When the Game is Over

When the Game is Over

When a chess player is defeated by his opponent, and “Check-mate” has been declared, the game is over. There is no point in continuing. You have lost and you had better accept defeat and put the board away. At least, that is true of a game of chess.

With the game of life, however, that is not necessarily so.

It was “game over” for the thief crucified next to Jesus.

He had lived the life of a criminal and was finally paying the ultimate price for it – his life. There was one thing, however, that he could do, and he did it:

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” ⁴³ And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:42-43 – NASB)

The game wasn’t over for him anymore.

It was “game over” for the woman caught in the act of adultery.

She was on the verge of being stoned to death according to the law. She couldn’t do anything about that; it was out of her hands. All she could do was kneel there in the dust  and wait  for the stones to end her life.

She waited…and waited… and waited….

And then…

                Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:10-11 – NASB)

The game wasn’t over anymore.

Perhaps you have come to that place in your life where you are convinced there is no way out. Game over. Or you know someone else who has “lost the game.”

Is the game over for you?

Is the game over for them?

It need not be!

Jesus is the only one who can finally declare “game over,”

And he’s not going to do it if you call on him as the thief on the cross did.

The woman caught in adultery didn’t even ask for His help, but Jesus rescued her anyway.

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… (Romans 10:8-9 – NASB)

The game of life is never over till you have been to Jesus.

Game Over?

(© Wednesday 22^nd April 2025 – by Christopher Shennan

…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… (Romans 10:8-9 – NASB)

You think the game is over now,

For the likes of you and me;

You think the scoreboard is final,

And you are lost in misery.

Your life has just come to nothing,

And you are throwing in the towel;

You’ve expended all your effort,

And the umpire’s shouted “Fowl!”

The voice of reason still tells you

There is “no way out” forever;

And the enemy still whispers,

“You’ll find an answer? No! Never!”

I’ve got news for you, my friend:

The games not over, not at all –

As long as you lean on Jesus,

Nothing again will make you fall.

When this life at last is over,

A new game of life will begin –

And you’ll live with Him forever –

A life that is free from all sin.

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Checkmate by Alan Light. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. Also used under the Commons GNU Free Documentation License. No changes were made to this photo.

Loneliness – The Silent Agony

Loneliness – The Silent Agony

Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me;
There is no escape for me;
No one cares for my soul. (Psalm 142:4 – NASB)

Loneliness is a strange and subtle beast; it can afflict a soul in a crowd, in isolation, and even in a close family setting.  It is adaptable to every situation and preys on the weak and the strong. We can feel isolated physically, socially, professionally, psychologically and morally.

Loneliness is a silent agony – no one hears our cry – we suffer it inwardly, the anguish only evident to ourselves. It is also invisible to all but a few perceptive souls who can recognize the symptoms and come alongside to offer aid.

God has provided many natural remedies for loneliness.

True friendship with either of the sexes, or in a group setting can ease the burden of loneliness. A social life, church fellowship and family gatherings can keep loneliness at bay

Marriage is part of God’s natural order. It is designed to provide fulfilment on many levels. If it is harmonious and loving there are few things that can equal it for its power to bring comfort and keep loneliness away. When one spouse dies, however, loneliness can rush in like an invading force. My own father was such an attentive husband that, when he died, my mother survived him by only a couple of years. She no longer knew how to live alone.

Ambition, or a Calling, can provide purpose a sense of destiny; it will motivate us toward some noble effort that will occupy, for a time, the space usually claimed by loneliness.

I could go on to list other temporal means to deal with loneliness but I think you get my drift: there are means and devices that can assuage, for a time, the plague of loneliness.

To pour all your life into these things, however, in the mistaken belief they will fully satisfy the soul is a fantasy. It is a mirage that disappears the moment you think you have found it.

As real as these temporal blessings can be, they cannot address the cause of loneliness, which is the departure of the soul from God. When sin entered the world it separated the human family from God and created and empty space in the soul that was intended for God alone.

Blaise Pascal said: There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Jesus said:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 – NASB)

Coming to God through Jesus Christ is the only permanent answer to loneliness. He alone gives meaning to all the other healing balms God has given us.

Loneliness

© Saturday 4^th April 2015 – by Christopher Shennan

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 – NASB)

I’ve known a silent agony

That torments while staying hidden;

It plays a sad tune of mourning,

Though it’s never been bidden.

What is this plague?

It’s loneliness.

It plays its tune even in a crowd,

Or in a lonely room – alone;

Steals the joy of being alive –

Makes the heart heavy – like a stone.

It’s loneliness.

This plague afflicts the human race

And few have discovered its cure;

They’ve unearthed many counterfeits,

But nothing that is true and pure.

It’s loneliness.

So what is loneliness, my friend?
What is it at its very core?

Unfulfilled longing after God;

Unless satisfied – it is sore!

It’s loneliness.

A wise man said there’s a vacuum

In the human soul shaped like God;

Unless you invite Him back in,

It’s a lonely path you’ll have trod.

It’s loneliness.

So choose now, my friend, to seek Him;

Make Him your joy and crown;

He’ll send your loneliness packing –

Not a thing will then get you down.

Not Loneliness.

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Loneliness by David Hodgson. Copyright. Used under the CC BY 2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this site. We made no changes to this photo.

Easter Must Happen Inside Us

Easter Must Happen Inside Us

Easter must happen inside us, or it is nothing more than a historical event.

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:2-7 – NASB)

It is possible to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ and yet not fully experience the reality of it in a personal way.

God’s purpose is for Christ’s death and resurrection to not only believed, but also be re-enacted in us. I know this is an incredible thought and almost unbelievable if approached with human reason. It is, however the core of the Gospel message. If the death and resurrection of Christ happened to Him alone, then it is merely a historical event that has little impact upon our lives personally.

Jesus Christ did not just die and rise again for Himself. He did it for us, so it follows that what happened to Him ought also to happen to us – if we believe.

No other Scripture brings this out more clearly that the passage we have here before us.

There are two words we need to understand with regard to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The first is SUBSTITUTION. It means when Jesus died on the Cross He was our substitute, that is He was punished for the sins we had committed. He paid the debt of sin we should have paid.  Instead of us being punished for our sin, He was punished instead.

The other word that is just as vital is IDENTIFICATION. This word means that, by faith, what happened to Jesus in his death and resurrection also happened to me. He died, and spiritually I died with Him. My sinful life died as He died. It also means when He was raised from the dead, I was raised to newness of life. It is absolutely vital we understand this. Easter is not just a memorial service where we remember that Jesus died and rose again. Easter is a victory celebration in that we rejoice in experiencing the death and resurrection of Jesus in our personal lives.

1. When HE died WE died.

That is, our old lives and our old sin nature died with Him.

³ Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptised into His death?

…knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin…

If we truly believe Christ died for us, we must also believe that something also died in us. The apostle called it our body of sin, also called our sin nature. That something in us that causes us to sin has been done away with.  We no longer have to be slaves of sin.

2. When HE rose WE rose with Him

For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection (v.5)

3. We Must Appropriate the Death and Resurrection of Christ for ourselves

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 – NASB)

It is not what men eat but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we practice that makes us Christians. – Francis Bacon.

Unused truth becomes as useless as an unused muscle.  A.W. Tozer, That Incredible Christian.

God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing. – Martin Luther.

Easter Happened in Me

© Friday 3^rd April 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 – NASB)

Easter didn’t just happen to Jesus;

It happened to me and to you.

By our faith when He died, we also died;

And by faith we were raised up, too.

It’s not just a lesson of history,

Speaking of an ancient event;

It’s a living, present realty –

Straight to my heart it’s been sent.

Though I live in this present, evil day,

I was also there at the Cross;

By faith I died when my dear Saviour died,

By faith all my sin I lost.

I was also there when He rose again

And the stone was then rolled away;

I was raised again to a life of bliss,

And I’m living this life, today.

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Computer Woes – and Prayer

Computer Woes – and Prayer

I got a computer virus, necessitating a visit to the computer store for them to clean up my system – leading to an entire week without posting a blog. Apologies to all my faithful blog followers but, no fear, I am up and running with dozens of exciting themes just begging to be posted.

Indeed, my computer woes made me aware of a spiritual principle that could be a challenge, an encouragement, and blessing to us all.

I don’t think any of us could deny how amazing computer technology can be, or how much the computer age has influenced our lives – for good or ill. As a writer, computers have been a huge benefit to me and made me more productive than I could have imagined in the days when I slogged over a typewriter.

At the same time the computer age has been a boon to unprincipled people who have used it to profit illegally, or simply to plant viruses out of pure malicious intent.

So I thought of something else miraculous and of such benefit to the human race as cannot be measured. I speak of prayer, by which men and women can connect with the divine and receive the benefits of Heaven.  Once discover the blessing and intimacy of prayer through Jesus Christ, and your life is raised to a level impossible to the unbelieving masses.

It occurred to me followers of Christ, familiar with the intimacy of prayer, can also be afflicted with a “virus” that can compromise our prayer lives – render it largely ineffective. What is this malicious thing that can have such a devastating effect upon us? It is the “virus” of UNBELIEF.

