Saturday, February 19, 2011

Where men will not regard a faithful ministry...

by James Bourne

Where men will not regard a faithful ministry it is a sign that the Lord is not with them, let their outward deportment be what it may. The beauty and strength of a people consists in preserving that tender union one with another, and with Christ as the living Head. If it pleases God to give his blessing, his presence, and to prosper his cause in any place, it will be displayed by the arm of his strength carrying on the work through all opposition. And he who has begun this will manifestly carry it on to the horrible confusion of all opposers and untender professors. (Phil. 1:6)


Friday, February 18, 2011

The Gospel of John




The Gospel of John


By J.C. Ryle




Table of Contents


    Preface - PREFACE I send forth the volume now in the reader's hands, with much reticence, and a very deep sense of responsibility. It is no light matter to p ...read
    Chapter 1 - JOHN 1:1-5 The Prologue to the Gospel In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with Go ...read
    Chapter 2 - JOHN 2:1-11 Turning Water into Wine Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and both Jesus and his ...read
    Chapter 3 - JOHN 3:1-8 Conversation with Nicodemus Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, came to Jesus ...read
    Chapter 4 - JOHN 4:1-6 Conversation With a Samaritan Woman Now when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that he was winning and baptizing more disciples ...read
    Chapter 5 - JOHN 5:1-15 Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda After this there was a Jewish feast, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jeru ...read
    Chapter 6 - JOHN 6:1-14 The Feeding of the Five Thousand After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias) ...read
    Chapter 7 - JOHN 7:1-13 The Feast of Tabernacles After this Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He stayed out of Judea because the Jewish authorities wanted t ...read
    Chapter 8 - JOHN 8:1-11 A Woman Caught in Adultery But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the pe ...read
    Chapter 9 - JOHN 9:1-12 Healing a Man Born Blind Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, wh ...read
    Chapter 10 - JOHN 10:1-9 Jesus as the Good Shepherd "I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some oth ...read
    Chapter 11 - JOHN 11:1-6 The Death of Lazarus Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha live ...read
    Chapter 12 - JOHN 12:1-11 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he had raised from the dead. So they prepared a ...read
    Chapter 13 - JOHN 13:1-5 Washing the Disciples' Feet Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father ...read
    Chapter 14 - JOHN 14:1-3 Jesus' Parting Words to His Disciples "Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many d ...read
    Chapter 15 - JOHN 15:1-6 The Vine and the Branches "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in m ...read
    Chapter 16 - JOHN 16:1-7 "I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when th ...read
    Chapter 17 - JOHN 17:1-8 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so tha ...read
    Chapter 18 - JOHN 18:1-11 Betrayal and Arrest When he had said these things, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. There was an orchard ...read
    Chapter 19 - JOHN 19:1-16 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed ...read
    Chapter 20 - JOHN 20:1-10 Now very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been ...read
    Chapter 21 - JOHN 21:1-14 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. Now this is how he did so. Simon Peter, Thomas (call ...read

Have nothing to do with them.

(J. C. Philpot, "New Years' Addresses")

"They mingled among the pagans and adopted
 their evil customs. They worshiped their idols,
 and this led to their downfall." Ps. 106:35-36

The 'carnal professors' of the day see nothing
wrong, nothing amiss, nothing inconsistent in
their conduct or spirit, though they are sunk in . . .
  worldliness,
  carnality, or
  covetousness.

But where there is divine life, where the blessed
Spirit moves upon the heart with His sacred
operations and secret influences, there will be
light to see, and a conscience to feel, what is . . .
  wrong,
  sinful,
  inconsistent,
  and improper.

It its but too evident that we cannot be mixed up
with the professors of the day without drinking, in
some measure, into their spirit and being more or
less influenced by their example.

We can scarcely escape the influence of those with
whom we come much and frequently into contact.
If they are dead, they will often benumb us with
their corpse-like coldness. If they are light and
trifling
, they will often entangle us in their carnal
levity. If they are worldly and covetous, they
may afford us a shelter and an excuse for our
own worldliness and covetousness.

Abhor that loose profession, that ready
compliance with everything which feeds the . . .
  pride,
  worldliness,
  covetousness,
  and lusts of our depraved nature,
which so stamps the present day with some
of its most perilous and dreadful characters.

"Having a form of godliness but denying its power.
 Have nothing to do with them." 2 Timothy 3:5

link


Heart worship

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You;
in whose HEART are Your ways." -Psalm 84:5

"None find joy in worship but those
who throw their hearts into it.
Neither prayer, nor praise, nor the
hearing of the word will be profitable to
those who have left their hearts behind them."

-Spurgeon


link


The best of men are only men at their very best

(J. C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Matthew" 1856)

While He was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped
them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is My Son,
whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!"
    Matthew 17:5

Let us see in these words a striking lesson to
the whole Church of Christ. There is a constant
tendency in human nature to "hear man"
 . . .
  bishops,
  priests,
  deacons,
  popes,
  cardinals,
  councils,
  preachers,
  and ministers,
are continually exalted to a place which God never
intended them to fill, and made practically to usurp
the honor of Christ.

