If You're Not Ashamed... Post This As Your Status

You've seen them.  Kept scrolling.  Felt guilty.  Caved.  Reposted.  We've all seen them on our social media feeds and I'll be honest, sometimes it's hard to ignore them.  I mean, I'm a pastor and I still get that little twinge every once in awhile, "what if God DOES disown me because I don't repost this?"
So this morning in my Bible reading time I actually read this verse in it's context.  And guess what?  Reducing this verse to a post on your social media account is pretty far from what Jesus was actually talking about.
When Jesus told his newly commissioned disciples, "everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven" it comes in quite a different way than what you might expect.  Let me explain.   Jesus makes this statement towards the end of Matthew chapter 10 when he is talking to His disciples about what they will experience as they go out and preach the Gospel.  He tells them they should be prepared to endure:  being taken to court, whipped, beaten, dragged before governors and kings (but are not to prepare a speech before hand), families betraying each other to death because of the Gospel, being hated and persecuted.
Then Jesus says, "everyone who acknowledges will themselves be acknowledged and everyone who denys will also be denied.  And right after that he continues, "I have come to bring a sword to the earth... to set a man against his family, father against son, mother against daughter, a person's enemies will be the members of his own household... whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me... whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
The disciples, very early in their ministry, were tasked with taking the Gospel to a people (the Israelites) who would not only reject the Gospel, but reject the men brining it.  I wonder how many would repost these verses if they knew for a fact that re-posting would bring the loss of their jobs, the rejection of their families, the loss of income or the destruction of their marriage?  These followers of Jesus were actually preaching on the street corners telling strangers about Jesus in a very hostile environment.  If someone didn't like it they could literally drag them out of town and murder them with no repercussions.  What happens to us if someone doesn't like our FB post?  They block us.  But, they were probably just FB friends anyway, you probably never see them and don't really care if they are your friend or not.  But you won't lose your life... or even any sleep for that matter.
Now, I'm not saying it's wrong to repost these spiritually shaming FB status images or verses... I'm saying, the context of sharing our faith should cost us something and I'm afraid that for most of us, reposting only helps us clean our FB friends list a little.
Here's the test:  If you aren't sure whether you should repost something like this in the future ask yourself this question, "when was the last time I stood in room of my unbelieving friends and boldly proclaimed the Gospel TO THEM expecting them to repent and turn to Jesus?"  If you've never tried to convert a friend or co-worker, if you've never acknowledged Jesus in a place that would cost you something, then posting to your FB status isn't going to get you in good with the Big Guy.  If you're only willing to acknowledge Jesus on a FB post or a t-shirt or a bumper sticker, but not in your speech or actions or at work or among your non-believing friends and family then I'm not sure a FB post counts as acknowledgment at all.
Just something to think about...

Don't Be A Pig

Why does Jesus allow the pigs to be killed?
That's often the question I'm left with after reading Matthew's account of Jesus's meeting with the two demon possessed men as He crosses the sea of Galilee.  Why kill the pigs?
Here's what's happening.  Jesus has just arrived in an area called the Gadarenes when two men possessed by demons come from the tombs to meet Him.  Yes, the tombs.  They lived there.  Like wild animals.  In fact, no one could go to the tombs because these men, given strength by the demons, were so violent that they would beat whoever came out.  Imagine not being able to go visit a loved one's tomb because two maniacs would attack you.
The demons ask a pretty obvious question, "what do you want with us?  Have you come to torture us before the appointed time?
Those are good questions if you're a demon, they just don't have much to do with reality.  First, Jesus hadn't come to see them, they just happened to be there.  Apparently being possessed makes you a little paranoid.  Or it could be that when you mess with evil you just assume that you're going to get caught.  Like, you can always tell whose got a little guilty conscience by who jumps and looks every time they hear a siren.  Second, these demons know that there has been an appointed time where God will deal with them, until then they are free to do their evil.  They also know Jesus doesn't "torture" any of them - not in His character.  But, lying is certainly in their character.  So they accuse Him of something they know He would not do.  Evil spends a lot of time accusing others of what it does.
Anyway, back to the pigs... the demons ask Jesus to send them into the pigs for some reason and He allows it.  He doesn't do it, He allows it.
And what happens to the pigs?  They are immediately thrown into confusion, they rush head-first down an embankment and into the Sea of Galilee and they all drown.
I thought pigs where supposed to be smart.  But that's what messing with evil will do to you.  And guess what, you don't have to be possessed by a demon to act like it.  When you and I engage in evil we "act like" those possessed.  So we run head-first into danger and destruction.  Usually in groups, misery loves company, and usually head-first with our eyes open.
If you're an animal lover you probably don't like this story... you're probably mad at Jesus for allowing it.  But that's what Jesus does.  He allows us to do the things we want to even when He knows the outcome will be devastating.  Why?  Because He's not a God who tortures us, or sails across the sea to confront us.  He's the God who patiently waits for us to come to him.
Like the two formerly demon possessed men.  Yes, the story isn't really about the pigs.  It's about the two lives that Jesus saved and about the whole town that was now better off having these two restored to them.  They were out the pigs, but they had regained their brothers, fathers and sons.
Don't be a pig.  Refuse the herd mentality that tries to get you to do something stupid just because everyone else is.  Don't be a pig.  If you can see you're heading toward danger, STOP!
Evil always accuses the innocent, distorts the truth, corrupts a group and rushes toward danger.  You don't have to join in.  Jesus wants to restore your life and sanity. Restore you to your family and give you a fresh start and a new hope.