Remanant Magazine by John Powell

REMNANT august 2011 Vol. 1 No. 5

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Following hard after

GOD

getting through dark days

The Christian magazine for the rest of us.

the prayer god always answers

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Following hard after

AUGUST 2011 Volume 1 | Number 5

8 GOD

REGULAR FEATURES: Questions of Jesus

Portraits of Christ

The Last Word 22 What Must I Do to be saved?

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JOHN POWELL Publisher | Art Director | Webmaster john@remnantmagazine.com Find this issue and more at www.RemnantMagazine.com Also visit my sister site: www.JesusCaresAboutYou.net Access on your mobile phone: www.JesusCaresAboutYou.param.mobi Dedicated to my sons Brandon and Caleb, to my Mom and mentor in the faith, and to

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getting 13 through dark days 17 the prayer god always answers give your Bible a workout

B1BLE

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Challenge Day

take 30-day the challenge! Follow this plan to read the entire Bible in 1 month.

Beginnings

BUILDING A NATION

Poetry and Wisdom

Prophets

New Testament

Genesis 1-11

1 Samuel 1-8

Psalms 1-8; Proverbs 1

Isaiah 1-8

Matthew 1-7

Genesis 12-20

1 Samuel 9-15

Psalms 9-16; Proverbs 2

Isaiah 9-16

Matthew 8-14

Genesis 21-28

1 Samuel 16-24

Psalms 17-22; Proverbs 3

Isaiah 17-24

Matthew 15-20

Genesis 29-36

1 Samuel 25-31

Psalms 23-29; Proverbs 4

Isaiah 25-32

Matthew 21-28

Genesis 37-45

2 Samuel 1-10

Psalms 30-34; Proverbs 5

Isaiah 33-39

Mark 1-8

Genesis 46-50

2 Samuel 11-18

Psalms 35-37; Proverbs 6

Isaiah 40-48

Mark 9-16

Exodus 1-11

2 Samuel 19-24

Psalms 38-41; Proverbs 7

Isaiah 49-57

Luke 1-6

Exodus 12-18

1 Kings 1-11

Psalms 42-46; Proverbs 8

Isaiah 58-66

Luke 7-12

Exodus 19-24

1 Kings 12-16

Psalms 47-50; Proverbs 9

Jeremiah 1-6

Luke 13-18

Exodus 25-31

1 Kings 17-22

Psalms 51-57; Proverbs 10

Jeremiah 7-12

Luke 19-24

Exodus 32-40

2 Kings 1-10

Psalms 58-64; Proverbs 11

Jeremiah 13-20

John 1-6

Leviticus 1-10

2 Kings 11-17

Jeremiah 21-26

John 7-12

Leviticus 11-20

2 Kings 18-25

Jeremiah 27-31

John 13-21

Leviticus 21-27

1 Chronicles 1-9

Psalms 73-77; Proverbs 14

Jeremiah 32-38

Acts 1-7

Numbers 1-10

1 Chronicles 10-16

Psalms 78-83; Proverbs 15

Jeremiah 39-45

Acts 8-14

Numbers 11-17

1 Chronicles 17-22

Psalms 84-89; Proverbs 16

Jeremiah 46-49

Acts 15-21

Numbers 18-27

1 Chronicles 23-29

Psalms 90-92; Proverbs 17

Jeremiah 50-52

Acts 22-28

INSPIRE

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Psalms 65-68; Proverbs 12 Psalms 69-72; Proverbs 13

EMPOWER

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questions of

jesus

b y john powell

How many loaves do you have?

efore Jesus worked this wonderful miracle in feeding the massive crowd, He saw the opportunity to first teach us a lesson. Notice that Jesus did not ask the disciples, “How many loaves do you need?” He turned their attention from what they lacked to what they had. Jesus doesn’t want us to focus on what our need is, for most of the time, we don’t even know ourselves what we need. If He had asked the disciples this question instead, I can just hear their collective response, “Oh Lord, we need thousands of loaves and fish. It’s such a long journey to the nearest town, we could never collect it all and get it back here. We don’t even have the money to purchase that much, if they even have that much available to buy. Not to mention, we would need a few big carts and oxen to haul it all too. It’s not possible!” When we focus on our need, how easy it is to get caught up in how difficult or impossible our situation is! Instead, Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And He asks us that same question today, “What do you have for Me to work with?” Don’t worry about what you need. Just give Christ what you have, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, and He can multiply it into what you need, with some left over too. R

(Mark 8:5)

In this series, “Questions of Jesus,” we will take a closer look at some of the questions Jesus asked those who followed Him. Then, and now, He never asks a question He does not already know the answer to. He simply asks to see if we know the answer, and to cause us to look deeper inside ourselves.

