The Miracle of Bible Teaching

I thank God for little miracles and precious events He brings into my life. You know, like the child that finally warms up to you and you know you have a friend for life. Or the day you see that guy walk into class who you have been praying for over the course of several years. One of my favorite miracles is when that lesson you prepared makes a life-changing connection to someone’s heart. It’s funny, you pray as usual, you prepare the same way you always do, but somehow on that day, at that moment, the message touches a life.

The miracle is a miracle of God’s doing. It isn’t you, it isn’t me, it isn’t the lighting in the room or the seating arrangement! God makes it happen! In fact it always amazes me that the lesson or message that I think is a total flop is the one He chooses to bless. I’m convinced that He does it just to show me that it is all Him! I cannot or would not take any credit for it. Somehow, through His divine touch, He takes my pitiful offering and uses it to convict a heart or transform a mind or melt away years of bitterness right before my eyes. It is absolutely amazing!

It’s a miracle of faithfulness. I’m convinced that God is using that preparation and desire in our hearts to learn and grow. He sees our faithful praying and our diligent study. He is aware of the phone calls and letters and emails we send out. There are weeks that it seems that all the work we put into a lesson is futile, but God sees our faithfulness and He is pleased to one day bless it with His supernatural touch and a life is transformed for eternity. Our faithfulness to Him is never wasted. We will one day reap of the faithful sowing of spiritual seed by His power and grace.

The miracle is a miracle of the Word. The Book we handle, the Book we pray over and weep over and study over, is God’s Book. It has power to crush hardened hearts like a sledge hammer crushes a rock. His Word has supremacy to comfort and guide and encourage like nothing else does. No book of mere mortals can make such a change. It has the muscle to wrestle with a man’s heart and come forth with the victory. What a joy and privilege we have of wielding the Sword of the Spirit and seeing it bring a person to that point of spiritual breakthrough.

I remember reading about two hardened criminals who were in prison. One day the inmates were given Gideon New Testaments. The man in one cell was mocking the little Gospel presentation he found near the front flyleaf of the Bible. He began to read the verses that told of God’s love. He sneered as he read about man’s sin and need for forgiveness. He laughed when he read of our need to repent and place our faith in Jesus Christ. He was about to throw the little Testament into the trash, when the man in the next cell asked, “What does it say you do next?” The scoffer’s reply was, “Why? You don’t believe that stuff do you?” “Just tell me,” was the reply, “what does it say?” Reluctantly the scorner read, “It says, ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ and then it says to pray a prayer to invite Christ in your life.” Even though the reader had no love for God or His Word, he was dumbfounded to see the man in the next cell praying to Jesus Christ, surrendering his life to the only one who can save from sin. In spite of the reluctance of the witness it happened again—the glorious miracle of Bible teaching!

Spiritual Warfare

I am not one of those guys who see a demon behind every bush and rock. I don’t blame sound system feedback on evil spirits and I have never personally encountered anyone who manifested clear evidence of demon possession. I do know demonic activity is real; however, and I know we as God’s people are involved in a spiritual battle with evil, continually.

In many foreign countries that have little or no Christian influence, many demonic encounters are reported by our missionaries in the field. The people in those countries are bound in false religious systems that are controlled by the demonic. The people are manipulated, controlled and intimidated by superstitions and false teachings. The goal of such evil influence is spiritual bondage and to keep people from hearing and responding to the truth of the gospel. The favorite tool is the lie. Victory over such bondage is found in Jesus and His truth.

In our American culture, demonic spirits seek to put people in spiritual bondage and keep people from responding to the gospel just as in more pagan cultures. The difference is that their approach is more sophisticated. Americans would dismiss demon possession as a mental illness and not be frightened into accepting a false religion just because they saw someone manifest demonic control. Our culture does not sacrifice a black goat and three white chickens to appease an evil spirit as some other cultures do. The satanic approach in America is more subtle and sophisticated, but the results are just as deadly. Here are three facts we need to keep in mind:

1. Our greatest defense is our personal walk with God. Ephesians 6:10-20 speaks of putting on God’s full spiritual armor so we can stand in the face of evil when that day of spiritual battle comes to us. The armor is a metaphor for our walk with God as we live according to truth, seek practical righteousness, keep our minds on God’s truth, stand ready to share Christ, and live by faith. As we align our lives with God’s Word and stay in contact with Him in prayer, we are indestructible until God calls us home to be with Him in glory.

2. We do not need to fear evil, for Christ is in us through the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:1-4 reminds us that Christ lives in us and He is greater than any spiritual force on earth. We should not be fearful or frightened of the demonic. We have nothing to be afraid of. Christ has delivered us and given us victory in this battle through His perfect redemption.

3. Prayer and the Word of God are our most powerful weapons. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us that satanic lies bring spiritual bondage and God’s truth delivers us from those demonic strongholds. Satan’s goal is bondage, not to see people foam at the mouth and bark like dogs. His “mission” is to keep people from knowing Christ and following His plan for their lives. Our mission is just the opposite. As spirit-filled witnesses, we must win the battle.

Spiritual warfare is real and we are in the battle whether we like it or not. Satan’s sophisticated approach to bondage in America is very effective. Those who have been duped by the devil have no idea what is happening to them. We must not surrender the battle when so much is at stake.

Avoiding Human Monkeyshines

In a major university the Psych Department ran an interesting experiment on a group of monkeys. They had several monkeys in a room with a rope hanging from the ceiling. At the top of the rope was a nice tasty bunch of bananas. One monkey started up the rope to get a snack, but about halfway up he was sprayed with cold water. This was repeated several times. They each made several attempts until finally the monkeys no longer tried to climb the rope.

Then the people conducting the experiment took out one monkey and replaced him with a monkey that had never had the experience of the cold-water spray. When the newcomer attempted to go up the rope, all the other monkeys grabbed him and screamed at him, keeping him from climbing the rope. One by one they replaced the monkeys until there were no monkeys who had ever experienced the cold spray of water, but none of them ever attempted to climb the rope to get the tasty food. They ignored the opportunity for satisfaction, but none of them knew why.

I’ve discovered that in life that there are many people that are like that group of monkeys. They see an amazing opportunity to grow and discover what it really means to follow Christ or to go to the next level in their Christian experience. But as they start the climb, they have a group of well-intentioned people warning them and filling them with doubts and obstacles. Because they listen to the crowd, they never experience the life God has intended for them.

Sometimes it is a teenager being pressured by her peers to not pray before eating lunch at school. Or, it can be a young adult being belittled in a college classroom for his belief in the Bible. Sometimes it is an adult in the workplace being told to keep her beliefs to herself even when an associate is asking what makes her different. Maybe it is a neighbor that makes fun of a man’s Christian bumper sticker or welcome mat. Perhaps, for some, it is a close family member who thinks attending church is for losers or fanatics. We all have those voices screaming at us to be silent, to be like everyone else, and to be ashamed or embarrassed of the gospel and even the Lord Himself.

As a result of the “monkeys in the room” we don’t reach out for the life we can have. We settle for second best. We surrender to “the way things are.” As we develop that victim way of thinking, we too can stop reaching for the prize without even knowing why we shouldn’t try.

To overcome, we must resist the “stinking thinking” of the world. We must realize that God created us for more than mediocrity. We each have unique value and purpose put into our hearts by our Creator. We must learn to reach for that, even if we get a cold shower once in a while. Lukewarm complacency will lead us to a life void of purpose and meaning.

The Bigness of Small Things

How can a church building suddenly turn up missing? Well, it really did in a rural part of Russia. It was stolen! Last seen in July 2008, the 200-year-old Russian Orthodox Church building disappeared just a few months later. Orthodox officials in a village northeast of Moscow intended to reopen the abandoned, two-story Church of the Resurrection and begin services again. Imagine their surprise when they came to the place where the church had once stood and saw nothing! Apparently, it is a common occurrence in rural areas of Russia for vacant churches to have their gilded icons and other valuables stolen. But now the entire church building itself had been stolen! How did it happen?It happened brick by brick. Nearby villagers dismantled the structure in October 2008 and sold each brick to a local businessman for one ruble each (which amounts to about four cents per brick). “Of course, this is blasphemy,” a local priest declared, “These people have to realize they committed a grave sin.” But it does raise a question, “Where were the leaders and members of the church? Didn’t they also commit a grave sin through their neglect and lack of participation?”

Who knows how these things happen. I’m sure they occur for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it has to do with a number of “terrorist cells” I recently heard about. “News reports” say that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Summa Bin Sleepin, Summa Bin Arguin, Summa Bin Grumblin, Summa Bin Murmurin, and Summa Bin Missin.

Okay, I made up that last part. Just having a little fun with you, but there is a point. Little things like complaining and grumbling seem insignificant when compared to the bigger picture of God’s kingdom work, but they can do a great deal of damage. They can tear down God’s people and God’s church, “one brick at a time.” They can quench the fire of the Holy Spirit’s work.

The Hebrew people of Moses’ day had seen God do miracles. They saw God bring judgment on the Egyptians through 10 plagues. They were eye-witnesses to the dividing of the Red Sea. They saw God provide manna and water in the desert wilderness to feed over a million people. Yet, they still complained against Moses and Aaron and even the Lord Himself. It grieved the Lord so much, that He brought various judgments upon them. Those little things began to build into bigger issues and even outright idolatry and rebellion, and soon the entire nation was missing out on God’s Promised Land. It can happen to churches, too.

But I have also heard of some counter-terrorist groups being formed: Summa Bin Prayin! Summa Bin Teachin! Summa Bin Sharin! Summa Bin Givin! Summa Bin Faithful! I truly thank God for those who are faithful with the “small things.” They keep the church strong and focused on the mission of God. They are the mortar that holds the bricks in place so that the evil one cannot steal them and cause the building to collapse. They are people like you who serve God day in and day out without murmuring or complaining, even when you might have a reason to do so. Let’s stay faithful to the small things so we can see God do the big things.