Cornerstone

John 14:1-6 (1)

The mental patient holding his ear close to the wall, listened intently. The attendant approached. “Sh!” whispered the patient, beckoning him over. The attendant pressed his ear to the wall. “I can’t hear a thing,” he finally said. “No,” replied the patient, “it’s been like that all day!”

Often we are confident that things are going to go wrong. If things dont go wrong they should have. When we get outside the sphere of the customary we get nervous, pessimistic and uncertain. Jesus faced this as He talked to his disciples in John 14. In the John 13 Jesus said He would soon leave. He also told them that Peter was going to deny Him. Then seeing their agitation He told them not to be concerned!

What He was trying to teach them was faith dependence. They were already dependent upon Him but they needed to have a faith dependence. Faith dependence will continue constant even when the visible evidence of the source of our dependence is absent.

Elizabeth Cheney stated it well:

Said the Robin to the Sparrow,

“I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and hurry so.”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin,

“Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no Heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me.”

Christs Mission

Psalm 147:1-12 (3)

Pungent Statement: To see Christs vision and realize His sense of mission you must be more concerned about the lost than your own comfort or convenience.

As William Booth walked among the poor, hungry and sick people of London his heard was moved with compassion. The situation seemed to be hopeless. The people were not able to find jobs. They lived in small dilapidated quarters that were deteriorating, vermin infested and dangerous. They were lost and without a Savior. It seemed that know one cared whether they knew that Jesus died for them.

William Booth told his wife, “I have given myself to work for God among those sick souls.” He made up his mind that God would have all there was of William Booth as he tried to bring the needy face to face with Jesus. As a result of this vision and sense of mission a new army was formed. It was soon to be called the Salvation Army.

Every successful work of God has been the result of a man or woman first seeing people through the eyes of Jesus. As they looked upon the degradation, destitution, and depressed situation surround the lives of doomed people they began to realize that the mission of their Master to saved a lost world was also to be their mission.

Until you become more concerned about the condition of the lost than your own comfort or convenience you will never see Christs vision or realize His sense of mission.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Psa 51:10-13 (12)

I never will forget that service at Harmony Hill Youth Camp. I had fasted all week praying that God would save my youngest son. A wall was between us. We lived together but didn’t communicate. We were both miserable about the same thing but for different reasons. I couldn’t understand the problem and he wouldn’t talk about it. The evangelist had just preached about “Honoring your Father and Mother.” We were standing. And invitation was in progress. Then I saw my son leave his chair and head for the aisle. I prayed that he would go forward to be saved . . . I prayed that he would not leave the service in total rejection of God. My prayer was interrupted when I sensed his presence. I looked up in time to see him throwing his arms around my neck. We wept together and rejoiced together as he asked me to forgive him. We freely expressed our love for each other. In just a small way this compares to the restoration and reconciliation that takes place when we come to God seeking His forgiveness. It truly is joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Dr. Gayle Woods