Moving from fallacies to freedom in the midst of a pandemic

Welcome to the His Call Your Coordinates series! 2020 has definitely been a challenging year, hasn’t it? Many of you feel lost right now. You wonder where God is or what your purpose is now that our world looks so wildly different. I can relate!

But our God is always with us. No pandemic can thwart His purpose for our lives. God is placing us at certain sets of coordinates to carry out His call even though our world feels a little wonky right now! Our theme verse, then, for this series comes from Acts 17:26-27b:

From one man, he [God] made every nation of mankind to live over the entire face of the earth. He determined the appointed time and the boundaries where they would live. He did this so they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

I pray these words become more precious to you as we meet together throughout this series. It captures two truths that are vital for us to acknowledge whenever we feel lost or purposeless:

1) God has appointed us to live in a very specific time and place, so we are never truly lost.

2) God is never far from us, so we are never truly alone. 

I also pray that taking a fresh look at Paul’s missionary travels throughout the book of Acts along with various interviews I’ve had with some of my fellow author friends, help you have a light bulb moment; enabling you to live out God’s call in your life right from your own coordinates. For God is never far from you! Instead of holding onto the past and continually lamenting what could have been, let’s look to God and where He’s placed us for what we can be doing now.

So let’s get started, shall we? We’re off to look at what happened to Paul as he traveled to the coordinates of Paphos, Cyprus. For this week’s adventure, we’ll meet up with my friend and fellow traveler, Jami Amerine. I do hope you’ll unpack, sit for a spell, and listen to our recorded interview at the bottom of the page for further inspiration and encouragement before you leave. The rest of your travel itinerary is also listed below for you to reference. Thank you for spending part of your day with us!

His Call:

To rebuke false teaching that is happening within or around us so that we can find freedom and help those at our coordinates do the same.

I mentioned the reality of false “Lukes” or teachers that promote lies about God and distort the gospel message in last week’s post. This week we’ll discuss what happened when the Apostle Paul confronted a popular false teacher of his day during his time in Paphos.

God may also lead us to a certain set of coordinates to meet someone who is falling for false teaching or to confront someone who is spreading spiritual untruths themselves. Or maybe He has led us somewhere to discover we’ve been believing some lies ourselves.

When I walked away from false teaching 

This is what happened to me during the summer of 1999 as I unpacked a sea of moving boxes in Phoenix, Arizona. Even though I grew up attending church from an early age, the denomination we were a part of did not teach the gospel message of the Bible. I was going through the motions of religion instead of enjoying a loving and honest relationship with the God I sang too on Sunday mornings. 

After years of looking for peace or significance in my career, friendships, money and possessions, I realized I was falling for the fallacy that these would fulfill me. I also wrongly believed that if I was good and kept singing on Sunday morning, that I was Heaven bound.

I wanted to be in Heaven because it sounded nice. I’d heard that my deceased loved ones were there too, waiting to welcome me as I stepped inside the pearly gates.

Now I want to be in Heaven because Jesus is there. Yes, I look forward to seeing loved ones again. Pearly gates are great but the personal grace of Jesus is more precious to me. But I didn’t feel this way until my zip code changed to an Arizona one.

During my time in the Sonoran desert, I learned to undue the lies that I believed. I studied the Scriptures. I learned how to pray. Godly women poured into me what years of their own walk of faith taught them. And I began to teach others how to discover and live by biblical truth in their own lives.

No longer was I blinded by the lies of our world–now I could see. In the Valley of the Sun, I found freedom in THE Son, Jesus Christ. His freedom has never left or lifted even though God has called me to other sets of coordinates since 1999.

Have you found freedom in Christ? Does what you believe about Him align with what the Bible says about Him? Is what you believe about yourself accurate according to biblical standards?

I encourage you to search and think through these things at the coordinates God has placed you. I also encourage you to ask those around you in your neighborhood or community what they believe about themselves or about God. Is what you are hearing from them align with biblical truth? Are those around you truly living in the freedom that Christ desires for them? How can you help them do so? 

