The Power of Influence
 

We are all impressionable.

I have only recently, at the pinnacle of middle-aged clarity, begun to realize just how many of the decisions I've made sprang from the influence of others.

Influence can be a powerful thing.

We are all changed by those who enter and exit the stage of our lives. Sometimes the change is imperceptible, other times the sphere of influence is so strong that the change is immediately evident.

A queer realization has begun to settle on me of late. A realization that I am the sum total of my daily interaction. A realization that I can be influenced in both positive and negative ways by my wife, my kids, my parents, my co-workers and - most importantly - those whom I choose to call my friends.

At first glance, this realization seems simple, and petty. A deeper look reveals stark truths that are sometimes unbearably painful.

I am the product of every screaming match my parents had in front of me. I am the product of every dirty joke my brothers told me. I am the product of every unsavory movie I have ever watched with friends or family. I am the product of every sermon I have heard, every song I have listened to, every newscast I have watched, every news clip I have read. These influences, for better or worse, shaped me.

I am impressionable.

So, once again, I find myself at the feet of Jesus asking Him, no begging Him, to be my greatest influence. To deliver me from myself. To reshape me in His image, an image that rises above any worldly influence I've let in my life.

Paul, who seemed to have some of the same struggles I do, said it best.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Philippians 4:7-8

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Oh we all need this Pastor Poster, Amen!

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I'm going to share this with my son. Excellent & timely post!

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Good Stuff!!...The Right Stuff!!

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Thanks folks.

G'night.

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This is a faithful saying and worthy to be accepted!

The Devil is a great influencer....but Jesus is Greater!

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Scary. I don't think I would have admitted this on a public forum.:happydance:toofunny:bliss

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:boxing

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Excellent! This should be Church bulletin or Church magazine material. Maybe even the Herald!

Re: The Power of Influence
 

LOL!!! You should have seen that one coming from a mile away.

Re: The Power of Influence
 

True My Friend!!! ROFL>....:D

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I cringed as I typed it, but "queer" originally meant odd or aberrant.

The word fit.:happydance

And no, I said no, closets!

Re: The Power of Influence
 

I know what you mean. Our modern slang has robbed some good words of their usage.

Every Christmas when we sing "don we now our gay apparel" I find myself having a mental image of every over the top picture of a homosexual I have seen over my lifetime. Elton John in full performance costume, news stories of the gay pride parade in San Francisco, etc, etc. Arghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Great post!!

Re: The Power of Influence
 

When I came to "that" word, I wondered if

"A strange realization has begun to settle on me of late"

would not have been less distracting.

Otherwise, great post, Pastor Poster!

Not trying to be critical or offensive!

Blessings,

Falla39

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Awesome post! Thank you Bro Pastor Poster! :)

Re: The Power of Influence
 

GREAT post!

BTW - I didn't even notice "that" word until CCI brought it up.... :toofunny

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Bro. Pastor Poster,

When I read your post it immediately brought to memory something
my late father said in a message he preached.

He was saying that often we hear those, who because they happened
to preach or be in attendance at a service where some received the
Holy Ghost say, "Oh, we got 3 or we got 12 saved last night. Dad said,
"I don't think any of us can claim that we got someone saved, all by
ourselves. God may have allowed us to be a part of someone's coming
to the Lord, but when you look at the influences through the years, and
the tears, and the teaching that the parents, grandparents, and the influ-
ence other family members, have put into that person".
When you consider the S.S.teachers, the ministers. All of the influences
through the years, I don't think we can claim to have saved anyone in one
night's service. The influences of many years have been involved in that
person/persons life.

It has been said:

The saving of a soul is the miracle of a moment, but
The making of a saint is the work of a lifetime!

I think of a garden/family, etc., that has been planted. The caring, nur-
turing, the watering, etc. One day "fruit" appears and someone goes out
and sees the results of all the labors in that fruit suddenly appearing, who
can be credited for the results. Paul said that one plants, another waters,
but God gives the increase!

Have read where places of worship had been there a long time. Though
perhaps small, it was a healthy place, (if you not judging just by size only),
but the old had passed away and the new comes in and the body begins to
bear "fruit" again. Then the word is that before "I" came, they only ran 40-50
but since "I" came, the church has grown to 200, etc.

Jesus said that every plant that his Father had not planted would be
rooted up! Don't fret, If God has not ordained it, it won't last anyway!

That place/person/persons that was able to bear fruit again wasn't necess-
arily due to that person that came. The body was there all the time, but it
needed someone to sow the seed (Word of God" so that more produce so
that more souls could come forth. No sowing, no reaping!

Just some thoughts from a senior sister! As always, not to be offensive!

Blessings,

Falla39

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Yes. I am what my teachers in elementary school called "an instigator"!!!!:happydance:toofunny

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Excellent thoughts, PP! I have something I read by Philip Keller that would be very appropriate to reinforce what you shared. If I can locate that, I will post it.

Re: The Power of Influence
 

I hope you can find it. I'm looking forward to reading it.

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I'll go look for it right now. :D

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THANKS! :)

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Excellent post! I shared it with my family. It seems our hearts and minds are being desensitized by the world daily. It is important that we guard our hearts and minds.

