The Making of a Miracle

The Making of a Miracle
It seems that we are living in a time where our faith in God is being tested to a greater degree than in the past. The economic hardships in many countries as well as the natural disasters such as happened in Haiti are testing grounds in which our faith will either falter or flourish. Jesus was constantly working with his disciples to increase their faith in the goodness of God and His miraculous ability to meet needs.
In Mark 8:1-9 we encounter the story of the miracle of provision for the crowd of 4000 plus people. I want to look at this story tonight and draw out principles that we can use in our daily relationship with God which will help us increase our faith.
First Jesus saw the need and had compassion for the people. Jesus was aware that they had been with him for 3 days listening to him teach. The people were so hunger for the spiritual food he was giving them that their physical needs seemed to take a secondary position. This is every pastor and teacher’s dream, to have people so hungry for the Word that they won’t leave and spending 3 days listening to the teachings was nothing to them. Jesus cared for their spiritual and physical needs and he asks us to do the same for people today. He had compassion on them and was concerned that they would not be able to physically make it back to their homes because they had not eaten. Jesus saw the need and he had a plan on how to meet it. The disciples did not seem to see the need of the people or they would have come to Jesus earlier to mention it to him. Perhaps they too were enthralled with his teaching and eating was not a priority or they had their own stash of food that they were not sharing with 4000 people. Which reminds me of a story my nephew’s wife told of their daughter who is about 3. They found her one day sitting behind the couch with her little table and bag of Cheetos eating them all by herself. No one else was invited and she was secretly devouring the Cheetos without any concern about sharing them. We all tend to have times when we don’t feel like sharing something we really enjoy and maybe the disciples were in the same frame of mind. Jesus pulled the disciples together to talk to them and present the need. I wonder if Jesus was hoping that they would remember the feeding of the 5000 and would present a similar solution to the problem. This was the disciples’ opportunity to respond in faith but we will see that they were not on the same page as Jesus and their response was probably disappointing for Jesus.
We need to let the Lord open our eyes to the needs in front of us and with that vision have the same compassion that Jesus had for the multitude. 4000 needy people would overwhelm most of us, but meeting the needs of one person is much more doable but often does not require much faith to see the need met as we probably have the resources to meet the need. This past summer I took a group of people to Panabaj to show them the refugee camp and introduce them to the people who have lived there for almost 4 years. One of the men was greatly moved by the living conditions of the 200 people who are still there waiting for their homes to be built in another area. He was moved by compassion for the physical needs of the families and told me that he wanted to bring food to them. There were other people in the group that saw the needs but they had a different response. When the group returned home, Chuck began to tell people of the need and raise funds to be able to do a monthly food distribution. He saw the need and like Jesus had compassion for the people. I believe that God will give each of us opportunities to see needs that move our hearts with compassion for the people. We all don’t carry the same burdens but God gives each of us a burden for specific needs in people’s lives. Jesus was well aware of the need of the people and he wanted the disciples to not only see the need but take responsibility to meet the need. It was not enough to simply acknowledge the need and then walk away from it hoping someone else would do something or the people would take care of themselves. What needs has God placed before you? Do you see them and is your heart moved with compassion to meet the need?
The setting of a miracle.
If you want to see a miracle happen in your life, you have to be in a setting where only a miracle will change the situation. Jesus and his disciples were in a perfect place for a miracle to happen. They were in a desolate place where no food was available. Plus there was not enough food among the people sufficient to meet their needs. The setting for a miracle is often a very uncomfortable place with no human solutions. Most of us do not like to be in these places but God seems to place us at the end of our resources so we can grow in our faith to see the miraculous happen before our eyes. The disciples had been in a similar situation before with even more people, yet they did not remember or had not learned the faith lesson from the other miracle of feeding 5000 people. To them it was another impossible situation that they could not meet and did not know how the need would be met. So if you want to live a life of miracles you have to be willing to be placed in situations that are beyond your ability to meet. Are you in a desolate place where the demands or needs are greater than your ability to meet? You are in the place where miracles can happen! The past couple of days I have been meeting with Ana and Manuel who are in need of an absolute miracle of healing. They have gone to the hospital in Guatemala City Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for evaluation and treatment for Ana’s injury in which she suffered a broken hip that has not healed and is now developing cancer in her pelvis. I have been crying out to the Lord for a miracle for her and I will continue to pray that the miracle will happen soon. The doctors do not have a solution some have said they would not even attempt to do surgery. It seems like the only doctor that can do what needs to be done in the Great Physician, Jesus. As difficult as this situation appears, they are in a perfect place for a miracle to happen.
