AN OFT REMINDER

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth...Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance...Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance...This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.”
(2 Pet. 1:12,13,15; 3:1)

To quote a portion of a Zig Ziglar saying, “Repetition is the mother of learning…” Although Simon Peter seemingly had no formal education, he was nonetheless Bible taught and knew from Isaiah’s inspired writings that the best way to teach was by repetition. "Whom shall he teach knowledge? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line…” (vv. 9-10)

Those familiar with their Bibles are conscious of its repetition of certain truths. God knows we need to be constantly reminded of certain things in our Christian lives; He reviews truths. A truth that lies dormant will soon become stagnant. 

One of the truths I try to keep regularly before my readers is that opposites often go together - as conjoined twins, or the two wings of a fowl. As the old song goes, “Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage. You can’t have one without the other.”  

Many saints desire a singular thing in their lives at the exclusion of the undesirable thing that accompanies it; that is, runs alongside of it. They want peace without fear, a joy with the absence of sadness, victory with any battle, etc. But how would we ever know we had the true one thing we longed for without the presence of the unwanted element to test the one? 

One outstanding text that proves my point is found in 1 Cor. 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” In Joseph’s temptation, God did not remove

Pharaoh’s temptress wife, He made a way for Joseph to escape; she remained.

It is possible to enjoy friends, food, and life itself in the midst of storms. Jesus did. He ate a meal with His disciples, enjoyed their fellowship, and sang a song...all in the darkest hour of His life.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

(Vivian Greene)

By An Old Disciple

GOD IS MY HELPER

"He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear..."

(Heb. 13:5-6)

It is when, "He hath said...[that] "we may boldly say...THE LORD IS MY HELPER." As the old camp meeting preacher said, "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it." I might add, it is still true whether we believe it or not!

There is a text in Psalms 89:9 that has always caught my attention. God, speaking of David says, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty." But studying the context you will see it has a far more reaching interpretation than that of David. It speaks also prophetically of "the greater than David," Who, like David, will be the helper his elect people.

The world says, "God helps those who help themselves." There is some truth in that statement, taken in the right setting. But the Word of God teaches that God helps those who cannot help themselves. The paralytic in John chapter five would give testimony to this fact. When Jesus asked this bedridden man of thirty-eight years if he wanted to be whole, his answer was that he had no one that would help him. But after so long a time he found the One of whom it was written, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty."

O, blessed be God! He can and will get a man or woman back on their feet again; no matter how dire their  helplessness. HE IS THE HELPER OF THE HELPLESS! The only condition is reaching out the hand of faith and saying, with so many found in scripture and in Church history "Lord, help..." 

David said, "The Lord helped me; the Canaanite woman cried out, "Lord, help me"; the apostle Paul gave testimony, "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day." As the writer of Hebrews says, "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of...." The list goes on and on. 

My admonition to you who are at this present time in great need of help, is found in the words of the following song:

"It is no secret what God can do

What He's done for others, He'll do for you."

By An Old Disciple

THE GREAT ECLIPSE

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you."

(Isa. 59:2)

Not only our vices but our virtues can come between us and our God. Good, whoever or whatever it may be, becomes bad when it gets between the two of us. Just as sinful pagan idols hid God's face from His people Israel, so godly Moses and Elijah obscured Jesus’ face from Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration. (Isa. 59:2)

 The loneliest saint on this earth is that man or woman who has allowed something or someone to pass between them and the Lover of their souls, thus hiding His blessed face. Such a person can say with David, "I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long." Psa. 38:6 Sadness marks saints in whose life is no light!

"Nothing between my soul and the Savior,

So that His blessed face may be seen;

Nothing preventing the least of His favor,

  Keep the way clear! Let nothing between."

MY SURE FOUNDATION

"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation...Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure...For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

(Isa. 28:16;2 Tim. 2:19;1 Cor. 3:11)

The saintly expositor Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "When things seem shaky and unsure in the Christian's life, he or she, needs to always come back to their Foundation.” Jesus told the now well-known children's Bible story of the two men who build their houses, one on sand the other on a rock. Both went through the terrible storm, but only the one whose foundation was a rock stood. C.S. Lewis said, "There are lots of nice things you can do with sand; but do not try building a house on it."

O child of God, be assured of this truth: the devil may huff and puff but he will never be able to tear down what you have built upon the Rock, Jesus Christ! The rains may be in torrents, the winds a deafening sound, and all around you crumblings of manmade edifices to the ground, but our blessed Lord said these things cannot shake our superstructure. Therefore when the tempest comes lustily sing,  "On Christ the solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand." 

