| AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD | A CROW AMONG DOVES |
| BIRDS SET FREE | THE BUTTERFLY |
| KNOWING THE MASTER | LESSONS FROM A COW'S TAIL |
| LESSONS FROM A CANDLE | THE POISONED WELL |
| TRUTH AND ERROR |
AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD
One night at sea the ship's Captain saw what appeared to be the lights of another
oncoming vessel in front of him. He had his signalman blinked a message to the other
ship demanding that it change it's course. The reply came back, "No, you change your
course!"
At this the Captain angrily signaled back, I am CAPTAIN, change your course, now!" The
other signaled back, "I am Seaman First Class, so you change your course,
immediately."
The infuriated ship's Captain signaled back the message, "You fool, change your course,
THIS IS A BATTLESHIP!" The other immediately signaled back, "YOU FOOL!" THIS IS THE LIGHTHOUSE!"
We must all give way to the authority of God's Word and submit to His sovereign will. He is
God! Human will, rank, and pride have no alternative except to "change course" when
confronted with the unyielding, unchanging Word of God, even if that message comes
through a lowly servant.
BIRDS SET FREE
The grace of God, and the GIFT of that grace, by Christ Jesus, is illustrated in the following true story. George
Thomas, pastor in a small New England town, brought a rusty, bent, empty, birdcage to the service and set it by
the pulpit. When several eyebrows were raised, the pastor explained that walking through town he had encountered
a little boy carrying the cage, swinging it, with three cold and frightened birds inside.
The pastor stopped the boy and questioned him about what he intended to do with the birds. The boy's answer was
that after playing with them, he would feed them to his cat. The little boy was surprised when the pastor offered
to buy the birds instead. His answer was, "Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain-old
field birds. They don't sing and they ain't even pretty!"
Nevertheless, the pastor insisted, and paid the boy far more than they were worth. Upon receiving the birds, the
preacher opened the door of the cage and set the little birds free. The empty birdcage, with the open door sitting
next to him by the pulpit was a testimony to the successful work he had done to redeem and liberate those birds.
All who are the Lord's people can identify with the birds. Being subject to the law of sin and death, they are
without help, hope, or God in this world, just like any one else. However, their hope is in the redemption that
the Lord Jesus Christ has obtained for them, by His righteous life and sacrificial, atoning death. He paid the
price, satisfying the Law of God's justice and condemnation, and delivers them from guilt. Just as every bird was
set free that had been purchased, so in Christ, all for whom He paid the redemptive price are set free. Such is
the nature and perfection of Christ's work. It truly is a gift of God's grace, freely bestowed upon all which God
the Father has given to His Son. He'll not lose one, John 6:37-39. What a glorious Savior and Redeemer He is! Wonders
of wonders that He would even think upon sinners such as we are. Then, to pay the price so fully, that none are
lost for whom He died. His death was not a down payment. It is an effectual atonement for all which God the Father
has purposed to save, Hebrews 9:12!
KNOWING THE MASTER
"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."
Isaiah 1:3
What can we learn from animals regarding their love and respect for their master? There are a number of parallels.
They know their master's voice, when he calls them, and they follow him wherever he leads them, whether to plough in the field, or feed in the meadows. Believers are compared to sheep who hear the voice of Christ and follow Him, John 10:27. Why do they hear the Shepherd? They were given to Christ, by the Father, in eternal, electing grace, John 10:29. Christ purchased them from out of the world, by His atoning death, John 10:15. This was not some general atonement, but designed only for their redemption. Having purchased them He brings them into His fold, through the regenerating work of the Spirit, John 10:3,4. Christ said, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine," John 10:14. Note the order. His sheep know Him because He first knew Him.
They feed at their master's crib. He feeds on the food that the master gives him without worry or complaint. Such is the attitude of the Lord's sheep as well. Their food is His Gospel. A stranger's voice they will not hear. It is only the Gospel that glorifies Him as Sovereign, and sets Him forth as the effectual Redeemer of His people, that they will hear. They rejoice in His word and will without fear or unbelief.
There are similar characteristics with pets. Our dogs will stand at our back door and bark at me until
I come open the door and pet them both. They know their master and desire my approval and affection. Even after
I have reentered the house and shut the door, I've observed them smelling each other wherever I have touched them
with my hand. They are attracted by whatever fragrance remains. O! How sweet the fragrance of Christ is. The
believer loves to "smell out" wherever He has put His hand of blessing. His glory, righteousness, and
peace are the believer's delight, Song of Solomon 5:9-16.
An animal is not satisfied merely with the hand, however. Sometimes when I am out front, the dogs will peer through
the cracks of the wooden gate at me, waiting for me to acknowledge them. I will put my fingers through the crack,
and touch their wet noses. However, when I go back into the house, I will see them waiting at the back door, peering
through the glass, wanting to see my face. So, too, is the case of the believer. While now, we delight in His
hand of mercy, and desire to know that His hand is upon us; we long to see His face. Such is the hope for which
every chosen, redeemed, and called child of God waits, I John 3:2. What a difference the grace of God makes.
But for the grace of God, we too would be like Israel of old, insensitive to God as Maker and Owner, Lord, Master,
Father, Savior, and Redeemer.
TOP
LESSONS FROM A CANDLE
Look at a candle and how it burns. The more the light shines, the more the candle diminishes. What a beautiful
illustration of the believer in Christ! The more he learns the Gospel of Christ, the more precious Christ becomes,
and the less he thinks of himself. One who is truly the Lord's, shines forth the Light of HIS righteousness, grace,
goodness, mercy, forgiveness, and truth. In so shining, self does not get bigger and more noticeable, the Christ
does! The glory is not to self but to HIM. John the Baptist said, "He must increase, I must decrease,"
John 3:30.
LESSONS FROM A COW'S TAIL
A pastor once asked a lady of his little congregation what she thought it was to grow spiritually or in the grace
of God. After a brief pause she said, "A Christian's growth in grace is like the growth of a cow's tail."
Somewhat puzzled by her answer, the pastor asked if she would explain. The simple, uneducated country lady replied,
"The more a cow's tail grows, the nearer it comes to the ground, and the more a Christian grows in grace,
the more he takes his place in the dust before God."
TOP
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
LESSON:
The Lord ordains trials and difficulties for His glory and the good of His Beloved, Romans 8:28. There are no shortcuts! Every detail is designed by our infinite, all-wise heavenly Father. May He teach us to wait on Him in all things and not lean on the arm of the flesh in anything!
James 1:2-6
2 My brethren, count it
all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and
entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
THE POISONED WELL
"Don't drink that water!" Sarah cried as James lifted the dipper to his lips. "Someone
put poison in the well! You're likely to get pretty sick if you drink it--maybe you'll never recover!"
James looked at the water and then quickly threw it away. "Thank you for warning me!" he said. "I had no idea it was poisoned!"...
The well was poisoned! This illustration shows us how the devil works to poison the minds of people who are jealous of something they have believed all their lives. They have been taught a certain idea-- a set of doctrines that they are told is the Gospel--and they are warned all their lives that everything else is error and they must avoid it. If they are curious enough to consider it, they are told, it will lead them into error and ultimately they will die in their sins. Their ministers put a fear into them of looking into things themselves--searching the Scriptures to find out if perhaps the doctrines they been warned against might be true after all...
Many are not aware that the doctrine of universalism, or universal salvation that teaches man's free will, is a deadly poison. Yet, this is the greatest poisoned well, that has poisoned many a mind and heart against the truth of God's sovereign grace. We must be careful not to simply follow the traditions and teachings of men without first of all checking everything with the Bible, God's Word.
Those who are thirsty must drink of the pure water of the well of Grace, a well springing up to everlasting life. The Lord Jesus Christ and his perfect life and death in the place of the elect of God is a well from which they drink deeply and find satisfaction.
TRUTH AND ERROR
Truth and Error met one day by the side of a beautiful, placid lake in a land called Eden's Garden.
They spied a bed of tulips nearby, and as they watched the worms, chewing away on the greenery while butterflies
harmlessly sipped away at the nectar in the blooms of the tulips, they began discussing an extremely difficult
subject. Why do Caterpillars eat and destroy the leaves of the tulips while Butterflies
seem to enjoy only the nectar from the bloom?
Truth began to explain the subject of Transformation. This confused Error to such an extent that he changed the subject and suggested that they go for a swim. Truth took off his beautiful robe and jumped into the water. Deceitful Error grabbed Truth's robe, put it on and ran away wearing the beautiful robe of Truth. When Truth discovered that Error had fled wearing his beautiful robe, he decided that Error's treachery must be exposed. Having nothing to put on but Error's dirty garments, Truth decided to remain "The Naked Truth." As it turned out, this was a "blessing in disguise" so to speak. Truth needs no cover of any sort.
Truth knew that he had nothing to conceal or hide and is perfectly willing to be looked upon as he is. This is not so with Error. He knows that, to be accepted, he must at least be partially covered with the Robe of Truth. since that fateful day at the water's edge, Error has been "passing himself off" as Truth. Nowhere in all the world has he been so readily accepted as in the realm of religion. Error continues to wear Truth's robe. However, Naked Truth and Bare Facts are twins. They pursue Error wherever he goes. They are constantly being weighed in the balances of human judgment.
Christians will never accept a doctrine blindly nor simply on the word of some man. Every doctrine should be weighed by the Infallible Word of God. Truth wil not object because it has nothing to hide. Use the Bible to strip the Robe from Error and you will be forever grateful to the one who encouraged you to do so. (II John 1-4, III John 1-4).
A CROW AMONG DOVES
The following Indian fable illustrates the difference between having a form of religion in contrast to one who is the Lord’s by His grace in Christ.
“A crow found a covey of doves feeding together, living in perfect unity and goodwill. Anxious to join them, he realized that his raven-black feathers contrasted strongly with the white or light grey coats of the doves. So, finding a heap of white ashes, he rolled in them until his coat appeared, if not white, to be a light grey hue. As he tried to join the doves, their immediate reaction was to edge away from the intruder and finally to fly off altogether. The wise crow noticed that his walk was different from the doves! He hopped: the doves walked, putting one foot down after another. After some practice at this new kind of locomotion, the crow came another day to where the doves were, a fresh layer of ashes covering his black feathers, and walked along carefully in imitation of the walk of the doves. He made some success, and was about to become friendly when he smelled a carcass some little distance away. Leaving the grains the doves had permitted him to share with them, he flew over to the carcass and was soon enjoying himself feeding on the dead body. The next day, realizing that his eating habits had offended them, the crow made up his mind that no carcass should divert him from enjoying their company that day. However, soon after, another jet-black crow came and perched on an overhead branch. Looking down, and recognizing a brother crow began to make a series of “Caws.” Its brother crow among the doves, forgetting himself, fittingly replied – “Caw! Caw!”
Being a believer in Christ is not a matter of learned behavior, but being made so by God in Christ. His saving, redeeming grace in Christ alone is what makes the difference! It is the electing grace of God that marks out those that are His, Christ’s precious blood that has redeemed them to Himself, and the Holy Spirit that calls them out, and separates them to Christ by whom their sins were forgiven and His righteousness put to their account by the Father in His death. Any other attempts at righteousness are certainly false and will be exposed as such. (Eph. 2:8-10; 5:1,8; I Pet. 2:9-12)