We All Need Jesus

By Gobel Brockman

I write this while preparing for Sunday morningservice in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We've been here for a week, and we've been involved in various aspects of ministry as well as getting to know these amazing people better. I have been blessed, challenged, inspired, tired, and blessed some more. To say that it's been an amazing week would be a huge understatement. It has truly been a pleasure.

One of the many thoughts I've had while being here is the simple reminder that regardless of where you are from, when you get down to it we are really not all that different. Yes, our cultures may be different (at times vastly different) but at the heart of humanity our needs, desires, and sins are pretty similar. My point is that while we may say some things differently or have different likes and dislikes, our needs are the same.

In John 3:16 Jesus said "For God so loved the world..." What that tells us, and what I want to focus on this week, is regardless of who you are and what country you are from. You and I have a lot in common. We both need love, we need to have a purpose in life, and we need forgiveness, because we all have sinned. You see, cultures may be different, but sin is still sin in any language. If God so loved the world that He sent His son to die for ALL, that means that ALL need His forgiveness and salvation. Say it this way: "For God so loved __________" (say your nation). 

That means He loves YOU. 

Regardless of where you're from, you and I have the same basic need. We need to recognize that we were created by God. We need to understand that He is a holy God, and that we have sinned against Him. Thankfully, we also need to accept that in His love He has made a way for us to receive eternal forgiveness and salvation from our sin, and that salvation is found in faith in Jesus Christ. I thank God for revealing His love to me, and if you haven't yet I pray that the Holy Spirit will touch your heart today.

Because we all need Jesus.

Don't Give Up

By Gobel Brockman


This week I want to talk to those who are disciples of Jesus, but feel that you can't do anything for Him because "your best days are behind you."

I type these words as I am preparing for a ministry trip to Northern Ireland with my wife and our son and daughter-in-law. I have had a burden for this nation for almost two years now, and I can honestly say that I have longed for, hoped for, and prayed for this opportunity every day during this time. The thought that we will soon be heading that way is almost surreal to me. We're not going there for a vacation or sight-seeing adventure (although I'm sure we'll take in some sites) but we go with the desire to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the awesome people of that nation.

This trip is coming on the heels of just returning from my second trip to Mississippi in a month to be part of an awesome revival that has broken out in that region. At last count there have been almost 80 people who have given their lives to Jesus Christ since the revival began. There have been several instances of physical healing that have taken place, as well as people being set free from different sins and bondage. It has been a genuine revival, and it's still going on!

I mention this for a specific purpose. If you would have asked me about my ministry three years ago and told me that I had to be honest, I would have told you that I honestly believed that my best years of ministry were behind me. Over the years I have been blessed to serve in many different ministry positions, but in all honesty I felt that I had seen the peak of what I was going to see in my life and ministry. Sadly, one of the ways that feeling manifested in my life was a cooling down of the fire in my heart for the things of God. The truth is I had become what Jesus referred to in Revelation 3 as being "lukewarm" in my faith, and Jesus said in that Scripture that those who are lukewarm will be spewed - which literally means vomited - out of His mouth. I had reached a place in my life that proved the words of Proverbs 13:12 to be true:

     "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life." 

I thought my best days were over. Thankfully, God had other plans.

If you're feeling like it's too late for God to use you in His kingdom, I can tell you both from Scripture and personal experience that isn't true. If you will commit your life to Jesus and keep your faith burning in your heart, at the right time God will use you in ways you never thought possible. In Ezekiel 37 God gave the prophet Ezekiel a vision of dead bones and asked him, "Can these bones live?" The prophet responded, "Lord, You know." In the vision caused the bones to rattle and come together, and then He caused the four winds to breathe life into them. When I asked God to forgive me for allowing my faith to become lukewarm, He not only forgave me - He breathed new life into me! I can honestly say that I have never been more excited about my relationship with Jesus and being involved in ministry than I am right now.

He will do the same for you.

This week I simply want to remind you that even if present circumstances suggest that you can't do anything meaningful for Christ, God isn't governed by circumstances. If you are surrendered to Christ and are willing to be used by Him, you just might be amazed by the chances you get.

Don't give up.

 

The "Acts 29" Generation

By Gobel Brockman


I once heard of a Pastor who was about to deliver his Sunday morning sermon. He invited the congregation to turn to Acts chapter 29 for his text. The sound of flapping pages started. It continued. People searched in vain for Acts 29. Finally someone spoke loud enough for the Pastor to hear, hoping to help him correct his mistake. "There is no Acts 29!", they said. "Yes, there is!" he insisted. People looked at him, wondering why it had been so long since their Pastor had picked up a Bible. He then pointed his finger and waived it over the congregation and said, "YOU are Acts 29. It's being written right now. What's YOUR section going to say?" He then proceeded to deliver a message about the importance of living out our faith in a way that affects the world around us.