Scripture paints a very clear picture of what unbelief can do to us:

                But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, ⁸ [being] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8 – NASB)

And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his [own] household.” ⁵⁸ And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:57-58 – NASB)

Now let us make it clear – unbelief and lack of faith are not the same thing. Even a tiny amount of faith, like a mustard seed, has power to move mountains. The measure of your faith may be small, but you will still be able to do great things for God.

On the other hand you may have a lot of faith but still be afflicted with the disease of unbelief.

How so?

Unbelief works like this: I believe God can move mountains; He can heal the sick; God can meet my financial needs. I believe God can help me win my neighbours for Christ; He can give me victory over certain addictions I am subject to. Unbelief can believe all these things with the utmost sincerity.

What unbelief has trouble believing is that God will do these things, and more, in the here and now. Unbelief says, “Of course God can do anything he wants, but I have trouble believing he will do it for me, or for my family, or my church in this day and age. I know God did these things in past generations for Bible people, and even for some people today, but I just can’t believe God can be that active in my life today.

Test your reaction to the following promise and see whether or not the virus of unbelief has caused a malfunction in your life of prayer:

                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.¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do [it]. (John 14:12-14 – NASB)

Can you apply this promise to your life in the here and now? If not you just may be afflicted with a virus – the virus of unbelief.

Unbelief

(© 28^th March 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

There are those who don’t doubt God’s mighty power

To perform great works and great loving deeds;

They are full of faith in what God has wrought,

And work through people to meet others’ needs.

They will stand and defend God’s Holy Word;

They’ll declare with passion and holy zeal

That God is a God of miracles, true,

With power to save and power to heal.

Yet these same people seem to lack one small thing –

The faith to apply all this personally;

They believe God will bless most anyone,

But can’t quite say, He will do it for me!”

Save me dear Lord from this blight on my soul,

And grant me a faith that will make me whole.

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Frustrated man at a desk. Contributed to wikimedia by LaurMG. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. We made no changes to this photograph.

How to Get Justice

How to Get Justice

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Luke 18:1-8

Unfair things happen to us all the time, and if we’re not careful we could allow the injustices of life to embitter us.

Sometimes these injustices are minor and can be swept away with a flick of prayer raised to Heaven, and a simple determination to let it go.

There are other times when the injustice done us has more serious consequences and to simply dismiss it results in serious suffering and dire consequences.

In The fist eight verses in the Gospel of Luke you will find the example of a widow who had no other protection other than the law. The law, however, failed her, for the judge in her case was a corrupt one, and would not use his position to her legal protection against her opponent. He must have known she had the law on her side and that a great injustice had been done her. He just would not act in her favour.

The judge, however, had not reckoned on the widow’s desperation and determination. She simply wore him down with her continual coming. Though he had not a whit of concern for the woman’s dire straits, he gave her protection anyway.

Jesus uses the case of this desperate widow to press home God’s faithfulness to His people:

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; ⁷ now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:6-8 – NASB)

According to Jesus there are two secrets to getting justice in extreme situations when all earthly means have failed us.

The first is not to give up earnest and persistent prayer: …will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

Crying day and night is a rather extreme manner of praying, but it is the only solution in such cases of extreme injustice. The answer will come, though it may require a great deal of patience.

The second secret in these extreme situations is cling to the Faith once delivered to the saints. The original Greek text suggests Jesus was not just referring to the lack of any kind of faith (there may be plenty of that), but that the Faith may be a rare commodity at the end times: However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

If you have these two things you will overcome any injustice that is ever likely to come your way.

Avenge Me!

(© 12th October 1992 by Christopher Shennan)

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”(Luke 18:7 – KJV)

Avenge me, Lord,

My adversary’s strong;

My adversary’s anger

Has been both deep and long.

He’s brought my soul to trouble:

My spirit’s sunk in mire,

And I’m tempted to believe

He’ll quench my strong desire.

Avenge me, Lord,

My adversary’s cruel;

My adversary’s planning

To take me for a fool.

I can’t resist much longer:

Such the wiles he casts my way —

My only hope’s in crying

To You both night and day.

Avenge me, Lord,

My adversary’s voice;

My adversary’s laughter

Is mocking all my choice.

You promised Your elect would

Ne’er call out in vain:

Though long they cry for judgement,

You’ll assuage their pain

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Friendship

Friendship

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A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17 – NASB)

In one of his newsletters Charles F. Stanley shared the following:

“Many years ago, I read a description of a genuine friend. Although I don’t remember who said it, I wrote it down and have kept it all these years.

