Jim Wilson's Blog, page 36

Spiritual War: Tactical Surprise

 

Tactical surprise is where a small group or a single person is caught by surprise. The object of surprise is to catch the listener with his guard down. We do not want to warn him that he is going to get hit.

It was December 31, 1949. I was in my senior year at the Naval Academy. I had been invited to give my testimony at an evangelistic dinner at the roof garden of the Hotel Astor in New York City. I gave my testimony and went back to my table.

Jack Wyrtzen, the evangelist, was preaching the gospel when a note was handed to me from across the table. It said, “If you look behind you at the next table there is a sailor. I am his sister sitting next to him. When Jack gives the invitation to receive Christ, will you encourage my brother to receive Christ?”

When the invitation was given, I turned around and started to talk to the sailor. He was obviously ready. He was convicted, he believed, but he would not call upon the Lord. I pressured him. I got him to talk with the members of the quartet who had sung that evening. He still would not receive Christ. Against his will, I got him to talk with Jack Wyrtzen.

Jack said, “Glad to know you, Frank,” and followed that up with, “What ship are you on? Where is your home town? Do you have a girlfriend?”

Frank was so glad to be talking about his ship, his home town, and his girl instead of Jesus Christ that he dropped his guard. In the middle of this, Jack grabbed him by the neckerchief and said, “Frank, what do you have against the Lord Jesus Christ!?”

Frank fell apart and received the Lord. That was an example of tactical surprise. You should not necessarily copy it, but should see the principle involved and copy that. Pray for opportunities to use surprise.

The defender must be kept ignorant of what you are going to do or say. You must also be led by the Spirit in what you do and say.

Years ago, I went to see a man who was divorcing his wife for another woman. He had his guard high. I said to him, “Do you think there is such a thing as a real Christian? A Christian from God’s point of view?”

He was surprised at the question. He said yes.

“Are you one of them?”

He said yes again.

Our conversation continued in a very open way. He dropped his guard when I opened the conversation in a way he did not expect. Surprise is a good thing. Use it.

*Excerpted from Weapons & Tactics. To purchase, visit ccmbooks.org/bookstore.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

All for the Glory of God

 

In 1 Corinthians 9 and 10, Paul makes a few amazing statements about himself and then says that we are to follow his example.

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings” (9:19-23).

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as l follow the example of Christ” (10:31-11:1).

Let me repeat a line out of each of the above paragraphs. “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” and “even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many so that they may be saved.”

We here want to follow Paul's example. It is a big order: all things, all men, all means, everybody, every way, all for their salvation.

Written in 1983.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Picking up Darkness

 

The word ungodly is used four times in Jude 15. Verse sixteen gives the characteristics of these ungodly people. The difficulty is that they sound like characteristics of Christians we all have known. Here is verse sixteen:

“These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.”

Grumbling and faultfinding are stock in trade for the world. However, Christians who work in the world may find it easy to pick up the practice. Instead of providing light in the world, we pick up some of the darkness. Let us remember that Jude says that it is and ungodly practice.

Written in 1983.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Tactics in Evangelism: Economy of Force

 

Unfortunately, the Christian church has frequently violated this principle of economy of force. It is important to send out men in twos. In this country, we have fallen into the trap of thinking that big is good, bigger is better, and biggest is best. So we have megachurches. In place of two-to-one concentration, we have six hundred-to-one or six thousand-to-one. This is not effective evangelism. It is not economy of force.

We have no idea how big the church in Jerusalem was, but it had five thousand men in Acts four. This did not include women and children.

“Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (Acts 5:14).

“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).

So this church was a mega-church. It met in Solomon’s colonnade. What happened to it?

“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria…. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:1b, 4).

This was economy of force. The saints dispersed, and allof them preached the word everywhere they went.

We like to be together. But here is a sobering quotation from Ezekiel 33:30–32:

“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the lord.’ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.”

In many churches today the preacher is like the men in Ezekiel: good, clean entertainment for a Sunday morning.

To win the war in evangelism we must not over-concentrate. It is a waste of power. The saints with the gospel need to have more contact with the world. You do not have to be trained to be an evangelist. You only need to be saved and unashamed.

