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“My Conscience is Subject to the Word of God”
(Martin Luther)
We have come to realize in the last couple of years that the word crisis has almost lost its meaning, primarily because it is overused. Everything we face in our country, community and even in daily life seems to be a “crisis.” We have...
- the "health care crisis"
- the “real estate crisis”
- the “economic crisis”
- the “educational crisis”
- the “unemployment crisis”
And the list goes on. From the personal level to the international level crisis seems to be the word and the issue! Crisis! Crisis! Everything is a crisis!
Luther’s statement is profound and should be dusted off; each one of us should put it into practice. “My conscience is subject to the Word of God!”
At one time our churches were strong and the pulpits were ignited with passionate appeals for men to flee to Christ. Now we find ourselves caught in what some have called a cultural warfare. To quote one author “…the churches one after another, like bowling pins, began to fall to rationalistic, humanistic theological innovations, the nation lost its moral compass. And the only way that our nation can regain its moral bearings is for the church to again become a prophetic voice, rather than a pale reflection of the culture.” (Life at Risk, book by Richard Land)
Do you find yourself managing “personal crisis” well? Or, do you find that you just don’t seem to have the “spiritual insight” necessary to manage the difficulties that are placed in your life? Do you react instead of acting in advance? Do you seem to lack knowledge of the biblical text to know where to look when you have to find some answers?
I have found that praying daily for wisdom and discernment is very necessary. I have also found that reading Proverbs on a daily basis fills my mind with wisdom. Hardly a day goes by that I cannot use something that I’ve read on that particular day. It’s amazing how the power of God’s Word can speak to real life issues. By contrast or comparison God speaks in Proverbs. We find evil contrasted with righteousness, light contrasted with darkness and fools compared to the wise.
One of our staff ministers just returned from making visits and related a beautiful yet sad story that shares an important truth with us. He was questioning an old gentleman seated in an Alzheimer’s rest home about his knowledge of people and life.
The minister called the man’s wife’s name and said, “Do you recognize that name?”
“No,” was his immediate reply.
“Do you know who Pastor Sears is?”
“No,” was his reply.
“Do you know the name of your church?”
Again, he replied, “No.”
Finally out of sheer desperation from attempting to communicate, the minister started to quote John 3:16. Before he spoke the first 6 words, the man in the wheel chair picked up the quote and finished the text word perfect. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish…”
So, the minister said, “For by grace are ye saved….”
Again, before he could finish the text, the elderly gentleman quoted it perfectly: “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”
It became very apparent that even though everything else had been lost, the Word of God remained constant in this man’s heart and mind! Oh, the power of God’s Word!
May each one of us be striving constantly to “hide it in our hearts” so that we might not sin against God!
Blessings, Pastor Sears
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