Musing – What Might We Do to Hasten a Lost Person’s Decision?

 

Hebraic Musing – What Might We Do to Hasten a Lost Person’s Decision?

What does it take to win someone to Christ?  Let’s start with two things – Righteousness and Faith.

Righteousness on our part?  Is our heart right?  “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”   Psalm 66:18    And Jesus promised - “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”   John 15:7 NKJV

Faith is necessary for Healings, Miracles and Salvation according to Jesus.  “And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”  Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”  Matthew 9:28-29    Would you agree the greatest healing happens when a lost person accepts Jesus as LORD?

What is required for Righteousness & Faith to work for salvation of lost souls?

Desperation should be driving us to travailing tears for the lost!   “Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy.”  Psalm 126:5  Travailing is defined as “painful or laborious effort” like in childbirth, as in being “Born Again.”  Paul travailed. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” Galatians 4:19

Persistence is critical.  Lucifer was described in Isaiah 14:17 as the one holding the lost as prisoners!  “Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’  And Jesus reminded us that - “No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” Mark 3:27    Be persistent!  What’s at stake?

Aggression is required in warfare.  How was the war won?  “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”  Rev.12:11   What are our weapons?  “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”  2 Corinthians 10:4   How do we fight?   “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, … powers,… rulers of the darkness,… spiritual hosts of wickedness….  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, … praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”  Ephesians 6:11-18

Pleading is very effective and God expects us to plead.  Remember Abraham pleading for Sodom, Moses for Israelites, Hezekiah for Judah (2 kings 19), etc.  Does God mind a good debate with His children?  If God is “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows….” (Psalm 68:5) then He respects pleadings for the fatherless. 

Promises from God that we can rely on. “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10  The Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9  

Unity pleases God.  He likes to join us when two or more are gathered?  “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven..” Matthew 18:19   In John 17, Jesus says “may be one” five times!  In the OT -  “How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, …”  Deut.32:30   

Jesus gave Paul, and us, a job to do.  “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Act 26:18

Points to ponder

How can we avoid getting discouraged when the situation looks impossible?

Are we called to get aggressive in our war for souls?

Are we to plead with God to convince Him?  Or to convince ourselves?

If caring for the lost is this hard, maybe that’s why 95%
of “professing Christians” have never won a single soul to Christ?

 “…all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 25. 2022

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”  Weekly “Hebraic Musings” http://insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com/

Note – Inspired by & excerpted from “Praying Effectively for the Lost” Chapter 3 - Lee E. Thomas

Hebraic Musing – What does it take to Get the Lost Saved?

 Hebraic Musing – What does it take to Get the Lost Saved?

If a lost person cannot see the Light, what does it take to open their eyes?  Simple answer – PRAYER.
Let’s start by identifying the three things that should bring us to our knees in prayer for them:

1. LOVE – Prayer is defined as “Love on our knees”!   Jesus tells of a man in Hades pleading for his five brothers.   “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, ‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’”  Luke 16:27-28 NKJV   
Another example of the importance of “Love” is the welcome sign for new believers at the famous Chicago Garden Mission - “MOTHER’s PRAYERS HAVE FOLLOWED YOU”.  We are told 10 times in God’s Word to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  That’s a lot of love!   What’s the most loving thing you can do for someone?            A - To usher them into Heaven instead of letting them default into Hell?

2. FAITH is another important Biblical reason for praying for the lost.  Remember – “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23   Faith was the basis for four men bringing their paralyzed friend to Jesus and “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’” Mark 2:5.   Note that Jesus reacted when He saw the faith of the four men! 

3. POWER of Prayer is underestimated by too many Christians.  How powerful is prayer? 
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16  
Did God place Praying for all men as a priority in our lives?  “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy.2:1-4

Here are more BIBLICAL EXAMPLES of praying for the lost:

·      Let’s start with an OT prophecy of Jesus in Isaiah 53:12  “…And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”  And this prophecy was dramatically and lovingly fulfilled when Jesus was suffering on the cross for us and said – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  Luke 23:34  (Note that the singular “sin” is the sin of unbelief!)

·      Paul makes a compassionate appeal – “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”  Romans 10:1

·      Jesus’ words - “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’”  Matthew 9:37-38

·      “… far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you;…”  1 Samuel 12:23

·      Apostle Paul made a compassionate appeal when he recognized Jesus’ role as the unchangeable priesthood – “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

I’ve always taken it personally when I read 1 Peter 2:5 - “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  You and I are assigned the role of a priest, an intercessor between God and man.  As “Born Again” Christians we don’t need an intercessor, BUT the lost person(s) desperately need an intercessor.  Peter gave us that role and responsibility.  I sure would hate for someone to go to Hell because I shirked my responsibility.

Points to ponder

Prayer has been defined as “Love on our knees”!

Remember how “on fire” you were right after your salvation experience, and…
you wanted to tell everybody?    What happened?

Are we to follow the Biblical examples of praying for the lost?

Are you praying for your neighbor?  Who is your neighbor?

Be inspired to pray for the lost as never before.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 25. 2022

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”  Weekly “Hebraic Musings” http://insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com/

Note – Inspired by & excerpted from “Praying Effectively for the Lost” Chapter 2 - Lee E. Thomas

Musing – Why Lost People Cannot See the Light?

 Hebraic Musing – Why Lost People Cannot See the Light?

Fact, the Lost cannot be saved unless someone (we) pray for them.  It is our responsibility to pray for them; it won’t happen unless they are being prayed for.  Why?  They are under the authority of Satan, their father.  “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”  John 8:44 NKJV   Satan is deliberately blinding the eyes and minds of the lost to keep them from understanding the Bible and the Good News.

Do you remember how blind you were to the Gospel message before you were saved?  Especially after years being in the world and fending off the “goody two-shoes Christians”.   “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”  2 Corinth.4:3-4 

My testimony – my wife and children kept pestering me to “get saved” and I did not know why.  I was not drowning; I didn’t need a life jacket!  Those were my thoughts and reasons for rejecting their pleas.  I could not comprehend their reasons.  I was incapable due to the condition of my mind.
At the age of 39 when I was on a retreat week-end (not realizing I was being bathed in prayer) I fell to my knees and said through tears “Jesus Christ, you are real and I need to learn more about you.”  Only then did I understand what my wife and kids had been saying to me. 
BTW - Notice that unbeknownst to me, I was being bathed in prayer!

Lost folks see the Gospel message and teachings as moronic, stupid, nonsensical and a hindrance; not my words, but Paul’s – “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

Lost people are POWs in the strong man’s house.  “No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” Mark 3:27   We are called to spiritual warfare to bind Satan, the “strong man”, and free the lost person to make an unhindered decision.

To get the lost person saved we need to bind the attempts of the “strong man” who is distracting the lost person.  Actually, our persistence might even stir up, embolden and activate the “strong man” in which case we need more prayer, back-off and come back another day.

In any case, the Souls for which Jesus died are too valuable for us to give up and quit.

Points to ponder

Do you remember how blind you were before accepting Christ as your LORD?

Might it be your prayers that will keep someone out of Hell?

What does it mean to “love your neighbor”?  What’s their greatest need?

Are we to “love our neighbor” by praying for their eternal salvation?

Who prayed you into the Kingdom?    How did you come to see the Light?

♫  I saw the light, I saw the light. No more darkness no more night.
            Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight.  Praise the Lord I saw the light...  ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 18. 2022

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”  Weekly “Hebraic Musings” http://insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com/

Note – Inspired by & excerpted from “Praying Effectively for the Lost” Chapter 1 - Lee E. Thomas 

Musing – Suffering? How to Keep it in Perspective.

  Hebraic Musing – Suffering?  How to Keep it in Perspective.

Here’s an almost unedited prayer request from a friend* undergoing suffering.  I appreciate his perspective!

“I just wanted to thank EVERYONE for all the prayers & to update you on my situation. I can’t stand or walk without pain and the strain from just moving from one room to another is so tiring that I have to sit down & relax before I attempt to walk again. I believe God has a purpose for everything and I want to reassure everyone that this doesn’t shake my faith because I see it from an eternal perspective.”    He goes on…

It’s unfortunate that the false teachings of the “health and wealth” prosperity gospel have deceived and influenced the Body of Christ and have shipwrecked the faith of many.  Instead of picking and choosing verses to OUR LIKING, we need to look at the whole counsel of God.  There is nothing in the Bible that says all Christians are exempt from life’s struggles.  Our God doesn’t always answer the way we want and when we want it; however, FAITH is trusting HIS perfect will and being content with whatever it is.

