But It is Hardly Credible That One Could so Persecute Jesus!
Oswald Chambers, January 28th
"Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" Acts 26:14
Am I set on my own way for God? We are never free from this snare until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. Obstinacy and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set upon our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Jesus. Whenever we stand on our dignity we systematically vex and grieve His Spirit; and when the knowledge comes home that it is Jesus Whom we have been persecuting all the time, it is the most crushing revelation there could be.
Is the word of God tremendously keen to me as I hand it on to you, or does my life give the lie to the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of one thing only - a perfect oneness with the Father, and He says, "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." All I do ought to be founded on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that I can be easily put upon, easily over-reached, easily ignored; but if I submit to it for His sake, I prevent Jesus Christ being persecuted.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Ways of the Theological Method - Oswald Chambers
More videos available at http://www.youtube.com/user/stack45ny
More videos available at http://www.youtube.com/user/stack45ny
Friday, January 21, 2011
Danger of Self Derived Theology
......even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.(2Pet 3:15-16)
Theology, unfortunately can be a self developed belief system or conclusion from readings of books, including the Bible. Most of the time, it is fitting what is read to within the confines of the self understanding instead of being renewed in the mind (Rom 12:2), we filter and interpret 'truth' according to our heart's desire or even according to personal or moral defeats or perhaps even ignoring the God given conscience. There is only One truth, not a thing by itself, truth is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Way. Our eternal life is based on the relational reality 'that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' (John 17:3). There is only One standard of life that requires our total yielding to, not that Life complying to our convenience.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Effective Evangelism
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
(Matt 9:38)
There is only one strategy that the Lord Himself taught us to employ, to pray. It does not begin by drafting elaborate plans to spread the Gospel, but it does require men and women who will humbly and quietly pray for souls. It does not begin at looking at the demographics of the community, but it requires looking at ourselves to examine if there is anything that stands in the way of our relationship between the Holy God and us. If we are to stand between the living and the dead to plead for souls, we cannot afford to regard, consider or approve sin in our heart (Psa 66:18). Are we willing to be absolutely transparent under the search light of God (1 John 1:17) that we will be first led in the way everlasting before leading others to Christ (Psa 139:23, 24)?
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
There is one message of the Gospel; God in His love saving mankind from sin. Never water down God’s conclusion of sin, the price of redemption is His Son. Sin is death, life is only found in Christ. Preach the cross! It is the entire force of God power to save, yet to those that perish foolishness (1 Cor 1:18). Never water down the message that coming to Jesus is to come to an end of self.
Don’t send to preach the Gospel, pray first. He knows that those whom He send are ones with eyes of faith to see the harvest as truly great (Luke 10:2). Can He send you and I to participate into the true greatness of the harvest? Yes He will, first transact with our Holy Saviour and He will lead us to do the rest.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
(Matt 9:38)
There is only one strategy that the Lord Himself taught us to employ, to pray. It does not begin by drafting elaborate plans to spread the Gospel, but it does require men and women who will humbly and quietly pray for souls. It does not begin at looking at the demographics of the community, but it requires looking at ourselves to examine if there is anything that stands in the way of our relationship between the Holy God and us. If we are to stand between the living and the dead to plead for souls, we cannot afford to regard, consider or approve sin in our heart (Psa 66:18). Are we willing to be absolutely transparent under the search light of God (1 John 1:17) that we will be first led in the way everlasting before leading others to Christ (Psa 139:23, 24)?
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
There is one message of the Gospel; God in His love saving mankind from sin. Never water down God’s conclusion of sin, the price of redemption is His Son. Sin is death, life is only found in Christ. Preach the cross! It is the entire force of God power to save, yet to those that perish foolishness (1 Cor 1:18). Never water down the message that coming to Jesus is to come to an end of self.
Don’t send to preach the Gospel, pray first. He knows that those whom He send are ones with eyes of faith to see the harvest as truly great (Luke 10:2). Can He send you and I to participate into the true greatness of the harvest? Yes He will, first transact with our Holy Saviour and He will lead us to do the rest.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Love, Void of Self
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
The outworking of Christ likeness is the evidence of loving God first and loving others (Matt 22:37-40) and self takes a back seat. The basis of our salvation is because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) while we were yet enemies of God, haters of God, rebellion without any desire to seek Him. God’s choosing of Israel to be a special people unto Himself was on the same basis (Duet 7: 6, 7). What have we to boast but to thank Him for this is the truest demonstration of grace.
