"Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to every one that is to come" (Psalm 71:18)
The early Christians turned the world upside down. Their charge and ours today, is the same - to rescue the perishing and care for the dying, to go to the helpless ones and tell them Jesus saves.
I heard about a little girl who said to her mother, "Do you remember that priceless vase we all love so much that's been handed down to our family from one generation to another?" The mother said, "Yes." The little girl revealed, "Well, this generation just dropped it."
Now friend, this generation cannot drop it. The faith we enjoy must be handed down from generation to generation. We must not drop this priceless heirloom that God has placed into our hands.
Ask yourself honestly, which is more precious to you - your possessions or the over two billion souls who do not know Jesus Christ? On which are you spending your talents, treasures, and time? Ask God to help you die to yourself in order that He may use ALL of you for His glory.
~Adrian Rogers~
_______________________________________
"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous" (1 Peter 3:8)
There are five qualities of friendship:
1. Harmony. We are to be of one mind, not necessarily singing the same note, but complimenting one another.
2. Sympathy. We hurt when friends hurt. The world is looking for friends like this.
3. Fraternity. We are to love one another like brothers. There is no brotherhood, like the brotherhood in Jesus Christ.
4. Pity. If you want to be a real friend, you're going to have to feel deeply. You'll need to put yourself in the place of the other person.
5. Humility. Genuine courtesy is thinking of the other person's needs before your own. You are less concerned with your rights, and more concerned about the relationship.
Begin to develop these characteristics of friendship in you life and watch God change the world!
Are you lonely and in need of a friend. Ask God to build these characteristics in your life and to lead you to someone with whom you can be a friend. Then, be a friend. In your weakness, He will show Himself strong.
~Adrian Rogers~
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
"I Will Be As the Dew Unto Israel" # 2
Next you will notice that Hosea turns to the mountains of Lebanon in verses five through seven:
"I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon."
When God is disclosing His ideals for His people, He always turns us to a mountain. That is what the Lord would wish, that we should be a mountain-top peak.
In Judah, and in later days, the prophets turned to Zion - "in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness," - the house of the Lord, in the top of the mountain; "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion," - beautiful in its elevation and its order (Psalm 48:1, 2). That is what God wants His people to be.
Then Hosea turns to another mountain, the most important one in the Lebanon range, Mount Hermon, fertile and fresh and full of the life. Hosea sees in that mountain a picture of what God's people ought to be. You will remember what it says in Psalm 133: "As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion"- even so, "I will be as the dew unto Israel."
Also, in Psalm 133, the picture given unto us is the picture of the fullness of life, for when we are thinking of the House on the mountain, we are thinking of corporate life.
When we look at this picture of Hermon, there is no contradiction of that fullness of life, for the emphasis is not now on the order, and the relatedness, but it is just upon the simple, fundamental, basic needs of life - fullness of life. And while spiritual order and corporate life may provide you with difficulties in your relatedness to others, here in Hosea is something which is purely, simply, wholly, a question of your own personal life with the Lord.
Nobody can keep us from having the dew, except ourselves. "I will be as the dew unto Israel." Now see what the dew produces in verse five: "... he shall blossom as the Lily" - beautiful, attractive expression of life, the lily of the field. Are we blooming for the Lord, or are we drooping? We shall blossom as the Lily. Remember what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:28 and 29, "The lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin ... Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Why? Because Solomon's glory was artificial, but this glory is natural, beautiful, the lily of the field. No human artifice can produce what grows up so simply and so spontaneously all around the lower parts of the mountain. There is a lot of argument as to what the lily of the field was, whether it was anemones, irises, or another flower. Some feel, and I cannot but in my heart agree with this, the Lord was not pointing to any particular flower. So much is pointed out by the fact that here are flowers that grow spontaneously, producing a beauty which is wonderful to behold. These lilies are not flowers as we usually know them - chosen and arranged in the midst of others, part of a formal garden for show and for admiration. There is nothing formal about these. Perhaps they are seen, perhaps they are not seen; perhaps they are admired, perhaps they are ignored. They do not mind, they just go on blooming! Oh, for life that will just bloom with the beauty of the Lord, not for show, not for admiration, but simply as an expression of Christ in His beauty - "The Lily of all lilies."