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Beginnings

BUILDING A NATION

Poetry andWisdom

Prophets

New Testament

Genesis 1-11

1 Samuel 1-8

Psalms 1-8; Proverbs 1

Isaiah 1-8

Matthew 1-7

Genesis 12-20

1 Samuel 9-15

Psalms 9-16; Proverbs 2

Isaiah 9-16

Matthew 8-14

Genesis 21-28

1 Samuel 16-24

Psalms 17-22; Proverbs 3

Isaiah 17-24

Matthew 15-20

Genesis 29-36

1 Samuel 25-31

Psalms 23-29; Proverbs 4

Isaiah 25-32

Matthew 21-28

Genesis 37-45

2 Samuel 1-10

Psalms 30-34; Proverbs 5

Isaiah 33-39

Mark 1-8

Genesis 46-50

2 Samuel 11-18

Psalms 35-37; Proverbs 6

Isaiah 40-48

Mark 9-16

Exodus 1-11

2 Samuel 19-24

Psalms 38-41; Proverbs 7

Isaiah 49-57

Luke 1-6

Exodus 12-18

1 Kings 1-11

Psalms 42-46; Proverbs 8

Isaiah 58-66

Luke 7-12

Exodus 19-24

1 Kings 12-16

Psalms 47-50; Proverbs 9

Jeremiah 1-6

Luke 13-18

Exodus 25-31

1 Kings 17-22

Psalms 51-57; Proverbs 10

Jeremiah 7-12

Luke 19-24

Exodus 32-40

2 Kings 1-10

Psalms 58-64; Proverbs 11

Jeremiah 13-20

John 1-6

Leviticus 1-10

2 Kings 11-17

Psalms 65-68; Proverbs 12

Jeremiah 21-26

John 7-12

Leviticus 11-20

2 Kings 18-25

Psalms 69-72; Proverbs 13

Jeremiah 27-31

John 13-21

Leviticus 21-27

1 Chronicles 1-9

Psalms 73-77; Proverbs 14

Jeremiah 32-38

Acts 1-7

Numbers 1-10

1 Chronicles 10-16

Psalms 78-83; Proverbs 15

Jeremiah 39-45

Acts 8-14

Numbers 11-17

1 Chronicles 17-22

Psalms 84-89; Proverbs 16

Jeremiah 46-49

Acts 15-21

Numbers 18-27

1 Chronicles 23-29

Psalms 90-92; Proverbs 17

Jeremiah 50-52

Acts 22-28

Numbers 28-36

2 Chronicles 1-9

Psalms 93-100; Proverbs 18

Lamentations 1-5

Romans 1-8

Deuteronomy 1-10

2 Chronicles 10-20

Psalms 101-106; Proverbs 19

Ezekiel 1-11

Romans 9-16

Deuteronomy 11-20

2 Chronicles 21-28

Psalms 107-110; Proverbs 20

Ezekiel 12-20

1 Corinthians 1-8

Deuteronomy 21-26

2 Chronicles 29-36

Psalms 111-118; Proverbs 21

Ezekiel 21-28

1 Corinthians 9-16

Deuteronomy 27-34

Ezra 1-10

Psalm 119:1-88; Proverbs 22

Ezekiel 29-39

2 Corinthians 1-13

Joshua 1-12

Nehemiah 1-13

Psalm 119:89-176; Proverbs 23

Ezekiel 40-48

Galatians; Ephesians

Joshua 13-21

Esther 1-10

Psalms 120-134; Proverbs 24

Daniel 1-6

Phil; Col; 1,2 Thess

Joshua 22-24

Job 1-3

Psalms 135-139; Proverbs 25

Daniel 7-12

1,2 Tim; Titus; Philemon

Judges 1-8

Job 4-14

Psalms 140-145; Proverbs 26

Hosea

Hebrews

Judges 9-12

Job 15-21

Psalms 146-150; Proverbs 27

Joel; Amos; Obadiah

James; 1,2 Peter

Judges 13-16

Job 22-31

Ecclesiastes 1-6; Proverbs 28

Jonah; Micah; Nahum

1,2,3 John; Jude

Judges 17-21

Job 32-37

Ecclesiastes 7-12; Proverbs 29

Habak; Zeph; Haggai

Revelation 1-11

Ruth 1-4

Job 38-42

Song of Songs 1-8; Proverbs 30-31

Zechariah; Malachi

Revelation 12-22

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As the deer

pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Psalm 4 6 |

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42:1

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FOLLOWING HARD

after god b y a . w to z er from The Pursuit of God

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IGNITE

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. —Psalm 63:8

hristian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which briefly stated means this, that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man. Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within him; imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may follow. We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. “No man can come to me,” said our Lord, “except the Father which hath sent me draw him,” and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the out working of that impulse is our following hard after Him; and all the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: “Thy right hand upholdeth me.” In this divine “upholding” and human “following” there is no contradiction. All is of God, for as von Hugel teaches, God is always previous. In practice, however, (that is, where God’s previous working meets man’s present response) man must pursue God. Or, our part there must be positive reciprocation if this secret drawing of God is to eventuate in identifiable experience of the Divine. In the warm language of personal feeling this is stated in the Forty-second Psalm: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come. and appear before God?” This is deep calling untc deep, and the longing heart will understand it.

