This is a post from our student friend Julia who is taking on her first semester at a Christian College…
During my first week at Word of Life Bible Institute for Leadership Training, I heard just about all of the WOLBI staff’s testimonies. Some were quite intense and inspiring as the speaker takes you down the long path of their being lost and then explains how Christ wins their heart. Having been born and raised in a Christian home was a blessing to me, but when it comes to giving my testimony, sometimes I can feel like it’s not worth sharing because there are no life-or-death experiences or an extreme conversion. Is this something our world has done to us? We no longer believe things to be significant unless they’re dramatic, eye-catching, or extreme?
Reading Psalm 113 a few days later put a whole new perspective on things. The Psalmist begins by blessing the Lord and declaring how great our God is in all His power and sovereignty. “The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.” (v.4) The Psalm then completely changes gears to speak of Christ’s attention to the poor, and His elevating them to set them before princes. “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even the princes of his people.” (vs. 7,8) Wow. It was then that I realized what a poor perspective I had. My testimony isn’t mine at all. It’s God’s! My life is just what the Lord has given me and chosen to do through me and whether or not I responded to Him and let Him be in control of it. “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for they truth’s sake.” Ps. 115:1
An Amazing contrast of man continually plays out each day as one man can read God’s infallible Word, his eyes spiritually opened, and mind being renewed as he is stirred to respond to God’s Word. To him and me, it is so visibly inspired and filled with intricate treasures, while the other denies the validity of miracles, the reality of prophecy, and the reality of revelation. Once again I am stirred with joy, peace, contentment, and purpose all because of the rational validity of the Bible. Some have made it duty to declare God’s truth, while others also go on record as promoting criticism.
“Unbelief was the antecedent, not the consequent, of their criticism” -Torrey
A recent headline explains of an Ohio school that is being sued after a pattern of four Teen suicides. This article reports of excessive student bulling, for which the school is being charged for not taking appropriate action. The article sadly indicates that as one of teen girls that took her life, as she was laid out in the funeral home in an open casket, was laughed at by the girls that tormented her, because of the pink prom dress that she was buried in. Reminded of how they mocked and tormented our Lord during His crucifixion.
Mar 15:29-32 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
Even the two thieves that were also being crucified next to our Lord reviled him.
Remarkable! The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus spoke, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” As these thieves looked upon our Lord, beaten beyond recognition, ripped our hair and skin, crowned with thorns, one of them then questions. “Why do we mock?” “We get we deserve.” “He did nothing wrong.” The thief that gripped by his awareness of his sin, said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Then our Lord said something that is so profound, yet is the simple picture of God’s grace and the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Today you’ll be with me in paradise.” Two men, the same distance from Jesus, went to different places for eternity. One went to hell, and the other went to heaven. The only thing that changed was the attitude of the heart. This display was put up before the world so every one can see.
Rom 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation