Judges 3:31, “And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.”
God Used Shamgar (One man) To Deliver An Entire Nation
Perhaps you ask, what can I do about the condition of the world today, I'm just one person? Shamgar was not an army, he was just one man in a dark time in the time of the judges. Just one insignificant man delivered the entire nation of Israel against the wicked Philistines.
Our churches have become social clubs. Liberalism is taking over our churches. What can one person do to fight against the Devil? Shamgar was only one person in the Bible, but God used him to do great things. In these woeful times of darkness, one person can make a worldwide difference. This is a great principle! In days of darkness God delivers His people through individuals. He may do it through one person, or a group led by one man of God.
More than Congress or the United Nations, one person can influence the world for God if we're yielded to His will. One man plus God equals a majority! God is looking for that one man who is consecrated, concentrated and dedicated to the things of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:20-21, “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.”
God is looking for a few weak men! 2nd Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” God uses the weak and the little-known to do His work, that no flesh should glory in His presence:
Our churches have become social clubs. Liberalism is taking over our churches. What can one person do to fight against the Devil? Shamgar was only one person in the Bible, but God used him to do great things. In these woeful times of darkness, one person can make a worldwide difference. This is a great principle! In days of darkness God delivers His people through individuals. He may do it through one person, or a group led by one man of God.
More than Congress or the United Nations, one person can influence the world for God if we're yielded to His will. One man plus God equals a majority! God is looking for that one man who is consecrated, concentrated and dedicated to the things of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:20-21, “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.”
God is looking for a few weak men! 2nd Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” God uses the weak and the little-known to do His work, that no flesh should glory in His presence:
1st Corinthians 1:26-29, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
A little person, in a little place, doing a little thing, can be used by God to do great things, and receive a big reward from God. Here am I Lord, send me! God doesn't save groups, He saves individuals. The Bible was written to the individual. One godly mother can raise her children as deadly arrows to shoot at the Devil. Psalms 127:4, “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.” The Lord doesn't search for groups or committees; but rather, individuals.
The Lord said in Ezekiel 22:30 that He was seeking for A MAN (an individual). Ezekiel 22:30, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” By God's grace I want to be one of those men. Isaiah 6:8, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
“We need porcupine preachers, so that the people will get the point.” —Brother Lester Roloff, 'PAWING IN THE VALLEY'
God created one man, Adam, not a village. God made Eve from Adam's rib, taken from his flesh, to be his lifelong HELP MEET. God used one man, Noah, to build an ark and save his family alive from the flood. God used just one man, Moses, to lead His people out of bondage from Egypt. God used one man, Elijah, to defeat the 450 prophets of Baal. God always seeks for just one man to get the job done. Now, God may use a group of men to accomplish His purposes, but God calls those men as individuals. Jesus didn't recruit His apostles as a group, but one by one as individuals.
Dear friend, YOU can do much for God when you fully realize that GOD CAN DO MUCH THROUGH YOU!!! Several years ago I received one of the greatest compliments from a web visitor. A kind man said: “Thank you Brother Stewart for allowing God to do all this through you.” I was humbled and for a moment felt awkward after reading that kind remark. I thought to myself: “Who am I that I should 'allow' God to do something?” But then I realized that this is exactly true! We must voluntarily submit to God if we would have Him use us for His purpose.
What saith the Scripture? Romans 6:13, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” God will not force anyone to get saved. God will not force those who are saved to follow and obey Him. God has given to all humanity a FREEWILL. God will chasten us when we go back on our word, as God did Jonah (Hebrews 12:6-8). We have all heard the story of Jonah. Preachers all say that God commanded Jonah to go preach to the Assyrians in the city of Nineveh. But Jonah had actually made a vow to God to go preach to Nineveh, and then reneged on his vow. Jonah 2:9-10, “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” It seems clear to me that Jonah had broken a promise to God, because immediately after Jonah agreed to keep his vow, God caused the fish to drop off Jonah at the next whale stop!
I encourage you dear friend to examine the talents, gifts, resources and abilities which God has given to you in life, and then use them for God to get people saved. Everything that we do should be toward preaching the Gospel to get lost sinners saved. Sadly, you can type just about any hobby or interest on the internet, and then add the word “ministry” and you will find it. For example: Search online and you will find bicycle ministries, sailboat ministries, skydiving ministries, skateboard ministries, et cetera. Now, I'm all for such ministries, BUT ONLY IF THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED!!! Nothing is a so-called “ministry” unless the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and bodily risen is being preached with lost sinners.
I heard a famous Christian musician say years ago that he has “a ministry” playing pedal steel guitar in Las Vegas. No, he doesn't have a ministry, because he doesn't share the Gospel with his audience. He tantalizes them with his beautiful steel guitar music, but they leave in their sins just as they came! And while I'm on the topic, if you look at ANY mainstream Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) artist's website, you WON'T find a Gospel presentation. I triple-dog dare you to show me on singer Amy Grant's website where she shares the Gospel with her millions of fans. Sadly, she doesn't!
