A Double Difficulty

“But we will give ourselves...to prayer, and to the...word.”

(Acts 6:4)

A HARD THING TO ADMIT

I understand that the spiritually elite will never agree with the following essay; it would be too painful, wounding their pride. But those honest and humble saints among us will be the first to give testimony to its embarrassing truth, as self-debasing as it might be.

A TWO-FOLD DILEMMA

There are many difficulties that confront a saint in their daily life. I list here two such troublesome problems. The first being the difficulty in picking up the Bible once you put it down; and even more difficult to put it down once picked up. Along with this is the habit of prayer. When on your knees before God, you never want to leave; on the other hand, once you rise it’s hard to put oneself in that fetal position again.

FROM WHENCE COMETH THIS PREDICAMENT?

This problematic double puzzle comes from the fact of the two natures we possess as believers - the old Adamic nature that wants to feed the flesh, and the new Divine nature that desires to feed upon the spiritual. This creates a constant internal war. Victory comes, I believe, by one simply saying a definite “NO!” to the old and an emphatic “YES!" to the new.

THE OUTSTANDING THEOLOGIAN J.I. PACKER HAS IT RIGHT

In his excellent introduction to John Owen’s book, Sin and Temptation, the now ninety-three year old saint makes a profound comment. The old saint writes: “I now days think that the best way to deal with temptation is to at once say no, and with that to ask the Lord for strength to keep saying no...to squelch the sinful urge.”

"The two major means in Christ's life were: The Word of God and His prayers to God; both brought Him in contact with God!"

(rds)

The Necessity For The Needful

“...far better: Nevertheless...more needful.”

(Phil. 1:23-24)

GIVING UP THE ONE FOR THE OTHER

There will be times in your life when you will be torn between choosing what is “far better,” and what is “more needful.” The former pertains to your life, the latter to the life of others. What is better for you may not be best for others. In such situations you will find what is better is not always best at that particular time, but rather what is needful.

JESUS SET THE EXAMPLE

In John chapter four we’re told Jesus was wearied in His journey, as well as being left hungry and thirsty, yet He went some twenty to twenty-five miles out of His way because, we are told, it was a “must needs” case. In the life of this gentle-giant of a Man, it was never a question of what was best for Him, but what was needful in the lives of others!

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

Those stalwart saints who have sacrificed the “far better” in their lives for what is “more needful” in the lives of others will find that the “far better” awaits them up the road apiece. A man or woman with old-fashioned integrity pays his or her bills on time; you can be sure God pays His when due. Or as the Holy Scripture puts it, “In due time.”

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

(Heb. 6:10)

YOUR LIFE’S PHILOSOPHY

“And he brought him to Jesus.”

(Jn. 1:42)

Most all believers in Christ have a philosophy that governs their lives. One can be conscious or unconscious of this philosophy. It may not be written with paper and ink, but it is etched in the deep recesses of one’s heart and mind. It is a principle that one lives by and reacts to, in crises especially. As I have mentioned in previous articles, my deep-seated belief is, “If I can get an individual to Jesus, everything will be all right!” Andrew found this to be true in his brother Peter’s life; so will we.

Most certainly God uses means, but not until we have come to the Master (2 Chron. 16:12).  A perturbed women once said to me, “You think Jesus is the answer to everything.” I readily and happily confessed I was guilty as charged. Jesus Christ is the “Fix-it-Man,” in all areas of life! He is a “hands on” individual. That means you must take your hands off. But a warning to my readers. Once you put yourself into His hands, things may not come out the way you imagined. But be assured, it will be for God’s glory!

"No one ever came to Jesus empty-handed and went away that way"

(rds)

FLAUNTING YOUR FAITH

“Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.”

(Rom. 14:22)

A CONSTANT REMINDER

I’ve made it a habit through these many years to read certain chapters or portions of the Bible, on a regular basis. For example: 1 Cor. 13, on what true biblical love is; Deut. 8, lest I forget what He brought me from and to; also 1 Thess. 4, keeping my eyes on the sky; Psa. 23, my Shepherd's care of me, etc.

ROMANS CHAPTER FOURTEEN

This chapter (and the first few verses in the following chapter) deals with questionable things in the saint’s life— those shady areas, if you please. It deals with diets (verse 2), days (verse 5), and drink (verse 21). Within this chapter you can apply its principle teachings to other doubtful areas in your Christian life.

A FAITH UNSEEN

James challenges believers of his day to shew him their faith, but in our main text there is to be an unseen faith that only God sees. Taking the context, it shows this is not a contradiction of terms but rather shows if we have faith to do certain things other brethren cannot, we are not to flaunt it. We are to keep it to ourselves lest we offend and hinder our weak brother or sister.