Against this tendency let us all watch, and be on
our guard. Let these solemn words of the vision
ever ring in our ears, "Listen to Christ!"

The best of men are only men at their very best . . .
  patriarchs,
  prophets,
  apostles,
  martyrs,
  church fathers,
  reformers,
  puritans;
all, all are sinners, who need a Savior. 

They may be holy, useful, honorable in their place;
but they are sinners after all. They must never be
allowed to stand between us and Christ.

He alone is the Son, in whom the Father is well pleased.

He alone is sealed and appointed to give the bread of life.

He alone "hold the keys of death and the grave" in His hands.

Let us take heed that we hear His voice, and follow Him.

Let us value all religious teaching just in proportion as
it leads us to Jesus. The sum and substance of saving
religion is to "listen to Christ!"


link



Our obstacles

(John Angell James, "An Earnest Ministry" 1847)

Incompetent ministers are the burden of the church.

Worldly ministers have been the dishonor of the
church, and the hindrance of the progress of the
gospel in the world.

The worldly spirit which has infiltrated the church,
threatens to eat out the very core of vital piety!

Our obstacles are . . .
  the debilitating influences of ease and prosperity;
  the insidious snares of wealth, extravagance and fashion;
  the engrossing power of business and secular ambition.

link

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Witnesses for God In Dark and Evil Times





By J.G. Bellet




Table of Contents


    Chapter 1 - Judah's Captivity in Babylon - Being studies and meditations on the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. The Babylonish Captivity, considered as an era in the progress of Divine di ...read
    Chapter 2 - The Captives Returned to Jerusalem, Ezra 1-4 - When we enter the Book of Ezra, we begin the story of the returned captives; we see them in their circumstances, and in their behaviour; and from both ...read
    Chapter 3 - Ezra 5-6 - This is so, indeed, as we have seen. We soon find, however, that we have more to say, but if we be instructed and encouraged by the returned captives ...read
    Chapter 4 - Ezra 7-10 - As we enter these chapters, we have passed an interval of about sixty years, and are in company with a new generation of captives, and are about to wi ...read
    Chapter 5 - The Builders of the Wall, Nehemiah 1-6 - It is after an interval of twelve years from the time of Ezra's action, that Nehemiah appears. He was a captive still in Babylon (or Persia, the same ...read
    Chapter 6 - Nehemiah 7-10 - Here we read, "Now the city was large and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded" (ver. 4). Having therefore built th ...read
    Chapter 7 - Nehemiah 11-13 - These chapters witness the people still earnest and obedient. The day of revival continues. The freshness of its morning has, in no measure, faded, th ...read
    Chapter 8 - Esther 1-2 - The book opens by presenting to us a sight of the Gentile now in power. It is, however, the Persian and not the Chaldean; "the breast of silver," not ...read
    Chapter 9 - Esther 3 - The Jew, strange to say it, as we have seen, becomes important to the power, that is, to the Persian. But more so than I have as yet noticed--importan ...read
    Chapter 10 - Esther 4 - 5 - The various exercises of the soul in these chapters, as we see in Esther and Mordecai, are a matter of great interest. The hand and the Spirit of God ...read
    Chapter 11 - Esther 6 - 7 - Every secret thing must reach its day of manifestation. The word which Mordecai told the king about Teresh and Bigthana, the chamberlains, though hith ...read
    Chapter 12 - Esther 8-10 - We close this Book with the deliverance of the Jews in the very moment when destruction was awaiting them, and with their exaltation in the kingdom, a ...read
    Chapter 13 - Conclusion - Having read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah by themselves, as the story of the returned captives, and the book of Esther by itself as the story of the ...read

The Only True Liberty ~Oswald Chambers

John 8:36; Galatians 5:1


We have to present the liberty of Christ, and we cannot do it if we are not free ourselves. There is only one liberty, the liberty of Jesus Christ at work in my conscience enabling me to do what is right. If we are free with the liberty wherewith Christ makes us free, slowly and surely those whom we influence will begin to be free with the same freedom.

Always keep your own life measured by the standard of Jesus Christ; bow your neck to His yoke alone and to no other yoke whatever; and see that you never bind any yoke on others that Jesus Christ Himself does not place. It takes a long time to get us out of imagining that unless people see as we do they must be wrong. That is never Jesus Christ’s view. Our true sympathy lies with the One who is absolute tenderness, and every now and again God gives us the chance of being the rugged stuff that He might be the tender One. We have to be sacramental elements in the Lord’s Hands.


~Oswald Chambers, Still Higher For His Highest

The Power of Silence










     
 "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).

