Easter Sunday!

"He is Risen!"

          God, The Bible

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

The Mind of Christ

     If a friend does something which puzzles us, we might ask what it was 

he "had in mind" in doing it.  It is in this sense that Paul uses the word 

mind in Philippians 2:5.  What was it that seemed important to Jesus?  

What principles did he cherish?  What objectives?  On what footing 

were his choices made?

     The revelation of the mind of Christ is presented here as the story of 

a great change.  It befits with one who was in the form of God (verse 6), 

that is, one who possessed inwardly and displayed outwardly the very 

nature of God himself.

     As is plain, verse 6 is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ before his 

incarnation...What a change is expressed in verse 8 when he who was in 

the form of God became obedient unto death Wesley put it justly when 

he wrote:

"Tis mystery all!  The immortal dies!"

     Mystery indeed, but at the same time the testimony of the Bible.  How 

it could happen we cannot know, that it did happen we are assured.

     There is great stress on the fact that this change came about by 

voluntary decision and in this we begin to enter into the "mind of 

Christ."  Verse 7 says he emptied himself, and verse 8, he humbled him-

self.  In each case the reflexive expression points to personal decision 

and action.

                     Alec Motyer, The Message of Philippians: Jesus Our Joy

Who is Alec Motyer?  Now retired Alec Motyer was formerly Principal 

of Trinity College, Bristol. He has extensive experience in parish 

ministry and is well known as a Bible expositor, of the Old Testament 

in particular. 

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Committing to God in Perfect trust

     ...the way to power lies through the realization of helplessness; that 

the way to victory lies through the admission of defeat; that the way to 

goodness lies through the confession and the acknowledgement of sin.  

Herein is an essential truth which runs through all life.  If a man is ill, 

the first necessity is that he should admit and recognize that he is ill, 

and that then he should seek for a cure in the right place.  The way to 

knowledge begins with the admission of ignorance.  The one man who 

can never learn is the man who thinks that he knows everything already.

     ...the way to independence lies through dependence, and the way to 

freedom lies through surrender.  If ever a man is to be independent of 

the chances and changes of life, that independence must come from his 

complete dependence on God.  If ever a man is to know true freedom, 

that freedom must come through complete surrender to God.

     ...the way to bliss which the world can neither give nor take away lies 

through the recognition of our own need, and the conviction that the need 

can be met, when we commit to God in perfect trust.

William Barclay, The Beatitudes and the Lord's prayer for Everyman

Who is William Barclay?  Barclay, 1907 to 1978, was an author, radio 

and television presenter and a minister of the Church of Scotland.  He 

was also a Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University 

of Glasgow in Scotland.  Barclay is best known for his 17 commentaries 

on the New Testament.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

God's unfailing love

     "What can  you do when you've failed and denied what you believe?"  

This question and others like it came out of the heart of a person who 

had stumbled badly.  He felt he had no right to pray, and when he tried, 

he felt self-discrimination and condemnation.  We all deny our Lord in 

so many little ways, but what do you do when the denial contradicts 

everything you've stood for and believed?  Is there a way back?  How 

does the Lord deal with failures?

     The answer is vividly portrayed in the way Jesus Christ dealt with 

Simon Peter's denial.  Peter could not handle the anguish of his cowardly 

denial.  He had to block it out, try to forget; but his efforts were futile.  

Was that why he now could not bear to look Jesus in the eye?

     What adventure Peter had known following the Master!  He remem-

bered with self-affirmation how on the road to Caesarea Philippi he felt 

the spirit rush within him.  He had blurted out the conviction, "Thou art 

the Christ!"  He would never forget the tone of the Lord's voice when he 

told him that the church would be built on the rock of his faith.  A rock?  

The recollection reverberated with shock waves within him.  "A rock that 

cracked!" he said to himself.

