NRBC Blog

When was the last time you saw something happen that just had to be God? Can you even remember a time when God worked in your own life so miraculously that there was absolutely no doubt that you were witnessing His work, not chance or man’s efforts? If you are like most, you have to really dig though the memories of your past to come up with anything that even resembles a supernatural intervention of the Sovereign God. If they exist at all, they are probably few and far between!

Of course some will say, “God worked a miracle when He ‘saved’ me;” and, that is certainly true. There is no greater display of the supernatural than when God transforms a sinner into a saint. But, is that where the miraculous ends? Where are the answered prayers, God’s personal intervention, and what is there in our everyday living that testifies only of Him? Paul was able to say, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me...” Could he have said that were his life not a public display of God’s presence? Could he have preached that were his teaching and preaching not a "demonstration of the Spirit and God’s power?" (1 Cor 2:4)

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, it literally glowed with His awesome presence; and, when Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai, there was fire and smoke, thunder and the blast of a celestial trumpet. About 1400 years later, the Church, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, was also clothed with power from on high. Where God is, His power is seen! So, where is that evidence today?

Vance Havner once said, “The church is so subnormal that if it ever became normal, everyone would think it was abnormal!” I just wonder what our reaction would be if one Sunday morning, God decided to show Himself. Would we immediately welcome Him with joy and praise, or would we just be surprised? Would we join Him or would our reaction just exhibit another "crazy thing that carnal people do?"

In 1958, songwriter and singer Chuck Willis released a single entitled “What am I living for?” Since then, his song has been sung my many famous performers; Wanda Jackson, Conway Twitty, Johnny Paycheck, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others. Ironically, just after the song was first released, Chuck Willis died suddenly from peritonitis caused by stomach ulcers. He was only 30 years old. The song was a big hit but he never lived to see its impact. Instead, he left behind the haunting question, “What am I living for?”

Many people wonder what they would be willing to die for, but the real question is the one posed by Chuck Willis; What are you living for? Few people seem to take the time to answer that question. All too often, the things they live for, the things that determine how they live and the decisions they make, are not the things that add real purpose to their lives. They pursue pleasure and self-interests, ending up leaving behind only a memory instead of a legacy. Some know your name, others sing your songs, but nobody really remembers who you were. Today, it’s even hard to find a good photograph of Chuck Willis!

Abraham was called “God’s friend.” God revealed Himself to him in a very personal way, and Abraham demonstrated true faith by believing God and reaching out for God’s blessing. That journey took him away from the conveniences of a second millennium BC metropolis, and into an unknown land where he spent the rest of his life living in a tent. Yet, he believed and “it was counted to him as righteousness.”

There is another side to the Abraham story, however. God’s friend did not always remember what he was living for. Like us, he became distracted by his wants and lost sight of his true worth. In fact, his actions are still having a catastrophic effect among the Jews today. Abraham becomes another example of the crazy things carnal people do!