A friend is a treasure who loves you as you are, sees not only who you are but who you can become, is there to catch you when you fall, shares your everyday experiences, accepts your worst but helps you become your best, understands your past, believes in your future, accepts you today just as you are, and comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

Some may consider this as setting the bar too high, making it an unattainable goal. “All you are doing,” some may say, “is setting us up for a fall. We will end up in discouragement and defeat. Better to aim for something a little more demanding and much for ‘reachable.’ That way we will not be plagued by defeat of failure.”

That kind of thinking totally ignores the incredible provisions God has made for ever true disciple of our Lord. In his second letter, the apostle Peter describes these provisions:

…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these 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. (1 Peter 1:3-4 NASB)

Two things stand out in these verses that total destroys the argument made above:

First, God has provided for us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Nothing is denied us in the pursuit of our spiritual goals. If it is the need to be a true friend, God has given us everything we need to attain that goal.

Secondly, He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature. God’s nature operating within is will enable us to manifest the true characteristics of a friend.

The Friend I Want to Be

(© Monday 23^rd February 2015 – by Christopher Shennan

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17 – NASB)

I don’t want to just have a friend,

That is faithful, strong, and is true;

Sticking closer than a brother

Would, and always loving you, too.

No, I want to be such a friend,

By the working of God’s great power;

By believing in His promise –

Be a true friend every hour.

I don’t want to make excuses,

Saying, “The bar is set too high.”

I’d rather believe His promise,

And refuse to question why.

I know God’s plan for me, dear friend,

Is to be a friend, just Like Him,

For he’s granted all that’s needed,

So that I this great race can win.

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“Friendship,” by Mathias Klang. Copyright. Used under the CC BY 2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to this photo.

The MESS of STRESS

The MESS of STRESS

(Picture of hair-pulling stress)

When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You. (Psalm 56:3 – NASB)

Jamie Reimer, the pastor to young adults in our church came up with the following definition of stress:

Stress is our inability to recognize God in our lives.

I would add to that: When we try to handle all the complexities of life on our own, stress is the unavoidable result.

A beautiful chorus we used to sing declares:

“He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

The prescription for stress is to re-write that and feel: “Iv’e got the whole world on my shoulders.”

When we, as followers of Jesus, allow ourselves to become stressful, it simply means we have forgotten Who is ultimately in charge of our lives.

When we are stressed of our finances it means we have forgotten to  apply the exhortation and promise of Scripture:

[Make sure that] your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5 – NASB)

When we suffer reversals  and uncertainties plague us, we can keep stress at bay by remembering:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 – AKJV)

I could go on and on quoting Bible promises that will save us from giving in to stress, but it is simpler to declare the following:

“There is nothing in life that can assail us for which God has not made a provision and a promise to meet our need if we will believe.”

If you know that God is in control of your life through Jesus Christ, you will also know you can cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Imagine someone hitch-hiking with a heavy back-pack on his back. A truck stops and offers him a ride. What if he accepts the ride, jumps onto the back on the back of the truck but continues to carry his load? How foolish would that be? He is free to remove his backpack and let the truck carry his load for him.

Jesus has offered us a ride through life, and we can unload all our trouble and care upon Him. I think many of us have accepted the ride from Jesus, but still continue to carry our loads.

We need to lay our burdens down. He us perfectly able to carry them for us.

Stress is a Mess

© 17^th February 2015 – by Christopher Shennan

When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You. (Psalm 56:3 – NASB)

Stress is a mess we do not need to bear;

A load of trouble we must leave behind.

Believe in God’s love and His tender care,

And peace unexplained for certain you’ll find.

Stress only comes when you don’t recognize

That God’s in your life, each minute, each hour;

If you let Him He’ll grant you His free prize:

His peace in your heart, as well as His power.

It sounds so simple; too good to be true,

But many have tried it; proven His love.

Stress has departed; anxiety, too.

The Peace of God came right down from above.

If stress has been ruling your heart and mind,

It may just be that to God you’ve been blind.

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Photo by stuartpilbrow. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to this photo.

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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The Magnetic Field

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The Magnetic Field

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8a – NASB)

Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 1:3 – MASB)

…for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5 – NASB)

Our Lord knew that our human minds would struggle to understand the things of the Spirit, so He wrote many of these spiritual laws into the physical universe.

For example, Jesus explained how the truth pf the Gospel enters the human heart by telling the story of a sewer sowing his seed in different kinds of soil. As the seed needs to be planted in good soil, so the Gospel needs to be planted in hearts prepared to receive it.

