Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
from ego to God's flow of life
When you mix inspiration with motivation you get enthusiasm.
When you add to it God’s character and
His leading you will live in a revival.
In our ministry we like to talk about the ‘Word of God revival’.
It’s the precious time when God’s people fall in love with the Bible again.
The enthusiasm of it doesn’t leave any God fearing believer cold.
Selfishness has to go. It’s not in the program.
Egoism always turns inward. Enthusiasm reaches out and embraces life.
Someone said that enthusiasm is no-confrontational. Therefore it
doesn’t create winners and losers.
It is based on inclusion, not exclusion of others.
But moving from the ego world to
the world of enthusiasm means big changes.
It means more responsibilities, giving up something.
It also includes that sweet, but for many so scary, element of risk.
Even revival movements are in danger of parking on the highway.
They start spinning around their own discoverings and inventions and
stop seeking the flow of God’s life.
“You give them something to eat.”
This is an invitation to enthusiasm. (Matthew 14:16)
With this surprising statement Jesus invited his disciples out of their
comfort zone to a revival.
The flow of life was there. They just had to step into it.
When you add to it God’s character and
His leading you will live in a revival.
In our ministry we like to talk about the ‘Word of God revival’.
It’s the precious time when God’s people fall in love with the Bible again.
The enthusiasm of it doesn’t leave any God fearing believer cold.
Selfishness has to go. It’s not in the program.
Egoism always turns inward. Enthusiasm reaches out and embraces life.
Someone said that enthusiasm is no-confrontational. Therefore it
doesn’t create winners and losers.
It is based on inclusion, not exclusion of others.
But moving from the ego world to
the world of enthusiasm means big changes.
It means more responsibilities, giving up something.
It also includes that sweet, but for many so scary, element of risk.
Even revival movements are in danger of parking on the highway.
They start spinning around their own discoverings and inventions and
stop seeking the flow of God’s life.
“You give them something to eat.”
This is an invitation to enthusiasm. (Matthew 14:16)
With this surprising statement Jesus invited his disciples out of their
comfort zone to a revival.
The flow of life was there. They just had to step into it.
God is present
Don’t pretend to solve people’s problems lightly.
Most people frustrate themselves and others trying to
find some kind of final solutions to the struggles of their life
and to the problems of the rest of the world.
Many are humbly just looking for some relief from the pain and
shame they daily encounter.
The problems are there as long as man will be living on this earth.
“The poor you will always have with you.”
No, they are not poor in God’s plan. They are the victims of man’s
fall. We can claim our innocence and talk back to God as much as
we want, but the reality of sin continues to be there.
The sinful man will always be demanding for his needs to be met
and his voice to be heard and obeyed.
We cannot afford to dialogue with the old man.
We have a desperate need to daily shake off the dust from our minds
and shower our spiritual minds with His thoughts.
Yesterday I met an African man whom I have known for over five years.
He used to be a leader of one of the fellowships here.
Now he walks around the streets of Istanbul like a bag man.
He sits in parks and watches the world go by.
What happened?
Yes, maybe he has mental problems. Well, who doesn’t?
He is our brother.
“If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it…” I Cor.12:26
Yes, people’s problems are deep, but God’s love is always deeper.
The blood of Jesus will never lose its power.
The blood that Jesus shed for me,
way back on Calvary;
the blood that gives me strength
from day to day,
it will never lose its power.
It reaches to the highest mountain,
it flows to the lowest valley;
the blood that gives me strength
from day to day,
it will never lose its power.
It soothes my doubts and calms my fears,
and it dries all my tears;
the blood that gives me strength
from day to day,
it will never lose its power.
(song by Andrea Crouch)
Most people frustrate themselves and others trying to
find some kind of final solutions to the struggles of their life
and to the problems of the rest of the world.
Many are humbly just looking for some relief from the pain and
shame they daily encounter.
The problems are there as long as man will be living on this earth.
“The poor you will always have with you.”
No, they are not poor in God’s plan. They are the victims of man’s
fall. We can claim our innocence and talk back to God as much as
we want, but the reality of sin continues to be there.
The sinful man will always be demanding for his needs to be met
and his voice to be heard and obeyed.
We cannot afford to dialogue with the old man.
We have a desperate need to daily shake off the dust from our minds
and shower our spiritual minds with His thoughts.
Yesterday I met an African man whom I have known for over five years.
He used to be a leader of one of the fellowships here.
Now he walks around the streets of Istanbul like a bag man.
He sits in parks and watches the world go by.
What happened?
Yes, maybe he has mental problems. Well, who doesn’t?
He is our brother.
“If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it…” I Cor.12:26
Yes, people’s problems are deep, but God’s love is always deeper.
The blood of Jesus will never lose its power.
The blood that Jesus shed for me,
way back on Calvary;
the blood that gives me strength
from day to day,
it will never lose its power.
It reaches to the highest mountain,
it flows to the lowest valley;
the blood that gives me strength
from day to day,
it will never lose its power.
It soothes my doubts and calms my fears,
and it dries all my tears;
the blood that gives me strength
from day to day,
it will never lose its power.
(song by Andrea Crouch)
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
just laying there
“Behold, a sower went out to sow…” Matthew 13:3
And seemingly he did not do a very good job.
Most of his work was wasted.
75 % of the seed fell to a bad soil.
Some fell by the wayside, some on stony places, some among the thorns.
Why didn’t he sow all the seed to the good ground?
The picture is probably a very realistic description of the world.
There isn’t too much good ground around.
This is a picture of God’s common grace.
He lets the sun shine to the atheist and to the believer all the same.
We can ask some big questions.
Whose responsibility is this work after all, the sower’s or the soil’s?
What is the soil doing to be fruitful?
Basically nothing, just being there, and letting the sower do his work.
That is man’s responsibility.
Just let God do his work in you.
Don’t resist it.
Rejoice when you see even a little sign of life coming out from his seeds.
It’s the privilege of grace.
And seemingly he did not do a very good job.
Most of his work was wasted.
75 % of the seed fell to a bad soil.
Some fell by the wayside, some on stony places, some among the thorns.
Why didn’t he sow all the seed to the good ground?
The picture is probably a very realistic description of the world.
There isn’t too much good ground around.
This is a picture of God’s common grace.
He lets the sun shine to the atheist and to the believer all the same.
We can ask some big questions.
Whose responsibility is this work after all, the sower’s or the soil’s?
What is the soil doing to be fruitful?
Basically nothing, just being there, and letting the sower do his work.
That is man’s responsibility.
Just let God do his work in you.
Don’t resist it.
Rejoice when you see even a little sign of life coming out from his seeds.
It’s the privilege of grace.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
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