By An Old Disciple

MIND YOUR MIND

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

(2 Tim. 1:7)

I am not a student of psychiatry, nor am I a student of psychology, but I do profess to be a student of theology. I find in the study of our great God and Creator that He has much to say about His creatures’ mind, as found in mankind. We find, in one sense of the word, man's mind is the control center, so to speak. It’s central command!

What scripture gives a good amount of time and space to we give very little. We’re prone to devote most of our time to the body rather than the mind. But both are equally important to the Lord. The old-time mothers used to say to their young ones, “Mind your manners”; Mind your chores”; “Mind your words”; and such like. Meaning, give attention to or priority.

During the Cold War a Communist Manifesto was found that purportedly had for one of its articles, “Get an individual to think your way and you have conquered him.” Satan knows if he can control our mind he can control us. The battleground in the Christian’s life is the battle for the mind. It is there that our victory or defeat is determined.

One of the pieces of armor we are to adorn in our battle against spiritual wickedness is the “helmet of salvation.” That is how David defeated Goliath; he became overconfident, apparently, and removed his helmet. And this is the way Jesus will finally do in Satan (Gen. 3:15). As the title of this article says, we need to “Mind our Mind.”

This being true,Paul tells us what to think upon, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

“An idle mind is the devil’s playground.”

By An Old Disciple

SICKNESS IN THE LIVES OF SAINTS

“Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”

(Jn. 11:3)

   Saints that Jesus dearly loved became ill, like the rest of humanity. Sadly, it is part of the curse that the Fall passed down to us. The “health and wealth” preachers like to use the text found in Matt. 8:17, “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” to prove their point. Arguing the fact that since He took our sins away, He took our sicknesses away. Yes! He bore my sins, suffering the curse; but I still possess a sinful nature and body. He bears our infirmities and sicknesses in His body so that He might sympathize with us in our sufferings. He doesn’t take them away; He shares in them, (Isa. 63:9). 

When John mentions in his third epistle that he wished the brethren be in health, it was not a specific promise, but a personal desire; like any of us would write to friends. And when God mentions that if His people live for Him they would not suffer the diseases other nations suffered (Ex. 15:26), He is speaking to the nation of Israel, with a Theocratic Kingdom. The truth of the matter is, both then and now, the godly among God's elect have suffered with the same ills as the world- cancer, HIV, heart attacks, etc.

Throughout Psalms we find David making references to his sicknesses and asking God to heal him; godly Hezekiah was sick; Jacob suffered sickness; saintly Elisha died from his sickness; Job, Daniel, Isaiah, Lazarus and Paul all had their times of being sick. Some were temporary, and others were lifelong. 

Most certainly there are cases where a saint is sick because of his or her sin (1 Cor. 11:30); but more often than not, it is fulfilling the purpose of God in the saint's life. And of course, some sicknesses are just part of everyday life: colds, headaches, rheumatism, etc. added to the fact that often we do not take care of ourselves.

Don’t let the devil or some super-saint tell you that it’s all your fault that you’re suffering. My dear friend and evangelist, Dr. John R. Rice, used to say, “Healers die too!”

By An Old Disciple

WHEN JESUS MARVELED

“Jesus...marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel...And He [Jesus] marvelled because of their unbelief.”

(Matt. 8:10; Mk. 6:6; please read the contexts)

Twice in the gospels we’re told that Christ marvelled. Several times we find others marvelled concerning His divine attributes, but He only twice. The first was at the Centurion's “so great faith.” The second being at the Galilean’s “unbelief.” 

The Centurion was a Gentile, without any sort of godly religious training or background, it’s supposed. On the other hand, the Galileans were Jews and were raised believing in the One True God of the Holy Scriptures. Our Lord had done so many miracles and had taught great numbers of people in this city. 

Each of us can give Christ cause to marvel: either by our “so great faith,” or our “unbelief.” As to the first, the Word of God will never betray the faith placed in it; ask the Centurion. In the case of the second, disbelief is the denial of Truth. Someone has said, “We need to believe our beliefs and doubt our doubts.” Not the opposite!

“The degrees of faith: No faith; little faith; great faith; and so great faith.”

By An Old Disciple 

GOD TAKES HIS GOOD OLD TIME

“And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you (our good), and therefore will He be exalted (His glory)...blessed are all they that wait for Him.”

