I have often thought – how terrifying would be God’s Sovereignty if it were not for His holiness. Sovereignty – YES – and Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnipresence. I have just said 5 wonderful, measureless truths about God. Why don’t they comfort me? Why do they leave me feeling cold and lonely? Why do they not draw me to Him but instead create a dreadful gap between us? Is that all there is to God? In all these marvellous qualities He is Perfect but – somehow – that is not enough for me. It’s enough for Him to rule and control everybody – everything – everywhere – BUT – it’s not enough for me. I can admire Him but His overwhelming power makes him seem so remote that I could not love Him and would not dare approach Him. You ask me what is wrong with me? EVERYTHING! That’s why I have so many needs. I’m going to list some of my needs and see if there is any response from heaven. (These are just a few of the many answer-filled verses in the inexhaustible Scriptures.
I need care - He cares (1 Peter 5:7) for you. Your heavenly Father (Matthews 6:32) knows your needs. God shall supply (Philippians 4:19) all you need.
I need continual companionship – I will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5) or forsake you.
I need – teaching and guidance – The Holy Spirit will (John 14:26) teach you and (John 16:13) guide you into all truth.
I need protection and security – The eternal God is your refuge (Deuteronomy 33:27) and underneath are the everlasting arms. Whom (Psalms 27:1) shall I fear?
I need strength and power – The Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17) shall be in you and with you forever .
I need to have a purpose – To make (Job 23:10) my way God’s way and (Acts 1:8) to be a faithful witness to Jesus and (Matthews 5:16) let my light shine.
I need to know my future – Jesus has prepared (John 14:2–3) a place for me and (1Thessalonians 4:17) I shall be with the Lord forever.
This partial list of our needs and God’s abundant provision should continually point us, with increasing awe, to the greatest Truth of all. This same God with all His overwhelming power – became human (John 1:14) and lived among earth people. He came to die as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) Who takes away all sin and offers (1 John 5:11) eternal Life. Who could refrain from loving Him? Who could refrain from wonder-filled gratitude? Who could refrain from gladly and joyously loving, trusting and obeying Him? If you or any Christian could – I’ll return the question. What is wrong with you? – with them?
Oswald Chambers – “the worst and the vilest can never get to the bottom of God’s love.”
As He is (1 John 4:17) so are we in this world. Are we? Am I?
We need to be on guard and – whatever it is – keep our focus and perspective right. Whatever it is – it is not about us – it’s all about Jesus. Then – whatever it is – the lovely characteristics of His personality can be expressed through ours. Nobody and nothing (Ephesians1:9-10) can thwart your purpose or hinder your plans or question your doings.
Wonderful, wonderful God – You alone are God and we worship only You. We rest securely in your Sovereignty and we love You supremely – above all. Maybe our love can be honed even more during the Communion service when we hear Jesus say – Remember ME!
Let’s take a trip in the time machine, it’s parked, fueled and ready for us. We’ll go back to the rebuilt temple but sadly, the religious conditions are very offensive to the Lord. After we park and are about to enter – we stop in our tracks and tremble. We hear the voice of Almighty God – this is very serious. Listen – He says – you have profaned My altar by bringing, sick, lame and blind animals for sacrifices to Me (Malachi 1:8). What was significant about the altar? It is (Ezekiel 41:22) the table that is before the Lord. Why? The altar was the table where perfect animals were slaughtered and sacrificed. Can you think of anything worse than offering damaged goods to the Lord? Those words – the table of the Lord – make me think of our present day Communion service which is often called the Table of the Lord. The Jewish altars were leading up to the final Altar called Calvary. The perfect animals were pointing to the final Sacrifice Who was God’s own holy Lamb. What do we bring to the Table of the Lord now? What do we think of during the time for self-examination and then receive the elements? Are we listening to Him? Can we hear Jesus say – remember ME! OR – are we too busy to listen because our thoughts run along lines like these: ?
- I hope this service is over soon, I want to get home and watch football.
- Hope I don’t forget anything when I pick up groceries after church.
- I’ve got a real mess to deal with at work to-morrow.
- I guess we’ll have to invite them for dinner because we were at their place.
- Wool-gathering without concentration or reverence.
If our thoughts take these paths – do we never fear that we might choke on the elements? God will not hold us guiltless if we are casual, careless or take lightly the precious Blood of His beloved Son. The same elements which bring gratitude, joy and assurance also bring (1 Corinthians 11:30) sickness and death.
When we came to the Table of the Lord our thoughts should be thank offerings and love offerings.
Charles Price – dropped a seed into my thoughts. “Why is obedience costly? Because there is always an attractive alternative. That is what gives obedience its value”.
In conversation with the Holy Spirit that seed took root and began to grow. I let my mind travel over every aspect of my life and every possible opportunity which might present itself. I’m thinking – considering – is there anything in this world that could be so attractive to me that I would deliberately choose to disobey God? Anything that is more attractive to me (whether I could have it or not) than obedience to my Lord and Saviour - - is an out-and-out idol! BEWARE!
It was when Peter and his partners had the biggest catch of their lives, which meant BIG BUCKS (Luke 5:6-11) that Jesus said – leave everything and follow Me. Not just leave all – but leave all and come to Me. Leaving without coming is worthless, legalistic, self-righteous pride. The only reason to leave all is to come to Jesus and abide in Him. Think what the obedience of Jesus cost Him. The pure, holy, sinless One became (2 Corinthians 5:21) everything vile and evil – everything He loathed and detested – SO THAT – He could redeem you and me. There is nothing anywhere in all of history that could even slightly compare with His Sacrifice. Do our lives prove that we care about the cost He paid??? Do we truly, honestly love Him? Satan knows the Bible better than any of us and he knows that his destiny is the eternal Lake of Fire. Because of his intense hatred for God he wants to damn as many souls as possible to take with him. He can never damn a Christian but uses every wile – device – false promise to doom their testimony and kill any desire to reach the lost.
When Jesus said – you shall be my witnesses –
Satan said – not if I can help it. - - - Which team are we on?
