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The beginning of all reform must be in yourselves. However restricted your circumstances, however little you may be able to remedy financial affairs, you can always turn to yourselves, and seeing something not in order there, seek to right that.
Two Listeners
It is only a fool that will say that a bitter tree by constantly bearing fruit will at last become sweet. As a matter of fact a bitter tree can become sweet by being grafted on a sweet tree, so that the life and qualities peculiar to the sweet tree will pass into the bitter one and its natural bitterness will pass away. This is what we call a new creation. So too the sinner may have the desire to do what is right, and yet the only result is sin; but when he repents and by faith is grafted into Me the old man in him dies, and he becomes a new creature. Then from this new life which has its origin in salvation good deeds come forth as fruit, and this fruit abides for ever.
Sadhu Sundar Singh Of India - At The Master's Feet
This saying, that a man can by his own effort and good works acquire salvation, is foolish and absurd so long as the man is not born again. World-rulers and teachers of morality say, "Become good by doing good," but this is what I say, "Become good yourself before doing good works." When that new and good life has been entered upon, good deeds will be the natural result.
Sadhu Sundar Singh Of India - At The Master's Feet
Today's sermon was on the topic of FAITH. The sermon started with a good question - What is faith? The speaker said, "....faith is that which moves us, not the mountains."
What an interesting introduction but unfortunately, the rest of the sermon set my mind wandering. It didn't stray too far. I was still trying to figure out what faith is when the answer came to me almost immediately.
Years ago when my mother was laying unconscious in the hospital, I struggled with faith. I thought then if I believed that God will heal her, He will. She was never healed and that really confused me about my own faith. Didn't Jesus say that everything is possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23) and that when we ask in prayer and believe that we have received it, it will be ours (Mark 11:24)? Was I without faith at all? Just what exactly does God want and why was it so difficult to believe? God didn't seem to be listening to my prayers. Over the years, friends and relatives stricken with terminal illnesses died inspite of my fervent prayers for healing. I was completely confused about what faith is.
This morning, I realised that faith isn't primarily about what I want. Before Jesus healed the man with the shrivelled hand (Mark 3:1) He said to him, "Stretch out your hand." What did the man reply? My hand is shrivelled, how can I stretch it out? On the contrary, he obeyed without a word. Scripture recorded: "He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored."
Three things I learnt through the Holy Spirit who instructs us in our hearts. Firstly, faith is listening to what God is saying. Secondly, understanding His instructions and thirdly, doing what He tells us to do. Just like the man with the withered hand. Just like Abraham when he was told to uproot himself and his family and go settle in a strange land.
There are things that I desire to have, people I desire to be with and places that I desire to go to but if the Lord says no I have enough faith to say, it's alright. I believe that Your decision is the best one for me. I will go where You want me to go and I will give up what You don't want me to have, happily and without worry. That's faith. That's faith that pleases God. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..........
"Live more with Me apart, and so there will come an ever-increasing helpfulness to others.......Never feel that you can help others unaided by Me, for therein lies danger."
God at Eventide - Two Listeners
After that a fourth saint said, "To conduct the souls of men from the world is the work of angels. Usually Christ reveals Himself in the spiritual world to each one in degrees of glory differing in intensity according to the state of each soul's spiritual development. But in some cases, He Himself comes to a deathbed to welcome His servant and in love dries his tears, and leads him into Paradise . As a child born into the world finds everything provided for its wants, so does the soul, on entering the spiritual world find all its wants supplied."
The Visions Of Sadhu Sundar Singh Of India
The beginning of all reform must be in yourselves. However restricted your circumstances, however little you may be able to remedy financial affairs, you can always turn to yourselves, and seeing something not in order there, seek to right that.
It is only a fool that will say that a bitter tree by constantly bearing fruit will at last become sweet. As a matter of fact a bitter tree can become sweet by being grafted on a sweet tree, so that the life and qualities peculiar to the sweet tree will pass into the bitter one and its natural bitterness will pass away. This is what we call a new creation. So too the sinner may have the desire to do what is right, and yet the only result is sin; but when he repents and by faith is grafted into Me the old man in him dies, and he becomes a new creature. Then from this new life which has its origin in salvation good deeds come forth as fruit, and this fruit abides for ever.
This saying, that a man can by his own effort and good works acquire salvation, is foolish and absurd so long as the man is not born again. World-rulers and teachers of morality say, "Become good by doing good," but this is what I say, "Become good yourself before doing good works." When that new and good life has been entered upon, good deeds will be the natural result.
Today's sermon was on the topic of FAITH. The sermon started with a good question - What is faith? The speaker said, "....faith is that which moves us, not the mountains." What an interesting introduction but unfortunately, the rest of the sermon set my mind wandering. It didn't stray too far. I was still trying to figure out what faith is when the answer came to me almost immediately.
"Live more with Me apart, and so there will come an ever-increasing helpfulness to others.......Never feel that you can help others unaided by Me, for therein lies danger."
After that a fourth saint said, "To conduct the souls of men from the world is the work of angels. Usually Christ reveals Himself in the spiritual world to each one in degrees of glory differing in intensity according to the state of each soul's spiritual development. But in some cases, He Himself comes to a deathbed to welcome His servant and in love dries his tears, and leads him into Paradise . As a child born into the world finds everything provided for its wants, so does the soul, on entering the spiritual world find all its wants supplied."
