Becoming a Refuge

Becoming a Refuge
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9 – AKJV)

Webster defines “refuge” as “a shelter from danger or distress.”

All followers of Christ have found refuge from the blight of sin, fear of death, and from the oppression the enemy has brought upon them:

…that by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us…

It follows that, having found refuge ourselves, we have an obligation to offer it to others. Obligation, however, is never the bedrock upon which the Love of Christ operates; it is always a compelling necessity worked by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the true believer, and in the will of a follower of Christ. Love renders him incapable of responding in any other way than in love.

The best I can describe it is as an inn always open for business. After Jesus’s birth there was no room for Him in the inn, but there must always be room in our hearts for anyone suffering any kind of trouble or affliction. If they can find refuge nowhere else, they ought always to find it in the hearts of those professing to be followers of Jesus.

My Heart is an Inn

(1992)

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

My heart is an Inn on the highway of life,

To shelter the victims of hatred and strife.

It opens more widely than doors and iron gates

To the hungry and thirsty and sick reprobates.

For the rooms in my heart have been paid for and bought

By the love and the Grace my Saviour has wrought.

When He died on the Cross for the sins I have done,

I reserved all the rooms for His own use and some

Of the halt, the lame, and the wilfully blind —

And anyone else that my Saviour can find.

My heart is an Inn, a Haven, a Rest,

To the weary and even the ones I love best;

For nothing I do is of value, except,

In terms of a payment that’s due on a debt.

For I owe all I am, all I do, all I seek

To the One Who redeemed me even when I was weak.

He drank to the dregs the cup of my sin

To bring this loser an overwhelming win.

It’s no wonder then friend that my heart is aflame

To welcome all travellers in Jesus’ Name.

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Tower of Refuge (Douglas, IOM) by Malost. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. No changes were made to this photograph.

Standing on Holy Ground

Standing on Holy Ground

Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5 – NASB)

Two people enjoying time together? Looks like Holy Ground to me.

When we read the account of Moses standing on Holy Ground and being told to take the shoes from off his feet, we are captivated by the dramatic scene and wish, perhaps we could have and experience like that.

I think we are missing the point.

Holy ground is all around us.

There may not be a burning bush and we may not hear God’s voice emanating from it. We nevertheless encounter many situations in life that should cause us to tread carefully; they are just as much Holy Ground as that on which Moses trod. We come across these situations and carelessly pass them by; we do not recognize them as a sacred trust God has brought our way. We are being given an opportunity to respond with compassion, and demonstrate the Love of Christ in them. They, however just seem like the common occurrences of life and we don’t realize they are holy ground to God.

Two friends enjoying time together
A friend suffering from depression
A pregnant teen
A wayward son or daughter

I don’t think I have to make the list any longer. Each of us come across people suffering varied forms of trouble ans anguish. All we need to do is recognize them as Holy Ground, and respond accordingly.

Holy Ground

(6th June 1992)

Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5 – NASB)

I envied Moses as He stood

On Holy Ground back then

And heard the voice of God Most High —

Most privileged of men.

“Why can’t I stand like Moses on

The ground of Holy kind,

And hear the voice of God breathe out

His Words into my mind.”

Such were my thoughts, such my complaint,

In holy reverence prayed,

Whenever I bowed my head to seek

The pathway Christ had made.

And soon the answer sounded forth

Upon my inner ear:

The still small voice of God that said,

“Come listen! Come and hear!

“The Holy Ground of Scripture lies

Within your view, my child.

Take off the shoes of careless thought

Lest Truth be soiled – defiled.

“And then there is the Holy Ground

Of foreign missions, see,

A precious tract of land to Christ

Who said, ‘Come unto me.’

“Tread softly, Christian, on the ground

Where lost souls’ feet have trod.

Take now the shoes from off your feet —

It is Holy Ground to God.

“Where ever you look, both far and near,

You find some holy place.

What’s common ground to careless souls

May be the ground of Grace.

