBTQ PRIDE agenda.  As many as 500 marched in the streets parading their sin like Sodom.  Ask anyone who was there and they will certainly tell you the most heartbreaking visuals we took from that event was the oppression of the children.  The Roseburg High School Gender and Sexualilty Alliance led the parade with hundreds of teens boasting in sexual immorality.  Behind and all around them were adults spurring them on, many clothed in perverse attire.  Children clearly in elementary school were being coached by their parents to yell cuss words at us and celebrate PRIDE. When a teenager desired a sincere conversion, a team of PRIDE women would come and physically drag them away.  Sexual perversion bombarded these children all afternoon, in downtown Roseburg.  So you see, we truly were rescuing children being led to slaughter.  

If you have never been in a situation like this, you can probably imagine the flood of emotions that come upon us, but imagining them does not do justice to reality.  Mixed in with the grief, sadness, and anger over what is happening to children is an urgency to see not just the children, but all who celebrate PRIDE respond to the gospel with repentance and gladness.  Christ will return like a thief in the night, for we know not when He will return and require each one of us to give an account before Him.  The only response to seeing sin shouted from the rooftops is for those who have been redeemed to fill the highways and the byways with the beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ.

And through it all, I witnessed these saints faithfully act like ambassadors of Christ.  The conduct of the saints was patient and kind, not returning evil for evil.  People wept as they pleaded with the lost to come to Christ.  As wicked men leading their families astray puffed their chest and threatened violence, I saw saints act like peacekeepers.  When vulgarity and sexual perversions were literally shoved in the faces of these faithful men and women, they continually responded with love for the lost and faithful gospel proclamation.  Prayers were being offered up for the lost.  Reviling and slander was patiently endured.  Love of God and Neighbor was on full display.

Last weeknd I saw saints in word and deed act like disciples of Christ, and I praise the Lord for it.