'Damaged or Dammed?'

"And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." (Jeremiah chp 18 verse 4)

If we had made a trip to the house of the potter in Jeremiah 18 we would have found 2 piles of faulty goods:

A pile of damaged goods (18:4)

The damaged goods were "marred in the hand of the potter", defective perhaps through no fault of their own: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Rom5:12) but these damaged goods were still soft and mailable and waiting ready to be placed again onto the potters wheel. He was able to restore the beauty which had been lost, and to bring both profit and purpose from the problem of the broken pot.

A pile of dammed goods (18:15-17)

Another pile of goods lay in the potters house. A pile not awaiting a return to the potters wheel but which were piled together ready for destruction. Like the unprofitable tares of Matthew 13 the instruction had been given: "Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. " If there was no profit in them and no purpose to them there was no place for them in the potters house!

What made the difference between the damaged goods and the dammed goods? Both had started off faulty. Was it purely due to the arbitrary mind and will of the potter? He is indeed sovereign over His creation. The distinction that is made in Jeremiah 18 over these 2 groups lies in this: their attitude to the potter. The damaged pile of goods remains soft and mailable and ready to return to the potters wheel to be refashioned into a vessel of glory. The dammed goods have set their mind to refuse the fashioning hand of the potter: "And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart." (Jer 18:12).

Which pile are we in?
Damaged goods?
Dammed goods?
The distinction lies in our yieldedness to the hand of the potter.

Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

“He Called unto Him His Disciples” (Luke 6:13)

In the darkness of the night, upon the elevation of the mountain top and hidden in the mystery of the secret counsels and unrecorded communion between Divine persons, the 12 are chosen (6:12). Such are always the sovereign ways of God:

“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (Joh 10:16)

“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” (Joh 6:65)

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (Joh 6:44-45)

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (Joh 15:16)

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” (Act 13:48)

“For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” (Act 18:10)

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Eph 1:4)

In the matter of salvation and effectual calling, we need not wonder, there is no confusion, the Word of God is clear, Gods eternal purposes are Sovereign! The choice is His and the purposes are in His counsel, not ours. No doubt He does not treat His creatures as mere pawns lacking will, reason or intelligence. For those created in His image and after His likeness, God became man, to suffer a death of torture at the murderous hands of His creature. This He did willingly and with a passion:

“Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psa 40:6-8)

Mechanical insincerity is not a charge which will stick against the almighty. His sacrificial death is all sufficient and His offer of saving Grace appeals to the will and to the heart of man (Isa 55:1; John 3:16; Matt 11:28-30).

God has His purposes, He is calling out a people for Himself:

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1Pe 2:9-10)

a people to possess a Kingdom:

“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luk 6:20)

Those whom He has chosen in the secrecy of the night time (Luke 6:12) are called in the day time (6:13), called to inherit a Kingdom!

“Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:” (Heb 3:7-8)



Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

'stretch forth thy hand' (Luke chapter 6 verse 10)

The Lord encounters a man in the synagogue whose right hand is withered. The man and his condition is the focus of Christ's attention. The Lord is able to heal him and restore the withered hand. The man is brought out into the midst of the onlooking crowd of Pharisees and scribes. All eyes are on Christ and on the man with the withered hand. Christ is able and willing to restore that withered hand to fullness of power and function. The right hand noted both for its grip strength and movements of fine precision hangs lifeless and limp by his side. Without a fully functioning right arm this man suffers major disability and incapacity and probably poverty. He cannot work, he cannot labour, he cannot perform a trade and he cannot write. The prospect of full power and function is offered to him, dependant on one simple act of obedience to the word of Christ: "stretch forth thy hand."! But if he could stretch forth his hand he wouldn't need the miracle! How can I obey His voice to undertake and perform that which I cannot do? As soon as this man acts in obedience to the word of Christ, trusts in faith in Him, the power and function is restored to the withered limb!

"And he did so and his hand was restored whole as the other"

Has the Lord given you a task to perform that you simply cannot do? Refuse to take refuge in your inability and rather rest in His ability and raise that withered hand 1 degree at a time and see it "restored whole as the other."

Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

'Lord also of the Sabbath' - Luke Chp 6 Verse 5

As the disciples pass through the corn fields on the Sabbath they take some of the ears of corn and rub them for food. The Pharisees immediately find fault: "why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath days?" Were the Pharisees right? The reply of the Lord is astounding. The Saviour could have argued:

1. They haven't broken Gods laws - only man's rules - this would be a legal argument but the Saviour does not argue for their liberty on the grounds of legality!
2. David got away with something similar so why shouldn't the disciples? This would be a moral argument and it does hold some weight but the Saviour doesn't leave the mater there!
3. "The Son of man is Lord over the Sabbath" - this is a Divine argument!
   

