Friday, October 30, 2009

HE FELL AND PRAYED

"And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him." (Mark 14:35)

THE REDEMPTION OF HUMANITY required a work of the greatest magnitude. Nothing about it was easy, automatic, or without great effort. Owing to a serious lack of understanding, salvation is sometimes considered with a total disregard for the profound requirements that were fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. He did not enter into this work until He had laid aside the prerogatives of Deity, sheathing the sword of Omnipotence, and emptying Himself. From one point of view, He entered into the work with tremendous disadvantages. Coming into the world as a helpless Babe, He had to grow in both stature and wisdom, having the grace of God upon Him (Lk 2:12,40,52). He would be tempted in all points, just like those He came to save – and must do so "without sin" (Heb 4:15). He would have to "learn obedience by the things which He suffered" (Heb 5:8). He had to live out His adult life in a spiritual straitjacket, "straitened till" His sacrificial death was "accomplished" (Lk 12:50). Saving humanity was not a simplistic mission!

HOWEVER, NO CHALLENGE WAS AS GREAT to the Savior as that faced in His death. Death was different for Him. For all other men, death is a Divine appointment: "it is appointed unto men once to die" (Heb 9:27). For the Lord Jesus, death was a commandment. He Himself confessed, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father" (John 10:18).

THE UNSPEAKABLE WEIGHT OF CHRIST'S DEATH weight of Christ's death was not found in death itself, but in the reason for the death, and what was to be accomplished in it. The salvation of the world hinged on this death. In it, God Himself would lay the sins of the world upon Him. His death would be the consequence of what others had done – not to Him, but His God. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa 53:6). In a manner that would be keenly felt by Himself, Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet 2:24, NKJV).

THIS WAS NOT A MERE TECHNICALITY. His spirit would, in some way, feel the defilement of iniquity, as well as bear the consequences of it. He would be "made sin for us," and "made a curse for us" (2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13). Never before had His essential person been defiled or contaminated in any way. Now, within a brief span of time, the tide of iniquity would rush like a torrent upon Him. He would become responsible for the transgressions of all men, and bear the penalty for them as well. For a season, the darkness of sin would smother the light of His Divinity, as He would bear the curse of the Almighty, becoming sin incarnate.

AS THE TIME FOR HIS DEATH APPROACHED, our Lord "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Lk 9:51). He would permit nothing to turn Him from His mission, sorrowful though it was. A solid determination gripped His spirit as He began to face the marshaled forces of the power of darkness. Not only would His Father lay the sins of the world upon Him, the devil and his corps would come like a flood upon him. He had to prepare Himself to fight the battle of the ages. The destiny of everyone who ever had or ever would have faith depended on the outcome of this battle. This would be the point at which God, the One offended by sin, would be pleased, and moved to open the door of salvation. After Jesus had observed the Passover with His disciples, instituting the Lord's supper during the occasion, He took His disciples to a retreat He often visited. It is written, "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives" (14:26). John tells us "Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples" (John 18:2). It was a place of spiritual seclusion, where fewer worldly intrusions were possible.On the way to the garden, Jesus told His disciples they would be offended because of Him that very night, and would be scattered (v 27). He also told Peter he would deny Him three times that very night (v 30). Upon arriving at the Gethsemane, He told His disciples, "Sit ye here, while I shall pray." Then He took Peter, James, and John with Him as He went deeper into the garden. We are told "He began to be troubled and deeply distressed," confessing, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death" (v 32-34).

IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT HE "fell on the ground, and prayed." He asked His Father "that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him." He confessed, "Father, all things are possible for You," then pled, "Take this cup away from Me" NKJV (35-36). Nevertheless, Jesus bent His will to the Father saying, "not what I will, but what You will." The battle He was fighting was so fierce that an angel from heaven was dispatched to the scene. Luke tells us that angel appeared, "strengthening Him" (Lk 22:43).

THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE OF RECORD where Jesus "fell to the ground." He was the Master of every other situation, managing whatever came His way. But in this case, He did not stand and fight, but fell and prayed! It is no doubt true for us as well, that our most fierce battles are fought from a ground position, while we are lay prone before our Father. Yielding to God was not easy for Jesus, and it will not always be easy for you.

– Given O. Blakely

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

THE JOURNEY IS TOO GREAT

"And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee." (1 Kings 19:7)

ELIJAH HAD BEEN USED BY GOD to accomplish one of the greatest exploits in all of history. He had commanded wicked Ahab to gather to him "all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table." That was a total of 850 false prophets. When everyone was gathered, Elijah challenged the wavering people. "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him." The people were as silent as the proverbial tomb! The mighty prophet, strong in the Lord, proceeded to set a challenge before the 450 prophets of Baal. He asked that two bulls be brought, one for him, and one for Baal's prophets. The false prophets were to choose one of the bulls, cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood. No fire was to be placed under it. He would take the other bull, doing the same thing. Then each would call upon their god to consume the sacrifice with fire. The god who responded would be recognized as THE God. Everyone agreed.

