By Gobel Brockman
There's a story about a man who was walking along a beach one day. He noticed that the tide had caused an unusual number of starfish to be washed ashore. He soon noticed a young boy walking towards him. He also noticed that the boy would pick up a starfish, take a quick look at it, and then gently toss it back into the sea. As soon as they were close enough to talk, the man asked the boy what he was doing. The boy replied, "I'm trying to save these starfish. I may be their only hope." The man looked down the beach and noted the innumerable starfish still lying in the sand. He then asked the boy, "Don't you see all these starfish here? Do you really think what you're doing is making any difference?" The boy's response surprised him. He said the boy looked down at the starfish he was holding and said, "Well, it makes a difference to this one" as he tossed it into the water.
When I think of this story, I'm reminded of the words of Jesus to His disciples found in Mark 16:15:
"Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
"Every creature." Sounds like an impossible task. How could a few people on a hillside tell their life-changing story to "every creature?" This was before the days of TV, the Internet, and social media. There were no news wires or cable networks they could use to broadcast the Good News. I can picture them receiving this monumental assignment and thinking to themselves, "Well, he we go again on another impossible mission." I mean, what did they have to accomplish this goal? The same thing you and I have as His disciples today:
The power in the name of the risen Christ, and the promise of the Holy Ghost.
These few people obeyed the command of Jesus to remain in Jerusalem until the promised Holy Ghost came. Once they were filled with this power, what they ended up doing was exactly what they were commissioned to do: they proceeded to tell every creature the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. You see, in time they spread out into different parts of the world. Maybe each one individually couldn't fulfill the task, but just like that boy on the beach, they were willing to say, "What I'm doing matters to this one." Because they were willing to do this, here we are over 2,000 years later and His disciples are STILL hearing and spreading the gospel to "every creature." It made a difference to their generation.
It also made a difference to us.
Today I preach, play music and lead worship, and write books and devotionals with the desire to tell everyone I can reach that salvation is available to all who will receive. Can I personally reach "every creature?" No. But that's not going to keep me from doing what I can. If you're reading this, my hope is that I can convey to you both the severity of sin and the immeasurable power of God's forgiveness and love. I pray that God will use me in any way possible to share His gospel to everyone I possibly can in every nation I can possibly reach.
I want to make a difference to someone. I hope that is your prayer as well.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Saturday, March 18, 2017
When You Find Yourself In a "Joseph Moment"
By Gobel Brockman
In Genesis chapter 37 we see the beginning of the story of a man named Joseph. In verses 5-11 Joseph is given two dreams. In the first one he had a dream that symbolized that his brothers would bow before him. In the next one not only his brothers, but his mother and father bowed before him. His brothers, who already hated him to the extent that "they could not speak peaceably to him" (verse 4) were soon given an opportunity to be rid of him once and for all. Their initial plan was to kill him, but they eventually sold him into slavery to some passing Ishmaelites who took him into Egypt. Once there, Joseph ended up in the house of Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah. Soon he was falsely accused of the attempted rape of Potiphar's wife and was thrown into prison - again, for a crime that he did not commit. I try to imagine what must have went through Joseph's mind during these times. He had two God-given dreams that he would one day be a ruler. So what happened to him after receiving these dreams? He was betrayed by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of a horrible crime, and ended up in prison. In other words, the promises he had received from God were immeasurably different from his present reality.
Perhaps you may feel like you're going through the same thing. You read the Bible and see promises that God has made to His children, but yet your current situation seems to be in direct contrast to those promises. Maybe you've been given prophetic words about your future that are the total opposite of your present reality. If you have been a Christian for very long at all I'm certain that there have been times you've felt that way. But as we take a closer look at Joseph's story I believe we can learn much from his example.
When Joseph arrived at Potiphar's house - as a slave - what happened to him? Genesis 39:2-4 tells us this:
"The Lord was with Joseph, so that he became a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper. Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. So he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put under his charge."
