Hypocrites and Martyrs

"If anything is clear from the Gospels and the Acts it is that the apostles were sincere. They may have been deceived, if you like, but they were not deceivers. Hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff." - John Stott

Beautiful Harmony

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  (9)  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  (10)  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.  (11)  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  (12)  So death is at work in us, but life in you.

J Vernon McGee once said of this verse, "It was piano craftsman Theodore Steinway who said that it is the forty thousand pounds of pressure exerted on the two hundred forty-five strings of a piano that creates beautiful harmony. Sometimes, it is only the pressure, the persecution we undergo that causes a song to resonate in the hearts of those with whom we share. Paul knew this. That is why he could say, "Good things are happening even in our tribulation and difficulty, for through our hard times, Jesus shines brighter."

Definition of Cult

For those who seem to be confused about what the definition of a "cult" is, which would apparently include most of the American news media, it is any group that attempts to "deny or redefine any or all essential Christian doctrines" and also "claims to possess a new and inspired written scripture that supplements or supersedes the authority of the Bible."

Something to Think About

"I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."

Followers Needed

There is a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."

Sanctified Vessels

Our verse this morning was 2 Timothy 2:22 which says, Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. In regards to this verse, Wiersbe says that in order for God to be able to use us as vessels, we must be empty, clean, and available. He will take us and fill us and use us for His glory. But if we are filled with sin or defiled by disobedience, He will first have to purge us; and that might not be an enjoyable experience. In the "great house" of the professing church, there are true believers and false. We must exercise spiritual discernment and be careful that we are vessels sanctified unto honor.

Hast Thou No Scar?

I read Matthew 5:10 in preparation for my Bible study next Sunday night and it says, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It reminded me of what Amy Carmichael once wrote.

"Hast thou no scar?  No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?  I hear thee sung as mighty in the land, I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star, Hast thou no scar?  Hast thou no wound?  Yet I was wounded by the archers, spend, Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent, By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned: Hast thou no wound?  No wound, no scar?  Yet, as the Master shall the servant be, And, pierced are the feet that follow Me; But thine are whole: can he have followed far Who has no wounds nor scar?"

 

A Call to Ministry

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up." "That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?" "Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, And I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen."

Universe of Nothingness

"When man makes himself and his reason, god over creation, he destroys all meaning in creation and leaves himself a chained and gibbering baboon, sitting in terror on a wired electric chair in the midst of a vast universe of nothingness." - R.J. Rushdoon

One of My All-Time Favorite Songs