Gladys Aylward

Gladys Aylward always wanted to be a missionary but she was turned down by the China Inland Mission today known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship which is by the way the mission that my wife and I were with in the Philippines.  Gladys returned home dejected.  She was too short, her hair was too black and too straight.  However, when she finally arrived in China she encountered many short women with black straight hair.  Another case what she thought was a handicap opened many doors for her.  Watch the following short video on the life of Gladys Aylward.

Rolls Royce

A man bought a new Rolls Royce and was wondering why he didn't have any statistics on the vehicle.  He wrote to the company and asked about the horsepower of the engine.  The reply he received was a single word, "sufficient".
Today I find that many people do not find that Scripture is sufficient.  They are looking for an experience yet we know that the Bible is sufficient for life, salvation and godliness.  Part of the problem is that we are becoming Biblically illiterate even though we have more Bibles, Bible studies, Bible helps than ever before.  If we truly believed that Scripture was sufficient we wouldn't be running after experiences.

Henrietta Mears

Henrietta Mears had a weakness, poor eyesight.  She asked the Lord to heal her but she was not healed.  She said, "I believe my greatest spiritual asset throughout my entire life has been my failing sight, for it has kept me absolutely dependent upon God." That does not mean that the Lord's answer was negative but rather it was a positive as the following video shows.



There is a principle that we cannot ignore.  God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Authority

Paul's authority was challenged by some people in Corinth.  They said that if he had authority he would have had dreams and visions and revelations but he never talked about those things so therefore he didn't have any authority.  Paul on the other hand claimed that his authority was given to him as an apostle by the Lord Himself.  He didn't need any further revelations or visions.  His authority came from Christ and was shown through his weakness.
Sometimes people come to us and claim things for our lives.  They tell us that they have had a vision or a revelation and that the Lord has told them ...   So how do we respond?  Do we acknowledge their authority?  Do we ignore their authority?  What do we do?  I have often had people tell me that the Lord has told them... and that I should do ...  They make it sound nonspiritual if they are ignored but I must say that is what I usually do, I ignore them.  Paul choose to challenge his accusers.
I don't know how these people get their word from the Lord.  Do they have a dream, a vision, an audible voice?  Or is it something that comes from their own mind?
I said I usually ignore them but I should add that I do listen and ask God for direction and follow His leading that He often gives me through His Word.

Worthy is the Lamb

Heaven is for real

Thanks David Platt.  Christians today prefer experience to knowledge.  If Christians were seeking truth they would have discernment and would not fall for such books.

Extended Warranty

This past week I past my best before date.  I turned 70 on Friday.  I did have the unique birthdate of 4/4/44.  In Psalm 90 we are told to number our days and that "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures;"  Psalm 90:10.
I remember my dad saying when he turned 70 that his warranty had expired.  One of the unique things about us is that we can always get an extended warranty from the Maker.  He offers it to us free of charge at any time of our lives.  We can obtain it from Him even if our best before date has past.  I am so glad that I purchased mine more than 60 years ago.

The Now of the Now but not Yet

We live in both the now and the not yet of the kingdom.  There are many blessings that we have in Christ.  However, the people of Corinth suffered from an over developed eschatology.  Many of the blessings that we look forward to they were claiming for the now.  They would have loved to have identified with the book, Your Best Life Now.  Just as it was in the church in Corinth so it is in our day.  We have people claiming the promises of the coming kingdom for us today.  Health and Wealth.  Name it a claim it.  Your best life now.  And the list goes on.  The truth is that we live in an in between time.  We have the promises of eternal life but we have not seen the face of God.  Perfect love and holiness and fellowship are not ours.  We still experience sin, pain, and death.  We as God's children are called to balance the realities of the now and not yet.