Together # 56
A Together of Battle
A Together of Battle
Rescue and Restore One Another
copyright by Dick Wulf, 2018
Heal your wounded brothers and sisters in the Lord. Put them back on their feet and send them back into battle.
Prov 24:11; Luke 10:30-35; Acts 5:33-40; Rom 15:31; Phil 4:2-3
Life brings many hurtful things that are aimed to take us out of the action of serving God and battling evil. Therefore, we are told to rescue and restore one another, to put one another back on our feet and back into the battle of being a Christian, sometimes in hostile surroundings.
This Together has to do with things that damage a believer’s health or relationships with others as a result of their being a Christian confronting evil in the name of Christ. Believers can be wounded and taken out of battle by (1) their own poor choices when under fire for their faith, (2) intentional hurtful actions by others because of their faith, (3) collateral damage from another Christian’s behavior, and (4) being in tough battle for the Lord in their ministry.
To obey this Together we must know what each other is going through. We have to make it very safe to express hurts and tell others when we are under attack. There are so many different things another believer might need to be rescued from that there is no simple formula. Each rescue and restoration will have its own requirements.
Rescuing and restoring is seldom a job for one Christian, and most situations require many Christians working together. Most rescues and restorations will require the Togethers of “Hurt with One Another”, “Comfort One Another”, and “Counsel One Another”. Self-inflicted damage will usually require the Togethers of “Confess Sins to One Another”, “Carry One Another’s Burdens”, and once in a while “Face Discipline and Judgment Together”. Other Togethers might also come into play in rescuing and restoring one another to battle.
Nobody can restore someone as well as trusted Christians in one’s Christian Inner Circle. In close intimacy and caring, those who are tired, beaten up and wounded can be loved, encouraged, affirmed and counseled. Daily telephone calls can be made to check up on how the wounded person is doing. Expressions of caring and concern can be made at the same time. The person can be prayed for, asking the Lord to fill that individual with strength, comfort and healing. If wounded individuals have doubts or resentments that God has not kept them from certain troubles, those in the Christian Inner Circle can soothe those hurts and in time explain God's behavior as helpful.
To be ready to rescue and restore other Christians to battle for the faith, it will be helpful to be in regular touch with people to know about the situations they are facing and react before unfortunate things get worse. We might also put aside a Help Fund so that there is quick money when needed for a rescue.
Rescuing and Restoring People
Who Have Hurt Themselves
Who Have Hurt Themselves
We all make wrong choices when under fire, some of us more often than others. But, when we do, God wants us to be rescued by other Christians, if necessary. We are not to have the attitude that if a Christian gets himself or herself in a jam, he or she will have to get out of it without help from others. If the Christian cannot climb out of the daunting circumstances, rescue and restoration are ordered by God in Scripture. Getting that person back to fighting evil in its many forms is critical.
For example, a Christian whose family and/or relatives are hostile to her or his Christianity might fight back with hurtful hostility and create deep division in the family and suffer from great remorse and regret. Or this could happen at his or her place of employment.
Or a Christian with his or her non-profit ministry might embezzle funds and be facing legal charges.
The better we have done the other Togethers in our Christian Inner Circles, the less we will need to rescue people from self-defeating choices. For example, if we examine one another’s faith, one of the other Togethers, we will have seen areas of faith to teach about and strengthen. We won’t know what danger we prevented, but many times we will have thwarted something hurtful.
Wounded warriors must be rescued and restored. Their part in the Lord’s battle is at stake.
For example, a Christian whose family and/or relatives are hostile to her or his Christianity might fight back with hurtful hostility and create deep division in the family and suffer from great remorse and regret. Or this could happen at his or her place of employment.
Or a Christian with his or her non-profit ministry might embezzle funds and be facing legal charges.
The better we have done the other Togethers in our Christian Inner Circles, the less we will need to rescue people from self-defeating choices. For example, if we examine one another’s faith, one of the other Togethers, we will have seen areas of faith to teach about and strengthen. We won’t know what danger we prevented, but many times we will have thwarted something hurtful.
Wounded warriors must be rescued and restored. Their part in the Lord’s battle is at stake.
Rescuing and Restoring People
Who Have Been Intentionally Hurt by Others
Who Have Been Intentionally Hurt by Others
We will probably know when someone we are close to has been attacked by someone, possibly an unbeliever at work or even a critical relative or acquaintance. Some will be under attack rather constantly, as from an unbelieving spouse or a cantankerous workmate.
