Just after Peter had confessed that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus blessed him for his divinely inspired declaration and said,
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”
(Matthew 16:15-19)
I have never forgotten evangelist Doug Newton’s application of Jesus’ promise. Our words, he said, can be keys that unlock the kingdom for another person. In a sermon on “the ministry of certainty,” Doug spoke of the many ways people are imprisoned inwardly, locked behind doors of fear and uncertainty and discouragement. They’re asking questions like,
• “What should I do?” They long for guidance.
• “Am I able? Do I have what it takes?” They doubt their ability.
• “How am I doing?” They question their effectiveness.
If we listen more closely, we just may hear these – and other - silent questions crying out from the lives around us. Children, parents, pastors, church workers, spouses, and friends need to hear answers, and our Spirit-prompted words can be like a key that unlocks the kingdom for them.
Haven’t you experienced it yourself? You were a monument of uncertainty until someone spoke just what you needed to hear, and it was as though a locked door swung open. You understood a spiritual secret you had never grasped before, or received assurance that dispelled doubt, or suddenly saw with clarity what God wanted you to do, and a whole new vista opened up before you.
Then how do we find the “key” that someone else needs? The prophet Isaiah knew the secret:
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4).
Our “instructed tongue” learns what to speak only by listening to the Teacher. The Sovereign Lord alone can awaken us to the need and the needed word. By spending time at His feet, we’ll be able to find the key that turns the lock and opens the door for someone full of uncertainty today.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
These are the wise sayings of Solomon...
A manual for living, for learning what's right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
there's something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn...
(Proverbs 1:1-5, The Message)
Pastor Rick's new Sunday morning sermon series focuses on
a book of the Bible that deserves a closer look than we Christians
usually give it. Proverbs is chock full of compact but powerful
messages, making this a sermon series that deserves a little
homework! There are a lot of ways to delve deeper into
Solomon's sayings:
1. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs - perfect
for a month-long daily devotional reading.
2. Or do this as a month-long devotional project with your
family. If you have children or teens, use an easy-to-understand
version (The Message, The Living Bible, etc.), and encourage
discussion following the reading. Give out challenges to
research": What six things does God hate? Name four things
that are small but extremely wise...
3. Do a topical study (a good concordance is helpful) on one of
the themes of Proverbs, such as:
wisdom vs. foolishness
purity and self-discipline vs. immorality
laziness vs. diligence
pride vs. humility
honesty vs. deceit
control of the tongue
parental responsibility
and, of course, the virtues of a good wife!
4. When the Spirit impresses a particular proverb on you,
stop there! Copy it onto an index card or piece of paer and
put it where you can refer to it frequently throughout the
day. Memorize it. Prayerfully meditate on it. What is
God saying to you? How can you cooperate?
Here's our opportunity to read and heed Solomon's
inspired "manual for living." A word to the wise
is sufficient...
A manual for living, for learning what's right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
there's something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn...
(Proverbs 1:1-5, The Message)
Pastor Rick's new Sunday morning sermon series focuses on
a book of the Bible that deserves a closer look than we Christians
usually give it. Proverbs is chock full of compact but powerful
messages, making this a sermon series that deserves a little
homework! There are a lot of ways to delve deeper into
Solomon's sayings:
1. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs - perfect
for a month-long daily devotional reading.
2. Or do this as a month-long devotional project with your
family. If you have children or teens, use an easy-to-understand
version (The Message, The Living Bible, etc.), and encourage
discussion following the reading. Give out challenges to
research": What six things does God hate? Name four things
that are small but extremely wise...
3. Do a topical study (a good concordance is helpful) on one of
the themes of Proverbs, such as:
wisdom vs. foolishness
purity and self-discipline vs. immorality
laziness vs. diligence
pride vs. humility
honesty vs. deceit
control of the tongue
parental responsibility
and, of course, the virtues of a good wife!
4. When the Spirit impresses a particular proverb on you,
stop there! Copy it onto an index card or piece of paer and
put it where you can refer to it frequently throughout the
day. Memorize it. Prayerfully meditate on it. What is
God saying to you? How can you cooperate?
Here's our opportunity to read and heed Solomon's
inspired "manual for living." A word to the wise
is sufficient...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
A Country of Small
February 20, 2007
A recent email from Alliance missionaries David and Evangeline Kindervater was titled, “Thoughts from a missionary in a country of small.”
They wrote: “From 3-slice loaves of bread to tiny bonsai trees that take 50 years to reach their 12-inch height (and $12,000 price), mini-cars, mini-cds and tiny cell phones, Japan is the land
of small. “Churches average 30 members. Half of one percent of Japan are active believers. The church is small and, like the bonsai tree, its growth seems painfully slow.
“When it comes to obeying the Great Commission, who of us wants to be involved in something “small”? Wouldn’t we all love to be working in the lands which are now experiencing great harvests?” Yet the Kindervaters point out that just as all of the heroes of Hebrews 11 died without having seen the promise fulfilled, many today must invest in years of planting and tilling before the harvest can take place. The bottom line is to not only to obey the Great Commission, but foremost, to obey the Great Commissioner.
