Tonight at church the guest speaker was talking about various people in the Bible who had an encounter with Jesus. There was the Maniac of Gadara and the Woman at the Well. There were 10 lepers healed by the Lord. There are many stories in the Bible that can be named where people’s lives were changed because of the Lord.

The question the speaker asked tonight was, “Do you have a story?” Has your life been changed because of what Jesus Christ has done for you? The question is not whether you have chosen Christ because you want a better life. Nor is it that you want Jesus because you see other Christians prospering financially. But, have you been changed because of the salvation that comes through the Lord? Have your sins been forgiven?

If you have been changed, then share your story. The reason we get excited about some of the stories in the Bible is because we see real people who have had a life altering experience because of their salvation. If you have accepted the Lord, then you have a life-changing story to tell as well. Share it with others. Tell them how God has given you a story to tell just like the people we read about in the Bible.

Are you still looking for this life-changing experience? Learn about Jesus Christ and His salvation.

Joshua and Caleb stood before the children of Israel in Numbers 14 ready to give their report of what they saw in the Promised Land. Verses 7 through 9 is their impassioned plea to the people to trust the Lord’s leading.

And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Their report was that the land was “exceeding good.” The land flowed with milk and honey. The Israelites shouldn’t fear the Canaanites, though they were giants, because God was on their side. It was time to trust God and receive their promised inheritance.

But the reaction of the people isn’t what we would expect. Numbers 14:10 says:

But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.

Their reaction was to pick up stones and kill the two men who brought the report that God was with them and God would do the work needed to overtake the land. The people could not bring themselves to trust the promises of God. The result is that they wandered in a wilderness for 40 years and all the adults, save the 2 they wanted to stone, died before entering the Promised Land 40 years later.

What is it today that you have trouble trusting God about? Would you rather obey God, or silence the ones who bring the message of victory just because you don’t want to hear it?

When I was in school I memorized this poem. Each year we had a poetry contest where we would do an interpretive presentation of a poem or piece of prose. Yes, I know it prose isn’t the same as poetry, but it fit the rules. I always tried to choose a poem that had meaning for me; something I would be glad to have spent the time memorizing.

I could not find much information about Martha Snell Nicholson. I did find out that she wrote quite a bit of poetry and suffered many years from incurable diseases, though I never found out what her illness was.

I hope you enjoy this poem as much as I do.

My Advocate

I sinned. And straightway, post-haste, Satan flew
Before the presence of the Most High God,
And made a the railing accusation there.
He said, “This soul, this thing of clay and sod,
Has sinned. ‘Tis true that he has named Thy name,
But I demand death, for Thou hast said,
‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die.’ Shall not
Thy sentence be fulfilled? Is justice dead?
Send now this wretched sinner to his doom.
What other thing can righteous ruler do?”

And thus he did accuse me day and night,
And every word he spoke, O God, was true!

Then quickly One rose up from God’s right hand,
Before whose glory angels veiled their eyes.
He spoke, “Each jot and tittle of the law
Must be fulfilled: the guilty sinner dies!
But wait—suppose his guilt were all transferred
To ME and that I paid his penalty!
Behold My hands, My side, My feet! One day
I was made sin for him, and died that he
Might be presented faultless, at Thy throne!”

And Satan fled away. Full well he knew
That he could not prevail against such love,
For every word my dear Lord spoke was true!

—Martha Snell Nicholson

If you have any more information on this author I would be curious to know more about her. Leave a comment with what you know.

The Bible teaches us that the three enemies of the Christian are the world, the flesh and the devil. Yet, we are not left defenseless. We are promised ways to overcome these three enemies as well as given help by the different persons of the Trinity in our battle.

Enemy: The World

When the Bible talks about the world being our enemy it is not talking about the dirt and rock we live on. The Bible is referring to the system and philosophies of the world. This is the constant undercurrent of pride and humanism that says we can anything we want to do in our own power. It is a philosophy that pushes out God. Even Christians are tempted to think that they can live godly lives without the help of God and His guidance. This is the world trying to control our thinking. (John 15:18-25; I John 2:15-17)

Defense: Faith

While I John talks about the world being our enemy to pull us away from God in chapter 2 verses 15 through 17, the book also tells us in chapter 5 verses 4 and 5 that our defense is faith in God. This faith is in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. Salvation is our defense over the world. This does not mean that we will never be tempted by the world, but that we can overcome the world through faith in God and His work.

Helper: God the Father

The love of God will come along side us and protect us from the world. When we place our attention and love toward God, our attraction to the world will diminish. (I John 2:15)

Enemy: The Flesh

Paul tells in Romans 7 about an internal struggle that he faces. While he wants to do good, he has a war within him because his flesh desires evil. Even the Apostle Paul who wrote half of the New Testament struggled with his own flesh. This internal struggle is shown in Romans 7:14-25. Even after our salvation the flesh is still present with us.

Defense: Walking in the Spirit

However, Paul did not walk away giving us no hope. He opens chapter 8 of Romans with these great words: 

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. —Romans 8:1-5

God desires to guide us through His Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God can help us overcome the flesh. Yes, there is an enemy, but there is also a provided defense. (Galatians 5:16, 17)

Helper: Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit indwells the believer. Romans 8:8, 9 says that the Holy Spirit is within us to guide us through this battle with the flesh.

Enemy: The Devil

The devil is an enemy who confronts each of us. We are powerless on our own to stand against him. However, we are given examples in the Bible of how to overcome this formidable foe. We know the end of the story told in the Bible. We are convinced that the devil will be defeated; but, until then we struggle with a day-to-day battle with him and his attacks.

Defense: Scripture

Jesus Christ gives us a good example of how to deal with the attacks of the devil. The Bible tells us in Matthew 4 when Jesus was tempted by the devil that Jesus quoted scripture as His own defense. The devil even tried to twist God’s Word in his temptation of Christ (Matthew 4:6). Jesus continued to quote scriptures back to the devil.

An interesting contrast is the way in which the devil incorrectly quoted God’s Word when speaking to Eve in the garden. He was able to cause Eve to doubt God’s love for her and Adam because she wasn’t certain of exactly what God had said. This is a good lesson to us to learn what the Bible actually says instead of twisting the scriptures to say what we want them to say.

Helper: Jesus Christ

Of course Jesus is the one who conquers Satan in the end. Jesus has already delivered a death blow to Satan on the cross. The war is already determined, we just have a few more battles to fight. Jesus’ resurrection sealed the devil’s fate. This was all prophesied back in the third chapter of the Bible. God tells Satan in Genesis 3:15 that a child would come who would bruise the head of Satan. The Old Testament is filled with stories of a people eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Redeemer to save them from their greatest enemy—the devil.

Yes there are enemies we must face every day; however, we are also given defenses and protection by God to overcome these enemies.

Tonight I was talking with a Catholic friend who is very curious about my “religion.” She wanted to know what we do for Semana Santa (Holy Week) to celebrate Easter. At her church they have a special celebration on Palm Sunday and then throughout the week they have various displays and dioramas depicting the final week of Jesus.

I told her that we usually don’t celebrate the Passion Week with as much pageantry as the Catholic church does. Resurrection Sunday is where we place all the emphasis. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead and lives today is the focal point of all we celebrate in Christianity.

She is coming to our church’s Easter play tomorrow night in which we emphasize a Savior who came to the world for the sole purpose of dying on a cross in the place of sinners. Though Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us, He rose again to assure us of an eternal life in the presence of God the Father.

For us, it’s all about the resurrection.

Happy Easter!