“Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’” —Acts 9:10

What will be your legacy? Or, in other words, what do you think will you be remembered for?

As a 24-year-old young farmer just starting out near Charlotte, North Carolina, Albert McMakin was passionate about sharing his newfound faith with his friends. When a traveling evangelist came to the area for a crusade in September of 1934, Albert invited some of his friends to come out to the meetings to hear the Gospel. One of them, in particular, had very little interest in the matter, as at the time he was preoccupied with becoming a professional baseball player and too busy chasing pretty girls to consider spiritual things. But McMakin sweetened the deal by allowing the young lad to drive his truck. His friend couldn’t resist.

After attending one service, the lad was hooked. Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, he recognized that he was a sinner in need of a Savior, and just six days before his 16^th birthday, that teenager surrendered his life wholly to Jesus. The teenager was Billy Graham, who later wrote in his autobiography that growing up in a Christian home and attending church “grudgingly” left him “restless and resentful,” until he realized the depth of his sin and the dilemma that he was “spiritually dead.” When he bowed the knee to Christ that November night in Charlotte, North Carolina, he rose a brand-new creation, and set out on a path that would change the course of human history for millions upon millions of lives.

Billy Graham’s legacy has reached the ends of the earth, but that story is incomplete apart from the faithful courage of a simple and relatively obscure farmhand named Albert McMakin. Few people may know the name—Albert McMakin—but I assure you that his legacy is rich where it matters most—in light of eternity.

Similarly, as the Apostle Paul’s legacy is incalculable throughout the course of church history, “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would say, cannot be told apart from the faithful courage and simple obedience of a man named Ananias.

After Saul of Tarsus was struck blind on the road to Damascus, Jesus spoke in a vision to a disciple named Ananias and told him to go to Saul. But Ananias was afraid to go because Saul had a terrifying reputation of persecuting the early Christians. Nevertheless, God reassured Ananias, saying, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel…” (Acts 9:15–16).

Reluctantly, Ananias obeyed God. He went to Saul, laid hands on him and prayed, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17). Saul was then healed of his blindness and was baptized. Right away we find him in the Damascus synagogue preaching Jesus to the Jews, and later we see him launching his ministry to the Gentiles under his Roman name, Paul. When he shares his testimony in Acts 22:12, Paul is very clear in mentioning Ananias as part of that life-changing story of God’s grace and goodness in his life. In relatively quiet obedience and obscure faithfulness, Ananias played a significant role in discipling the newly converted Saul, and the rest is history.

God still has Ananiases at work today. They are those who faithfully work behind the scenes. They don’t need the limelight; they simply obey God in the little-known places because the glory of Jesus is bigger to them than personal ambition. They don’t just look to their “own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). They consistently show up to teach and disciple others without needing recognition. They hear the cries of those far from God and witness to the lost even when it is intimidating. They serve the marginalized and the forgotten. When God sends them out on an uncomfortable mission, they do it heartily. They give generously and cheerfully, not under compulsion. They love the unlovable, forgive the unforgiveable, and reach out to the unreachable. When God calls them, they say, “Here I am, Lord.” We rarely hear their names, but they are faithful. They are unknown to the multitudes, but they are God’s beloved. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, teach us the beauty of the kind of faithfulness we see in people like Albert McMakin and Ananias—people who simply say ‘yes, Lord,’ without needing any kind of renown or prominence. Holy Spirit, empower us to live the kind of lives that make the name of Jesus far more famous than our own names. Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. Who has left a legacy that inspires you? Why?
2. Who has been a quiet, faithful, or relatively obscure Gospel-witness in your life?
3. Have you ever experienced a conviction over the kind of “spiritual deadness” of which Billy Graham spoke? What happened?
4. What stands out to you about the dramatic conversion of Saul (Paul)?
5. What will “behind-the-scenes” faithfulness look like in your life this week?

The post Albert McMakin and Your Legacy appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.” —Romans 4:20

When I played high school football, our coaches weren’t just watching what happened on the practice field when making decisions about who the starters would be. They also paid attention to the weight room. Coaches understand that serious athletes will also be dedicated in the weight room, working hard to get stronger. The athletes who really wanted to add more muscle were not content with lifting the same amount of weight every session, they constantly had to add a little more than they had previously lifted to achieve their goals.

I think Paul had spiritual muscles in mind when he said, “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” That’s why he prefaced this “godliness-in-light-of-eternity” kind of living with: “Train yourself for godliness.” Training requires effort. It’s been said that grace isn’t opposed to effort, it’s opposed to earning. We can’t earn our position with Christ, but we are expected to put forth “effort” in our discipleship workouts if we want to grow. Plus, we have the best Personal Trainer we could ever imagine in the Holy Spirit!

God wants to build your faith muscles—the capacity to trust Him more than you’ve ever trusted Him, because “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God isn’t much glorified when you exercise yourself only on the basis of what you can see, what you can figure out, what you can pull off, or what you can explain only in the natural realm. God’s will requires moving by faith, which by His own definition is: “being certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

So how does God help you build more faith muscles so you can win greater victories than ever before? By giving you something to lift that is heavier than you’ve had to lift before. Think about how God continually used Abraham as an example of a life of faith. He was seventy-five years old when the Lord promised to make him the “father of many nations,” and he was a hundred years old when Isaac—the child of promise—was born. Talk about adding weight to the bench-press of life in old age—God was defying all reproductive biology while ol’ Abe was already looking at brochures for assisted living facilities. God is never done building our faith muscles! NEVER!

Look at what God’s Word teaches us about Abraham’s faith:

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was ‘counted to him as righteousness.’ But the words ‘it was counted to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” —Romans 4:19-25

I love that Paul added that these things “were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.” Faith-building isn’t just for the “father of faith,” but for all who will take up the journey of following Jesus daily. Like Abraham, we don’t deny the daunting realities of what appears impossible with our situation. But acknowledging those obstacles doesn’t diminish our faith, either.

You can trust the promise of your Personal Trainer. He will never give you more weight than you can handle. But He will give you something heavier than you lifted before, not because He is unhappy with you, but because He loves you enough to help you become stronger than you’ve ever been before. He’s growing your faith for something bigger. Think about that as you seek to abide in His weight room this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, you are faithful and true. None of your promises ever fail. I acknowledge the daunting realities of my current circumstances, but just like Abraham, that acknowledgement doesn’t weaken my faith. I believe you are still the God who saves, heals, delivers, provides, and shows up bigger than life. Holy Spirit, teach me how to abide in your weight room, as I exercise my faith amidst the daily stuff of life. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Application or Group Discussion:

1. What is one of the heaviest loads you have ever had to carry?
2. What is stirred in your heart when you think about the story of Abraham and Sarah?
3. Abraham considered (faced the facts) of his old age and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb, yet still grew strong in his faith. What can that teach us?
4. God has promised to never put on us more than we can handle. How does that speak to your circumstances right now?
5. What might God be telling you to do right now that will require your faith muscles to be stretched in ways they have never been stretched before?

The post A Reason for Your Heavy Load appeared first on Jimmy Larche.