Author: E. DeWayne Swann

I Can See Clearly Now, Part 2

They Found the Secret

Chapter 11 The Dynamic Life

Dwight Lyman Moody

 

“Has there ever been a more enthusiastic, energetic and enterprising soulwinner than Dwight L. Moody?

As soon as the young shoe clerk in Boston came to assurance of faith in the Savior, he began to seek others who likewise should be saved. With little education, but with great earnestness, he sought the wanderer and the wicked that they might

know the forgiveness of God and newness of life in Christ. He was a layman at work, a witness for the Savior in his place of employment and in all of his associations.

By day and by night Moody was a personal worker, and a promoter of mission Sunday schools, especially for the needy and neglected. In the dreadful days of the War between the States he was active in witnessing among the troops and the

prisoners of war, and he served with the Christian Commission in its ministry of mercy to the wounded and dying.

Providentially he was led to the ministry of an evangelist, to present the claims of Christ to large audiences both in America and in the British Isles. He was a dynamo of feverish activity and apparent effectiveness in those early years, yet

deep in his own heart there was a dissatisfaction that increased to the point of desperation. As is so often the case, the Almighty used a humble man to bring Moody to the end of his own resources, and then to realize the riches of God’s glorious power. This elderly man, whose name history has not recorded, was the first to indicate to the rising evangelist that the anointing of God’s Spirit was absent from his ministry. It happened on an occasion when Moody went down from Boston to New York to speak, and while there was invited to address a little

Sunday school. In speaking of the incident, Moody said that it probably influenced him more than any other single experience in his life. As he was getting into the carriage to hurry from the Sunday school to another service, he was touched on

the shoulder by an old man whose white hair was blowing in the wind. With his finger pointing at Moody, he said, “Young man, when you speak again, honor the Holy Ghost.” ” I got into the carriage,” said Moody, “and drove away, but the voice was continually ringing in my ears; yet I did not understand it. It was six months afterwards before God revealed to me the meaning of that message—that I was entirely dependent upon the Holy Spirit. From that day to this, I seldom stand before a great audience where I don’t see that old man, with his outstretched finger, and hear his voice, ‘Honor the Holy Ghost.'”

In Chicago, there were two godly women, Mrs. Sara A. Cooke and her friend, Mrs. Hawxhurst, who attended Moody’s meetings in Farwell Hall, and on whose hearts, there came a great burden that this precious man of God be filled with the Spirit. On more occasions than one, Mr. Moody made reference to them, as he did at a meeting in Glasgow:

“I can myself go back almost twelve years and remember two holy women who used to come to my meetings. It was delightful to see them there, for when I began to preach, I could tell by the expression of their faces they were praying for me.

At the close of the Sabbath evening services, they would say to me, ‘We have been praying for you.’ I said, ‘Why don’t you pray for the people?’ They answered, ‘You need power.’ ‘ I need power,’ I said to myself, ‘why, I thought I had power.’ I had a large Sabbath school, and the largest congregation in Chicago.

There were some conversions at that time, and I was in a sense satisfied. But right along these two godly women kept praying, for me, and their earnest talk about ‘the anointing for special service’ set me thinking. I asked them to come and talk with me, and we got down on our knees. They poured out their hearts, that I might receive the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

And there came a great hunger in my soul. I knew not what it was. I began to cry as never before. The hunger increased. I really felt that I did not want to live any longer if I could not have this power for service. I kept on crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit.”

Then came the great Chicago fire. On the evening of that memorable night in 1871 when one-third of the city was laid in ashes and thousands were left homeless, Moody had preached in Farwell Hall. With the institutions which he had founded in ruins. Moody went East to appeal for funds, but he said:

“My heart was not in the work of begging. I could not appeal. I was crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit. Well, one day, in the city of New York—oh, what a day! —I cannot describe it; I seldom refer to it; it is almost too sacred an experience to name. Paul had an experience of which he didn’t speak for fourteen years. I can only say that God revealed Himself to me, and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to stay His hand. I went to preaching again. The sermons were not different; I did not present any new truths, and yet hundreds were converted. I would not now be placed back where I was before that blessed experience if you should give me all the world—it would be as the small dust of the balance.”

 

The sermons were not different; but the servant was!

The truths were not new; but now they were pungent and penetrating!

A few had been converted before; now converts came by the hundreds!

Before, it had been the earnest energy and tireless drive of the man; now it was the dynamic of the Holy Spirit!

 

Moody rapidly became famous in his work for the Lord. Two years after his deep spiritual experience in New York City (he was walking on Wall Street at the time that the Holy Ghost came upon him in special power) he and Ira Sankey went to England. After three years of ministry in the United Kingdom, Moody returned to Chicago.

“The announcement was made,” wrote Mrs. Cooke, “that on a certain morning Mr. Moody would speak in Harwell and all the religious elite of the city were there to greet him. The platform was filled with preachers and leaders in the Christian world, but none had a deeper interest than the writer who looked on that scene with trembling solicitude, fearing lest this wonderful popularity and success might have puffed him up in any way. Mr. Moody spoke with more unction than of yore but at the same time in childlike simplicity When the meeting closed, we noted amid all the congratulations such a look of humility, as though he would gladly have slipped away from it all. His childlike spirit was his shield and defense. Truly, he was ‘clothed with humility as with a garment.'”

More and more Moody’s preaching became characterized by the spirit of love. Declared the evangelist:

“The only way any church can get a blessing is to lay aside all difference, all criticism, all coldness and party feeling, and come to the Lord as one man; and when the church lives in the power of the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians I am sure that many will be added daily to the flock of God. I would like to have the church read that chapter together on their knees . . . and, as you do so, pray God to apply it with power. Of late my earnest prayer to God has been that He would help me to save more, and I cannot tell you how wonderfully He has answered my prayer. It seems as if you were all much nearer and dearer to me than ever. My heart goes out to you, and I long to see you all coming constantly to God for a fresh supply of love”.

 

I Can See Clearly Now, Part 1

With My Glasses On!

From Chapter 22 of “Something to Ponder”

 

With the last name of Swann I have had my share of problems, I never could understand why college graduates like doctors, nurses, and school teachers, and at times people who even knew my name well and said it out loud before on more than one time, could not pronounce a simple thing as my name when reading it, and in case there are any of you wondering it is pronounced like the big beautiful bird “Swan” you just add another “N” and you have my name.

My name is not Swain, Shawn or even Swannnnn, and I have been called each one of those on more than on one occasion. But since the name that I go by is DeWayne I guess they think my name should rhyme, so we get DeWayne Swain more than any. Or even Dewand Swand. I just don’t get it.

But my most difficult problem was when the teachers would put us in alphabetical order, not a lot of last names that started with T, U, V, W, X, Y, or even Z. So, as one could guess, I ended up in the back of the class on most occasions. Which gave me more opportunities to talk and play than if I were on the front rows. So, I took advantage of that more than not.

When I arrived in the third grade the teacher did just that, she put us in alphabetical order, and in the back of the class I went. I did pretty well in science, math, and even history, but my problems were in English and spelling and still is. (Thank the Good Lord for spell checkers and grammar checking programs.) The teacher would write the spelling words and grammar sentences on the chalkboard. (Yes, I am so old that we used chalkboards)

The teacher would write the things down, and we had to copy them in her words “just as they are on the board.” And I did just that, and then we were to study them, and we would have a test on Friday. We were then instructed to get a parent to go over the words and help us and make sure we were spelling everything correctly.

As I arrive home hoping and praying my Mother could help me with what I had written down, so I could study, and maybe pass the test on Friday. But as my Mother looked over the page, she asked me what this was. I said my homework to study what the teacher put on the board. She then said that she could not read it, and I said neither could I but it was as close as I could get to what I saw written on the board, I didn’t understand why the teacher wanted us to scribble down, but she did. I guess it did look like scribbling, but it was what I saw, and that what I tried to put down.

The next day on our way to Marietta, to go to the eye doctor we discovered what my Mother had already figured out on her own and that was that I couldn’t see too well, so bad that what the teacher wrote down was just lines and scribbling to me because that is what I saw. I am sorry to say I had to wait a week for my glasses to come in so the teacher, with a note from my Mother put me on the “you have to behave” front row.

My Mother recalls the day that we went back to Marietta and picked up my glasses. She said that I was reading every sign, every road post and looking from side to side to see what I have been missing all this time. To this day I have a pair of glasses on my nose, sometimes I wear contact lenses, which are called mono vision because, I need to have bifocals now. But without them I still can’t see too well.

And that bring me to the next pondering point I wish to make. Again, I am not trying to start an argument over what you believe. That takes me back to the chapter “It’s Not My Fault” I would like for you to study this out personally and if you still believe the way you do then that is fine I am not trying to convert anyone from their denomination, I just want you to “Ponder” on the rest of this chapter by putting on your Spiritual glasses, and let us see where we end up.

As you may recall in the last chapter “Is the Honeymoon Over” the song I Surrender All by Judson W. Van DeVenter, the question is had you surrendered all, I could have gone the rest of my life never receiving my glasses, or even having access to them after receiving them and never wearing them, and as a result going around half-way seeing all that I needed to see. Do you see?

I believe it’s the same for Christians they get their ticket into Glory, and for some, that’s all that they want. But for God, I believe that’s not all that he wants, He wants us to be wholly sold out to Him. As I said in the last chapter that I was searching for something and as a result that got me deeper in the Word and I started reading every Christian book I could get my hands on, thinking and hoping that the answer was in them somewhere and somehow. I asked my friend Snyder Turner what to read, never letting him know what I was going through. He recommended to me the book “They Found the Secret”. “They Found…” sounds exactly what I needed. Someone to FIND my happiness, because I seem to have misplaced it somewhere.

The book helped me; I mean that it really helped me. As a Baptist, I was taught that once we accept Christ, we get all the Holy Spirit we will ever get. I do believe that at the moment of conversion, we are filled with His Holy Spirit, just as I believe that at the moment of conception life begins. But don’t get me wrong I also believe that the moment we take our first breath do we put into practice of that life. I believe that we have all the Holy Spirit of God within us we will ever get but the question is does He have all of you, that He will ever get? So, the question is had you taken that first breath?

In the book “They Found the Secret” story after story we see them surrendering more of themselves to God and then God using them and flowing through them with His Holy Spirit. So, if you will, I took a few excerpts from “They Found the Secret” of we see Oswald Chambers, Dwight Lyman Moody, and Walter L Wilson just as an example of the book:

They Found the Secret

Chapter 5 The Highest Life

Oswald Chambers,

“But how could I, bad motivated as I was, possibly ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit? Then it was borne in upon me that I had to claim the gift from God on the authority of Jesus Christ and testify to having done so. But the thought came—

if you claim the gift of the Holy Spirit on the word of Jesus Christ and testify to it, God will make it known to those who know you best how bad you are in heart. And I was not willing to be a fool for Christ’s sake. But those of you who know

the experience, know very well how God brings one to the point of utter despair, and I got to the place where I did not care whether everyone knew how bad I was; I cared for nothing on earth, saving to get out of my present condition.

“At a little meeting held during a mission in Dunoon, a well-known lady was asked to take the after meeting. She did not speak, but set us to prayer, and then sang ‘Touch me again. Lord.’ I felt nothing, but I knew emphatically my time had

come, and I rose to my feet. I had no vision of God, only a sheer dogged determination to take God at His word and to prove this thing for myself, and I stood up and said so. “That was bad enough, but what followed was ten times

worse. After I had sat down the lady worker, who knew me well, said: ‘That is very good of our brother, he has spoken Uke that as an example to the rest of you.’

“Up I got again and said: ‘ I got up for no one (else’s) sake, I got up for my own sake; either Christianity is a downright fraud, or I have not got hold of the right end of the stick.’ And then and there I claimed the gift of the Holy Spirit in dogged

committal on Luke 11:13”.

Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” NKJV

“I had no vision of heaven or of angels, I had nothing. I was as dry and empty as ever, no power or realization of God, no witness of the Holy Spirit. Then I was asked to speak at a meeting, and forty souls came out to the front. Did I praise God?  No, I was terrified and left them to the workers, and went to Mr. MacGregor (a friend) and told him what had happened, and he said: ‘Don’t you remember claiming the Holy spirit as a gift on the word of Jesus, and that He said: “Ye shall receive power . . .?” ‘This is the power from on high.’ Then like a flash something happened inside me, and I saw that I had been wanting power in my own hand, so to speak, that I might say—Look what I have by putting my all on the altar.”

He then went on to say:

“It was with implicit obedience that Oswald Chambers learned, on the basis of Luke 11:13, that by faith we receive the fullness of God’s Spirit, just as by faith we receive the Lord Jesus as Savior And what did the immediacy of God mean in the life of Oswald Chambers? He himself said again and again, “It is no wonder that I talk so much about an altered disposition: God altered mine; I was there when He did it ”

This was Oswald “My Utmost for His Highest” Chambers. And he came to understand that through obedience all we have to do is ask.

 

Next week we pick up with D. L. Moody.

Who Is Jesus? Part 3 of 3

From “Study and Obey”

Conclusion

Colossians 1:15-20 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

This is perhaps the richest passage on Christ anywhere in the Bible. But why is knowing these things important? There are many, but I will leave you with three reasons.

1. Knowing Jesus protects you from error.

Almost every single cult in the world gets it wrong about Jesus. They say He wasn’t man. Or He isn’t God. Or He didn’t rise from the dead. When you are confronted with odd teachings about Jesus, come back here. Knowing the truth will protect you from false teaching and error.

“If you don’t embrace a Christ that is big enough and clear enough, you will be a sitting duck for Christ-diminishing, Christ-distorting philosophy, empty deceit, and human tradition.” – Piper

False teachers will seek to distort and minimize Christ. Have no part of it.

2. Knowing Jesus helps you depend on Jesus.

When deep inside of us, we acknowledge the fact that He made us, that He sustains us, that He every breath we have is from Him, and that without Him we would disintegrate, that makes us humble. And we learn to stop trusting in ourselves, but to fall at His feet and say, “we need you.”

“If you don’t embrace a Christ that is big enough and clear enough, you will stop holding fast to Christ as the great, all-supplying Head of the body, and take up sectarian strategies of self-improvement.” – Piper

3. Knowing Jesus encourages you to worship Jesus.
4. Knowing Jesus strengthens our hope in Jesus.

Seeing Jesus’ power from eternity past, reminds us that the hope we have is sure. Everything He has promised will come to pass. And that hope helps us press on. The bigger Jesus is in your sight, the smaller everything else will be.

Reflection Questions

In what specific way will you change your priorities or actions in the next week so that Christ will have His rightful first place in your life and heart?

What aspect of Jesus’ character touched you the most today? Why?

Besides the three mentioned (protection from error, increased dependence on Jesus, a strengthened hope), why else is having a deep and exalted view of Jesus important?

Copied from “Study and Obey”

 

Who Is Jesus? Part 2 of 3

6-10 of 10 points

From “Study and Obey”

 

6. He is the Head of the Church –

He is over the universe as a whole and He is also over the church specifically. The universe was created through Him and for Him and the church was also created through Him and for Him. This is a simple, but important truth. Christ is over the church.

The head of the church is not any person, whether a prophet, a pastor, no matter how dynamic. It is not my church. It is not your church. It is not the pope’s church.

The head of the church is not any organization, denomination, or institution, including any governments.

We cannot serve two masters. Neither can a church serve both God and government. A church will face many problems and be tempted to compromise if it accepts government control.

There is only one head, and it is Christ. This does not mean that leaders aren’t important. Leaders (appointed in biblical ways) are very important and are used by Christ to shepherd and lead this vast body.

Hebrews 13:17 – Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

We are commanded to submit to our leaders. But this is akin to a parent who asks the younger children to follow the instructions of the oldest child while he is gone. The younger children need to obey not because of any inherent authority in that oldest child, but because of the command of the parent, in who rests all the authority over the children.

The church and people in the church belong to Christ, not to us. It is not your church or your fellowship or your convert in the sense that those things belong to you. They don’t belong to me. Or to you. Everything belongs to Christ.

That is important. It changes the whole mindset of how we serve. We should not compete with other groups to get more numbers. We should not demand personal loyalty from those we are called to serve. We should not take offense if someone we have discipled or taught, moves on to another church or lighthouse God has called him to. Because they don’t belong to us.

Some time ago, in one rural village area of Asia there were two preachers. One had been sacrificially serving the community for years. He gave up a career and his own pursuits to serve the Lord. He held revivals. He mentored people. Then a new preacher came into the area. He also preached to big crowds. He also mentored people. His teaching style was a bit different, perhaps more engaging. But the content was basically the same. His persona was more attractive. Soon large numbers of people left the ministry of the old preacher and joined the new preacher’s ministry.

Some of his closest followers were upset. They complained to him, “Our meetings are much emptier than before. You are not as popular as before. You have given everything to this community, and now they have all abandoned you and gone over to this new guy.”

How did he respond?

“He must increase and I must decrease,” answered John the Baptist. John the Baptist understood. It wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus. His entire ministry was to point people to Jesus because Jesus is the head. We must be willing to decrease in every way so that all the spotlight, all the glory, all the praise is on Jesus.

 

7. He is the beginning –

He existed from the beginning. John said, “in the beginning was the Word.” He is the cause of this world. He is the cause of our physical life. He is the cause of our spiritual life.

When you see a ball rolling down the street, you might ask, “what caused that?” Probably a person rolled it. Then you go back, where did the person come from? And you keep going back, back, back. Finally, you would arrive at a point in time when there was nothing except the Trinity. He set things into motion.

Everything we see around us has a cause (cause and effect). But He is the first cause or what theology calls the “uncaused” cause.