The Saviour does not draw back nor does He avoid asserting His absolute supremacy in these opening chapters of Luke. The Sabbath day, the day in which God rested from all of His labours and which was sanctified by the Lord for His people is the day over which Christ is Supreme! Only God Himself is Lord over such a day.

Christ is Sovereign not only over those days when He is seen to be working but He is Lord even over those places, peoples and times when His presence and movement is not openly apparent. There is no mention of the name of God in the book of Esther. His people are in captivity and Haman has hatched a plan to exterminate the people of God. Yet in this 'Sabbath' of Gods apparent inactivity He is Sovereign working out His purposes, bringing about a greater liberty for His people by the end of the book than they had at the beginning and leaving Haman hanging on His own gallows.

Christ is Supreme where He is obviously at work. Christ is Lord too where He appears to be at rest.
He is Lord also of the Sabbath.

Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

Why Doesn't God Heal Amputees?

Having stumbled across the question on the internet recently, I noticed an attack aimed at the faith of Christians in the form of the following question:

'If God is active in healing today, as is claimed by some Christians, why then does God not heal amputees?'

The implication of their question of course is that in the absence of hard and unequivocal evidence of God healing in this way today we can safely conclude that there is no God. The argument is of course inherently fallacious on a number of counts:

1. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence - for example using the same logic we might pose the question: is there evidence that doctors are curing amputees in the world today? If there is no evidence that doctors can heal amputated limbs then we can safely conclude there must be no doctors!
2. The argument is based upon a false premise, namely for God to exist He must fulfill certain standards or possess certain characteristics or undertake certain tasks, as defined by us, for His existence, as judged by ourselves to be valid!
3. Should God fail to do what we think He should do then that proves that He cannot do it and since He cannot do it, He cannot exist!
4. The only kind of healing that can be of God is healing that does not normally occur and if healing normally occurs it cannot be of God because it normally occurs - this is of course a circular argument.

None of these premises and suppositions are logically robust.

There is one premise of course that underpins the question of the atheist which does surely have some validity namely that should we encounter such a case of healing whereby an amputated limb or body part was restored this would be a remarkable evidence of the supernatural intervention of the creator in the world. Just consider what would be required for such a 'miracle' to take place; even for the basic restoration of say an amputated finger, in simple terms we would at the very least require:

1. Bone regrowth with the proliferation of bone producing cells: osteoblasts, and bone shaping cells: osteoclasts and cartilage producing cells along with all of the bone stimulating hormones needed to control and shape the bone manufacturing process.
2. Blood vessel growth with the proliferation of endothelial cells to line the vessels and keep them smooth, the connective tissue under these endothelial cells to keep them stuck in place, and the smooth muscle cells to squeeze and control the blood vessels.
3. Sensory nerve growth into the the new tissue to detect pain, pressure, heat and cold with the correct connections for those nerve cells to the spinal nerves and then to the part of the brain which relates to that body part.
4. Muscle cell growth and organisation with attachments to ligaments around joints to allow movement of the joint - consider the complexity of getting the position of the muscles, size, shape and angle of attachment just right!
5. Motor nerve growth to control the new muscles - triggering movement of the right muscles at the right time in response to the voluntary decision of the brain to move the finger.
6. An immune system - lymphocytes, monocytes, polymorphs and the like to protect the new tissue and kill off any infection!
7. Cellular signalling and control pathways including for example the correct signal molecules on every single new cell so that the host body recognises the new tissue as being part of the original body and not a 'foreign' invader.

These events would only constitute the very minimum that might be required to restore even the simplest of appendages. The level of complexity would increase manifold should the appendage be a sensory organ, for example an ear or an eye for then we would need also to restore the specialised functions and tissues of that organ with its complex connections to the central nervous system.

It would certainly seem that the atheists have a point here, for such a process to come together would surely compel even the hardest heart and staunchest of skeptics to conclude that the hand of God has just touched our world.

As far as fingers are concerned, of course God completes this process approximately 1.4 billion times per year already! With a global birth rate of 140 million people per year this equates to 1 400 million new fingers per year, formed by precisely the above process, unseen and planned at the molecular level by an omnipotent creator!

"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!" (Psa 139:13-17)

For some however the initial handy work of God is not enough to convince them that they are His creatures and He the Creator, they desire to see a God who having permitted in His counsels the loss of an appendage then restores it again!

It is of course worth bearing in mind that God has His reasons for permitting the loss of health or the loss of a limb with its function eg:

"When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." (Joh 11:4)

"Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (Joh 9:3)

"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." (Deu 8:3)

Well then if God is so great why doesn't He heal amputees?

