The God of the Broken-Hearted

September 5, 2008 – 12:02 am

“The Lord is near the broken-hearted.” Psalm 34:18

The God of the Bible, is the God of the broken-hearted. The world cares little for the broken hearts. Indeed, people oftentimes break hearts by their cruelty, their falseness, their injustice, their coldness–and then move on as heedlessly as if they had trodden only on a worm! But God cares. Broken-heartedness attracts Him. The plaint of grief on earth–draws Him down from heaven.

Physicians in their rounds, do not stop at the homes of the well–but of the sick. So it is with God in His movements through this world. It is not to the whole and the well–but to the wounded and stricken, that He comes with sweetest tenderness! Jesus said of His mission: “He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted.” Isaiah 61:1

We look upon trouble as misfortune. We say that the life is being destroyed, which is passing through adversity. But the truth which we find in the Bible, does not so represent suffering. God is a repairer and restorer of the hurt and ruined life. He takes the bruised reed–and by His gentle skill makes it whole again, until it grows into fairest beauty. The love, pity, and grace of God, minister sweet blessing of comfort and healing–to restore the broken and wounded hearts of His people.

Much of the most beautiful life in this world, comes out of sorrow. As “fair flowers bloom upon rough stalks,” so many of the fairest flowers of human life, grow upon the rough stalks of suffering. We see that those who in heaven wear the whitest robes, and sing the loudest songs of victory–are those who have come out of great tribulation.

Heaven’s highest places are filling, not from earth’s homes of glad festivity and tearless joy–but from its chambers of pain; its valleys of struggle where the battle is hard; and its scenes of sorrow, where pale cheeks are wet with tears, and where hearts are broken. The God of the Bible–is the God of the bowed down–whom He lifts up into His strength.

God is the God of those who fail. Not that He loves those who stumble and fall, better than those who walk erect without stumbling; but He helps them more. The weak believers get more of His grace–than those who are strong believers.

There is a special divine promise, which says, “My divine power is made perfect in weakness.” When we are conscious of our own insufficiency, then we are ready to receive of the divine sufficiency. Thus our very weakness is an element of strength. Our weakness is an empty cup–which God fills with His own strength.

You may think that your weakness unfits you for noble, strong, beautiful living–or for sweet, gentle, helpful serving. You wish you could get clear of it. It seems to burden you–an ugly spiritual deformity.

But really it is something which–if you give it to Christ–He can transform into a blessing, a source of His power. The friend by your side, whom you envy because he seems so much stronger than you are–does not get so much of Christ’s strength as you do. You are weaker than him–but your weakness draws to you divine power, and makes you strong.

- J. R. Miller

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The Bible - The Book for the Unsuccessful

September 4, 2008 – 12:02 am

The Bible is indeed a book for the unsuccessful. Its sweetest messages are to those who have fallen. It is the book of love and sympathy. It is like a mother’s bosom to lay one’s head upon–in the time of distress or pain.

Its pages teem with cheer for those who are discouraged. It sets its lamps of hope to shine in darkened chambers. It reaches out its hands of help to the fainting, and to those who have fallen. It is full of comfort for those who are in sorrow. It has its many special promises for the needy, the poor, and the bereft. It is a book for those who have failed, for the disappointed, the defeated, and the discouraged.

It is this quality in the Bible, which makes it so dear to the heart of humanity. If it were a book only for the strong, the successful, the victorious, the unfallen, those who have no sorrow, who never fail, the whole, the happy–it would not find such a welcome wherever it goes in the world.

So long as there are tears and sorrows, and broken hearts, and crushed hopes, and human failures, and lives burdened and bowed down, and spirits sad and despairing–so long will the Bible be full of inspiration, light, help, and strength–for earth’s weary ones.

The God of the Bible is the God of those who have not succeeded. Wherever there is a weak, stumbling Christian, unable to walk alone–to him the divine heart goes out in tender thought and sympathy; and the divine hand is extended to support him, and keep him from falling.

Whenever a Christian has fallen, and lies in defeat or failure–over him bends the heavenly Father in kindly pity, to raise him up and to help him to begin again. The God of the Bible is the God of the weak, the unsheltered. Their very helplessness of His children, is their strongest plea to the divine heart.

