Seemingly Impossible
C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
'...many people are deterred from seriously attempting Christian chastity because they think (before trying) that it is impossible. But when a thing has to be attempted, one must never think about possibility or impossibility.
Faced with an optional question in an examination paper, one considers whether one can do it or not: faced with a compulsory question, one must do the best one can.
You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone.
Not only in examinations but in war, in mountain climbing, in learning to skate, or swim, or ride a bicycle, even in fastening a stiff collar with cold fingers, people quite often do what seemed impossible before they did it.
It is wonderful what you can do when you have to.
We may, indeed, be sure that perfect chastity-like perfect charity-will not be attained by any merely human efforts.
You must ask for God's help.
Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given.
Never mind.
After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again.
Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.
For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul
which are more important still.
It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God.
We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven.
The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.
C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
(((I really get a lot from this excerpt from C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity.
So often we want to give up because things do seem impossible. It's impossible to give up that cherished sin, or those cherished sins. We try and try and pray until we think we can pray no more and yet still we fall victim to the cherished sin. We soon focus on the sins that do so easily beset us. -- Paul had this to say --
Romans {7:18} For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. {7:19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. {7:20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. {7:21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. {7:22} For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: {7:23} But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. {7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? {7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
He had a lot to say didn't he? Can you empathize with him? I can. Lewis says that 'many are deterred'. We become deterred because we feel it's impossible. Then he says this... 'You must ask for God's help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given.'
It does seem this way doesn't it? Even getting that desire to give up cherished sin seems hard. The sin seems to become more ingrained, harder than ever to give up. The harder we try, the more elusive and hopeless it seems, right?
I really like this part of what Lewis says-
'Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.'
To me that says we don't give up! God works in ways we can't possibly understand and if we're not given the answers in the ways we want we can't give up on God. That's what we do isn't it? When we give in to our sins and never try to rid ourselves of them, if we give up the fight, if we give up hope, we are giving up on Jesus and we are saying that He doesn't have the power to save us. Whether we want to admit it or not, that's what we're saying. We can try and blame ourselves by saying we'll never be good enough so why bother, but that's only stating the obvious truth that Jesus already knows. Is this a license so sin, no, no, no. Admitting that we can't save ourselves is essential towards the true realization that only Christ can save us. Paul called himself a wretched man and then asked who could deliver him from the body of death... he answered himself, he thanked God through Jesus' Christ our Lord. We have to thank God knowing that even though we can't imagine a sinless life that He can do even that for us. We can't give up the hope! And we can't ... like Lewis said, 'be content with anything less than perfection.' And that perfection is Jesus' Christ.
May God help us now and always, by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus!
Amen.
8/26/10
Heb 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren
Sanctified
SANC'TIFIED, pp.
1. Made holy; consecrated; set apart for sacred services.
2. Affectedly holy.
He that makes holy and those who are made holy by Him are all of one. That thought is amazing really. There is no special criteria to meet except we be made holy. No snickering and thinking- 'Is that all.' Seriously. We aren't to make ourselves holy but be made holy. We can't make ourselves holy- there is nothing in us to do that. We have no power to make anything holy, we have no holiness of our own- none. HE that sanctifieth- we can be sanctified and by God's will and His grace, through His love we will be made holy and be one with the One who makes us holy. Imagine, our God- imagine, our Savior-imagine, our Redeemer, our Sanctifier not being ashamed to call us brothers.
Brothers. Related to Christ by HIS choice. It's amazing that we have such a wonderful Savior who doesn't want to rule over us with an iron fist, who doesn't want to punish us arbitrarily.
Listen to these words...
Heb 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Heb 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
We are partakers of Jesus' death and His life saving blood. We are a part of His plan of salvation. Jesus gave His life, Jesus gave His flesh, Jesus gave His blood and through that sacrifice we find life. We are partakers of the life of Christ. We are part of that life, that continued life, the life that is eternal, the life that rose from the grave and ascended to heaven, the life that is related to ours- brothers, relatives, partakers together. The amazing realization that we part take of Christ's life today, right now, right this moment, is something that is too overwhelming to fully comprehend. We have to comprehend it though, we have to make it REAL. We have to have a living, viable life with Christ as a REAL person- yes, I said person!!! Yes, He is a God, God the Son. He is also a human being and we tend to take him out of that realm completely and only think of Him on His throne in heaven. Jesus was real flesh and blood, He had bones, muscles, He had hair, eyes, hands, feet, fingers, toes-- He was human! He was a divine human, yes, there is no doubt about that at all. He was divine but He became one of us, for us. That miracle, that blessing in undeniably beyond anything we can understand. By His grace we will be with Him one day, thanking Him in person, face to face, falling to our knees before Him, our God, our Brother, our Holy Brother.
