The Other Side

A few references of this little recurring phrase "the other side" from the scriptures that relate to our story as believers:

The Other Side of the Flood (Joshua 24)
This really means the other side of the great river Euphrates, not the flood as recorded in Genesis 7. Joshua is reminding the people of their origin - far away as idolaters in Ur of the Chaldees and Haran of Canaan!
This was what they used to be before the sovereign grace of God took them from thence and brought them into the purposes and blessings of God.
This is the 'bigger picture' if you will, and of course the same story is true of us! Before we were saved we were lost in darkness, and far away from God.
They are reminded in this chapter that God 'took, led, gave, multiplied' and so on - we are really seeing the sovereign overriding actions of God in the history of His people. Surely we can look back and see similar big movements in our life that we now know was God's guidance and overruling in our lives.

The Other Side of the Road (Luke 10)
Here by contrast we are reminded of the personal love, mercy and compassion of the Saviour, as he moves towards the plight of the needy and helpless sinner.
We are reminded in the parable of the good Samaritan that all others passed by on the other side of the road. But thank God He would not pass the sinner by!
We are reminded that he 'came to where he was', and so he came to where we were; "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
The Amplified version offers a lovely rendering - "...came upon him, and when he saw him, he was deeply moved with compassion for him, and went to him..."
As a side-note it is touching to consider that when it came to his sufferings upon Calvary, there were many that 'passed by'...
I am reminded of the words in Lamentations which can be applied prophetically to him; "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow..."

The Other Side of the Lake (Mark 4)
Here we are thinking about our practical day to day relationship with Christ,as we journey with him.
He says "Let us pass over to the other side" and so it is that Christ bids us journey with him! We are not alone, but we travel with him through life by faith.
There may well be storms and the going may be tough, but Christ is with us and he will not forsake us through the storm. We must trust in him so that after passing through it we can exclaim in worship as we think of his kindness and goodness through the storm; "What manner of man is this...?"

The Other Side of Jordan (Joshua 2)
Here we are looking back on life's experience, taking stock if you will. Rahab recounts to the spies the great victories and triumphs of the people of God from the other side of Jordan.
Of course hopefully we can look back and recount the highs, the triumphs, the victories, the times when we made a stand or overcame.
The question is - are we still getting victories, or are the days of victories long gone?
But we can still get victories today, I hope we believe that! We must encourage ourselves and not give up, we can still have triumphs and highs in our Christian lives going forward, with God's help and strength.
"I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me"
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We trust these simple thoughts concerning "the other side" might be a blessing and an encouragement to us.

Romans 8:38-39 - The Love of God

Let us look at these verses and draw out some observations regarding the love of God, but first some general points:

God, in manifesting His love, manifests Himself! God is love...
He is the perfect expression of love, the embodiment of it!
"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us..." 1 Jn 3:1

THE CHANNEL OF IT : "In Christ Jesus"
He is the Mediator - the man Christ Jesus
He is the Door, the Way, the ladder reaching from earth to heaven!
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only Son... that we might live through Him" 1 Jn 4:9

THE OBJECT OF IT : "...separate US..."
Wonder of wonders! What is man that thou art mindful of him?!
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 Jn 4:10
"...the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20

THE POWER OF IT : "...neither death... etc"
Nothing can separate us from the love of God - it is too powerful!
Nothing in life (v35), and nothing after life (v38)
"Love never faileth"
"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it"
How much more the love of God?!

THE ASSURANCE OF IT : "I am persuaded"
In other words; "I am convinced (and continue to be convinced, beyond any doubt)" AMP
"...and we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love..."

THE CHALLENGE OF IT : "That ye love one another, as I have loved you"
Such amazing love as depicted here in Romans 8 challenges us as per the words of our Lord above in John 13.
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" 1 Jn 4:11
"Husbands love our wives, even as Christ loved the Church" Eph 5:25
And the Words of the Lord Jesus again; "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" John 13:35

What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?

This was the question posed by king Ahasuerus to the evil man Haman in Esther 6:6
The question provoked some thoughts in my own mind, devotional thoughts concerning our Lord Jesus, and I trust they are beneficial to you as they were to me.
The great question was asked;

"What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?"

Of course the word 'delighteth' would surely remind us of God the Father's tremendous love and delight for his Son, the Perfect Servant in Isaiah chapter 42; "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth..."
Proverbs 8 tells us "Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him"
He always brought pleasure and delight to the heart of God!

The subsequent verses in Esther 6 show us Haman's response, and they provide a poignant comparison to our blessed Lord Jesus, the One who was worthy of all honour!

1. "Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear"
Of course we remember the scene at the judgement hall, where they stripped him of his garments and mockingly arrayed him in a purple robe. "Behold the man!" Pilate proclaimed.
At Calvary we read that they "...crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."