In all of Gods works of healings He has a purpose. Healings and miracles do not occur randomly and without purpose in the Bible. There are only 3 recorded periods of time when Gods power has been manifest amongst men in the form of the miraculous gift of healings:

1. In the days of Moses and Joshua
2. In the days of Elijah and Elisha
3. In the days of Christ and the Apostles

When we look at those periods in the the Bible a coherency is evident and patterns emerge, such that in the whole of the Bible, during only 3 periods are lepers healed:

1. Miriam in the days of Moses
2. Naman in the days of Elisha
3. A number of lepers in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ

But what about amputees? Why doesn't God heal amputees?

Interestingly there is an amputee recorded in the Bible - the same one on 4 occasions:

Matthew Records:

"And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear." (Mat 26:51)

Mark Records:

"And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear." (Mar 14:47)

John Records:

"Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus." (Joh 18:10)

And what about Luke? The "beloved physician" and gospel writer:

"And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him."
(Luk 22:50-51)

Look who just went and healed an amputee!!!

Why don't we see such healings today? They never were commonplace even in the days of the Lord Jesus of course, but if you follow through the record these events recorded by Luke into chapter 23:

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left."
(Luk 23:33)

Humanity just went and AMPUTATED the AMPUTEE healer!

It would be surprising would it not if such an act of utter rebellion and hatred towards Gods Son came without consequences? If God is a moral God can we really murder His Son and get away with it?

Speaking in anticipation of these events and His subsequent temporary absence from this world following His resurrection the Lord Jesus said this:

"I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (Joh 9:4-5)

This is the night we are now in having ushered out of our presence the one who healed our diseases!

Perhaps we ought not to be too surprised if our amputees go unhealed.

Perhaps too we will not be too surprised if like the Pharisees of old, even when He does heal our amputees or withered arms we find other reasons for rejecting Him and hating Him and disbelieving Him (Luke 6:6-11)

"And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus."(Luk 6:10-11)

So again why does God not heal amputees? In essence so you and I might ask the question: why does God not heal amputees? Why does God not heal lepers? Why does God not raise people from the dead? Why does God not restore wasted limbs? That we might discover that He has done all of these things but only in 1 unique person: in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! That in all things Christ might be Supreme.

Yours in Christ
Stewart

download MP3 messages on miracles, signs and healings at

newcumnock.org

Other Links to this Post:

http://www.gotquestions.org/God-heal-amputees.html

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/01/30/feedback-god-heal-amputees

Christ Supreme in the Problem of Knowing God

At least 3 barriers exist to knowing God:

1. The Problem of Essence - Who God Is
2. The Problem of Ethic - What God is Like
3. The Problem of Eternity - Where God is

These 3 problems leave man out in the cold as far as knowing God is concerned:

1. The Problem of Essence - Man is Unable to See God as Invisible
   
2. The Problem of Ethic - Man is Unsuitable to See God as Holy
   
3. The Problem of Eternity - Man is in the wrong environment to see God

Can man ever know his Creator?
God has revealed Himself in 4 ways:

1. Product of His Hands - Creation
2. Proof of His ethic - Conscience
3. Power of His Word - the scriptures / Covenant
4. Person of His Son - Christ
   

These 4 means by which God has mad Himself known correspond to the opening 3 chapters of the book of Romans:

1. God perceptible in Creation (Romans chp 1)
2. God perceptible in Conscience (Romans chp 2)
3. God perceptible in Covenant / Scripture (Romans chp 2)
4. God perceptible in Christ (Romans chp 3)

1. Creation is the product of Divine intelligence and power (Rom1:20; Gen 1; Psalm 19) and God expects us to perceive the Divine Power, order and intelligence behind it.
2. Conscience, pointing us to an absolute right and wrong points us to a moral order in the universe and to the moral character of our Creator.
3. Covenant / scripture with over 100 fulfilled prophecies in the life of Jesus Christ alone, plus multiple other fulfilled prophecies regarding Israel and her neighbours points us to the power and authority of God who alone is able to tell the end form the beginning: "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: "(Isa 46:9-10)
4. Christ : God has appointed "one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus"
   
   

The God who could not be perceived by man, has made Himself known by becoming man.