 

8. He is the Firstborn from the Dead –

1 Corinthians 15:20 – But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

It is because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead that we know we too will be resurrected one day. His new life guarantees our new life. He is the proof that the promise of eternal life and salvation is true. 1 Corinthians 15 makes it clear that if Christ was not raised from the dead then we have no hope and our faith is useless. His resurrection is the lynchpin which holds together the whole gospel and all the promises in the gospel.

If you go back in time all the way to the beginning, Jesus is there. He is like the Mt. Everest, which fills up your entire view. He is the “Wow of all wows.” And if you go forward in time, Jesus is the first one to be raised from the dead. And He is also the best/highest rank (remember that word firstborn can mean either). But that resurrection is also our hope. It is the guarantee of something better. In Revelation 20-22, we can see the final result. Eternal life. Perfect righteousness. Glorified bodies. New Jerusalem. New Heaven. New Earth. He will bring all of it.

Our hope is made sure because of Jesus’ resurrection.

It says here, “that in everything, He might be preeminent.”

 

9. He will take His place in Pre-Eminence –

” So that He will come to have first place in everything”

At every point in time, Jesus is supreme. He is the priority.

But sometimes there is a gap between reality and how reality is perceived. Although Christ is the Creator of this world, most people do not recognize Him as such. Although He holds this world together, most people do not recognize this or accept it. Although He is the rightful ruler and authority of this world, most people do not submit to his authority or recognize Him as the ruler.

One day this gap between who Jesus is and how this world perceives Him will be bridged. One day we will see Him as He really is (1 John 3:2.) One day in the future every person will bow the knee to Christ and confess that He is the Lord (Philippians 3:10-12).

He is the Lord already. Let’s make sure that we are putting Him in first place in our lives.

 

10. He is 100% God –

In Him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell – Similar to the fact that He “is the image of the invisible God.”

Paul states the same truth in multiple ways to make sure you don’t miss it. Someone might say, “Well, He is only the image of God. That is just something about the surface. He is not really God.”

 

So here, Paul says, “all the fullness of God” was pleased to dwell, “In Him.” It is not just a surface thing. He doesn’t just look like God. He is God. The second member of the Trinity, who existed from eternity past, as an invisible spirit, chose to condescend to take on human flesh. He did not do this reluctantly or under compulsion, but He was cheerful giver. He gave Himself to us.

 

Not just a piece of Himself. Not just a reflection. He didn’t just anoint or empower a man. He became one. The Son of Man was not just a shell. He was the living God.

 

Why did He do this? The next verse gives the answer, for our reconciliation.

 

In order to represent us, He had to become one of us. In order to save us, He had to be sinless and divine. Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker. He gave up His life to make peace between us and God.

 

Who is Jesus? He is God.

Who Is Jesus? Part 1 of 3

1-5 of 10 points

From “Study and Obey”

Colossians 1:15-20 Sermon

Clearest Christological Passage in The Bible

Introduction –

Once a Sunday School teacher asked the class, “What is brown, furry, and has long ears?” A student responded, “It sounds like a dog, but it must be Jesus.” The student realized that in Sunday School answering “Jesus” to almost every question can be the right answer.

Our entire faith is about Jesus. We call ourselves Christians which means “followers of Christ.” But who is He? Who are we following? What is He like? What is His essence? What is His nature?

Today I have the privilege of sharing with you one of the deepest and most theologically rich passages in the entire Bible. It answers that question, “who is Jesus?” Knowing the profound weight and importance of the text I am sharing with you today is a very humbling thing.

Colossians 1:15-20 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

 

Many commentators believe this was a hymn or confession in the early church that Paul was quoting. Perhaps so. Either way, we are glad it’s here. It teaches us who Jesus is in crystal-clear clarity. It cannot be divided easily into a tidy 3-point sermon. Instead, we will go through one statement at a time and unpack them. In all, we will look at ten points about who is Jesus.

 

1. He is the image of the invisible God –

What does it mean that Jesus is the image of God?

The word used in Greek means “likeness,” statue, profile, or representation.

He is not just similar to God, but He is in fact God. They are of the same essence. He is the manifestation of God. Jesus reflects all that God is. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, immutable, just, loving, compassionate, holy, etc. God the Father does not have any qualities or abilities that Jesus the Son does not have.

Jesus made it clear in John 14:9 what that means –Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Those who saw Jesus, saw the Father (John 14:9). He is Immanuel, God with us.

Since we can’t see the Father, that results in many questions. What is God like? What would He do?

Jesus being the image of God answers those questions. He showed us God’s character, holiness, and wisdom.

This statement means that Jesus is divine. He is not just a good man or a good teacher. To put it simply, He is God. People could see God. Touch God.

When the disciples worshiped Jesus (Matthew 14:33), He received it, because He is God.

Hebrews 1 is one of the other beautiful Christological passages. And it teaches us the same point.

Hebrews 1:3 – He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is God. Not a reflection or piece of God, but God Himself in the flesh.

 

2. He Is The firstborn of all Creation –

This phrase has confused many well-meaning Christians over the years. It has also been used by false teachers to spread the lie that Jesus is a created being.

But this passage and many others, confirm the doctrine of the incarnation, that at the incarnation the invisible God took on flesh and became a man, wholly man and wholly God.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So what does “firstborn” mean here? In our culture, this means the one who is born first.

But in Middle Eastern culture, the firstborn does not always refer to the one born first, but is used as a title for the person who has priority or rank over the others. For example, when Jacob bought Esau’s birthright, the rank of the firstborn was transferred to him even though he was younger.

 

The Greek word used is “prototokos,” and can mean “first,” but it can also be used to emphasize one’s rank or priority.

Calling Jesus the “firstborn of creation” is emphasizing His sovereignty over creation. He is not part of it, but He does have rank and priority over it.

Another verse that shows this same concept is:

Psalms 89:27 – And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

This verse points to the Messiah, who will be given authority and rank over all the kings of the earth. Philippians 2 teaches us that after Jesus humbled Himself to the point of dying on the cross for our sins, the Father will exalt Him in front of peoples and nations. Every knee will bow to Him.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is higher than all of creation.

