Devotional life why have one
"What about that devotional life with God?" October 25, 2015
DR Alexander Mac Claren was a well known English non-conformist clergyman in England in the 1800's. I was fortunate to inherit almost the entire series of his commentaries from my great-grandfather's library passed on to my grandfather. One quote that has stuck with me is this that I heard, " As you read the Bible, keep an eye on the newspaper." Because of that DR Mac Claren used to have all the books in his library interspersed with Biblical studies, and so to speak many books of/about the world. He was saying we have to bring " God to man and man to God" by connecting. He was right. Our meditations on Holy Scripture must be true, relevant and timely or they will be largely ignored and unapplied. Unfortunately many priests, preachers, homilists , men of the cloth get it wrong. They themselves are not in the Word enough to know it , and so their congregations are fed milk and not meat ( Hebrews " ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God: and are become such as have need of milk, and not strong meat.....strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age.....to discern both good and evil." 5:13) Many are tossed about by the culture's Word , not the Word of the everlasting and eternal God as the psalmist says, " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 119:105 and my favorite, " For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." 119:89
Today's epistle reading reminds us that we have been made " strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." Ephesians 6: 10 ( the Greek is in the past tense). If we have been given the armor of God to wear in the battles of life, why do we lay it aside, or look at it as it has nothing to do with our current struggles whatever they may be? Why do we need this strength we already have from God to be acted upon by us? In other words, we have already been given the armor and the salvation of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and have to " work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12
NO. 1----" Be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might." ( present passive imperative greek verb tense) You have been made dunamis ( dynamite) strong in the LORD" Now the Apostle is talking to those who are "my brethren" in other words, they are not unbelievers, but those who have believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In ch 4 he reminds them that because of their new faith and Christian way of life they must not live as they used to. 4;17 " ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, BECASUE OF THE BLINDNESS OF THEIR HEART....."
Well , so we are regenerated in our hearts as Christians, and are LIGHT IN THE LORD. Got it. But we continue to sin and go back to the old country as did the Israelites . They thought they had it so good in Egypt even though they were NOW FREE!!! In fact in Exodus we read when they saw the danger they were in from the Army of Pharaoh, they said to Moses, " Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?" 14:11 And as Christians, we have ARMOR but we choose to not put it on too many times!
NO.2 Why do we need God's Armor in the battle? The Apostle tells us we are now in a battle with the " WILES ( CUNNING DECEITS) of the devil". " Put on the whole armour of God, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL." What Soldier goes into battle without his weapon? A very ignorant and lazy Soldier and one who is not using the weapons he has in his arsenal. This is why we fail so often to grow and remain new born babes and not those exercised in meat to discern the will of God.
" It is not just against the strength of man, but against the stratagems of a spiritual enemy, the subtle plans of the enemy of souls which every Christian warrior is well aware." Ephesians by Francis Foulkes. 2 Cor. 2:11 " forgive him...and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.....lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
NO. 3 Put on the whole armour of God. Well , what is it?
TRUTH. THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. YOUR FEET WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. THE SHIELD OF FAITH. THE HELMET OF SALVATION.
"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching ...with all perserverance and supplication for all saints." 6:18
How do we do this? How do you do it? How do I do it? Do I lay my head on my pillow at night , and pray. Is that enough? It does not sound like the Apostle thinks so at all.
Devote a time. Work a plan. IF WE FAIL TO PLAN, WE PLAN TO FAIL. Have we ever heard that? How much time is enough to get a word from God? Each has 24 hours in the day. Each of us have a spiritual need to get direction, wisdom and guidance from God in our moments of indecision and fear. Of course all of us experience dry times. But even then we are rescued by God in the repetition of godly written prayers. THANK GOD FOR OUR LITURGY. THANK GOD FOR THE CHURCH, THE SACRAMENTS, AND HIS PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LET US GO. We all make mistakes. We get sleepy in our exercise of our faith. We need spiritual coffee every day to make us know what God is saying in His Word and thru His people and His Church. That is the sword of the Spirit. That is the Word of God as the letter to the Hebrews says, " the word of God is quick , and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 4:12
Someone gave me a sheet which lay boldly the comfort that God gives us and this is what we conclude with today:
" YOU SAY. It's impossible. God says " The things that are impossible with men are possible with God" Luke 18:27
you say, " I'm too tired." God says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
you say," No body really loves me." God says, " For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jn 3:16
you say, " I can't go on." God says, " He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him." Ps 91:15
Amen.
