Discover His heart: He blesses us when we share the message of Jesus
Several years ago we took a team of youth to a city in Paraguay to help a pastor establish the first evangelical church in the community. Expectations were high as our team distributed invitations throughout the city to attend the nightly Tent Crusade and as they prepared their skits and testimonies.
What we didn’t know was that in response to the success of a previous team, the religious leaders of the city who had ruled for over 150 years threatened the success of our mission. They informed the townspeople that education would be denied the children of any families that attended the Tent. The enemy doesn’t like it when the message of a personal relationship with Jesus invades his domain.
@ Acts 19
Paul had spent three years in Ephesus establishing a strong church in this city known for its occult practices. “God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.” (11-12) God demonstrated His great Holy power to people who looked to the mystical and supernatural, and we should never limit what God will use to reach the lost of our world. However, all was not a bed of roses for the believers of Ephesus.
“About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis…‘Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all.’” (23-26) The bottom line – Demetrius was losing money because the Ephesians were receiving Christ and no longer needing his idols. We learn Demetrius was not only a successful businessman, but he also had a knack for inciting riots.
“At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater…” (28-29) The amphitheater held 25,000, so imagine the t-shirts sold that day! A mob mentality took over to the point, “Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.” (32) Whenever confusion is present, we can be confident that the enemy is close at hand. Ultimately, a politician, of all things, brought calm to the scene that day, the lives of Paul and his companions were spared, and the church in Ephesus moved forward.
This story answers the question – Is the enemy threatened by our message of Jesus Christ to our world? Yes, however, Paul did not storm the Temple of Diana or berate her followers. He simply presented the gospel of Jesus, and its power changed the lives of many Ephesians. The fear of our message in the town in Paraguay was a threat to the religious leaders because they had seen lives changed that no longer needed to pay for their atonement. Only a handful braved the edict from the town leaders to attend our services; but undaunted by this news, our team fasted and prayed for a breakthrough and held nightly services as if the tent was packed with people.
As the nights progressed, we noticed people sitting on the fringes of the property listening to the music, so we brought the music out to them. Before long they were singing and clapping and eventually joined us in the Tent. We had a great crusade with many accepting the Lord as their Savior because the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is more powerful than any other force.
When we tell the simple message of Jesus to our neighbors, families, and co-workers, we may experience some persecution because it is a threat to the enemy of man’s soul. Sometimes it’s not easy to take, but be encouraged. It means we are doing something right, and the enemy considers us a threat. Jesus said, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right…Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.” (Matthew 5:10,12) He would know.
Moving Forward: I’m so thankful for the power of the gospel to change the hearts of men and for His power to stop the enemy’s threats.
Tomorrow @ I John 4-5
Phyllis Benigas 