By Victor G. Villavieja Larraz
PINEVILLE (LBM) — Richard Blackaby, president of Blackaby Ministries International, led Louisiana College’s chapel March 20, calling the students to become the mighty warriors they can be in God.
Son of Henry Blackaby – author of “Experiencing God” – Richard travels the world speaking on various aspects of Christian life, ministering Christian CEOs as well as church and family leaders.
Blackaby opened his sermon at the Martin Performing Arts Center by manifesting how necessary it is for Christians to integrate their faith and their occupation to implement change in God’s name.
“Sermons alone will not transform a broken nation into a blessed one,” Blackaby said. “God is always calling professionals, business people, men and women who aren’t preachers. Many times, when God gets something done it’s not because someone preaches from a pulpit, but because someone puts his life in God’s hands and lets Him drive.”
To illustrate his message, Blackaby read Judges 6:11-13 from his Bible, recalling the story of Gideon.
“Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth of Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us.”’
Instead of threshing wheat on a hill top, Gideon was hiding in a hole in the ground, in a winepress. His dread kept him in a low site, when he was meant to be in a higher place.
Gideon was conditioned by his own fear.
He was afraid of the enemy, but the angel still referred to him as “mighty warrior.”
These verses could seem comic and ironic if the reader does not know the plot twist. Following God’s will, Gideon ended up defeating the Midianites leading a 300-men army
“Of course, he was not a valiant warrior at that point, but he became one. I realized that whenever God looks at people, He sees what they could be. God was telling Gideon that he was meant to be a mighty warrior,” Blackaby explained.
“When God looks at you, he doesn’t see your past,” he continued. “He doesn’t see the mistakes you have made. When God looks at you, He sees the person he wants you to be.”
Gideon’s skepticism before the angel’s words – “The Lord is with you” – is the reluctance of many who live in the shadow of conformism today. Gideon was incredulous because he had not seen a miracle yet, but what did he need a miracle for?
“You don’t need a miracle to live in fear,” Blackaby assured. “If you are going to live in defeat, you can do that in your own strength. You don’t need God to live in fear. But, if you are going to live like a warrior, like a victor, like a Child of God, then, you are going to need God to help you with that.”
Blackaby drew upon Gideon’s story to urge the students to overachieve, to do more for others than what their conscience asked them to do.
“If you never attempt anything that’s impossible, you don’t need a miracle, do you? You don’t need a miracle to attend church on Sunday, or to read your Bible in the mornings.”
Richard Blackaby closed LC’s chapel by challenging the attendees to live for a cause that requires God’s intervention.
“What are you doing right know that requires a miracle? Get out of the hole! Become the valid warrior that God knows you are!” Blackaby said with emphasis. “Hopefully, one day you will look back at your life and see that only God could have done that.”
Doug Hunter, chief connector and coach of Doug Hunter LLC in Charleston, S.C., shares leadership principles during a panel discussion held at Louisiana College’s God in the Workplace conference March 19. The panel also included Richard Blackaby, president of Blackaby Ministries in Atlanta, Ga., Dallas Hixson, owner of Hixson Automotive Group with various locations in Louisiana, and Jeff Draughon,, partner and founder of Upton, Draughon & Bollinger in Alexandria. Hixson and Draughon are deacons at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria.
On the occasion of his visit to LC, Blackaby did not miss the chance to lecture in some of classes. He also led the March 19 conference “God in the Workplace,” hosted at Louisiana College’s MPAC too.
Richard Blackaby attributed an imperative part to the market place in the spread of Christianity.
“If a revival came to the business world, it would quickly cross all denomination lines and spread around the world. If revival comes to America, it will come through the market place,” Blackaby said.
