Steven
Halter
Contributing Writer
Steven Halter is a freelance writer and contributor to CBN.com.
More from Steven Halter
More from Steven Halter
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Clothed in White
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised when looking through the window to see snow falling and doing wondrous things outside? A dull and dreary day was unexpectedly and suddenly transformed into an exciting, lovely, and beautiful day. A drab landscape was turned into a delightful sight as it was blanketed with snow. Bare and seemingly lifeless trees were turned into marvelous works of art as they were decorated with brilliant white highlights.
Our own lives are like that. Like the seemingly lifeless trees, we were once dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1). We were spiritually separated from God and His kingdom.
But then we were cleansed of our sins through faith in Jesus, and were made alive (Colossians 1:13). No longer dark and bare trees, we were clothed in white. We had been given the brilliant clothes of those who are in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11). We had become beautiful works of art.
Also, as we are delighted to see a beautiful winter scene, so God is delighted to see His work in our lives. We who once were unsightly, being his enemies, have been marvelously transformed by His grace into children of God (Romans 5:10, John 1:12) And just as the trees did not cover themselves with powdery snow, neither can we claim credit for our transformation (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We can give glory and thanks to God for what He has done in our lives. Because of His great love, He did not abandon us in a dark and helpless condition. He did not leave us in our sins, separated from Him. Instead, by His marvelous grace He changed and transformed us. He gave us right standing before Him, and made us part of His family. What a wonderful God!
May we allow the transformation in our lives to be a testimony to others of God's work. For the celestial snow that has fallen on our lives can fall anywhere. It can fall on other lives, changing souls. It can fall in China, Russia, Afghanistan, and around the world. May we testify with our words and our actions that God loves to change lives as His salvation falls like snow on believing hearts (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Making a Difference
CBN.com - Do you remember how you felt when you found out that Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl had been killed by terrorists in Pakistan? Many of us felt shocked at the brutality of his murder, and sadness at the loss of life. Some of us also felt outrage at the terrible injustice of this killing. And rightly so, for even the Lord hates hands that shed innocent blood (
).Harming an innocent person is always a terrible thing. Tragically, there are untold numbers of people in our world being seriously harmed or killed, yet most of us are unaware of it. We are unaware because the secular media for the most part ignores their plight. Who are these people? They are our brothers and sisters, part of our spiritual family. They are fellow believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ is an ongoing tragedy in various parts of the world. Believers have been persecuted in China, North Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, the Middle East, and other countries. They are persecuted by communists and by militant Muslims. They are beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and executed because of their faithfulness to our Lord.
Do you feel powerless to help our brothers and sisters? Do you wonder what you could do for a fellow Christian that is so far away in a foreign country? If so, then don't despair. There is a very powerful action step you can take. You start to take action by getting down on your knees, and then calling upon God in prayer to help them. You see, prayer is a powerful weapon. The apostle Peter was freed from prison while the saints were gathered in prayer for him (
). Numerous accounts have been given by missionaries of miraculous rescues and interventions at the precise time that an intercessor was urged by the Spirit to pray for that missionary.Our weapons are not natural weapons. They are not knives, M16s or the suicide bomb of a terrorist. Our weapons are spiritual. They include prayers of petition and intercession. Will you join the battle? Will you pray for the Christian woman imprisoned in North Korea? Will you intercede for the Chinese man awaiting a possible death sentence for taking the life-giving Word of God into his country. Will you call upon the Lord to strengthen and rescue believers who are in danger in the Middle East or the Philippines? Once again, remember that these are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Won't you join the ranks of those who make a difference for fellow believers?
You can keep informed about our persecuted brothers and sisters and ways that you can help them by signing up for a free newsletter from Voice of the Martyrs.
