The Resurrection: Hoax, Heist or History?
15 hours ago
EverAfter’s brand new one man show is a dramatic retelling of the incredible true story of James Hudson Taylor, missionary to China. He was a man of great commitment to God, to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to reaching the Chinese people. His is a story of shipwrecks, riots, love, bereavement and success against all the odds. Hudson Taylor's life is one of remarkable faith, of both great joy and great sorrow and, above all, it is the story of the great God whom Hudson loved to serve. His story, interwoven with stories of missionaries in China today, is a profound encouragement and challenge and perfect for a riveting night's theatre.The story of Hudson Taylor will be a great inspiration to churches in their faith, prayer and mission as well as being a great event to which to invite non-Christians. The show is touring in the UK from October 6th 2006 until March 31st 2007 and is offered free of charge to churches.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! [Matt 7:7-11]What a wonderful promise. Yet one that makes us feel uncomfortable... when it doesn't always seem to happen. Tim Challies quoted it while giving thanks to God for answered prayer in a car breakdown, and someone commented, 'I'm curious how you would have responded had a tow truck or emergency aid not shown up at all, and left you to either a) change the tire in the rain and traffic, or b) make a long hike to get help? Would you (would any of us) still have thought to thank God for providing for us?'
If it were not for the death of Jesus everything you and I experience would be a token of God's wrath. But since Jesus has died and we have become beneficiaries of that death, everything that happens to us, even our trouble, is a token of God's love. ...So what if our prayers don't seem to be answered?What has God done in order that our prayers might be answered? He has sent His dearly loved and only Son to absorb His own wrath against sin and to lead us into the green pastures of His favour where there is mercy and grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus died for our sins that our prayers might be answered. - Piper
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us we have confidence before God; and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another just as He commanded us."The Father gives us what pleases him. And what pleases him is that we grow more and more into the image of his Son, transformed by his Holy Spirit. Our plans are frequently so small and myopic in comparison. In this case, clearly God's plans are big enough to be worth a lot of frustration, time and money relating to a driving test. When I say it like that, it's obvious, isn't it? Or perhaps I should say, failure, frustrated plans and expense are worth learning how to develop a more God-trusting attitude to failure, frustrated plans and expense - plus whatever other good God will bring out of it.
Further (and better) thoughts:
Piper on What Do Answers to Prayer Depend On? Part 1, Part 2
Get hold of these from a local library or bookshop, or click through to buy from Amazon [from which I would get some credit].