Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Dec 5, 2006 12:55:14 GMT -5
THIS CONTRAST AMAZES ME!
by JUSTINE
In life, I have only known one contrast that comes as precisely as the difference between day and night, yet the two aspects are inseparable. If you must guage the extent of one aspect , you then need the presence of another for an accurate ascertainment of both facets. Though the two stands in distinctive positions, they are illustrative of our relationship with God.
This comes in no less a term than the contrast between black and white colours. Once you want white to show out vividly , you may need a black background, and believe me it will shine with lustre. I have ever watched a teacher try to use a blurred chalkboard with frustration, because the particles on the board affected the clarity of the work, and he demanded that the board be repainted black.It was interesting what result he got after the board was painted.
Now,because God is a righteous God without any folly or fallacy, we have always wondered why it feels so filthy the first time we meet him. Sometimes we want to hide away from him due to the awareness of the degree of sinfulness in our lives, and it goes further to prompt reactions that may lead to repentance or total separation from him.Example when Isaiah saw the glory of God in Isaiah 6:5 " "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (6) Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. (7) With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Isaiah cried out "I'm a man of sinful tongue, and always not worthy to be in Your presence, whereas Adam hid himself saying "I heard as you came and hid because I'm naked."
Friends this may be a bit enigmatic or ironical, depending on how you choose to treat it,yet it is only when we choose to accept that we were sinful and without hope, only then can we begin to experience the freshness that comes with accepting Christ in our lives and believe me, it feels real fresh and clean after Christ has done the replenishing work of salvation. It was when I came to this point that I understood the Scripture in Rev 3:17-19: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (18) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (19) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."
Think what chaos that would have been if we compared to God in character of righteousness. Imagine God telling man to repent, and man answering back in an unrepentant way. A scenario would have arisen where we would not hold God in honour and reverence. We would be claiming we can do things in our own might and that righteousness or not, there wasn't much to worry about.
I tremble at the thought that our generation is gradually but surely tending to this. People are self acclaimed philisophers who exalt themselves above godly standards. They prescribe ways that are contrary to the truth, and they want to be in some untouchable position, thereby denying the truth about Christ's gift of salvation. To them, right is relative and there is no ultimate truth, and everyone seems to believe. Not so for believers who know the reason for their faith. Christ said in John 6:14, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me. And this is the truth that we have believed that through Christ, we are able to approach the throne of God without fear, because we know we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, and is able to plead for us before the Father." Heb 4:14-16: "He is able to sympathize with our weakness and has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet was without sin. This is a very fascinating Scripture, because it reveals the gist of our standing with God. He knows that you and me are weak, and he is able to sympathise with us, and to present us holy before the One on the throne on the day of Christ's revelation - Jude 24.
In Psalm 130:3 , the psalmist was aware of this when he said, "If you, O God, kept a record of inequity, who would stand?," definitely none.
In the same vain, Ps 103: 2-5 is so amazing: "Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed as that of the eagle."
Halleluiah, I want to be like this, to rest assured that my sins are forgiven,that God delights in me, that he has a healthy plan for me, better than any health insurance the world has ever known. And friend, there can only be one thing left for you, and that is to ask yourself the simple question in Ps. 116:12, "What will I render unto the Lord for his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord,and will fulfill my vows to the most High in the presence of his people."
Isn't that a good deal, friends? I guess so. So I will not complain that I was a sinner, because the brightness of his light and righteousness has shone in my darkness. I could have been black, but now I'm white. I was a failure but now I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, for He said: "Take heart , I have overcome the world, I was a stranger to the kingdom, but now i have received the spirit of adoption by which I cry Abba father. I was lost but now I am found. I was heavy laden ,but he gives me a lighter yoke that I should carry.
Once I was sick but by His stripes I am healed. Like sheep, we were scattered but now the Lord is my Sheperd. I shall not want. He makes me dwell in green pastures, and leads me besides still waters. I was a debtor, but he was a ransom for my sins, and paid all my debts and though without money, yet have made many rich, so says Paul... "Oh what riches is in knowing our God. All because black and white is the greatest contrast ever, my dark past made his light to shine upon me. Halleluiah!
