"Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
—Dr. Charles Stanley
—Dr. Charles Stanley
Matthew 5: 1-12
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
The outlook may be gloomy, but the uplook is glorious!!!
Drawing Near to God...
REFLECTIONS FROM PASTOR BERKLEY
March 26, 2014
"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." James 4:8
The nearer we come to God, the more graciously will He reveal Himself to us. When the prodigal comes to his father, his father runs to meet him. When the wandering dove returns to the ark, Noah puts out his hand to pull her in unto him. When the tender wife seeks her husband's society, he comes to her on wings of love. Come then, dear friend, let us draw nigh to God who so graciously awaits us, yea, comes to meet us.
Did you ever notice that passage in Isaiah 58:9?
There the Lord seems to put Himself at the disposal of His people, saying to them, "Here I am." As much as to say -- "What have you to say to me? What can I do for you? I am waiting to bless you. How can we hesitate to draw near? God is nigh to forgive, to bless, to comfort, to help, to quicken, to deliver. Let it be the main point with us to get near to God. This done, all is done. If we draw near to others, they may before long grow weary of us and leave us; but if we seek the Lord alone, no change will come over His mind, but He will continue to come nearer and yet nearer to us by fuller and more joyful fellowship.
The nearer we come to God, the more graciously will He reveal Himself to us. When the prodigal comes to his father, his father runs to meet him. When the wandering dove returns to the ark, Noah puts out his hand to pull her in unto him. When the tender wife seeks her husband's society, he comes to her on wings of love. Come then, dear friend, let us draw nigh to God who so graciously awaits us, yea, comes to meet us.
Did you ever notice that passage in Isaiah 58:9?
There the Lord seems to put Himself at the disposal of His people, saying to them, "Here I am." As much as to say -- "What have you to say to me? What can I do for you? I am waiting to bless you. How can we hesitate to draw near? God is nigh to forgive, to bless, to comfort, to help, to quicken, to deliver. Let it be the main point with us to get near to God. This done, all is done. If we draw near to others, they may before long grow weary of us and leave us; but if we seek the Lord alone, no change will come over His mind, but He will continue to come nearer and yet nearer to us by fuller and more joyful fellowship.
Perhaps We Have Been Too Nice To Our Lost Friends
REFLECTIONS FROM PASTOR BERKLEY
February 26, 2014
Perhaps we have been too nice to our lost friends in trying to "win" them to Christ.
It is just possible that unwittingly we have propagated a "cheap grace" in attempting to appeal to people primarily on the basis of "felt needs" and presenting a "respectable" Gospel rather than simply communicating the Message.
What those outside of Christ need to understand is this:
God loves them, but they are hopelessly lost. They must repent of their rebellion against a holy God, and receive Christ as their only hope of salvation. Otherwise, they will surely perish. But because we don't want to offend people and because we don't want to be rejected, we often attempt to make the Gospel more savory. Yet Paul spoke of the "offense of the cross" and the fact that the "preaching of the cross is foolishness" to those who are perishing. (See Ephesians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18)
We also run the risk of weakening the Gospel in defending it rather than simply declaring it. The Gospel needs no defense. What it needs is declaration. For most non-believers, the battle lies not in their intellect, but in their will. Many perceive the price tag for faith as simply too high as it might just cost them their family, their career, or their friends. Soren Kierkegaard certainly was correct in asserting that the gospel "is hard to believe, not because it is hard to understand, but because it is hard to obey." So "our task is to make the faith intelligible but not more credible or palatable, for only the Spirit does that."
Therefore, let's love our lost friends enough to be willing to suffer rejection. Let's love them enough to be willing to offend them, if that is what it takes to get them into the Kingdom. And then leave the mysterious work of conversion to God!
It is just possible that unwittingly we have propagated a "cheap grace" in attempting to appeal to people primarily on the basis of "felt needs" and presenting a "respectable" Gospel rather than simply communicating the Message.
What those outside of Christ need to understand is this:
God loves them, but they are hopelessly lost. They must repent of their rebellion against a holy God, and receive Christ as their only hope of salvation. Otherwise, they will surely perish. But because we don't want to offend people and because we don't want to be rejected, we often attempt to make the Gospel more savory. Yet Paul spoke of the "offense of the cross" and the fact that the "preaching of the cross is foolishness" to those who are perishing. (See Ephesians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18)
We also run the risk of weakening the Gospel in defending it rather than simply declaring it. The Gospel needs no defense. What it needs is declaration. For most non-believers, the battle lies not in their intellect, but in their will. Many perceive the price tag for faith as simply too high as it might just cost them their family, their career, or their friends. Soren Kierkegaard certainly was correct in asserting that the gospel "is hard to believe, not because it is hard to understand, but because it is hard to obey." So "our task is to make the faith intelligible but not more credible or palatable, for only the Spirit does that."
Therefore, let's love our lost friends enough to be willing to suffer rejection. Let's love them enough to be willing to offend them, if that is what it takes to get them into the Kingdom. And then leave the mysterious work of conversion to God!
If the lips and the life do not agree, the testimony will not amount to much.