Category: Sanctification

OSAMA BIN LADEN & THE CHRISTIAN WALK

5/30/2011

      "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about ; seeking whom he may devour" - 1 Peter 5:8

     "(Christians)...always evaluating where we've been...always reacting...searching for ways to settle in and find comfort in our sofa-like surroundings...yawning...slumbering in the sleepy warm twilight of sundown...we are yesterday-dwellers...avoiding the reality of today" - Chuck Swindoll (excerpt from essay - Prophet Sharing)

       As I saw the celebrations in front of the White House and the beautiful accolades given to President Obama on May 2nd, I couldn't help but thinking to myself...didn't America hate this guy on May 1st? What a difference a day makes :) Interestingly, many believe that this is the defining moment of his presidency - they may be right. Nabbing the most wanted man in the world for the past 10 years is an achievement worth celebrating....but I wonder....for how long? I remember the words of Winston Churchill which he gave following England's first real victory against the Germans in November 1942: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning". The killing of bin Laden is a great sentimental accomplishment for the United States, no doubt. The war on global terrorism, however, is far from over.

       Many Christians approach living for Christ as an attempt to "capture a bad guy" - as a mission to be accomplished over a short period with "shock and awe". To our surprise after a spiritual battle is fought and won, the war rages on...and (just as we saw in Iraq) sometimes with even greater intensity. Yes! Victory is a cause for celebration, but if the war still rages the soldier must put his victories in context and seek after EVEN MORE VICTORY. In the Christian life, the moments of victory or defeat are only chapters in a book that will not be finished until we die or Jesus Christ returns for us. That is why the apostle Paul stated emphatically, "Brothers and sisters, I can't consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don't look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God's heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus" - Phil. 3:13-14 (THE MESSAGE). Yesterday's victories will not suffice for today's challenges - so don't get apathetic (as Swindoll describes in the above excerpt), don't let down your guard, stop saying, "Well...I used to be or I used to do...", don't get distracted by the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat: GIRD UP YOUR LOINS TO WAR!

     "No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs -- he wants to please his commanding officer" - 2 Timothy 2:4

Pastor Andrew Smith
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THE HEART OF STONE

5/30/2011

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      "Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil - and immediately it sprang up since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away" - Mark 4:5-6 (ESV)
"The degree of blessing enjoyed by any man will correspond exactly with the completeness of God's victory over him" - A.W. Tozer

      Even though I'm a born Kingstonian, I've always claimed St. Elizabeth as my own :) Both my parents come from the 'bread basket' parish: my mother from Shiloh (close to Appleton Estate) and my father from Giddy Hall District. I have fond memories of traveling there as a child for family reunions - great fun, great food. This is 'yam country' and you would see acres of these crops scattered all over the mountainside; once my father took me into a yam field that faced the old family house. I was a bit surprised to see that in spite of the beautiful and rich soil, most of the yam vines were dried up and dead. As my father spoke to the farmer who worked the field, I came to understand why this happened. The farmer took a pick-axe and drove it into the soil; after about 3 or 4 digs, the tool hit solid rock. Apparently, under the surface of the rich soil there was an impenetrable layer of rock. What would happen is that the yams would immediately spring up when planted in the rich soil, but the roots were unable to go deep because of the rocky layer underneath the soil: no deep roots equals no nutrients; no nutrients equals no growth. The plants inevitably withered and died.

      The Lord Jesus understood the tragedy of a stony heart - in explaining the parable he gave in the above verses, he states: "The sower sows the word (of God)...and these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away" - Mark 4:14, 16-17.

      The stony heart, on the surface, looks like it’s in good shape. It, however, maintains a shallow, rigid, and unteachable interior. It springs up in emotional response to God, but then forgets God in the heat of the day. Ultimately, the word planted in it will wither and die because the sun (representing trials and testings which are usually a catalyst for growth) now becomes a source of burn-out. This is the perennial problem of people who want to experience God without making a commitment to give their ALL - not just what can be seen on the surface....but EVERYTHING. The stone-hearted person may mean well - they may truly want to please God and bear fruit - but they will forever remain shallow and overcome because something (maybe sin, or pride, or a job, or a person, or money, or popularity, etc) is blocking the depth of their commitment. Only YOU and I know the stones that are preventing US from giving all. Maybe it's time to ask God to do some dynamite work in our hearts.

      Remember God's intent: "I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations" - Ezekiel 36:26-27

      The Christian experience will either be a painful, dreary journey or it will be a meaningful, joyful sacrifice depending on the state of your heart.

Pastor Andrew Smith
[email protected]

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OSAMA BIN LADEN & THE CHRISTIAN WALK

THE HEART OF STONE

Pastor Andrew Smith

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