      Is there any note of music in all the chorus as mighty as the emphatic pause? Is there any word in all the Psalter more eloquent than that one word, Selah (Pause)? Is there anything more thrilling and awful than the hush that comes before the bursting of the tempest and the strange quiet that seems to fall upon all nature before some preternatural phenomenon or convulsion? Is there anything that can touch our hearts as the power of stillness?

      There is for the heart that will cease from itself, "the peace of God that passeth all understanding," a "quietness and confidence" which is the source of all strength, a sweet peace "which nothing can offend," a deep rest which the world can neither give nor take away. There is in the deepest center of the soul a chamber of peace where God dwells, and where, if we will only enter in and hush every other sound, we can hear His still, small voice.

      There is in the swiftest wheel that revolves upon its axis a place in the very center, where there is no movement at all; and so in the busiest life there may be a place where we dwell alone with God, in eternal stillness, There is only one way to know God. "Be still, and know." "God is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him." --Selected

      "All-loving Father, sometimes we have walked under starless skies that dripped darkness like drenching rain. We despaired of starshine or moonlight or sunrise. The sullen blackness gloomed above us as if it would last forever. And out of the dark there spoke no soothing voice to mend our broken hearts. We would gladly have welcomed some wild thunder peal to break the torturing stillness of that over-brooding night.

      "But Thy winsome whisper of eternal love spoke more sweetly to our bruised and bleeding souls than any winds that breathe across Aeolian harps. It was Thy 'still small voice' that spoke to us. We were listening and we heard. We looked and saw Thy face radiant with the light of love. And when we heard Thy voice and saw Thy face, new life came back to us as life comes back to withered blooms that drink the summer rain."




Wednesday, February 16, 2011

For the 'Reverends'

"In ourselves we are poor, sinful erring
creatures, and daily do we have occasion
to blush and hang our heads in shame.
Therefore we respectfully request that
none will address us as 'Reverend'
No worm of the dust is due such a title."

(Arthur Pink)

Frequent mingling with the professing church?

(Stephen Tyng, "Christ is All")


The professing church is characterized by a worldly,
covetous and frivolous spirit; which is manifested by
distressing acts of inconsistency and folly.

Far too often, when the true Christian associates
with those within the professed communion of the
followers of Christ, he is met with a low standard
of personal piety.

Frequent mingling with the professing church very
rarely promotes, and far more frequently hinders,
the growth of grace in the true Christian's heart.

Much experience of this impediment to holiness,
compels him to retreat, as often as possible,
from the professing church, to seek for strength
and refreshment at home, in secret with his Lord.

link

Market-Driven Christianity

By Don Fortner

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men — or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men — I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

Religion in America is big business. Scads of money, powerful personalities, huge egos, and positions of prominence, influence, and recognition are at stake in the business of religion, just as they are in any other business. There was a time when the concern of churches and preachers in this country was the glory of God and the truth of God. Today, like any business, the concern is for success.

Christianity today is market-driven. The goal of all marketing is to make both the buyer and the seller satisfied. Consequently, market-driven churches, in utter abandonment of God’s glory and God’s truth, in their insatiable quest for success and recognition — do whatever it takes to win customers and keep them. 

Be warned! False doctrine and worldliness always go hand in hand. Worldliness usually leads the way. The early modernists did not aim at destroying biblical Christianity. They simply tried to make Christianity palatable to an unbelieving world. It cannot be done. When Christianity becomes acceptable to unregenerate people — it has ceased to be Christianity!

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing!" 1 Corinthians 1:18





Three daughters which are bred by prosperity

(Thomas Watson, "The Spiritual Watch")

"Keep your heart with all diligence." Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart in time of prosperity. Oftentimes the more
full a man is of the world—the further his heart is from God.
It is hard to abound in prosperity—and not abound in sin. A
full cup is hard to carry, without spilling. The trees are never
more in danger of the wind, than when they full blossom.

Pride, idleness, and luxury—are the three daughters which
are bred by prosperity. Samson fell asleep in Delilah's lap;
millions have slept their way to hell—in the lap of prosperity.
Agur prayed, "Give me not riches" (Proverbs 30:8). He knew
his heart would run wild into sin. The world's golden apple,
bewitches.

link

Gideon's Band

By Samuel Logan Brengle


(Judges vi. and vii.)

One hundred and twenty thousand Midianites had come up to fight against Israel, and thirty-two thousand Israelites rose up to fight for their wives, their children, their homes, their liberty, their lives. But God saw that if one Israelite whipped nearly four Midianites he would be so puffed up with pride and conceit that he would forget God, and say, "Mine own hand hath saved me" (vii. 2).

The Lord also knew that there were a lot of weak-kneed followers among them, with cowardly hearts, who would like an excuse to run away, so He told Gideon to say: "Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead." The sooner fearful folks leave us the better. "And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand" (vii. 3). They were afraid to show the enemy their faces, but they were not ashamed to show them their backs.

But the Lord saw that if one Israelite whipped twelve Midianites he would be all the more puffed up, so He made a still further test.