A TWO-SIDED SAYING

There is a little tract entitled, “Others May, You Cannot” but the flip side of this is, “You May, Others Cannot.” This hidden faith to do certain things others cannot, because of their weak conscience , is not hypocritical but scriptural. Temperament, upbringing, early erroneous Christian teaching, along with other things, hinder many from enjoying the glorious liberty they have in Christ. We must not cause them to stumble over our freedom.

A QUOTABLE QUOTE

My son Andrew has a saying, “Only God has the right to define sin.” I find it simultaneously both amazing and disgusting to hear preachers and Christians calling things sin that God has not so labeled as such. Bible teachers tell us the Jews added 613 laws to the Ten Commandments. For those who like to add their long list of sins to God’s short one, I would give serious thought to the wise man’s advice, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Prov. 30:6

“Found among miserable Christians is a group who cannot tolerate anyone who does not meet their criteria of man-made rules.”

(rds)

PERSEVERANCE

OUR INSURANCE POLICY

We hear much, in some circles, about the “Preservation of the Saint.” But I find the same crowd is offended when one speaks of the saint persevering. Most certainly, the latter is not conditional for God keeping us, but it is a mark that we are His. You could say a Christian’s endurance is their insurance.

A WORD STUDY

An interesting word study in the New Testament would be, “Continue,” as it relates to the Believer. For example, we are told of the early Church in Acts, “They continued steadfastly…” And Paul exhorted those living in the hard times of the last days to “Continue thou…” Jesus told His followers to "continue" in His Word and in His love.

SNAIL SAINTS

I read something interesting about William Carey, “Father of Modern Missions.” He told a loved one before his death that if anyone wrote of him after his decease to tell them to simply attribute any success he might have had (humanly speaking), to the fact, “I can plod…I can persevere in any definite pursuit…to this I owe everything.” Then he added, “Anything beyond this credit will be too much.”

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”  

(C.H. Spurgeon)

THE SAINTS FOE

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

(Eph. 6:12)

The Christian’s real foe is not physical but spiritual. The spiritual can and does use the physical; but at the root it is always to be found in the spiritual, as in the case of Peter (Matt. 16:230.) Therefore, because of this fact, Paul tells us our weapons in this ongoing warfare are to be spiritual, not carnal or flesh (2 Cor, 10:4). You cannot fight spiritual battles with carnal means; it’s a no-winner! Jesus overcame Satan by the use of spiritual means (Matt. 4:1-11). Notice also what John says in 1 Jn. 2:14b.

Generally speaking, Israel's physical foes in the Old Testament become our spiritual foes in the New. For example, the book of Joshua applied this way brings great enlightenment and encouragement to a child of God in his or her daily spiritual battles. This is why it is so important, I believe, to be familiar with the the Old. The writers of the New Testament used the Old Testament in this way. The book of Hebrews is a good example. We need, what I like to term it, an encyclopedic knowledge of the Word.

“God’s two-edged sword slices both ways; both to wound and to heal”

(rds)

CAN IT REALLY BE?

THE CREATOR AND HIS CREATURE

In the book of Joshua we find these words recorded, “...the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man.” What a startling statement! It would not be of any surprise to read, “A man hearkened unto the voice of the Lord,” but for the Creator to respond to the wishes of His creation is almost more than one can conceive. Can it be that clay can have such a relationship with the Potter?

A PRAYER HEARING AND A PRAYER ANSWERING GOD

Though it is mind baffling, the answer is, “Yes!” Our Great God hears the prayers of His “poor and needy” creatures. David knew this wonderful truth, he recorded, “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” But it gets even better. He not only hears our prayers, He has promised to answer them. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

IT'S A TWO-WAY STREET

But God is no bell-hop; He only responds to requests when accomplishing His Will is uppermost in our lives. When God heard and answered Joshua’s prayer, he was doing the Will of God in accordance to the Word of God. When the warrior had used all the natural means at his disposal, it was then God answered by doing the supernatural. You do your part and you can be sure God will do His. Are you praying for a miracle? Make sure you have used up all the means at your disposal. When you have, it is then God will perform a miracle.

“Miracles follow the plow.”

(A.W. Tozer)

THANK YOU LORD!

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

(Lk. 17:12-18)

THOUGHT

At Lazarus tomb; when the seventy returned; in breaking the loves; when eating with His disciples; our ELDER BROTHER thanked His Father! The lone leper was truly Christlike, from the first.

