XPost: alt.religion.christian.adventist, can.general, can.politics   
   XPost: alt.dear.whitehouse   
   From: spamspamspam@montypython.org   
      
   Ninth Commandment wrote:   
      
   > On 19 Feb 2005 07:57:02 -0800, "Jim"  wrote:   
   >   
   >   
   >>Sh'ma Yisrael wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>How much do you have?   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>Always gotta appreciate a mind that can stay on track.   
   >>   
   >>There are places, you know, that claim to offer God's Presence to the   
   >>general public.  They have signs out front that say things like, "Come   
   >>and Experience the Presence of God This Sunday!"   
   >>   
   >>But I have always found that the Lord is wherever you recognize your   
   >>need of Him and are willing to meet Him.  He seems always to be there   
   >>before I get there, and to remain there even after I have gone.  This   
   >>has been true for me out in the desert, or by the ocean, in the deepest   
   >>woods, up in the mountains, down in the valleys, and out on the rolling   
   >>green prairies.  Just as true in the inner city as out in rural areas.   
   >>Just as true at midnight as in the welcome light of early morning.   
   >>   
   >>And I'm not saying that it isn't good to be gathered with others when   
   >>worshiping the Lord.  I nearly always appreciate being among hundreds,   
   >>or even thousands, when singing the praises of the Lord Jesus.  But the   
   >>Presence of God is never limited to a building, a time of the day, or a   
   >>special day of the week.   
   >>   
   >>So I sometimes wonder exactly what is meant by those who advertise   
   >>God's Presence.  One group near me recently advertised that to attend   
   >>their meetings was to experience a relationship with God.  And I really   
   >>do believe that they meant well.  I'm sure they are simply saying that   
   >>it would be good to go to church this Sunday.   
   >>   
   >>But I wonder if maybe we don't go too far, at times, in trying to get   
   >>people over to our place of worship?  No mortal man or group of people   
   >>can claim to function as a spiritual "filling station" for the Spirit   
   >>and Presence of God in other people's lives.  Yet I think that too many   
   >>are doing exactly that.   
   >>   
   >>What any person has with God (and of God) is a matter decided between   
   >>that individual and the Lord alone.  I certainly cannot give you more   
   >>of a relationship with God than you already have or want.  And you   
   >>cannot sell more of God's blessing to the next fellow.  Nor can any   
   >>mortal rightly claim to offer either of us more of God than we already   
   >>have and want.   
   >>   
   >>God is with us all, to the extent that we will have Him.  He is not   
   >>diminished by our lack of faith, our refusal to obey and trust in   
   >>Jesus.  But we close down our hearts to the light and life and laughter   
   >>of God when we resist His good Spirit, when we reject His assurances to   
   >>help, and when we refuse to listen to Him or learn from Him.   
   >>   
   >>Like Isaiah preached, long ago, "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the   
   >>waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine   
   >>and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money   
   >>for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not   
   >>satisfy?  Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight   
   >>yourselves in rich food."  (Isaiah 55:1,2)   
   >>   
   >>We all need Jesus.  And Jesus is here for all of us, having already   
   >>died on the cross for our sins -- for all sin.  But each human soul   
   >>remains as far away from God as they like, or draws as near to the Lord   
   >>as they wish to be.   
   >>   
   >>The light is already in the world, through the gospel, by the Holy   
   >>Spirit, and through the witness of the church (such as that may be).   
   >>The truth is right here among us in the message that God has given.   
   >>And we will either open our hearts to Him, inviting Him in, or we will   
   >>try to go the whole way alone, on our own, refusing all the help, the   
   >>wisdom, and the power God offers.   
   >>   
   >>May we all be wise enough to simply open our eyes to the glorious light   
   >>of God's Presence and blessing and truth.  May we all learn from the   
   >>Father and submit to the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life and god's   
   >>richest blessings.  Amen and amen.   
   >>   
   >>Jim   
   >   
   >   
   > Selah and have a good weekend.   
   >   
      
   Whatever gives you peace go for it, but don't expect everyone to   
   subscribe to the same magazine. In some places people who talk to   
   an "Invisible friends" or "Hear Voices" are locked up. ;~)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)