(Isa. 30:18)

I used to have a sermon entitled, “Waiting Upon a Waiting God.” God is in no hurry. He can’t be rushed! Time is no problem to Him; a thousand years is as one day and one day as a thousand years, we are told. You don’t want to put your spiritual vehicle in drive when God has it in neutral. If you do, you're certain to make a wreck of things.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting for God.” I think any seasoned saint can say a hearty “AMEN” to this statement. Waiting for God is much more difficult than waiting on God. We are told of our father Abraham, “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise,” Heb. 6:15. Between God’s promise of Isaac to its fulfilment was over 20 years. Then it goes on to say to us, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise,” Heb. 10:36. David also waited 20 years for God to keep His promise of him setting on the throne. 

The Bible explicitly tells us, “… for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me,” Isa. 49:23. The man or woman who waits for their God will never have cause to blush; that is, be red faced. Whenever the devil or the world comes to you and says, “It will never happen,” you answer them, “You just wait and see!” Jesus told His disciples, “Wait for the promise,” Acts 1:4.  D.L. Moody said, “Wait for the promise. God always returns by way of His promise.”

By An Old Disciple

THE CROSS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

“...shadows...figure…”

(Heb. 10:1; 11:19)

  The New Testament book of Hebrews speaks of the Old Testament having shadows and figures of what is to come in the New. One of those figures found in the shadows is the Cross of Christ. The Cross was not an afterthought with God, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”  1 Pet. 1:20

  Allow me to list a few of these types you will find in reading through the Old Canon of Scripture: Jacob blesses the two sons of Joseph by laying his hands on each of their heads. He crosses his arms putting his right hand on the head of the second born, thus giving the second birth all the rights, rather than the firstborn; the Passover Lamb’s blood was put on the two side-posts of the door and over the lintel, forming a cross; the heave and wave offerings pictured the cross, up and down, and sideways; the serpent on the pole in Numbers is a picture of the cross, says Jesus; Ruth sleeping crossways at her redeemer’s feet (Boaz) is also a picture of the cross. A Jew and Gentile together; David said, “...they pierced my hands and my feet.” But this type of death was foreign to David at that time, that is the cross. He spoke prophetically.

When I survey the wond'rous Cross

On which the Prince of Glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God:

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His Hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did ever such love and sorrow meet?

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

(Isaac Watts)

 “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

 By An Old Disciple

HAVE YOU BEEN WITH JESUS?

“...and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

(Acts 4:13b)

Many years ago I read of a well-to-do Christian hosting a Bible conference in his castle. During lunch break, one speaker took a stroll in the philanthropist’s densely and highly scented flower garden. Upon re-entering the mansion, to the conference, all eyes were upon him. Unknown to him, the fragrance of the blossoms clung to his person.

It is impossible to be very long in the presence of Jesus without His sweet aroma clinging to us. Like Moses of old when his face shown after being alone with God, he was unconscious of it; but others were fully aware of it. They may not understand it, but they know that man or woman is different from others of his or her kind. We’re told that Stephen had the face of an angel.

Plain everyday fishermen, tax collectors, and common people baffled the religious and intelligentsia crowd of their day; and such still do. They came far short of the educational, philosophical and religious standards set by the world, BUT THEY KNEW JESUS! The One in whom, we are told, “...are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  He was their mentor.

Knowing Him meant they understood all the essential things of this life. The Kingdom of God, Lordship, Love, the Scriptures, the Church, etc. The most learned judge on the bench was not able to answer their convincing arguments. And it’s said of their interrogators, “they could say nothing against it.” They had attended St. Mary’s seminary— sitting at Jesus’ feet.

By An Old Disciple

THE POSSESSIVE PAST

“... this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before...I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

(Phil. 3:13-14)

Paul is not speaking of blotting out all past experiences from our memory, for he mentions the past, good and bad, in many of his letters, such as remembering the good deeds of some and the evil of others. The context shows he is speaking of things, both pleasant or unpleasant, that would keep us from going forward for Christ. 

I find the past has a long lariat that reaches all the way into the present, no matter how far one has traveled. It lassos us and drags us back to the time of our history. The glorious laurels we expected to see when we arrive, we find have withered; and the previous sins we enjoyed have become a miry, filthy cesspool. Nothing is the way it was or imagined!

The flesh tells us to camp out awhile in the past; the Spirit bids us to press on for God. The past is like concrete— if you don’t move, it will set up on you and you'll find yourself permanently settled in that position. It is then it will hold you like a vice, and all you think about, all your decisions, and all your enjoyment will be rooted in the dead past!  

As I have often instructed you, my readers, “Bury your past, then throw away the shovel.”

By An Old Disciple

EXCEEDING ALL EXPECTATIONS

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think...Unto him be glory...by Christ Jesus throughout all ages.”

