Promises

The Disobedient Leper

While reading about the miracles of our Lord in Mark's Gospel, I came across this verse. "But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news about, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas?" Mark 1.45

Here was a leper, full of leprosy, who implored Jesus to make him clean; and the Lord, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Our Lord sternly warned him not to tell anyone, but to go to the priest and offer the necessary sacrifice as a testimony of his cleansing. 'But he?'

But he was disobedient! He began to publish the news of his cleansing freely and to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city. Here was a man whose witness was hindering the work of the Lord! Because of his reckless behaviour, our Lord could no longer publicly enter the cities. He had to stay out in unpopulated areas.

We too are rather careless about our Christian testimony. There are many Christians who are born again, but who have no fear of God. We go around preaching without praying. A lot of Christian gospel work is done in the flesh. The Lord honours whatever is done for Him [even in the flesh!], but definitely His arm is hindered. He can do much more, but we limit Him by our natural reactions, by human wisdom and fleshly activity.

There are hundreds of Christian debates and discussions going on in various Christian websites on the Internet. But how many of us kneel down and ask the Lord, "Where should I go? What should I do?" Often we are busy with our so-called Christian activities and we neglect to pray. It has reached a stage in my own life, where I realise that all my Christian ministry has no effect [even though many may like the preaching!] because I have not spent time in prayer and seeking God's will. There are still certain areas in my life which I have not handed over to the Lord. There are areas in which I am disobedient. Surely, if I hand them over to the Lord, will He not give me grace to obey?

The Lord sternly warned that man because He knew his weakness. We should know our own weaknesses and failings, and plead with God regarding them. We need to spend more time at the Lord's feet. Then the Lord will be able to do His work freely, without our ever hindering him. Through prayer God will give us grace to obey and help us overcome our failings. And with a clear conscience we can carry His presence with us as we witness to others. We can walk with the Lord and willingly follow Him in all His ways.

Blind Man of Bethsaida

You know the story in Mark chapter 8. Just five verses, from 22 to 26.

The blind man was honest. He said, 'I cannot see clearly. Things are blurred.'

Are we honest? Do we admit to God that we cannot see clearly? The Bible talks a lot about spiritual sight. The eyes of our understanding being open. Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. We need sight, we need revelation; we need to see clearly. We have come out of darkness into His marvellous light. The light must grow, Prov 4.18.

Yet we live in darkness. We live in a kind of twilight zone. We can't see clearly. Job says, in chapter 42.5, 'Now my eyes sees You!'. Now Job can see clearly, after the terrible and devastating experience of the Cross.

Jesus wants an honest answer. Lord, open my eyes that I may see wondrous things out of Your law [word], Psalm 119.18. If we are honest about our inability to see, then He will be gracious and touch our eyes once again. There is need for a second touch. We need to see the heavenly things, the spiritual things, and experience resurrection life, ascension life, heavenly life. Did not Elisha see in 2 Kings 6.17,18? There is a spiritual dimension, a pure and heavenly dimension, where we can experience the Presence of the Lord and appreciate the things of heaven. But we are satisfied with earthly things, with a limited and hazy vision; we claim to see, but in reality we are blind [John 9.39-41]

Perfect Heart

We understand this of an earthly father. A child of ten is doing some little service for the father, or helping him in his work. The work of the child is very defective, and yet the cause of joy and hope to the father, because he sees in it the proof of the child's attachment and obedience, as well as the pledge of what that spirit will do for the child when his intelligence and his strength have been increased. The child has served the father with a perfect heart, though the perfect heart does not at once imply perfect work.

Even so the Father in heaven accepts as a perfect heart the simple childlike purpose that makes His fear and service its one object. The Christian may be deeply humbled at the involuntary uprisings of the evil nature; but God's Spirit teaches him to say, "It is no more I, but sin that dwells in me." He may be sorely grieved by the consciousness of shortcoming and failure,but he hears the voice of Jesus, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Even as Christ counted the love and obedience of His faithless disciples as such, and accepted it as the condition on which He had promised them the Spirit, the Christian can receive the witness of the Spirit that the Father sees and accepts in him the perfect heart, even where there is not yet the perfect performance.

Andrew Murray

Broad and Narrow Way

Broad and Narrow Way
Originally uploaded by Prato9x.

Famous Indian poster of the Broad and Narrow Way.
Traditional Christian perspective, based perhaps on Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
The poster may contribute to religion, but adds little to faith.
Faith comes from receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, by being born again [born of the Spirit from heaven above], and by hearing the word of God [from the Bible].

Ladies Buying Vegetables

Ladies Buying Vegetables
Originally uploaded by Prato9x.

Fresh, fresh vegetables. No bargaining, please. Got straight from the farm! This is a scene outside the Park. So many carts lined up so that the walkers can purchase fruits and vegetables.

A candid shot, taken with a Canon A95.

[PS. I notice cabbages reflect a lot of light! Customers should stop removing the outer green skin!]

[PS. The long drumsticks are very tasty,especially when cooked with mutton!]

