Matthew said of Jesus' visit to Nazareth, "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (Matt. 13:58). I hope this verse doesn't apply to your church, or mine! Wouldn't it be sad if we missed out on "mighty works" because we didn't expect them or pray for them?
May we be people of faith, who EXPECT God to do the miraculous. Actually, let's go the whole way. Let's be people of GREAT faith! (Matthew 8:10!)
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Richard Dawkins
The famous and outspoken atheist, Richard Dawkins, does not believe in God. But every breath he takes is given him by God! Isaiah 42:5 says,
"Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And Spirit to those who walk on it"...
Every breath that Richard Dawkins takes is given to him by God. When he sits at his desk (eg. To type on a computer a book or article denying God's existence) EVERY BREATH HE TAKES DURING THAT PROCESS IS A GRACIOUS GIFT FROM THE ALMIGHTY.
Oh, the folly of atheism! To deny the existence of One's own creator!
But there's hope for the atheist. God can shine in his heart and bring him to salvation (2 Cor. 4:6). God loves the atheist, and wants to save him (1 Tim. 2:4). But if the atheist continues in his or her defiance and refuses to humble themselves before God, they will suffer His wrath for eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15!) There, they will regret their defiance against the One who made them.
"Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And Spirit to those who walk on it"...
Every breath that Richard Dawkins takes is given to him by God. When he sits at his desk (eg. To type on a computer a book or article denying God's existence) EVERY BREATH HE TAKES DURING THAT PROCESS IS A GRACIOUS GIFT FROM THE ALMIGHTY.
Oh, the folly of atheism! To deny the existence of One's own creator!
But there's hope for the atheist. God can shine in his heart and bring him to salvation (2 Cor. 4:6). God loves the atheist, and wants to save him (1 Tim. 2:4). But if the atheist continues in his or her defiance and refuses to humble themselves before God, they will suffer His wrath for eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15!) There, they will regret their defiance against the One who made them.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Doing our best
Former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, said,
"It's no use saying, We are doing our best. You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary."
I love that quote! This is applicable to Christian living and service. The first priority for the Christian is not to "do our best." It is to obey God. Here's what I mean...
God told Jonah to go to Ninevah. If Jonah had gone to Tarshish instead and "done his best," would that have been acceptable to God? No. God wanted Jonah in Ninevah. He wasn't looking for Jonah to "do his best" somewhere else.
If God tells a Christian to go as a missionary to Thailand, and instead they start a Christian band and travel all over Australia performing concerts, "doing their best" for Jesus, will God accept that?
Our priority is not to do our best. It is to obey the Lord. The prophet Samuel told King Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22). We can spend a lot of time and energy doing something other than what God has called us to do, and end up accumulating a big heap of wood, hay, and straw (1 Cor. 3:12).
May we devote ourselves to obeying God, not "doing our best" at something else.
"It's no use saying, We are doing our best. You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary."
I love that quote! This is applicable to Christian living and service. The first priority for the Christian is not to "do our best." It is to obey God. Here's what I mean...
God told Jonah to go to Ninevah. If Jonah had gone to Tarshish instead and "done his best," would that have been acceptable to God? No. God wanted Jonah in Ninevah. He wasn't looking for Jonah to "do his best" somewhere else.
If God tells a Christian to go as a missionary to Thailand, and instead they start a Christian band and travel all over Australia performing concerts, "doing their best" for Jesus, will God accept that?
Our priority is not to do our best. It is to obey the Lord. The prophet Samuel told King Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22). We can spend a lot of time and energy doing something other than what God has called us to do, and end up accumulating a big heap of wood, hay, and straw (1 Cor. 3:12).
May we devote ourselves to obeying God, not "doing our best" at something else.
Monday, February 1, 2010
What can I pray for my Local Church?
For a Christian with a heart for their local church, and a desire to see it grow (through conversion growth), what are some things we can pray? Here's some suggestions:
# Wisdom for the leaders
# A visitation of the Holy Spirit
# That God will dynamise the preaching
# Faithful expository teaching of the Word (a great need in many churches)
# Increased attendance at the prayer meetings
# Transformed and exhilerating prayer meetings
# The God will stir up a passion for souls
# A passion for missions
# God's manifest presence in the Sunday services
# A restoration of fasting
# Unity
# Dynamic small groups!
# Wisdom in evangelism
# That God will raise up leaders for the future
These are just a few. There are so many things we can pray for the local church, and to do so is to make a wise and strategic investment.
