RCL Proper 12 B - 2 Cor. 6:10 - Unto the Hills

The Christlike Christian
"Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making
many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything" (2Cor 6:10)

"These words from the apostle Paul remind me of Amy Carmichael. Though bedridden as a result of an accident some twenty years before her death, and in almost constant pain, she continued to minister through her devotional writings and poetry. her keen insight and her refreshingly spiritual writings reveal the depth of her walk with Christ. She remains a striking example of a christian whose physical suffering enabled her to reflect the character of Christ. She lived a life of rejoicing in the midst of her tribulation. Her face radiated the love of Christ...

During those years of physical pain, Amy Carmichael wrote the many books that have blessed untold thousands around the world. Without the 'blessing' of being confined to her bed, she might have been too busy to write.

There is a story about Martin Luther going through a period of depression and discouragemnt. For days his long face graced the family table and dampened the family's home life. One day his wife came to the breakfast table all dressed in black, as if she were going to a funeral service. When Martin asked her who had died, she replied, 'Martin, the way you've been behaving lately, I thought God had died, so I came prepared to attend His funeral.'

Her gentle but effective rebuke drove straight to Luther's heart, and as a result of that lesson the great Reformer resolved never again to allow worldly care, resentment, depression, discouragement, or frustration to defeat him. By God's grace, he vowed, he would submit his life to the Saviour and reflect His grace in a spirit of rejoicing, whatever came. With Paul he would shout, 'Thanks be to God! he gives us the voctory through our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Cor 15:57)

When was the last time you praised God in the midst of despair? Don't wait until you 'feel like it' or you'll never do it. Do it, and you'll feel like it!

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Devotional Treasury from Billy Graham; Word Publishing, 1986; Pg 233.

RCL Proper 12 B - 2 Cor. 6:4 - My Utmost for His Highest

Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things

It takes Almighty grace to take the next step when there is no vision and no spectator—the next step in devotion, the next step in your study, in your reading…the next step in your duty, when there is no vision from God, no enthusiasm and no spectator. It takes far more of the grace of God, far more conscious drawing upon God to that step, than it does to preach the Gospel.

Every Christian has to partake of what was the essence of the Incarnation, he must bring the thing down into flesh and blood actualities, and work it out through the finger tips. We flag when there is no vision, no uplift, but just the common round, the trivial task. The thing that tells in the long run for God and for men is the steady persevering work in the unseen, and the only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the Risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to damp you. Continually get away from pettiness and paltriness of mind and thought out into the thirteenth chapter of St. John’s Gospel.”

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest; Discovery house Publishers; 1935. Available wherever books are sold.

RCL Proper 12B - Mark 4:39 - New Direction Bible Reading Guide Volume II

“Many people through the ages of history have talked about peace. Some have been completely sincere, seeking to bring peace on an international, national, or personal scale. Others have been liars and madmen, waging war in the name of “peace”. Some have been great teachers or political leaders.

Only one of them has even been able to produce the peace which He proclaimed. He is the One of our key verse, the One who stood up in a storm-tossed ship and commanded nature to obey Him. Nature hushed at His voice, for His authority was that of the Creator of all which exists.

The storm in your heart or soul can be changed to peace at the word of Jesus. Whatever you are riding through today—whether in your career or your marriage; your family or your health; your friendships or your education—Jesus can speak peace to you and in you.”

Burke and Knowles, New Direction Bible Reading Guide Volume II; Crossroads Christian Communications Inc.; Toronto, Ontario, 1986, Pg 57.

RCL Proper 12B - Mark 4:35-41 - The Upper Room Disciplines 2000

Human weakness and God's Power - From Sat, Jun 24th

"We notice Jesus' calm serenity, which strongly contrasts with the disciples' terror. Ont hing we must note in this miracle is Jesus' example of absolute peace and confidence. The miracle points us beyond the storms and stresses of life to the One who controls nature. And like the disciples, we too raise the questions: 'Who is this?'

Jesus, awakened by the hrrofied disciples, 'rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind dies down and it was completely calm...[The disciples] were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!' (NIV). the answer to their question and ours is that this is Christ, the Son of God and the Lord of nature and all of life. We confess that too often in the stresses and storms of life, we panic and begin to question God's ways, which lie beyond our understanding.

Let us not allow the stress and strife of our present situation to overwhelm us. Instead let us seek to understand what we can learn from the situation. We need to remember God's presence with us in the past and affirm God's continued presence with us... Faith that expresses courage in the face of life's great storms looks beyond the things that are and encourages us to dream (envision) the things that can be... Let us trust God who gives us serenity and confidence."

The Upper Room Disciplines 2000; Upper Room Books; Nashville TN; www.upperroom.org.