…….. Bless me, even me also, O my father. (Gen 27:34)
Knowing that our salvation is on the ground of love, todays danger is a love that is us-ward rather than God-ward and others-ward. We are loved so that we can love. We have the capacity to esteem others better than ourselves (Php 2:3). There is little evidence of self love because I am secure in His love. We are to be a non-striving weaned child (Psa 131:2) and not pampered brats that continually echo ‘give, give’ (Prov 30:15). Don’t be like an Esau who despised our birthright (John 1:12) for that which is temporal but would cry over lost blessing.
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (Jas 2:17)
Faith pleases God and the demonstration of it is the reality of the love of God working through us toward others. It is the royal law (Jas 2:8) and all the law is fulfilled in one word, love (Gal 5:14). Not self love but to love others. There is diligence required in adding to faith; the end is brotherly love (2 Pet 1:5-7). Fruitfulness of our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is brotherly love (2 Pet 1:8). The Gospel begins with God’s love toward us; the outworking to the end is love God and love others. Self love is not the true understanding of God’s viewpoint on love. The intrinsic value of love is found in the content of our prayer, how we spend our money, what we occupy ourselves with and whose good we seek. Love is not word or feeling, it is action.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
The outworking of Christ likeness is the evidence of loving God first and loving others (Matt 22:37-40) and self takes a back seat. The basis of our salvation is because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) while we were yet enemies of God, haters of God, rebellion without any desire to seek Him. God’s choosing of Israel to be a special people unto Himself was on the same basis (Duet 7: 6, 7). What have we to boast but to thank Him for this is the truest demonstration of grace.
…….. Bless me, even me also, O my father. (Gen 27:34)
Knowing that our salvation is on the ground of love, todays danger is a love that is us-ward rather than God-ward and others-ward. We are loved so that we can love. We have the capacity to esteem others better than ourselves (Php 2:3). There is little evidence of self love because I am secure in His love. We are to be a non-striving weaned child (Psa 131:2) and not pampered brats that continually echo ‘give, give’ (Prov 30:15). Don’t be like an Esau who despised our birthright (John 1:12) for that which is temporal but would cry over lost blessing.
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (Jas 2:17)
Faith pleases God and the demonstration of it is the reality of the love of God working through us toward others. It is the royal law (Jas 2:8) and all the law is fulfilled in one word, love (Gal 5:14). Not self love but to love others. There is diligence required in adding to faith; the end is brotherly love (2 Pet 1:5-7). Fruitfulness of our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is brotherly love (2 Pet 1:8). The Gospel begins with God’s love toward us; the outworking to the end is love God and love others. Self love is not the true understanding of God’s viewpoint on love. The intrinsic value of love is found in the content of our prayer, how we spend our money, what we occupy ourselves with and whose good we seek. Love is not word or feeling, it is action.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Separation unto Exclusivity
….. separate thyself, I pray thee, from me.......(Gen 13:9)
Abraham was known to be an altar builder and the perpetual Covenant of blessing God made with him, his call’s milestone includes seven significant separations. Separation from nationality (Gen 12:1), family (Gen 12:1), the world (Gen 13:1), right of choice (Gen 13:9), riches (Gen 13:10-12), Ishmael (Gen 21:9-12) and finally Isaac (Gen 22:1). The final one being the acid test of the allegiance and love with each separation impacting closer and closer to the heart. God is not interested in our pain; He is concern with His eternal purpose. If we look at separation as being cruel and heartless, than we neither understood the depths of His love nor grasps the full extent of the Cross of Christ. With a wrong perspective, we will not be able to carry our own cross daily and follow Him. We can lose the glorious end of Him raising us among many sons to glory. What He has predestined, He will perform all that is necessary (Eph 1:4, 5, Heb 12:10)).
A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. (SoS 4:12)
To be made holy is a separation with the utmost fidelity. We belong totally to Him, never to be shared with anything or any other. On this ground our hearts will never stray and there is an enclosed intimacy that yields fruit. The gate is narrow the way is difficult (Matt 7:14) and few will enter in (Luke 13:24). Many of our earthly baggage need to be displaced to squeeze through. God will be surgical (Matt 10:34) for His names sake. Abraham made His choice and passed the test, will we? Separation is essential and yet the sovereign God leave the choice to us.
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