[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: [CWWC] Through Baca's Vale The Poor Man's Morning Portion April 7

Wed Apr 7 11:55:01 UTC 2021

From: committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io <committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io> On Behalf Of Penny Golden via groups.io
Sent: Wednesday, April 7, 2021 1:28 AM
To: committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io
Subject: EXT: [CWWC] Through Baca's Vale The Poor Man's Morning Portion April 7

April 7

Through Baca's Vale

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

A view of Christ's glory and a foretaste of the bliss and blessedness it communicates has a transforming effect upon the soul. We are naturally proud, covetous, and worldly, often led aside by, and grievously entangled in various lusts and passions, prone to evil, averse to good, easily elated by prosperity, soon dejected by adversity, peevish under trials, rebellious under heavy strokes, unthankful for daily mercies of food and raiment, and in other ways ever manifesting our base original.

To be brought from under the power of these abounding evils, and be made "meet for the inheritance of the saints in light," we need to be "transformed by the renewing of our mind," and conformed to the image of Christ. Now this can only be by beholding his glory by faith, as the Apostle speaks, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." It is this believing view of the glory of Christ which supports under heavy trials, producing meekness and resignation to the will of God.

We are, therefore, bidden to "consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest we be wearied and faint in our minds;" and to "run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus." Sicknesses, too, sometimes befall us, when we need special support; the sands of our time are fast running out, and there is no turning the glass; our "days are passing away as the swift ships, as the eagle that hasteth to the prey;" and death and eternity are fast hastening on.

When the body sinks under a load of pain and disease, and all sources of happiness and enjoyment from health and strength are cut off; when flesh and heart fail, and the eye-strings are breaking in death, what can support the soul or bear it safe through Jordan's swelling flood, but those discoveries of the glory of Christ that shall make it sick of earth, sin and self, and willing to lay the poor body in the grave, that it may be for ever ravished with his glory and his love?

Thus we see how the glory of Christ is not only in heaven the unspeakable delight of the saints, whose glorified souls and bodies will then bear "an exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" but here on earth, in their days of tribulation and sorrow, this same glory, as revealed to their hearts, supports and upholds their steps, draws them out of the world, delivers them from the power of sin, gives them union and communion with Christ, conforms them to his image, comforts them in death, and lands them in glory.

We thus see Christ, like the sun, not only illuminating all heaven with his glory, the delight of the Father, the joy of the spirits of just men made perfect, and the adoration of all the angelic host, but irradiating also the path of the just on earth, casting his blessed beams on all their troubles and sorrows, and lighting up the way wherein they follow their Lord from the suffering cross to the triumphant crown. 

J.C. Philpot (1802 – 1869) 

The Poor Man's Morning Portion

"He hath poured out his soul unto death." Isaiah 53:12 

My soul! from the garden to the cross, follow Jesus. Behold him apprehended and hurried away, both to judgment and to death. He who struck to the ground the band that came to take him, might surely, by the same breath of his mouth, have struck them to hell, and prevented his being apprehended by them. But one of the sweetest and most blessed parts of Jesus's redemption of his people, consisted in the freeness and willingness of his sacrifice. Yes, thou precious Lamb of God! No man (as thou thyself hadst before said) had power to take thy life from thee; but thou didst lay it down thyself: thou hadst power to lay it down, and thou hadst power to take it again. Delightful consideration, to thee, my soul! Now, my soul, let this day's meditation be sacred to the view of thy Redeemer pouring out his soul unto death.  

And to-morrow, if the Lord give thee to see the morrow, let the solemn subject of thy study be the sufferings of Jesus in his body. Pause then, my soul, and call up all the powers of thy mind to the contemplation of what the scripture teacheth concerning thy Redeemer's pouring out his soul unto death. Seek the teachings of the Holy Ghost in this solemn and mysterious subject. The original curse pronounced on the fall, which Jesus took upon himself, and came to do away, contained somewhat vastly great. For as the blessing promised to obedience, "Do this, and thou shalt live," certainly meant somewhat much greater than mere animal life, and implied sweet fellowship and communion with God; so the curse to disobedience, "Dying, thou shalt die," as plainly intimated much more than the mere return of the body to the dust out of which it was taken: it meant what in scripture (Revelation 20:6) is called the "second death," meaning hell and everlasting misery.  

Hence, in the recovery of our lost and fallen nature from this awful state, when Jesus undertook the salvation of his people, he was to sustain all that was our due; and, in the accomplishment of this, he not only died in his body, but he poured out his soul unto death. As the sinner's representative, and the sinner's surety, he bore the whole weight and pressure of divine justice due to sin; according to what the Holy Ghost taught —"Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil."—Romans 2:9. Not that the Redeemer needed, in the accomplishment of this, to go down into hell to suffer the miseries of the damned; for when the avenging wrath of God came upon him, he endured it here. The wrath of God may be sustained in earth as well as hell: witness the evil spirit that is called the prince of the power of the air, Ephesians 2:2; for wherever the apostate angels are, they still endure divine wrath.  

Hence, when the Lord Christ poured out his soul unto death, by reason of the extremity of his soul sufferings, and soul's travail! For his redeemed, he sustained all this as the sinner's surety, in becoming sin and a curse, to feel and suffer all that was the sinner's due. Oh! Who shall say, what heart shall conceive, the greatness and extensiveness of thy sufferings, precious, precious Lamb of God! Oh! who shall undertake fully to shew the infinite suitableness of Jesus to every poor humble convinced sinner, in deliveriug him from the wrath to come! Here, my soul, fix thine eyes; here let all thy powers be employed in the unceasing contemplation, while beholding Jesus, thy Jesus, "pouring out his soul unto death; while numbered with the transgressors, and bearing the sin of many, and making intercession for the transgressors." 

  Robert Hawker (1753-1827)  

_._,_._,_

  _____  

Groups.io Links: 

You receive all messages sent to this group. 

View/Reply Online (#7509) <https://groups.io/g/committed-walk-with-Christ/message/7509>  | Reply To Group <mailto:committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io?subject=Re:%20%5BCWWC%5D%20Through%20Baca%27s%20Vale%20The%20Poor%20Man%27s%20Morning%20Portion%20April%207>  | Reply To Sender <mailto:pengold2 at gmail.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BCWWC%5D%20Through%20Baca%27s%20Vale%20The%20Poor%20Man%27s%20Morning%20Portion%20April%207>  | Mute This Topic <https://groups.io/mt/81909271/21951>  | New Topic <https://groups.io/g/committed-walk-with-Christ/post> 

  _____  

Questions, concerns, suggestions? Contact us
Group owner
Email: committed-walk-with-Christ+owner at groups.io <mailto:committed-walk-with-Christ+owner at groups.io>  

  _____  

Your Subscription <https://groups.io/g/committed-walk-with-Christ/editsub/21951>  | Contact Group Owner <mailto:committed-walk-with-Christ+owner at groups.io>  | Unsubscribe <https://groups.io/g/committed-walk-with-Christ/leave/9118772/21951/542639078/xyzzy>  [mmoore11 at kent.edu]

_._,_._,_

CAUTION: EXTERNAL SENDER Do not click any links, open any attachments, or REPLY to the message unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe. 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/ohio-communities-of-faith_nfbnet.org/attachments/20210407/8b26ebbc/attachment-0001.html>