     But the basic message of the story is this:  the Lord's love does not 

fail however much we fail him.  Peter had built his whole relationship 

with Jesus Christ on his assumed capacity to be adequate.  That's why he 

took his denial of the Lord so hard.  His strength, loyalty, and faithfulness 

were his self-generated assets of discipleship.  The fallacy in Peter's mind 

was this: he believed his relationship was dependent on his consistency 

in producing the qualities he thought had earned him the Lord's approval.

     Many of us face the same problem.  We project onto the Lord our own 

measured standard of acceptance.  Our whole understanding of him is 

based in a quid pro quo of bartered love.  He will love us as if we are 

good, moral, and diligent.  But we have turned the tables; we try to live 

so that he will love us, rather than living because he has already loved us.

Lloyd Ogilvie, Ask Him anything: God can handle your hardest questions

Who is Lloyd Ogilvie?  Lloyd John Ogilvie, is a Presbyterian minister, 

who served as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2003.  Dr. 

Ogilvie, had a nationally syndicated weekly television show prior to 

serving the Senate called, "Let God Love You."  It aired for 17 years.   

Dr. Ogilvie felt his role as Chaplain was to act as an intercessor for 

Senators, be a trusted prayer partner and faith counselor.  He sought 

to keep the office as nonpolitical, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.  

He provide spiritual leadership and support to the Senate through 

many significant events including the impeachment of President 

Clinton; the attacks on 911; the anthrax attack in the Senate; and 

the contested Presidential election in 2000.  Dr. Ogilvie has received 

numerous awards and authored 49 books.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Surrender and Trust

     A devoted Christian woman who conducted a large Bible class with zeal 

and success once came in trouble to her minister.  In her earlier years 

she had enjoyed much blessing in the inner chamber, in fellowship with 

the Lord and His Word.  But this had gradually been lost and, do what 

she would, she could not get it right.  The Lord had blessed her work, 

but the joy had gone out of her life.  The minister asked what she had 

done to regain the lost blessedness.  "I have done everything," said she, 

"that I can think of, but all in vain."

     He then questioned her about her experience in connection with her 

conversion.  She gave an immediate and clear answer: "At first I spared 

no pains in my attempt to become better, and to free myself from sin, 

but it was all useless.  At last I began to understand that I must lay aside 

all my efforts, and simply trust the Lord Jesus to bestow on me His life 

and peace, and He did it."

     "Why then," said the minister, "do you not try this again? As you go 

to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not

try in your own might to force yourself into the right attitude.  Bow 

before Him and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are and 

that your only hope is in Him.  Trust Him with a childlike trust to have 

mercy upon you, and wait upon Him.  You have Nothing--He has 

everything.

                                                                  Andrew Murray, The Prayer Life 

Who is Andrew Murray?  Murray was a South African write, teacher 

and Christian pastor who lived from May 9, 1828 to January 18, 1917.  

Murray focused heavily on Missions and was one of the founders of 

the South African General Mission.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Glorifying God as our priority

Jesus in His prayers on earth, in His intercession in heaven in His 

promise of an answer to our prayers from there, makes this His first 

objective—the glory of His Father.  Is it so with us too?  Or are not, in 

large measure, self-interest and self-will the strongest motive urging 

us to pray?  Or, if we cannot see that this is the case, have we not to 

acknowledge that the distinct, conscious longing for the glory of the 

Father is not what animates our prayers?  And yet it must be so.

Not as if the believer does not at times desire it.  But he has to mourn 

that he has so little attained.  And he knows the reason of his failure too.  

It was, because the separation between the spirit of daily life and the 

spirit of the hour of prayer was too wide.  We begin to see that the 

desire for the glory of the Father is not something that we can awake and 

present to our Lord when we prepare ourselves to pray.  No!  It is only 

when the whole life, in all its parts, is given up to God's glory, that we 

can really pray to His glory too.  "Do all to the glory of God," and , "Ask 

all to the glory of God"--these twin commands are inseparable:  

obedience to the former is the secret grace for the latter.  A life to the 

glory of God is the condition of the prayers that Jesus can answer, "that 

the Father may be glorified."

                                  Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer

Who is Andrew Murray?  Murray was a South African write, teacher 

and Christian pastor who lived from May 9, 1828 to January 18, 1917.  

Murray focused heavily on Missions and was one of the founders of 

the South African General Mission.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Jesus' call to self-denial

     Self-denial conjures up in our minds all sorts of images of groveling and 

self-hatred.  We imagine that it most certainly means the rejection of 

our individuality and will probably  lead to various forms of 

self-mortification. 

     On the contrary, Jesus called us to self-denial without self-hatred.  

Self-denial is simply a way of coming to understand that we do not have 

to have our own way.  Our happiness is not dependent upon getting what 

we want. Self-denial does not mean the loss of our identity as some 

suppose.  Without our identity we could not even be subject to each 

other.  Did Jesus lose His identity when He set His face toward 

Golgotha?  Did Peter lose his identity when he responded to Jesus’ 

cross-bearing command, “Follow me” (John 21:19)?  Did Paul lose his 

identity when he committed himself to the One who had said, “I will 

show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16)? 

Of course not.  We know that the opposite was true.  They found their 

identity in the act of self-denial. 

     Self-denial is not the same thing as self-contempt.  Self-contempt 

claims that we have no worth, and even if we did have worth we should 

reject it.  Self-denial declares that we are of infinite worth and shows us 

how to realize it.  Self-contempt denise the goodness of the creation; 

self-denial affirms that it was indeed good.  Jesus made the ability to 

love ourselves the prerequisite for our reaching out to others 

(Matt. 22:39). 

                                               Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Who is Richard Foster? Foster is a Christian theologian, educator,

and author in the Quaker tradition. His best know work is the

Celebration of Discipline, which offers instruction on a variety of

inward and outward spiritual disciplines, such as, prayer, fasting,

simplicity, confession and worship. It was named by Christianity

Today as one of the top ten books of the twentieth century.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Our only legitimate goal

     If we are not our own, but the Lord's, it is clear to what purpose all 

our deeds must be directed.  We are not our own, therefore neither our 

reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions.  We are 

not our own, therefore we should not seek what is only expedient to the 

flesh.  We are not our own, therefore let us forget ourselves and our own 

interests as fast as possible.

     We are God's own; to him, therefore, let us live and die.  We are God's 

own; therefore, let his wisdom and will dominate all our actions.  We 

are god's own; therefore let every part of our existence be directed 

towards him as our only legitimate goals.

     Oh, how greatly we have advanced when we have learned not to be 

our own, not to be governed by our own reason, but to surrender our 

minds to God!  The most effective poison to lead us to ruin is to boast 

in ourselves, in our own wisdom and will power.  The only escape to 

safety is simply to follow the guidance of the Lord.

     Our first step should be to take leave of ourselves and to apply all 

of our powers to the service of the Lord.  The service of the Lord does

not only include implicit obedience, but also a willingness to put aside 

our sinful desires to surrender completely to the leadership of the 

Holy Spirit.

     The transformation of our lives by the Holy Spirit, which St. 

Paul calls the renewal of the mind, is  the real beginning of life but 

foreign to pagan philosophers.  The philosophers set up reason as 

the sole guide of life, of wisdom and conduct.  but Christian 

philosophy demands of us that we surrender our reason to the Holy 

Spirit.  This means that we no longer live of ourselves, but that 

Christ lives and reigns within us (Eph. 4:23; Gal. 2:20)

                     John Calvin, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life

Who is John Calvin?  Calvin, 1509-1564, a theologian and reformer, 

was French by birth, but most of his productive years were in 

Geneva, Switzerland.  He was an early and prominent influence 

during the Protestant Reformation through his biblical 

commentaries, sermons, theological tracts.  He is regarded as the 

forefather of Presbyterianism.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Fasting from Criticalness

The Lord continues to deal with me about m critical spirit, convicting 

me that I have been wrong to judge any person or situation:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge 

others, you will be judeged, and with the measure you use, it will be 

measured to you.  (Matt 7:1-2; NIV)

One morning last week He gave me an assignment: for one day I was 

to go on a "fast" from criticism.  I was not to criticize anybody about 

anything.