The Cost of a miracle.
Jesus asked his disciples how many loaves they had and it is implied they either donated them to Jesus or he took them. Seven loaves of bread was enough to give the disciples each a little food until they arrived at their next destination or place they could get food. Jesus was asking them to sacrifice what they had in order for the miracle to take place. What do we have to help meet the needs of people and are we willing to give it sacrificially and freely when Jesus asks us to give? Do we hold back and hoard things when the Holy Spirit is tugging on our hearts to freely give so that he can do the miracle that is needed? This is where our faith has opportunity to grow. We have to be willing to give what we have to meet a need before we can expect God to do a miracle of multiplication. If we lack faith in the God of miracles and multiplication we will hold back. Some miracles will cost us money, resources, time spent in prayer and other things the Lord may be asking of us. When we step forward in faith to meet the need we step into the realm of the supernatural where the God who operates in faith will begin to do what we cannot do. Do we really believe that God will do a miracle, is our faith completely resting in his faithfulness to meet needs?
I worked with a Pastor in Saltillo, Mexico during our summer outreaches. When I first went to his church, it was a little scary to be inside as the ceiling was sagging very badly and I feared the roof may collapse. The church was not growing and it really needed a miracle. The Pastor caught a vision for the church and the people. He saw the need they had to have a better facility that would be attractive to people. He rallied the people with the vision of what needed to happen and challenged them to give and trust God to help them raise the finances needed. He set the example by selling his only vehicle and donated all the money toward the construction of the church. He was willing to give sacrificially and freely because he had faith that God would respond to help meet the need of the church. The members of the church were inspired by his faith and they responded by giving and raising funds. Today this church is completely changed, not only the physical structure but the spirit of the church has changed. It is truly a miracle what has happened.
While on outreach we visited with Pasto Mario of Calvary church in Almolonga where the video, “Transformation” was filmed. If you have not seen the video you need to as it is an incredible story of how God moved in a community that was united in prayer to see it changed. We met Pastor Mario at the school the church has built and is continuing to build. He told us a little bit about how it came into existence. He noticed in his church that they were not reaching the new generation of youth. Adults were coming but the youth were not and it bothered him. He saw the need and he had compassion on the youth. He said he told the Lord he was willing to sell his car and his house to help finance the construction of the school but the Lord did not require it of him. The church did not have the money but they began to pray that God would do a miracle. A man came to visit him and asked him what he needed: a new home, new car, clothes etc. All things that would benefit and make his life easier. He could have said yes to any and all of these things but he told the man he needed money to reach the youth and the best way to reach them was through a Christian school. I believe this man was from Japan and he donated a large sum of money to purchase land and construct the school. The Pastor was willing to sacrifice what he could have received in order to meet the need of the youth. God honored his sacrifice and his faith and a Christian school now exists to reach out to the youth of Almolonga.
The partnership of a Miracle.