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The doctrine of justification by faith-a Biblical truth, and a blessed relief from sterile legalism and unavailing self-effort has in our time fallen into evil company and been interpreted by many in such man ner as actually to bar men from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may be “received” without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is “saved,” but he not hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact he is specifically taught to be satisfied and encouraged to be content with little. The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word. We have almost forgotten that God is a Person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored. All social intercourse between human beings is a response of personality to personality, grading upward from the most casual brush between man and man to the fullest, most intimate communion of which the human soul is capable. Religion, so far as it is genuine, is in essence the response of created personalities to the Creating Personality, God. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

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We have b

God is a Person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers as any other person may. In making Himself known to us He stays by the familiar pattern of personality. He communicates with us through the avenues of our minds, our wills and our emotions. The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the soul of the redeemer man is the throbbing heart of New Testament religion. This intercourse between God and the soul is known to us in conscious personal awareness. It is personal: that is, it does not come through the body of believers, as such, but is known to the individual, and, to the body through the individuals which compose it. And it is conscious: that is, it does not stay below the threshold of consciousness and work there unknown to the soul (as, for instance, infant baptism is though by some to do), but comes within the field of awareness where the man can “know” it as he knows any other fact of experience. You and I are in little (our sins excepted) what, God is in large. Being made in His image we have: I within us the capacity to know Him. In our sins we lack only the power. The moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition That is the heavenly birth without which we cannon: see the Kingdom of God. It is, however, not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead. That is where we begin, I say, but where: we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the awful and mysterious deaths of the Triune God neither limit nor end. Shoreless Ocean, who can sound Thee? Thine own eternity is round Thee, Majesty divine! To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy 10 |

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in the coils of a which insis

if we have fou we need no m experience by the children of the burning heart. St. Bernard stated this holy paradox in a musical quatrain that will be instantly understood by every worshipping soul: We taste Thee? O Thou Living Bread, And long feast upon Thee still: We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead And thirst our souls from Thee to fill. Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking. Moses used the fact that he knew God as an argument for knowing Him better. “Now, therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight”; and from there he rose to make the daring request, “I beseech thee, show me thy glory.” God was frankly pleased by this display of ardor, and the next day called Moses into the mount, and there in solemn procession made all His glory pass before him. David’s life was a torrent of spiritual desire, and his psalms ring with the cry of the seeker and the glad shout of the finder. Paul confessed the mainspring of his life to be his burning desire after Christ. “That I may know Him,” was the goal of his heart, and to this he sacrificed everything. “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may win Christ.” www.remnantmagazine.com

