?Blaine Morris is only 2 years old, and his vocabulary is limited. But when his family passes the church, he knows what it is and shouts, “More God! More God!” That should be the cry of the whole world-“More God!” That is what we need-not more money, not more weapons and not more industry. We need more God.
A missionary came up with a great strategy to share the gospel. He would go to a village, sit with the people around the fire and ask, “What has your god done for you?” He would listen as the people would tell him about their god. On another night, he would come again and ask, “What has your god done for you?” By the third night, they would extend the courtesy to him and ask, “What has your god done for you.” This gave him the opportunity to talk about all that God has done for us. The gospel is not so much about what we have done for God, but what God has done for us.
H.G. Wells once said, “If there is no God, nothing matters. If there is a God, nothing else matters!” That ought to highlight our need to walk in God’s ways, to talk in a fashion that pleases Him, and to think on those things that honor Him.
-Michael Shannon, Preaching July/August 2002
H. G. Wells once said, “If there is no
God, nothing matters. If there is a God, nothing else matters!” That
ought to highlight our need to walk in God’s ways, to talk in a
fashion that pleases Him, and to think on those things that honor
Him.
_______________
J. Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati, OH.
Where to God?
He was just a little lad, and on a Sunday was wandering home from Sunday school, and was dawdling on his way. He scuffed his shoes into the grass; he found a caterpillar; he found a fluffy milkweed pod and blew out all the “filler.” A bird’s nest in the tree o’erhead, so wisely placed and high, was just another wonder that caught his eager eye.
A neighbor watched his zig-zag course and hailed him from the lawn, asked him where he had beenthat day and what was going on.
“Oh, I’ve been to Sunday school”-he carefully turned the sod and found a snail beneath it-I’ve learned a lot of God.”
“M’m, a very fine way,” the neighbor said, “for a boy to spend his time. If you’ll tell me where God is, I’ll give you a brand new dime.”
Quick as a flash his answer came, nor were his accents faint. “I’ll give you a dollar, Mister, if you’ll tell me where God ain’t.”
H.G. Wells once said, “If there is no God, nothing matters. If there is a
God, nothing else matters!” That ought to highlight our need to walk in
God’s ways, to talk in a fashion that pleases Him, and to think on those things
that honor Him.
___________________________
Illustration by J. Michael Shannon, Professor of Preaching, Cincinnati Bible
College & Seminary, Cincinnati, OH.
Walter Lee Price, a church elder, former FBI agent and lawyer, has an
interesting story in his book, 100 Years at the Bar. In Carter County, TN, a
church engaged an attorney to help them in a new project. The attorney had
titled the land to The Lord God, Almighty. When the church wanted to move they
had trouble executing the deed. The attorney who originally set up the deed
said he would handle the problem at no cost to them.
The attorney performed a diligent search for the owner, God, and informed the
local sheriff he could not find him. The newspaper in an adjoining county ran
this headline “The Lord God Not to Be Found in Carter County.” After
the laughter, we need to ask some important questions. Could the Lord God
Almighty be found in our church, our home, or our lives?
___________________________
Illustration by J. Michael Shannon, Professor of Preaching, Cincinnati Bible
College & Seminary, Cincinnati, OH.
Mt. Rainier in the state of Washington is always an awe-inspiring sight. Its
peak is snow-covered all year long. It is visible from a distance of two
hundred miles. Native Americans called it Tahoma which means “the mountain
that was God.” It reminds us of the Greek Mt. Olympus, regarded as the
residence of the gods. But we worship a God who has not turned into a mountain,
and who has not made any mountain top his home. We worship the God who made the
mountains, and the plains, and the sea, and all that is in them.