Kolleen Lucariello's fresh take on the Christian's walk with God is always sure to take us off guard just
long enough to help us see the truth. In this Spiritual Living UPGRADE, she encourages us to act on a powerful truth and see a ministry available to each one of us.
"What the disciples weren’t able to accomplish, Jesus did," Kolleen says. "We can spend years believing people are rundown, in disrepair, even beyond the reach of change when actually, what they need is an encounter with Jesus"
I (Dawn) don't know about you, but when I read those words, I instantly thought of two people I've assumed are "beyond the reach of change." How about you?
Kolleen continues . . .
There’s a house in our town that has been sitting abandoned and empty for years. In fact, I don’t remember the last time it was occupied, and we’ve lived here for over 30 years!
Driving by the house, I often imagine the potential within—wondering what remarkable things Chip and Joanna Gaines would do to fix’er up—wishing I had the ability to do the work myself.
One evening, while enjoying a walk through town with my hubby, we were surprised by the sight of a “For Sale” sign in the front yard of the house. It seemed odd after all these years to see the old place was for sale, and within a very short time the sign was gone.
A few weeks after the removal of the sign, new windows were installed in the old, once abandoned, place. In no time at all, every dirty and broken window had been replaced by clean, white, energy-efficient ones.
Another night, we discovered the crew hard at work adhering new siding, which was now slowly rising up from the lower half of the house to cover the oh-so-unsightly, existing layers.
Now our walks through town are exciting as we witness the rebirth of what once appeared dead. A lifeless house is being revived and restored.
The house once known as “the abandoned house” will have a new identity because someone saw the potential.
I imagine Jesus’ walks through town must have also been exciting as He began changing the identity of the abandoned ones.
Although, He restored people—not houses.
Jesus met plenty of “fixer uppers” during His ministry years; He saw the potential, and brought life back into every dirty, broken, and abandoned one.
The prostitutes, the lepers, any hiding in the darkest caves because tormenting demons had driven them there.
The father, whose son had been abused and silenced for years, must’ve become undone as he witnessed the restoration of his son after their encounter with Jesus. He’d watched his son suffer torment from childhood because of a demon’s desire to destroy him (Mark 9:21-22).
I envision that dad lost in thought at times as he dreamt of the potential his son had . . . if only.
Helpless, he now stood face-to-face with the One he hoped could restore his boy.
“I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit,” he said (Mark 9:17).
His words held recognition. “I brought You . . . who has . . ."; he understood who bound his son and called the spirit by name.
He was very much aware of what this mute spirit was doing to his son, and it was torture both for the father to watch and the son to endure.
They were victims of the schemer, Satan, who covertly plots as he abuses and silences, leaving people broken and abandoned in shame. He certainly doesn’t want anyone to recognize he is behind the torment or call it by name.
Especially sin. He doesn’t want us to call anything sin.
What do you suppose would happen if we began bringing loved ones to Jesus and called bondage by name?
I brought you . . . who has . . .
- A Spirit of Offense
- A Spirit of Lust
- A Spirit of Hatred
- A Lying Spirit
- A Spirit of Jealousy
- A Spirit of Idolatry
- A Spirit of Gossip
- A Spirit of Addiction
- A Spirit of Depression
The father put his hope in the disciples, but when they couldn’t help him, he took his son straight to Jesus. I’m not sure he expected Jesus to call out their unbelief, but He did.
“Why are you such a faithless people?”
However, I bet he was thrilled when Jesus said, “Now, bring the boy to me” (Mark 9:19, TPT).
“Please, if you’re able to do something. . . ” the father continued.
“What do you mean ‘if’?” Jesus asked.
Then, He turned the ‘if’ back to the father. “If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer.”
The father, who had recognized the spirit holding his son hostage, now recognized his own bondage. “I do believe, Lord; help my little faith!” (Mark 9:22-24 TPT)
We all struggle with “little faith” from time to time.
Many in our town had lost faith change would come to the abandoned house. We were wrong—the house is changing, little-by-little, each day.
Suppose we’ve gotten it wrong about people, too?
It’s quite possible the Lord is ready to begin work on the abandoned, but He’s waiting to hear,
I brought You . . . who has . . . .
We upgrade the lives of others when we:
1. Recognize the bondage and call it by name.
2. Bring them to Jesus.
3. Pray for the faith to believe all things are possible.
Do you know someone abused and silenced? Abandoned by shame? Pray for the faith to recognize the spirit holding them hostage and then bring them to Jesus.
Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of the devotional book, The ABC's of Who God Says I Am; and as a speaker, she speaks into women's lives
"one letter at a time." Kolleen and her high school sweetheart, Pat, reside in Central New York. She's a mother of three married children and Mimi to four incredible grandkids. For more information about Kolleen, visit her website.
Graphic adapted, courtesy of LechenieNarkomanii at Pixabay.