1995
What is a Christian without the cross? He is no Christian at all. Jesus said, "He that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt. 10:38-39) A Christian knows that before he can gain, he must lose. He must lose himself to all that once identified him as his own, that he may find his new identity in Jesus Christ.
The cross of the Christian is a cross of death that we must be baptized into if we are to be resurrected "a new creation in Christ Jesus." For death is the foundation of the resurrection life. How can a man be born again if he has never seen himself dead in trespasses and sins? Until he knows the disease of his heart, how can he apply the cure? Until he humbly submits to the crucifixion of the cancer of his flesh, how can he claim union with the Risen Lord, how can he know the power of His resurreciton?
A Christian has gone to Gethsemane; he has counted the cost. And finding no other way to life than death upon the cross before him, he takes it up saying, "not my will, but thine be done." He knows the piercing of nails through his flesh, for he is marked within by the wounds of a dying man. He has suffered the loss of all self-righteous, man-made glory and earthly satisfaction to win Christ and be found in Him without spot, and blameless.
A Christian's cross crucifies him unto the world and the world unto him. He knows that "the friendship of the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4) and therefore resigns any hope of ever finding a peaceable union with himself and those who have no cross to bear. He has put his hand to the plow to diligently labor for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, without looking back to the life he lost in the world he left behind. He confesses himself to be a stranger and pilgrim upon the earth and walks the narrow way of Calvary Road with those who look for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
A Christian embraces the cross as the only remedy for his sin-sickness, the only escape from death's woeful sting and eternal damnation, and the only entrance into eternal life in the kingdom of God. He endures the cross, despising the shame the world would bring upon him for it, for the joy that is set before him, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious apprearing of the great God and our Saviour Jeus Christ." (Titus 2:13) Alive from the dead, he knows that it is no longer he who lives, but Christ that lives in him.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Revival
1994
Revival cannot begin until we become greatly bowed down in heart, until we begin crying out, "who will save me from this body of death!" There must be a season of deep repentance before there can be restoration of joy. For rejoicing comes only to hearts that have been renewed to God.
Repentance is the soul travail which brings forth the heavenly fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not completed until the heart is born into newness of life. To the prideful heart, the work is not over until his delight becomes lowliness. Only those who yearn to find Him out will be persuaded of His utter holiness. For the closer we come into His divine presence, the more clearly we begin seeing ourselves as we really are. And we learn to abhor the darkness of our sin life only in the light of His eternal purity. How can we face the Almighty God and return again to the weak and beggarly elements of our mortal flesh?
All of our striving is in vain unless it brings us to bow low before Him as a sinner in search of His mercy and grace. Only then will we leave His throne justified. Let us return to Calvary to know once again the salvation of the Lord. For it is in kneeling at the foot of the cross where we find our old life hanging lifeless, dead, and see our new life emerging in glory. Let us cast off the defiled, filthy rags of our self-righteousness and put on the clothes of the bond servant, that we might truly give honor to the meek and lowly Spirit of Christ.
If we are unwilling to suffer with Him in bearing His reproach, we cannot expect to experience the power of His resurrection. As we pick up our cross daily, let us surrender our will to Him, even as He surrendered Himself for our sakes when He hung in our place. True surrender is marked by nail holes in the flesh. If we are truly following Him, we cannot forsake the cross. For it was our sin which brought the agony that broke the heart of the Son of God. Our only hope is to abandon our foolish attempts to satisfy ourselves and humbly come before Him, realizing that we live only by the mercy of the God who loved us enough to openly bear our shame.
Let our hearts cry out, "Lord, relieve us from our sin, for it is a loathsome disease in our sight and the weight of it is too great a burden to bear!", willingly giving to Him the reins of our heart, that we might be led in the way everlasting. Let us come to the cross, bowed down before Him, where we hear Him say, "Father, forgive them", as He sheds His innocent blood, cleansing us and setting us free. Then will we rejoice in the salvation of the Lord.
Revival cannot begin until we become greatly bowed down in heart, until we begin crying out, "who will save me from this body of death!" There must be a season of deep repentance before there can be restoration of joy. For rejoicing comes only to hearts that have been renewed to God.
