A Salvation Story

 

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church’s pastor once again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave a very brief introduction of his childhood friend.

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit to speak, “A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast,” he began, “when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean.”

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.

He continued, “Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life….to which boy he would throw the other end of the line. He only had seconds to make the decision.

The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, ‘I love you, son!’ he threw the line to his son’s friend. By the time he pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered.”

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting for the next words to come out of the old man’s mouth.

“The father,” he continued, “knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us.”

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.

Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man’s side. “That was a nice story,” politely started one of the boys, “but I don’t think it was very realistic for a father to give up his son’s life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian.”

“Well, you’ve got a point there,” the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and he once again looked up at the boys and said, “It sure isn’t very realistic, is it? But I’m standing here today to tell you that THAT story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me.”

“You see….I was that father, and your pastor was my son’s friend.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. – Romans 14:7

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

The Lesson of the Coffee Beans

 

The Lesson of the Coffee Beans

A daughter complained to her father about how hard things were for her. “As soon as I solve one problem,” she said, “another one comes up. I’m tired of struggling.” Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen where he filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second, eggs, and in the last, ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After a while, he went over and turned off the burners. He fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He poured the coffee into a bowl. Turning to her he asked, “Darling, what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled, as she tasted its rich flavour.

ALSO READ  A Lesson in Humility

She asked, “What does it mean, Father?” He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg was fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. By being in the boiling water, they changed the water.

He asked his daughter, “When adversity knocks on your door, which are you?”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. – Romans 5:3-5

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

How to See Farther Than Others

 

..How to See Farther Than Others

. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; – Revelation 4:1-2

In life, what we see plays an important role in what we turn out to be as well as the extent of what we attain. Vision is an indicator of the possibilities that are attainable. That is why a popular saying holds that ‘seeing is believing;’ what you see is often what you get.

Vision is the difference between those that approach everyday life with energy and gusto as against those who go it with trepidation and uncertainty. Vision separates the high-fliers from the also-rans. The difference between these two categories of people is the vision they have about life, themselves, and the future. That is why eyes that look are many, but eyes that see are not common. It takes something extra to see beyond common sight and project into the future to see what will be, so you are adequately prepared and rightly positioned to take advantage of it when it comes.

That something extra is attained by “going up” or getting into the spirit. As the passage above highlights, the writer of the Book of Revelation was invited up so that he could see the things that would happen thereafter; and in the same breath, he found himself transported into the spirit realm where things were revealed to him.

If you must see the solutions to the problems of your time, or see farther than your contemporaries to know where opportunities are which you can exploit to put you ahead, then you must cultivate the habit of constantly going up and getting into the spirit.

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

Also read:

• A Greater Power Watching
• The Much Awaited Person
• Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body

Service: Will You Be Counted?

 

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. – Nehemiah 3:1

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, at the permission of King Artaxerxes, to rebuild the ruins of the city, many people teamed up with him to do the work. The entire Chapter 3 of the book of Nehemiah contains an account of individuals and families that took it upon themselves to participate in the rebuilding process, and what each of them did.

As it was in the days of Nehemiah, there are several God’s projects ongoing all around us or are begging for implementation. The question to you is, if the record of those who are actively engaged in the work of God in your church, locality or operational base is being written, will your name be there? Will you be counted among those who are faithful in service or committed to the work of God?

It is not the clergies alone that are called to do the good works, every one of us is. The Bible says, “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Now God’s work is not restricted to preaching alone. There are many ways we can be useful to God without mounting the pulpit. Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. – Nehemiah 3:1

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, at the permission of King Artaxerxes, to rebuild the ruins of the city, many people teamed up with him to do the work. The entire Chapter 3 of the book of Nehemiah contains an account of individuals and families that took it upon themselves to participate in the rebuilding process, and what each of them did.

As it was in the days of Nehemiah, there are several God’s projects ongoing all around us or are begging for implementation. The question to you is, if the record of those who are actively engaged in the work of God in your church, locality or operational base is being written, will your name be there? Will you be counted among those who are faithful in service or committed to the work of God?

It is not the clergies alone that are called to do the good works, every one of us is. The Bible says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Now God’s work is not restricted to preaching alone. There are many ways we can be useful to God without mounting the pulpit.