JUSTINE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
by JUSTINE
In life, I have only known one contrast that comes as precisely as the difference between day and night, yet the two aspects are inseparable. If you must guage the extent of one aspect , you then need the presence of another for an accurate ascertainment of both facets. Though the two stands in distinctive positions, they are illustrative of our relationship with God.
This comes in no less a term than the contrast between black and white colours. Once you want white to show out vividly , you may need a black background, and believe me it will shine with lustre. I have ever watched a teacher try to use a blurred chalkboard with frustration, because the particles on the board affected the clarity of the work, and he demanded that the board be repainted black.It was interesting what result he got after the board was painted.
Now,because God is a righteous God without any folly or fallacy, we have always wondered why it feels so filthy the first time we meet him. Sometimes we want to hide away from him due to the awareness of the degree of sinfulness in our lives, and it goes further to prompt reactions that may lead to repentance or total separation from him.Example when Isaiah saw the glory of God in Isaiah 6:5 " "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (6) Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. (7) With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Isaiah cried out "I'm a man of sinful tongue, and always not worthy to be in Your presence, whereas Adam hid himself saying "I heard as you came and hid because I'm naked."
Friends this may be a bit enigmatic or ironical, depending on how you choose to treat it,yet it is only when we choose to accept that we were sinful and without hope, only then can we begin to experience the freshness that comes with accepting Christ in our lives and believe me, it feels real fresh and clean after Christ has done the replenishing work of salvation. It was when I came to this point that I understood the Scripture in Rev 3:17-19: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (18) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (19) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."
Think what chaos that would have been if we compared to God in character of righteousness. Imagine God telling man to repent, and man answering back in an unrepentant way. A scenario would have arisen where we would not hold God in honour and reverence. We would be claiming we can do things in our own might and that righteousness or not, there wasn't much to worry about.
I tremble at the thought that our generation is gradually but surely tending to this. People are self acclaimed philisophers who exalt themselves above godly standards. They prescribe ways that are contrary to the truth, and they want to be in some untouchable position, thereby denying the truth about Christ's gift of salvation. To them, right is relative and there is no ultimate truth, and everyone seems to believe. Not so for believers who know the reason for their faith. Christ said in John 6:14, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me. And this is the truth that we have believed that through Christ, we are able to approach the throne of God without fear, because we know we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, and is able to plead for us before the Father." Heb 4:14-16: "He is able to sympathize with our weakness and has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet was without sin. This is a very fascinating Scripture, because it reveals the gist of our standing with God. He knows that you and me are weak, and he is able to sympathise with us, and to present us holy before the One on the throne on the day of Christ's revelation - Jude 24.
In Psalm 130:3 , the psalmist was aware of this when he said, "If you, O God, kept a record of inequity, who would stand?," definitely none.
In the same vain, Ps 103: 2-5 is so amazing: "Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed as that of the eagle."
Halleluiah, I want to be like this, to rest assured that my sins are forgiven,that God delights in me, that he has a healthy plan for me, better than any health insurance the world has ever known. And friend, there can only be one thing left for you, and that is to ask yourself the simple question in Ps. 116:12, "What will I render unto the Lord for his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord,and will fulfill my vows to the most High in the presence of his people."
Isn't that a good deal, friends? I guess so. So I will not complain that I was a sinner, because the brightness of his light and righteousness has shone in my darkness. I could have been black, but now I'm white. I was a failure but now I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, for He said: "Take heart , I have overcome the world, I was a stranger to the kingdom, but now i have received the spirit of adoption by which I cry Abba father. I was lost but now I am found. I was heavy laden ,but he gives me a lighter yoke that I should carry.
Once I was sick but by His stripes I am healed. Like sheep, we were scattered but now the Lord is my Sheperd. I shall not want. He makes me dwell in green pastures, and leads me besides still waters. I was a debtor, but he was a ransom for my sins, and paid all my debts and though without money, yet have made many rich, so says Paul... "Oh what riches is in knowing our God. All because black and white is the greatest contrast ever, my dark past made his light to shine upon me. Halleluiah!
JUSTINE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED