Christian Living
Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday October 22, 2009
For a few weeks I will be speaking in the church I pastor on the "Mid-Night Encounters" of saints who at a point in their life seemed to be down for the count, yet reached up to God and way down deep in themselves to find the grit to continue faithful in spite of circumstances.
One of the reasons for this series is due to the fact many folks are suffering the loss of a lifetime of achievements, foreclosure, bankruptcy and loss of prestige among other things.
The great religious philosopher, Vince Lombardi wrote concerning this:
"It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you're not a winner."
For this series we are using what is called a "gospel song" to open the services called "Til The Storm Passes By" written by Mosi Lister. This song, performed with gusto by the congregation, the mini-orchestra and the song leader in itself raises the mind and heart to the truth that God will keep us safe til the storms of life pass by. I noticed many wiping a tear as the song progressed through the verses. The first sermon was about John enduring exile and horrible physical suffering on the Island of Patmos. When questioned, "How on earth can you be in the spirit on the Lord's day in this God-forsaken place?" John answers simply, “I'm nearer home than I was yesterday." He teaches us that the storms, the defeats, the agony of this life will be more than offset when we see our Lord to the face.
Life is tough when you're down, so in order to offset this terrible time we learn to fake it til we make it and we kid ourselves that all is well when it is not. Along with the danger of pretending victory comes the fear of reality being discovered and the facing of the music. It is when you are laying on the field of life, battered and bruised, totally exhausted and defeated and the enemy in whatever form is marching off the field enthralled in the ecstasy of the winner that you must rediscover the power of Christ and understanding that because He is risen are also are risen with Him and this terrible embarrassing defeat is really a time of learning. We shall overcome is easy to say in a great church service, but we must learn to say and believe we are overcomers even if in the present we are in the circumstance of a prison rock quarry on an island of exile.
One of my all time favorite verses is used by Christ to help when we get beat up by life. It has burned into my heart on many occasions for I am acquainted as was He with grief. He said in John 16:33:
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit
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