Under Shepherds

Under Shepherds In the path of the King Offered by Doug Blair, Kitchener ON, 2021

With Salvation APRIL 17, 2016 /

I will clothe your priests

With Salvation 1

Not innovation

Or lifestyle

Or anecdotes

End time observation

Or summer vacation.

Yes, clothed with it

Reminiscent of it

Fragrant with it

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And little else.

For there is the joy

Discovering plenteous redemption

Not earned

Not learned

But graciously laid out

For wearing and sharing.

New clothes, righteous.

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In this shall saints

Loudly shout, laugh

And marvel.

Ever thankful.

Fueled for the Master

Purchased, begotten

And blessed.

Then doors of praise

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And manifestation

And all the rest.

Psalm 132: 16

Candidacy Sermon

This was an interesting development. Glenn was a university student who had attended their fellowship during five years at the college. Served an additional three in a distant city as understudy. He was now a new preacher looking for a pulpit…

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“What a pleasure to be in your midst under these circumstances. May there be some food and light brought to you this morning by the grace of God. Open the Bibles before you to Luke chapter seven…”

Glenn proceeded to read the ENTIRE CHAPTER without pause. Part way through some of the parishioners exchanged glances with raised eyebrows.

“I hope to have opportunity to bring before you something of Moses, of Daniel, Isaiah, David, Amos, John the Revelator. But what are crumpets when compared with the Living Bread, Jesus?

I will not be unto you a Bible teacher. I respect you too much for that. I will not bring you books about the Bible, or anecdotes, or light-hearted wanderings. I seek to be the facilitator of an atmosphere of worship, of a habit of waiting upon the arrival of the Living God. There will be much of prayer around the room and of heartfelt personal testimony and triumph as the Holy Spirit is given His way. You will find that I have a dread of ethics and rules. They stifle Life – real Life that is intended to be imparted and not taught.

You all have your Bibles and ample commentaries, concordances and dictionaries. The Church library is full of them as well. I expect you to prepare yourselves with the weight-lifting of independent study. From time to time I will canvas the Body for requests for topics giving particular difficulty. I will labour through those knotty points with the light given me to bring us all up another rung in the ladder. We are going to grow together.

Perhaps God will reward us with some breathtaking revelations and His personal presence.

Teaching will not be the main purpose of this worship hour; rather worship itself and ambitious prayer. I believe that this will make us an effective 6

force for righteousness, peace and joy in the community, although God will not pamper our pride by revealing the how and the why. I will not become a Providence for any man, woman or child; rather I will undergird each individual who asks, as God leads him through the valleys and heights of individual destiny.

I will marry. I will bury. Baptise. Comfort. Co-labour. Call to the Table of Remembrance.

Please understand that it will not be my intention to address the lowest common denominator in any message. I expect us to grow and not to stew in the status quo. Healthy growth of course requires exercise. That will include programs to involve the larger community and to bear witness to this marvelous gift of Good News which we possess in earthen vessels.

We have been bought with a great price. We are not our own. Our mandate is to take His peace and assurance OUT THERE.

Let us pray…”

(That which followed contained the thanksgiving and the pleadings of a man broken by the image of Calvary, by the hurts and challenges of his fellows, by the revelation of his own shortcomings and by the shortness of the hour until return of the Bridegroom, Jesus – in short, these were the prayers of a good shepherd.)

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Wasteland Posted on July 1, 2016

About David at Ziklag.

I felt every verse.

And the shame that somehow I could notI sit in this study

Seems like a wasteland Sunday services are plastic Wife now has a pressing job And kids always at the Mall (Court appearance for Tim Next Tuesday) Some model family now.

And I’m tired of yawning faces Plugged ears And parrot-like behavior in the flock.

The Board recoils at it all With no real vision.

The job is at stake 8

And frankly I hardly care.

But this morning With first robin outside my window I arose and read

“Encourage myself in the Lord.”

Or take off again into the fight Recovering family and friends From the Enemy Camp.

And a voice said “That’s just it Chuck.

You cannot.

And for years all your strategies Have led you farther from my power My program My pace.

And so, sit back Child, Broken and breathless Cry and pray a bit like a baby.

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And watch Me do the work Of rescue and rebuild.

And you Child Just point your nose into tomorrow And keep listening.

OK?”

Just Too Lightly What was it

Put me on the floor?

A sense of God

Never felt before.

Oh I have gone to church

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And worshipped

As I was led.

But hardly felt a move

Toward Christ

And all He said.

The Gospel story

Seen in coloured

Children’s books.

The wholesome hug.

Self assured looks.

But nothing like

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The crushing weight today.

A light went on

A deep constraint to pray.

An honest look at just

How small my force

And holiness bringing

Singular remorse.

But also thanks

And trembling wonder

At God’s care

Some wet-cheeked

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Realization

Of my Saviour there.

No more will I

Make light of

God come near

In sovereignty

And needful holy fear.

We have become much too familiar with Deity. How can I say that. Surely the search is on to know our Lord. We make repeated efforts through sermons, songs, prayers and supplication, testimony and friendly faith exchange.

But we dread this one proviso: the full counsel of God. There are tricky points in scripture that we would happily ignore. They involve struggle and searching, testing and hesitation.

Consequently we find ourselves picking and choosing our pleasant theology. A Consumer Creed, if you will. An idol of man’s own making. But we must perceive God as He truly is. It 13

underlies everything we do or say in Him, with Him and for Him. He is everlasting, all sufficient, all wise, uncreated, all resplendent, all victorious, all present, all loving and totally just and true.

I remember two wonderful books by A W Tozer written over sixty years ago. They were entitled KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY and GOD TELLS THE MAN WHO CARES. Much of the above comments came from Tozer’s words. He grieved at the levity and rush and disrespect and misrepresentation that he observed in most assemblies of the mid twentieth century. The dreadful error continues. The power of God seldom arrives. Although we may talk often and flippantly about sensing His presence.

Assurance in His Holiness

Would to God

I knew His nature

While superlatives abound.

Words and trembling

Praise and proving

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Finding Him on Holy Ground.

No one’s servant

He the mighty

And the awesome

Founding Cause.

His the wisdom

And the mercy

And the timeless

Needful laws.

With the pathway

To deliverance

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Shown in Psalms

Like one oh seven

And desiring

Redeemed children

In the banquet halls of Heaven.

So I bow

All self-abasing

For it just seems right

You know

While my Elder Brother

Jesus

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Covers everywhere I go.

Heavenly Father we thank you for scriptures and the exciting unfolding of your intentions for your family of faith. We also acknowledge your special personal whispering in the Spirit. We confess that we do not pursue you as we should. We avoid your hard truths and attempt to make short-cuts. We dislike those sleepless nights when you are shaking our understanding; testing or refining our steadfastness. Please gift us with repentance and heart hunger. Please knock over all the idols just as you did for Gideon. We no longer yield to temptations or teachings of men that would suggest you are some sort of convenient delivery boy. You are Almighty God our Rescuer and Shepherd. Sovereign and true always. Show us more in your unquenchable love. We ask in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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