Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. All prophecy throughout
the Scriptures is given for the purpose of revealing Christ to
those whom the Lord is pleased to give eyes to see. For the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Howbeit, when He,
the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.
For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear,
that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come. He shall
glorify Me. If Christ confessed that His
hope was in the Word of the Lord, how much more are we constrained
to cast ourselves down at His feet who is the Word of the living
God revealed in flesh and blood? We despair of bringing one eye
out of our own effort before Him and can only cling to that
which Christ has done for us and does presently work in us
according to His purpose. For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Can any man
then prove upon that which Christ has wrought? And can we look
anywhere else for help except in Him who is the righteousness
of God? The strength and triumph of the
sons of God is found in Christ. The expectation of acceptance
before the throne of God is found there as well. Who makes us to
differ from another? And what do we have that we have
not received? Whereas once there was a satisfaction
in having performed various good deeds and supposed obedience,
now there is an awareness of the weakness of such attempts
and a desire to flee from such and be found in Christ. But what
things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea,
doubtless, and I count all things but lost 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 done, that I may
win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. that I may
know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. When a newborn babe is brought
into the world, he has no thought to anything but seeking that
which will satisfy his own desires. If he is uncomfortable, he will
fret and cry until someone comforts him. If he is hungry, he does
not make a request to be fed, but rather he demands it. As
time goes on, he develops a bond of affection with his mother,
who nurtures and cares for him. But still, he is primarily concerned
in having his own needs met. His mother is most important
to his survival, but he has no understanding of that fact. But
the day comes as he matures and is weaned from his mother's breast,
that his contentment is found in the tender care of his mother,
more so than the immediate need of being fed from her breast.
Christ speaks of being quieted as one who is weaned of his mother.
We read of this very situation, though he were a son, yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered. The Lord God opened
mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave
my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off
the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting, for the Lord
God will help me. Therefore shall I not be confounded.
Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that
I shall not be ashamed. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. As a weaned child, he delighted
to do his father's will rather than his own. His joy was found
in performing that which he was sent to do, looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is sent
down at the right hand of the throne of God. Left to ourselves,
we're all as the unweaned child who seeks his own comfort and
rests in having his own desires met. We would soon complain about
the difficulties and trials of life, yet we're exhorted to consider
him as he is our comforter. For consider him that endured
such contradiction of centers against himself, lest ye be wearied
and faint in your minds. You have not yet resisted unto
blood, striving against sin. Christ alone is our hope, our
help, and our performer. And the very God of peace sanctify
you wholly. And I pray God, your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you,
who also will do it. Is Christ the sum of your righteousness? Are you satisfied with him? Or
do you fret and seek to add to that which he has completed? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.