The Love of God – A Vari-coloured Covering

As I sat listening to the saints worship God with the song, “I will sing of your love forever”, I was immediately reminded of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings. The defining term that came to my mind was, ‘to envelope or to wrap around (as with a blanket)’. No sooner was I reminded of these things than adjectives that describe the great love of our God and Father came flooding to my mind.

Like a hen covers her chicks under her wings, I thought of the goodness of God’s love that envelops us. The word goodness reveals the good that God wants for us. Psalm 139:17, 18 tells us that all of God’s thoughts towards us are “precious”. Were we to count them they would outnumber the sand on the seashore. The word good reveals to us that God’s love is always for our welfare, thoughts to give us a future and a hope. The word good also tells us that whatever God does for us is first-class. It is the best. The verse, “…and God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good,” (Gen. 1:31) beautifully brings out this aspect of excellence. Let the knowledge of the goodness of God’s love envelop us like a shawl or a covering sheet.

Like a hen that covers her chicks with her wings, I thought of the kindness of God’s love that envelops us. We all know how patient His love is towards us. He bears with so many of our shortcomings. His love overflows with mercy and compassion. His love lifts us up; for a bruised reed He does not break nor does He extinguish a smouldering wick (Isa. 42:3). Let this mercy and kindness of God’s love cover us like another sheet that is wrapped around.

Like a hen covers her chicks with her wings, let God’s love that endures forever cover us completely (Psa. 136 NIV). The term “endures forever” reveals that this love never ceases. It never stops. It goes on and on and on forever. No matter where we are in our life; no matter how grave our previous mistakes, His love for us never comes to an end. Let the assurance of such an enduring love cover us like a third sheet wrapped around.

Like a hen covers her chicks under her wings, let the knowledge of God’s inseparable love wrap around us. We have often quoted Paul’s classic statement in Romans when he asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35-39). Yet great is the need for this truth to encircle us when we are swept over by life’s stormy waves and turbulent seas. The more we meditate on the term ‘inseparable’, the more we realise how close knit and tightly bound we are to this agape love of God. Try as one may, no lies of the devil can separate God from us. Should we then allow fear on our part, or discouragement or the cares and worries of life separate us from God? May the knowledge of the inseparable quality of God’s love wrap around us like a fourth sheet.

Like a hen covers her chicks under its wings, let the truth of the unfailing quality of God’s love wrap around us. The word ‘unfailing’ reveals to us that this love will never let us down. It’s a love that will never disappoint us nor will it put us to shame. It’s a love that we can rely on and depend on. We can stake all our life’s decisions with a full assurance that we are safe and secure in our never failing, dependable and trustworthy God. May such a knowledge revealed to us by the Holy Spirit of God cover us like yet another sheet wrapped around.

Like a hen covers her chicks under its wings, let the boundless love of God envelop us. Adjectives like immeasurable, fathomless, limitless, unsearchable only magnifies the beauty of this great love that God, our Father has for us through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let this pure, selfless, rich-in-grace love tightly wrap itself around us as one more sheet of another colour.

We can sing, “I will sing of your love forever,” and yet not comprehend the greatness and beauty of the love of God. The problem with many Christians is that we often do not mean what we say (or sing). The words of Isaiah can well apply to us when he said, “This people honour Me with their lips but their heart is far away from Me” (Mt. 15:8).

The songs at the Life Group concluded with the song, “Hide me now under Your wings; Cover me within Your mighty hand. When the oceans rise and thunders roar; I will soar with You above the storm. Father You are King over the flood; I will be still and know You’re God.” Like Joseph’s cloak of many colours, may the varied colourful aspects of God’s love wrap around us. May our soul find rest under His wings. May we be still under God’s mighty hand. Such faith and rest in God's love will remove the glaring aberration between what we say and how we behave.

The Eternal Purpose and Promises of God

...that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord , that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:24

Below is an extract of Mark Twain's writing that may remind you that our eternal God's promises and purposes are never thwarted. They stand forever.

Quote:

"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one quarter of one percent of the human race.  It suggests a nebulous puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way.  Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of.  He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk.

His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are also very out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.  He has made a marvelous fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself and be excused for it.  The Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greeks and Romans followed and made a vast noise, and they were gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, and have vanished.

The Jew saw them all, survived them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmaties, of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert but aggressive mind.  All things are mortal but the Jews; all other forces pass, but he remains.  What is the secret of his immortality?

End Quote

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory - Edited

Though I had written on this subject on September 21, I realize that I should not have been hasty in posting it; for in the subsequent days I found God impressing upon my heart a deeper teaching. I earnestly hope you would be willing to give a little time and inclination to go through this post. It could challenge you as it has done me. 

