Knowing God

How much religion, tradition, and ceremony can a man know and observe and yet not know God? Well, the Jews observed thousands of Passovers yet never saw CHRIST, OUR PASSOVER. They slew thousands of lambs yet never saw CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD. They kept thousands of sabbaths yet never knew the rest of CHRIST, OUR SABBATH. They ordained thousands of priests yet never saw CHRIST, THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST. They actually carried the mercy-seat on their shoulders yet never came to CHRIST, OUR MERCY-SEAT. They ate the manna and drank from that Rock, yet never tasted the BREAD AND WATER OF LIFE – CHRIST JESUS. Oh, Lord, open my eyes to see HIM who is all and in all!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1980)

“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38).

We know the story of our Lord sleeping in a storm on the sea. We remember the lack of faith in the disciples, and the fear that goes hand in hand with it. Often times, believers look down on and judge those disciples for not having faith. “How could they be so shaken? The Lord of Glory was on the boat with them!”, we say.

Christ was in the “hinder part”. The aft of the ship. The most “violent part”! And they were in the easier part.

In our stormy seas that the Lord sends [today’s trial, right now!], hasn’t He already bore our “violent parts”? Hasn’t He already removed the condemnation we earned with the Father? Hasn’t He already calmed the seas of wrath for us? For those He laid down His life for – YES!!

Now, has He left us? Forsaken us? Are we not in fellowship (fellows in the same ship) with Him? Why then do we have no faith in the tossing of our trials?

Have faith, believe the Person, the Word, and the Work of our King! And be at peace; fear not! He is with us and has promised to never forsake us. Just exactly like our brethren on that ship.

Pastor Kevin Thacker

OUR LORD’S PRAYER FOR US

"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (John 17:9).

The prayer of the believer's High Priest is like all His redeeming work, effectual, particular and satisfying to God. The intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of His people is always according to the perfect will of God (John 4:34). Therefore, everything that He prays for shall be accomplished (Isa 46:9-12). Here are at least six things that He prays for every believer. This ought to encourage us greatly.

1). He prays for our preservation; "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are" (ver.11). There is absolutely no possibility that one of His elect will ever perish (John 6:37-39; John 10:27-30). His covenant (2 Sam. 23:5), His word (Jas.1:18) and His atonement (Heb.9:12,26) are certain guarantees to our complete and everlasting salvation (1 Peter 1:5).

2). He prays for our jubilation; "And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves" (Ver.13). Every believer has abundant reasons to always rejoice in the Lord (Phil.3:3). But mainly it is in this, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is made unto us all that we need to stand before God accepted (Eph. 1:6; 1 Cor. 1:30).

3). He prays for our emancipation; "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (ver.15). Our Lord has set the believer free from the bondage of sin, the curse of the law, the grasp of the devil and the power of death (Gal. 5:1).

4). He prays for our sanctification; "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth" (ver.17, 19). Our Lord has set Himself apart in the covenant of grace to be the believer's sanctification, through His sacrifice (Eph.5:25-27; Heb.10:14).

5). He prays for our unification; "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (ver.21). No question that our sin has separated us from God (Isa. 59:2). However, because of the substitutionary work the Lord did for His elect, we shall be reconciled unto God forever (2 Cor. 5:17-21).