We will never experience God’s power and intervention in our lives until or unless we stop depending on the systems of this world....WT
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
Luke 12:11-12 NIV
Notice what Jesus did not say. He didn’t say “when you are brought before authorities “lawyer up!” He said to rely on the Holy Spirit. All of the apostles could’ve found lawyers to defend them, there were lawyers in their day. But what would that have proven? There are times to lawyer up, but not before we prayer up. Jesus said “don’t even prepare a defense” do we think that word was for the disciples only? Then we’re mistaken. That counsel applies to us today as well. But we have strayed from that principle so we’ll never know what God will or can do.
The disciples discovered God’s unstoppable power each time they were falsely accused, imprisioned, or persecuted. Just check out Paul’s, Peter and the other apostles testimonies. At one of Paul’s hearings he said these words;
“At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
2 Timothy 4:16-18 NIV
Unstoppable God! Unstoppable Christians! When we’re one with Him doing what He’s commanded us to do, He’s all the defense we need. But if we’re always calling on the arm of flesh, we’ll never find out what He will do on our behalf. We have the victory when we do it His way, and He receives the glory He’s due.
Remember what happened when Paul was accused of causing an uproar after he had cast the spirit of divination out of the young slave girl? You’ll find the account in Acts 16. He could’ve disclosed at the onset who he was, but instead suffered injustice to bring the gospel to the jailer, his family and the entire prison population. But when they tried to release him secretly he caught them at their own game. Unstoppables know when to speak up and when to be silent. God is glorified in both if we are led by His Spirit and walk in discernment and wisdom.
We don’t always need human intervention. Fear is more often than not, the reason we choose human intervention over prayer and faith in God’s promises. That’s why we always have a backup plan. Think of the last time you faced a challenge, what did you do? Was the Lord glorified in your decision? Jesus led by example. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with Me.”
John 16:32 He never asked us to do what He hadn’t done. At His trial, He didn’t call for witnesses or for earthly legal representation. He glorified His Father through total submission and dependence. If He has told us to depend on the Holy Spirit, then there’s a good reason for that, and we should trust Him.
We have gotten away from praying first and reacting last. Jesus is no longer our first line of defense. The world will never see what generations before us saw of God’s power to deliver. He’s unstoppable and so are we! The church has been facing persecution ever since its birth in Acts 2. Jesus is a hot button trigger for those who worship at the altar of self. This rush to shut down churches, close Christian schools and silence the voices of those who stand for righteousness is nothing new. The difference is modern day Christians are ill prepared for what is to come.
I’ll share a quote from Pastor Brunson. He was imprisioned in Turkey for two years on false charges. Do you know of that story? You should. These are not isolated incidents. They’re happening globally. American Christians enjoy a daily diet of “news” but are ignorant of the suffering of God’s people. We are being kept in ignorance and this is why we’re generally surprised when things disturb our status quo.
“I believe the pressures that we're seeing in our country now are going to increase, and one of these pressures is going to be hostility toward people who embrace Jesus Christ and His teaching, who are not ashamed to stand for Him," he continued. "My concern is that we're not ready for this pressure. And not being prepared is very, very dangerous on a number of levels." Andrew Brunson
I believe every word and share his concern. Based on everything I’ve been seeing and hearing, American Christians are the least prepared for what’s coming. We have too many backup plans. The apostles only had One. Jesus Christ! His Word and Spirit was all they relied on. Paul encouraged Timothy :
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
2 Timothy 4:3-5 NIV
Did you read anywhere where he told Timothy to prepare the best legal team money can buy? “Lawyer up Timothy, you are going to face strong opposition to the word you’ll be preaching!” No. Instead he encouraged him to remain unstoppable! Trusting in an unstoppable God. Stay focused. Don’t change the message to suit the times. In the same chapter Paul speaks of his impending martyrdom. (Verse 6) He had set the example for his son in the faith. What examples are we setting for the generation coming behind us? Can they follow us as we follow Christ? Are they seeing unstoppable faith, trust and confidence in Christ Jesus alone?
I admire the courage of Paul. He, like us, had never walked with Jesus in the flesh like Peter and the others. He learned -like us -to depend on the Holy Spirit. He suffered more than the remaining eleven, but he never faltered in his unwavering faith in Jesus. When everyone forsook him, he boldly declared that Jesus stood with him. He was unstoppable. Jesus is on the lookout for unstoppable believers today. The Army has their green berets, the Marines their special forces. God has His unstoppables. Are you one of them? Are you prepared to say:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7 NIV
Words of an unstoppable. Unstoppables know no other defense but Jesus. His grace alone is sufficient, His strength alone is perfect. His Word alone is unchanging, His presence alone is guaranteed. I read where a persecuted Christian asked this question of Jesus after he had been rescued, “Where were you when I was being beaten within an inch of my life?” Jesus responded, “The only reason you made it through was because I was there taking those beatings with you.” His silence in our pain is never His absence. We make it through because He’s with us. His Word is our comfort.
My prayer is that we will not be caught off guard. That we will never be surprised by enemy forces. We are unstoppable in Christ Jesus. But uninformed and ill prepared Christians are no match for what’s ahead of us. We must remain vigilant as the scriptures teaches us.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:8-11 NIV
It’s time to pray 🙏
A fear of suffering will give birth to complacency and compromise. Fear God, trust His Word, be led by His Spirit. WT
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NIV
Comments