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 3)
"I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon."
When God is disclosing His ideals for His people, He always turns us to a mountain. That is what the Lord would wish, that we should be a mountain-top peak.
In Judah, and in later days, the prophets turned to Zion - "in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness," - the house of the Lord, in the top of the mountain; "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion," - beautiful in its elevation and its order (Psalm 48:1, 2). That is what God wants His people to be.
Then Hosea turns to another mountain, the most important one in the Lebanon range, Mount Hermon, fertile and fresh and full of the life. Hosea sees in that mountain a picture of what God's people ought to be. You will remember what it says in Psalm 133: "As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion"- even so, "I will be as the dew unto Israel."
Also, in Psalm 133, the picture given unto us is the picture of the fullness of life, for when we are thinking of the House on the mountain, we are thinking of corporate life.
When we look at this picture of Hermon, there is no contradiction of that fullness of life, for the emphasis is not now on the order, and the relatedness, but it is just upon the simple, fundamental, basic needs of life - fullness of life. And while spiritual order and corporate life may provide you with difficulties in your relatedness to others, here in Hosea is something which is purely, simply, wholly, a question of your own personal life with the Lord.
Nobody can keep us from having the dew, except ourselves. "I will be as the dew unto Israel." Now see what the dew produces in verse five: "... he shall blossom as the Lily" - beautiful, attractive expression of life, the lily of the field. Are we blooming for the Lord, or are we drooping? We shall blossom as the Lily. Remember what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:28 and 29, "The lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin ... Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Why? Because Solomon's glory was artificial, but this glory is natural, beautiful, the lily of the field. No human artifice can produce what grows up so simply and so spontaneously all around the lower parts of the mountain. There is a lot of argument as to what the lily of the field was, whether it was anemones, irises, or another flower. Some feel, and I cannot but in my heart agree with this, the Lord was not pointing to any particular flower. So much is pointed out by the fact that here are flowers that grow spontaneously, producing a beauty which is wonderful to behold. These lilies are not flowers as we usually know them - chosen and arranged in the midst of others, part of a formal garden for show and for admiration. There is nothing formal about these. Perhaps they are seen, perhaps they are not seen; perhaps they are admired, perhaps they are ignored. They do not mind, they just go on blooming! Oh, for life that will just bloom with the beauty of the Lord, not for show, not for admiration, but simply as an expression of Christ in His beauty - "The Lily of all lilies."
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 3)
An Image of Hope
"The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations" (Psalm 98:2)
How often do you see people wearing a pendant, charm, or ring in the shape of a cross? How many churches do you pass regularly that have a large cross atop the building or bell tower? Stained glass windows, baptisteries, pulpits, choir robes - all of these things are commonly adorned with the image of a cross. We see this so often, perhaps we have begun to take the cross for granted.
From our modern-day perspective, we often fail to understand the utter shock value of the cross. If you were a citizen of first century Rome, you would most likely live your entire life hoping never to see such an image. In that culture, the cross was the ultimate symbol of shame, horror, death, and curse. Crucifixion was so repulsive that the Romans would not allow any of their citizens to die by this method, regardless of the crime.
How did such a horrific symbol become an image of hope and mercy? By dying on the Cross, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for mankind's sinfulness. Every sin was nailed to the Cross with Jesus, and it all died there with Him. When He rose from the grace, our sins did not. Therefore, sin and death were defeated once and for all. In Christ, all men and women have the opportunity to share in that salvation.
Praise God today for the gift of salvation, and thank Jesus for bearing the punishment for your sin.
Lord, when You accepted the Cross, You accepted its humiliation. Let me never treat it as a vague symbol, but as a terrible place where You went to save me. Amen
~Charles Stanley~
How often do you see people wearing a pendant, charm, or ring in the shape of a cross? How many churches do you pass regularly that have a large cross atop the building or bell tower? Stained glass windows, baptisteries, pulpits, choir robes - all of these things are commonly adorned with the image of a cross. We see this so often, perhaps we have begun to take the cross for granted.
