Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. James 5:17-20
Intercession and
reconciliation – that’s the ministry of the body of Christ. Abraham was the beginning of the nation of
Israel, God’s chosen people. They were
to intercede, bring God’s message to the world.
The church is the “new Israel,” and our calling is the same; we are to
present the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. That’s not easy! Intercession is standing in the gap – for the
lost, the sick, the needy. When you
stand in a gap between God and the people God has told you to help, you’re doing
what William Carey[2]
the father of modern missions said:
Attempt great things for God;
expect great things from God
It is like a small child
turning over his security blankey
to Dad, trusting that Dad won’t hurt him.
That Charlotte, NC farmer in
1934 had spent a good deal of time battling a stubborn farm during the Great
Depression. Raising a family was tough
work then…as it is now – only in a different way. Still tough!
The Depression had spread spiritual apathy in the city. But, when asked, the farmer lent out one of
his pasture fields to some business leaders for a day of prayer. A man named Vernon Patterson lead the prayer
this way: O Lord, raise up from
Charlotte someone to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Those businessmen erected a tabernacle
of pine beams in the city. For the next
eleven weeks an evangelist by the name of Mordecai Ham shattered the
complacency of church-going
Charlotte.
The farmer who lent his
pasture for the original prayer meeting was named Franklin Graham. During the revival, Franklin’s young son,
Billy, responded to Christ, and committed his life. These days we call him Dr. Graham. Only eternity will reveal how many souls were
touched for Christ beginning with one farmer willing to let go of a field for a
while, and one businessman willing to trust God for the sake of the gospel.
How
can I trust God like that?
Do you remember what happened
when Mrs. Job looked
her man in the eyes and said, You’ve lost it all, children, possessions,
reputation and even your health – why don’t you just curse God and die? He said, Though he slay me I’ll worship
him. That was Job, choosing to trust God.
Do you remember Naaman the Leper? God’s prophet said, Go dip in the Jordan
river seven times to be healed.
Naaman grumbled, but he went.
Each time he bobbed up in the water, it was Naaman choosing to trust God: Here, God of Elisha, take my choices; I
trust You!
The big fisherman, Peter, knew something about faith
that had fizzled. Outside Pilate’s house
the night Jesus was arrested Peter was confronted by a little girl who thought
he was one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter
cursed: I don’t know Jesus! It was Peter’s unbelief, no trust at all. After the crucifixion, he back went home to
do some fishing. What happened? He had a meeting with Jesus, the resurrected
Lord of the universe. And Peter found
out he was forgiven. All that cowardice
and backpedaling…forgiven. Peter chose to trust, and God taught him for the rest
of his life HOW to trust.
For You Today
Preacher, I want to trust God
that way; how do I do that?
Answer: You just do it; you choose to do it.
Go to VIDEO
[1]
Title Image: Courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from The
New Living Translation©
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