Looking and mourning

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10

Those who mourn, mourn not only for the abominations that be done in the land (Ezekiel 9), but also because of what it is that they themselves have done in piercing the Saviour. They realize their own guilty condition and their personal part in the crucifixion of Christ. We have wounded Him by our unbelief in His promises, and a lack of selfless love for those for whom He has died. We have wounded Him by partaking of the spiteful spirit of he who “was a murderer from the beginning.

Nevertheless, Jesus was sent to “to comfort all that mourn” and moreover to “to give unto them…the oil of joy for mourning” (Isaiah 61:1-3). It is to them that “mourn in Zion” that Jesus will send “another Comforter”. It is these that will be filled with the Holy Spirit, they will be anointed with the oil of gladness. “Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” Matthew 5:4

This act of mourning is caused by looking upon the One whom we have pierced. A thoughtful consideration of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and what that sacrifice means personally, brings the sincere believer to realize his own mournful condition. It brings us to the realization of our personal need of Saviour, and the promise is “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.”

When men consider the sacrifice of Jesus, as applying personally, the realization of one’s  personal need will fit us to be filled with the Spirit. Looking upon Him who I have pierced will call for a mourning of the individual and corporate condition and thus lead to more earnest pleading for His Spirit. And the promise is then sure, it is they that mourn that shall be comforted.

“The tears of the penitent are only the raindrops that precede the sunshine of holiness.” Desire of Ages p.300.4

Pages from my Journal: Notes from my past weekend speaking at the Berea youth camp (Day 2)

My weekend in a nutshell.

Day 2 (Sunday)
I'm at Magaliesburg at an Ambassador club youth camp (ages 16-21). Was invited to be a speaker for the camp by the clubs leader from Berea Seventh-day Adventist church. I'm privileged to speak on the camps theme: On Christ the Solid Rock. :)

Its only been about 2 days and I have already been seeing the hand of God. My personal burden for the weekend has been to set before the young people a clear and practical understanding of how they can have a real and abiding relationship with Christ. It was never the intention of Christ that the christian experience must be one of a sometimes in/ sometimes out experience, but one where we would abide in Him (John 15:4). With this intention in mind, truly I have been seeing the hand of God in a mighty manner. From the presentations (with another speaker), the discussions and the personal lessons from devotion thus far, I am impressed by the campers' sincere love for Jesus and a desire to live above the status squo of a Christian experience that is such in name alone. 

Part of the reason I am very passionate about "Ambassadors", is primarily because it was at that stage in my life (the late teenage years) that I decided to go all the way with Christ. God has granted me an experience that has made abiding in Him a reality and I wish the same for them. 

Hope to share a few of the lessons learnt as the weekend continues, (camp ends on Tuesday 16th.) Have a bit more time to blog since "school is closed." A few highlights so far:

1. Christ is a solid rock. 

How I wish that this fact may be more clearly understood. Correctness of doctrine, of every reform and creed finds its foundation on this rock. All these, regardless of how much zeal they are adopted with, outside of the experience one may have at the foot of the cross, have no saving effect. It is a union with Jesus that makes these of value:

"Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end." The Desire of Ages p.324.1

2. The power of influence

Through some of the personal discussions with the guys, I was reminded of how really far reaching the power of influence goes. Won't go into much detail here, but it must be known that ones life has a power for good or for evil that reaches far beyond his/her estimation. On one account: A young lady was telling me of the way God has used certain individuals I know to influence her in her Christian experience for the better... and she has never even met them personally. :)

3. The everlasting Gospel must be easy to understand.

Many have never experienced what it means to have Christ do a work of transforming their hearts from one of hatred, envy, unkindness etc: not because they didn't believe that it was possible, but because of having no idea how to enter into that mysterious experience. At a point in my life this was my experience... In another case it is because of how vaguely/complicatedly that way is taught and expressed. (*Praying over posting something on this...)
Nevertheless, if God wants to save children, the gospel must be easy enough to be unfolded to them, at least enough for them to experience it.  

Other thoughts are still forming themselves properly in my mind as I observe, interact and learn the lessons God is bringing me to realise as the weekend continues. Look forward to seeing what God has in store for the coming days...

"Brethren, pray for us." 1 Thessalonians 5:25  

Thoughts on Faith, the Cross and the Mark of the beast (Part i)

In the time of the 3^rd angel’s message, men will be compelled to worship the beast and his image through receiving the mark o the beast. Obeying this command from the ruling earthly powers will be at the cost of their lives (Revelation 13:15-16, 18).

But God’s word commands that those who do worship the beast and his image will receive a punishment which is far greater than what the world authorities can give: those who worship the beast and his image will face “the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture.” Revelation 14:10

Thus the choice is between worshiping God, or worshiping the beast and his image: the main point of controversy will be the 4^th commandment. This is the main point at which the followers of God are at variance with the worshipers of the beast.

