Not with Sword

Never before had the world seen such a triumphal procession. It was not like that of the earth's famous conquerors. No train of mourning captives, as trophies of kingly valor, made a feature of that scene. But about the Saviour were the glorious trophies of His labors of love for sinful man. There were the captives whom He had rescued from Satan's power, praising God for their deliverance. The blind whom He had restored to sight were leading the way. The dumb whose tongues He had loosed shouted the loudest hosannas. The cripples whom He had healed bounded with joy, and were the most active in breaking the palm branches and waving them before the Saviour. Widows and orphans were exalting the name of Jesus for His works of mercy to them. The lepers whom He had cleansed spread their untainted garments in His path, and hailed Him as the King of glory. Those whom His voice had awakened from the sleep of death were in that throng. Lazarus, whose body had seen corruption in the grave, but who now rejoiced in the strength of glorious manhood, led the beast on which the Saviour rode.  The Desire of Ages, p. 572.

Observation:  Christ entered Jerusalem as a conqueror.  He had gotten the victory; not with heavy hand, but with a healing hand.  He would get the victory; not with sword in hand, but with spikes in His hands and feet.  O the beautiful irony of this upside down King and His upside down kingdom.  This King who came as a servant and a slave is worthy of our highest praise.  This King who sought not His own glory but the glory of His Father shall one day be glorified by every tongue and knee in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth.  This King is My King.  His name is Jesus.

King of Glory

Third Day

Who is this King of glory that pursues me with His love

And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words

My conscience, a reminder of forgiveness that I need

Who is this King of glory who offers it to me

Who is this King of angles, O blessed Prince of Peace

Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries

My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand

Who is this King of glory, Son of God and son of man

His name is Jesus, precious Jesus

The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart

The King of glory

Who is this King of glory with strength and majesty

And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of kings

The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things

Who is the King of glory, He's everything to me

The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things

He is the King of glory, He's everything to me

His name is Jesus, precious Jesus

The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart

The King of glory

Prayer:  Lord Jesus my prayer is simply one of worship this morning... I stand in awe of You.  You are the King of Glory.  You are the Desire of All Nations...  the Desire of Ages... the longing of every heart and the answer for every generation.

As the procession is about to descend the Mount of Olives, it is intercepted by the rulers. They inquire the cause of the tumultuous rejoicing. As they question, "Who is this?" the disciples, filled with the spirit of inspiration, answer this question. In eloquent strains they repeat the prophecies concerning Christ:  

Adam will tell you, It is the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent's head. 

Ask Abraham, he will tell you, It is "Melchizedek King of Salem," King of Peace. Gen. 14:18. 

     

Jacob will tell you, He is Shiloh of the tribe of Judah. 

Isaiah will tell you, "Immanuel," "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isa. 7:14; 9:6. 

Jeremiah will tell you, The Branch of David, "the Lord our Righteousness." Jer. 23:6. 

Daniel will tell you, He is the Messiah. 

Hosea will tell you, He is "the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is His memorial." Hosea 12:5. 

     

John the Baptist will tell you, He is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. 

The great Jehovah has proclaimed from His throne, "This is My beloved Son." Matt. 3:17. 

     

We, His disciples, declare, This is Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of life, the Redeemer of the world. 

And the prince of the powers of darkness acknowledges Him, saying, "I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God." Mark 1:24.   The Desire of Ages, p. 578.

A Matter of the Heart

"The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show; [margin]: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom of God begins in the heart...

He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.

Not by the decisions of courts or councils or legislative assemblies, not by the patronage of worldly great men, is the kingdom of Christ established, but by the implanting of Christ's nature in humanity through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Desire of Ages, p. 506, 509.

Observation: At the heart of Christ's work is a work of the heart. His kingdom is a mustard seed. It begins in the hidden places. It rises from the dirty and dark places of the earth; the dingy and dark hearts of fallen men. O praise God that He starts his work in the most worthless of hearts; hearts that the world has written off; hearts that have been discarded and cast away.

In fact, the more desperate the heart, the more determined our Savior. There is no one too far gone; no one too despicable for God. "Blessed are the poor in Spirt, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!" Yes, the kingdom comes to those who are destitute. As David wrote:

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

And saves those who are crushed in spirit."

(Psa 34:18 NAS95S)

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

(Psa 51:17 NAS95S)

Not only does the Lord not despise the broken and contrite heart, but he delights in it. He is near the brokenhearted. The reason He rejoices in our brokenness is because, by nature, he is a Gentle Healer. He longs to bring restoration. But, until we acknowledge and confess our brokenness, He will not step in. He honors our denial. He loves us enough to let us lie to ourselves. However, when we choose to stop believing the lie, when we choose to confess our brokenness and our need, than He will forgive, and cleanse, and heal. In fact, the psalmist declares that God ready and willing to forgive:

"For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,

And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You."

(Psa 86:5 NAS95S)

Application: As I think of the work God has done in my heart over the past several years I must say it hasn't been easy. Recently I was watching Cheri Peter's Celebrating Life in Recovery and she told a story about her husband saying to her one day: "Cheri, I can't wait until the day that You really let me love you... when you really let me get close to you."

She says that she thought to herself: "What do you mean... I've never let anyone get as close as You have. I've been an addict. It used to be that someone was lucky if I stayed around for more than two months. I've been with you for 10 years... What do you mean I haven't let you love me."

She goes on: "Later I was talking to God and he said to my heart. Cheri, Brad is right. You haven't let him love you and you haven't let me love you either."

Wow, that must have been painful. But when I'm honest, I think there are big parts of my heart that are still off limits for God. Places where I have said you can't come here. And He hasn't. He loves me too much to violate my boundaries. But when will I say to Him, no more boundaries Jesus? I trust you. You can have all of me. All of my heart. All of my thoughts. All of my feelings.

I guess it feels like I have said this, but that as I journey closer to His heart for me, I find that there is more of my heart yet to be given. O how He loves me. O how gentle and true and kind is He... I love my Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I need You. I need You to break my heart and bring me to my knees. Lord there are areas in my life I have withheld from You. I think of my hopes and my dreams. I have refused to lay them before You and therefore I feel like I have stopped dreaming.

The other day when someone asked me what I really desire to do and be, I wasn't sure. I believe this is because I haven't come before you with my future. I would rather believe in fate or chance than give you the chance to direct my life. An "oh well" attitude has been easier for me than a "Your will" attitude. But "oh well" isn't working for me. I'm not satisfied and I'm not content. Lord I desire Your will. I want to be able to say at the end of the day that my life has purpose and meaning. I want to be able to tell of how You have orchestrated and planned and inspired. Like a great song, I want my life to bring tears to seekers' eyes. I desire that other hearts would be broken as You break my heart with Your perfect will. O Jesus, make my life a song of salvation. Sing through me, sing over me, make me Your song.

Why so Anxious?

c2003 james moon

My heart has been so dry

Consumed with the barrenness of pleasure.

I long for a new song to sing

To the King of heaven

Why are you downcast O my soul?

Why so anxious within?

Hope in God, for I shall praise him

I shall praise him again

Chorus

Beyond this dark night

I can see a new day coming.

When You will take my life,

And make it a song

These things I remember

As I pour out my soul.

How I led the people

In procession to Your throne

Why are you downcast O my soul?

Why so anxious within?

Hope in God, for I shall praise him

I shall praise him again

Chorus

Beyond this dark night

I can see a new day coming.

When You will take my life,

And make it a song

Bridge

Deep calls to deep

At the thunder of your cataracts

All Your waves Your billows

Roll over, over me

In the midst of this dark night

A new day has come

Lord you have my life

I am Your song. (2x)

Advanced Notice

Luke 24:6-9 Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

Observation: God always gives us advance notice. It doesn't matter whether it is regarding the affairs of nations or our own personal struggles. He gave Abraham advanced notice. Moses knew from early childhood that he was to be the deliveror of Israel. Jacob knew that Esau would be his servent. David knew that he was to be king.

In spite of this advanced notice, we sometimes forget or sometimes misunderstand. The people of Christ's day thought he was going to come in his glory at the first coming. Christians today are once again confused thinking he is going to come in secret. Funny how we have the two comings reversed.

