Something To Think About

Voice of reason versus voice of authority. Let me take you back a few hundred years. The church was the centre of the community and the voice of authority reigned supreme. The clergy spoke the law to the masses and held court over the community. Did you know that the only ones able to read scripture at one time was the clergy? The Rabbis and the Priests were taught to read the Holy Words and would relay them to the masses. The Priests of the Catholic Church were trained to read Latin and were the authorized communicators of His Word. We take it for granted that there is a Bible in almost every hotel room, thanks to Gideons, and the Word of God is available in an app form and we can carry the Message with us on our electronic devises. Go back in time and you had to apply to the authority, the keeper of the Bible, in order to understand the Scriptures, to hear the Good News. Something to think about.

My question is this, did the authority of man ever convert the heart of a sinner? What I mean is this, can we force anyone to heed the Word and give their lives over to Jesus? Is there anyone powerful enough to hold the prize, that is, the promise of Glory, over anyone’s head on this planet? There is only one voice of authority, He is the one who holds the key to our salvation, and He is truly in love with everyone of His children. He loves us so much that He went to the cross for our sins so that those who ask His forgiveness and claim Him as Lord and Saviour will be with Him in Glory. The door is unlocked, we only need to open it and invite Christ in. The Voice of Authority is the only one who can grant eternal life.

Now, for those of us who claim to be followers of Christ, we are the voice of reason. We have the opportunity to share the Word of God, speak to the hearts of those around us and lead out with our hearts. I recall the old saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. If you try to force the horse to drink, it will either resent you and be wary, or it will drown. Long gone are the days of pounding pulpits, calling down fire and brimstone and using eternal damnation as a way to get people to claim the love of Christ. I suggest that the best way to claim the love of God is to show those around us that same love. We reason, we plant seeds and help people to see the Light, and all the while, the Voice of Authority sits at the right hand of the Father and intervenes on our behalf.

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! 1 Peter 3:15-17 NLT

As you may have heard, the updated restrictions on Sunday services by the Government of Alberta are in effect this weekend and we are required to reduce our gathering to fifteen people. The voice of authority has spoken and we will comply (Romans 13) but we will continue to broadcast His message throughout the land. We invite you to join us either in person (we are limited to numbers inside the building) or online. Should you wish to join us online, click on either link below to join us live:

Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31

YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca