Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering –fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Genesis 4:2–5
When we pray we must make a sacrifice. We first have to surrender something. That is the difference between Abel and Cain. With his offering Abel gave himself and all he had – fat portions. Cain, however, kept back something for himself and expected something because of his offering. There is a big difference between these two.
We can make an offering selfishly, or we can make an offering in true surrender. We can also pray selfishly, or we can pray in true surrender. Some people pray thinking only of themselves, quietly wishing to get as much as they can from God. Others, however, do not think of themselves at all and long only that God takes possession of them. Again, there is a big, big difference.
There are times when life gets beyond our control and fear overtakes us. Like Cain, we shudder and pray and make offerings to God. However, we only do this to obtain speedy help for ourselves and rid ourselves of fear. We humble ourselves a little and cry out, “Dear God, help me!” But afterwards we are the same old person, living life as usual. Once again we have our house, our health, our money and possessions, and we can look after our own welfare pretty much by ourselves. Perhaps we still pray from time to time, giving thanks: “God is kind. Without him things would not be going so well for me.” But all the while, we are filled with selfishness.
When we pray, what is offered or sacrificed is not so important. People in the Old Testament could offer a little dove or an ox; it was all the same. It did not matter to God whether much or little was brought to him. What mattered was whether it was brought selfishly or willingly. And whether we pray selfishly or in true surrender is still important today.
Let us beware. God does not want our prayers and offerings if they spring only from self-interest. If we don’t burn for God and for his kingdom on earth, our religion is like inferior plaster – it falls down again. Praying for all our little woes is of no use, it does nothing for God. It kills true prayer, as Abel was killed by Cain. Let us take warning. Everything depends on whether God has us completely. So offer your whole self to God – this is the only sacrifice that matters.
Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Be Opened!
Some people brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Mark 7:32–35
The Savior stands in our midst as a fighter for us. He sighs and looks up to the Father in heaven, and then he calls loudly, “Ephphatha! Be opened!” Perhaps this man who came to Jesus was timid about coming to him. He certainly would have been anxious when the Savior took him aside and touched him – not really understanding why Jesus did this. But then suddenly, with “Ephphatha!” his ears were opened and he could exclaim, “The news is true, Jesus is the Lord who can put an end to sin and suffering. I have experienced it. Praise and thanks be to God!”
Beloved, this “Ephphatha!” must be the conclusion of the history of our world. The Savior is even now busily at work, turning the gospel that we hear into deeds. But the Savior must also approach us personally, in secret, and in secret he must pray for us before his Father’s throne. And finally the great “Ephphatha!” will come; it will shake the whole world.
For the time being everything is hidden. The greater Jesus’ victories are, the more they take place in secret. The way this man was taken aside by the Savior is an example of how humankind as a whole will be taken aside by the Savior. Quietly, but with deep ardor, Jesus will bring humankind before his Father’s throne.
So we who are God’s priestly people must cast the sick at his feet. We must cry out to him, “Dear Savior, you are the Lord. We cannot bear it that so many people follow false gods, for we know that you alone are the Lord. So here we are. We will not leave you in peace, for you came to represent us before the heavenly Father in order to help us.” This is how we must implore him. It is our task as the church.
Oh, you dear ones, I am often very sad when I see so many Christians who no longer bring people to the Savior on account of their sins and their suffering. We must not allow the gates of heaven to close between sinners and the Savior. The gates must remain open for all who suffer, for all sick people. Were it not for this, I do not know whether I could believe the gospel.
Let this be firmly established within us; then we shall help toward the coming of “Ephphatha!” The greater our regard for the one who was crucified and rose from the dead, the greater will be the “Ephphatha!” in the final days –like when God said in the beginning, “Let there be light!” Yes, one day we shall hear, “Ephphatha! Be opened!”
Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt
The Savior stands in our midst as a fighter for us. He sighs and looks up to the Father in heaven, and then he calls loudly, “Ephphatha! Be opened!” Perhaps this man who came to Jesus was timid about coming to him. He certainly would have been anxious when the Savior took him aside and touched him – not really understanding why Jesus did this. But then suddenly, with “Ephphatha!” his ears were opened and he could exclaim, “The news is true, Jesus is the Lord who can put an end to sin and suffering. I have experienced it. Praise and thanks be to God!”
Beloved, this “Ephphatha!” must be the conclusion of the history of our world. The Savior is even now busily at work, turning the gospel that we hear into deeds. But the Savior must also approach us personally, in secret, and in secret he must pray for us before his Father’s throne. And finally the great “Ephphatha!” will come; it will shake the whole world.
For the time being everything is hidden. The greater Jesus’ victories are, the more they take place in secret. The way this man was taken aside by the Savior is an example of how humankind as a whole will be taken aside by the Savior. Quietly, but with deep ardor, Jesus will bring humankind before his Father’s throne.
So we who are God’s priestly people must cast the sick at his feet. We must cry out to him, “Dear Savior, you are the Lord. We cannot bear it that so many people follow false gods, for we know that you alone are the Lord. So here we are. We will not leave you in peace, for you came to represent us before the heavenly Father in order to help us.” This is how we must implore him. It is our task as the church.
Oh, you dear ones, I am often very sad when I see so many Christians who no longer bring people to the Savior on account of their sins and their suffering. We must not allow the gates of heaven to close between sinners and the Savior. The gates must remain open for all who suffer, for all sick people. Were it not for this, I do not know whether I could believe the gospel.
Let this be firmly established within us; then we shall help toward the coming of “Ephphatha!” The greater our regard for the one who was crucified and rose from the dead, the greater will be the “Ephphatha!” in the final days –like when God said in the beginning, “Let there be light!” Yes, one day we shall hear, “Ephphatha! Be opened!”
Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt
Monday, May 16, 2011
He Knows Our Need
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15–16
There are times when life gets so hard that you feel unable to pray; you may even feel you no longer have any faith. It seems as if the Savior is far from you and that you no longer belong to the Savior, or that you never were on the right track to begin with. It’s as if you were in hell, gripped with fear and a sense of being lost. You may even wish you had never been born. The pain is too great, the future too hopeless.
How I would love to direct you in such a way that all darkness is taken away from your soul! But such agony cannot be blown away with one stroke. For that, we have to wait for a time of grace. Yet, even now the Savior can give you much, but only if you become quiet and place your hope in him. If you remain childlike about your condition, you will not think that everything is lost – even when you hear discordant voices inside you. The Savior is there to comfort you. And if you are unable to become quiet, don’t worry. The harm is not irreparable. Inability is not a sin. The Savior loves you, if only because of your sighs.
Remember, Jesus came into the flesh, into your very need, so that you may know that God is not indifferent to your suffering. You sigh and weep, you are miserable, you mourn for the Savior. That is all right, as long as you do it in the right way. The Savior did not say: “Blessed are those whose cause is right.” He did say: “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn” (Matt. 5:3–4). Believe it!
If you can’t feel the Savior, then all the more believe in him. Those to whom God’s love is nearest are precisely those who don’t see and yet believe (John 20:29). The same is true of those who don’t feel and yet believe. The enemy often wreaks havoc on our feelings; but he can’t touch your faith. The devil cannot own your faith –unless you give in.
Sometimes you will feel that you have no faith, and yet deep down you still believe. Believe then in your faith. Things will get better. Christ is there, even if he is somewhat hidden. Don’t even be afraid of hell – he is there too. Anyone who sighs and longs will not be lost. It is for our sake that the Lord reveals his glory. Remember, the Savior intercedes on our behalf (Rom. 8:34) and cannot help but intervene with his assistance if you have a longing in your heart.
Johann Christoph Blumhardt
There are times when life gets so hard that you feel unable to pray; you may even feel you no longer have any faith. It seems as if the Savior is far from you and that you no longer belong to the Savior, or that you never were on the right track to begin with. It’s as if you were in hell, gripped with fear and a sense of being lost. You may even wish you had never been born. The pain is too great, the future too hopeless.
How I would love to direct you in such a way that all darkness is taken away from your soul! But such agony cannot be blown away with one stroke. For that, we have to wait for a time of grace. Yet, even now the Savior can give you much, but only if you become quiet and place your hope in him. If you remain childlike about your condition, you will not think that everything is lost – even when you hear discordant voices inside you. The Savior is there to comfort you. And if you are unable to become quiet, don’t worry. The harm is not irreparable. Inability is not a sin. The Savior loves you, if only because of your sighs.
Remember, Jesus came into the flesh, into your very need, so that you may know that God is not indifferent to your suffering. You sigh and weep, you are miserable, you mourn for the Savior. That is all right, as long as you do it in the right way. The Savior did not say: “Blessed are those whose cause is right.” He did say: “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn” (Matt. 5:3–4). Believe it!
If you can’t feel the Savior, then all the more believe in him. Those to whom God’s love is nearest are precisely those who don’t see and yet believe (John 20:29). The same is true of those who don’t feel and yet believe. The enemy often wreaks havoc on our feelings; but he can’t touch your faith. The devil cannot own your faith –unless you give in.
Sometimes you will feel that you have no faith, and yet deep down you still believe. Believe then in your faith. Things will get better. Christ is there, even if he is somewhat hidden. Don’t even be afraid of hell – he is there too. Anyone who sighs and longs will not be lost. It is for our sake that the Lord reveals his glory. Remember, the Savior intercedes on our behalf (Rom. 8:34) and cannot help but intervene with his assistance if you have a longing in your heart.
