"The inner man is renewed from day to day" (2 Corinthians 4:16)
There is one lesson that all young Christians should learn, namely this - the absolute necessity of fellowship with Jesus Christ each day. This lesson is not always taught at the beginning of the Christian life nor is it always understood by the young convert. He should realize that the grace he has received of the forgiveness of sins, of acceptance as God's child, of joy in the Holy Spirit can only be preserved by the daily renewal in fellowship with Jesus Christ Himself.
Many Christians backslide because this truth is not clearly taught. They are unable to stand against the temptations of the world or of their old nature. They strive to do their best to fight against sin and to serve God, but they have no strength. They have never really grasped the secret: The Lord Jesus will every day from heaven continue His work in me. But on one condition - the soul must give Him time each day to impart His love and His grace. Time alone with the Lord Jesus each day is the indispensable condition of growth and power.
Read Matthew 11:25-30. Listen to Christ's word: "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest. Learn of Me, and ye shall find rest unto your souls." The Lord will teach us just how meek and humble He is. Bow before Him, tell Him that you long for Him and His love, and He will let His love rest on you. This is a thought not only for young Christians but for all who love the Lord, and this would gladly help those who desire to live this life of fellowship with Christ.
Blessed Father, for Christ's sake and in order to please Him, for my own sake and to enable me to enjoy this blessed experience each day, I will learn the lesson, to spend time each day - without exception - in fellowship with Thee. So will my soul be renewed from day to day. Amen
~Andrew Murray~
Friday, October 18, 2013
What It Means to be Filled with The Holy Spirit # 3
"If Anyone Has An Ear, Let Him Hear"
Beloved, at the exact instant that each one of us is saved, we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, "Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). For the Lord God hath said: "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, A Precious Cornerstone, A Sure Foundation: he who believes in it [in Him] will not be disturbed" (Isaiah 28:16). Christ is both our Sure Foundation (1 Cor. 3:11) and our Precious Cornerstone - and In Him we, the redeemed, find our Beginning, our Source, our Development, our Consummation and our Fullness. And "In Him all the building [all of the redeemed] is being fitly framed together" (Eph. 2:21). in Him the whole structure is continuously being joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously; and this building which is being made up of all the redeemed continues to rise and grow and increase into and unto a holy temple in the Lord, into and unto a holy inner sanctuary in the Lord. This building rises, grows, and increased in the Lord Jesus Christ Who Is the Sure Foundation and the Cornerstone, Who Is the Bond and the Substance, Who Is the Growth and the Completeness and the Sanctity of this holy temple in the Lord: - a holy temple not made of dead stones and mortar, but made of "living stones' into a living sanctuary in which "Christ is all, and in All." And, beloved, there is more to this wondrous and everlasting purpose of God, for in the Lord [in Christ] In Him - and in fellowship with one another [we are] also being built up [into this structure] with the rest [of the redeemed] to form a fixed abode (a dwelling place) of God "in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22).
Beloved, the last three words of this surpassing statement about the eternal fullness of God's plan in Christ are the words, "In the Spirit"; and this takes us right back to the words which our Lord speaks to the churches, "Let Him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." And since John was "in the Spirit" (Revelation 1:9, 10) when the Lord gave him this message for the churches, it stands to reason that we need to be "in the Spirit" if we are going to grasp fully what the Lord means by His Words. Hence, it is essential that we comprehend more fully what it means to be "in the Spirit."
"In the Spirit:" The Entire Realm That Is In (en) The Spirit
The Greek preposition "in" (en) gives us the key to understanding more of what it means to be "in the Spirit." The Greek preposition "in" means "being or remaining within, with the primary idea of rest and continuance; it has regard to place and space or to the realm and sphere of action." The word "in" (en) also denotes inclusion in the whole of something. Thus, many times in the New Testament, as in Ephesians 1:3-14, the Holy Spirit uses the Greek preposition "in" to describe "all" that is included in the Whole of God's Purpose In Christ. Therefore, in the Word of God, we find that the important statement "In the Spirit" speaks of the Entire Realm that is "in the Spirit."
Therefore, the Realm that is "in the Spirit" is the Realm that is surrounded, empowered, and controlled by the Presence and Power of - out of - the Holy Spirit Himself.
Therefore, the Realm that is "in the Spirit" is the Realm that the Holy Spirit Himself permeates, pervades, infuses, immerses, floods, and fills all things with His Presence and Power.
Therefore, the Realm that is "in the Spirit" is the Realm in which the Holy Spirit is energizing, working, and bringing about all that God has Purposed In Christ - the Eternal Realm in which Christ Is All, and In All.
So, beloved, it is in Ephesians 2:19-22 that we find the ultimate and consummate meaning of the phrase, "in the Spirit." And that is because it is "in the Spirit", in the Eternal Realm of the Holy Spirit, that we are built upon our Sure Foundation, the Chief Cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself. It is "in the Spirit," in the Eternal Realm of the Holy Spirit, that each and every "living stone" is being fitly-framed together into a holy temple In The Lord. It is "in the Spirit," in the Eternal Realm of the Holy Spirit, that in Christ we are being built together into the Eternal Habitation of God. Beloved, when this living sanctuary In The Lord is finished, a living sanctuary that is made up of all the redeemed, it will be the manifestation forever of ALL-THAT-GOD-IS. It will eternally be the manifestation of the Eternal Glory and Presence of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 4 - "Be Filled In the Spirit")
Beloved, at the exact instant that each one of us is saved, we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, "Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). For the Lord God hath said: "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, A Precious Cornerstone, A Sure Foundation: he who believes in it [in Him] will not be disturbed" (Isaiah 28:16). Christ is both our Sure Foundation (1 Cor. 3:11) and our Precious Cornerstone - and In Him we, the redeemed, find our Beginning, our Source, our Development, our Consummation and our Fullness. And "In Him all the building [all of the redeemed] is being fitly framed together" (Eph. 2:21). in Him the whole structure is continuously being joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously; and this building which is being made up of all the redeemed continues to rise and grow and increase into and unto a holy temple in the Lord, into and unto a holy inner sanctuary in the Lord. This building rises, grows, and increased in the Lord Jesus Christ Who Is the Sure Foundation and the Cornerstone, Who Is the Bond and the Substance, Who Is the Growth and the Completeness and the Sanctity of this holy temple in the Lord: - a holy temple not made of dead stones and mortar, but made of "living stones' into a living sanctuary in which "Christ is all, and in All." And, beloved, there is more to this wondrous and everlasting purpose of God, for in the Lord [in Christ] In Him - and in fellowship with one another [we are] also being built up [into this structure] with the rest [of the redeemed] to form a fixed abode (a dwelling place) of God "in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22).
Beloved, the last three words of this surpassing statement about the eternal fullness of God's plan in Christ are the words, "In the Spirit"; and this takes us right back to the words which our Lord speaks to the churches, "Let Him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." And since John was "in the Spirit" (Revelation 1:9, 10) when the Lord gave him this message for the churches, it stands to reason that we need to be "in the Spirit" if we are going to grasp fully what the Lord means by His Words. Hence, it is essential that we comprehend more fully what it means to be "in the Spirit."
"In the Spirit:" The Entire Realm That Is In (en) The Spirit
The Greek preposition "in" (en) gives us the key to understanding more of what it means to be "in the Spirit." The Greek preposition "in" means "being or remaining within, with the primary idea of rest and continuance; it has regard to place and space or to the realm and sphere of action." The word "in" (en) also denotes inclusion in the whole of something. Thus, many times in the New Testament, as in Ephesians 1:3-14, the Holy Spirit uses the Greek preposition "in" to describe "all" that is included in the Whole of God's Purpose In Christ. Therefore, in the Word of God, we find that the important statement "In the Spirit" speaks of the Entire Realm that is "in the Spirit."
Therefore, the Realm that is "in the Spirit" is the Realm that is surrounded, empowered, and controlled by the Presence and Power of - out of - the Holy Spirit Himself.
Therefore, the Realm that is "in the Spirit" is the Realm that the Holy Spirit Himself permeates, pervades, infuses, immerses, floods, and fills all things with His Presence and Power.