*Excerpted from Weapons & Tactics. To purchase, visit ccmbooks.org/bookstore.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Tactics in Evangelism: Communication (Bible Study)

 

Communication is the logistic supply line that exists to get food, ammunition, and aid to the troops on the front lines. If the supply lines are cut off, the army will be defeated.

In the spiritual war of evangelism, everyone is on the front lines all the time. The supply line is keeping daily, hourly in fellowship with God by prayer and the word of God. Extra cover is provided by other people praying for you. If our line with the Lord is cut, we are going to be defeated.

There are several ways to stay in the Word of God:

Reading through the entire Bible (not just now and then and here and there). If you have read it through, read it again. If you would like a plan to help you read through the Bible, join the plan in progress at TotheWord.com.

Study: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Study is always preceded by reading. The best study is rereading. For example, read Ephesians 1–6 every day for a week. Then your study is contextual. It reinforces what you read yesterday, and you see something new each day.

Memorization: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). Stephen preached before he was martyred. Read Acts 7. Stephen knew the Scriptures very well; he preached from memorized Scripture. If we are to preach the word of God, we must know it.

Listen to preaching: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

Meditation: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:1–3).

Preaching: “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:1–2). “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).

*Excerpted from Weapons & Tactics. To purchase, visit ccmbooks.org/bookstore.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Contempt for Kindness

 

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?'” (Romans 2:4).

Here we see a funny confrontation, contempt for kindness. The requirement of God that man should repent is seldom regarded by man as an act of kindness of God. Yet it is! The next sentence tells us that “your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart” is the means of “storing up wrath against yourself.”

In ministering the Good News with love and kindness, occasionally we run into contempt and stubbornness.

Written in 1983.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

The Lord, the Everlasting God

 

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth,

He does not faint or grow weary,

his understanding is unsearchable,

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:28-31)

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Good Stored Up or Evil Overflowing

“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:34-35).

I would like to draw your attention to the words overflowand stored up. Whatever is stored up is brought out. Good stored up; good comes out. Evil stored up; evil comes out. Not only is good or evil brought out, but they overflow out.

Apparently from this text the mouth is an overflow valve venting what is stored up. The teaching here is not on watching your mouth, but on storing up good. If we endeavor and succeed in keeping our mouths shut to keep the stored-up evil from coming out, it would be like blocking the safety valve on a pressure cooker. Sooner or later there will be an explosion, and the contents would come out anyway. The emphasis is on the heart not on the mouth. Let us store up good. We then will not have to watch our mouths.

Written in 1983.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Ephesians: Full Armor

 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 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” (Ephesians 6:10-13).

The first three chapters of Ephesians tell us of the riches we have in Christ. It would be difficult to meditate too much on these riches. Then we come to two and a half obedience chapters. Now we have teaching on war, real war, deadly war. Notice that verses 10 and 13 both say “Put on the full armor.” The emphasis is on the wholeness, the completeness of the armor, “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” He, the devil, is not stronger than the armor of God, but he is wily enough to hit us where there is no armor.

When I get defeated, it is not because the devil is stronger but because I am uncovered, or it is because I think the enemy is flesh and blood (some person) instead of the real enemy.

Written in 1982.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Spiritual War: Satan Is Limited

 

Since the great battle, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Enemy of our souls has been severely handicapped.

His power is limited. :But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (Rev. 12:8–9).

His intelligence is limited. “No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:7–8).

His time is limited, and he knows it. “Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, for he knows that his time is short” (Rev. 12:12).

Yet his arrogance is unlimited. “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’” (Is. 14:12–14).

We should know of Satan’s limitations. We should remember that he is limited and not be intimidated as if Satan had omnipotent power.

So why are so many Christians defeated?

• They are unaware of the devil’s schemes and his character.

• They have not put on their complete armor.

• They believe Satan or his ministers.

• They are not alert and self-controlled.

• They think it is normal to sin.

• They do not think that they have been delivered from the power of Satan.

“Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:16–18).

*Excerpted from Weapons & Tactics. To purchase, visit ccmbooks.org/bookstore.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships