Occupied with Christ
The following is written by C. H. Macintosh:
If I allow my work to get between my heart and the Master, it will be of little worth. We can only effectually serve Christ as we are enjoying Him. It is while the heart dwells upon His powerful attractions that the hands perform the most acceptable service to His name; nor is there anyone who can minister Christ with unction, freshness, and power to others, if he is not feeding upon Christ in the secret of his own soul. True, he may preach a sermon, deliver a lecture, utter prayers, write a book, and go through the entire routine of outward service, and yet not minister Christ. The man who will present Christ to others must be occupied with Christ for himself.
Happy is the man who minsters thus, whatever be the success or reception of his ministry. For should his ministry fail to attract attention, to command influence, or to produce apparent results, he has his sweet retreat and his unfailing portion in Christ, of which nothing can deprive him. Whereas the man who is merely feeding upon the fruits of his ministry, who delights in the gratification which it affords, or the attention and interest which it commands, is like a mere pipe, conveying water to others, and retaining only rust itself. This is a most deplorable condition to be in and yet it is the actual condition of every servant who is more occupied with his work and its results than with the Master and His glory.
Finding Worldliness
Pastor Kent Brandenburg reviews a recent book on wordliness and gives a brief explanation of what God's grace does in the believer. The book, written by C.J. Mahaney, emphasizes "internal" worldliness in opposition to "external" worldliness. Worldliness cannot be confined to either of these areas; it really can permeate both our hearts and our conduct. Here are a few excerpts:
"The pagan, anti-God philosophy of this world weaves its way into every part of a culture. For this reason, everything must be judged (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and that which associates itself with a humanistic or depraved way of thinking must be eschewed (1 Thessalonians 5:22). This applies to piercings, modern art, tattoos, extreme hair styles, rock, rap, and country. In other words, we are not to “[fashion ourselves] according to the former lusts in [our] ignorance: but as he which hath called [us] is holy, so be [we] holy in all manner of conversation” (1 Peter 1:14-15). Every aspect of our conduct or behavior is to be distinct. In no way should our externals reflect the old unregenerate life."
"The truth is that the new definers of worldliness emphasize conduct. It’s just that it is, and ironically, the loose conduct appealing to the lust of the flesh. And they’re judging externals. They will judge your standards (which they do have) to be more strict than theirs, so you must be the legalist and the moralist. Even in writing style they work hard to make it as easy as possible to understand. Even in the dress down style of the sovereign grace ministries, something strategic is going on with their urban chic and soul patches. They are working at attracting or making comfortable a certain demographic. Something is driving all that, but it isn’t the gospel."
"The grace of God that works in believers “denies ungodliness and worldly lusts” (Titus 2:12). As God is working in both to will and do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), true Christians are working out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)."
Read the rest at Jackhammer
Copied from First Baptist Church of Miami, AZ
50 Most Important Events in the Old Testament
compiled by Harold Wilmington
1. Creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26, Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7, Genesis 2:21, Genesis 2:22)
2. Institution of marriage (Genesis 2:23-25)
3. Fall of man (Genesis 3:6)
4. Promise of the Redeemer (Genesis 3:15)
5. Universal flood (Genesis 6-8)
6. Institution of human government (Genesis 9:1-19)
7. Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)
8. Conversion and call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)
9. Giving of Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:14-17; 15:1-21)
10. Abraham’s marriage to Hagar (Genesis 16:1-16)
Proverbs on Anger
Attached is a simple worksheet to help you think through what Proverbs has to say about anger.
Applications for Today from Job's Sufferings
Sometimes the best comfort is your presence not your words. The initial comfort that the presence of Job’s friends brought quickly vanished. When going through a crisis, people need basic care – safety, sustenance, and compassion. It has been said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
We don’t always understand. Job, in spite of serving God faithfully, suffered intensely. Even though his friends desperately tried to point out a cause to Job they failed. His wife offered nothing but despair and suicide as an answer. Job didn’t know why these calamities came. In the end, Job is restored but God never tells him the provocation for his actions. Until the day when God deems it appropriate for our understanding to be enlightened, we walk by faith and not by sight.
Summary of Job
Job is a remarkable book that is appreciated by believers and non-believers alike. It is listed among the great works of ancient literature due to its treatment of human suffering.
Overview of the Book
Job’s Calamities
Job is clearly a remarkable man. Of this, God leaves no doubt: “there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil” (Job 1:8). Modern TV evangelists would assume that this man should be healthy, wealthy, and happy. In fact, this is precisely how Job is introduced. Quickly the theme of the book is revealed. Job’s story is not about his prosperity, but his suffering. The key question is not “Will God give those who serve Him everything they want?”, but “Is God worthy of worship regardless of what benefits might be obtained from Him?”
