The Introverted Evangelist

Look to Jesus : " Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever ." (Hebrews 13:8) In an ever-changing world, fix your eyes on the  unchanging Lord . In the middle of your panic, pursue the  Prince of Peace . When all hope seems fading fast, seek the One who fails not. When fear is crippling, cling to the  Love that casts out every doubt . Jesus, Jesus, Jesus... My heart may be failing, the battle still raging, but  my God is fighting for me . I fix my eyes on what I know is true,  His promises will not disintegrate . He is faithful, and therefore I will obey and trust.  He is loyal , so I will press on... Looking to Jesus. Trusting His  personal promises  and  unfailing faithfulness . Jesus, I run to You... Jesus I trust in You. I don't deserve these gracious gifts, but I trust that You're working all things for good. Your glory will prevail, and I will come forth victorious in You. I trust You're taking care of all the details. Amen...

Freely Forgiven : " God’s raging anger won’t let up Until he’s made a clean sweep completing the job he began. When the job’s done you’ll see it’s been well done ." (Jeremiah 30:24 MSG) Hold up... That's not the kind of verse I normally put at the start of a devotional, now is it? Nope, not so much. However, this is because I was recently asked a question that brought me great revelation and an even deeper appreciation and awe of the  true freedom and hope  we have in Jesus Christ. The question? How to explain verses like Jeremiah 30:24. How do we know for sure that we're forgiven, saved from death, and rescued from the punishment that all of our old messiness and shameful deeds would've brought on us? I can recall that I would formerly have tried to rely on my own understanding to explain such things. But this time, my very firmly anchored soul did not jump to clutch whatever it could find to make me sound wise or like I have it all figured out. Let's face it...

Foundation of Faith: "Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!" (Psalms 105:4) When my world spins out of control, may I not cling to what is seen but to the hands of the Almighty King. No one else can save me. May I always return home to the hands that bear the scars of Love. Not one is greater than the Great I Am. I'm found in this foundation of freedom. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for all You've done. Thank You for saving my soul, fighting for my freedom, dying for my deliverance, and rising up for my redemption. You are my living hope, and when all is in upheaval, help me to draw back to this truth. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident." (Psalms 27:1, 3) You're absolutely everything to me, O God. I will cling to only You. When the ...

More Than Enough: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) I am a sinner. I have fallen short of Your prodigious glory... yet again. I writhe and struggle in all my shame. O Lord, remind me to call on Your Name. "If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) If these lips are spattered in disbelief, discontent, and disregard for all You've done for me, O Lord, wipe them clean. I choose to wash my tongue in the truth of who You are. I must make the conscious choice to turn away from this trap set before me, rebuking regression and taking hold of Your helping hands. Knowing that Your faithfulness won't forsake me, not now and not ever. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that t...

When Fear Attacks, I Take it to Him: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) Fear not, He consoles us. Fear not, He is with us. He will strengthen and embolden our hearts to anchor onto Him in these wild and raging seas. When fear attacks, we can be sheltered and protected securely in Him. "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’" (Psalm 91:1-2) This week is shrouded in fear threats. When plans become obstructed and strewn off their original course, the all too familiar foe of fear comes fatally fierce in battle. But I have a choice to make. Trust. I will choose to trust. I will take all of these sorrows and fears, and lay them at the Throne of Mercy. O Lord, how blessed it is to lay down every care, kno...

I Cannot Please People: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10) My efforts to please people have quietly eroded genuineness and joy away from the shores of my personality for years and years now. I've been so inwardly paralysed by the fear of letting people down, hurting someone's feelings, and upsetting people, that at times, I lose sight of the reality that I'm made for so much more than enslaving myself to the master of human whims. "The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." (Proverbs 29:25) When I trust in the Lord, I am shielded, favoured, and blessed. On the other hand, when I trust in man, I am suppressed, fearful, and burdened. God doesn't want us to live shackled with the task of living up to human expectations. God has taken the law of expectation and replaced it with ...