YOU REMEMBER THE OCCASION. Baal's prophets prepared their bull and cried out to their god from morning until noon. When there was no answer, they "danced around on the altar they had made" (NIV). When they were chided and mocked by Elijah, they cut themselves, crying more loudly. After midday had passed, the false prophets prophesied until the evening. The air was thick with silence. Their god did not answer them.

AT THAT POINT ELIJAH TOOK OVER. He built an altar with twelve stones, making a large trench around it large enough to hold over several gallons of water. He then had twelve barrels of water poured on the sacrifice. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed. God answered by sending a fire that consumed the burnt sacrifice, all of the wood, the stones making up the altar, the dust around it, and all of the water that was in the trench. Elijah then brought the prophets of Baal down to the brook Kishon, and executed them there.

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT EVENT, Elijah declared an abundance of rain was going to bring an abrupt end to a famine that had lasted for three and a half years (Lk 4:25; James 5:17). Following this, Ahab told his wife, Jezebel of the exploits of Elijah. Being exceedingly wicked, she sent a message to Elijah declaring she would kill him like he killed the prophets of Baal, and do so "by tomorrow about this time." It was at that point that Elijah fled to Beersheba for his life, finally sitting under a juniper tree and asking God to take his life. Fatigued with all that had happened, he then fell sleep (1 Kgs 18 and 19).

THE PROPHET WAS AWAKENED BY AN ANGEL who touched him and said "Get up and eat" (NIV). He did so, then fell sleep again. The angel again awakened him, declaring the words of our text. "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee." The angelic meal was so nourishing that Elijah "went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God" (19:8).

THERE IS MUCH TO BE LEARNED from this remarkable sequence of events. Those who live by faith also face extreme challenges that require the expenditure of their spiritual resources. Yet, even after victories have been won, that is not the end of the matter. They must still make it to "the mount of God" – the place where there are no battles. That journey requires a lifetime, and cannot be negotiated only on the benefits realized in great victories. Some people try and run the race to glory with the nourishment of victory – but that is not sufficient to carry you through. You need the sustenance that comes from eating food for the soul. After Elijah had called down fire from heaven, he had to eat! Even after Elijah slew the prophets of Baal, he had to eat! He could not journey to Horeb on his triumph over the prophets of Baal. He needed the staples of food and water, and it was supplied to him by an angel from heaven. Once he had eaten that food, he made the long and difficult journey to the appointed place in great strength.

AS A CHILD OF GOD, you have also been supplied bread and water: "the bread of life" and "the water of life" (John 6:35; Rev 21:6). They come to you through your fellowship with Christ and your ingestion of the Word of God, by which you live (Matt 4:4). But they must be consumed. The bread must be eaten, and the water must be imbibed. Without them, the journey to heaven is "too great for thee." It simply is too long and too arduous to make it without proper nourishment.

MANY A POOR SOUL is trying to get to heaven without eating and drinking – without being nourished in the inner man. They do not ingest the Word of God, and they do not drink from the fountain of the water of life. Their lives are filled with too much of this world, and too little of the "powers of the world to come." Members of a church or not, such souls will faint by the way, unable to complete the race. Every child of God must immediately get to the business of eating the bread and drinking the water!

