Happy Easter!

The greatest event in history was the coming of Jesus Christ into the world to live and to die for mankind. We celebrate this event tomorrow, yet many Christians celebrate it every day, every time we sin and are forgiven, every time our hearts and lives worship God.

I’m reading a book that approaches the basic beliefs of Christianity from the perspective of rationale. He is a believer, but he wants readers to realize that the things we believe must be accepted by faith because none of it makes any sense at all.

I suppose, as does this author, that the faith of some who read this book might be shaken. If their faith is based on any form of reasoning, this man’s statements and arguments would dash it on the rocks. For me, reading it has convinced me more than ever that I’m saved by grace through faith and owe everything I believe in to the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit.

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

The power of God is not about strong-arming or convincing with strong debate. It comes to the human heart softly, and brings wonder, like a new-born child. Those who have been illuminated this way cannot explain it; we just know that what God has shown us is totally true. To the spiritual mind, it even makes sense, so much so that abandoning all rational arguments is not a big deal.

That said and considered, my prayer life has been drastically affected. I once prayed for those in spiritual darkness with different requests than I do now. I often interrupted my own prayers with great sounding rhetoric designed to persuade them to believe. To me, believing in Jesus made sense. There were no other options.

Lately, the Spirit’s illuminating work has opened my mind to the way those unsaved folks think. No longer do I have rational arguments or persuasive speeches. When it comes to convincing them, I am stumped. I know they need to hear the Gospel but that alone is no guarantee. Many of them who hear it are incredulous, or filled with disgust, or laugh at the insanity which Christians believe. Only the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit can take the good news of history’s greatest event and make it relevant to the life of someone who needs to hear it.

Now, when I pray I am asking for that to happen. I’m asking for ‘rhema’ which is the ‘word’ of God spoken to the human heart at a point of need in such a way that it gives answers; it gives life. Persuasion does not work. Lofty arguments do not work. Not by might or power — that does not work either. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can make sense of what seems like nonsense and only the Holy Spirit knows when a human heart will be receptive and ready to hear it.

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Risen Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to the darkest corners of this dark world, to places and people who need the Light of the world to bring them out of darkness and sin, to release them from the lies of the enemy who uses even human reasoning to keep people in bondage. Show sinners that they are sinners, and that You have accomplished all they need to be set free from sin’s tyranny. To do it, You had to pay the price for sin and overcame death to prove that You alone are the Giver of forgiveness and eternal life.