DR Alexander Mac Claren was a well known English non-conformist clergyman in England in the 1800's. I was fortunate to inherit almost the entire series of his commentaries from my great-grandfather's library passed on to my grandfather. One quote that has stuck with me is this that I heard, " As you read the Bible, keep an eye on the newspaper." Because of that DR Mac Claren used to have all the books in his library interspersed with Biblical studies, and so to speak many books of/about the world. He was saying we have to bring " God to man and man to God" by connecting. He was right. Our meditations on Holy Scripture must be true, relevant and timely or they will be largely ignored and unapplied. Unfortunately many priests, preachers, homilists , men of the cloth get it wrong. They themselves are not in the Word enough to know it , and so their congregations are fed milk and not meat ( Hebrews " ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God: and are become such as have need of milk, and not strong meat.....strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age.....to discern both good and evil." 5:13) Many are tossed about by the culture's Word , not the Word of the everlasting and eternal God as the psalmist says, " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 119:105 and my favorite, " For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." 119:89
Today's epistle reading reminds us that we have been made " strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." Ephesians 6: 10 ( the Greek is in the past tense). If we have been given the armor of God to wear in the battles of life, why do we lay it aside, or look at it as it has nothing to do with our current struggles whatever they may be? Why do we need this strength we already have from God to be acted upon by us? In other words, we have already been given the armor and the salvation of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and have to " work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12
NO. 1----" Be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might." ( present passive imperative greek verb tense) You have been made dunamis ( dynamite) strong in the LORD" Now the Apostle is talking to those who are "my brethren" in other words, they are not unbelievers, but those who have believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In ch 4 he reminds them that because of their new faith and Christian way of life they must not live as they used to. 4;17 " ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, BECASUE OF THE BLINDNESS OF THEIR HEART....."
Well , so we are regenerated in our hearts as Christians, and are LIGHT IN THE LORD. Got it. But we continue to sin and go back to the old country as did the Israelites . They thought they had it so good in Egypt even though they were NOW FREE!!! In fact in Exodus we read when they saw the danger they were in from the Army of Pharaoh, they said to Moses, " Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?" 14:11 And as Christians, we have ARMOR but we choose to not put it on too many times!
NO.2 Why do we need God's Armor in the battle? The Apostle tells us we are now in a battle with the " WILES ( CUNNING DECEITS) of the devil". " Put on the whole armour of God, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL." What Soldier goes into battle without his weapon? A very ignorant and lazy Soldier and one who is not using the weapons he has in his arsenal. This is why we fail so often to grow and remain new born babes and not those exercised in meat to discern the will of God.
" It is not just against the strength of man, but against the stratagems of a spiritual enemy, the subtle plans of the enemy of souls which every Christian warrior is well aware." Ephesians by Francis Foulkes. 2 Cor. 2:11 " forgive him...and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.....lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
NO. 3 Put on the whole armour of God. Well , what is it?
TRUTH. THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. YOUR FEET WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. THE SHIELD OF FAITH. THE HELMET OF SALVATION.
"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching ...with all perserverance and supplication for all saints." 6:18
How do we do this? How do you do it? How do I do it? Do I lay my head on my pillow at night , and pray. Is that enough? It does not sound like the Apostle thinks so at all.
Devote a time. Work a plan. IF WE FAIL TO PLAN, WE PLAN TO FAIL. Have we ever heard that? How much time is enough to get a word from God? Each has 24 hours in the day. Each of us have a spiritual need to get direction, wisdom and guidance from God in our moments of indecision and fear. Of course all of us experience dry times. But even then we are rescued by God in the repetition of godly written prayers. THANK GOD FOR OUR LITURGY. THANK GOD FOR THE CHURCH, THE SACRAMENTS, AND HIS PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LET US GO. We all make mistakes. We get sleepy in our exercise of our faith. We need spiritual coffee every day to make us know what God is saying in His Word and thru His people and His Church. That is the sword of the Spirit. That is the Word of God as the letter to the Hebrews says, " the word of God is quick , and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 4:12
Someone gave me a sheet which lay boldly the comfort that God gives us and this is what we conclude with today:
" YOU SAY. It's impossible. God says " The things that are impossible with men are possible with God" Luke 18:27
you say, " I'm too tired." God says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
you say," No body really loves me." God says, " For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jn 3:16
you say, " I can't go on." God says, " He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him." Ps 91:15
Amen.
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