About Faith
The changed cross
“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Mt. 10,38).
There is a Christian poem «the Changed cross». It is told about one woman which believed that a cross which has dropped out on its share, the heaviest and that its all associates had crosses incomparably easier, and she wanted to change her cross, and to choose to herself another instead of it.
At night she has dreamed that she is in a premise where many crosses of the various form and size have been spread out. Between them there was a small cross of the marvelous beauty, all decorated with gold and jewels.
«Ah, I could bear this cross without any difficulty», – she has told. She has raised it, but her weak camp has begun to tremble all under its weight. Gold and jewels were fine by sight, but their weight was not on forces to her.
Then she has seen the wonderful cross decorated with a graceful carving and all twisted fine flowers. «Here this, undoubtedly, will approach». She took it, but under flowers there were sharp thorns which have wounded her hands till bleeds disappeared.
So she continued the way while at last she hasn't come across a simple cross without any ornaments from jewels, without a carving, but only with the several words written on it. She has lifted it, and it has seemed to her the most convenient and easier than others. Considering it at bright rays of light, she has recognized in it an own cross. She has found it again, and it has appeared best of all and most easy for her.
God knows better, what cross we are capable to bear. Any man or woman has his own cross which is absolutely distinct from all other crosses. Therefore as it is impossible to exchange medicines so it is impossible to exchange a cross too.
Any of us on a way to eternal pleasures should bear the cross up to the end. What is this cross? It consists of our struggle against sin, passions and defects. Our cross is illnesses, sufferings which we should undergo in our life.
P.Shatrov
Fellowship with Jesus Christ
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2,20).
Hindu minister Sadu Sundar Synge told that during the travel across the Himalayas it once, sitting on the bank of small small river, took a stone lying in water, and has broken it whether to look wet it inside. It has appeared that it was absolutely dry though many years was in water.
There are same firm hearts, as this stone. They live in God because God omnipresent, but God doesn't live in their hearts. It is necessary, that heart was similar to a sponge. A sponge in water and water in a sponge – they as though one, though a sponge is not water, and water is not a sponge. And our hearts should be in God, and God – in hearts.
Everyone who has fellowship with Jesus Christ, has incorporated to Sacred God, as the child with the father. It is possible to tell with confidence that all people anyhow heard about God. It is possible to have extensive enough knowledge about Him, however all these knowledges remain abstract data until we personally won't meet the Lord. Only at personal meeting with Jesus Christ, only in live and delightful fellowship with Him, our knowledge about God revive and start to shine with unearthly beauty.
Without sweet Jesus Christ is bitterly to live in this very poor world. It is better to suffer scarcity and to be with Christ, rather than out of fellowshipwith Him to abound with all everyday. It is better to lose all things in the world, rather than to lose Jesus Christ: He will remunerate all deprivations one hundred times, and deprivation Him can't be rewarded possession of the whole world. People, who gets Jesus Christ loses nothing.
What joyful experience is to wake up every morning and to perceive that He is here at a room! What joyful experience is to learn every evening at a sunset the God’s world! Any place becomes a temple with Jesus Christ!
P.Shatrov
Hope on the Lord
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Is. 2,22)
Andrey Bonar from Glasgow (Scotland) was the educated and truthful Christian. The glory about his faultless life so has extended that many have started to name his name the children. Through him one young man for whom Andrey Bonar was a guiding star has returned to the Lord.
It happens, that this young christian didn't see Andrey Bonar a long time and has suddenly read in the newspaper that Andrey Bonar has died. In the big grief he went to the house of Bonar and thought: «What will I do now without him? Now all was gone».
Suddenly he heard the words: «don't lean so against Andrey Bonar, he such weak and won't keep you». Having looked there, the voice whence was heard, he has seen the girl, the nurse and two children. One of them strongly leaned against another which has been named by the name of Andrey Bonar.
