If you are pathetically content with your spiritual life, then whatever you do, don’t read the biography Manley Beasley: Man of Faith – Instrument of Revival. This book will challenge you to walk in faith unlike you’ve ever walked before. It will drive you into your prayer closet to commune with God more personally than you’ve ever known. And it will lead you to embrace and triumph through your sufferings with greater power and joy than you could possibly imagine.
I had never heard of Manley Beasley until a pastor friend recently recommended this biography. I’m glad he did. And now I’m recommending this book for anyone who believes there ought to be more to the Christian life than what most people experience.
Here’s what Michael Catt, Senior Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA, and executive director of Sherwood Films which produced the movies Facing the Giants and Fireproof, had to say: “Manley Beasley was the greatest man of faith I ever knew. While many of us talk about faith and preach about it, Manley was a living example of the faith life. His ministry and message have greatly influenced me to believe God for the impossible.”
In this book biographer Ron Owens effectively blends multiple testimonies and stories about Beasley with Beasley’s own messages preached at various stages in his life.
One such testimony comes from one of Manley’s closest friends and partners in ministry, Jimmy Robertson: “The first time I had Manley in a meeting, after the service he announced that we were going to stay at the church to pray. We prayed until 1 a.m. Next morning at 5:00, I heard a knock on my door and there stood Manley. I said, ‘Is there an emergency?’ He said, ‘There sure is. We need to pray.’ That was the beginning of a glorious revival in our church and community.”
One of the messages Owens records for us from the preaching of Manley Beasley outlines three kinds of faith: Intellectual faith, emotional faith and volitional faith. He spoke about a time when God began teaching him things about faith that would radically shape his life and ministry. The situation involved a desperate financial matter where Beasley found himself needing a certain amount of money. In his words:
“I tried bargaining with God. I even attempted to play on His sympathy – but God doesn’t respond to either of those approaches. You can wish; you can desire; you can anticipate; you can do all kinds of things but still not have ‘substance.’ Sadly, that is about as far in the walk of faith that a lot of people go. They know intellectually. Their emotions desperately desire. But neither of these in or of themselves move God into action.
“I told God that if He would just solve my problem, I would never doubt Him again. As I look back, I realize that I was getting it backwards; I was trying to get God to meet my need so that I could really believe. I did not realize that anyone can believe ‘after’ they have received. That is not real faith.
“I was finally beginning to see that faith was not only intellectual and emotional, but also volitional. God has given us a will. With that will we make choices – choices to either accept something or reject it…
“I began to realize that God was waiting on me to act on His revealed truth because faith is acting on the Word of God. I must not only believe He can meet a need; I must not only want Him to meet a need; I must begin to act as though the need has been met, even though I might not be able to see it, feel it, smell it, taste it or hear it. I must begin acting as if it is so, when it is not so, in order for it to be so, because with God it is already so.
“This now meant that I had to begin acting as though I had the $30,000 I needed to cover the note and the car. I said, ‘Lord, I don’t understand it.’ He said, ‘That’s none of your business.’ I said, ‘How are You going to do it?’ He said, ‘That’s none of your business either.’ I said, ‘But Lord, what if I fail?’ He said: ‘Who said you were a success?’ I already knew that I was a failure, but that moment I decided that sink or swim, live or die, I was going to trust God.”
You’ll have to read the book to find out what happened next. But only if you’re ready to kiss a boring spiritual life good-bye.
I had never heard of Manley Beasley until a pastor friend recently recommended this biography. I’m glad he did. And now I’m recommending this book for anyone who believes there ought to be more to the Christian life than what most people experience.
Here’s what Michael Catt, Senior Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA, and executive director of Sherwood Films which produced the movies Facing the Giants and Fireproof, had to say: “Manley Beasley was the greatest man of faith I ever knew. While many of us talk about faith and preach about it, Manley was a living example of the faith life. His ministry and message have greatly influenced me to believe God for the impossible.”
In this book biographer Ron Owens effectively blends multiple testimonies and stories about Beasley with Beasley’s own messages preached at various stages in his life.