From our modern-day perspective, we often fail to understand the utter shock value of the cross. If you were a citizen of first century Rome, you would most likely live your entire life hoping never to see such an image. In that culture, the cross was the ultimate symbol of shame, horror, death, and curse. Crucifixion was so repulsive that the Romans would not allow any of their citizens to die by this method, regardless of the crime.
How did such a horrific symbol become an image of hope and mercy? By dying on the Cross, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for mankind's sinfulness. Every sin was nailed to the Cross with Jesus, and it all died there with Him. When He rose from the grace, our sins did not. Therefore, sin and death were defeated once and for all. In Christ, all men and women have the opportunity to share in that salvation.
Praise God today for the gift of salvation, and thank Jesus for bearing the punishment for your sin.
Lord, when You accepted the Cross, You accepted its humiliation. Let me never treat it as a vague symbol, but as a terrible place where You went to save me. Amen
~Charles Stanley~
Monday, September 24, 2012
Memories and Thanksgiving
"T. Austin-Sparks - A memorial of His life and teachings"
Very shortly after his departure in 1971, the Norfolk Christian Gathering of Norfolk, Virginia, issued a statement of "MEMORIES AND THANKSGIVING FOR THE DIVINE CALLING, LIFE, AND MINISTRY OF GOD'S SERVANT - T. AUSTIN-SPARKS." That statement read, in part:
"We thank the Lord that ... the distinctive emphasis and message of the Word revealed to Brother Sparks reached us in America years ago through "A Witness and a Testimony," it's associated literature, and his personal visits for conferences...
"We thank the Lord that ... in his person and his messages, the Lord enabled Brother Sparks to bring fresh spiritual values out of living experience - messages wrought in him - evidencing the illumination of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, and of the Father's eternal purpose in His Son. All of our brother's spoken and written ministry came to us as bearing the unction and imprimatur of the Holy Spirit ...
"We thank the Lord that ... He gave our brother that much-needed ministry for the remnant of this current end-time period. By it we were greatly encouraged in faith to 'go on' into God's full purpose in spite of misunderstandings.
"In his spoken and written ministry the Lord has bequeathed to us a great legacy of truth - a trust so vital that it imposes on us a serious challenge and responsibility ..."
Because we brothers have been spiritually enriched in such great measure over a forty-year span by Rev. Sparks ministry, we are deeply concerned to make some little part of that wealth available to others. So for the following pages we have culled a number of choice passages from Rev. Sparks writings - though mostly from "A Witness and a Testimony" magazine covering the years 1941 through 1971.
Our desire and hope for these pages - reflecting in a small way, Rev. Sparks' own heavy burden through many years of service and suffering - are that they may contribute to the building up of others to more mature spiritual stature, and as a consequence further their preparation for the Lord's return. May He do it in all of us!
[This is the introduction to a book entitled, "Words of Wisdom and Revelation" which I will occasionally post articles to my blogs and to Facebook. I took the liberty to use the title "Rev." for Austin-Sparks. He was a Baptist minister for many years and, then, deciding that he wanted no recognition for himself, he himself removed the title from his name. He wanted Christ to have all, and total, glory for whatever he accomplished in His writings under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. With the same thought in mind, T. Austin-Sparks never used his full name on his books and articles. He preferred simply "TAS."]
Very shortly after his departure in 1971, the Norfolk Christian Gathering of Norfolk, Virginia, issued a statement of "MEMORIES AND THANKSGIVING FOR THE DIVINE CALLING, LIFE, AND MINISTRY OF GOD'S SERVANT - T. AUSTIN-SPARKS." That statement read, in part:
"We thank the Lord that ... the distinctive emphasis and message of the Word revealed to Brother Sparks reached us in America years ago through "A Witness and a Testimony," it's associated literature, and his personal visits for conferences...
"We thank the Lord that ... in his person and his messages, the Lord enabled Brother Sparks to bring fresh spiritual values out of living experience - messages wrought in him - evidencing the illumination of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, and of the Father's eternal purpose in His Son. All of our brother's spoken and written ministry came to us as bearing the unction and imprimatur of the Holy Spirit ...
"We thank the Lord that ... He gave our brother that much-needed ministry for the remnant of this current end-time period. By it we were greatly encouraged in faith to 'go on' into God's full purpose in spite of misunderstandings.