At times we can advise how a person can protect herself or himself from hurt. At other times we can help the person take the hurtful action against them in stride, with grace. Especially when a person is demeaned, we can express our counter opinion and point out that we are more objective and even speak for God, the only One really worth listening to.
But, when the person is hurt by another Christian, we might need to obey another Together, “Forbid Mistreatment of One Another” which often takes brave and assertive intervention. We should not have to rescue a person from a hurtful Christian over and over again as we might when an unbeliever is hurtful.
At times we can advise how a person can protect herself or himself from hurt. At other times we can help the person take the hurtful action against them in stride, with grace. Especially when a person is demeaned, we can express our counter opinion and point out that we are more objective and even speak for God, the only One really worth listening to.
But, when the person is hurt by another Christian, we might need to obey another Together, “Forbid Mistreatment of One Another” which often takes brave and assertive intervention. We should not have to rescue a person from a hurtful Christian over and over again as we might when an unbeliever is hurtful.
Rescuing and Restoring People
Who Have Become Collateral Damage from Evil
Who Have Become Collateral Damage from Evil
Someone in your Christian Inner Circle might be avoided at work because another Christian has been arrogant and judgmental and turned people against anyone who is battling evil by loving others with open recognition of Jesus Christ. Your friend may have withdrawn from others at work and her or his opportunity to share the love of God stifled.
Or a close relationship with someone close to accepting Christ as a result of your love could be taken out of the sphere of your witness by unloving actions by one of your friends or by a new non-believing boyfriend or girlfriend. This could discourage seeking out people to bring to Christian faith.
Or a close relationship with someone close to accepting Christ as a result of your love could be taken out of the sphere of your witness by unloving actions by one of your friends or by a new non-believing boyfriend or girlfriend. This could discourage seeking out people to bring to Christian faith.
Rescuing and Restoring People
Who Have Become Victims to Life in General
Who Have Become Victims to Life in General
Then there are people active in Christian outreach and ministry who find themselves in some pretty impossible situations because of bad things that happen in life. A downturn in the economy can cause loss of a job. A storm can do very costly damage. Health insurance premiums can skyrocket. Cancer can hit. Any one of these troubles can discourage a Christian from continuing their active ministry, whatever form that might be.
Rescuing and Restoring People
Who Have Been Hurt in Serving the Lord
Who Have Been Hurt in Serving the Lord
There are those in our midst who have stepped out in faith and been squashed in one way or another. For example, perhaps they have become exhausted. When this happens, the Christians in that person’s Christian Inner Circle should pool resources to rescue and restore. Perhaps they need to see that the person gets a break from the pressures of ministry. This could include locating a cabin for a week of relaxation, providing the equivalent of lost salary for a person to take time off without pay for rest, and seeking prayers for restoration.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Everyone at work knew it was happening, but no one wanted to get involved. Emma would come to work wearing long sleeves when it was so hot everyone else was in short sleeves. And then there was the time when she explained a black eye as having run into a door. Everyone in the office understood that she was being abused and that she was both embarrassed and afraid that someone would report her husband to the police.