(Eph. 3:20-21)

As I have read through God’s Holy Word over the years there is something that both amazes and blesses me: He is forever exceeding His elect’s expectations! You will be hard pressed, I think, to find an exception. Such things as left-over manna and baskets full of bread, I believe, prove my point.  We love to give good things to our children, says Jesus, but His is on a “how much more,” basis.  

But our gracious and good God not only gives more than we ask, but gives us things that we do not ask for. When David had lost all to the enemy at Ziklag (city burned, families taken captive), he asked God two questions, “And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And God answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” Notice God answered what he didn’t ask. What a wonderful God!

Possibly the very best Bible illustration, as far as I'm concerned, of this great truth is found in the life of Solomon. The Lord told him to ask what he would. In return Solomon requested wisdom that he might lead God’s people.  He looked to God’s interests, seeking first the Kingdom of God. And because of this the Lord said, “And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked…” And that, my friend is one of the additives spoken of in Matt. 6:33.

“All we get is not by praying. We often get a great deal we never asked for. There are some blessings that are altogether His giving.”

(Andrew A. Bonar)

By An Old Disciple

A PERSONAL GOD

A PERSONAL GOD

“I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.”

(Ho. 2:23)

As wonderful and blessed as it is to say, “I am thine, O my God,” it is even more so to be able to say, “Thou art mine, O my God.” You will find the exact phrase “my God,” five hundred and twenty-nine times in the Word of God, the A.V. 1611, K.J.V. The first mention is by Jacob in Gen.28:21, the last by Jesus in Rev. 3:12. How my soul was elated as I skimmed each reference; my heart burned within me; as yours will, I believe. 

What an honor and privilege to be among saints such as: Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Ruth, David, Solomon, Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zechariah, Thomas, Paul, and yes! Jesus Himself; who all, when making references to their Lord, said “MY GOD.”  From my earliest days as a believer I have always loved the text in Song of Solomon, “My beloved is mine, and I am his…” 2:16-17.

Our God is a personal God. As the saying goes, He is, “up close and personal”; or as the Lord told Jeremiah, “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Jer. 23:23 To us, distance makes a difference, but not to God. To God, afar off and close at hand are both the same. “...He be not far from every one of us…”  Says Paul, Acts 17:27. He is a God who is HERE as well as a God who is THERE. The name for it is, omnipresence! 

“...He giveth to all life, and breath...“ ‘My God is only a breath away.’”

(rds) 

By An Old Disciple

THE HOLY PRESENT

“I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment...I will keep it night and day.”

(Isa. 27:3)

C.S. Lewis wrote of George Morrison, “His peace of mind came not from building on the future but from resting in what he called ‘the holy present.’” His was a resolute condemnation of anxiety, I think. This was accomplished by trusting God moment by moment. As the Puritan Flavel put it, “The more you trust God, the less you will torment yourself.”

Read the biographies of godly men and women throughout Church history and you will notice one trait they all had in common, an inhale-exhale trust in God, as they lived for Him. Andrew Murray, Elisabeth Elliot, Francis Schaeffer, were a few among this great host; that had found the secret, so to speak. They stayed under God’s spicket, moment by moment. 

Jesus taught this truth to His followers, as well as Paul and other biblical writers. Faith itself proves it so. We are told, “NOW faith…” Faith is not past or future, but always present tense, “NOW!” Read Hebrews 11 to see this fact depicted in the lives of God’s saints. No matter the circumstance you may be in: trust Him now, this very second. Then keep on trusting! 

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;

Moment by moment I’ve life from above;

Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;

Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine. 

By An Old Disciple

THE CALL TO THE DEEP

“Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.  And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.”

(Lk. 5:4-6)

I heard an old preacher once say, “Dead fish float to the top, but the live ones stay at the bottom.” The Great Fisherman told these professional/commercial fishermen that if they wanted a net-breaking bounty they should go into deep waters. And so it is with us, spiritually: if we desire net-breaking blessing in our lives, we too must go deep. 

In His famous story of the Seed and the Sower our Lord explicitly tells His followers why some have no fruit in their lives. It is because they lack depth; no deep roots, if you please. The Bible way is to “take root downward and bear fruit upward.” In Jeremiah, God tells two different peoples to “dwell deep,” to be safe from their enemy.

Having a great intellect is no guarantee for spiritual depth. Neither is illiteracy necessarily a drawback. Paul, one of the greatest minds that ever graced this earth, if not the greatest, told the learned Corinthian believers as much. Spiritual depth, says he, has to do with Spiritual people.The deep things of God come by way of the Spirit of God! 

If we are to go to the deep, it must be by faith. We each have a call to the deep, “He brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he ...brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he...brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward ... the waters were risen, waters to swim in...”

“Some waters are not deep, they’re just muddy.”

(rds)