St. Patrick: One Man Fully Committed

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“Ireland, in Patrick’s day, was an evil and dangerous place. Patrick recounted in his writings, The Confession, saying "I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved -- whatever may come my way." Why? For the cause of Christ.”

Have you ever really committed yourself to something? It seems to be a rare find in people. Most of us want what is easy. Some are comfortable the way life is. Others cannot stay focused on a goal, because the fun stuff keeps getting in the way.

Are you familiar with Patrick, otherwise known as St. Patrick? He is an inspiration to the committed, and a challenge to those who are not.

Patrick was born British and lived 385-461 A.D. His parents were very religious, but he wanted nothing to do with their faith. As a teenager, his life dramatically changed when an Irish mob abducted and sold him into slave labor in Ireland. For six years he served as a shepherd watching over his master’s sheep. During that season of quiet suffering, he came to know the God of his parents. Eventually, he was led by the Lord to escape slavery in miraculous fashion, and made his way back home. There Patrick prepared for a career in ministry. In time, he was convicted by God that he must return to the land of his slavery and spread the good news of Christ. He boarded a boat that took him to the shores of Ireland; this time of his own choosing. The day he stepped onto Irish shores began 29 years of a legendary mission.

Ireland in Patrick’s day was an evil and dangerous place. Knowing this in advance, Patrick recounted in his writings, The Confession, saying "I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved -- whatever may come my way." It was an epic battle of light versus darkness which made for mythical type stories that followed Patrick’s work. Upon his death in 461 A.D., light had won the battle setting a new course for the Irish. God used Patrick to see over 120,000 people baptized and 300 churches planted.

Patrick was one man, wholly dedicated to Christ. Through his full commitment, God changed a nation.

Is the life of Patrick normal for anyone who follows Jesus? Yes and no. No, in the sense that God in His wisdom, chooses certain people for certain missions. Not everyone will travel to another country. Not everyone will change a nation. Not everyone has the same gifts, talents and experiences. We are all different, which should be celebrated rather than compared. But yes, in the sense of what the Bible lays out as a standard for all Christians.

Where did Patrick get his commitment from? Read what Jesus explained to His disciples about what was going to happen to Him, “And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18-19) Jesus undertook His mission fully knowing the cost. It sounds like Patrick was influenced by Christ.

But you say, “I am not Jesus, nor am I Patrick. How does Jesus want me to live?” Read these words He spoke to His disciples as Jesus lovingly looked each one of them in the eyes, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matt. 10:37-39)

Jesus is clear. There is a cost to following Him. A person must be willing to humble themselves before Him as both Savior of their sins, and Lord of their life. This is the price of a Christian. Total devotion of his life under the Lordship of Jesus. This is the example He gave us through His cross. As Jesus lovingly yielded all for you, He calls you to yield all for Him. Will you, today?

A prayer for you. “Lord God, thank you for the life of Patrick. Through his life of faithfulness, teach us be fully committed to you. Nothing less. Point out anything that is hindering an unswerving dedication to you, that we might confess and turn from it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

The Time is Now!

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“America has its feet dangling playfully over a dangerous moral abyss. Are we at our lowest point and ready to turn toward God? He stands all day with His arms open wide. One divine moment is waiting for us. Let us come. The time if now!”

"Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (Acts 2:40)

When we look at our nation and around the world, we are observing alarming levels of perverseness, criminality and moral darkness. The severity is critical and becoming more so every day. And the effects of our rebellious culture are far reaching. Suicide. Drugs. Alcohol. Divorce. Abuse. Mental illness. Rising interest in the occult. These effects and more are resounding alarms telling us to halt the brakes, change course and immediately stop what we are doing. The time is now!

Words of divine wisdom state, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12) We are selfishly feeding our depraved appetites, thinking all is good. We are giving no consideration to the deadly implications of our choices. We are walking morally blind, laughing all the way, as a dangerous precipice lay before us. The warning signs are there for all to see, but we are passing by them to our own peril, and that of future generations. Our own society’s blatant and unashamed warped behavior is destroying us. Unless there is an intervention, we will unknowingly walk right over into an abyss, and become the cause of our own national demise.

