JESUS--NEW-MAKER

BIBLE ADVOCATE, AMERICAN HOLINESS JOURNAL | J. Grant Swank, Jr.

[grantswank]

JESUS: NEW-MAKER

J. Grant Swank, Jr., POB l984, Windham ME 04062

Pastor, New Hope Church, Windham ME

Think back ten years. What pressure was on you then? Think back fifteen years.

What were you doing? You cannot recall; it is a blur.

Sometimes, as years pass, it is as if another person lived our situations, places, and events. One of God's gifts is to blur the past in preparation for eternity.

Paul said, "Forgetting those things which are behind. . .I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:l3-l4).

The accent is on the NOW in Jesus; then this now will pass as well. Therefore, it is not so much what is the content of the now, but Jesus, who will never leave us.

Satan would have us focus on our settings: poor, confused, threatening. God would have us focus on our Savior: more than adequate, abiding, loving, leading.

It is Jesus who is all-in-all. It is He who undergirds our mortality. It is He who understand our fragility.

That is why Scripture refers to us as clay: cracked; as dust: blowing in the wind; as wheat strands: at the mercy of the weather. Yet over our humanity is the God-man, Jesus Christ--our very breath derives from Him.

Sometimes God permits dire situations so we will cast off all our attachments to the world. Some of us have difficulty letting go of our manufactured securities: position, academic accomplishments, standing in the corporation, bank accounts, political savvy, talents, connections. Yet none of these can be our security; only Jesus can.

Therefore, trying situations are allowed by the Father to continually reminds "Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ." Poverty in soul is the beginning of spiritual riches.

Right now assess, not what is taking place in your life, but how aware you are of Jesus. As long as your companionship with Him is intact, then you are sound--whole. From alpha to omega, this intactness is all that ultimately counts for anything.

We tend to concentrate on the situation at hand instead of on Jesus. But circumstances will pass; so will you. Only your tie with Jesus will go on and on.

The Father permitted His only Son to endure intense persecution, particularly from so-called religious persons. They poked, jabbed, reviled--publicly--in one circumstance after another. Are they doing that to you?

Why did the Son have to undergo such daily miseries? To make certain that in His humanness He was totally yielded to the Father's plan for the moment.

If that was the procedure for the Sinless One, then why not for His other children--the offspring of grace? As Jesus was crafted daily into the Father's image through agonies about Him, so we are crated daily in the Savior's image through agonies about us.

Take your eyes off the situation and put them on Jesus within the housing of your soul.

He is already there; do not beg Him to come. By faith, you accept this security. That is enough for you.

[RnMomof7]

I did 4 for Naz net (I think) and I have a booklet of meditations that I wrote for a mission trip..So I have 12 or so I think

[sinkspur]

FYI, we had a "Biblical pastor", Bob Celeste, post his daily musings here a couple of years ago. Innocent at first, he descended into denigrating other religious expressions, and was banned permanently when he lampooned Pope John Paul II and his need to walk with a cane.

You are going to be scrutinized VERY closely.

[RnMomof7]

Is grantswank Protestant denomination 30,001.

Well we will know when he posts all 2000 of his articles on FR HUH??

I think I will pass..my RC training has me see Priests and Ministers as Men only

Thanks for the compliment Sink..Ole Grant is making me consider a new vocation:>))

[RnMomof7]

when he lampooned Pope John Paul II and his need to walk with a cane.

Really? Did the guy read the book he was teaching from?

[sinkspur]

Thanks for the compliment Sink..Ole Grant is making me consider a new vocation:>))

The two meditations you posted are far superior to Swank's.

I'm sorry, but Grant Swanks name brings to mind a Baptist pastor in Ft. Worth, Dr. Fred Swank. When I was working a funeral at his church while on summer vacation from college, Dr. Fred actually passed the plate at a funeral for a deacon at Sagamore Hills Baptist, saying "that's what Brother Bob would have wanted."

The widow was furious and uttered several epithets, which I heard, since I was driving the limousine transporting the family.

She actually left the church over that incident.

[RnMomof7]

LOL...I wonder if he had his mandatory 2 laymen to count the take...

The problem is sink ANYONE can rent a storefront and start a church..I think that is where the 3000 comes from..self starts.

The problem is no accountability....the Bible is clear on the proper order .

I do not do lone rangers

[The Grammarian]

I knew I'd seen something he'd written before!

[Wrigley]

Doesn't surprise me....

