Devotional 240309

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. It was my turn to lead the staff prayer meeting this morning. Our devotional reading was on chapter 8th of Luke. I chose to focus on the one who was possessed by a legion of demons. His whole life was filled with fears. He was afraid to live or mingle with people. He preferred to live alone in the cemetery – a land for dead people. The demons were also fearful for another reason, they were not afraid of death (they were active among the dead) but the eternal judgment of Abyss. And these demons also knew who had authority over the Abyss – that is the Son of God. Therefore they preferred to enter into the pigs then to be punished in eternal hell of Abyss. When this man finally ‘in his right mind’ to realized the one who had authority over the Abyss was a God who loved him, he was no longer afraid…he even volunteer to travel with Jesus to serve other people. But Jesus assigned him to return home to restore his life and reconcile with his inner circle again. We live in a fearful land and a fearful time. We want to be delivered from all kinds of fear and worries. But only when we fully acknowledge that our ultimate fear should be of our loving God, we can’t have a fresh new beginning in life.

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God's order. As a gospel worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul being shaped by the work of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the suffering or inner struggles, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we try to play God, we come in and prevent the work of God; and say - "This and that must not be done in such a way." Instead of proving ourselves to be loyal friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say - "That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him in my life because of his or her interruption."

Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. “The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:29-30). This is spoken with joy and not with sadness - at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute attitude of the worker not to take away other’s attention from the Bridegroom, he should be fading away and never thought of again.

Watch for all you are worth until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another. Never mind what difficulties it brings, what upsets, and what crumbling of health you may experience, rejoice with divine laughter when once His voice is heard. You may often see Jesus Christ shatter a life before He saves and reform it again. Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword… anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 10:34-39). Sometimes God allows suffering to shape up a person’s life. Don’t try to rescue a person too fast if God’s hand is working in his or her life. Unfortunately, we don’t learn unless we hit rock bottom. I hope this country learn her lesson through this economic devastation; she needs to recognize the root problem is in her pride and greed. This nation and this world need to return to God and follow the guidance of His Word. Let’s start with His church and His children like you and me.

Love you in accordance to His word,
Lawrence