Do you think that everyone you meet has a story that would break your heart? Do you? Do you tell yours to everyone, or do you carry it in your heart and only share it with those who have demonstrated love and concern? Are you grateful for those with whom you can share your greatest burdens? Does it take much logic or insight to conclude that everyone else is in the same situation? Don’t assume that everything is going well for those who do not complain.
Do you believe that my word is quick and powerful, i.e. living? Do you approach it this way? What example did I set for you? In my famous sermon I quoted scripture as that which had been spoken since old time, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. I provided a fresh perspective when I said, but I say unto you, love your enemies. Would you have come to this conclusion from the original text? Was I correct? If the Bible is living would you expect it to yield only fixed meanings? I invite you to follow me.
Do you see yourself on a faith journey? Do you think I took one myself? A key transition point in mine was when it was my turn to read a scripture passage in the synagogue. I then said that this day that scripture was fulfilled. My statement was not well received, and this is the last time I was really welcome in the synagogue. That didn’t stop me for moving forward to fulfill the destiny my Father had set before me. The purpose of this illustration is not to tell you to leave church, but even so you will face major transition points in your own faith journey.
Dear Pastor,
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My word cautions you that you conduct yourself so that your prayers are not hindered. How do you interpret this concept? Do you think it means that the amount and intensity of your prayers remains the same, and that I will ignore them? Or does it mean that your prayers will diminish in frequency and intensity? So is this more about me or about you? I will never reject you, but it is possible for your love to wax cold. Have you ever observed a reluctance on my part to answer your fervent prayers? Have you ever seen the quality of your own prayer life decline?
Do you recall my sorrow I expressed over my people that I saw as sheep without a shepherd? Do you think of this as a one-time event? Truth is timeless and eternal. So just as new wine needing new wineskins and having other sheep who are not of this fold, sorrow over sheep without a shepherd is an ongoing truth. Do you meet people who have the same spiritual longings that you do, but without awareness, the ability to articulate them, or make an intelligent response? How many people do you know that you would describe this way? I’m still looking for laborers for the harvest.
I received the following email from Isabelle Declercq, one of our CLU graduates. She has seen God wage war in the heavenlies and defeat the Coronavirus. His message is in the clouds that she beheld and she tells her story below. It reminds me of the verse: The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory (Ps. 97:6)!
Have you heard of magical thinking? This term is not a compliment and it is used to describe people, particularly the primitive and uneducated, who draw cause and effect relationships where there are none, and attempt to obtain desired outcomes through ineffective actions. Have you ever heard this term applied to believers? There are those who pray to get their own way, but your faith, properly understood and practiced, is not magical.
Are you on a search for truth? Where do you look? Do you look in only a few places where you are confident you will find it, such as the Bible? Yet the concept of searching implies that you are not yet in full possession. It also implies that you don’t know exactly where to find what you want, or you wouldn’t consider it a search. Have you ever found truth in unexpected places? You should find this to be a pleasant surprise. Can you accept the concept that all truth comes from me? I promised to lead you into all truth. You can trust the leading of my Spirit to do this.
Do you expect people to behave a certain way based on their background and belief systems? Are you usually right about this? Do you have a crisis of faith when you see unbelievers exhibiting righteous behavior or believers being mean? You should rejoice in righteous behavior no matter who does it, and the story of the Good Samaritan illustrates this point. What about believers who don’t live up to their creeds? Do you think they should know better? Do you? A transformed life takes longer to accomplish than a profession of faith.
