HumbleMan
16th August 2005, 02:35 PM
Once a month, I help with a prison ministry group. My usual role is to give a short exhortation, lead in prayer, and maybe give a short sermon.
I had forgotten that it was coming up today, and I had to come up with this at the last moment. Am I making sense?
Mat 18:3 "I assure you," He said, "unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Most people think that verse is meaning that you must become a new person to enter the Kingdom of God. And they’re right. But in this newness, there is also a new measure of faith, one that God has put in us.
But what is this faith? Is it a well studied, reasoned out faith? Is it the elimination of other options? Is it an academic exercise into research?
No, it’s a simple, child like belief that God is real, and Christ died for us. It’s a simple joy in your heart when you know you’re right.
Children continue to amaze me, because of their remarkable ability to see things as either black or white, yes or no, right or wrong. My son just turned three, and although I may be many years older, I am no wiser.
He has that kind of faith. He just knows Santa Claus is coming this Christmas. He knows the Easter bunny will be leaving eggs for him to find. He knows his sister will take his toys. And he knows God is real.
And that’s the kind of faith that we have to get back to. Stripped down, rock solid faith. The faith God gave us.
When things look dark. When the weight of this place is on you. When you think God won’t hear you, just remember, it just takes a simple faith.
I'm probably going to expand on this theme at a later time, and probably discuss the faith of Moses at the Red Sea, and David facing Goliath, but unless our preacher doesn't make it tonight, this is all I'll have time for.
Thanks, y'all.
I had forgotten that it was coming up today, and I had to come up with this at the last moment. Am I making sense?
Mat 18:3 "I assure you," He said, "unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Most people think that verse is meaning that you must become a new person to enter the Kingdom of God. And they’re right. But in this newness, there is also a new measure of faith, one that God has put in us.
But what is this faith? Is it a well studied, reasoned out faith? Is it the elimination of other options? Is it an academic exercise into research?
No, it’s a simple, child like belief that God is real, and Christ died for us. It’s a simple joy in your heart when you know you’re right.
Children continue to amaze me, because of their remarkable ability to see things as either black or white, yes or no, right or wrong. My son just turned three, and although I may be many years older, I am no wiser.
He has that kind of faith. He just knows Santa Claus is coming this Christmas. He knows the Easter bunny will be leaving eggs for him to find. He knows his sister will take his toys. And he knows God is real.
And that’s the kind of faith that we have to get back to. Stripped down, rock solid faith. The faith God gave us.
When things look dark. When the weight of this place is on you. When you think God won’t hear you, just remember, it just takes a simple faith.
I'm probably going to expand on this theme at a later time, and probably discuss the faith of Moses at the Red Sea, and David facing Goliath, but unless our preacher doesn't make it tonight, this is all I'll have time for.
Thanks, y'all.