Christians
are being persecuted and murdered. This has always been so to a degree, but it
has now gone to new evil levels. Or at least it has in our lifetime.
Many people,
from all walks of life, have endured severe persecution and suffered at the
hands of evil people with evil hearts. Our Native American and Jewish brothers
and sisters have suffered from this for decades upon decades.
The real root
of all this is spiritual.
The same
spirit that controlled Hitler during the Third Reich is now controlling ISIS
and all other terrorist groups worldwide. It’s the same spirit that controlled
Haman in Esther’s day. There are wicked principalities and powers at work. It’s
one of the “rulers of the darkness of this age” Paul laid out in Ephesians 6.
But, we have
the power to overcome through Christ.
This is an ancient battle that has long raged on. It is a battle of kingdoms; a battle
between the Kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. A battle which Jesus
ultimately won and secured the victory.
In no way am I being cavalier. I am speaking the truth, however.
Most of us are deeply concerned about what is happening in the world today; we absolutely care. It is heart-wrenching to see such brutal evil unfold. It’s
heart-wrenching to see the pain and suffering of people for any reason, but this kind of atrocity is something the majority of us witness from a reasonably safe distance.
Yes, we must go on living our lives, taking care of our families and our personal responsibilities,
as well as what we each deal with or the circumstances we find
ourselves in. And for many of us, our circumstances are just as heart-wrenching
and life-changing, albeit in different ways.
There is no
sugar-coating the depths of human suffering. And there is no good thing that
comes out of comparisons either (i.e., this is worse than that; be glad you
don’t have to deal with what they do; my pain is worse than yours, etc.).
Gratitude is definitely good and needed, but no one’s suffering is necessarily
easier than another’s.
However, as
people of God, we must start getting
serious about how we pray and operate in our God-given authority; if we aren't already. Perhaps that will be a first for some. And maybe
that also means getting serious in our relationship with God in a way we never
have before.
This isn't cotton candy Christianity. This is a real-life faith walk. And yet many have ingested, or been fed, copious amounts of sugar and not nearly enough spiritual sustenance or real nourishment. Paul referred to this as milk versus meat. Too much milk and not enough solid food create severe imbalances and deficiencies. And the truth is, many are spiritually malnourished for this very reason.
Sugar highs are dangerous; both naturally and spiritually. Sure, it gives you a quick boost and may even have you bouncing off the walls with high energy for a while, but eventually, you'll come crashing down, feeling much worse than you did before. This is why it's called a sugar crash.
This isn't cotton candy Christianity. This is a real-life faith walk. And yet many have ingested, or been fed, copious amounts of sugar and not nearly enough spiritual sustenance or real nourishment. Paul referred to this as milk versus meat. Too much milk and not enough solid food create severe imbalances and deficiencies. And the truth is, many are spiritually malnourished for this very reason.
Sugar highs are dangerous; both naturally and spiritually. Sure, it gives you a quick boost and may even have you bouncing off the walls with high energy for a while, but eventually, you'll come crashing down, feeling much worse than you did before. This is why it's called a sugar crash.
We're having too many "sugar crashes" in the Body of Christ, and just as we suffer physically when we don't get right, proper, healthy nutrition, so do we spiritually. It can severely stunt our growth.
First of all, Our Heavenly
Father is not a Sugar Daddy. Secondly, Jesus is not
an action figure to mold into whomever we want Him to be. And thirdly, the Holy
Spirit is not a mystical fairy tale, nor is He a bird.
Neither is this
faith some kind of game to download or remove at will. It’s not a pill we swallow to permanently ease our consciences or to make us look cool. It isn't a free pass to do whatever we want and then expect God to back us up. It isn't a grace license to willfully sin, or act self-righteous and elitist.
The truth
is, those who know more are held more accountable.
Conversely,
God is not an angry drill sergeant with a big stick just waiting to whack us
over the head when we mess up or make mistakes. He isn't a selfish, egotistical deity who forces people to worship Him.
He’s not a
pimp, a smokescreen, a genie, a buzzword, a scheme, or a figment of weak
people’s imaginations.
