As In a Mirror

This edition of Missions in the United States focuses on Mark Cahill, a man who has devoted his life to sharing the gospel in his home country. He has written two books, the first directed toward believers, “One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven,” about sharing the gospel with the lost people we see everyday. His second book is directed toward unbelievers, it’s called “One Heartbeat Away.” It aims to get lost people to think about what they would do if they knew they were just moments away from death. Of course, he shares the gospel in it! He gives copies of his book away for nothing to the people he witnesses to. If people tell him, “This book changed my life. Where can I get 200 copies of this book? I’ve got to tell people!” he will just give his books to them. This man is almost 50 years old now, but still sharing the good news, that, as he says, he is so grateful that four college students took the time to share with him, so now he must share with others, and let them make the decision before they pass into eternity. Mark prays and asks the Lord for guidance to lead him to the right people; some of his stories are incredible!

Here he is interviewed on Way of the Master Radio (actually, this is back in November 2006!) You will learn his methods, techniques, message, stories, and his challenge! Please find some time to listen; you will not regret it! (Be warned, it’s almost 30 minutes long, but you won’t notice the time fly by!)

If you want to hear Mark speak some more, go here.

“Go… to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:6-8)

We’ve got something that nobody nowhere can steal from us, because it is hidden deep within our hearts! How grateful we are to those people from whom we learned the gospel; and so many people are still waiting! Freely we have received, let us freely give!

So I guess this is kinda a Word for Wednesday… focuses on the spoken Word.

How about some music? Here’s “What the World Will Never Take” from Hillsong. That’s the reason we tell!

UPDATE: I forgot to add “Tell the World”!

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“The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
And his tongue talks of justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.

Wait on the LORD,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.” (Psalm 37:30-31, 34-40)

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (Psalm 84:5-12)

I hide Your words within my heart
To never depart.
Now I see that glory
So dimly, but earnestly
I seek Your face
So I never fade away
Running after other things.
I want to be in Your place
And walk in all of Your ways.
I run after this one thing,
The presence of the King.

Today, my own words are few. No great philosophical or theological musings. (I did that last week!) It’s real simple. Often times what poetry does is it takes the deep, deep things within the heart and releases them in such a way that everyone can understand, like a flower blooming. The kind of poetry I love is the kind that requires some Scriptural literacy. Take an example from Amy Carmichael: “Let all be anathema to me/ That turns me from Getsemane.” What went on in Gethsemane? That is where Jesus prayed, “Not My will, Father, but Yours be done.” Let all else be anathema to me!

I also wanted to share this song for the week, which follows this theme. “In Your Freedom.” The more I listen to this song, the more I really love it.

I search for You God of strength
I bow to You in my brokenness
And no other King could have so humbly come
To save my soul and heal my heart

I have nothing more than all You offer me
There is nothing else that’s of worth to me

And I love You Lord
You rescued me
You are all that I want
You’re all that I need

I pray to You God of peace
I rest in You my cares released

I have nothing more than all You offer me
There is nothing else that’s of worth to me

In Your freedom I will live
In Your freedom I will live
I offer devotion, I offer devotion

For more Word for Wednesdays, visit Yeah, Right…

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I have to laugh, first because this is the second time recently I am late for Word for Wednesday, second because this is also the second Word for Wednesday recently inspired by someone else’s Word for Wednesday. I had just read Freaky Frugalite’s, so you had better check that out before you read my ramble here.

My response to the video:

Gee, with this huge increase of knowledge, we must certainly have evolved a great deal; way better than those people back then! Right?

How come then, we haven’t been able to diminish the death rate? We have got so much medical knowledge; people should be healthier, then, and sickness and vitamin deficiency less common, right? And to top it off, we have gained so much knowledge, we would take better care of mother earth, then, right?

Gee.

And with the English language having expanded so much, really, why is that if half the population can’t spell those words corectly? (oops!)
How come now people can tell us what our problems are (e.g., “ADD”) but they cannot tell us how to fix them?
How come eighteen-year-olds today don’t know more than 10 year-olds a hundred years ago? (Think that’s false? See how many questions an 18-year-old will answer with “I don’t know.”)
And how come search engines designed to answer questions still can’t answer so many of them, like “What is the purpose of life?” or “Where will I go when I die?” or “Why did I never learn anything in school?” or even “Why do I have so many unanswered questions?”

Oh, and with all this increased knowledge, people should have learned better than to download music illegally, right?

Truth is, man is just as lost today as he was 2,000 years ago. Even today, with so much increased knowledge (actually, I think the correct term is information), people have so many pre-conceived ideas about God, about when His Son will return, that it is doubtful many will recognize Him when He comes! People now put God in this soft and squishy costume that they may not recognize the one with eyes like a flame of fire! Knowledge is increased, sure. But still, man has no solutions to console the honest conscience that asks, “How do I live forever?” People take so much pride in how knowledge has increased, that they think they must have the answers to everything, right? Though you can gain the whole world, you will lose your soul if you do not look to Him whose message is foolishness in our standards.

