Sermon Illustrations on Enemy — page 2

Sure As the Dawn

In the latter half of the sixteenth century, during what was known as “the killing time” in Scotland, John Welsh (or Welsche), a Covenantor preacher and son-in-law of Scottish reformer John Knox, was pursued mercilessly by those who wished to take his life. For a long time he managed to elude his pursuers, but finally there seemed to be no safe place to go. He prayed, and believed God gave him a plan to outwit his enemies.

That night Welsh knocked at the door of a man who was well known for his bitter opposition to the so-called field preachers, a man who was seeking to arrest Welsh but who had never met him. Unrecognized by the householder, Welsh was received with kindness. During the evening the conversation turned to the hated Welsh. His host complained bitterly that he had not been able to apprehend this man whom he considered a rebel and an agent of Satan.

“I have been commissioned,” said Welsh, “to apprehend these people. I know where Welsh is going to preach tomorrow. If you like, I will put him in your hands.”

“Nothing could please me better,” said his host.

The next day Welsh and his host walked to the place where the Covenantors had agreed to meet. Welsh invited his host to sit in the only chair available - one Welsh had especially provided for him. Then he began to preach about God's love for sinners. He spoke with such persuasive power and pathos that his enemy's heart was melted.

At the close of the meeting Welsh said, “Sir, I am Welsh. Take and arrest me, and do whatever you wish.”

His former enemy, now his friend and convert, declined!

________

*

How Ruby Handled It

Matthew 19:14

Subject: A Little Child Can Lead Us

Date: For the Week of January 19, 1998

Matthew 19:14

When the public schools of New Orleans were integrated under court order

in 1960, four six-year-old black girls were selected to break the immoral

barrier that had been built over generations to keep white and black children

apart. Three were assigned to one school, and Ruby Bridges was sent alone to

Frantz Elementary School. How was a little girl supposed to deal with such

tension?

She was escorted to and from school each day by federal marshals for her

protection. She had to run the gauntlet of taunts, curses, and threats from

adults as she arrived and left each day. White parents took their children out

of Frantz, and Ruby was the only child in Miss Hurley's first-grade class.

Dr. Robert Coles is a child psychiatrist who studied Ruby's experience.

He visited with Ruby and her family twice every week. He interviewed Miss

Hurley about her pupil. To his amazement, Ruby was sleeping soundly every

night, eating well, and playing with neighborhood children as before. "You

know, I don't understand this child," said her teacher. "She seems so happy.

She comes here so cheerfully."

One morning Miss Hurley was watching Ruby walk toward the school.

Suddenly the little girl stopped right in the middle of the screaming, jeering

crowd. Facing all those angry people, her lips started moving. Miss Hurley

thought she was talking to them. She wondered what Ruby might be saying to

people who seemed ready to kill her. The marshals tried to move her into the

building. But she wouldn't budge until she finished what she was saying.

Miss Hurley asked her later what had happened, and Ruby explained. "I

wasn't talking to those people," she said. I was praying. I was praying for

them." You see, every morning Ruby had stopped a few blocks from her school to

pray for the people who hated her. That morning she had forgotten until she

was already on the sidewalk in the middle of the angry adults.

Here is what she prayed twice a day, before and after school. "Please,

God, try to forgive those people. Because even if they say those bad things,

they don't know what they're doing. So you could forgive them, just like you

did those folks a long time ago when they said terrible things about you."

Think you have some tough situations to face this week? Have to deal with

some unpleasant people? Have to confront people who are unkind or unfair? I

recommend you try Ruby's method and remember that Jesus said of little

children, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven."

-----The FAX of Life is a free weekly service from Rubel Shelly and the Family

of God at Woodmont Hills. Since you are receiving this "FAX" via e-mail you

have either requested to be added to the mailing list or someone has

requested you receive it. To add a name for e-mail receipt or to have your

name removed please send their/your name to Bonnie using the e-mail address

GBCiii@aol.com-----

To obtain "back issues" of The FAX of Life go to

Sure As the Dawn

In the latter half of the sixteenth century, during what was known as “the killing time” in Scotland, John Welsh (or Welsche), a Covenantor preacher and son-in-law of Scottish reformer John Knox, was pursued mercilessly by those who wished to take his life. For a long time he managed to elude his pursuers, but finally there seemed to be no safe place to go. He prayed, and believed God gave him a plan to outwit his enemies.

That night Welsh knocked at the door of a man who was well known for his bitter opposition to the so-called field preachers, a man who was seeking to arrest Welsh but who had never met him. Unrecognized by the householder, Welsh was received with kindness. During the evening the conversation turned to the hated Welsh. His host complained bitterly that he had not been able to apprehend this man whom he considered a rebel and an agent of Satan.

“I have been commissioned,” said Welsh, “to apprehend these people. I know where Welsh is going to preach tomorrow. If you like, I will put him in your hands.”

“Nothing could please me better,” said his host.

The next day Welsh and his host walked to the place where the Covenantors had agreed to meet. Welsh invited his host to sit in the only chair available - one Welsh had especially provided for him. Then he began to preach about God's love for sinners. He spoke with such persuasive power and pathos that his enemy's heart was melted.

