The Journal for Jesus' Sheep
Vol. 7, No. 1
To The Church, "ARISE!" - Behold, the Bridegroom Cometh!
Published by:
Christian Concourse Ministries, Inc.
1543 Norcova Ave., Norfolk, VA 23502
© Copyright 1996, 1999, 2010 by Christian Concourse Ministries, Inc. All
rights reserved. No part of this journal may be reproduced in any
form without written permission from the publisher.
The views expressed by contributing authors are not necessarily
those of Christian Concourse Ministries, Inc.
Christian Concourse Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt
corporation, registered in the State of Virginia, USA.
Gerald T. Johnson, President
Gerald T. Johnson, Editor
Dar Johnson, Assistant to the Editor
Laura Olmstead, Assistant Editor
Jeff Hadsell, Contributing Editor
This Journal is dedicated to the work of Jesus Christ. The goal of this ministry is to provide a vehicle for believers to improve their relationship with each other and with Him.
"Only Christ can enable men
to live in a right relationship with each other. It is this unifying
power of His which must dictate your every decision, for you were
meant to be one united body."
Colossians 3:15 BARCLAY
YOU HAVE A PART!
Each believer has faith and experience in Jesus Christ. This
personal treasure multiplies in our sharing it with others. We
invite you to write down what the Lord has given you. Send us your
Christian poem or prose to encourage others in their faith in Jesus
Christ. Please
click here for details and more about Christian poetry on our
website.
From The Editors:
Dear Reader, joy and peace to you! We are
honored that you would take time out to set your heart on the poems
and the articles we have selected for you in this issue of Christian
Concourse. We sincerely believe it is our best yet in seven years of
publication. As you read, expect to benefit from each author's
attempt to express what they see in their Christian experience. Be
assured we have prayerfully chosen each work and we feel that,
though they are not infallible, they do spring from hearts that are
sincere in what they are trying to share. Again, I thank Jeff
Hadsell for entering the bulk of the material in this edition into
the computer. And, it is an honor to introduce Laura Olmstead as our
new Assistant Editor. I think you will sense her contribution toward
making this a very meaningful and spiritually rewarding publication.
Her inspiration is reflected by our theme for this issue: ARISE!!!
Gerald T. Johnson
Editor
To the Church: "ARISE!"
What is the church's mindset to be in this day and age? Remember the words in Matthew, chapter 24, concerning the signs of Christ's return. Do we not see the signs all around us? Are we excited about His soon return? Or are we like those described in 2 Peter who say:
"Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 2 Peter 3:4
The early church lived in the awareness that
Christ could return any moment. One of their greetings was
"Maranatha!", meaning "O Lord come." The parable of the ten
virgins in Matthew 25 directly follows the signs listed in Matthew
24. Jesus is warning and instructing us here. We are to be living in
active anticipation of His soon return, but we are not to be
discouraged if He tarries.
Remember the ten virgins. Only five were prepared for the long haul.
What are the signs that the oil has run out: A lack of faith,
discouragement, a lack of victory, a lack of fellowship. Referring
back to 2 Peter , let us meditate on these words:
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise but is long suffering..." (2 Peter 3:9)
And in view of the destruction to come in the day of the Lord, the Spirit's admonition to us through Peter is:
...what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,....But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation... 2 Peter 3: 11-15 (NAS)
The scriptures are full of admonitions to wake
up: "Arise, Shine, for your light is come,"
(Isaiah 60:1) and "Awake thou that
sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light"
(Ephesians 5:14). It is time for us to take heed of such
scriptures and change our lives to line up with them. The essays,
poems, and testimonies in this issue of The Journal for Jesus' Sheep
have been chosen to highlight the virgin way of life: to wake up and
stay awake, to anticipate His arrival any day, and to be prepared to
wait if He tarries longer. In waiting, we are longing for our
bridegroom, we are aware of who He is, what He is like. I believe
that one of the reasons the early church was so on fire for the Lord
was that they expected His return soon and did not want to be caught
doing anything other than His will when He appeared. We are to live
in this very state of awareness. But as days turn into years it is
so easy to fall asleep and settle into the world, loosing the
knowledge of our purpose here. So, ponder the words in this issue.
Meditate on them. My prayer for you is that you will be encouraged
evermore to seek His face and therein to find solace and the
strength to live the life He calls us to. ARISE!!!
Laura Olmstead
Assistant Editor
Table Of Contents - Volume 7, No. 1
Stop
Laura Olmstead
Tug-O-War
Mark Phillips
Wake
Up!!!
Laura Olmstead
Do I Believe?
