praisethelord.ws

The Law of the Lord is Perfect

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psa_19:7).

“The Law of the Lord is perfect,” Moses began, “but it was put into the hands of imperfect men — beginning with me.”

He paused for a moment of personal reflection, unable to mask the pain in his heart as he recalled that unforgettable moment.

“When I came down from the Mountain and saw the people worshipping a Golden Calf, I threw the Tablets in anger and they broke. I didn’t realize at the time how profoundly symbolic that moment was for us all. Even before we actually received The Law — we broke it. We were guilty…and doomed.

“But God was merciful and gave us a second set of Tablets. Yet, the more we tried to obey The Law – the more we realized how powerless we were to do so. At length, that which was pure and perfect became a thing that condemned us in our fallen state. We knew all too well that we were wicked; but our anguish was multiplied by the deeper knowledge that we were also powerless to change ourselves!

Can a leopard change his spots? How then can we do good, who are accustomed to doing evil? And what is  worse, even when we do a good thing, it becomes defiled by pride in our own our self-righteousness.

We were a stubborn and stiff-necked people; resisting God every step of the way. At one point He offered to send us on ahead without Him. He said an angel would go with us, but not Him. “NO!” I cried out. “For if Your presence not go with us how shall it be known that we have found grace in your sight? What else will distinguish us from all other peoples on the face of the earth?” (Exo_33:1-16)

He did go with us! And over time we began to see that, like a School Master – true and unyielding in the administering of truth and wisdom – The Law was actually moving us forward to a time when the Law Giver would actually come and live inside each one of us as The Law Keeper!

“And thus when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem us!” (Gal_4:4) Christ in you is the hope of glory! For this reason we affirm boldly that sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace!” (Rom_6:14)

Yes, “the power of Christ to do God’s will is with us – right where we are. And it is far greater than the power of sin! For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom_8:3-4).

“And the fruit which The Spirit produces in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. Against such things there is no Law!

“Yes, God gave me the tablets written on Stone. But when One came who is far greater than me, Jesus the Son of God — God wrote His Law on the tablets of our hearts. And now Christ lives in us, empowering us to live out in our daily lives the righteousness of the Law by His Grace!! And this is what now distinguishes you from all the peoples on the face of the earth. It is His grace – the power of His presence in you!

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom_8:1-2)

“The question then is this. Will we continue to live in the power of the flesh, or by the power of the Spirit? With carnal minds, or with spiritual minds? For to be carnal-minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

“And I am persuaded of better things concerning you my friends. For I can see that you have journeyed to this place called Grace on purpose.

“I can see in you what is true of all who love the Lord – you have embraced The Cross as your own! You have been raised from the dead to walk in newness of life! You are being filled with the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, and He is quickening you to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power – His Amazing Grace!!!” (see Col_1:10-11).

Moses’ face began to shine with such glory that we almost had to avert our eyes. It was beautiful beyond description.

The Shout of Grace!

“The glory of the latter house shall be greater than that of the former.” (Hag_2:9).

Apollos had captured our imaginations as he described the Rubble of Zerubbabel in great eloquence. And he stirred our hearts with faith and hope when he then made application of his message to our lives.

“In the old days great stories were written about the lives and lore of an ancient people who were chosen by God to bear His presence and message to the whole world,” Apollos said. “We see and learn in them many great truths for ourselves.

“They were not chosen because they were worthy; neither are we. They had no merits that qualified them to serve and represent God to the world; neither do we. They were stubborn and stiff-necked, disobedient and slow to understand; and so are we.

“But God loved them; and He loves us. He blessed them, and redeemed them. At times He humbled them, and then heard their cries and turned again to save them.

“The one epic story that illustrates this perhaps better than any other is The Return From Captivity, and the Rebuilding of the Temple.

“Seventy long years had passed slowly as the children of the Lord languished in Babylonian Captivity. The last sight they had of the City of the Great King was a fading memory of horror and shame. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar had invaded, ravaged, desecrated, destroyed, and burned much of the Holy City. Billowing plumes of blacken smoke rose high into the hot sky as the oil-coated rocks burned until nothing was left but charred stones covered in greasy dirt.

“The Temple of the Lord had now become the habitation of jackals, snakes, and assorted desert wildlife. And when things looked the most hopeless, God stepped in and wrought a miracle of resurrection.

