Beginnings in John's Gospel

Just a few simple thoughts regarding some 'Beginnings' that we have mentioned in John's Gospel.

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word..."

This takes us right back to the beginning of time itself, the dawn of creation, and how wonderful to remind ourselves that Christ was there! There was never a time when he was not, for he is the eternal Son of God. The verses also serve to remind us that not only is Christ pre-existent to his coming into the world but that he is the great Creator! Scripture bears ample testimony to his power in creation, this scripture and also Colossians 1 are just a couple of examples. How good it is to remember that the one who is our Saviour is also the one who created the heavens and the earth!

John 2:9-11 "this beginning of miracles did Jesus..."

Here we have a beginning of miracles and this  serves to remind us of the immense impact the Lord Jesus made when he came into the world! If any proof were needed that our first 'beginning' were true then surely we see it here when we read the Gospels and read of the many and innumerable miraculous works. I love how his works all brought glory to God and demonstrated his power, his compassion and his wisdom. The Lord Jesus had power to change lives then and praise God he still has life changing power today too, through his saving work on the cross.

John 15:27 & 1:37-40 "and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning"

A beginning of following is our final thought in this little series. In John 15 the Saviour is preparing his disciples for a time when he would not be there. He gives them comfort, strength and encouragement and reminds them of the time they began to follow him. What a journey was theirs! Just think of the things they had been privileged to see and hear with their own eyes and ears, and now soon they would be bearing witness for the Saviour. For each of these men there had been a time when they began to follow the Lord Jesus (we have referenced one account in our heading), and so too it is for us, thank the Lord for that! However how previous it is to reflect that from his point of view we are "chosen... in him from the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4). Let us take encouragement from this and serve him well, bearing witness to him in this world.

Yours for His glory, Mark

We have received a gift from God... use it for His glory!

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Pet 4:10

If you are a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ then you have been given a gift from God to be used for the benefit of fellow believers and for the glory of God. A gift is a gracious divine endowment, it is something that has nothing to do with any natural ability we may have but is a work that God has enabled us to do through the Holy Spirit. We are not going into the specifics of spiritual gifts here, but we will do a fuller more expansive post in the near future.

Paul encouraged Timothy in the matter of his gift - "therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you". It is important that as believers we look to understand the gift God has given us, and stir it up, use it and develop it - we should not be lazy Christians content to coast along in our spiritual lives! Paul exhorts us to be good stewards in this respect. A steward means a manager, governor or chamberlain, so we are to be busy, wise and resourceful as we seek to serve God using the gift he has given us. The idea is put across by the Lord Jesus in Luke 12:42 when there were faithful and wise stewards who served him well in their master's absence and received due reward at his coming again. This similar idea is put across in Luke 19 and Matt 25, although we haven't the time to go into these scriptures in detail. Suffice to say that the lesson is clear; we need to use the divine gifts God has given us and be active in the employment of them in His service so that God will be glorified and that we as good and faithful servants will be blessed both here now and in a future day of review as well.

As we close we should remember that the exercise of spiritual gifts should always be with the glory of God in view, and for the profit, or benefit of all (1 Cor 12:7). It is not for our own glory, or our own personal advancement, neither should it draw attention to ourselves, for this would be of the flesh. Later on in verse  of 1 Peter 4 Paul says concerning gifts "...that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ..." I can think of no stronger motivation for serving God than this! What a privilege that we should ever be involved in the service of God!

We pray that we may be challenged and encouraged by these things, and that each may seek God's face concerning our spiritual gift and how we may use it for the glory of God.

Yours in Christ, Mark

Onwards and upwards in 2013

I've been challenged recently by Phil 3:14 about pressing on and making spiritual progress in 2013. The verse reads "I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upwards" Amplified Version. I trust that the challenge is something for all of us, no matter what stage we are at in our Christian pathway.

