The Wrong "IF"

Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst believe". — Mark 9:23

A certain man had a demoniac son, who was afflicted with a dumb spirit. The father, having seen the futility of the endeavours of the disciples to heal his child, had little or no faith in Christ, and therefore, when he was bidden to bring his son to him, he said to Jesus, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” 

Now there was an “if” in the question, but the poor trembling father had put the “if” in the wrong place: Jesus Christ, therefore, without commanding him to retract the “if,” kindly puts it in its legitimate position. “Nay, verily,” he seemed to say, “there should be no ‘if’ about my power, nor concerning my willingness, the ‘if’ lies somewhere else.” “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” The man’s trust was strengthened, he offered a humble prayer for an increase of faith, and instantly Jesus spoke the word, and the devil was cast out, with an injunction never to return. There is a lesson here which we need to learn. 

We, like this man, often see that there is an “if” somewhere, but we are perpetually blundering by putting it in the wrong place. “If” Jesus can heal me—“if” he can give me grace to overcome temptation—“if” he can give me pardon—“if” he can make me successful? No. “If” you can believe, he both can and will. You have misplaced your “if.” 

If you can confidently trust, even as all things are possible to Christ, so shall all things be possible to you. 

All things, without limit, are possible to him that believes.

(Based on a KJV devotional)

Testing Jesus

Have you ever tested Jesus? No? Well, think again because at some point in time, we all have.

Here are some thoughts shared by Rev Francis Taylor in her devotional. 

"The Pharisees came to ask Jesus for a sign even though they had witnessed the many miracles of healing he had performed. They had heard him preach and knew the authority with which he did it. Why didn't they believe, what more were they looking for! We declare our belief in Jesus yet we often do the same. In our darkest moments don't we wonder where Jesus is? I know I have said, "Please just let me know you're there?" What about you? We see people pick up pennies from the sidewalk and if the date on it is the same as the birth or death year of someone we love, we think this is a sign that they are in heaven. How different is this from the Pharisees?

Our faith is tested every day. Sometimes it is tested in small ways, sometimes in a big way. It is tested when someone we love is seriously ill or dies. We ask, "Why God? He was a good person, prayed, went to church. Why him?" Or we lose our job just as our children are ready for college. Why me? Wildfires rage and hundreds lose their homes. Storms rage and lives are lost. Haven't you ever wondered how a good God could let things like this happen? We are not that different from the Pharisees. Some people allow the doubts to turn into denial that God exists. The rest of us hang on knowing that God doesn't cause bad things, he helps us get through them".

Sunday Quotes

 

“God’s purpose for my life was that I have a passion for God’s glory and that I have a passion for my joy in that glory, and that these two are one passion.” (Jonathan Edwards)

“What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.” (Hans Urs von Balthasar)

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” (John Wesley)

“We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God.” (Max Lucado)

“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.” (A.W.Tozer)

“Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.” (R.C.Sproul)

“When we are securely rooted in personal intimacy with the source of life, it will be possible to remain flexible without being relativistic, convinced without being rigid, willing to confront without being offensive, gentle and forgiving without being soft, and true witnesses without being manipulative.” (Henri J.M. Nouwen)

“Of all the knowledge that we can ever obtain, the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves, are the most important.” (Jonathan Edwards)

“As the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, so the denial of God is the height of foolishness.” (R.C.Sproul)

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

“Jesus tends to his people individually. He personally sees to our needs. We all receive Jesus' touch. We experience his care.” (Max Lucado)

“Satan is so much more in earnest than we are—he buys up the opportunity while we are wondering how much it will cost.” (Amy Carmichael)

“A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is a humble broken-hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable and full of glory, is a humble broken-hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit, and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior.” (Jonathan Edwards)

“He that loveth little prayeth little, he that loveth much prayeth much.” (St. Augustine)

“I have never met the man I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.” (Oswald Chambers)

“If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider ‘not spiritual work’ I can best help others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” (Amy Carmichael)

“God wants the whole person and He will not rest till He gets us in entirety. No part of the man will do." (A.W.Tozer)

“Truth is the agreement of our ideas with the ideas of God.”

