Thursday, May 09, 2013
Things As They Are
Below is a excerpt from Amy Carmichael's book The way Things Are. Amy was a missionary who spent her entire life on the mission field. I have updated the English vernacular.
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"The tom-toms thumped straight on all night, and the darkness shuddered round me like a living feeling thing. I could not go to sleep, so I lay awake and looked; and saw, as it seemed, this:
I was standing on a patch of grass over looking a precipice that appeared endless. All that I could see were cloud shapes, black and furiously coiled, and great shadow-shrouded hollows. I drew back, dizzy.
Then I saw forms of people.
They were moving in single file line towards the cliff face.
I saw a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding on to her dress. She was on the very edge.
Then I saw that she was blind.
Lifting her foot for the next step...it trod air. She went over and the children went with her. Oh the cry as they went over!
Then I saw streams of people following from all quarters. All of them were blind. All of them were headed straight for the precipice. Shrieks pierced the air as they suddenly realized that they were falling, throwing their arms up to catch tufts of grass that gave way. Still some went over without making a sound.
Agony. I wondered in agony why no one stopped them at the edge. I could not. I was stuck where I stood. I could not call; though I tried, only a whisper would come.
Then I saw along the edge there were sentries set at intervals. But the intervals were great...too great. There were wide, unguarded gaps. In these gaps, multitudes fell over the edge quite unknowingly until it was too late. the green grass I was standing in seemed blood-red to me, and the gulf yawned like the mouth of hell.
Then I saw a peaceful scene. folks were picnicking under a tree with their backs turned to the gulf. they were oblivious to the cries and the myriad of souls going over the edge. they were busy making daisy chains. Every once in a while, a piercing scream would cause them to pause in their activity. If one of their number stood up and wanted to go investigate, they would pull them back down and focus them on their work there.
One sentry left her post to go and rest. No one came to replace her and thousands of people perished in her absence in the waterfall of souls.
Once a child caught a tuft of grass and screamed longer and louder than usual. The child was very near the group of picnickers. A girl stood up to go run and help her, but the others in the group pulled her back down and began to sing a hymn so loud that the girl could no longer hear the screams of the child. But the time the girl was able to break free and run to the edge to save the child, it was too late.
Then through the volume of the hymn being sung came another sound; the sound like the pain of a million broken hearts wrung out is one full drop, one solitary sob. The horror of the great darkness was upon me, for I knew it was the Cry of Blood.
Then I hear a voice.
The voice of the Lord said to me, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth." (Genesis 4:10)
The tom-toms still beat heavily, the darkness still shuddered about me; I heard the screams. What does it matter, after all? It has gone on for years; it will go on for years. Why make such a fuss about it?"
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Gaza
Gaza: Rebellion
| Gaza © Stained Glass Angels by B.David Warren |
Gaza
literally means “strong place” and is sometimes used to refer to God. However, when applied to humanity, it is used
to denote arrogance and self-rule or authority over one’s own destiny. Directly related to the pride earlier
discussed, the Rebel spirit embodied in the essence of the word Gaza points to
a stronghold that the Enemy uses to keep us from living a full life in
God.
Where pride will have you
thinking you don’t need anyone to tell you what to do, Rebellion and self-rule
leave you resenting those in authority over you. Just as humility is the remedy for pride
(lowering ourselves to the form of a servant as Jesus Christ did), submission
is the remedy for a rebellious spirit.
Submission is such a dirty
word these days, but that is only because we have an adverse reaction because
of our own rebellious spirit. David faithfully
served a mad king for years and so learned the value of submission and allowed
God to be his shield and his refuge.
Christ demonstrated obedience for us in that (being in His right mind)
He dreaded the cross but went to it willingly.
Through His submission, Jesus
set the world free from sin. What might
our submission bring? In the very least,
it will free us from rebellion. Yet I
also believe it will have an ember-storm effect and spread like wildfire to the
hurting and broken who so desperately need to trust that God has their best
intentions in hand. It is so easy to submit when you keep in mind that God is kind and that He moves in love toward
us at every moment. There is no shadow
in Him.
Recap:
Gaza = Rebellion
Remedy = Submission
Romans 5:19
"For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous."
Jesus Loves Evansville
David Warren
David Warren
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Ashdod
Ashdod: Pride
Ashdod literally means "City On a Hill". Make no mistake, this was not a
positive foreshadowing of the Church. Rather, an anti-type. Ashdod
glorified itself and was all about vanity rather than displaying the
glory of another.
As it was first of the Philistine cities David was able to overcome, it was not the first city. The first city was Jebus (Jerusalem) which represented the heart of man and seat of the King. After establishing his throne there, it was onto the Philistine strongholds.
One of the biggest threats to our hearts is PRIDE. Self-glorification will ruin a life faster than anything else. Now mind you, there is a difference between confident display of what God has done in one's life and self-serving pride. They often are mistaken for one another.
David did not usurp the throne (he never touched the Lord's anointed) and he allowed God to establish him. Jesus lowered himself and became a servant to all. He obeyed to the point of death and became sin for us. The King of Glory humbled Himself and so His mountain is higher than any self-made hill. The Father has exalted the Son and every knee shall now, every tongue shall confess that He is Lord.
Ashdod was the house of Dagon who eventually lost his head before the Ark of the Covenant (Mercy seat of God). The key to not losing your head; humility. Learn to bow before Jesus and He will be the lifter (instead of the taker) of your head.
Recap:
Ashdod = Pride
Remedy = Humility
Proverbs 29:23
"One's pride will bring him low,
but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
Jesus Loves Evansville,
David Warren
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