been snared

spurious logic sts that

und Him more seek Him. Hymnody is sweet with the longing after God, the God whom, while the singer seeks, he knows he has already found. “His track I see and I’ll pursue,” sang our fathers only a short generation ago, but that song is heard no more in the great congregation. How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of “accepting” Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him. This is set before us as the last word in orthodoxy, and it is taken for granted that no Bible-taught Christian ever believed otherwise. Thus the whole testimony of the worshipping, seeking, singing Church on that subject is crisply set aside. The experiential heart-theology of of a grand army of fragrant saints is rejected in favor of a smug interpretation of Scripture which would certainly have sounded strange to an Augustine, a Rutherford or a Brainerd. In the midst of this great chill there are some, I rejoice to acknowledge, who will not be content with shallow logic. They will admit the force of the argument, and then turn away with tears to hunt some lonely place and pray, “O God, show me thy glory.” They want to taste, to touch with their hearts, to see with their inner eyes the wonder that is God. I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality www,remnantmagazine.com

about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain. Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all. If we would find God amid all the religious externals we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now as always God discovers Himself to “babes” and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond. When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the “and” lies our great woe. If we omit the “and” we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing. We need not fear that in seeking God only we may narrow our lives or restrict the motions of our expanding hearts. The opposite is true. We can well afford to make God our All, to concentrate, to sacrifice the many for the One. The author of the quaint old English classic, The Cloud of Unknowing, teaches us how to do this. “Lift up thine heart unto Gel with a meek stirring of love; and mean Himself, and none of His goods. And thereto, look thee loath to think on aught but

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God Himself. So that nought work in thy wit, nor in thy will, but only God Himself. This is the work of the soul that most pleaseth God.” Again, he recommends that in prayer we practice a further stripping down of everything, even of our theology. “For it sufficeth enough, a naked intent direct unto God without any other cause than Himself.” Yet underneath all his thinking lay the broad foundation of New Testament truth, for he explains that by “Himself” he means “God that made thee, and bought thee, and that graciously called thee to thy degree.” And he is all for simplicity: If we would have religion “lapped and folden in one word, for that thou shouldst have better hold thereupon, take thee but a little word of one syllable: for so it is better than of two, for even the shorter it is the better it accordeth with the work of the Spirit. And such a word is this word GOD or this word LOVE.” When the Lord divided Canaan among the tribes of Israel Levi received no share of the land. God said to him simply, “I am thy part and thine inheritance,” and by those words made him richer than all his brethren, richer than all the kings and rajas who have ever lived in the world. And there is a spiritual principle here, a principle still valid for every priest of the Most High God.

The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever. O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up, any love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. R

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“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9).

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VOL V / ISSUE 4 / ARP 09

GETTING THROUGH DARK DAYS by Carter Conlon The hour in which we live is one of uncertainty, fear, and financial insecurity. It is a volatile season where everything can change in a moment. For instance, you could be laid off from your job tomorrow or you can lose your house to foreclosure. Perhaps a catastrophic event happens that changes the landscape of your life. It is during these unsettled times when many voices will try to surface in your mind. Some will be your own fears seeking to dominate your thoughts; others will be false reasonings sent by the devil himself. All of these voices will be working to destroy your ability to stand strong in difficult days. Unfortunately, there will be multitudes of people who will never learn to hear the voice of God. They will become prey to anyone and everyone who claims they are speaking for God. Jesus said “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:11). It is therefore imperative for believers in this hour to clearly know and understand how God speaks. It is also crucial for the church of Jesus Christ to be led and directed by truth. “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons” (1 Timothy 4:1 NLT). n THE LAST DAYS OF JERUSALEM

In the Old Testament, God used Jeremiah the prophet as a “voice of truth,” to speak to His people in Jerusalem. The Israelites were living on the brink of sudden ruin and impending captivity. God’s voice could be clearly understood when Jeremiah boldly proclaimed His Word www.remnantmagazine.com

to them. “For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:8–9). God loved His people and gave them warning after warning, but they chose to ignore it. Instead they believed the lies and smooth talking of the counterfeit prophets who preached a deceitful gospel of peace and prosperity. This wrong message lulled the majority into complacency, which kept them in a sinful and destructive lifestyle. These compromised people mistreated their fellowman without fear of reprisal from God; all the while the dust clouds of their captors gathered on the distant horizon. Jeremiah continued to be a contrasting voice for the people of Jerusalem. Even in the midst of great personal difficulty and persecution he faithfully spoke the word of God to them; warning them of the judgment to come. When the judgment of God suddenly arrived on their doorstep they capitulated into panic and fear. They were gripped in unbelief and dread, because they had wholeheartedly embraced the fraudulent voices around them. n WHY FALSE PROPHETS?