(Jonathan Edwards)

“The Christians are right: it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.” (C.S.Lewis)

“Oh, will you pray? Stop now and pray, lest desire turn to feeling and feeling evaporate.” (Amy Carmichael)

“A truly humble man is sensible of his natural distance from God; of his dependence on Him; of the insufficiency of his own power and wisdom; and that it is by God's power that he is upheld and provided for, and that he needs God's wisdom to lead and guide him, and His might to enable him to do what he ought to do for Him.” (Jonathan Edwards)

As Far as I Can See

Someone recently shared this - 

"I recently had the opportunity to visit a friend, one evening, who lives on the 28th floor of an apartment building. Standing on the balcony I could see the city with a completely new perspective. I was amazed at the expanse of the city, the beauty of the lights and the business of life as cars drive around. I never realized the vast network of roads my city had, nor the greenery nor the number of buildings and looking at the city lights, i wondered at the amount of electricity we consumed in keeping the city alive. Looking at the skyline changed my perspective of the government who provided us all these facilities, the ingenuity of people and of the city itself". 

"And then I thought how limited my vision and understanding were when I was on the ground level. 

It struck me then why it is better to trust in God. He can see much further than I ever can, has a perfect understanding of the world because He created it and can give perfect directions because He can see and understand everything. Like the city God never sleeps. Unlike the city, He sees everything". 

"Standing on that balcony that evening I realized the truth of Proverbs 3 verse 5- 

(Proverbs 3:5) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Because our understanding of things, on the ground floor of this universe, is limited by our vision. Because of this, we not only need to surrender desires but also relinquish control of our decision making to the one who can see all. 

As far as we can see is only the next home. The rest is our imagination, we erroneously call "vision". 

Sunday Quotes

How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts! - Benjamin Franklin
This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from other people. - C.S. Lewis
I believe there are too many practitioners in the church who are not believers.- C.S. Lewis
Every man should keep a fair-sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends.- Henry Ward Beecher
Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.- Charles Spurgeon
Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.- Charles Spurgeon
Experience tells us that each man most keenly and unerringly detects in others the vice with which he is most familiar himself.- Frederick W. Robertson
Steal the hog, and give the feet for alms.- George Herbert
The Pharisees broke Moses' tables into pieces, and, gathering up the fragments, took to themselves what part of duty they pleased, and left the rest alone.- Jeremy Taylor
More than once Jesus deliberately addressed certain issues that quickly diminished the number of onlookers. It was commitment that thinned the ranks. - Chuck Swindoll
Those who please all men at all times ought deservedly to look on themselves with suspicion. - Johann Albrecht Bengel

No devil is so dangerous as the religious devil.- Joseph Hall
Next to hypocrisy in religion, there is nothing worse than hypocrisy in friendship.- Joseph Hall
Testimonies are wonderful. But, so often our lives don’t fit our testimonies.- Leonard Ravenhill

Are You and Asset or a Liability?

Reference: 2 Timothy 2 14-26

Our world revolves around two things - assets and liabilities. We define and classify people around us with these two scales. That is of course in the material world.

In the Christian world, a similar question arises: are we an asset to Christ?

Firstly, let us understand that we are NOT a liability. We, each one of us are valuable to God. Not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of what we have cost.

Second, just because we are not a liability does not mean we are an asset. An asset is something or someone who is useful to the world, people around us and to society at large. As assets we become agents of change for the better.

Last, and following from the above, as assets we become agents of change for God. His word tells us what we need to do, how we must behave and act. How we need to build a relationship with Him as well as the people around us.

That we, become a lighthouse for Him, guiding others to Him. If our light starts to dim, we help each other to brighten it again. That we life a life of praise and thanksgiving, so others want to emulate and experience the peace and joy we are experiencing.

How can we live as an asset? The quoted verses from Paul can be used as guideline. His Word helps us develop ourselves first and the very nature of our spiritual character will show the world around us the truth which we know and have experienced.