He’s not pie
in the sky. He’s not a gravy train. And He isn't a fortune cookie.
He’s not
your abusive father, mother, or spouse. He is not your biased, sanctimonious neighbor. He isn't your flawed pastor, priest, rabbi, or spiritual guru.
Don’t mistake Him with imperfect people, which we all are.
Don’t mistake Him with imperfect people, which we all are.
He is the
Creator of the Universe.
He is love.
He is light.
He is holy.
And He cares
about people, all people. So much so, He died for the whole world.
He didn't come to condemn us, but to rescue us.
He didn't come to say I told you so. Instead, He came to say I love you.
Jesus is the true revelation of God.
He doesn't ask us to kill for Him or earn our way into His good graces.
He freely offers himself and His sacrifice to us; to whoever will receive Him. He is a personal God who wants to have a real and personal relationship with us. But, He also gives
us free will to choose; even about Him.
In this age
of advanced technology and philosophy, it can be easy to dismiss our need for
Him. It can be just as easy for those on the outside looking in to scoff at our
desire for Him. But all of our
collective reasoning and intellect can never comprehend our real need for Him.
Intellect
and reasoning have their place, but they will argue, debate, and analyze
spiritual matters all day long and miss it.
Only our hearts and spirits can receive this truth, which really brings me back to the
beginning of this post.
Good and
evil will continue warring against each other in the days to come, but we are
not without hope; we are not without empowerment. Jesus is our living hope, and we have power through His victory over the enemy. We don't pay back evil for evil. We overcome or conquer evil by doing good.
Darkness cannot cast out the darkness. The Lord put it this way: “How can Satan cast out Satan?”
Only light can do that. Specifically, “the Light of the world,” which we as sons and daughters carry on the inside of us. So what are we doing with it? What are we doing with Him?
Only light can do that. Specifically, “the Light of the world,” which we as sons and daughters carry on the inside of us. So what are we doing with it? What are we doing with Him?
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. And because He is the highest power and authority, both in Heaven and Earth, He has given us all power over the power of the enemy. Not some, all.
We,
as believers, need to understand how to rightfully exercise our power and authority in Christ. We don’t fight against flesh and blood (people). Our fight is
against spiritual (demonic) principalities, powers, rulers, wickedness, and strongholds.
Satan
is real. Evil is real. But neither is greater than God or His Kingdom.
God is all-powerful. Omnipotent. God is all-knowing. Omniscient. God is ubiquitous. Omnipresent.
God is all-powerful. Omnipotent. God is all-knowing. Omniscient. God is ubiquitous. Omnipresent.
And He has
entrusted the stewardship of this earth to us. So what do we do?
We are to occupy. We are to be salt and light. We must be Jesus
where we're planted.
We are to occupy. We are to be salt and light. We must be Jesus
where we're planted.
We must speak like Jesus.
Think like Jesus.
Think like Jesus.
Pray like
Jesus.
Love like
Jesus.
Forgive like
Jesus.
Shine like Jesus.
And walk in true authority and obedience like Jesus.
If we do that, we'll start seeing the darkness diminish in our communities, cities, and nations. But it begins with us.
If we do that, we'll start seeing the darkness diminish in our communities, cities, and nations. But it begins with us.
We cannot
allow ourselves to fall into the trap of hopelessness, fear, doubt, complacency or apathy. Neither can we stay offended or attack each other. We must guard our hearts.
Redemption
is a grace-laden gift from Christ alone. He is the doorway to new life, and this new life is what makes overcoming evil possible, first in our own lives, and
then in the world.
The Church
is destined to overcome. I believe she will soon rise into her finest hour. However, we have lost sight of some vital things. But Jesus knows how to correct and restore our vision. He is at work, although it might not look like what we’d necessarily think or
expect. Nevertheless, the Head, the chief cornerstone himself, knows how to rightly care for
and purify His Body.
He knows how to bring the change we need.
And that is why the Gospel is such good news, even for wearied, long-time believers.
And that is why the Gospel is such good news, even for wearied, long-time believers.
Michelle Holderman
Copyright © 2015
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