The Cross Of Christ – Camp August 20, 2009
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The last camp we went to recently dealt with the Cross of Christ, and above all else it just reemphasises the following to me:
- That I do not deserve the least of the mercies that God has so lavished upon me and so I ought to be grateful for each and every blessing.
- The grounds for the blessings I receive is not in me but in my Saviour who bled and died for me on the Cross.
- It reveals to me how undeserving I am and thus how humble I ought to be, for only God knows what I would be, what sin would have overcome me so much, even now the battle with sin is daily and greatly distressing; What would have happened had the Cross of Christ not existed to break the power of sin and to challenge me to seek victory? - Would I not have been slaughtered by Sin. I see that “There goeth I but for the Cross – but for Grace”
- Looking to the Cross and seeing what my Saviour suffered physically there, knowing that that is but an infinitesimal reflection of the wrath of God that he bore on my behalf, challenges me to live righteously, how can I despise, so much suffering by falling freely into sin, – Lord grant me grace.
- It reveals how terrible sin must have been to God, for on the Cross, the Son of God looked terrible, battered, beyond human image (Isa.52) – He bore my image on the Cross that I may bare His image before God. If His image on the Cross did not look human and that Image is mine, then it shows that sin has made me and all like me inhuman, we may convince ourselves of our humanity, but not before God.
when more things come into my mind about how the Cross affects my daily life I will not hesitate to put it here.
Why am I so Earth bound? December 23, 2008
Posted by tosheng in Hearts longing, Heaven.Tags: Heavenly Contemplations
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“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city“ Heb 11:13-16
Its this statement “acknowledged they were strangers and exiles on the earth … desire a better country a heavenly one” that gets to me, why am I so earthbound when they who are supposed to be examples to me of godly living weren’t? why do I still long for this worlds goods and gadgets? why am I so engrossed with this worlds fashion? why am I not satisfied with what God has given me and my eyes are wondering, longing after other things? why do I want to be like this worlds celebrities – not that I want to be well known but at times I find myself craving some of the wealth they have.
Yet I know that none of these things really matter, and so I ask myself why am I so earthly minded, when I want to be full of the desires and longings for God, I want my heart to be en-rapt with the Lord Jesus, who suffered the loss of all things for my sake, for whose sake I also should suffer the loss of all things.
So the question still remains, I know what I ought to be, one who is at loss for words, totally enthralled by the person and work of my Lord and Christ, yet I know what I am, one who is attracted by this worlds goods, and I know I don’t want to be like that so how can I be what I ought to be.
Richard Baxter is quoted as saying “Frequency in heavenly contemplation is particularly important to prevent shyness between your soul and God. Frequent fellowship breeds friendship, and friendship increases love and delight.” -
So why am I so earth bound? Its because I have not spent much time in frequent fellowship, in heavenly contemplation, if I want my desires to be fanned into flames of passion then I will have to spend more time this coming year contemplating the heavenly.
But first I must ensure that there is a spark there for where there is no spark there can be no fire; no matter how frequently the fan is used. But where the spark is bright only there can the flame burn. So the first question, is am I saved, is Christ my Lord my Saviour, am I totally dependent on Him alone for my salvation or is within me a thought that I too am good and so approved of God, we all must answer this before we can contemplate heaven, for the unsaved can never fully savour heaven and must remain earth bound.
Why are you earth bound is it because:
- You have not the love of Christ in you? or
- You have not spent time contemplating heaven.
Ensure you can answer this today. Don’t be earthbound.