I Am Set Free: "In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free." (Psalms 118:5) A crushed spirit within pounds with painful misery. My contrite heart cries for closer fellowship with the Father. I feel so far, yet not forsaken. I feel so distant, yet not separated. I wonder how much longer, how much longer until I'll be there with Him face to Face. "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3) I remind self that maybe He's not finished painting walls or constructing a desk up there. Convicting my frazzled flesh thoughts He gently reminds me of a different greatly possible factor. Is it possible that I'm the one that hasn't completed my call of ministry yet? Am I the one not done HERE? Could there be more to what feels like an empty life? Maybe I'm not an empty life at all? "And we know that a...

Νever Fades Away: "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5) "His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God." (Revelation 19:12-13) Jesus is the One, for in Him is the light of life. This word "light" is the word φῶς (phōs) in the original Greek language. This noun is literally used for light, (firelight, starlight, brightness, etc.) and it also is used of any thing that gives out or shines forth with light. "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) Because God is of utmost purity and righteousness, He radiates brighter than the sun itself. Like a star shimmering in the deep dark night sky, so shines the Lo...

By My Side: "“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”" (Matthew 1:23) The name of our Lord Jesus is Immanuel. In the original Greek language this is spelt ’Εμμανουήλ. Christ's name has the power to rescue, comfort, and provide in ANY time of need. ’Εμμανουήλ. Θεός με μας. Immanuel. God with us. Just think about the glorious power contained in the Name of Jesus. Even just one tiny whispering of His Name sends a rushing ocean of mercy, healing, peace, and comfort into whatever situation you're going through today. "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs." (Hebrews 1:3-4) Christ our Lord sits ...

Love is Patient: "But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:16) Paul writes here that he was "shown mercy" so that Jesus might display His incredible patience to all believers. We have been discussing mercy a whole lot lately, so I think that today is a wonderful day to dive right into what this means in the original language. The phrase "shown mercy" comes from the Greek word ελεέω (eleeō). This verb means to show mercy or to be merciful, and it's derived from the Greek word έλεος (eleos). This word έλεος is the noun for mercy or compassion. Watch closely, you don't want to miss this, because there is so much meaning to these two little words. Let's begin with έλεος (noun). This word is often used for an action that is carried out by pure mercy towards others who are suff...

Shine Down: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13:12)  I've always loved the way this verse instructs us to "put on the armour of light". It never ceases to paint a vivid picture in my mind. This verse may have you wondering what it means to cast off the works of darkness and put on an armour of light. Well, as you may have noticed, every verse is a treasure chest of hidden knowledge and beauty. So, let's dive in!  The Greek New Testament has always mesmerised me, because of all the meaningful words. The word here for darkness in the Greek it is σκότος and it means darkness (of course). Let's not move on just yet, there is more to this verse (isn't there always?).  Skotos also depicts spiritual darkness (i.e. sin, erroneous ways, and misery). Spiritual darkness can be the result of living in a sinful habit such as deceit or bitterness. Oftentime...

Freedom: "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17) What does it truly mean to be freed? In this verse, we can see clearly that, where the Lord's Holy Spirit is, that is where freedom abounds. What can we conclude from this? The Greek word for freedom in this verse is ελευθερία and it literally means freedom, or liberty. Now, when digging deeper into this word, I found that it was also used to depict the state in which one is no longer forced under the control of someone or something. Many of us struggle daily with things that battle to try to keep us captive. Whether it be fear, people pleasing, lust, or envy, there are many lawless things that attempt to control us. How do we escape the snares of these iniquities? How do we live an "eleutheria" life? "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Romans 6:18) I realise that it may sound strange calling ourselv...

Your Love Set Us Free: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) What incredible love. The Lord over all the heavens, earth, and all created things laid down His life for a bunch of rebellious sinners. Death reigned through sinfulness. None can achieve righteousness through works. Therefore, before the atonement of our sins, we were headed straight into condemnation and death. Where is the hope? Our hope is found in love, God's love. God's love, so pure and unfailing, has ransomed us who are feeble and weak. "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" (Romans 5:15) In the original Greek, the word "gift" in this verse is the word "charisma". This is the word for an "undeserved benefit" or a ...