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Perhaps you left one out. Most of us spent more time in school than we did with any of these other things you mentioned. Public schools run by people, most, without christian values. And foolishness running rampant when you put so many children together in one place. Our sixth grade class drove our teacher to leave sixth grade and not teach anything above fourth. At the time it was fun and we had a blast doing it. Looking back years later I am ashamed.

Re: The Power of Influence
 

PP,
This paragraph is what prompted my thoughts on this portion of Phillip Keller's book. I failed to note the page number or chapter. If you have the book, you'll have to find it. lol

A Layman Looks At The Love of God
A New Devotional Study of I Corinthians 13
W. Phillip Keller

We are assured on every side that Christ has come to us. He is here with us. He will not forsake us. All is well!

With this awareness there grows upon us a new dimension of confidence in Christ. It is the intense realization that not only is He here, but also that He fully knows me, or, put in the plainest terms, He completely understands me.

It may well be that I shall never, ever, fully know or understand all of God's love and concern for me. I may never comprehend all the impeccable qualities of His character. But praise to Him for His great generosity, He fully knows me in every detail and deals with me in utter integrity.

For the child of God to be known by Him should be the greatest encouragement in all the world. All of our lives we are interacting with people who do not really know us, much less understand us. Many of our problems in life arise from lack of knowledge and adequate understanding of one another.

People wear masks to conceal their true character. They live behind false fronts of propriety. They pretend to be one thing while living another. A veneer of culture covers crudeness, cruelty and deception.

It is frightening for most people to realize that "God knows you through and through!" They feel threatened by such knowledge.

But for the Christian this is great good news. And for these three special reasons:

1. God in Christ knows all the intricacies of my genetic makeup. He is fully aware of all the interrelated characteristics which were inherited from my parents, grandparents and former forebears. He knows precisely why I am the unique, special person I am. No one else, not even my parents, knows this much. In fact, I am often an absolute enigma to them.

But God knows me in this intimacy. He understands exactly why my inherited features influence me to behave as I do. Consequently, only He can treat me with utter integrity and complete understanding, tempered with compassion.

2. Only God in Christ, by His Spirit, is fully aware of all the environmental influences which have been brought to bear upon my life since the day of conception. No human begin does, not even my own mother.

It is this infinite, incredible knowing that enables Christ to deal with me in dignity, forgiveness and love. He knows all the strains, stresses and pressures that shaped me.

He alone can properly appraise the impact made on me by my parents, my home, my siblings, my schools, my playmates, my teachers, my friends and all other human associates. He knows the experiences, the griefs, the triumphs, the adventures, the work, the impact of books and films and a thousand other influences that molded me as a man.

No one else does or can. Not even I can fully know myself or understand my behavior. Is it any wonder, then, He cried from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

3. Only God in Christ can clearly comprehend all my thoughts, all my hopes, all my fears, all my imaginations, all my emotions, all my deliberate choices, all my subconscious impulses.

And because He does, He deals with me in mercy, kindness, patience, long-suffering, justice and total integrity. Oh, the grandeur and graciousness of such a Savior, such a Friend, such a Father!

It is this dimension of being known to the utmost depth of my being that has drawn me to Christ with unbreakable cords of love - His love.

For though He knows the best, He also knows the worst, knows the noble, knows the wrong, and He knows the deep yearnings of my spirit to be like Him. He treats me with utter truth and total understanding.

I dare not try to run a bluff on Him. Yet, I can cast myself in fearless contrition upon His compassion. I dare not indulge in hypocritical duplicity. But, I can come to Him, anytime, completely assured He fully understands me through and through.

Oh, the marvel of His love! Oh, the wonder of His care! Oh, the greatness of His grace! Hallelujah!

He is mine and I am His forever.

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Good stuff! I just sent this text to my son's email along with the OP.

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Both points by PP and Keller have to hit you at the moment. Keller's book really helped me move on in God when I read it years ago.

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This is quite an amazing post! I especially enjoyed this excerpt.

He makes all things new.

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Another incredible post!

Have you heard that song He Knows My Name?

He Knows my name,
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls,
and hears me when I call

I have a Maker, He formed my heart,
before, even time began
my life was in His hands

He Knows my name,
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls,
and hears me when I call

I have a Father, He calls me His own,
He'll never leave me,
no matter where I go

He Knows my name,
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls,
and hears me when I call

Re: The Power of Influence
 

He Knows My Name - Maranatha Singers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXsiWoyjw60

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Excellent post, I realize and feel this very strongly. My heart rejoices and is humbled at the same time reading your words. Help me to ever keep watch over my heart and what I allow to enter it, and what I have already allowed to enter it.

Not a perfect "parable" but one I remember well and hold on to from my older pastor, when I was but a child.

"There was a man with 2 pit bulls, trained fighters, and eager to fight each other always. A visitor asked the owner "which one wins the majority of the fights?" The owner simply replied "which ever one I feed the most". "

As I said, not a perfect analogy but rings true in the sense that, what ever I feed, be it the spirit or the flesh, will get stronger.

All Glory and Honor to him!

Re: The Power of Influence
 

Beautiful song, and wholly appropriate considering the topic of this thread.

I want Jesus to be the greatest influence in my life.