While the whole world moves towards receiving the mark of the beast, the worshiper’s of God will refuse to violate God’s commandments. The only, and highest argument that the followers have in going against the whole world in this regard will be that: “we ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29)

Every earthly motive for keeping the Sabbath will be removed. The only reason remaining for observing the Sabbath over the Sunday will be that it is because God said so.  Because they have put their trust in God, God’s people will chose to follow Him even if it is at the cost of their lives. They have learnt to trust that God’s way is ultimately the best, even if obeying is at the cost of life.

This will require an unyielding faith, a faith that will not be moved even by the threat of death. A faith will be required in Gods faithful such that they will obey Him even when it makes no ‘logical’ sense to. To obey God at the cost of one’s life is “unreasonable” to the worldly mind, but it is such a faith that is needed, and it is such a trust in His will that will keep them from following the whole world in worshiping the beast and His image.

But what could inspire such a faith in the followers of Christ? What could drive them to exercise such a trust where the only reason they have to obey God is because of who He is?

1. The cross of Christ

Those who are justified by the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, will not receive the wrath of God (Rom. 5:9). These are not the ones who worship the beast and his image. What we find is that the experience that the redeemed have with the experience of Christ on the cross will be what keeps them from worshiping the beast and his image, even at the cost of their lives. This will be what keeps them still abiding in Christ through the time of trouble.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.“  John 3:14-15

When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, the Israelites were going through and experience of fiery serpents biting them because of their own murmuring and rebellion. They were being bitten and had no way of escape. Picture them trying to run from the snakes, only to find more snakes in whatever direction they turned, imagine them, some already bitten, with blood on their clothes, and other still having the serpents still hanging off of their flesh. In vain are their efforts to wrestle and fight off the serpents. Realising that all this was the result of their casting God away as their protector, the Israelites cry out to Moses and to God for deliverance.

In this terrible ordeal, God gives them in instruction which, should they follow, would be their only way of escape from the terrible torment. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” Number 21:7. Picture the scene: they are in pain, they are surrounded by snakes, and this is the way of escape God offers them, without any other alternative. They were to look, to behold the bronze serpent on the pole, and this was to be their source of deliverance from the biting snakes around them: the only other option was death.

Now to the examining mind this does not make sense. What is the logic in looking at a pole with metal shaped like a serpent on it? The children of Israel could have reasoned with Moses that it does not make sense to look at the serpent while they were dying, but this was the only option they were given. They were to look and live, and there was no time to debate about how it is that looking would save them from the bites of the poisonous serpents, especially because all their own efforts to save themselves from the snakes were in vain. They were in a hopeless situation. Their only way of escape was to look and live. They had to exercise a faith in the word of God which was solely dependent on His trustworthiness: that looking at the bronze serpent would give them life and deliver them from the biting serpents. Although, to them, this did not make any sense at all, the only other alternative was death.

“And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.“ Numbers 21:9

Because God’s word is true, when men looked at the serpent that Moses made, they lived, even everyone whom the serpents had bitten. Even so then, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” The same way that the serpent was the only way of escape form the deathly bites of the serpents, even so, Jesus lifted up is the only deliverance form the deathly bites of the serpent of sin, self and satan. As useless as the efforts of the children of Israel were to save themselves from the snakes, even so are men’s efforts in vain to save themselves from the death bite of transgressing His law. It is only in looking to Christ lifted up as the serpent was that men may be saved from sin:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.” John 12:33-34

 Jesus Christ being “lifted up” is a reference to His death on the cross. As the Israelites found life and help only as they beheld the serpent on the pole, even so must those who are in need of deliverance from sin behold Christ on the cross, suffering on the sinners behalf. As they thus fix their eyes on Christ, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, realisating that that is the only way of escape available, they are then exercising faith. As men look to the sacrifice of Jesus, not as a historical event that took place one Friday some 2000 years ago, but realizing that that is the only available way of escape from the sting of sin, they experience the promise that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:15.

"The primary reason why the serpent of sin still has its grip is that men have not beheld Christ on the cross, have not beheld him with the same mind-set that the Israelite's were to behold that serpent on the pole..."

As with the Israelite's in the wilderness, this way of escape is seemingly without sense. It does not follow with the “rational” mind, yet the only other alternative is death. While it seems like the serpent of lust has been wrestled of, the sting of pride and self-love is felt, the bites of immodestly is cast away while the serpent of hatred leaves its marks. Look and live is the only way of escape offered. This faith in Christ on the cross, as the only way of escape form sin, rises far above man’s feeble logic. Look, behold, realise in that sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the only way of escape offered. The primary reason why the serpent of sin still has its grip is that men have not beheld Christ on the cross, have not beheld him with the same mind-set that the Israelite's were to behold that serpent on the pole.

"This faith in the sacrifice of Christ on sinner’s behalf is the surest preparation for the second coming of Christ..."

This faith in the sacrifice of Christ on sinner’s behalf is the surest preparation for the second coming of Christ. It is those who would have cultivated this kind of faith that will be willing to obey God even at the face of persecution and death. They have realized, by their experience with the cross, that even though trusting God may seemingly be above reason, it is only the most reasonable choice: because all other alternatives are death and in vain.

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God…” Revelation 14:9-10

“Much more then, being now justified by his blood [shed on the cross], we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5:9

To be continued…