“The king of the pagan nation in which God’s people were held captive had a change of heart toward God and let His people go. Moreover, he charged them in the name of the Lord to rebuild the Temple and the Holy City, raising it up out of the burnt ruins. And, get this – he provided them all the resources they would need out of his own royal treasury! It was miraculous indeed.

“The people rallied with a renewed faith and set out for the Holy City. They talked excitedly all along the way of their return; each day growing more and more enthusiastic about the job that lay before them.

“But then they saw The City. It was worse than they had imagined; far worse. In fact, it no longer even looked like a city at all. Rather, its appearance was that of a huge pile of disjointed rocks; burnt and covered with years of untouched dirt. The only signs of life were peasants who had established makeshift tent cities, strewn about the colossal debris. And there were the wild animals roaming freely amid the ruins.

The challenge they faced in rebuilding a holy temple from the ruins of toppled debris is not at all different from what we face in seeing our own ruined and ravaged lives redeemed and set right before the Lord today.
we not lived in a long captivity to Confusion? Has not the Temple of the Lord been desecrated in our hearts and lives. Haven’t fires burned, and windstorms blown, and dust accumulated on the altars of our devotions to God? And does not a dark and intimidating presence taunt us with our powerlessness to do anything about it?

The word which God gave to Zerubbabel is now given to us. “It’s not by might, it’s not by power; but it is by My Spirit,” says the Lord.

And like those faithful rebuilders of old, we too will lift The Shout of Grace up to heaven. Yes, we will boldly bear witness to the power of Christ at work in our lives, enabling us to be who God created us to be and to do what He has called us to do – right where we are.

“So, my dear friends and fellow-builders, take heart. Whatever obstacle it is that you face, stare it down and shout, “Grace! Grace!” For when you do so, you are actually releasing God’s empowering presence into the circumstance and He will work His wonders of love – redeeming your lives from the rubble of Zerubbabel!”

Then Apollos lifted his hand and spoke this blessing over us, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. (2Co_13:14).

When Apollos concluded he was joined on stage by all the other speakers. And we all stood and honored them for their faithful service and inspiring words.

Once the series of stimulating Lectures concluded and we all tarried in the lobby, interacting with the speakers and other groups who had also journeyed to this place called Grace. There was a deep sense of privilege in all our hearts for being in this place of Grace together.

“Across the Way from the Great Hall of Truth is Monumental Park,” Paul said. “Let’s all meet there tomorrow. There is going to be a concert you will not want to miss!”

The Good News of God’s Empowering Presence

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isa_52:7)

Thank you, Paul.

And thank you all for you enthusiastic applause. We always open with Brother James, because if you can endure his message then you are ready for anything else the Lord will have the rest of us say!”

The crowd roared with self-depreciating laughter. And James himself gave a smile backstage.

“Indeed, Paul has been a father to me,” Timothy began. “He has taught me both in word and in example that the grace of God is sufficient for us in all things, at all times. One of my favorite lines from his letters reads, ‘That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.’ (Eph_2:7)

I pray that my feet may be beautiful and swift in the bringing of good news today, for I will speak of the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power when He raised our Lord Jesus from the grave. (Eph_1:19)

God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind. These are the fruit of His grace at work in our lives. Power that is greater than sin and death; Love that is greater than darkness and hatred; and soundness of mind that is greater than deception and confusion.

Our God reigns! Go tell it on the mountain, over the hill, and everywhere!

He reigns over us in His mercy and goodness; He reigns in us by His grace and righteousness; He reigns through us by His love and kindness.

Therefore, my dear friends, stay the course. God is at work in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. For your part, let this salvation work its way out in your attitudes and actions toward others.
everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life! (Php_2:12-16)

“And know this — God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need; you will abound to every good work. Yes, God is able to supply you with the full measure of His empowering presence, thereby securing your ability to be who He created you to be and to do what He has called you to do – wherever you go.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us; unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph_3:20-21).

“May the power of God’s Grace work in you in such measure every day that your life and service to our Lord brings Him great honor throughout all ages!”

“And now it is my great honor to introduce our final speaker. He is one of the most celebrated evangelists of the New Testament. Loved far and wide, and renowned as an eloquent man, and one mighty in the Scriptures – please join me in welcoming to the stage, Apollos of Alexandria!”

We did so with great enthusiasm, and when all was said and done we discovered that the glowing accolades given to Apollos were well deserved.