Repentance is the soul travail which brings forth the heavenly fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not completed until the heart is born into newness of life. To the prideful heart, the work is not over until his delight becomes lowliness. Only those who yearn to find Him out will be persuaded of His utter holiness. For the closer we come into His divine presence, the more clearly we begin seeing ourselves as we really are. And we learn to abhor the darkness of our sin life only in the light of His eternal purity. How can we face the Almighty God and return again to the weak and beggarly elements of our mortal flesh?
All of our striving is in vain unless it brings us to bow low before Him as a sinner in search of His mercy and grace. Only then will we leave His throne justified. Let us return to Calvary to know once again the salvation of the Lord. For it is in kneeling at the foot of the cross where we find our old life hanging lifeless, dead, and see our new life emerging in glory. Let us cast off the defiled, filthy rags of our self-righteousness and put on the clothes of the bond servant, that we might truly give honor to the meek and lowly Spirit of Christ.
If we are unwilling to suffer with Him in bearing His reproach, we cannot expect to experience the power of His resurrection. As we pick up our cross daily, let us surrender our will to Him, even as He surrendered Himself for our sakes when He hung in our place. True surrender is marked by nail holes in the flesh. If we are truly following Him, we cannot forsake the cross. For it was our sin which brought the agony that broke the heart of the Son of God. Our only hope is to abandon our foolish attempts to satisfy ourselves and humbly come before Him, realizing that we live only by the mercy of the God who loved us enough to openly bear our shame.
Let our hearts cry out, "Lord, relieve us from our sin, for it is a loathsome disease in our sight and the weight of it is too great a burden to bear!", willingly giving to Him the reins of our heart, that we might be led in the way everlasting. Let us come to the cross, bowed down before Him, where we hear Him say, "Father, forgive them", as He sheds His innocent blood, cleansing us and setting us free. Then will we rejoice in the salvation of the Lord.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Jesus Christ ~ Fount of Every Blessing
2008
Anything that God defines as a blessing must come to us through Jesus Christ. For it is His death that broke sin’s hold over us and the power of His resurrection that raised us to the throne of God, from where all blessings flow.
To come to know God means coming to know His Son. (John 14:9) To know the Son in a saving way, we must become partakers of Him through faith in the power of God to bring us into a vital union with His death and resurrection. We lose ourselves at the cross, for each encounter we have with Him there loosens our desperate grasp upon "self" and the vain hope to save it. We find ourselves at the cross, for in apprehending ourselves joined together with Him there, we realize that He is for us what we should be and this truth does not leave us wanting.
When the eye of faith rests upon Him as Surety and Satisfaction for sin, there is no more restless desire to search for other ways to gain assurance before a Holy God. He alone is our sufficiency, for what He accomplished for us grants continual entrance into the throne room of God, where we find our eternal supply.
A Christian’s heart is continually drawn out to Christ and His gospel because that is where he was born and the place where he longs to live. Being made alive from the dead and raised up to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6), he reposes there and draws continually from that Source. To draw from any other source is to replace Christ with idols that can never meet the deepest needs of the human heart.
If God has given all that He has for us in the person of His Son, and by the greatness of His own power, made us to become partakers of the abundant blessings which He provides for us in Him, why do we live as though we are searching for other sources of satisfaction? Why do we live as paupers when He has lavished upon us, in Christ, such riches that it takes a heaven to contain?
Anything that God defines as a blessing must come to us through Jesus Christ. For it is His death that broke sin’s hold over us and the power of His resurrection that raised us to the throne of God, from where all blessings flow.
To come to know God means coming to know His Son. (John 14:9) To know the Son in a saving way, we must become partakers of Him through faith in the power of God to bring us into a vital union with His death and resurrection. We lose ourselves at the cross, for each encounter we have with Him there loosens our desperate grasp upon "self" and the vain hope to save it. We find ourselves at the cross, for in apprehending ourselves joined together with Him there, we realize that He is for us what we should be and this truth does not leave us wanting.
When the eye of faith rests upon Him as Surety and Satisfaction for sin, there is no more restless desire to search for other ways to gain assurance before a Holy God. He alone is our sufficiency, for what He accomplished for us grants continual entrance into the throne room of God, where we find our eternal supply.
A Christian’s heart is continually drawn out to Christ and His gospel because that is where he was born and the place where he longs to live. Being made alive from the dead and raised up to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6), he reposes there and draws continually from that Source. To draw from any other source is to replace Christ with idols that can never meet the deepest needs of the human heart.
If God has given all that He has for us in the person of His Son, and by the greatness of His own power, made us to become partakers of the abundant blessings which He provides for us in Him, why do we live as though we are searching for other sources of satisfaction? Why do we live as paupers when He has lavished upon us, in Christ, such riches that it takes a heaven to contain?
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Captain
1995
As I sail along the waters of life,
I've learned to be content;
No turbulent wave of bellowing sea
Can keep my heart from where it's sent.
I've a Captain who's set over me;
He's been this way before.
He understands my weakness,
So He helps me all the more.
He teaches me through fog to see
And to sail into the wind.
I can face the hurling tempest
With my sovereign, unseen friend.
I know without Him guiding me
I surely would get lost;
I'd lose the steady confidence,
My ship would turn and toss.
I'll never sail alone again,
For I trust the hand of Him
Who calms the stormy waters
And makes all still within.
As I sail along the waters of life,
I've learned to be content;
No turbulent wave of bellowing sea
Can keep my heart from where it's sent.
I've a Captain who's set over me;
He's been this way before.
He understands my weakness,
So He helps me all the more.
He teaches me through fog to see
And to sail into the wind.
I can face the hurling tempest
With my sovereign, unseen friend.
I know without Him guiding me
I surely would get lost;
I'd lose the steady confidence,
My ship would turn and toss.
I'll never sail alone again,
For I trust the hand of Him
Who calms the stormy waters
And makes all still within.
Where is Nehemiah?
1997
We live in an age where Christianity is most often vainly represented by a sluggish, worldly, satisfied church suffering from a deluge of doctrinal confusion. We are living among the ruins of a once great city and have settled into it, content just to live with the memory of it's former glory.
We are hungry, and not finding food sufficient in our poverty-stricken land, we turn to take from the hand of our enemy, while he steadily gains dominion within. Becoming less and less aware of our impoverished state, we begin to live comfortably with our enemies, even taking counsel with their evil persuasions. The fires of death are burning all around us, the walls of our fortification are broken down, dearth is in the land and we call it home.
It is a day of despair when God's own children rebelliously turn away from Him to lust after the idolatrous pleasures this world affords. Until we see ourselves as responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem (the church) and begin to sorrowfully confess and forsake our sin which brought it down, we will remain weak and defenseless, unable to escape the corruption in which we live.
(Oh that our hearts would break for the judgements we have incurred at the just hand of our God!) "Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." (Hosea 6:1) "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." (Lam. 3:41)
"I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30) Will the eyes of the Lord search in vain as He seeks to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him? (2 Chron. 16:9) Where is Nehemiah? Where are those who will wake up from the slumber of luke-warm-have-need-of-nothing Christianity?
"..Now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13:1-11) Let us tear down the strongholds of our enemy within and endeavor to fortify ourselves in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us rise up to fight the good fight, being valiant for His Truth, turning from the corruptions of this world to set our hearts upon the world to come. "Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we no longer be a reproach." (Nehemiah 2:17)
"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places;
thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou
shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to
dwell in." (Isaiah 58:12)
We live in an age where Christianity is most often vainly represented by a sluggish, worldly, satisfied church suffering from a deluge of doctrinal confusion. We are living among the ruins of a once great city and have settled into it, content just to live with the memory of it's former glory.
We are hungry, and not finding food sufficient in our poverty-stricken land, we turn to take from the hand of our enemy, while he steadily gains dominion within. Becoming less and less aware of our impoverished state, we begin to live comfortably with our enemies, even taking counsel with their evil persuasions. The fires of death are burning all around us, the walls of our fortification are broken down, dearth is in the land and we call it home.
It is a day of despair when God's own children rebelliously turn away from Him to lust after the idolatrous pleasures this world affords. Until we see ourselves as responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem (the church) and begin to sorrowfully confess and forsake our sin which brought it down, we will remain weak and defenseless, unable to escape the corruption in which we live.
(Oh that our hearts would break for the judgements we have incurred at the just hand of our God!) "Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." (Hosea 6:1) "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." (Lam. 3:41)
"I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30) Will the eyes of the Lord search in vain as He seeks to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him? (2 Chron. 16:9) Where is Nehemiah? Where are those who will wake up from the slumber of luke-warm-have-need-of-nothing Christianity?
