British pastor Charles Spurgeon, who lived from 1834 to 1892, was known as the "Prince of Preachers," but he was candid about his struggle with depression. That's one reason his written sermons are so popular today. He didn't pretend to be perfect, and his admission of human weakness made his words all the more powerful.
A good friend of mine is going through a difficult season. He lost his job several months ago, his severance has run out and many of his calls to prospective employers are ignored. And even though he has money in the bank and food on the table, anxiety about the future sometimes robs him of sleep. At times it feels like God is ignoring his calls, too. "You are in an uncomfortable wilderness season," I told my friend today. "But don't forget that God is in the wilderness."
A curious thing happened after Moses constructed the ancient tabernacle in the Sinai desert. First, Aaron made sacrifices for the sins of the people; then fire fell from heaven and consumed the offering. Then, Leviticus 9:24b (NASB 1995) says, "when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces." And God told Moses that the priests were to keep this supernatural fire burning perpetually. A similar thing happened when Solomon built a permanent temple in Jerusalem. After the construction was finished, Solomon prayed and dedicated the building to the Lord. Suddenly fire came from heaven and consumed the offerings.
Many of my friends are walking through tough circumstances right now. One man's business has failed. Another man is experiencing chronic pain, and doctors can't find a medical solution. Another is battling an addiction. One married couple I know is struggling with infertility. And several friends are feeling they have failed as parents because their adult children have walked away from God. Meanwhile even many pastors are experiencing discouragement. Some of my pastor friends have even been thinking of leaving the ministry because they feel like failures.
I've been praying for a specific financial need related to my overseas ministry for several years. Missionary work is a challenge because 1) I'm certainly not a professional fundraiser, and 2) most people don't spend a lot of time thinking about needs in developing countries. Eventually I hit a spiritual wall. I was discouraged. I had prayed and prayed and prayed again. Yet it seemed like the promised provision was just trickling in. I needed a miracle, but I felt too exhausted to keep fighting. Thankfully a friend of mine who is an intercessor kept encouraging me with words of hope. I decided to fast and pray for a few days, and then my wife and a few other intercessors joined in for a time of fasting and focused prayer.
Last week I stood in front of 50 inmates inside a prison in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and shared a message about the prodigal son from Luke's Gospel. The men ranged in age from early 20s to late 70s. When I talked about how much the generous father loved his prodigal son—in spite of his disappointing behavior—the guys began wiping away tears. When I called one of the prisoners to walk toward me from the back of the room so I could demonstrate how the father ran to his son and hugged him, all the men wanted a hug. I didn't take a poll, but I could tell that many of the guys didn't grow up with healthy dads. They were starved for a father's love and affirmation.
Two years ago when I was preaching at a church in Florida, a boy named Roczen was filled with the Holy Spirit during a revival service. He was only about 5 years old. But a week later he felt such boldness that he asked his pastor if he could pray for the entire church. When he prayed for the congregation from the stage, several other people were filled with the Holy Spirit. Roczen is a regular boy who loves to play with his Matchbox cars and video games. But he has a close relationship with Jesus, and he regularly prays in his prayer language. This weekend I watched as Roczen laid hands on my 12-year-old grandson and prayed for him to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
God loves to speak to us. Psalm 85:8 (NASB) says: "I will hear what God the Lord will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones." At the right time, the Lord offers a fresh word for us that can bring strength, guidance, confirmation, or correction. There have been countless times when I was famished for a word from God, and when He spoke it came like a drink of cold water in the desert.
Do you truly enjoy the grace of God? Many Christians know the Bible, attend church, and even do ministry work while they struggle to understand the core of the gospel. They can quote Scriptures about what Christ did for them, but they still feel they must work to earn His love—and often they end up feeling unworthy and separated from God. Even though Jesus died on the cross so we wouldn't have to be judged according to the law, many Christians are still living in the Old Testament. They have never embraced the reality of New Testament faith. They are slaves to performance-based religion.
This past weekend I spoke at a men's conference in Rwentobo, Uganda. Most of the men were Anglicans, including an archbishop from Rwanda and a bishop from Kenya. But these were not your grandmother's Anglicans. These men danced in the aisles, shouted their praises, and spoke in tongues. Even the bishops with clerical collars talked about healing the sick and casting out demons. In Africa, Christians aren't embarrassed to talk about the Holy Spirit. If your church allows this kind of freedom, you are blessed—because many American pastors today are afraid to allow the Spirit to move. We've put Him in a box.
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