At the close of the meeting Welsh said, “Sir, I am Welsh. Take and arrest me, and do whatever you wish.”

His former enemy, now his friend and convert, declined!

________

*

Mercy Can Beat Hatred

This summer I felt the joy of mercy and compassion winning out over old hatreds.

CAPTAIN BEN FIELD MISSES AGAIN

Last week on a hilltop in a cornfield outside Owensboro, Kentucky, Marylynn and I stood by the grave of her Revolutionary War ancestor, Captain Ben Field. Inscribed on the tombstone was his gratitude that he lived to see the seeds of liberty for which he had fought bloom in the lives of his children. We moved on to another cemetery and the grave of his grandson, a Confederate soldier in the War Between the States, another Captain Ben Field. (By now you have observed that our family is not very original with names and tends to get into a lot of wars!)

The grandson of this rebel soldier stood with us. Can you guess what his name is? That's right, our contemporary Ben Field (no captain) had a yellowed newspaper clipping, an account of how his grandfather as a young soldier had a Yankee in his rifle sights. He squeezed the trigger, but the gun did not fire. He tried again with the same result. Twice more he attempted to shoot the northerner. After the fourth misfire ol' Ben realized what he was doing wrong, corrected the problem, and lined up that Yankee in his sights.

But then a wave of mercy and compassion swept over him. “Naw, I'm not going to do it! Four times and no shot! Let him live!”

Years later the aged Ben Field told this story to a young newspaper reporter who exclaimed, “I know that Yankee soldier! He told me how Johnny Reb had him in his sights, misfired four times, and spared him.”

The yellow newspaper clipping was the result of that reporter's efforts. He brought the two ancient enemies together, and there the two old codgers sat, grinning at each other, the one who had been spared and the one who had shown mercy.

*

High Value Targets

Acts 19:15

It's probably a common term in the military, but I had never heard it until I saw an interview with some American soldiers working to establish an air base at Kandahar in Afghanistan. They were busy finding and clearing land mines, repairing and expanding the runway - and at the same time, carefully defending their perimeter. The soldiers pointed out that there were still Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters hiding out - and waiting for an opportunity to do some serious damage. That's when one soldier referred to what he called "high value targets." He said the enemy still had the capability to take out some "high value target" like an incoming aircraft, for example.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "High Value Targets."

Now, it makes sense - an enemy does not have unlimited capability or ammunition, so he's going to look for a high value target to attack. Especially if that enemy is the ultimate terrorist, the devil himself. He takes careful aim - and he devotes special attention - to bringing down what he considers a high value target. Like you, perhaps.

It's interesting that the familiar verse about the devil "prowling around like a lion, looking for someone to devour" is in a passage that is primarily about Christian leaders. Those who are making a difference - or are about to make a difference - for Jesus Christ become special targets for enemy attack.

In Acts 19, the sons of a Jewish priest watch how Paul casts out demons in the name of Jesus, so they decide to try it. The Bible says, "The evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" (Acts 19:15) The demon-possessed man then jumped on those boys and nearly beat them to death. Notice - there are names that have made it onto hell's "watch list" - Paul was on that list. In a way, it is one of life's great honors to have made it onto hell's target list, to be considered by the devil someone who could do a lot of damage to his plans. And what an insult to realize that they've never heard of you in hell!

So, who does Satan consider high value targets? Well, we can't know for sure, but we can make some Biblically educated guesses. A parent who is raising his or her children to love and serve Jesus Christ ... someone who has stepped up to spiritual leadership or who is considering it ... any believer who is - or who could be - a warrior for Christ, who could end up leading people away from hell and toward heaven. Your name may never be widely known on earth, but your name may be very well known in hell, because of the difference you're making.

Which leads us to Ephesians 6, beginning with verse 11, our word for today from the Word of God. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes ... Put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground." You cannot afford to be spiritually careless - about what you watch, what you listen to, what you say, what you laugh at, what you allow into your mind and heart. You cannot afford to be careless about how you're raising your family, how you're handling your money, about telling the truth, about avoiding temptation. You are more valuable to the work of God than you know - and more in Satan's sights than you know.

If you stand your ground, put on God's armor and keep your eyes on Jesus, you have nothing to fear from your enemy's artillery. But you need to remember that you are not on a peacetime mission where you can be casual and careless - we're at war and you are a target. Don't hand the enemy any ammunition to shoot you with. It's not just your life that's at stake -it's all those lives your life is going to touch.

________________

*

Hate Gave Her Strength

Amos 5:10

Lew Smedes tells about Marcie Rosen. She was deserted by her husband and left without money, skills, or self-esteem. She felt unloved, and unlovable. Asked what helped her most to get out of the sinking sand of her despair, into school to train for a job, and into the marketplace where her skills are valued, Marcie will tell you. “I wanted to show the louse that he couldn’t hurt me. Hate gave me strength.”*

When the Target's On Your Back

Luke 22:31

Last time I heard this term, it was describing how the French royalty was dealt with during the French Revolution - it was that ominous word “decapitation.” It took on new meaning at the beginning of the Coalition's “Operation Iraqi Freedom” against the regime of Saddam Hussein. Decapitation was used to describe a strategy of trying to eliminate the leaders of the regime in order to bring down the regime. It's a strategy that's actually used more commonly than you think.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “When the Target's on Your Back.”