Johann Christoph Blumhardt
Monday, May 9, 2011
He Bore Our Griefs
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:16–17
The amount of need and suffering in the world, both in Jesus’ day and our own, can hardly be overstated. The Savior not only healed all kinds of diseases, but also the demon-possessed. People came to him who were out of control and who caused their relatives an incredible amount of pain, since an alien spirit within them made them furious, raging, screaming, or unmanageable.
If this was the case then, just think how many so-called mentally ill and insane there are today. Yet hardly anyone dares to call them possessed. Still, one cannot help thinking of Jesus’ time, when many possessed came to him. There are thousands of people among us today who are sick in the same way.
Yet we read how Jesus ruled over the spirits that oppressed people. He drove them out by his word. All this, Matthew quotes from Isaiah, was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
The passage in Isaiah says literally: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isa. 53:4). Isaiah speaks more of a freeing from sin, rather than from sickness and disease; yet it is significant that Matthew speaks also of disease, that the Lord’s Servant wants to bear all our griefs. Jesus took away disease and sickness and in this way bore our infirmities. It is as if Jesus had made the diseases of the sick his own, representing the sick before his Father, who had given him the power to heal.
Something similar happens whenever we intercede for one another – we take the sickness of others on ourselves as though we were praying for ourselves. Intercession to God is genuine only when we feel very deeply for each other and share in each other’s pain; that is, when we have real compassion.
Our vocation is to represent Jesus, who was full of mercy. Everything we do must be done in his name and by his Spirit. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). But we must be on guard, for whatever we do in our own strength, including intercession, has no value.
Ah, may the time come when we will fully have what Jesus promised and sealed with his blood: the power of God for salvation that heals all wounds, including those of the body. This is promised to all those who seek him.
Johann Christoph Blumhardt
The amount of need and suffering in the world, both in Jesus’ day and our own, can hardly be overstated. The Savior not only healed all kinds of diseases, but also the demon-possessed. People came to him who were out of control and who caused their relatives an incredible amount of pain, since an alien spirit within them made them furious, raging, screaming, or unmanageable.
If this was the case then, just think how many so-called mentally ill and insane there are today. Yet hardly anyone dares to call them possessed. Still, one cannot help thinking of Jesus’ time, when many possessed came to him. There are thousands of people among us today who are sick in the same way.
Yet we read how Jesus ruled over the spirits that oppressed people. He drove them out by his word. All this, Matthew quotes from Isaiah, was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
The passage in Isaiah says literally: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isa. 53:4). Isaiah speaks more of a freeing from sin, rather than from sickness and disease; yet it is significant that Matthew speaks also of disease, that the Lord’s Servant wants to bear all our griefs. Jesus took away disease and sickness and in this way bore our infirmities. It is as if Jesus had made the diseases of the sick his own, representing the sick before his Father, who had given him the power to heal.
Something similar happens whenever we intercede for one another – we take the sickness of others on ourselves as though we were praying for ourselves. Intercession to God is genuine only when we feel very deeply for each other and share in each other’s pain; that is, when we have real compassion.
Our vocation is to represent Jesus, who was full of mercy. Everything we do must be done in his name and by his Spirit. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). But we must be on guard, for whatever we do in our own strength, including intercession, has no value.
Ah, may the time come when we will fully have what Jesus promised and sealed with his blood: the power of God for salvation that heals all wounds, including those of the body. This is promised to all those who seek him.
Johann Christoph Blumhardt
Monday, May 2, 2011
Even Today!
Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:38
Jesus did not use or require any formalities when people came to him for help. With one word help was there. He also did not withdraw somewhere, in a high and mighty way, and wait for people to come and ask for help. He went around and came to all those who were miserable and desolate, those suffering in body and soul, and called to them, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). He offered himself as the Savior who would help those whom no one else would help.
Has he changed any? Certainly not! He traveled from place to place doing good and healing just so that all subsequent generations could trust him, and so that all who are miserable and afflicted might always know where to turn for help. Jesus still does wonderful things, “going around doing good and healing,” even if it is in a more inconspicuous way. He draws close to anyone in need and pain so that we, too, might experience firsthand that he is the one who knows how to help us. Still today Jesus works good and heals. The question to us is: Will we come to him?
Johann Christoph Blumhardt
Jesus did not use or require any formalities when people came to him for help. With one word help was there. He also did not withdraw somewhere, in a high and mighty way, and wait for people to come and ask for help. He went around and came to all those who were miserable and desolate, those suffering in body and soul, and called to them, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). He offered himself as the Savior who would help those whom no one else would help.
Has he changed any? Certainly not! He traveled from place to place doing good and healing just so that all subsequent generations could trust him, and so that all who are miserable and afflicted might always know where to turn for help. Jesus still does wonderful things, “going around doing good and healing,” even if it is in a more inconspicuous way. He draws close to anyone in need and pain so that we, too, might experience firsthand that he is the one who knows how to help us. Still today Jesus works good and heals. The question to us is: Will we come to him?
Johann Christoph Blumhardt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)