LIFE: by TA Sparks

 

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life. John 5:39-40

The value of everything is its livingness. The value of the Scriptures is not that we know our Bibles and can handle our Bibles and can give addresses, wonderful addresses, from our Bibles, and that we can quote Scripture fully and accurately and all that sort of thing. It is not that we bear the name of associates of Christ, Christians, not that we have this great inheritance and tradition. It is the livingness of it all which is proving itself in all ways, that this risen Life of Christ should prove itself.... That is a strong thing to say, it is a searching thing to say. You have the Christian tradition and a great deal of Christian teaching, perhaps you know your Bibles very well, or think you do, perhaps you have many advantages in your associations, but the question arises. Not do you know it all, have you got it all, all the teaching, the truth, the Bible knowledge, the association, and that you are at all the meetings and you have heard it for years and years past and your association with it has been very close. That is not it. You can have all that and yet you yourself not be marked by this vital something that you become a vital factor in the whole thing. You are still a passenger, perhaps a parasite; not really in the good of it yourself. Let us be frank about it. We must face this as a personal matter.

The answer is in the resurrection.... Resurrection is not to be only something that happened with Jesus, but it is something that has happened in us and taken place inside of us. There is a counterpart of that by His risen Life imparted, that we have been raised together with Him. And that is not just doctrine either. That is real, that is vital truth and something to happen in us as well as in Jerusalem so many years ago. It is not just history and tradition, it is experience.... We have not only to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, but we have got to be alive ourselves with Him in that resurrection and on that ground.

How To Acquire Wisdom: by Andrew Murray

 

My preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world,…but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom,…But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit…Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches…But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God….But he that is spiritual judges all things.
—1 Corinthians 2:4-7, 10, 12-15

In this passage Paul contrasted the spirit of the world and the Spirit of God. It was in seeking knowledge that man fell. It was in the pride of knowledge that heathenism had its origin: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22).

Man’s wisdom is incapable of understanding God or His wisdom. Because his heart is alienated from God his mind is darkened. Even when in Christ the light of God in its divine love shone upon men, they knew it not and saw no beauty in it.

Divine revelation, as Paul discussed it in this chapter, means three things. God must make known in His Word what He thinks and does. Every preacher who is to communicate the message must continually be taught by the Spirit how to speak it. And every hearer needs the inward illumination. As we have the mind and attitudes of Christ, we can discern the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.

Reject the spirit of the world still in you with its wisdom and self-confidence. Come, in poverty of spirit, to be led by the Spirit. “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). The Spirit will teach a transformed, renewed life that wants only to know God’s perfect will. Deny your own fleshly wisdom. Wait for the wisdom in the inward parts that God has promised (Psalm 51:6). You will increasingly be able to testify of the things that have not entered into the hearts of men and will understand that “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.”

Only the Spirit Can Give Sight: by AW Tozer

 

But even if our gospel is veiled,

it is veiled to those who are perishing,

whose minds the god of this age has blinded,

who do not believe,

lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,

who is the image of God,

should shine on them.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

The uncomprehending mind is unaffected by truth. The intellect of the hearer may grasp saving knowledge while yet the heart makes no moral response to it. A classic example of this is seen in the story of Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield. In his autobiography Franklin recounts in some detail how he listened to the mighty preaching of the great evangelist. He even walked around the square where Whitefield stood to learn for himself how far that golden voice carried. Whitefield talked with Franklin personally about his need of Christ and promised to pray for him. Years later Franklin wrote rather sadly that the evangelist's prayers must not have done any good, for he was still unconverted....

The inward operation of the Holy Spirit is necessary to saving faith. The gospel is light but only the Spirit can give sight. When seeking to bring the lost to Christ we must pray continually that they may receive the gift of seeing. And we must pit our prayer against that dark spirit who blinds the hearts of men. Born After Midnight, pp. 62-63

"Lord, I'll do my part today to share the Gospel with anyone You'll bring my way. But Holy Spirit, I'll wait for You to open eyes and give sight. I'll leave the results with You. Amen."

The Christ Life: by Andrew Murray

 

Christ…is our life.
—Colossians 3:4

Christ’s life was more than His teaching, more than His work, more than even His death. It was His life in the sight of God and man that gave value to what He said, did, and suffered. And it is this life, glorified in the resurrection, that He imparts to His people and enables them to live out be­fore men.

“By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). It was the life in the new brotherhood of the Holy Spirit that made both Jews and Greeks feel that there was some superhuman power about Christ’s disciples; they gave living proof of the truth of what they said, that God’s love had come down and taken possession of them.

It has often been said that, unless the missionary lives out the Christ life on an entirely different level from that on which other men live, he misses the deepest secret of power and success in his work. When Christ sent His disciples forth, it was with the command, “Tarry…until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49); “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me…unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Many missionaries have felt that it is not learning, zeal, or the willingness for self‑sacrifice in Christ’s service, but the secret experience of the life “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), that enables them to meet and overcome every difficulty.

