Video Transcript: Some Final Curious Questions

In this last lecture, I want to talk about your conflict story.  Shallow wildfire stories and retributive justice will always try to label you for the rest of your life and that's not God's destiny for you.  God has a history of taking people from prisons, transforming them into his ambassadors of reconciliation.  

Jesus Christ knows what it was like to be labeled as an offender.  He knows what it was like to suffer as a victim.  But Jesus Christ is not defined by either of those labels.  He is now the greatest in the heavenly kingdom, and will one day return to rule and reign on this earth.  

Joseph was a man who knew what it was like to suffer unjustly.  His brothers sold him into slavery.  He became a servant in Potiphar’s household.  He rose to a position of trust with Potiphar, and then Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of sexual misconduct.  Joseph was labeled, thrown into prison.  That wasn't the end of his story.  He served while there and found favor with the jailer.  And through God's miraculous plan, he was delivered from prison and became the second most powerful man in all of Egypt.

His story still wasn't over.  Just like your conflict story isn't over.  One day, Josephus brothers came to Egypt to buy grain because there was a famine in the land.  Joseph recognize them but they did not recognize him.  Eventually, Joseph disclosed his identity to his brothers and their response was to fear for their lives.  They thought Joseph would take revenge, use a wildfire accelerant for what they had done to him.  

But Joseph wasn't focused on the wildfire of conflict that attracted his brother's attention.  Here's what Joseph said to his brothers.  You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  (Genesis 50:20).

Can you say that about your conflict story?  Have you asked the Lord for the Humility that He offers you in Jesus Christ?  Have you asked him to give you the Desire to please Him?  Have you asked him to give you the Faith that it takes to please Him?  Have you asked him to fill you with His Love for the people in your conflict story?  If you have, Lord is going to make you an ambassador of reconciliation; a man or woman he can use in the midst of conflict to accomplish his purpose of restored relationships and transformed justice.  

I invite you to share your restoration stories with us at CLI at www.igniterestoration.com.

Let's review the points from this last lecture:

• Shallow wildfire stories and shallow justice will attempt to define you and label you according to your past defenses, but 

• following Jesus Christ gives you a future that's not limited by your past.  

• What the adversary intends for evil in your life.  God can turn for good.  

• God has a history of taking men and women who come out of shallow justice and using them as a source of blessing to others.  

• Followers of Jesus Christ are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation wherever they go.  

May the Lord Bless you and use you as his ambassador of reconciliation in every conflict wildfire that you encounter past, present, and future.

God bless you and thanks for watching