They know that God has clearly called them to the country of small. Where has He called you and me? We, too, may feel like we’re living in a “country of small” – small abilities, small prayers, small assignments, small prospects, small results. Perhaps you’ve been hearing the enemy’s whisper, “Do you think that little prayer deserves an answer? ... Do you think anyone was helped by that little effort?... How could such a small contribution make much difference?”
God, on the other hand, said to the prophet Zechariah, “Who despises the day of small things?” God valued David’s small smooth stone, Zerubbabel’s plumb line, and a little boy’s barley loaves and two small fish. He calls us to the mustard seed, the narrow road, and the single Pearl of Great Price.
If our big God is not afraid of “the country of small;” we needn’t be, either. It’s often where He chooses to grow His miracles!
A recent email from Alliance missionaries David and Evangeline Kindervater was titled, “Thoughts from a missionary in a country of small.”
They wrote: “From 3-slice loaves of bread to tiny bonsai trees that take 50 years to reach their 12-inch height (and $12,000 price), mini-cars, mini-cds and tiny cell phones, Japan is the land
of small. “Churches average 30 members. Half of one percent of Japan are active believers. The church is small and, like the bonsai tree, its growth seems painfully slow.
“When it comes to obeying the Great Commission, who of us wants to be involved in something “small”? Wouldn’t we all love to be working in the lands which are now experiencing great harvests?” Yet the Kindervaters point out that just as all of the heroes of Hebrews 11 died without having seen the promise fulfilled, many today must invest in years of planting and tilling before the harvest can take place. The bottom line is to not only to obey the Great Commission, but foremost, to obey the Great Commissioner.
They know that God has clearly called them to the country of small. Where has He called you and me? We, too, may feel like we’re living in a “country of small” – small abilities, small prayers, small assignments, small prospects, small results. Perhaps you’ve been hearing the enemy’s whisper, “Do you think that little prayer deserves an answer? ... Do you think anyone was helped by that little effort?... How could such a small contribution make much difference?”
God, on the other hand, said to the prophet Zechariah, “Who despises the day of small things?” God valued David’s small smooth stone, Zerubbabel’s plumb line, and a little boy’s barley loaves and two small fish. He calls us to the mustard seed, the narrow road, and the single Pearl of Great Price.
If our big God is not afraid of “the country of small;” we needn’t be, either. It’s often where He chooses to grow His miracles!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Beyond Our Wildest Dreams
This past Sunday evening much of America - and many overseas - were engrossed in that highest event of the football season: the Super Bowl. Professional athletes from the top teams of NFL’s two divisions met to determine who would take home the bragging rights, the commemorative rings, and the big silver trophy.
But TV viewers looked forward to more than just football that evening. They anticipated the commercials! And those advertisements had their own set of pre-game hype. At around 2.5 million dollars for a thirty-second spot (not including the cost of making the commercial), companies were investing huge amounts in hopes of luring customers. Those ads needed to be eye-catching, heart-tugging, and wallet-loosening. They needed to motivate shoppers and drivers and party-goers to “get out and buy this must-have product!”
Personally, I found most of the commercials a bit less motivating than their creators had planned, and I think many other viewers felt the same way. It was a ton of hype and money to put into a bottle of cola or a package delivery service, and it’s very difficult to believe that those things will deliver the heady rush that the commercials seem to promise...
So it’s comforting to know that there is something that is all it’s touted to be. Something that actually exceeds all we could ask or imagine. In fact, no bank roll could finance a true picture of it; no creative genius could convey its real worth. In her book The God of All Comfort, Hannah Whitall Smith sets things in perspective:
“The kingdom of God could not possibly be overadvertised, nor the Lord Jesus Christ overestimated... All the difficulties arise from the fact that we have underbelieved and undertrusted.”
One glimpse of the Pearl of Great Price motivated the man in Jesus’ story to sell all he had to purchase it. That’s motivation! Have you bought into Him yet? Believe it – He will deliver on His promise beyond our wildest dreams!
But TV viewers looked forward to more than just football that evening. They anticipated the commercials! And those advertisements had their own set of pre-game hype. At around 2.5 million dollars for a thirty-second spot (not including the cost of making the commercial), companies were investing huge amounts in hopes of luring customers. Those ads needed to be eye-catching, heart-tugging, and wallet-loosening. They needed to motivate shoppers and drivers and party-goers to “get out and buy this must-have product!”
Personally, I found most of the commercials a bit less motivating than their creators had planned, and I think many other viewers felt the same way. It was a ton of hype and money to put into a bottle of cola or a package delivery service, and it’s very difficult to believe that those things will deliver the heady rush that the commercials seem to promise...
So it’s comforting to know that there is something that is all it’s touted to be. Something that actually exceeds all we could ask or imagine. In fact, no bank roll could finance a true picture of it; no creative genius could convey its real worth. In her book The God of All Comfort, Hannah Whitall Smith sets things in perspective:
“The kingdom of God could not possibly be overadvertised, nor the Lord Jesus Christ overestimated... All the difficulties arise from the fact that we have underbelieved and undertrusted.”
One glimpse of the Pearl of Great Price motivated the man in Jesus’ story to sell all he had to purchase it. That’s motivation! Have you bought into Him yet? Believe it – He will deliver on His promise beyond our wildest dreams!
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