by Dr. John Hunter Torchbearera’ Fellowship England
The God that (DM
J UST HOW alive is the God in whom you believe ?While recently in Tai wan, I went to a village called Para dise. Going down the streets of this little town, I noticed what people looked like. They were very friend ly. There was a special monument along the roadside. It seems that about a year previously a “holy” tree had been there. This was a god to the people in this area. Evidently it had stood there for many years. No one could remember when they had not worshipped the god of the tree who supposedly brought blessing and good luck to them. For some strange reason, however, the tree began dy ing, as the leaves withered. Finally, in a heavy wind storm, it collapsed. Their god was now dead. This was the reason for the memorial. What a strange paradox! Here was a place called Paradise where the people’s god had died. Could this have any kind of a parallel in your life? Perhaps you are one whose life could be described as anything but paradise. You are hoping for the best, and maybe expecting the worst. Has it been that in recent years things have happened so that you have grown away from your faith? The things in which you used to be lieve are not as important today. To be quite honest, would you say that your god is dead, too? The hopes and desires that you had have just vanished away. Working with young people and college students, I have seen how many who have been reared in Christian homes seem to drop out of their faith. All is gone! There is an excellent statement in II Timo thy 1:12. Paul gives this wonder ful word of conviction and assur ance. “For I know whom I have be lieved, and am persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I have com mitted unto him against that day.” Paul had been condemned to death. He was ready to be offered, as an oblation offering, for the glory of Christ. He had fought a good fight, finished his course and kept the faith. This man had a faith which was burning bright. His God wasn’t dead. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt about his Lord. As I have gone around from country to country, I find people who believe in all kinds of things and who have all types of gods. In whom do you believe? Paul was speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born as a baby in Bethlehem, living a wondrous life, and then coming to the age of 30 and stepping out into service for God. Then He died on the cross. The Bible tells us that when He died, He was buried with our sins. “Who Him self bore our sins in his own body on the tree.” Scripture teaches us that “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” You see, here is someone to whom we can come. Christ alone could say, “I am He who liveth, and I was dead, and behold I am alive forever more.” The Bible clearly teaches that if we come to Christ, not to ethics, not to a cul ture, not to a religion, but here and now today to this blessed Person whcr is alive, He will forgive and cleanse our sins, giving us the assur ance of eternal life. The Lord enters our hearts in the person of His Holy Spirit. Those who walk without God, without Christ, and without hope, can’t possibly know this wonderful presence. This is for you today, re gardless of who or where you are. Unfortunately, I didn’t confess 13
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