Nehemiah 1-3
Nehemiah enjoyed security and prestige as the king’s cupbearer, so there was no reason for him to ask about the needs of people hundreds of miles away. But he loved Jerusalem and was concerned about the welfare of his people (Jer. 15:5). How do you respond when you learn that others are hurting?
Nehemiah was a man of prayer; you will find ten of his prayers in this book. He believed in a great God who kept His promises, forgave sin, and helped His people when they called on Him. Like Ezra before him, Nehemiah identified himself with the sins and sorrows of the nation ( Ezra 9:5).
Ezra 10
When things look dark, there is always a ray of hope. Shechaniah encouraged the people to confess their sins and obey the Word. He may have been thinking of God’s promises in Exodus 34:6–7 , Isaiah 55:6–7 , and Jeremiah 3:11–13 . Believers today turn to 1 John 1:9 .
But confession must not be a routine thing that comes only from the lips. We must tremble at God’s Word (Ezra 9:4; 10:3; Isa. 66:2) and truly bring Him a broken heart (Ps. 51:16–17). That explains why Ezra fasted and prayed, for he identified himself with the people in their sins. Note the pronouns in Ezra 9:6–15 .
Not everybody agreed to obey (v. 15), but those who did submit to Ezra confessed their sins publicly, offered a sacrifice, and put away their pagan wives and children. The experience was painful for them, but it was the only way to keep the nation pure (Matt. 18:7–9). There is no easy way to deal with sin.
God’s people have hope because of salvation (Rom. 5:1–2), suffering (Rom. 5:3), the Word of God (Rom. 15:4), and the Spirit of God (Rom. 15:13). Of course, there could be no hope were it not for the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:3). He is our Hope (1 Tim. 1:1).
Ezra 9
Astonished (1–4). For at least three reasons, the Jewish remnant should have obeyed God’s Word about marriage. To begin with, God had been good to bring them back to the land. He had also chastened them in Babylon, and they knew from their own past the consequences of compromise. No wonder Ezra was astonished.
Ashamed (5–9). Ezra used several images to show their plight. They were like drowning men because of their sins (v. 6 ), and yet they sinned more. They were a little peg on which so much future was hanging (v. 8), a remnant that had to serve as a wall against the awful encroachments of sin (v. 9). If the nation was polluted, how could Messiah be born (v. 2)?
Alarmed (10–15). God had revealed His Word, and they did not obey it. God had shown them grace (v. 8), and they did not appreciate it. God had held back punishment (v. 13; Ps. 103:10), and they took advantage of it. All God could do now was punish them even more.
As he prayed, Ezra trembled (v. 4), knelt (v. 5), and bowed down (v. 6) because nobody could stand before God (v. 15; Ps. 130:3).
Ezra 7-8
There is a gap of fifty-seven years between the completion of the temple and the arrival of Ezra. Unfortunately, the people had lapsed into sin; and it was Ezra’s task to bring them back to the Lord. One of the emphases in these chapters is hands .
God’s hand. Ezra was a gifted man (Ezra 7:10), but he could do nothing unless God’s hand was upon him and the people traveling with him. God’s hand is a providing hand (Ezra 7:6; 8:18), a protecting hand (Ezra 8:22, 31), an encouraging hand (Ezra 7:28), and a guiding hand (Ezra 7:9).
Ezra’s hand (Ezra 7:14). God’s Word was in Ezra’s heart as well as his hand (Ezra 7:10), and it was the Word that the people needed. There can be no cleansing or reviving apart from the Word of God.
The Jews’ hands (Ezra 8:26, 33). The hands of the people carried the treasures of the Lord, faithfully delivered to the temple at the end of the journey. When you meet the Lord, you will “weigh in” and find out how faithful you have been with what He has given you. Heed the words of Ezra 8:29: “Watch and keep!”
According to Ezra 7:10 , Ezra studied God’s Word, obeyed God’s Word, and taught God’s Word. He was like the person Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13:52: a student (learning) who was a disciple (living) and a householder (sharing). Having a balanced life is most important.
About this site
Stuff I Like is Jack Lamb's personal blog to post about stuff he likes. Not everything he likes is here, but you will find a variety of posts about Scripture, ministry, technology, and whatever else he likes.
There's not alot of personal information here, but you can connect through Facebook if you need to know.
Today's Scripture Passage
Latest Comments
- SanAntonio Prayer Warrior on What does "Kenite" mean?
- Bill on What does "Kenite" mean?
- Bill on What does "Kenite" mean?
- Jack on Genesis 4-6: The Serpent Seed?
- Matt on Genesis 4-6: The Serpent Seed?
Tags
Links
- Amazon.com Wishlists
- Audio Bible
- Bible Web App
- ChristianPF.com
- Church Web Werx
- Great Bibles
- Logos Bible Software
- mint.com
- Old Christian Radio
- Precept Austin
- Scripture Truth Book Company
- What is Truth
- Wholesome Words
- Wordpress