- J. R. Miller

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The Natures of Christ

September 3, 2008 – 12:02 am

The Bible represents Christ as a Person having two natures, the one divine and the other human. This is the great mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh, I Tim. 3:16.

The two natures
Since many in our day deny the deity of Christ, it is necessary to stress the Scripture proof for it. Some old Testament passages clearly point to it, Such as Isa. 9:6; Jer. 23:6; Micah 5:2; Mal. 3:1. The New Testament proofs are even more abundant, Matt. 11:27; 16:16; 26:63, 64; John 1:1, 18; Rom. 9:5; I Cor. 2:8; II Cor. 5:10; Phil. 2:6; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 19:16.

The humanity of Jesus is not called in question. In fact, the only divinity many still ascribe to Him is that of His perfect humanity. There is abundant proof for the humanity of Jesus. He speaks of Himself as man, John 8:40, and is so called by others, Acts 2:22; Rom. 5:15; I Cor. 15:21.

He had the essential elements of human nature, namely, a body and a soul, Matt. 26:26, 38; Luke 24:89; Heb. 2:14. Moreover, He was subject to the ordinary laws of human development, Luke 2:40, 52, and to human wants and sufferings, Matt. 4:2; 8:24; Luke 22:44; John 4:6; 11:35; 12:27; Heb. 2:10, 18; Heb. 5:7, 8.

Yet though He was a real man, He was without sin; He did no sin and could not sin, John 8:46; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 9:14; I Pet. 2:22; I John 3:5. It was necessary that Christ should be both God and man. It was only as man that He could be our substitute, and could suffer and die; and only as sinless man that He could atone for the sins of others. And it was only as God that He could give His sacrifice infinite value, and bear the wrath of God so as to deliver others from it, Ps. 40:7-10; 130:8.

The two natures united in one Person
Christ has a human nature, but He is not a human person. The Person of the Mediator is the unchangeable Son of God. In the incarnation He did not change into a human person; neither did He adopt a human person.

He simply assumed, in addition to His divine nature, a human nature, which did not develop into an independent personality, but became personal in the Person of the Son of God.

After this assumption of human nature the Person of the Mediator is not only divine but divine-human; He is the God-man, possessing all the essential qualities of both the human and the divine nature. He has both a divine and a human consciousness, as well as a human and a divine will. This is a mystery which we cannot fathom.

Scripture clearly points to the unity of the Person of Christ. It is always the same Person who speaks, whether the mind that finds utterance be human or divine, John 10:30; 17:5 as compared with Matt. 27:46; John 19:28.

Human attributes and actions are sometimes ascribed to the Person designated by a divine title, Acts 20;28; I Cor. 2:8; Col. 1:13, 14; and divine attributes and actions are sometimes ascribed to the Person designated by a human title, John 3:13; 6:62; Rom. 9:5.

Some of the most important errors concerning this doctrine
The Alogi and the Ebionites denied the deity of Christ in the early Church. This denial was shared by the Socinians of the days of the Reformation, and by the Unitarians and Modernists of our day.

In the early Church Arius failed to do justice to the full deity of Christ and regarded Him as a demi-God, while Apollinaris did not recognize His full humanity, but held that the divine Logos took the place of the human spirit in Christ. The Nestorians denied the unity of the two natures in one Person, and the Eutychians failed to distinguish properly between the two natures.

To memorize. Passages to prove:

The deity of Christ

Isa. 9:6. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Jer. 23:6. “In His days shall Judah be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name whereby He shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness.”

John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Rom. 9:5. “Whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever.”

Col. 2:9. “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the God”

The humanity of Christ

John 8:40. “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God.”

Matt. 26:28. “Then said He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: abide here and watch with me.”

Luke 24:39. “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself’. handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having.”

Heb. 2:14. “Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death He might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

The unity of the Person

John 17:5. “And now, Father, glorify Thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.”

John 3:13. “And no one hath ascended into heaven, but He that descended out of heaven, even the Son of Man, who is in heaven.”

I Cor.2:8. “Which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

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Paul

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The Names of Christ

September 2, 2008 – 12:02 am

The most important names of Christ are the following:

Jesus
This is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, Jos. 1:1; Zech. 3:1, or Jeshua, Ezra 2:2. Derived from the Hebrew word ‘to save,’ it designates Christ as the Saviour, Matt. 1:21. Two types of Christ bore the same name in the Old Testament, namely, Joshua the son of Nun and Joshua the son of Jehozadak.

Christ
This is the New Testament form for the Old Testament ‘Messiah,’ which means ‘the anointed one.’ According to the Old Testament, prophets, I Kings 19:16, priests, Ex. 29:7, and kings, I Sam..10:1, were anointed with oil, which symbolized the Holy By this anointing they were set aside for their respective offices, and were qualified for them. Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit for the threefold office of prophet, priest, and king. Historically, this anointing took place when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and when He was baptized.

Son of Man
This name, as applied to Christ, was derived from Dan. 7:13. It is the name which Jesus generally applies to Himself, while others seldom use it. While it does contain an indication of the humanity of Jesus, in the light of its historical origin in points far more to His superhuman character and to His future coming with the clouds of heaven in majesty and glory, Dan. 7:13; Matt. 16:27, 28; 26:64; Luke 21:27.

Son of God
Christ is called ‘the Son of God’ in more than one sense. He is so called, because He is the second Person of the Trinity, and therefore Himself God, Matt. 11:27, but also because He is the appointed Messiah, Matt. 24:36, and because His birth to the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit, Luke 1:3.

Lord
Jesus’ contemporaries sometimes applied this name to Jesus as a form of polite address, just as we use the word ’sir.’ It is especially after the resurrection of Christ that the name acquires a deeper meaning. In some passages it designates Christ as the Owner and Ruler of the Church, Rom. 1:7; Eph. 1:17, and in others it really stands for the name of God, I Cor. 7:34; Phil. 4:4, 5.

Tomorrow: The Natures of Christ

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God Bless,
Paul

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Forgiving Others

September 1, 2008 – 12:02 am

Jesus spent a great deal of time talking about the importance of forgiving others. He made it clear that forgiveness is to be a characteristic of his followers. So let’s explore what it means to forgive others, the benefits of forgiving and how to forgive.

What It Means To Forgive

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

To forgive someone means to not seek revenge on the one who has hurt you. It means letting go of the anger we harbor inside us and allowing God to deal with him or her as he, in his perfect wisdom, sees fit.

It doesn’t mean excusing a wrong or denying that it ever happened. It means we don’t allow ourselves to be consumed with anger towards the one who has done something to us. Instead of cursing him, we pray for him. Here are three verses that reflect the attitude of the forgiving heart:

“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

“Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it.” (1 Peter 3:9)

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, ‘I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,’ says the Lord. Instead, do what the Scriptures say: ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you’. Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.” (Romans 12:17-21)

The Forgiveness Factor

“And don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior” (Ephesians 4:26-27,31)

As the verses above tell us, anger gives Satan a foothold in our lives. Anger has a devastating affect on our relationship with God as well as with others. Over time we will take our anger out on those around us. It will consume us and eats us alive unless we deal with it. Jesus passionately taught us to forgive others, to let go, to let him handle it. He wants us to be at peace and for that to happen anger must be replaced with forgiveness.

A few years ago Christianity Today featured a cover story entitled, “The Forgiveness Factor: Social Scientist discover the power of a Christian virtue” (January 10,2000). In it, they discussed how researchers have discovered the importance of forgiveness. What was most interesting was that they had come to the conclusion that the one who does the forgiving is the one who benefited the most. Social science is just now beginning to understand what Jesus taught 2000 years ago!

How To Forgive

“Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

After Jesus taught the apostles about forgiveness (Luke 17:3-5) they said to him, “Give us more faith!” Forgiving is not easy. It takes the strength of God to truly be able to let go. It takes faith and much prayer to say to someone, “I will repay this evil with good. I will not hate you.”

“I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

The One who spoke these gentle words has the power to heal the hurting soul. He can take your shattered life and piece it back together again. You just need to let Him. “Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you.”

Jesus told us to pray for our enemies and when we do something beautiful and indescribable happens: He takes that which is terrible and molds it into that which is wonderful. He gives us beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3). With His help all the restlessness, all the anger that has built up for so long, will wash away like waves turning back into the ocean. He will, just as He promised, give us peace.

Here are some tips to help you forgive:

- Do not deny that you have been hurt. As we learned, forgiving is not denying.

- Make a decision to forgive others (Luke 17:3-5)

- Do not seek revenge or repay evil for evil. Let God handle it in his perfect way (1 Peter 3:9)

- Ask Jesus to help you release the anger inside you (Ephesians 4:26-27,31)

- Pray for a forgiving heart and read what the Bible says about the subject. Pray for those who have hurt you (Matthew 5:44

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Perfect Peace

August 29, 2008 – 12:02 am

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isa. 26:3)

What is signified by a mind “stayed on” the Lord? At least three things.

First, to make the Lord the Portion of my soul.

All around us are those vainly seeking contentment in things: such as money, and what it can buy, social prestige, fame, pleasures, etc.—all of which are broken vessels which hold no water.

Only the One who made us can satisfy the heart; only as our affection is set upon “things above” do we drink of the Fountain of living waters. Just in proportion as “Delight thyself also in the LORD” (Psa. 37:4) will “perfect peace” be mine now.

Second, to receive from God’s hand whatsoever enters my life.

I need to cultivate the habit of looking beyond all secondary causes, all intermediary agents and human instruments, recognising that “of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are ALL things” (Rom. 11:36). “Cease ye from man” (Isa. 2:22); conclude no more it is Satan who is seeking to disturb your rest; but say, “The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it!” (John 18:11). As we are enabled to say from the heart “It is the LORD: let Him do what seems good to Him” (1 Sam. 3:18) will “perfect peace” be ours in this world of sin and turmoil.

Third, to leave the future entirely with God.

And why not? Are not my “times” in His hand (Psa. 31:15)? Has He not graciously cared for me and faithfully supplied my every? Then why be fearful of what lies ahead? Has He not promised never to leave nor forsake me! Just in proportion as I live a day at a time, and “Take therefore no anxious thought for the morrow” (Matt. 6:34) will “perfect peace” be mine even now.

But each of these three things is dependent upon the exercise of FAITH; as the text says “because he trusts in You.” O to know more of this!

- A.W. Pink

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Joy Restored

August 28, 2008 – 12:02 am

The saints of old fell into sin, but they did not remain there. David cries “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Peter denies his Master, but he does not always remain a blaspheming, ungrateful coward. No, he comes back again to his Lord and Master, and makes the avowal, “Thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.”

You and I, I hope, can give a better proof still that we have tried it ourselves. We remember that dear hour when first we came to Christ. Oh, it was no fiction, no dream. We were weighed down with a thousand sins, but one look at Jesus took them all away; and since that time we have often been cast down.

There may be some of you who escape from doubts and fears, if you do, I greatly envy you, but I think that most of us get at times in such a position that we cry with David, “My soul lies cleaving unto the dust.”

You feel as if you dare not come into the Lord’s presence; you cannot hope that he will hear your prayer; you cannot grasp the promises, they seem too good for such as you; you cannot look up to Christ to call him brother; “Abba, Father,” falters on your tongue; but, have you not known what it is to look to your Redeemer again just as you did at first? And then your love and joy have come back to you again once more, as if it had been a new conversion, and you have gone on your way rejoicing.

- Charles Spurgeon

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Baptism

August 27, 2008 – 12:02 am

Baptism is the mark of distinction between the Church and the world. It very beautifully sets forth the death of the baptized person to the world.

Professedly, he is no longer of the world; he is buried to it, and he rises again to a new life. No symbol could be more significant. In the immersion of believers there seems to me to be a wondrous setting forth of the burial of the believer to all the world in the burial of Christ Jesus.

It is the crossing of the Rubicon. If Caesar crossed the Rubicon, there would never be peace between him and the senate again. He draws his sword, and he throws away his scabbard.

Such is the act of baptism to the believer. It is the crossing of the Rubicon: it is as much as to say, “I cannot come back again to you; I am dead to you; and to prove I am, I am absolutely buried to you; I have nothing more to do with the world. I am Christ’s, and Christ’s for ever.”

- Charles Spurgeon

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Rejoice, Pray and Give Thanks

August 26, 2008 – 12:02 am

The Christian is one who has been born all over again (John 3:3, 7), he has been created anew (2 Cor. 5:17). He does not see things as the earthling sees them, but, as a child of the heavenly Father, he goes rejoicing through his Father’s world. He is glad to live out the implications of his faith. His spiritual resources are so great that earthly things cannot disturb his composure, and he goes on his way with a song in his heart (Col. 3:16).

It is natural for men to rejoice when things go well with them. But it is not this natural joy, dependent on circumstances, that is characteristic of the Christian. It is the joy that comes from being “in Christ”. They thought more of their Lord than of their difficulties; more of their spiritual riches in Christ than of their poverty on earth; more of the glorious future when their Lord should come again than of their unhappy past. So the note of joy rings through the New Testament, “Rejoice always.”

The injunction to continual prayer springs out of the same great idea as that to continual rejoicing. Christianity is a religion which turns men’s thoughts away from themselves and their puny deeds to the great God who has wrought a stupendous salvation for them in Christ our Savior.

For living the dedicated life the power of the indwelling Spirit alone suffices. All along the way man is made to feel his own insufficiency. But alongside that is the power and the love of Almighty God. God will not leave man. He comes to him at Calvary and at Pentecost. He provides for the deepest needs of man’s soul.

If we live in this way, conscious of our dependence on God, conscious of His presence with us always, conscious of His will to bless, then our general spirit of prayerfulness will in the most natural way overflow into uttered prayer. Prayer was as natural to Paul as breathing. At any time he was likely to break off his argument or to sum it up by some prayer of greater or less length.

In the same way our lives can be lived in such an attitude of dependence on God that we will easily and naturally move into the words of prayer on all sorts of occasions, great and small, grave and happy. Prayer is to be constant.

When a man comes to see that God in Christ has saved him, everything is altered. He now realizes that God’s purpose is being worked out. He sees the evidence in his own life and in the lives of those about him. This leads to the thought that the same loving purpose is being worked out even in those events which he is inclined not to welcome at all. When he comes to see God’s hand in all things he learns to give thanks for all things.

- Leon Morris

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He Restores My Soul

August 25, 2008 – 12:02 am

“He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:3

The shepherd restore his sheep in several ways. If one wanders away, he goes out after it, and seeks it until he finds it, restoring it to the shelter of the fold. If one faints and grows sick by the way, in the hard journey or the burning heat the shepherd does not leave it to die, but takes it up in his arms, and carries it home, restoring it to the fold. If a sheep is hurt, torn by a wild beast or injured by accident, the shepherd tends its wounds until they are healed.

All this suggests how our Good Shepherd restores our souls. Sometimes we wander away. It is very easy to drift off from Christ. The drifting is often unconscious, we do not realize that we are losing our first love, and little by little, we are far off from Him. Perhaps it is a cherished sin which eats out our heart-life. Or perhaps it is a worldly companionship which draws us away, loosening the bonds which bound us to Christ.

Sometimes it is an absorbing business which leaves no room for God. Or it may be the cares of this world which choke the Word and quench the Spirit. We often need to have our soul restored, quickened, revived… or we would never get safely home, through this evil world.

Then, what soul is not sometimes hurt, wounded, torn by the wild beasts of temptation? Sin is a fearful thing. It wounds the soul and no hand but Christ’s can restore it. But if we put our hurt life into His hand, He will give healing. What millions of sin’s woundings has our Good Shepherd cured!

Then, when sorrow has left the heart broken, it is only the Good Shepherd who can restore it. He is a most skillful physician. We may put all sorrow’s wounds into His hand. He is most gentle, and His hand is infinitely skillful. He is a wonderful comforter. No human hand can heal a heart that is bruised but the hand of Jesus has infinite delicacy and skill.

- J. R. Miller

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