The Apostle has in mind here in this verse a future day of reward, what the Bible calls the Judgement Seat of Christ (Rom 14:10, 2 Cor 5:10). The Authorized Version is slightly misleading here, as the prize that Paul speaks of is not the 'heavenly' calling itself but rather the prize associated with that upward calling. In other words, there is reward in store for faithful servants of Christ at his Judgement Seat! Here every believer will stand before Christ and "receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor 5:10).

The Judgement Seat of Christ is to be viewed as a positive thing, yet it was clearly something that weighed heavy on the Apostle's mind for he revisits it in some of his last writings in 2 Tim 4:8 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Let us all be encouraged and motivated by what we read here, for there can be no doubt from scripture that every believer on the Lord Jesus is destined for heaven and glory, and also that place of reward, where our lives of service will be reviewed.

In Philippians 3 the Apostle Paul uses the phrase "I press on toward the goal" the Apostle is keen, hungry and motivated! His life of service had been hard, and he had endured much for the preaching of the Gospel but here he was, zealous as ever and encouraging other saints to be like-minded! He wanted to continue to make progress, to press on and to have goals and aims in his spiritual life. There is nothing wrong with this motivation about our spiritual life! Granted we should not treat it as a profession or a career, but we should seek to make progress and grow, that much we can see from the scriptures "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" 2 Pet 3:18 

As we begin a new year wouldn't it be great to take stock of our lives and make some spiritual goals or aims for 2013? It could be something like "I'm going to ensure that I have a time for reading the Word and praying every day" or "I'm going to start taking part publicly at a Church gathering" or perhaps "I'm going to talk to someone about the Saviour and the message of salvation each day". What a beneficial impact this would have on our lives and on the lives of our friends and colleagues, both saved and unsaved. Let us be encouraged together and press onwards and upwards in 2013, for there is a prize to be had at the finish!

Yours in Christ, Mark

Fellowship - not just a cup of coffee and a biscuit!

I've been enjoying a few mentions of fellowship in the New Testament and I don't intend to add too much comment other than to say that this subject is huge! Sometimes our understanding of true Christian fellowship can be far too simplistic and really isn't what God means when he talks about 'fellowship' in His Word. Here are some references to provoke further thought and consideration:

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 Jn 1:3)

Number one fellowship - with God our Father and His Son! What a tremendous privilege and calling is ours! Surely this fellowship should mark our character and walk, both before God and before the world.

"...if any fellowship of the Spirit..." (Phil 2:1)

Something we share with all true believers - we enjoy the company of and participation in the Holy Spirit! Remember the Spirit is known as the Comforter, the Paraclete one who 'draws alongside'... what a comfort is ours to know we have a present aide who travels with all believers.

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another" (1 Jn 1:7)

Here is a reminder of the practical implications of fellowship with each other, it is conditional on our day-to-day living. An alternative rendering says: "but if we really are living and walking in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have true, unbroken fellowship with one another". What a challenge this is, to know that fellowship isn't just about attending dinners and suppers but should have a bearing and impact upon our daily walk!

"...your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now" (Phil 1:5)

The Amplified version has a helpful alternative rendering: "I thank my God for your fellowship (your sympathetic co-operation and contribution and partnership) in advancing the good news (the Gospel) from the first day you heard it, until now". This really challenges us in relation to our zeal and energy in our evangelical outreach, this is something we can have fellowship in!

"...the fellowship of the ministering to the saints" (2 Cor 8:4)

We can have fellowship in helping each other, and meeting need where we can see it. This may be financial, but also may be in many other practical ways. The Amplified reads "the ministration for the relief and support of the saints". Truly fellowship is a noble, humbling and practical thing indeed!

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death" (Phil 3:10)

I have no real comments on this lovely but incredibly deep and challenging verse, but I did particularly enjoy the thoughts that are brought out by the Amplified rendering: "For my determined purpose is that I may know Him (that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognising and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly), and that I may in that same way come to know the power out-flowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers) and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in Spirit into His likeness even) to His death."

May the Lord help us understand the wonder of fellowship for the Christian, and the many different facets and meanings it brings.