 

3. He is the Creator –

By Him all things are created – (John 1:1-4, Ephesians 3:9.)

In Genesis we learn that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Here we learn that Jesus did. Some verses ascribe Creation to the Father (Exodus 20:11, Psalm 33:6). Others ascribe it to the Son. The logical conclusion is that it was both.

We can see a glimpse of that in Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Already in Genesis we see the concept of the Trinity taught.

John 1:1-3 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

He created everything that is not God.

When I was a teacher, I taught a class at 9:15 AM. Another teacher could also say she taught the class. Who taught it? Both of us did. We did it together. Both statements are accurate.

So who is Jesus? He is the Creator. His creation is ex-nihilo. That means that He created out of nothing. When people create things, we take something that already exists and reform it into something new. God is the only one who can create ex-nihilo.

And He created all things for Him.

These two little words are a very important addendum to this treatise on creation and Christ. From these words we know the reason the world was created. It was not created primarily for your enjoyment, although God does want us to enjoy it. It was not created primarily for your consumption, although you can consume some parts of it. It was not created primarily for people, although people are the highest of all God’s creation. It was created for Himself.

Christ created this world primarily for His own glory and His own pleasure. Psalm 19 says that the “heavens declare the glory of God.”

That means that you are not the center of the universe. He is. Turn to your neighbor and say, “it is not about you.” And reply, “It is about Him.”

If He was an evil master, that would be terrible news for us. But He is a good master. And He cares for us to the extent that He even laid down His life for His sheep (His creation).

Although God has created this world for Himself, He doesn’t forget us. He designed this world and us in such a way that we get maximum enjoyment and maximum benefit as we give him maximum glory. It’s a win-win situation!

Since the universe was made for Him, what is the application for us?

Application: Have you acknowledged in your heart of hearts that you were indeed created for serving God? Or do you resist this?

There is something in our sinful hearts that rebels against the idea that we were created for Him.

The very first sin was rebellion against God’s authority. They wanted to serve their own interests, rather than God’s. What they didn’t realize is that the two were perfectly aligned. What pleases God is also best for you.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Creator who made us. And he made us to serve Him.

Are you living your life in light of that truth? Which part of your life are you living for yourself? Think about that a moment. Confess that before the Lord this morning. And affirm your belief that you were created for Him.

4. He is Supreme –

Colossians 1:17 – He is before all things.

Jesus is superior to everything else in this world. He has the priority.

There will be many times in our lives when we need to make a decision between two choices.

What are your priorities?

For example, we may need to choose between career and family or mother and wife. When we face decisions like that, we will have to answer the question, “which one has the priority?” If you choose career over family, that won’t end well. If you choose mother over wife that also will not end well.

We will face the same type of decisions in regards to Christ. Career or Christ, pleasure or Christ, convenience or Christ? Comfort or Christ? Paul is telling us that Jesus IS before all things. He has the priority. He IS more important than these things. The question is, will we recognize this truth when we make these decisions?

I heard one preacher say that he laughs whenever he hears the phrase “make Christ Lord of your life.” Christ is already the Lord. The question is not if He is the Lord, but it is if we will treat Him as Lord.

Application: Is Christ the priority of your life? You can examine someone’s priorities by the choices they make. How they spend their money. What they make time for or what they are “too busy” for. Let our lives reflect the fact that Christ is before all things.

5. He is the Sustainer –

“In Him all things hold together”

In previous verses we learned that Jesus is the Creator. The whole world around us was created by Him. Yet His relationship with this universe didn’t end there. He didn’t start the process and then let human decisions and the natural laws he set up take over. Deists believe that.

In the 1700 and 1800s, many of the founding fathers of the US were deists. They believed that God created the world and then left it to its own devices. Their idea of God was like a clockmaker who makes a clock and then sets it aside to run on its own or someone who makes a little sailboat and then sets it adrift. Many still have an idea of a god like this. An impersonal force who leaves the world to itself.

Yet here we learn that in Him all things hold together. This tells us that He is still very much involved in what happens in this world. He keeps this world from descending into complete chaos and disorder. The molecules of the chairs you are sitting on are held together by Him. The waters of the sea are kept from overflowing by Him. The blazing hot core of the sun is held in check from becoming a supernova by Him. Your skin and flesh stay together because of Him. So does the flesh of the staunchest atheist. Every second of our lives, we are dependent on Him.

Without Him, chaos would reign and life itself could not be sustained. Without His sustaining power, you would fly into a million pieces.

Think back on the most amazing sights you have seen. What did you see that made you go “wow?” Perhaps, it was the aurora borealis? Or maybe Victoria Falls at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe? Mt. Everest? White Cliffs of Dover?

Well, the purpose of this passage today is to make us take a good look at Jesus and go, “wow!” The universe keeps running because of Him. He is powerful, beautiful, kind, and caring. He is our Sustainer. He is the one we should admire more than anything or anyone else. He is the one we should long to meet.

What is at the top of your bucket list of places to see? (Tell your neighbor.) That is nothing next to Jesus.

So what is our application? Exalt Him. Thank Him. Rely on Him.

Getting Caught in the Rough.

In early 1997, I was running the sound for my Church and our choir. We would often go on appointments to Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and all over metro Atlanta. I, as the “sound man,” was obligated to go and mix their sound.

We had a drummer, bass player, organist, and pianist. The drummer, Mark Drake, and I shared a room on most of those appointments.

He is a golfer and was watching a new young player named Tiger Woods playing in a tournament.  Mark told me I needed to watch this guy play because he was amazing. So, I sat down and watched, and finally they got back around to him teeing off.

 

Whhhhisssh.  He sliced the ball, and the ball went alright, straight into the rough. I burst out laughing and said, “Yep, he’s the one to watch alright.”

Then Mark said, “Wait.”

So, I waited and when he got down to the ball in the thick high grass I said, “Well, let’s see how he handles this.”

