Sanctify Yourselves

 Sanctify Yourselves

   In a great house… vessels of gold and silver…wood and clay,

 some for honor and some for dishonor—2 Tim.2:20  

 

David's call to the priests was, “sanctify yourselves.” The ark of testimony which was the symbol of God's presence among His people was heading for its place of rest [1 Chr.1:12-14]. And all who would travel with it in outward proximity must be set apart in the Spirit of holiness. Previous attempts to accompany the ark on its journey based on mere zeal and carnal enthusiasm invited the wrath of God and brought down His judgment upon such disastrous presumption [1 Chr.15:13]. 

 

Likewise, believers are called to be holy as God is holy [1 Pt.1:16]. If we would be outwardly identified with the name and purpose of the Lord Jesus, who is God with man, as was the ark on earth, we must desist from everything that dishonors God‟s name and attempt to frustrate His purpose in this world [2 Tim.2:17, 2 Cor.6:14] 

 

The contents of the ark are revealed to us, it had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant-Heb.9:4. These items contained in the ark are full of spiritual significance. The manna speaks of the Lord Jesus as our bread from heaven [John 11], Aaron's dry rod budding and blossoming with life tells of Christ as our Resurrection and life [John 8.] and the tablets declare the Lord Jesus to be God's covenant of truth with mankind [John 14:6]. Any who choose to identify with the Lord Jesus and His cause in this world must have fed on the heavenly manna, experienced the power of resurrection in his soul and must have received the truth about Christ in whom are hid all treasures of the Godhead [Col.2]. 

 

Service to God and to Man

Service to God and to Man 
                                                                                                            

  And I was with you in weakness, and

in fear and in much trembling—1 Cor.2:3 

Weakness, fear and much trembling would undoubtedly leave much to be desired in a preacher by the standards of a twenty-first century Christendom.

 

The persistent call and clamor for a superior race is not merely limited to certain unwise military despots in history. This same passion has been and is still being echoed from the pulpits. It really is no wonder that godhood is consistently being proclaimed by the preachers of the day. One simple survey of “Christian bookstores” would immediately expose a contradistinction between today’s faith and Christianity as experienced and practiced by the apostle Paul.

 

By acknowledging his weakness among God’s saints, Paul simply declared that in spite of his faith, he was not exempt from the experiences common to all men. Though a proven and attested servant of God, he was nevertheless vulnerable to the imperfections common to humanity.

Issues of the Heart

 

ISSUES OF THE HEART

 

In this world of increasing spiritual darkness, there exists a pressing need for divinely illuminated minds. No tribe or nation naturally produces such people. Yet, needed urgently are men in whom the Spirit of heaven resides. It is the only way out of the mysteries that surround us.

Ancient Babylon and her king very vividly illustrate our present meditation. King Nebuchadnezzar the undisputed lord of the Babylonian empire had been visited in his sleep by visions that later troubled his spirit when he arose from sleep.

Becoming anxious, restless and troubled, that mighty ruler summoned with great urgency all the wise-men within the borders of his kingdom. Almost without delay, we see the royal court already hosting a national convention of every type of spiritual science.

Whom Shall I Send?

Whom Shall I Send?

From the earliest ages of humanity until present times, the conflict between good and evil has been continuously expressed in bitter confrontations between God’s people and various giants. While we observe that man himself has never been able to conquer in this battle, we do not fail to notice that Jehovah has been active on behalf of his people.

However, the giants that confront God’s people today seem to be having the upper hand and even dictating the terms of the battle so that we are tempted to question the reality of divine activity. Yet we know that the Lord never slumbers. Both history and the Scriptures testify to His activity in the affairs of men. In this meditation, we shall take up the study of the battle between David and Goliath as a pertinent case to our generation.

The scene of the war as depicted by the sacred penman is a most fearful sight. Israel, the army of the living God, is portrayed as challenged and openly defied by the Philistine camp. We encounter fear within the Israeli camp, stripping the soldiers of hope and banishing courage from their midst. Great trepidation of the enemy characterized the captains of Jehovah’s army even before an arrow was released from the Philistine camp.

Go and Do Likewise

 

 GO AND DO LIKEWISE

We all must dread and avoid that dangerous situation wherein a person’s mind is accurately informed with biblical expositions on a merely intellectual plane while his spirit remains unaffected by the same truths.

No matter how mentally exercised an individual is in the knowledge of the Bible, the infallible teaching of our Lord stands sure, it is the spirit that quickens, the flesh profits nothing—Jn.6:63 The Lord refers not to the  Holy Spirit in that passage. He was using a figure. That which the Savior meant was that the spirit of a thing is the life of that thing. The flesh or body of a person is of no use without his spirit. The spirit is the essence of life. It is the spirit which animates and quickens anyone with life.

 

This figure the Lord used to teach His audience that unless they entered into the very spirit of His teachings, mere acquaintance with His outward form would profit them nothing. Notice that He said those words to a congregation that was closing in on Him only for the supply of earthly bread [Jn.6:26].

 

Fight the Good Fight

             Fight the Good Fight

 

Athens in ancient Greece is one of the most outstanding cities of all time. Its unique place in history is widely acknowledged throughout the world for its beauty, splendor, commerce and above all excellence in education. Its poetry, literature, arts and philosophies has greatly influenced modern thinking and has continued to win the wonder of elites in all generations.

Amazingly, one man saw differently. Amidst the material splendor and vast intellectual wealth of Athens, we read that the apostle Paul saw that the city was given to idols.-Acts.17:16.This without doubt was an exceptional estimate of Athens. The majority could never have agreed with the apostle. Athens was a city with everything heart could ever wish for. Intellectual or material, Athens boasted of the best this world had to offer. Students and sculptors, architects or artistes, every visitor to the ancient city will return with so much to wonder about.

It was in spite of the wonderful attractions of that vastly organized society that the apostle evaluated the land and its people with a different spirit. As believers, Paul’s example offers godly instructions to us and so this contemplation focuses on how Christians can bring the touch of God upon a generation that sees itself as Post-Christian.