The other day I watched a secular movie, USS INDIANAPOLIS, MEN OF COURAGE, about the naval ship torpedoed by a Japanese sub near the end of WWII.  Imagine having a leg or arm bitten off by a shark and enduring such pain while in a raft, floating in the ocean for five days before being rescued.  I thank the Lord because what I’m presently going through is NOTHING compared to what those men endured.  Though we live in a cursed creation, I praise God that as Christians our peace and joy is IN HIM and not in our circumstances!

What does God’s Holy Word say about Suffering(s):

James 1:2-4 NIV  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 ESV  “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is SUFFICIENT for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, THEN I AM STRONG.”

Hebrews 5:7-8 ESV  “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  Although he was a son, he learned OBEDIENCE through what he SUFFERED.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ESV  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who COMFORTS us in all our affliction, SO THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO COMFORT those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”

Romans 5:1-4  NIV  “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, … we also glory in our sufferings, BECAUSE WE KNOW that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Romans 8:35-39 ESV “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …   No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Job 13:15 ESV  “THOUGH HE SLAY ME, I WILL HOPE IN HIM;…”

Points to ponder

How do we define Faith?   How do we exercise Faith?

Might these Biblical perspectives change how we pray about our needs, wants & desires?

♫  Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                             January 11, 2022
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of Christian  faith”
“Biblical Marriage by Yosef”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   http://insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com/

*  Copied & edited from message by Jun Renegado of Bethany Christian Center in Stockton, CA

Musing – Does God Choose the Weak for Amazing Assignments?

 Hebraic Musing – Does God Choose the Weak for Amazing Assignments?

And in doing so, God sometimes shames the strong, and instead He uses weak and unlikely people!  There are many examples of strange and unlikely choices God made when He picked people for important jobs! 

Might some of these encourage us?

Moses – In Exodus 4:10 he tried to excuse himself from leadership because “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” He stuttered!  But later he confronted Pharoah to “Let His people go.” 

Abraham – He was 99 years old when the LORD told him “And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”  And we know that  ♫  Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you, so let’s just PTL. ♫      

Samson – He chose a wife from the Philistines in defiance of his parents’ instructions.  He became a Judge in Israel and every child knows Samson and what he did!

David – When Samuel was to anoint a new king, he asked if there were any more sons.  Jesse answered -- “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” 1 Sam.16:11.   Even children learn accounts of David’s growth and development to become more than a King, the forefather of Jesus!

Isaiah – When called during a heavenly visitation (Isaiah 6), he responded “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.”  Can you identify?

Rahab – Inn-keeper, or prostitute in those days, to a role in Jesus lineage!  

Mary – As just a young virgin, how could she know God’s plan for her?  Reminds me of the song --  ♫  Mary did you know that your baby boy would someday …  ♫   

John, the Baptist – Although known as a weird guy (clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey) did the Public Relations job for the Coming Messiah!

Matthew, AKA Levi  – Was sitting in his Tax Collector office when Jesus said “Follow Me” Luke 5:27.  So as a known sinner, Matthew became author of the first Gospel in the canon!

Zacchaeus – He was the chief tax collector, also a known sinner.  Yet Jesus called to him and said “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Luke 19:5.  From crook to host!

Peter – He was an impetuous, unstable, “foot in mouth” kind of guy; and he’s known for his reply when asked if he knew Jesus – “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Luke 22:60 NKJV.  How could such a man become the Leader, first pope, Rock of the Church?!?!

Points to ponder

I wonder how God might use you and I?

Does God see each of us as “Treasures in Earthen Vessels”?  2 Corinthians 4:7

Maybe God has a critical role for each of us in His Kingdom!?!?

Jesus said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Mt.19:26

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 4. 2021

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”  Weekly “Hebraic Musings” http://insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com/