Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Tim 6:12) (1)
Do you have a loved one who you are praying for? Has that person gotten worse? How about that situation that doesn’t get better? If that is the case, you are not alone. Many are frustrated in their prayer life.
My word for you is not to throw in the towel! Let’s look at two examples in the word. These examples will help us understand the good fight of faith. We are in a battleground. War is not a pleasant word to hear, but the good news is that we fight to win. We are more than conquerors.
Sosthenes
Who was Sosthenes? Before we answer that question, let’s look at what the Apostle Paul was doing in Corinth. Paul was winning Jews to his ministry. One such case was Crispus, the Synagogue’s chief ruler, and many in Corinth were coming to Christ. Because of this, Paul probably heard threats being leveled against him. God spoke to him in a vision, telling him not to be afraid. Why was this? Because he had many people in the city. (Acts 18)
So, Paul continued with his work for the Lord. Meanwhile, Satan was busy using the Jews to stir up the masses . They arrested Paul and brought him before the Judgement seat of Gallio, a high Roman official. Sounds familiar? We have the same situation in Israel today. Israel has forbidden the preaching of the gospel. There is nothing new under the sun.
The Jews tried to accuse Paul of being a traitor to Rome, but Gallio saw right thru them, and the scheme backfired. Paul was protected and allowed to continue his preaching. Now, let’s answer the question- Who was Sosthenes? Scriptures tell us that he was the chief ruler of the Synagogue. (Acts 18:17) He was among the crowd of Jews accusing Paul.
When the religious mob’s plot failed against Paul, they turned on Sosthenes. He was the scapegoat and got beat up before the judgment seat of Gallio. This incident with the mob was a wake-up call for him. He saw the hand of God and got saved. Scripture mentions his name again, and he winded up working with Paul. (I Cor 1:1). A hardened Religious Jew came to the family of God!
The Synagogue of Satan
Behold, I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. (Rev 3:9)
As you read Rev 3:9, you see the words “synagogue of Satan.” These are God’s words, not mines. Strong words from the Spirit of the Lord. Why were they called Satanic? Because anything that hindered the movement of the gospel was considered Satanic.
Notice the mercy of the Lord. He could have given them up to their destructive ways, but his grace and mercy prevailed. Their hearts got softened and winded up getting saved. Notice the words–I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. They went from being the Synagogue of Satan to a synagogue of God (Church).
It shows the power of Love. The word says that Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:8). Why? Because God is Love. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. (Ezekiel 33:11)
When you think of Hitler, we have a picture of evil personified, but Jesus loved him. We see a picture of God’s Love and mercy during an incident on July 20, 1944. It was World War II, and some High German officials tried to assassinate Adolph Hitler. They had the bomb in a briefcase and was put under a table during a meeting with the German leader. One of his officers moved the suitcase, saving Hitler’s life. (2)
What does this show us? God has mercy on even the wicked. Even if the wicked do not repent, God respects free will. His compassion and Love will be there. He gives them space to repent. If they die in their sins, they have nobody to blame but themselves. So, the word for today is—Not to give up praying! If you hit a wall, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to pray. He is the genius that lives inside of us. I have enclosed a video that I recorded earlier. God bless.
(1) Courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com
(2) https://www.history.com/news/july-plot-hitler-assassination-attempt-operation-valkyrie
The Christian Corner Ministries 