Text 217, 121 rader
Skriven 2005-02-23 03:47:32 av Bob Hoffman (8:8/2)
Ärende: Unbroken Fellowship Essential
=====================================
From: "Bob Hoffman" <bhoffman@fmlynet.org>

      Faith's Checkbook - Powered by InJesus

      Wednesday 02-23 / Unbroken Fellowship Essential
      Robert Prodoehl
      Feb 22, 2005


Unbroken Fellowship Essential

"lf ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

Of necessity we must be in Christ to live unto Him, and we must abide in Him to
be able to claim the largesse of this promise from Him. To abide in Jesus is
never to quit Him for another love or another object, but to remain in living,
loving, conscious, willing union with Him. The branch is not only ever near the
stem but ever receiving life and fruitfulness horn it. All true believers abide
in Christ in a sense; but there is a higher meaning, and this we must know
before we can gain unlimited power at the throne. "Ask what ye will" is for
Enochs who walk with God, for Johns who lie in the LORD's bosom, for those
whose union with Christ leads to constant communion. The heart must remain in
love, the mind must be rooted in faith, the hope must be cemented to the Word,
the whole man must be joined unto the LORD, or else it would be dangerous to
trust us with power in prayer. The carte blanche can only be given to one whose
very life is, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me." O you who break your
fellowship, what power you lose! If you would be mighty in your pleadings, the
LORD Himself must abide in you, and you in Him.

======================================================================
What Does Luck Have to Do with It? Jim Elliff

Joni Eareckson Tada is one of the most gracious and effective Christians in the
world. She has lived with the results of a diving accident that broke her neck
during her teen years. At 50 she continues to radiate Christ to a listening
world. Joni is known by thousands of Christians, perhaps millions, through her
books, radio program, and conference speaking.

Once my brother asked Joni how she made it through the difficult battle with
her paraplegia. I later heard her give the same answer in a large conference in
Orlando. Her reply will surprise you. "I suppose what helped me get through
this more than any other thing" she said, "was reading Loraine Beottner's
Reformed Doctrine of Predestination."

Now that caught you off guard, didn't it?

What she was saying was that she came to understand through this book that God
is in control. And if God is in control then her accident wasn't just a fluke,
but a purposeful arrangement by a loving God. She could trust a God like that.
That accident cost her freedom and brought chronic suffering. But to Joni, that
diving accident was a huge gift from God—a platform for speaking to the world
about her favorite subject, Christ.

I know that it might seem insensitive to say that God is in control. But this
is what the Bible teaches, like it or not. When we analyze national tragedy we
sometimes recoil from the notion that God could be in control of His world. We
seek to protect God from such an accusation. But the Scriptures don't do this.

The Bible teaches that all good things, as well as all tragic things, come from
God. (See Lam. 3: 37-38) They usually come via secondary sources, that is, they
are delivered on your doorstep by other people or through the convergence of
events and complex connections. Without being a tempter or evil (James 1:13),
God determines all things, while still leaving men responsible for their
actions.

Complicated? Sure. But true nonetheless. A clear illustration of this can be
seen in the death of Christ. Is the death of Christ a good thing? Of course.
Did God just "hope" that everything would work out to accomplish the greatest
event of the universe? Did God feel lucky that it all worked out as He
projected? The early Christians did not think it was luck that brought about
Jesus' redemptive death. Here's the way they put it in a prayer meeting: For
truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered
together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be
done. (Acts 4:27-28) We can think of all events, tragic or good, under two
categories. They are either for the punishment or for the benefit of the
person, but they're all in the end for the glory of God.

Now think carefully. First, realize that everything that happens to a
non-believer is a tragedy. Even mercies from God, if sinned against, work out
for the worse to the non-believer. Every apparently good thing coming to a
person who will finally reject God, only serves to make his judgment more
severe. (See Rom. 2: 4-6)

But for the child of God, life works out exactly the opposite. The Bible says,
"All things work together for the good of those who love God, the called
according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28).

So, when a difficult thing comes into the life of a believer, as in Joni's
swimming accident, then the end result is good. It is for a loving purpose.
Even discipline from God toward true believers is for the good. And when sinful
people are involved, we can say with Joseph, "You meant it for evil; but God
meant it for good." (Gen. 50:20)

As one theologian said, "Tragedy is anything that happens to a non-believer."
And we can add, "Good is anything that happens to a true Christian."

This can only be said because God is in control. And luck, well, it isn't even
there.

Copyright C 2003 Jim Elliff
Permission granted to copy in full for non-profit use, including all copyright
information. Other uses require written permission.

======================================================================



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
      Visit My InJesus to manage your subscriptions, change your profile, or
check out thousands of other great ministry groups.
      If you do not have access to the web, you can use these addresses to
unsubscribe or subscribe:
      Unsubscribe: Faith-s-Checkbook-unsubscribe@MyInJesus.com
      Subscribe: Faith-s-Checkbook-subscribe@MyInJesus.com

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5
 # Origin: FamilyNet Sponsored by http://www.christian-wellness.net (8:8/2)
 * Origin: BBS Networks @ www.bbsnets.com 808-839-6036 (1:10/345)