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Friday, November 27, 2009
To do or not to do. God's wisdom put to the test
We are still studying the epistle of James in our Bible study at the church house in uptown Saint John. What a book on wisdom for the Christian to study. Earlier in this blog I addressed the part in James' letter where it speaks about being a doer and not just a hearer of the Word. Also I have talked about wisdom, so why this title today? Last Bible study we read from ch. 3 of the epistle and it talks about taming the tongue and the two kinds of wisdom. Some people that I know or have known have a philosophy of "might as well say it as think it" If what they think about another person will hurt that person, then do not say it in fact don't even think it. Get it out of your mind. If you do not harbor this kind of thinking then you will find it easier to tame your tongue. That brings in wisdom. Two kinds...earthly, sensual, devilish or demonic wisdom or wisdom that is from above...pure, peacable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. That is the result of being a doer....my question, not Shakespeare's...to do or not to do? To do is what brings forth a whole fruit basket.....full of mercy and good fruits.Read it for yourself in James chapter 3.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The preaching of the cross-the power of he WORD
Back in the year of our Lord 1951, my mother and father along with us, their three boys, left the island of my birth for greener pastures. More specifically we left Campbello Island located in the Bay of Fundy and moved to a little town in southern Ontario, just northwest of Toronto. In those days it was a rural area and the largest industry was called the Farmer's Company or Co-op or some similar name. Ah! memory. Sometimes it gets a little blurred. BUT i do remember the sadness in leaving home and going to Woodbridge even though it was a nice little town and we do have fond memories of it.
I remember the train from St. Andrews to MacAdam in New Brunswick and then transferring to a larger more comfortable one from there to Toronto. In those days they were still coal-fired steam driven engines, kind of romantic, don't you think? In a way it was an exciting adventure, had we not been missing home so much. But we hung in for six Months until winter had passed and in the spring of 1952 mother announced that we would be going home..oh joy! Oh happy day! Home to Campobello, back to the Nubble to roam the beach and row a dory again. WE COULD HARDLY WAIT!
There is one memory of Woodbridge that stands out stronger than all others and that is the night that I accepted the
Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. It was the preaching of the cross that convicted me of my sin and caused me to repent and receive His forgiveness. It is that same preaching of the Word that will cause men and women and young people to repent in our present day. It is powerful, this preached Word...it has the power to change lives from a sinner to a born again saint of God. A person might not look like a saint, whatever your concept of a saint might look like, but if he or she has accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, there will be enough of a difference in their living that you will know they are born again by the Spirit of God
Everything about them will be different. The great Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians as found in 2 Cor. 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."
Yes it was the power of preaching the message of the cross that changed my life and is still creating a hope within my soul that someday I shall see Him. It is a hope that the Apostle John says purifies us. 1 John 3:2,3 "Beloved , now are we the children of God; and it has net been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope n Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." The power of the preaching of the cross is still the same today. Accept Him today....don't put it off.
I remember the train from St. Andrews to MacAdam in New Brunswick and then transferring to a larger more comfortable one from there to Toronto. In those days they were still coal-fired steam driven engines, kind of romantic, don't you think? In a way it was an exciting adventure, had we not been missing home so much. But we hung in for six Months until winter had passed and in the spring of 1952 mother announced that we would be going home..oh joy! Oh happy day! Home to Campobello, back to the Nubble to roam the beach and row a dory again. WE COULD HARDLY WAIT!
There is one memory of Woodbridge that stands out stronger than all others and that is the night that I accepted the
Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. It was the preaching of the cross that convicted me of my sin and caused me to repent and receive His forgiveness. It is that same preaching of the Word that will cause men and women and young people to repent in our present day. It is powerful, this preached Word...it has the power to change lives from a sinner to a born again saint of God. A person might not look like a saint, whatever your concept of a saint might look like, but if he or she has accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, there will be enough of a difference in their living that you will know they are born again by the Spirit of God
Everything about them will be different. The great Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians as found in 2 Cor. 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."
