Then My Eyes Were Opened

Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? (Isa. 28:24).

One day in early summer I walked past a beautiful meadow. The grass was as soft and thick and fine as an immense green Oriental rug. In one corner stood a fine old tree, a sanctuary for numberless wild birds; the crisp, sweet air was full of their happy songs. Two cows lay in the shade, the very picture of content. Down by the roadside the saucy dandelion mingled his gold with the royal purple of the wild violet. I leaned against the fence for a long time, feasting my hungry eyes, and thinking in my soul that God never made a fairer spot than my lovely meadow.

The next day I passed that way again, and lo! the hand of the despoiler had been there. A plowman and his great plow, now standing idle in the furrow, had in a day wrought a terrible havoc. Instead of the green grass there was turned up to view the ugly, bare, brown earth; instead of the singing birds there were only a few hens industriously scratching for worms. Gone were the dandelion and the pretty violet. I said in my grief, "How could any one spoil a thing so fair?"

Then my eyes were opened by some unseen hand, and I saw a vision, a vision of a field of ripe corn ready for the harvest. I could see the giant, heavily laden stalks in the autumn sun; I could almost hear the music of the wind as it would sweep across the golden tassels. And before I was aware, the brown earth took on a splendor it had not had the day before.

Oh, that we might always catch the vision of an abundant harvest, when the great Master Plowman comes, as He often does, and furrows through our very souls, uprooting and turning under that which we thought most fair, and leaving for our tortured gaze only the bare and the unbeautiful.

Why should I start at the plough of my Lord, that maketh the deep furrows on my soul? I know He is no idle husbandman, He purposeth a crop.
--Samuel Rutherford

~L. B. Cowman~

War In Your Heart # 35

Victory Through the Victor (continued)

The First Advent - The Saviour Comes (continued)

The Eternal Son became the Incarnate Son that He might become the world's Saviour. The first coming was the coming of a Saviour. The scarlet thread led to the Cross, where the Saviour's blood was shed for man's redemption.

But something more was involved in Christ's Saviourhood than the redemption of mankind; that something is the full and final restoration to the Father of His dominion over the earth and over mankind. There must be the return to but one kingdom, one throne, one will on earth and that the kingdom, the throne, the will of God. The Lord's prayer must be answered, "Our Father ... Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,on earth as it is in heaven ... For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever." In order to fulfill Genesis 3:15 completely, His Saviourhood demands His sovereignty. This necessitates a full and final victory over satan and all his hosts. Every enemy of God must be conquered. The Cross, in God's purpose, is linked with the throne.

While on earth the Son of Man, the Representative Man, met every attack of satan from the manger-cradle to the Cross, and came forth from each assault more than Conqueror. The victory of the Cross had been affirmed and consummated by the victory of the resurrection and ascension. The One whom satan planned to bring to utter defeat through crucifixion by his wicked agents has himself met his doom at the Cross of Christ.

The incarnate Son went back home to the glory land. The Father welcomed His well-beloved Son whose hands, feet, and side and brow bear the scars of Calvary; the precious body of flesh and bones is a silent witness to the blood poured out on the cruel Cross. The gates and doors of heaven are opened wide for "the Lord of glory" crucified to enter and to be acclaimed as "the King of glory" magnified. The Father awaits the return of His Son that He may exalt Him to the place of greatest power and higher honor, even to sit with Him upon His throne and to crown Him Lord of all the celestial beings in heaven and the redeemed on earth.

Every guilty sinner who has acknowledged his guilt and has put faith in the Saviour has by His precious blood been redeemed,justified, and sanctified. The moment the sinner receives into his life the Christ of Calvary he is born again and thereby passes clean out of the kingdom of satan into the kingdom of God (John 3:3; Colossians 1:13)

The believer not only enters into the kingdom of God but that kingdom is now set up in his heart. Christ is to be owned as his Sovereign and to be allowed Lordship over his whole being. To this extent the beginning of the kingdom of God on earth is realized. The Saviour has begun to rule from the throne of His Father.

