Reflections on CHRIST

FATHER, my eyes are on CHRIST for “…my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly]…” (Phil 3:10 AMP).

FATHER, do not let me lose sight of my determined purpose. I gladly review the Glorious CHRIST through Your word.

CHRIST, You are gentle and humble in heart (Matt 11:29) and yet You overcome the world (John 16:33). You reflect the glory of Your FATHER and bear the very stamp of His nature; You uphold the universe by Your word of power (Heb 1:3) and yet You live and make Your home in me (1 John 3:24).

FATHER, in the face of JESUS CHRIST, Your glory is seen (2 Cor 4:6), yet CHRIST bears my grief and carries my sorrows (Isa 53:4). In Him all Your fullness dwells (Col 1:19), yet CHRIST personally rescues me and draws me to Himself, investing me with all the privileges of a new life in Him (1 Thes 1:10).

When CHRIST walked this earth, FATHER, He found that in Your presence, was fullness of joy and at Your right hand were pleasures forevermore (Ps 16:11). I desire fellowship with JESUS so that I may experience His joy of You fulfilled in myself. I want to comprehend CHRIST’s delight complete in me. Oh, that His joy may be perfected in my soul—that I may have His gladness filling my heart (John 17:13)

CHRIST is Your power working, FATHER, thus I have a personal trust springing from faith and leading to faith (Rom 1:16,17). Thank You for CHRIST Who is the Author and Perfecter of faith (Heb 12:2). Thank You for CHRIST Who enables me to move along in this world as He, Himself, did—from faith to faith.

Be Dependent

“…the issue was whether Adam would let God determine what was good and bad, or would seek to decide that for himself, in disregard of what God had said” (ref#56, p13, “The Fall”).

“The demanding of my own will is the singular force that smothers out joy—nothing else” (ref#130, p177). “Am I a pauper toward God? Do I know I cannot prevail in prayer;…I cannot alter my disposition; I cannot lift myself nearer to God” (ref#118, p16,17)?

FATHER, help me keep my arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of CHRIST. This is the unending life (Jude 21). Move me to relish all circumstances that drive me to depend on CHRIST. LORD, You can’t keep me if I don’t keep dependent on You. I desire to seek You LORD, and Your strength, to yearn for and seek Your face and to be in Your presence continually (1 Chron 16:11). Determine for me what is good and bad.

“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise” (Prov 27:21 ESV).

Mighty in Battle

In remembrance of what my Elder brother,

JESUS CHRIST has done for me,
I sing this prayer to You, FATHER
so I might review the acts of Your Son.

The LORD JESUS upon Calvary routed every foe,
“breaking the weapons of the enemy
by His finished work of satisfactory obedience;”
and “by His triumphant resurrection and ascension” (ref#34, Dec 3rd PM).

My LORD “completely overturned—
the hopes of hell” (ref#34, Dec 3rd PM)—
making a show of His enemies openly,
“triumphing over them by His cross” (ref#34, Dec 3rd PM).

Every arrow of guilt that Satan shoots at me
is now broken.
“Vain are the sharp swords of infernal malice,
and the perpetual battles of the serpent’s seed,” (ref#34, Dec 3rd PM).

For in the midst of the church
I, the lame take the prey,
and I, the feeblest warrior am crowned.
“Who shall lay anything to the charge of GOD’s elect” (ref#34, Dec 3rd PM)?

With You I shall do valiantly;
it is You who shall tread down my enemies (Ps 108:13).

You, yes, You will certainly deliver me
from every assault of evil (2 Tim 4:18).

I Am a Plant in His Garden

FATHER, CHRIST, as the Son of GOD, did absolutely everything for Your sake, but as the Son of Man, He did absolutely everything for my sake. For my sake He took my nature upon Himself (1 Tim 3:16). “He took on…a life of prayers, tears, fears” and suffering like me but unlike me He took on all this in perfect obedience “with cheerfulness and delight” (Heb 10:7-8) (ref#35, p249).

For my sake He was obedient to death. He dedicated Himself as a sacrifice—to be killed (John 17:19). What a fearful cup he tasted so I might never have to taste it (Matt 26:39). FATHER, it was a cup full of the curse of the law (Gal 3:13), Your wrath (1 Thes 1:10), and most of all the loss of Your presence (Ps 22:1). He left “his glory, his riches, his ease,” His very life, “to undergo loss, shame, wrath, curse,” and death for me (ref#35, p250). For me!

His interest is that I should be His—that I become a partaker of His glory (1 Pet 5:1). And now He proves His love by His continual care in all my deliverances and afflictions—in all my conditions of sinning and suffering. I am “the apple of his eye, his jewel, his diadem, his crown” (ref#35, p250).

I am a plant in His garden while the unbelieving world is wilderness. Even if I am “the meanest, debased, weakest and poorest believer on earth,” CHRIST prizes me more than all the rest of the world (ref#35, p251).

“Lord, unto Thee from my full heart my prayers ascend; To thee will I sing praise….
And for Thy loving grace and truth which hath no end Will thank Thee all my days” (ref#38, p468, [Ps 138:1-2]).

Prayer Facts:

“Poverty of spirit enters into true praying. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ ‘The poor’ means paupers, beggars, those who live on the bounty of others, who live by begging. Christ’s people live by asking. ‘Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath’” (ref#54, p32).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because righteousness and justice is the foundation of Your throne (Ps 97:2), I will wait for You.
Because You give skillful and godly wisdom and from Your mouth comes knowledge and understanding (Prov 2:6), I will wait for You.

