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In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10 (NLT)
He was in his early 20’s. He had quite a reputation around the small town I’d just moved into. Most of his activities revolved around multiple girlfriends and marijuana. Jim (not his real name) and I struck up a friendship as the result of an old man we both worked with at a small factory in town.
The old guy, I’ll call him Richard, was a Bible-thumping Presbyterian who always had a good word for everyone and usually it came from the Bible. Richard had a been a Christian for over 40 years at that time and read the Bible through every one of those years. Richard didn’t just ‘love the Lord’; he walked and talked with him on a daily basis!
As time passed, Richard and I decided to make Jim our very own prayer project. Jim was interested in the Bible, but most of the time it seemed like it was just a good discussion tool and not something he took seriously.
Perhaps that’s the reason why I was so surprised one morning when he showed up at church. I’d invited him but had no thought that he’d actually attend, but there he was at Sunday School in jeans and a t-shirt (which, in this church was simply unheard of and inappropriate).
After Sunday School we talked a bit before I had to excuse myself to tend to some of my responsibilities at the church. I lost track of Jim and couldn’t see him during the worship service either. I assumed (sadly) that he left for home. At the end of the service the pastor announced that he had an introduction to make. He invited Jim to the front of the auditorium. Jim had been sitting up in the front row the whole time. The pastor told how this young man had come to him after Sunday School and prayed to accept Christ as his Savior.
I was moved to tears to say the least. As I made my way through the crowd to try to reach Jim (who was now surrounded by a crowd of ‘welcomers’) one of the deacons stopped me and said, “Say, I see you are painting your house!”
His statement still amuses me in a sense. I tried, as I was choking back tears, to engage in the small talk but on the inside I was screaming “Who cares about my stupid house! Do you realize what just happened here? A soul has come home! A life has been changed! A lost sheep has returned to the fold!”
I think of this story whenever I hear this verse from Luke. Do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, really realize the impact we can have on someone’s eternity? We admire great evangelists who can win 1,000’s to Christ, but the angel’s party in heaven over just one soul. We weren’t put here on earth to make money or to raise families. As Christ-followers, we are here to show those who need the Savior the way to repentance and joy and eternal life.
Let your light shine! Be a part of changing just one persons life today by showing them the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Rejoice in the privilege God has given us to make a difference in someone for eternity!
PRAYER: Lord I thank you for Jesus. It’s amazing to me that the angels rejoice over even one person who comes to you. Empower me to see the great privilege I have to make a difference today. Help me to show someone what Jesus is like and perhaps even have the great privilege of leading them home. Amen
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations. Revelation 2:26
We live in difficult times. Everyday there are new warnings about the upcoming econimic disaster. Political conflict is on the rise with nation after nation being forced into warfare that kills babies, mothers, children. There seems to be no end in sight. While medical science has learned how to cure or treat many diseases, it seems like new ones with deadly results are turning up. And if that isn’t enough, starvation and homelessness in some countries, including the U. S., has reached epidemic proportions.
WOW! Still with me? What a downer. And in all that list I didn’t even mention the struggles we go through personally, on a daily basis with our relationships, health and finances.
But believe it or not, this post isn’t about defeat. It’s about victory. It’s interesting that when the Apostle John penned the above words in Revelation he was just begining on a journey in which God would show him absolutely horrific things. Events in the future he couldn’t understand, but that must have torn him apart. But the first section of his ‘revelation’ don’t talk about defeat, they talk about victory, about overcoming.
During these difficult times it’s easy to think about ‘what I’d do if I was in charge’ or ‘the government needs to do this, or do that in order to solve this dilemma. The harsh reality is, our time on earth isn’t intended to be a pleasant walk in the park. This weekend I’m writing from Northern Minnesota. It’s been one of the most pleasant mid-October Weekends I can remember. We walked through beautiful forests and beside crystal clear lakes. As I walked I thought how nice it would be if everyday were like this. But the reality is, in a matter of hours I’ll be ‘back to reality’.
Our journey may be difficult. Sometimes the struggles we bear are our own doing. Sometimes they are the result of abuse or the evil actions of someone else. Sometimes they are the result of decisions we thought wise in the past that ended up taking us down the wrong course.
The lesson from Revelation is this. Times will (not might) be tough while we walk this journey on earth, but for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, better days lie ahead. Jesus pleads with us to be overcomers here so that once we reach eternity we will be rulers of nations. Now, I don’t know what that means exactly but it sounds pretty cool to me.
So today I will try to overcome the obstacles ahead of me for this day. I won’t worry about the future because my Father will give me strength for whatever lies ahead. I won’t regret the past, because the sins of my past are forgiven and the scars will remind me that Jesus healed me. I will rely on the Holy Spirit of God to guide me through the turmoil I know lies ahead.
Our Father doesn’t ask us to do anything more than to do his will. That will is summed up nicely by Jesus earlier in another one of John’s writings. Love God. Love myself. Love my nieghbors.
(Besides, I read the back of the book. We Win!)