Into my mind crowded all the usual objections.  "But then what happens 

to value judgments?  You Yourself, Lord, spoke of 'righteous judgement.'  

How could society operate without standards and limits?"

All such resistance was brushed aside.  "Just obey Me without question-

ing:  an absolute fast on any critical statements for this day."

As I pondered this assignment, I realized there was an even humorous 

side to this kind of fast.  What did the Lord want to show me?

The experiment

For the first half of the day, I simply felt a void, almost as if I had been 

wiped out as a person.  This was especially true at lunch with my 

husand, Len, my mother, son Jeff, and my secretary Jeannie Sevigny, 

present.  Several topics came up (school prayer, abortion, the ERA 

amendment) about which I had definite opinions.  I listened to the 

others and kept silent.  Barbed comments on the tip of my tongue 

about certain world leaders were suppressed.  In our talkative family 

no one seemed to notice.

Bemused, I noticed that my comments were not missed.  The federal 

government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could 

apparently  get along fine without my penetrating observations.  But still 

I didn't see what this fast on criticism was accomplishing--until 

mid-afternoon.

For several years, I had been praying for on talented young man whose 

life had gotten sidetracked.  Perhaps my prayers for him had been too 

negative.  That afternoon, a specific, positive vision for my life was 

dropped into my mind with God's unmistakable hallmark on it--joy.

Ideas began to flow in a way I had not experienced in years.  Now it was 

apparent what the Lord wanted me to see.  My critical nature had not 

corrected a single one of the multitudinous things I found fault with.  

What it had done was to stifle my own creativity--in prayer, in 

relationship, perhaps even in writing--ideas that He wanted to give me.

Last Sunday night in a Bible study group, I told of my Day's Fast 

experiment.  The response was startling.  Many admitted that 

criticalness was the chief problem in their offices, or in their marriages, 

or with their teenage children.

                                                                Catherine Marshall, A Closer Walk

Who is Catherine Marshall?  Catherine Marshall was the wife of famed, 

Presbyterian minister and preacher, Peter Marshall.  She came into the 

public after his death when she published a memoir about him, 

A Man Called Peter.  Catherine went onto write a large number of 

books and eventually became a publisher.  She lived from 1914 to 1983.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

God's Instrument

     No Christian should ever think or say that he is not fit to be God's 

instrument, for that in fact is what it means to be a Christian.  We may 

be humble about many things, but we may never decline to be used.  

John the Baptist told the people by the river Jordan, "I baptize you 

with water, for repentance, but the one who comes after me is mightier 

than I, and I am not fit to take off his shoes."  Then Jesus himself came 

to be baptized by him, and John tried to dissuade him, saying to him, 

"Do you come to me?  I need rather to be baptized by you."  Jesus 

replied, "Let it be so for the present; we do well to conform in this 

way with all that God requires."  So John baptized him whose shoes he 

was not fit to take off.

     The gospel is full of reassurances to us, some of them startling.  You 

are salt to the world!  You are light to all the world!  Even the hairs of  

your head have all been counted!  These words were exciting to those 

who heard them.  Things might be dark but they were to be the light of 

the world.  They were given a new sense of their value as persons.  

Especially was this true of women.  One can hardly describe the joy of 

the first disciples, who were given by Jesus such a sense of their 

significance in the world.  This same sense of significance has been 

given again and again to other people by disciples of Jesus.  Of these 

none was greater than Fancis of Assisi.  He might well have prayed:

 

     To those who have lost their way, let me restore it to them.

     To those who are aimless, let me bring purpose.

     To those who do not know who they are, let me teach them that they 

     are the children of God and can be used as His instruments in the 

     never-ending work of healing and redemption.