Emma was a Christian who had always been a faithful witness for Jesus by being so helpful to anyone and everyone. That was, until she married and began showing up with bruises. Adrian and Lydia were Christians who worked in another department of the company, but they knew what was happening and felt responsibility to help. Emma needed to be rescued and restored to her loving and effective ministry at work. This gave the excuse needed to intervene that others in the office did not have – they were told to help by God. Wisely, they did not come on too forceful, first introducing themselves as Emma’s sisters in the Lord and talking about their faith. As soon as Emma seemed a little less guarded, Lydia and Adrian admitted to knowing the signs of domestic violence and they wanted to help. They assured Emma that they would not pressure her to do anything, but that they did not want Emma to go through this alone. At first, Emma was terrified. She whispered that her husband threatened to kill her if she mentioned any of his mistreatment to anyone. And, she couldn’t leave him because his income and hers barely made ends meet. Adrian and Lydia assured Emma that the three of them would begin to pray for a solution. There is a lot that went on in the next couple of months, and then this is what happened. Adrian and Lydia contacted the women in each of their Christian Inner Circles and a total of 17 female friends and relatives plus themselves committed to house and feed Emma and her three children for four days at a time. At the end of these four days, Emma and her kids would go to another person’s home. This would provide a little over two month’s free room and board, allowing Emma to sock away her earnings for starting a new life if that was necessary. There would be no way for Emma’s husband to find out where she and the kids were, and if he did somehow show up at one of the homes, they would try to get him arrested. The police would be called and a formal record of his stalking would go on police reports. Lydia and Adrian led the project. They contacted the church leadership where Emma’s family attended. They did not reveal Emma’s location so that the pastors and deacons could not be forced to tell Emma’s husband where she was or how to get in touch with her. The friends worked out a plan and they and church leaders met with Emma’s husband and “laid out the law” for future reconciliation. Emma was not at that meeting. The two women spelled out what progress in counseling the husband would have to make before a meeting with Emma would happen. And the husband was told that 19 families were involved and knew about his battering, but that everyone was praying for him to get his act together so they would not have to testify against him in divorce proceedings. There’s much more to this story, but one other thing should be told. More than once Lydia and Adrian mentioned to one another that it felt they were doing something like when Jesus kept the Jewish leaders from stoning a women. They were delighted to be doing something like Jesus. |
Scripture records Jesus rescuing and restoring people. However, since the New Testament’s purpose is to reveal that Jesus was both God and man and died in our place, only miraculous rescues are recorded. Jesus healed people, both believers and those who did not trust him. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever, putting her back on her feet so she could continue being the wonderful servant she was. But, he also put the ear that Peter cut off back on the servant of the high priest at Jesus’ arrest. And Jesus brought people back to life after they had died.
Therefore, it is only reasonable to assume that many, many times Jesus restored his disciples when they were hurt and discouraged and waning in their spiritual assertiveness.
So, let’s grow to be more like Jesus when someone serving the Lord needs to be rescued and restored. Let’s look for brave Christians who have stuck their necks out to stand up for God and accomplish something difficult in His name and met incredible hardship.
All believers trying to live Christian lives among our secular society do things that boomerang back and hurt them. So, there are many opportunities to rescue and restore one another. There is seldom a month that passes, if we pay attention, that someone actively sharing Christ in love and words needs God’s help through us to overcome some difficult situation with unbelievers. As Jesus works through us to destroy the work of the devil, we all will be hurt at some time and need to be rescued from the pain that has affected our fight against Satan and restored to strength in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph 6:10).
Therefore, it is only reasonable to assume that many, many times Jesus restored his disciples when they were hurt and discouraged and waning in their spiritual assertiveness.
So, let’s grow to be more like Jesus when someone serving the Lord needs to be rescued and restored. Let’s look for brave Christians who have stuck their necks out to stand up for God and accomplish something difficult in His name and met incredible hardship.
All believers trying to live Christian lives among our secular society do things that boomerang back and hurt them. So, there are many opportunities to rescue and restore one another. There is seldom a month that passes, if we pay attention, that someone actively sharing Christ in love and words needs God’s help through us to overcome some difficult situation with unbelievers. As Jesus works through us to destroy the work of the devil, we all will be hurt at some time and need to be rescued from the pain that has affected our fight against Satan and restored to strength in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph 6:10).
The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,
because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
The reason the Son of God appeared
was to destroy the devil’s work.
1 John 3:8
because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
The reason the Son of God appeared
was to destroy the devil’s work.
1 John 3:8
It is extremely rewarding to be about the work of Jesus in undoing the devil’s evil. Let’s not let the evil one harm God’s active soldiers of the cross. Let’s rejoice at the chance to rescue and restore. Let’s commit to the job of rescuing the Lord’s servants and restoring them to the Lord’s service.
Opportunity to Worship God
Opportunity to Worship God
The Carson Family lives on the fringe of a very dangerous neighborhood. Theirs is a small but adequate little house that does not cost an arm and a leg to heat in the winter. There are six in the family, including Mom and Dad. Both Mr. And Mrs. Carson work blue collar jobs. The family is a happy one, although they have few luxuries.
