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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
Remember that there are new people coming to believe in Jesus all around the world, and these new believers need to know that there are people who have been faithful to the Lord Jesus for ten, fifteen, forty five years or more years - and that it lasts. We need to hear about the new ones and the new ones need to know about those who have been in this a long time.
Luke Chapter 13 verse 18 where Jesus Christ is asking questions. It appears as though Jesus is struggling to get His Message through. Does that not happen today? He repeats - "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?"
It is like YEAST, which a woman took, and mixed into a large amount of flour, until it worked right through the dough. The kingdom of God is like YEAST - working away - secretly - hiddenly - invisibly - imperceptibly. It is just working away and no-one know what is happening.
You cannot see it, but when it begins to work, you cannot stop it. You cannot stop God working. No man can stop God working.
This is spectacular. We joke about watching paint dry, but Jesus says that watching God at work can be as exciting at times as watching a batch of dough rise! But it is certainly powerful and irresistible. Try putting a lid on it.
A man surfaced his drive with blacktop, and one year later in February a little snowdrop broke through. Life was able to split the black death - that hard black crust.
A seed - some invisible yeast - a new appearing - a fresh moving - of the living God.
We cannot programme that.
The world is looking for sensations. The world is not looking for Jesus.
But, when people taste the Power and Mercy and Love of Jesus - they are changed and transformed - there is an influencing Power that is of God. That is God - the Holy Spirit. A hard shell - a black crust can be split open.
Verse 22. Jesus moved on towards Jerusalem and He is teaching at every opportunity. He only had twelve disciples, and someone noticed this, and commented, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" It looks as if there are not too many people with you.
Jesus replies - "You make sure that as long as the door is open you can get in." Here we are again, seeing, that some people more interested in others salvation than their own.
"Some of you will want to get in one day - and you'll find you cannot - before the door is shut make sure that you are in the Kingdom." Verse 24.
Yes - the kingdom is growing - the kingdom is increasing - but the opportunity appears to be decreasing. What a paradox. What an interesting conversation - Jesus, how successful are YOU? What are YOUR NUMBERS? Jesus answers - "You just make sure you are among them – make sure you are one of them." They speak about them. Jesus speaks about YOU. Jesus often turns things around and presents us with a very personal challenge.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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