Posted on 01/02/2006 10:43:32 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
A person who has not been born again by the Spirit of God will tell you that the teachings of Jesus are simple. But when he is baptized by the Holy Spirit, he finds that "clouds and darkness surround Him . . . ." When we come into close contact with the teachings of Jesus Christ we have our first realization of this. The only possible way to have full understanding of the teachings of Jesus is through the light of the Spirit of God shining inside us. If we have never had the experience of taking our casual, religious shoes off our casual, religious feet— getting rid of all the excessive informality with which we approach God— it is questionable whether we have ever stood in His presence. The people who are flippant and disrespectful in their approach to God are those who have never been introduced to Jesus Christ. Only after the amazing delight and liberty of realizing what Jesus Christ does, comes the impenetrable "darkness" of realizing who He is.
Jesus said, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" ( John 6:63 ). Once, the Bible was just so many words to us — "clouds and darkness"— then, suddenly, the words become spirit and life because Jesus re-speaks them to us when our circumstances make the words new. That is the way God speaks to us; not by visions and dreams, but by words. When a man gets to God, it is by the most simple way— words.
In 1910 Chambers married Gertrude Hobbs. They had one daughter, Kathleen, who still resides in London (as of 1992).
In 1911 he founded and became principal of the Bible Training College in Clapham, London, where he lectured until the school was closed in 1915 because of World War I. In October 1915 he sailed for Zeitoun, Egypt (near Cairo), where he ministered to Australian and New Zealand troops as a YMCA chaplain. He died there November 15, 1917, following surgery for a ruptured appendix.
My Utmost for His Highest, his best-known book, has been continuously in print in the United States since 1935 and in this, the last decade of the century, remains in the top ten titles of the religious book bestseller list with millions of copies in print. It has become a Christian classic. [from the flyleaf of the book]
Absolutely no flaming! These daily threads are intended to be devotional in nature. If a particular day's offering says nothing to you, please just go on and wait for the next day. Consider these threads a DMZ of sorts, a place where a perpetual truce is in effect and a place where all other arguments and disagreements from other times and places are left behind.
I can attest from personal experience that reading from Chambers daily will almost certainly change - not one's faith - but one's perspective of his/her own faith, and open up new vistas in your spiritual life. If - when - this happens to a reader of these threads, and they choose to share what has happened within them - we are treading on hallowed ground. Be respectful.
- Religion Moderator
Rev 1:12-18
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Rev 20:11
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
Thank you oh so very much for the Scriptures!
We've been experiencing some pretty dark clouds with lots of rain for the past week. However, yesterday in the middle of two downpours, the clouds broke away for a short period of time allowing a view of blue skies and the sun shined brightly.
The clouds and darkness may surround us, but there is a Glorious Day when the Son shines through.
GOODMORNING AND GRACE TO ALL BRETHREN!
"I will give thee for a covenant of the people."
- Isaiah 49:8
Jesus Christ is himself the sum and substance of the covenant, and as one
of its gifts. He is the property of every believer. Believer, canst thou
estimate what thou hast gotten in Christ? "In him dwelleth all the fulness
of the Godhead bodily." Consider that word "God" and its infinity, and
then meditate upon "perfect man" and all his beauty; for all that Christ,
as God and man, ever had, or can have, is thine-out of pure free favour,
passed over to thee to be thine entailed property forever. Our blessed
Jesus, as God, is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. Will it not console
you to know that all these great and glorious attributes are altogether
yours? Has he power? That power is yours to support and strengthen you, to
overcome your enemies, and to preserve you even to the end. Has he love?
Well, there is not a drop of love in his heart which is not yours; you may
dive into the immense ocean of his love, and you may say of it all, "It is
mine." Hath he justice? It may seem a stern attribute, but even that is
yours, for he will by his justice see to it that all which is promised to
you in the covenant of grace shall be most certainly secured to you. And
all that he has as perfect man is yours. As a perfect man the Father's
delight was upon him. He stood accepted by the Most High. O believer,
God's acceptance of Christ is thine acceptance; for knowest thou not that
the love which the Father set on a perfect Christ, he sets on thee now?
For all that Christ did is thine.
That perfect righteousness which Jesus wrought out, when through his
stainless life he kept the law and made it honourable, is thine, and is
imputed to thee.
Christ is in the covenant.
"My God, I am thine-what a comfort divine!
What a blessing to know that the Saviour is mine!
In the heavenly Lamb thrice happy I am,
And my heart it doth dance at the sound of his name."
C.H.SPURGEON
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
On the recommendation of Ravi Zacharias I have ordered the book Persian Springs (amazon UK only), which is the factual accounting of souls won to Christ apart from the written Word. (No such revelation is apart from the Logos.)
My own recent personal testimony is that God my Gracious Father Above has revealed Himself and myself to me in dreams. I hasten to add that I take the lessons learned in that cloud and darkness to the light of His Word for clarification, verification, and completion. He is God. Amen.
Good morning bump...
So true.. I know personally of several people that found Christ with no preaching or preacher and had never even heard the name or known the concept of a "Christ"(Messiah).. yet when they called out to God.. they got a revelation of the Christ.. Not some human acting like Christ but the real one.. If Jesus were named Charlie nothing would change.. Cause its not in the name its in the person.. The name Jesus stands for something so does Yeshua which was his real name but even Yeshua can't contain the one that should not be named..