There are therefore two things for us to do.  The first is never to 

doubt that God can use us if we are willing to be used, no matter what 

our weaknesses.  The second is to see that God can use any other person 

who is willing to be used, whatever his weaknesses, and if need be, to 

assure him of this truth."

                                                         Alan Paton, Instrument of Thy Peace

Who is Alan Paton?  Alan Stewart Paton was an anglican priest educated 

at the University of Natal in South Africa.  He was an outspoken 

opponent of apartheid, and perhaps best know for his novel Cry, the 

Beloved Country.  He also wrote a series of meditations inspired by 

St. Francis of Assisi's familiar prayer on being an instrument of God's 

peace.  Paton lived from 1903 to 1988.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Holy Fellowship with Jesus

     But even if our conduct and conversation were more consistent with 

our faith, I would still have this third charge against us:  there is too 

little real communion with Jesus Christ.  If, by the grace of God, our 

conduct and conversation were consistent and our lives were 

unblemished, many of us are still sorely lacking in that area we call holy 

fellowship with Jesus.

     Men and women, let me ask you, How long has it been since you have 

had an intimate conversation with Jesus Christ?  Some of you may be 

able to say, "It was only this morning that I last spoke with him; I beheld 

his face with joy."  But I fear that the great majority of you will have to 

say, "It has been months since I have been with the Lord."

     What have you been doing with your life?  Is Christ living in your 

home and yet you have not spoken to him for months?  Do not let me 

condemn you or judge; only let your conscience speak:  Have we not all 

lived too much without Jesus?  Have we not grown contented with the 

world to the neglect of Christ?

Charles Spurgeon, Spiritual Revival, the Need of the Church (audio cd)

Who is Charles Spurgeon? Spurgeon was a baptist preacher in England

who lived from 1834 to 1892. He was an amazing preacher that is often

referred to as the "prince of preachers." He also founded a pastor's

college, an orphanage, and an institution to promote literacy.

Spurgeon was a strong Calvinist whose preaching often caused much

controversy.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Conduct and conversation

     In the first place, look at the conduct and conversation of too many

of us who profess to be children of God.

     It has become very popular to join the Church in our day. Many

people have recently joined the Church in our country. But are there

any fewer cheats than there used to be? Are there less frauds

committed? Do we find morality more extensive? Do we find vice

coming to an end? No, we do not. Our age is as immoral as any that

preceded it. There is still as much sin, though perhaps it is more cloaked

and hidden.

     It is well known that it is no guarantee of a man's honesty that he is

a member of the Church. The lives of too many of the men and women

of the Church give the world cause to wonder if there is godliness in any

of us. We reach after money, we cover, we follow the wicked ways of

this world, we oppress the poor and deny rights to the working class--

and yet we profess to be people of God! The Church lacks revival in the

lives of its members.

     Second, let us take a look at the conversation of many professing

Christians. Pay attention to the conversation of the average professing

Christian. You might spend from the first of January to the end of

December and never hear them speak about their faith. They will

scarcely even mention the name of Jesus Christ at all. On Sunday

afternoon what will they talk about at the dinner table? It will not

be about the minister's sermon, unless they want to point out some

faults.

     Do they ever talk about what Jesus said and did? What he suffered

for us? When we go to each other's houses, what will we talk about?

I have concluded this: you will not know how to get to heaven simply

by eavesdropping on the conversations of the members of the Church!

We talk too little about our Lord. Is this not the truth? Many of us

need to pray, "O Lord, revive your work in my soul, that my conver-

sation may be more Christ-like, seasoned with salt, and kept by the

Holy Spirit."

Charles Spurgeon, Spiritual Revival, the Need of the Church (audio cd)

Who is Charles Spurgeon? Spurgeon was a baptist preacher in England

who lived from 1834 to 1892. He was an amazing preacher that is often

referred to as the "prince of preachers." He also founded a pastor's

college, an orphanage, and an institution to promote literacy.

Spurgeon was a strong Calvinist whose preaching often caused much

controversy.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.