R.T. Kendall's Blog, page 20

Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship

First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN

Judson Baptist Church San Bernadino, CA

Judson Baptist Church, 1406 E. Pacific St., San Bernardino, California 92404. Phone 909  889 0781. Services 9 am (“Total Forgiveness”), 11 am (“Totally Forgiving Ourselves”), 7 pm (“Totally Forgiving God”).

http://www.judsonbc.com/index.html

San Bernadino, California

Bethlehem, PA

GRACE CHURCH Franklin TN

The Power of Humility 3

There is a good pride (like good cholesterol which the body needs) and bad pride (like bad cholesterol which brings disease). Good pride leads to a sense of self-respect and desire to achieve. The bad pride is called a haughty spirit. It is smugness. Self-righteousness. God so hates this. We are told that a pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. When you see men and women boasting and arrogantly carrying on as if nothing can happen, mark it down: such a person will fall. It is only a matter of time. The Bible guarantees it.

But the Bible says that God is no respecter of persons. None of us is exempt. The moment I begin to take myself too seriously is the moment I head toward serious problems – unless God steps in graciously to grant me repentance. He has actually done this. I am so grateful to him. I know that in earlier years I took myself so seriously. Not that I am devoid of this now. Oh no, don’t think that. But I know that God has given me wake up calls and that he has kindly led me to repentance.

I am sure that if we were to get a true, objective picture of our smugness and self-righteousness – then see what God thinks of it, we would fall on our knees and beg him for mercy. The best thing you and I can do in this connection is to ask God in mercy to show us our self-righteousness, self-pity, feeling of entitlement and pride – but simultaneously to grant us repentance. There is good old 1 John 1:9: if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to purify us from all unrighteousness. He is a gracious God.

The Power of Humility 2

One of the most encouraging things in all the world is to find out that the best of people are all sinners. Better still, that all of those people in the Bible had their weaknesses. Jacob had his self-pity, something that bedeviled him all his life. And one of the greatest prophets of all – Elijah – was so filled with pride, self-pity and self-righteousness that it is a wonder that God used him.

Consider Elijah at Mount Carmel. He claimed to be the only one of God’s prophets left. Wrong. He had just met Obadiah a day or two before and knew that there were prophets Obadiah had hid in a cave from King Ahab. And yet Elijah said before everybody, “I alone am left”, showing that he felt he was so worthy! God might have said, “STOP! Elijah, I cannot use you now; you have just given into self-righteousness and shown contempt toward many of my prophets”. In other words, God could have stepped in and stopped the whole procedure.

But God let Elijah carry on. He did not embarrass Elijah. He waited for days and days to deal with Elijah. Then one day it was as if God said to Elijah, “Oh by the way, Elijah, I have 7,000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal”. In other words, God sorted Elijah out later on – privately and alone.

God does that with all of us. We have all messed up and given God a thousand reasons for disowning us and stop using us. But he overlooks our weaknesses graciously and later – privately, letting us save face – shows us what is wrong with us.

I sometimes wish I could start 57 years of ministry all over again. But I tell myself, if God could use Elijah, he could use me. And if God can use me he can use anybody.

Unashamed to Bear His Name

RT’s sermon on being Unashamed to Bear His Name

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Totally Forgiving God

RT’s sermon on Totally Forgiving God

Watch RT Preaching on

Totally Forgiving God

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