TODAY'S QUOTE

 

“The more we hustle and rush to 

accomplish things for God in our

flesh, the more his power drains

out of us.”

- Gary Wilkerson -

TOO SMART FOR OUR OWN GOOD.

 

TOO SMART FOR OUR OWN GOOD.

Around sixty years ago when I really began

to dig into the study of the Bible I remember

wanting to be the smartest one in the group

or Church about the Bible.  [I would not have

admitted it.]. I began to learn all the neat 

theological terms and positions.  I wanted to 

know it all.

But do you know what?

I never once healed anybody.

I never once drove out a demon.

I never once performed a miracle.

But I knew some big words.

Over the years I have read far and wide.

Yes, God still words miracles.  God still

heals people.  God still drives our demons.

But it seems that most of the time it is where

the people are just simple minded people.

They just simply believe God and take Him

at His word.  And then God works.

Perhaps that is why the Apostle Paul said;

"Our dedication to Christ makes

us look like fools, but you claim to

be so wise in Christ!  We are weak,

but you are so powerful!  You are

honored, but we are ridiculed."

(1 Corinthians 4:10 NLT)

I think that is why Jesus attitude is beginning

to become so alluring to me when he said;

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn

from your sins and become like little

children, you will never get into the

Kingdom of Heaven."

(Matthew 18:3 NLT)

[I know, I have quoted it before and will again.]

OH!

On a closing note.

By now God has seen fit to perform some

pure miracles on my behalf and it was 

not because I was smart, even about the 

Bible.

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Then Jesus said,

'Come to me, all of you who are weary

and carry heavy burdens, and I will

give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.

Let me teach you, because I am humble

and gentle at heart, and you will find

rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy

to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'"

(Matthew 28:30 NLT)

 

FRIENDS

Here are some men that completely amaze me.

They all are outstanding men of God.  They lived

in different periods of time.  If you want to get 

theological, they lived in different so called dispensations.

Supposedly they did not have the advantages of the

Holy Spirit that is available to us today.  Yet, they

excelled as men of God.

"Enoch lived 365 years, walking in

close fellowship with God.  Then

one day he disappeared, because

God took him." 

(Genesis 5:24 NLT)

We don't know anything about Enoch's life.

He may never have preached a sermon, BUT,

Enoch lived is such close fellowship with God

that God out of love for Enoch simply took

him to heaven with out him even dying.

Then there is Abraham, 

God's friend.

""And so it happened just as the Scriptures

say: 'Abraham believed God, and God

counted him as righteous because of his 

faith.'  He was even called the friend of

God."

(James 2:23 NLT)

And David.

David was very human.  David messed up.

But if you will read through the life of David

and his writings in the Psalms you know that

David lived a life longing for God.

"But God removed Saul and replaced him

with David, a man about whom God said,

'I have found David son of Jesse, a man

after my own heart.  He will do everything

I want him to do.'"

(Acts 13:22 NLT)

And of course Elijah.

Elijah was used of God to perform a number

of miracles and when his time came God 

sent a fiery chariot to take him home to 

heaven.  But my point here as you can see

is that Elijah was just as human as you and I.

But God was first with him.

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person

has great power and produces wonderful

results.  Elijah was as human as we are,

and yet when he prayed earnestly that no

rain would fall, none fell for three and a 

half years!  Then, when he prayed again,

the sky sent down rain and the earth began

to yield its crops."

(James 5:16b - 18 NLT). 

If we were walking in as close a friendship

or fellowship with God as these guys were

we would be turning the world upside down

like the Apostles did.

We simply are too involved with the World

and the attitudes and affairs of this life.

We need to get into a real close friendship

with God.

"Come close to God, and God will come

close to you.  Wash your hands, you

sinners; purify you hearts, for your

loyalty is divided between God and 

the world."

(James 4:8 NLT)

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

“One of the greatest mistakes that has

been made in our intellectual culture

has been the ignoring of the spirit.

Knowledge of our intellects has taken

the throne, and our spirits have been

locked away in a prison.

Consequently we are continually making

mistakes because our spirit which should

guide us is not permitted to function.”

- E. W. Kenyon

 

 

DISCIPLES

 

Jesus spent a lot of time in Luke chapter 14

telling us to count the cost of being a disciple.

A disciple of course is a "a pupil or follower ..."

Then he sums it up saying that a disciple of

his will be giving up everything he owns.

We are quick to point at some of the popular

preachers who are rich and call them hypocrites.

Some have mansions or multiple homes along

with their fine cars and large bank accounts.

But Jesus who they profess to follow, or be 

disciples of, did not even own a place to sleep.

But how about you and I.  Am I professing to 

be a Christian or follower of Christ while all the

time spending all my efforts to improve my own

comfort or life style?

TODAY'S PROMISE

 

"The message of the cross is foolish

to those who are headed for 

destruction!  But we who are being

saved know it is the very power of

God.  As the Scriptures say, 

'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise 

and discard the intelligence of the 

intelligent.'

So where does this leave the phi-

losophers, the scholars, and the 

world's brilliant debaters?  God 

has made the wisdom of this 

world look foolish." 

(1 Corinthians 1:18 - 20 NLT)