Ganduri cu putere

Paul Washer:

- I don't need to be a prophet or the son of a prophet to know what your god is. I only need to watch your life (...) When you have just enough Christianity to make you moral, I know who your God is. If I could look into your mind and see what occupies your mind, I will know what your god is.

- Everything you have, even if you are here today and you are the vilest, most wicked, God-hating man on the face of the planet, if there is any good whatsoever in your life, it comes from the very One you hate!

- All the things that mean so much to you only tell everyone one thing: "Oh, you priests who have been called to know Him, how you despise His Name!"

- He is everything or He is nothing (...) They have so many idols in their life that the Lord is not even first, or second, or third, or fourth. It is not giving unto the Lord everything.

- What would you have me to do, oh Lord? Teach me your ways, oh Lord! Who do I have in heaven but Thee, who do I have on earth but Thee? What am I but a speck of dust breathing holy breath if indeed you have converted me?

- So difficult is our salvation that only God can make it possible. Do you think He is a flu shot?

- The evidence that you repented under salvation a long time ago is that you are still repenting today and growing in repentance. The evidence that you truly believed under salvation a long time ago is that you're still believing today and even more.

- Deal with the fact that you are being confronted with a gospel that demands everything from you, that you are being confronted with who God is. He doesn't share! He takes everything! Let Him take everything: He is worthy!

- It is better to be a secularist, it is better to be an atheist, to claim nothing from God than to claim God and enter into that claim half-heartedly.

- Most people are alive only because air is free. They do nothing with their lives. And you say: "Well, I've done much!" But the much you have done, how much of it is eternal, how much of it will burn up in the fire?

- What does it cost you to be a Christian?

- You might say: "I've never been able to offer out of a pure heart, I've always battled with sin, I've always struggled. I want to be more. Even this morning when I was worshipping, I was struggling with thoughts that were deviant, that were not about God, and it was so difficult to worship. Do you mean God does not receive anything from me?" From you He receives much because by your own word you acknowledge: 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.' With those types of words and with the breaking of your heart you're showing that you truly belong to Him, that you want to be more for Him, but those of you who sat out there, cold as a stone and had no problem with this, you're the ones who should be afraid!

-Oh, why are we here? Why do we breathe? Why does that heart of ours beat if not for Him and the advancement of His Kingdom?

Vremea

Este un text pe care l-am citit azi si care imi place mult, desi este in parte doar o insiruire de evenimente. Dar toate isi au vremea lor:

Eclesiastul 3

1 Toate îşi au vremea lor, şi fiecare lucru de sub ceruri îşi are ceasul lui.

2 Naşterea îşi are vremea ei, şi moartea îşi are vremea ei; săditul îşi are vremea lui, şi smulgerea celor sădite îşi are vremea ei.

3 Uciderea îşi are vremea ei, şi tămăduirea îşi are vremea ei; dărâmarea îşi are vremea ei, şi zidirea îşi are vremea ei;

4 plânsul îşi are vremea lui, şi râsul îşi are vremea lui; bocitul îşi are vremea lui, şi jucatul îşi are vremea lui;

5 aruncarea cu pietre îşi are vremea ei, şi strângerea pietrelor îşi are vremea ei; îmbrăţişarea îşi are vremea ei, şi depărtarea de îmbrăţişări îşi are vremea ei;

6 căutarea îşi are vremea ei, şi pierderea îşi are vremea ei; păstrarea îşi are vremea ei, şi lepădarea îşi are vremea ei;

7 ruptul îşi are vremea lui, şi cusutul îşi are vremea lui; tăcerea îşi are vremea ei, şi vorbirea îşi are vremea ei;

8 iubitul îşi are vremea lui, şi urâtul îşi are vremea lui; războiul îşi are vremea lui, şi pacea îşi are vremea ei.

9 Ce folos are cel ce munceşte din truda lui?

10 Am văzut la ce îndeletnicire supune Dumnezeu pe fiii oamenilor.

11 Orice lucru El îl face frumos la vremea lui; a pus în inima lor chiar şi gândul veşniciei, măcar că omul nu poate cuprinde, de la început până la sfârşit, lucrarea pe care a făcut-o Dumnezeu.

Imi este doar teama sa nu trec peste o vreme fara sa o recunosc si astfel sa o pierd. Nu imi doresc vremea uratului - pentru ca vreau sa iubesc mereu si tot mai mult -, nici vremea razboiului, dar imi doresc sa nu treaca vremea jucatului, iar bocitul sa isi aiba doar o vreme. Ca Amelie, vreau sa am timp sa imi strang pietre pentru ca apoi sa ma pot destinde facandu-le sa sara pe suprafata apei si sa ma destind.

Nu as vrea sa fortez o imbratisare cand nu este vremea ei, dar nici sa trec peste o imbratisare din teama sau din ignoranta atunci cand ea isi are locul. Adica... oricum nu sunt eu foarte lipicioasa, cred, dar imi aduc aminte ca au fost momente cand am simtit ca as putea face asta dar m-am facut ca ploua. Si spuneti si voi, nu e faina o imbratisare din cand in cand?

Cat despre vremea cautarii si pierderii, de pierdut am pierdut multe, dar am si gasit. Mai ales insa... am fost cautata si gasita si ce bine e! :) (Iar aici imi vine in minte un citat de-al lui Luther: "Am tinut multe lucruri in maini si le-am pierdut, dar ce am incredintat in mana lui Dumnezeu este al meu si astazi.")

Desi nu pot spune ca inteleg mereu pe deplin lucrarea Domnului, pot insa afirma ca o experimentez, franturi mai mici sau mai mari si vad intr-adevar ca vremea Lui este frumoasa. Vreau sa o pastrez!