Jeremiah knew Satan had placed false prophets right in the midst of the people. Listen to his lament

concerning them, “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place” (Jeremiah 14:13). Their misguided message was given to a people whose value system was entrenched in a perishing society. There really was no difference between them and the surrounding nations.

One of the most ominous signs judgment is coming is the rise of phony prophets, all claiming to speak in God’s name. The devil sends bogus prophets, because they offer a bright but elusive future in a place which is about to experience the judgment of God. They preach peace when there is no peace; they preach prosperity, when there is no prosperity. One of the most ominous signs judgment is coming is the rise of phony prophets, all claiming to speak in God’s name.

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GETTING THROUGH DARK DAYS

Even God’s judgment did not stop their falsehoods. While Babylon’s army was systematically deporting the people, these same false prophets, who went into captivity with them, took along a new message. They began lying to them saying, “We won’t be here long, just look back at the past, God is going to restore what we had before.” This is exactly what false prophets are all about. It is the strategy of Satan, to keep you in a continual state of uncertainty; caught between an illusive future and a vanishing past. Now, here is the key to understanding why Satan works so hard to deceive you. It is to inundate you with counterfeit promises so you will come to the wrong conclusion about God. A conclusion which says God cannot be trusted. That is the issue. This is why Satan gives false promises of the future and then false promises of the past. He does this to keep you in a place of not knowing the true voice of God. In this way he keeps you off balance and chasing every new thing that comes along. You will always be shifting with every new wind of doctrine. Ultimately, this lack of trust in your heart will finally lead you to cast off your confidence in Christ, during the hour of your greatest trial. We are living in that place in some measure today. n MANY VOICES

I think many in the church today, especially if they have been a ‘gospel surfer’ have come to the place of saying, “Who is speaking for God? Will the real Jesus please stand up?” When everything begins to shake and calamity is at the door that is when you need to know you are hearing the voice of God. You need to know with assurance it is God and not your own heart speaking. You need to know it is not Satan animating some person who appears as an angel of light. You need to know that you are not being led into something that is going to bring you into a spiritual desert and 14 |

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ultimately spiritual destruction. Now, there may be a legitimate question arising in your heart: With all of these voices clamoring to speak for God, how can I know which one is actually God speaking?

The voice of God will never promise you peace when you are living in compliance with the value system of the world. n HOW YOU CAN KNOW GOD’S VOICE

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, (and the word ‘know’, means I am intimately acquainted with them.) and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). The voice of God will never promise you peace when you are living in compliance with the value system of the world. In other words, God will not promise you peace if you are embracing the same values as the ungodly around you. A worldly system which God has condemned and is about to bring His judgment upon. Jeremiah said “They (meaning the false prophets) say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after

the imagination (that means the stubbornness) of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you” (Jeremiah 23:17). In other words, the Lord is saying, “I have not sent these prophets, but they have gone. I have not spoken to them, but they have run to the people saying to them, they are speaking in my name. But, if they had stood in my counsel, they would have turned the people from their wicked ways.” The voice of God will always challenge sin in the life of the believer. Sin is willful rebellion that stands in opposition to obedience to a holy God. If you are living in compromise or blatant sin, you will not be at ease in the house of God, where the true gospel is being preached. If you are desirous of hearing God’s voice for yourself, then you have to repent, which means turn from your sin. To live as a Christian is to live a supernatural life by the power of His Holy Spirit. To live for Christ is to have a totally different value system to this world. It is to embrace the heart of God, who longs to reach fallen men, women and children. To let them know there is a Savior who loves them and will keep them in these trying times. Once you have turned to God with all your heart He will begin revealing His Word and His voice to you. “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). The major difference between people who are hearing God’s voice and those who are not will be evidenced by God’s leading. David said, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:2). They will be led by the tender voice of our Savior. They will be given promises of reassurance no matter what they have to face in the coming days. God will www.remnantmagazine.com

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be with them. There will be quietness in their soul and a confidence in the midst of conflict. This is the same word Jeremiah gave to the people who were about to be displaced, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished” (Jeremiah 29:4–6).