After he was unfairly imprisoned, what does the Bible tell us? Genesis 39:20-23 says this:
"Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison committed all the prisoners that were in the prison to the charge of Joseph. So whatever they did there, he was the one responsible for it. The keeper of the prison did not concern himself with anything that was under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it to prosper."
I hope you're noticing a pattern here: in spite of his continued unfair treatment, the Lord was continually with him. Not only that, but Joseph ended up as a ruler in every place he was sent. Therein lies a powerful lesson that we need to learn:
What others might have seen as failure or being forsaken by God, Joseph saw as training ground.
Joseph didn't see his difficulties as being abandoned by God; he saw them as being God-ordained opportunities to learn what it meant to become the leader that he knew God had called him to be. My message this week is that if God has given you a promise, He will fulfill it. Your present circumstances aren't proof that God failed you, they're proof that He's preparing you. Joseph eventually saw his dreams fulfilled, and countless people were saved as a result. If you're in a "Joseph moment" right now, take heart and learn the lessons God wants you to learn. When your training is complete, people are going to need the wisdom you gained as a result.
Just ask Joseph.
In Genesis chapter 37 we see the beginning of the story of a man named Joseph. In verses 5-11 Joseph is given two dreams. In the first one he had a dream that symbolized that his brothers would bow before him. In the next one not only his brothers, but his mother and father bowed before him. His brothers, who already hated him to the extent that "they could not speak peaceably to him" (verse 4) were soon given an opportunity to be rid of him once and for all. Their initial plan was to kill him, but they eventually sold him into slavery to some passing Ishmaelites who took him into Egypt. Once there, Joseph ended up in the house of Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah. Soon he was falsely accused of the attempted rape of Potiphar's wife and was thrown into prison - again, for a crime that he did not commit. I try to imagine what must have went through Joseph's mind during these times. He had two God-given dreams that he would one day be a ruler. So what happened to him after receiving these dreams? He was betrayed by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of a horrible crime, and ended up in prison. In other words, the promises he had received from God were immeasurably different from his present reality.
Perhaps you may feel like you're going through the same thing. You read the Bible and see promises that God has made to His children, but yet your current situation seems to be in direct contrast to those promises. Maybe you've been given prophetic words about your future that are the total opposite of your present reality. If you have been a Christian for very long at all I'm certain that there have been times you've felt that way. But as we take a closer look at Joseph's story I believe we can learn much from his example.
When Joseph arrived at Potiphar's house - as a slave - what happened to him? Genesis 39:2-4 tells us this:
"The Lord was with Joseph, so that he became a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper. Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. So he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put under his charge."
After he was unfairly imprisoned, what does the Bible tell us? Genesis 39:20-23 says this:
"Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison committed all the prisoners that were in the prison to the charge of Joseph. So whatever they did there, he was the one responsible for it. The keeper of the prison did not concern himself with anything that was under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it to prosper."
I hope you're noticing a pattern here: in spite of his continued unfair treatment, the Lord was continually with him. Not only that, but Joseph ended up as a ruler in every place he was sent. Therein lies a powerful lesson that we need to learn:
What others might have seen as failure or being forsaken by God, Joseph saw as training ground.
Joseph didn't see his difficulties as being abandoned by God; he saw them as being God-ordained opportunities to learn what it meant to become the leader that he knew God had called him to be. My message this week is that if God has given you a promise, He will fulfill it. Your present circumstances aren't proof that God failed you, they're proof that He's preparing you. Joseph eventually saw his dreams fulfilled, and countless people were saved as a result. If you're in a "Joseph moment" right now, take heart and learn the lessons God wants you to learn. When your training is complete, people are going to need the wisdom you gained as a result.
Just ask Joseph.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Regrets
By Gobel Brockman
There's a story of a young man who grew up in a devoutly Christian home. As he approached his High School graduation, he asked his father for a car. His father told him, "I'll see what I can do." So graduation came, and at his party his father gave him a wrapped box. The young man opened it and found...a Bible. The young man was furious. So much so that a few short days later, he moved out, never to speak to his father again. A few years later he received word that his father had passed away. After he had returned home from the funeral he found the Bible his father had given him. For the first time he took it out of the box and opened it. Something fell out and landed by his feet. He picked it up. It was a blank check, and in the memo section it said, "Car for Graduation."
