Easter Talks
Someone's sleepy notes of the Easter talks were written on a trayliner.
Since the hosts did not deem it necessary to give her note paper, she fished out a Delifrance trayliner of dubious history (having already spent a long life with her as a bookmark) and proceeded nonchalantly to scribble on the reverse. True stewardship of resources? Or just kiam siap? ;-)
Then there is word that a certain pastor's clerical collar was in its previous life part of the back of a foolscap pad before it was converted (using the edge of a magazine as a ruler) to its present use.
He went on to speak about his own life and how he was called to serve in Pakistan. As the day of departure drew nearer, he became more and more reluctant to leave his cosy life Down Under. Then one day, God spoke to him and basically gave him that same challenge. You can't call God "God" and say he's your creator and the ruler of the universe on one hand and then on the other decide you'd rather not obey him, thank you very much.
We asked Mike what he meant when he said that God spoke to him. He explained that we get too jumpy when people talk about God speaking to us now. Yes, the Bible is the final and sufficient revelation of God and we should expect no further word. We should make our decisions based on what God has said in the Bible and we know we are doing his will if we do so.
But we cannot limit God. In Mike's case, he was lying in bed when a "loud thought" came to him. It wasn't a voice he could hear or a strong conviction. It was a "loud thought". It took him days to get over it and he was very sure it was from God. He hasn't had such an experience before and doesn't expect another again. He gets his guidance from the Bible and the counsel of godly friends.
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At the end of the second Easter talk, Mike Raiter's challenge was that just as Jesus was faced with 2 choices, and Pilate was faced with 2 choices: truth or lie?, and the Jews were faced with 2 choices: God or state?, so we are faced with 2 choices: to follow the truth and so follow God, or follow the lie.He went on to speak about his own life and how he was called to serve in Pakistan. As the day of departure drew nearer, he became more and more reluctant to leave his cosy life Down Under. Then one day, God spoke to him and basically gave him that same challenge. You can't call God "God" and say he's your creator and the ruler of the universe on one hand and then on the other decide you'd rather not obey him, thank you very much.
We asked Mike what he meant when he said that God spoke to him. He explained that we get too jumpy when people talk about God speaking to us now. Yes, the Bible is the final and sufficient revelation of God and we should expect no further word. We should make our decisions based on what God has said in the Bible and we know we are doing his will if we do so.
But we cannot limit God. In Mike's case, he was lying in bed when a "loud thought" came to him. It wasn't a voice he could hear or a strong conviction. It was a "loud thought". It took him days to get over it and he was very sure it was from God. He hasn't had such an experience before and doesn't expect another again. He gets his guidance from the Bible and the counsel of godly friends.
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Mike also mentioned that the Jews acknowledged absolutely that Caesar not God was their king (and so voted to kill Jesus) at the 6th hour (John 19:14) which, if you look at the Old Testament was when the preparations for killing the Passover Lamb commenced. He's not sure where in the OT. Got his info from a commentary.
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