Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Praise the Lord for this first day of March. One of my favorite verses is found in Romans 8:37, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through the One who loved us."
The disasters, disappointments, tribulations, and trials we face in this life on earth are not intended to separate us from Christ but to bring us closer to Him. All these masses of evil things are utterly incapable of keeping a Christian from being a glorious conqueror. The Christian becomes a conqueror not in spite of them but because of them. It is written, "in all these things." We conquer in all the strife of life. The Bible does not simply say that we conquer in or through them, "but we more than conquer." The balance is not just barely tipped to our side. There is no hair breath victory granted here. Our triumph is not snatched out of the jaws of defeat. Our victory corresponds to the victory of Christ on the Cross. Notice also that the victory is not won in far off heaven but right now in the midst of life and strife. All the affliction patiently endured and overcome make us stronger, brings us nearer to Jesus Christ, and makes us more Christ-like.
It is written, "through the One Who Loved us.". Jesus Christ, in His death, conquered sin and in His resurrection overcame death. The bedrock of our Christian faith is the unmerited, fathomless marvel of the love of God exhibited on the Cross of Calvary. The Love of the Cross is love we never can and never will merit. It is written that we are more than conquerors in all these things through Jesus who loved us and who still loves us. He makes us super-victors, with a joy and growth we would not have but for the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.
FANNY CROSBY, composer of thousands of songs, was truly more than a conqueror. When she was only 6 weeks old, faulty treatment of an eye infection resulted in lifelong blindness. By age 8, having fought and won over discouragement, she wrote this poem:
The disasters, disappointments, tribulations, and trials we face in this life on earth are not intended to separate us from Christ but to bring us closer to Him. All these masses of evil things are utterly incapable of keeping a Christian from being a glorious conqueror. The Christian becomes a conqueror not in spite of them but because of them. It is written, "in all these things." We conquer in all the strife of life. The Bible does not simply say that we conquer in or through them, "but we more than conquer." The balance is not just barely tipped to our side. There is no hair breath victory granted here. Our triumph is not snatched out of the jaws of defeat. Our victory corresponds to the victory of Christ on the Cross. Notice also that the victory is not won in far off heaven but right now in the midst of life and strife. All the affliction patiently endured and overcome make us stronger, brings us nearer to Jesus Christ, and makes us more Christ-like.
It is written, "through the One Who Loved us.". Jesus Christ, in His death, conquered sin and in His resurrection overcame death. The bedrock of our Christian faith is the unmerited, fathomless marvel of the love of God exhibited on the Cross of Calvary. The Love of the Cross is love we never can and never will merit. It is written that we are more than conquerors in all these things through Jesus who loved us and who still loves us. He makes us super-victors, with a joy and growth we would not have but for the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.
FANNY CROSBY, composer of thousands of songs, was truly more than a conqueror. When she was only 6 weeks old, faulty treatment of an eye infection resulted in lifelong blindness. By age 8, having fought and won over discouragement, she wrote this poem:
Oh, what a happy soul am I!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented shall be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot-and I won't!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented shall be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot-and I won't!
Instead of weeping and sighing, Fanny Crosby dedicated her blindness to God. Out of her rich Christian experience she composed numerous gospel hymns. In her testimonial song "Blessed Assurance," she seemed to forget that she was blind. Phrases like "Visions of rapture now burst on my sight" or "Watching and waiting; looking above"expressed what she called "a foretaste of glory divine."
Do you long to know and apply her secret? While many of us seek Christ for what we can get, Fanny Crosby sought Christ for what she could become through Him. She became more than a conqueror (8:37). Even through times of extreme distress, God's grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), "For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day."
Do you long to know and apply her secret? While many of us seek Christ for what we can get, Fanny Crosby sought Christ for what she could become through Him. She became more than a conqueror (8:37). Even through times of extreme distress, God's grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), "For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day."
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy. To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, sovereignty and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 24 & 25.
In Christ,
Brown
Friday March 2, 2012
Television Outreach
Time Warner Cable Channel 4
Time 7:00 PM
Saturday Evening Worship Service:
Location: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, NY
Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
Time: 6:00 PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012
Speaker: Rev. Brown Naik
Special Music by Laureen Naik,. For information, call 607-748-6329
No comments:
Post a Comment