Change Your World: Sharing Your Jesus Story With Heart | Chapter 3 | "Comforter"

Around 2005, I lived in Charlotte, North Carolina with my wife, Anna, and my three young children: Laura, Audrey, and Timothy. I was 30 years old and launching into a brand new decade of life. By this time, I had already received a call to ministry and had served for fours years on the staff of Destiny Church in San Antonio, Texas as a worship leader and the youth pastor. The Lord had used me to build some great relationships with young people and parents and to advance his kingdom. However, since I was still young and had some spiritual maturing to do, I was wrestling with my calling. It was difficult to see people come and go from church, to see them come and go from Christ, and to deal with the behind-the-scenes challenges of pastoring people. You see, I’m naturally an administrative, organizing, and motivating type of leader. I quickly realized that ministry is quite different from the businesses my family had successfully run. In business, there is typically an exchange of a product or service for a fee. If you add value, you’ll get an immediate return. However, some follow Christ, but many others don't. Many don’t serve, but some do. Some give, but many do not. Ministry is largely about sowing seeds of God’s Word and love, which take time to take root and bear fruit. Sometimes we may never know the results of the seeds of the gospel that we’ve shared until we reach Heaven. Much like how good teachers may not see the fruit of their labors until their students reach adulthood. Ministry may not yield an immediate return, but its impact is eternal. Life as a Christian, and especially as a Christian Leader, takes an incredible daily focus on the eternal over the temporal.

That being said, after four years in ministry, I felt I needed a break—perhaps more training or a fresh perspective. I’ll never forget the long walk to Pastor Dave Bell’s office to share with him my plans to move to North Carolina to spend time with my elderly grandfather, Theodore Pete Thevaos, and join a church-planting movement at one of their Charlotte locations, Crossway Church. Tears filled my eyes, and my lips trembled as I struggled to get the words out. I realized at that moment how much I loved that man and Destiny Church for believing in me. He was the first person to give me an opportunity to lead worship, sing the songs God gave me, and affirm that I was called to be a pastor. Dave was like a good patient father when he simply said, “I understand Ted.” He even called me a couple of days later to reassure me and let me know he’d put in a good word for me with my new pastors. Wow! Now I realize how gracious that kind of leadership is, especially considering that many leaders are much more heavy-handed.

This major move put us in a beautiful part of the country where I began working for my uncle and aunt, William and Lane Thevaos, in Charlotte. I was now back to working in a secular job and trying to keep growing spiritually. So, one morning, I followed my training. I began studying my Bible as I started my day. Interestingly, I began reading in 2 Peter 1, where I had spent some considerable time studying the Scriptures when I first began youth ministry only five years before. And what I found fascinating was that new exciting revelations were coming to me I had never seen before. This is what I read in 2 Peter 1:1-15,

1 This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this Earthly life, 15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

I only had enough time to read this passage, and in effect, reset my mind. Beyond that, I had to get moving and head off to work. On my way into the office, I received a call and was told to head up to Morgantown, North Carolina, which is a beautiful little town in the mountains. They needed me to repair an ATM machine. I was thrilled because I knew the invigorating drive would take half a day. Not a bad way to start my morning. When I arrived at the rickety old gas station, I quickly repaired the printer jam in the machine and got back in my truck to return to Charlotte. Instantly, I realized I needed to use the restroom before a long drive back. Entering the single-person restroom, I was shocked to find a black-and-gold anniversary edition of Playboy magazine on the countertop. Like every other human being, with a sex drive, I was tempted to do what I might have done in the past. To do what a majority of men would have done - to look at it. But let me tell you. Something different happened to me in that moment. It was like everything I had read from 2 Peter 1:1-15 came up within my heart and I began saying out loud, “Ted, you can have that or you can have me.” I said that statement three times, as if I were speaking for God to myself. My upbringing taught me this was a prophetic utterance. I guess I was prophesying to myself. At that pivotal moment of divine revelation, I finally grasped the clarity that had eluded me before — that prophetic utterance was no longer rule from a disconnected Father, but a holy promise leading to a more anointed and blessed calling for my life. I was able to choose God over a temporary self-centered experience with a pornographic magazine. I went to the restroom as quick as possible and never even touched the magazine. As I was leaving the store, I passed the owner, a middle-aged woman. Again, God spoke to me through the Holy Spirit, “Doesn’t it feel good to walk past the owner of this establishment and know you didn’t compromise in that restroom?” And immediately I thought, “It sure does!” When I got back into my truck, before leaving, I reopened my Bible to 2 Peter 1:1-15 and reread that passage again. This time when I read it , I couldn’t stop weeping. I felt the glorious presence of God so strongly and I felt like I had just lived out what the passage was saying. The next thing I felt led to do was call my wife and let her know of my success story and she celebrated with me. I then called a friend in town, Vince Coakley, and shared what God had just done for me. He, too, was very supportive and thankful that I trusted him enough to share this victory story. But that’s not all! As I began driving back, I received a call from the assistant small group leader of the group we were a part of. He mentioned he wanted to share something with all the guys in the group the next week at his house before he left for the pastor's college and I kindly agreed to be there.