Thats as it should be since Jesus name is not Jesus anyway.. and Jehovas name is not Jehova... Hebrew has no "J's"... Any that think this God can be limited to a name don't know him yet.. or their growth spiritually has been stunted or is incomplete..
This God replied to Moses when asked for a name, Tell Them, "I am that I am", sent you... denying Moses a name.. Asking for Gods business card is bit arrogant.. The Jews had to make up a name.. They were not given one.. The so-called Gods of this earth NEED a name.. the real God does not..
Conversations with these people that found Christ was an important day to me.. it strengthened my faith.. It proved to me that this God and this Christ were closer TO ME than my very self.. And my daily activitys and relationship to this one was being watched... and graded for reality content..
As this God told me personally, I believe, "I will as real to you, as you are with me"... Don't know if thats the deal with everybody, but it sure is with me.. And he is.. Praying to some Universal Superhero (like a Greek God) don't get it for me.. I need a person or personality.. and he is..
Maybe sometime if the situation is right I can share some of what those people that found God on their own shared with me.. maybe not.. All I have is my own experience and share that.. for that is what fellowship is.. And part of what we do here is fellowship about who and what we are devoted to..
Amen, Diver Dave! And what a beautiful metaphor. Thank you!!!
Thank you oh so very much for the beautiful Spurgeon devotion!
Still out with the fever, and can't stay too long at the computer, really, but I thought I'd share this meditation:
Calm
It is in the calm of the storm,
that pause between the whirling winds
that lets me glimpse you,
and your touch on my life,
like the blue sky buried
in the heart of the storm
that tells me there is hope,
and sun,
and calm
if I but weather the crisis.
O Lord,
giver of that calm that comes when you reach out to me
and remind me that you are here,
waiting,
patient,
understanding,
and that the rage and chaos that fills life will fade
long enough for you to touch my heart,
if I would answer
yes.
O Lord,
teach me to hear your voice
above the winds that would pull me away
and may find the peace that comes
only from you,
through you,
with you.
Amen.
God has revealed Himself in many ways. This, I believe is the reason for a beginning of 'all that there is'.
The Father has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, in Scripture and in Creation, both heaven and earth, spiritual and physical. Psalms 19
Thank you so much for bumping by!!!
Some might find Romans 1 and 2 a great meditation for the points you have raised about those who never knew His name.
Concerning "what's in a name" though, I'd like to point out that some Jewish mysticism asserts that a name is a description or revelation of a person. Thus, the Father has many names and they see the Torah as another name for Him. Also, in John 17 - Jesus speaks of declaring the Father's name and Jesus Himself has a name above every other name and one known only to Himself (Revelation, etc.)
Thank you oh so very much for the beautiful meditation, dear Knitting!!!
To everyone on the Chambers devotion ping list:
This daily devotional thread has been on Free Republic for nearly two years now. The first year, the Religion Moderator posted the daily Chambers devotion as a place where we could gather under an agreed truce against any doctrinal disputes - a peaceful place of worship and joy.
I had the honor of hosting the Chambers devotion the second year. But my term will be over at the end of this month. So now it is time for someone else to take up the duty and privilege of hosting this cyber-chapel for the next year.
Please pray about it and let me know by Freep mail if you feel this is a mission for you.
I'm bringing this notice early in the last month so you'll have plenty of time to pray about it, and if you are led to do so, prepare for it.
It may be that several of you will want to share the hosting. That, too, would be fine.
If you are more comfortable with a different devotion – such as C.S. Lewis' "The Business of Heaven" or Spurgeon or your own meditations – that, too, would be fine.
I will be glad to share the ping list with the new host(s) – and the “template” that I use for Chambers, if you’d like.
True its all tied up in language and languages.. Most know only one language and that one not very well.. God(Father), Jesus, Holy Spirit even our own spirit transcends language.. Something spiritually discerned can transcend any language barrier.. Language is a barrier..
A "name" is just a "handle" anyway like Alamo-girl, Joe, Louie, same thing.... An address for a personality.. Baretta(of TV sitcom cop show fame) called God "Louie".. as he looked up.. LoL.. Why not.?.. if its in reverence..
Some think God can see them naked and is not offended.. I say God sees you naked to your spirit, the body is just clothing.. and is clothing to God..
NOW THATS NAKED brother, ugh,, sister.. God sees you in a way most cannot see themselves.. He sees your spirit.. and the desires of your spirit.. Most people don't like being naked.. If they knew how deeply God sees them, it might freak them out.. Same while we are praying.. Being born again just starts a phase of a humans life when he might actually find out WHO HE IS.. Who his spirit is.. his body is just clothing.. Who we are is much deeper than a body.. much deeper than a "name".. And really much deeper than even we know about, our spirit.. Until God reveals it to us.. The spirit even transcends gender.. Gender is a qualia of the body..
My recommendation is all get re-born if only to find out who they really are.. being reborn spiritually is just a starting point.. as the metaphor implies..
He even sees all the stuff you're hiding from yourself...and every now and then makes you take a closer look....(been there, done that, expect it'll happen again!)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.