After Jesus received the bread, he prayed and gave thanks to God. He then broke the bread and the miracle began to happen. The bread multiplied right before the disciples’ eyes. The disciples got to partner with Jesus as he sent them out to distribute the bread to the people. Can you imagine how exciting this had to be for them? Not only was it awesome to see the multiplication but to be able to give the bread to people who were hungry and see the expressions on their faces must have been unforgettable. It is so rewarding to be able to meet people’s needs and to see God working miracles to make it happen. God did all the work but the disciples got the pleasure of distributing the miracle to the people. From Mark’s account the bread was just the first course, the appetizer, because fish were also found and they were multiplied as well to meet the needs of the people. When you hang around with Jesus you are bound to see and experience many miracles. What a privilege and joy we have of partnering with Him in the work of the ministry where miracles happen. Sometimes we get to rejoice in the miracles that God does through people’s lives with whom we have been involved. It is exciting to see how God is doing the miraculous through people we know. When we were in San Pablo we stayed with Pastor Antonio and his wife Kati. One night he began to tell us about some of the miraculous things that have happened in his life and in his church. His church had some very humble beginnings but God has provided financial miracles to enable them to buy property and build a new church. But God is also doing supernatural things among the people. A couple of years ago we presented Pastor Antonio and his church 3 giant carrots that came from Almolonga. I remember giving these to the church and stating to them that God was going to do miracles among them just as he did in Almolonga. Pastor Antonio reminded me of this when he was sharing his story. About a year ago a young child of one of the members of the church died while the service was happening. Pastor Antonio summoned the help of some of the DTS students from Chico and they laid hands on the dead baby and prayed for him. The baby came back to life and just a couple of weeks ago the church had a celebration of the one year anniversary of the resurrection! Recently, a lady who has been coming to the church began to manifest demons in her home. Pastor Antonio took a couple of his leaders over to the house to pray and as soon as they were there she began to talk in a man’s voice and make strange motions with her body. The leaders were frightened and they ran out of the house, they had not seen anything like this before. Antonio stayed and prayed and the lady calmed down but it was not over. Antonio had to come back again to pray more until the demon finally gave up and left the woman. She is at complete peace and is continuing to come to the services. We all rejoice with Antonio and for me I felt as though I was partnering with him in the work that God has done in the church. I give God all the glory and thank Him for allowing me to share in the joy of the miracles that are happening. The life that you touch may be a life that will be filled with miracles that you will get to share in.
God wants to give us faith building experiences in which we see the miraculous happen. The disciples at this stage in their lives did not have eyes to see, ears to hear and faith to believe for the miraculous. But all of this changed over the course of Jesus’ ministry on earth and even more so when they disciples received the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. God wants our faith to increase and I believe he desires to do many miracles through our lives. Miracles are not just an add-on to our Christian life, they are meant to be a vital part of our experience with God on a regular basis. He is a supernatural God and I believe He wants to do more miracles through us to demonstrate his compassion and care for needy people. He is doing awesome things throughout the earth and I am greatly encouraged by the testimonies of the miracles that are happening. Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California recently told of a miracle in which a man who had metal rods in his back to support his spine was able to bend over after being prayed for!
I am hungry for more miracles in my life but I also understand that for the miraculous to happen I have to be willing to be placed in situations that are desolate, deprived of human resources and dependent upon God to intervene and do the miraculous. I have to have eyes that see needs and respond in compassion. I must be willing to give sacrificially whatever God requires of me if I want to see the miraculous. Finally I must place my faith in the faithfulness and goodness of God’s desire to do miraculous things to meet the needs of people and bring glory to Himself.

Love your neighbor

The earthquake in Haiti has brought out the best and worst in human behavior. I have not had much opportunity to watch any video footage until we came back from outreach on Tuesday. The scenes of all the dead bodies and injured bodies waiting for medical help are heart wrenching. Many nations have responded to the needs of the people yet distributing the goods has been a huge problem because of the chaos of the people along with the desperation they feel having gone without food and water for several days. Organizing a relief effort in this country is nothing less than a miraculous endeavor. In crisis situations like this. fighting, looting, vandalism are unfortunately taking place. In one situation there were more military soldiers on the scene trying to control the distribution of the food items than there were volunteers available to help. It is a chaotic situation in many areas and we need to pray that the enemy who incites this type of behavior will be bound. Pray for the relief workers as well who are subject to many stressful and dangerous situations. Poverty can drive horrible behavior as has been witnessed in Haiti. The distribution of relief supplies is a great challenge especially in a nation that has been plagued with poverty for years. In spite of all the evil that is happening there is also a lot of goodness and kindness being extended to the hurting families.. As always people ask at times like this “Where is God?” Some have claimed that the earthquake is a punishment for Haiti’s