Well, the next week came, and he confessed to all of us guys he had struggled with pornography for many years and wanted to change his life before going to the pastor’s college. His confession shocked me, as it shocked all the guys, because he had the courage to be so open. However, I knew in that instant that I was to share my victory story from the previous week. Things worked out so that I was the last person to share and affirm our friend for confessing and asking for our accountability. So after every man in the circle shared their sad story of failure with purity, although they were in the battle and resting in God’s grace, I turned the tables with a story of hope. So I did just that! I recounted my childhood struggles and how I'd encountered that negativity at just 10 years old, but explained that something supernatural had happened to me the previous week. They were all eyes and all ears, curious to hear the good news of my freedom from impurity. What I’ve discovered since then is that the more I share of how Jesus set me free, the stronger I get and the more men Jesus sends to me that need to hear my story.

I shared this transformational part of my Jesus Story because I wanted to give you a sense of what it’s like to have God, the Holy Spirit, comforting you through the life He’s given you. Accompanying this chapter is the song “Comforter.” The words are as follows:

“(Verse 1) The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come, the Comforter has come, and the accuser’s been cast down, cast down.

(Verse 2) The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come, the Comforter has come, and Your presence shines through us, through us.

(Chorus) So arise in faith, in the strength of His power. Arise in faith, in the blood of the Lamb. Arise in faith, in the strength of His power. For the Comforter has come.

(Verse 3) The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come, the Comforter has come, and the victory’s been won, been won.

(Chorus) So arise in faith, in the strength of His power. Arise in faith, in the blood of the Lamb. Arise in faith, in the strength of His power. For the Comforter, has come.

You see, this song declares so well the progression of the Accuser, the devil, fleeing before you, God shining through you, and the victory coming to you. Actually, I grew up singing this song along with the songwriter, Pastor Dave Bell. Pastor Dave Bell probably wrote this song in the 1980s, and many people have sung it hundreds of times. In fact, I’ve sung “Comforter” plenty of times a cappella visiting friends who were sick in the hospital, people on the verge of death, in counseling sessions while trying to bring a ray of hope into someone’s day, and especially leading people in congregational worship. It’s an amazing song that the Holy Spirit breathed through Dave Bell that makes me feel like God is so close during life’s most difficult moments. But what I love more than the warmth of God’s presence that I feel is the strength and courage that always follows when we sing out, “So arise in faith, in the strength of His power. Arise in faith, in the blood of the Lamb. Arise in faith, in the strength of His power. For the Comforter has come.” The song doesn’t leave you at a low point of despair, but raises you up and out into the forgiveness of God, the strength of God, and the power of God. It reminds you of such promises as, “You are more than a conqueror in Christ”, “You can do all things through Christ”, “You are seated with Christ in Heavenly places”, "Greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world”, and every other promise of God in the Bible for those in Christ.

So what does it mean to be found “in Christ?” Fasten your seat belt because this gospel truth is going to light the rocket ship of your faith. You see, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, like we discussed in chapter 2, they lost the benefit of being perpetually in the presence of God. God put a cherub, a mighty angel with a flaming sword, at the entry to the Garden and banished them for life. You need to know that the Garden of Eden is synonymous with Heaven in the Bible. One day, those in Christ will regain everything Adam and Eve lost in that perfect Garden. You, my friend, can regain everything that was lost in a new form called “the New Heaven and New Earth” that God will create in the last days, as described in Revelation 20. 

But even better than that, you don’t have to wait for a Heavenly experience until you die and go to Heaven. You can experience what Jesus asked His Heavenly Father for, “Let your kingdom come now even as it is in Heaven.” So the Heavenly Father did exactly what Jesus asked Him to do. He sent the Holy Spirit to rest powerfully upon Jesus during His Earthly ministry. Scripture says in Acts 8:34-48,

34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. 35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. 36 This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. 38 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

39 “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 41 not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God.

