Fighting a Battle

THIS WEEK’S BOLD STEP DEVOTION

If you’ve ever been the victim of a burglary, you know how betrayed you feel. I’ll never forget the pit I had in my stomach when I walked up to my car and saw the driver’s side window smashed in. I was the victim of a ‘smash and grab’ robbery where the suspects take whatever that’s in reach leaving me feeling very violated.

There’s another kind of robbery that’s taking place every day in the lives of people all around us stripping them of their peace, joy, and freedom. This is not a one and done type of robbery like my car break in was but one that is gradual and intentional, where we often remain oblivious to what is really going on.

This ‘suspect’ resides in the spiritual realm and is our sole opponent when it comes to stealing the very things God wants us to have. Jesus taught that this enemy, Satan, has come to steal, kill, and destroy and he’ll do everything in his power to replace our joy with despair, peace with strife and freedom with captivity. Failing to heed Jesus’ warning that he (Satan) “prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8) can rob us of what God intended to be ours.

In today’s message, we look at one of the most compelling encounters Jesus had with a young boy who seemed to be gripped by a power that he couldn’t control appearing to rob him of his destiny and future. Then and now, there is a spiritual world that you can’t see with the naked eye but it’s critical that you become aware of and seek to understand it. You can’t fight a war that you don’t know exists.

Listen to the sermon series: Believing Enough to Change

Part 1Part 2

Ministry Update from Mark

As I reflect on this year, I’m reminded of God’s goodness in the midst of uncertainty and unrest in our world. In my corner of the world, Dee and I welcomed our third grandchild into the world; my mother, who lives in Spain, came to Chicago for a visit to meet her great grandchildren for the first time; Moody Bible Institute continued the tradition of Founder’s Week, the longest running Bible conference in the US; my church, New Life Community Church, held dozens of baptisms for new believers and opened Pan De Vida Fresh Market for people in need; and Bold Steps began airing in high maximum security prisons in the state of Texas; Bookends of joy and sorrow can fill our days as believers but we can remain steadfast in our journeys of faith because He lives!