We are supposed to be the hand through which God reaches out, and the leg with which He walks. He didn’t create any of us to be mere spectators; rather, we are here to glorify His name through our exploits and manifestation. And you do not do those by being idle.

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

A Greater Power Watching

 There was a nature show on television about a black bear that gave birth to two cubs. One cub died right away. Three weeks later the mother died and the remaining cub was left to fend for itself. An orphaned cub in that condition is like a walking buffet for predators. And, of course, the camera immediately showed a hungry-looking mountain lion.

One day the orphan cub encountered a giant male black bear. The little cub cowered at the bear’s sheer mass. The larger bear peered around and seemed to realize that the mother bear wasn’t anywhere to be found. He gave the little cub a friendly nudge. The camera then showed the little bear happily trailing along after the larger one. The adoption papers were signed, sealed and registered at the county seat in that nudge. Papa bear proceeded to show the cub how to grub for insects and how to catch fish and how to scratch his back against a tree.

One day, the two bears became separated. The cub began to cry and looked frantically for his new father, but couldn’t find him anywhere. The cub approached a stream where he’d learned to fish and something caught his attention. He looked up to see a mountain lion ready to pounce. That same mountain lion had stalked the cub for the entire show. There was no way that mountain lion would’ve gone for that cub with Papa bear around, but now….

The camera zoomed in on the cub. He automatically mimicked the posture of his adopted father when threatened. He stood on his hind legs and bared his teeth. Then, in the exactly the same way his new father would have done, this cub let loose a mighty growl that should have reverberated throughout the forest. But, only a tiny bear cub’s squeak came out.

Well, you know what was coming. But, to everybody’s astonishment, the mountain lion lowered his head and ran off in the opposite direction.

The camera panned back to the proud little cub still standing tall on his hind legs. And then all the viewers saw what that little cub could not: a few yards behind him, at full, ferocious height, his sharp, white teeth bared in a snarl, stood Daddy bear. He may not have made a sound, but he was there.

And even though the cub couldn’t see his father, his father stood guard, protecting his young. The little cub had power available greater than anything he could produce on his own. There was a greater power watching over him.

It is the same thing for us children of God. Even though we may not see Him or feel Him; God is nevertheless jealously watching over us and is ever up to the task whenever there is a threat to our lives or wellbeing from any corner; signalling at the enemies to stay away from us.

— Author Unknown 

Meditation: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. – 1 John 4:4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Understanding the Spirit, Soul and Body (1)

 

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Thessalonians 5:23

In the following days, we shall meditate on the much confusing issue of the spirit, soul and body of man. We will explore the differences between these entities, their individual operations and functions, how each can be enhanced and cultivated, as well as the final destination for each of them.

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” The Bible later introduced God to us as a tripartite Being: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). Therefore, when God set out to create humans in His image and likeness, He also made a tripartite creature, just like Himself. He created a spirit being who has a soul and lives in or operates through a body.

Some scholars usually interpret the spirit and soul to mean the same thing or perform the same functions. No, they are not the same, nor do they do the same thing. As our reference scripture above states, the spirit, soul and body are separate entities, and they perform distinct functions unique to each of them.

The spirit is the entity that animates the body and supplies it with the energy to live. It gives life (read John 6:63 and 2 Corinthians 3:6). Blood is the tangible representation of the spirit. That is why the Bible says ‘the life of every creature is in its blood’ (Leviticus 17:11, 14). Once a creature is drained of blood, the spirit departs from such being and he/she/it becomes a lifeless body.

To be continued…

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Holding Pattern

 

Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to “swallow us up.” This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can’t move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us.

God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interference, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.

When we’re deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

Here are few of God’s holding patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but God has not healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern

2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.

3. When you have been praying for the salvation of a loved one and they have not been saved yet, you are in a holding pattern.

4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.

5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them, you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no mountains high enough, valleys low enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him. We must remember to praise Him while we’re waiting and remember three things:

1. The pattern has a purpose.

2. The pattern has a plan.

3. The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He’ll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, “I love you.”

Prayer: Father, forgive my unbelief. I know You Love me and will turn anything around to benefit me. You have planned nothing for me but victories and I am ready to receive them regardless of how difficult the path. Amen

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!