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. " (Joh 1:18)

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isa 7:14)

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:6-11)

God is now knowable in the person of Jesus Christ:

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. " (2Co 4:6)

Gods Word leaves me with a presentation of Jesus Christ of Nazareth not as a philosopher, moralist or great religious leader but as God incarnate:

"O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!"
(Isa 40:9)

"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." (Joh 20:28)

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Mat 16:16)

God became man that He might not only reveal the invisible to those unable to see God but that He might redeem those who are unsuitable to see God, separated from Him by sin:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Rom 3:23)

As such Christ is the only way of salvation, having offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of His creatures:

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: " (1Pe 3:18)

God now "commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel" :

"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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (Joh 3:16-18)

Herein lies the revelation of God to man and the responsibility of man to His creator.



Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

If God is Real Why Can't we See Him?

A commonly asked question: if God is real then why does He not make Himself more obvious?
Why can we not see Him?
The Bible gives us at least 3 good reasons:

1. The Problem of Essence - Who He is
2. The Problem of Ethic - What He is
3. The Problem of Eternity - Where He is

The Problem of Essence - Who He is
Man is Unable to See God


God is in Essence, in Himself invisible :

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" (Col 1:15)

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. " (1Ti 1:17)

That is, He is not in Himself perceptible by the natural senses.
This ought not to greatly surprise us that the God who created the Universe and gave us senses to perceive the creation Himself lies out with the range of those senses designed for perception of the created universe. This is really simply another way of say that the Creator is greater than the creation.
Human sense regularly reaches edge of its perceptive capacity within creation itself. The eye is unable to perceive ultraviolet light and infrared light and the ear is unable to detect ultrasound.


The Problem of Ethic - What He is :
Man is Unsuitable to See God


Not only do we lack the natural capacity to perceive God but we also lack the personal suitability for the perception of God. It is said that over the years that some over enthusiastic astronomers have blinded themselves by gazing with their telescopes, unshaded, at the sun. The brightness of the sun burns out their retina blinding them, at times permanently. Man is not only unable to see God but man is unsuitable to see God:

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isa 59:2)

"And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God." (Jdg 13:22)



The Problem of Eternity - Where He is
Man is in the wrong environment to see God

As human beings in a finite universe we are familiar with seeing, touching, tasting, hearing and smelling objects within that Universe. These objects and phenomena are products of that universe in which we ourselves exist. The computer screen on which you read this blog is constructed of material elements such as metal and plastics and is driven by physical processes giving off signals perceptible to the human eye. God however is not a product of the universe He is the producer of the universe. The universe itself is not sufficient to contain Him for the purposes of perception:

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (1Ki 8:27)

The space time relationship between God and the Universe is different from that of material objects which are the product of that universe. God is not so much contained within the universe but rather the universe is contained within God:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." (Act 17:28)

The universe was created into an omnipresent Christ:

"For in him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"
(Col 1:16)

Putting it simply; where would we put God to see Him?

Is it possible then for man to know His creator?

The subject of the next blog:

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (Joh 1:18)

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."(2Co 4:6)


Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

Christ Supreme Over the Problem of Evil

The Bibles greatest problem is surely that of the problem of evil. As one of my boys asked me recently:

"Dad did God know what was going to happen when He made the garden of Eden and made the tree of knowledge of good and evil and allowed the serpent into the garden?"

"Dad why did God allow the serpent into the garden?"

"Dad why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil into the garden?"

There was no good pacifying the boy with the assurance that whilst sin may have entered by Eden God had a solution for sin at Calvary, for that simply begged the question:

"Why did God allow all that sin and suffering and death just to get us back to where we started?"

The scripture is clear:

God is in control - He is Sovereign (Is46:10; Eph1:11)
God is the Creator of you and I and of Eden (Gen 1 to 3)
God is omnipotent (Matt 19:26; 28:18)
God is Omniscient and did know what was going to happen (John 21:17)

The scripture is also clear that God does not simply react or respond as a reflex to the problem of sin or the fall but rather the reason for all that has been permitted from Gen 1 to Rev 22 lies in the Counsel of God itself. Gods purpose of Glorifying His Son (Eph1:10; 1:12) is supreme over sin and suffering and the fall in Eden. The solution to mans problem preceded the problem itself:


"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom5:6)

"while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom5:8)

"when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son," (Rom 5:10)

The Son who is Saviour preceded Adam who was the Sinner:

" Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come" (Rom 5:14)

Adam may be the shadow but Christ is the substance!
Adam is the lesser but Christ the greater!
Gods solution preceded mans problem!