Mr. Carson had been a very courageous Christian who at work did what he could to help people in the name of Jesus. Then, when the Lord told him to stand up for a fellow employee who was being mistreated, he was fired. From that point on, Mr. Carson stopped being bold for the Lord. However, two men from church rescued Mr. Carson from his fear of acting boldly for God and restored his courage to act for God’s glory. The Carsons do not have to drive more than two blocks to see kids hanging around street corners and being carted off in police cars. One day the family looked out of their living room window and saw a boy of about ten running as fast as he could. A few of the Carsons knew that the boy was very frightened. If they had thought about it, they would have known that it was the Holy Spirit telling them this. Mr. Carson bolted out of the house, yelling for his eleven-year-old son to come along in a hurry. Jumping in their car, they sped down the street and saw two teenage boys chasing the smaller boy. Mr. Carson screeched to a stop a little ahead of the scared boy, jumped out of the car, and shouted, “Let us protect you!” At that, Mr. Carson walked threateningly toward the teens and they turned around a left. Meanwhile, the Carson boy went to the scared boy and asked him to let them take him to their home, where he would be safe. In coming weeks, the family qualified themselves to be a foster family while the authorities terminated the rights of the boy’s parents who were heavy drug users and unable to provide him safety. The Carson family was seven-strong for the next 30 years until Mr. Carson died of a stroke. God was worshiped by the two men from church who rescued and restored Mr. Carson so he could be used to protect a boy who needed a good home. God knew they were being like Him is putting courage back into Mr. Carson. |
The Great Rescuer is God. To reflect back to God his own character is great worship. When we rescue and restore other faithful, embattled Christians whose situations seem beyond repair, we do just that. Worship!
Of course, God’s most generous rescue is our salvation in Christ.
Of course, God’s most generous rescue is our salvation in Christ.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-4
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-4
And, before Jesus came to solve the problem of sin, God rescued the nation of Israel many times.
But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today,
for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
1 Sam 11:13
for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
1 Sam 11:13
Then there was the time when God rescued faithful servants from a fiery furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar [said]: Praise is certainly due the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego today. He sent His heavenly representative and rescued His servants who put their trust in Him. They had the audacity to disobey the king’s order and surrendered their bodies to the fire rather than serve and worship any god other than their own God.
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Daniel 3:28 (the Voice Bible)
We will never be able to rescue like God does. But, we can reflect his rescuing nature by stepping in and making overwhelming situations go away. All we need to do is be ready to rescue and restore a Christian back to ministry. We can step in like God and worship Him by showing Him his own character in our rescuing and restoring.
In your distress you called and I rescued you, . . .
Ps 81:7
Ps 81:7
We, like God, need to be accessible and ready to be called upon to rescue and restore others. However, most people are too ashamed of their need to ask people for help. They will ask God for help in their distress, and most often God will want to rescue them through us. (Not everyone gets a miracle.) That is why we need to be more aware of the urgent needs of others and want to be called upon by God to go out and rescue.
Perhaps you have seen Jeeps and other cross-country vehicles on the road that are extensively equipped with spotlights, winches, and other things that might be needed in tough situations. A lot of the people who own those vehicles belong to a local search-and-rescue group. They have spent money to be ready to help whenever needed. They are anxious to help. They want to rescue. We can take a lesson from them.
One very great problem Christians face is separation from one another economically. Many poorer Christians are very active in battling evil and serving the Lord. However, so many things can discourage them and take them out of ministry. While more affluent Christians are hardly affected by a flat tire or a car that needs repair, these soldiers of the cross face a crisis with any small thing that goes wrong and they need money for basic necessities. Unfortunately, they are not connected to those Christians who have the financial resources to rescue and restore them to their loving ministry for Jesus. If churches were more balanced economically, a whole lot of rescuing could happen.
God could still be worshiped through rescuing and restoring if wealthier churches would partner with churches with less resources. The case needs to be made that hiring more staff and building fancier buildings to satisfy the more economically stable might not be pleasing to the Lord. Wealthier churches don’t need to use their funds to provide the kind of atmosphere that will attract Christians with money. They can preach gospel living instead. And, wealthy churches should not expect poorer persons to join their church to get help. Less fortunate people are not attracted to churches so much more sophisticated and lavish than their own lifestyles.
Thankfully, this command to rescue and restore can be done better by Christian friendships, families, and even marriages. There is better opportunity to discover rescue and restoration needs outside of the organizational church. People work places where less fortunate people work. If a Christian worker knows another Christian worker at the place of employment, there should be a relationship based on both being in the family of God. Because of this, the economically more stable employee can step in to help when things get financially rough for the other. Instead of going through church bureaucracy, other Christian friends and families can rally together to provide the help needed.
Sure, that needy person has his or her own church to help out. And, they can provide babysitting and other help that does not cost much money. But, the church, because of its poorer constituents, might not be able to buy a car that is desperately needed for employment. Yet, some in the available Christian Inner Circles might be able to pool money to purchase a used vehicle. This kind of help through Christian Inner Circles, rather than through the more impersonal organized church, could have great impact.