– Given O. Blakely

Monday, October 26, 2009

BUILDING AND REPAIRING

"And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." (Isaiah 61:4)The sixty first chapter of Isaiah announced the coming Messiah – "the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Spirit of God would be upon Him in an unprecedented way. He would not come to give a law, like Moses. Rather, He would come with a marvelous message – a message of liberty. He would be "anointed" to preach, or declare, "good tidings unto the meek." His would be a message that would make for gladness, rejoicing the heart. It would be for the "meek," who had been downtrodden. Other versions read "the poor" (NKJV), "the afflicted" (NASB), and "the oppressed" (NRSV). He would have a special ministry to "the brokenhearted," for He was "sent" to "bind up" their hearts, restoring and strengthening them. He would not come to engage in a military initiative to subdue oppressors, but to "proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." The Messiah would announce the time of Divine acceptance, when men would be righteously received by God Almighty. Those who mourned would be comforted (61:1-2).The Christ would also initiate an substitution program in which liabilities would be exchanged for spiritual assets. This exchange would be a Divine appointment, steadfast and sure, which could not be countermanded by the forces of darkness. How beautifully it is stated. "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (61:3a). Those who had been bludgeoned by sin and dominated by death would be known as "trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified" (61:3b). How this message is needed in our day!When Jesus began His ministry, He returned to His home town, where the people were familiar with Him: "He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up." We are told it was His "custom" to enter the synagogue on the Sabbath day. If He were enfleshed among us today, there is no question where He would be on the Lord's day. On that particular Sabbath day, Jesus stood up to read the Scriptures. He was given the book of Isaiah. The passage He read was Isaiah 61. He was announcing His manifesto – what He had come to do. Following the reading, He closed the book and sat down. Then, with the eyes of all in the synagogue fastened upon Him, He said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Lk 4:16-21). Thus His ministry began.The prophecy of Isaiah elaborated on the ministry of the Messiah – the One anointed by God to reclaim fallen man. His beneficent reign would be marked by recovery and rebuilding. There would be significant advancement where devastation had reigned. Thus we read, "They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations" (61:4, NIV).Sin had taken its toll on the "offspring of God." For most people, great proclamations of truth had been buried under the rubble of discouragement and decay. Only those who lived by faith thought about the time when the serpent's head would be crushed, or the world would be blessed. The nation God had chosen and cultured was described by God Himself as "a disobedient and gainsaying people" (Rom 10:21). Their worship had degenerated into a vain display of flesh, and had become a stench in the nostrils of God. He could not tolerate their religious gatherings any more (Isa 1:13).However, things would change when the Messiah came. Waste places would be built. Places that were long devastated would be restored. Ruined cities, although they had been dismantled for many generations, would be renewed. The Lord's Christ would induct an era of recovery0 The time of the Messiah has come! God "sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:26). The recovery program is under way! I do understand that it often appears as though this is not the case. Among professed believers, some are looking for a golden age to come – a time of recovery and building, so to speak. While there is something to be said for such a time, care must be taken not to "neglect so great salvation" that is currently in place (Heb 2:3). There is no reason or need for spiritual desolation and waste to be all about us! It is wholly unjustifiable for any professing believer to be living in spiritual squalor and defeat! Although such things are altogether too common, they ought not to exist.One of the reasons for the failure of professing believers to recover and rebuild their lives is their ignorance of the present ministry of Jesus. They have obtained a distorted view of Him as a super problem solver or hand holder. They do not know about taking the Kingdom by violence (Matt 11:12), being "built up" in Christ and "established in the faith" (Col 2:7). They have not heard words like, "building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20). Nevertheless, these are the days when these things can be done! This is the day of salvation! Let it be announced with power, and let recovery be seen everywhere!– Given O. Blakely

Friday, October 23, 2009

HIDDEN TREASURES

HIDDEN TREASURES
"That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:2-3)

THE REALM OF THE SPIRIT is filled with all manner of treasures. They are not mere historical artifacts, or things to be put on display in museums. These are "riches" that are essential to living by faith. They are not luxuries, or unneeded opulence. Ponder the impact of the expression, "ALL riches of the full assurance of understanding." Riches are one thing: "ALL" riches are something else! It is one thing to talk abound assurance, it is quite another thing to speak of "FULL" assurance. Other versions read, "all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding" (NASB), and "the full riches of complete understanding" (NIV). However you say it, we are speaking of unspeakable vastness.

THE "UNDERSTANDING" OF REFERENCE is very focused. It is not a general understanding of the affairs of life. Nor, indeed, is it an understanding of domestic and social relationships. It does not pertain to the various strata of knowledge relating to the sciences. Rather, this "understanding" has to do with the "understanding of God's secret plan, which is Christ himself" (NLT). That is, it is being able to comprehend what God is doing in Christ Jesus. By this, the Spirit means that a clear understanding of the present role of Jesus brings a flood of confidence, or assurance, to the heart. Thus, the individual is enabled to "fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim 6:12). The comprehending soul can run the race that has been set before him with patience, or perseverance (Heb 12:10). He can resist the devil, steadfast in the faith, and consistently press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God (1 Pet 5:8-9; Phil 3:14).

IN THE UNDERSTANDING ITSELF an abundance of spiritual resources can be obtained, for in salvation, you can only obtain what you can comprehend. However, where comprehension is realized, you can have all that you perceive. Elsewhere, it is stated like this: that you "may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph 3:18-19). Where advancement in the faith is not being realized, it is because of a deficiency in the "full assurance of understanding."

OUR TEXT AFFIRMS these riches are "hidden." By that, the Spirit means they are not accessible to the flesh. They are higher than flesh can reach, and deeper than it can probe. Only the new birth can give you a capacity to obtain these "hidden" riches. An imparted aptitude is required. Speaking of those who failed to understand His words, Jesus thanked the Father He had deliberately "hid these things from the wise and prudent" (Matt 11:25). You cannot take hold of things "pertaining to life and godliness" through mere disciplined procedures or study. They are not located in a domain that can be accessed by natural abilities or resources. These things are called "hidden wisdom" (1 Cor 2:7).

IN ELABORATING ON hidden "treasures of wisdom and knowledge," our text affirms they are not altogether hidden, but are concealed in Christ Jesus. If, therefore, we want to "be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col 1:9), we must be in conscious affiliation with the Son of God. That means we must have some awareness of our connection with Him. It is, of course, the Father Himself who put us into Christ. As it is written, "But by His [God's] doing you are in Christ Jesus" (1 Cor 1:30, NASB). It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that the children of God have access to "the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

THERE IS A DIVINE OBJECTIVE behind us being brought into relation to Jesus. That affiliation is precisely described. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor 1:9). We have, therefore, been moved into the domain in which the treasures are kept. They are "hidden," or concealed, to all who are outside of that domain, which is the Lord Jesus Himself. They are available to all who have been placed where the treasures are stored. How marvelous, therefore, to read, The Father "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Col 1:13). He has put the saints where the required treasures are hidden. By virtue of being "in Christ," we occupy the area in which "all spiritual blessings" are found, and can be freely obtained. Now, in Jesus, "all things are yours" (1 Cor 3:21). Our only limitation is our faith.

I WANT TO UNDERSCORE the necessity of the "treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The rigors of the faith-life cannot be fulfilled with a sparse understanding of the things God has provided in and through Jesus Christ. Countless numbers of professed believers are attempting to please God in the energy of the flesh, unaware of "the treasures" that belong to them. See to it you are not in that number!

– Given O. Blakely

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

ANOINTED EYES

ANOINTED EYES

"I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Rev 3:18)

IN A GLORIFIED STATE, after He had been exalted to "the right hand of the majesty on high" (Heb 1:3), Jesus had something to say to the churches. After men had believed the Gospel, been baptized into Christ, and been added to His church, Jesus had something to say to them. While on the Isle of Patmos, in a state of tribulation and exile, Jesus spoke to John on the Lord's Day. He did not speak about John's circumstances, or deliver him a message of his soon deliverance from the oppressive Island. Instead, He gave John a message for "the churches which are in Asia." He was in their midst, holding their messengers in His hand.

HE WAS ALSO ASSESSING THEM, critiquing, as it were, their status and progress in the faith. This is part of His glorified activity – assessing His churches, counseling them, and seeking to have them correct their flaws. Many professed believers appear completely oblivious to this condition. They conduct their affairs as though Jesus was not even looking at them, let alone evaluating them. Others assume that grace makes no allowance for Divine evaluation. They imagine churches remain in Christ's favor just because of their name, or their theological persuasion.

IN OUR TEXT, JESUS IS EVALUATING THE CHURCH in Laodicea. It is the only church in the Bible about which not one good thing was said. They were spiritually tepid, being neither hot nor cold. In fact, they were nauseating to Jesus, and He was about to vomit them out, or "spew them out" of His mouth. They had come to the point where the Son of God, full of grace and truth, could no longer tolerate them.

JESUS TELLS THEM WHY they have ill-effected Him. First, He gave them a summation of their assessment of themselves: "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." They no longer required anything from the Lord, and thus did not seek it. They could conduct their business without the Head of the church or the Savior of the body. They did not need Divine power, grace, or direction. It appears to me that this spirit dominates much of the religious community. There does not seem to be a dependence upon the Lord, or a quest for the benefits that are found in Him.

IF A MODERN CHURCHMAN HAD SEEN THE CHURCH in Laodicea, he would not have seen it as Jesus did. He might have witnessed a successful religious organization with various community involvements. They probably had an impressive facility and highly credentialed staff – perhaps even a large missionary budget. But all of that can be done without Jesus, without the Spirit, and without the grace of God. Such things are not wrong of themselves, but they are never to be the means of assessing a body of believers, or determining their acceptance by the Son of God.

JESUS HAD NOT GIVEN UP ON THIS CHURCH, as miserable as it was. He had what they needed, but they would have to "buy" it from Him. They would have to forfeit something to gain what they really needed. Among the things they sorely needed were genuine wealth – "gold tried in the fire;" appropriate attire for the soul – "white raiment;" and something promoting spiritual vision – "eye salve." These things were required because, contrary to their own opinion, they were "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." The resources they could "buy" from Jesus would resolve these totally unacceptable conditions.

I WANT TO FOCUS ON A SPIRITUAL STATE that is very common in our time: spiritual blindness. One of the telling marks of this generation is its ignorance of the things of God. Scriptural illiteracy is at an astounding level, to say nothing of the depravity of "spiritual understanding" (Col 1:9). It is not unusual to encounter whole congregations who have very little understanding of God, Christ, salvation, the grace of God, justification, sanctification, the coming of the Lord, or other pivotal matters. Countless preachers are professed experts in the family, administration, organizing churches, marriage, or some other mundane area. Yet, they are abysmally ignorant of the "salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Tim 2:10). This is confirmed in their preaching, their writing, and the people who embrace what they say.

WHAT IS THE LORD'S ASSESSMENT of such a condition? They are "blind." The condition is inexcusable because nothing about salvation makes for blindness. To be in Jesus and yet be blind necessitates the quenching and grieving of the Spirit, a hard heart, and a love for the world. Spiritual blindness, or a lack of spiritual understanding, is not an accident, and it will not be overlooked by the Lord of glory.

THE NEED IS FOR EYES TO BE ANOINTED with the eye salve Jesus alone possesses. Jesus Himself does not anoint the eyes of these blind. The people must "buy" the "eye salve" from Him, and anoint their own eyes with it. This eye salve has to do with the Gospel of Christ, which is God's "power unto salvation." When the eyes of our understanding are anointed with the Gospel, everything becomes plain. Blind people have somehow forgotten the Gospel. That is why blindness has settled upon them. The word to them: buy and anoint!

– Given O. Blakely

Monday, October 19, 2009

ASK ABOUT THE DAYS

ASK ABOUT THE DAYS

"For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?" (Deuteronomy 4:32)

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY contains the last words of Moses. They were spoken "across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab" (NIV). This occasion took place eleven days journey from Horeb, where they had received the Law, and were spoken on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after their deliverance (Deut 1:1-3). It was a whole new generation, for "all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD" (Josh 5:6). Forty years earlier, representatives had searched the promised land for forty days. Ten of those men brought back an evil report, discouraging the heart of the people, who then feared to enter the land as God commanded. God told them at that time, "your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness" (Num 14:32-33).

NOW, THEIR CARCASES HAVE FALLEN and been consumed in the vast wasteland in which they had journeyed for forty years. Moses himself has been forbidden to enter the promised land because, he said, "the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither" (Deut 1:37). He is 120 years old, and would soon die, even though "his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated" (Deut 34:7). His final words to the people are the book of Deuteronomy. How will he speak to the people? What will he constrain them to recall?

MOSES AGAIN REHEARSED THE LAW TO THE PEOPLE – the Word God had spoken to them (1:5). He told them how he had interceded for them, how he had appointed chiefs over them, and judges to handle their disputes (1:15-16). He reviewed how they had balked at entering the promised land (1:22-31), and how they had been led day and night by Divine direction (1:33). His review was most detailed, outlining the opponents they had faced in the wilderness, the various battles they had fought, and how they had been slaves in Egypt. On every point he reasoned with them, nailing thoughts into their minds that would assist them to please the Lord in their responses.

IN OUR TEXT, MOSES ADDRESSES THOSE who grew up during the wilderness wanderings. Some of them were born as Israel wandered. Others were infants when they were delivered from Egypt. Even those who were under twenty when they were delivered had much of their recollections erased by "that great and terrible wilderness" (1:19). He challenges them to "ASK" about the days that were past. Some might say we cannot live in the past, so we as well forget about it. That is not how Moses spoke! There were men among them who could remember. Ranking high among them were Joshua and Caleb. They could remember all of the details of their deliverance and wilderness wanderings. "ASK NOW," Moses says, about the days that were before you!

HE CALLS UPON THEM TO CONSIDER if there had ever been days like those since "God created man upon the earth." He does not ask them to consider Adam and Eve in the Garden, but what the Lord had done among them in prior days. He challenges them to "ask from the one side of heaven unto the other" if there is anything that can compare with what God has done among them.

AMONG THE THINGS HE MENTIONS, he recalls how they had heard the voice of God and lived (4:33). He calls upon them to inquire how God had taken one nation out of another nation "by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes" (4:34). God had instructed them, showed them "His great fire," and brought them out of Egypt to drive out nations "greater and mightier" than they (4:36-38). Such things were great enough to ask about

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, since Jesus has been exalted, there is now a greater and more effective report to be heard! Sin has been put away, the devil destroyed, and principalities and powers spoiled (Heb 9:26; 2:14; Col 2:15). The world has been reconciled to God, the righteousness of God can be given to men, and men can be created anew (2 Cor 5:18-20; Rom 1:17; 2 Cor 5:17). Now, because of Christ, those in Him have access to God, access to grace, and can be strengthened with might by God's Spirit in the inner man (Eph 2:18; Rom 5:2; Eph 3:16). This is "the day of salvation," a time of newness, consolation, and strength.

WHEN HAVE SUCH THINGS EVER BEEN REALIZED among the sons of men? These are matters to be inquired into. These are realities about which questions should be asked Here are things that profit the soul in this world and in the world to come. Ask about them. Ask those who know about them, and have lived in the effects of their grandeur and influence.

– Given O. Blakely

Friday, October 16, 2009

EXCELLENCY OF KNOWLEDGE

EXCELLENCY OF KNOWLEDGE

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil 3:8)

SOME THINGS ARE "LOST" because they are taken away by someone else. Scripture calls this "the spoiling of your goods" (Heb 10:34). It is when a person is plundered or robbed, when possessions are forcefully taken from him against his will. But this is NOT the kind of loss to which our text refers. Here, things were "counted" or "considered" a loss. They were actually still available to Paul, but he forfeited them in preference of something else. He lost them by choice. He chose to take hold of something else.

THE WORD "LOSS" ALSO CARRIES THE THOUGHT of disadvantage, something that worsens our situation. In this case Paul takes "everything" apart from Christ, regardless of its seeming value, and considers it a loss, disadvantage, and something potentially damaging.

THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN ACADEMIC DEFINITION. Rather, it is a comparison – a judgment made when "everything" else is laid along side "the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Paul has already told us this was his manner of thinking when his life in Christ began (verse 7). Now he tells us it is still the way he thinks.

IN THE WORLD IT IS POSSIBLE to get swept up in momentary pleasures, forgetting essential and profitable things. When we then come to our senses, we regret that we were so distracted as to forget important matters. But this is not the situation in this text. The things counted loss were REALLY inferior and unworthy of being at the center of our thinking. Something better in every sense of the word has been found.

AND WHAT IS THE BETTER THING? It is "the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." It is "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (KJV). This "knowledge" is not surpassing or more excellent in appearance, but in reality. It is a superior knowledge and experience with which nothing can favorably compare. Here we see a person can be in Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord, yet be lacking in personal acquaintance with Christ.

REDEMPTION HAS MADE JESUS MORE ACCESSIBLE to the saved than ordinarily perceived. Far too much contemporary religion allows the individual to remain at a comfortable distance from Christ, not coming into the greatness of the knowledge and fellowship available to us.

"THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS" is not scholastic knowledge or erudition. That kind of knowledge does not satiate the soul or gladden the heart. This is fellowship with Christ, into which we have been called (1 Cor 1:9). It speaks of a relationship where Christ "manifests" Himself to the individual (John 14:21). It is where the individual actually "learns" from Christ (Matt 11:29) and is "taught by Him" (Eph 4:21). This is transforming and empowering knowledge.

THERE IS SATISFACTION IN THIS KNOWLEDGE that brings great peace, joy, and stability to the soul. It equips the person to live triumphantly in this world, serving the Lord with gladness and singleness of heart. This knowledge is, in fact, nothing less than "eternal life" (John 17:3; 1 John 5:20). It is confirmed to be the superior knowledge by experience alone. This is the knowledge referenced in Ephesians 3:19: "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." It is the personal and revitalizing experience of Christ's love.

– Given O. Blakely

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

GAIN TO ME, LOSS FOR CHRIST

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." (Phil 3:7, KJV)

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO NOTE the things that were "gain" to Paul were not health, wealth, social status, academic achievements, or political successes. Everything he mentions had to do with revealed religion. He was born into a God-chosen nation. From the very first, his parents presented him to the Lord in obedience. His chosen vocation was a spiritual one. He excelled in that pursuit. He personally gave himself to the zealous opposition of those he perceived to be the enemies of God's chosen people because he felt that is what God required him to do. He also engaged in an unrelenting pursuit of personal righteousness, as defined by God's Law.

IF IT WAS POSSIBLE for the "flesh" to be approved by God, surely Paul would have gained such approbation. At once we see how utterly foolish it is to claim superiority upon the basis of social, political, or philosophical excellence. It is unfortunate that such measures of superiority have penetrated the church. Men are actually held out as possessing "gain" because of achievements wholly unrelated to revealed religion. They are honored for things that have little or nothing to do with obeying God or pursuing righteousness. If flesh cannot boast at the level of Jewish superiority, it certainly cannot be the basis for confidence at even lesser levels.

WHEN PAUL SAYS "WERE gain to me," he views himself as formerly apart from Christ. It is another way of saying self-centered. Coming into Christ brings a whole new definition of "gain" or benefit. Paul here makes reference to temporal, NOT eternal, gain. Jesus spoke of this kind of "gain." "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matt 16:26). Salvation radically changes our ideas of gain, profit, and advantage.

"I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST." Moses also had the perspective Paul reveals in this text. It is said of him, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" (Heb 11:26). By saying "I counted," Paul refers to his personal evaluation of the circumstance. His determination to gain Christ involved judgment and a decision. He was faced with the temporary gains of the flesh, or the gain of eternal life. Once seen, he judged matters relating to the flesh as worthless, zealously discarding them.

THE WORD "LOSS" IS AN ESPECIALLY STRONG ONE. It means Paul let these things go, refusing to allow them to capture his attention. It also means he saw they were competitive, and damaging to the soul. In other words, Christ could not be possessed while retaining a hold on those "things." To gain Christ, all fleshly emphases and distinctions must be forfeited. It is only to the degree this takes place that the individual is capable of appropriating Jesus.

THIS PERSPECTIVE IS NOT COMMON in churches with whom I have been affiliated. I fear the world is courted more than Jesus, and appearance is valued more than spiritual substance. Scarcely can a religious person of renown be found that is not distinguished by the flesh. Such a stance excludes one from Divine fellowship, robbing the soul of gaining Christ Jesus. A fellowship with Christ simply cannot be had while a priority is placed on "the flesh." Confidence in flesh cannot exist simultaneously with faith in Christ. They are opposed to each other, and aggressively so. If a person is to gain Christ, a judgment will have to be made concerning temporary gain, or advantages. What is a person willing to keep at the expense of losing his own soul?

– Given O. Blakely

Monday, October 12, 2009

ENTHRONEMENT and RESURRECTION

" . . . He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ" (Acts 2:29-31)

DO NOT MISS THE POINT IN REFERENCE. It is God raising up a promised Seed to sit upon David's throne. David received this commitment from the Lord, and believed it! "And it shall come to pass . . . I will raise up thy seed after . . . and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever" (1 Chron 17:11-12). "The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; He will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne" (Psa 132:11).

PETER, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, who "searches all things, yea the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:10), relates this prophecy to the resurrection of Christ. He does not associate the prophecy with a coming kingdom, a future golden age, or the removal of the church from the earth. Those are all human interpretations. They are all to be abandoned in favor of the exclusive commentary of the Holy Spirit. Neither, indeed, does He point to Solomon and the building of the temple as a fulfillment of the promise. He declared One that was "greater than Solomon." Thus, Jesus is called "the Seed of David"(John 7:42; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8).

ISAIAH ALSO PROPHESIED of the coming Seed that would be exalted to David's throne. He related it to the birth of a Child, not the coming of a glorified Christ. "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder . . . Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this" (Isa 9:7).

ISAIAH'S PROPHECY IS ASSOCIATED with Christ's incarnation, not when He appears "the second time," as some suppose. Scripture presents the enfleshment of Jesus as commencing with Him volunteering to "come" to do God's redemptive will (Heb 10:5-10). His exaltation to heaven effectualizes our salvation: i.e., we are being saved "by His life" (Rom 5:9-10). Peter relates this exaltation with the Davidic promise. Elsewhere, the Spirit relates it to the current intercession of Christ in heaven. "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb 7:25).

THE THRONE TO WHICH JESUS WAS EXALTED is not upon earth. Thrones here cannot be forever, and God promised an eternal throne The Word of God is clear on this subject: Jesus is currently glorified, or exalted, and that exaltation is related to the promised Seed for David's throne! "Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne . . . spake of the resurrection of Christ" (Acts 2:30-31). The promise given to David by the Holy Spirit was claimed by Jesus when He sat down on the right hand of God. "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit . . . " (Acts 2:33).

PETER BOLDLY ANNOUNCES THAT JESUS is the fulfillment of the promised King and Seed of David. He, and He alone, is the exalted Ruler, and One appointed to execute the salvational purpose of God. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). How much clearer can it be said?

– Given O. Blakely

Friday, October 9, 2009

HEAD OVER ALL THINGS

HEAD OVER ALL THINGS

"And He has put all things under His feet and has made Him the Head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph 1:23, NRSV).

JESUS IS "THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH" and the "Savior of the body" (Eph 5:23). He is responsible for "bringing many sons to glory" (Heb 2:10), and bring them He shall! He has been given "power over all flesh" to do so! He has been exalted over all opposing forces so God's purpose will not fail of fulfillment. His personal zeal will accomplish this (Isa 9:7).

CHRIST IS NOT THE HEAD "OVER ALL THINGS" FOR THE JEWS, but "for the church!" It is the "church" which Jesus "loved," and for which He died (Eph 5:25). God has given Jesus to the church in this capacity; as "Head over all things." And why so? So that He might give it "eternal life" -- eternal life in its fulness, as well as its firstfruits sense. There are inimical powers that are determined to bring us down; but Christ is their Head. He has already utterly defeated them, triumphing over them in His cross (Col 2:15). He will see to it that all who trust in Him will also experience final and complete victory over all the power of the enemy (Rom 16:20).

THIS MEANS "no testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor 10:13, NRSV). Working through your faith, the enthroned Savior will open the door of escape, so you may become strong through testing and not be overcome by it. It takes "all power in heaven and earth" to accomplish this! Deliverance from temptation is a far greater accomplishment than men are prone to think!

THE MINISTRATION OF GRACE AND PEACE. Grace and peace come to us from God and Christ – from God by purpose, from Jesus through experience . "Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior" (Titus 1:4, NRSV). "Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love" (2 John 1:3, NRSV). Grace is God's favor, and it comes to us because Jesus has received "power over all flesh."

WHEN GRACE IS RECEIVED, WE ARE WELL PLEASING TO GOD. We are also effectively taught"to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly" (Titus 2:12, NRSV). Peace keeps our hearts and minds from being dislodged by the onslaughts of the devil. We are stabilized by it, thereby being equipped to make progress even though confronted by apparently insurmountable odds. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:7, NSRV). It takes an exalted Christ to accomplish this!

HOW GLORIOUS IS THE ANNOUNCEMENT of Christ's exaltation. "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (1 Pet 3:22). This is power to bring eternal life to us. It is power to bring to us "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Pet 1:3). He gives "eternal life" to us by giving us an understanding of God (1 John 5:20), by manifesting Himself to us (John 14:21), and by enabling us to "lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim 6:12). His power can rest upon us, sustaining us, and enabling us to hold up under great affliction (2 Cor 12:9). Because He has been exalted, His "mighty power" can work within us for God's glory (Eph 1:19).