"..Now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13:1-11) Let us tear down the strongholds of our enemy within and endeavor to fortify ourselves in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us rise up to fight the good fight, being valiant for His Truth, turning from the corruptions of this world to set our hearts upon the world to come. "Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we no longer be a reproach." (Nehemiah 2:17)
"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places;
thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou
shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to
dwell in." (Isaiah 58:12)
Sewing Fig Leaves
1998
“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Gen. 3:7)
What is the greatest offence to the gospel of God’s grace in Jesus Christ? - Trying to fix sin by sewing fig leaves of self-righteousness. Every time we try to add to the finished work of Christ, we are choosing to “make ourselves aprons.” Every time we try to compensate for our sin with works of righteousness which WE do, we make the cross of Christ of none effect.
Adam and Eve, before sin, were both naked, and were not ashamed. (Gen. 2:25) They did not know that they were naked because their needs were entirely met within GOD’S PROVISION OF HIMSELF. They were completely exposed to and enclosed by His presence, resulting in absence of fear and consummate agape love. They bore the pure image of God within; communion was immediate abiding pleasure.
Only after they chose to sin did God’s holy presence leave them, resulting in fear, shame, and spiritual death. Their Covering was gone; their sin (nakedness) exposed. “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen. 3:10) This is what we are born into. We have believed the lie,“ye shall be as gods”, and now endeavor to cover the shame of our nakedness OURSELVES, before man and God, with outward conformity to man-made ideals. “There is none that seeketh after God.” (Rom. 3:11) Why? Because men are in hiding under fig leaves of self-righteousness. It is God who is seeking…“Where art thou?” He who searches the heart is calling forth His “purchased possession.”
God’s perfect law of righteousness finds us only to condemn us. It cannot save us; it was not meant to save us. It purposefully strips away all of our fig leaves, our self-made efforts, leaving us in our nakedness before a Holy God (filthy rags make no difference) only to reveal to us the glorious gospel of grace in Jesus Christ…
For there is another Garden wherein righteousness dwells. There is a NEW CREATION, created in Christ Jesus, “the last Adam”. (1 Cor. 15:45) God has RECREATED IN HIM a people, who are born “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13) IN HIM there is now no condemnation, for”the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2) Another law reigns here, with another purpose: to continually impart life to those who abide IN HIM. Here there is no need for fig leaves of self-righteousness to cover our sin and shame. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
His righteousness is our covering!
“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Gen. 3:7)
What is the greatest offence to the gospel of God’s grace in Jesus Christ? - Trying to fix sin by sewing fig leaves of self-righteousness. Every time we try to add to the finished work of Christ, we are choosing to “make ourselves aprons.” Every time we try to compensate for our sin with works of righteousness which WE do, we make the cross of Christ of none effect.
Adam and Eve, before sin, were both naked, and were not ashamed. (Gen. 2:25) They did not know that they were naked because their needs were entirely met within GOD’S PROVISION OF HIMSELF. They were completely exposed to and enclosed by His presence, resulting in absence of fear and consummate agape love. They bore the pure image of God within; communion was immediate abiding pleasure.
Only after they chose to sin did God’s holy presence leave them, resulting in fear, shame, and spiritual death. Their Covering was gone; their sin (nakedness) exposed. “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen. 3:10) This is what we are born into. We have believed the lie,“ye shall be as gods”, and now endeavor to cover the shame of our nakedness OURSELVES, before man and God, with outward conformity to man-made ideals. “There is none that seeketh after God.” (Rom. 3:11) Why? Because men are in hiding under fig leaves of self-righteousness. It is God who is seeking…“Where art thou?” He who searches the heart is calling forth His “purchased possession.”
God’s perfect law of righteousness finds us only to condemn us. It cannot save us; it was not meant to save us. It purposefully strips away all of our fig leaves, our self-made efforts, leaving us in our nakedness before a Holy God (filthy rags make no difference) only to reveal to us the glorious gospel of grace in Jesus Christ…
For there is another Garden wherein righteousness dwells. There is a NEW CREATION, created in Christ Jesus, “the last Adam”. (1 Cor. 15:45) God has RECREATED IN HIM a people, who are born “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13) IN HIM there is now no condemnation, for”the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2) Another law reigns here, with another purpose: to continually impart life to those who abide IN HIM. Here there is no need for fig leaves of self-righteousness to cover our sin and shame. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
His righteousness is our covering!
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