Entering Into This Place Called Grace

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mat_6:33)

“Surely we should be getting close to the place called Grace,” someone said. “I mean, we’ve been traveling for sometime now and you told us at the start that it really wasn’t very far.”

“You’re right,” I replied. “I told you we would be taking a long journey to a place nearby. And that is exactly what we have done.”

First, you should know that there is a Great Kingdom which knows no boundaries; which is, in fact, ever-increasing simultaneously in all directions. One sacred poet described it as though a great vat of honey had been poured from above upon a vast flat surface, and now was spreading from the center ever outward in a slow and steady motion, enveloping all within it’s sweet presence.

It is The Kingdom of God.

And you should also know that within this Great Kingdom there is a Garden State – it is called the State of Mind, and it was miraculously renewed after the Lord’s victory in the Great War at Calvary. There He fought against the hordes of Hell and drew their Dark Prince, Lucifer, in the open field of battle where He crushed his head and brought his kingdom to naught. Now the Kingdom of God flourishes, and the renewed State of Mind thrives with godly commerce.

Before the renewal and the coming of the Kingdom, The State of Mind was a most corrupt place. Filled with filth and over-run with demons. A notorious gang called the Vain Imaginations roamed the streets, scratching vile graffiti on every wall and wrecking havoc in every place. The Courts made mockery of the Law, the Churches blasphemed the Lord, the Schools taught nonsense and called it Wisdom, and the People were like sloths hanging upside down in leafless trees.

Of the many historic revivals that have been told in stories from of old, none were so great as the mighty revival that transformed the State of Mind. After the Lord Christ rose victorious from the grave, a blast of glory ripped through the darkest corridors of Hell itself and severed in one mighty blow all the forged chains that enslaved Adam’s children to Sin and Death.

Then God Almighty unleashed His Spirit and His Word, both working together like a mighty rushing wind and a swift, roaring fire. All the filth and disease was in one day purged by the white hot flames of holiness. And when the smoke cleared — the State of Mind was gloriously renewed!

And then God set a Capitol City in the center of this renewed State; a City from which the rule of God’s love and mercy, goodness and faithfulness, favor and blessing extend to all throughout the ever-expanding Kingdom.

This Capitol City is the place called Grace.

We speak of entering it as though it were like any other city. But here’s where things are different. The truth is – we do not enter into Grace at all; rather, Grace enters into us!

Thus, wherever we may be – there Grace is also. Whatever we may encounter in our travels, Grace is there with us. In every situation and circumstance; in joy and in sorrow, in plenty and in want, in strength and in weakness; and, yes, in life or in death – Grace is there!

Grace is the empowering presence of God enabling you to be who God created you to be, and to do what He has called you to do – right where you are.

Peter’s Parting Words

“Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever” (2Pe_3:18).

“It has been a delight to walk along with you,” Peter said, “but I really must be going. You see, there are many other groups from all around the world traveling to this Place called Grace, and them also I must visit. And, I’m sure I will see you again.”

Are there any parting words you could give us before you leave?

“Yes,” Peter answered, “yes indeed.”

First, “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1Pe_1:13).

You folks dress differently than in my day. We had long, flowing garments that could impede our progress unless we gathered the excess material and fastened it with a belt. Then we could run with the best of them. That’s what you need to do with your minds! Let the belt of Truth gather all the loose material into a single focus so you will always be ready for constant action.

And be sober; exercise self-restraint, and be always watchful; looking all about you for what the Lord is saying and doing.

And be full of hope to the end for the grace to be brought to you at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ! Most certainly shall the power of God be on full display when Christ returns. But even now while we await His return, Jesus appears to us again and again – and each time there is grace, the power to do God’s will. John put it this way, “Of His fullness have we received – grace upon grace!” (Joh_1:16).

Second, Give it all you’ve got. Give away to others what has been freely given to you. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (see 1Pe_4:10).

As Paul put it, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Rom_12:6-8).

It is all based upon Grace, the power of Christ working in and through you to do God’s will. There is no pecking order here; no hierarchy of religious titles and positions. “All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” (1Pe_5:5)

And Third, Grow in Grace. Don’t ever suppose that you have learned it all, or know it all. Keep an open heart; hungry for more of God, more of grace; more of life. Yes, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. (2Pe_3:18)

Then, raising his aged hand to offer an apostolic blessing, Peter concluded his visit with these words – “May the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you — this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. Now, grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”(1Pe_5:10, 1Pe_5:12; 2Pe_1:2).