Anyway, God is all about advanced notice:

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.

John 13:19 19 "From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.

John 14:28-29 28 "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 "Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

John 16:4 4 "But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

What is the purpose of His advanced warning? It is two fold: that we might remember His prophecy and believe that He is the Christ. The sovreign ruler of the affairs of men. The govenor of all history.

Application: What is God calling me to remember this morning. For one, he is inviting me to remember my first love Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus who has saved me from the pit of sin, and a life of selfishness. Christ is the one who is transforming my heart; taking my anger issues and my resentment. Jesus is the one who is helping me to make my kids a priority.

Not Dates, But Divine Power

Acts 1:7-8 "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Observation: The power of the Holy Spirit is of greater necessity than knowledge of time periods. Even if we have all the dates correct, without the moving of God's spirit, we are white washed tombs filled with dead mens bones. And the bones of those prophets, their messages, and their dates can't do anything for us if we don't have the power of the Spirit.

The message of the man who fell on Elisha's bones was that Elisha was a man of the Spirit of God and that his influence and power lingered even after he had taken his sleep in Jesus.

Application: I need the Holy Spirit. Our church The Adventure needs the Holy Spirit. More than a new building. More than increased attendance. More than a clear understanding of all the prophecies. More than extra staff. More than an administrative assistant.

It is the Spirit that can bring life to these weary borns and heal me of this nagging sickness. The Spirit can give me the power I need day by day. The Spirit can bring people into saving relationship with Jesus. The Spirit can bring the kinds of signs and wonders that will bring power down from heaven.

Always in Need

Descent from Abraham was proved, not by name and lineage, but by likeness of character. So the apostolic succession rests not upon the transmission of ecclesiastical authority, but upon spiritual relationship. A life actuated by the apostles' spirit, the belief and teaching of the truth they taught, this is the true evidence of apostolic succession. This is what constitutes men the successors of the first teachers of the gospel.  The Desire of Ages, p. 467. 

Observation:  Entitlement is when we have a right to something.  There are those who live with a false sense of entitlement.  They think that their upbringing, their ethnicity, or their gender entitles them to certain rights.  Others believe that it is their religion or denominational affiliation that entitles them to certain spiritual benefits from God.  

The pharisees thought their ethnic origins made them sons of Abraham.  What they didn't realize was: 

"A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God."

(Rom 2:28-29 NRSV)

This is not only a New Testament reality but a Old Testament reality.  Israel came to be after Jacob had wrestled with God.  This was a name of spiritual significance.  Without faith there would have been no Father Abraham, there would have been no Israel, and their would be no church.  Either we are children of God by faith or we are homeless and hopeless.  "Without faith it is impossible to please God!"  

But what is our faith in?  Where do we get our sense of entitlement?   A true sense of it?  There are two things which entitle us to be God's children.  His great love and our great need.  When these two come together we are born again; born into the family of God; born into new life where old things are gone and all things have become new.  

Application:  At times I have fallen into the trap of thinking I know the Scriptures.  That I have done the right things and listened to the right songs and prayed the right prayers...  This morning I am reminded that my only right to the throne of grace is my time of need...  I need to need.  Desperation is must be unending.  Dependance must be a way of life...  As surely is I can't live but a few minutes without breathing, spiritually I can't survive without continual and constant communion with Christ... Prayer is the breath of my soul.

And as surely as I can't live without taking extended times to eat, I can't survive without a daily supply of His word feeding my soul.  Bottom line:  I need Jesus.  I will always need him.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus keep my need ever before me.  Keep me humble.  Keep me seeking you.  Keep me close to Your heart.  Amen

Thirsty?

Jesus knew the wants of the soul. Pomp, riches, and honor cannot satisfy the heart. "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me." The rich, the poor, the high, the low, are alike welcome. He promises to relieve the burdened mind, to comfort the sorrowing, and to give hope to the despondent. Many of those who heard Jesus were mourners over disappointed hopes, many were nourishing a secret grief, many were seeking to satisfy their restless longing with the things of the world and the praise of men; but when all was gained, they found that they had toiled only to reach a broken cistern, from which they could not quench their thirst. Amid the glitter of the joyous scene they stood, dissatisfied and sad. That sudden cry, "If any man thirst," startled them from their sorrowful meditation, and as they listened to the words that followed, their minds kindled with a new hope. The Holy Spirit presented the symbol before them until they saw in it the offer of the priceless gift of salvation. 

     

The cry of Christ to the thirsty soul is still going forth, and it appeals to us with even greater power than to those who heard it in the temple on that last day of the feast. The fountain is open for all. The weary and exhausted ones are offered the refreshing draught of eternal life. Jesus is still crying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." "Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Rev. 22:17; John 4:14.  The Desire of Ages, p. 454.             

Observation:  Many beverages, but one blessing:  this is the reality of life.  We are surrounded by professed thirst quenchers.  Some of their tag lines include...

Coke is it

Red Bull gives you wings

Pepsi... the choice of a new generation

If it's not found in nature, it's not found in Snapple

Sprite... Obey Your Thirst

Gatorade... for that deep down body thirst

Are these really thirst quenchers?  For that matter, are power, success, money, and fame thirst quenchers?  Are acceptance, recognition, and popularity answers for our thirst?  If they are, why are folk looking for more?  Why do the liquids of this world leave us longing for more?  Contrast these with the promise of Christ:

"Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water..."

"Everyone who drinks of this water (the water of this world) will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.""

(John 4:10,13-14 NRSV)

The water Christ gives flows from His heart... It is the refreshing of His Spirit and the cleansing of His blood.  The water Christ gives is power and purity, hope and healing.  The water Christ gives not only quenches our thirst, but makes us thirst quenches; wellsprings of blessing amidst a generation weary with thirst.  Yes, as we drink deep of the Savior, people will come to savor the overflow He produces in our lives.  They will draw near like children around a city fountain on a hot summer day.  They will desire what we have.

Application:  This week I have been listening to a series of messages that Herb Larson gave at the 2006 South Queensland Conference Camp Meeting in Australia.  Larson is a Christian business man who grew up in the church but didn't have a personal conversion experience with Christ until he was 38 years old.  At that time, he decided he would give Jesus one hour a day for two months, and if nothing happened he was going to forsake his faith.  Six weeks into his experience he couldn't sleep, he couldn't focus on his work, and he was ready to forsake Christ.  One last time, he laid prostrate on the floor and told God how angry he was that he wasn't hearing from the Lord and that he was done.  When he got up, the Holy Spirit impressed him to open the word one more time.  In His words, "This time the Scripture bypassed my head and went straight to my heart.  I wept like a baby!"

Larson now challenges folk to give God one hour a day... minimum.  He has even offered to pay some for their time if nothing happens within two months of a daily hour with God.  He says those who have taken him seriously have never been disappointed, and He hasn't had to pay for their time because they have found their payoff in the priceless love of Christ; in the incredible purpose, power, peace, and passion that Jesus brings to their life. According to Larson, "I'm just a shmuck from Northern British Columbia... and if God can use me, he can use you.  Just give him an hour a day and watch what happens."  

Well, the Lord has used Larson to rekindle the embers of my faith.  Last week my life with Christ felt dry and withered.  But through the testimony of this fellow disciple, I feel my heart and faith beginning to blossom again.  The Lord has helped me get out of bed to spend the time with Jesus I need.  And I hear Christ inviting me to share my story with others.  I believe that there are those who will be blessed by what Jesus has done for me.   I battled against sexual sin for 12 years.  God delivered me.  Right now He is in the process of delivering me from my anger issues.  He has blessed me with the ability to write songs that inspire people and lead them closer to Christ.  He answered my prayer for a godly wife and he has given me 3 beautiful children.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me back to Yourself this week.  Thank You for being living water for my soul.  Lord I pray for anyone who might read this journal entry... I ask Lord that You will fill their hearts with living water.  Be their thirst quencher.  Give them the courage to give You an hour a day for the next two months.  Lord show up in their life.  Give them purpose and power.  Give them hope and peace.  Fill them with Your joy.  I love You Lord.  I thank You for blessing my life today.  Amen!