He lined up the ball with the flag, took a swing, and wow. The ball flew up and out of the rough, right onto the green and just inches from the hole. Tiger then walked up to the green and just tapped it in. Mark said something that day that has stayed with me all these years. He said,

 

“We all end up in the rough sometimes, but it’s how we handle it, that makes us what we are.”

 

Sometimes we are doing the best we can do, we are doing everything right, and it looks as if God is answering every prayer we pray for others and not hearing the ones for ourselves. Then we shank the ball and in the rough, we sit.

 

Paul told the Church in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, NKJV

 

Paul called it “light afflictions” check out Paul’s “light afflictions” in

2 Corinthians 11:22-29 “He said, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews 5 times he received 39 stripes, 3 times he was beaten with rods; 1 time he was stoned; 3 times he was shipwrecked; often he said in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness… and this is “light affliction” And then he added his responsibility that comes upon him daily: “my deep concern for all the churches”. He sounds like he was in the rough. However, he kept his eyes on what was important, so how did he handle it. Look at the next verse.

2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. NKJV

 

It is not about what we get here but what we send there.

The things that are temporary are the things that we face here and now and Paul said do not let those things keep you pulled down but to look at the eternal things as he said in:

Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Or in other words, don’t let yesterday rob you of what you can do today, and as far as tomorrow goes keep your eyes on the goal (or flag on the green) and keep pressing toward that goal. The eternal things.

 

Sometimes we end up in the rough to be taught.

Peter put it this way:

1 Peter 4:12-14

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.  NKJV

 

We all end up in the rough sometimes, but it’s how we handle it, that makes us what we are. Don’t just stay there, knock that ball out, and if you don’t make it to the green, hit again, and again, and again, and again, whatever it takes. You just don’t give up.

 

Psalms 30:5b: …weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Joy is a coming, and it just may be sooner than you think. Please don’t give up on God, because I promise He hasn’t given up on you!

 

So how are YOU going to handle the rough?

“We all end up in the rough sometimes, but it’s how we handle it, that makes us what we are.”

Chapter 24 of my Book “Something to Ponder”

Legacy

Recently my Mother and I talked about how many children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren she had. She has 5 kids, 12 grand kids, and 27 great grand kids with a total 44 as the day of this writing. This is her legacy, among other things.

Do you see the progression, 5 kids, and with those kids she has 12 grand kids, and with them she has 27 great grand kids? The legacy gets larger with each generation.

A former pastor we had when I was a young teenager was named Brother Frank Holcomb, and he once said “If everyone won one and that one, won one and then that one, won one, before long there wouldn’t be one left to win”.

Now that takes me back to the last chapter. On October 19, 2017, as we sat at Tranquility Hospice Care, in Austell, Georgia with My Dad Elvin Swann, I noticed quite a few people were there to see my Dad. He was just hours away from his homecoming to be with our Heavenly Father.

I really don’t know how many people came through that day, with family and friends, I know there was a little crowd in his room, I was told that the waiting room across the hall had a few people and the break room was full of folks that came by to say their goodbyes.

As I surveyed the crowd, I had a thought, how many of these people came to accept Christ as a result of the man lying there in that room. My Dad accept Jesus as his Savior in October 1966. As result of his conversion, we had a number of family members come to know Jesus as their Lord shortly thereafter. He may not have been personally responsible for leading them to Lord but as a result of his life they had accepted Christ.

So, I started looking around and the best that I could tell there were only three people that came through that day that he didn’t have something to do with them coming to church and eventually accepting Jesus as their Savior. I am not saying that they wouldn’t have been Saved if he hadn’t made a change in his life, but we may never know for sure.

 

That brings me now to my Mother, she taught Sunday School for years, she taught summer Bible School year after year. She taught a youth small group that wasn’t called that then but that what it was. She had at times in my Aunt Irene Evans home 20 to 30 kids there. They were here to hear Bible stories, and to have some snacks, and a prize for 1 child each week. She worked at a Christian Children’s Home for a little over 28 years, and while there the kids would use her as a place to bring their disagreements, that they couldn’t share with anyone else. She would listen to them and sometimes that’s all that they needed was someone to listen. And then give Godly advice that they could be used and not in any way disagree with their Houseparent’s.

Out of the kids she taught over the years and the ones that my Dad got are responsible for coming to church I honestly believe that there are hundreds if not thousands that will be in heaven as a result of my Godly Parents.

I got this off the internet in which a preacher said:

“One of my favorites “minor characters” in American history is a man named Edward Kimball. There aren’t many people who could tell you the historical significance of Edward Kimball. After all, he is so un-famous that he doesn’t even have his own Wikipedia page. But through his simple service to God, he has had a worldwide impact.

In 1854, Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Detroit, and one day he went to visit a 17-year-old boy who was in his Sunday School class who had little interest in God or religion. During his visit with this young man at his job in a shoe shop, he led the boy into a relationship with Christ. That young man was D.L. Moody, who went on to become one of the greatest evangelists in the world, sharing the gospel with 100 million people, as well as founding Moody Bible Institute and The Moody Church in Chicago.

But the story doesn’t end there. Through his ministry, Moody was responsible for a London pastor named F.B. Meyer coming to faith. Meyer was responsible for J. Wilbur Chapman coming to faith, and Chapman influenced Billy Sunday, another prominent evangelist of the 20th century. Billy Sunday was integral in a man named Mordecai Ham coming to faith. And Mordecai Ham was the preacher responsible for leading a young man named Billy Graham to Christ.

And that, my friends, is a spiritual legacy.

Some years ago, while talking with a preacher I stated that I have no legacy, I have no children and as a result no legacy, the preacher asked how many people have come to know the Lord Jesus as a result of my preaching? I said quite a few I think, he then went on to say how many people have you seen in the ministries that you worked with come to know Christ? I said hundreds. He then went on to say how many times have you prayed for pastors and preachers and seen souls saved? Again, I said plenty I’m sure. How many times have you worked an altar and talked with people out and about and seen them come to Christ? I again said I am not sure dozens I suppose. Out of all those that you helped come to the saving knowledge of The Lord Jesus Christ and the ones that they led to Him, and then those that they led to Him, they are your Legacy.

