God keeps a different group of friends than I would keep. Of course there are those of you who love him the best you can and we’d probably share you as friends. But I put his other friends in three categories:
Reprobates with messy pasts. People like Paul, Moses, and David who have hurt or e…
God keeps a different group of friends than I would keep. Of course there are those of you who love him the best you can and we’d probably share you as friends. But I put his other friends in three categories:
Reprobateswith messy pasts. People like Paul, Moses, and David who have hurt or even murdered others and have blood on their hands.
The silent majority. They may have loved God at one point, but it’s hard to tell what they believe.
Flaky Christians. A well-known evangelist whom we’ll call BH prayed for three people I know with cancer. He pronounced each of them healed. Two of them died and the third is dying. And their loved ones didn’t appreciate being told that they were going to live when in fact they weren’t healed at all.
Once, one of my former pastors saw BH on the television and told God, “He’s such a flake – why do you bless him?”
He was surprised to hear God answer back, “Because he trusts me.”
God backs up BH by answering his prayers because BH believes in God’s power to heal. Not as frequently as BH might claim, but sometimes.
It helps me to think about my flaky, eccentric friends who trust me. I have grace for them. I don’t endorse or excuse their flakiness, but I don’t dismiss them either. It just goes to show you how much God wants to be trusted.
I’ve determined to try to abstain from pointing my critical finger at the flakes and to focus instead on trusting God more.
One of my current favorite quotes:
“God thirsts to be thirsted after.” Augustine
I think if we all looked a little closer there just may be a few flakes on our personalities too. To me it is more a covenant of trust and willingness, to be seen as a flake if that is what He leads us to, that sets our obedience apart from those that trust Him with abandon. I’m sure that He would willingly use us, who are not “flakes,” if we were willing to be them if He asked.
Once a pastor of mine received a word from the Lord to do a great ministry. He asked the Father why He chose Him. God said that He had asked others first but they had refused. Maybe those who are not “flakes” have refused.
Maybe I’ll take a few more risks, maybe I’ll be worried about obedience rather than appearance, maybe I’ll quench His thirst by thirsting only for Him. I pray I do.
totally agree. I know a couple who came to Christ through the evangelist I think you may be referencing … and another saved by watching the TV program of one of the guys I might’ve written off as a “hustler.”
Which just goes to show you – God can and does use anyone who puts themselves in a place to be used.
Just how do you know God trusts BH? Because he supposedly said so? And how do you know it was God saying this and not someone or something else? Yes, God can use anyone, and he can take evil and use it for good, but I doubt he means for us to follow after someone who claims to be god as well. Maybe someday, BH will realize the truth about what he’s into and become a fountain of light for others going through such deception. Or, maybe he won’t.
We never know what is going on internally with a person or how God is working. God is trustworthy–not partially but completely. I believe when He says “Love as I have loved you”, He meant it.
Trust. Our pastor back in the 70’s said to me, “Trust God and love your fellow man, don’t confuse the two.” Not that we don’t love God, not that we don’t trust people….it’s just the example He gave us in sending His Son. It’s hard, cause I’ve been flaky myself, once or twice, haha.
This is hard for me. Thanks for sharing. I need to trust those whom God trusts.
AND…Flakes or not, we were all created in His Image. PS How are the honeymooner’s?
One of my current favorite quotes:
“God thirsts to be thirsted after.” Augustine
I think if we all looked a little closer there just may be a few flakes on our personalities too. To me it is more a covenant of trust and willingness, to be seen as a flake if that is what He leads us to, that sets our obedience apart from those that trust Him with abandon. I’m sure that He would willingly use us, who are not “flakes,” if we were willing to be them if He asked.
Once a pastor of mine received a word from the Lord to do a great ministry. He asked the Father why He chose Him. God said that He had asked others first but they had refused. Maybe those who are not “flakes” have refused.
Maybe I’ll take a few more risks, maybe I’ll be worried about obedience rather than appearance, maybe I’ll quench His thirst by thirsting only for Him. I pray I do.
Good quote, Mary: “maybe I’ll quench His thirst by thirsting only for Him”
that’s my hope and prayer too.
totally agree. I know a couple who came to Christ through the evangelist I think you may be referencing … and another saved by watching the TV program of one of the guys I might’ve written off as a “hustler.”
Which just goes to show you – God can and does use anyone who puts themselves in a place to be used.
Just how do you know God trusts BH? Because he supposedly said so? And how do you know it was God saying this and not someone or something else? Yes, God can use anyone, and he can take evil and use it for good, but I doubt he means for us to follow after someone who claims to be god as well. Maybe someday, BH will realize the truth about what he’s into and become a fountain of light for others going through such deception. Or, maybe he won’t.
We never know what is going on internally with a person or how God is working. God is trustworthy–not partially but completely. I believe when He says “Love as I have loved you”, He meant it.
Trust. Our pastor back in the 70’s said to me, “Trust God and love your fellow man, don’t confuse the two.” Not that we don’t love God, not that we don’t trust people….it’s just the example He gave us in sending His Son. It’s hard, cause I’ve been flaky myself, once or twice, haha.
Great Article, As a Pastor I have learned that we begin to experience major growth in our life, when we focus more on how to do life….Blessings!