...and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 1Kings19:12NRSV
Do you ever crave silence? Perhaps a silence where you can think straight, and avoid the daily distractions? We know the story where Elijah the strong and powerful prophet of God came up against an evil woman called Jezebel who promised to make his life a misery, to the point of death. The great Elijah ran scared for his life. We smile at this sometimes, but which of us has never run from a test or temptation instead of facing it down? So let’s not be too hasty in judgement.
God used the elements of nature to get his attention. An earthquake, but no success. A fire, and still Elijah wasn’t able to hear God. But when it was ‘sheer silence’, and there were no other distractions, Elijah heard the voice of God, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”. Elijah was faced with the same question by God in v9 and v13, almost as though it didn’t get through the first time, or it needed to be emphasised. God certainly wanted his attention, and only then Elijah got the message.
God doesn’t always get through to us in the big things either. The Crusades, or the Campaigns (Revivals to our American cousins), or the Gospel Music Concerts, all with their noisy Biblical content (all good of course!). However, many times God needs us to be quiet before Him, without the distractions that noise can bring. Very recently, a close friend suffered a particularly bad couple of days in his health, but in that time there wasn’t much conversation or prayer going on between him and God. He was too busy trying to find a way to feel better as each passing hour seemed more painful than the last. When the ‘noise’ of the pain reduced and eased, that was when God spoke. But not only that, it was when my friend was in a place to listen.
Where and when would be the best place and time for God to speak clearly to you, and more importantly, for you to be able to listen?
The aim is to provide a stimulating mix of personal opinions (from a mainstream Christian worldview), and associated comments, which will be accepted and published if they comply with the usual courtesy and decency.
Showing posts with label wind. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wind. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Thursday, 18 October 2018
Boiling Water
In the old example, the frog jumps clear from the container when it discovers the water is too hot for it to survive. So, it either boils to death or jumps to live. On the other hand, a frog will sit, stay and die in the same container of water if the temperature is slowly increased to the same boiling point as before.
Why am I saying this? What’s the parallel with the frog? Let me explain, and please stay with me because I might ruffle a few feathers and upset some friends, but neither of these is my aim or purpose. Let’s make the analogy to our church, its beliefs, and the individual members. Let’s say one of the members goes to church year after year, checks out the beliefs and fully accepts the theology. The water in the tank is just right, and that’s ok. Then someone in leadership adds, removes, or alters, one of the basic beliefs you had accepted. This doesn’t feel right, and the water slowly gets warmer still. Then another person you respect and trust accepts and adopts yet another change fully and the water continues to boiling point. What to do now?
If this ‘old’ member stays against their better judgement, they will spiritually die in the slow change of temperature as it rises. However, if that same old member senses the sudden temperature change and acts quickly to leap from the tank, he or she is saved and can find another tank where the spiritual atmosphere and temperature is just right, and that ‘frog’ will survive.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27
In this parable Jesus says that the storm came in increasing intensity. The rain, then the floods, and finally the winds. At each point the house owner had the chance to react, but the foolish man built on a soft foundation and chose not to move. He had the same circumstances as the wise man. The difference was in the sure, unchangeing foundation of his belief. Which storms would you or I survive? Based on the ‘frog and the boiling water’ example, who do you see as the wise frog? It comes down to this, would you jump or die?
Why am I saying this? What’s the parallel with the frog? Let me explain, and please stay with me because I might ruffle a few feathers and upset some friends, but neither of these is my aim or purpose. Let’s make the analogy to our church, its beliefs, and the individual members. Let’s say one of the members goes to church year after year, checks out the beliefs and fully accepts the theology. The water in the tank is just right, and that’s ok. Then someone in leadership adds, removes, or alters, one of the basic beliefs you had accepted. This doesn’t feel right, and the water slowly gets warmer still. Then another person you respect and trust accepts and adopts yet another change fully and the water continues to boiling point. What to do now?
If this ‘old’ member stays against their better judgement, they will spiritually die in the slow change of temperature as it rises. However, if that same old member senses the sudden temperature change and acts quickly to leap from the tank, he or she is saved and can find another tank where the spiritual atmosphere and temperature is just right, and that ‘frog’ will survive.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27
In this parable Jesus says that the storm came in increasing intensity. The rain, then the floods, and finally the winds. At each point the house owner had the chance to react, but the foolish man built on a soft foundation and chose not to move. He had the same circumstances as the wise man. The difference was in the sure, unchangeing foundation of his belief. Which storms would you or I survive? Based on the ‘frog and the boiling water’ example, who do you see as the wise frog? It comes down to this, would you jump or die?
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