DEPENDENCE

Jesus was baptised and praying
When His public path began
For dependence is the essence
Of the perfect Man.

Jesus praying is the Person
No one could be finer than
For dependence is the essence
Of the perfect Man.

Test the oblation in the oven
Or the cauldron or the pan
For dependence is the essence
Of the perfect Man.

How distinctive to the Father
Was the patient track Christ ran!
For dependence is the essence
Of the perfect Man.
Wheaton             15 May 2019
The refrain is a quotation from J N Darby

PRAYER

(Christ in Luke’s Gospel)

The sinless One came to take His place
With sinners: repenters: so that His part
Was with the righteous. With them, baptised,
But distinguished as being noted
As praying: and therefore the One
Heaven’s deed and voice could endorse.

Servant, He took His place in the desert, praying.

Desiring others to have part as servants
He directed to God a night of prayer.

So He prayed alone, but in the presence
Of those disciples whom His presence taught
He was none less than the Christ of God.

He went up to the mountain to pray
And there the fashion of His face
Became different: while even His clothes
Became resplendent.  With such glory
He could venture the Jerusalem road.

He prayed in a certain place.  Then ceased
And His disciples desired His teaching
To pray.  So the teaching Priest showed
That prayer best starts with God’s glory.

Before sin marshals its greatest
Intensity; before God’s judgment’s
Intensity, the perfect Man bows in
Intensity of prayer at the mount of Olives:
A perfect human will repulsed by
The looming intensity the perfect Man
Subjects Himself to Another’s will.

Indianapolis        13 May 2019

Luke 3: 21
Luke 5: 16
Luke 6: 12
Luke 9: 18
Luke 9: 28
Luke 11: 1
Luke 22: 44

THOU DIDST LOVE US ...

Lord and Saviour, "Thou didst love us"
And didst come to save,
And the way of love has brought Thee
To the cross and grave;
All the work that love laid on Thee
Thou didst then fulfil:
"Thou hast loved us; Thou dost love us,
Thou wilt love us still".

Lord and Shepherd, "Thou dost love us"
On our pilgrim way;
Love supports us through the night time,
Guides us through the day:
Love delights to see us flourish
As we do God's will:
"Thou hast loved us; Thou dost love us,
Thou wilt love us still".

Lord and Bridegroom, "Thou wilt love us"
Till our path is done,
And Thou still wilt love in heaven
Every gathered one:
We will know, through endless ages
Love's eternal thrill:
"Thou hast loved us; Thou dost love us,
Thou wilt love us still".

The words in quotes are from a dear brother as he gave thanks for the emblems at the Lord's supper.

Sunbury

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, Saviour, serve us

Mid sins that might infect us,

From which we might receive ill;

And make us really free;

Preserve us;

Protect us;

Keep us from evil;

Help us to walk with Thee.

GOD’S INTEREST IN YOU

            God is intimately interested in you.  He is interested in your thoughts and your attitudes, in your actions and your motives.  He is interested in your well-being in the present and in the future. He is interested in whether you are happy and in whether you are peaceful.  And He is interested in your needs – which He knows much better than you do!

            What is the source of this interest?  The source of it is His love for you.  He wishes that you should be happy and peaceful, and that your needs should be met.

            A great cause of unhappiness and lack of peace for any of us is our own wrongdoings.  Every person has a conscience and knows when he or she does wrong.  These sins make people unhappy – although they may try to clear this from their minds by entertainment or work – firstly because their consciences work, and secondly because they are worried about future judgment for these sins.

            God knows that the greatest need you have is to have your sins dealt with.  He has provided the answer to this need.  Being absolutely righteous and holy He could not simply forget, or overlook, your sins.  From your side you could not be happy if He did, because they would remain on your conscience and you would be afraid they would be raised again.  The way God has used to deal with sins is by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ – a work that is so complete that it is sufficient for every person. 

            The Bible tells us:

            “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten

            Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have

            life eternal”, John 3: 16

and

            “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”, 1 Timothy 1: 15

and also,

            “Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; and …

            he was buried and … he was raised the third day, according

            to the scriptures; and … he appeared to Cephas (Peter), then

            to the twelve”, 1 Corinthians 15: 3-5.

            Christ Jesus came into the world for the purpose of saving sinners. He did this by bearing in His body on the cross the sins of all who trust in Him, and by bearing the penalty of death.  His blood was poured out and God is now able to be favourable to every person – and to you personally – because Jesus, the perfect Sacrifice, has completed that work.  As the scripture quoted says, Christ not only died but was buried and was raised the third day, and He is willing and “able to save completely those who approach by him to God”, Hebrews 7: 25.  The Lord Jesus is a living Saviour who “has sat down on the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens”, Hebrews 8: 1.

            So what have you to do?  Accept that in the sight of God you are a sinner who needs a Saviour, and accept the work that Jesus has done on your behalf.  You cannot do anything to blot out your sins or to remove their effects – God could not accept your attempts.  You do not need to make any attempts.  By believing in the Lord Jesus you will be satisfying all that God requires; He is just and justifies everyone who believes on Jesus.  The offer of salvation is free and complete and you can have both your conscience and heart cleared of sin.

            Perhaps you would like time to think about it.  You do not have time.  We live in a world of violence.  And death is our constant companion during life.  You must be certain now!

            Not only this, but the offer will not always be open.  God “has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by the man whom he has appointed”, Acts 17: 31.  To be certain of eternal salvation you must trust in the Lord Jesus now, accepting Him as your own Saviour.  It is your only hope, and no one can do it for you.  If you find yourself 'judged in righteousness' you will have only yourself to blame.  Make your eternal position sure immediately.

            God has many other blessings He wishes you to enjoy, but before you can enjoy them you must first know that you are saved, that your sins are forgiven.  God will give the Holy Spirit – who will give guidance into the enjoyment of all those blessings – to those who obey Him, to those who ask.  My hope is that you will seize this opportunity of coming to know Jesus and enjoying peace and happiness, so that you may enter into these fuller blessings. 

D C Brown

FEED ON FAITHFULNESS

"Dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness"
In Christ whose steps in patient grace display
That evenness of spirit in each day
Which only His obedience could express.
And feed on Him who, if He came to bless
Must bear the burden of our sins away,
And is again, if we should go astray,
Our source of peace and grace as we confess.

Together let us feast upon the Lord,
Whose fullest savour is for God alone,
Whose strength and love form strength and love in us;

Consider too God's pleasure is toward
His saints whose love for Him makes them "well known",
Formed into one, and also glorious.

Sunbury
20/04/2019

Written during a weekend considering the food of the priests: the oblation, the sin-offering, their own parts of the peace-offering, and the shewbread.

CROSS

There's nothing like the cross
On which the Saviour died,
Where God was glorified.

In all the Saviour's path
There's nothing like the cross
Where He endured God's wrath.

So those who trust His name,
Enthralled by Him exclaim,
"There's nothing like the cross!"

QUOTE

"It was at the point
Of extreme weakness that He
Defeated Satan."