The decapitation strategy makes sense militarily. If you can take out a leader, you've probably neutralized those who look to that leader. It's a strategy the devil has been using for a long time. Jesus knew what a rock, what a leader Simon Peter would one day be for Him. But on the eve of Peter's denial of his Lord, Jesus told him, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you...” (Luke 22:31-32) If you're serious about following Jesus, if you're in a position to influence others for Him, you can be sure Satan wants to sift you as wheat.

Now, our enemy can't go after everyone - he's not omnipresent, he's not omnipotent like our Lord. So the devil has to pick his targets. And it's important that you realize that he would love to take you out so the people who look to you will be affected, too. That's why you've got to live by our word for today from the Word of God in Ephesians 6, beginning with verse 11.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.”

If you're any kind of position to influence people spiritually - as a spiritual leader, a Christian worker, a teacher, a parent, someone trying to make a spiritual difference - you can't ever forget that you are a high value target to the enemy. Don't let that frighten you - “the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world,” God says. (1 John 4:4) Demons run as soon as Jesus walks in. But it's important to remember who your enemy really is. Maybe you've forgotten recently and you've started to act as if certain people are who your enemy is. Don't fall into that trap! Don't waste one precious bullet on a brother or sister. Aim your bullets at the real enemy!

Hudson Taylor's successor at the great China Inland Mission made this profound observation: “I will not send a person to the mission field unless he has learned to wrestle with the evil one. If he has not learned to wrestle with the evil one, he will wrestle with his fellow missionaries.” If you don't realize the ultimate source of much of the negative you're battling, you'll end up fighting the wrong enemy - and probably using the wrong weapons. You'll try to win with human weapons instead of with the mega-weapons of prayer, the Word of God, the name and blood of Jesus, and a united front.

I tell you, if the devil's not bothering you, apparently you're not bothering him - and that's really a shame. If the devil's shooting at you, it's because he hates the difference you're making or that you're about to make for Jesus Christ. It means something's very right, not something's very wrong. Take your stand against his schemes. And when he tries to push your buttons to bring you down, you stand up in Jesus' name and say, “I know who this is - and I'm not going there!”

________________

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #12757]

Softening Up the Enemy

Nehemiah 1

When America decided to go after the Taliban in its war on terrorism, there were a lot of warnings about what a difficult battleground Afghanistan can be - and what a tough enemy the Taliban would be. That is why so many of us were so surprised when the Taliban fighters seemed to retreat so quickly from city after city in Northern Afghanistan as the Northern Alliance advanced. But Taliban defectors said that the relentless American bombing had really affected their morale. The U. S. military strategy going into the Afghan conflict was not a new one - begin with an air war, heavy bombing to "soften up" your enemy before the ground forces make a move. As we learned in the Gulf War, it can lead to a surprisingly quick victory.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Softening Up The Enemy."

Some of us have lost some of our battles - or had much tougher battles -because we didn't apply this kind of strategy. If you want to win, take some time to soften up your enemy before you go in to fight the battle. In the military, it's the air war that prepares the way ... in spiritual battles, it's the prayer war.

Nehemiah models that for us in Nehemiah 1, beginning in verse 4, our word for today from the Word of God. He is a Jew serving as a servant to the king of Persia when he receives a report from Israel about the devastation of God's ancient capital city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah is burdened to do something to rebuild the holy city, but it looks like Mission Impossible. First, it can't be done without the king's permission -something that was pretty unlikely. Secondly, where are the rebuilding resources going to come from? Well, Nehemiah knows that, humanly speaking, nothing is going to happen unless the king of Persia, the most powerful man in the world at that time, gets behind it.

So what does Nehemiah do - just go running into the king's throne room to share his burden? Nope - first Nehemiah goes into the Throne Room of "the" King to wage the prayer war that will ultimately bring about victory. After hearing about the devastated situation back home, Nehemiah says, "For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: 'O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love. Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel. Oh Lord, give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.'" That man was the king.

As a result of what was at least four months of this kind of praying, the king's heart is open - he empowers Nehemiah to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem and even provides the resources to do it. Just one illustration, and there are a lot of them, of how a prayer campaign can literally prepare the way for a victory that would otherwise be impossible. Maybe like the victory you need right now.

So, before you go running into your battle, would you soften up the enemy's hold with passionate prayer? Pray for hearts to be softened, for doors to be opened, for Satan to be paralyzed, for the help and resources that are needed, for the dangers to be minimized. And like Nehemiah did, focus your prayer on the greatness of your God, not how great the challenge is - and clean out whatever sin-garbage that you're hanging on to that could cost you the victory. When you pray like that, you are paving the way for victory that will be nothing short of amazing.