And then, God wrote into the nature of pigs and dogs certain characteristics so we could understand how human nature operates. He tells us in the book of Second Peter, referring to those who once followed the Truth, but have gone back into their sinful lifestyles:

But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “a dog returns to his own vomit, and a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:22 – NKJV)

This is true in just about every area of human, animal and plant life. Spiritual lessons are drawn from the natural laws that govern our existence.

And so we find that our text describes another spiritual law that can be demonstrated by going to the natural world for an example. I call it the “Magnetic” principle.  Our Lord declares this principle in two places in Scripture:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8a – NKJV)

Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 1:3 – NASB)

Magnets were first discovered, as far as we know, 2,500 years before Christ. In an ancient Greek city called Magnesia, hence the name ‘magnet.”

Those natural magnets were nothing more than rough, heavy black stones that would stick together. The ancient Greeks thought these peculiar rocks were magic, and called them “lodestones.”

When I put to magnets together, the negative matched to the positive and the positive to the negative, they are drawn by an invisible force to stick together. You can actually feel the power drawing them.

When you surrender your will to the will of God and draw near to Him, a powerful spiritual law is set in motion. Like the magnets coming together, God will draw near to your soul in the way that is unmistakable; you will actually be able to feel His Presence.

On the other hand, the poles of the magnet do not always attract; they also repel. If you match the positive pole to the positive, they will repel each other. There is no way you could get them to come together. And you can feel the power that separates them.

If you set your will against the will of God, the same thing will happen. You will feel alienated from God; you will be unable to reach Him, and He will be repelled by your stubborn will.

So the solution to any alienation we may be feeling between us and the Lord, is quite simple. All we have to do is to humble ourselves and stop resisting Him. Draw near God in sincerity and truth, and he will draw near to you.

It’s a Power You Can Feel

(© Tuesday 3oth December 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8a – NASB)

…for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5c – NASB

It’s a power that you can feel,

When two magnets come together;

It’s a field that can push or pull

Either one way or the other.

It’s a force that can’t be denied,

Though, for sure, you cannot see it;

Just bring two magnets together –

You’ll declare that you can feel it.

To draw near to God it’s the same,

If your heart is humble and true;

No matter how bad you have been,

My God will still draw near to you.

You’ll feel it, though you can’t see it;

The power that’s setting you free

The blood that Christ shed will cleanse you –

He shed it for you and for me.

But don’t come in pride, dear brother,

Or the power felt will resist;

If you come to God with that mind,

Your hopes will melt away – like mist.

But humbly acknowledge He’s God,

And you are a creature of shame;

Draw nearer and He will draw closer,

And wash you from all sin and blame.

You’ll learn to walk in His Presence;

He’s not far away, he is near.

He is as close as your breathing;

He’ll wipe away every tear.

 Please check out my books at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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Image by Geek3.​ Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to the image. *

Image by Geek3.​ Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to the image.

Cracked Ice and a Fervent Heart

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Cracked Ice and a Fervent Heart

I have heard the cracks as I poured warm Cola over ice in a glass, and I have witnessed similar cracks occur in Holy Scripture when a passionate heart has been released upon a cold-hearted audience.

When Stephen released his passionate assessment of his own contemporaries upon the cold hearts of his listeners (Acts 7:51-53), the resulting crack led to his own martyrdom:

 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they [began] gnashing their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; ⁵⁶ and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. (Acts 754-57 – NASB)

Jeremiah experience the crack when he was let down into a well and had mud up to his armpits. He was also locked in the prison house all because he unflinchingly declared God’s truth to his generation.

I have felt the crack when some warm truth from God’s Word has washed over my own cold heart.

And I long to see the crack appear in the Western church when God raises an anointed Voice to wake her up from her lukewarm slumber.

I’d Rather

(© Wednesday 24^th December 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. ¹⁴ For this reason it says,

“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:13-14 – NASB)

I’d rather have a crack right through

My frozen heart, than to suffer

The consequences of coldness;

That, I declare, would be tougher.

The warm truth of God flows over

My coldness of heart and cold mind;

It cracks my stubborn will right through,

And melts all resistance – I find.

I’d rather endure persecution

When I speak the Truth from my heart,

Than wallow in self-satisfaction,

And know I have not done my part.

I’d rather the Church be ready,

And waiting for Jesus the King,

Than to wallow in self comfort

And have no true praises to sing.

Oh, pour Your warm Truth upon us;

Crack our complacency right through.

For, Lord, we need a revival

To bring all our hearts back to You.

 Please check out my books at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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Ice Cubes by Darren Hester. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license: please note the Disclaimer at this site. No changes were made to this photo.