***And you shall know the truth. And the truth will set you free!!!***

SAVED TO SERVE

A Devotion by Vince Lichlyter based on the Jonah33 Song

Track #4: "SOLUTION"

From the album The Strangest Day

One morning, as our drummer and I were checking out of our hotel, we overheard a man talking loudly on a cell phone. He was definitely upset about something. We didn't hear the whole conversation, but what he said right before he hung up was enough to inspire Josh and I to write a song. He said, "Look, I'm just sick of being part of the problem. I just want to be part of the solution." Brilliant...

The world is at war, but not one fought with guns and bombs. Instead, our warfare is spiritual (Ephesians 6:12). And like the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, our battle actually takes place after the victory has been won. Strange, but true.

Christ defeated sin and hell when He died on the Cross. When He rose from the dead, Jesus demonstrated his Lordship over everything and everyone. When we accept His free gift of salvation, we are transformed from "prisoners of war" to "spiritual warriors." But in spite of God’s claim upon our reborn lives, we Christians often fall right back into our old habits and patterns, forgetting who and Whose we are. It’s bad enough that we do this to ourselves...but bailing out means that others may remain in spiritual darkness and perhaps even die in their sin.

The apostle Paul writes: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone; the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." 1 Corinthians 5:17-20a. (NIV)

Did you catch that? "As if God were making His appeal through US!" Through you...and ME! That seems rather risky. I mean...I know ME. I’ve lived with ME my whole life. I’ve been a lying druggie and a homeless runaway. I’ve spat in my parent’s face, rejected God’s love, and disobeyed God’s Word. Even after Christ saved me, I’ve been insensitive, incompetent and indifferent. And yet, God is making me responsible for His mission. But God didn’t choose us because we’re good, he chose us because He’s good. Even stranger, but even more true.

My generation has made a good living out of being cynical. It’s so easy to be against EVERYTHING. The whole Grunge music scene in the Northwest snuffed out anything hopeful until it finally snuffed itself out. The curretn generation has not really been against everything – as much as it’s been for nothing. The pendulum has now swung from anger to indifference. I’m not sure which is worse. But I am sure that every believer can choose to stand FOR hope. We can stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. And no one is a more believable ambassador for the Kingdom than someone whose butt has been literally pulled out of hell by the King Himself. Let’s cut the whining, pick up our spiritual weapons, and follow our Leader into battle.

Today’s prayer: Jesus, thank You for saving me to serve. Help me to hear and obey Your voice. Help me to hear the voices of those who still need to be rescued from the same sins You saved me from. Use me to lead a revolution within my world of influence. Help me be part of the solution... Your solution. Amen.

Labels: Inspirations Thoughts

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SAVED TO SERVE