PRAYER: Father. I’m tired. I’m worried about the future and angry about the mistakes of my past. I resolve today to be an overcomer because of your Holy Spirit living in me. Amen.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
Of all the lies Satan tells us, the ones that are the most damaging are the ones that take away our freedom. If there is one thing that can rob us of the freedom we have in Christ it’s the prison of bitterness. The Lie associated with the Battle for our FREEDOM is that ‘You don’t deserve to be treated this way’. The lie comes in various forms. It can be health related and involve you or a loved one: “I eat right and exercise and do all the right things to take care of my body. I don’t deserve cancer.” or “He/she is too young to have to battle all this illness. It’s just not right!”
The lie can involve relationships as well. We listen to the voices as work that tell us that we don’t deserve to be paid the way we do; that we do more for the company than anyone else and for the least amount of respect, and the voices go on and on repeating the poison that saps our energy and riddles our body with bullets of anger, leaving wounds that ooze bitterness.
We hear the voices at home demanding justice, fairness and respect. No one deserves to be treated as a second rate citizen regardless of gender or body size or sexual orientation or age or… (The list goes on). We fight back physically or emotionally or cower in the corner in self defense until, one way or the other we are released from the pain only to relive it in another relationship. The fight for freedom can turn ugly. For some, the fight for freedom has led to death. When we give up the fight, the enemy wins.
As with most of the lies we’ve talked about, this lie is another example of the cunning methods the enemy uses to subdue us. Remember, Lucifer is the master of deceit and he loves to tweak the truth just enough to make the lie look wise. Half truths are his specialty. Do you deserve the abuse you are taking? Most certainly not! It isn’t just the righteous people who are created in God’s image. He created the wino laying in the gutter in the same image as the squeaky clean pastor in the cathedral where the bum lays his head to sleep, protected from the wind. The child molester is created in God’s image just as the terrorist, the adulterer, or the judge who seeks his own power and refuses to acknowledge the ultimate Judge or right and wrong.
The truth is, in one sense you don’t deserve whatever it is you are going through physically, emotionally, financially or otherwise. Your Heavenly Father created the Garden of Eden and all the animals, and we human beings so we could live in a world free of sin and in perfect harmony with nature and himself. When sin entered the picture it destroyed his dream for us…for now. The enemy doesn’t want you to know that when God sees the pain in our lives he weeps. His passionate heart is heavy when he sees the young person commit suicide, when he sees the cancer report, or hears the verdict from the judge’s bench. You don’t deserve what you are going through.
The adversity we face in life shouldn’t be surprising though. The Apostle Peter tells us: “Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as he did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning.” 1 Peter 4:1 (CEV) The Psalmist constantly talks of his pain, but in the same breath mentions the love and faithfulness of his God. (Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Psalm 25:16-17).
The harsh reality is that while we are here on earth we will suffer in ways no human should suffer. It’s not whether we will encounter injustice or suffering in life. We will. Just as Jesus did. Regardless of how much pain you are going through or for what reason, none of us has suffered more than Jesus suffered for us.
The real question is how we will respond to the attacks. Will you dwell on the injustice or claim the freedom in Christ to rise above the adversity. Will you refuse to forgive and be prisoner of your own anger and bitterness or will you live in the awareness that just as Jesus suffered here on earth, we are destined to suffer pain.
Freedom in Christ doesn’t free us from adversity, it give us strength to overcome it. That’s the Truth Statement the enemy doesn’t want us to hear in the battle for our freedom. Look at just a few verses the Bible tells us about our freedom in Christ. Truths that show us that we will suffer, yet our suffering won’t keep us from living free emotionally and can actually be used for the benefit of the Kingdom of God.
- It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
- Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (the truth! the truth about me. The truth about God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness!)
- Brothers, understand what we are telling you: You can have forgiveness of your sins through Jesus. The Law of Moses could not free you from your sins. But through Jesus everyone who believes is free from all sins. Acts 13:38-39 (NCV) (the law (religion) was never intended to bring us freedom. The law was given to show us the need for freedom!)
- Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17
- But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Colossians 1:22
- The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17
Freedom in Christ allows us to live in His strength regardless of what comes our way. Live free dear child of God. Live free of bitterness and anger so that others can see the truth of Christ in you.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus. I’m struggling under anger and bitterness. I’m living in defeat physically, emotionally and spiritually. I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes on you because this burden blocks my view. Empower me with your Spirit to live in the freedom you intended me to have. Amen.
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? James 2:14-16 (NLT)
One of Lucifer’s favorite tactics is to use half-truths to distract us and keep us from being the Christ-followers we want to be. When I was growing up I remember lesson after lesson about being ‘a good witness’. There was a saying going around at that time that said: “Each One Reach One”. The idea was simple. If each person would go out and win one person for Jesus it wouldn’t be long before the whole world was Christian. That was over 50 years ago now and obviously something went wrong with the theory.
Nevertheless, I tried. I became the ‘preacher’ in my elementary and Junior High School. I was passionate (in my own mind at least) about my faith, my love for Jesus, and my desire to show others the way to Christ. But no one seemed to listen. When my message fell on deaf ears I grew discouraged and began to feel like a terrible failure.