Cheryl Chambers
Running
Ed Strange
While We Debate
Mark Phillips
Pharaohs
Laura Olmstead
Today He Rode
Laura Jean Ruth
Please Read The Signs
Jerry Johnson
Answer By Degree
Mark Phillips
You're Invited
Damon E. Wyatt
God Is In Control
Marina Stevenson
Prayer Answered By Crosses
John Newton
O Cross Of Christ
Laura Olmstead
Tame My Heart
Mark Phillips
You Are Not Alone
Temple Richardson
All Things New
Matthew J. Barlow
No More Promises
Leo Parenteau
A Heart Craving For Place
Mark Phillips
Lukewarm
Edward Miller
Giver Of Concord
Charles Wesley
About The Authors
The Ministry Of Christian Concourse
© Copyright, 2000 by Christian Concourse
Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved.
Stop
Before you continue, ask yourself: Have I received the Lord Jesus?
There is no-one righteous, not even one; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,... Romans 3: 10, 23 (NIV)
We were created to be with God and we are not truly alive unless
we are walking with Him.
So...
Test yourself to see if you are in the faith; examine yourself! Or,
do you not recognize this about yourself, that Jesus Christ is in
you --- unless indeed you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13: 5 (NAS)
Be sure of this, no one will survive the judgment of God unless
Christ is in them.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the
name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18 (NIV)
Don't put it off. There is no better day than today, nor better
moment then this one:
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts... Hebrews 3:15 (NIV)
And remember,
...to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God... John 1: 12 (NIV)
If you have been touched by the Lord through this article, please call us today: (757) 714-3133. Thank you.
Tug-O-War
Mark Phillips
A tug-o-war for territory strains
the rugged resolve.
Desperate determination gives way to
oh
so
familiar
and frightened hooves of heartbeats
that trample tested affection.
At once the pull places my heart
in the reception line of grace.
Tugged again, outside I wait, doors closed
and soundproof, excluded and dazed.
My feet dig in mud,
hands scraped, blood-caked, resist,
groan, gain and lose. I won the day,
lost the night, not gaining more than
yesterday's daybreak.
Tired, tired, sweat and crying,
when best has failed, failure's best.
I'd trade my trying for a brighter
day or surrender to quit the game.
But did I forget, facing the game alone.
Teammate and triumph sure surround
the One who calls.
I face foes solo
and fall all too soon.
True.
Quit the trying,
tried the crying,
called to One who joins my joy.
The rope released, the game now ceased,
His hand in place of mine.
Heart cry to heaven, tug-o-war
to prayer-o-peace and surrendered solo.
Wake Up!!!
Laura Olmstead
O GOD, the nations have invaded thine inheritance. They have defiled Thy Holy Temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Ps 79:1
How the world has polluted the Church!
How God's dwelling place has been defiled!!
What a weakened condition His people are in!!!
How is it, that we no longer even offer a defense against attack? We
let in a few forerunners of the enemy and his spies; we even
entertain them and befriend them.
WAKE UP!!! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!!! It Is Not Time To Nap!
AWAKE! ARISE!! WE.. ARE.. UNDER.. ATTACK!!!
Why do you close your eyes, as if all is well?
Do you not know that the surface may not yet have collapsed, but the
underlying foundations are being worn away. Soon, even the crust
will be pitted, and all will be eroded!
AWAKE!!! Make Your Foundation Sure!!!
Make sure your house is built on The Rock and not on sand, for a
huge deluge is on the way...and many will be washed away. The day is
coming soon when all shakable things will be shaken. But the
unshakable will remain.
Be sure your anchor is in Christ and you will not be washed away.
AWAKE, ARISE; AND STAND TO YOUR DEFENSE!!!
Do I Believe?
Cheryl Chambers
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17
To believe -- it sounds so simple. We all know that Christ was
sent to Earth as God Incarnate. I say I believe, but do I?
The verses from John say that if I believe in Him I will have
eternal life. Yet in the very act of belief I find my faith
faltering. It's in the simple everyday activities where I catch my
non-belief showing.
Do I "believe" when I worry about the safety of my children when
they leave our protective home? Do I "believe" when I spend my days
in frustration over having so much to do in so little time? Do I
"believe" when a young mother dies of cancer? Do I "believe" when I
feel defeated by so much evil and darkness in this world?
The action of belief in Christ is not just the knowledge of who
Christ is -- but also having the confidence and conviction that
Christ is the all powerful sovereign God.
It is this confidence in Christ that allows me to come to Him in
prayer rather than worry. It is this confidence in Christ that
causes me to slow down and prayerfully put my busyness in His hands,
confidence that He will see me through each day. Lastly -- I can go
with confidence -- through peaks and valleys because I believe that
God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called
according to his purpose.
All that Christ has asked for me to do is believe in Him.