Gods work in Christ was not simply a reaction to Adams failure!
Adams sin set the scene for Gods salvation in Christ! For the entrance into time of one far greater and infinitely more glorious than Adam, with a salvation that preceded the foundation of the world itself! (1 Peter 1:20)

This is a different way of looking at man's problems than the reasoning that might be applied by the natural mind. In every day life the problem precedes the solution and the solution is merely a reaction to the problem. For example: the other week the car hand brake broke, so I took it to the garage to get it fixed. Human logic and the order of events would suggest that I fixed the car because it was broken. The order and logic of Romans 5 goes somewhat differently, the hand brake was broken that it might be fixed and so that I might be drawn to and discover the character of the mechanic as the one who fixes hand brakes!
The other day I spent some time tidying up the loft which had become cluttered with all the things that you dare not through out, just in case they become useful! It was a mess so I tidied it. Human logic explains the events in a cause and effect relationship such that I tidied the loft because it was a mess, Romans 5 explains the situation in reverse: the loft was a mess so that I might tidy it!
The purpose lies not in the problem but in the process of solving the problem!
The solution precedes the problem!
The Glory of Christ was the reason for Adams failure!
The Glory of Christ and His work were not simply a reaction to Adams failure! But rather Adams failure and mans problems were permitted and the solution purposed that in all things Christ might be glorified (Col1:18; Eph 1:12, 14) and I might know God in a way that Adam never knew Him!

What about Sam's objection:

"What is the point of all that sin and suffering and death if God just brings us back to where we were in Eden?"

What indeed is the point of breaking the car simply to fix it again?
The answer lies in this, that God does not take me back to where we started, the story of redemption is not circular it is linear. As Gods purposes in redemption close in Revelation chp 21 and 22 we have a scene like Eden but distinct form Eden:

There is no tree of knowledge of good and evil
There is no serpent
There is "nought that defileth that shall enter therein"
We have moved on from a garden with 4 branches of a river running through it (Gen 2:10), to the very source of the river itself (Rev22:1).

We have in all that God has done in redemption from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, yielded up to Him eternally the desire for and relinquished the potential for evil and we in its place have chosen Him for our portion eternally. 'I am His and He is mine forever.'

Listen to: 'The Bibles Biggest Problem'



Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

Christ Supreme in the Heart of Mary

In Mark chapter 14 the Lord comes again to the home at Bethany, a home He had visited many times and a place where His power had previously been seen in the resurrection of His friend Lazarus (John chp 11). The Lords previous visit to Bethany in John chapter 11 had marked a time of bitter disappointment and sorrow for Mary and her sister Martha. If only the Lord had come sooner to Bethany "my brother had not died" (John 11). Mary had been so grieved at the death of her brother that when the Lord finally arrived, 4 days late, she "sat still in the house" (John11:20), unable to face Him, perhaps even doubting His care and concern. John chapter 11 had been a time of weeping for Mary, "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). In Mark chapter 14 we are in the same place: Bethany and with the same person: Mary, but whereas John chapter 11 marked a time of weeping for Mary, Mark chapter 14 records a time of worship.

Surrounded by men who knew far more about the scriptures than Mary did; men like the scribes and the chief priests of Mk14:1; men of education, Mary had something that went beyond an education she had an experience of Christ and with that an appreciation of Christ. As Christ spoke about His death and resurrection (Mark 10:34; 14:28) Mary had no doubt that what He said He could and would perform. She had confidence and faith that had been bought through the crises and fears of John chapter 11. She knew that if the Lord spoke of His resurrection then she could take Him at His word; she had known the reality of Christ as the resurrection and the life from personal experience.

Mary's faith allowed her to go beyond normal protocol, to break with the normal pattern and to anoint His body for the burial BEFORE He had died (14:8)! Faith grasped its opportunity for service and devotion to Christ, for when He died, the grave could not contain Him and opportunities for devotion and service would be forever lost. Those who waited till after His death to anoint His body were too late (Mark 16:1ff)! Mary did what she could (14:8), when she could!

Mary's faith had been costly in its purchase, strengthened through the testing and trying experiences of John 11, but now her faith strengthened through adversity was strong enough to pour out the ointment upon His head.

There is a special beauty in the broken box. So much of the worship of scripture comes from the broken box:

• The first time we read of the word 'pray' in the life of Samson, he is chained between 2 pillars, in fetters of brass and with his eyes taken out - the fragrance of the broken box.
• Moses is 40 years in Egypt learning to be something, the son of Pharaoh's daughter but not until he passes 40 years in the backside of the desert learning to be nothing is he useful and useable by God - the beauty of the broken box.
• Consider the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel as she pours out her heart to the Lord in the temple feeling bitterly her years of barrenness - the beauty of a broken box.
• As Naomi returns to Bethlehem, the 'House of Bread' in Ruth chapter 1, she will return not now full, she went out full but she will now return empty. She returns to the House of Bread, broken and empty.
  