The gospel through Jesus Christ is filled with numerous and very precious privileges. Each promise in the gospel is so great and full of honour that it would be difficult to place them in an order of importance. There is one privilege however that I found the Lord, in His mercy draw my attention to—a glorious privilege that has captivated me.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27)—the last four words of the verse aptly summing up our earnest expectation to share in this glory—is a mystery that is filled with the richness of God’s glory and grace. It is a mystery that God chose in His wisdom to hide from past ages and generations but to make known now to the saints in the Church (Col. 1:26). Paul who understood and experienced this great privilege first shares his longing for the Galatians, "...I am again in labour until Christ is formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). He then prays this very thing for the Ephesians. He asked that they be strengthened in the inner man with power by the Holy Spirit; and for what reason? “So that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). It is possible that this privilege can be confused with another glorious honour—that of having the Lord God make His abode in us; for are we not the temple of the Holy Spirit? Yet when this great bondservant of God prayed for the Church in Ephesus, he made it clear that it was something they could have only by being strengthened with the power of God.

In this connection the Apostle wrote something profound to the Philippian Church—text that is not easy to understand and often read through quickly. He first started by telling them how all his so-called trophies are worthless in comparison to knowing Christ (Php. 3:7, 8)—this is yet another great privilege that we can enjoy in the gospel. He then continued to tell them of the righteousness of Christ that is attained through faith (Php. 3:9). It is to attain this that he speaks of his earnest desire to experience in a greater way the resurrection power of God and the practical participation of the sufferings of Christ. I understand the latter to mean denying one’s self-life (also referred to as carrying one’s cross) and putting one’s fleshly desires to death. Paul now discloses his profound end goal—“in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Php. 3:11). What is this resurrection from the dead? I believe the Apostle is referring here to the life of Christ where the ‘dead’ is our crucified self-life and the resurrection, our Christ-like life. This understanding is further reinforced when he says that he hasn’t obtained it yet nor has he become perfect, but “I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:12). He further takes this insightful teaching to its conclusion where he tells us that when our Saviour comes, He will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory (Php. 3:21).

Hear now his declaration to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20). Is not this ‘life of Christ revealed in me’ a great and wonderful mystery that God has purposed for us to experience? We can draw encouragement in the fact that it is the very thing that Christ Jesus desires for us. It is one of the reasons why He has laid hold of us.

  

Now to experience such a privilege, the starting point must be a life of faith, obedience in righteousness and the fear of God. From scripture we will quickly learn that God has called us to live lives that are set apart for Himself. The terms ‘holy’ and ‘sanctified’ used numerously with regard to the Church emphasises this importance. We know well that Christ shed His blood to cleanse us of all sins so that we would lay aside the old self which is being corrupted with lusts of deceit (Eph. 4:22); be renewed in the attitude of our mind (Eph. 4:23 NIV); and put on the new self—and here lies the characteristics that has the necessary ingredients for the life of Christ to dwell in our hearts—which in the likeness of God has been created in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24 NKJV).

Paul repeatedly cautions us that such a life cannot be achieved with one’s own strength or our “own righteousness”. He never ceases to remind us that it is possible only by faith. It is futile to strive to achieve a Christ-like life of righteousness and humility and love on our own. Such attempts end up with failure, frustration and discouragement. But when we depend on God for His resurrection power, His rich favour and His overflowing mercy the life that our Lord has purposed for us to experience in the gospel can be realized. God who has given this privilege for us to lay hold of is faithful to guide our thirsting hearts.

This mystery of the life of Christ in us is what our Saviour the true Light, meant when He said, “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14). When Christ’s life is in us, our fruit abounds to the glory of the Father and it proves our allegiance as His disciples (Jn. 15:8). It is vital to note that our Lord spoke of this while commanding us to abide in Him, the true Vine. It is only through such abiding that we branches draw our life and sustenance.

I recognize my own inadequacies as I write this for I am painfully conscious how much God still has to do in me so that the life I live is no longer I but Christ in me. What then does “Christ in me” mean in my daily living? I confess that I am not qualified to answer this but I pursue with God’s help what is already revealed to us of the life of Christ.