He said unto Gideon: "The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there." God often tries people at the table and the tea-pot. "And it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men" (Judges vii. 4-8).

These three hundred men meant business. They were not only unafraid, but they were not self-indulgent. They knew how to fight, but they knew something even more important -- they knew how to deny themselves. They knew how to deny themselves, not only when there was very little water, but when a river rolled at their feet. They were, no doubt, quite as thirsty as the others, but they did not propose to throw down their arms and fall down on their faces to drink in the presence of the enemy. They stood up, kept their eyes open, watched the enemy, kept one hand on shield and bow, while with the other they brought water to their thirsty lips. The other fellows were not afraid to fight, but they must drink first, even if the enemy did steal a march on them while prostrate on the ground satisfying their thirst. Number one must be cared for, if the army were crushed. They were self-indulgent and never dreamed of denying themselves for the common good; so God sent them home along with the fellows that were afraid, and with the three hundred He routed the Midianites. That was one to four hundred. No chance of self-conceit there! They won the victory and became immortal, but God got the glory.

There are fearful people who cannot face a laugh or a sneer, much less a determined foe. If they cannot be led to lay hold of the strength and boldness of the Lord, the sooner they quit the field the better; let them go back to their wives and babies and sweethearts and mothers.

But there are many who are not afraid. They rather enjoy a fight. They would as soon wear uniform, sell The War Cry, march the streets, face a mob, sing and pray and testify in the presence of enemies, as stay at home, perhaps rather. But they are self-indulgent! If they like a thing they must have it, however much it may hurt them and so unfit them for the fight.

With Us-Not of Us





     
 1 John 2:18-9

      We are able to detect who the antichrists are: "They went out from us, but they were not of us" (1 John 2:19). This does not mean that they left a particular denomination or church. They left the fundamental doctrine of Jesus Christ. 

The Word says they were never born again. Verse 19 makes that abundantly clear. The words "no doubt" are in italics in some translations, indicating that they were added by the translators. Consequently, the verse actually says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us."

      True Christians are recipients of eternal life, and therefore "they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand," the Saviour said. "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one" (John 10:28-30). The person who has eternal life cannot be taken away from God.

      A true child of God will not accept any doctrine that denies that Jesus was and is the eternal God. A person who says that Jesus is not God is not a child of God and cannot go to heaven.

      "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist" (2 John 1:7).



Monday, February 14, 2011

Jeremiah 23:30-32

30Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

31Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

32Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Cry of Jonah out of the Belly of Hell


By J.C. Philpot


Preached at Zoar Chapel, Great Alie Street, London, on Lord's Day Morning, July 16, 1843.

"Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple." Jonah 2:4

It is a great mercy for God's people that the account which the Holy Ghost has given of the saints in the Scripture is very different from the opinions which men form of them by nature. If we attend to the conceptions that the human heart naturally forms of saints, we should believe them to be a kind of intermediate being betwixt us and angels, far removed from all the frailties, sins and imperfections of humanity, never overtaken by slips and falls, but continually walking in the "beauty of holiness".

But God has not recorded such imaginary saints in the Scriptures; and to beat down these foolish ideas, he has given us an account of the drunkenness of Noah, the incest of Lot, the unbelief of Abraham, the peevishness of Moses, the adultery of David, the idolatry of Solomon, the pride of Hezekiah, the cowardice of Mark, and the cursing and swearing of Peter.

But why has the Holy Ghost left on record these sins and slips of the saints? I believe chiefly for three reasons. First, that it might teach us that they were saved by grace as poor, lost, and ruined sinners, in the same way as we hope to be saved. Secondly, that their slips and falls might be so many beacons and warnings, to guard the people of God against being overtaken by the same sins, as the Apostle speaks, "All these things happened to them for ensamples, and are written for our admonition" (1Cor. 10:11). And thirdly, that the people of God, should they be overtaken by sin, might not be cast into despair; but that from seeing recorded in the Scripture the slips and failings of the saints of old, they might be lifted up from their despondency, and brought once more to hope in the Lord.

Of all the recorded prophets, Jonah perhaps stumbles us naturally the most. His disobedient, rebellious conduct before the Lord so signally chastised him; and his impetuous language after he had received such a chastisement, and such a deliverance, when he said, "I do well to be angry, even unto death," have often stumbled those who know neither the depths of the human heart, nor the heights of God's superabounding grace! And yet, I believe, there are many of God's family, who have felt comforted and encouraged, not only by Jonah's rebellious conduct, but also by his perverse and unbecoming words. Not that they dare justify the one, nor approve of the other; but those who really know themselves, and have a deep sense of their baseness and abominable vileness before God, are sometimes enabled to derive a little sweetness from seeing to what lengths God's people who are evidently his saints, and even his inspired prophets, have been permitted to go.