“Perhaps it is your brother’s need,

His mountain of distress,

That you conceive as nothing more

Than mild unhappiness.

It is Holy Ground, don’t dare to walk

Across your brother’s need,

Till Faith and Love have filled your heart,

And Mercy has agreed.”

This image is in the public domain.

Seeing People as Trees – CONFESSING to it

(Picture credits at end of post)

Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” ²⁴And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” (Mark 8:23-24 – NASB)

Jesus waited to complete the miracle of full sight until the man told him what he saw after the first touch. He had to tell Jesus exactly what he saw. Likewise, the miracle of full sight will only happen to us after we admit that when we look at people they don`t appear more important to us than trees.

Once we come to that place of total honesty, Christ will take us to the next level and cause us to see people as they are, living, breathing creatures of God, with real needs and desires.

As a result our hearts will, like the heart of Jesus, be moved with compassion, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd.

What do you really see when you look at people? Are they simply part of the scenery, part of the background to the life that is really important to you – your own? Sure, Jesus has touched your life, but still, you can relate to your own loved ones, your own children, your own kin, but the rest of humanity is of no real concern to you. Perhaps it is time for you to come to Jesus for a second touch and admit to Him you see people merely as trees.

Ask Jesus to give you the ability to see people as He sees them – as sheep without a Shepherd and as precious souls upon whom God longs to bestow His Love and Grace.

I had to Confess

(© Monday 19^th January 2025 – by Christopher Shennan)

And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.”

(Mark 8:24 – NASB)

I had to confess what I saw:

I saw people merely as trees,

To be used and admired and then,

Forgotten or not as I pleased.

Before I confessed what I saw,

No hope of correction was there;

My blindness continued to be,

Until I confessed it in prayer.

Once it was out in the open,

My Lord, in His mercy and love,

Touched my blind eyes with compassion,

And full sight came down from above.

So, if you see people as trees,

And are blind to what they are worth,

Just tell God and ask Him to grant

His power to correct your soul’s dearth.

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Photo by Joe Mabel. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this final link. No changes were made to this photo. Photo also used under the GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2

He’s Not Heavy

Picture by Christopher Shennan

He’s Not Heavy

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2 – NASB)

What is “the law of Christ”?

It is found in the Gospel of John:

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. (John 15:12 – NASB)

How does one keep this commandment?

By bearing one another’s burdens.

The picture above was taken 33 years ago and made it into a poster with the caption “He’s not heavy, he’s my brother.” The girl and boy in the picture (all grown-up now) were having a wonderful time. The little girl does not appear to mind pushing the boy around. It was not a burden to her, but a delight.

This is how Jesus wants us to love one another – by taking responsibility to lighten the load a brother or sister in Christ. And while we lift the burden, the amazing thing is the burden does not feel like a burden. Love lightens the load.

It is a kind of a paradox.

I have found it true in my own experience that, after I have spent some time encouraging someone going through some trial, I have come away feeling lighter. My own burdens have seemed much easier to deal with than before.

I believe Jesus helps share our load when we are willing to share another’s load.

Someone said to me, “Won’t you suffer burn-out if you keep on carrying everyone else’s burdens”

My answer? “Not in the least. I simply do what we are told to do in Peter’s first letter:

…casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7 – NASB)

You can cast your own burdens upon Jesus, as well as any number of others you may pick up during the day. Jesus can carry them all.

My Brother’s Burden

(© Friday 28^th November – by Christopher Shennan)

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2 – NASB)

There was no way I could carry

The load that weighed my brother down,

Or even to make it lighter;

I carried enough of my own.

But my Lord said, “Lift his burden,

Just take it by faith and obey;

You’ll find your own grow lighter,

And you’ll walk with joy on your way.”

I lifted my brother’s burden,

As my Lord had told me to do;

I found that His yoke was easy –

And the words He had said were true.

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Silver and Gold

(Picture credits at end of post)

Silver and Gold

But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” (Acts 3:6 – NASB)

Whenever the church has become wealthy, it has generally lost its power to heal.

Now I know this is a generalization, and money is often needed to do the Lord’s work. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I am talking about a pre-occupation with money as the primary means to accomplish the mission of the church.

I once suggested to a denominational hierarchy the need to start a work in a certain area. Their response: We don’t have any money to start that work.”

I’m not sure if I actually told them this, but my heart answered, “You don’t need a lot of money. All you need is someone with a call of God upon them – someone with a passion to share the Gospel. That man or woman will find a way, with little or much, to spread the Word and win people to Christ.”

Not Silver or Gold

Give me a man, or a woman, or child

With the love of God in their heart and mind,

Rather than a church with treasure high piled,

Yet faintness of heart in the pew still find.

There’s nought to compare with a holy, zeal,

That will live or die for the Master’s cause.

To find a man who in his breast can feel

True love for God and His holy, just laws.

It’s a treasure beyond all earthly gain,

It will bring down upon you Heaven’s smile;

It will comfort the heart and banish pain,

And create a soul that is without guile.

Silver and gold you may not have to give,

But the power of love will cause men to live.

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Sprott Gold and Silver Coins, by Sprott Money. Copyright. Used under the Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license: please note the Disclaimer. No changes were made to the photog

Drawing a Circle

Drawing a Circle

No credits required

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more… (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 – NASB)

The Thessalonians drew a wide circle around themselves to include all Macedonia as “their world.” We do not know how they did this. Perhaps they did it by keeping contact with the other churches by letter. Perhaps they supported missionaries to the whole region. Or, maybe it was just that they had a disciplined prayer ministry. Whatever their method, they did not become ingrown. They did not just get into their own little holy huddle. They drew a wide circle to include others.

How wide is the circle you draw around you? How big is your world? Is it just big enough to include you and your immediate loved ones? Does it only include your own church fellowship, or have you learned to draw a wide circle of love around your heart to include more than just your own circle of friends and acquaintances?

We must learn, as we grow in grace, to enlarge by degrees the circle of our love.

THE PEOPLE NO ONE ELSE WANTS

The pastor had moved and the people were left

To the task of soul-winning and some felt bereft.

For, what could they do when their leader was gone?

How to replace him? – They could find no one.

But the first prayer meeting conducted alone,

Could even have softened some hearts made of stone.

For the first prayer prayed by the deacon up front,

Was, “Send us the people whom no one else wants!”

You can well imagine the stirring inside,

And the silence that settled, as though one had died;

Till someone else cried a spontaneous response:

“Lord, send us the people whom no one else wants!”

Soon, like a rare, contagious disease,

Touching the company down on its knees,

Fell the Spirit of prayer, and they prayed all at once:

“Lord, send us the people whom no one else wants!”

What do you think was the outcome of this?

Why, the people there gathered each knew Heaven’s kiss.

And the people God sent in response to this prayer,

Were the hurting and broken ones, needing much care.

The first was a drunk and his beaten up wife:

They both knelt up front and received a new life.

Then a thief and a robber, who came to repent,

Stood up to praise God for the Grace He had sent.

A junky, a prostitute, contacted next,

Heard God speaking clearly from some simple text

In the Bible, the Spirit made plain:

In a moment of time, she had been born again.

An unmarried mother, and a “gay” person too,

Wept long at the altar until they prayed through.

It seemed that these broken, despised, needy folks,

Could hardly wait to be rid of their yolks.

When nine months had passed and twenty four came,

To the foot of the Cross and shed all their shame,

It wasn’t so hard to decide then and there,

That the miracle wrought – was an answer to prayer.

And what was the prayer that the deacon had prayed?

What was the thing that the heart of God swayed?

It was the prayer that was prayed o’er the weeks, o’er the months:

“Lord, send us the people – whom no one else wants

– by Christopher Shennan

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Call the Doctor!

