God Stories

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20

The religious leaders of the day were confounded. Standing before them were two men whom they considered unlearned and ignorant, yet they had begun to turn Jerusalem upside down for Jesus Christ. These men wondered openly where these two fishermen from Galilee had obtained such power which Peter explained the power was in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter and John never spoke with eloquent words and polished speech as the respected teachers of their day, but they spoke in power of the things they had seen and heard. God had moved mightily in their lives and they were telling the “God Stories” which they had experienced and witnessed for themselves. These personal God stories brought flesh to message of Jesus Christ and resonated deep within the souls of those who heard. The message of Christ was no longer just another legend but through the passionate testimony of these messengers the story became real and believable. Again, it was not through eloquent speech, but simply through faithfully telling the story of what they had seen and heard. Peter and John should be an example for us all. They simply used the God stories of their own lives to proclaim the beautiful message of Jesus Christ. If you are truly born again, then you also have a God story you can tell. You do not have to wait until you become well versed in Scripture and evangelism techniques. Just tell your story with passion and you will be amazed at the power in your words. Tell your God stories to your children. They need to hear them and they want to know. Tell your God stories to your friends and co-workers. This makes God real and personal to them. You, too, can turn your personal world upside down by faithfully telling your God stories. People want to know what is making the difference in your life. Tell them! Oh yes, remember the blind man healed by Jesus? He didn’t know much but he had a God story. He simply proclaimed, “I was blind but now I see.”

Chasing the Ghost

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

There is a phrase in the drug culture called “Chasing the ghost.” This expression alludes to the process that drives casual drug users into the dark world of abuse. The first time experience or “high” of some drugs delivers a pinnacle of ecstasy which will never be experienced again. Yet, this first time encounter is so powerful that it drives a person into more usage seeking to regain that elusive initial ecstasy (the ghost) all over again. The pursuit of this ghost drives him/her deeper and deeper into drug abuse. Sadly, many Christians live their lives in the same manner. They spend much of their productive lives chasing a past experience which they desire to be duplicated or an illusive idol which falsely promises to deliver spiritual and/or material ecstasy. Solomon, the preacher of Ecclesiastes chased the ghosts of materialism, works and pleasure only to find emptiness. “All is vanity” cried the exasperated ghost seeker and as a result of honest observation he made the astute conclusion that chasing the ghost is foolishness. He finally realized that a fulfilled life can be obtained and experienced day after day not by chasing a ghost but by simply, “Fearing God and keeping His commandments.”

Casting Our Care Upon Him

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:7)

We are called to cast ALL of our cares upon Him, both great and small. Now who of us does not have cares, troubles, problems, concerns, or whatever you want to call them? We all have issues. That is just a part of life in a sin-cursed world, but God does not want us to carry them alone. When I was a child my older brother and I had the chore of feeding the horses and the cows. I remember trying to carry that hundred pound sack of feed under my wobbly legs. It was pure joy to get that sack of burden to its place of destination and drop it off my shoulder. I am sure there were times my brother or dad would see me struggle and help me with the weight. How many of us struggle through life carrying the burdens of the world when the God of creation is crying out, "I want to carry your burdens if you will only allow Me?" When we place our cares upon Him it removes the strain of worry and struggle. We leave that for Him. Also, it forces us to place total trust in His faithfulness and abilities to handle our problem. Placing our care upon the Lord also allows Him to handle the solution in His perfect way rather than in our imperfect ways. Wow, how we can really make a mess trying to handle problems ourselves. It is amazing how He can make something beautiful out of a problem so ugly. Yes, God never ceases to amaze me how He can work through my problems in a way that brings me abundant joy and brings Him the glory and honor He is due.