Wherever God calls and allows you to go, pray for that place and city. n BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

In other words, bloom where you are planted. No matter where you may end up in life, what city or country you eventually find yourself in, dig down deep and bloom there. Trust what God is saying. Nothing which comes your way is by accident. God has allowed it for a specific reason and your heart has to learn to trust His voice and direction for your life. You can now be confident that you are not in the hands of the devil, you never were, and you never will be. You are in the hands of God.

Jeremiah admonished those who were transported into Babylon, “seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have www.remnantmagazine.com

CHURCH

GETTING THROUGH DARK DAYS

peace. For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place” (Jeremiah 29:7,10). Wherever God calls and allows you to go, pray for that place and city. Live there as a person who has confidence in God and brings honor and glory to His name. Even if you are living in a place where everyone seems to be living apart from God, there choose to live for Him. Do not cast away your confidence in God in the difficult days. Wherever you live and whatever state you find yourself in, remember what Paul said, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11–13).

nothing around you to disturb the peace of God in that place. Hallelujah!

There is a song of praise that comes from trusting in the Lord your God. The Lord said through Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you, thoughts of good and not of evil to bring you to a desired end” (Jeremiah 29:11). He has to have a people in this generation that say, “Though the mountains be shaken out of their place, though the seas overflow their borders, I will not be afraid. I will trust in God. God will not fail me, nor forsake me. He will give me a testimony in the midst of my enemies.” One day when you are called to heaven, on the other side of this valley, just over the hilltop, there is a land of glory waiting for you! It is a place where your song of praise will never die; where you will never thirst; never get hungry and where you will never have to shed a tear. There will be

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TIMES SQUARE

CHURCH

GETTING THROUGH DARK DAYS

CARTER CONLON Carter Conlon is senior pastor of Times Square Church, where he has been on the pastoral staff since 1994.

Dear Friend,

The Apostle Peter wrote about these things to the early church. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12). In other words, nothing that is happening has taken God by surprise. He knew it was coming well before you did and had already made plans to get you through! In 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah was at the lowest point of his lifetime. Everything around him seemed to have spun out of control. He was at the very bottom of human despair and seeing his own future as hopeless. Suddenly, the most phenomenal whisper he had ever heard came to his heart. It was the voice of God, tenderly and intimately inviting him to continue on his life’s journey. Nothing in the plan of God had changed. Everything was unfolding exactly as the Lord knew it would. Nothing strange had happened. It was only human vision that had become cloudy. God’s eyes still saw the end from the beginning.

TIMES SQUARE CHURCH Times Square Church was founded in 1987 by Pastor David Wilkerson, author of “The Cross and the Switchblade.” It is an interdenominational church located in the heart of New York City.

Founding Pastor David Wilkerson

Senior Pastor Carter Conlon

Tel: 212-541-6300

Fax: 212-541-6415

Be prepared today to hear the whisper of the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps tonight when you lay your head on your pillow you’ll hear: “Don’t worry, you won’t be discouraged for long. Tomorrow I have a plan and you and I are going to walk through it together. And by the way, I’m soon coming in a spectacular way to bring you home!”

Church Location: 237 West 51st Street Between Broadway & 8th Avenue

Yours in Christ,

Mailing Address: 1657 Broadway, 4th Floor New York, NY 10019

e-mail: info@timessquarechurch.org

Pastor Carter Conlon WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

This message is an edited version of “Getting Through Dark Days,” a sermon given on October 5, 2008 in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in New York City. Other sermons are available by visiting our website at tscnyc.org. You can also write to: Times Square Church, Sermon Ministry, 1657 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. You are welcome to make additional copies of this sermon for free distribution to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission existing copyright laws apply. This sermon cannot be posted on any website or webpage without written permission from Times Square Church. Unless otherwise noted, all scripturereferences are from the King James Version.

