Friday, September 16, 2005

TIme will Tell...

32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
(Hebrews 10:32-35)

Can you remember when you first got baptized? Or better yet, when you first had the gospel revealed to you? Can you remember the peace and joy and love you first experienced? You felt like you made it. You found the very thing that was missing all your life. You hopelessly and helplessly search and seeked all your life to find that one thing that was missing. And suddenly the burden was lifted off and you could finally see the whole world as it was suppose to be. What a joy and a comfort and a release. All the emptiness and sin and fear were finally washed away and now you could finally put you heart at ease. There was a reason for your existence and it wasn’t by chance! You now stand having eternal life with the Saviour.

After sometime you found out that you were on another journey and put into a new school. It was time to grow like a baby craving pure spiritual milk. So you devoured the Scripture and went to the study and fellowshipped with other believers and kept pressing on. It was exciting and stimulating and fruitful.

But then the time of testing arrived. You had to put into practice everything that was taught to you. The milk was now used in your body for action. It was time to see what your faith was made out of? Were you willing to give back and give more than take? What you withstand the trials and take in the discipline and harvest a crop of righteousness? Only you can decide for yourself now? No one else could do it for you! It was you turn and it is a new time! Would you continue in your faith? Could you prove to yourself and the others that you would love God in the worst of times and not just the best? Are you willing? Would you worship the blesser and not just the blessings? Was your love and devotion unconditional or were you only in it for yourself the entire time? Only time could tell but let me finish with one phrase:

35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded” (Heb 10:35)

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Fanny Crosby

She was physically blinded at a young age, but Fanny Crosby developed a spiritual vision like few others. Over the past century, untold numbers have sung her heartfelt hymns of praise to God, and her words still bless beleivers today.

Fanny Crosby never complained about the hardships of life; she simply looked to Jesus. Her attitude is best summed up by a conversation she had with a minister. "Do you know," she said, "that if at birth I have been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?" "Why?" asked the minister in surprize. "Because when I get to heaven," she responded, "the first face that should ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!"

Fanny Crosby, The Treasures of Fanny Crosby

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Equiping for Ministry

"... After Christ called his disciples, He began to teach them the nature of the Kingdom. Through this they began to encounter the character of Christ. It is outlined in the beautitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). The character of Christ is one of humility, a broken heart, a thirst for righteousness, an attitude of mercy, a pure heart, a desire to make peace, and a willingness to suffer wrong for his sake."

John M Palmer, Equiping for Ministry

Monday, September 05, 2005

Time is Precious

Time is precious.

It passes by once and never returns.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

I asked God...

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I may learn to humbly obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for,
But everything I hoped for.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Anonymous

Turning on the Axis

From bondage to spiritual faith
From spiritual faith to great courage
From great courage to strength
From strength to liberty
From liberty to abundance
From abundance to leisure
From leisure to selfishness
From selfishness to complacency
From complacency to apathy
From apathy to dependency
From dependency to weakness
From weakness back to bondage

By Charles R Swindoll, Come before Winter and...

Friday, September 02, 2005

Billy Graham, Peace with God

You started on a great quest the moment you were born. It was many years before you realized it, before it became apparent that you were constantly searching, searching for something you never had - searching for something that was more important than anything in life. Sometimes you tried to forget about it. Sometimes you attempted to loose yourself in other things so that there can be time and thought for nothing but the business at hand. Sometimes you may even have felt that you were freed from the need to go on seeking this nameless thing. At moments you have almost been able to dismiss the quest completely. But always you have been caught up in it again - always you have had to come back to your search.

by Billy Graham, Peace with God