A Hurting Word...
This morning my husband and I shared breakfast with some new friends--a drug dealer, a manager of an exotic night club, and a White Supremacist--FORMER, that is, for all three young men have been changed by the power of God, converted, and serving the Lord in a powerful street ministry in our city! Does God recover what the enemy has stolen, and bring glory to His Name? I SAW it with my own eyes this morning!
Perhaps the enemy has not robbed you of your decency, morals, and virtue. But He IS trying to rob you of the joy, peace, and faith God gave you at Calvary. Remember the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? Robbed of joy, peace, and faith, the women wept in desperation--their beloved brother was dead. And then Jesus came. Jesus, the Resurrector! And their whole world changed! For nothing dead, nothing lost, nothing bound is EVER the same when the Son of God commands, "Come forth."
The thief wants to kill your joy, steal your peace, and destroy your faith. That's his mission in life! But I know Someone with another mission in life--to restore what the enemy has taken; to bring life out of death. He calls to you, deep in the pit of YOUR losses and grief; let the robber rob you no more--there's LIFE in Christ this day!
A Helping Word...or Two!
Love...The Resurrector surrounds you with His faithful love--love the enemy cannot give, nor take away. Love not found in an "erotic night club" or "one-night stand." An "agape," divine love that our carnal world knows nothing about. That love will renew a failing relationship; it will revive a faithless marriage; it will restore a fractured family. We are made in His image; He is love. Receive His love and know His life today.
"Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail (Psalm 89:33 KJV)."
Intercession ...The Resurrector surrounds you with His prayers --prayers effectual, fervent and effective. Prayers that reach to the drug-dealer, the prostitute, AND the Christian. For while the enemy has robbed the sinner of his virtue and pressured him to succumb to his vices, he has also robbed the Christian of his power. Helpless, condemning ourselves to failure, we feel forgotten and forsaken. That's a lie! Christ Himself intercedes for you; SOMEONE is praying for you this day! Receive His prayers and know His life today!
Who is he that condemneth? Shall Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us? (Romans 8:34 KJV)"
Full armor...The Resurrector surrounds you with His full armor --weapons of mighty warfare to combat the enemy of your soul. Has the enemy been at your door in attempted robbery? Is he about to grab your helmet of salvation? your shield of faith? your shoes of peace? your breastplate of righteousness? your belt of truth? Rebuke him in the Name of Jesus. Know you have full protection through the Blood of Christ to cover your mind, soul, and spirit. Hold on to the Resurrector's full armor--it is YOURS for life survival this day!
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11 KJV)."
Endurance..The Resurrector surrounds you with His endurance--grace enough for every situation. Has the enemy taunted you to "give up," to "surrender"--don't listen to the thief who would rob you of God's precious grace and victory in your life. Where trials abound; grace abounds more. God's grace is infinite in its scope and source; it is there to meet you in the crisis of crisis of your life. Grace to endure--it's there for YOU today!
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV)."
Back to my three new friends. Tonight they are cruising the streets, not hot in pursuit of wine, women, and song; no, they're hot in pursuit of souls the enemy has robbed and left for dead. Effective witness? You better believe it! They have been in the gutters of life; they've been resurrected from the pits of hell. Once serving the robber, tonight serving the Lord. Living, walking witnesses to the life-changing power of the Great Resurrector.
But what about you? The power of the Resurrector is the same, for sinner and for saint. Know that the robber cannot kill your joy, steal your peace, or destroy your faith. Why? Because the Resurrector surrounds you with His love, His Intercession, His full armor, and His endurance. Grab the first letter of each of those powerful words, and you have LIFE - Resurrection Life through Jesus Christ. Hear His command in the Bible story, "Lazarus, come forth." That same Voice speaks with power and authority to YOU today, "(insert your name here!), come forth!" Come forth in the living joy, peace, and faith of the Lord--it's YOURS today!
And that's just a word...or two, from my heart to yours!
His Healing Word
The thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10 (KJV)."
" Lord, I've been the victim of attempted robbery. The enemy of my soul has tried to kill my joy, steal my peace, and destroy my faith. I've had enough. I will not succumb to his devious tactics any more. I now resist the robber, and receive Your resurrection LIFE this day. In Jesus' Name, Amen."
"'Twas the Night before Easter!" - popular parody at Peggie's Place! . . . More Easter resources
