2003-01-21
Good Morning Treasured Ones,
In the course of learning how to wage the spiritual warfare to which all believers are called, we continue looking at the example that Christ set for us during his public ministry. It is known that He was involved in spiritual warfare, confronting evil until the end of His ministry. I believe the Father was training Him to help us with ours. Just as HE 4: 15 reveals, “Our High Priest is not One Who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a high Priest Who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.” While the context of this verse is in connection with Christ’s preparation to be our Advocate and Intercessor in the heavenly Holy of Holies, I also think that it applies to His being able to use His experience in spiritual warfare to advise us on ours. As for casting out demons and healing, Christ makes His intentions quite clear to Herod and the Pharisees after the Pharisees told Him to leave Galilee. That is because Herod wanted to kill Him. In LK 13: 32, “Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell that fox: ‘I am driving out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I shall finish My work.’” There was nothing, no threat upon His life, that would stop Christ from doing His appointed duty and carrying out God’s purpose for Him. We must ask how many of us are that dedicated to the callings God has given us.
I am led to repeat the citation of MK 1: 35-39, because it never hurts for us to see the approach Christ took in carrying out His calling. “Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where He prayed. But Simon and his companions went out searching for Him, and when they found Him, they said, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’ But Jesus answered, ‘We must go on to the other villages around here. I have to preach in them also, because that is why I came.’ So He traveled all over Galilee preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons.” Christ never did anything without the Father’s direction sought in prayer, and He obeyed it completely. That is the example He set for us. Christ didn’t complain about whether God’s direction was convenient or comfortable for Him; He simply followed it and encouraged the others around Him to do the same.
I can’t help but say something about a recently retired pastor and his wife whom I know. They went to Tanzania on a short-term mission. They sent weekly letters back to me, letters which were a revelation to anyone on their mailing list. This couple could have taken a quiet, peaceful retirement and relaxed. God called them to this place where disease, poverty, and ignorance are rampant. In their loving and faithful obedience, they answered that call, temporarily leaving the comforts of life in the States behind them. They traveled over almost non-existent roads to remote villages to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They took an interpreter with them. A number of other Africans always rode in the car they were given, a Pajero, always on the brink of breaking down with over 200,000 miles on its odometer. It was capable of carrying about 10 people packed into it. In each place, they were welcomed, and people sometimes walked ten miles to hear this pastor’s lessons from the Scriptures. Their visit to a local mosque caused a change in the attitude of the Muslims which attended it. Their initial rejection and refusal to have anything to do with Christians was converted to a desire to open a dialogue with the Christian seminarians at the local seminary, where this pastor was also teaching. They visited a hospital and four orphanages to bring help. Even after the pastor’s wife contracted a microbial infection of some kind, they kept on until their appointed mission was complete. In the course of their experience, they discovered Christ’s sweet and saving message of peace and salvation was sweeping over the area. The joyous style of worship and song dedicated to the Lord in Africa was an experience these missionaries and those of us who read their letters will always treasure. At the end of their stay in Africa, they presented several Bibles to the seminarians in his class, Bibles none of them would have ever been able to afford, Bibles which will always be treasured there. While we can’t all go on difficult missions like this one, we can learn from the experience of this couple’s willingness to obey LK 9: 23-24. Within the context of our own lives, we also need to obey it.
PRAYER: O Lord, today’s prayer is a plea for You to give us the courage we need to come with Christ. LK 9: 23-24, “…If anyone wants to come with Me, he must forget himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” We acknowledge that you have given us the power to combat evil victoriously in the name of Jesus Christ. However, the fleshly side of us puts up artificial barriers, abhors leaving our comfort zone, wants material things, and fights against having faith strong enough to obey Your commands. We know we have these imperfections and plead for Your help in overcoming them. Whatever Your calling is for us, we must be willing to open our ears and eyes to hear and see what it is. We must be self-disciplined about coming to You often in prayer as Christ did. We must be willing to put aside our human agendas, so we can fulfill Yours for us. Dearest Abba, through daily study of Your word, it is clear that we are called to see Your greater purpose, Your big picture, and to never lose sight of it. Our lives have many different circumstances. Some of us are called to lead, some to be pastors, some to be teachers, and some to serve You in other ways. Whatever talents You have given us, we need to use them to obey, trust, and serve You faithfully. We pledge to do our part to read the Scriptures daily, so we will have the discernment to recognize evil when we are confronted with it. That pledge also extends to frequent prayer, so that You can guide us as to what action against it to take, how, and when. These are the words in our hearts, Dear Lord: PS 25: 4-5 [KJV], “Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me: for Thou Art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” PS 19: 8, “The Lord’s instruction is right: it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light.” We stand before Your throne to humbly confess our sins, to empty our spiritual vessels of human agendas, and to ask You to fill us with the Holy Spirit. We offer You our eternal and heartfelt adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, glory, honor, thanks, and praise. In Christ’s mighty name, amen.
God equips us to take up the offensive in spiritual warfare, and that will be the subject of tomorrow’s message. Dear Ones, the Kingdom of God is now. PS 93: 1-2 [KJV], “The Lord is King, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, He is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” This beautiful KJV statement reminds us of God’s majesty, His might, and His superiority. From the moment we became believers, He established His Kingdom in our hearts. We must do everything we can to understand this and to carry on His work, including spiritual warfare, so that His actual Kingdom will replace all the human ones on earth. The sooner, the better! Once that has been done, all of us who endure in faith can begin living in eternal joy, fellowship, and peace with the Lord God Who adores each one of us. He is the giant Eagle Who brings all of his children under His wings. Peter and I also send each of you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn