Read this chapter in a book I was reading the other day and thought that it was a very good insight, here is the chapter:
The story of Moses and the burning bush is mother's knee story-telling material in most Christian homes. Popular interpretation puts the emphasis on the marvel of a bush unconsumed in the midst of enveloping fire. And why not, for isn't this a contradiction of fixed natural law? A desert bush with its leaves and twigs, cobwebs and bird's nets, is combustible, a natural fuel supply for the desert Bedouin. Yet the fire rejects the bush as its fuel resource and blazes on unfading and completely self-sustained. The miracle is not so much in the bush as in the fire; yet the bush somehow has attracted our attention and closed our minds to anything more. God was not primarily trying to show Moses the bush, but the glory that can ignore, yea reject, the fuel potential of the bush and yet burn on. God is introducing not the burning bush but the fuel-less fire.
Before attempting further interpretation of this unfed fire, we must examine the context. God's revelation to Moses is not given apart from the context of his experiences. The focus is on a disillusioned man. Moses was a man in whose heart a fire of zeal to accomplish God's great mission had burned fiercely forty years earlier. Now he is a man of lost vision, faded passion, and waning purpose. His inner fires have burnt to ashes. It had been his hope to right the injustices being meted out to his people by the Egyptians. But, for all his impressive natural abilities and high degree of training, he had impressed neither friend or foe. Confronted with exposure, he had fled to the wilderness, his mission unaccomplished. Certainly a self-sustained fire could never be applied as symbol of the man himself.
Moses knew from his own experience that he would never again be able to trust his own emotions to supply motive power for spiritual work. It is at this point he is confronted by the God of the fire and hears him declare: "I am... the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. I have seen the affliction of my people... and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them." God is showing Moses that the fire of his covenant faithfulness, of his compassionate concern was not the feeble, fickle flame that Moses may have imagined because of God's long delay in delivering his people. HIS fire had burned on, regarding and needing not human passion to feed it.
In 1965 the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, a fellowship stemming out of China Inland Mission, celebrated its centenary... Hudson Taylor built the structure of the China Inland Mission on God's faithfulness. He claimed: "There is a God! He has spoken in His word. He means all He has said, and will do all He has promised." One ground for this confidence was the text, "Have faith in God," which he interpreted rightly to read, "Hold God's faithfulness." He had confidence neither in his own faith in God, nor yet in the accumulated faith of hundreds or a thousand workers to sustain the work. A thousand people could have faith in some bridge and be proved wrong because the object of their faith was unable to fulfill their expectations. There had to adequate assurance that God would accept responsibility for the involvement of literal obedience to his command. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," he has promised, "and all these things shall be added unto you." The decades of CIM's witness surely demonstrate continuing fire of God's faithfulness.
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Shield of Faith
I learn something this week, or should I say that I was reminded of something this week. What ever it was, learning something new, or just deepening of old knowledge, I needed the thing.
This week was not the easiest one that I can remember. Funny thing is that the work load was not to heavy. I even was able to get back to all my excising and other thing more ministry and spiritually related that had stop for the crazy week of pre-Easter! But, despite this, it was tough!
Friday night after a long swimming, and a even longer time talking to my wife I figured it out. Saturday evening turned out great after I had the chance to study my thoughts out from the Bible. Here is what I learned.
Somewhere during the beginning of the week I stopped using my Shield of Faith.
Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked".
It seems amazing to me the times Satan seems to attack. There are the normal day to day attacks, but it seems as if he likes to attack most during two different times. First, when a person is weak and sickly. Second when a person has just had a victory or miracle.
Sunday was one of those great victory days. Five people baptized, great services, good activities on Monday. It was like a Goliath had fallen and everyone was standing around jumping for joy. Sometimes these time of rejoicing can be dangerous.
Here I was jumping up and down, shouting about the victory, not thinking that I had raised my shield and sword up over my head. Here I was cheering over the victory, paying not attention to the enemy soldiers that were left. At this moment the enemy show it. Bulls eye! I am sure he thought, "Lets try and shoot a couple of arrows in there and see if they might hit something"!
Tuesday came around and with it came arrows of doubt, fear, anger, frustration. It was like a endless on slot of little thoughts that where meant to smolder and burn. See, Satan knows that if he can get your faith, he will dampen your hope, and if he dampen your hope, he can stop your love.
In-attention is a great way for a soldier to get killed. Well, that is what happened to me this week. It took me a couple of hard experiences and times of quite to figure out what was going on, but finally I figured it out.
I thought, I have been doing everything right. Reading, praying, obeying, but why did I feel so weak and fearful! I had forgot faith, above everything else I had forgot to hold hold it. Little by little I let the devil knock it out of my hand.
See, faith and fear can never live together. They are incompatible. I am not saying that a person that has faith, never fears, NO! But faith pushes out fear and as it grows fear reduces. One most always be in control. Either I am ruled by fear, or I am ruled by faith.
Well, finally on Saturday night I figured it out. I had not been fighting the battle the right way. I forgot to quench those darts of discouragement, fear, and doubt with faith.
Where did that faith come from? Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". I did not have faith to quince the fire, because I was not really listening to the word. I was reading it, praying it, but not really hearing it!
A person is always listening to something, if it is not God's faith building words, it will be Satan's doubt giving accusations. Once I saw this, God let me fix the problem. I got out the word and listened to it!
After just about an hour of reading and study about faith, the shield was back and ready. The fires were quenched. I learned that weather in victory or failure, keep the shield in place. Weather a person is tired from long times of fighting or elated over victory, they need to see the important of keeping a firm grip on the faith God gives them through the promises of God. They need to read them, claim them, and believe them!
This week was not the easiest one that I can remember. Funny thing is that the work load was not to heavy. I even was able to get back to all my excising and other thing more ministry and spiritually related that had stop for the crazy week of pre-Easter! But, despite this, it was tough!
Friday night after a long swimming, and a even longer time talking to my wife I figured it out. Saturday evening turned out great after I had the chance to study my thoughts out from the Bible. Here is what I learned.
Somewhere during the beginning of the week I stopped using my Shield of Faith.
Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked".
It seems amazing to me the times Satan seems to attack. There are the normal day to day attacks, but it seems as if he likes to attack most during two different times. First, when a person is weak and sickly. Second when a person has just had a victory or miracle.
Sunday was one of those great victory days. Five people baptized, great services, good activities on Monday. It was like a Goliath had fallen and everyone was standing around jumping for joy. Sometimes these time of rejoicing can be dangerous.
Here I was jumping up and down, shouting about the victory, not thinking that I had raised my shield and sword up over my head. Here I was cheering over the victory, paying not attention to the enemy soldiers that were left. At this moment the enemy show it. Bulls eye! I am sure he thought, "Lets try and shoot a couple of arrows in there and see if they might hit something"!
Tuesday came around and with it came arrows of doubt, fear, anger, frustration. It was like a endless on slot of little thoughts that where meant to smolder and burn. See, Satan knows that if he can get your faith, he will dampen your hope, and if he dampen your hope, he can stop your love.
In-attention is a great way for a soldier to get killed. Well, that is what happened to me this week. It took me a couple of hard experiences and times of quite to figure out what was going on, but finally I figured it out.
I thought, I have been doing everything right. Reading, praying, obeying, but why did I feel so weak and fearful! I had forgot faith, above everything else I had forgot to hold hold it. Little by little I let the devil knock it out of my hand.
See, faith and fear can never live together. They are incompatible. I am not saying that a person that has faith, never fears, NO! But faith pushes out fear and as it grows fear reduces. One most always be in control. Either I am ruled by fear, or I am ruled by faith.
Well, finally on Saturday night I figured it out. I had not been fighting the battle the right way. I forgot to quench those darts of discouragement, fear, and doubt with faith.
Where did that faith come from? Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". I did not have faith to quince the fire, because I was not really listening to the word. I was reading it, praying it, but not really hearing it!
A person is always listening to something, if it is not God's faith building words, it will be Satan's doubt giving accusations. Once I saw this, God let me fix the problem. I got out the word and listened to it!
After just about an hour of reading and study about faith, the shield was back and ready. The fires were quenched. I learned that weather in victory or failure, keep the shield in place. Weather a person is tired from long times of fighting or elated over victory, they need to see the important of keeping a firm grip on the faith God gives them through the promises of God. They need to read them, claim them, and believe them!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Christ or Family... You Choose?
Matthew 10:36-38 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Most of people in the United States have little to no understanding of this verse today. The States is a place of tolerance, where even Muslims give way to the Western mindset of tolerance. But for many Christians around the world this is not true. Some lose home, jobs, and even family, and have the great privilege to suffer early for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday was Resurrection Sunday, but to my surprise Inusah did not show up for either morning or evening Bible studies. When I went to check him on Tuesday, I found out why.
Very early on Sunday morning, before the morning prayer calls for the Muslims here, Inusah's family called him for a meeting. The Imam was there, and I think a few others from the mosque. After the family and men prayed the tasbad, (this is the daily prayers of the Muslims five times a day, facing Mecca) they called a meeting.
They told Inusah that they had heard that he had become a Christian, and that he was no longer a follower of Mohammad. (If the reader has every worked with Muslims or known others that have, this is the hardest question that a convert from Islam ever faces). I am very glad to say that Inusah did not yield to fear. It sounded from the conversation with Inusah that God gave him a lot of grace and boldness.
They asked why had converted. To which he replied, that he had be a Muslim his whole life, and it had never changed him, it would never change him or help him, and he had found that change and it happened by coming to Christ. He told them that the Qu'ran says that if a person has questions they are to go to the People of the Book (this is Christians for those that do not know Qu'ran lengo). He told them that there was only one way to Paradise. The two thieves on the cross both had a choice to make, one did not trust in Jesus, and went to Hell. The other trusted in Jesus, and was told that when he died he would be in Paradise with Jesus. Inusah told them that he had chosen Christ.
The Imam told Inusah that the Bible was full of lies, that the white men changed it, and it was not to be trusted. Inusah told him, if it was not trustworthy, why did Mohammad praise it in the Qu'ran. He told them that the ten commandments give no hope, a man can never be good enough to gain heaven, and that Jesus was the only way. The Imam said that Paul lied and just spoke of his own dreams and ideas. Inusah said that the Bible says that no one can take away or add to the Bible without Gods punishment upon them.
They told him that Jesus never died, but Allah put the face of Jesus on Judas, and they killed Judas. Inusah told them that that was not true, and that even in part of the Qu'ran, it says that Jesus died. He told them that he was a follower of Jesus and would not be turned.
So after a long time, and not being able to attend church in the morning, the family left Inusah for a while.
That night, when they knew that he would go to night-time Bible studies, they called another meeting. The Imam, told Inusah that he was confused. He had been so faithful, (In the past Inusah would call people to prayers over the loud-speakers, and round-up people to pray), he told him that he even still wanted him to go out and talk to people about Islam with him. ( I think this was just bait, to try and win him back by compliments and money). But, we praise the Lord that Inusah was obedient to the faith. Inusah quoted from the Qu'ran and Bible, trying to witness to them. The Imam said that he had never heard those verses before. Inusah said that if he would get him a English Qu'ran he would read them to him.
Overall the meetings went well. I think that Inusah gave a strong testimony for Christ, and in the end the family did not cut him off. This is very amazing to me. I am not totally sure why they have not. One thing I know is that they know Inusah is stubborn and influentially. I think that they fear if they totally cut him off, that he will be somehow made a hero or martyr. Inusah was very influential with a the young men at his mosque and I think that they fear that he might somehow get more of them this way, they all seem to have a little rebellion in them.
Please continue to pray for Inusah. He seems to be growing. Pray that his future is as bright as it appears at this time. Coming from Islam he has a amazing ability to memorize, pray that these abilities will be yielded to Christ and used for His Glory.
Also pray for our future witnessing. Inusah and I will starting visiting soon on a weekly bases. He is interested in starting to learn how to evangelize. Pray for us as we also seek other opportunities here in Kumasi in the future to work in some of the larger Muslim areas in the city.
Most of people in the United States have little to no understanding of this verse today. The States is a place of tolerance, where even Muslims give way to the Western mindset of tolerance. But for many Christians around the world this is not true. Some lose home, jobs, and even family, and have the great privilege to suffer early for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday was Resurrection Sunday, but to my surprise Inusah did not show up for either morning or evening Bible studies. When I went to check him on Tuesday, I found out why.
Very early on Sunday morning, before the morning prayer calls for the Muslims here, Inusah's family called him for a meeting. The Imam was there, and I think a few others from the mosque. After the family and men prayed the tasbad, (this is the daily prayers of the Muslims five times a day, facing Mecca) they called a meeting.
They told Inusah that they had heard that he had become a Christian, and that he was no longer a follower of Mohammad. (If the reader has every worked with Muslims or known others that have, this is the hardest question that a convert from Islam ever faces). I am very glad to say that Inusah did not yield to fear. It sounded from the conversation with Inusah that God gave him a lot of grace and boldness.
They asked why had converted. To which he replied, that he had be a Muslim his whole life, and it had never changed him, it would never change him or help him, and he had found that change and it happened by coming to Christ. He told them that the Qu'ran says that if a person has questions they are to go to the People of the Book (this is Christians for those that do not know Qu'ran lengo). He told them that there was only one way to Paradise. The two thieves on the cross both had a choice to make, one did not trust in Jesus, and went to Hell. The other trusted in Jesus, and was told that when he died he would be in Paradise with Jesus. Inusah told them that he had chosen Christ.
The Imam told Inusah that the Bible was full of lies, that the white men changed it, and it was not to be trusted. Inusah told him, if it was not trustworthy, why did Mohammad praise it in the Qu'ran. He told them that the ten commandments give no hope, a man can never be good enough to gain heaven, and that Jesus was the only way. The Imam said that Paul lied and just spoke of his own dreams and ideas. Inusah said that the Bible says that no one can take away or add to the Bible without Gods punishment upon them.
They told him that Jesus never died, but Allah put the face of Jesus on Judas, and they killed Judas. Inusah told them that that was not true, and that even in part of the Qu'ran, it says that Jesus died. He told them that he was a follower of Jesus and would not be turned.
So after a long time, and not being able to attend church in the morning, the family left Inusah for a while.
That night, when they knew that he would go to night-time Bible studies, they called another meeting. The Imam, told Inusah that he was confused. He had been so faithful, (In the past Inusah would call people to prayers over the loud-speakers, and round-up people to pray), he told him that he even still wanted him to go out and talk to people about Islam with him. ( I think this was just bait, to try and win him back by compliments and money). But, we praise the Lord that Inusah was obedient to the faith. Inusah quoted from the Qu'ran and Bible, trying to witness to them. The Imam said that he had never heard those verses before. Inusah said that if he would get him a English Qu'ran he would read them to him.
Overall the meetings went well. I think that Inusah gave a strong testimony for Christ, and in the end the family did not cut him off. This is very amazing to me. I am not totally sure why they have not. One thing I know is that they know Inusah is stubborn and influentially. I think that they fear if they totally cut him off, that he will be somehow made a hero or martyr. Inusah was very influential with a the young men at his mosque and I think that they fear that he might somehow get more of them this way, they all seem to have a little rebellion in them.
Please continue to pray for Inusah. He seems to be growing. Pray that his future is as bright as it appears at this time. Coming from Islam he has a amazing ability to memorize, pray that these abilities will be yielded to Christ and used for His Glory.
Also pray for our future witnessing. Inusah and I will starting visiting soon on a weekly bases. He is interested in starting to learn how to evangelize. Pray for us as we also seek other opportunities here in Kumasi in the future to work in some of the larger Muslim areas in the city.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Hind Sight is 20/20
It is always amazing to me how God can take the things that we think are annoying, frustrating, or bad, and make them work together for good. I have seen this happen before, but it still amazes me.
Well, we had another very personal and wonderful lesson about this again this week. We got back from Bible study last night around 9:30pm. Every one was tired like usual, and when the taxi pulled into our street, I heard the one thing that I hate to hear at night here, the generator was on at the hotel next store. Our lights where off!
Now for us this was one of the first things that God used on us when we came here, and we have really gotten used to it. But, we have been spoiled lately. I think that our power has been on for three weeks straight. Anyway, we started the regular power out at night routine, move the girls mattress and bed into our room where it is cooler, turn on the rechargeable lamps, and pray that the lights come on, or that it rains so that it is cool, and you can sleep. Well, I was laying there trying to be comfortable, frustrated, the girls where not sleeping, and I asked God: 'why do the lights have to be off tonight?' I never knew how important it could be for the lights to go off.
Well, Ella and I finally fell asleep, but Carey and Patty stayed awake, or should I say Carey kept Patty awake. Carey said that she was afraid and wanted mom to lay next to her, and after some time of talking Patty told her that if she was afraid that she could pray to God and ask her not to be afraid. Well, Carey thought about that for a while. Then Patty said that she bowed her head and prayed, "Jesus, please forgive me for all my sins, and wash me with your blood, I believe Jesus died for me, thank you!" Well, needless to say, Patty was stunned. She asked Carey why she had prayed that and Carey said that she was afraid of going to hell, and needed forgiveness. After talking for a while Patty felt that she had a firm understanding of everything. Patty said that the best part was after Carey seemed to be at peace. After blowing out the candles she just laid in her bed singing 'Jesus Loves Me'.
I was oblivious to the whole thing. The next morning I was in my office praying when Carey came out and said, 'Dad I prayed to Jesus last night, and He washed my sins away, so I am going to heaven.' We got to talk, and I could she that she was really happy. I have prayed since my daughter was born that she would trust Christ, and I never thought that the power going out would be so important.
You know if we are not careful we start to wish that we can remove the hard things in life, but the truth is that I am starting to learn that they really are a gift. Like last night, some times they give God the chance to do amazing things, that you praise Him for after, and sometimes I think that they are given to us to grow through. I do know one thing: they make life all the better. It is like the Moracon food we have come to love here, the spicy always makes the sweet more wonderful.
I just want to say: Thank you God for letting the lights go out for 12 hours on October 17th 2008, the day my daughter got SAVED!
Well, we had another very personal and wonderful lesson about this again this week. We got back from Bible study last night around 9:30pm. Every one was tired like usual, and when the taxi pulled into our street, I heard the one thing that I hate to hear at night here, the generator was on at the hotel next store. Our lights where off!
Now for us this was one of the first things that God used on us when we came here, and we have really gotten used to it. But, we have been spoiled lately. I think that our power has been on for three weeks straight. Anyway, we started the regular power out at night routine, move the girls mattress and bed into our room where it is cooler, turn on the rechargeable lamps, and pray that the lights come on, or that it rains so that it is cool, and you can sleep. Well, I was laying there trying to be comfortable, frustrated, the girls where not sleeping, and I asked God: 'why do the lights have to be off tonight?' I never knew how important it could be for the lights to go off.
Well, Ella and I finally fell asleep, but Carey and Patty stayed awake, or should I say Carey kept Patty awake. Carey said that she was afraid and wanted mom to lay next to her, and after some time of talking Patty told her that if she was afraid that she could pray to God and ask her not to be afraid. Well, Carey thought about that for a while. Then Patty said that she bowed her head and prayed, "Jesus, please forgive me for all my sins, and wash me with your blood, I believe Jesus died for me, thank you!" Well, needless to say, Patty was stunned. She asked Carey why she had prayed that and Carey said that she was afraid of going to hell, and needed forgiveness. After talking for a while Patty felt that she had a firm understanding of everything. Patty said that the best part was after Carey seemed to be at peace. After blowing out the candles she just laid in her bed singing 'Jesus Loves Me'.
I was oblivious to the whole thing. The next morning I was in my office praying when Carey came out and said, 'Dad I prayed to Jesus last night, and He washed my sins away, so I am going to heaven.' We got to talk, and I could she that she was really happy. I have prayed since my daughter was born that she would trust Christ, and I never thought that the power going out would be so important.
You know if we are not careful we start to wish that we can remove the hard things in life, but the truth is that I am starting to learn that they really are a gift. Like last night, some times they give God the chance to do amazing things, that you praise Him for after, and sometimes I think that they are given to us to grow through. I do know one thing: they make life all the better. It is like the Moracon food we have come to love here, the spicy always makes the sweet more wonderful.
I just want to say: Thank you God for letting the lights go out for 12 hours on October 17th 2008, the day my daughter got SAVED!
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