"In his spoken and written ministry the Lord has bequeathed to us a great legacy of truth - a trust so vital that it imposes on us a serious challenge and responsibility ..."
Because we brothers have been spiritually enriched in such great measure over a forty-year span by Rev. Sparks ministry, we are deeply concerned to make some little part of that wealth available to others. So for the following pages we have culled a number of choice passages from Rev. Sparks writings - though mostly from "A Witness and a Testimony" magazine covering the years 1941 through 1971.
Our desire and hope for these pages - reflecting in a small way, Rev. Sparks' own heavy burden through many years of service and suffering - are that they may contribute to the building up of others to more mature spiritual stature, and as a consequence further their preparation for the Lord's return. May He do it in all of us!
[This is the introduction to a book entitled, "Words of Wisdom and Revelation" which I will occasionally post articles to my blogs and to Facebook. I took the liberty to use the title "Rev." for Austin-Sparks. He was a Baptist minister for many years and, then, deciding that he wanted no recognition for himself, he himself removed the title from his name. He wanted Christ to have all, and total, glory for whatever he accomplished in His writings under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. With the same thought in mind, T. Austin-Sparks never used his full name on his books and articles. He preferred simply "TAS."]
The Holy Trinity
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:2)
Here we have one of the texts in which the great truth of the blessed Trinity is seen to lie at the very root of our spiritual life. In this book we have spoken especially to the adoration of God the Father and the need of time, sufficient time each day, to worship Him in some of His glorious attributes. But we must remind ourselves that, for all our communion with God, the presence and power of the Son and the Spirit are absolutely necessary.
What a field this opens for us in the inner chamber. We need time to realize how all our communion with the Father is conditioned by the active and personal presence and working of the Lord Jesus. It takes time to become fully conscious of what need I have of Him in every approach to God, what confidence I may have in the work that He is doing for me and in me, and what the holy and intimate love is in which I may count upon His presence and all-prevailing intercession. But oh to learn the lesson that it needs time and that that time will be most blessedly rewarded!
Even so too is it with the Divine and almighty power of the Holy Spirit working in the depth of my heart as the One who alone is able to reveal the Son within me. Through Him alone I have the power to know what and how to pray and, above all, how to plead the Name of Jesus and to receive the assurance that my prayer has been accepted.
Dear Christian reader, have you not felt more than once that it was as it were a mockery to speak of five minutes to be alone with God, to come under the impression of His glory? And now does not the thought of the true worship of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit make you feel more than ever that it needs time to enter into such holy alliance with God as shall keep the heart and mind all the day in His peace and presence? It is in tarrying in the secret of God's presence that you receive grace to abide in Christ and all the day to be led by His Spirit.
Just pause and think: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ!" What food for thought - and worship!
~Andrew Murray~
Here we have one of the texts in which the great truth of the blessed Trinity is seen to lie at the very root of our spiritual life. In this book we have spoken especially to the adoration of God the Father and the need of time, sufficient time each day, to worship Him in some of His glorious attributes. But we must remind ourselves that, for all our communion with God, the presence and power of the Son and the Spirit are absolutely necessary.
What a field this opens for us in the inner chamber. We need time to realize how all our communion with the Father is conditioned by the active and personal presence and working of the Lord Jesus. It takes time to become fully conscious of what need I have of Him in every approach to God, what confidence I may have in the work that He is doing for me and in me, and what the holy and intimate love is in which I may count upon His presence and all-prevailing intercession. But oh to learn the lesson that it needs time and that that time will be most blessedly rewarded!
Even so too is it with the Divine and almighty power of the Holy Spirit working in the depth of my heart as the One who alone is able to reveal the Son within me. Through Him alone I have the power to know what and how to pray and, above all, how to plead the Name of Jesus and to receive the assurance that my prayer has been accepted.
Dear Christian reader, have you not felt more than once that it was as it were a mockery to speak of five minutes to be alone with God, to come under the impression of His glory? And now does not the thought of the true worship of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit make you feel more than ever that it needs time to enter into such holy alliance with God as shall keep the heart and mind all the day in His peace and presence? It is in tarrying in the secret of God's presence that you receive grace to abide in Christ and all the day to be led by His Spirit.
