Whom He loves, He chastens. What of it? Chasten is from the Latin “castus”, “pure,” “chaste ;” and to chasten is, properly, to purify. Originally meant “to bring up a child, Hence, to instruct; To discipline or correct.” The word is not synonymous with punish, since it always implies an infliction which contemplates the subject’s amendment” Vincent “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:3 He that endured is Christ. As we consider Christ in his dying, suffering on our behalf, suffering for us and as us: it is a picture of love. It is a picture of justice, but justice suffered by another on our behalf. Christ was our substitute, dying in our place. And taking us with Him not only in death but in burial, resurrection, ascension and session. Our consideration of Him is…
Tag: <span>love</span>
The bond of peace creates unity, which finds expression in the Holy Spirit. from Ephesians 4:1-3 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Ephesians 2:13-16 The blood of Christ makes us nigh — “squeezes together” those who were at a distance. The hedge, (middle wall) was the whole Mosaic economy which separated Jew from Gentile. Vincent. This was the enmity, now abolished, one new man results, and peace. The bond of…
Tribulation works out endurance, and endurance, approvedness. Then comes hope, the assurance of which we are not ashamed. Then love floods the heart? Wait! Peace comes first through justification in Romans chapter 5. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ” Romans 5:1 “Justified” is Greek aorist participle, indicating an action done prior to the main verb. So before peace came justification. We were declared righteous at the point of salvation. “‘Peace’ means that the war is done, …God has nothing against us.” “This peace with God must not be confused with the peace of God of Philippians 4:7. Which is a subjective peace, whereas ‘peace with God’ is an objective fact — outside of ourselves. Thousands strive for inward peace, never once resting where God is resting — in the finished work of Christ on Calvary. “ All taken from William Newell…
Galatians 5:13 instructs us, ” …brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” In this profound verse, Paul addresses the Christian who has discovered the Precious Holy Spirit, the death of separation, the life of resurrection, the victory of ascension, the repose of being seated with Christ in glory. In a sense, Paul admonishes us as Spiritual men and women: Don’t use your liberty as a bondage maker by willfully reverting to the sphere of “non-liberty..’ The implication here carries a power house of truth. The Spiritual man has become a discerning person. also a will-deciding individual he or she choose their identity. They carefully must be wary of past identities. They must discern false identities. They must adhere to the parameters of their new identity in Christ. Paul summarizes the accepted identity, “in love…
A story recalled from Bergen-Belsen — a prisoner “strikes up a friendship with a doctor named Marie. The two are talking one day when a Polish prisoner comes to Marie for help. She is not sick — she is about to give birth. At first Fania and Marie panic, but then they collect themselves and have the woman lie down on a table. Silence is imperative, so the woman, ‘teeth clenched,’ uttered not a word. She knew the fate of children at the hands of the SS. Fortunately, the child arrives quickly, There are no scissors, Marie cuts the cord with her teeth. There is no water, Fania rips the lining out of her coat, fashions a crude version of swaddling clothes, and wraps up the baby, still covered with blood. The woman, who has not yet said a word” — dresses, puts on her shoes, and takes her child…
Belonging? to be suitable, appropriate, or advantageous, to be in a proper situation. to be the property of a person or thing to be attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency to be a member of a club, organization, or set The very human desire to belong has been recognized since the garden of Eden, as our first parents forfeited ‘belonging’ for personal advantage. Enacting their ‘unbelonging’ experiment by defying their Maker, Adam and Eve discovered fear and hiding, a covert strategy for life. As their guilt filled nature developed under this false cover — through their offspring — so all of its malignancy’s many squirms and weasels came out. All of us have paid severely, victims of other’s deviations — victims of our own frightful hearts. James 4:1-2 explain this further: “What causes wars and contentions among you? Is it not the cravings which are ever at war…
“The voice of my beloved! lo, this—he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hill’s.” Song of Solomon 2:8 When last had we leapt or jumped or even skipped? Buoyant as a bird or gazelle comes a jumping someone, in our allegorical sense it’s the Christ, resurrected from the dead and demonstrating what a post-grave world looks like. Lo and behold He invites you and me into it. “Behold, there He stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice.” Song of Solomon 2:9 From the glory of the resurrected world, our Messiah seeks us who have not yet passed through. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,” Song of Solomon 2:10 We were, before salvation came, dead in trespasses and sins , But now, we hear of His love for us, we wonder as He…
” Contrary to popular expectation, Christianity offers no simple solution to man’s problems or to the integration of his personality; it does promise the abiding presence of Christ…..There is no offer of ease, but the promise of grace for the experience.” Morris A. Inch from his book, “Psychology in the Psalms.” As an illustration of this premise I thought of the story of Jesus, walking on the water. Matthew 14 records this for us. “Immediately (Jesus) made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, “ The disciple were sent on ahead. The crowd which Jesus had been teaching were dismissed. Jesus went alone to be with His Father. The excitement of being with Jesus…
When we get to our after-death resurrection, we will not have a sin nature. I see that quite easily. However, in my present before-death state, I see myself, “black but comely” as did the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon 1:5-6. Baked by the scorching sun, dwelling among rival siblings, forced to oversee the family business, and all of it neglects personal development — her own vineyard. Song of Solomon is telling the story of a woman traveling from earth to heaven — but all of it transpires while still on earth. Her vehicle is not a horse, wagon or car. No, her road consists in the imagery of her mind, in which she paints a picture of the “New Creation” daily. The journey beholds the glory of the Lord, as in a glass, and then she is changed into that selfsame image. See 2 Corinthians 3:18. Much is expressed…
Psalm 22:6 “I am a worm.” “The Crimson worm [coccus ilicis] is a very special worm that looks more like a grub than a worm. When it is time for the female or mother Crimson worm to have babies (which she does only one time in her life), she finds the trunk of a tree, a wooden fencepost or a stick. She then attaches her body to that wood and makes a hard crimson shell.” “She is so strongly and permanently stuck to the wood, that the shell can never be removed without tearing her body completely apart and killing her.” “The Crimson worm then lays her eggs under her body and the protective shell. When the baby worms (or larvae) hatch, they stay under the shell. Not only does the mother’s body give protection for her babies, but it also provides them with food – the babies feed on…