«Here is the lesson for me, – has thought the grieved young Christian. Whether not too I leaned against my Andrey Bonara instead of more relying on the eternal and live Lord? Here he has died, and I remained without a support».
Christian hope – one of an armor of our spiritual arms. The hope of God doesn't suppose fluctuation, and the Lord hasn't a kind feeling to help the one who sometimes hopes for riches and glory human and temporal power, and sometimes – on God. On the contrary, the person should calm down quite due to God’s help.
Always look at the Lord because He rescues hoping on Him. The one to whom You, My God, makea support never will stumble: who affirms on You never will fall. All our hope is On You, my God, for You cure our wounds. You have pierced Your Blood on ulcers of sinners that they have recovered. “He that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat” (Prov. 28,25).
P.Shatrov
Courage
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16,13)
Holland is located on the bank of the North Sea and occupies a northwest part of Central European plain. Its considerable part lies below sea-level, but isn't flooded with it due to the whole system of the dams keeping water. Everywhere, where water from the sea could get into the country, Dutches have constructed high and strong dams of which condition each citizen should observe and immediately lift alarm if will notice that water begins to flow somewhere.
One eight-year boy came back in the evening home from the relatives. Going on a dam, he has suddenly heard that water somewhere murmurs. He has run downwards and has noticed that in one place through a dam water has filtered. The boy has thought that the aperture from a water pressure begins to increase, water will rush through it and will fill in a city. Without hesitation, it has torn off one sleeve from the jacket and has closed up it a hole. Water has ceased to exude, but for a short while.
Then the boy has closed up an aperture by hand and has started to call to help. It was already darkened, and nobody came to help him. So the boy stayed all night long; his hand had stiffened, he was cold; felt the big weariness, all body was ill, but he didn't take hand out a from an aperture. At last, already at dawn, the priest going on a dam from the patient, has heard weak groans. He had gone down and had seen the pale child.
«What are you doing here?» – the priest asked. « I keep the sea », – the boy silently said. The priest had given the alarm, people run together, and the dam had been corrected. And the boy had been carried home.
We live in such lowland where a sin, harm and different defects threaten to fill in with the muddy waters all. The Lord calls His ministers that they have open their hearts and don't allow these defects to fill in the world definitively. “Ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence”(Is. 62,6).
P.Shatrov
The prayer calmed
“Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Ps. 141,2).
Two tourists traveled in mountains of Switzerland. At approach of night they have appeared in wood. Fortunately, they have found small hotel away from road. One of travelers has told to the companion: «I don't like this hotel. It is a big risk to remain here for the night». Nevertheless they went into hotel. All seemed to them suspicious.
Suddenly the master of the house told: «Friends, every evening we are in the habit to read the Bible and to pray all family. If you want, you can join us». – "Certainly", – travelers agreed with pleasure. After a prayer all dispersed on the rooms. Travelers told each other: «If the owner prays, means, we can sleep easily». The prayer has calmed travelers.
The prayer is the very first sign of Christianity. The prayer to Jesus Christ is solving display of original belief in Lord Jesus. The prayer is breath of the spiritual person.
As the usual person through breathing receives air and derives from it vital strength so the soul through prayer opens itself to Holy Spirit and get life and spiritual strength from Him. The prayer for soul is the same as food for a body; therefore a lack of a prayer the same in a shower that a lack of appetite of a body: powerlessness, illness.
As fish lives in water and due to water, and the soul, which loves God, lives in a prayer and due to prayer. It occurs because that the soul, which loves God, incessantly aspires, thirsts to talk to the beloved Savior. This aspiration sometimes is so great that the people burning with love for God, pray to God even in the sleep, and besides so is strong that sometimes tears of emotion interrupt their dream. We can read in the Song of Solomon 5,2: “I sleep, but my heart waketh”, loves God, searches for God, prays to God, is charmed by God. I sleep, and my heart doesn't sleep: burns, it is shone and stays in fellowship with Him.
P.Shatrov
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