There are so many directions we could go with this story. Putting things ahead of people. Greed and selfishness. The danger of making assumptions. Regret that stays with you for the rest of your life. The undeserved heartbreak of the father that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Most of us have never done anything to this extent, but we all have regrets. We've all hurt people with our selfishness, and been hurt by the selfishness of others. We've all jumped to conclusions, only to find out later we totally misjudged someone. I know that I have. I can think of many times where my selfishness and moodiness have brought pain and discouragement to the people I love the most. What do we do in these times?
I believe the best answer is in Philippians 3: "I do not consider myself to have reached the goal. But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind me and striving for what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ." I can't count all the things in my past I would go back and change - if I could. If we CAN make amends, we need to. But it's not always possible, and sometimes the past can't be fixed. All we can do is leave it there in the grace of God and ask His help in not making those mistakes again. And I know "He's faithful and just to forgive my sin, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness."
Have you messed up - badly? Feeling like God can't forgive you and you can't forgive yourself? Take heart; God's not done with you yet. I told you all of this to tell you that regardless of your past, God can still do amazing things in your life. People can still see the goodness of God because of what He does in you. I close with a story of another young man that grew up in a Christian home. In his youth he began drinking and smoking pot, soon progressing to LSD and other drugs. His life became a mess. But God loves taking messes and giving them new hope. That kid is now a minister and the writer of a somewhat boring but well-intentioned devotional.
The good news is that if God can give him a new start, He can give you one as well.
There's a story of a young man who grew up in a devoutly Christian home. As he approached his High School graduation, he asked his father for a car. His father told him, "I'll see what I can do." So graduation came, and at his party his father gave him a wrapped box. The young man opened it and found...a Bible. The young man was furious. So much so that a few short days later, he moved out, never to speak to his father again. A few years later he received word that his father had passed away. After he had returned home from the funeral he found the Bible his father had given him. For the first time he took it out of the box and opened it. Something fell out and landed by his feet. He picked it up. It was a blank check, and in the memo section it said, "Car for Graduation."
There are so many directions we could go with this story. Putting things ahead of people. Greed and selfishness. The danger of making assumptions. Regret that stays with you for the rest of your life. The undeserved heartbreak of the father that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Most of us have never done anything to this extent, but we all have regrets. We've all hurt people with our selfishness, and been hurt by the selfishness of others. We've all jumped to conclusions, only to find out later we totally misjudged someone. I know that I have. I can think of many times where my selfishness and moodiness have brought pain and discouragement to the people I love the most. What do we do in these times?
I believe the best answer is in Philippians 3: "I do not consider myself to have reached the goal. But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind me and striving for what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ." I can't count all the things in my past I would go back and change - if I could. If we CAN make amends, we need to. But it's not always possible, and sometimes the past can't be fixed. All we can do is leave it there in the grace of God and ask His help in not making those mistakes again. And I know "He's faithful and just to forgive my sin, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness."
Have you messed up - badly? Feeling like God can't forgive you and you can't forgive yourself? Take heart; God's not done with you yet. I told you all of this to tell you that regardless of your past, God can still do amazing things in your life. People can still see the goodness of God because of what He does in you. I close with a story of another young man that grew up in a Christian home. In his youth he began drinking and smoking pot, soon progressing to LSD and other drugs. His life became a mess. But God loves taking messes and giving them new hope. That kid is now a minister and the writer of a somewhat boring but well-intentioned devotional.