Amen.

“Look Who I’ve Become”

“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Mat_4:18-19).

A rush of excitement shot through our tour group when we discovered that the Apostle Peter had been walking with us for awhile – and we didn’t even know it!

“When did you…how did….where…” — I couldn’t find the right question.

Peter flashed a big smile and put me at ease. “I’ve been walking with you for about three miles now. James and John bet me I couldn’t blend into the group; but I guess I won the bet,” he said.

“So, you are on journey to a place called Grace, are you?” Peter asked, even though it was obvious he knew we were. “You will never regret having made this journey.”

“Peter, tell us about your Journey,” a young lady said.

“What would you like to know?” he asked.

“Tell me about the Day of Pentecost,” she exclaimed. “What was that like for you?”

“Astounding in every way,” Peter replied. “The day itself was truly historical, but it was what happened later that night that moved me most.”

“What happened? There was no mention of anything in The Library.”

“No, this was not written down; for nobody knew about this but me. After the Day had ended and we each settled down to sleep, I was still so full of God’s Spirit I could hardly stop trembling. My mind kept racing back through the day’s events, reliving each moment over and over.

“The mighty, rushing wind; the flames of fire, and dynamic power; the sermon – are you serious? Me, a fisherman with no formal education in such matters – yet there I stood on the Temple porch and preached to thousands. There was such clarity in my thoughts and power in my words. I was more amazed than anybody!

And then the moment came, when over three thousand souls were at once born again, and became followers of our risen Lord. Late into the evening, when everybody else was sleeping, I still could not get it out of my mind.

And as I thought upon it, my mind raced back over the years to when I first met Jesus.

“My brother, Andrew, and I were fishermen, like our father before us. One day this Jesus fellow came passing by and called out to us. “Follow Me,” He said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And that’s what we did.

“What could a Rabbi possibly know about fishing?” I thought to myself. “But on one occasion He showed me what He could do. We had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. Calling it quits we headed in, and He called out to us from the shore.

“Let down your nets for a catch,” He said. And that’s what we did. We caught so many fish that our boat began to sink!

“Jesus told me He would make me a fisher of men. And as I lay upon my bed that night after Pentecost I could only shake my head in speechless wonder over how exactly true the Lord’s promise had proven to be. For on that Day that is what I did – I became a fisher of men!

“Me, a nobody. Born in a no-place town, working in a nowhere job, living an ordinary, no-point life. And now Jesus had brought me from that to this!

“O Lord,” I whispered quietly; “Look who I’ve become.”
all stood there in silence, watching Peter stare off into the distant sky; we could tell it all was as real to him in this moment as when it first occurred.

“Yes,” he softly said again, “Look who I’ve become.”

And then, turning his piercing gaze upon us, he spoke up with Pentecostal fire and said, “Stay on this journey, friends, and one day you’ll be saying the same thing about yourselves!”

And that’s what we are going to do.

The Purpose of God
“All things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
What exactly is God’s purpose? Paul tells us plainly in the following verse. God’s purpose is that we “be conformed to the image of His Son” (ch.8:29), and to that end all things work together for good.
In other words, God uses everything that happens in your life, in one way or another, to make you more and more like Jesus. That’s His purpose for you.
The Greek word Paul uses is prothesis, and it means “a setting forth in His presence.” It is a veiled reference to the Old Testament practice of placing the showbread on the altar in the Holy Place before the Curtain, allowing it to absorb the glory of God before being eaten by the priests.
Our lives are to be like this in today’s world; so filled with the absorbed presence of the Lord that others experience Him for themselves when they are around us.
The classic poem by A.S. Wilson says it best, “Not merely in the words you say, not only in your deeds confessed; but in the most unconscious way is Christ expressed. Is it a beatific smile, a holy light upon your brow? Oh no; I felt His presence when you laughed just now.”
There was a hymn we sang during my childhood, “Let others see Jesus in you. Keep telling the story, be faithful and true; let others see Jesus in you.”
Seeing that you love God and have been called according to His purpose, now make it your purpose to live your life today so that others may see Jesus in you.

“Does it Really Matter All That Much?”

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos_4:6).

We were all assembled at the main archway of the great Library, checking our gear and supplies as we readied ourselves for our onward journey to a place called Grace.

“May I ask a question?” a timid young man said, raising his hand as though he were still in school.

“You sure can,” I replied, in a tone that put him at ease.

“Does it really matter all that much that we distinguish between God’s grace and His kindness? I mean, when you get right down to it – isn’t it really all the same?”

A few other travelers looked stunned; one could tell they concluded the young man had not been listening very well. But I felt it was an honest question, especially in light of the fact that we have been taught otherwise for so long.

“This is not a quick fix,” I said to everybody. “We are dealing with a widespread, deeply held belief. It has been promoted and unchallenged for so long that it now requires much patience on our part as we seek to help others see the truth for themselves.”

A prophet of old said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos_4:6). Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (Joh_8:32). Clearly, it matters whether we know the truth or not.

Turning to the young man, I said, “Let’s look at what Paul told us, and perhaps we all can better understand why getting our thoughts right about Grace matters so very much.”

“All over the world,” Paul wrote, “this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” (Col_1:6).

The church in Colossae was a significant accomplishment for Paul. He had never been to Colossae himself, but had met a businessman from there while on a trip to Ephesus. The man’s name was Philemon.

Paul shared the Gospel with Philemon and he was converted. Beaming with new life and a great enthusiasm for telling others about it, Philemon returned to Colossae and started a church meeting in his home!

It grew rapidly, gathering many of the greater community into fellowship with the Lord Jesus. When news of Philemon’s success reached Paul he knew, just like Barnabas in Antioch, that “the hand of the Lord was with them, and great grace was upon them all.”

Paul the Apostle, the ultimate church-planter, now from a distance watched with great delight as a new church thrived in much fruitfulness – apart from his direct involvement! This confirmed his own conviction that “the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes – Jew and Gentle alike” (Rom_1:16).

God’s grace was upon Philemon to start a church in his home. God’s grace was upon the church, and it grew with influence in the city of Colossae. What is God’s grace empowering you to do?
world is in dire need of the Grace of God. Perhaps more to the point – the Church is in even greater need of it. By failing to distinguish between grace and kindness we have wandered far off course and, as a result, there is widespread barrenness in the lives of many true believers.

Many of the Lord’s people are “being destroyed.” The root meaning of that word is “to be brought to silence.” Could this be the reason much of the Christian church has no voice in today’s world. We are experts at “preaching to the choir,” but stumble over our words in trying to share Christ with an increasingly pagan world.

The success of the Colossian believers reveals a colossal truth. Their fruitfulness in the things of the Kingdom began, according to Paul, “from the day they heard and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”

The same applies to us today. We must “hear and understand the God’s grace in all its truth” so that the same fruitfulness experienced by the Colossians will also happen to us. This is why it matters; why it matters very much!

“Thank you!” the young man said excitedly. “This really helps me a lot!”

Alright, then; if there are no other questions, let’s leave the Library and get back on the Road. We are not far from our destination. Not far at all.

What Were You Thinking?!

“Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

(

1Co_1:20)

We saw yesterday how scholars working on the Contemporary English Version edited the Bible by axing every single use of the word “grace” and replacing it with the notion of “God’s kindness.”

Let me tell you a bit about these scholars, and their reasoning.

The Contemporary English Version (CEV) was produced by employees of the American Bible Society (ABS) working under the direction of one of the Society’s officers, Dr. Barclay M. Newman.

Newman explained in an interview that he and his assistants “did a lot of research with children.” They wanted to create a text that was equivalent to a fourth grade reading level. “We also did a lot of research with persons who were not familiar with traditional biblical jargon, persons who are almost street people as a matter of fact, and then we tried to simply listen to the way that people speak … We got it by their language, the way they speak, and did our translating accordingly.”

In other words, let’s publish a Bible that small children, and those who are biblically illiterate can easily understand. Hey, a good idea is not necessarily a GOD idea.

For the record, I do not fault these scholars for their efforts, and at times I find their spin on certain verses of Scripture to be helpful; but in this matter regarding God’s grace, they missed the mark by miles.

Friends, there are some things you just don’t tamper with; things that need no editing, no face-lift, no help from modern man. We do not take God’s words and translate them into the way biblically illiterate people think and speak. Are we out of our minds!

Paul said it best: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (

1Co_2:4-5).

