SelahV Today

OFFEND ME NOT

"Where there is no offense, there is no effect."  Adrian Rogers

"I came not to this world to bring peace, but a sword."  Jesus.

Basically, Dr. Rogers and Jesus are saying that the Gospel message is gonna divide folks and leave some along the wide road as others head down the narrow way.   Accordingly, to expect that Christian preachers proclaiming the Word will not offend, is ludicrous.  The Holy Spirit will quicken (bring to life) that which is dead in sin.

Ever had your leg go to sleep?  Hands get so cold they were numb?  When circulation returns to your leg, and warmth returns to your hands, there is pain.  When the Gospel penetrates the darkness within us, the Light exposes the depravity of our souls, and we are stricken with heartache and moved to repentance.

Yet, all too often we hear...do not preach this, or teach that, or say this, or say that.  It will offend someone.  I don't think the Lord was too worried about who he was offending when He destroyed Sodom and turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.  Nor was Jesus too concerned with offending the Pharisees when He cleansed the temple and told them they'd made it into a den of thieves. 

May we all grasp in our hearts the enormity of the need to share the Gospel with boldness, clarity and love.  selahV   

DAVID PLATT AND ME OR ANYONE ELSE

I didn't get to hear David Platt's stirring sermon that has everyone (who attended the Louisville convention last week), talking.  I'm hoping my pastor bought the tapes.  I'll ask him tomorrow.  However, I read this excerpt at iMonk's blog that I think is credited to Bro. Platt:

“God will make his glory known, whether we risk it all or not. God doesn’t need us. God never needed us. We need him. We desperately need him and because we need him so much we should be willing to risk everything for his glory. One Purpose. The truth is, the entire Southern Baptist Convention could drop dead and turn to dust and God will still make his name rise about above every other name and his glory will be shown.”  [strike-through mine]

What I really like about this quote is that we could easily do a fill-in-the-blank with:  "The truth is, I, Hariette (or you whomever)______ could drop dead and turn to dust and God will still make His name rise about (above) every other name and His glory will be shown."

I so agree with David Platt.  In fact, as I was perusing some old posts of mine I found one I wrote in 2008 that voiced a similar theme I felt might need republishing.  As I read my own words I almost thought I may have been reading Bro. Platt's mind and heart long before I'd ever heard of him.  Oh that we'd all find a personal message in the voice of God.

"NO WE CAN'T...'FOR VAIN IS THE HELP OF MAN"

Moses is considered one of Israel's greatest leaders.  However, Moses could not part the Red Sea.  Moses could not rain down manna from heaven every day for decades to feed millions of people.  Moses could not make a pair of sandals that survived 40 years of wandering in the desert.  Moses could not produce water from a rock.  Moses could not meet the desires of the people.  Moses could not change their hearts or make them follow the commandments of God.  And by his disobedience, Moses could not enter the Promised Land.

"Give us help against the adversary, for vain is the help of man." Psalm 108:12

No one can do what God can do.  No man can be what God can be, but Jesus.  What man cannot do, God did.

God sent His only begotten son, born of a virgin, to a world already condemned to death.  And through His life, Christ showed us the holiness the Father in Heaven expects of us.  And none of us can do it; for all fall short of the glory of God.  None of us can obey the commandments.  And our disobedience and sin rewards us with death.  We can do nothing about that.  Some day we will all die.  Every last one of us.  No matter how great our healthcare plan is.  No matter how much money we accumulate.  No matter how educated we become.  No matter how much force we exert upon others.  No matter how much we try to avoid it; we will die.  We will meet our Creator and we cannot change that. We will either be separated from Him forever or join Him in a great celebration of eternal life.   

Jesus in the Way, the Truth and the Life.  And no one can come to the Father but through Him.  It is through the blood of Jesus, not men, that we are saved.  May we all seek to follow His command to go into all the world and share this Gospel message.  This we can do--but only by His grace.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008, 2009]

No matter when we hear it, read it or comprehend it...it is timely to recognize that God is God, and Jesus reigns on High.  We are so very privileged to be a part of His plan.  We are so honored to share in that plan.  And to be counted among those saints of old is all the reward we need for something we can not do without His grace.  I thank David Platt for reminding me and anyone else who heard his voice of this fact.  selahV

 

CAN GOD'S WORD LIVE?

"This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction; that Your word has revived me and given me life."  Psalm 119:50

Isn't it amazing how the Psalmist in chapter 119 refers so much to what God's Word does for him?  Over and over again, he trusts in the precepts and commandments of God.  Not because those etched words have power, but because the author of those words give power to them.

How did Jesus handle Satan's temptations in the wilderness?  "It is written."  Jesus quoted the Word, yet He Himself, was the Word.  "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1.  Perhaps that is why it behooves us to memorize and speak those same Words.  For in them, and through them are the power of God to use as a sword to open the hearts of men and provide entrance for the faith and grace of God.  selahV