To place ourselves in range of God's choicest gifts, we have to walk with God, work with God, lean on God, cling to God, come to have the sense and feel of God, refer all things to God.
-Cornelius Plantinga, Jr
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
If You Were a Christian
I recently read a very convicting article. I hope that it challenges you, and brings you to your knees, as much as or more than it did for me. It was written by an atheist, and in part he wrote:
If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, then religion would mean to me everything.
I would cast away earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in it's cause alone.
I would take thought for the morrow of eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering.
Earthly consequences would never stay my hand, or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable.
I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would be:"WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?"
William McDonald, True Discipleship (Kansas City, KS: Walterick Publishers, 1975) p, 31
If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, then religion would mean to me everything.
I would cast away earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in it's cause alone.
I would take thought for the morrow of eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering.
Earthly consequences would never stay my hand, or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable.
I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would be:"WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?"
William McDonald, True Discipleship (Kansas City, KS: Walterick Publishers, 1975) p, 31
Have You Asked?
A few weeks ago, I listened to a great sermon by Dr. David Gibbs Jr. I thought I would summarize it, since I couldn't find a video or audio of the sermon to share.
Okay, so after Jesus fed the fed the five thousand, He told His disciples to get on a boat and go to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. Matthew 14:23-31 reads, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Now, I don't know if you ever wondered if you could walked on water, or move a mountain, or cast out demons, but I believe my God is the God of the impossible. How? How can we begin to do the impossible?
Pastor David Gibbs Jr. started out his sermon by asking why anyone would want to spend their life only doing great things for God? Sure we can do great things, but anyone can do big things. Our God is the God of the impossible!
But why was it only Peter who got to walk on the water? There could have been 12 disciple walking on the water.
If we want to do the impossible for God we need to ask. We shouldn't just say "Father, let me do impossible things for you." We should be specific. Dr. Gibbs gave one example of a father who ask the Lord to let him provide for his family on only ten percent. The man wanted to give 90% of all his money to God. His wife, after hearing about it, added it up in front of her husband multiple times. And each time they came to the conclusion: this is impossible.
After we ask we need to get our eyes off the conditions. Peter could have said, "Lord, before I walk on water, maybe we should wait for light out. Oh, and you know what, Jesus? I really think you should make the wind and the waves stop first. You have to change a few of these conditions before You bid me to come unto You on the water."
We need to ask, we need to get our eyes off the conditions and we also need to let go of our plan B. When we have a plan B (or sometimes plan B, C, D and E) we are saying "Jesus, I'm asking You for something, but I don't really have faith in You."
The final thing we've got to do is get out of the boat. The man I mentioned earlier, he gave God 90% of his money and the small business he was running from his garage grew so much that he was able to, on the 10% support 300 missionaries, and his family!
(Now I really didn't do that sermon justice, it was a great sermon. If you can ever get a hold of "Have You Asked?" by Dr. David Gibbs Jr. you have got to get it!)
Okay, so after Jesus fed the fed the five thousand, He told His disciples to get on a boat and go to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. Matthew 14:23-31 reads, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Now, I don't know if you ever wondered if you could walked on water, or move a mountain, or cast out demons, but I believe my God is the God of the impossible. How? How can we begin to do the impossible?
Pastor David Gibbs Jr. started out his sermon by asking why anyone would want to spend their life only doing great things for God? Sure we can do great things, but anyone can do big things. Our God is the God of the impossible!
But why was it only Peter who got to walk on the water? There could have been 12 disciple walking on the water.
If we want to do the impossible for God we need to ask. We shouldn't just say "Father, let me do impossible things for you." We should be specific. Dr. Gibbs gave one example of a father who ask the Lord to let him provide for his family on only ten percent. The man wanted to give 90% of all his money to God. His wife, after hearing about it, added it up in front of her husband multiple times. And each time they came to the conclusion: this is impossible.
After we ask we need to get our eyes off the conditions. Peter could have said, "Lord, before I walk on water, maybe we should wait for light out. Oh, and you know what, Jesus? I really think you should make the wind and the waves stop first. You have to change a few of these conditions before You bid me to come unto You on the water."
We need to ask, we need to get our eyes off the conditions and we also need to let go of our plan B. When we have a plan B (or sometimes plan B, C, D and E) we are saying "Jesus, I'm asking You for something, but I don't really have faith in You."
The final thing we've got to do is get out of the boat. The man I mentioned earlier, he gave God 90% of his money and the small business he was running from his garage grew so much that he was able to, on the 10% support 300 missionaries, and his family!
(Now I really didn't do that sermon justice, it was a great sermon. If you can ever get a hold of "Have You Asked?" by Dr. David Gibbs Jr. you have got to get it!)
Monday, April 25, 2011
He Is Risen! He Is Risen!
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Tell it out with joyful voice
He has burst the three days' prison, let the whole wide earth rejioce
Death is conquered, we are free, Christ has won the victory.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Christ has won the victory.
Come, ye sad and fearful hearted, with glad smile as brightest sun:
Nights long shadows have departed; all His suff'ring now is done,
And the passion that He bore: sin and pain can harm no more.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Christ has won the victory.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Risen to a holy state:
We are free from sin's dark prison, He has opened heaven's gate.
Death is conquered, we are free; Christ has won the victory.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Christ has won the victory!
He has burst the three days' prison, let the whole wide earth rejioce
Death is conquered, we are free, Christ has won the victory.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Christ has won the victory.
Come, ye sad and fearful hearted, with glad smile as brightest sun:
Nights long shadows have departed; all His suff'ring now is done,
And the passion that He bore: sin and pain can harm no more.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Christ has won the victory.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Risen to a holy state:
We are free from sin's dark prison, He has opened heaven's gate.
Death is conquered, we are free; Christ has won the victory.
He Is Risen! He Is Risen! Christ has won the victory!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
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