practice of voodoo and their abandonment of God. I struggle with this characterization of a vindictive God who uses such devastating tragedies to destroy lives. This is not the God I serve, for He is a God of love and compassion. He is suffering with the people, comforting them through his body of believers who are there ministering to the hurting. The people of Haiti do not need to be judged or condemned by the church for all the evil that has happened in their country, they need to see the love of God for them in the hour of their need. This nation has been shattered by what has happened but with this shattering also comes an opportunity to rebuild the nation through a demonstration of the love of God. People respond to love much more quickly than they ever will to judgment and condemnation. We cannot shame people into the Kingdom of God. Shame is a result of being judged by someone. We feel shame when we have not measured up to their standards, it is pushing someone down diminishing any worth they may have. God is not in the shame business. When Jesus confronted the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)he could have made the woman feel horrible for her behavior, he could have shamed her and told her she deserved what was happening to her in the humiliation that the religious people were so eager to place upon her. The religious leaders wanted him to throw the book at her, make her pay the penalty for her sin. Yet Jesus did not do what they wanted him to do. He confronted the self righteousness of the leaders by making them examine themselves to see if they were perfect enough to throw the first stone. They all had beams in their own eyes and were not qualified to be the judge of the woman. Only God can be the true judge of anyone because he alone knows the thoughts and motivations of the people. Jesus did not condemn the woman to death, in fact he said “neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” John 3:17 states that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it but to bring salvation. Jesus in his love was telling her she had another chance to do what is right. She did not need to continue to commit adultery; she could be free to become the person God created her to be. This is the message of love that God wants to share with the world. It is His love at work in us that brings about the changes and transformation that we need. His Kingdom is a kingdom of love. When we are walking in His love, being controlled by his love we will respond to a fallen world as Jesus responded to the woman caught in adultery. I think this woman knew what she was doing was wrong, adultery is not core value in any society. What she did not know was that she did not need to continue to practice adultery, there was something so much better for her. She needed to be awakened to the idea that the life she was living was so far short of what God had for her. When we walk in love we want to draw out the best in the person and help create a picture of all they can be when Christ takes control of their lives. Love looks at a fallen person and extends mercy and grace to them while holding before them a vision of what their life could be and what they need to do to make it become a reality. The religious leaders had no interest in the woman as a person who had needs. They only saw a sinner who was deserving of death. Jesus saw a woman who obviously was committing a sin and he knew why she was doing it. In our limited understanding we can only speculate her motivations. Maybe she did it because of a need that was not being met in her life. Perhaps that need was money, attention, affection, maybe she was forced to do it, there could be a lot of reasons why she did what she did. Only the woman could answer the question of why. When we try to answer it we go from being an observer of behavior to a judge. We enter into territory that is forbidden to us. But to me the bottom line was she was living beneath what God had created her to be. Her sin was destroying the image of God in her life. Her sin was holding her down and keeping her from truly living in freedom and real love that God wanted her to experience.
Our lives need to reflect this love to the world. It is far too easy to be judgmental and condemning of people. It takes no effort on our part to speak words of condemnation and shame to people who are caught in the web of sin. But it takes, effort, sacrifice, money and time to reach out in love to people who are like the woman caught in adultery. Mother Teresa was once told by a man who visited her ministry of caring for the poor, sick, dying, and rejected people of India, “I would not do this for a million dollars.” Mother Teresa’s response was, “I would not either.” Her admonishing and instruction to all of her workers in the ministry was to do everything in love. This is the love that the world needs to see demonstrated through our lives and ministry.
As we drove back from San Pablo we passed through Chimultenango . There is a section of the road in town that has several cantinas. Standing in the doorway are the prostitutes that work there. Prostitution is legalized in Guatemala if you did not know. As we drove by them the thought came to my mind, “I wonder if anyone is reaching out to these women? Are there any Christians who are praying for them, visiting them and helping them leave a lifestyle that is so far below what God created them to be?” What is the church doing to extend the love of God to these women?
When I was in Fiji on outreach we spent time talking with the prostitutes, transvestites and homosexuals that stationed themselves along the highway close to our hotel. We would talk with them, bring them some food and let them know that God loved them and that we were interested in them as a person. The final week we took them to lunch at a nice restaurant. We asked them what they wanted to do with their lives and virtually all of them had a profession in mind other than prostituting themselves for money. We encouraged them to put their faith in God and allow Him to meet every need they had and make them what He had created them to be and do. None of them wanted to spend the rest of their lives doing what they were doing. Not many people reached out to them and most people treated them badly. It was a prime opportunity for believers to extend the love of God to them, a love that can bring transformation of their lives.