Call the Doctor!

(Picture Credits at end of post)

Reading: Mark 2:13-17

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17 – NASB)

Religion can be a terrible thing; it has the ability to create hardness of heart and strangle compassion before it has a chance to take a breath. The Pharisees were not concerned for the healing of souls, only for the maintenance of their religious code.

I use the word `religion“ to describe those religious devotees who see Christianity as a kind of obstacle course in which some are good at it, some not so good, and some very bad. Those who are good at it can then gloat upon those who struggle, or who come in last. That kind of religion is a terrible thing.

For one thing it is not good news, and the Gospel, if it is anything at all, is good news. If Christianity were an obstacle course, then most of us would not make it; indeed, I think none of us would make it, for God`s standards are so high only perfection is good enough. And perfection is so far from the human condition, to think we can reach it and so attain salvation is more like a cruel joke.

What`s more, religion places the responsibility upon the sinner to cleanse himself from his own sin, which is an impossible thing.

What has been largely lost in the church is the understanding of sin as a bondage. Men and women bound with chains cannot free themselves; they have to be freed by Someone who Himself is not bound. And since we are bound by chains of supernatural power, only the supernatural power of the risen Christ can free us.

We need to call the only Physician (doctor) who can heal our sinful condition.

The Great Physician

The Great Physician: He healed me

From the disease of sin and shame;

While religious folks despised me –

They had nothing for me, but blame.

Sure, I was a poor, lost sinner;

The wrack and ruin I caused was vast,

But my Lord, he came and rescued

Me, and wiped my guilty past.

Yet those who worship religion,

And not the sweet Giver of life,

Seek only to point their fingers

And stir up envy and strife.

No matter, the Great Physician,

Though knowing my sinful disease,

Chose rather to give me compassion,

And the weight of my sin to ease.

So take my advice and cling to

The Great Physician’s healing art;

Though religious folks may strike you,

He will heal your wounded heart.

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Doctor Consults with Patient” This image was released by the National Cancer Institute, an agency part of the National Institutes of Health, with the ID 2528. Photograph is in the public domain. No changes were made to this photograph. Find this photo at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Doctor_consults_with_patient_%287%29.jpg.

Withered Priorities

Withered Priorities

Reading: Mark 3:1-6

Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. (Mark 3:4 – NKJV)

The question Jesus asked was a masterful one, and could be applied to a variety of situations.

It was a question that cut to the root of the Pharisees’ disposition: “What are your priorities. They were so in love with the letter of the law, that they had forgotten the purpose of the law. The law of the Sabbath was given for the benefit of God’s people, not their enslavement.

The Pharisees used the law in a manner that brought death, whereas the purpose of God’s Word is to minister life. They wielded it as a weapon, whereas it was meant through the Spirit to bring healing and blessing to the soul.

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. ⁵Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, ⁶who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 – NASB)

I am afraid there are some preachers today who use God’s Word more like a weapon than a balm to the soul. It is true that there are some hard words that need to be spoken, but the hardness must come from the Word itself, and not from the hearts of those who administer it.

The question Jesus asked is as valid for us today as it was for the Pharisees then: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” The answer is obvious, “Whatever rules, or statutes, or laws we find in the Scriptures, are always meant for the good of those who hear.”

Be true to the Scriptures, but never use them as a whip, or a sword to get people in line; use them under the direction of the Holy Spirit to bring healing and life to their souls.

A Weapon or a Balm?

Teach me, O Lord, to use the Law,

And the Word that You have given

In a manner and in a way

That exalts true hearts to Heaven

May the Holy Spirit alter

Every Attitude of mine,

So that the reading of the Law

Gives all my hearers life – divine.

May I never use Truth, dear Lord.

As a weapon to strike and harm;

Let me use it with compassion

And apply it like healing balm.

The Word does have a cutting edge,

But it is not for me to wield;

God has called me to be faithful,

Till every sin-sick soul is healed.

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