What got me thinking of this was a conversation I recently had with someone about Simon Peter. That guy was a mess. Every time he turned around he was putting his foot in his mouth. He once rebuked Jesus because he was saying something Peter didn't like. He boldly asked Jesus to allow him to walk on water, then promptly lost faith and had to be rescued. As Jesus spoke of his upcoming crucifixion, Peter loudly proclaimed that he would never forsake Jesus. A few hours later, the accusation of a servant girl caused him to deny that he even knew Jesus. Time and time again Jesus had to either correct him or rescue him.

Then, after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, we get to the book of Acts.

In the second chapter, we see the disciples being filled with the promised Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God went from being with them to dwelling in them. They were filled with a boldness they had heretofore not experienced. This same Peter, who had been such a wreck, was now boldly proclaiming to all of Jerusalem, "You killed Jesus, but God has made this same Jesus Lord and Christ. It is His name that brings salvation!" - and 3,000 responded to the message. In the rest of the book of Acts, we see the disciples 'turning the world upside down' for Jesus.

That's where you and I come in. It's our turn now. The book of Acts has 28 chapters. WE are living and 'writing' the 29th chapter. It's our opportunity RIGHT NOW to allow God to accomplish the impossible through us. Maybe your CDs won't end up being prominently displayed in a Bible bookstore. Maybe your mailbox won't be filled with orders for your latest DVD teaching series for $29.99 (plus shipping and handling). But if we will allow God to fill us with the Holy Spirit, be willing to say as Jesus did, "Not my will, but Yours be done", and then be willing to step out in faith, then maybe - just maybe - we would see OUR world 'turned upside down'. It doesn't take much looking around to see that this nation is in trouble. People are hurting. People are searching. There are a few who are looking to Washington to fix the mess, not realizing that Washington helped create some of the mess. We do not need political change; we need a revival. We need God's Spirit to move among us and in us again so that all will see that Jesus is exactly who He proclaimed to be. We need the church to follow the example of the disciples and become of 'one mind and one accord' again so that the Holy Spirit will touch us again. It can begin with you and me.

Acts 29 is being written right now. What's your section going to say?

More Than You Bargained For

By Gobel Brockman


Several years ago I heard a news story about a car theft. Car thefts happen every day, but this story was quite different. The day after the theft, the owner of the car appeared on a local TV news program to speak to the person (or persons) guilty of the crime. Looking into the camera, he spoke to them - not to criticize or berate them, but to caution them. I don't remember the exact quote, but it was along these lines:

     "I want to speak to whoever committed this crime. Please pay close attention - your safety depends on it. In the back of the car there is a wooden box. Please DO NOT open this box or disturb it in any way. You see, I am a herpetologist. I was on my way to work with that box, and inside of that box is a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. As angry as I am with you for stealing my car, I do not want you to be injured - or worse. PLEASE do not bother that box."

I never heard the final result of this case, but my hope is that the thief both heard and paid attention to the warning. I'm sure that the person who stole the car had no idea that there was danger just a few feet away from them. As wrong as they were for committing that crime, my hope is that they didn't suffer in that way. But as I remember that story, I'm reminded of how often we think that we can "get away" with something, failing to realize that when we do something wrong, we run the risk of getting more than we bargained for in return. To me, one of the saddest things is watching people try to see how close to temptation they can get without getting hurt, only to learn that is a dangerous game. Over the years I've seen people engage in what they thought was "innocent flirting" - only to see it lead to adultery and the eventual ruin of their marriages. I've seen people begin with "one little drink" - thinking that they can stop whenever they want - only to suffer immeasurable damage to their health, their finances, and their families. I could continue, but you get the point.

Another painful aspect of this is that many times the innocent have to suffer along with the guilty. In the Bible there is a story in the book of Joshua about a man named Achan. Israel had been instructed by the Lord that as they defeated Jericho they were not to take any spoils from the city. Achan, however, disobeyed the command, and the whole nation of Israel suffered as a result. Innocent people died because of his disobedience. (You can find this story in Joshua chapters 6 and 7.) We are no different. The choices we make not only affect us, but they also affect others in our lives as well. We would do well to remember that when we choose to do what we want instead of following the commands of the Lord, we may not be the only one to suffer the consequences of that decision. May we always remember that nothing this world offers is worth damaging or destroying our relationship with Jesus Christ. What I'm saying is that we would all do well to stay close to Jesus, consider how our decisions will affect others as well as ourselves, and remember that playing with temptation is NEVER worth the risk.

We'll always suffer more than we bargained for.