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Careful Discernment
Conclusions
Drawing unwarranted
conclusions is like looking through a keyhole. The trouble is
you don’t always
see enough to warrant a conclusion
but once you’ve seen a little
it’s
difficult to resist trying. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Deception
A deception is often
something that looks good on the outside and makes great promises
but on the
inside you find it is empty—and there is really not much to it.
Most of us at some time or
other have bought into an empty deception. We put our money into a machine and
pushed a button for a bag of potato chips that
judging from the appearance of
the package
looked as if it were full of chips. When the bag comes out and we
open it
it turns out to be mainly full of air and contains only a few chips.
If we had examined the bag closely before making the purchase
we would have
seen it as an empty deception.
The Colossians are an
example of believers who were in danger of buying into an empty deception. The
apostle Paul warned that they were being presented with religious philosophies
and humanly imposed ideas that looked good on the surface. But
when examined
on the inside
they were found to be hollow and empty of truth (Col. 2:8
23).
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Fanatic
A fanatic is one who
redoubles his efforts after he has lost sight of his goal. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Stumbling
Blocks
From
his book Daily Gems comes this story by D.L. Moody: "A blind man in a great city was
found sitting at a street corner with a lantern beside him. Someone went up to him and asked him why
he had the lantern
since he was blind and the light of if was the same to him
as the darkness. The blind man
simply replied
'So that no one may stumble over me.'"
We
who know Christ
of course
are not blind.
But like that man
we too must be providing light so that those who are
lost can find their way to heaven.
Without the light of Christ shining through us
His followers
they will
stumble in their search for peace and satisfaction. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
False Religion
Long ago
a pastor was
visiting at a couple’s new home out in the country. The pastor spent the
night. He was awakened the next morning by the soft voice of a soprano singing
“Nearer
My God
to Thee.” He was impressed by the piety of the young hostess
since she evidently began her day in such a religious manner. At breakfast he
spoke to her about it and told her how pleased he was. “Oh
” she
replied
“that’s the hymn I boil the eggs
by; three verses for soft and five for hard.” ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
No illustrations yet.
Discernment in Scripture is the skill
that enables us to differentiate. It is the ability to see issues clearly. We
desperately need to cultivate this spiritual skill that will enable us to know
right from wrong. We must be prepared to distinguish light from darkness
truth
from error
best from better
righteousness from unrighteousness
purity from
defilement
and principles from pragmatics.
J. Stowell
Fan The Flame
Moody
1986
p. 44.