Yours in Christ, Mark

 

Samuel's spiritual growth

As we move on into First Samuel we can chart the growth and development of the boy Samuel. It is of course encouraging to see that he not only grew and developed physically but that he also grew spiritually in the things of God!

Let's look at this from the text.

2:11 "And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest."

When Samuel was a child he served as a child, and here we see that he humbly serves under Eli, assisting in the daily duties in the tabernacle at Shiloh. He was just a child the verse reminds us, but he was still able to serve the Lord in a simple way! Our spiritual or physical age is no barrier to simply serving God. However, it would not have been appropriate for the child Samuel to have started lecturing the people and preaching at them, so as a young boy he serves God in a simpler way until such time that he has grown spiritually in order to take on a more public responsibility for God.

This verse is also poignant as it mentions that Elkanah his father went home to Ramah where the family home was, but Samuel of course stayed and served the LORD in Shiloh. It must have been hard for parent and child alike to be separated, but what an opportunity for Samuel to serve God! What a lesson for us, it is necessary sometimes to separate ourselves in dedication to the things of God, to study and learn more of him in order to grow spiritually. Sometimes this will mean that we have to spend less time with other legitimate things in order to spend time with the Lord, but he will reward them that honour him in this way.

2:26 "And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men."

Here we see that Samuel's spiritual growth is beginning to have an effect on those around him! The people can see that there is something different and appealing about this boy Samuel. His attributes are beginning to shine through, and his growth is recognised by God and the people. Of course we shouldn't strive to impress those around us with spirituality or make an outward show of 'all the things we are doing for God', but people in our churches or even in secular circles should be able to see that there are signs of spiritual life, and there should be a testimony for God.

This too is proof that the simple service in the Sanctuary has had an effect on our lives and that we are developing spiritually. The years Samuel spent serving Eli had a positive effect on his life as he was serving God and learning more about him.

3:19-21 "And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel... knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD... the LORD revealed himself to Samuel..."

The LORD blessed Samuel, he was with him and fulfilled his purposes and will through him. This is what is meant by "and let none of his words fall to the ground". In other words, God fulfilled his prophecies that were spoken by his servant Samuel. God saw fit to actively use and work through Samuel! The same can be said of us if we apply ourselves to the things of God and grow spiritually.

Here we see the ultimate fulfilment of  what we spoke about in our previous point - all Israel, from the very north to the very south of the country, knew that Samuel was going to be something for God. May we strive to merit the same reputation, by growing spiritually and being an example to others!

The LORD revealed himself to Samuel - what a tremendous privilege and blessing, but one that can be ours as well! By growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, he will reveal himself to us if we live closely with him day by day and apply ourselves to his Word.

4:1 "And the word of Samuel came to all Israel."

Here we see Samuel fully moving into a public sphere of ministry now, and his words come to all the people. Please note that he has grown substantially, I would judge that he is certainly no longer a child! He has served faithfully in the tabernacle all those years, humbly and simply, yet quietly and obediently. This was a crucial stage in Samuel's growth and development, and so it must be for every believer! We cannot expect to launch ourselves into public service if we have not grown spiritually, and known God in the Sanctuary first. Even the Apostle Paul, who went into public service very soon after conversion, still spent several days (without sight and without food and drink) engaged in prayer to God!

7:15-17 "And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD."

Finally here we see firstly, the faithfulness of Samuel, that he judged Israel ALL the days of his life. What a commendation and testimony! We also see something of his constant service and activity, for he travelled through the area on a constant circuit serving God in the locality. Please note that these places were all fairly local to where he lived in Ramah. He didn't travel to places hundreds or thousands of miles away which would have taken him far away from his home town, he certainly had a burden for Ramah and the nearby cities and towns. I think this is possibly relevant for us today, to have a burden primarily for our localities and the place where we live. However I fully appreciate that modern methods of transport make it far easier for those of us engaged in public service such as preaching to travel around and get to places further afield without detriment to our local assemblies or our families!

