Old Things Passed Away
God does not sew a new cloth on an old piece of clothing, nor pour new wine into an old wineskin which will burst. He does not take the sins of men, and the old sinful nature of man to make a vessel that is honorable. What then does He do? In Christ He does away with all that is not of God, of Christ, in order to give that which is of Christ by the Spirit. He gives NEWNESS of life in Christ by the Spirit for His glory and honor.
God's Precise Time
The matter of God's timing, with regard to blessing or judgment, is His and His alone. There are times when He reveals what He is going to do after a certain time, or when there are certain circumstances. Though we cannot understand God's timing, as He alone possesses the wisdom to bring about His will on earth, as it is in heaven, He has called all who would follow Christ, to trust Him to work in His time and way. This way no one can put his hand on His glory and claim it as his own. God works in His way, in His time, for His unique glory.
The Manifest Blessing Of God
The true believer in Christ cannot be blessed more than he is IN CHRIST. On this earth, we are very limited in the true perception and its magnitude when Paul declares to us that we are blessed with "all blessings in heavenly places in Christ." The blessings on this earth, principally fellowship with Christ, are so limited, not by virtue of God's willingness to give, but because of our meager capacity to receive. Hence, we are called to live and walk by faith, abiding in Christ and Him in us.
The Fulness Of The Blessing
When does God give and reveal the fulness of His blessing? He does it when the soul is aligned with His will, and His purposes, for His glory. God gives His glory to no man, and certainly not to idols. But He will bless the one who truly trusts and follows Him. There will certainly be suffering and difficulty in following Christ, but there is the blessedness of His presence, and His sustaining grace.
Not With Eloquence Of Speech
God rarely calls eloquent speaking people to preach His word. Why? It is because there is often a trust in the eloquence instead of being placed only, and wholly in Christ. This is so very important because Christ alone is the believer's power. Without the power of God, there is no true accomplishing of the will of God. God gives power to be used for His glory and the accomplishing of His purposes.
How Must We Live Today
The believer in Christ is not called just to know the truth of Christ, though it is essential to true faith. He is called to know "the power of His resurrection," appropriating His life by faith every day. Why? First of all because Christ has become his Life, and secondly, it is only by abiding in Christ that His blessed life is communicated to us, and through us to a lost and dying world.
Four Spiritual Weapons
The spiritual weapons that God has given to the believer in Christ with which to confront the Adversary are declared to be "mighty through God." Why? It is because He has designed them to be used by His strength, and in His power. All is possible by the Spirit to the one who abides in Christ.
Christ Is Coming From The East
There is a principle in the interpretation of Scripture which deals with the "weight" of meaning, or the repeated importance of a certain of a certain truth or doctrine. One of these very important truths which arises many times, especially in the New Testament, is the return of Christ to this earth. Paul's reference to His coming are numerous in his letters, as the great hope and focus of Christendom should be His return, not only to set up His kingdom on earth, but to fulfill His promise, a testimony to the entire visible and invisible world that He is God.
Thirst Christ's Invitation To Come
How does God draw a soul to him, that he should know God? He begins by getting the attention of the individual, and this by many different means. But it is in the thirst that He gives to the soul that the confirmation of His working is seen and known. The promise of God, of Christ, is that when He gives thirst, He is calling the soul to come and receive from Him forgiveness of sins, and true Life eternal by the Spirit.
The Perception And Practice Of Christ's Power
It is in the revelation of God in Christ, and His working throughout history, that mankind has a perception of God's power. It is quite a different thing to perceive it, and then to know it in the life and heart. It is by the power of God that one repents and believes wholly in Christ as Savior and Lord. This is the quiet power convincing, convicting power that works in us by which we can know God.