The good news is that if God can give him a new start, He can give you one as well.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
I Won't Stand Alone
By Gobel Brockman
During my senior year in high school (many, MANY years ago) I worked as an attendant at a full-service gas station. One night a man pumped gas into his car and drove off without paying. I was able to get his license plate number and I called the police, who arrested him a short time later. A few weeks later I had to go to court for this man's preliminary hearing. What I remember the most from that day, however, was the case the judge was hearing right before ours. The defendant was on trial for driving under the influence of drugs. He asked the judge to allow him a continuance of his trial due to the recent passing of his mother. Before responding to his request, the judge asked him an interesting question: "Have you spoken to an attorney about your case?" The man responded that he had not. The judge agreed to the continuance and set his trial for the following month. Before dismissing the man, he told him, "I strongly suggest that you speak with an attorney about your case."
What the judge was telling this man was simple: "The next time you stand before me, it would be in your best interest not to stand before me alone. You need an attorney by your side."
Every time I remember that day, I'm reminded of what the Bible says in 1 John 2:1:
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (Emphasis mine)
The word "advocate" in the original Greek is the word parakletos which in part means, "One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a counsel for defense, an advocate." That is a powerful thought: Jesus Christ - "the righteous" - is pleading my cause! What's even more incredible is that He is pleading my cause to a sympathetic judge who actually SENT Jesus (our advocate) to pay the price for my sins! Think of it this way: the Father sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins. That sacrifice has made the way for Jesus to advocate (plead our cause) before a judge who WANTS to freely justify us (find us not guilty)! Thanks to the love of God, He has created an "open and shut case" for us to receive by faith!
The Bible also tells us in Romans 14:10 that "we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." As I have said before, it doesn't matter whether you believe that or not - you'll be there anyway. So will I. We are called to live lives of holiness and obedience to God. We cannot, however, earn the right to be free from the guilt of our sins. We will never be good enough to cleanse our own sins. But thanks to the love of the Father and Christ's willingness to pay the price for my sins, I know that when it's my turn to stand before God, I won't stand alone: my advocate (Jesus) will be standing with me. I receive that by faith, and I will ever thank God for it!
How about you?
During my senior year in high school (many, MANY years ago) I worked as an attendant at a full-service gas station. One night a man pumped gas into his car and drove off without paying. I was able to get his license plate number and I called the police, who arrested him a short time later. A few weeks later I had to go to court for this man's preliminary hearing. What I remember the most from that day, however, was the case the judge was hearing right before ours. The defendant was on trial for driving under the influence of drugs. He asked the judge to allow him a continuance of his trial due to the recent passing of his mother. Before responding to his request, the judge asked him an interesting question: "Have you spoken to an attorney about your case?" The man responded that he had not. The judge agreed to the continuance and set his trial for the following month. Before dismissing the man, he told him, "I strongly suggest that you speak with an attorney about your case."
What the judge was telling this man was simple: "The next time you stand before me, it would be in your best interest not to stand before me alone. You need an attorney by your side."
Every time I remember that day, I'm reminded of what the Bible says in 1 John 2:1:
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (Emphasis mine)
The word "advocate" in the original Greek is the word parakletos which in part means, "One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a counsel for defense, an advocate." That is a powerful thought: Jesus Christ - "the righteous" - is pleading my cause! What's even more incredible is that He is pleading my cause to a sympathetic judge who actually SENT Jesus (our advocate) to pay the price for my sins! Think of it this way: the Father sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins. That sacrifice has made the way for Jesus to advocate (plead our cause) before a judge who WANTS to freely justify us (find us not guilty)! Thanks to the love of God, He has created an "open and shut case" for us to receive by faith!
The Bible also tells us in Romans 14:10 that "we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." As I have said before, it doesn't matter whether you believe that or not - you'll be there anyway. So will I. We are called to live lives of holiness and obedience to God. We cannot, however, earn the right to be free from the guilt of our sins. We will never be good enough to cleanse our own sins. But thanks to the love of the Father and Christ's willingness to pay the price for my sins, I know that when it's my turn to stand before God, I won't stand alone: my advocate (Jesus) will be standing with me. I receive that by faith, and I will ever thank God for it!
How about you?
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