do you see what I see?
Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because what the Father does, the Son also does."
- John 5:19
Miracles.
What is a miracle? General accepted notion suggests that the experience of a miracle in fact requires two conditions. First is the stability of nature, which means we must recognise that the data offered by our senses recur in regular patterns. Secondly, we must believe in some reality beyond Nature, in other words, the "super-natural". When both conditions are present, and not till then, are we convinced that a miracle has occurred. These events are not always a violation of nature, for God sometimes uses nature in unusual ways to reveal himself to humans.
C.S. Lewis made an observation. In the macro view, God creates the vine and teaches it to draw up water by its roots and, with the aid of the sun, to turn that water into a juice which will ferment and take on certain qualities. Thus every year, from Noah's time till ours, God turn water into wine. That, men failed to see. In the micro view, Jesus only sped up the process when he made water into wine. In the macro view, every year God makes a little corn into much corn to feed the millions: the seed is sown and there is an increase. In the micro view, this annual wonder is sped up by Jesus when he fed the five thousand. A little bread is made into much bread. That, again, men failed to see.
The Son will do nothing but what He sees the Father do. There is, so to speak, a family style.
The miracles of healing fall into the same pattern. The magic is not in the medicine but in the patient's body. The doctor merely stimulates Nature's functions in the body, or to remove hindrances. every cut heals itself, although we speak of the inconvenience of a cut; no dressing will make skin grow over a cut on a corpse. All who are cured are cured by Him, the healer within. But once upon a time, He did it visibly, a Man meeting a man.
Merry Christmas
Father, my relationship with you in the first was an inner, personal one, not an intellectual one.
I came into the relationship through your miracle, and through my own will to believe.
Then I began to get an intelligent appreciation and understanding of the wonders of you, and the transformation in my life.
There was a surrender of the will, not a surrender to a persuasive or powerful argument. I had deliberately stepped out, placing my faith in you and in your truth. God, I place no confidence in my own works, but only in you.
Trusting in my own mental understanding becomes a hindrance to complete trust in you. I must be willing to ignore and leave my feelings behind. I must will to believe. But this can never be accomplished without my forceful, determined effort to separate myself from my old ways of looking at things. I must surrender myself completely to you, Father.
It's your son's birthday in 2 days, Father. Your very own beloved son who trusted and obeyed you becuase he knows you are faithful right from the beginning of time to the very end. Like how a son would trust his father who loves him unconditionaly and knows what is best for him; like how Abraham trusted you in your word, and obeyed you when you told him to sacrifice his son Issac. But on both occassions you have given life back to both your son and Issac; preventing Abraham from sacrficing or harming his son.
Father, you had sacrficed you own son, Jesus...for me, that he would die and rise again, so that I may live.
Thank you Father. Thank you for your love. I feel unworthy even when I tell you how much I love you...I have sinned. But it's only because of your love for me that compels me to choose to love you and nobody else. Save me from myself Father, and help me overcome sin and temptation. I know I am righteous in your eyes, and you have considered it good when I say I love you. Thank you Father.
Let Jesus know that I miss him, and I wish him the happiest of all birthdays.
Merry Christmas.
That of which is necessary
It's Christmas once again...and every year I struggle with the Christmas message so much that it hurts inside...I cry out to God in my prayers...
The reason is because I have been a part of my church's christmas outreach for 3 or 4 years now. I have written stories to try to bring across the message of Christ as plainly and simply as I can...but modern culture dictates that society seeks after reason, practicality and rationalism.
"Show me and convince me that I should believe in what you believe"
"You say that your God is good, but as a christian, you aren't an angel yourself"
(Don't get me wrong here, but I truly believe in being a good testimony as christians...but the bottomline is, Christ doesn't need us to testify FOR him. We instead are to testify OF him.)
"What's in it for me to believe in God? I don't need God, I never did, and I'm doing fine..."
Oswald Chambers commented:
"Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it...
When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary...
If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God...
The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.
But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time. Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray...
The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches...
We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them."
The Cross of Christ is all that matters. Oswald Chambers lived from 1874-1917, yet in those early days before the onset of globalistation, he already saw that the gospel was sugar-coated...to "CONVINCE" people to reconcile with God, instead of the plain truth that the gospel is to CONVICT people that God is reconciling them to HIM.
The Cross stands as the central feature of the gospel message. In the Cross everything we believe in material terms is challenged. It challenges our seeking power, and it challenges the right to use that power. It tells us of the simplicity of life itself, and the profoundity of what happens when we understand what is happening on those two pieces of timber (when Jesus was crucified on it) - Jesus said, "...For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (John 18:37)
The Cross decribes for all of us what sin is. We see the horror and darkness of it. I'm sure we've all watched Passion Of Christ. Just an illustration - faced by two choices, would I rather be hit by a huge truck, or the shadow of that truck? Of course I'd rather be run over by the shadow of that truck. The next time I see the Cross, I'll remember that when Jesus went to the Cross for me, the "truck" of God's judgement went over him; it's only the shadow of death that goes over me...
The reality of the Cross...
Billy Graham never ever spoke anywhere on any subject without mentioning the Cross...the cross takes the penalty of sin from us and offers us forgiveness...
The heart of God can be illustrated like so:
A school teacher dealt with a little child who had messed up in his test...
He came to my desk with a quivering lip
The lesson was done
Have you a new sheet for me dear teacher
I've spoiled this one
I took his sheet all soiled and blotted
Gave him a new one all unspotted
And into his tired heart I cried
Do better now my child
I went to the throne with a trembling heart
The day was done
Have you a new day for me dear master
I've spoiled this one
HE took my day all soiled and blotted
Gave me a new one all unspotted
And into my tired heart HE cried
Do better now my child