It can take many years for that box to break, but not until it does will there be any glory for Him. There was a beauty in the broken box, and there was a fragrance in her faith. The English word "spikenard" of 14:3 translates 2 Greek words one for the fragrance (Nard) and the other word meaning pure. The word chosen for pure here comes form the word for faith! The box was broken and her faith was fragrant. Nothing was held back for Him. The value of the ointment may well have run to 300 pence - a years wages but faith delighted to take all of its resources and give them up and invest them in Christ. Mary had nothing now to fall back on in her old age, she no longer had anything laid aside for her own funeral for her hope went beyond death and the grave to the resurrection and eternal life. Christ was Supreme in her life. She did what she could and in that work was an act of worship (14:6). Christ estimated it as a "good work" others around would discourage her by dismissing it as a great "waste". How are we to estimate the value of her worship? They estimated the waste by the value of the ointment: 300 pence. Are we then to estimate the worship by the value of the object? Ointment poured out in worship and appreciation of the person of Christ takes on then an infinite and eternal value, that vastly outstrips any material value attached to the cost of the act, so much so that the anointing of the head of the person of Christ was an act worthy of memorial and honour down through every generation and in every corner of the world even until this day (Mark 14:9). Mary could only perform such an act because Christ was Supreme in her life.

Yours in Christ
Stewart

Listen to: 'A Fragrance of Worship'

Preventing the Supremacy of Christ in My Life

Superficiality (Mark chapters 11 to 12)

Here is my final defence against the Supremacy of Christ in my Life!
Pretend He is Supreme! Only pretend He is Supreme but keep it always on the surface only!
Superficial Christianity!
Gold plated tin!
Oak veneered chip board!
An effective defence against spiritual progress!

Consider how superficiality abounds in these two chapters of Marks gospel:

The Tree (11:12-14)
The Temple (11:15-19)
The Tenant Farmers (12:1-12)
The Taxes (12:13-17)
The Theology and Thinking of the Sadducees (12:18-27)


The Tree (11:12-14)

The fig tree - foliage but no fruit!
A good show, promising from the distance!
Successful on the surface!
Numbers up, activities increasing, busy but barren!
Plenty of rustling in the wind but no reality!

The fig tree discovered that the judge of fruitfulness was Christ and not self
The fig tree discovered the standard of fruitfulness was wither or not there was anything for Christ!
Christ was hungry for fruit (11:12)
Would the fruitfulness of the fig tree satisfy His hunger and bring pleasure to the heart of God?
Was the goal of the fig tree to simply satisfy man and look good in the landscape?
There was the prospect of dinner from the distance but emptiness in experience!
A case of the emperors new clothes!


The Temple (11:15-19)

What would be the first thing that hits us as we enter the temple? Here is the very heart of the Jewish religious system in Jerusalem. This was no provincial synagogue!

As we enter into the temple would we be struck by:

The scent and fragrance of the incense ascending in acts of worship?
The smell of the sacrifice on the altar?
The singing of the Levites in worship?
The sound of prayer? It was after all "a house of prayer" (11:17)

Surely not:
The silver chinking in the collection plates?


Here was the condition of Judaism at its very core! Religion had become a very thinly veiled covering to the greater goal of financial gain and person profit! Prayer had given place to profit!
Here is superficial religion!


The Tenant Farmers (12:1-12)

The vineyard looks the part with its:

Hedge (12:1)
Wine vat (12:1)
Tower (12:1)

So what about the fruit?
What is it producing for the master? For the "Lord" of the vineyard (v9)?
A vineyard where the presence and presentation of the Son is an inconvenience (12:6-8)
Everything is in place for fruitfulness:
The tenants responsibility was clear - to produce fruit for their "Lord" (12:9)



The Taxes (12:13-17)

Superficiality again!
The Pharisees and the Herodians were not genuinely interested in the deeper spiritual question or the biblical basis of honouring God and yet paying their due to an occupying gentile power
The Pharisees and the Herodians simply desired to "catch Him in His words" (12:13)
They were happy to use the coins of Caesar and play their part and reap the benefits of the economy of Caesar but would bring up the question of the legitimacy of paying their taxes to Caesar!


The Theology and Thinking of the Sadducees (12:18-27)

Superficial in their appreciation of scripture (12:25)
Superficial in their appreciation of the power of God (12:24)

Their question too was not a genuine quest for understanding and enlightenment but rather a carefully constructed conundrum to find fault with the teachings of Christ on bodily resurrection - something He had performed already in His ministry! (eg Mark chp 5).
Their question but was a veiled attack on the teachings of Christ (12:23)

Having looked and seen superficiality in the:

Tree
Temple
Tenant Farmer
Taxes
Teaching of Sadducees

We are now presented with the pre-eminence of God:

" And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." (Mark 12:30)

What to choose? Reality or superficiality?


Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org

Christ Supreme Over an Ass

Mark Chapter 11 verses 1 to 11

"For vain man would be wise, though man be born [like] a wild ass's colt." (Job11:12)
Job 11:12 presents us with the ass's colt as a picture of man in his self will.
You can't herd wild asses!
This theme of the self willed ass is consistent through scripture. One notable example of this comes in the contrast between Israels' first two kings: Saul and David. Saul was a man for the people, head and shoulders above everyone else but David was a man "after Gods own heart".
When Samuel comes to anoint Saul he is looking for his father's asses in the wilderness (1Samuel chp 9) but when Samuel comes to anoint David he is looking after his fathers sheep (1Samuel 16)! The wild ass is a picture of man given over to self and to his own mind and will, this was always the problem with Saul from his anointing till his death, he did as he pleased and went where he pleased, sparing Agag and the best of the sheep in 1 Samuel 15 and offering up sacrifices to the Lord, a thing prohibited for the Kings and reserved for the priest (1 Samuel 13:9). The problem with being self willed and self centred and determined to go and get our own way is that sometimes God can cease to strife with us and give us our own way, "and the end thereof is the way of death."

Matthew tells us that the colt of Mark 11 was the foal of the ass, and so here in Mark chapter 11 we have the story of the asses colt upon which no one had ever sat (11:2).

The Saviour gives His disciples a 3 fold instruction :

1 - Find him (11:2)
2 - Loose him (11:2)
3 - Bring him (11:2)

Christ has found me: "I am come to seek and to save that which was lost"
Has He loosed me from that which binds me?
Have I been brought to Him?
Notice where the colt is found: "And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him." - a place of decision, a crossroads in life. The colt could either turn right or left at the place where two ways meet.
Life consists of many decisions, and often many footsteps over very many years but a crossroads is a dangerous place to be for there is at a crossroads only a few footsteps of a difference between faithfulness and failure, between the right direction and the opposite direction! This was a place of decision and a decision against a background of potential fruitfulness for Christ; notice the setting for all of this, given in Mark 11:1:

"Bethphage" - House of figs
"Bethany" - House of Dates
"Mount of Olives" - fruit of olive tree

A will given over to Christ brings me into fruitfulness for Him.
After this encounter with the colt the theme of Marks gospel changes to that of fruitfulness:

Fruitfulness (or otherwise) of the Fig tree (11:20-24)
Fruitfulness (or otherwise) of the Vineyard (12:1-12)

Christ sits pre-eminent on the colt "whereon never man sat" (11:2)
Was this fruitful?
Is it possible for an ass to be fruitful for Christ???
Upon his back Christ rode into Jerusalem, hear the cries:

"And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed [be] the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." (Mk 11:9-10)

Christ rode on the back of an ass upon which never man had sat before. Christ was pre-eminent, and the will of the ass subject to the Master carried Him in to acclamations of praise and worship! What a fruitful service to bear up Christ to the worship and wonder of men!!!
You won't be out done by an old ass will you??

click here to listen to a message preached on this subject

Yours in Christ
Stewart

Christ Supreme over Self

"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34)

Following the experience of Christ supreme on the mountain at the beginning of Mark chapter 9, the disciples descend the mountain to be confronted by a case of: 'Demonic Possession and Dirty Tricks' in the midst of their failure when confronted with the power of Satan they learn that the solution to their problems lies in "prayer and fasting" (Mk9:29) - fasting that puts self out and prayer that brings God in! The solution to their failure was very simple:

1. More of Christ (Prayer)
2. Less of Self (Fasting)

The battle against self begins!
Despite a Glorious Vision of a Glorious Christ the disciples remain caught up with self! Often times Christian ministry and Christian preaching and Christian service can be a thinly veiled covering for self promotion, as religion had become to the Pharisees of Matthew 23.
Self comes to the fore in Mark chps 9 to 11:

1. Pre-eminence of Self (9:34) - "by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest"
2. Prominence of Self (9:38) - "he followeth not us" - it wasn't about following 'us' the Lord has to remind the disciples, not about following our Church, or our system or our way the issue was all the Glory of "My Name" (9:39)
3. Problems of Self (9:42-50) - The hand, the foot and eye to be cut off, how often my Works (hand) or my Way (foot) or what I Watch (eye) can hinder my usefulness to Christ!
4. Place for Self (10:35-45) - "grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand and the other on the left" - a place for self, a relationship with Christ can at times become corrupted to being a means to promotion of self.
   

Self can only hinder service for Christ as it did with the demon possessed boy in Mark 9 "and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out and they could not."