Prayer: Lord, help my unbelief. Help me to see my need to depend on you each step of this journey on Earth. And, lastly, bring me home to your eternal kingdom. Amen.
Running
Ed Strange (Edited for Christian Concourse by J. Johnson)
Running to and fro,
seeking here, seeking there.
Be still . . . be still . . . be still, says The Lord!
For I will speak into your life
that which the Spirit of Truth will reveal.
Yes,
for many voices will say to you,
"Come, go this way,
turn to the right,
turn to the left"
but it will not be My voice, says the Lord.
For I will speak to you in My Word,
yes, even by My Spirit as you are quickened.
Yes, even as you tremble
at My Word
will I reveal My will unto you.
Many are they that call upon idols
and cast their hope upon life's fortunes
but their end is ceaseless toil
and a downcast spirit;
for they say,
"Woe is me for I am undone and my life is full of calamity!"
Is it not your ways that bring strong rebuke?,
says The Lord.
Is it not your halting between the door and the altar that causes
your burden to remain,
and the worm to destroy the garden
I have planted in you by My Holy Spirit?
Therefore,
run not,
but arise,
says The Lord
and praise, yes, worship, yes, lay your burden down
and carry it no longer.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice in The Lord!
Place your trust in The Lord,
lift up your hands,
and lift up your gifts unto Me,
and I will lift your burdens and bring you great joy!!!
While We Debate
Mark Phillips
While we debate
the Holy Spirit waits
for fearless faith
from power prayer begun,
One voice to cry
and with our hands held...high
in Him we find our surge of strength that hour.
Pressures,
stressors,
pale persecutors
cause carnal knees to buckle,
bending only in weak bowing before the blast.
But filled souls, knowing more than medial mending,
cry for power, courage, and bold,
to proclaim a word in timeless trilogy.
Lay down our lives (I have no need, But Him).
Lay down our lives, only Holy Spirit power to perform the works of
His hand.
Convince and challenge,
heal whole,
signs and wonders (make them wonder),
the kingdom awaits the prayer of power,
(debating hall closed for repairs while electrical circuits are
restored.)
Shake the room and shock us anew.
Pharaohs
Laura Olmstead
Praise God for the Pharaohs in my life.
God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the land of Canaan as a
habitation.
After Joseph was brought to Egypt, which God used to bless His
people, they decided to stay there in the land of Goshen. Praise God
that He called His people back to the Promised Land, after their
stay in Egypt.
Praise God for the Pharaohs in my life that drive me back to Him.
Egypt is the land of slavery.
At first, it is full of blessing because God uses it. Then, when God
is finished, He reveals the nature of it without Him in it: full of
slavery and bondage. Then we move on as God frees us from the
bondage and by faith we continue on to know the Lord.
That's when I hear His voice:
"Arise and go, For this is no place of rest, Because of the uncleanness That brings on destruction." Micah 2:10
Today He Rode
Laura Jean Ruth (Edited for Christian Concourse by J. Johnson)
Today He rode very tall
On a donkey very small.
The crowd cried "HOSANNA!"
To the King of Kings.
They thought he'd save them all
From taxes and political things.
Little did they know, five days from today,
They'd cry, "CRUCIFY HIM!!"
And nail Him to a cross to stay.
He went down to Hell for three long days,
But nothing could make Jesus stay.
He rose up higher than the water and the sod;
Jesus went to tell people about God.
Now we have salvation,
So we need not fear;
For very soon Jesus will be here!!!
Please Read The Signs
(A Message To Homesick Aliens On Planet Earth)
Jerry Johnson
Today is the Holy Time ...for more pressure,
more than you or I'm ...able to ignore.
Compromised defenses + exposed deception,
too sensitized senses = imposed perception.
Worry reigning inside ...ego straining outside,
fearing true confession ...nearing blue depression:
This is our burning = this our turning
from this blazing planet ...to our Home!
We need each lamb, it ...is not done alone.
The Eternal Lamb was slain ...making the way His sheep to graze
And Oh, the stabbing pain ...of His quiet searing gaze
As wicked will again ...tries His holy cross to raze
with hidden evil intent ...of my whitewashed motive-maze.
Eye intend to surrender ...before my hope Holy Time decays.
In this, our only Holy Time ...in the realm of churchy pantomime,
the highest among goals ...is to synchronize our souls
to the rhythm of His mind, ...with our neighbors' needs to rhyme.
Yes, neighbor-lambs,
Eye intend to surrender ...to His iron will so tender:
to give you an innerview ...of the new beloved you
in my heart He's molding ...with such gentle-hearted scolding
as we see face to face ...smiling I's ringed with tearful lace;
scar to scar embrace = undeniable wounds of grace:
they are mirrors of insight ...torn, melted, steeled delight
Longlast relinquished pride ...smelted together: the Virgin Bride:
It is The Lord's ...doing...sit up...hear
He's Coming Soon ...ALL need lamp oil
Answer By Degree
Mark Phillips
I.