That takes me back to my Parents, just thinking about the ones that came to Church because of my Dad, He did a weekly visitation even at times all alone, but he went. And then the ones that my Dad and Mother ministered to over the years at the preachers and the teachers that are out there now as a result in them just being faithful to the call to go. I see a GREAT and MIGHTY LEGACY.

Now I leave you with this: What kind of legacy do you have, and are leaving?

It is your fault, so be careful what you are taught. Know that God is still working on you and is carrying you on His strong shoulders, and let Him. Because you can do all things through Christ if you let Him fill you with His Holy Spirit. Don’t cover your light, let it shine, when you are caught in the rough keep swinging till you get out and never give up. When fishing for souls make sure to use the right bait.  And know we all need some help sometimes. And never forget You Are His Favorite!

Please leave a great Godly Legacy.

Purposes God Has for Your Singleness

Why would God seemingly allow most people to get married or find romantic love and leave me single? I’ve asked this question along with several others like it. What is God’s reason for not answering this prayer? I don’t know why God has answered with a “no” or “not yet,” but He has answered, and I believe, whether you’ve been single for one year or fifty, the following are God’s purposes for your singleness (and mine):

 

1. To Make You More Like Christ

Jesus was single. Does that mean that those who are unmarried are more like Jesus? Aren’t married people also being sanctified and transformed into the image of Christ? Married or single, the end goal of the life of a believer is Christ-likeness.

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him …” (1 John 3:2).

Christ was singly focused on the will of God. The Apostle Paul wrote that it is easier to be singly focused on God’s will if you are unmarried like he was (1 Corinthians 7:32-33), and like Christ was. Singleness is not only a gift for as long as it lasts, it is a God-given opportunity to focus solely on Him! Paul also wrote these words: “For me, to live is Christ!” Talk about singly focused!

Jesus Himself declared, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). In other words, the physical needs of our human existence are secondary; God’s will is primary. If we want to be like Christ, that must be our perspective.

As Christ-followers, we need to see our singleness not as a problem to be solved but as an opportunity to be seized! “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all for the glory of God.” Not many of us live with this kind of focus but we need to! Life on this earth is short and it’s about God, not us.

 

2. To Help You Point People to Christ

This should be the goal of every believer. There is a uniqueness in how single people can point others to Christ. It could be said that all of us possess unique qualities, attributes, abilities or challenges that afford us with unique platforms for sharing the gospel. An Olympic athlete has a platform most of us don’t, as does a celebrity, someone with cancer, a politician, a parent of multiples, someone who is blind, the list could go on and on. We have all been given a unique voice that speaks into certain spheres of influence.

An unmarried person, whether never married, widowed, or divorced can share Christ from that particular vantage point. We may see ourselves as single and let that define us, but just like every star in the night sky, we are not truly alone. Every star is part of a galaxy. We all function individually and collectively – every single one of us. The more brightly a star shines, the more it attracts our eyes to the heavens and to the Creator!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech; they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).

Hillsong’s worship song “So Will I” beautifully says “If the stars were made to worship so will I.” Stars shine “because they have huge fusion reactors in their cores releasing a tremendous amount of energy,” explains this article from Universe Today. Similarly, humans produce and release energy. This is only an analogy, but humans can put their energy into many causes or just a few, varying their luminosity or brilliance.

“An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs — how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world — how he can please his wife — and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world —  how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).

An unmarried person has the potential for undivided devotion, energy and focus on God. That potential, if lived out, will shine in a way that attracts the attention of many, causing them to reflect on and perhaps seek a God who can so fully satisfy the human heart!

“…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

If that person, however, is instead focused on disappointment, self-pity, and sadness, his or her light or radiance for Christ is significantly dimmed.

 

3. To Teach You to Live Out Today’s Calling, Not Tomorrow’s

Your purpose today is to thank and glorify God, not waste today longing for a different tomorrow. Tomorrow may indeed be different, but it may not. We must rejoice in today. It is fleeting, it is a gift, and it can be lived to the full, or lost.

“Let not our longings slay the appetite of our living.” (Elisabeth Elliot)

Don’t miss something that is because you’re focused on something that isn’t. Today has a purpose. In one single 24-hour period, we have the chance to: choose contentment and joy, learn, grow, bring glory to God, encourage someone, point someone to Christ, make a difference.

We will not get this day back. Live it for God! May God be primary and everything else secondary.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33).

 

4. To Enable You to Rely on the Sufficiency of God

God satisfies and He is sufficient.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14).

If God’s love is unfailing (eternal, certain, steadfast, inexhaustible), it is not His love the Psalmist prayed for, but rather that we would find our satisfaction in it. Therein lies the problem: our theology. Despite what the Bible says, we do not believe He is sufficient. We believe, rather, that He is insufficient, and that we also need another human to complete us.

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’” (Genesis 2:18).

Adam needed Eve, you might think, which is why God created woman. We absolutely do need a helper, a companion; and those living without romantic love, without sexual fulfillment, are incomplete. Adam obviously could not have been okay with God alone.

That is not true. Eve was God’s grace in Adam’s life, God’s good gift to him. God’s grace is sufficient because God in His wisdom always gives what is good, what is best (not in our opinion, but in His). Without Eve, Adam would have walked with God in paradise, completely and utterly satisfied in God. God had already given Adam life and breath and placed him in utter paradise. Adam’s life was already better than any man to live after him.

And yet, God opened His hand and gave another gift, satisfying a desire Adam did not even realize he had. God’s grace is so sufficient that He provides for us and satisfies us in ways that surprise us. He doesn’t give us everything we ask for and believe will satisfy us; He gives us what he KNOWS will satisfy.

Adam would not have known to ask for Eve. God knew Eve would be suitable, a welcome help through life. He does not promise us all the same type of help, the same variety of grace. We are not guaranteed a human helpmate. But rest assured, that God will provide for you just as he did for Adam. His grace will be sufficient for you.