God is a personal God who reaches down and rescues us and restores us to live for Him and go out against evil. Let’s show Him Himself in us by rescuing and restoring others.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Perhaps you have seen Jeeps and other cross-country vehicles on the road that are extensively equipped with spotlights, winches, and other things that might be needed in tough situations. A lot of the people who own those vehicles belong to a local search-and-rescue group. They have spent money to be ready to help whenever needed. They are anxious to help. They want to rescue. We can take a lesson from them.
One very great problem Christians face is separation from one another economically. Many poorer Christians are very active in battling evil and serving the Lord. However, so many things can discourage them and take them out of ministry. While more affluent Christians are hardly affected by a flat tire or a car that needs repair, these soldiers of the cross face a crisis with any small thing that goes wrong and they need money for basic necessities. Unfortunately, they are not connected to those Christians who have the financial resources to rescue and restore them to their loving ministry for Jesus. If churches were more balanced economically, a whole lot of rescuing could happen.
God could still be worshiped through rescuing and restoring if wealthier churches would partner with churches with less resources. The case needs to be made that hiring more staff and building fancier buildings to satisfy the more economically stable might not be pleasing to the Lord. Wealthier churches don’t need to use their funds to provide the kind of atmosphere that will attract Christians with money. They can preach gospel living instead. And, wealthy churches should not expect poorer persons to join their church to get help. Less fortunate people are not attracted to churches so much more sophisticated and lavish than their own lifestyles.
Thankfully, this command to rescue and restore can be done better by Christian friendships, families, and even marriages. There is better opportunity to discover rescue and restoration needs outside of the organizational church. People work places where less fortunate people work. If a Christian worker knows another Christian worker at the place of employment, there should be a relationship based on both being in the family of God. Because of this, the economically more stable employee can step in to help when things get financially rough for the other. Instead of going through church bureaucracy, other Christian friends and families can rally together to provide the help needed.
Sure, that needy person has his or her own church to help out. And, they can provide babysitting and other help that does not cost much money. But, the church, because of its poorer constituents, might not be able to buy a car that is desperately needed for employment. Yet, some in the available Christian Inner Circles might be able to pool money to purchase a used vehicle. This kind of help through Christian Inner Circles, rather than through the more impersonal organized church, could have great impact.
God is a personal God who reaches down and rescues us and restores us to live for Him and go out against evil. Let’s show Him Himself in us by rescuing and restoring others.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Kyle and Leah have finally sent off their youngest to college. The empty nest has given them time to follow their dream of rescuing Christians who are depressed with very low self-esteem and restore them to self-respect and some sort of ministry. As a result, this married couple opens up their home for meals and conversation four nights a week. They find depressed people through those in their two Christian Inner Circles as well as from leadership in the three local churches of their denomination. They look for men and women who are too alone, underemployed due to lack of confidence, and noticeably sad.
Leah and Kyle start by asking people over one-at-a-time and work with them with food and conversation until they begin to hope for a better, happier life. Then they work them into the Friday Game Night attended by others they are rescuing. Once in a while they ask someone with status to visit a Game Night to raise the people’s esteem by being befriended by those who are important. This might be a Christian business owner, a pastor, or a Christian politician. The end game is to help those who attend the Game Nights to develop small, close friendship groups that eventually go out in the world together and continue helping one another defeat Satan’s design of depression. To date, this has been going on for five years and spawned 19 friendship groups totaling 57 no longer depressed men and women carrying on a similar ministry in their own homes. All along, Kyle and Leah have been aware that they are battling the devil by being obedient to the instruction of Scripture to rescue those in Satan’s grip. At first, the evil one attacked their efforts, but by sticking with it and just doing it better as a result of the devil’s interference, Satan has backed way off, realizing that it is self-defeating to attack people who love God so much as to be persistent in service. |
It is reasonable that every Christian, alone or hopefully with others, would try to do something brave for the glory of the Lord. And, most likely half of those times failure comes or success is so difficult that there are wounds of some kind or other. Much rescue and restoration will be required, and Christians should respond.
People get wounded in battle. It cannot be prevented and should be seen as a natural consequence of war. (We should all want to die with battle scars, as did Jesus.) Having gone out to battle together, we are then to heal our wounded and put them back on their feet. If we do not, Satan will successfully hinder their part in helping Jesus destroy the work of the devil.