I take half a cup and long for more.
It's liquid chill chased by too sudden
drought. My tongue is primed to receive
the next
draught
of flow and fresh.
II.
At dusk the only star is only
a planet.
I can count to one but long for more.
Slow motion sparks and speaking
of more than my eyes can receive.
You make me long for more.
III.
I ask and you speak. But so silently.
One, two, a few words. Each one fills
a place dry from waiting.
But each reply is spoken in degrees.
Each word to my heart, sailed to my soul
makes me long for more.
You're Invited
Damon E. Wyatt
God's light leaps forth to consume the darkness,
God's Word is clear to exalt The Way,
God's Spirit calls to invite all creatures,
Come, Oh come, While it is day.
Yes, we know the night is coming,
Now we know it is getting late.
All the signs are clear before us,
Why, Oh Why, Would we want to wait.
To live without The Savior,
To turn our backs upon The Lord,
To give deaf ears to The Spirit's calling,
Would bring reproach upon our God.
He garnished the heavens, we must look upward,
To the enchantment of the Milky Way.
The ultimate of His gracious bounty,
Should make us live within His say.
But yet we wander far from values,
Fabricating a life of sin,
Compounding the ways of lost, loose living,
When He has put our sins on Him.
Won't you come right now to Jesus,
Enraptured to the throne of grace.
His precious blood He shed on Calvary,
Is sufficient to save the human race.
You are invited to become a Christian,
If not now, is there a better way?
If not here, where will you meet Him?
NOW is the time: COME WHILE IT IS DAY.
God Is In Control
Marina Stevenson
There are so many things in this life that we just don't
understand. It's the times when things don't make sense that we need
our faith the most.
This past year has been one of ups and downs for me. The birth of
our fourth child was indeed the most joyous event. Yet as a result
of her delivery, my legs were injured and it took many months for
full recovery. I was dependent on others for daily activities.
Despite this, I was thankful for my family and friends; for all
those who gave their time and support to us. I was surrounded by
God's love through His people. At that time, it was easy to be
trusting, thankful and obedient towards God. A prayer time with God
was filled with hope for continued healing and thanksgiving for
family and friends.
This past November my father died of liver cancer at 63. Even though
we knew for months that his condition was terminal, we kept praying
for the miracle of God's healing. Many relatives and friends prayed
and supported our family. His death has been most difficult for me.
It's been harder to pray and much more difficult to understand. When
the death of a loved one occurs, it devastates. There are so many
questions and doubts. It is during these hardest of times that we
need to hold firm to our faith in God. We must believe that our
Father who created, loves and protects us will also care for us and
our loved ones when we leave this world. I don't think I'll ever
satisfy my questions completely -- why he wasn't healed despite so
many prayers, why he had to die now and not when he was older, etc.,
- but I know that God is in control; I can trust Him. Though we may
not understand circumstances in this life, we can trust our Lord to
take care of us.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3: 5,6
Prayer Answered By Crosses
John Newton
I ask'd the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.
'Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answer'd prayer;
But has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
I hoped that in some favour'd hour
At once He'd answer my request.
And, by His love's constraining power,
Subdue my sins and give me rest.
Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart,
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part.
Yea, more, with His own hand
He seem'd Intent to aggravate my woe;
Cross'd all the fair designs I schem'd
Blasted my guards and laid me low.
"Lord, why this?" I trembling cried,
"Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?"
"`Tis in this way." the Lord replied,
"I answer prayer for grace and faith.
"These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may'st seek thy all in Me."
O Cross Of Christ
Laura Olmstead
O cross of Christ
Why dread I thee?
Art thou not the means
To life's sweet liberty!
As mother have I known
The pain begets life;
As Christian must I learn to love
The Spirit's holy knife.
O mortify, O mortify,
These fleshly members mine
I'm crucified, yes crucified,
To share the life divine.
When yet dead was I
With Christ then unified,
Purified, cleansed, forgiven,
Risen and glorified.
Joined with Christ I die,
Yet joined with Him live I.
The Spirit's wings doth lift me
When I am crucified.
Tame My Heart
Mark Phillips
Tame my heart,
This wild steed runs too free.
Put the bit in mouth
and confine and domesticate me.
Arrest my heart,
Criminal charges bring.
Try me and convict me,
then chained to your side new songs I sing.
Conquer my heart,
This rebellious domain,
Rule by power of love,
prisoner of war, I serve you slain.
Captivate my heart,
Just the gaze of your eyes
or one word from your mouth
and life begins as my struggling dies.