Therefore, the Realm that is "in the Spirit" is the Realm in which the Holy Spirit is energizing, working, and bringing about all that God has Purposed In Christ - the Eternal Realm in which Christ Is All, and In All.
So, beloved, it is in Ephesians 2:19-22 that we find the ultimate and consummate meaning of the phrase, "in the Spirit." And that is because it is "in the Spirit", in the Eternal Realm of the Holy Spirit, that we are built upon our Sure Foundation, the Chief Cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself. It is "in the Spirit," in the Eternal Realm of the Holy Spirit, that each and every "living stone" is being fitly-framed together into a holy temple In The Lord. It is "in the Spirit," in the Eternal Realm of the Holy Spirit, that in Christ we are being built together into the Eternal Habitation of God. Beloved, when this living sanctuary In The Lord is finished, a living sanctuary that is made up of all the redeemed, it will be the manifestation forever of ALL-THAT-GOD-IS. It will eternally be the manifestation of the Eternal Glory and Presence of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 4 - "Be Filled In the Spirit")
The Compassionate God of the Old Testament
Oh the Lord is good and compassionate towards His people. Deuteronomy 24 describes how the people should live and respond to each other in various situations of life. At first glance, you might think its just a list of rules and regulations.
Just reading the chapter you might miss the care God outlines for His people. Therefore, to help you discover God’s grace in the Old Testament try this approach:
as you read, make three column list. In the first column list all the “when or if” statements you find. In the second column list the response the people were to follow. In column three list the reason the people should follow it.
as you read, make three column list. In the first column list all the “when or if” statements you find. In the second column list the response the people were to follow. In column three list the reason the people should follow it.
| When/If | Response | Reason |
| Reap fields and forget a sheaf | Don’t go back to get it | It shall be for the stranger, fatherless, and widows that the Lord may bless you in all the work of your hands. |
Review the table you created after you read the chapter. You will begin to see God commanded the children of Israel to do or not do certain things, for the benefit and care of the people.
If you thought the God of the Old Testament was hard and condemning, with the help of the Holy Spirit this technique may help you see Him in an entirely new light. The God of Old Testament is the same God of New Testament. He is loving and compassion and caring.
He knows what is best for us. His ways are higher than ours. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. His plan and purpose is to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a future and a hope.
Lord, thank you for revealing your compassion through your word. Help us see you on every page we read. Let us cling to you. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen.
~Elizabeth Marks~
Thursday, October 17, 2013
To Want No More
"Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee" (Job 22:21)
To know God, this is eternal life; this is the purpose for which we are and were created. The destruction of our God-awareness was the master blow struck by satan in the dark day of our transgression.
To give God back to us was the chief work of Christ in redemption. To impart Himself to us in personal experience is the first purpose of God in salvation. To bring acute God-awareness is the best help the Spirit brings in sanctification. All other steps in grace lead up to this.
We were allowed but one request, we might gain at a stroke all things else by praying one all-embracing prayer:
Thyself, Lord! Give me Thyself and I can want no more.
To be able to look into God's face, and know with the knowledge of faith that there is nothing between the soul and Him, is to experience the fullest peace the soul can know. Whatever else pardon may be, it is above all things admission into full fellowship with God.
~A. W. Tozer~
To know God, this is eternal life; this is the purpose for which we are and were created. The destruction of our God-awareness was the master blow struck by satan in the dark day of our transgression.
To give God back to us was the chief work of Christ in redemption. To impart Himself to us in personal experience is the first purpose of God in salvation. To bring acute God-awareness is the best help the Spirit brings in sanctification. All other steps in grace lead up to this.
We were allowed but one request, we might gain at a stroke all things else by praying one all-embracing prayer:
Thyself, Lord! Give me Thyself and I can want no more.
To be able to look into God's face, and know with the knowledge of faith that there is nothing between the soul and Him, is to experience the fullest peace the soul can know. Whatever else pardon may be, it is above all things admission into full fellowship with God.
~A. W. Tozer~
The Spirit Is Himself God
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? ... There shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:7, 10)
satan has hindered us all he could by raising conflicting opinions about the Spirit, by making Him a topic for hot and uncharitable debate between Christians.