There are even times when those who are battling evil will succumb to it. They will begin doing the very thing they were dead set against. (This especially happens when Christians serve alone.) An example might be recovering alcoholics who help alcoholics and fall back into drinking. When this happens, we must rescue the fallen soldiers and work for their restoration.
So, it is quite easy to see that this Together of “Rescue and Restore One Another” is essential to battling evil and Satan. Every soldier who returns to battle, returns smarter and more determined. Rescuing a Christian who has been working hard in the service of God and restoring that believer to battle only makes the army of God stronger.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
People get wounded in battle. It cannot be prevented and should be seen as a natural consequence of war. (We should all want to die with battle scars, as did Jesus.) Having gone out to battle together, we are then to heal our wounded and put them back on their feet. If we do not, Satan will successfully hinder their part in helping Jesus destroy the work of the devil.
There are even times when those who are battling evil will succumb to it. They will begin doing the very thing they were dead set against. (This especially happens when Christians serve alone.) An example might be recovering alcoholics who help alcoholics and fall back into drinking. When this happens, we must rescue the fallen soldiers and work for their restoration.
So, it is quite easy to see that this Together of “Rescue and Restore One Another” is essential to battling evil and Satan. Every soldier who returns to battle, returns smarter and more determined. Rescuing a Christian who has been working hard in the service of God and restoring that believer to battle only makes the army of God stronger.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
New Hope Church is small, only about 80 people counting children. But, it is just the right size to be a fellowship where almost everyone can be preparing for heaven. People are not just acquaintances there. And their attendance is not for entertainment but for relationship with God and one another. Church leadership can consider the whole membership and how as a smaller church they can be family, not just a “church family”. The Togethers of Scripture are being learned and practiced more and more. The people of New Hope bring much joy to the Lord for their faithfulness to scriptural obedience.
The church has just one vocational pastor, part-time employed by a janitorial service. And, there are three elders ranging in age from 42 to 81. These four church leaders are cut from very fine cloth, so-to-speak. And, they have decided that the whole church should learn the joy of rescuing and restoring so that New Hope Church members enter heaven with maximum ability to celebrate the victories of others living in the New Jerusalem. So they began praying for a really difficult situation requiring rescue and restoration of someone defeated in their ministry for God. One church member lived next to a really troubled family. She had done all she could to help and was totally overwhelmed. Church leadership read her slumping posture on Sundays and saw that their prayer was answered. Church leaders learned that these things about the family their member was trying to help. The mother was very ill from a disease that was not going to get better. There were three children. An alcoholic husband drank away the money needed for medical care and the children’s needs. The father had a good job, so financial assistance of any form was unavailable from governmental sources. There were needed home repairs, clothing for the kids, and medical care and equipment for the mother. The family had no resources, no family to help, and needed the father to stop drinking. Everyone above 10 years old and under 75 were mobilized to help. This was 56 of the 80 people in the church. There is not space to tell all that these people did. They worked in friendship groups. They served as families. They helped out as husbands and wives. They inspired others as seniors. And, in the end, although it took a couple of years, the father overcame his drinking, proper medical necessities were provided the mother, the kids received tutoring and whatever special help and summer programs they needed. And, one by one, little by little, they all accepted Jesus as their Savior. Furthermore, others in the community found out what New Hope Church was doing and 30 people joined the church and the effort. This amounted to a 37% growth in membership after years of little increase. |
It probably is safe to say that there will be no need to rescue and restore in heaven. So, how will doing so now enhance our eternal experience there? The answer is that there will be a great deal of celebrating in heaven. And some will have the ability to celebrate more than others.
Many people don’t know how to celebrate the victories of others. (Some don’t even know how to celebrate Jesus, which will definitely be a great honor in heaven.) This Together, along with “Honor One Another”, prepares us to be able to celebrate the achievements of others in heaven.
Now is the time to celebrate accomplishments of those who have been rescued and restored to go on to do something important. These are those who serve bravely, some a bit reluctantly, but still nobly – and the effort wears them out or beats them down. When we rescue them and get them back to battle in the theater of sin, we will really have something to celebrate! And, in celebrating them now once they are back on their feet, we are gaining the skills that in heaven will allow us to be more exuberant celebrants.
Many movies touch our hearts with stories of someone or some group trying to do something and getting knocked down and becoming discouraged. Finally, someone comes along and helps. Such rescue and restoration produces a success that brings tears to our eyes. Something good has happened in spite of initial defeat.
