Dwelling in the Presence of Greatness

Transcription

1 SEPTEMBER 28 MONDAY Psalm 15 Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? Psalm 15:1 (NIV) God His own doth tend and nourish, In His holy courts they flourish; From all evil things He spares them, In His mighty arms He bears them. Carolina Sandell Berg Dwelling in the Presence of Greatness Excitement permeated our Canadian high school in 1953 when Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent stepped onto our auditorium s platform. All of us students stood and sang the national anthem in French as a tribute to Mr. St. Laurent. The memorable event provided a few moments in the presence of greatness. Years later, in 1986, I attended a conference in Washington, D.C., where President Ronald Reagan, the great communicator, was the featured speaker. Because I was seated near the back of the auditorium, I could see President Reagan only faintly over the heads of about 30,000 attendees. Thankfully, a nearby video screen gave me a clearer view and a deeper sense of spending a few moments in the presence of greatness. Perhaps you have enjoyed moments in the presence of someone who achieved greatness. Was it a national leader or a famous entertainer or a highly successful businessperson or a sports superstar? Undoubtedly you cherish that memory, but are you aware of the opportunity to spend far more than a few moments in the presence of the greatest greatness? You can actually dwell in His presence. Our great God is with you always. Enjoy His presence continually! 35

2 SEPTEMBER 29 TUESDAY Hebrews 13:5-10 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) Your Rock is Christ, and it is not your Rock which ebbs and flows, but your sea. Samuel Rutherford As Time Goes By Even a fleeting glance in a mirror lets you know you don t look the same as you did 20 years ago. The aging process changes all of us. When I was a young man, the hair on my head was full and wavy, but gradually the waves disappeared, and only the beach remained. A few years ago I received a vivid reminder of how the passing of time changes people s appearance. A church I served in Indiana during the 60s invited me to speak at its 100th anniversary. When I arrived, I discovered that former 40 year olds were now 80 years old. Former straight backs were now bent. Some people had trouble hearing or seeing. One had become blind. Some who were teenagers when I was the pastor had become grandparents. But a couple of things had not changed. People sat in the same pews they had occupied years ago. I noticed, too, that they were still faithful to the Lord. Their faith rested firmly in the One who is trustworthy and unchanging as time goes by. 36

3 SEPTEMBER 30 WEDNESDAY Ephesians 6:10-18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:18 (KJV) I have so much to do today that I must spend several hours in prayer. Martin Luther Calloused Knees Reportedly the apostle James prayed so often and for such long periods that his knees became calloused. In modern times, missionary John Hyde had calloused knees due to his intense devotion to prayer. Known affectionately as Praying Hyde, John sought to evangelize villages in India, but he had little success until he began to pray tirelessly and fervently. Focused on praying, he skipped meals, missed preaching appointments, and other engagements. He considered no activity as important as meeting with God. Finally, in 1907, fifty converts were baptized, and then, in 1909, the number increased to 800. On February 17, 1912, as Praying Hyde was dying, he uttered these words: Bol, Visu Maish, Ki Jah! (Shout the victory of Jesus Christ!) As we battle the forces of evil, we must put on the whole armor of God, stay alert, and wield the sword of the Spirit. However, to achieve victory we must battle the enemy on our knees. God doesn t respond to calloused hearts, but He does hear those with calloused knees! 37

4 OCTOBER 1 THURSDAY Acts 14:1-7 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. Acts 14:1 (NIV) There s a call comes ringing o er the restless wave. Send the Light! Send the light! There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save, Send the light! Send the light! Charles H. Gabriel 38 An Equal-Opportunity Rescue Operation A 19-year-old hiker from Quebec, Canada, was attempting to climb 14,259-foot Long s Peak in Colorado without climbing equipment, when he got separated from his companion and wandered onto precarious Broadway Ledge. Stuck overnight on that snow-covered ledge at an elevation of 13,000 feet, the young man had ample time to weigh the possibility that he might slip over the ledge and fall to his death. Clad only in a tee shirt and lightweight pants, he also faced the possibility that he might freeze to death. Fortunately, he was able to use a cell phone to summon help. The National Park Service responded by dispatching a helicopter and a team of rescuers to airlift the young man from the mountain. Rescuers in the Rocky Mountains do not limit their assistance to American citizens. They employ their resources to rescue anyone regardless of national origin. Although rescuing the Canadian teenager cost thousands of dollars, the young man was not charged anything. The apostles carried out an equalopportunity rescue operation by sharing the Good News with both Jews and Gentiles. We, too, should pursue a similar equalopportunity rescue operation regardless of the cost.

5 OCTOBER 2 FRIDAY Wind Power Acts 8:1-8 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Acts 8:4 (NIV) It is the mission of the Church to give the whole Gospel to the whole world. Anonymous Wind farms have sprung up in Colorado to help meet a mandate of providing 30 percent of the state s electricity from renewable resources by One of the wind farms is located near Crook, a tiny community in northeastern Colorado. But a missionminded church in town uses wind power to spread God s Word. Annually, the church launches its fall program by attaching hand-written Scripture verses to balloons. Between the Sunday school hour and morning worship the congregation gathers in the church parking lot and all together they release the balloons into the air. The wind carries the balloons to unforeseen destinations. A note on the back of each Scripture verse posts the church s address and invites whoever recovers a balloon to tell where it landed. s have been sent by people as far away as Nebraska. The church in Crook enjoys sharing God s Word via wind-driven balloons, but its members also employ another kind of wind power to spread the Good News. They use their breath to do so. Consequently, recipients of the Good News travel as far as 30 miles to worship every Sunday. As long as we have breath, let s use it to share God s message! 39

6 OCTOBER 3 SATURDAY Acts 8:9-25 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Acts 8:20 (KJV) Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Elvina M. Hall Not for Sale! Would you like to own a Ferrari? If you can spare between $200,000 and $500,000, you can buy one and have more power under the hood than you would ever need. However, if you have billions of dollars and would like to purchase the entire Ferrari enterprise, you would be disappointed. No amount of money can buy it. According to Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Ferrari s parent company, Ferrari might be worth $15 billion, but it is not for sale, and never will be. So, if you have $15 billion, hang on to it, invest it in something else, or give it away after giving at least 10 percent to the Lord, of course. God s blessings are worth far more than anything of material value. Jesus said, if a person gains the whole world but loses his own soul, he has nothing. Giving a million dollars to a church can t buy even an iota of forgiveness. Salvation is God s free gift bestowed on all who believe on His Son. You may not be able to afford a Ferrari or even an old clunker, but you are unspeakably rich if you have received God s gift of salvation. 40

7 OCTOBER 4 SUNDAY Acts 8:26-40 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news of Jesus. Acts 8:35 (NIV) If we and our posterity neglect its [the Bible s] instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury our glory in profound obscurity. Daniel Webster Follow Directions Road trips can get frustrating if you do not know how to find your destination. Of course a GPS eliminates frustration by directing motorists clearly at every stage of their journey. But I didn t have GPS when my family and I drove roundtrip from Denver to Louisiana. After reaching Shreveport, Louisiana, we planned to attend a church where a friend was serving as interim pastor. With the church s address in hand and our motel desk clerk s sketchy directions in mind, we ventured into new territory. We were supposed to take a street that intersected another street that exited a city park that surrounded a large lake. I felt sure I was following directions well and would soon arrive at church. But something went wrong. After driving around the lake for the fifth time without finding the street I was supposed to take, I knew I was not following the directions I had received. Fortunately, our children were too old to ask, Are we almost there? After a couple more drives around the lake, I got on course, and we arrived at church. God s Word offers clear directions for life and eternity. Let s always follow them. 41