Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace
(Hymn written by Helen Lemmel – 1922) Click Here
Hi Men:
I hope you’ve had a great week in Christ.
I can’t seem to get out of Walt’s teaching on “Many Aspire, Few Attain.” As mentioned last week our group did a study on it some years ago. What’s even more remarkable is the fact that Walt first gave this teaching to a group of young people right after the Vietnam War. Then years later the Navigators had Walt update it and put this teaching into a little printed booklet. I thought I would attach a couple paragraphs from the introduction. I have highlighted my commentary:
Victory doesn’t come by burning down a building. Victory doesn’t come by having a law or two rescinded. Victory doesn’t come when the university changes its ways. These are all symptoms. (When Walt first gave this talk, our country had gone through the student protests of 1968 followed by the student strikes of 1970)
The spiritual battle will take the rest of your life. It will consume every ounce of your energy.
I talk to men in their thirties, forties and fifties who were giving themselves to this cause when they were in their twenties. When they ask what I’m giving my life to and I respond it’s the conquering of the world for Jesus Christ, their attitude toward me becomes very benevolent. A benign look comes across their faces and they pat me on the back and say, “Well, bless your heart, that’s idealism for you.” When you get that reaction, you’ve just met a person who has aspired and not attained. You have met a person who started well and ended poorly. You have met a man who began like you began and yet somewhere down the road has opted for mediocrity.
Most Christians do the same thing. The cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things enter in, choking the Word. Their lives become unfruitful. They begin to give themselves to wall-to-wall carpeting, foam rubber, push buttons – to the acquisition of things. (How funny! Take a moment and think to yourself what those things would be today?) They begin to think in terms of retirement, pensions, the stock market and wealth. They become encumbered with junk and are happily involved in it.
If you don’t want to become a person who has aspired but not attained, you are going to have to make some resolutions in your own soul. You cannot give yourself or your enemy any quarter. Paul was concerned about his walk with God, “lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27). (Did you notice the word “castaway”? Some translations use the word “disqualified”. The Greek word is ‘adokimos’ The primary meaning is reprobate, rejected, and by implication: worthless. Let’s read it again in the NASB: “But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”)
So…………Walt ends that paragraph with the Apostle Paul himself fearing that God may disqualify him….. a worthless reprobate. Does that give you pause? This is Paul talking! Do the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of material things and the desire for stuff have you distracted from “conquering the world for Jesus Christ?”
See you at noon………
Dan
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
(Gal 2:20)
ZION 2020: Dec 4-6 Mark your calendar.
Theme: Finishing Well!
Preparing for War – Day 254 Red Book
Whoa!
If you haven’t seen it, I just thought this was cool…….. these boosters are for the moon landing scheduled for 2024
NASA Tests Space Launch System Rocket Booster for Artemis Missions
https://youtu.be/gHJDD02Jwms
There is Hope for your loved ones! If you haven’t listened to it, do so………. Ray Comfort of Living Waters.
John MacArthur – Sunday Message 9/6/20 “The Inescapable Absolute”
I put very few Sunday messages in my emails. This one gave me pause as I listened to it.
MacArthur takes you on a very terrifying trip through Revelation. Our calling: Preach the Gospel
When you read this, think about how many years ago Spurgeon made this statement?
That time has come!