It’s like Rebecca at Freaky Frugalite pointed out in the book of Daniel, this is a sure sign of the last days!

“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore let no one boast in men.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-21)

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

You’ve probably already read those Word for Wednesdays that were posted on time, but if you haven’t, visit Yeah Right…

March 29th UPDATE: Basically the point is this: A billion gazillion text messages sent a day? The same number of google searches? A hugely expanded vocabulary? Okay; what does that number of text messages and google searches say about knowledge? Nothing, really. This is just the transfer of information. And why is it that our daily speech is not only limited to fewer words than there were (regardless of the fact that more words exist) 500 years ago, and people can’t spell them right or speak properly?

It is true, as I said before, that knowledge has increased. This is undeniable; for example, our knowledge of what nutrients our body needs has increased greatly due to scientific research. However, are the people today overall healthier than they were years ago? NO! People have the available INFORMATION to find out this stuff, but they do not apply it. “We know how to keep ourselves healthy!” Okay, why aren’t we more healthy? Is the only reason we think we are because we do not have the SAME ailments as folks did 500 years ago? So many diseases (e.g., cancer) are caused by bad diet, when they can so easily be prevented. Why do the same stores that sell us nutrition books bombard us with ads for soda, chips, cookies, and other processed garbage?

Even though we have much more information available to us now, we do not have any more answers–sadly, maybe fewer–than we used to, regarding THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST. Man has still not found a way to make himself live forever, to return to the original glory an communication with the Creator that he had! The basic message of that video seemed to me to say, “Aren’t we so much smarter now? Haven’t we really evolved, like, SO much in just 500 years?” (Haha. Text messages. You have got to be kidding me.) So this is my response (rant). It is just like the angel told Daniel, that knowledge has increased, and man has puffed himself up, but for nothing. Man has ZERO ZILCH and NADA to boast in; just as much as he did 2,000 years ago! Man STILL needs Christ! And He is coming, soon.

So in response to the video, I have basically just been thinking outside of the box, looking at things at an angle the world is careful not to cover, and examining the information they are careful not to share. Otherwise, you might look at the number of text messages sent each day and think, “Wow.” But increased transfer of information does not make smarter people. Most people can’t speak a second language in America; but 100 years ago, most could! Even those who could not write! They don’t tell you THAT on TV.

OKAY, I WILL SHUT UP. I BELIEVE I HAVE SAID ENOUGH. “SOMEBODY GET THE OTHER ALICE IN BED, SHE IS DRIVING US NUTS!!!!”

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Ever heard it said that miracles are impossible? Yep, me too. Why? We can say, “But look at this situation. How do you not call that a miracle?” They sometimes respond, “Oh, but there is a natural explanation!” And they might be so kind as to give an example. Sometimes their answers are valid. But just because a situation seems to have a natural explanation, or at least, seems to go along with nature, does not mean it is not a miracle. I am a believer in miracles. But I don’t believe in magic. A lot of folks might think those two one and the same, but they are not. Let me explain why:

God is the author of miracles; He is also the author of time and nature. However, as the creator of time, He is not limited by time, and as the creator of nature, He is not limited by the natural; He is over and above the natural (supernatural: over, above, beyond the natural realm).
Take the story of Jonah, we tend to think of God’s mindset something like this:
“Hmmm. What should I do about this Jonah character? I know! I will take this great big fish out of his natural habitat, or I will just make this great big fish with no other kind like it, put it right where Jonah is, have it swallow him, then swim to Assyria, and spit him up three miles away from Ninevah! And I will make it so Jonah doesn’t get digested within that period! Tada! He ought to learn something by then!”

Ummm… I don’t believe so. I am going to assume that God, who was smart enough to create the world and the human mind in the first place, is smart enough to know how to handle them. Did you know that there is actually a species of giant fish that swallow people and later spit them out alive onto the shore? Just because this situation was not unique to Jonah does not prove it was not a miracle. That the sequence of events was exactly the way God said it would be proves it was no coincidence. It is a process of nature, yes, but it did not happen by chance; it worked to fulfill the same will God had revealed to a man days before! We call such an instance “miraculous.” I think God, the Creator of time and nature, did not find Himself in a situation one day and make up something obscure. HE is the author of these things, He controls them, He knows them before they happen, yet He is not limited by them.

And how about this story?

“When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
He said, “Yes.”
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” (Matthew 17: 24-27)

Sounds a bit outlandish, doesn’t it? However, recent studies have revealed that there are a species of fish in the Galilee region who pick up things like bottle caps and pebbles in their mouths. So a coin did not magically appear in a fish’s mouth. Does this prove Peter’s situation was not a miracle? NO! How did Jesus know how long it would take Peter to get out fishing, when he would get some fish, exactly which fish would be first, and that there would be the perfect unit of money in its mouth? How did He know that type of fish even existed? I think this proves one thing: that Jesus is the Creator, Author of time and nature; He is the Son of God.