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (

1Co_2:13-14).

In other words, there are some things we will never know apart from God opening our hearts and giving us understanding. That’s just the way it is – and God is pleased to have it that way.

their good intentions the collaborators who worked on the CEV have presented a product that falls far below the mark of truth; there is nothing at all mysterious nor majestic about their treatment of one of the single greatest revelations ever given by God to man — GRACE.

Instead, Grace is diminished into little more than sentimental mush. The emphasis in not upon God’s greatness, it is upon our worthlessness. We – poor, pitiable, and pathetic sinners – incapable of good, and undeserving of kindness, cower before God in weak and plaintive cries. And because He is so kind, loving, merciful and good — He forgives us and lets us in anyway.

Words have meaning, and their meanings have consequence. Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

By watering down the message of grace to make it fit more readily into our contemporary mindset, we deprive ourselves and others of one of the single most empowering truths in the Bible. No wonder so much of what passes for “Christianity” today is so utterly void of God’s presence and power.

Oh, I know; I know — your church is different. But I’m talking about all those other “dead zones.” You know, places where you can’t even get a signal? What are we to do about them? Whether we realize it or not, their weakness impacts our strength; their floundering calls into doubt our faithfulness; their limitations ultimately hold us back from our higher aspirations. For the Watching World sees us all as one Body – fragmented, powerless and offering no real message for their lives.

“Lord, Help us!”

OK. I’ll step off my soapbox now, and first thing in the morning we’ll head on our way to a place named Grace.