Just pause and think: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ!" What food for thought - and worship!
~Andrew Murray~
Sunday, September 23, 2012
I Will Be as the Dew Unto Israel
In the Book of Hosea, at chapter fourteen and verse five, the Word says: "I will be as the dew unto Israel." You will notice that the rest of the chapter discloses that this is a promise for the contrite, for those who are aware and deeply grieved by the baseness of their own departure from the Lord, and lack of faithfulness to Him. The chapter opens,
O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and return unto the Lord: say unto Him, "Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips"
That is the kind of person to whom the Lord says, "I will be as the dew," - the one who has only God's mercy to appeal to. There may be some who would resent the application of this story of Hosea to themselves, for it is a very dark one, showing the worst kind of ingratitude and unfaithfulness. You may think, "Well, there are Christians like that, but not me." You may perhaps feel, "Well, I know some people like that, but I am not the one." Then, all I can say to you, dear friends, is that this promise is not for you: "I will be as the dew unto Israel."
Now, do not say you have no promises and no blessings. You may have the lightning and the thunder and the rainstorm, but you will not have the dew. The dew is only for the contrite! And if you will look at the last verse of this chapter, you will find that this is what it is saying, "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?" - This obviously does not only refer to this chapter, but to the whole book, and it is regarded by many as the final comment when the book is read. The whole story is told, "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them?"
This chapter is the chapter of the joys of reconciliation, as the erring people come back asking the Lord to be received graciously, making their own confession and promises: "so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips," - disclosing how disillusioned they are with the path that they have been treading. In verse three Israel says, "Never again, never again! Asshur cannot save us, I will never look to anyone but the Lord again! We will not ride upon horses, I will not try to imitate anybody else! Neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods.' I will cease from all my own work and effort! Never again, Lord! you are the One, and the only One, to fill my life!" And in response to this blessed reconciliation, the Lord has His promises to answer every profession of truth in Him. And the interchange goes on until we come into verse eight, where the two can hardly wait to speak. We have four separate statements, Ephraim begins: "What have I to do any more with idols?" The Lord breaks in: "I have answered, and will regard him." Says Israel, "I am like a green fir tree." The Lord can hardly wait to say, "From Me is thy fruit found." This is the atmosphere of the chapter. If you have ever had a quarrel and a reconciliation, you will know what this is all about. Thus, Israel and the Lord can hardly wait for each other to pour out their heart in renewed and deeper love than ever before. So look in chapter fourteen and verse four at the Lord's response to Israel's fresh assurances of trust in Him: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely!" And now in this atmosphere of mutual interchange, where there are fresh protestations of sorrow for sin and, on the other hand, a gracious call of forgiveness, there comes this blessed assurance from the Lord, a special promise in verse five, "I will be as the dew unto Israel."
In may parts of the Bible, you will find the Lord's assurances that He will heal their backsliding, "He will love them freely," but here is a special promise: "I will be as the Dew unto Israel." Does not your heart cry out? - Mine does! O, to know the Lord like that, like the dew! - Not just a matter of comfortable feeling, for we have verses in this chapter fourteen, which express how this will work out in life if the dew is in its abundance and profuse refreshing power. Well, here we have the picture in the dew of how the child of God ought to be: What the Prophet Hosea sets out as being the fullness of life as God means it.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 2)
O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and return unto the Lord: say unto Him, "Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips"
That is the kind of person to whom the Lord says, "I will be as the dew," - the one who has only God's mercy to appeal to. There may be some who would resent the application of this story of Hosea to themselves, for it is a very dark one, showing the worst kind of ingratitude and unfaithfulness. You may think, "Well, there are Christians like that, but not me." You may perhaps feel, "Well, I know some people like that, but I am not the one." Then, all I can say to you, dear friends, is that this promise is not for you: "I will be as the dew unto Israel."
Now, do not say you have no promises and no blessings. You may have the lightning and the thunder and the rainstorm, but you will not have the dew. The dew is only for the contrite! And if you will look at the last verse of this chapter, you will find that this is what it is saying, "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?" - This obviously does not only refer to this chapter, but to the whole book, and it is regarded by many as the final comment when the book is read. The whole story is told, "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them?"
