UNDERCOVER SAINTS

Greetings and Salutations O Ye Saints. That's right...I called you saints. Now any saint worth their salt is probably thinking..."Oh...not me...I'm no Mother Teresa." You may be pondering..."I can't be a saint...I'm to pooped to Pope."

The words saint, holy, and sanctify all have something in common...the words hagios (hag-ee-os) and hag-ee-ad-zo. Hagios means...an awful thing, sacred (physically pure, morally, blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated (holy). Sanctify means...to make holy, purify, consecrate (mentally) to venerate, hallow, be holy.

We usually associated sainthood as something someone has done that elevates them to a place above the hoi poloi of the common Christians. There must be some sort of miracle or extraordinary deeds of kindness performed. To me... it appears that a saint is not based on what we are...but based on who HE IS. He takes a dirty lump of clay...infuses His Spirit (breath)...and takes an OLD CREATION...into a NEW CREATION. He sanctifies...sets apart for His purposes and calling. As we yield our will to HIS WILL...we begin to walk out our sainthood. The Lord declares.."As OBEDIENT children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you...BE HOLY YOURSELVES also IN ALL YOUR BEHAVIOR; because it is written, YOU SHALL BE HOLY...FOR I AM HOLY."
(I Peter 1:16/Leviticus 11:44-45)

Since we are SAINTS...because He is the ultimate SAINT...we are SANCTIFIED for His purposes...now...let's get into action...and start to DO SAINTLY THINGS. Our first collage pictures various SECRET AGENTS...Maxwell Smart...The Saint...Secret Agent Man/Danger Man along with one of my FAVORITE ARTISTS...Johnny Rivers who sang about the genre' of the SECRET AGENT MAN...opening up with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs known.

Let me go on record saying...that we are called...to BE LIGHTS in this world... who are called NOT to hide our lights under a bushel...but to set it high so that others can see our GOOD WORKS.

"You are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A city set on a hill cannot be HIDDEN. Nor do men LIGHT A LAMP...and put it UNDER the peck/bushel basket...but on a LAMPSTAND...and it gives light to all who are in the house. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN...in such a way that they may SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS...and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14,15)

At the same time...what will set apart people who give to be seen...and those who give out of love and obedience to the Father...is the WAY it is done. We are called to shine the light...IN SUCH A WAY...that they will SEE your GOOD WORKS.

"When therefore you give alms/do an act of charity...DO NOT sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be HONORED BY MEN. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. BUT (in contrast to to the hypocrites) when you GIVE ALMS...do an act/deed of CHARITY/LOVE...do not let your left hand...know what your right hand is doing...that your ALMS/DEEDS OF LOVE...may BE IN SECRET...and your Father who sees in SECRET...will repay you." (Matthew 6:2-4)

Give WITHOUT the ATTITUDE of puffing yourself up...but where the receiver KNOWS...that GOD LOVES THEM. I propose that we become UNDERCOVER GIVERS...SECRET AGENTS of God's love. We need to become DANGER MEN to the devil (little d). We are called to be THE SAINTLY STEALTH FIGHTERS...sent out to do STRATEGIC STRIKES OF KINDNESS.

A STRATEGIC STRIKE...is defined as a STRIKE carried out by UNITS TOGETHER...supporting forces...through a SYSTEMATIC application of FORCE...where there are SELECTED VITAL TARGETS. The aim of the STRATEGIC STRIKE...is the DESTRUCTION...of the ENEMY'S(for us the enemy is not flesh and blood but the devil/satan)...WAR MAKING CAPABILITIES (aka schemes of the devil)...to the end...that the enemy NO LONGER RETAINS the (1) ability (2) the will...to WAGE WAR.

ENTER THE ELITE FORCE OF UNDERCOVER GIVERS...THE SECRET AGENTS OF GOD'S LOVE...DANGER MEN TO THE DEVIL... THE SAINTLY STEALTH FIGHTERS...STRATEGIC STRIKERS OF KINDNESS.



These strategic strikes of kindness must be based on LOVE FOR THE FATHER. It is easy to say...I LOVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST...and even easier to smile at church and say...I LOVE YOU. I kid around with a brother in the Lord...about whenever he sees me...he says, "I LOVE YOU!!!!". I always inform him that JESUS...NEVER said..."I Love You." Sometimes I offer a CASH REWARD if he can find anywhere in the Bible...where Jesus ever uttered those three little words...I LOVE YOU. No doubt...he did and does love us...but he EXPRESSED His love...by ACTIONS.

"If you LOVE Me...you will KEEP My commandments." (John 14:15)

"Just as the Father has loved Me...I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you KEEP My commandments...you will abide in My LOVE; just as I have kept My Father's commandments...and abide in His love." (John 15:7)

"He who has my commandments...and KEEPS THEM...he it is who LOVES ME, and he who LOVES ME...shall be LOVED by My Father...and I will LOVE HIM.. and will DISCLOSE/REVEAL/MANIFEST...Myself to Him." (John 14:21)

The best way...to demonstrate love for the Father...is to SERVE OTHERS...in His name. You not only...talk the talk...but you also WALK THE WALK...as you LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE...IN THIS DARK WORLD.

Jesus put it this way...

"Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was HUNGRY...and you GAVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT; I was THIRSTY...and you GAVE ME SOMETHING TO DRINK...I was a STRANGER...and you INVITED ME IN...NAKED and you CLOTHED ME...I was SICK and you VISITED ME...I was in PRISON...and you CAME TO ME." (Matthew 25:34-36)

This statement evoked some questions form those KINGDOM INHERITORS...

"Then the RIGHTEOUS will answer Him...saying LORD...when did we see You hungry and feed you...or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see you a stranger, and invite You in...or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick...or in prison...and COME TO YOU?" (Matthew 25:37-39)

Jesus then reveals...when these RANDOM/STRATEGIC ACTS OF KINDNESS TOOK PLACE...

"And the King will answer and say to them...truly I say to you...to the EXTENT that you DID IT TO ONE OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE...even the LEAST OF THEM...YOU...DID...IT...TO...ME." (Matthew 25:40)

I encourage you...to begin to look for OPPORTUNITIES...to serve God...by serving others. Walk out your sainthood with practicality. Bake someone some cookies...call someone who has fallen below the radar at church...put a $100.00 bill in an envelope and slip it into someones purse without them knowing (and NOT put your name on the envelope)....volunteer a Saturday out at Wherry housing project and clean a toilet (this can be a man cleaning the toilet)...smile at someone who does not deserve your love...invite someone over to your house for steaks (if they are vegetarians...cook a vegetarian meal for them)...let someone know you are praying for them...find someone without hope and instill some hope...share your story with someone (aka your testimony) so they can see that if you can make it maybe they can...send a card with words of encouragement...pick up your phone an dial the number of someone you have not talked to in a long time...forgive the unforgivable...etc, etc, etc.

The bottom line is that this entire, long, rambling email...could have been distilled into six words that Bruce Coble and John Key have taught me...

LOVE GOD...LOVE PEOPLE...SERVE OTHERS.

Love and Strategic Kisses
Rodney "Random Acts" Boyd