What is the solution to all of this?

"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34) - the 3 fold call of discipleship:

1. Self Denial "Deny himself"
2. Self Death "take up his cross"
3. Self Discipline "follow me"

Yours in Christ
Stewart

www.newcumnock.org

A Touch of Christ

There is throughout Marks Gospel a touch of Christ:

1. The woman with the issue blood for 12 years, in Mark chapter 5 who touched the garment of the Lord Jesus (5:27) and in so doing touched Christ (5:31)
2. Jarius dead daughter whom the Lord raised up again, by taking her by the hand (5:41)
3. The deaf and dumb man of Mark chapter 7 who felt the touch of Christ on his tongue (7:33)
4. The blind man at Bethsaida (8:22) whose eyes were touched by Christ
5. The demon possessed boy of chapter 9 who the Lord raised up by the hand (9:27)

It is also sobering to notice those who were left untouched by Christ:

1. The Pharisees
2. Herod
3. The scribes

It is in our:

1. Dieing (Jarius daugter)
2. Disapointments (woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, who had suffered much of many physicians and never grew better but rather grew worse)
3. Disease (the blind and deaf and dumb)
4. Darkness (Blind man of chp 8)

That we are find the touch of Christ, not in our self sufficiency and not in our personal triumphs.

We find His touch where we find His hand, the hand of a crucified Saviour.

His is the way of the cross.

Christ Supreme in His Glory

On the Mountain of Mark Chapter 9 we see the supremecy of Christ in His Glory.
The faith of these 3 disciples would be inspired not by self but by a Glorious Vision of a Glorious Christ. They would appreciate:

1. Purity of His Person (9:3)

2. Pointers and prophecies to His Coming (9:4)

3. Power of God in His Ministry (9:7)

4. Personal Experience of the Presence of Christ (9:8)

Purity of His Person (9:3)

1. “exceeding white as snow” - beyond nature

2. “no fuller” - beyond humanity

3. “on earth” - beyond earth

In His ministry the Saviour displayed a Righteousness and Purity beyond the normal, consider in particular the ministry of the Saviour on the subjects of:

1. Murder (Matt 5:21-22)

2. Adultery (Matt 5:27-28)

3. Hypocrisy (Matt 6:5;16)

4. Love (Matt 6:38ff)

5. Justice (Matt 7:2)

Consider the verdict of His contemporaries on His Person:

• 3 X Pontius Pilate would say: “I find no fault in Him”

• “In Him is no sin” - Johns verdict

• “He knew no sin” - Pauls verdict

• “He did no sin” - Peters verdict

2. Pointers and prophecies to His Coming (9:4)

Both Moses and Elijah pointed forward to the coming of Christ. Consider just how many pointers and prophecies there were in the Old Testament scriptures to the coming person of Christ:

1. Time of His coming (Dan 9)

2. Place of His coming (Micah 5:2)

3. Means of His Coming – the virgin womb (Isa 7:14)

4. Purpose of His coming (Isa 53; Psalm 40)

5. The declaration of His coming by John the Baptist (Isa 40)

6. His Deity (Isa 40:3,9; Isa 7:14; Psalm 45; 110)

7. He would open the eyes of the blind (Isa 9:2; 35:5; 42:16)

8. He would open the ears of the deaf (Isa 35:5)

9. His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (Zech 11:12), by His friend (Ps41:9); after breaking bread (Ps 41:9), the betrayer would be called Judas (Gen 37); the ransom price used to buy the potters field (Zech 11:13)

10. He would be whipped and beaten (Ps129:3)

11. He would die with criminals (Isa 53:9)

12. He would die by crucifixion (Ps22)

13. He would be crucified by gentiles (Ps22)

14. No bone would be broken (Ps 34:20; Ex 12:46)

15. Details of His sufferings in death (Ps 22; Ps 69; Isa 53; Zech 11)

16. Placed in the grave of a rich man (Isa 53:9)

17. He would spend 3 days and nights in the grave (Jonah 1:17)

18. Raised again from the dead (Psalm 16)

3. Power of God in His Ministry (9:7)

The voice of Divine approval was not only to be heard on the mountain but right the way through the ministry of the person of Christ. For He is the Son of God! He is God! “My Lord and my God...” said Thomas. Not only did He claim to be God but He convinced men that He was God! He showed by His miracles and words and resurrection that He was who He said He was!

4. Personal Experience of the Presence of Christ (9:8)

By the end of this Glorious Vision of a Glorious Christ the disciples were left with "Jesus only with themselves." The same experience is ours! The experience of the daily personal power and reassurance of a living relationship with Him! The secret of the believers strength!

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