Restored To Minister

Restored To Minister

Luke 22:32 CSB

“But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

I was thinking about how, when things look darkest, God’s light can break through. When a person is down for the count and the fight referee is just about to reach nine, God can break in and lift that person back up.

When the devil is having a good laugh, thinking he has someone held down, God comes to the rescue and brings total victory—a victory that not only restores a person but can also restore them to ministry.

Fellow follower of Jesus, if you have been knocked down, do not despair. God’s love and help are on the way. Call out to Jesus. The One who raised the dead can raise your life from the ashes and restore you to serve Him.

Your absence from God may have been for only a short time, or it may have lasted for years. But no one is beyond the restorative help of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God who sent Messiah Jesus.

Jesus prayed for Peter before Peter fell. And when Peter turned back, Jesus gave him a purpose: “Strengthen your brothers.”

What a wonderful picture of restoration. Failure does not have to be the end of your story. Jesus can lift you up, restore your faith, and use you again.

If you have been knocked down, look to Jesus. He is still able to restore you and use you for His glory.

All Jesus - All The Time

All Jesus - All The Time 

Consider what Jesus is saying to us in His Word today.

Jesus first calls us to come to Him and learn from Him:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

Learning from Jesus means following His example:

For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. (John 13:15)

It begins with a transformed mind—thinking the way Christ thinks:

Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)

Following Jesus is more than believing His words; it means walking in His footsteps, even when the path is difficult:

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

God's Word makes the call clear: those who belong to Christ are to live like Christ:

He who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked. (1 John 2:6)

When Fear Becomes A Snare

When Fear Becomes A Snare

Proverbs 29:25 KJV says:

"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."

The Bible warns us against placing our trust in people rather than in God. When we become overly concerned about what people may think, say, or do, fear can become a snare that keeps us from trusting the Lord.

Remember Abram when he traveled to Egypt and became afraid of what might happen to him because of Sarai?

Genesis 12:11-16 NLT says:

"As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, 'Look, you are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, "This is his wife. Let's kill him; then we can have her!" So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.' And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai's beauty. When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels."

Abram's fear led him to take matters into his own hands, and his plan backfired. But God still protected him.

I think this is a wonderful reminder for us. Even in our weaknesses, and even in those moments when we fail, God can help us, protect us, and teach us to seek Him first in all things.

Perhaps you have had moments when fear caused you to make a decision you later regretted. Maybe you were more concerned about what someone else might think than about trusting God. If so, remember that our failures do not mean God has abandoned us.

The answer is not to put our trust in ourselves or in other people. The answer is to put our trust in the Lord.

The last part of Proverbs 16:20 says:

"…whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he."

What a beautiful promise. When we trust the Lord, we don't have to be controlled by the fear of people or by the fear of what might happen.

So today, let's put our trust in Jesus. When we make a mistake, turn to Him. When we don't know what to do, turn to Him.

Contend For The Faith

Contend For The Faith

"Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

---Jude 1:3 (WEB)

Jude calls believers “beloved,” and that matters. This call to contend for the faith is not harsh—it is loving. God knows His people will face error, compromise, and pressure, so He lovingly calls us to stand firm in the truth.

Contending for the faith does not mean being argumentative or proud. It means holding tightly to God’s Word, refusing what is false, and staying faithful to Christ in everyday life. We contend when we open our Bible instead of feeding on the world. We contend when we say no to sin, when we speak truth with gentleness, and when we refuse to be ashamed of Jesus.

Think of Jesus in the wilderness answering Satan with Scripture. Think of Paul refusing to let the gospel be distorted. God’s people have always been called to stand on truth.

Some days contending looks dramatic, but often it is quiet and ordinary. It looks like choosing obedience when compromise would be easier. It looks like guarding your home, your mind, and your church from falsehood. It looks like loving Christ enough to remain faithful when the world pushes back.

Believer, you do not need to invent the truth. You are called to hold fast to the truth already given in Scripture. So stay near the Word, stay humble, and stay bold. Christ is worth your faithfulness.