Jesus commanded his disciples to love their neighbor as they loved themselves. Have you ever looked at another person and saw yourself in them? We are all fallen people and if we can see ourselves in others we can reach out in love to them because of the love that God has given to us. The challenge for each of us to is seek out those who are living lifestyles that contrary to the image and nature of God and love them with God’s love through our words and actions toward them.
What do these men have in common?
Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV), Pol Pot, Idi Amin Dada, Rhuollah Khomenini
Many people would recognize them as being listed in the top ten evil men in history. But the thing that all have in common that is the most important is that they were loved by God.
When we look at the most evil and vile people, we have to see them as people who God loves and wants to save. For many people the first response is to kill these people, punish them for all the evil they have done but our response should be one of love toward them and a desire to see their lives redeemed by Christ.
God wants to transform our minds to respond in love to every person he has created. Leave the judging to Him, He is the only just judge. Our focus has to be love that will lead to redemption and restoration of a fallen life. This does not mean that they will not be accountable for what they have done in the courts of law on earth. But our focus must always be on loving that person and showing them that God loves them and can change them.
In the musical Les Miserables there is a scene that exemplifies the extreme love we need to demonstrate to others.
"We get another glimpse of extreme love in the musical Les Miserables, in which a priest allows a vagrant, Jean Valjean, to stay in his home, only to get knocked unconscious and be robbed. The next day, the authorities catch Jan Valjean and drag him before the priest. They say Valjean claimed that the priest had given him the silver goods in his bag. And the priest instinctively, beautifully, says, "I am so thankful you have come back, as you forgot the candlesticks." As the guards release Jean Valjean, the priest whisspers in his ear, "With this, I have ransomed your soul."(P. 284 Irresistible Revolution)
God is challenging us tonight to be Apostles of His love to a world that is hurting. His love demonstrated through us is the only hope for change. Who will you love that seems beyond redemption? What actions will you take to let that person know how valuable and loved he or she is?

Lessons from the Shepherds

The Christmas story is always one of amazement to me. Jesus the Word becoming flesh and living among us is hard to comprehend, not that it is an impossibility but rather the depths to which God would humble Himself amazes me. The plan of salvation formed before the world ever existed is one that demonstrates the tremendous love God has for his creation. God knew that mankind would sin against Him yet He chose to redeem mankind through His sacrificial love in sending His Son Jesus. In doing this He revealed His true nature and character to a fallen world. When we truly understand what God has done in humbling Himself to become a man, willingly giving His life as a sacrifice for the payment for our sins in order to restore our relationship in order to be united with Him now and throughout eternity it is nothing less than a miracle.
Everything God does is for His glory. God loves who He is and He seeks ways to declare His glory to all people. God desires to be glorified by His creation. He created us to bring glory to Himself and through our union with Christ we are able to glorify the Lord. Only redeemed people can bring glory to God and God’s desire is that all men will be redeemed and through Christ he has made this possible.
I find it interesting that the first people to know of the birth of Christ and saw the glory of God at the announcement of his birth were the shepherds. God has a special place in his heart for shepherds because they reflect his character and nature in many ways. Tonight I want to look at the story of the shepherds and the birth of Christ found in Luke 2:8-20.
1. God reveals Himself and works through the humble
The shepherds most likely were not aware of all that had happened with Mary and Joseph in the preceding 9 months. They went about their daily lives caring for the sheep, fulfilling their responsibilities doing what was considered a very lowly occupation. The shepherds were not sought after by others. They were not regarded as important people. They spent most of their time away from the masses constantly moving the sheep from one grazing area to another. Perhaps they were forgotten people most of the time, overlooked by the majority of people, isolated from the mainstream of life. Yet God chose to announce the birth of the Great Shepherd first to these shepherds. It really seems fitting that they would be the ones whom the humble God would seek out and be the first to receive the news from the angel.
I think there is a principle we can draw from this part of the story. God honors those with a humble heart. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Even as God demonstrated his humility by becoming a man he looks for those of a humble heart to reveal Himself to each day. A truly humble person sees himself as he really is, one who needs God and desires God to intervene in his life.
 
2. The Suddenlies of Life
The appearance of the angel and the brightness of God’s glory startled them. It was an unusual event that would cause fear in anyone who was not used to seeing beyond sheep and maybe some other shepherds. It came suddenly and that is probably another reason it was so startling to them. It was not like the angel had appeared in the distance and was slowing moving toward them, it was sudden and immediate appearance that sent chills up their spine. All of us have experienced shocking situations where something happens that we did not expect and we are taken aback. I remember one time when I hid in a box by the front door of the house. When my daughter came home and opened the door I popped out of the box about a foot in front of her. It was one of those Kodak moments or video moments for me but certainly not for her. I think you get the picture of what it was like for the shepherds to suddenly see the angel and the glory of God burst upon the scene. Their reaction was like my daughters. So the angel had to calm them with words of assurance and a statement of purpose.
Another thing from this part of the story is how quickly God can come into a situation and totally change our perspective and our lives. God wants to reveal Himself to us and often times it is in the suddenlies of life that He comes to us perhaps not with an angel to deliver a message but through many ways He gets our attention and speaks to us. At times God will use each of us to deliver His message to someone in need who perhaps does not expect you to be there. When we were in San Pedro, Belize at the city park I had the opportunity to talk with a man who had been out of work for 3 months and was very discouraged. I shared testimonies of God’s faithfulness to me and how He promises to meet our needs if we seek His kingdom first. I prayed with the man before leaving and I am sure that he was impacted and I pray he has made some changes in his life. We all need to be open to the suddenlies in life both the opportunities to receive as well as give a message from the Lord.
3. Holy Spirit Guidance to the obedient
The message the angel gave was one of good news that would bring great joy not just for the shepherds but for everyone. The long promised Messiah had come and was born that very night in Bethlehem. The shepherds would find the baby in a place familiar to them, a stable to keep animals. A humble place for a Messiah to be born but that is the way God wanted it in order to show the world how willing He was to humble Himself and reach down to us. Before they left a host of angels, the armies of heaven appeared on the scene and gave praise to God. Another rather shocking scene was etched in their memory along with confirmation of what the first angel had told them as they gave glory to God. The message they sang to the shepherds reflected God’s desire to bring peace on earth to men of good will, those who sought to please the Lord. God’s peace is given to those who seek to please Him.
Once the angels left the shepherds agreed that they should go to Bethlehem to see what they angels had told them. They left quickly with great expectation and perhaps some questions as to what had just happened to them and the message they had received.
The shepherds were not given any more direction than that the Messiah would be in a stable. Bethlehem had more than one stable I am sure so I wonder how the shepherds found their way to the stable? To find the Messiah they had to seek for Him and as they sought for Him I believe the Holy Spirit directed their steps to the right place. This is another principle we learn from this story is that we need to respond quickly in obedience to what God has said to us and seek to find Him. The shepherds did not delay their departure. They did not want to miss out on what God had revealed to them. They did not say, “It is late and I’m tired, let’s go tomorrow.” They left immediately.
Here lies another principle from the story and that is we need to instantly obey the Lord. Many of us have lost opportunities to be blessed and be a blessing when we have not instantly obeyed. Some things in life are one time opportunities and if we miss it they are not repeated. Other things are more open ended but in our delay we lose out on what we could have experienced had we been obedient. God is patient with us and continues to call us but our delay in responding only serves to delay his blessing that he has waiting for us. While in Belize we had opportunity to talk to a group of men who worked in a shop where they made furniture from wood. Some of the men had come to Christ but others were resistant, holding back for various reasons. They are not able to see that they are losing out on the blessings God has for them by delaying their decision to come to Christ the Messiah. They have not experienced the life God has for them and it is hard for them to give up their life that they control to receive a new life that is unfamiliar to them.
As believers we can commit the same error by not responding immediately when God asks us to do something that is unusual, perhaps new or demanding or requires a major change. We may dig in our heels to try to hold our ground and stay where we are and all the while we are missing out on what God has for us in the present. We have to live in the moment and take advantage of what God has for us now. Many people live in the past of the way things were and would rather go backward than move forward in the present. Others live for the future and bypass all the opportunities that are before them. They believe that things will be better in the future but the decisions they make today determine the future. As we walk in obedience to what He has spoken to us, He will guide us to the place and people He wants us to be with. We do not get the complete picture of our life but God is faithful to reveal what we need to know when we need to know it. He promised to guide our steps as we obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We have to learn how to hear the still small voice of the Lord and follow it.
