Brown's Daily Word 7-31-08

Good Morning,
In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", Pastor Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley (some of you might know that it was Huxley who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity). Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver -"Hurry, I’m almost late ... drive fast". Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you’re going?’ The driver replied "No, your honor, but I am driving very fast’. Following false religions and having false beliefs will take us no where very quickly. When many in the world believe that the Bible, Islam’s Koran, are all teaching the truth, but from different views or various portions of the truth – those who are called out by Christ and are committed to Christ are steadfast in their belief that Jesus Christ is the only Truth.

There is a story of a captain of the ship who looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signal man to send a message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south.” Promptly a return message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north.”The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a 2nd message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am the captain!” Soon another message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am seaman 3rd class Jones.” Immediately the captain sent a 3rd message, knowing the fear it would evoke: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am a battleship!” Then the reply came: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am a light house.” We live in a world that wants Christians to just shut up and hide in a closet. Much of the world wishes that Christians would just go away. The Lord is calling for Christians to be that light house. He is calling us to be that beacon of light, hope, and grace in a dark sea of lost religions. Paul in Colossians 1, is praying for believers, to stand faithful during difficult times. Paul points out 3 fundamental traits of Christian character that should be evident in the life of those in whom the gospel seed has taken root: There are 3 things a Faithful Christian must have: Paul mentions faith, love, and hope - . Our problem is that we put so much of a premium on our ability to understand and comprehend that when we do not understand something we have a tendency to force ourselves to learn what we do not know and sometimes cannot know. It is said that knowledge is power. It seems to me that the Bible teaches that true power comes from faith, love, and hope. This is a triad theme in vs. 3-5. These are foundational in Pauline theology. (1 Cor 13:13). These virtues should be increasingly evident in our lives if the seed is doing what it is supposed to do. Faith begins the process. A true child of God will love other believers. “Faith in Christ purges us of our selfishness and affinity for sinners and gives us a new attraction to the people of God. Our love for fellow Christians is a reflection of His love for us. It is also obedience to His command to “love one another, even as I have loved you” (John 13:34).” (John Mac Aruthur). But the reality is that we sometimes have a problem with love. Too often the believer is not controlled by a memory of God working to redeem in the past. Instead we have memories of betrayal and abandonment from people in our life who have hurt us. Sometimes we feel that way when life doesn’t happen the way we expect and we question God, “Where were you when my mother died?” or “How could God let this happen, He must have abandoned me.” When betrayal colors our past and indecision is the lens thru which we see the future, the present is experienced as a place of powerlessness in which we feel unable to love. Max Anders writes, “With out a memory of God in the past, it would be foolish to have faith. Without the memory of God in the future, hope is impossible. Without faith and hope, love will never be a reality.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ is like a seed in that it is a dynamic force that shatters the hard, story soil of sin and takes root as new life. This Christian faith, was not just another god to worship or religious cult within the Roman Empire and Colosse. It was and is the good news for the whole world. The gospel transcends ethnic, geographic, cultural, and political boundaries. There many types of good news out there. As good as they may be, they pale in comparison to the good news of Jesus Christ. Christ has solved the problem of sin thru His death, burial, and resurrection. Paul gives us great summary of the gospel in his letter to the church in Corinth. 1--Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2--by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3--For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4--and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5--and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6--After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7--then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8--and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. This is truly good news! There is no condemnation – it is salvation to all who place their faith in Christ.God’s Truth (the Gospel) will constantly bear fruit because it is not a stagnant system of beliefs or ethics. It is living, it moves believers, and it is a growing reality. When the Gospel enters into a heart it begins working within that person. The gospel possesses a divine energy that causes it to spread like a mustard seed growing into a tree (Matt. 13:31-32). Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it." We have a symphony of beautiful news, good news and there is a world of dying people waiting to hear it .
In Christ,
Brown
Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a living presence. -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Christian life consists of faith and charity. -- Martin Luther
The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life. -- James L. Christensen
Life is an adventure in forgiveness. -- Norman Cousins
The fewer the words, the better the prayer. -- Martin Luther
Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens. -- Daniel Webster
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see everything by it. -- C.S. Lewis
To be like Christ is to be a Christian. -- Daniel Webster
The measure of a Christian is not in the height of his grasp but in the depth of his love. -- Clarence Jordan
A Christian is a keyhole through which other folk see God. -- Robert E. Gibson
We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon. - Jimmy Carter