One such testimony comes from one of Manley’s closest friends and partners in ministry, Jimmy Robertson: “The first time I had Manley in a meeting, after the service he announced that we were going to stay at the church to pray. We prayed until 1 a.m. Next morning at 5:00, I heard a knock on my door and there stood Manley. I said, ‘Is there an emergency?’ He said, ‘There sure is. We need to pray.’ That was the beginning of a glorious revival in our church and community.”
One of the messages Owens records for us from the preaching of Manley Beasley outlines three kinds of faith: Intellectual faith, emotional faith and volitional faith. He spoke about a time when God began teaching him things about faith that would radically shape his life and ministry. The situation involved a desperate financial matter where Beasley found himself needing a certain amount of money. In his words:
“I tried bargaining with God. I even attempted to play on His sympathy – but God doesn’t respond to either of those approaches. You can wish; you can desire; you can anticipate; you can do all kinds of things but still not have ‘substance.’ Sadly, that is about as far in the walk of faith that a lot of people go. They know intellectually. Their emotions desperately desire. But neither of these in or of themselves move God into action.
“I told God that if He would just solve my problem, I would never doubt Him again. As I look back, I realize that I was getting it backwards; I was trying to get God to meet my need so that I could really believe. I did not realize that anyone can believe ‘after’ they have received. That is not real faith.
“I was finally beginning to see that faith was not only intellectual and emotional, but also volitional. God has given us a will. With that will we make choices – choices to either accept something or reject it…
“I began to realize that God was waiting on me to act on His revealed truth because faith is acting on the Word of God. I must not only believe He can meet a need; I must not only want Him to meet a need; I must begin to act as though the need has been met, even though I might not be able to see it, feel it, smell it, taste it or hear it. I must begin acting as if it is so, when it is not so, in order for it to be so, because with God it is already so.
“This now meant that I had to begin acting as though I had the $30,000 I needed to cover the note and the car. I said, ‘Lord, I don’t understand it.’ He said, ‘That’s none of your business.’ I said, ‘How are You going to do it?’ He said, ‘That’s none of your business either.’ I said, ‘But Lord, what if I fail?’ He said: ‘Who said you were a success?’ I already knew that I was a failure, but that moment I decided that sink or swim, live or die, I was going to trust God.”
You’ll have to read the book to find out what happened next. But only if you’re ready to kiss a boring spiritual life good-bye.
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sábado 12 de septiembre de 2009
THE AH1N1 AND THE 11TH OF SEPTEMBER
In memory of the people of the United States still remains fresh suffered the fatal attack this nation in the hands of terrorists, and which claimed the lives of thousands of people and many places were destroyed, as are the buildings known as "The Twin Towers, "and was also damaged the Pentagon.
But quite apart from the coverage that was given to this subject from the earthly prespective, there are some questions from a spiritual perspective on What was on September 11?, Was God's punishment on the United States?
Yes, although many evangelical leaders refuse to accept it.
This is a very grim decade for the American nation. Since the disaster that Hurricane Katrina ocacion THEREFORE with loss of thousands of lives, passing on September 11, and now with the AH1N1 influenza pandemic which has already caused hundreds of deaths and putting the United States as one of the countries with the highest rate of deaths in the world, all this suggests that even if God is punishing this nation.
But this punishment could be accentuated now approaching the winter season.
The United States were a nation at a time reflecting the glory of God now seems to be a nation defiled by sin, had been a nation that reflected blessing but now seems to reflect a curse on her, had been a hospitable nation, but now it seems be a nation full of pride. The Bible says that "God resists the proud" (James 4, 6) and the only way to resist a nation pride is punished.
The terror, hunger, and death, seem to be a trilogy of punishing blows that are the pride of this nation, and would be tragic if the U.S. persists in its arrogance, rather than humble themselves before God.
The future of the United States is not in their intelligence services to protect them from future terrorist attacks or political reforms to curb unemployment and hunger, or health systems to protect them from death by influenza AH1N1, but rather in Christian churches they call God tirelessly to stop his punishment.
But if the evangelical denominations are spiritually poor is likely that the future of the United States in the next few years is of a darker hue.
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