I reading this book from John Owen at the moment, and I came across this quote (below). John Owen was a puritan preacher in England in the 1700's .
It was something that really hit home to me. And upon reflecting on it more, I longed for heaven all the more. I longed for the time when I can using the lanuage of John Owen, behold the glory of Christ by sight, and not just by faith. In other words, I long for the day when I get to see Jesus, my great God and Saviour, him who poured out his blood, dying and taking the punishment for me, that I may have life eternal!
"This vision is not in the least liable unto any weakening from internal
defects, nor any assaults from temptations, as is the sight of faith in this
life. No doubts or fears, no disturbing darts or injections, shall there have
any place. There shall no habit, no quality, no inclination or disposition
remain in our souls, but what shall eternally lead us unto the contemplation
of the glory of Christ with delight and complacency. Nor will there be any
defect in the gracious powers of our souls, as unto a perpetual exercise of
them; and as to all other opposing enemies, we shall be in a perpetual
triumph over them, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57. The mouth of iniquity shall
be stopped for ever, and the voice of the self-avenger shall be heard no
more.
Wherefore, the vision which we shall have in heaven of the glory of Christ
is serene, — always the same, always new and indeficient, wherein nothing
can disturb the mind in the most perfect operations of a blessed life. And
when all the faculties of the soul can, without any internal weakness or
external hindrances, exercise their most perfect operations on the most
perfect object, — therein lies all the blessedness which our nature is
capable of.
Wherefore, whenever in this life we attain any comfortable, refreshing view
of the glory of Christ by the exercise of faith on the revelation of it, with a
sense of our interest therein, we cannot but long after, and desire to come
unto, this more perfect, abiding, invariable aspect of it."Works of John Owen, Volume 1 - Meditations and Discourses: Concerning the Glory of Christ page 164
Saturday 16 June 2007
What a week!
This week has been a weird one. For one, the part of the coast we live in had a huge storm. And it resulted in our place loosing power from mid Friday - late Wednesday night. We totally survived on canned food (which incidentally had a rather negative affect on my bowls...I couldn't stop letting off!) candles, and torches.
People at church were extremely generous, lending us camping equipment, and also allowing us to go to there houses and use their showers... after a couple of days a hot shower was such a blessing.
I felt like one of my hero's of old, working by candle light! It was fun for about 1 day, then it just got depressing. So on Sunday we decided to go and do the "pop in" on some friends. They were excellent about it.
But on top of that, we also got bad news again. Robyn's surgery was delayed again. We weren't as bummed this time, but it still sucked! We consciously prepared ourselves this time for a let down. This time however, the hospital didn't give us a date at all. Which is a bit of a worry.
For those that do know us personally, please continue to pray for us. Thanks for those who do!
People at church were extremely generous, lending us camping equipment, and also allowing us to go to there houses and use their showers... after a couple of days a hot shower was such a blessing.
I felt like one of my hero's of old, working by candle light! It was fun for about 1 day, then it just got depressing. So on Sunday we decided to go and do the "pop in" on some friends. They were excellent about it.
But on top of that, we also got bad news again. Robyn's surgery was delayed again. We weren't as bummed this time, but it still sucked! We consciously prepared ourselves this time for a let down. This time however, the hospital didn't give us a date at all. Which is a bit of a worry.
For those that do know us personally, please continue to pray for us. Thanks for those who do!
Monday 4 June 2007
Oh the Glories of the Cross!
I can't help but sing those fantastic words of that song from Sovereign Grace. Especially in light of the weekend we have just had.
This weekend our church went away to a site for our "church weekend away." It was a fantastic time of really, (I mean really) delving into the word of God, to see what he has to say about the Cross of Christ. It was intense! Oh, but worth it. People in our church were really lapping up the teaching, and relishing the opportunity to meditate, and think upon this central Christian truth.
It continues to blow my mind, how much the Cross achieved. That God would love me so much that he would send his son to die, to take the punishment I deserve for saying to God "Hey I wanna be God, I wanna make to rules, not you..." For this I deserve death, punishment, and hell. But Christ, bore that for me in my place. Not as some third party - no because He is God! He is the one I have rebelled against. Oh, what love is this!
How great in the one that would die, for me (and for you!!), that we could be declared to be right with God.
It was a real joy. it excellent to get away for the weekend, and continue to foster and build relationships with people at church.
The only down side, was that Robyn had a fair bit of pain on the Saturday night. And this really knocked her around. She had to sleep on Sunday morning. She wanted to push through, so that she could continue to build relationships with people at church. But that was hard.
How central the cross is again hit home to Robyn and I. But I'll let God's word say it.
"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. "(Romans 3:21-26 ESV)
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. " 1 John 4:10 ESV
And how good is this quote from John Stott!
"The Cross which appeared to be the defeat of goodness by evil, was in fact the defeat of evil by goodness."Oh, the glories of the Cross. For those of us who know the salvation of the cross, how could we not but sing?
This weekend our church went away to a site for our "church weekend away." It was a fantastic time of really, (I mean really) delving into the word of God, to see what he has to say about the Cross of Christ. It was intense! Oh, but worth it. People in our church were really lapping up the teaching, and relishing the opportunity to meditate, and think upon this central Christian truth.
It continues to blow my mind, how much the Cross achieved. That God would love me so much that he would send his son to die, to take the punishment I deserve for saying to God "Hey I wanna be God, I wanna make to rules, not you..." For this I deserve death, punishment, and hell. But Christ, bore that for me in my place. Not as some third party - no because He is God! He is the one I have rebelled against. Oh, what love is this!
How great in the one that would die, for me (and for you!!), that we could be declared to be right with God.
It was a real joy. it excellent to get away for the weekend, and continue to foster and build relationships with people at church.
The only down side, was that Robyn had a fair bit of pain on the Saturday night. And this really knocked her around. She had to sleep on Sunday morning. She wanted to push through, so that she could continue to build relationships with people at church. But that was hard.
How central the cross is again hit home to Robyn and I. But I'll let God's word say it.
"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. "(Romans 3:21-26 ESV)
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. " 1 John 4:10 ESV
And how good is this quote from John Stott!
"The Cross which appeared to be the defeat of goodness by evil, was in fact the defeat of evil by goodness."Oh, the glories of the Cross. For those of us who know the salvation of the cross, how could we not but sing?
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