Because Your mercy and loving-kindness endures forever (1 Chron 16:34), I will wait for You.

Timeless

FATHER, You are always the same
and Your years have no end (Ps 102:27).
You are in Yourself totally complete;
and consist of the entire whole (ref#110, p1413).

You are, You are the one mainstay—
yes, the chief support (ref#110, p815).
And You are, yes, You are timeless—
always valid and true, unending and eternal (ref#110, p1401).

You cannot be overcome
because You are invincible—(ref#110, p710-711).

because You are beyond this material world—

yes, beyond and superphysical (ref#110, p1344).

You are, You are unmeasurable.
You are immense and vast (ref#110, p1461).

You are from everlasting to everlasting
O, LORD, You are GOD (Hab1:12).

Microsoft Word – 10_week 12_THANKSGIVING.doc

THANKSGIVING

There is None Like You

“There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations…shall come and worship before you.
For you are great…you alone are God” (Ps 86:8-10 ESV).

“Your way, O God, is holy…
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might…
You with your arm redeemed your people…” (Ps 77:13-15 ESV).

“…you are a God ready to forgive,
gracious and merciful, slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love…” (Neh 9:17 ESV).

“…your name will be established and magnified forever…” (1 Chron 17:24 ESV).

There is none like You, no none, LORD.
There are no works, no none, like Yours.
All the nations…shall come and worship before you.
For you are great…you alone are God” (Ps 86:9-10 ESV).

Call to Revival

FATHER, there are those in our congregation living on milk and content to be unskilled in righteousness (Heb 5:13) and, there are those who have unknowingly walked away from the SPIRIT they began with (Gal 3:3). ____ may fit in this category.

Only You can make steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Only You can make righteousness looks down from the sky and faithfulness spring up from the ground (Ps 85:10,11). Will You not revive ____, that (he/she) may again rejoice in You (Ps 85:6)?

The SPIRIT’s influence on the people that lived in Jerusalem when Ezra came to build the temple was something amazing. Ezra learned that the people, GOD’s holy race, had mixed themselves with the peoples of the nearby lands (Ezra 9:2). After Ezra prayed Your people, FATHER, in an unheard of, unthinkable act sent back home their foreign wives and their children (Ezra 10:12)!

I’m sure the action of Ezra, when he learned of the people’s intermarrying, influenced You in helping the people accomplish such unthinkable feats. Ezra tore his garment, pulled hair from his head and beard and sat appalled until the evening sacrifice then rose from his fasting and fell on his knees and prayed (Ezra 9:4,5).

FATHER, fasting and waiting on You for long periods of time is something rare today—as rare as the possibility of the work of the SPIRIT making current headlines. Burden ____ to seek revival for (his/her) own heart. Move (him/her) to concern (himself/herself) with Your goals. Give (him/her) a heart like Ezra’s.

The Power of the Gospel

NURTURING FATHER, CHRIST sends ____ out not to make a great show of the Gospel with verbal eloquence, but to evangelize by preaching the simple facts of the glad tidings, lest His cross be deprived of force and emptied of its power and rendered vain and of no effect (1 Cor 1:17). I pray for ____ not to speak in lofty words or human philosophy and wisdom, but to speak plainly, proclaiming the testimony and evidence of Your mystery revealed through CHRIST.

May (he/she) be concerned only of what You have done through CHRIST for the salvation of men (1 Cor 2:1). I pray ____ resolve to be conscious of nothing but JESUS CHRIST and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2).

It need not matter if ____ is in a state of weakness and fear—of dread and great trembling and (his/her) language and message is not persuasive with words of wisdom. Just influence (him/her), FATHER so (his/her) speech be in demonstration of the HOLY SPIRIT showing Your power. Impassion ____ so the HOLY SPIRIT can stir the minds of (his/her) hearers with the most holy emotions that persuade (1 Cor 2:3-4). For Your kingdom, FATHER, consists of and is based on not talk but power—power that produces morality and excellence of soul (1 Cor 4:20).

CHRIST’s Pity

FATHER, because ____ is CHRIST’s, He takes more pains and gives more of His presence to (him/her) when (he/she) needs it (ref#35, p256). He pities (him/her) in (his/her) temptations and afflictions. ____ receives CHRIST’s increased love out of pity constantly (Heb 4:15). And, when temptations overcome (him/her), CHRIST, in His tenderness, relieves (him/her) with mercy and pardon lest (he/she) sink utterly under its burden (1 John 2:1,2).

In these things CHRIST has fellow-feelings with ____. He grieves with (him/her) as a friend but also graciously supplies all (his/her) needs (Isa 40:11). CHRIST, You identify with ____. In (his/her) affliction You are afflicted (Isa 63:9).

CHRIST intercedes with You, FATHER, for ____’s relief, not only for sin but also for sufferings so that when the work of (his/her) afflictions is accomplished, (he/she) shall have relief (Heb 7:25) (ref#35, p261).

FATHER, I pray ____ understand the great importance of CHRIST’s present ministry of intercession. Because of His great interest in (him/her) (he/she) is “at this day alive, undevoured, merely on the account of the intercession of the Lord Jesus” (ref#35, p261). His compassion is the foundation of (his/her) deliverances.