Thank you for all the good food you serve to us. I just finished reading the Excerpt of the Day from the Father and Son book, and then the Pearl that just came out. We have so much good food! I just wanted to say “thank you!” and eat it all up, yum, yum, yum!
Donna N
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Thank you and Rob for eating it, Donna! I don’t prepare the food, though; the Father does that. I just serve it (after I eat some!) The Father must enjoy watching His children eat what He prepares – any chef would! – so, let’s keep making Him happy!
Pastor John
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Hi John,
Donna N’s email reminds me of some thoughts I was having a few days ago. I was reading the first chapter of Mark. After Jesus called his disciples he went to the synagogue to teach. When I read verse 22, “and they were astonished at his teaching”, I stopped and thought about it for a while. I asked myself, why were they astonished?
The men there at the synagogue knew the scriptures. They most likely had expectations of what they would hear from Jesus before he began to teach. They probably thought that they had heard it all before, but many left “astonished at his teaching.”
As we all know, there is something different about the word of God when we hear it. It cuts deep into our souls, many times beyond our understanding at first.
I have heard you talk about great orators, those who can speak eloquently by crafting their words into persuasive speeches. While in college, I used to enjoy good lectures. Some could stimulate my brain and emotions. Some may even have persuaded me to change my behavior or perception on a few things.
But, when I heard the word of God spoken, it did something to me that went beyond my understanding and emotion. It cut deep into my soul and awakened my spirit. It stirred up an appetite for more. As an example, when I first heard that water baptism was not needed, I did not understand it. However, I could feel that there was something more to it than what my ears were hearing. The feelings that came with that simple truth were enough to cause me to put the lack of understanding on the shelf. I believed that in time Jesus would give me the understanding, and he did!
When I was in Christianity, every Sunday a priest would read from a prayer book, or read scriptures that were selected for that specific date or feast day, followed by a brief sermon. It did nothing for my hungry soul.
One time a young priest stood up, walked away from the pulpit and came down close to the crowd, of maybe a 100 people. He then asked the congregation, “Have you ever wondered why some protestant Christians stand on the street corner and preach about Jesus! They have a zeal that we need.” He more or less went on to say that these street preachers have deep convictions and a personal relationship with Jesus. When he finished, I stood up and clapped. I could feel his sincerity and hunger for more of God. He later quit and fell into homosexuality.
I love the word of God. I appreciate you passing on to us the spiritual food that you receive from Jesus. I am thankful for the desire and liberty that he has given us to take it in.
“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” 1 Cor. 2:4-5
Tom