You Are Not Alone
Temple Richardson
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20
"You are not alone;
I am here with you.
Though you're far away,
I am here to stay."
These are the words to a Michael Jackson song. Although he wrote the song about a person, I think of God in my life when I hear it. He is never far from me, even in years when I have not been close to Him. I often pray for God to take my hand and show me the path to walk. It helps to know he is holding my hand through life's journey.
I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from The Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your feet slip -- He who watches over you will not slumber. Psalm 121
All Things New
Matthew J. Barlow
Thru the travail of all the ages
Men have sought a Valhalla of peace and rest.
This longing for justification and pardon
Ever beats deep down in the human breast.
Thus the hope of eternal joy and redemption
Written upon the winds of adversity and rue
Came to when the Everlasting proclaimed,
"Behold, I Jesus make all things new!"
This yearning for a true final justice
I, Jesus implanted in the heart of man,
So be not dismayed, I have overcome the world,
Your redemption draws nigh at hand.
Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden.
My grace is sufficient for you.
Come mount up with the wings of eagles
"Behold, I Jesus make all things new!"
Midst all your blind searching for riches and pleasure
I have never, no never forsaken you.
In Me rests all power and glory,
Behold, I Jesus make all things new!"
Cast aside all pride and vainglory
Come drink from the fountain anew.
I am that hope nurtured by men of all ages,
"Behold, I Jesus make all things new!"
No More Promises
Leo Parenteau
FROM: Leo Parenteau
TO: Christians
RE: IF YOU WANT TO BREAK AN OLD HABIT
Three Releasing Principles:
1. In prayer, admit that you are desperate to break old sin
patterns.
2. DON'T try for victory all by yourself.
3. EXPECT a miracle from God.
NO MORE PROMISES. They are just another way of reaching for victory
all by ourselves.
Instead, EXPECT A MIRACLE.
Simply trust Jesus to break the bonds and bring freedom.
A Heart Craving For Place
Mark Phillips
Above it were cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Hebrews 9:5
Light to the darkest soul, and sight to the blind,
You are,
riches to the poorest, fullness for the empty.
Yet as I journey home,
a heart craving place,
fogs from craters greater than time
and space, creep like stealth
and steal my sight. The cloud of unknowing
cancels every painful perception won through
grace and groaning.
Hands to the helpless arms, and feet to the lame,
You are,
humble for the mighty, glory for forgotten.
Yet I stumble on, (oh trembling stumbling),
driven by desire, pursued by holy passion,
drawn by divine dawn.
A sunrise to pierce and make patchwork the
fog.
I know the way now, follow the signs,
promptings and writings and loving lead me
home.
Paid for the penniless, and died for my sin,
You are,
alive for the once dead, risen for the helpless.
Stumbling becomes walking, light brightens
through faith's grasping and pursuit.
Still dimly seeing afar, but seeing still,
As I see You beckon me,
Though beckoning began before my sight.
And now I sit, at rest and ready, heart
freed, cleaned, seeing and safe. My High Priest
and perfect, at His side I sit.
Lukewarm
Edward Miller
I Know Your Deeds, That You Are Neither Cold Nor Hot; I Would That You Were Cold Or Hot. So Because You Are Lukewarm, And Neither Hot Nor Cold, I Will Spit You Out Of My Mouth...Because You Say, "I Am Rich ...I HAVE NEED OF NOTHING.. Revelation 3: 15-17 (NAS)
LUKEWARM IS THE MOST DANGEROUS OF ALL SPIRITUAL STATES!!
The problem mentioned in the seventh church [of Revelation],
Laodicea, was exactly the same as the problem referred to in the
church of Ephesus with this difference: The Expression Of The
Problem In The Seventh Church Was Far More Subtle Than It Was In The
First Church. This progression of subtlety from church to church is
clearly evident as each of the churches moved closer and closer to
the real truth. Each of the churches, in the order of the Bible
record, appeared to be more spiritual than the one that preceded it.
In fact, it was this Appearance Of Spirituality that made the error
so insidious and dangerous. The warning the Lord Jesus gave to the
church of Laodicea (He would vomit them out of his mouth) was the
most severe of all His warnings because the church of Laodicea had
come closest to the truth, Without Having The Truth. Their
appearance of spirituality blinded them to the reality of Christ as
their life. Oh, how we thank the Lord that He has exposed this
terrible possibility to us, that we might be delivered from the most
dangerous of all spiritual conditions -- The Danger Of Being
LUKEWARM!!
The church of Laodicea made three great boasts. They boasted that
they were incredibly wealthy. They claimed that they were
luxuriously attired. They prided themselves in their perfect vision.
