Jesus Revolution: Beauty from Ashes

“Come, follow me, and I will tell you how to fish for people” (Matthew 4:19).

It has always been God’s heart to reach the broken people of this world to bring about a spiritual awakening. Whether during the times of Jesus, during the 1960/70s “Jesus Revolution,” or modern day, God has worked through His people to saturate the atmosphere with the name of Jesus, stir up conversations about Christ, and win people to the Lord.

Jesus faced lost and broken people when he took questions from the Sadducees and the Pharisees in Matthew 22. They tried to prove the illegitimacy of the resurrection. Jesus felt compelled to witness to them and offer the truth. In verse 29, He tells them, “You are all wrong because you know neither the Scriptures [which teach the resurrection] nor the power of God [for He is able to raise the dead].” They overlooked verses in the Old Testament because they were blinded by what they wanted to see instead of the truth. They doubted the power of God to raise the dead. Jesus graciously corrected them and pointed them back to the scriptures – the very thing they revered (Daniel 12:2, Isaiah 26:19, Job 19:25-27). They were given an opportunity then to accept Christ but chose not to. In their sin, they were no better than we were before our eyes and ears were opened by the Grace of God.

Today, the deception of a “woke” culture is the work of the enemy. People are searching for an outlet to give their time and attention. Everyone has a cause. The “social justice” communities provide what people perceive as shelter and acceptance. In reality, they are sucking them into the depths of despair cloaked in pretty colors. They are lost. They are confused. They are lonely. They are wrecked. They yearn to find hope and peace in worldly things, but will never find it.

In our imperfections, how can God use us to reach people for Christ? We can start by giving truth and grace to the deceived, weary, and hurting, just as Jesus does. We don’t have to love their sin but do have to love them in spite of it. They need the people of God – the remnant, to disciple and mentor them in the Word. But they also need to know the POWER of God to save them and how the Holy Spirit can work in their lives.

Jesus was the Perfect Lamb, and we are all flawed people. But there are no limits on God. He can take us from ashes and make us into a new creation. No one is beyond His reach! We were all lost in sin, deceived, and fell short of the glory of God – but He saved and transformed us to do remarkable things for His Kingdom!

Guiding Points:

Call to Action: Pray for deliverance for the lost and for God to move through each of us to bring people to the Lord. “Each one, reach one.”

“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15).

“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).

“He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields’” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Prayer: Father God, we praise Your name today! Thank You for all You’ve done and continue to do for us. We ask that You guide us in our walk with You. Please help us to reach people and penetrate through the walls they have up around them. We used to be where they stand, but we are now set free by the blood of the Lamb. Help us not to be judgmental, but to lead by example and love them through their pain. No one is out of Your reach! Open the opportunities to talk about You and give us the words to say to resonate in their hearts. We thank You, Lord. In Your precious name we pray, Amen!

Final Thought: Jesus takes our broken pieces and puts them together again. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).