The Messiah showed how important He considered the will of God (Jn. 4:34; Mt. 12:50). His faith in and obedience to the Father is clearly seen throughout the four gospels. Selfless giving and overflowing love characterized His life (Eph. 5:2). Humility and not looking at personal interest was another quality that defined our Saviour (Php. 2:3-5). Patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, keeping no record of wrongs (Gal. 5:22; 1Cor. 13:5)—the hallmarks of agape love are what He commanded us to emulate (Jn. 13:34; 15:12). Two terms Paul uses to describe Christ’s love for the Church: ‘nourish’ and ‘cherish’ (Eph. 5:29). To cherish is to protect and care for lovingly (as one would a precious treasure). It may be possible to summarize in one verse the above qualities of Christ: He died for all so that we who live might no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2Cor. 5:15). May we be faithful to increasingly imitate these characteristics first. When God sees us faithful in these little things, He can lead us further into experiencing the fullness of this mystery.

Help us O God of all grace and mercy. Strengthen us in the inner man with Thy mighty power by the Holy Spirit so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. Unless Thou build O Lord, all who labour, do so in vain. There is nobody else that can help us experience this amazing privilege in the gospel except Thee. In the richness of Thy grace Thou didst purpose that the life of Thy Son Jesus Christ dwell in us. Now lead us and work in us to experience its fulfilment.

God's Plan for Us

God does not need a Plan B.
His Plan A is perfect. 

It needs no upgrades; no updates; no bug fixes and no corrections. 

It is not one-sided, but factors all things. That is why His wisdom is called, "manifold". 

Its workings are not only for the temporal but for the eternal. 

His plans are dependable. They are trustworthy. They are for our welfare; to give us a future and a hope. They are the best we can have. No one can plan better. 

Let us trust God completely and unwaveringly. Through Jesus Christ we are truly blessed.

I Have this Against You

I was reflecting on the words of our glorified Lord when He asked John to write to the church in Ephesus. For the first time the strong warning that the Lord Jesus gave them made me afraid. He said, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent (Rev. 2:4, 5).

Jesus first commended the church for their deeds, their toil, their perseverance and their intolerance towards false apostles (Rev. 2:2). He also approved of their hatred towards the Nicolaitans—those who advocated false doctrines and teachings (Rev. 2:6). Yet despite all this, the Lord warned them that He would remove the church—they would be no more—if they did not repent from their half-hearted devotion to Him. This brief yet strong warning shook me because it showed me how seriously God looks at our love and devotion to Him. The risen Lord reprimanded the church in Laodicea for this same reason saying, “I would that you were cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15). In simple words: It’s all or nothing. Here again the warning of the faithful and true Witness was powerful: “So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16).

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he sought to secure from them “an undistracted devotion to the Lord” (1Cor. 7:35). The Amplified New Testament elaborates this so well saying: “…to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.” Another term that beautifully brings out this meaning is single-minded devotion. When writing to the same church in his second letter Paul said something similar, “…I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2Cor. 11:2, 3). We have heard God say that He is a jealous God (Deut. 4:24). What do we learn from these verses? That our Redeemer is looking for us to be true to our part of the covenant by loving Him with a sincere undistracted love and devotion.  

Coming back to the church in Ephesus. Here were Christians that Paul had spent three years with (Acts: 20:32). Day after day in this period (from around 53 AD) he laboured with them. He never ceased to admonish each one with tears. 40 years later when the Apostle John was writing the revelation of Jesus Christ (around 90 AD), the Ephesian Christians were still faithful to their work and toil for the kingdom of God; conducting several activities for the glory of God. All these spoke volumes of the strong foundation Paul had established in them. They persevered in the things of the gospel. They tested every teaching that so-called false apostles taught. From all this it appears that despite the city itself being an idolatrous, corrupt business hub they were an 'active', 'vibrant' church. Still the Lord Jesus told them that He would remove the church from its place if they did not repent and get back to that simplicity and purity of undistracted devotion to Him.

Oh that each of us, members of the body of Christ, would love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind (Mt. 22:37). Oh that every stone in the living temple of God would be firmly established in the truth of righteousness knowing well that each one is sanctified for God alone—a people for God’s own possession (1Pet. 2:9). Oh that every branch in the living Vine would recognize that apart from Jesus we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5b). There is such a crying need in the Church today to get back to our first love for Christ—a love that clings to Him in faith; a love that submits wholeheartedly to His will; a love that says to Him in sincerity, “the world behind me; the cross before me.” We need to awaken. We need to arise that Christ will shine on us (Eph. 5:14). It is imperative that we hearken to the warning of the Spirit of God for if the glorified Saviour was willing to take away the “lampstand from out of its place”—and we know that God does not lie but always keeps His word—will He treat us differently?

I believe that the church at Ephesus took the warning of Jesus seriously and repented; for history tells us that 20 years later (around 110 AD), Bishop Ignatius of Antioch wrote a letter to the church to encourage them. May we learn from these examples the things that are important to God. May we be preserved from deceiving ourselves; satisfied with leaves only and bereft of fruit. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it” (Mt. 7:14).