 
4. The Shepherd Evangelists
The shepherds found the Messiah, just as they angels had told them. They were the first to see him, what a privilege and honor it was for them. They did not keep this a secret but they made widely known the sayings told them concerning this Child. These lowly shepherds became the first evangelists spreading the good news about the birth of the Messiah, the Savior of the world. The angel had told them it was good news for everyone and they were eager to share the news with everyone.
We must never hold back from sharing the good news with others. One of the things I have admired about Mark is how eager he is to share the gospel with others. He may not engage in conversation all the time but he almost always carries tracts with him to give to people. He is instant in season and out of season. The shepherds eagerly shared their story with anyone who would listen. It is too great a story to keep to yourself. It is the news everyone needs to hear from someone who has experienced it first hand.
We must also have a sense of urgency in sharing the message. Time is limited for everyone and death can come very quickly. There are no second chances, today is the day of salvation, do not harden your heart.
5. Theoretical versus Experiential Christians
The Word must become flesh in each one of us. Our walk with God on a daily basis is what people want to see because it makes the message of the gospel real to them. The shepherds had a supernatural experience with God that totally transformed their lives. These experiences with God’s revelation and guidance in our daily lives are proof of His reality in our lives. God has given us the Holy Spirit to be not only our teacher but He gives us the power to walk in the supernatural realm and have God encounters. Our knowledge of God must come through the study of His Word and the experiences in which we encounter God in our daily life. Many believers are full of knowledge of the Word but short on encounters with God on a daily basis. Knowledge will make us proud but it really must be accompanied with a God encounter to make it a reality instead of a theory. We can live as theoretical Christians who know all the right doctrine yet never become experiential Christians who walk in the power of God and look for opportunities to see God do the miraculous through them. We walk by faith in a God who rewards faith. We have to step out in faith and believe God to work through us to do the miraculous. When the angels appeared to the Shepherds, heaven was touching earth, the miraculous was made real to them. God’s desire has not changed; He wants to touch the people on earth with his power. We have to expect God to work through us and put us in situations where the miraculous needs to happen. One of our experiences in Belize that was very moving for all of us was praying for an 8 year old girl who had encephalitis. . One of the workers at the YWAM base told me of her situation and asked if we could visit her and her mom. We began to pray for them and looked forward to the opportunity to meet them and pray. We wanted to see her healed as she was suffering and severely malnourished. Her arms and legs were skin and bones and she had developed problems in her lungs. She was unable to eat much because she could not swallow without choking. He diet was mainly liquids and the doctors wanted to place a feeding tube into her stomach. We laid hands on the girl and prayed for healing believing that God would intervene. We did not see any visible change in the girl and it would be easy to get discouraged with the lack of results that we wanted to see. Before we left I asked the mom if she had ever given her life to Christ and she said she hadn’t so we stayed longer and shared the gospel message. She had been visited by the Mormons and the Jehovah Witnesses and was confused by the different things that were taught. We stressed to her that God was interested in a personal relationship with her and that He would lead her to the truth as she sought Him through His Word. As I look back on the situation perhaps God wanted to first minister to the mom and then the daughter. But regardless of what happened I believe we did our part in praying for healing and sharing the gospel message. We did not see the healing that we wanted but I do not want to let that keep me back from continuing to pray for the sick. I believe that we have to continue doing what God has asked us to do and we will begin to see Him move in the supernatural as we continue to have faith and take steps of faith to pray for his intervention.
Our lives should be like the shepherds who led people to the Messiah. Everything we do should be a testimony to Christ and draw people to Him. As we celebrate Christmas this year may we remember the lessons we can learn from the shepherds.
God reveals Himself and works through those who are humble.
God works in the “suddenlies” in life and we must recognize and respond quickly to obey Him.
God will guide us to the right place and people as we seek Him and allow the Holy Spirit to direct us.
We are privileged messengers, take advantage of the opportunities with a sense of urgency.
Our knowledge of God must lead us to encounters with Him on a daily basis. Experiential Christians are different than Theoretical Christians.