What is the answer? How can we reverse course? Is there hope? Often when people and nations come to their lowest point, and are forced to endure the consequences and face the truth of their debauched ways, they will begin questioning the status quo. It is during these societal moments, that the sovereign hand of Almighty God can begin stirring the hearts of a desperate nation. In times like these, a once-in-a-generation divine outpouring can happen. Is now, that time for America?

The Jewish people were at such a place when they killed the Son of God. It was the greatest evil ever perpetrated and became the darkest point in their storied history. Hopelessness laid across the land like a dense fog.

Then three days later, the Son of God overcame their evil plans and rose from the dead. Weeks afterward, the Author of Life poured out His Holy Spirit upon His followers. One of those, a man named Peter, stood as a leader. Under an anointing from God, he spoke words of life to a massive crowd that gathered to hear about this strange occurrence. In that moment, he declared the truth of his nation’s evils. He faced them with their wickedness, while lifting up the only One who could save them. Then, “…when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:37-39)

Thousands responded and were instantly changed! When the Jewish nation was at its lowest, God came and rescued a multitude of people from the evils of their own generation. It was a heavenly outpouring that altered the course of the future. It became a divine moment, that launched a movement from Israel, to the Roman Empire, then the whole, and continues to this day.

America has its feet dangling playfully over a dangerous moral abyss. Are we at our lowest point and ready to cry out, “What shall we do?” God is here. He has sent His precious Son to us. He stands all day with His arms open wide. Will we recognize our evil ways, turn from them, and to Christ with all our heart? One divine moment is waiting for us. Let us come. The time if now!

A prayer for you. “Lord God, save us from ourselves! We confess our evil ways. It is not the fault of others. We have done this. We call upon you to intervene. Only you can help us. Save us O, God! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Revival and Reform

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“Why is revival so rare? We want the joyous experience of revival without the hardship of denying ourself and taking up our cross.”

Reform. It is often a word associated with politics like immigration reform, police reform and economic reform. However, there is also a spiritual side to the term. When God moves upon an individual, a city or even a church, He calls people to reform. And what happens if people respond to God? Revival!

Through Jeremiah, God spoke to the people of Israel saying, “I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds…” (Jeremiah 35:15) God was calling the nation to moral and spiritual reform, which reflects repentance, meaning a change of mind and life, that turns toward God and His Word by faith.

If Israel would have humbled themselves and responded positively, revival would have come, but instead, they stubbornly refused and their nation fell.

On the other hand, the Apostle Peter preached to the Jews in Jerusalem two months after Jesus’ death and resurrection. He declared to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37) And how did they respond? Thousands of Jews in Israel turned to Jesus by faith, changed their ways, then revival came. It swept across Israel, the Roman Empire and to the ends of the earth.

We want revival, but not the reform. We want the spiritual experience without the change. Why? Because that is the hard part. For over 40 years, Jeremiah preached reform with no revival. And prior to Peter’s message, John the Baptist and Jesus labored at reform for three and half years. John’s preaching got him executed through decapitation and Jesus’ preaching got him crucified. And even in the midst of the revival under Peter and the Apostles, believers were brutally killed for their message. But despite that, among the multitudes who did respond, the flames of revival continued burning brightly.

Why is revival so rare? In part, because calling and responding to moral and spiritual reform is resisted. Preachers rarely call for it because it is naturally offensive to their congregations, and people do not heed the message because they want to continue in their ways. They come to realize it is not about giving up drinking, smoking and cussing. It is about a complete reordering of one’s life under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. It means a new set of beliefs, habits and life direction.

And this reordering starts with the individual, but the kind of reform that brings real and lasting revival also affects institutions. There comes a change in the family, in how daily life is handled in the home. There also comes change in the operation of a business, change in the programming of a church, and change in the policies of a government.

God is calling you to amend your ways. He is inviting you to turn in a new direction. He is leading you into doing the hard thing. Why? He wants to save you from His judgement and the consequences of ungodly decisions for yourself and future generations. He also wants to pour out His Spirit within you, bring you into His family and give you an eternal inheritance in a blessed and glorious heavenly kingdom.

A prayer for you. “Lord God, we acknowledge we have resisted your call to reform. We want the experience without the pain of changing our ways. Come Lord, this day, we yield ourselves to you and accept your call to reform. Change us, O God, by your wise and loving hand. Then change our families, businesses, churches and cities. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”