I need hardly, perhaps, remind you, that the words of the text were uttered by Jonah when he was in the whale's belly. It was there he spake them in the bitterness of his soul; it was there that these words of sad despondency, and yet of strong faith, burst from his lips, "Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet I will look again toward thy holy temple!"

But before we enter upon the words of the text, it may be desirable to trace out a few of the steps by which Jonah came into this spot: and then we shall, if the Lord enable us, see something not merely of the perverseness of a saint of God when left to himself, but we shall also perceive something of the exercises of godly fear in the midst of that perverseness.

We read (Jon. 1:1, 2), "The word of the Lord came unto Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness is come up before me."


Be Still My Soul ( Christian Hymn with Lyrics )




Be Still My Soul with Lyrics

Christian Hymns playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

Lyrics:

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to Order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
to guide the Future as He has the past,
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last. Amen

God's Kindness



By Theodore Epp


Colossians 3:12; Titus 3:1-7

The believer is to put on "kindness" (Col. 3:12). This refers to a gentle, gracious disposition.

When I think of this quality, a particular godly leader comes to mind. Years ago another leader in the area did him much harm and sought to ruin his reputation. In a board meeting with this godly leader some of us expressed concern about what this other person was doing to him.

This godly leader then made a statement I shall never forget: "I have determined in my heart to show love and kindness toward this Christian leader with all that I have." And he did. This is what kindness is all about.

A biblical illustration of showing kindness is seen from the life of David. The former king, Saul, had despised David and sought to kill him several times.

But David never took advantage of Saul; in fact, Saul's son Jonathan became his closest friend. After the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David asked, "Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" (2 Sam. 9: 1).

It was then brought to David's attention that Jonathan had a crippled son, Mephibosheth (v. 3). David sent for Mephibosheth, and 2 Samuel 9 concludes by saying, "So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet" (v. 13).

In addition to providing for Mephibosheth continually, David also restored to him the land that had been confiscated from Saul. This was true kindness in action.

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32).



David and Mephibosheth


With New Testament Eyes: 30 - David and Mephibosheth
By Henry Mahan


2 Samuel 9:1-13

Saul; the people's king, had been rejected by God for disobedience and rebellion (1 Sam. 15:26); and David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), now reigned over all Israel. One of David's first acts as king was to inquire of the house of Saul, 'Is there yet any left of the house of Saul, that I might show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?' Ziba, a former servant of the house of Saul, reported to David that Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, yet lived and was a cripple, lame on both feet. David sent and fetched Mephibosheth and gave him the estate of Saul with many servants and a place at the king's table all the days of his life.

This is a beautiful picture of the grace and mercy of God toward unworthy sinners for Christ's sake, which can be told in seven words.

1. 'And the king said...' (v. 3)

Where the word of the king is, there is power, authority, and total sovereignty. There is no council, no conference, and no bargaining here. The king speaks from his sovereign throne, and what he decrees shall be done.

Our God is infinitely sovereign over all his creation. He reigns in total authority in heaven and earth (Psalm 115:1-3; Dan. 4:34-35). Our God is sovereign in providence (1 Sam. 2:6- 8; Isa. 45:5-7; Isa. 46:9-11). There may be second and third causes, but God is the first cause of all things (Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1-11). Our God is sovereign in salvation (Exo. 33:18-19; Rom. 9:15-18; Jonah 2:9).

2. 'That I might show the kindness of God to him.' (v. 3)

The word kindness is mercy. David, the king, was a man of mercy. The house of Saul was David's enemy and deserved no mercy nor pity, but David found it in his heart to show mercy to some.

Our God is holy, righteous, and just; but he is also merciful.

He delights to show mercy (Psalm 130:3-7). Adam's race is a fallen, rebellious race and deserves no mercy. God is not indebted to sinners, but he has determined to show mercy to some (Exo. 33:18-19). The language of religion is merit, rewards, and service; but the language of true redemption is mercy. 'I obtained mercy' (1 Tim. 1:13-16). 'Lord, be merciful to me, the sinner' (Luke 18:13).

3. 'Which is lame on his feet.' (v. 3)

Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, reported to David that Jonathan had a son called Mephibosheth, who lived in Lodebar and who was now a poor cripple because of a tragic fall when he was young (2 Sam. 4:4).

The word lame through a fall not only describes Mephibosheth, but it is our condition since the fall of our father, Adam (Rom. 5:12, 17-19; 1 Cor. 15:21-22; Eph. 2:1-3). All of our faculties were affected by this fall, and in our flesh dwelleth no good (Rom. 3:9-19).

4. 'Then David sent and fetched him.' (v. 5)


MR. READY-TO-HALT


Bunyan Characters Second Series: 17. MR. READY-TO-HALT
By Alexander Whyte


"For I am ready to halt."--David.

