Luke 18:22-30
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to [a]go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
28 Peter said, “Behold, we have left [b]our own homes and followed You.” 29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”
What do I desperately want in life ? What will satisfy me ? Position, profits, relationships, house, children, marriage ? What will satisfy me ?
Luke 16:19 JESUS tells us the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Lazarus ate the crumbs that fell off the Rich man's table... Lazarus was waiting for the crumbs to fall and his competition was with the dogs... Lazarus was desperate - so desperate !
Lazarus died and the angels carried him to Heaven. The rich man died and went to hell. Not because he was rich, but because he didn't hear Lazarus's message...
Do you want to hear about hell from someone who saw it ? JESUS preached more about hell than Heaven. People won't go to hell because they sinned but because they refused the grace n mercy of GOD in JESUS.
The rich man in hell was desperate.
The kind of things CHRISTians go thru in History, the kind of things missionaries go through !
I can really be in the will of GOD asking for things. Yet how many have responded to their lust calling it their need ! ? !! ?
28 Peter said, “Behold, we have left [b]our own homes and followed You.” 29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”
What do I desperately want in life ? What will satisfy me ? Position, profits, relationships, house, children, marriage ? What will satisfy me ?
Luke 16:19 JESUS tells us the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Lazarus ate the crumbs that fell off the Rich man's table... Lazarus was waiting for the crumbs to fall and his competition was with the dogs... Lazarus was desperate - so desperate !
Lazarus died and the angels carried him to Heaven. The rich man died and went to hell. Not because he was rich, but because he didn't hear Lazarus's message...
Do you want to hear about hell from someone who saw it ? JESUS preached more about hell than Heaven. People won't go to hell because they sinned but because they refused the grace n mercy of GOD in JESUS.
The rich man in hell was desperate.
The kind of things CHRISTians go thru in History, the kind of things missionaries go through !
I can really be in the will of GOD asking for things. Yet how many have responded to their lust calling it their need ! ? !! ?
So many times we respond to our lusts and lose sight of GOD...
When you lose GOD you lose more than GOD !
In your desperation for something else you can lose sight of GOD.
Psalm 23 the LORD is my Shepherd I shall not want ! --- This is not jsu David's Psalm, this is my Psalm.
If I can't be satisfied in the LORD then nothing else will satisfy me. If HE cant't quench the thirst of something I lack, then the thing I lack won't satisfy me either.
Matthew 15:21 shows us the Canaanite woman's desperate haggle for GOD's answers for her child's condition !
Another kind of desperation. A condition where you feel GOD has seemingly withdrawn from me. I seemingly don't get an answer to my prayer. I'm not desperate for the things but for YOU. I'm desperate for the crumbs but I am more desperate for YOU - LORD !!!
Naturally speaking, we can be tempted. In Matthew 4 JESUS was tempted with food, sensation n power. But HE chose to cry on the Cross 'I thirst' than to turn stone into bread !
The William Bowden story - He left his dairy empire to become a missionary in India. On the way to India, he died. Times Magazine published a story - ' What a waste ! ' No life poured out to GOD is wasted...
Some people don't believe that you could be called to lose something... Has those verses changed ? Has the plan of GOD changed ? I need to be satisfied in the LORD knowing that HE is my Shepherd and I shall not want !
In the life of a disciple there is nothing lacking. You leave a lot but nothing is lacking !
Francis D'Assisi. He was madly in love with a girl and he was about to get married. The call to get married was not as important as the call to missions.
Hudson Taylor refused a marriage proposal he was keen on only becos his fiance didn't feel led to the inland china mission field.
Where are those kind of people today???
You and I can get desperate about the things we really want and take us away from the purpose of GOD.
No point being rich in the wrong way !
Let's be CHRISTians like tht. This is nothing. I don't want to be trained by the world on how to live my life. The things HE wants me to do, the life HE wants me to live this is the desperation HE calls us to have !
You and I can get desperate about the things we really want and take us away from the purpose of GOD.
No point being rich in the wrong way !
Let's be CHRISTians like tht. This is nothing. I don't want to be trained by the world on how to live my life. The things HE wants me to do, the life HE wants me to live this is the desperation HE calls us to have !
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