"We are rich, we are clothed, and we are able to see clearly!" Now
we must not forget that these boasts were religious! This church was
not, as far as the record goes, a worldly church. Their claim to
riches was not what our Lord Jesus referred to as love of mammon. It
was a spiritual coin they gloried in. They believed they were, "Rich
In Jesus." When they spoke of their nakedness being covered their
reference was not of jewels and furs and expensive fabrics that
would cover their body; NO! They spoke of "Spiritual Dress." They
were exalting in being "Clothed In The Righteousness Of Christ."
Their boast of eyesight was also a spiritual boast. They were not
glorying in human wisdom; it Was Spiritual Insight They Claimed.
Illumination! Insight! Could anything be more spiritual sounding
than this, "I Am Rich In Christ; I Am Clothed In The Righteousness
Of Christ; I Can See By The Holy Spirit Of God"?
Clearly, the Lord Jesus viewed things differently. His advise was
to, "...Buy From Me Gold Refined By Fire, That You May Become
Rich..."; Jesus saw them as naked, not covered -- "...I Advise You
To Buy From Me...White Garments That You May Clothe Yourself And
That The Shame Of Your Nakedness May Not Be Revealed...." He
considered them blind, "I Advise You To Buy From Me...Eyesalve.
Anoint Your Eyes, That You May See...." There was a terrible
ignorance in this church as to their true condition. The adjectives
the Lord used to describe them; "Wretched, Miserable, Poor, Blind
and Naked", certainly revealed that, in reality, They Were Very Far
From What They Imagined Was Their True Spiritual Condition.
At first glance, it may appear that the problem of the Christians in
the church of Laodicea was self-sufficiency; trusting their own
resources, efforts or wisdom to meet the needs of spiritual wealth,
covering and eyesight. But it was far more subtle than that.
Self-trust is a terrible thing and God reminds us that only a fool
trusts his own heart. Self-Trust attempts to meet needs without The
Lord! The problem with this church was far worse than self-trust;
this church was lukewarm! The essence of their error, in the
analysis of the Lord Jesus is, "...Because You Say...I...Have Need
Of Nothing...." Self-sufficiency attempts to meet it's own needs;
The Laodiceans Claimed They Had NO Needs!
They are not supplying their needs; They Are Denying Their Needs!
They were denying their needs because they had, What They Considered
To Be, a high view of the Person and work of Christ. All their needs
had been meet in Jesus! They Had Arrived! They Were Full! The Lord
had provided everything for them so that they were complete in Him!
This Was Their Condemnation: THEIR CLAIM OF NEEDLESSNESS!!
All instructed Christians rejoice in the truths that we are rich in
Jesus, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, and by the ministry of
The Holy Spirit, illumined to behold Jesus in the Bible. We Are In
Serious Trouble, However, If We Embrace Those Truths In Such A Way
That We Are Left Without Needs. It is in reference to this church
that the Lord Jesus pictured Himself as the One who is outside the
church door calling and knocking, seeking permission to regain an
entrance. He is on the outside!
If They Have No Needs, Then They Do Not Need Jesus!
Oh, how sad! To be so rich in the spoils of the cross; so orthodox
as to the truth of imputed righteousness; so illumined by His grace
that there is no practical need of Him! May the Good Lord have mercy
on us if we ever come to the place of needlessness.
The Greatest Need The Church Has Today, IS THE NEED TO SEE IT'S
NEEDS!!!
What exactly, is meant by the Lord's accusation that the church was
lukewarm?
So much has been said and written about these three words of our
Savior: Hot, Cold and Lukewarm. The term, "a hot Christian" is often
understood to mean, one who is zealous in the things of The Lord;
the person most involved with the book of God, the people of God,
the will of God and the glory of God. A cold Christian, on the other
hand, is regarded as the opposite. Cold, describes the spiritual
temperature toward God. This attitude is usually illustrated in "the
prodigal son", the backslider, the worldly person, or the selfish!
The cold Christian is the one who has tried to save his life and is
bound, therefore, to lose it. The lukewarm Christian, it is thought,
is somewhere in between hot and cold, the zealous and the
backslider. Lukewarm is the word that describes mixture, compromise
and half-heartedness.
Although this is the popular opinion concerning these words, there
is serious question as to whether these are the concepts The Lord
intended to convey. Jesus intended something that is far more basic
and spiritual than the external measurements that would interpret
hot as zealous, cold as backslidden and lukewarm as compromising.
It is the SPIRITUAL conception of lukewarm that makes the principle
so powerful and important in the life of every Christian.
HOT Is The Ideal! It Is The Most Desirable Quality To The Heart Of
God. When We Are Aware Of Our Desperate Needs, And Then Trust Jesus
Alone To Meet Those Needs, WE ARE HOT!! Oh, how God's heart would
rejoice if we always lived this way!
