Originally Written on February 26, 2009
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:1-4
Could you imagine living in a prison cell for 8 years? Everyday, you wake up and put on the same clothes as everyone else. There are three meals a day prepared for you, and during visits, a vending machine is prized like a steak from Outback. Visitors come for weekly visits, but other than the guards and staff, there is little contact with the “free world.” Not to mention, there is a great separation between the two worlds. Actually, two 12-foot-tall fences with razor, barbed-wire defeat any hopes of escape.
About 4 and a half years ago, I was privileged to be connected with a man inside the prison through the Men of Valor prison ministry in Nashville, Tennessee. I did not know what to expect when I walked into the prison for the first time. Actually, I was claustrophobic, and the guards, metal detector, and sound of the two heavy-weight, metal doors frightened me. I knew I was on foreign soil even though still in Nashville. As I walked to the table where I was matched up with a numbered inmate, I realized the guy across the table looked so much like me. He was 25, and I was 24. Other than his clothes, I would have never pictured him as “one of them.”
He had made a mistake in his life. He sinned against God and man and was doing his time to pay for the consequences of his actions. Just this Tuesday, his sentence was up. After visiting him weekly over the past few years, I stood behind the barbed-wire fence and watched him walk into the building. With guards on both sides of him, I saw the radiance of his smile, the joy of his heart, and the first step in the newness of life. He even had brand-new clothes on. He left all the old ones behind. I waited as he cleared the portal, and we embraced for the first time as a free men. He had not seen a world without fences or guards. He had been confined but could now run free through the parking lot. He had been separated from family and friends, and now they could freely embrace and shed tears of joy and laughter.
The first thing he wanted was real food. His family and mine celebrated this amazing day, and I sat back and laughed within as I saw him devour an appetizer, gourmet burger and fries, and a huge piece of chocolate cake. It was a joyful day that I will never forget. I believe he has learned his lesson and will never return back to prison. There will always be risks involved, and the consequences of sin should never be diminished. However, every man needs hope.
There are so many people simply “doing time” these days. They are easy to recognize. They are confined only to this world in which we live, and they never give thought to eternity. They are entrapped and enslaved by sin without any hope in the world.
Unless… Jesus, who entered our world, lived a righteous life and died an atoning death, rescues them. I am thankful today that I am more than a number within the 6 billion-plus people in the world. The Lord knows them that are his (2 Timothy 2:19c). I am thankful Jesus and men who have preached the gospel didn’t overlook me as “one of them.” I am thankful that God initiates contact with sinners and delivers them from sin. I am thankful that Jesus wasn’t afraid of the shame and reproach He would bear on the sinner’s behalf, although he despised it (Hebrews 12:2). I am thankful He fulfilled Proverbs 17:15 which says, “He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” I am thankful that Jesus is the door of salvation. I am thankful for the new clothes of salvation. May we ever wear a garment of praise to Jesus. I am thankful for His forgiveness and warm embrace which is peace to the soul. I am thankful for the good things God has given us to explore. I am thankful to be free…
Charles Wesley eloquently portrayed the joy of salvation and the newness of life in the last three stanzas of his hymn, “And Can It Be that I Should Gain:”
He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace,
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race:'
Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Walking in Newness of Life,
Brian Johnson
Showing posts with label Deliverance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deliverance. Show all posts
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Walking in Deliverance
13And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” 15And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Exodus 14:13-15
18Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:18
Have you found yourself in a difficult place and there seemed to be no way out? Let me remind you today that as long as you have breath- there is hope! Often life throws us curve balls, sliders, knuckle balls and fastballs that leave us swinging in the dirt, above our heads or caught looking and striking out. How can we make contact with each circumstance and advance to where God wants us to be in this journey of faith? The answer doesn’t lie within yourself but in your apprehension of God.
Who do you think that He is? This was a question that Moses faced from the Israelites not long after the great victory of leaving Egypt. The people had escaped but then trouble came following right behind them. The first thing that they began to do was complain to Moses about being led out into the wilderness to die. How many times have you thought that living for God was not worth it? Have you ever been reminded of what it was like to be the old man who was dead in trespasses and sin? It’s easy for us to remember what we thought were the good times and forget the bondage that we were really in. Freedom is never an easy road. It is strait and narrow. It follows the way of sacrifice, faithfulness and diligent pursuit of something greater than you. When life began to get a little difficult for the Israelites, they were ready to give up and turn back. However, they were so close to experiencing the power of God…
If God has brought you into a difficult time in your life, He will bring you through it. When we are at our weakest, God is at His best. You may be on the brink of a breakthrough in your spiritual life. There are many options to choose from at this moment. You can swing away in the dirt and complain like the Israelites, stand still and do nothing, swing high with pouting, strike out and wait your turn for another opportunity to learn the same lesson over or connect with the circumstance by connecting with Jesus and trusting in His deliverance. God does not want you and I to remain in the same place spiritually all of our lives. He loves to watch us grow in love, trust and blessed fellowship with Him in all situations. If you read through the Psalms, you can find men in every circumstance in life pouring out their souls before and unchanging God. He was their only constant. Everything else changes.