“You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does” (Psalm 145:16-17).

Imagine the difference our life would make, our testimony for Christ would make, if we truly lived that way: being satisfied with God’s unfailing love, believing that the Lord’s ways are always right and faithful!

The Apostle Paul learned about God’s sufficiency through hardship. After pleading with God three times to change his circumstances, he was given this answer:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).

“Therefore,” Paul went on to write, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10).

Hardships and difficulties do not disprove the goodness of God; they are a showcase for His power, sufficiency, and grace!

Ironically, both marriage and singleness prove to us to the insufficiency of humans and the sufficiency of God! As good of a gift as Eve was, that iconic pair made a mess of things, paradise was lost, and mankind had to return to realizing just how right and sufficient God alone is, until ultimately that was revealed through Jesus Christ.

 

5. To Cause You to Trust Him

God desires to give us what will truly satisfy us, but He will not give it if it is not good. We must trust His definition of good. I want anything and everything God has for me, including my current singleness, because He is good and His plans and timing are for my good, my sanctification, and His glory. This is not always how I “feel,” but it is my true heart’s desire.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).

Again, our theology is skewed. We trust in our own wisdom and timing and we doubt God’s. That’s messed up, dangerous theology. It means we wish we were God, seated on His throne.

God has already given us the one thing that can truly satisfy the needs and desires of our souls: Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

God’s gift of Jesus is proof that He is the Giver of all good things. We can trust Him.

from: “5 Beautiful Purposes God Has for Your Singleness” by Kristi Walker Author February 10, 2023

Kristi Walker has been a missionary in Berlin, Germany for over 15 years working with an international church as the Director of Student Ministries. She is the author of two books – Disappointment: A Subtle Path Away from Christ and Convinced. Applying Biblical Principles to Life’s Choices.

Sometimes God Says No.

Isn’t “No” an Answer?

Amy Carmichael

Just a tiny little child
Three years old,

And a mother with a heart

All of gold.

Often did that mother say,

Jesus hears us when we pray,

For He’s never far away
And He always answers.

Now, that tiny little child

Had brown eyes,

And she wanted blue instead

Like blue skies.

For her mother’s eyes were blue

Like forget-me-nots. She knew

All her mother said was true,

Jesus always answered.

So, she prayed for two blue eyes,

Said “Good night,”

Went to sleep in deep content

And delight.

Woke up early, climbed a chair

By a mirror. Where, O where

Could the blue eyes be? Not there;

Jesus hadn’t answered.

Hadn’t answered her at all;

Never more

Could she pray; her eyes were brown

As before.

Did a little soft wind blow?

Came a whisper soft and low,

“Jesus answered. He said, No;

Isn’t No an answer?”

 

The above poem, written by Amy Carmichael, was based on an incident that actually did occur in her life when she was three. It turned out to be in the providence of God for her to have brown eyes. She became a missionary to India in the late 1890s. At first, her ministry was primarily evangelistic. But along the way, she became aware that some parents in India sold their daughters to the temple, where they were used for immoral purposes. God led one such child to her, and through a series of events and a sense of the Lord’s leading, Amy took the child in. Then more stories of other girls (and later, boys) surfaced and more opportunities to rescue and provide homes for these children arose. Amy had to struggle with this because the Lord had seemed to be blessing her evangelistic work. Was it right to turn from that ministry to give herself to housing and raising children? She concluded that that was indeed God’s will for her life. The ministry grew exponentially and eventually became a whole compound, with housing for children of all ages, the workers who took care of them, and even their own hospital.

 

As Amy went “undercover” to find details of these children, she would stain her arms with coffee and wear Indian dress so that she could pass as an Indian woman and move freely in Indian society where she never could have as an Irish missionary. This she could not have done with blue eyes — her eyes would have given her away immediately. Neither she nor her mother could have ever known, all those years ago, the Lord’s purpose for her brown eyes, but the lesson of faith stayed with her all her life.

 

Sometimes No is the best answer for us, it’s just best to wait and see how God’s plan plays out.

 

Melchizedek Part 2

Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf. — Hebrews 7:24-25

If people only attend church at Christmas and Easter, it is quite possible that they will never get further than thinking about Jesus as a baby who was born in a stable and cradled in a manger, who grew up, was crucified and rose again, and more or less disappeared from the scene, leaving some very good teachings that should not be taken too seriously.

But many people who attend church on a regular basis—not just at Christmas and Easter—often miss out on another important dimension of the Savior’s ministry—that which is celebrated on Ascension Day. The full significance of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus cannot be grasped without a solid understanding of the continuing ministry of the risen Lord. His work did not end when he rose again from the dead. He returned to heaven where he continues his ministry to this day—and forever.

Drawing from the rich history of the Jewish people, the writer of Hebrews compared the work of the risen Lord with that of a human priest. One of the obvious disadvantages of a human priest is that he is susceptible to death, and when he succumbs, his priestly ministry is terminated. Jesus, however, is “a priest forever” (Heb. 7:17). His continuing priesthood is exercised in “the power of a life that cannot be destroyed” (7:16), and “his priesthood will never end” (7:24). In practical terms this means that he can save people “once and forever” (7:25), because his priesthood knows no end or interruption.

Those who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus can say with assurance that they have been saved. They know this as a past experience. But they need more than that. They must face life on a daily basis, and they will continually come up against things that will rob them of their joy and hinder them in their growth. They need to know what it is to be saved on an ongoing basis. They need not just a salvation in the past, but also an experience of spiritual deliverance in the present. To make this possible, Jesus “lives forever to plead with God on their behalf” (7:25), in order to apply the benefits of his death on a daily basis to those who believe in him.

Being aware that the Lord Jesus is, at any given moment, praying for him will alert a Christian man to the supply of divine resources available to him in response to Jesus’ intercession. Secure in this knowledge, he will be better equipped to live wisely and well on a daily basis. And he’ll enjoy the benefits of Christmas and Easter daily, not just annually.

Stuart Briscoe from Telling The Truth.

For further study: Hebrews 7:15-28