Drink From the Depths
“He… gave them drink as out of the great depths.” Psa_78:15
The psalmist is here reviewing the providence of God that sustained the children of Israel in the desert. That providence had made a deep impression on him, and he delights to dwell upon its wonders. There is a sense, I believe, in which the poet is really the best of all historians. He sees by the gift of a trained imagination into the hearts of men and the character of movements. And though he may lack the minute and critical knowledge that is in the keeping of laborious students, yet he often brings us nearer to the truth than the man who discovers and refutes his errors.
One often feels that it is so with the psalmist, and especially when he is dealing with the Exodus. For him the miracles that marked that journey were not isolated and solitary splendors. They were rather the discoveries of that power which is everywhere present and everywhere upholding; only in other lives they dealt with small numbers of people while here in the Exodus they are with large numbers.
Take for example the water from the rock of which the psalmist is speaking in our text. The wonder that God gave them water as out of the great depths comes to him in a flash. He sees the Israelites crowding around the rock and saying in their hearts, “This cannot last long.” He sees them watching for the supply to fail as, of course, coming from a rock, it must soon do. And then he sees their look of wild surprise when it dawns on them that the stream is inexhaustible and is fed by channels they know nothing of, from boundless and unfathomable reservoirs.
What the people crave for is a draught of water, and God in His mercy gives them their desire. But He fills their cups, not from a little cistern, but as from some illimitable ocean. And the psalmist knows that that is always true, for whenever the Almighty satisfies His creatures, He gives them to drink as out of the great depths.
All Nature Depends on God’s Goodness
Think, then, for a moment of the world of nature as it unfolds itself in all its beauty around us. There is not a bird or beast, there is not a tree or flower, but is ministered to in the way our text describes. I take the tiniest weed that roots among the stones—the flower in the crannied wall of which the poet speaks—and I ask, What does it need to live; what does it need that it may flower and fruit? The answer is that it needs a little warmth; it needs an occasional moistening with rain.
Now in a certain measure that is true, but you can never stop there in this mysterious universe. At the back of the warmth which it needs, there is the sun; and at the back of every raindrop, there is sky and ocean. And it takes the sun and sea and the white cloud of heaven to satisfy that tiniest weed among the stones, which may come to its delicate beauty only to be unregarded and perhaps crushed by a passing foot.
Try to explain the light that a rose needs, and you are carried into the depths of solar energy. Look at the raindrop on the hedge—has it not been drawn “out of the boundless deep”? And so there is not a rose in any garden nor a leaf that unfolds itself on any tree that is not ever whispering to the hearing ear, “He gave me drink as out of the great depths.”
Again, think of our senses for a moment—think of our sight and hearing, for example. One of the plainest facts about our senses is the different way they translate what they receive.
To one man a rose is just a rose and no more. To another, in the smallest flower there are thoughts that often lie too deep for tears. And it is not the eye alone that differentiates, it is the life that is hidden deep behind the eye; He giveth them drink as out of the great depths.
Two men may listen to a piece of music, and one, as he listens, is profoundly stirred by it. There seems to pass before him, as he listens, visions of what is high and fair and beautiful. And he hears the calling of his brightest hopes and the cry of regret for all his wasted years and the stooping over him again of faces that he has loved long since and lost awhile. All this is kindled in some hearts by music—this burning of hope and haunting of regret; yet play that very piece before another, and it is sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Is not the ear of a dead person perfect? Is not every membrane and convolution there? Yet call to it or whisper to it passionately, and will it play its part and carry the news of love? Yesterday there would have been a smile of recognition; there is not a flicker of response today.
So at the back of every sense we have there is a depth that can never be fathomed. All that a man is, looks through his eyes. All that his soul is, listens through his ears. If the eye could speak or if the ear could speak, would they not echo the language of the text, “He gave us drink as out of the great depths?”
The Common Joy and Sorrow of Mankind
Again let us think for a moment of God’s ways in providence—in the ordering and discipline of our lives. One of the lessons we learn as we grow older is that our discipline is not exceptional. When we are young our joys are all our own; we never dream that others could have known them. When we are young we take our little sorrows as if there were no such sorrows in the world. And much of the bitterness of childish trial lies in its terrible sense of isolation; in the feeling that in the whole wide world there is no one who has had to suffer just like us. It seems as if God has cut a special channel for us out of which no other life has ever drunk. In joy and grief, in sunshine and in shadow, we seem to move apart when we are children. But as life advances and our outlook broadens, and we learn the story of the lives around us, then we see that we are not alone but are being made to drink of the great depths.
It is not by exceptional providence’s that we live. It is not by exceptional joys we are enriched. It is not by anything rare or strange or singular that we are fashioned under the hand of God. It is by sorrows that are as old as man, by trials that a thousand hearts have felt, by joys that are common as the wind is common that breathes on the palace and on the poorest street. By these things do we live; by these we grow; by love and tears, by trials, by work, by death; by the things that link us all into a brotherhood, the things that are common to ten thousand hearts. And it is when we come to recognize that truth and to feel our comradeship within a common discipline, that we say, as the psalmist said of Israel, “He gave us drink as out of the great depths.”
The Everlasting Word of God
Now there is one thing that always arrests me in the Bible. It is that the Bible is such an ancient book, and yet is so intensely modern and practical. Think of the ages which have fled since it was written and how “heaven and earth have passed away” since then; think of our cities and of the life we live in them and of the stress and strain unknown in the quiet Bible times. To me it is wonderful, when I reflect upon it, that the Bible should be of any use at all now, and should not rather have moved into the quiet of libraries to be the joy of the unworldly scholar.
But if there is one thing certain it is this—-the Bible meets the need of modern life. In spite of all criticism, as a practical guide there is no book to touch it. There is not a problem you are called to face and not a duty you are called to do; there is not a cross you are compelled to carry and not a burden you are forced to bear, but your strength for it all shall be as the strength of ten if you make a daily companion of your Bible. Now this is what you feel about the Bible, that it never offers a draught from shallow waters. You do not find there a set of petty maxims, but you find the everlasting love of God there. You do not find any shallow views of sin there, but a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And that is the secret of the Bible’s permanence, when our little systems have had their day and ceased to be, then for sin and sorrow and life and death and duty, it gives us to drink as out of the great depths.
The Depths of Jesus Christ
And think for a moment upon Jesus—-of Jesus in relation to His words. If ever words were as water to a thirsty world, surely it was the words that Jesus spoke. How simple they were, and yet how deep! How tender and full of love, and yet how searching! They seemed to pierce into the very heart till a man felt that his secret thought was known.
Now there are men whose lives so contradict their words that when you know the men you cannot listen to them. And there are men who are so much less than their own words that when you come to know them you are disappointed. But what people felt about Jesus Christ was that when all was uttered, the half was never told, for at the back of all His words there was Himself, deeper unfathomable than His deepest speech. That is why the words of Christ will live even when heaven and earth have passed away. You can exhaust the cup or drain the goblet dry, but you cannot exhaust the spring fed from the deeps. And just because the words of Jesus Christ spring from the depths of that divine humanity, they will save and strengthen the obedient heart to the last recorded syllable of time.