[George W. Bush]

Some years ago when we were returning from a weekend in Toronto, Canada, I started to get the feeling we were lost. Suddenly nothing looked familiar. My husband, who was driving, chatted happily remembering the weekend. He was oblivious to the fact we were off course. The more time passed, the more and more uneasy I became. Finally I asked if we could stop at a gas station to verify that we were going in the right direction...

This is a great opening. A classic married-couple-takes-to-the-road tale. One can think of many excellent sermons that draw people in by illustrating their daily lives, just as the opening to this devotional does.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Those are beautiful devotionals, RnMom. Have you written any about Christmas?

[xzins]

...prize...1st to id me..

johnny cochran --- right?

[RnMomof7]

I had to go looking for this. I have not really saved them on my puter...*grin*

Day 4
Thursday, December 28, 2000

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me........

Four Calling Birds

The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

Devotional by:

Teresa Riordan
Buffalo, NY USA

"And she gave birth to her first born son, and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7kjv

The cave was a cold and dark place, certainly not the place that Mary expected to give birth to the Savior of Israel. Had not the angel told her "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35)? Certainly no one could expect the Savior would be found in such a common place.

The wooden feeding trough was overflowing with damp, musty hay, hardly a suitable bed for the Christ. How could this stable, this ordinary manger, this simple bed of hay be the throne for the New King of Israel? Yet, outside the sound of angels filled the air, they were proclaiming the birth to the shepherds in the fields, "Glory to God in the Highest." The shepherds came seeking the promise proclaimed by the angels. The hay-filled manger had become a holy place, because of His presence in it. It was the King that drew the shepherds from the fields, the stable was no longer common or ordinary. It was the throne room for the Most high.

"Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2;19)

Only a King willing to humble Himself, and enter into the ordinary, only a King willing to occupy a bed of hay could consider making His home in the human heart. How fitting that scripture tells us that this birth would be "a sign to us."

Jesus BECAME the light that shines into the darkest corners, showing us the hay and stubble that fills our splintered wooden hearts. Only as we allow Him to reach deeper and deeper into our lives, can the Spirit of God come and light a fire, burning the Hay and stubble. He will soften the wooden manger of our heart so there is only room for that babe. If we yield to Him, that babe will become Lord of our life. And like the manger we will become a holy place.

As we now prepare for a New Year, let each of us that calls Jesus "Lord," allow the Spirit of God to "overshadow" our lives, let us "ponder" the miracle of the ordinary made Holy and set aside as a throne for the Savior. What a Savior! What a Lord!

Prayer:

Father, Savior and Spirit.

We praise you and Bless you, we glorify your Holy name. You have reached down in love to your children, You have granted us the privilege of making our hearts your home. Allow us the grace to allow you to work in us and through us in the coming year. Never let us forget that we are only Holy because You are with us and in us. Apart from you we can do nothing.
Amen

Prayer by: Teresa Riordan

Suggested Scripture Reading for Today
[Psalms: am: 72; pm: 111, 113] [Isa 28:9-11] [Rev 21:9-21] [Luke 1:26-38]

[Woodkirk]

Here is what you can do, if you wish. As soon as one of these unfortunately poorly-written and poorly thought out articles are put out, post one of your own that is near to the topic. People would then have a choice as to what to comment upon.

BTW Is it true that "swaddling clothes" were strips of cloth used to make the "wicks" of candles in that day. Hence the "swaddling clothes" out of which came the Light of the world.

[RnMomof7]

I had never hear that ..but it just occurred to me the physical body of Christ was first covered with strips of cloth (if what you heard is correct) and the body of the crucified Christ was also covered with strips of cloth...something to ponder

BTW if I am to match him article for article I will be very busy and have a completed book to send to the publisher in two weeks:>))

[Revelation 911]

Thanks for the compliment Sink..Ole Grant is making me consider a new vocation:>))

sorry im jumping in late ma, but we'd welcome you (that is, "protestant denomination #29,998")

[RnMomof7]

If a man can not defend his beliefs he does not have any...This writer has posted 10 or 11 Vaniety articles in 2 days and has not posted responses on them ,,,this is FR magazine now..

No competition with him...you need to re read THIS time understanding the issue

[Dr. Eckleburg]

...making His home in the human heart.

That's beautiful writing, RnMom. Obviously your talents extend beyond Free Republic.

Merry Christmas! 8~)

[Revelation 911]

good morning brother - Im concerned - after seeing the aftermath an ousted Pastor can have upon a church (as my dear wife was just appointed to one which had split from our denom) Im curious as to the circumstances regarding your departure. Please explain by what means you justify such an action and how do you reconcile that act with the obedience and abiding love we are commanded of ?

Grant Swank Jr.