# Wisdom for the leaders
# A visitation of the Holy Spirit
# That God will dynamise the preaching
# Faithful expository teaching of the Word (a great need in many churches)
# Increased attendance at the prayer meetings
# Transformed and exhilerating prayer meetings
# The God will stir up a passion for souls
# A passion for missions
# God's manifest presence in the Sunday services
# A restoration of fasting
# Unity
# Dynamic small groups!
# Wisdom in evangelism
# That God will raise up leaders for the future
These are just a few. There are so many things we can pray for the local church, and to do so is to make a wise and strategic investment.
Encouragement for Preachers
D.L. Moody once wrote, "It is God's Word, not our comment on it, that saves souls." [1] How true that is. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, with the power to penetrate hearts and change lives. It has transformational power!
Therefore, in preaching, it is imperative that us preachers give the Word of God pre-eminence. While it is helpful to use illustrations, tell stories, refer to current events, use humour, quote statistics, and share personal experiences, in a sermon the Word of God must be given top priority.
The Word must be the basis of the message. Only the Bible, applied to the heart by the Spirit, can produce the kind of life change God is seeking. All preachers need to heed Paul's instruction to Timothy - "Preach the word!" (2 Tim 4:2)
The power of the Word is highlighted in something God Himself said through the prophet Jeremiah:
""Is not my word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?""
What other book is like a hammer?
The preacher who has a high regard for the Word will give it the highest priority in his sermons. He will resist the temptation to be trendy and preach "contemporary" messages with minimal Scripture and maximum humour and story-telling. (It's sad to hear sermons of this kind).
First things must be first. May we faithfully preach the Word, and believe that God will change lives.
[1] Moody, D.L, Notes from My Bible (Baker, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1979) p151.
Therefore, in preaching, it is imperative that us preachers give the Word of God pre-eminence. While it is helpful to use illustrations, tell stories, refer to current events, use humour, quote statistics, and share personal experiences, in a sermon the Word of God must be given top priority.
The Word must be the basis of the message. Only the Bible, applied to the heart by the Spirit, can produce the kind of life change God is seeking. All preachers need to heed Paul's instruction to Timothy - "Preach the word!" (2 Tim 4:2)
The power of the Word is highlighted in something God Himself said through the prophet Jeremiah:
""Is not my word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?""
What other book is like a hammer?
The preacher who has a high regard for the Word will give it the highest priority in his sermons. He will resist the temptation to be trendy and preach "contemporary" messages with minimal Scripture and maximum humour and story-telling. (It's sad to hear sermons of this kind).
First things must be first. May we faithfully preach the Word, and believe that God will change lives.
[1] Moody, D.L, Notes from My Bible (Baker, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1979) p151.
One of the Hardest Prayers to Pray
One of the hardest prayers for a Christian to pray is..
"Father..Your will be done"
It's not easy! It can be a real struggle to pray this way.
Yet Jesus taught His disciples to pray this prayer (Matthew 6:9-10). It can be particularly hard if we sense that God's will is different to ours. To pray, "Father, Your will be done" is:
A prayer of surrender.
A prayer of letting go.
A prayer of yieldedness.
A prayer of submission.
We take our hands off the wheel, move over, and ask God to take control. It's relinquishing our rights and desires, and submitting ourselves to Him. It's also submitting our future to God, wanting His plans to be fulfilled even if they're different to ours. For the surrendered Christian, God's will is the pre-eminent thing.
May God help us to pray, from the heart, "Father, Your will be done" just as our Saviour did (Luke 22:42).
Is there any area of your life where it's a struggle to pray this prayer?
"Father..Your will be done"
It's not easy! It can be a real struggle to pray this way.
Yet Jesus taught His disciples to pray this prayer (Matthew 6:9-10). It can be particularly hard if we sense that God's will is different to ours. To pray, "Father, Your will be done" is:
A prayer of surrender.
A prayer of letting go.
A prayer of yieldedness.
A prayer of submission.
We take our hands off the wheel, move over, and ask God to take control. It's relinquishing our rights and desires, and submitting ourselves to Him. It's also submitting our future to God, wanting His plans to be fulfilled even if they're different to ours. For the surrendered Christian, God's will is the pre-eminent thing.
May God help us to pray, from the heart, "Father, Your will be done" just as our Saviour did (Luke 22:42).
Is there any area of your life where it's a struggle to pray this prayer?
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