Then Peter asked, 47 “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.”

The Comforter empowered Jesus when He opened the scroll to read from the Prophet Isaiah in His Nazareth Synagogue. Jesus did everything empowered by the Comforter, also known as the Holy Spirit. Empowered by the Comforter, He spoke with an authority His relatives had never witnessed. He healed the sick by the laying on of hands, cast out demons that trembled and fled, and commanded the winds and waves to obey Him. Some of you reading this book may have thought that Jesus walked, talked and even chewed gum, at the same time, as a supernatural being from the time of His miraculous virgin birth, but that’s just not so. Philippians 2:6-11 makes this reality crystal clear:

“6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,

8 He humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in Heaven and on Earth and under the Earth,

11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”

You need to know that Jesus, like you and me, became human to show us how we can be filled and overflowing with God’s presence and power. That was the essence of why He came. Jesus came to restore everything that was lost by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, namely walking and talking with them in the cool of the day. Think about it. What is the most important thing to you in life? Is it your house, your cars, your clothes, or material possessions? If you have any wisdom at all, it has to be relationships with your family and friends. We all know that we can’t take a U-Haul, with all of our worldly possessions, with us to Heaven when we die. The only thing we can bring along is the people we’ve loved and influenced so that they have the have assurance of salvation and eternal life. That’s it!

So, if restoring the relationship of humanity to God is the reason Jesus came to planet Earth, then what obstacles were standing in His way? First, it was the liar and the thief who stole Adam and Eve, God’s children, away from Him in the first place. Scripture says in 1 John 3:8, “But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” Besides the devil, Jesus had to deal decisively at the Cross with a third of the angels that fell from grace and that are in league with the devil. Jesus also had to show us how to regain our rightful authority that Adam and Eve surrendered to the devil in the Garden. Remember, God gave them authority to rule and reign over planet Earth. God gave them dominion to care for and name the animals. Friends, they were living a heaven-on-earth type of life and that’s what God wanted for his first kids. So let me ask you the obvious question: Do you want good things for your children? Of course you do! Do you want your parents to want good things for you? Absolutely! Now, do you want your Heavenly Father to want good things for you? Who doesn’t? This isn’t rocket science. God is simple, not complicated. The devil and devil-inspired people complicate life. 

Maybe your life seems complicated right now. Listen, I understand because I have been there. Maybe you can not wrap your brain around why your marriage is still struggling after many years, why your children are distant from God and from you, or why you can not seem to get ahead in life. Listen, I never want you to forget what I am about to say to you. Never mistake those hard situations in life as being God’s desire for you. God loves you, my friend, and He is not the supernatural being behind your problems or your complicated life. All your problems, whether with money, health, or relationships, come from the enemy, Satan himself. He is the father of lies and the thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus said that He came, so that you would have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He didn’t come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world would have life through him (John 3:17). You have been fighting the wrong person. You need to stop blaming and fighting the God who made you and loves you and start fighting His enemy, the devil. You need to make God’s enemy your enemy. Scripture says, “If God be for you, who can be against you” (Romans 8:31). In fact, you need to believe, like the Apostle Paul, that you are more than a conqueror through Christ as written in Romans 8:31-39,

“31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the Earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So let’s finish chapter 3, understanding that the God of the Universe lives inside you as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. When you took that first step of faith and prayed that salvation prayer, you received the Holy Spirit, the living God. You became a born-again person, a new creation in Christ. Your identity is no longer that of a Sinner that is stuck in sin, but a Saint that is free to fully follow Jesus, victoriously. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit in John 14 as the Advocate, Helper, Guide, Teacher, the One who walks alongside us, Spirit of Truth, and Comforter. There is a lot to this God—the Holy Spirit—that many leaders, churches, and Christians have left out of their Jesus story. In fact, Francis Chan wrote a book about the Holy Spirit and called it “The Forgotten God.” If the Holy Spirit can help you navigate temptations and troubles, like I expressed to you at the outset of this chapter, then you need Him—without a doubt.

Take a moment now to do what I do every morning on my way to get a cup of coffee. I’ll kneel or walk around the house and say, “Good morning, Holy Spirit. What adventures do you have for us today?” And then I hang on for the ride of my life, because I know it’s going to be good, fun, and fulfilling—without regrets.

Continue reading Chapter 4 called, “Holy Spirit,” as we dive deeper into the gifts that the Comforter will give you to powerfully and effectively share your Jesus Story with heart.