Mr. Ready-to-halt is the Mephibosheth of the pilgrimage. While Mephibosheth was still a child in arms, his nurse let the young prince fall, and from that day to the day of his death he was lame in both his feet. Mephibosheth's life-long lameness, and then David's extraordinary grace to the disinherited cripple in commanding him to eat continually at the king's table; in those two points we have all that we know about Mr. Ready-to-halt also. We have no proper portrait, as we say, of Mr. Ready-to-halt. Mr. Ready-to-halt is but a name on John Bunyan's pages--a name set upon two crutches; but, then, his simple name is so suggestive and his two crutches are so eloquent, that I feel as if we might venture to take this life-long lameter and his so serviceable crutches for our character-lecture to-night.

John Bunyan, who could so easily and so delightfully have done it, has given us no information at all about Mr. Ready-to-halt's early days. For once his English passion for a pedigree has not compelled our author's pen. We would have liked immensely to have been told the name, and to have seen displayed the whole family tree of young Ready-to-halt's father; and, especially, of his mother. Who was his nurse also? And did she ever forgive herself for the terrible injury she had done her young master? What were his occupations and amusements as a little cripple boy? Who made him his first crutch? Of what wood was it made? And at what age, and under whose kind and tender directions did he begin to use it? And, then, with such an infirmity, what ever put it into Mr. Ready-to-halt's head to attempt the pilgrimage? For the pilgrimage was a task and a toil that took all the limbs and all the lungs and all the labours and all the endurances that the strongest and the bravest of men could bring to bear upon it. How did this complete cripple ever get through the Slough, and first up and then down the Hill Difficulty, and past all the lions, and over a thousand other obstacles and stumbling-blocks, till he arrived at mine host's so hospitable door? The first surprised sight we get of this so handicapped pilgrim is when Greatheart and Feeble-mind are in the heat of their discourse at the hostelry door. At that moment Mr. Ready-to-halt came by with his crutches in his hand, and he also was going on pilgrimage. Thus, therefore, they went on. Mr. Greatheart and Mr. Honest went on before, Christiana and her children went next, and Mr. Feeble-mind and Mr. Ready-to-halt came behind with his crutches.

"Put by the curtains, look within my veil,
Turn up my metaphors, and do not fail,
There, if thou seekest them, such things to find,
As will be helpful to an honest mind."

1. Well, then, when we put by the curtains and turn up the metaphors, what do we find? What, but just this, that poor Mr. Ready-to-halt was, after all, the greatest and the best believer, as the New Testament would have called him, in all the pilgrimage. We have not found so great faith as that of Mr. Ready-to-halt, no, not in the very best of the pilgrim bands. Each several pilgrim had, no doubt, his own good qualities; but, at pure and downright believing--at taking God at His bare and simple word--Mr. Ready-to-halt beat them all. All that flashes in upon us from one shining word that stands on the margin of our so metaphorical author. This single word, the "promises," hangs like a key of gold beside the first mention of Mr. Ready-to-halt's crutches--a key such that in a moment it throws open the whole of Mr. Ready-to-halt's otherwise lockfast and secret and inexplicable life. There it all is, as plain as a pike-staff now! Yes; Mr. Ready-to-halt's crutches are just the divine promises. I wonder I did not see that all the time. Why, I could compose all his past life myself now. I have his father and his mother and his nurse at my finger-ends now. This poor pilgrim--unless it would be impertinence to call him poor any more--had no limbs to be called limbs. Such limbs as he had were only an encumbrance to this unique pedestrian. All the limbs he had were in his crutches. He had not one atom of strength to lean upon apart from his crutches. A bone, a muscle, a tendon, a sinew, may be ill-nourished, undeveloped, green, and unknit, but, at the worst, they are inside of a man and they are his own. But a crutch, of however good wood it may be made, and however good a lame man may be at using it--still, a crutch at its best is but an outside additament; it is not really and originally a part of a man's very self at all. And yet a lame man is not himself without his crutch.

Other men do not need to give a moment's forethought when they wish to rise up to walk, or to run, or to leap, or to dance. But the lame man has to wait till his crutches are brought to him; and then, after slowly and painfully hoisting himself up upon his crutches, with great labour, he at last takes the road. Mr. Ready-to-halt, then, is a man of God; but he is one of those men of God who have no godliness within themselves. He has no inward graces. He has no past experiences. He has no attainments that he can for one safe moment take his stand upon, or even partly lean upon. Mr. Ready-to-halt is absolutely and always dependent upon the promises. The promises of God in Holy Scripture are this man's very life. All his religion stands in the promises. Take away the promises, and Mr. Ready-to-halt is a heap of heaving rags on the roadside. He cannot take a single step unless upon a promise. But, at the same time, give Mr. Ready-to-halt a promise in his hand and he will wade the Slough upon it, and scale up and slide down the Hill Difficulty upon it, and fight a lion, and even brain Beelzebub with it, till he will with a grudge and a doubt exchange it even for the chariots and the horses that wait him at the river. What a delight our Lord would have taken in Mr. Ready-to-halt had He come across him on His way to the passover! How He would have given Mr. Ready-to-halt His arm; how He would have made Himself late by walking with him, and would still have waited for him! Nay, had that been a day of chap-books in carpenters' shops and on the village stalls, how He would have had Mr. Ready-to-halt's story by heart had any brass-worker in Galilee told the history! Our Lord was within an inch of telling that story Himself, when He showed Thomas His hands and His side. And at another time and in another place we might well have had Mr. Ready-to-halt as one more of our Lord's parables for the common people. Only, He left the delight and the reward of drawing out this parable to one He already saw and dearly loved in a far-off island of the sea, the Puritan tinker of Evangelical England.