Everything depends on the life with God in Christ being right. It was so with Christ, with the disciples, and with Paul. The simplicity and intensity of our lives in Christ Jesus, and of the life of Christ Jesus in us, sustains us in the daily drudgery of work, makes us conquer self and everything that could hinder the Christ life, and gives victory over the powers of evil and over the hearts from which the evil spirits have to be cast out.

The life is everything. It was so in Christ Jesus. It must be so in His servants, too. It can be so, because Christ Himself will live in us. When He said, “Lo, I am with you alway[s]” (Matthew 28:20), He meant nothing less than this: “Every day and all day long, I am with you, the secret of your life, your joy, and your strength.”

Oh, to learn what hidden treasures are contained in the blessed words we love to repeat: “Lo, I am with you all the days!”

I AM the God Who Heals: from Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

 

Psalm 103:3
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;

I am a God who heals, I heal broken bodies, broken minds, broken hearts, broken lives, and broken relationships. My very Presence has immense healing powers. You cannot live close to Me without experiencing some degree of healing. However, it is also true that you have not because you ask not. You receive the healing that flows naturally from My Presence, whether you seek it or not. But there is more--much more--available to those who ask.
     The first step in receiving healing is to live ever so close to Me. The benefits of this practice are too numerous to list. As you grow more and more intimate with Me, I reveal My will to you more directly. When the time is right, I prompt you to ask for healing of some brokenness in you or in another person. The healing may be instantaneous, or it may be a process. That is up to Me. Your part is to trust Me fully and to thank Me for the restoration that has begun.
     I rarely heal all the brokenness in a person's life. Even My servant Paul was told, "My grace is sufficient for you," when he sought healing for the thorn in his flesh. Nevertheless, much healing is available to those whose lives are intimately interwoven with Mine. Ask, and you will receive.

James 4:2
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
⁷ So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Have You Heard a Hard Word from Jesus? GOOD! by Oswald Chambers

 

…Jesus…said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me." But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. —Luke 18:22-23

Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.

Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.

Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.

Can We Continue in Sin? by Henry Blackaby

 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Romans 6:1-2

A Christian has died to sin. Sin has no control over a corpse. Temptation can present itself enticingly and persistently, yet a corpse will not succumb! Before you were a Christian you were keenly susceptible to sin. Sin held you in its grip. When you became a Christian, your old self died (Gal. 2:20). Sin now has no more control over you than temptation has over a corpse. You have died to sin. You can still sin, but you are no longer in sin’s power. If you choose to succumb to temptation, you are rejecting the freedom from sin that Christ gained for you by His death.

God’s grace is a further motivation for us to resist sin. It was God’s grace that enabled Jesus to endure mocking, beating, and crucifixion at the hands of those whom He had come to save. It was grace that led God to forgive our sin despite our rebellion against Him. It is this same grace that God expresses toward us each time we sin against Him. Knowing this grace, we cannot continue to practice sin (Rom. 6:1-2). We cannot presume upon God’s forgiveness by committing further offenses.

You are no longer the helpless victim of your sin. The victory has already been won. God does not have to win a victory over your sin; He already has! You only need to apply His victory to each area of your life. If there is a sinful habit, an ungodly attitude, or an unrighteous relationship that you need to put to death, claim the victory of Christ’s resurrection today. Then you will be free to experience the abundant life that God intends for you.

The Fragrance of His Knowledge: by Henry Blackaby

 

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.      

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Whenever the Romans won a major military victory they would celebrate with a spectacular parade. The commanding general would lead the procession in a magnificent chariot, followed by his soldiers, musicians, and other officials. Then, soldiers would lead the defeated enemies through the city in . As a part of the celebration, the Romans would burn fragrances on altars, filling the entire city with a pleasant aroma. Even those who could not witness the triumphal procession could hear the victory music and smell the pleasing incense. Everyone would know that their army had been victorious. The special fragrance came to symbolize victory to anyone who smelled it.

Paul used this vivid imagery to describe the effect that Christians should have in the world. According to Paul, God permeates our lives with the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, our lives should demonstrate to others that Christ is victorious. As unbelievers observe our lives, they should become aware of the victorious power of Christ. As other Christians witness the victory Christ gives us over our sin, they can rejoice in the triumph of their Lord and gain confidence that Christ will bring victory in their lives as well.

The most compelling evidence that Christ is alive and triumphant is His activity in the lives of His people. It is a privilege to be the fragrance of Christ by which others learn of God’s life-changing power over sin. Your life ought to be convincing proof that God continues to work powerfully in the lives of His people.

How to Know the Spirit: by Andrew Murray

 

John 14:17
 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

1 Corinthians 3:16
 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

True spiritual knowledge is very important in the Christian life. A man whose inheritance comes to him is no richer if he does not know how to take possession of it. In the same way, the gifts of God’s grace cannot bring their full blessing until we truly understand and possess them.

In Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3, emphasis added). It is the “knowledge of Christ Jesus” for which the believer is willing to “count all things but loss” (Philippians 3:8, emphasis added). It is because of the lack of true knowledge of what God in Christ has prepared for us that the lives of believers are so weak.

How do we know when it is the Spirit who is teaching us? If our knowledge of spiritual things is to be to us a certainty and a comfort, we must know the Teacher Himself. Knowing Him will be to us the evidence that our spiritual knowledge is no deception. Our blessed Lord assures us that we will know the Spirit. Messengers and witnesses do not speak of themselves.

The Holy Spirit, when He testifies of Christ and glorifies Him, must be known and acknowledged. In this way we can have the assurance that the knowledge we receive is indeed of God and not what our human reason has gathered from the Word of God. To know the King’s seal is the only safeguard against a counterfeit image. To know the Spirit is the divine foundation of certainty.

How can the Spirit be known? Jesus said, “Ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” The indwelling of the Spirit is the condition of knowing Him. As we allow Him to dwell in us, and allow Him to testify of Jesus as Lord, He will prove Himself to be the Spirit of God. “It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:6).

BEHOLDING: by TA Sparks

 

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18

The word 'beholding' is a strong word; it is not just taking a look, it is 'fixing our gaze.' That is what the New Testament means by beholding, behold. We all, fixing our gaze upon Christ, as He mirrors in His own Person the glory of God, the satisfaction of God, the mind of God in perfection. The point is that you and I must contemplate the Lord Jesus in spirit, and be much occupied with Him. We must have our Holy of Holies where we retire with Him. We must have a secret place where we spend time with Him. And not only in certain special seasons, but we must seek, as we move about, ever to keep Him before us. Looking at the Lord Jesus, contemplating Him, we shall be changed into the same image. The Holy Spirit will operate upon our occupation.

You become like that which obsesses you, which occupies you. Is that not true? You see what people are occupied with, and you can see their character changing by their obsessions. They are becoming like the thing which is obsessing them; they are changing; they are becoming different. Something has got a grip on them; they can never think about anything else, talk about anything else; and it is changing their character. Now Paul said, "For me to live is Christ – being occupied with Him." It is the wrong word to use, but nevertheless it would be a good thing if He became our "obsession," our continuous occupation. As we steadfastly fix our gaze upon Him, the Spirit changes us into the same image.

Clean Hands & a Pure Heart: by Henry Blackaby

 

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Psalms 24:3-4a

God has rigid requirements for those who want to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. There is no easy access to God for those with unclean hands or an impure heart. It is an affront to holy God to assume that we can indulge in our sin and blatantly disobey His word, then brazenly enter the holy of holies. In Old Testament times, one’s hands represented one’s activities. Clean hands symbolized pure activities. Priests washed their hands before serving in the temple to symbolize that only those who were cleansed could worship holy God.

There are levels of intimacy with God. The moment you become a Christian you begin a relationship with the Lord. However, if you persist in your sin, sin will separate you from God and keep you from enjoying close fellowship with Him. If you follow only God’s basic commandments but resist every time God gives you specific, personal directions, you will never fully experience the depths of God’s Person. If, however, you are like the psalmist and understand the holiness of God, you will adjust your life to His standards and respond to His prompting so that you may have deeper fellowship with Him.

The closer you get to holy God, the more obvious even your smallest sins become. The more you know of God’s character, the more you will realize the need to wash your hands and purify your heart before you can get close to Him.

Are you willing for almighty God to make you absolutely pure before Him so that you can enjoy the maximum possible relationship with Him?

How to Wait for the Spirit: by Andrew Murray

 

He commanded them that they should…wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. Acts 1:4

In the lives of the Old Testament saints, waiting was one of the words in which they expressed the posture of their souls toward God. They waited for God and waited upon God. Sometimes we find it in Holy Scripture as an experience: 

“Truly my soul waits upon God” (Psalm 62:1).

At other times it is a plea: 

“Be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee” (Isaiah 33:2).

Frequently, waiting encourages a person to persevere in a work that is difficult:

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7).

Our Lord uses the word waiting in regard to the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. What had been so deeply woven into the very substance of the religious life and language of God’s people was now to receive a new and a higher application.

As they waited for the manifestation of God to come, so we must wait. We wait on the Father and the Son for ever-increasing inflowings and workings of the Spirit. We wait for His moving, leading, and strengthening, to reveal the Father and the Son within us.

Begin in simple faith in God’s Word to cultivate the quiet assurance: the Holy Spirit is dwelling within me.

Acknowledge in faith and thanksgiving that the Holy Spirit is in you. Each time you enter your closet to speak to God, sit quietly to remember and believe that the Spirit is within you. Appear before God and confess to Him until you become fully conscious that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Now you are in the right posture for taking the second step: asking God very simply and quietly to grant you the power of His Holy Spirit. Ask the Father who is in heaven that His almighty Spirit may come forth from Him in greater life and power as the indwelling Spirit. Ask this on the ground of the promises. Believe that He hears and that He does it. You do not have to feel anything in your heart at once. You are to believe, that is, to rest in what God is going to do even though you do not feel it.

Then comes the waiting. Wait on the Lord. Wait for the Spirit. Quiet your soul and give the Holy Spirit time to give the assurance that God will grant Him to work mightily.