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It's been a long time since the "Star Wars" trilogy of movies exploded into our popular culture like, well, like Darth Vader's Death Star. Millions of people developed a fascination for the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and, of course, the infamous Darth Vader. Hero Luke Skywalker became a Jedi knight and he learned the power of what was called The Force. Darth Vader, who was the villain, had mastered the power of the "dark side" of The Force. And then, decades later, a new "Star Wars" trilogy began, telling the story of the events that preceded the original episodes. So there's not Luke or Han or Princess Leia for a while, but guess what was still there? Yeah, The Force. And in subsequent movies, of course, still there. And what is The Force? No one's really sure, but it seems to be the spiritual power you can tap into to help you win your battles.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “Star Wars - And Our Wars.”

Spiritual power you can harness to help you win battles that you can't win with your own resources - that's actually a pretty interesting idea. Of course, our battles aren't about storm troopers or villains with light sabers.

No, we're trying to make a marriage work, to beat the monsters of anger, depression, addiction, selfishness, or loneliness. We battle real challenges, not computer-animated fantasy foes. And as you face the battles raging around you right now - maybe even in you right now - you're having to admit that they are bigger than you are. Actually, there is inside us a deep desire for some power - some spiritual power really - beyond our own to enable us to be the man or woman we desperately want and need to be.

But we need something better than The Force. That's a fictional, impersonal spiritual energy that only the spiritually elite can tap into. Our biggest struggles are actually against the "dark side" that’s inside us. In our word for today from the Word of God, one of the writers of the Bible spoke about our dark side when he said, "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out...it is sin living in me that does it." And then he speaks for all of us who battle our dark side when he says, "Who will rescue me?" (Romans 7:15, 20, 24)

Thankfully, the Bible doesn't leave us there. The answer follows. "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" The "force" that we need to conquer the dark side is actually a Person - Jesus Christ, the One who gave His life on a cross to pay the death penalty for all the sinning we've ever done. His act of deep love for you and me broke the power that sin has had over the human race since the first man and woman took their lives into their own hands.

We don't need some impersonal force or spirituality that doesn't really help us. We need a living Savior! That's what we need. The power of Jesus is demonstrated, above all else, by His empty grave there on Easter morning. He walked out of His grave under His own power! Now, look, if He can conquer death, the darkness that has stopped every person who has ever lived, He can sure conquer the darkness inside you!

Jesus says to those who belong to Him, "All power is given to Me in heaven and earth...and I am with you always" (Matthew 28:18, 20). Man! Wow! He’s the spiritual power you need to win your battles. He is the love you've been looking for all your life, and Jesus becomes your Savior from your sin when you tell Him you're putting your life into His nail-scarred hands.

You can do that today when you tell Him, “Jesus, I’m Yours.” Then check out our website because the information you’ll need to understand and confirm this is right there. It’s ANewStory,com.

Look, your battles have probably left you prett

Some things seem impossible. But with God, nothing is. Even our nation, which seems so filled with darkness, can change with the Lord.

Yes, there is hope for America. And it starts with Christians.

Christians are salt and light. Salt preserves. Salt stimulates thirst. Light exposes darkness and shows the way out. And as salt and light, Christians must infiltrate culture, not isolate. Christians are not called to evade, but invade.

And who knows? You may be the only representative of Jesus some people will ever see! They may never read the Bible, but they’ll read your life.

Notes:

Some things just seem impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.
 
Our country is in a state of moral and spiritual crisis.
 
We have two options before us as a nation: judgment or revival.
 
Read Matthew 5:13–16 (NKJV)
 
The world needs salt because it is corrupt and light because it is dark.
  
This world will get worse before it gets better.
2 Timothy 3:13
 
Sometimes Christians try to isolate.
 
Jesus has not called us to isolate, but to infiltrate. Not to evade but to invade.
 
Jesus is sending us into the world.
  
Before the American Revolution, there was spiritual revelation.
 
The American Revolution worked because it was rooted in spiritual and biblical principles.
 
“To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory
to add the more distinguished character of Christian”.  —George Washington
 
“The Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”  —John Adams
 
We must stand for truth, whether it is popular or not.
 
To reach our culture, we must use a language people understand.
 
1 Corinthians 9:22–23
 
We need to bring them the message of the gospel.
 
2 Corinthians 2:14–15
 
But before we can effectively tell them, we must first live it.
 
Salt Preserves
The main function of salt in Jesus’ day was preservation.
 
Christians, like salt, are also here to preserve.
 
Salt Stimulates Thirst
As we live godly lives, we make other people thirsty for God.
 
We cannot stimulate spiritual thirst in others if we have lost our own.
 
We cannot be used by God to stop the corruption of sin in others if sin has corrupted us.
Matthew 5:13
 
Jesus first says we are to be salt, then He says we are to be light.
 
Salt is hidden, whereas light is obvious.
Salt works secretly while light works openly.
Salt works from within, but light works from without.
 
Salt works primarily through our living, while light works through what we say to others.
 
Light exposes the darkness.
 
You are the only representative of Jesus Christ that many nonbelievers will ever see.
 
We need to infiltrate, not isolate, being both salt and light.
  
We need to pray.
2 Chronicles 7:14
 
We need to preach the gospel message.
 
There is hope for America, and there is hope for you.
 
Hebrews 4:7(b)
If you can hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online!

—

Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk

Are Harvest Crusades still relevant in today's culture, or are they a thing of the past? In this episode, Greg Laurie explains why these large-scale evangelistic events remain as effective as ever—whether people attend in person or online—and why Christians play a vital role in helping others hear the gospel through them.

Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online!

—

Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For thirty years, Clarence Thomas has been denounced as the “cruelest justice,” a betrayer of his race, an ideologue, and the enemy of the little guy. Today, Judge Amul Thapar will demolish that caricature. Every day, Americans go to court. Invoking the Constitution, they fight for their homes, for a better education for their children, and to save their cities from violence. “Finding the right answer,” Justice Thomas has observed, “is often the least difficult problem.” What is needed is “the courage to assert that answer and stand firm in the face of the constant winds of protest and criticism.”

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