How much of God’s grace can this world really handle? How much can you handle?
There’s some law in this sermon, and a lot of grace.
If you believe that you are making a pretty fair showing of your life, and are maybe not perfect, but you are steadily improving since you’ve made your decision to accpet Jesus, then you might not hear very much grace in this sermon.
And to that we say, take another look at yourself, and then another look at Jesus.
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click here > In this world, God’s grace meets with trouble
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Thanks for the sermon, Pastor Mark.
Thanks to flickr and anjotesorero(ii), for the photo.
And thank you Jesus for Baptizing us into Yourself and Your grace.
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Filed under: Baptism, Grace, Pastor Mark Anderson, Sermon |
The Old Adam Lives! 
Sometimes I thought by myself that Jesus’ command “Follow me!” was not a command but a gift of grace. When He chooses man, then man will not only get a way more better eternal life from Him in the future, but a delightful foretaste of what is to come as well.
Maybe, one or another will be executed for following Jesus as the apostles did who had been put to death, but I believe that they have been very happy to die for Jesus’ sake. Rejoicing while dying of a ferocious death – as for example Stephen did – was a gracious gift Jesus secured on the cross (Isaiah 53:4). As well as Paul said, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” (Phil 1:23), I think that the love for this world diminishes the more the love for Jesus and for the Father is increasing (1 John 2:15).
Baptism is the assurance that God loves us and that He’ll fulfil everything He had promised in His Word. This is a fact that is not dependent on what we possibly feel at the moment. When Jesus says “Follow me!”, He pierces us to the very heart and meets all our deepest longings – forever. So we can leave our nets immediately and follow him because nothing in this world could ever give us what He can…
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (Isaiah 64:3; 1 Cor 2:9)
To use an illustration for this, I’d compare God’s gracious love with a huge electromagnet irresistibly attracting some tiny iron filings (= us). BOOM! And suddenly they stick firmly and they cannot help but loving Him again. I assume you could refer to this “God forced love” as to a special kind of “bondage of the will” – reserved for the beloved but thus also enslaved children of God. He simply transforms our selfish-will according to His superior will without any intervention of us. All out of His Love and Grace…
Susanne,
Are you teaching or preaching somewhere in Germany? You should be!
I agree!
I like the picture of the “giant electromagnet attracting us tiny iron filings (‘us’)”.
Thank you very much, gentlemen!
No, not teaching or preaching but writing, Pastor Mark. Let me explain…
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Since my early childhood I’ve had extraordinary mystic experiences with God. As a child I didn’t waste much thought on that because I supposed it was normal and I assumed that everyone else would know visions, dreams, and caressing touches of God’s love as well. This is not the case as far as I know today – it is an exception (unfortunately, for nobody could relive my experiences). And so I began writing at the age of seven. I started with a diary and different poems. I loved writing from the very beginning but I only wrote for myself though a German teacher in High School (German: “Gymnasium”) wondered at that and approved it.
After High School I did an apprenticeship (assistant tax consultant) and then I studied business economics and graduated from university as a business graduate (similar to MBA). This wasn’t really my dream job…
Seventeen years ago I came to know God better because of Christ Jesus. From this time on I was deeply in love with God and I thought it would continue forever. But it didn’t. After five years full of God’s love and unceasing prayer which is also a gift of God’s grace, I had had some final supernatural experiences and then CUT.
It felt like falling down from Heaven to earth. Ouch! It was so unexpected for me as I suddenly couldn’t feel God anymore that I broke down mentally. I suffered both from being cut off His constant presence I was used to, and from a manic depression, horrible hallucinations, and more and more physical diseases.
Since that time in 2000 I decided to write more explicitly. All my wonderful experiences with God, my terrific encounters with Satan (!), and all about my inner wilderness, my doubts, and fears became part of my written records. Almost twelve years of ups and downs, with Him and without Him because Jesus re-emerged always unexpectedly and left me again like the Beloved His Bride (Song of Songs).
Within almost 10 years I “deleted” at least three big books until I succeeded in eventually (!) finishing one book in December. It consists of four different parts. The first part describes indescribable experiences and sentiments in poems; the second part is a kind of narrative flashback through my whole life with God until 2010. Up from January 2010 to December 2011 I wrote a regular spiritual diary and I finished the book by illustrating some experiences of famous mystics of church history.
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Apropos, the picture of the “giant electromagnet attracting us tiny iron filings (‘us’) I took from my regular diary, Steve.
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Every blessing to you both,
Susanne
Susanne,
It’s no wonder that you are so eloquent and heartfelt in your writing, after all that you have been through.
You have been on quite a journey, my friend.
May the peace of the Lord accompany you every step of the rest of your life.
And may your proclamation of the gospel continue to be bold and true, all of your days.
Thanks for sharing a bit of your odyssey with us. Let us know when and where we might find your book when it is available.
In His strong grip,
Steve
Dear Steve,
While I was reading your reply, I started weeping because your kind words touched my heart deeply. Many thanks for the wonderful blessings you meant for me! And, of course, I’d like to inform you when my book is available.
In Christ’s love,
Susanne