Verse of the Day: Matthew 8: 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.
Memory of the Month: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Today's reading: GENESIS 25-26 MATTHEW 8:1-17
Press On
About 60 years ago, a man named A.W. Tozer wrote:
"Let a Christian insist upon rising above the poor average of current religious experience and he will soon come up against the need to know God Himself as the ultimate goal of all Christian doctrine. Let him seek to explore the sacred wonders of the Triune Godhead and he will discover that sustained and intelligently directed meditation on the Person of God is imperative. To know God well he must think on Him unceasingly. Nothing that man has discovered about himself or God has revealed any shortcut to pure spirituality. It is still free, but tremendously costly." From the book, "That Incredible Christian", page 135.
What Mr. Tozer said is, "If someone wants to really get serious about God, they will get serious about God. It is hard and time-consuming but if you want more(and all should) than what usually goes on in church, there is no short-cut to this hard work.
But why should we? Why should we become consumed with God? A great portion of the world is against God and they seem wealthy enough and don't answer to anyone. When you die, you die.
We have all heard this. We have, also, all seen folks with a 'fish' on their car-worn like a badge or a shield-wielded like a ticket for eternity.
"I have a Christian fish on the back of my car my car-I go on Easter and Christmas..."(Now the preacher has started meddling again...)
Yep....and I am the chief of sinners-so don't think I'm judging anyone. It has been many years since I started writing these things each morning and do you know why?
My entire time in ministry has been spent encouraging people to have a time alone with God everyday-to read the Bible and memorize scripture-to journal-to get serious about God.
I have done this while life has gone on around me. I have suffered loss, effects of sin, defeat but I have seen God's victory-not in wealth or acclaim but in learning to live for Him. Victory in daily life-one step at a time. Victory in waiting on God to answer prayers. I have seen God's hands move in the lives around me. I have seen people changed by God's power. I have seen young and old alike come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus and grow into people of solid faith in Christ Jesus. I have also seen the heartbreak of people who have given lip service to faith but would not put in the work...
The love of God cannot be explained or quantified. I cannot tell you what this 'feels' like for me and I certainly cannot tell you what it should 'feel' like for you. Only God can do that.
God and God alone will show you all you need to know if you seek Him. If not, all the plastic fishes and pewter crosses on the internet won't help a thing.
Everyday...over and over...keep doing things that get you closer to God. Keep trying things and God will show you what is best for you but you cannot rise above the 'lukewarm' without working hard at it.
Why do I do it everyday? How can I not do it everyday? How can I tell you to do it if I am not doing it? How can I know Him better if I don't work to know Him better.
Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Come, let's press on together.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
Forgive me my laziness, again. Teach me to know You more and more as I become less and less.
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