– Given O. Blakely

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

FINDING FAVOR WITH GOD

FINDING FAVOR WITH GOD

"And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in Thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness." (Num 11:15)

THE LAW HAD BEEN GIVEN, the tabernacle and its furniture constructed, and the manner of Israel's appointed journeying established. The ark of the covenant was to go before them, and "the cloud of the Lord was upon them when they went out of the camp." When the cloud moved, the people were to pack up and move out immediately, with the ark of the covenant going before them. When the ark was carried forward, Moses said, "Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee." When it was set down, he said, "Return, O's LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel" (Num 10:34-36).

ISRAEL HAD JOURNEYED THREE DAYS from Mount Sinai. They began to complain, forgetful of the great deliverance they had experienced. Their complaining greatly displeased the Lord, and "His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp." The people cried out to Moses, "and when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched" (11:1-2). Not much time passed until Israel began to crave meat, growing discontent with the manna sent daily to them. They said their whole beings were dried up, and all they could see was manna. They began weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of their tents, "and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased."

IT WAS MORE THAN MOSES COULD BEAR. He called out to the Lord, "Wherefore hast thou afflicted Thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in Thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?" How grievous must be the people who drove the meekest man in all the earth to speak in such a way! With great lament Moses said, "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me." Who is able to measure the impact these recalcitrant people had upon this faithful servant of God? (11:3-14).

IT WAS AT THIS POINT that our text occurs. The New American Standard Bible reads, "So if Thou art going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Thy sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness." You may remember that Elijah prayed a similar prayer, asking for God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4). How tragic that the very people to whom leaders and prophets are sent often cause them such great grief!

THERE IS THE GLIMMER OF FAITH, however, in Moses' petition. His great distress and frustration did not cause his faith to die. "If I have found favor in Thy sight," he pled. He appealed to his walk, his response to the Lord, and his manner of life. He did not want to sink lower than he already felt. He did not want to see his own "wretchedness." In other words, he did not want to be crushed by this people, finally dishonoring his God. A noble request indeed, and the Lord hearkened to it, giving him seventy competent men of Israel to share the load created by this burdensome people (11:16).

THERE IS A GREAT LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE. When our troubles become very burdensome, and too difficult to bear, we must know how to approach the Lord on the matter. First, we should not ask God to do things for us if we have been displeasing to Him. Second, we should seek to avoid being brought down further into the quagmire of despair. Just as surely as God answered Moses with relief, so will He do for you! That is something your faith must grasp.

– Given O. Blakely

Monday, October 5, 2009

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER

"And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur." (Genesis 16:7)

GOD PROMISED ABRAHAM He would bless the entire world through him, making of him a great nation, and making his name great (Gen 12:1-3). At the first, the Lord did not tell Abraham he himself would beget offspring, only that a great nation would come from him. Later, seeing he continued to be childless, the patriarch asked that his heir be Eliezer, a servant in his house (Gen 15:2). It was then that God revealed to him that the promised heir would come forth out of his bowels (15:4). He would personally beget the child, and would no longer be childless. However, at that time, the Lord did not reveal to him that the mother of the child would be Sarah, his wife.

LATER, WHEN SARAI SAW she remained childless, she reasoned the offspring must be birthed by another woman. She said to her husband, "Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her" (16:1-2). She then gave her handmaid to her husband "after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan" (16:3). He went in to the servant, Hagar, and she conceived.

SEEING THAT SHE WAS WITH CHILD, and Sarai was not, Hagar "began to despise her mistress" (16:4, NIV). Her conduct toward Sarai, whom she served, became intolerable. Finally Sarai erupted to Abram, perceiving she had done the wrong thing in giving Hagar to him. "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me" (16:5, NKJV). The patriarch handled the situation wisely, telling Sarai "Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please" (NKJV). It is written that Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar, mistreating her. What form this treatment took, we do not know. However, it became so unbearable that Hagar "fled" Sarah's face, running into the wilderness of Shur. It is at this point that our text takes place.

THE "ANGEL OF THE LORD" found Hagar "by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur." Those who affirm "the angel of the Lord" is the Lord Jesus prior to His birth into the world do greatly err. Jesus is never said to have taken upon Himself the nature of angels (Heb 2:16), and is never said to have served God in the capacity of an angel. This angel was from among those serving spirits, and was sent by God to Hagar. Having found her, the angel asked, "Where have you come from, and where are you going?" She told the angel she was fleeing from the presence of her mistress Sarai. The angel then told her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand." He then promised her descendants would be multitudinous. He said she would bear a son, was to call his name Ishmael, and that he would be a wild man who would be at variance with everyone. Hagar then "called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'" (16:8-13, NKJV).

IF A HOLY ANGEL FOUND AND MINISTERED Hagar the Egyptian, what shall the multitude of holy angels do for the "heirs of salvation." They have been assigned to minister to them. What heart is capable of conceiving the magnitude of that ministry? What Hagar experienced is only a small portion of what is reserved for those who are in Christ Jesus. Doubt not the angel's ability to find and minister to you!

– Given O. Blakely