Pastor preached about the father who carried his demon possessed child to the disciples and they couldn't!
They couldn't! But Jesus could and Jesus did!
How many times do we think about the tools that Jesus uses for our benefit and we lean on them as though they were the Lord? ie. Means of Grace... preaching...praying...oil...service and prayer meeting, etc.,etc., etc.
HE is greater than our hearts and even greater than the means of Grace that he uses to encourage our hearts that he is with us.
How long has he been like this? Jesus asked. It was a legitimate question and yet He needn't have asked it unless it was necessary. However long we have suffered under the oppression of the enemy, it will seem like a "momentary affliction" when the Lord reaches his hand to lift us from the dung of our own unbelief.
He carries us from glory to glory. We trusted him and we thought we were getting up, but God breaks through the glass bottoms of our boats to reach our floundering faith!
We get so high on our horses, believing that our faith or our consistency has saved or delivered and God has to put us in our places. We better come to grips with what God calls us to do and to be.
It amazes me that CS. Lewis was able to personify the faith of Satan himself and it is all too fearfully true that when we are teachers we are closer to Satan than we are cognizant of. The great fall of Screwtape may indeed be that we are syphoning off the glory of God unto ourselves and sealing our own demise, when we think we are doing God service. Are we serving God or are we serving ourselves.
The only one who went to hell from the pearly gates in Pilgrim's Progress was Christian's companion. He "Talked" himself into a deception that led him straight to hell. Is it not so with all of us who take on the Word of God to instruct...Be not many teachers...stricter judgment?
God is greater than our hearts, but we must be diligent to study the scriptures for the healing of our own fallibility. Preach to my own heart, Dear Jesus! Holy Spirit minister to me in my study and in my delivery. Holy Spirit help me see myself as the one in the need of prayer!
Not my mother or my father, but its me oh Lord!
Standing in the need of prayer!