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7:00PM

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Thursday 7:00PM

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Even the most devoted servants of God can find themselves experiencing measures of despair. There are times when things around us don’t seem to be unfolding as we thought they would.

The Prayer GOD Always Answers

EMPOWER

b y W AY N E JACOBSEN

Father, glorify your name. —John 12:27

esus’ time of teaching about his Father’s kingdom had drawn to an end. There would be no more opportunity to hold a leper in his hands or sit in Mary’s home in Bethany and talk of his Father’s wonders, at least not in this body, not in the way he had grown accustomed. He had returned to Jerusalem for his final visit. Days away from yielding himself to those who sought to kill him, his heart was deeply troubled. He stood on the threshold of the greatest act of love and trust our world would ever behold, but he knew in doing so he would be consumed. What should he do? Would he trust his Father’s love and continue the journey, or would he cut it short in a moment of weakness and beckon angels to set him free? Perhaps the most powerful lesson he taught his disciples about prayer began by polling how they thought he should pray: “What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’” Perhaps there were nods around the circle as they all acknowledged how good that sounded to them. That’s how we’re used to praying. In moments of trial and pain, it is natural even for the unbeliever to cry out for help. Save me, God! If you get me out of this I will serve you forever. His disciples understood that prayer well enough, but Jesus wanted them to learn a better way. Even when it was his life at stake, Jesus was tuned to a better frequency. “No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” What he wanted personally wasn’t in the picture. He was focused elsewhere-on the purpose that transcended his personal happiness. Then he prayed the prayer he wanted them to hear, “Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27). In this brief exchange we learn everything we will need to know about prayer and what it means to follow God in this life. For every situation you’ll ever encounter will offer you two options in prayer: “Father, save me” or “Father, glorify your name!” One will lead you to frustration and disillusionment; the other to the greatest wonders in God’s heart. R

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For your personal journey When we look back on the trials we have faced throughout our lives, we can learn much about ourselves, just back looking at our reactions to tests and sufferings. Looking at your own trials, when things got really hard, did you pray, “Let this cup pass!” Or did you pray, “Your will be done, not mine.” Did you pray, “Lord, save me!” Or did you pray, “Father, glorify thy name.” Look at your own experiences, how do you suppose things would have turned out if you had a different reaction?

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it has been said that we can be that we are of no

hea

but, can we also become s that we are o

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ecome so earthly minded

avenly good.

so heavenly minded of no

earthly good?

become worldly minded.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;mark 16:15

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portraits of christ

son of man

b y john powell

The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (Luke 9:22) This title Jesus selected for Himself, for no one else directly addresses Him with these words. This title speaks wonderfully of Jesus’ humanity. He was Divine, the Son of God. But He was also human, the Son of man. Jesus was raised by Joseph, a carpenter. He had the hard, sinewy frame of one who works hard with His hands. He had a cast iron grip that would immediately command the respect of burly fisherman and laborers whom He would call to follow HIm. Take a good look at His hands. They look like the hands of a man, the rough calloused hands of a carpenter. Jesus’ outstretched hand calmed an angry sea, healed a blinded eye, gently brushed away a tear, and cleansed a temple. But these hands are also the hands of God. These hands established the ocean’s boundaries, carved majestic peaks, flung the stars into space, and put a song in the sparrow’s throat. They delivered the nation of Israel from Egypt and opened the Red Sea. These hands sent ravens to feed Elijah, a fish to interrupt Jonah’s getaway, and fingered a message of judgment on the wall of Nebuchadnezzer’s palace.

Jesus is the “image of the invisible God,” Paul wrote to the Colossians. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” (Colossians 1:15-19). Yet Jesus chose to limit HImself in frail human flesh and walk among us on the dusty road of Galilee. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “He is able to sympathize with our weakness, for He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). He is a man of sorrows, He is acquainted with grief, and whatever trial you are facing right now, He knows and understands your feelings and your doubts, and He is praying for you, that your faith will never fail. R

In this series, “Portraits of Christ,” we will take a closer look at some of the many names of Jesus used throughout the Old and New Testaments.

VISIT MY BLOG

Heart to Heart From God’s Heart to Your Heart

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bible Promises When you need

encouragement “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” (Isaiah 43:1-3).

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6). “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10). “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).

demn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me”, says the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17). “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you”, says the LORD, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon Me, and you shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

“No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you will con-

daisy petals Discover the relationship God has always wanted with you. JesusCaresAboutYou.net/daisypetals.com

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last word

The

INSPIRE

b y john powell

What shall I Do? “And when (Jesus) was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.” (Mark 10:17-20). All of your life, you have been rewarded by performance. As a child, you were rewarded with good grades for studying hard. You were given an allowance for doing your chores faithfully. And as you grew, the tasks grew more challenging, and the rewards grew larger. Working hard at a job brought you a good salary, and perhaps a bonus or promotion. With your salary, you got the things many people dream of: a nice house in an affluent subdivision, a foreign sportscar, designer clothes, and a country club membership. So why should religion be any different? Working hard at keeping the commandments or just being good should bring some kind of reward, right? This is what the rich young ruler thought. He comes running to Christ, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? I have kept all the commandments since I was a boy!” Oh really? Perhaps the young man really thought he had kept the commandments. Even so, he still needed more assurance and wondered if there was something extra he should do. You can’t be too careful. I mean, how good is good enough, right?

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But Jesus knew better, and to show the young man that it is impossible to earn eternal life with our own efforts, Jesus gave him another task, “Go, sell all you have and give it to the poor, and then take up the cross and follow me.” Saddened, the young man turned and walked away to an unknown fate. God does not save us because of any thing which we do. We are not saved by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Only an egotistical God could be bought with our tithes and impressed by our suffering. Only a cruel and heartless God would sell salvation to the highest bidders. But a great God does for His children what they cannot do for themselves. R

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What must I do

to be saved?

his is the most important question in human existence and one whose answer is clearly outlined in scripture. In order to be saved we must first realize our true state of sinfulness before God and know that He alone can save us, cleanse us, and give us eternal life. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the only way and we can not have access to God through any other means. In fact, in John 14:6, Jesus plainly stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” God loves you! God loves you so much that he made a way for you, through the shed blood of his son so that you might be able to spend eternity with Him. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life” (John. 3:16). Man is a sinner, and sin has separated him from God! You may think you are a good person but being good is not enough! Every man has sinned and there is none that is righteous before God! “For there is not a just man upon Earth, that doeth good and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). “For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Jesus Christ is the only remedy for sin! Jesus Christ is the only remedy for sin. We can not be good enough to get into heaven, nor can our good works get us there. There was no other way for God to erase the effect of sin except by blood. The shedding of Christ’s blood indicated that the penalty for sin had been paid; a perfect sinless life had been sacrificed for the lives of all who have sinned. “. . .Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22) “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God . . .” (I Peter 3:18).

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“Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). You must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior To be saved, a man must confess that Jesus is Lord, while acknowledging in his heart that Christ must have full rule over his life. This confession of Christ as Lord assumes that it is Christ who will work and fulfill His own righteousness within man, as man is unable to attain righteousness of his own accord. Jesus calls this experience the “new birth.” He told Nicodemus: “. . . Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). We invite you now to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name” (John 1:12). Pray this prayer and mean it with all your heart Dear Lord Jesus, I realize that I am a sinner and have broken your laws. I understand that my sin has separated me from you. I am sorry and I ask you to forgive me. I accept the fact that your son Jesus Christ died for me, was resurrected, and is alive today and hears my prayers. I now open my heart’s door and invite Jesus in to become my Lord and my Saviour. I give Him control and ask that He would rule and reign in my heart so that His perfect will would be accomplished in my life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Congratulations! If you prayed this prayer in all sincerity, you are now a Child of God. However there are a few things that you need to do to follow up on your commitment. 1. Get baptized ( full immersion) in water as commanded by Christ 2. Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ (including us!) 3. Spend time with God each day through prayer and Bible reading 4. Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus.

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Pray for

America

“We are becoming the type of nation we used to send missionaries to.” —william

b e n n e t t , f o r m e r s e c r e ta ry o f e d u c at i o n