Do you KNOW God?

 

It seems that there are many, many in the churches of our day who talk some of the Christian language but who know God only by hearsay. 

Most of them have read some book about God.  They have seen some reflection of the light of God.  They may have heard some faint echo of the voice of God, but it seems their own personal knowledge of God is slight. 

Many Christians are staking their reputations on church attendance, religious activity, social fellowship, sessions of singing-because in all of these things they are able to lean upon each other.  They spend alot of time serving as religious “props” for one another in Christian circles!

Take a look at the example of Jesus.  When He was here upon earth, the record shows that He had work to do and He also knew the necessity for activity as He preached and healed, taught and answered questions and blessed the people.  He also knew the fellowship of His brethren, those who followed Him and loved Him. 

Those were incidental things in Jesus’ life compared to His fellowship with and personal knowledge of the Father.  When Jesus went into the mountain to pray and to wait on God all night, He was not alone, for He knew the conscious presence of the Father with Him!

God Is Not Dependent on Our Human Success

 

Why is it that the professed Christian seems to have learned so little from our Lord’s plain teaching and example concerning human failure and success?

We are still seeing as men see and judging after the manner of man’s judgment.  How much eager beaver religious work is done out of a carnal desire to make good?  How many hours of prayer are wasted beseeching God to bless projects that are geared to the glorification of little men?  How much sacred money is poured out upon men who, in spite of their tear-in-the-voice appeals, nevertheless seek only to make a fair show in the flesh?

The true Christian should turn away from all this.  No man is worthy to succeed until he is willing to fail.  No man is morally worthy of success in religious activities until he is willing that the honor of succeeding should go to another if God so wills.

God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy.  The man who is elated by success and cast down by failure is still a carnal man.

God will allow His servant to succeed when he has learned that success does not make him dearer to God or more valuable in the total scheme of things. 

Our great honor lies in being just what Jesus was and is.  To be accepted by those who accept Him, rejected by all who reject Him, loved by those who love Him.  What greater glory could come to any man?

Am I Genuine?

 

How can we tell whether or not a man is of God? The answer is easy to find in the bible, but here are some points to consider.  The man must be a good man and full of the Holy Spirit.  Christianity is nothing if not moral.  No tricks of theology, no demonstrations of supernatural wonders, no evidences of blind devotion on the part of those close to him can decide whether or not God is in the man. Every servant of Christ must be pure of heart and holy of life.  While sinless perfection is not likely to be found among even the best of men, still the man to be trusted is the one who lives as near like Christ as possible and who knows how to repent in sorrow of heart when he sins against his Lord by any act or word.  The man God honors will be humble, self-effacing, self-sacrificing, modest, clean living, free from the love of money, eager to promote the honor of God and just as eager to disclaim any credit or praise on his own part.  His financial accounts will bear inspection, his ethical standards will be high and his personal life above reproach.