GOD'S KEY MAN (3)



Harry Foster

"There is a man in your kingdom" Daniel 5:11


Chapter 10 to 12.

WE now come to the final stages of Daniel's life and ministry. These last chapters are dated after the released captives were back in Jerusalem. Daniel was still praying, perhaps even more earnestly than ever. Was this because he had received news of the problems of the pioneer party? Even so he would not have been surprised, for he had already been warned by the Lord that the work of rebuilding would take place "in troubled times" (9:25), and would know that every venture which represents real values for God is bound to be contested. It was logical for Daniel to keep on praying, but why did he fast?

And why did he mourn? The three weeks included the eight days of the Passover, so naturally he abstained from rich foods then. But why the prolonged fast and why the mourning? Was it a matter of personal depression? I have read suggestions that during the three weeks he was sharing with friends in a spiritual retreat by the Tigris. There is, however, no mention of the fasting by others. Why was he by the Tigris and not in the court? Was his active life now over? Might he have been on the shelf as far as public affairs were concerned? Could it be that this behaviour was not so much part of his spiritual ministry as a personal period of unhappiness due to his new circumstances? Old age, with its inevitable accompaniment of inactivity, can be hard to bear. If he were feeling rather depressed I, for one, would not blame him.

He could well have felt disappointment at not having been one of the pioneer party which had set off on its exciting journey back to Judea with the sacred vessels which for so long had been his concern. We presume that he stayed, not because he so chose, as many prosperous Jews did, but by reason of the overruling providence of God. What was to become of him now? We will have to wait until the end of the book to have the answer to that question, but meanwhile there are some more revelations for him. These chapters stress three new discoveries now given to Daniel with regard to his life as a key man for God.

1. His Spiritual Warfare

"The thing was true, even a great warfare" (10:1).

Whatever else was puzzling to Daniel, one thing was made strikingly plain, and that was that the earthly struggles so graphically described throughout the book are reflections of a great spiritual conflict in that realm which the New Testament calls "The heavenly places". Daniel was given understanding of this most important truth that we who are captives and ambassadors must also be warriors. He was shown the significance of what happens when men of faith pray.

The prophet was shown that his prayers set in motion such forces in the unseen realm that God's emissary speaks of being withstood there by evil forces as a direct result of his prayers (10:13). He was encouraged to go on praying, as the angel spoke of returning to resume the battle in that hidden sphere (v.20). We ask ourselves, is it possible that our feeble intercessions can have such resounding impact upon the powers of darkness? Is this what is involved in the prayer of the Church?

It is indeed. As Daniel reports, "The thing is true". John Bunyan describes "All-Prayer" as another weapon used by Christian in addition to his sword, but to me it seems clearer that in fact "All-prayer" (Ephesians 6:18) is the battlefield where the sword of the Spirit is used. It certainly was for Daniel. Until now he may have known little or nothing of this, although he found, as we all do, that prayer is a costly matter. Now, however, he was given insight into the real issues involved. We are only dimly aware of them, and it is possibly safer for us not to become mentally involved with the unseen rulers of this darkness, but clearly our prayers are meant to strike powerful blows against them. [117/118] They mean more than we realise, as Daniel was shown there by the Tigris.

We could argue that it was Christ who won the victory, settling the whole issue of the triumph of God's kingdom at Calvary, but the fact remains that Paul was inspired to call our attention to the spiritual conflict between the two kingdoms which still persists and in which we have a part (Ephesians 6:11-17). We have been used to the idea that God works in answer to our prayers, but we may be as surprised as perhaps Daniel was, to hear of struggles in the heavenly realms and the part which our prayers play in the cosmic conflict.

I feel it reasonable to remark that Daniel did not seem aware of what was going on at the time. His was not a special type of combative prayer. It is noteworthy, however, that at the end of that long session of confession and intercession described in chapter 9, he was told that "war will continue till the end" (9:26). This was in keeping with God's word to Joshua, spoken after there had been a conflict fought at two levels. Moses on the mountain top and Joshua on the plain. "The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation" (Exodus 17:16). It may be that the reference to "The Scripture of truth" in Daniel 10:21 connects Daniel's experience with that Exodus story. Daniel's vision gave him an explanation of the nature of his past service, and also provided a call to keep at it. It can serve the same purpose for all of us.