Many are running after the things of this world that can never fulfill or satisfy them. They desire to step through pearly gates instead of resting in the personal grace of Jesus Christ. Click To Tweet

Don’t miss finding the freedom you seek in Jesus Christ.  Help others do the same whatever their zip code may be.

There is real freedom to be found, even in the midst of a pandemic. Freedom is still and will always be found in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Click To Tweet

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~John 14:6

 

Your Coordinates:

Paphos, Cyprus (34° 46′ N 32° 25′ E)

God called the Apostle Paul to various sets of coordinates throughout his missionary travels. Though the physical landscape changed around him, Paul knew the hearts of those around him did not. At every stop, men and women were following false gods and desiring pearly gates over Grace. This is why Paul persisted in speaking out against the false teaching that was happening in the various places God called him too.

During his stay in Paphos, the Apostle encountered the first false prophet of his missionary travels. The sorcerer’s name was Bar-Jesus which means, “Son of Jesus.” 

Jesus did not have a son by the way.

But this Bar-Jesus was close to the proconsul of the island, who had a great deal of influence and complete judicial and military control over Paphos. The proconsul was searching for spiritual answers. According to the traditions of that day, he naturally sought answers from his personal sorcerers and magicians. But now he wanted to hear from Paul and Barnabus.

So Paul seized the opportunity to confront the “Son of Jesus” by calling him “son of the Devil” and by revealing the false prophet’s real nature. Paul also called a temporary curse onto the prophet that caused Bar-Jesus to become blind. The eyes and heart of the proconsul were opened. As a result of Paul’s teaching and through witnessing the power of God, the proconsul received Christ as a Savior.

I wonder if there is a person with influence at your coordinates who needs to hear biblical teaching and who needs to witness the power of God in their own life?

Do you have compassion for the lost and a passion to share the biblical truths of the gospel message with those around you? If so, then pray for the courage to share. Study and know what the Bible actually teaches. Love those around you by living what you are teaching. For this may be the call God is giving you in the midst of our current pandemic. 

 

From the pen to the paintbrush

Similar to the Apostle Paul, my guest for this week’s interview has also encountered Bar-Jesus’ who have tried to steal the real Jesus from her. You will be able to pick up from our interview that Jami is hilarious, gracious, and brilliantly creative with the pen and with paint!

You’ll also hear how Jami grew up under the influence of false teachers herself. What I love is that this didn’t hinder God’s call upon her life. For she is experiencing freedom in Him too! Like Paul, Jami is called to help others break free from the same falsehoods she has believed. So take a listen, laugh with us, and be encouraged to pursue the true message of Grace and help others do the same. For like Jami, you may be called to confront a Bar-Jesus in your own community, or to help those who have influenced by his lies for far too long.

Jesus is the safest coordinate upon which to land. Click To Tweet

~ Jami Amerine

Guest Bio:

Jami Amerine is an author, speaker, and artist. She and her husband, Justin, live in the North Houston, Texas area. Jami and Justin have six children ranging in age from 6-25 years of age. Jami is a three time published author and royalty artist. Jami and Justin are advocates for foster care and adoption. Her newest book (which I am proud to endorse!), Well Girl,  is available for pre-order now. Be sure to grab your copy today! You can learn more about Jami at her online home: https://sacredgroundstickyfloors.com/.

 

Additional activities for your travel itinerary:

Say “hi” in the comments below and answer one of the following questions to be entered into the “Travel From Home” Giveaway!!! One commenter will be chosen from the six blog posts in the series, and the winner will be announced on July 30th! 

What is an example of a false teaching about Jesus that you believed at one time?

What is something we can do at our current coordinates to help others learn or grasp the biblical truth about who Jesus is?

Who can you love by helping them see that God has never left them? What evidence in their life or in yours proves this? How can you specifically share this with them this week?

Lastly, here is a link to a freebie that you can click on and print off for fun! I hope this prayer for your coordinates is a blessing to your heart and to your home:

Tracy Steel: His Call, Your Coordinates PDF