COLD is the opposite of that. When We Are Aware Of Our Desperate
Needs, But We Foolishly Look Away from Jesus And Attempt To Meet Our
Needs By Some Other Means, We Are COLD!
LUKEWARM is the most dangerous of all spiritual conditions, because
It Has No Recognition Of Need. We can understand why the Lord Jesus
preferred cold or hot to lukewarm. If we are cold, the Lord can
engineer our steps by His providence to reveal to us the futility of
our attempting to meet our needs outside of Jesus. There Is Some
Hope If We See Our Need! But if we are lukewarm, figuratively
speaking, we tie the hands of God! If we will not acknowledge our
needs; if we consider ourselves full and complete; if we think we
have arrived, Then There Is LITTLE Hope! If we have no needs, we
have no room left for Jesus who is preeminently a need-meeter, to
work in our lives! Oh, the tragedy of being blind to our blindness!
Nothing Brings About Spiritual Death As Quickly As Being Unconscious
Of Our Needs.
It Is A Paradox To Realize When Christ Meets Our Need, The Need Does
Not Go Away!
It is not as if we come to him as an empty pot crying, "Fill Me!
Fill Me!", then, being filled, we no longer need Him, or His
filling. We Come, Rather, As An Empty Pipe Which Needs The Continual
Flow Of Water To Keep It Filled. There must be the recognition of
the everlasting nature of our needs; a continuous supply must sustain
the fullness!
Our Needs Are ALWAYS Being Met In Jesus.
When The Lord unveils Himself to us as the Shepherd, our
sheep-nature rejoices. That does not imply that the need of the
sheep disappears with the revelation of The Shepherd. The Lord is
our Shepherd, we shall not want is an everlasting reality! Our first
experience of the Lord was when, as guilty sinners we cried out to
the Lord Jesus as an all-sufficient savior. We Are Sinners Still!
The need was not dissolved by the meeting of the need. He became in
order to be! -- A King to be a King; A Father to be a Father; A
Savior to be a Savior; All to be All! As the everlasting God, He
provides our everlasting needs. No One Would Suggest, In The
Physical Realm, That One Meal Would Satisfy Forever Our Desire For
Food, Or one night's rest answers forever our need of refreshment,
or that our lungs, being filled once would no longer cry out for
oxygen.
Our Needs Are Continual; His Provision Is Continual!
The dear saints at Laodicea became so occupied with their
wealth-in-Christ, the garments of salvation and the revelation of
Christ, They Imagined That Their Needs Had Disappeared. It rang like
unbelief in their hearts to suggest, "We are rich in Christ, but we
are still poor in spirit; We are clothed in His righteousness, but
we are still naked; He has opened our eyes, but we continue to be
blind." That Is Not Unbelief! That Is Not Contradiction! That Is
SPIRITUAL PARADOX! The living Lord Himself is our wealth; He is made
unto us, righteousness; He is The Glorious One who fills up the
landscape of our vision! I am sure there is a wrong way for new
convert Christians to stand up and testify, "We are wretched! We are
miserable! We are poor! We are blind! We are naked!" Some might
conclude, after hearing that witness, that The Lord is doing nothing
for these Christians. There is also a correct way to declare the
paradox. "We are wretched, but He is the joy of all our
wretchedness; He is the balm of our misery, the wealth of our
poverty, the light for our blindness and the covering for all our
moral nakedness." However we word it, We Must Never Believe We Have
No Needs! We must never claim a fullness that allows no emptiness!
We must NEVER be Lukewarm!
There is mercy in The Lord, even for the lukewarm.
As the Savior closes his message to the church of Laodicea, He
pictures Himself the suppliant at the door. Perhaps, as He is
knocking and calling to those who imagine they are without needs, He
is wooing them in the very words the groom used in the beautiful
Song of Solomon, "...Open To Me, My Sister, My Darling, My Dove, My
Perfect One...." His Knocking Is Courting! He desires to come in as
the guest and supper with us, and soon as we admit Him as our guest,
He will become the host and begin serving us and meeting our
desperate needs.
Jesus is the happiest when we allow him to meet our needs!
The closer a teaching comes to the truth without actually being the
truth, the more dangerous that teaching becomes. Nothing is more
dangerous than being lukewarm. There is only one safe-guard against
that subtle danger. Laodicea substituted creed for Christ. They
separated truth from Jesus. Truth Is Not An Abstract; Truth Is A
Person; Truth Is A Title For Jesus! May we ever draw our life from
Him who is Truth!