2. His Spiritual Value

"Thou art greatly beloved" (9:23; 10:11, 19).

As we may expect, when Daniel found himself in the presence of the Most High, he felt crushed and unworthy. When grace had lifted and strengthened him he heard himself described as highly favoured. This phrase, "greatly beloved" was three times used to describe how God felt about him (9:23; 10:11 & 19). The actual word used is not directly concerned with love, but the R. V. margin tells us that the Hebrew is literally, "precious things". It is used to describe the rich food as "pleasant" in 10:3. The N.I.V. translates the word when used to Daniel as "highly esteemed" and calls the food "choice". This merits closer attention.


GOD'S KEY MAN (2)



"There is a man in your kingdom" Daniel 5:11

Harry Foster


THE previous article dealt with the first four chapters of Daniel, describing events which took place during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the great Chaldean king. The rest of Daniel's prophecies tell of his experiences in the reigns of his successors. The chapters are not given in any chronological order and, since Chapter 5 marks the end of Belshazzar and Chapters 7 and 8, describe what happened before then, it is clear that we must consider these two chapters next.

No doubt at the end of Chapter 4 Daniel was on a "high" of spiritual expectation. Things looked good, not only for him but for God's people as a whole and for their pending release from captivity. We know that behind Daniel's acceptance and execution of his post of honour at the court lay his supreme concern that the captives should be sent back to rebuild Jerusalem. How greatly, then, must he have welcomed Nebuchadnezzar's conversion and goodwill, imagining that this boded hope for the future.

But now, Nebuchadnezzar had died. We are not told of this, but we observe its effects in the loss of status for Daniel who clearly was seconded to some insignificant post in the palace, to find himself ignored and far from the corridors of power. A little hint of this can be found in that with Nebuchadnezzar it was stated that Daniel came in to his presence (4:8), whereas he only saw the new ruler Belshazzar at the end of his reign and then it is said that "he was brought before the king " (5:13). The chief trouble, however, was that this later ruler was a dissolute blasphemer from whom nothing good could be expected. What about Jerusalem and God's people now? [94/95]

This may well have been an all-time "low" for Daniel. Life is like that. Prayer is answered, things seem to be developing in marvellous ways and we are full of expectations. Then the whole scene changes. Perhaps it was at such a time of question and dismay that Daniel was given some visions to steady him and inspire him to go on.


GOD'S KEY MAN (1)


"There is a man in your kingdom" Daniel 5:11

Harry Foster


THE New Testament reminds us that our position in this world is that of pilgrims, but it also asserts that we are ambassadors from the court of heaven. How can this contrasting experience be applied to the same person? Daniel provides us with an excellent example of this divine paradox. He was a captive in a strange land, but he was also God's key man, placed in the very heart of the kingdom of this world to serve the interests of that other kingdom, the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.

Fundamentally the book of Daniel is only about two kingdoms, as interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Chapter 2 clearly shows. It is true that, as the book unfolds, the kingdom of this world is seen in a great variety of aspects, but it is essentially one kingdom, and it is in constant antagonism to the kingdom of heaven. We have to look on to the last New Testament book to find the stark truth of the two kingdoms, for there we are told of a future day when "the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ" (Revelation 11:15). For the moment the stern encounter still proceeds as it did during the period covered by this book. Various earthly rulers functioned during those seventy odd years, but we have the story of the man who lived and functioned for [65/66] God through them all. Daniel was God's key man in Babylon.

He is introduced to us as one of the first captives brought to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, and described as the one who continued until the first year of Cyrus, which was the year when the captivity ended (1:21). In fact he lived beyond that year, but both here and in 6:28 our attention is especially called to the fact that he survived during the whole seventy years of Israel's captivity. No doubt his survival required divine miracles, but my contention is that he did more than survive; he played a key role in God's watchful care for His captive people and for the sacred vessels of the temple which had been brought to Babylon from Jerusalem.

This book of Daniel continually asserts the absolute sovereignty of God, stating, illustrating and predicting that the YAHWEH of Chapter 9 and the Ancient of Days of Chapter 7 is indeed the Most High God. From His supreme throne in heaven the Lord chooses to work through His own men here on earth, and especially through their prayers. For this reason He took care throughout all those seventy years of captivity to have Daniel as His representative at the heart of the worldly kingdom and to preserve and promote him as and when the occasion demanded.

It is not actually stated that Daniel's influence with Cyrus brought about the release of the captives (though his prayers certainly did), but it seems reasonable to suggest that his promotion (2:48), his reinstatement to rulership (5:29) and his close relationship with Darius (6:3) made it possible that his counsels helped the next ruler, Cyrus, to plan the rebuilding of Jerusalem. When Cyrus issued the edict for the release of the Jewish remnant, he specified that the gold and silver vessels should also be released and restored "each to its place" in the rebuilt temple. One senses the influence of Daniel in this matter.