Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
The small living room was veritably alive with the power of God. Holy Ghost filled saints, all standing now, were shouting aloud the praises of God. They were laughing and crying all at once. The power of the holy Ghost was all over their bodies, and they rejoiced with abandon in the glory of their king. I was standing in the kitchen. Brother Earl was standing in the kitchen doorway, in front of me. Normally, Brother Earl would have been right in the middle of the shouting group of saints, lost in the joy of the holy Ghost, but this time, God had him right in front of me. The Lord wanted me to see what wisdom Brother Earl had.
Standing to the right of Brother Earl was Bonnie, the little Catholic woman who had not yet given up on her mission to rescue us from the truth. She really thought that Jesus had sent her to lead us back to the Mother of all Churches, and she dutifully was working toward that end, even if it meant missing some of her own church services to be among us. You just had to admire her grit.
That particular Sunday afternoon, the noise in Grandma's house was almost deafening. God has a way sometimes of thrilling the hearts of His people so much that they have to cry out with all their strength. Well, that day, all the saints in the meeting were being blessed that way, and all at the same time. I could barely hear what Bonnie turned and said to Brother Earl, but there was no mistaking the contempt in her voice toward those humble souls who were shouting and dancing and shaking under the power of God right in front of her.
At length, she turned toward Brother Earl and politely, but with obvious disgust, quoted the Scripture, "God is not the author of confusion."
Brother Earl turned to the dark-haired little woman with a blank look on his face [Earl never has been able to understand how anyone could not love the power of the holy Ghost]. Then, without even taking time to think, and not even blinking an eye, Earl asked very innocently, "Then, why are you confused?" I almost fell out in the floor.
Brother Earl's response seemed to me, being a very young believer, to be a great pearl of wisdom. The living room itself seemed to be shaking with the saints shouting under the power of God, and as I looked in again, contemplating Earl's comment, it appeared to me that he was most certainly correct. Not a single person in Grandma's living room seemed confused at all. There was a lot of noise, but there was no confusion on the part of anyone making it. The confusion was Bonnie's, not theirs. Earl pointed that out brilliantly, I thought. And it is that confusion of unbelief and pride which blinded poor Bonnie to the goodness of God in front of her and that God is not the author of, as she herself had said.