Under the Door-Mat

Under the Door-Mat

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Colossians 1:21-29

… Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27 – NASB)

Following the classic pattern of the absent-minded professor, I left my car-keys on the cedar chest, and went out the front door. After locking the door I remembered my car-keys and tried to get back inside, but the house-keys were on the ring with the car-keys.

I panicked. Going behind the house I removed the screen from the back window. This was the window into our downstairs bedroom. The distance between the ground and the window was too high for me to climb in without assistance, so I enlisted the aid of a rickety bench-like contraption so I could get to the level of the window. I should mention the ground under the window is extremely un-even.

Balancing like a circus clown trying to do a trapeze act, and already out of breath, I squeezed through the window, over the head-board of our bed, and lay panting on the bed with a feeling of relief. I retrieved my keys and was able to make it to church on time.

A couple of days later I happened to look down as I was putting the key into the door, and it suddenly hit me. A spare key to the door was under the door-mat.  I had endured trial and suffering to get into the house when all the while the key to the door was under the door-mat.

Many of the struggles we face in our Christian lives; many of the lengths we go to in order gain the victory, are unnecessary. All we need is to remember where the key is, and sing the victory song: … Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Christ in Me

(© Thursday 17^th July 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

The key to unlock my troubles,

Was near to me, and close at hand;

It was sitting right beside me –

It was waiting for my command.

I struggled to live like Jesus;

I battled with all of my might,

The strength to prevail just failed me –

The key remained out of my sight.

I’d forgotten Christ living in me

Would live His own life divine,

Through me, and in me, as promised,

If only I’d claim Him as mine.

Not a great deal of my effort

Would have won me the victory;

If I’d remembered His promise,

I’d have found that His grace was free.

So the key under the doormat –

It reminds me, close as I breathe

The Saviour Himself lives inside me,

And when I just ask I’ll receive.

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Superpowers

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Superpowers

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12 – NASB)

If you could choose for yourself any superpower from those fictional superheroes you’ have ever heard of, which would you choose?

Would you choose those of Superman, man of steel, and able to fly at lightning speed?

Or would it be Spiderman, fighting for justice while clinging to the walls of high rise buildings and swinging through the streets to apprehend criminals?

This discussion arose in one of our family gatherings and family members chose a number of different options. I chose none of the superpowers discussed that day. My heart hungers for superpowers of a different order. I choose the superpowers Jesus said would belong to those who believe in Him. I quote his words again:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12 – NASB)

This verse is so stunning that many of God’s people choose not to take it seriously, or re-interpret to mean something mundane and non-spectacular. I choose to take the words of Jesus at face value: He said what he meant and he meant what He said. How God means to work it out in your own life is between you and God. As for me, the poem below expresses what I am expecting to receive from His hand:

Super Powers

(Monday 30^th April, 2012 – by Christopher Shennan)

While sitting around the table,

At a family dinner at noon,

One spoke up and asked a question

That got us thinking, and soon

The buzz of conversation

Could be heard for quite some time,

To try to find the answer

To the question, and I found mine.

The question was, “If you could be

A super hero, what are the powers

You would want to call your own?”

We talked of this for hours.

One chose to be a Superman

With his power to fly though air;

A Man of Steel to vanquish all

The evil men out there.

Another spoke of Batman

And his fight to stamp out crime,

Who vanquished the arch villain;

Whose rescue was in time

Now Spiderman was mentioned,

With his will to right defend;

To champion all the weak ones,

And cause all terror’s end.

But the super powers I’m craving

Are the ones’ that will not die;

Those that come from Heaven,

And are sent by God on high

They’re not earned, but freely given

To those souls who hunger, thirst,

Who by faith can claim the promise –

Though they’re last, they’ll come out first.

No, the super powers I’m craving

Are Faith that’s pure and true –

And Love sent down from Heaven,

That will other hearts renew.

These are super powers, friend,

That are worthy of the name –

They’re powers that last forever –

They’re the only ones I claim.

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Parroting or Partaking?

Parroting or Partaking?

He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:4 – NASB)

Parrots are famed  for being able to speak words and phrases taught to them by their owners. While parrots can learn to say all kinds of words for our amusement, it is certain they have little or no comprehension of what they are saying – hence the term “parroting.”

We use the term to refer to someone who, while able to quote all kinds of wise sayings, have no real understanding of the passages so easily rolling off their tongue. They are like parrots, speaking words without comprehension.

I suspect we have many “parrots” in the church. These are people who can quote chapter and verse from the Bible, but are not bearing much fruit in their lives; they have no concern for evangelism, live worldly life-styles, and have little use for prayer. They have a form of godliness, but have never experienced the power of it.

Our text tells us we need to be partakers. God has given us magnificent promises so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature. True faith is being able to have God’s nature living and working within us. His life becomes our life.

He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1John 5:12 – NASB)

Christianity is more than just learning its teachings by rote; it involves partaking of the very life of God in our inmost beings.

His Life is Mine

(© Tuesday 10^th June 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

I don’t want to be a parrot,

Having learned to speak fine phrases –

But lacking the life and power

You’ve promised throughout the ages.

 

I don’t want to be an actor

In a performance on a stage,

Or be known for having wisdom,

Or to be honoured as a sage.

 

I want to be a partaker

Of the nature that is divine;

I want to believe the promise,

And discover that – His life is mine.

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