THE DUTY OF SELF TESTING

THE DUTY OF SELF TESTING

Tom Paschke, our Director of Housekeeping, has been sharing his story this week on our KESWICK TODAY radio ministry. He shared this poem with our conference guests on Monday:

Present Tense

it was spring...but it was summer I wanted...
the warm days and the great outdoors.

it was summer...but it was fall I wanted...
the colorful leaves and the cool dry air.

it was fall...but it was winter I wanted...
the beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.

it was winter...but it was spring I wanted...
the warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child...but it was adulthood I wanted...
the freedom and the respect.

I was 20...but it was 30 I wanted...
to be mature and sophisticated.

I was middle-aged...but it was 20 I wanted ...
the youth and the free spirit.

I was retired...but it was middle age I wanted...
the presence of mind, without limitations.

my life was over... but I never got what I wanted.

Guarding our hearts is an on-going process to help us protect the way we view life. It helps us to think about our dreams, goals and desires in light of God's purposes for our lives. One of the ways we guard our hearts is to do what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 -- "Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves."

Dr. Henrietta Mears, author of WHAT THE BIBLE IS ALL ABOUT reminds us that in Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth, he emphasizes that the Corinthians should test themselves to make sure of their faith. "He was anxious that none of them should be deceived. Use every means to KNOW where you really stand spiritually.

Do not depend on a mere profession of religion.
Do not rely on church membership. Joining the church saves no one. Joining CHRIST saves us. Examine your standing.
Do not trust on a past experience.
Live only for today.
Trust only in a present love, a present faith, and a present service.
Do not rest upon mere approved methods of conduct. One may god through the FORMS of religious worship and not be religious. Wax museum figures wink and blind and seem to breathe, but there is no particle of life in them.
Examine yourself about the MOTIVES that move your life. Is it to please GOD or people?
What do you love?
Do I love to think of Christ?
Do I love to pray?
Do I love to study God's Word?
Do I love Christian friends?
Do I love the church?
Do I love to serve Christ?

Good things to ponder as we go through the process of self-testing.