About faith

The changed cross

2010-12-01T08:00:31Z

“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

2010-12-01T07:57:59Z

“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

2010-11-30T19:25:38Z

“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, make a 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

2010-11-30T19:22:04Z

“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

2010-11-28T17:50:40Z

“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

Meekness

2010-11-28T14:04:36Z

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt. 5,5)

One missionary worked on the island Jamaica which is between Northern and South America. He taught at Sunday school in which black pupils studied. Once he asked the pupils: “Whom it is possible to call gentle”?

One of boys has answered: «Gentle person is the one who gives soft answers to blunt questions». This boy told important true. We will aspire to reach such spiritual perfection always to answer softly rough and impudent questions. Meekness can achieve much more, than shout and abuse.

The gentle person is a person, who doesn’t have a pride. Pride is the reason of family dissonances and quarrels, disagreements and misunderstanding in churches. It deprives of people of fellowship with God. The gentle person is a person, who is not angry. The anger is a feeling of strong indignation, animosity, rage. “For anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Ecc. 7,9).

The mild person is a person, who is patient. Patience keeps the love and the consent in families between husbands and wives, parents and children; between brothers and sisters on belief, friends and neighbors. The patience is that fertile soil on which many Christian virtues grow. The gentle person is the restrained person. The restrained people are indulgent to weaknesses of others, create good and is low think of them. They with pleasure take down false charges. To be able to reconcile – means, to imitate Jesus Christ.

The gentle person is an indulgent person. Condescension is necessary, if we want to build happy home life. Many people are lonely today, because weren't indulgent in the families, to the neighbors and friends.

And gentle people are people, who are always obedient to the Lord in all.

Let's be gentle Christians!

P.Shatrov

The king is not a merchant

2010-11-28T13:53:13Z

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Is. 55,1)

One sick boy couldn't anything to eat. His mother was advised to buy to the patient of grapes, but it grew only in a royal garden. It was in those days when yet there were no modern transport and consequently the fruit, growing in one place, it was impossible so quickly as now, to transport in other place. Grapes could be bought only from the king.

Poor mother took the money and went to a royal palace, but there the sentry stopped her. Fortunately, one of royal daughters passed by there. Having heard angry words of the sentry and the request of the woman, she came and asked them. The woman has told to her about her need, the princess laughed and told: «Poor, you were mistaken. My father is not a merchant, he is the king. He doesn't sell grapes, but he can only present it». Then the princess broke from a grapevine some mature brushes and gave them to the woman.

We are Christians. It is impossible to transform the house of God into the trade house. Jesus Christ – the King of kings, He is not a merchant. He gives all things for us free, instead of sells. To buy from Him anything is not impossible! To receive it without pay – yes.

It is time to all people to return to a source and to find again salutary properties of the River of Rescue. Jesus has told to the woman at a well of Jacob: “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn. 4:14). This woman was grieving about sins and disappointed, she was a symbol of all people. Her aspirations were our aspirations! Her disappointments were our disappointments! Her entreaty and sins were our entreaty and our sins! But her Savior can be our Savior, her pardon can be our pardon, and her pleasure can be our pleasure.

P.Shatrov

Search for kingdom of God.

2010-11-27T21:00:00Z

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6,33)

Once the young man found a gold coin in the street. Since then He goes with the lowered head, hoping once again to test happiness of a find.

For the long life he has really found some coins, but the trouble was that for these years he forgot to lift a sight to the fine azure sky. The sky for him was seemed nonexistent. He has died and though he was not a poor person, he has got nothing for the soul.

Millions people don't see any other purpose in the terrestrial life, except collecting perishable, earthly blessings. And certainly, some are a success in this business. But as it will be sad, when they in the ending of life will see their errors.

Lord Jesus Christ told: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. Where is the God’s place and where can we search for the Lord? The Bible says that the Lord fills with Itself «all in all» (Ef. 1,23) that He lives in heavenly halls and at the same time in the pure and broken hearts (Ps. 34,18), but «He is far the Lord from impious» (Prov. 15,29) and «is close to all calling Him» (Ps. 145,18). The kingdom of God is "monastery", sovereignty of the Lord (Jn. 14,23), and to search the kingdom of God – means to search for God.

The gospel says that kingdom of God, on the one hand, is paradise where the Lord eternally stays: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23,42-43). On the other hand, kingdom of God is something such that can be in us: « Kingdom of God is in you » (Lk. 17,21).

To stay in kingdom of God – means to obey God’s will. The Chinese Christians uplifted a well-known prayer: «My God, revive Your Church, since me», and we can paraphrase it and tell: «My God, establish Your kingdom of God, beginning with me».

P.Shatrov