As I read the Bible and think on what it is saying to us, I find that some of the best thoughts I have come during that time of study in the Word. The following are thoughts and insights that the Lord gave to me during my times of ruminating on what He has said in His Word.
It is not our job to qualify everyone for heaven. It is our job to preach the Gospel. The Holy Spirit does the qualifying. That’s why it is important to preach the Gospel and not anything and everything that pops into our minds. Only the Gospel has saving power and authority. Pop psychology preachers must think that they are preaching to saved people or that pop psychology has saving power.
Repentance and commitment are the only valid responses to the Gospel. Much of the preaching today has been shifted from a focus on saving souls, to instructing people on how life should be lived. One can be instructed to the “inth” degree on how to live life but only the Gospel will save.
When you are consumed with yourself; you consume yourself! Quote by my friend, Rev. Jerry Wilson.
“Greater is He that is in you that he that is in the world.” Why don’t we understand that statement? Why is it just another passage we quote and not a reality? It is because we don’t live the level of commitment which makes that passage a reality in our lives. The “lowest common denominator” of Christian living and commitment will never see that passage as a reality in us.
To the world, the Wonderous Story isn’t wonderous any more. They don’t want to hear it because they think they don’t need it. It violates their “enlightened” frame of mind and lifestyle. We have become too enlightened for God! Human “enlightenment” more apt than not, tries to negate God’s truth and replace it with man’s “truth.” It is, generally, an expression of rebellion against God.
People are so consumed with their freedoms that they have put themselves in bondage.
Greatness has to be assigned to a person by others. It cannot be self-assigned.
In Luke 16:19-31, we see two people; a rich man and a beggar. The rich man was fully able to live life but totally unprepared to face death and eternity. The beggar, Lazarus, could hardly live life but his eternity was secure. Man would say that the rich man would certainly go to heaven and that the beggar, most assuredly, would go to hell. But, God doesn’t evaluate things like man does. When people go to heaven, they will see Lazarus but they will never see the rich man. Which one, in finality, do you want to be?
When I was a student in the seminary in North Carolina, I was also the pastor of a small country church down in Johnson County. The name of the church was Burnell Baptist Church a few miles out in the country near Smithfield, NC. In that city there lived an old retired preacher named Brother Brown. Many years before he had been the Pastor of the same little church I was then serving. He had nothing in his retirement years. He had a humble little apartment above his daughter’s garage. I entered his humble abode by climbing the stairs on the outside of the garage building. Each time I enter his apartment, I was greeted with a smile and a hearty “come in Pastor.” He always welcomed me with a smile and a bright spirit even though he had recently lost his wife and spent most of his time alone in that small garage apartment. Here was an older man, about 80, who was calling me Pastor. I hardly knew how to take it but it was a high honor for me.
Brother Brown had a crippled hand but was not limited in is ability to get things done. We would talk for long periods of time abut the ministry in general and theological subjects in particular. I found him to be well informed and a person of great depth. I learned a great deal from Brother Brown. He will never know how much his friendship and advice meant to me and how much I have drawn upon it in the following years. Brother Brown has been an inspiration to me in several ways over the years. His humble influence has helped me tremendously. I remember him vividly while many of the “big boys” I have known have faded from view.
I remember my wonderful friend and mentor had a certain kind of plant in his apartment that would react to the touch of a human hand. The leaves would retreat or fold down when one touched them. It fascinated me to watch it move so quickly when I would touch it. I remember that he gave me a set of commentaries which he had in his possession for years. As a young pastor in seminary, I did not have many books so I was glad to get such a treasure from my friend.
I determined in those day to be as much of a help to other pastors as Bro. Brown was to me. The influence of this humble preacher who had very little of the things of the world has followed me and advised me over the many years of my own ministry. He would be amazed at how far his influence has gone. We would be a lot better off these days if we had more men like my friend, Bro. Brown from North Carolina.
Not reading the Bible says that it is not important to a person. “I don’t need it”, they say by their actions.
The word “faith” itself implies a condition which requires a free decision. Faith is not faith unless one chooses to have it. Otherwise it is not faith but a demand.
Christians are suppose to be about something the world can’t mimic. And, if the world can’t mimic it, then why would we want to mimic the world?
God freely gives salvation to those who believe in Jesus. Satan works the people who follow him and then pays off in judgment. Many have worked hard for the devil and then are surprised at the judgment.
God has provided a means for us to be saved through His Son, Jesus. That is His way of getting us saved. Now, show me the plan to get people unsaved. There is not one. So, once a person is saved it is forever.
The devil is not out to hurt you. He is out to destroy you. He will give you a measure of success and then use it to destroy you.
God often takes us to the edge before He acts. He doesn’t do this to find out what you will do. He does this so you will find out what you will do when brought to the point of no return. If you know Him as Savior, do you also know Him as Captain of the ship. The water over our head is under His Feet.
Death is the shedding of corruption. Without death, one would live forever getting older and older with more and more pain. We are released from pain and corruption at the point of death. But, for Christians, Jesus is waiting with open arms.
You can believe in something you don’t have faith in but you cannot have faith in something you don’t believe in. A church will rise or fall on faith. A pragmatic, world-centered church will always struggle because all of God’s work with us is based on faith. If we can handle it, we will ignore God’s power available to us and always find ourselves searching for His Power and acceptance.