The clouds ye so much dread October 20, 2008
Posted by tosheng in Devotional.Tags: Devotional
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Those were the words of William Cowper in his hymn “God Moves in a mysterious way”. I was reminded of this hymn, as I began to write this post on what I read in the 6th chapter of the gospel of John, these are the verses that are pertinent:
“When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” John 6:5-6; 16-21
Seek Him
From verse 1 – 15 is the story of the Lord feeding up to 5000 men, in verse 5 the Lord asks Philip, where are we to buy bread to feed all these and we are told He said this to test him, he himself knowing what he would do. Knowing that God is sovereign means that we should know that every thing we face, whether good or evil comes from His hands, so no matter what our trials are He knows what He would do, the condition may seem tough, hard and unbearable, notwithstanding all these Jesus knows what he would do, he already has a solution at hand, sadly to say many of us seek him not for that solution, we do several things apart from seeking Him, and this is the first lesson about trials, it is a test that God already has a solution for seek him.
The Clouds are for your good
Looking at verse 18, we are told the sea became rough and a strong wind was blowing, they were rowing hard against the wind, and getting nowhere fast, so much that Jesus walking on the water caught up with them. The first question is was the weather for them or against them? Was it working for their good or otherwise? The answer is it was working for their good even though it was blowing against their intended destination, for had the wind been blowing in their direction they would not have seen the miracle of Jesus walking on water, even so the trials and tests we face, are working for us, they may be delaying us in order that we may more see the hand of the Lord, many are times when our situation is rough, we begin to seek our own way out, it is only when it gets so unbearable that we then begin to trust and seek the Lord, if we were to learn this ahead and seek the Lord immediately, maybe we would not waste so much time and the good that was intended by God, we would experience it earlier, with less expenditure of energy.
All Solutions in Him
This brings me to the last part of our discussions today about trials and tests, if we look at verse 21 of chapter 6, we are told that they were pleased to take him into the boat, and then “immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”. They were struggling to get to where they were going for a long time and could not reach it, but as soon as they allowed the Lord into the ship, all that was against them worked for them, now we are not to be unwise to think that as soon we turn to the Lord our condition would change, though sometimes it does happen like that other times it doesn’t; notwithstanding whether it does or doesn’t our attitude ought to change and your situation will.
Serving you in Christ.
Giving Thought to the Word October 7, 2008
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I came across this verse recently, not that I have not read it before, but I read it in ESV and it just turned on lights in my head. The person that thinks about Gods word will discover a wealth of good. The question I ask myself is that maybe why I am not discovering as much as I should be is because I am not thinking about the word of God as I should, I am not letting the word sink deep into me, so that it may affect my whole person.
The problem with someone who teaches the word, is that if he does not take care, he will read the scriptures as though he were preparing a sermon rather than for himself, so the first question ought to be:
- What is this verse encouraging?
- What is this verse discoraging?
- How have I been failing to apply this verse to my life?
- How may I improve my obedience to this verse?
- what exact changes do I need to make in my life, that I may bare positive fruit with regards this verse?
- Have I began to see changes?
only when I have began to see changes can I now present the truth to others, for their own edification. This is not to say that one has fully grasped the truth being proclaimed before one begins to share but one should at least be making some form of progress.
But thinking about the word is not all that needs to be done, one may find much good whilst thinking about the word and yet that much good may not do any good in a persons life because the latter part of the verse is not considered, that says “… blessed is he
None In Heaven But Thee October 7, 2008
Posted by tosheng in Hearts longing, Uncategorized.Tags: Hearts longing
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The following is a Poem I wrote some years ago, it always challenges me when I read it and I thought it might be used of God to do the same for you so here it is for His glory and your perusal and meditation:
None In Heaven But Thee
Heaven my delight, my goal, my desire
For only one thing do I delight in it
Because my Saviour, my Lord, my King
Therein dwells
Some seek heaven because of pleasure
their desire and delight is in the pleasure
though they won’t say so
but were there a heaven where pleasure exists
and God was not there they will yet desire it
This is not for me I seek higher things
Others seek a heaven to avoid hell
they despise hell and all it stands for
they are ecstatic about avoiding hell
but would they still desire heaven if hell ceased to exist
This desire is not for me, I seek higher things
I gazed into heaven and treasures lay,
innumerable; the wealth surpassed any other
and the joy of many are overwhelmed by this
they count their jewels daily and think of mansions
But this is not for me I seek higher things
Others choose heaven because they think they deserve it
They have toiled so long and their wages cannot be any less
Heaven is surely their home for they would have nothing less.
This again is lesser than what I seek, this is not for me
I care little about heaven and its wealth
I care little about mansions and crowns
I care little about jewels and gold
I care little about hell and its howls
I seek something higher, they are not for me
The one I care for, OH! To die for
He outshines the stars in splendour
He out gives all the world put together
He out loves the greatest of all lovers
He out cares the loveliest of mothers
He alone holds my heart, my soul my all
I will live in the lowliest of places as long as He were there
I will loose all worldly wealth for Him alone
I will cast out all goods, if by it I will have Him
I care not for all the rest, if he is there.
(Ps. 73:25; Isa. 64:4; Ps. 31:19)
Prayer: Oh! Lord Oh! That these were my cry in every situation, in every condition, in every sorrow – OH! to have you and be satisfied.
Roman Catholic and Traditions October 4, 2008
Posted by tosheng in Uncategorized.Tags: Other Religions
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We have been looking at what several religious groups teach and last week we began to look at the Roman Catholic Church -
Catholicism and traditions:
The questions we will be asking and trying to answer are:
- What do traditions have to do with the scriptures
- When they contradict which one has more authority over our life
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 82 states:
“The Church, …, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy scriptures alone. Both scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence”
So what they are stating that although something is not taught within the bible, if traditions teach it then it is acceptable.
Why no tradition but only the word:
Here the Lord Jesus says why are they breaking the commandment of God because of their traditions, it is evident that when traditions and Gods command conflict then tradition must be put aside, or else we are placing traditions above the command of God.
This is the same as above but there is more verse 6 and 7 specifically shows that when we put traditions ahead of Gods commands, Gods word, we are worshipping God in vain, if our teachings to men is based upon traditions then our worship is vain, i.e. it is empty it has no profit, it is unacceptable to God, we may point to miracles, we may point to wonders, but if all these are mere traditions then all is mere vanity (Matt. 7:21). Don’t be mesmerized by the way they portray these traditions, Jesus says they had a fine way a fanciful way it seemed logical, it seemed emotional, but because it is mere tradition and not based on the word it should be rejected, for it will only lead to vanity.
Here Paul the apostle says don’t be taken captive, i.e. don’t be overcome, don’t be bamboozled into things, don’t allow anyone to trick you to holding unto human traditions that have not Christ as the root or source or as the aim and goal. If Christ is not honoured then the tradition should be discarded. Jesus is meant to be honoured glorified in all we do, He said even when the Spirit comes He will glorify me (Jn 16:14), any tradition that has not its source in Christ is vain.
So what of the traditions that Paul spoke about here, first we have not said that traditions are wrong, as long as the traditions does the following
- It does not contradict Gods word
- It is according to Christ – i.e. it is to The glory of the Lord Jesus, and it is sourced from the Lord.
- It is based on Scripture, we don’t want to just proclaim any truth that truth must be based on God’s word.
So to our two questions above, if the tradition does not contradict the word, is from the word and honours Christ then it is fine.
Mortification-never settle for less than the word says June 7, 2008
Posted by tosheng in Uncategorized.Tags: Divine Attributes, Mortification, Of Godly Desire, The Cross of Christ
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One of the powerful acts of Sin is to to make us settle for the disposition of mind that the sin that so easily trips us is a simple one, something we don’t need to worry about, something we don’t need to lose sleep over and by so doing we are lulled into ease, with regards to the sin and with ease comes a deadening of conscience, and dishonouring of God.
No that sin is not a simple sin. We are dishonouring God, crucifying Christ again, and quenching the Spirit. OH! that God will quicken our hearts and make us see how heinous every sin is.
Vision Of This Blog May 28, 2008
Posted by tosheng in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
We aim to provide articles that can help to invigorate our desire for God, by looking at the Attributes of God, The Cross of Christ, Mortification of Sin – And what ever God inspires us to do.