May we ever rejoice in The Lord for our incredible riches in Christ
Jesus; may we ever exult in The Lord for the marvelous provision of
a perfect righteousness to cover our moral nakedness; may we ever
thrill at The Lord for the grace which opens our eyes to spiritual
reality;... MAY WE NEVER BE LUKEWARM!!! Our wealth, our covering,
our ability to see is only realized in living union with the Lord
Jesus Christ. In Heaven, the dear Lord will prevent our needs, but
here He meets them!
Let Us Not Keep Him Waiting At The Door A Moment Longer!
Giver of concord
Charles Wesley
Giver of concord, Prince of peace
Meek, lamblike Son of God,
Bid our unruly passions cease,
By thine atoning blood.
Us into closest union draw,
And in our inward parts
Let kindness sweetly write her law,
And love command our hearts.
Saviour, look down with pitying eyes,
Our jarring wills control;
Let cordial, kind affections rise,
And harmonize the soul.
O let us find the ancient way,
Our wondering foes to move,
And force the heathen world to say, "See how these Christians love!"
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mark Phillips is an active Christian poet whose work we discovered
on the internet.
Laura Olmstead is a very busy housewife and mother.
Cheryl Chambers, Marina Stevenson and Temple Richardson are members
of The Church of the Good Shepherd in Norfolk, Va. Their works were
taken from a collection of Lenten Meditations compiled for the
congregation by their Rector, Ross Wright.
Ed Strange is the former pastor of Churchland Christian Fellowship,
in Portsmouth, Va., adjunct hospital chaplain, and member of the
board of Tidewater Crisis Pregnancy Center.
Laura Jean Ruth is a sincere Christian and a teenager with a special
gift for baby-sitting.
Jerry Johnson is the Director of Christian Concourse Ministries,
Inc., and pastor of Good Shepherd Community Chapel, Portsmouth, VA.
Damon E. Wyatt is an old-fashioned, hard-preaching, evangelist from
Portsmouth, Va.
John Newton ( 1725-1807) wrote "Amazing Grace", an English sailor
and pastor.
Matthew J. Barlow (1915-1980) was a member of First Church of God,
Norfolk, Va.
Leo Parenteau is an insurance salesman living in Cedar Park, Texas
by last report.
Ed Miller is a Bible teacher in Newport, R.I.
Charles Wesley ( 1707-1788) was an English clergyman, poet and hymn
writer.
The Ministry of Christian Concourse
In the name of Jesus Christ,
this ministry is dedicated to God for the development of practical
tools with which we may harmoniously enhance our
relationships and
our service within the greater interdenominational Church. As the
full-time Director, the President and the founder of this ministry,
I seek to follow our Lord in each step of our progress. In prayer
and consultation with other Christians, we have established an
organization that is flexible yet faithfully focused on our goal of
promoting
The Good News of Jesus Christ and
Christian Accord among believers.
To that end, our labor encompasses activities in three distinct
areas:
Nursing Home Ministries
Christian Publications
Small-group Bible Studies
The long-term care facility arena
is a perennial opportunity for Christian service. My wife, Dar, and
I conduct "church services" in several care centers each month, and
we have been instrumental in helping many others start. The ministry
collects and distributes "care packages" for nursing homes year
'round. There are over 130 facilities in Hampton Roads. It is
our goal to see all of their Christian volunteer needs met.
The publication of "The Journal"
answers our burden to offer Christian writers the opportunity to
share their work. We minister to them by providing the opportunity
to be in print and, in turn, they minister to the Christian
community that reads them -- both without fees or subscription
costs. We know of no other publication of its kind. The criteria for
consideration of an article is that it should magnify
Jesus Christ
or encourage others in their faith in Him.
Our inductive Bible study
format, Chapter & Verse, has been developed especially for
interaction with a small-group. The type of study we have designed
does not impose on someone what we think they should believe the
Bible means. Rather, we guide the serious Biblical student toward
discovering for themselves what God meant when He recorded it. We
also present the Focus On The Family video series,
"That The World
May Know." This suite of seven volumes, with several lessons each,
is a Biblical teaching tool for the spiritual growth of believers,
using the historical, cultural and archeological settings of Ancient
Israel.
All of our ministry is provided without cost. We are supported
solely by freewill offerings.
As you can readily see, each of these areas of endeavor incorporate
tools that bring Christians together in meaningful activities. I
strongly believe that in God's eyes, though there are many
assemblies, there is only
one Church in each locality. And I am
equally convicted that our Heavenly Father wants us to act like it!
It is my prayer that these efforts will, in a great way, effect that
reality.
Gerald T. Johnson
Director of Ministry
© Copyright 1997, 1998, 2010 by Christian Concourse Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Content - © Copyright 2010, Christian Concourse Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved.
Home Site Map Contact Us Support for this Ministry Disclaimers Privacy policy