Or think how a parent feels when a wayward child, rescued by a teacher or someone from church, turns his or her life around. Every accomplishment in the future is celebrated more fervently because of what might have been disaster. The teacher who rescued will have felt great satisfaction and will enter heaven with increased ability to appreciate the accomplishment of another who struggled to attain victory. The parents will grow in their ability to celebrate, their previous limits having been stretched by their child overcoming adversity and achieving.
Rescuing, restoring, and then celebrating the victory now will be great preparation for a more wonderful eternal life. More parties and celebrating in heaven! Hooray!
How this Together Can Make It Really Good in Heaven
Many people don’t know how to celebrate the victories of others. (Some don’t even know how to celebrate Jesus, which will definitely be a great honor in heaven.) This Together, along with “Honor One Another”, prepares us to be able to celebrate the achievements of others in heaven.
Now is the time to celebrate accomplishments of those who have been rescued and restored to go on to do something important. These are those who serve bravely, some a bit reluctantly, but still nobly – and the effort wears them out or beats them down. When we rescue them and get them back to battle in the theater of sin, we will really have something to celebrate! And, in celebrating them now once they are back on their feet, we are gaining the skills that in heaven will allow us to be more exuberant celebrants.
Many movies touch our hearts with stories of someone or some group trying to do something and getting knocked down and becoming discouraged. Finally, someone comes along and helps. Such rescue and restoration produces a success that brings tears to our eyes. Something good has happened in spite of initial defeat.
Or think how a parent feels when a wayward child, rescued by a teacher or someone from church, turns his or her life around. Every accomplishment in the future is celebrated more fervently because of what might have been disaster. The teacher who rescued will have felt great satisfaction and will enter heaven with increased ability to appreciate the accomplishment of another who struggled to attain victory. The parents will grow in their ability to celebrate, their previous limits having been stretched by their child overcoming adversity and achieving.
Rescuing, restoring, and then celebrating the victory now will be great preparation for a more wonderful eternal life. More parties and celebrating in heaven! Hooray!
How this Together Can Make It Really Good in Heaven
When Sadie learned to excel at crag leaping in heaven, a sport unheard of on the old earth, there were 489 citizens of heaven cheering her on. These were those who came to heaven ready to celebrate the accomplishments of others. And, did these folks know how to celebrate! Their parties were something to behold.
Sadly, there were hundreds more citizens who looked on from a distance at these celebratory assemblies, not quite able to participate with the same desire or enthusiasm. These are those who came to heaven with many eternal skills, just not the skill of being overjoyed at someone’s overcoming great difficulty and succeeding. These folks are not envious or unhappy, just not able to fully participate. It would have been much better for them if in their life before death, they had watched to rescue and restore other Christians to their service for the Lord. |
Hopefully, we have all experienced at least one celebration about the accomplishment of another or others that was stupendously enjoyable. Those of us who are Denver Broncos fans just felt it when our football team won Super Bowl 50.
Celebrating in heaven will be a regular enjoyment. But each one of us will have a different capacity for such exuberance.
Those who did much rescuing and restoring of others so that Christians could go on to serve God even more powerfully than before will have maximum ability to celebrate when they see someone accomplish something difficult in heaven. Those who hardly noticed Christians who needed to be rescued and restored will have less experience and less tendency to celebrate others.
Let’s say that a neighbor in heaven finally learns to fly a space ship capable of traveling light years to some unknown planet. Perhaps it took twenty years of training. We would want to have the ability to celebrate that accomplishment from deep down inside of ourselves, not just going through the motions of celebration, but being absorbed in the celebration.
But, there is another joy we want to have in heaven that requires skill built by rescuing and restoring others back in the dark world infected with sin. We want to see and celebrate people in heaven we run across whom we actually once rescued and restored. Knowing what they were rescued from and how they are serving God for all eternity at some higher level because they were rescued and restored will make our hearts jump with joyful celebration.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
Celebrating in heaven will be a regular enjoyment. But each one of us will have a different capacity for such exuberance.
Those who did much rescuing and restoring of others so that Christians could go on to serve God even more powerfully than before will have maximum ability to celebrate when they see someone accomplish something difficult in heaven. Those who hardly noticed Christians who needed to be rescued and restored will have less experience and less tendency to celebrate others.
