|
Questa |
|
Questa |
Once again, late.
Love,
Bill
I CARRY A PICTURE
Of late, as I pray, an odd picture goes through my mind. It started
at
Youth
Link 2000 in Denver. One of the speakers gave a presentation on personal
evangelism that began with pointing your index finger at others and saying,
“It’s all about them.” The point being that a witness for Jesus Christ
must remember to focus on them. The speaker had four other hand signals
and sayings, but the first one really stuck.
Now, as I pray, I am reminded of one of Jesus’ sayings. "‘Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is
like
it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:37-39)
My
abbreviated
form is, “I love You, Lord and it’s all about them.”
The next step towards the picture occurred after one of the Youth Team
Bible
studies in Questa. The lesson covered “God loving losers,” or “God
making winners out of losers” or something along those lines. In
a moment of unguarded confession, I said, “I’m tired of seeing evil prosper
and feeling like a loser in the spiritual battle raging around us.
I want to kick some spiritual bottom.” Then I remembered “God loves
losers” and “The battle is the Lord’s.”
As I pondered the Lord’s battle, a picture began to form. The picture
is
of
a battle weary soldier, (a Marine of course). This Marine is a radio
operator. He is poised in a half kneeling position. One knee
touches the ground while the other leg is coiled and ready to push him
into an upright stance. A warrior ready to move at a moment’s notice.
A radio operator with handset in hand, ready to listen or broadcast.
As Christians, we pray without ceasing and in all things. We are
sensitive
and listening to the Holy Spirit at all times. “It is all
about
them” and we must be ready to help or move closer at any moment.
A radio operator calls in “close air support” or “artillery” or reinforcements”
but he is not the one that actually delivers munitions. The radio
operator requests the “close air support” or “artillery” or "reinforcements”
but does not own any of them. The radio operator is a “go between.”
The radio operator is important to the battle, but his actual
fighting
in the battle is limited. His main weapon is the radio.
As Christians, our personal abilities do not “kick spiritual bottom” but
rather
it is the awesome power of God. We are important to the spiritual
battle, but our greatest weapon is prayer to an awesome, loving God.
In my picture, the radio operator has one personal weapon, “the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God.” A modern Marine with a sword
is a bit of an odd picture, but this is a different kind of warrior, a
prayer
warrior
or intercessor.
I’m not the one that kicks bottom in the spiritual realm, but I know the
one
who does. God invites us into the battle where we take our stand (or our
kneeling position). Sometimes, it feels like we are about to be overrun
by the enemy, but we know the one who empowers us to stand in the
midst of overwhelming circumstances. We even stand with others in
the midst of their battles in the heavenly realms. We even stand
when we feel like losers, because the battle is not ours. The battle
is the Lord’s.
When I want to kick some spiritual bottom then I remember that the battle
is the Lord’s. I know the one who won the battle for all that surrender
complete control of their lives to Jesus Christ. The battle is the
Lord’s and He already won it at the cross.
Love,
Bill
 Homepage
Purpose
Pastors'Page
Calendar Scripture
History
Links
Webmaster Location
Children's Ministries
Free |
