Category: Fear Not!

That’s My King

Posted on by Dorci

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16

May our Lord and King bless you today as you seek Him with your whole heart and as you worship the Mighty One in Spirit and in Truth. If you’ve never heard these Holy Spirit-inspired words from Dr. S.M. Lockridge who was pastor of Calvary Bible Church during the 2nd half of the 20th century, you are in for a treat. He praises the Name of King Jesus like no other. And if you have, well, it just never gets old. I pray it moves your spirit to worship Him afresh.

The God of All Restoration

Posted on by Dorci

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10-11

I’ve been reading through 1 Peter again, but this time more through the eyes of Peter.  Precious Peter.

The man who was given three chances to pray along with Jesus on the night He was betrayed, instead fell asleep and three times fell into temptation.

He had looked into Jesus’ eyes and said he would be the lone faithful holdout among everyone else on earth…and then denied Him the very next day.

He had gone so far as to tell Jesus would rather die with Him than deny Him…then denied Him with an oath.

He had impulsively cut an ear off one of the high priest’s servants when they came to arrest Jesus, and then fell so fast and so hard that that very day he called down curses and emphatically swore on oath that he…did…not…know…the…Man.

And then a rooster crowed, and Jesus stopped everything and looked into his eyes. 

Peter fled, found a solitary place and wept bitterly.

It must have seemed like an eternity from that moment until the moment after Jesus had risen from the dead and met them on the beach with fish frying over a fire and Jesus once again looked him in the eye,  asking him not once, but three times, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” John 21:15-17

 

And three times Peter answered yes.

And in that moment Jesus restored him with his new assignment, saying “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17) And then the command “Follow Me.” (John 21:19)

And Peter became a fisher of men.

The man who had been so filled with pride before became the man who wrote “be self-controlled.” (1 Peter 1:13)

The man who had let fear rule in his heart is the same man who would later write “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 13:14-17)

Peter knew true suffering.  Those days he spent with guilt and shame, far from his friend, far from God, far from forgiveness, were agonizing. He probably spent much of those days with his head hanging down looking at the ground, or into the sea, as he resigned himself to his old life of fishing for fish.  Jesus was gone; his life with Him was over. Simon Peter discovered there is no greater suffering than to be separated from God.

Maybe circumstances in your life have changed and you’re feeling like a failure.  Maybe they’ve left you on the sidelines. Maybe you think God’s done with you.

Let me tell you something: He isn’t.  He wasn’t done with Peter and He’s not done with you.

He’s using circumstances to mature you, to perfect you, to make you wholly dependent on Him. And when the time is right, with His resurrection power, He will restore you. 

You are His domain, His glory.  He started the work and He will complete it. Hold onto to the hope that Peter discovered was not a vain hope.

Be careful not to fill that heartache with something less than God’s perfect will, something of this earth.  Don’t go back to fishing. Keep waiting and filling your heart with truth, hope and His promises. 

Ultimate restoration will come for all of us who trust in Him when we see our Savior face to face.  As long as we’re on this side of heaven and away from the Lord we will feel a longing to be with Him, to be restored body and soul.  In the meantime, keep following Christ on the narrow road.

He’s coming back soon!

Grace and peace,

 

The Garden of Crushing

Posted on by Dorci

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’” Matthew 26:36-38

Jesus and the apostles walked around the massive, ancient olive trees, past the cemeteries, to the foot of the mountain and into the garden of Gethsemane.  The word Gethsamane means oil press.

Olives are not just squeezed to make oil, they must be crushed. The better the olive, the better and purer the oil.

Christ walked deep into the garden and allowed the Father to begin to crush Him.

The physician Luke even noted in 22:44 “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

He had matured, that is, He had all but finished His work, like the olives that are ready for crushing.  In a garden is where sin entered the world, and there in the garden of Gethsamane would now be the beginning of victory over it.

And there Christ personified the olive oil that was so precious and significant.

In the way it was used as an offering, He would be the sacrifice, once for all.

In the way it was used as currency, He would be the payment for all sins.

In the way it was used to anoint for service, He would anoint His Church.

In the way it was used as fuel for lamps to give light, His Spirit would fill us and make us a light for all the world to see and glorify Him.

In the way it was used to beautify wives, Christ would beautify and prepare His Bride.

In the way the olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory, through Him and His sacrifice there would be peace between God and man, and victory over all sin.

And if there was a shred of doubt left in anyone’s mind about whether or not this was all the Father’s doing —

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’

‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.

‘I am He,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” John 18:3-6

The power of God accomplishes what it will, and when God wants to bring people to their knees, they fall to their knees.  These men who came under their own authority found they had none at all.  All authority rested with God’s Son.

While Jesus’s prayers empowered Him, the apostles’ lack of prayer weakened them, again causing Peter and the others to lean on their own devices instead of Christ.  Peter lobbed off the ear of the servant Malchus, and they would all eventually desert their Friend.

After Jesus healed the servant’s ear, He allowed them to bind him and take Him away.

Tomorrow: The Cross.

Never Say Never

Posted on by Dorci

Jesus and His friends had just finished eating Passover supper, where Jesus revealed to them that Judas would betray Him.  I wonder at the thoughts that ran through the minds of the eleven, perhaps looking at Judas in horror and judgment, saying to themselves they would never do that.

Jesus then used the bread and the cup to remind them again that He was about to give up His body and His blood as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.  He looked into their eyes and urged them “…do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Mount of Olives

Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’ (Zechariah 13:7)

Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’

‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’

But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.

Matthew 26:31-35

They stood at the Mount of Olives – a mountain ridge that held not only olive groves, but cemeteries, as well.  Surely there the gravity of the circumstances would sink into their hearts.  And suddenly He was telling them that not only would Judas betray them, but the rest of them would, too.

The disciples’ response to Him showed they still trusted in themselves over Jesus and over the prophecy laid out in God’s Word.  It was this thinking – their pride, their self-sufficiency, their leaning on their own understanding – that led them to fall away.

They had allowed the seeds of pride sin to be planted in their minds and they were budding.  Soon they would see how watering those seeds with pride and fear would quickly grow them into weeds that were out of control.

Never say, “I would never do that…” Never judge another person’s actions and say “I would never…”

The Lord knows what we are capable of.  He warns us today the way He warned his friends that night. He tells us to “Be alert. Be watchful. Be prayerful. Be humble.  Be sober in your thinking of yourselves.”

If we haven’t done or said something that shocked us then we haven’t yet faced the kind of overwhelming fear that could lead us to betraying Christ.

But times are changing fast. It should come as no surprise to anyone that conditions are becoming more and more hostile toward Believers.  What are we willing to give up to follow Christ?  Our friends? Our family? Our reputations? Our livelihood?  Our freedom?

We have yet to face anywhere near the kind of pressure the disciples faced on the night they ran and hid and denied ever knowing Christ.

They all meant what they said that night as they stood among the olive trees, burial caves and tombstones, but in just 24 hours they would come to find out just how shallow and immature their faith still was.

But faith grows in the face of trouble.

Of course Jesus knew who and what they were, that they were still spiritual babes.  He would give them another chance to heed His warning, as God’s mercy often does.  He would lead them to the garden, taking Peter, James and John even closer.

Grow closer, my friends.  Don’t wait until the enemy makes it personal…makes you choose.  Choose Him now.  Be resolute to walk with Him all the way to the cross.

Tomorrow: The Garden

Streams in the Desert – Singing in the Fire

Posted on by Dorci

I wanted to share today’s Streams in the Desert devotion with you. If you aren’t familiar with Streams in the Desert, it is a wonderfully insightful devotional that was put together by Lettie Cowman (L.B. Cowman), wife of Rev. Charles Cowman, an evangelist and missionary, and first published in 1925. The devotions are compilations of various teachings and poetry she read that had inspired her.

The devotional is just what it sounds like: a refreshing encouragement for anyone going through a spiritual desert. It reminds us that our suffering is not in vain. In Christ it has purpose, both for now and for eternity. And it reminds us that we are not alone. We join the millions of followers of Christ (and even Christ Himself) who, over the centuries, have suffered in the process of walking with Jesus. God has used it in my own life many times to help pick me back up and set me on the road again. The devotional is available on Amazon, and you can also read it online, a new one each day, at http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/desert/.
God bless you!
Dorci

They sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and astounding are your deeds, Lord God, the All-Powerful! Just and true are your ways, King over the nations! (Rev 15:3)

The following incident is related by Mrs. Charles Spurgeon, who was a great sufferer for more than a quarter of a century:

“At the close of a dark and gloomy day, I lay resting on my couch as the deeper night drew on; and though all was bright within my cozy room, some of the external darkness seemed to have entered into my soul and obscured its spiritual vision. Vainly I tried to see the Hand which I knew held mine, and guided my fog-enveloped feet along a steep and slippery path of suffering. In sorrow of heart I asked,

“’Why does my Lord thus deal with His child? Why does He so often send sharp and bitter pain to visit me? Why does He permit lingering weakness to hinder the sweet service I long to render to His poor servants?’

“These fretful questions were quickly answered, and through a strange language; no interpreter was needed save the conscious whisper of my heart.

“For a while silence reigned in the little room, broken only by the crackling of the oak log burning in the fireplace. Suddenly I heard a sweet, soft sound, a little, clear, musical note, like the tender trill of a robin beneath my window.

“’What can it be? surely no bird can be singing out there at this time of the year and night.’

“Again came the faint, plaintive notes, so sweet, so melodious, yet mysterious enough to provoke our wonder. My friend exclaimed,

“’It comes from the log on the fire!’ The fire was letting loose the imprisoned music from the old oak’s inmost heart!

“Perchance he had garnered up this song in the days when all was well with him, when birds twittered merrily on his branches, and the soft sunlight flecked his tender leaves with gold. But he had grown old since then, and hardened; ring after ring of knotty growth had sealed up the long-forgotten melody, until the fierce tongues of the flames came to consume his callousness, and the vehement heart of the fire wrung from him at once a song and a sacrifice. ’Ah,’ thought I, ’when the fire of affliction draws songs of praise from us, then indeed we are purified, and our God is glorified!’

“Perhaps some of us are like this old oak log, cold, hard, insensible; we should give forth no melodious sounds, were it not for the fire which kindles around us, and releases notes of trust in Him, and cheerful compliance with His will.

“’As I mused the fire burned,’ and my soul found sweet comfort in the parable so strangely set forth before me.

“Singing in the fire! Yes, God helping us, if that is the only way to get harmony out of these hard apathetic hearts, let the furnace be heated seven times hotter than before.”