Let’s say that a neighbor in heaven finally learns to fly a space ship capable of traveling light years to some unknown planet. Perhaps it took twenty years of training. We would want to have the ability to celebrate that accomplishment from deep down inside of ourselves, not just going through the motions of celebration, but being absorbed in the celebration.
But, there is another joy we want to have in heaven that requires skill built by rescuing and restoring others back in the dark world infected with sin. We want to see and celebrate people in heaven we run across whom we actually once rescued and restored. Knowing what they were rescued from and how they are serving God for all eternity at some higher level because they were rescued and restored will make our hearts jump with joyful celebration.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
There is another Rescuer’s Banquet tonight in the Great Hall of the New Jerusalem. These are such wonderful times with exquisite food. And enough time for Jesus to make the rounds and hug us all. Yes, there are other fantastic banquets, and we all want to go to as many of them as we can. But this Rescuer’s Banquet is so much more exuberant. Everyone there has an “expert rating” as a Celebrator from before they came to heaven. The Lord only wants at this particular banquet those who before death were very active on his Search and Rescue Team.
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There is another Rescuer’s Banquet tonight in the Great Hall of the New Jerusalem. These are such wonderful times with exquisite food. And enough time for Jesus to make the rounds and hug us all. Yes, there are other fantastic banquets, and we all want to go to as many of them as we can. But this Rescuer’s Banquet is so much more exuberant. Everyone there has an “expert rating” as a Celebrator from before they came to heaven. The Lord only wants at this particular banquet those who before death were very active on his Search and Rescue Team.
We all know that people on a team enjoy spending time together both doing the team’s purpose and also celebrating victories. So, it seems logical that God, being a person, would want to hang out more with those who joined his team with the purpose of rescuing and restoring His servants.
And, the more we were a part of that team’s rescues and restorations, the more God would be with us. In other words, God would want to be with us proportionate to the amount of effort we put in obeying His wishes for us to rescue and restore others.
Praise and Prayer Regarding this Together
Our God who is the Greatest Rescuer, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to be more aware of the need of other Christians to be rescued, restored, and put back in battle against evil. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we are attentive to those who have been damaged in the course of serving God and make ourselves available to rescue and restore them.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus who rescued and restored people when they were hurt and discouraged and their work for God had declined.
May our lives worship You more because we, like You, rescue and restore Christians who have been wounded and taken out of battle by their own poor choices when under fire for their faith, or have suffered intentional hurtful actions by others because of their faith, or have become collateral damage from another Christian’s poor behavior, or from being in tough battle for the Lord in their ministry.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by helping to keep the Lord’s people at full strength in the battle against evil and Satan. When the evil one takes someone in our Christian Inner Circles out of battle for God against him, empower us to perceive the damage and then rescue and restore.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing in our ability to celebrate difficult victories for God, especially by those who have fallen in battle and then been put back on their feet and back into battle by being rescued and restored by other believers.
We all know that people on a team enjoy spending time together both doing the team’s purpose and also celebrating victories. So, it seems logical that God, being a person, would want to hang out more with those who joined his team with the purpose of rescuing and restoring His servants.
And, the more we were a part of that team’s rescues and restorations, the more God would be with us. In other words, God would want to be with us proportionate to the amount of effort we put in obeying His wishes for us to rescue and restore others.
Praise and Prayer Regarding this Together
Our God who is the Greatest Rescuer, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to be more aware of the need of other Christians to be rescued, restored, and put back in battle against evil. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we are attentive to those who have been damaged in the course of serving God and make ourselves available to rescue and restore them.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus who rescued and restored people when they were hurt and discouraged and their work for God had declined.
May our lives worship You more because we, like You, rescue and restore Christians who have been wounded and taken out of battle by their own poor choices when under fire for their faith, or have suffered intentional hurtful actions by others because of their faith, or have become collateral damage from another Christian’s poor behavior, or from being in tough battle for the Lord in their ministry.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by helping to keep the Lord’s people at full strength in the battle against evil and Satan. When the evil one takes someone in our Christian Inner Circles out of battle for God against him, empower us to perceive the damage and then rescue and restore.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing in our ability to celebrate difficult victories for God, especially by those who have fallen in battle and then been put back on their feet and back into battle by being rescued and restored by other believers.
Ever increasing practice of the Togethers of Scripture will (1) create in you the loving essence of Jesus, (2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, (3) provide you with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, (4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to him through your behavior, and (5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer. And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will later (6) qualify you for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, (7) most important of all, give you greater empathy with God for a closer relationship with Him for all of eternity.