Reinhard Bonnke

The Cross stands fast. It is an anchor of the soul. That figure of speech is found in the book of Hebrews 6:19-20. "This {hope} we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence {behind} the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, {even} Jesus..." This is a sea-going picture from those ancient days. A ship comes into harbor, but cannot draw too near to the shore in the darkness. So a sailor gets into a boat with an anchor and a line attached which is also fixed to the ship. He is called the "fore runner". As he rows, the line between anchor and ship is played out and links them. Eventually the forerunner boat arrives and the seaman carries the anchor ashore and secures it on land. In the morning, no sails are needed. The crew of the ship begins to wind in the anchor cable yet it isn't the anchor which moves but the ship. Slowly the vessel winches towards the shore. This is the background to the word "forerunner". Our "forerunner" is Jesus who has entered through the veil and our anchor is made fast. Our salvation is secure like the sailor ashore whom the crew cannot see. Christ is no longer visible to us, He is "ashore" in glory, and WE ARE ATTACHED BY FAITH TO GLORY BY HIM. He has entered glory for us. Day by day the cable is shortening, and pulling us nearer and nearer to Christ our forerunner. Eventually we shall reach heaven's shore and what shall we see? Our "forerunner" waiting to greet us, that "where He is there we may also be." Faith links us already, and will bring us to Him at last. THAT FAITH IS ASSURANCE. Blessed?  

 

Possessions on their own are a half-life, which is the area catered for in the shopping malls. For the other half we must take our basket to another street. We don't live by bread but by supreme love, friendship, romance and joy in God, meeting Him. As Wesley sang, 'Thou O Christ art all I want, more than all in thee I find.' Indeed, God draws close to those who believe, the Creator to His creatures. He touches their spirit, depth calling to depth in worship and gladness. Our spirit soars as we unzip our soul and 'let ourselves go' in the rapture of adoration. 'Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, bless and praise His holy name!' says the writer of Psalm 103. That's what faith is for--life, not just for working miracles. Faith flings open the door of heaven and its Divine orchestras fill us with music. Jesus referred to believers as those 'who understand with the heart,' and said, 'Blessed are your eyes because they see,' Matthew 13:15 & 16.

Faith has neither bulk nor weight, for it is what you do. Jesus spoke of “faith as small as a mustard seed” (Luke 17:6), referring to something tiny with huge potential. Perhaps today Jesus might speak of faith as a fuse. Tiny as it is, it transmits the awesome power generated in power stations to our homes. Without it, every appliance is useless, unable to draw from that power. As believers, we know what we believe and Who we believe. Believing tests us. Taking God’s Word at face value, accepting its divine authority, we plug into the very power-source! Faith is the vital link. By it, the energies of heaven flow into the world. The greatness of God, of the work of Christ, of the Word of God is all there, but without faith, as small as a fuse wire, none of that greatness avails. The circuit is broken. And once connected, the fuse itself cannot help but show the effects of the power surging through it. It warms up! Faith makes us dynamic, exuberant, excited! “Have faith in God”. 

 

Islam

"Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious," Ayatollah Khomeini