It would help us if we could remember that the Spirit is Himself God, the very nature of the Godhead subsisting in a form that can impart itself to our consciousness. We know only as much of the other Persons of the Trinity as he reveals to us.
It is His light upon the face of Christ, which enables us to know Him. It is His light within us, which enables us to understand the Scriptures. Without Him the Word of truth is only darkness.
The Spirit is sent to be our Friend, to guide us over the long way home. He is Christ's own Self come to live with us, allowing Him to fulfill His word, "Surely I am with you always," even while He sits at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens.
We are not filled with an influence; we are not filled with a sensation; we are not filled with a set of ideas and truth; we are not filled with a blessing, but we are filled with a Person ... and its very essence is the indwelling life of Christ Himself.
~A. W. Tozer~
satan has hindered us all he could by raising conflicting opinions about the Spirit, by making Him a topic for hot and uncharitable debate between Christians.
It would help us if we could remember that the Spirit is Himself God, the very nature of the Godhead subsisting in a form that can impart itself to our consciousness. We know only as much of the other Persons of the Trinity as he reveals to us.
It is His light upon the face of Christ, which enables us to know Him. It is His light within us, which enables us to understand the Scriptures. Without Him the Word of truth is only darkness.
The Spirit is sent to be our Friend, to guide us over the long way home. He is Christ's own Self come to live with us, allowing Him to fulfill His word, "Surely I am with you always," even while He sits at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens.
We are not filled with an influence; we are not filled with a sensation; we are not filled with a set of ideas and truth; we are not filled with a blessing, but we are filled with a Person ... and its very essence is the indwelling life of Christ Himself.
~A. W. Tozer~
Posess the "Land"
There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed - Joshua 13:1
This is true in many directions:-
Of the Bible. - How many pages of our Bibles are unpossessed! We have not underlined any verses in them, or put any marks in the margin to indicate that God has spoken through them to our souls. They are as clean as when they came from the printers. It is well sometimes to consider this, and to resolve to master some unfamiliar portions of God's Word, believing that no word of God is devoid of power. To many believers the Bible, which God intended for their possession, is yet an unexplored continent.
Of Doctrinal Truth. - Doctrine groups texts, and compares them. Doctrine is to isolated texts what natural laws are to particular facts. We should know the doctrines of the Bible. We should understand what is meant by Predestination; the unction of the Holy Ghost; and the Second Advent. How much unoccupied land there is here, which, if brought under cultivation, would yield grapes, and corn, and other produce for the refreshment and strength of the soul!
Of Spiritual Experience. - Talk with some deeply-taught saint, and you will see how little you have traversed of the good land beyond the Jordan, or know of its blessed extent. To know the length, and breadth, and depth, and height, of the love of Christ seems given to but few; but it need not be. There is no favoritism in the Kingdom which excludes some poor souls from the richer portions, and shuts them up to barrenness and a northern aspect. Rise, go through the land in the length and breadth of it; it is all yours; the gift of God in Jesus Christ; claim and possess it.
~F. B. Meyer~
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Unity Precedes Blessing
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh" (Acts 2:17)
God always works where His people meet His conditions, but only when and as they do.
The first condition is oneness of mind among the persons who are seeking the visitation. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore" (Psalm 133:1-3).
Here the unity precedes the blessing, and so it is throughout the Bible. An individual may seek and obtain great spiritual help from God; and that is one thing. For a company of people to unite to seek a new visitation from God for the entire group is quite another thing, and is a spiritual labor greatly superior to the first.
What a joyful experience it is for us in this church age to be part of a congregation drawn together by the desire to know God's presence, to sense His nearness.
~A. W. Tozer~
God always works where His people meet His conditions, but only when and as they do.
The first condition is oneness of mind among the persons who are seeking the visitation. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore" (Psalm 133:1-3).
Here the unity precedes the blessing, and so it is throughout the Bible. An individual may seek and obtain great spiritual help from God; and that is one thing. For a company of people to unite to seek a new visitation from God for the entire group is quite another thing, and is a spiritual labor greatly superior to the first.
What a joyful experience it is for us in this church age to be part of a congregation drawn together by the desire to know God's presence, to sense His nearness.
~A. W. Tozer~
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