Monday, March 27, 2023

Orange Moon Monday, March 27, 2023 "Upon the Knees"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…      


"Upon the Knees"


   "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet (fit) to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am" (I Corinthians 15:9).
   "They all forsook Him, and fled" (Mark 14:50).

    None of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ were worthy to hold their positions.  All would have confessed the same as the Apostle Paul of their own merits and abilities fitting them to serve the Savior.  Paul, of course, "persecuted the church of God" in far greater intensity than we realize apart from careful reading of the book of Acts, along with his own confessions in the epistles.  The other apostles left the Lord Jesus to die alone in His hour of darkness.  Indeed, none were worthy.

   The same truth applies to all called to communicate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.  Never once in the history of the church has God found and called even one who merited a place in His purposes.  Indeed, every Christian preacher, teacher, and author belong to a company whose sins made necessary the suffering, forsakenness, and death of the Lord Jesus.  All have His blood on their hearts and hands.  Moreover, all have had times even after salvation when practice both internally and externally did not align with profession.  Not one can step up to a pulpit, teach a Sunday school class, or pen a book as qualified by their own merit and performance.  At least figuratively, the pastor should crawl to his pulpit, the teacher to his podium, and the writer to his desk.  If we are what we are, or what God calls us to be, His grace alone allows us to speak or write even one word for His glory.  "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God" (II Corinthians 3:5).

    Paul would tell us this.  He did, in fact.  "By the grace of God, I am what I am."  As would John, Peter, James and the other apostles.  We do well to remember this.  While we gratefully appreciate those called to preach, teach, and write, we ever seek to remember the clay of their feet, and even more, the redeeming and completely unmerited grace bestowed upon their hearts.  The Lord Jesus does not direct our gaze toward glimmering trophies resting on a mantle as we seek His truth, but rather to those whose only glory lies in serving as reflections of His light.  We do well to look and listen only to those who give clear indication of this grace received, or, to those those who have made their way to pulpit, podium, and desk upon the knees of their hearts.

"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
(I Timothy 1:14-17)

Weekly Memory Verse
   Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God."
 (II Corinthians 3:5)

    




















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