Don't Ignore the Message

By Gobel Brockman

History is filled with many examples of messages being ignored that resulted in much unneeded pain and suffering. I will only share two:

     *On September 5, 1929, economist Roger Babson gave a speech where he predicted an economic crash, during which he said the crash would be "terrific." He had been sharing his thoughts and expertise on this for years, but to no avail. Less than two months after his September speech, "Black Tuesday" hit and changed the course of history, with over 5 billion dollars wiped out of the economy, ushering in the Great Depression.

     *In 1962 David Bernays and Charles Sawyer were mountain climbing in Peru when they discovered that "Glacier 511" was dangerously unstable and reported this to local authorities. The authorities were afraid that this would not only alarm the citizens, but hurt their tourist economy, so the two were put in jail for causing panic and were released only after they recanted their findings. On May 31, 1970, an earthquake triggered an avalanche that caused "Glacier 511" to collapse, burying over 25,000 people.

Why do I mention this? Because on this Easter Sunday, many people who normally do not attend church will get up, put on their "Sunday best" and attend service. They will hear the greatest story that mankind has ever heard: God came to Earth in the form of Jesus Christ and gave His life on the cross so that we might be saved. Three days later, the Holy Ghost raised Jesus physically from the dead, and He is alive forever more. He offers salvation to all who will believe in Him and acknowledge Him as Lord and Christ. Sadly, however, many will hear that message and then go back to their homes and resume their lives as usual. They will either reject the message outright, or else convince themselves that they still have plenty of time to respond - not remembering the words of Proverbs 27:1:

     "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."

The message of Easter is a message of hope and salvation, but it is also a message that has dire consequences if ignored. The writer of the book of Hebrews put it this way:

     "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?"

As I mentioned at the beginning, history is filled with messages that have been ignored, and that ignorance came with a high price. There is no higher price than the loss of one's eternal soul. It's heartbreaking to me just how many people will hear the greatest message ever told this Easter, only to completely ignore it, failing to realize that rejecting the greatest message ever told results in paying the greatest price ever paid - the loss of the soul.

Don't be one that ignores the message. The message of Easter is a message of eternal hope and glory, and it's a message for you:

CHRIST IS RISEN!  

     

What a Week

By Gobel Brockman


I begin by telling you that I've sat in front of this computer for a few moments staring at a blank screen. That happens a lot when I type these devotionals, but it's usually because I'm trying to come up with something to say. Tonight, I know exactly what I want to say - it's the how that's causing me issues, because I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at what's happening. So I suppose I'll just begin & see where it takes us. (This oughtta be fun...) This week has been one of the busiest I've had in awhile:

*This past weekend my wife and I visited our son and his family. He pastors an Assemblies of God church in the northern part of the state. During the worship service that Sunday the presence of God came in an undeniable way. God began moving on people's hearts, and they began to worship the Lord without reservation. It was a powerful time. We then listened to our son preach under a palpable anointing of the Holy Spirit. It was indeed an incredible time in the Lord.

*We arrived back home that Sunday evening. The next two days were spent at a conference in Terre Haute. The main speaker was John Kilpatrick, who was the Pastor at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida during the Brownsville Revival that began on Father's Day 1995 and lasted for several years. He spoke at the evening services. He was also scheduled to speak at some morning sessions, but due to illness the host Pastor rearranged the speaking schedule so that Pastor Kilpatrick could recuperate. As a result, I had the privilege of listening to my Pastor and his son (an evangelist) minister during the Monday morning session, and I was honored and blessed to share the platform with my brother-in-law and minister at the Tuesday morning session. It was an incredible time, and the presence of God was there during the entire conference. By the end I was exhausted - in a good way!

*This all came on the heels of being asked by the Apostle/Senior Pastor of our church to consider accepting a staff position at the church. God had already been dealing with me about that very thing, so it didn't catch me off-guard. So while I'm not the best candidate for the job, I look forward to doing my best at it and serving a great leadership staff and church. I love where God has placed my wife and I, and I'm excited at what God has in store.

I think the reason that this week has had such an impact on me is because it bears witness to something someone told me a few years ago. You see, I have to be honest with you - I'm reaching the age where you start to get tempted to feel as though your best and most productive days are behind you. But about three years ago a minister came to me with a Scripture and said that the Lord had laid it on his heart that it applied to my life for this season. It's found in Joel 2:25:

     "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten..."    

The minister went on to say that he felt led to tell me that the most effective years of ministry were ahead of me, not behind. As I look back over the last two years, I see just how true those words have been. God has done an amazing work in my heart, and I'm experiencing things that I thought I'd never get to see - and I know that it's only going to increase in the days ahead.

I've said all of that to simply say this: if you will submit your life and your future to the Lord, then your best days can be in front of you. God does an amazing job at restoring things, because His grace truly is amazing. Just be willing to step out and believe that it's not over yet, because God isn't constrained by the past, for He operates in the present.

Just follow Him and hang on.

When What You See Isn't What You Saw

By Gobel Brockman

     "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3

Many times when it comes to the promises of God, we get what I have referred to before as "The Microwave Mentality." Thanks to microwave ovens and fast food restaurants we can get things "on the fly" with little or no waiting. Bringing that mindset into our relationship with Christ, however, will bring nothing but instant frustration. When God gives us a vision, it is not an instantaneous answer to prayer; it's the beginning of a journey - a journey that may sometimes be a long a difficult one. I remind you that in Luke 9:23 Jesus didn't tell His disciples to take up their recliners and follow Him; He told them to take up their cross.

Another truth we don't like to think about: don't be surprised if the first thing that happens when you receive a vision is the exact opposite of what the vision says:

*Joseph received a vision that he would rule, and was immediately betrayed by his brothers and sold in the slavery.

*Moses was told by God to tell Pharaoh, "Let my people go." Pharaoh immediately made their slavery much more difficult.

*Jesus, after being baptized, saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Him as a dove and a voice from Heaven proclaimed, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." That same Spirit immediately drove Jesus in the wilderness to fast for 40 days and meet the devil face-to-face.

We must recognize that there is a difference between sight (what we see) and vision (what God shows us.) What sight sees as defeat, vision sees as training ground. Joseph was given a vision that he would rule. His "rule" began in a slave owner's house and in a prison. As he was faithful in little, God eventually gave him more and brought the vision to fulfillment. In the meantime God was preparing Joseph for Egypt- and Egypt for Joseph. But through it all, in spite of every opposition he faced, Joseph never lost his faith in the power of God-given vision. Neither can we. What God has said, in His time He will perform.

With all of that being said, what destiny has God set before you? What calling has He placed on your life? Has He given you a dream, but yet everything has gone backwards ever since? If so, I'll ask you to re-read the paragraphs above and remember Joseph, Moses, and Jesus.

You're in good company.