Predators

John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (NIV)

 

The service at New River Worship Center on Sunday was a special one in many ways. We took the opportunity to celebrate the children and youth of our local congregation. Do you realize that the children and youth of any local congregation are one of the greatest resources that God has shared with us? The children and youth were very visible participants in the service as they shared their gifts in various forms of ministry through song, drama and the sharing of the Word of God. My heart was enriched as I viewed the various children and youth who shared their heart for God through and with their abilities. I was challenged as I realized that the harvest field is full of children and youth who need to hear about the grace, mercy, love, and acceptance of God. I can hear a dove cooing outside my window as I am typing these words. The sounds of the earthly dove reminds me that the Heavenly Dove (Holy Spirit) is actively pursuing the lost of this generation and that we need to join Him in that search. Will you and I be willing to become an active participant in the process of the harvest or will we choose to remain as spectators while the enemy continues to destroy more lives, more families, more future plans and the souls of more people? We can no longer afford just to complain about the darkness; we must be willing to turn on the light to this dark, sinful and rebellious world.

 

The word "predator" came into my heart as I was praying this past week. We read about various predators who prey on the children and youth of this generation. It seems that word has become a part of our modern vocabulary. Yet, the activity of sin has been taking place for all of the generations of man's existence. Jesus even described a predator in His words in John 10. He reminded us that we have an enemy who seeks "only to steal, kill and destroy"(emphasis added). Those words do not describe someone that any of us should desire to be associated with in any manner, shape or form. But we see the evidence of this "spiritual predator" all around us. We can identify the evidence of his presence but the key question remains, "Will you and I do anything to stop him from implementing his plan of action?" Dictionary.com describes a predator in these words, "any organism that exists by preying upon other organisms; or a plunderer," During prayer this past week I could sense that the Spirit was encouraging me to identify satan as a "spiritual predator" who has come to do damage to God's creation. In my opinion we are seeing the evidence of this predator in our society. I sensed that God was reminding me that the predator has come to "kidnap" this generation through all sorts of enticements, sins, and promiscuous activities that our culture is not only accepting but in many ways promoting. Again the question arises, "What will I do." We can choose to ignore these attempts to kidnap the soul of this generation or we can choose to arm ourselves with the spiritual weapons of warfare and stand in opposition to these forces of evil. It seems to me that the choice is simple yet it will require great courage, faith, perseverance, strength and commitment. I believe that the Spirit of God will provide what we need as we face these challenges and that He will lead and direct those people who will choose to walk in obedience. Our greatest resource in the church is not the buildings, the finances or even the ministries that we have developed. Our greatest resource is the people who sit in those buildings and those people who will sit in those buildings in the near future. 

 

Will you respond to Heaven's call to "throw out the lifeline?" There are people waiting for us to be "about the Father's business." Will you join with God in the process of evangelizing a world full of lost and hurting people?