In His love!
Amen.
8/26/11
Such
a Vision!
Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that
spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the
foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like
wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as
if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven
stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was
as the sun shineth in his strength.
...
John
turned- the voice was coming from behind him as noted earlier, but tell me, did
John turn right away upon first hearing the booming trumpet-like voice behind
him? No. The voice had time to tell John --
Rev 1:11 … I am Alpha and Omega, the first and
the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven
churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos,
and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
If
you read that aloud you realize that's quite a bit of talking to someone's back.
A knee-jerk reaction you'd think would have been to turn upon the first few
words. But John isn't himself here is he? What I mean is,
John is being guided by the Spirit. If he's in the Spirit then he has to
be guided by the Spirit and obviously he wasn't guided to jerk about, but able
to listen and then turn to see the voice that had spoken with him. It's just
interesting to imagine the situation, isn't it? John is on an island, he's in
the Spirit. I'm picturing him sitting outside in some nice spot, and yes, I
imagine there are nice spots there- I've seen pictures of the Island of Patmos
and while they are modern pictures I can't believe the island was some desolate
rock unable to sustain life. Anyway, I imagine John sitting outside and while
he's praying the Spirit fills him fully and he hears the great voice behind him.
Taking a moment to listen to the voice John I imagine is amazed and turns to see
from whom this voice is coming because clearly it's behind him and not just
generally surrounding him on all sides. He turns and what does he see...
Rev
1:12 '.... And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks'
Candlesticks--
Exo 25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of
pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his
branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
Exo 25:32 And six branches shall come out of the
sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three
branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
Exo 25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds,
with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the
other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of
the candlestick.
Exo 25:34 And in the candlestick shall be four
bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
Exo 25:35 And there shall be a knop under two
branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop
under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out
of the candlestick.
Exo 25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be
of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
Exo 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps
thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over
against it.
Exo 25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the
snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
Exo 25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make
it, with all these vessels.
Exo 25:40 And look that thou make them after
their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
Exo 39:32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle
of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did
according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
Exo 39:33 And they brought the tabernacle unto
Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and
his pillars, and his sockets,
Exo 39:34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed
red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
Exo 39:35 The ark of the testimony, and the
staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
Exo 39:36 The table, and all the vessels thereof,
and the shewbread,
Exo 39:37 The
pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in
order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
Exo 39:38 And the golden altar, and the anointing
oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
Exo 39:39 The brasen altar, and his grate of
brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40 The hangings of the court, his pillars,
and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins,
and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the
congregation,
Exo 39:41 The cloths of service to do service in
the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons'
garments, to minister in the priest's office.
Exo 39:42 According to all that the LORD
commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
Exo 39:43 And Moses did look upon all the work,
and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done
it: and Moses blessed them.
2Ch 4:19 And Solomon made all the vessels that
were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the
shewbread was set;
2Ch 4:20 Moreover the
candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner
before the oracle, of pure gold;
2Ch 4:21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the
tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold
Seven
candlesticks-were placed in the tabernacle erected in the wilderness by
Moses, and by Solomon for the permanent temple- the house of God. And John turns
to look at who spoke to him and saw seven golden candlesticks. There's that
number again- seven. And we know for a
fact that God placed importance upon having seven lamps in His temple, so what
is John seeing? No longer is the terrain behind him the same as it was when he
walked to where he was. Everything had been changed. The Spirit had altered
things and in this vision he was seeing seven
golden candlesticks a sure sign of the temple of God, only not the
temple John knew on earth in Jerusalem. He didn't say he'd been taken to the
Jerusalem temple, but here he was seeing a very amazing sight, seven golden
candlesticks but not only that...
Rev 1:13 'And in
the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man…'
One like unto the
Son of Man- where have we read this already?
Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and,
behold, one like
the Son of mancame with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him.
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him:
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Jesus!
Mat 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes
about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
Mat 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said
unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes
have holes, and the birds of the air have nests;
but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Jesus!
