Steps of Faith

The following are some recent meditations of mine that I want to share with you: Paul in Romans 12:1 and 2 is beseeching (urging) all believers to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Looking in the church, I do not see that happening, perhaps because we Americans are always more conscious of our "rights." But there appear to be four steps mentioned in those two verses (reasonable, good, acceptable by us, and then perfect). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1, 2 NKJ version)

REASONABLE - I am sure there are babes in Christ who do not think it reasonable for them to give God anything. After all, is He not our Santa Claus in the sky, who needs nothing and who is supposed to be always giving us stuff? When love starts to grow, and we start to desire (love) God with our all our heart, soul, mind and strength, only then it becomes reasonable to pour out some blessings and praises on Him. When Jesus is truly Lord, it has become most reasonable that I should listen carefully to whatever is His heart for me and then to do what He says. There is a throne is in my heart, and He deserves to sit there and to reign on it. He paid the price.

GOOD - "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, just and good," says Romans 7:12. But how long does it take us to admit that God's will is actually good? Not very long. We admit that God is good, and that He knows best, while we recognize that we are the sinners, the ones who fail. We hope that God will keep on overlooking our failures until we are ready to give in.

ACCEPTABLE - "Acceptable" suggests that we are now ready to sign on the dotted line, to be saying that I approve of what God is doing in me, finally. So I am going to keep this agreement. I will say "Yes, Lord" to each of His new requests. It is a big decision. All things work together for good to those that love God. I know that Romans 8:28 verse, so I have decided to accept even trials as coming from the hand of God, or at least with His permission. I accept it all, the whole ball of wax. It is settled. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard (our) hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:7) There is one more step and this one, I think, comes by a sudden revelation.

PERFECT - This will of God-- it is, well, perfect! I would not want anything else. I was suspicious for awhile, and so foolish not to put both feet onto God's faith band wagon. The just shall live by faith, and now I am really living. Praise the Lord. He is so wonderful. I cannot say anything more.

Roy

You can Smuggle Bibles

You can smuggle Bibles

Many years ago Richard Wurmbrand smuggled Bibles into Romania while it was controlled by Russia.  This was illegal, but pastor Wurmbrand knew that the Bibles were needed by the underground church of Romania, so getting them into their hands was important to the work of Christ.  Sometimes God’s commands will override what our governments are telling to do or not to do.

Wurmbrand was the one, I believe, who would walk backwards through the snow at night with his pack of Bibles.  That way, when the authorities discovered his footprints, they would suppose that he had left the country rather than having just come into it.

Now you can become a Bible smuggler, through a program of Voice of the Martyrs using the international mail system.  This was announced on the back page of their excellent newsletter in the November, 2005 issue.

Christians in other nations are quietly collecting a list of addresses in their countries so that they can reach their neighbors for Christ.  Those in our country who wish to mail five or more Bibles or New Testaments per month to people in a Bible-starved country will receive those books, plus the addresses, prepaid postage and instructions for mailing them.  I understand that it will also be possible to track their delivery online, and also to receive notice of their impact..

The program goes into effect in early 2006.  If you should like to participate, you really need to be receiving the Voice of the Martyrs free monthly newsletter. This will keep you aware of any further details.  Request it at www.persecution.com or email thevoice@vom-usa.org

Someone has said that a bald
head is a sign of a great thinker.
They say that grass does not grow
where there is much activity.

George Muller: the Secret of His Power

George Müller: the Secret of His Power


Many of us are familiar with the remarkable life of George Müller of Bristol, and how God miraculously supplied needs at his orphanages through his simple trust in God.  But we may not have heard the story of how the Bible became a living book to him.  Andrew Murray writes this short italicized introduction to Müller’s own testimony;

It was at Teignmouth that he was led to know how to use God’s word, and to trust the Holy Spirit as the teacher given by God to make that word clear.  He writes:

“God then began to show me that the word of God alone is our standard of judgment in spiritual things, that it can be explained only by the Holy Spirit …in our day, as well as in former times.  He is the Teacher of His people…

“The Lord enabled me to put it to the test of experience, by laying aside commentaries, and almost every other book and simply reading the word of God and studying it.

“The result of this was, that the first evening that I shut myself into my room, to give myself to prayer and meditation over the Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a period of several months previously.

“But the particular difference was that I received real strength for my soul in so doing.  I now began to try by the test of Scriptures the things which I had learned and seen, and found that only those principles which stood the test were of real value.”*

Studying the Bible may sound like a very dry pursuit, especially to the many who are still outside of Christ.  They sometimes say that the Bible makes no sense at all to them.  But after they become born again into God’s family all of this changes.  I believe it is because the Holy Spirit then becomes our instructor and tutor.  God our Creator intended that all of His humans should understand spiritual things, but He only gives the gift of understanding to those who decide that they want to know Him.  Theirs are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

                         * quoted from The Berean Call, Sept 2005 edition

About Pilate

About Pilate.

If you have ever read John chapters 18 and 19, did you get the sense that Pilate, when he was questioning Jesus, came right up to the very door of becoming a believer in him before he backed off and ordered his execution? I find this very interesting. How different it would have been if Pilate had acted on his convictions and protected Jesus from the angry Jewish crowd-- like another Roman ruler protected his prisoner apostle Paul from being ambushed and killed.

Pilate was often in trouble with his emperor Tiberias for mismanagement and unjustified cruelties. Once (see Luke 13:1) Jesus was told about how Pilate mingled the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. So the Jewish priests and scribes expected to have no trouble at all in getting Pilate to crucify Jesus.

He was awakened in the middle of the night with their demands. After their weak accusations, Pilate's personal examination of Jesus went something like this:

Pilate:  "Are you the king of the Jews?"
Jesus:  "Are you asking this because you heard something about me?"
Pilate:  "Absolutely not -- your own nation is against you.  Why is this?"
            "What have you done that makes the crowd so angry with you?"
Jesus:  "My kingdom is [presently] not of this world."
Pilate:  "Then you ARE some kind of a king."
Jesus:  "Right, because I bear witness to the truth.  Those who are of the truth will hear me and
            obey me."
Pilate:  "What is truth?  I see no value in it."  [Success by deceit has worked better for me.]
             "Don't you know that I have the power to crucify you or to release you?"
Jesus:  "You would have no power at all unless it were given you from above."

By this time Pilate wants nothing to do with this honest man who also seems to have connections with heaven. He desperately seeks to convince the Jews that Jesus should be released. Pilate's own wife adds to his hidden panic, explaining that she "suffered many things today in a dream" because of Jesus.

Three times he insists to the Jews, "But I find no fault in him at all," but they keep putting on the pressure. They are even threatening to tell the emperor if Pilate would not crucify a man who even suggested that he was a king.

Finally in desperation, Pilate brings a bowl of water and washes his hands before the crowd. "I am washing my hands of the blood of this innocent man," he said. The crowd then cries out, "His blood be upon us and our children." So he gives in to their desires.

Did Pilate ever reconsider his actions after that eventful night? I find only one small hint that he may have repented. The Abyssinian church later "made him a saint" based on flimsy evidence that before his death Pilate prayed to Jesus for forgiveness. If this were so, it would be a most remarkable conversion. In that case, I would like to visit with Pilate after I get to heaven.