This chapter is the chapter of the joys of reconciliation, as the erring people come back asking the Lord to be received graciously, making their own confession and promises: "so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips," - disclosing how disillusioned they are with the path that they have been treading. In verse three Israel says, "Never again, never again! Asshur cannot save us, I will never look to anyone but the Lord again! We will not ride upon horses, I will not try to imitate anybody else! Neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods.' I will cease from all my own work and effort! Never again, Lord! you are the One, and the only One, to fill my life!" And in response to this blessed reconciliation, the Lord has His promises to answer every profession of truth in Him. And the interchange goes on until we come into verse eight, where the two can hardly wait to speak. We have four separate statements, Ephraim begins: "What have I to do any more with idols?" The Lord breaks in: "I have answered, and will regard him." Says Israel, "I am like a green fir tree." The Lord can hardly wait to say, "From Me is thy fruit found." This is the atmosphere of the chapter. If you have ever had a quarrel and a reconciliation, you will know what this is all about. Thus, Israel and the Lord can hardly wait for each other to pour out their heart in renewed and deeper love than ever before. So look in chapter fourteen and verse four at the Lord's response to Israel's fresh assurances of trust in Him: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely!" And now in this atmosphere of mutual interchange, where there are fresh protestations of sorrow for sin and, on the other hand, a gracious call of forgiveness, there comes this blessed assurance from the Lord, a special promise in verse five, "I will be as the dew unto Israel."
In may parts of the Bible, you will find the Lord's assurances that He will heal their backsliding, "He will love them freely," but here is a special promise: "I will be as the Dew unto Israel." Does not your heart cry out? - Mine does! O, to know the Lord like that, like the dew! - Not just a matter of comfortable feeling, for we have verses in this chapter fourteen, which express how this will work out in life if the dew is in its abundance and profuse refreshing power. Well, here we have the picture in the dew of how the child of God ought to be: What the Prophet Hosea sets out as being the fullness of life as God means it.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 2)
Happiness: Your Whole Ambition to be like Jesus
"And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2)
The assumption that human beings are born "to be happy" is scarcely questioned by anyone in today's society and the effect of this modern hedonism is felt also among the people of God.
The Christian gospel is too often presented as a means toward happiness, to peace of mind or security. There are even those who use the Bible to "relax" them, as if it were a drug.
How far wrong all this is will be discovered easily by the simple act of reading the New Testament through once, with meditation. There the emphasis is not upon happiness but upon holiness. God is more concerned with the state of people's hearts than with the state of their feelings.
Undoubtedly the will of God brings final happiness to those who obey, but the most important matter is not how happy we are but how holy!
The childish clamor after happiness can become a real snare. One many easily deceive himself by cultivating a religious joy without a correspondingly righteous life.
For those who take this whole thing seriously I have a suggestion: Go to God and have an understanding. Tell Him that it is your desire to be holy at any cost and then ask Him never to give you more happiness than holiness! Be assured that in the end you will be as happy as you are holy; but for the time being let your whole ambition be to serve God and be Christlike!
~A. W. Tozer~
The assumption that human beings are born "to be happy" is scarcely questioned by anyone in today's society and the effect of this modern hedonism is felt also among the people of God.
The Christian gospel is too often presented as a means toward happiness, to peace of mind or security. There are even those who use the Bible to "relax" them, as if it were a drug.
How far wrong all this is will be discovered easily by the simple act of reading the New Testament through once, with meditation. There the emphasis is not upon happiness but upon holiness. God is more concerned with the state of people's hearts than with the state of their feelings.
Undoubtedly the will of God brings final happiness to those who obey, but the most important matter is not how happy we are but how holy!
The childish clamor after happiness can become a real snare. One many easily deceive himself by cultivating a religious joy without a correspondingly righteous life.
For those who take this whole thing seriously I have a suggestion: Go to God and have an understanding. Tell Him that it is your desire to be holy at any cost and then ask Him never to give you more happiness than holiness! Be assured that in the end you will be as happy as you are holy; but for the time being let your whole ambition be to serve God and be Christlike!
~A. W. Tozer~
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