Blogging for edification: April 2005

Friday, April 22, 2005

Thy love is better than wine

Taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening

"Thy love is better than wine." {#So 1:2}

Nothing gives the believer so much joy as fellowship with Christ. He has enjoyment as others have in the common mercies of life, he can be glad both in God’s gifts and God’s works; but in all these separately, yea, and in all of them added together, he doth not find such substantial delight as in the matchless person of his Lord Jesus. He has wine which no vineyard on earth ever yielded; he has bread which all the corn fields of Egypt could never bring forth. Where can such sweetness be found as we have tasted in communion with our Beloved? In our esteem, the joys of earth are little better than husks for swine compared with Jesus, the heavenly manna. We would rather have one mouthful of Christ’s love, and a sip of his fellowship, than a whole world full of carnal delights. What is the chaff to the wheat? What is the sparkling paste to the true diamond? What is a dream to the glorious reality? What is time’s mirth, in its best trim, compared to our Lord Jesus in his most despised estate? If you know anything of the inner life, you will confess that our highest, purest, and most enduring joys must be the fruit of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. No spring yields such sweet water as that well of God which was digged with the soldier’s spear. All earthly bliss is of the earth earthy, but the comforts of Christ’s presence are like himself, heavenly. We can review our communion with Jesus, and find no regrets of emptiness therein; there are no dregs in this wine, no dead flies in this ointment. The joy of the Lord is solid and enduring. Vanity hath not looked upon it, but discretion and prudence testify that it abideth the test of years, and is in time and in eternity worthy to be called "the only true delight." For nourishment, consolation, exhilaration, and refreshment, no wine can rival the love of Jesus. Let us drink to the full this evening.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

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The Light above the brightess of the sun

Acts 26:13 - 18 :
"At midday, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the brightness of the
sun, shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying with
me. And, when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me
in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for
you to kick against the goads. And I said, who art thou Lord? And the Lord
said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest, but rise up and stand on thy feet;
for , for this purpose have I appeared unto thee, to appoint you to be a
servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall
appear to thee in, taking thee out from among the people, and the nations,
to whom I send thee, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to
light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive the
remittance of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith
in me"

Oh Christian, be humble, be thankful. The light that shines brighter that
the brightest noonday sun has shined upon you. The light so bright it cannot
be hidden. He has caused the dungeon of darkness we have been groping about
to flame with light. The all revealing light has shown us our depraved
state, our fallen and hopeless state. Can we withstand the omniscient
Judge's gaze of righteousness? Nay, we must bow in contrition and
confession. Thank God, He HIMSELF has brought us into light, and has
justified, even sanctified us in Himself. We can now stand in the light, and
like the burning bush that does not consume, we are not consumed.
Thank God also, that satan's rule over us is over, we now have a Master
whose 'yoke is easy, and burden is light' (Mt 11:29-39), whose 'mercies are
great'.
(Ps 119:156)
Give thanks to God, for He has given us His Word, the bible, which is a
'lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path' (Ps 119:105). The Sun of
Righteousness, guides us along our pilgrimage as we await the dawn of
endless day.

Turn not back to darkness, seek no pleasure in the shadows of sin, put on
the armour of light (Rom 13:12), and fix your eyes upon the author and
perfector of our salvation.

Labels: Edification

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

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Peace

What is peace?

1) Jn 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
- Who gives peace? It is Christ, not ourselves, not in what we are, or what we do, or what we have gained ("as the world giveth")

2) Ac 10:36 (YLT) The word that he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming good news - peace through (KJV-by) Jesus Christ (this one is Lord of all,)
3) Rom 5:1 Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ
- Peace comes through Jesus Christ, not ourselves. Again, not of our own devices or ways of this world.

4) Gal 6:14-16: But God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me , and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy and upon the Israel of God
- What is that rule Paul refers to? For us to be humble, realising that what we do in/to the body does not obtain peace with God in any way, but rejoicing in nothing but the cross of Christ. If we do this, peace will be on us together with mercy. (Could it be that easy?)

5) Eph 2:13-16 and now, in CHrist Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ, for He is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of enclosure did break down, the enmity in His flesh, the law of commands in ordinances havind done away, that the two he might create in Himself into one new man, making peace, and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it.
6) Col 1:19-20 For in Him all the fulness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to itself, having made peace by the blood of his cross - by Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens. And you who once were alenated and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now has it reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and irreproacable before it.
- Why is it that true peace can only come through the Lord Jesus? Because He has made peace between God and men. How, by His death on the cross, His sacrificing Himself for our sins that we may be forgiven by God.

My conclusion: All the passages indicate that peace was made by the Lord Jesus Christ and towards God. God was offended by sin, and still is, but Christ has made peace with God. God is satisfied with Christ, His only begotten Son.
In other words, our peace with God doesn't depend on whether we go through the day without sin or not. It doesn't depend on whether I do good to others or not. These things I should do, yes, but they are not prerequisites for peace, let i have something to boast.

I know I have peace with God, when I realise my utter hopelessness, and remember my Saviour, my Lord, who shed His precious blood for my sake, and through Him have obtained salvation.

Phil 4:6-7 " Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus "