“Cut and Run”

In my Sunday Sermon yesterday, I made reference to Steve Jobs. I hope that those of you who have downloaded the podcast, or were here in person, didn’t think I came down too hard on the late Mr. Jobs, or were offended.
But I wanted to make my point, and I still want to make it, which is: God uses people like you and I to change the world! And I wish that Steve’s Sunday school teacher would have told him that!
(I read in his biography that he was an unbeliever, because he saw a picture of a hungry, starving child in Africa somewhere. Upon seeing the hungry child, Steve approached someone affiliated with a Church, and demanded that he explain how, or why, God would allow something like this to happen.)
In my sermon, I made the comment that Mr. Jobs had “cut and run.” That is, when faced with a trial of his faith, and the very existence of God, he “cut and run.” He made the decision that Jehovah God, the God of the Bible, was not his God! What a terrible, terrible mistake. The very destination of a person’s eternal soul hangs in the balance when we are faced with a decision like this.
We are not to cut and run, and remove ourselves from whatever trial we face, because we don’t understand it.
God never promised that we would understand why we go through the trials that we do. But what He did promise was, to be there with us (Heb 13:5), AND to see us through and deliver us (2 Cor 1:9-10).
I wish I had been Mr. Jobs’ Sunday School teacher. I would have told him (knowing God like I do now), “Who knoweth whether thou are come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Passionate about world hunger?
God had a plan all along!
(“Cease striving, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10, NASB)

Bailiff, call the next case!

Jesus said, in Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

I love words. And I love Jesus!

Our Lord said, My words are Spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)

Every word that He ever spoke is to be studied (Matt 4:4), and pondered. Christ NEVER wasted a word.

That being said (I always wanted to use that phrase!), I love to ponder Matthew 5:20, and this phrase, “In no case.”

Makes me think of a trial Judge, looking at His day planner! Wednesday at 2 PM, God vs Esposito, Friday at noon, God vs. Smith. A week from Tuesday is God vs Jones. Unless our righteousness EXCEEDS these practically perfect on the outside keepers of the law, we shall in NO CASE, on a case by case basis, we shall in NO CASE, enter the Kingdom of God!
So let me ask the question, “Who’s up next?”

Are you able to stand before El Shaddai, The Almighty God, on your own merit?

Oh, ok. Hold on a second. I think your case is up next:

BAILIFF, CALL THE NEXT CASE!

God vs…..