Mat 11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this
generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto
their fellows,
Mat 11:17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and
ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
Mat 11:18 For John came neither eating nor
drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
Mat 11:19 The
Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man
gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is
justified of her children.
Jesus!
Mat 12:8 For
the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Jesus!
Mat 13:41 The
Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity
Is
it safe to say that the Son of man John was seeing was Jesus?
Yes!
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the
foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like
wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as
if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven
stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was
as the sun shineth in his strength.
What
a vision! What a sight to behold! Clearly John is describing something very
magnificent! What did John do upon seeing such a wonder?
...
Rev 1:17 'And when I saw him, I fell at his feet
as dead…'
He
fell down! And not only did he fall down, he fell as one DEAD. What's that
mean? He lost all ability to remain standing. His very strength was gone. The
shock of what he was seeing completely floored him. We hear about people being
frightened into fainting, frightened into falling down in fact we may have done
it ourselves a time or two, but it would be a very amazing fright to cause us
to just fall down as dead, yes? John fell at the feet of the Son of man as dead
and no wonder by how he's described Him. Fear coursed through John, such a fear
that it had him all but fainting.
Was
John the only prophet who fell down like that? No. Remember this...
Dan 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for
the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon
them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
Dan 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw
this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was
turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Dan 10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and
when I heard the voice of his words, then
was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
In a deep sleep
on his face. A deep sleep-
as one dead, yes? Death is a very deep sleep.
What happened
next...
Rev 1:17 '…And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and,
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
'
And for Daniel
was it similar?
Dan 10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which
set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
Dan 10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man
greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright:
for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood
trembling.
Dan 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
words.
Fear not!
Now John had
JESUS touching Him once more, after being gone so long from Him.
How amazing it had to be for John to see Jesus again and not only see
Him, but see Him in all His glory as one who hadn't aged. Yes, that's a factor
here too because John was an old man by now. Time had surely shown its ravages
upon John's features. Yet time had
not altered the Savior save to have Him appear more glorious than ever.
The
Son of man laid his right hand - the hand that held seven stars- upon John and
spoke. What's the first thing He says to John after being seen by him? 'Fear
not'
Fear
not! John was filled with fear! We like to imagine that the only encounter one
could have with the Spirit and such would be peaceful and calm, we envision an
otherworldly tranquility associated with God. It's not altogether wrong to
believe in such because Jesus was a peaceful man upon earth and He advocated
peace and love. He admonished His disciples for their fear when they were in
the stormy seas. But it's understandable that fear isn't altogether unexpected
when we deal with the Spirit. Is it a crippling fear? Well, it was a fear that
knocked John off his feet as if he were dead, falling to the ground. Obviously
it wasn't a fear that sent him running for the hills. This fear took total
control of John and then the Son of man said to him...'Fear not'
He
didn't stop there did he? He went on to explain why John should not fear.
He
says... 'I am the first and the last' Again the association of God! The ever
was and the ever will be.
He
says... 'I am he that liveth and was dead.' John knows who died and rose- the
Son of God, the Son of man.
He
continues... 'And, behold, I am alive for evermore, amen!'
Never will death touch Him again. Death took the Son of man, the man who
was the Son of God and pulled Him down to the grave. Released from death He
would live forever!
And
He says... 'And have the keys of hell and death.' The keys! What do keys do?
They unlock and when you unlock something you're opening it, you're freeing what
was locked within. The keys of hell and death are whose? Jesus! Jesus the Son of
God, the Son of man, who died and rose from death- defeating death -has the
keys that can free everyone from death and the grave! Everyone!
Jesus!
Jesus
in the heavenly temple of God surrounded by the seven golden candlesticks!
Jesus reaching to touch John to revive him from his stupor over the very sight
of all he was being shown. What wonder! What amazing, miraculous sights to be
seeing! To be in the presence of Jesus in all His glory, so unlike Jesus when
He walked the earth so unassuming. This is Jesus in all His power, His heavenly
garb, His transformed self. No wonder John needed reviving.
Amazing
the setting for this message to us, and make no mistake-- it is for us. For
God's people throughout time and we are God's people. We need to study this
thoroughly, we need the blessings offered to us. May we truly be blessed and
guided by the Spirit as we endeavor to understand more fully all that was given
to John and in what manner it was given to Him. Such an amazing description of
the setting deserves a true recognition for the importance placed upon what
message is being told to John for us.
By
His mercy and His grace, His everlasting love, now and forever! Amen!
All
praise to our God and King!
'...many people are deterred from seriously attempting Christian chastity because they think (before trying) that it is impossible. But when a thing has to be attempted, one must never think about possibility or impossibility.
Faced with an optional question in an examination paper, one considers whether one can do it or not: faced with a compulsory question, one must do the best one can.
You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone.
Not only in examinations but in war, in mountain climbing, in learning to skate, or swim, or ride a bicycle, even in fastening a stiff collar with cold fingers, people quite often do what seemed impossible before they did it.
It is wonderful what you can do when you have to.
We may, indeed, be sure that perfect chastity-like perfect charity-will not be attained by any merely human efforts.
You must ask for God's help.
Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given.
Never mind.
After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again.
Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.
For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul
which are more important still.
It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God.
We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven.
The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.
C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
(((I really get a lot from this excerpt from C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity.
So often we want to give up because things do seem impossible. It's impossible to give up that cherished sin, or those cherished sins. We try and try and pray until we think we can pray no more and yet still we fall victim to the cherished sin. We soon focus on the sins that do so easily beset us. -- Paul had this to say --
Romans {7:18} For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. {7:19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. {7:20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. {7:21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. {7:22} For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: {7:23} But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. {7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? {7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
He had a lot to say didn't he? Can you empathize with him? I can. Lewis says that 'many are deterred'. We become deterred because we feel it's impossible. Then he says this... 'You must ask for God's help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given.'
It does seem this way doesn't it? Even getting that desire to give up cherished sin seems hard. The sin seems to become more ingrained, harder than ever to give up. The harder we try, the more elusive and hopeless it seems, right?
I really like this part of what Lewis says-
'Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.'
To me that says we don't give up! God works in ways we can't possibly understand and if we're not given the answers in the ways we want we can't give up on God. That's what we do isn't it? When we give in to our sins and never try to rid ourselves of them, if we give up the fight, if we give up hope, we are giving up on Jesus and we are saying that He doesn't have the power to save us. Whether we want to admit it or not, that's what we're saying. We can try and blame ourselves by saying we'll never be good enough so why bother, but that's only stating the obvious truth that Jesus already knows. Is this a license so sin, no, no, no. Admitting that we can't save ourselves is essential towards the true realization that only Christ can save us. Paul called himself a wretched man and then asked who could deliver him from the body of death... he answered himself, he thanked God through Jesus' Christ our Lord. We have to thank God knowing that even though we can't imagine a sinless life that He can do even that for us. We can't give up the hope! And we can't ... like Lewis said, 'be content with anything less than perfection.' And that perfection is Jesus' Christ.
May God help us now and always, by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus!
Amen.
8/26/10
Heb 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren
Sanctified
SANC'TIFIED, pp.
1. Made holy; consecrated; set apart for sacred services.
2. Affectedly holy.
He that makes holy and those who are made holy by Him are all of one. That thought is amazing really. There is no special criteria to meet except we be made holy. No snickering and thinking- 'Is that all.' Seriously. We aren't to make ourselves holy but be made holy. We can't make ourselves holy- there is nothing in us to do that. We have no power to make anything holy, we have no holiness of our own- none. HE that sanctifieth- we can be sanctified and by God's will and His grace, through His love we will be made holy and be one with the One who makes us holy. Imagine, our God- imagine, our Savior-imagine, our Redeemer, our Sanctifier not being ashamed to call us brothers.
Brothers. Related to Christ by HIS choice. It's amazing that we have such a wonderful Savior who doesn't want to rule over us with an iron fist, who doesn't want to punish us arbitrarily.
Listen to these words...
Heb 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Heb 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
We are partakers of Jesus' death and His life saving blood. We are a part of His plan of salvation. Jesus gave His life, Jesus gave His flesh, Jesus gave His blood and through that sacrifice we find life. We are partakers of the life of Christ. We are part of that life, that continued life, the life that is eternal, the life that rose from the grave and ascended to heaven, the life that is related to ours- brothers, relatives, partakers together. The amazing realization that we part take of Christ's life today, right now, right this moment, is something that is too overwhelming to fully comprehend. We have to comprehend it though, we have to make it REAL. We have to have a living, viable life with Christ as a REAL person- yes, I said person!!! Yes, He is a God, God the Son. He is also a human being and we tend to take him out of that realm completely and only think of Him on His throne in heaven. Jesus was real flesh and blood, He had bones, muscles, He had hair, eyes, hands, feet, fingers, toes-- He was human! He was a divine human, yes, there is no doubt about that at all. He was divine but He became one of us, for us. That miracle, that blessing in undeniably beyond anything we can understand. By His grace we will be with Him one day, thanking Him in person, face to face, falling to our knees before Him, our God, our Brother, our Holy Brother.
In His love!
Amen.
8/26/11
Such
a Vision!
Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that
spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the
foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like
wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as
if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven
stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was
as the sun shineth in his strength.
...
John
turned- the voice was coming from behind him as noted earlier, but tell me, did
John turn right away upon first hearing the booming trumpet-like voice behind
him? No. The voice had time to tell John --
Rev 1:11 … I am Alpha and Omega, the first and
the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven
churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos,
and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
If
you read that aloud you realize that's quite a bit of talking to someone's back.
A knee-jerk reaction you'd think would have been to turn upon the first few
words. But John isn't himself here is he? What I mean is,
John is being guided by the Spirit. If he's in the Spirit then he has to
be guided by the Spirit and obviously he wasn't guided to jerk about, but able
to listen and then turn to see the voice that had spoken with him. It's just
interesting to imagine the situation, isn't it? John is on an island, he's in
the Spirit. I'm picturing him sitting outside in some nice spot, and yes, I
imagine there are nice spots there- I've seen pictures of the Island of Patmos
and while they are modern pictures I can't believe the island was some desolate
rock unable to sustain life. Anyway, I imagine John sitting outside and while
he's praying the Spirit fills him fully and he hears the great voice behind him.
Taking a moment to listen to the voice John I imagine is amazed and turns to see
from whom this voice is coming because clearly it's behind him and not just
generally surrounding him on all sides. He turns and what does he see...
Rev
1:12 '.... And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks'
Candlesticks--
Exo 25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of
pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his
branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
Exo 25:32 And six branches shall come out of the
sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three
branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
Exo 25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds,
with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the
other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of
the candlestick.
Exo 25:34 And in the candlestick shall be four
bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
Exo 25:35 And there shall be a knop under two
branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop
under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out
of the candlestick.
Exo 25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be
of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
Exo 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps
thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over
against it.
Exo 25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the
snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
Exo 25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make
it, with all these vessels.
Exo 25:40 And look that thou make them after
their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
Exo 39:32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle
of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did
according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
Exo 39:33 And they brought the tabernacle unto
Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and
his pillars, and his sockets,
Exo 39:34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed
red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
Exo 39:35 The ark of the testimony, and the
staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
Exo 39:36 The table, and all the vessels thereof,
and the shewbread,
Exo 39:37 The
pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in
order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
Exo 39:38 And the golden altar, and the anointing
oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
Exo 39:39 The brasen altar, and his grate of
brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40 The hangings of the court, his pillars,
and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins,
and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the
congregation,
Exo 39:41 The cloths of service to do service in
the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons'
garments, to minister in the priest's office.
Exo 39:42 According to all that the LORD
commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
Exo 39:43 And Moses did look upon all the work,
and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done
it: and Moses blessed them.
2Ch 4:19 And Solomon made all the vessels that
were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the
shewbread was set;
2Ch 4:20 Moreover the
candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner
before the oracle, of pure gold;
2Ch 4:21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the
tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold
Seven
candlesticks-were placed in the tabernacle erected in the wilderness by
Moses, and by Solomon for the permanent temple- the house of God. And John turns
to look at who spoke to him and saw seven golden candlesticks. There's that
number again- seven. And we know for a
fact that God placed importance upon having seven lamps in His temple, so what
is John seeing? No longer is the terrain behind him the same as it was when he
walked to where he was. Everything had been changed. The Spirit had altered
things and in this vision he was seeing seven
golden candlesticks a sure sign of the temple of God, only not the
temple John knew on earth in Jerusalem. He didn't say he'd been taken to the
Jerusalem temple, but here he was seeing a very amazing sight, seven golden
candlesticks but not only that...
Rev 1:13 'And in
the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man…'
One like unto the
Son of Man- where have we read this already?
Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and,
behold, one like
the Son of mancame with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him.
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him:
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Jesus!
Mat 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes
about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
Mat 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said
unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes
have holes, and the birds of the air have nests;
but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Jesus!
Mat 11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this
generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto
their fellows,
Mat 11:17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and
ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
Mat 11:18 For John came neither eating nor
drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
Mat 11:19 The
Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man
gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is
justified of her children.
Jesus!
Mat 12:8 For
the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Jesus!
Mat 13:41 The
Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity
Is
it safe to say that the Son of man John was seeing was Jesus?
Yes!
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the
foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like
wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as
if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven
stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was
as the sun shineth in his strength.
What
a vision! What a sight to behold! Clearly John is describing something very
magnificent! What did John do upon seeing such a wonder?
...
Rev 1:17 'And when I saw him, I fell at his feet
as dead…'
He
fell down! And not only did he fall down, he fell as one DEAD. What's that
mean? He lost all ability to remain standing. His very strength was gone. The
shock of what he was seeing completely floored him. We hear about people being
frightened into fainting, frightened into falling down in fact we may have done
it ourselves a time or two, but it would be a very amazing fright to cause us
to just fall down as dead, yes? John fell at the feet of the Son of man as dead
and no wonder by how he's described Him. Fear coursed through John, such a fear
that it had him all but fainting.
Was
John the only prophet who fell down like that? No. Remember this...
Dan 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for
the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon
them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
Dan 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw
this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was
turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Dan 10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and
when I heard the voice of his words, then
was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
In a deep sleep
on his face. A deep sleep-
as one dead, yes? Death is a very deep sleep.
What happened
next...
Rev 1:17 '…And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and,
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
'
And for Daniel
was it similar?
Dan 10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which
set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
Dan 10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man
greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright:
for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood
trembling.
Dan 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
words.
Fear not!
Now John had
JESUS touching Him once more, after being gone so long from Him.
How amazing it had to be for John to see Jesus again and not only see
Him, but see Him in all His glory as one who hadn't aged. Yes, that's a factor
here too because John was an old man by now. Time had surely shown its ravages
upon John's features. Yet time had
not altered the Savior save to have Him appear more glorious than ever.
The
Son of man laid his right hand - the hand that held seven stars- upon John and
spoke. What's the first thing He says to John after being seen by him? 'Fear
not'
Fear
not! John was filled with fear! We like to imagine that the only encounter one
could have with the Spirit and such would be peaceful and calm, we envision an
otherworldly tranquility associated with God. It's not altogether wrong to
believe in such because Jesus was a peaceful man upon earth and He advocated
peace and love. He admonished His disciples for their fear when they were in
the stormy seas. But it's understandable that fear isn't altogether unexpected
when we deal with the Spirit. Is it a crippling fear? Well, it was a fear that
knocked John off his feet as if he were dead, falling to the ground. Obviously
it wasn't a fear that sent him running for the hills. This fear took total
control of John and then the Son of man said to him...'Fear not'
He
didn't stop there did he? He went on to explain why John should not fear.
He
says... 'I am the first and the last' Again the association of God! The ever
was and the ever will be.
He
says... 'I am he that liveth and was dead.' John knows who died and rose- the
Son of God, the Son of man.
He
continues... 'And, behold, I am alive for evermore, amen!'
Never will death touch Him again. Death took the Son of man, the man who
was the Son of God and pulled Him down to the grave. Released from death He
would live forever!
And
He says... 'And have the keys of hell and death.' The keys! What do keys do?
They unlock and when you unlock something you're opening it, you're freeing what
was locked within. The keys of hell and death are whose? Jesus! Jesus the Son of
God, the Son of man, who died and rose from death- defeating death -has the
keys that can free everyone from death and the grave! Everyone!
Jesus!
Jesus
in the heavenly temple of God surrounded by the seven golden candlesticks!
Jesus reaching to touch John to revive him from his stupor over the very sight
of all he was being shown. What wonder! What amazing, miraculous sights to be
seeing! To be in the presence of Jesus in all His glory, so unlike Jesus when
He walked the earth so unassuming. This is Jesus in all His power, His heavenly
garb, His transformed self. No wonder John needed reviving.
Amazing
the setting for this message to us, and make no mistake-- it is for us. For
God's people throughout time and we are God's people. We need to study this
thoroughly, we need the blessings offered to us. May we truly be blessed and
guided by the Spirit as we endeavor to understand more fully all that was given
to John and in what manner it was given to Him. Such an amazing description of
the setting deserves a true recognition for the importance placed upon what
message is being told to John for us.
By
His mercy and His grace, His everlasting love, now and forever! Amen!
All
praise to our God and King!