Yes it was the power of preaching the message of the cross that changed my life and is still creating a hope within my soul that someday I shall see Him. It is a hope that the Apostle John says purifies us. 1 John 3:2,3 "Beloved , now are we the children of God; and it has net been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope n Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." The power of the preaching of the cross is still the same today. Accept Him today....don't put it off.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The preaching of the cross
As I was preparing a study in the epistle of James for Tuesday night's Bible study, the scripture found in 1 Cor. 1:18 came to my mind and I want to share it with you today. Paul says "For the message of the cross is foolishness to them that are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." And as I write this blog entry this a.m. Dr. Kutty and his dear wife are in India with a passionate call on their lives for that country preaching the message of the cross because it is the power of God unto salvation. Bishop Mohanty is spreading the Word, the message of the cross in another part of India because it is the power of God unto salvation, and because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. verse 25
The French's left a comfortable home in N.B. to go and live in slightly less than the comfort they were used to, in fact it is considerably less comfort than what they were used to living in. Why? Because the preaching of the cross is the power of God for saving souls from sin and hell. I think of Sister Isabel who gave her life on a mission field that many times was a hard field but today there are churches planted there who are still preaching the message of the cross. Remember that they who are perishing thought she was foolish but she was used as a handmaiden of the Lord to bring this message to a lost world.
There are some ladies in Mali, Africa today who are working in 37 celsius heat, under the auspices of Medical Missions International headed up by Sister Madeleine; they have left the comforts of home and are spending their own money to bring healing and comfort to people who have nothing in this world's goods. They are dressing open wounds and sores that smell badly and look repulsive but they are bringing Christ and the message of the cross to these predominantly Muslim people who have never had this kind of love shown to them before. Why? It is because of the preaching of the cross.
My mind takes me to Barcelona where Armando and Consuelo with their sons have built a large congregation of young believers from children that they witnessed to in the parks and today it is a vibrant work of God. Why did they go from their native country of Columbia where believe it or not the Gospel is readily accepted and the Pentecostal church is one of if not the fastest growing churches in that country and go to Spain where every convert has to be extracted it seems, where folks are apethetic to say the least, it takes years sometimes to see one convert. I'm talking about the preaching of the cross. And every Christian could and should be a preacher. Paul said , "we preach Christ crucified" and that is still the only message this world needs to hear.
The French's left a comfortable home in N.B. to go and live in slightly less than the comfort they were used to, in fact it is considerably less comfort than what they were used to living in. Why? Because the preaching of the cross is the power of God for saving souls from sin and hell. I think of Sister Isabel who gave her life on a mission field that many times was a hard field but today there are churches planted there who are still preaching the message of the cross. Remember that they who are perishing thought she was foolish but she was used as a handmaiden of the Lord to bring this message to a lost world.
There are some ladies in Mali, Africa today who are working in 37 celsius heat, under the auspices of Medical Missions International headed up by Sister Madeleine; they have left the comforts of home and are spending their own money to bring healing and comfort to people who have nothing in this world's goods. They are dressing open wounds and sores that smell badly and look repulsive but they are bringing Christ and the message of the cross to these predominantly Muslim people who have never had this kind of love shown to them before. Why? It is because of the preaching of the cross.
My mind takes me to Barcelona where Armando and Consuelo with their sons have built a large congregation of young believers from children that they witnessed to in the parks and today it is a vibrant work of God. Why did they go from their native country of Columbia where believe it or not the Gospel is readily accepted and the Pentecostal church is one of if not the fastest growing churches in that country and go to Spain where every convert has to be extracted it seems, where folks are apethetic to say the least, it takes years sometimes to see one convert. I'm talking about the preaching of the cross. And every Christian could and should be a preacher. Paul said , "we preach Christ crucified" and that is still the only message this world needs to hear.
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