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Scripture for the day: Luke 9:52-54 And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
Thought for the day: Sometimes we tend to think it would be great to be the radical kind of disciple that James and John were. Sometimes we’re tempted to react in the same manner as these two “sons of thunder.” After all, what right do those non-believers have to stand in the way of that great tidal wave that is called Christianity? Don’t they understand that the Gospel is favored by anyone worth remaining alive? Think for a minute, of David, that reckless but courageous teen who stood on the battlefield facing the giant, Goliath. There was no head bowing, no cringing in the face of a very real danger, no apologizing for his faith. No, David looked the biggest, most dangerous enemy he’d ever faced and said, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand …” (1 Samuel 17:45-46a).
Yeah, that’s the kind of Christian I want to be! I want to be the Elijah that called down fire from heaven to defeat the prophets of Baal. I want to be the one who called on the God of heaven to strike the enemies of God blind so they were helpless to fulfill their evil desires. I want to be one of those listed in Hebrews, chapter 11, who became heroes of the faith because of their great exploits.
Do you see that one over there, motioning to me, demanding I don some stupid, useless mask before I can to where I want to go? KA – BOOOOM! Fire from heaven and there’s nothing left but a tiny heap of ashes where that foolish one stood.
Over there is that idiot driver who cut me off at the last light. BAAAAAM! Lightning from the heavens and he’s no more than an unpleasant memory. That’ll teach him to mess with one of God’s chosen disciples.
If I could only make my way to the capitol of my state or, better yet, to Washington. I could stand out by the entrance and, well before noon, the world would be a better place as the capitol police swept the ashes of those who stood against the loving Savior. Yeah! One of the Sons of Thunder; that’s what I’d like to be. Wouldn’t you?
Then I read the story of a man named Iman, who lives in Iran. Iman was driven to be the best he could be at everything he did. While in the army, he wanted to be the best soldier. Later, when he became a thief, he desired only to steal more valuable items than any of his acquaintances. Later, when drugs invaded his life, he aimed to take more drugs than anyone in his circle. Finally, in the depths of his self-destructive life, he happened to hear the Gospel. message on a Christian TV channel. Iman gave his life to Christ and the Savior miraculously delivered him from his addiction. Because he was driven to be the best, he focused on nothing more than telling more people about Jesus than anyone else. He said, “Every single person I come into contact with is a person God has brought into my path to hear about Jesus.”
Iman knows what we should all be aware of; the Jesus people see in you may literally be the only Jesus will see in this life. The first time Iman was arrested for his faith, he said his only thought as he walked through those iron gates was, “There must be people in there whom God has sent me to talk to about Jesus. He was in prison just over a month, for 21 days in solitary confinement. During that time he reported that he had been able to witness to 100 people. Of those, 24 had prayed for forgiveness of their sins.
The only Jesus any of those men had ever met was found in Iman. The only Jesus those around you who look and act like enemies of God, may be the Jesus they see in you; not the One who calls down fire from heaven, but the One who says, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden.”
Now go take on your world. - Bill