Simple childhood experience? Perhaps. But we struggle with the same thing as adults. It’s more refined of course, but Satan uses the adult version to dampen our spirits. The news media tells us over and over again that as Christians, proselytization is inappropriate in the workplace. Public displays that are sanctioned by any ‘government body’ are illegal. In some parts of the world people are even put to death for telling others about Jesus. In all these situations Satan attacks us by ‘reminding us’ that people don’t really care about our faith. That’s the great lie in the battle for our EFFECTIVENESS.
Again, as stated earlier, this is a half-truth. The Apostle James, and brother of Jesus, makes the statement in his letter to the church that ‘faith without works is dead’. As one pastor stated, preach a sermon every day and if necessary, use words! People don’t need to HEAR about our faith. People really don’t need to HEAR about how much Jesus loves them. People need to SEE the love of Jesus lived out in how we treat them, in how we react to adversity, in how we live lives of integrity. Faith without works is religion. Religion never brought anyone close to Christ, relationship does. An effective Christian is one that shows others what Jesus is like through love, acceptance and understanding.
In the BATTLE FOR OUR EFFECTIVENESS, the Truth Statement is: People don’t want to hear about your faith, they want to see the love of Christ lived out in your actions. Don’t let the enemy keep you defeated in being an effective witness. Consider how Christ would react to the person who is rude to you. Consider how Christ would react to those of different races, different religions or different lifestyles. Then go out and show them Jesus!
PRAYER: Lord, I’ve been duped into thinking I’m ineffective as your follower because I don’t have words to say or a great ministry that wins others to Christ. I see now that I’m most effective when I am showing people what your love is like. Empower me with your Spirit to SHOW people your love, grace and understanding. Amen.
“Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” Romans 11:3 (NLT)
Ever noticed how a campfire dies out more quickly if you spread the coals out? Once the coals are spread out the lack of heat generated drops the fire dies out much sooner than if you’d left the coals together.
The enemy knows that your spiritual, emotional and even physical well-being is much like the coals in a campfire. He knows that there is strength in numbers and that believers banded together in unity and love are disastrous to his cause. The best way for him to defeat you is for him to break down your endurance.
The lie he wants you to believe in the battle for your endurance is that you are all alone in your struggle. He wants you to believe no one else in your church struggles with pornography and if they knew about your struggle they’d surely ostracize you from the group and make you feel second rate.
He wants you to believe you are the only one that struggles with debt and he’ll remind you of the many sermons you’ve heard about tithing and not using credit cards and not borrowing from the future to acquire the toys of the present.
He’ll tell you that if you were responsible and gifted you’d be hosting the small group Bible Study at your home or at least going to one.
He’ll tell you the addictions, the thoughts and the feeling of being overwhelmed all the time is YOUR problem and if you were living by the Spirit you wouldn’t be going through this.
Once again, the problem with all of this is that in each statement he tells you there is a small element of truth. Remember, he is a master at telling you just enough to keep you down, distracted and discouraged.
His tactics aren’t new. He’s been discouraging God’s people since the beginning of time. The first murder was the result of Cain being discouraged because his offerings weren’t acceptable to God. He felt alone and left out. He became enraged and killed his brother. From that point on the story remains the same. Satan tells us we don’t measure up.
Even the great prophet Elijah experienced it and fell victim to the lie for a short time. He’d just seen God work mightily as a result of Elijah’s prayers. He’d just been empowered by God’s Spirit to kill over 400 false prophets. His prayers brought rain to a parched land. But when Jezebel threatened to kill him Satan whispered in his ear, “You are all alone. There is no one who will come by your side. You are doomed.”
Satan’s attacks seem to come at us at times when God’s been the most real to us. Pastors will tell you that the hours and days after a great outpouring of God’s Spirit, Satan will attack with a vengeance. We see it in our homes as well. When God works, Satan works overtime!
It’s what we do with his lie that makes all the difference in the world. If we believe we are all alone in our struggles we withdraw from others. We feel guilty when we can’t measure up to the standards Satan tells us we need to measure up to. We compare ourselves to others and realize we can never be like them. The more negative the thoughts become the more we withdraw and the more we begin to believe we are total losers in the game of life.
The Truth Statement God wants you to remember is that “The struggles you endure today are not a sign you are alone but God’s call on your life to trust him more.” Just as Elijah discovered that there were many who were waiting to come alongside him, there are many who will come alongside you in your struggle.
Elijah’s ability to endure came after he took some time for physical rest and then found others who would support him. Our trust in God and ability to endure comes as we build around us people we can trust. Like-minded people who will pray with us, dig into God’s word with us and understand our short-comings without judgment. Endurance grows as trust in God increases.
PRAYER: Father during the storms of life I often feel very alone. What I see as my weakness keeps me from experiencing your strength. Empower me by your Spirit to keep from listening to Satan’s lies so I can hear your voice through those you bring into my life to encourage me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 