Sprig of Pink Blossoms

God of the Impossible

'Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed.' Romans 4.18, Weymouth.

When God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. If it is going to be something very wonderful, He begins with an impossibility.
-- Rev. Chas. Inwood

O God of the impossible,
When we no hope can see,
Grant us the faith that still believes
ALL possible to Thee!
-- J.H.S.

[Extracted from the May 8 devotional in 'Springs in the Valley' by Mrs Charles E. Cowman]

Reminder

Just to remind my readers that I have a collection of photographs on flickr.com under the names Prolix6x and Prato9x. You can see the flickr badge in the sidebar on the bottom right side of this blog. Wish you all happy viewing, besides the serious reading in my blogspot blogs!

I also have a testimony blog at http://borax.wordpress.com which is a must-see and a must-read. All for the glory of God and our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ!

Teesta River, Flowing Down from the Hills

The Teesta River, like green liquid jade,
Flowing down from the hills.
As you drive up to Kalimpong,
The sight of this pristine green river
Brings a thrill to the heart.

Extracted from "Christ in you" by TAS

"Christ in you" means that all that that [New Testament] covenant contains becomes an inward thing, an inward power, an inward revelation of God. "Christ liveth in you", said the Apostle, and the mystery which God has been pleased to reveal is: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

There is one comprehensive and all-embodying truth which, if it really gained the complete mastery of our hearts and dominated our whole consciousness, capturing our will, our hearts, and our minds, would really revolutionize everything, just as the new covenant represents a revolution from the old covenant. The great truth which embodies everything is this: that God has determined that nothing which is not Christ shall remain, and He is working toward that end, on the one hand to rid this universe of everything that is not Christ; on the other hand to fill this universe with that which is Christ. That means that God does not accept or recognize anything whatever that is not Christ. Then again, it means that God puts His seal upon what is Christ, and it is all a matter of the measure of Christ. It is a tremendous thing when that really does come to our hearts with the force and the power which it really does represent. It explains everything of God's dealings with us. It gives us the key to our problems. It sets us at once upon the highway of God's own purpose...

The first thing in the Colossian letter is the matchless presentation of the Lord Jesus. There is nothing in all the Word of God to compare with the first chapter of this letter as an unveiling of the Lord Jesus, that is, in any one part. From eternity Christ is seen in and through creation, all things unto Him, by Him, through Him, Christ in sovereignty governing all things, controlling all things. Gather it all up into one fragment, a universal fragment: "That in all things he might have the pre-eminence." There is the universal and eternal Son of God! And then, all that, as in a Divine secret, is brought right down and it is said: "Christ IN YOU, the hope of glory". All that in you - the Church. It is THAT Christ that is in you. He who created all things is in you IN YOUR RELATEDNESS TO THE CHURCH. He for whom all things were created is in you THUS, He who upholds all things is in you THUS. He in whom all things consist, hold together, is in you corporately, as in His Body.

The second thing is this: that the letter goes on, "seeing that ye have put off the old man... and have put on the new man" (3:9-10). What does that mean? That all that is not Christ is put aside, is repudiated, and all that is Christ is put on, is brought in. So that God's intention concerning His Son as universally pre-eminent is going to be realized by His being put on on the part of believers, who, as the third chapter says, have been "raised together with Him". This, the Apostle says, is the meaning of baptism (Colossians 2:12).

Christ is not a second personality or power, to come along to reinforce US, to vivify US, to strengthen US, for us to use in life and in service, and that He should make US something. That is not the thought, and that is not the angle of Scripture at all. And yet, how almost universally, perhaps largely unconsciously, that is what is happening. Christians are wanting to be made something, even as Christians; and Christian workers and the Lord's servants are, though perhaps unwittingly, wanting to be made something as workers; and they want Christ to reinforce THEM, come behind THEM, and make THEM something as His servants and in His service. That whole system of things is diametrically opposed to the truth. The truth is that Christ shall be all, and that we decrease that He may increase; that He should be the primary Personality, and that the impact and registration of any life and any service should not be: 'What a good man he was!' or 'What a good woman she is!' or 'What a fine worker!' but: 'What a presence of Christ! What a testimony to Christ! What an expression of Christ! What a sense of Christ! What a reality of Christ!'

[Emphasis mine. Extracted from 'Christ in You' by T.Austin-Sparks, from the online library at www.austin-sparks.net]

Psalm 57.2

I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me. Psalm 57.2

What a wonderful promise! God who performs all things for me. The faithful God who does everything for me, 1 Thess 5.24. The God who ‘accomplishes’ all things for me [NASB], for the word ‘accomplish’ is much greater than ‘perform’. It means God will bring it to pass; He who has begun the good work will complete it, Phil 1.6. The Amplified Bible says, ‘He brings to pass His purposes for me, and surely completes them!’ That is the scope of God’s grace; it will achieve it’s objective. It will not fail. How can we fall short of the grace of God – unless we are reprobate like Esau!

Then there is the phrase, ‘God Most High’ or the Most High God, El Elyon. God who rules over all the nations, the Omnipotent God who reigns forever. He is far above all, seated on the Throne in heaven. He has all things under His feet. The Most High God is the Possessor of heaven and earth. He exercises authority in the heavenly and earthly spheres. Everyone, including His enemies, must bow down before Him. ‘I am the LORD,’ He declares. ‘All authority has been given to Me.’ [Matt 28.18] Who is this LORD? He is the Lord Jesus Christ!

He will accomplish all things – all things, everything! No matter how big, or how small! He is the God of all grace. He does everything in our life. Not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit – the Spirit of grace! Not by our wisdom or even our influence; there is nothing in us. He Himself declared, ‘Without Me you can do nothing’, John 15.5

‘For me.’ God is concerned about me personally. He is concerned about every individual believer. He fashions each heart individually, Ps 33.5 Oh, there is personal concern of our Heavenly Father. He cares for the ravens and the sparrows and the lilies of the valley. What an amazingly meticulous God!

But the main thrust of this promise is on prayer. I will cry out! It is a deep cry from the heart, an intense heart-felt prayer. There are degrees of prayer; there is praying, there is crying out, and there are tears [Heb 5.9]. Oh, that we would pour out our hearts to Him in this way, the way of the psalmist, who knew this faithful, prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God!

Introduction to Jericho

I'm referring to the journey that Elisha made with Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and then to the Jordan and beyond. It is in 2 Kings 2. I've spoken of Gilgal and Bethel elsewhere in my other blogs, but I thought I should share something about Jericho.

Jericho is known as the City of Palms; it must have been very scenic, located in the Jordan Valley, about 800 feet below sea-level. It had luxurious vegetation; not only palm trees, but bananas, balsam, henna, etc. It was a flourishing trade centre in Biblical days, and was located close to the fertile Moab region.

Jericho appears as a city with high walls, a Canaanite stronghold, not easy to be captured. It was the city of Rahab, which means harlotry flourished in that place. It had treasures such as a beautiful Babylonian garment, silver and gold, which attracted Achan. In the New Testament it was the city of two blind men [healed by Jesus]. It was also the city of Zaccheus, the rich man who gave up his riches.

Jericho speaks of the world. It looks very attractive. No wonder Satan offered the world and its kingdoms and their glory to Jesus in the Temptations in the wilderness. Jericho attracted that Jew in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, just as the world attracts many Christians today. From the high level of Jerusalem we slip down [backslide] to Jericho. As that Jew was wounded and became unconscious, we too are full of sores and wounds [Isaiah 1] and are unconscious of our backsliding; a time comes when we become insensitive to the Holy Spirit.

The world is famous for its harlotry. James calls the lovers of the world adulteresses, James 4.4. The world is full of riches, full of exotic treasures, full of attractions, full of glamour and excitement, full of marketing and advertising. Even without the silver and gold, I am sure many of us would have been enticed by that 'beautiful Babylonian garment'. [Apart from the religious connection, I am sure the garment from Shinar attracted Achan because of its trendy colours and exquisite fashion.] We know that the world lies in darkness; worse still, the people of the world are blind, and only God in His mercy has to open their eyes.

And, most important of all, the world is full of riches and splendour; Zaccheus must have lived in style. Everyone wants to invest in the world, rather than in heaven. Our heart is where our treasure is, and our treasure is buried in this world. Jesus said, You cannot serve God and Mammon, Matt 6.24. The desire to make a quick buck is a tendency very strong in us. We all want to make our fortune in the world. It is like that man in the parable who built bigger and bigger barns. One day God took away his life!

Oh, the deceitfulness of riches. We are living in a time, when the trend to earn money is growing stronger and stronger, and most churches have become like the church in Laodicea, which boasted foolishly that it lacked nothing.

When will we learn? When will we learn that the conquest of Jericho is the key to the taking of the land? We have to overcome the world by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to obtain our inheritance [enjoy the abundant blessings of the Promised Land].

Japanese Pagoda, Darjeeling

Bethsaida

I'm referring to the incident of the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida. Please note, the Lord took the man by the hand and led him outside the village. He healed him outside the village. Then He sends him home, saying, 'Don't even enter into the village!'

Bethsaida is condemned. But why? Please refer to Matthew 11.20-24. Jesus denounced the cities where most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. Matt 11.21 says, 'Woe unto you, Bethsaida!' Our Lord goes on to say that had He done those miracles in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Bethsaida did not repent in spite of so many miracles.

It is not easy to repent. But there is an underlying message. Will miracles bring about repentance? They seem to have hardened Bethsaida's heart. Repentance comes from conviction through the Word of God, Acts 2.37. It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, John 16.8. Mere physical healing and signs and wonders will not change the human heart. The Word has to be planted there. The Word has to be like a hammer that breaks the rocks, Jer 23.29. O the tragedy of a hardened heart, of one over-familiar with the truths of God! O the blindness of seeking charismatic experiences, miracles and healings, without experiencing the convicting work of the Holy Spirit!