From: Suzianty Herawati
"Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp."
--Hebrews 13:13
Jesus, bearing His cross, went forth to suffer without the gate. The
Christian's reason for leaving the camp of the world's sin and religion is not
because he loves to be singular, but because Jesus did so; and the disciple
must follow his Master.
Christ was "not of the world:" His life and His testimony were a constant
protest against conformity with the world. Never was such overflowing affection
for men as you find in Him; but still He was separate from sinners. In like
manner Christ's people must "go forth unto Him." They must take their position
"w! ithout the camp," as witness-bearers for the truth. They must be prepared
to tread the straight and narrow path. They must have bold, unflinching,
lion-like hearts, loving Christ first, and His truth next, and Christ and His
truth beyond all the world. Jesus would have His people "go forth without the
camp" for their own sanctification. You cannot grow in grace to any high degree
while you are conformed to the world. The life of separation may be a path of
sorrow, but it is the highway of safety; and though the separated life may cost
you many pangs,
and make every day a battle, yet it is a happy life after all.
No joy can excel that of the soldier of Christ: Jesus reveals Himself so
graciously, and gives such sweet refreshment, that the warrior feels more calm
and peace in his daily strife than others in their hours of rest. The highway
of holiness is the highway of communion. It is thus we shall hope to win the
crown if we are enabled by divine grace faithfully to follow Christ "without
the camp." The crown of glory will follow the cross of separation. A moment's
shame will be well recompensed by eternal honour; a little while of
witness-bearing will seem nothing when we are "for ever with the Lord."
CH Spurgeon
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From: Bayo Afolaranmi
Dear Beloved,
WORSE BEGINNING, BETTER END
"In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself
greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to him, the LORD was
moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to
Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God" (2 Chron
33:12-13, NIV).
He was so young, yet so lucky to ascend the throne of his forefathers. His
father was a godly man, but he chose to be ungodly. He was intoxicated with
power even in his youthful days, and he misruled his subjects. He was such a
cruel man that he sacrificed his own children to false gods. A stiff-necked
king who would not listen
to rebuke, even from a holy God. However, he ended his life doing well.
The man was Manasseh, the man who succeeded his father, Hezekiah, as the king
of Judah at the tender age of twelve, and ruled for fifty-five years. Being a
child of a godly man, one would expect that he would follow his father's steps.
Nevertheless, he chose to follow bad examples of former kings of Israel and
Judah. He even did worse than them all.
Among the atrocities of his reign were: following the detestable practices of
other nations; rebuilding of high places of worshipping false gods that his
father, Hezekiah, had earlier destroyed; building of altars and setting up of
images for false gods in God's holy temple; practicing of astrology, sorcery,
divination, and spiritism; and worst of it all, sacrificing of his own
children. Tradition also holds it that he was the one that killed Prophet
Isaiah. What a wicked king!
Being under the divine leadership of the Almighty God, God sent many of His
prophets to him and his people to warn them, but they were defiant to God's
word. Therefore, God allowed another wicked king, a king of Assyria to conquer
him and take him to exile. A king who was been served now became a slave who
served another king.
Nonetheless, in his desolation, he remembered his God. He humbled
himself before God, confessed his sins, and asked for forgiveness.
Because of his true repentance, God restored him back to his throne.
Having regained his kingdom, he turned back to be serving God and doing well.
He extended the wall of Jerusalem; he took away all the altars and images of
false gods he had placed in the temple, and started to worship the true living
God. In fact, the writers of the Scriptures spoke well of his latter days (see
2 Chron. 33).
How was your past history? Have you messed up your life? Are you suffering now
because of your past sins? All is not lost for you! God who restored Manasseh
back can still do so to you. You can still achieve much for God, only if you
can humble yourself before God. Confess your sins and turn to God. It shall be
well with you!
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+234 805 515 9591
http://www.afolabayo.org/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have
sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN"
(Philippians 1:20-21, NIV).
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From: Suzianty Herawati
"Strong in faith." --Romans 4:20
Christian, take good care of thy faith; for recollect faith is the only way
whereby thou canst obtain blessings. If we want blessings from God, nothing can
fetch them down but faith.
Prayer cannot draw down answers, from God's throne except it be the earnest
prayer of the man who believes. Faith is the angelic messenger between the soul
and the Lord Jesus in glory. Let that angel be withdrawn, we can neither send
up prayer, nor receive the answers. Faith is the telegraphic wire which links
earth and heaven--on which God's messages of love fly so fast, that before we
call He answer! s, and while we are yet speaking He hears us.
But if that telegraphic wire of faith be snapped, how can we receive the
promise? Am I in trouble?--I can obtain help for trouble by faith. Am I beaten
about by the enemy?--my soul on her dear Refuge leans by faith. But take faith
away--in vain I call to God. There is no road betwixt my soul and heaven. In
the deepest wintertime faith is a road on which the horses of prayer may
travel--ay, and all the better for the biting frost; but blockade the road, and
how can we communicate with the Great King? Faith links me with divinity. Faith
clothes me with the power of God. Faith engages on my side the omnipotence of
Jehovah. Faith ensures every attribute of God in my defence. It helps me to
defy the hosts of hell. It makes me march triumphant over the necks of my
enemies. But without faith how can I receive anything of the Lord? Let not him
that wavereth--who is like a wave of the Sea--expect that he will receive
anything of
God! O, then, Christian, watch well thy faith; for with it thou canst win all
things, however poor thou art, but without it thou canst obtain nothing. "If
thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."
CH Spurgeon