THE PREREQUISITE TO THANKFULNESS

“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content...And having food and raiment let us be therewith content...be content with such things as ye have...Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

( Phil. 4:11;1 Tim. 6:8; Heb. 13:5;Eph. 5:20)

I personally do not believe it possible to be thankful and discontented at the same time. Contentment is a prerequisite to thankfulness! If contentment does not come before thankfulness, you can be sure thankfulness will not follow after. Complaining is a sure sign of the absence of contentment; thus, it cancels out a thankful spirit.

Discontent will keep one from being thankful for what they do have. As the Puritan Thomas Watson said, “A drop or two of vinegar will sour a whole glass of sweet wine.” He went on to say, “The devil blows on the coals of discontent, and then warms himself at the fire.” Jacob said, “All these things are against me”; but just the opposite was true, as in our case.

“The ‘Thank Offering’ of the Old Testament was not mandatory, it was voluntary.”

(rds)

THE WORTH OF YOUR WORD

Years ago, a crooked contractor took the church I was pastor of for some twelve-thousand dollars. When I showed an attorney the contract and the man’s signed name to it, his reply was: “Preacher, that name is of no more value than the paper it’s written on.”

There was a day when a man was as good as his word. But I’m afraid those times are far in the past. But I guess that is to be expected. When an individual can break God’s Commandments without any conscience of wrong doing, he or she will break their word to another human, without blinking of an eye.

A Christian should keep his or her word to God, as well as to other believers. Paul’s principle for Believer’s was, if you promise it, perform it. The wise man tells us God does not take lightly those who break their word to him. And your brother or sister in Christ has little use for one who does not follow through with their pledge.

Let’s get back to being honorable men and women. If we promise something, let us perform the doing of it.

GOOD ADVICE

But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him...Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice...blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou.

(1 Kgs. 12:8;Prov. 20:18;1 Sam. 25:33)

THOUGHT

If you want to know what is down the road ask one who has traveled it.

LIVING WHAT WE PREACH

“And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall.”

(Acts 23:2-3)

“And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other.”

(Acts 15:39)

The old term, “Living what you preach” is good in theory but doesn’t always work in practice, no matter how badly we may want it to. In the first text, mentioned above, Paul didn’t turn the other cheek, Matt. 5:39. And as to the second, there was no second-mile religion involved in either man’s case, Matt. 5:41. The truth is, in both cases cited, the incidences were contrary to what Paul preached to others.

I like what Oswald Sanders penned in his book, Paul the Leader. “In Christ we find inspiration from a real man who never failed, while in Paul we gain encouragement from a man who fell and rose again. A perfect man reveals what the ideal is: a man defeated and finally victorious discloses what, by the grace of God, we may become. We need Jesus on one side of us and Paul on the other if we are to walk in triumph.”

And what is the lesson we can all learn from this? Simple: we need to give one another elbow room. Paul asks the believers at Rome, “Preachest a man should not ... dost thou?” Then he went on to say that they do the same things. Not necessarily the same in kind, but the same by analogy. We who like to call attention to the smug on our brother and sister’s face need to look in the mirror: it can be embarrassing!

A WILDERNESS WONDER

I don't think any would argue John the Baptist was a unique character. But is it not so with all whom God uses; are they not all unusual in some respect? Is there not a strong spirit of individualism among each of them? The only mark of being "same alikes" (my daughter Charity's term when a child), was and is in their Christ-likeness in spirit. 

Consider these five things about individualism.

1. The world and religion attempts to pressure each of us into a mold of uniformity to their standards. It has been this way from the caveman to contemporary man. As Emerson said, "Conformity is the virtue most in demand in society." Every effort is made to intimidate individuality; repression of expression, as one has so quaintly put it.  

2. If you cherish your God given distinctiveness, then as Oswald Chambers says, "Allow God to be as original with others as He is with you." Think, if everyone was like you, then you'd lose your own identifying traits. You'd be just a carbon-copy Christian.

3. When Paul admonishes, "Follow me," he refers to principle. Speaking of Titus, he says, "walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? Elisha had the same spirit as Elijah, but physically and temperamentally, they were worlds apart.

4. Christianity is unquestionably a religion of individualism. For example, we do not all pray alike. Some kneel, others sit, still others lie prostrate. Then there are those who stand, while many walk to and fro. We do not all kneel on a prayer rug praying toward Mecca five times a day.

5. Last and most importantly, meditate on Christ and His disciples. As strong a personality and as influential as our Lord was, He made sure each of His followers remained his or her own man or woman. They didn't become someone else, but for the first time in their lives, became who they really were, both in their own eyes as well as in their Maker's. 

George H. Morrison said, "There are hands which can wield no sword, but which can carry a cup of water beautifully. There is something thou canst do in thine own way. Do that, and do it with all thine heart, and perchance thou shalt do more than thou hast dreamed." 

IS THERE ANY WORD FROM THE LORD?

Wanted to share a quick blessing with you, my readers. Just finished my devotional reading of Ezekiel. Found the answer to the political and moral dilemma concerning alien children born here of non-citizen parents; are they automatically a citizen? 

Ezk. 47:22, "And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel."

LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

(Psa. 126:2-3)

THOUGHT

He who laughs lasts.

HITTING A BRICK WALL

Walled, and very great

(Num. 13:28)

THOUGHT

If you can’t walk through your wall, God may have you come at it another way. Ezekiel digged through his wall, with his hands (Ezk. 12:7); David leaped over his, by God’s help (Psa. 18:29); and Israel walked around theirs (Josh. 6).

PEOPLE LIKE US

“I see men as trees, walking. After that He [Jesus] put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”

(Mk. 8:24-25)

If the story of the blind man’s healing found in the above text teaches us anything practical it most certainly teaches Jesus would have us see men as they actually are, not with a distorted magnification. It is essential we see the saints in scriptures as people like us. If we do not, the consequence will be an impotent Christian life. Their spiritual achievements will be unattainable to our way of thinking: their prayers, endurance, deeds, etc.

Search the scriptures: you will never find saints allowing others to think more highly of them than reality warranted. Paul and Barnabas said to those who would make gods of them, “We also are men of like passions with you” (Acts 14:15). James echoes the same when speaking of the feats of Elijah, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are” (Ja. 5:17). It’s possible to learn more from a life than a doctrine. Their lives were doctrine in shoe leather.

True, some characters of the Bible were men and women of stature, but they would have frowned upon anyone making a statue of them. Even those who excelled over their brethren had holes in their armor; and they would be the first to admit to this fact! Their recorded, condensed lives should be an encouragement to each of us. As the Greek saying went, “An ocean of meaning in a drop of speech.” The short account of their lives can take us a long way.

“No man is without a divinely-appointed task, and a divinely-bestowed strength adequate for its fulfillment.”

(Ruskin)

STOP YOUR COMPLAINING

Wherefore doth a living man complain...And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled... I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed...Rid me, and deliver me from...complaining.

(Lam. 3:9;Num. 11:1;Psa. 77:3;144:11,14)

THOUGHT

A man with one leg said he thought himself bad off-until he saw a man with no legs.

ONE OF LIFE'S GREAT SECRETS

 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again...Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand...Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise.

(Prov. 24:16;Psa. 37:24;Mic. 7:8)

THOUGHT

The disgrace is not so much in the fall, but in failing to get up again, when Jesus is offering you His hand.

POWER TO BECOME

“...to them gave He power to become...”

(Jn. 1:12)

I have been spending some time now in the book of John in my devotions. I’ve been impressed with three words in the above text, “....power to become.” The writer John could certainly attest to this fact. Jesus took a hothead (Mk. 3:17) and a hardhearted young man (Lk. 9:54-55), and made him into a sweet and loving old man (1 Jn. 4:7). In later years he was not what he was in earlier years. He could say, “What I was is not who I am.” Can we honestly say this of ourselves?

This is not only true of John, but also of other of the Lord’s followers. To Simon he said, “Thou art...thou shalt be,” (Jn. 1:42). The Jewish evangelist, Hyman Appleman once told his wife he wanted a little girl, three years old, like one child whom he was taken up with in one of his meetings. Her reply was, “Hyman, children don’t come that way.” As another has said, “We are what we’ve  been becoming.” A good illustration is the caterpillar becoming a beautiful butterfly.

“Dead things don’t grow, only living things.”

(rds)

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMB

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.”

(Acts 8:32)

“And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.”

(Matt.27:14)

If ever a person lived that had a right to speak in such a situation as He was, it was Jesus. Lies, lies, and more lies against the only TRUE ONE that ever graced this earth. The wisest Man of time and eternity, who had the wise man of Ecclesiastes pen, “… a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” followed His own teaching. He knew He would ultimately have the last word (Psa. 2:5). God has a way of vindicating His “Silent Lambs” in His time.

The “Lord of our lips” (Psa. 12:4) will teach us when and when not to speak, if allowed to. There is such a thing as getting the last word by silence. One of my wife’s favorite scriptures was the last line in Titus 2:9, “Not answering again, which she was an expert in doing. She, as David of old, had asked her Lord to, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips," (Psa. 141:3). I think it wise for us to follow such a Godly example.

“If you can’t take words back, then don’t give them away.”
(rds)