Is Fatherhood just an Institution?

"Sons of great men have sometimes remembered their father as an institution rather than as a father, and God is to some of His children little more than an institution. It was not thus that Jesus revealed Him. ..... There are many revelations of the Divine Glory and Majesty, and it is well to ponder them in adoring worship; but Jesus turned them into terms of filial value. He is our Father. That is the crowning fact. Others may cringe in fear, but the child heart is a stranger to terror."

Samuel Chadwick from the book "God Listens to the Crying Heart in The Secret Place".

The Basis of Prayer

"The basis of prayer is sonship. Prayer is possible and reasonable because it is filial. It is natural for a child to ask of its father, and it is reasonable for the father to listen to the request of his child." Samuel Chadwick

What a foolish question?

Would God ever answer your prayer in a way that would be hurtful to you? You say, "What a foolish question, certainly not." But listen! Be careful what you push God to do! He may very well give you what you want even though it is not what He wants.

The people castigated and villified Moses demanding food different from the manna God provided. (Numbers 11) God answered their request saying, "you will eat it.... until it runs out of your nostrils and you loathe it." Modern paraphrase: "I'll stuff it down your throat until you choke on it." So much for a limp wristed God!

The people rejected the prophet/judge Samuel and demanded a King. God answered their request and by their third king the nation was divided and being destroyed. (1 Samuel 8:6-8)

Be careful what you "push" for. You may rue the day you got it!

Serenity - Courage - Wisdom

"God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can and the wisdom to know it's me."

A Page from the Diary of John Wesley

From Johns Wesley's Diary

Sunday morning. May 5, preached in St. Ann's, was asked not to come back anymore.

Sunday p.m. May 5, preached at St. John's, deacons said, "Get out and stay out."

Sunday a.m. May 12, preached at St. Jude's, can't go back there either.

Sunday p.m., May 12, preached at St. George's, kicked out again.

Sunday a.m., May 19, preached at St. somebody else's, deacons called special meeting and said I counldn't return.

Sunday p.m., May 19, preached on the street, kicked off the street.

Sunday a.m., May 26, preached in meadow, chased out of meadow as a bull was turned loose during the services.

Sunday a.m., June 2, preached out at the edge of town, kicked off the highway.

Sunday p.m., June 2, afternoon service, preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to hear me.

from The Moral of the Story by Jerry Newcombe

Oh, give me another Wesley!! I'm sick to death that our country is filled with limp wristed people pleasers who pass off baby talk as preaching. Let the fire fall!

God's Guardrails

I grew up in the mountains and often travelled on a particularly dangerous narrow mountain road with hairpin turns, switchbacks and falling rocks. Guardrails lined the canyon side of the road. I once had a summer job repairing those guardrails and it was an endless job. They saved many lives by preventing cars from plunging hundreds of feet into the canyon below.

God's guardrails are His moral laws. They stand between us and destruction. They are there not to punish or deprive us, but to protect us.

No!!! God... No God... Know God

No!!! God. This is saying "no" to God. Not so smart when you think about who He is.
No God. This is denying that God exists. Not so smart because He is still there, and so is hell.
Know God. That's why we were created - and why Jesus came. That's smart! Very smart!