Lie still

Hudson Taylor was a great 20th century Christian missionary to China I believe. During the last few months of his life he was so weak and feeble that he told a friend, "I am so weak I cannot write. I cannot read my bible. I cannot even pray. All I can do is lie still in the arms of God as a little child, trusting Him." This wonderful man of God, who had great spiritual power, came to the point of physical suffering and weakness where all he could do was lie still and trust. That is all God asks of you as His dear child. When you become weak through the fierce fires of affliction, do not try to "be strong." Just "be still, and know that God is there." And know that God will sustain you and bring you through the fire.

Acts 10 verse 48 talks about being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. To be baptized in the name of Jesus is a sign of identifying with that name and taking on Christ's character, as well as committing to live one's life from that point on as a representative of that name.

Saving faith has a particular content. It is not a vague religious commitment but a wholehearted trust in the saving work of Christ.

Rightly understood and followed, God's commandments bring believers great joy and freedom, not a sense of oppression.

The work of Holy Spirit is to bear witness to the fact that Christ came. It is the inward work of the Spirit in the heart of believers to convict of sin and to open their eyes to see the truth of who Christ is and to understand the meaning of his atoning death for their sins. Likewise, the indwelling presence of the Spirit is given to teach believers the truth of God's Word and to abide in them.

I finally finished Douglas Groothuis' book, Walking Through Twilight, subtitled, A Wife's Illness, A Philosopher's Lament. He writes of his experience with his wife's rare form of dementia called primary progressive aphasia. After quoting Isaiah 53: 4-6 which speaks of the suffering servant of God he writes, "Jesus, the long-promised Messiah, through His incomparable suffering, took our pain, our suffering, and our punishment, and gave us in their place peace and divine direction. The sheep gain a shepherd. The felons find their pardon. The accused are acquitted. The gospel is fulfilled. And we are commissioned to do the same. As Paul said simply, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) He also counseled, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves" (Romans 15:1).

One of the early pages has this poem of George Herbert:

Bittersweet

Ah, my dear angry Lord,

Since thou dost love, yet strike;

Cast down, yet help afford;

Sure I will do the like.

I will complain, yet praise;

I will bewail; approve;

And all my sour-sweet days

I will lament and love.

Here are my seven words for the week based on the lectionary Bible readings:

pray

prosper

testimony

power

made known

protect

blood

Love, joy and peace to each of you!