I think it's touching that Samuel set up home in Ramah, the place where he was born and where his parents home was. I'm not saying there is a lesson here for us to stay where our parents live, as God will move people wherever he will to serve him! I do think though that it is touching that Samuel returned to Ramah from Shiloh after he had fully grown and matured, to operate and serve God in his home town. No doubt his parents would have been thrilled to have him close by and to see their son fully grown and serving God in such a way! There can be no doubt that it is encouraging to see younger ones growing in the things of God, and never underestimate how encouraging this is for older believers!

May the Lord bless as we apply ourselves to our own spiritual growth and development.

Yours in Christ, Mark

Samuel - A chosen servant

There can be no doubt that Samuel was chosen by God to fulfil his purpose and do a work for the Lord. In chapter 3 of 1 Samuel however, there is also no doubt that there was nobody else suitable for this role, so God had to raise someone up!

"And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision"

At this period of history we are in-between the times of the judges and coming into the time of the kings. As the scriptures states, there was no open vision and the word of the Lord was scarce and rare. The spiritual state of the land was poor at this time, and this malaise had clearly spread to the priesthood, who should have known better.

In the first chapter we see that Eli the priest shows a lack of spiritual discernment with Hannah, as he assumes that somebody praying earnestly must be drunk! Now we learn that his eyes waxed dim, and this perhaps didn't just refer to his physical senses but also his spiritual senses too. We learn that his sons were behaving wickedly in their priestly office, yet Eli did little to control or rebuke them. Also Eli failed to recognise that it was the Lord's voice calling the child Samuel, he clearly wasn't used to hearing God's voice!

[caption id="attachment_186" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Samuel is awakened by God's voice calling him"][/caption]

I think Eli had become comfortable and familiar with 'the way things were' around him. Maybe the spiritual state of the nation had worn him down, and begun to take a toll on his own spiritual verve. This should be a challenge to ourselves, that we should not become desensitised to the evil in the world around us and even become familiar with it and allow the standards of the world affect our Christian testimony. How easy it is to become embroiled in the world and become characterised by it's ways!

Little wonder then that God chose to bypass Eli and seek a fresh start in the young boy Samuel. It always encourages me that God chose to reveal his mind and purpose to a child! It teaches me that maybe God isn't looking for people who know it all, or who are great achievers in their own right, but simply someone who will obey his voice and be zealous and eager to serve and is teachable like a child. This should be a lesson to us, how teachable are we? How wiling and zealous are we in his service?

The chapter contrasts 2 individuals: Eli and Samuel, the old and the new, the outgoing failure and the incoming promise!

The challenge for us is to emulate Samuel, and to be looking for God's voice and be obedient to it. We must surely also avoid the pitfalls as shown by Eli, to never become people of comfort and leisure in this world and have our spiritual senses dulled.

Yours in Christ, Mark

 

The 'thirds' of scripture... (part 3)

Welcome again fellow believer to the blog and in particular to the final part of our look at the 'thirds' found in scripture. Today we are looking at the 'third watch'.

The third watch - Luke 12:38

I realise that we are lifting these verses slightly out of context and from their proper application, but I feel that they can equally apply to saints who await the soon coming return of the Lord Jesus to the air! I think there are lessons and applications for us here that are fair to make.

Under the Jewish system, the third watch of the night was also the last watch of the night before morning, from 02:00 to 06:00. The night had been long and dark and the watchers would be tiring and weary, but there were signs of morning approaching! My fellow believer, I can't think of a better picture of today, as we look around this sorry world as evil abounds on every corner, doesn't it feel like we are in the third watch of the night? There can be no doubt that there is much unrest in the world, and we are living in dark and difficult days of testimony, surely the Lord will come soon as he promised in his Word!

"surely I come quickly" Revelation 22:20

If we read the previous verses the Lord speaks about those servants who are waiting and watching for their Lord to return. There are 2 things that the Lord mentions about these waiting and watching servants:

"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning"

In Bible times the loins being girded would mean that the person was ready for activity and movement, as their garments and robes were long and flowing and needed to be girded in order to do serious activity! As we wait and watch for the Lord we should be active in service, ready to move and do his will.

The lamps burning would speak of the light of testimony, as the scriptures often refer to a testimony being a light, whether it be individual or collective as an assembly. In these dark days in which we live, surely it is even more imperative that our light of testimony burn all the more brighter to bring glory and honour to God and be a witness and beacon for the lost world around us! If this shows us anything, it is that our testimony is of great importance and interest to the Lord. He delights in it and it brings glory to him. We challenge ourselves - what state is our testimony in, both individual and collectively?

Finally, by way of encouragement we notice that there is blessing for those faithful and expectant servants:

"And if he shall come in... the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants"

Surely this would point us on to a future day of appraisal and reward for the believer, or as it is called the Judgement Seat of Christ:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" 2 Cor 5:10

As we leave this rich and profitable mini-study, let us leave ourselves with these challenges:

Our life and testimony down here does matter! The Lord is looking for it and will bless faithful servants in a future day. Are we content to coast along, to settle for spiritual mediocrity?

The time is short, the Lord is soon coming, we are in the third watch - how will be found?

Feet - A few thoughts are afoot...

Just a few short thoughts on the strange but interesting subject of feet from the scriptures today, no doubt you can build on or adapt these thoughts yourselves, all comments welcome!



1. Mark 5:22 "And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet"

His attitude showed humility, despite being a ruler of the synagogue! It showed that he was conscious of his deep need, and showed a repentant spirit before the Lord. When we first come to the Saviour we must be willing to take the lowly place as we acknowledge our sinful condition before a holy and a righteous God, and ask him for forgiveness and salvation. Only then can blessing be given!

2. Luke 7:38 "...And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment."

Shows humility in worship, she pours out her heartfelt worship and adoration for the Saviour. Surely this is a model or example for true worship! Surely this is what brings delight and pleasure to the heart of God, as we pour out our hearts worship and praise upon his Son! We challenge ourselves: How much effort do we put into our worship? How much time? Does it affect us like it did this woman? Does it mean this much to us? Oh to capture something of this spirit in our worship both collectively and individually!

3. John 13:5 "After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded."

We marvel again at the humility of the Saviour, the perfect servant! He teaches the disciples a valuable lesson, they had often been arguing who was the greatest, jockeying for position amongst themselves. Here before them was the greatest one that had ever walked the face of the earth, the very Son of God, God manifest in flesh - yet here he was bowing before them and washing their feet with basin and towel. The cross must have been weighing heavy on his mind at this point, yet he takes this lowly step for the ones he loved.

4. Luke 24:39 "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

Here we see the humility of the Cross sufferings, they pierced his hands and his feet! Here however was evidence of his death and crucifixion, seen in the nail prints in his hands and his feet. His was a sacrificial death for us all on the cross of Calvary, and we remind ourselves afresh of this wondrous truth! The nail scarred feet also proved that here standing before them was the risen Lord. The one who had been on the cross, died and was buried was the very same one standing before them in the room! here we have a lovely sign of victory and triumph, the work was perfect, finished and complete, praise him!

5. Acts 16:24 "Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks."

Now we are reminded of the humility of the saints - the sufferings endured in service, and the hardship and persecution for the testimony and furtherance of the Gospel. The Lord could say; "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, (death internally to self) and take up his cross, (death externally to the world) and follow me" Let us remind ourself of the reproach that we should bear in this world - the reproach of the cross, we are associated with that man of Calvary!

6. Romans 10:15 "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

Here we are seeing the humility of the preacher or evangelist engaged in the spread of the Gospel. What a blessed privilege and opportunity we have to serve and preach the good news of the gospel of peace! It is a message from God entrusted to us to spread to others, whether publicly from the Gospel platform or in the streets, or individually bearing witness and testimony to our friends, family or colleagues. We remind ourselves of the responsibility of this service as well, which should always challenge to our hearts. It is a solemn responsibility, and we should seek to spread the Gospel with humility toward God, dignity, clarity, simplicity and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We trust these simple thoughts will encourage us and challenge our hearts.

Yours in Christ, Mark