"When I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:10
This paradox lies at the heart of true Christian experience. I came to see this in the course of a personal trial of my own, in which, like Paul with his thorn in the flesh, I had received the answer 'No' to my prayer for relief. The thought came to me then of a river-boat that could not pass a deep narrows because of a boulder in the stream, jutting five feet or so up from the river bed. In my trial I had been asking the Lord to remove the boulder. Now within me the question arose: Would it be better to have the five-foot boulder out of the way, or to let Him raise the level of the water by five feet? To Paul's appeal the answer had been 'My grace is sufficient.' Of course it would be better to have the water-level raised! My problem was gone. For Christianity is not a matter of removing boulders, but of having deeper water!
A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Monday, August 06, 2007
Monday, July 09, 2007
Butter and Honey
"Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good." - Isaiah 7:15
Our Lord had butter and honey; therefore, He could choose the good and refuse the evil. It requires great power to be obedient! If God does not fill your heart first, you will not succeed, no matter how you try externally. We need to learn to draw near to God daily and receive from heaven both butter and honey (the grace and love of God), so that day by day we may live on earth choosing the good and refusing the evil.
I speak to you today in this manner because I have a deep sense within me that the return of the Lord is imminent and that the kingdom is at hand. Henceforth, temptations will be greater, dangers will be multiplied, and deceptions will be deepened. Oh do let us notice one thing: that no matter what is placed before us, we shall be able to choose with singleness of heart only because we have received the heavenly butter and honey.
The Lord My Portion (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: Isaiah 7
Our Lord had butter and honey; therefore, He could choose the good and refuse the evil. It requires great power to be obedient! If God does not fill your heart first, you will not succeed, no matter how you try externally. We need to learn to draw near to God daily and receive from heaven both butter and honey (the grace and love of God), so that day by day we may live on earth choosing the good and refusing the evil.
I speak to you today in this manner because I have a deep sense within me that the return of the Lord is imminent and that the kingdom is at hand. Henceforth, temptations will be greater, dangers will be multiplied, and deceptions will be deepened. Oh do let us notice one thing: that no matter what is placed before us, we shall be able to choose with singleness of heart only because we have received the heavenly butter and honey.
The Lord My Portion (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: Isaiah 7
Monday, March 12, 2007
Grace and Truth
"Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." - John 1:17
This statement is the key to all that follows in John's Gospel. Right through it you find the same double emphasis, upon truth on the one hand and upon grace on the other. Truth will always make demands, and grace will always be there to meet them.
In the incident recorded in Chapter 8 of the woman taken in adultery, truth shines forth. The Lord did not say to her "It is all right; you have not sinned." He did not suggest to the Jews that what she had done was nothing serious, and that He was not deeply concerned about it. No, His words were: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." The truth was there: she had indeed sinned, and according to the law she should be stoned; but so also was the grace, for when all had departed He turned to her with "Neither do I condemn thee".
Throughout the Gospel of John you will find truth is always matched by grace in this way.
A Table In The Wilderness (by Watchman Nee)
Read the Scriptures: John 1:14-18; John 8:1-11
This statement is the key to all that follows in John's Gospel. Right through it you find the same double emphasis, upon truth on the one hand and upon grace on the other. Truth will always make demands, and grace will always be there to meet them.
In the incident recorded in Chapter 8 of the woman taken in adultery, truth shines forth. The Lord did not say to her "It is all right; you have not sinned." He did not suggest to the Jews that what she had done was nothing serious, and that He was not deeply concerned about it. No, His words were: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." The truth was there: she had indeed sinned, and according to the law she should be stoned; but so also was the grace, for when all had departed He turned to her with "Neither do I condemn thee".
Throughout the Gospel of John you will find truth is always matched by grace in this way.
A Table In The Wilderness (by Watchman Nee)
Read the Scriptures: John 1:14-18; John 8:1-11
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