But there is something beyond that in store for Him. The eternal purpose of the Father which He purposed in the Son is not yet fully consummated. There are still two thrones at war. The enemy is still at large and functioning as prince of this world which is still actively in rebellion against God. The final battle has not yet been fought which will utterly dethrone satan and end his reign. The victory of the Cross must be implemented by the victory of the throne. Christ must come again to earth.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 36 - (The Second Advent - The Sovereign Comes)

The Vital Sign of Passion to Reach the Lost

One of the major signs that someone needs to be revived is a lack of concern for the lost.  In David's psalm of repentance, Psalm 51:10-13, he says,

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.

When David says, Renew a steadfast spirit in me…Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, he is saying, "God, revive me, restore me, renew me."  One of the fruits we find in a heart that has been revived is a desire to see others converted.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.

When a person's spiritual life wanes, there is very little thought and very little action aimed at reaching the lost.  Yet, someone who has been revived and is spiritually healthy will be actively engaged in the evangelization of the lost.

Read carefully these words from Elton Trueblood, a Quaker scholar.  He said, "Evangelism occurs when Christians are so ignited by their contact with Christ that they in turn set other fires.  It is easy to determine when something is aflame.  It ignites other material.  Any fire that does not spread will eventually go out."

When you are spiritually revived, you will think about the spiritual state of the people that you rub shoulders with every day.  It is inevitable that when your heart is revived and close to God, you will have a concern for the lost.

~Bayless Conley~

War In Your Heart # 34

Two Advents in God's Counsel - The Child Came to Die - The Son Comes to Reign

God carries out His eternal purpose in two stages, the first and second advents of Christ. One cannot read the Bible with any degree of intelligence and not see that it definitely teaches that Christ is to come to earth twice. Two distinct lines of prophecy are traced throughout the Old Testament which contradict each other utterly unless they are related to two absolutely different events, which are separated from each other by the passing of centuries of time.

One line of prophecy reveals a suffering Messiah, "The Lord of glory" crucified by the princes of this world (1 Corinthians 2:8) because they knew not who He was, nor for what He had come. Psalm 22 is God's clear revelation of Him who was reproached and despised and persecuted and finally, crucified by wicked men and utterly forsaken by a holy God. The suffering Messiah goes to the Cross.

The other line of prophecy reveals a conquering Messiah, "The King of glory," crowned; "The lord of hosts, strong and might, the Lord mighty in battle" welcomed home to heaven after His resurrection and exalted by His Father to a place with Him upon His throne until such a time as He would again go forth to earth to set up the kingdom of God on earth. Psalm 24 is God's clear revelation of the conquering Messiah. The conquering Messiah goes to the throne.

The First Advent - The Saviour Comes

Matthew 1:18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise.

Matthew 1:16: Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Matthew 2:1: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem ... in the days of Herod.

Luke 2:11, 12: For unto you is born this day ... a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

"Christ is the Lord." "A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes!" The Author of all life - "born!" The Creator of the universe - "lying in a manger." The Eternal Son coming out of eternity into time; coming out of heaven into earth - "Born a Saviour!"

But for what purpose was such a birth? He was born to die. The birth both anticipated and necessitated the Cross. The primary purpose of the incarnation of Jesus Christ was redemption. He Himself clearly conceived His mission to this sinful world to be that of a Saviour.

Luke 19:10: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

He knew that His Father had sent Him into the world and for what purpose.

1 John 4:14: The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

John 3:17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 35)

Formula for Personal Growth

James 1:22

Growing in Christ involves far more than just attending church, tithing, and listening to a sermon. In fact, many believers do these yet remain stagnant in their walk. There are two elements necessary for us to become more like Jesus: instruction and involvement.

The first of these, learning truth, is vital to a healthy walk with God. Our Savior proved the importance of instruction by devoting much of His time on earth to it. The apostle Paul is another example, as he wrote letters to educate Christiansabout godliness.

So how can we gain knowledge and understanding? One of the most important and effective ways is to read the Word of God. Scripture instructs us that just as newborns crave milk, we are to desire His Word so that we might grow. I pray your spiritual thirst will become insatiable.

Yet simply listening to the truth does not mean that we've acquired it. I know many people who love attending Bible studies and expanding their knowledge base, but their lives remain unchanged. Just as today's passage teaches, we have to apply the Word to our lives. Even so, actual growth requires more than merely inputting information. It requires action. 

James 2:26 states, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

Are we careless hearers, deceived into thinking that we're growing? Or are we listening intently and abiding in the truth? If we're truly maturing, our lives will be increasingly Christlike, and our desires will align more closely with God's heart. Make sure that you are listening and responding to His truth.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

War In Your Heart # 33

Victory Through the Victor (continued)

Two Threads in Scripture - The Scarlet - the Golden

Two threads run through Scripture: a scarlet thread that traces the seed of the woman to Jesus, the Saviour; who laid down His life in death upon the Cross; a golden thread that traces the only begotten Son of the Father through the royal line of David, the king, to the throne upon which He sits as Heir of God and sovereign Lord. The scarlet thread speaks of redemption by blood of the Lamb slain and placed upon the doorposts of the house in Egypt for the redemption of the Israelites and thereafter in all the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament until the time when "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) hung upon the Cross of Calvary. The golden thread speaks of redemption by power, typified in the mighty, supernatural victory of Israel over Pharaoh and all his hosts at the Red Sea, thereafter the victory of the Lord over satan and his principalities and power until the Lord Jesus Christ was seated in the heavenlies at the right hand of God, waiting for the time when He would sit upon His own throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Saviour descends to the deepest depths of humiliation and dies on the Cross. The Saviour ascends to the highest heights of exaltation and sits on the throne. From Genesis through Revelation, Scripture unfolds before us this union in One Person of Saviourhood and sovereignty; the one thing which perhaps above all other has presented the greatest difficulty and problem to the devout Jew. How could it be that the Messiah for whom they looked and longed was the Babe of Bethlehem? They looked for One who indeed would be "Christ," born as a Sovereign, even "born King of the Jews" as Herod said (Matthew 2:2). Instead He was Jesus, "born a Saviour" (Luke 2:11). How could they believe that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31)? Yet their own Old Testament revealed just this union of Saviourhood and sovereignty in One Person.

Had there not been a veil over his mind and heart, the devout Jew could not have failed to see the suffering Saviour in Psalm 22, and the exalted Sovereign in Psalm 24.

The New Testament throughout reveals union in One Person of Saviourhood and sovereignty. It was in the angel's announcement to the shepherds on the very day of His birth. It was the very heart of the preaching of the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost.

It is set forth clearly in many passages in the epistles.

Romans 1:3, 4: Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Hebrews 10:12: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Please stop here and read Philippians 2:5-11 (a bit too long to quote), which is the most glorious revelation of this most glorious truth.

Especially in the last book of the Bible do we have a matchless revelation of this union in One Person of Saviourhood and sovereignty:

Revelation 5:11, 12, 13: And I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne ... saying ... Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne.

The Saviour is the Lord. The Branch that is a bondslave is the Branch that is a King. The Lamb of God, the suffering Saviour, is the lion of the tribe of Judah, the exalted Sovereign. The scarlet thread that leads to the Cross is the golden thread that runs on to the throne.

God's purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord is thus made crystal clear. A Child as born to die, Jesus the Lamb of God, the Saviour. A Son was given to reign, Christ the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Sovereign. The Cross is God's way to the Throne.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 34 - (Two Advents in God's Counsel - The Child came to Die, The Son comes to Reign)

Waiting on God

Psalms 37:1-9

Waiting on God is an important spiritual discipline in our walk of faith. King David’s life teaches us about the value of following the Lord’s plan and the danger in moving ahead of Him.

When David was a young shepherd boy, the prophet Samuel anointed him as Israel’s next king. Yet he did not become the ruler for many years. Waiting for the Lord to place him on the throne was made more difficult because the current king, Saul, turned against David and repeatedly tried to take his life. Despite the opportunity to take matters into his own hands and kill his enemy, David held back. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to attack Saul either (1 Sam. 24:1-7). He waited on God and was greatly blessed for his obedience.

King David also knew what it was like to move ahead without the Lord. One year he chose not to join his troops in battle, even though that was one of his duties (2 Sam. 11:1). During the time he stayed home, he noticed Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and he coveted her. Acting upon his desires, he conceived a child with her and then tried to cover up his sin. What a mess he made of his life. Instead of following the Lord’s plan and being blessed, he experienced divine chastisement and much heartache.

As believers, we want to obey the Lord, but there may be situations when intense desire propels us forward without waiting for His direction. Like David, we will experience the blessing of obedience or the heartache of disobedience. Be sure to seek out God’s plan before you act.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~