Of course, no natural explanation has been found for the five loaves that fed five thousand people and turned into twelve baskets full of leftovers. Nor for the raising of dead people. Nor for the blind receiving sight and the maimed becoming whole at the touch or the word of Jesus. Nor for the calming of the sea. Nor for the turning of water into wine. I think God does what He does because He is smart. He shows us a few things through all the kinds of miracles He does: (1) that He is the author of the universe, knows the universe, controls it, and works in it to fulfill His purpose, (2) that He is also above the universe, not limited by it, and never at a loss for what to do, (3) that He is a just Judge, and no sin cannot escape His judgment, (4) that He cares for us and desires our well-being, and (5) that these stories in His Word are not made up. He is the author of Creation and of the Bible; science is the study of His works, theology is the study of His words.

Next time you hear someone say miracles are impossible, ask him, “For whom, sir, are they impossible?” You could also try, “Do you believe in evolution?” If he responds “yes,” then there is a serious problem, because while denying miracles, he will be affirming what is no less than “magic” (the scientific term for that is spontaneous generation).

For more Word for Wednesdays, check out Yeah, Right…

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This post covers the same subject as Jay and Miss Szymanski for this week. However, I will focus on another dimension. It began Tuesday night; it was late, I was stressed from a long hard day, and in stressful anticipation of the day to come. When something like this happens, it’s imminent that the devil is trying to get me distracted, to miss something that will set me free, to steal from me the words of Life that are just around the corner.

I opened my Bible to Isaiah 58 (funny, a lot of us have been reading there ). Jay and Miss Szymanski covered extensive ground on this topic, explaining “the fast,” so I needn’t cover there. What I wanted to share is that for some reason, the section that stood out to me was this:

“ Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

“ If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
“ If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the LORD honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 58:6-14)

The rest of my reading for the day began in Romans 5.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

How do the two go together? Well, it’s a long story. Let’s start with the message in Romans 5: What great a salvation we have! Christianity is not a sub-culture like Islam or Judaism or any of the other religions. It is not on the outside; no, the essence is not the man and his works, but Christ consuming him from the inside out. How free, how different everything is now that Jesus saved me! What amazing grace, that I might be called the friend of God– I am totally undeserving of this gift. But what precious blood of the perfect Lamb of God was poured forth for me! How can we, with this understanding, live for ourselves? How can we fast to do our own thing? How can we live our comfortable lives for our pleasure? If we are truly thankful for this precious gift, we will show mercy to the oppressed, extend our soul to the hungry, help those in need.

At the same time, we can fret and become so anxious over the state of this world–God, they are so lost! I was once like them, but God, You set me free! Lord, I see that horrible yoke they are carrying, and I remember that was my state! How can I reach them? Lord, I feel helpless. I don’t know how to help these people.

I am glad now that I never got around to the Word for Wednesday, because it took me until today to get the answer.

Isaiah 59 (the very next chapter!)

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear…
Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him…

“ The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the LORD.”

I must trust in Him, that He is in control. So often I can fear that I will miss an opportunity, but I must remember Him who holds the universe. He is in control not only of my life, but of everyone’s. My God is mighty to save! He wants me to live in His glorious freedom; the freedom undeserved by me. I’ve got to keep my focus on the one who saved me, when I was at the end of my rope, so surrounded by darkness, and to think–I almost missed the light! But His arm is not shortened. Father, I decide to trust in You to fulfill Your will, and Your promise that You hear when we call. Now, Lord, I lift up the lost to You, the Good Shepherd, and trust that You are strong and well able to find them.

I remember now what my last word from the Lord was, when I was, once again, so concerned about those millions of lost souls, who were just like I had been, wandering astray. I asked the Lord, “Where will I go? What will I do?” He led me to Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I AM God.” Lord, help me to keep my eyes not on myself, but on You, for it is You I live for; You are faithful, You are my strength, my hope, my peace, my healer, my Redeemer, my wisdom, my righteousness. You are all I need.

It is true; God does not have us do nothing about the lost. That is where Isaiah 58 comes in. You see, to be saved costs us nothing, in that we did not earn it, but to be a disciple costs us everything, in that we must carry our cross and follow Him. God demonstrated His love while we did not deserve it, and calls us to do the same, but we must trust that it is Him who does the saving! Just as we trust in Him for salvation, we trust in Him for our mission: to bring others to salvation. Jesus gave us two commands: Love one another, and go and preach My gospel. Care for the widow and the orphan, remember those in chains as if bound with them, be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks, look after the least of these my brethren. In all of this, TRUST IN ME. For I am with You always, even to the end of the age.

And if you still haven’t gotten your full dose of Word for Wednesdays, visit Yeah, Right…

Oh, and to conclude, this song speaks just what I have said, only in different words. Please do listen!

I know I’ve posted it before, but it is SO worth a repeat! If you want to read the words, see here.

Filed under : Discipleship, Word for Wednesday

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