2. "...and the horse that the king rideth upon... bring him on horseback through the street of the city..."
The horse was to add splendour, and grandeur to the man whom the king delights to honour. The horse was to lift up that worthy one from the dust of the streets, to bear him along in ease and comfort.
We are reminded of the scene as they Saviour went out to Calvary; "And he bearing his cross went forth..."
It is touching to remind ourselves of the Saviours walk that day, far from the splendour and grandeur that was reserved for the man whom the king delights to honour.
Of course there would be a time when the Saviour would be lifted up from the dust of the street, and it would be via the cross on which they hung him, suspended between heaven and earth.
"If I be lifted up..."

3. "...and the crown royal which is set upon his head..."

"And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head... and smote him on the head."

4. "...and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour."

What was the cry that day? "But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him"

That was their proclamation and estimation of the one in whom God delights.

Of course we are thankful, that the sufferings were followed by glory, and we are reminded of the words of Philippians 2;

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

God's estimation is final and will stand for all eternity!

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Rev 5:12

A Few Scriptures Concerning The Soul...

I was struck by the words of one of the hymns in our hymn book recently:

"To Him who suffered on the tree,

 Our souls at His soul's price, to gain, 

Blessing, and praise, and glory be: 

'Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain!'" 

He died the just one for the unjust ones, to bring us to God, as 1 Pet 3:18 tells us. An amazing thing, that the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me (Paul in Gal 2:20)

Let's link a few scriptures relating to the soul;

"God breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Gen 2:7)

We are going back to the beginning… we are created in God's own image, created for God's pleasure and to bring glory to Him.

The Fall - man brought sin into the world, and sin broke that special relationship with God.

"What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26) 

Nothing more valuable than the soul! It's worth is incalculable, and nothing we can offer can be given in exchange for it... it took the precious blood of Christ in order to redeem/purchase the soul (Our souls at His soul's price, to gain…)

"He poured out His soul unto death" (Isa 53:12) 

To Calvary, the place of sacrifice… The great mystery of Calvary, that the one who knows neither beginning or end should 'taste death for every man'(Heb 2:9) and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross... (Phil 2:8) Note the language used by the prophet, he poured out His soul unto death... a deliberate, voluntary and measured act. Of us it is said that we are 'as water spilt upon the ground' (2 Sam 14:14) this is accidental, involuntary, beyond our control.

"He shall see of the travail (anguish) of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa 53:11)

Wonder of wonders - that He should look out upon the multitudes of sinners saved by grace and be satisfied!

The sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow (1 Pet 1:11)

Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

Now nothing but glory for Him! Praise Him!

"To Him who suffered on the tree,

 Our souls at His soul's price, to gain, 

Blessing, and praise, and glory be: 

'Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain!'" 

Luke 7 - devotional thoughts

I was thinking about Luke 7 and some of the lovely things the Spirit of God shows us there concerning the Lord Jesus.

A Beloved Servant - verses 1-10
The account of the centurion's servant. Scripture records he was 'dear unto him' the Revised Version says 'precious', I quite like that rendering. Of course our minds go to the other 'Beloved Servant', of whom Isaiah said "Behold my servant... in whom my soul delighteth"...
We remember that he did always those things that pleased the Father... we remember that he was always about his Father's business.
His was a life of faultless and perfect service. A life lived for others!
Conversely we think of the cruel yet true words of the scribes and the Pharisees at Calvary who said, "he saved others, himself he cannot save". But his service for God was perfect and complete, he could cry from the cross "it is finished!" Praise God for the finished work of Calvary!

An Only Begotten Son - verses 11-18
Here we have the widow of Nain mourning the death of her only son, what a sad and desperate scene.
We think of another beloved son, an only begotten son!
"This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased"
John 3:16 tells us that "...He gave His only begotten Son..."
We remember that he spared not his Son, but delivered him up for us all.
As we think about Christ as the Son of God, we think again of the words of the scribes and Pharisees on Calvary - "He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God."
We bless God that He could say from the cross "FATHER, into Thy hands I commend my spirit"
God raised him from the dead the third day and he ascended to God's right hand where he lives forevermore!

A Worshipping Sinner - verses 36-50
As we look at the close of the chapter and we see that sinful woman creep into the house of Simon the Pharisee and worship the Lord Jesus with that outpouring of affection and devotion, surely in this we see a picture of ourselves today?
The Lord could say to her "thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace" surely this is our situation as we worship the Saviour? Sinners saved by grace, we return to give God the thanks and the praise for the person and work of his beloved Son.
The Saviours words in response to the disgust and cynicism of Simon are lovely - "her sins, which are many are forgiven, for she loved much"
We remember that we love Him because He first loved us... whom having not seen ye love.
Again we contrast these lovely scenes with the Saviour with the cold hearted thoughts of the Pharisee, he poured scorn on the notion that this Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, as he had dared to let such a sinful woman into his presence let alone touch him!
Not so with the Saviour - our blessed Lord used the opportunity to teach Simon a valuable lesson in love...
So it is with us - that we should ever enter into the presence of God to speak well of his Son and worship Him. What a blessing and privilege is ours!

"He brings a poor vile sinner, into His house of wine!"

God bless.

Great is thy faithfulness!

Recently I went to visit my 90 year old grandma in her old folks home, and I wanted to share some verses with her to encourage her. I thought about it and settled on the following verses which are no doubt well known to many, and have inspired hymn writers - Lamentations 3:22-26

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion says my soul, therefore will I hope in him.
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

I think these verses are poignant and profound! How good it would be to every day appreciate and think about the many blessings I have that evidence the great faithfulness of the Lord.

God bless.

What a difference a day makes...

So last night was pretty intense... I posted briefly about the present difficulties we are facing with our house, the new baby and the general 'business' of life. I prayed with my children last night that we would hopefully hear something very soon about our house, and it certainly was an impassioned plea, to which the boys gladly chimed in with their own pleas to the Lord! They were so excited about the house, and all the waiting has definitely had an unsettling effect on them.

Well today we heard that the delay is over! Hopefully things will move to a speedy conclusion now and we can think about moving in within the next few weeks. What a tremendous answer to prayer that is! It felt so good to have that burden of worry and uncertainty lifted from me, I gave a prayer of thanks to the Lord!

How fitting were the words I posted last night? "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

I was thinking about the words of the Psalmist, in response to today's news: "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psa 107:1

Right now, I'm feeling very thankful, and rejoicing in the Lord's goodness.

God bless.

A word for today...

So there has been a long absence for the believers blog, and that is because I have been massively waylaid over the last year or so with family and church commitments, and with life being so full and busy it has been nigh on impossible to clear one's head and get back own to business with the site.

But, I have found myself in front of the laptop and thought it nigh time to get into a healthy habit of pouring out some of my spiritual musings into the site. This I hope will be cathartic for me, as I grapple with the difficulties and pressures of my life, and may also be encouraging to someone else who may be going through similar circumstances. That is of course if anyone is out there reading this?! Please leave a comment below!

So things have been very difficult over the last few months... as a family we had a new addition in March so we are now up to 4 children. She has not proved to be an easy baby, needing frequent feeds and a lot of personal attention and not wanting to go down on her back! This has had a greater impact on us as a couple as the last 2 children we had were so easy! So the sleep deprivation has really kicked in this time. All of this wouldn't be so bad had we been in our own house, but with a 4th child on the way, we simply had to move out of our 2 bedroom terraced house. All of this was bad timing, as trying to get a large mortgage being self-employed is extremely difficult and stressful. Nevertheless we managed to get one and sold our house with no problems, and we were thankful to God for his goodness in that regard. We agreed a deal in December on our next house which we were super excited about... but we are still waiting to move in. What should have been a short wait of a few weeks for probate to go through has turned into a 4 month extended stay at my in-laws. Whilst we have greatly appreciated their tremendous hospitality and help it has not been ideal, what with all our possessions being in storage, a new baby coming along, and daily journeys back to our old town for school and church etc. The situation has produced a lot of worry and stress and an overwhelming (sometimes) feeling of anxiety.

But I was reading the scriptures and thought these words brought me some comfort in amongst the anxiety and worry that we are currently going through, found in Matthew ch6:

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The verses spoke to me - don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will look after itself, today has enough trouble of it's own! I can't explain why it helped, but the scriptures are often like that, they have a way of speaking to our souls, through the Holy Spirit, and so it was on this occasion. How often the words of the Saviour can bring comfort and encouragement in difficult times!

Have you had a similar experience? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

God bless.

Humanity and deity of Christ seen together

I was thinking recently of some occasions when we see the humanity and the deity of the Lord Jesus brought together. It brought a smile to me and encouraged me so I decided to share it briefly 'on the blog'... I hope these simple thoughts are of benefit to us as we think about the Lord Jesus together.

• Remember when he sat on that well in Samaria, weary with the journey and thirsty. In this he shows us he was still subject to tiredness and to thirst as He was a man! He could say to the woman, "give me to drink" but then later demonstrate his absolute deity by displaying his omniscience - he knew everything about her! She would say "come see a man who told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ?" (John 4:4-29)

• Recall when he was crossing the Sea of Galilee and the storm raged yet He was asleep in the hinder part of the boat? Incidentally I love the detail that the Word of God adds, that it was upon a pillow, or cushion! Just as you and I would appreciate a comfortable spot to get some rest, so it was with our blessed Lord. He found a cushion and slept while He had the opportunity, such humanity! But how wonderful it is to recognise that the one who slept was also the one with mastery over the very elements that rocked that boat from side to side! The Lord awoke and with just a few words from his lips quelled the storm - "Peace be still"(Mark 4:35-41) The disciples would remark "what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" They saw something of his deity now!

• Finally I think of that sad scene in John chapter 11 where we see that "he whom thou lovest is sick"... and the death of Lazarus. The Lord Jesus arrives at the graveside and we read those lovely words "Jesus wept". What could be more human than weeping at the graveside of a loved one? I think this is most precious indeed. I realise that these tears could well be attributed to the Lord witnessing first hand the effects of sin upon the life of one whom he loved so dearly, I believe that there is a sense in which this is true as well. But I also think that these tears were simply because he was moved and saddened that a dear friend had died! Verse 38 says he was "deeply moved" in other translations which I think would lend weight to this. I don't think this is a wrong way to look at these tears, there is nothing wrong sometimes with the simplest interpretation! In this regard it is interesting to note the reaction of the Jews who were eyewitnesses to those tears - They would say "Behold how he loved him!" Even they could recognise in their uncaring and hard-hearted natures, that Jesus was moved to tears that one He loved dearly had passed into death, even though He had the power of life and death. The word used for weep is interesting as it carries with it the idea of weeping silently or quietly and comes from the word "tear-drop". I picture a tear making it's way down the lovely face of the Saviour, as he stands by that graveside. How dignified, how human! It reminds me of those verse Hebrews 4:15 "we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin". He was saddened and so he wept! Just as he was tired so he slept, and he was thirsty so he drank. But we recall that he would cry with a loud voice "Lazarus come forth!" and the dead one was raised at the Lord's command! He could say "I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." 

Think about these words - Such encouragement for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ! Any who die shall live forever in His presence, absent from the body and present with the Lord. And we who live have the prospect of being caught up together with the Lord, and so we shall live forever with Him! What a blessed prospect we have, and what a Saviour we have - let us worship Him together.

Yours in Christ, Mark

Why should I read the Word of God?

Sometimes it worries me that a lot of Christians aren't reading the Word of God, let alone studying it. This can be detected particularly by a believer's speech, actions, behaviour and their usefulness and effectiveness to God and within a local church. Of course a lack of time spent with the Word will also have a negative impact on our testimony outwardly as well. I include myself in this challenge and so I read through Psalm 119 and noticed a series of fundamental reasons why ANY and ALL believers should be reading the Word of God as much as possible. These are just a few to challenge us with, there are many more I assure you!

1. IT CAN KEEP US FROM SIN (By keeping God's Word close to our hearts and obeying it. So important in today's world - v9-11)
2. IT HAS A CLEANSING EFFECT ON OUR LIVES (v9. Of course, obedience to God's Word in the first place will keep us from sin, see point 1 above.)
3. IT SHOWS US 'WHERE WE ARE' (Light for our feet, or our current condition is my particular application here. We may not like it but as we read the Word, the Holy Spirit will show us what is wrong in our lives, and what is right according to His Word - v105)
4. IT SHOWS US 'WHERE SHOULD GO' (Guidance for our pathway - If we are reading it diligently for guidance v105)
5. IT GIVES LIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING TO THE SIMPLE (Amazingly profound but simple truths revealed to those who are newly converted perhaps - v130)
6. IT GIVES US SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING (Growth and development for Christians, and let's face it, we all need that! - v98-100)
7. IT WILL HELP US THROUGH BAD TIMES (Never forsake reading the Word of God, no matter your circumstances, for God will bring you through and reveal more of himself to you through His Word. Also it stands us in good stead for the future, as believers who have spent time with God's Word will be able to take encouragement and comfort from it, even when they are no longer able to read it perhaps - v92-93)
8. IT GIVES US JOY AND PEACE (Do you know any 'joyless' Christians? Maybe this is why! Reading the Word and hearing God's voice speak to us brings joy! v162 and 165)
9. IT GIVES US HOPE (In Christ, a better thing that this world cannot give us! v81, 114, 147, 74)
10. IT AFFECTS WHAT COMES OUT OF OUR MOUTH (Ok I have perhaps broadened the application here, but I think the lesson still holds true. If we regularly read and meditate upon the Word of God, our speech will be changed or affected for good. I mean this in all senses - our day to day speech with our fellow men, our spiritual conversation with our fellow believers,and perhaps mostly our praise and worship that we present to God - v13)

Of course hand in hand in hand with reading and meditating on the Word comes obedience to it, and further in depth study of course!

I hope these simple scriptures and thoughts will be of benefit to us all as we seek to grow and develop for God day by day.

Yours in Him, Mark