You may be facing real struggles today that you do not know how you are going to make it through. The Israelites faced the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army closing in. They had fears within and fears without, yet God told them to be in awe of Me— to stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord. In seeing His greatness and Moses’ rod being lifted up, they were able to advance forward on dry ground. This trial that they faced was used to strengthen their faith, but God was also glorified by showing the Egyptians that He was God. You and I, likewise, are placed in circumstances for our good and God’s greatest glory. A. W. Tozer said, “All God’s acts are done in perfect wisdom, first for His own glory, and then for the highest good for the greatest number for the longest time.”
We must remember that the Israelites were not the only beneficiaries of God’s hand upon them. God will use you to make Himself known to those around you as they see your thoughts of God become a reality in your life. The only way other’s can see what you believe is to see life’s pressures give you a squeeze like a hand on a tube of toothpaste. Something will come out… Will it serve its purpose or will it make a bigger mess? About a year ago, I saw the beauty and reality of high thoughts of God. I visited a 95-year old missionary who had lost his wife of 72 years. He was laying flat on his back in a nursing home. If anyone could complain of heartache and grief, it could have been him, yet he told me, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am in to be content.” He realized that God was in control and Jesus was helping Him to walk in deliverance.
18Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:18
Have you found yourself in a difficult place and there seemed to be no way out? Let me remind you today that as long as you have breath- there is hope! Often life throws us curve balls, sliders, knuckle balls and fastballs that leave us swinging in the dirt, above our heads or caught looking and striking out. How can we make contact with each circumstance and advance to where God wants us to be in this journey of faith? The answer doesn’t lie within yourself but in your apprehension of God.
Who do you think that He is? This was a question that Moses faced from the Israelites not long after the great victory of leaving Egypt. The people had escaped but then trouble came following right behind them. The first thing that they began to do was complain to Moses about being led out into the wilderness to die. How many times have you thought that living for God was not worth it? Have you ever been reminded of what it was like to be the old man who was dead in trespasses and sin? It’s easy for us to remember what we thought were the good times and forget the bondage that we were really in. Freedom is never an easy road. It is strait and narrow. It follows the way of sacrifice, faithfulness and diligent pursuit of something greater than you. When life began to get a little difficult for the Israelites, they were ready to give up and turn back. However, they were so close to experiencing the power of God…
If God has brought you into a difficult time in your life, He will bring you through it. When we are at our weakest, God is at His best. You may be on the brink of a breakthrough in your spiritual life. There are many options to choose from at this moment. You can swing away in the dirt and complain like the Israelites, stand still and do nothing, swing high with pouting, strike out and wait your turn for another opportunity to learn the same lesson over or connect with the circumstance by connecting with Jesus and trusting in His deliverance. God does not want you and I to remain in the same place spiritually all of our lives. He loves to watch us grow in love, trust and blessed fellowship with Him in all situations. If you read through the Psalms, you can find men in every circumstance in life pouring out their souls before and unchanging God. He was their only constant. Everything else changes.
You may be facing real struggles today that you do not know how you are going to make it through. The Israelites faced the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army closing in. They had fears within and fears without, yet God told them to be in awe of Me— to stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord. In seeing His greatness and Moses’ rod being lifted up, they were able to advance forward on dry ground. This trial that they faced was used to strengthen their faith, but God was also glorified by showing the Egyptians that He was God. You and I, likewise, are placed in circumstances for our good and God’s greatest glory. A. W. Tozer said, “All God’s acts are done in perfect wisdom, first for His own glory, and then for the highest good for the greatest number for the longest time.”
We must remember that the Israelites were not the only beneficiaries of God’s hand upon them. God will use you to make Himself known to those around you as they see your thoughts of God become a reality in your life. The only way other’s can see what you believe is to see life’s pressures give you a squeeze like a hand on a tube of toothpaste. Something will come out… Will it serve its purpose or will it make a bigger mess? About a year ago, I saw the beauty and reality of high thoughts of God. I visited a 95-year old missionary who had lost his wife of 72 years. He was laying flat on his back in a nursing home. If anyone could complain of heartache and grief, it could have been him, yet he told me, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am in to be content.” He realized that God was in control and Jesus was helping Him to walk in deliverance.
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