Years ago in 1984 Amy Grant made this shameful comment. (Remember, Amy professes to be a Christian.):
“I'm a singer, not a preacher, I'm not looking to convert anybody” says Christian rock diva Amy Grant. (Los Angeles Times, 5/4/84, pg. 2-c)
I almost went to hear and see Amy Grant perform in Pensacola, Florida at a local concert on October 29th, 2021 at the Saenger Theater downtown. I decided not too go because of her phony Christian testimony, which disgusts me. I have nothing personal against Amy. I don't condemn her for her past mistake and sins. But what sickens me is the CCM crowd who are as shallow as can be. They all profess faith in Christ. They all claim to love God. They all claim to love their fans. Yet none of them preach a free grace Gospel to their fans. At best the artists claim that they preach the Gospel through their music in the lyrics. What a joke! Have you read their lame lyrics?
So unless you are sharing the Gospel with people, you DON'T have a legitimate ministry. The Salvation Army was great in the 19th century. They used to march in public, preaching the Gospel and performing band music. Their arch rival, the Skelton Army, used to hurl dead cats, buckets of urine and feces off rooftops on them down below in the streets, et cetera. Today, the Salvation Army is mostly ARMY with very little SALVATION. They are famous for handing out hot-chocolate to firemen at fires. That is wonderful, but what about their souls?
What am I saying? I am teaching you dear reader that you need to make sure that the Gospel of free grace is preached, in whatever you decide to do for God. The Gospel needs your help and mine. There is so much that we can all do for the cause of Jesus Christ.
The Need For Warriors In Fervent Prayer To God
Colossians 4:12, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” Sadly, an area that has been all but abandoned in our Christian churches today is genuine Bible prayer. I am so tired of hearing heretics encourage people to pray as a good “therapy.” Folks, if praying is nothing more to you than a way of helping you self-cope with the stresses in your life, then I truly feel sorry for you!!! I pray to God as a stress relief too, but it is because GOD ANSWERS PRAYER, and not as a self-help therapeutic practice that I pray (Philippians 4:6-7).
Samuel “Dickey” Gordon (1859-1936) was a prolific Christian author and evangelical lay minister active in the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Here are some edifying quotes from Samuel D. Gordon:
My favorite quotes from S.D. Gordon is:“Prayer is man giving God a footing on the contested territory of this earth. The man in full touch of purpose with God praying, insistently praying—that man is God's footing on the enemy's soil. The man wholly given over to God gives Him a new sub-headquarters on the battle-field from which to work out. And the Holy Spirit within that man, on the new spot, will insist on the enemy's retreat in Jesus the Victor's name. That is prayer. Shall we not, every one of us, increase God's footing down upon His prodigal earth!” ―Samuel D. Gordon, 'Quiet Talks On Prayer,' 1904“Our prayer is God's opportunity to get into the world that would shut Him out.” ―Samuel D. Gordon, '5 Christian Books in 1 Book'“The greatest thing any one can do for God and for man is to pray.” ―Samuel D. Gordon, '5 Christian Books in 1 Book'“You can do more than pray after you have prayed but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” ―Samuel D. Gordon, 'Quiet Talks on Prayer'
We are engaged in a constant spiritual battle on earth (Ephesians 6:12-18). When people ruffle our feathers and give us a hard time, we must always keep in mind that Satan is the spiritual father of all unsaved people. That is why a believer should never marry an unbeliever, lest you end up having the Devil as a feather-in-law! 2nd Corinthians 6:14-17 strictly forbids for a Christian believer to become unequally yoked together with an unbeliever. This not only applies to the marriage yoke, but also to the business yoke, the close friendship yoke and all other yokes!“Prayer is man giving God a footing on the contested territory of this earth.” ―Samuel D. Gordon, 'Quiet Talks On Prayer,' 1904
To put it plainly, the Christian has a completely different mindset than the unsaved person does (1st Corinthians 2:14-16). We still need to unconditionally love unsaved people and be friendly toward them, so they may see God's holiness and love in us (Hebrews 12:14). Every believer needs to pray, not only for our own needs, but for the needs of others as well.
I have been visiting a few different local Baptist churches in Pensacola. At one particular church that I love to attend, the biological father (and former church pastor) of the present pastor had a massive heart-attack a couple weeks ago. He was rushed into surgery and underwent a quadruple heart bypass! Wow! I learned that the highest number of heart valves surgeons can bypass is a quintuple (five). Wow! That fifth valve behind the heart is difficult for surgeons to diagnose when blocked, which is why it is commonly called “The Widow Maker!” Ouch! I am amazed that surgeons can crack open a man's chest and perform such intricate life-saving surgeries. God is more than amazing!!!
God will greatly use a humble Christian who has faith in his or her heart, an inspired King James Bible in their hand, and is yielded to God's Holy Spirit. Dear reader, God can do great things through YOU. I learned a very long time ago that the way to be greatly used of God is to GIVE GOD ALL THE CREDIT AND PRAISE!!! If my web visitors leave thinking that I am great, I have utterly failed at my ministry; but if you leave thinking how great is our blessed God and Savior, Jesus Christ, then I have succeeded! ...
So if you want to be used greatly by God, then brag about OUR GRAET GOD!!! God doesn't need our talents, abilities, wisdom, skills or anything!!! But God would love to use those qualities of we keep in mind continually that WITHOUT JESUS WE CAN DO NOTHING!!! John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”1st Corinthians 1:27-31, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
No comments:
Post a Comment