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.

Please visit My website: www.christophershennan.ca
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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.

The Incredible Privilege of BEING LOVED by a Woman

Affectionate old couple with the wife holding on lovingly to the husband’s face. Focus on the husband’s eyes. Concept: Elderly love.

The Incredible Privilege of BEING LOVED by a Woman

You may have heard someone of a couple they know, “Those two are just made for each other.” Or a man says to the woman he loves, “We were just made for each other.”

You may scoff at such an idea as fantasy, but don’t laugh too loud. What they say just may be the truth. It certainly fits the patter the apostle Paul declared was God’s plan for men and women, and was intended as a picture of Christ’s union with His church.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32 – NASB)

It was certainly true of Adam that Eve was made for Him, and I believe Godly men and women can find the spouse made for them. With prayer, and reliance upon God’s guidance, we can all find the one God intends us to love and cherish.

There is, however, one consideration we must not forget. Our situation is somewhat different from that of Adam. When God made Eve for Adam sin had not yet entered the world.

Once we have found the man or woman “made” for us, we have an obligation to follow the pattern of love God has laid out for us in the Scriptures.

A husband must bear the larger share of what it takes to have a happy marriage. If a husband will do what the following scripture’s asks, there is no telling what rewards he will reap in terms of a happy marriage and a loving wife.

If a man thinks he can treat his wife as anything less that God’s gift to him and still have a happy marriage, he is sadly deceived. A husband who loves his wife as Christ loved the church is almost guaranteed to have that love returned in double measure.

God has given women a unique brand of tenderness to bestow on the man she loves, but it needs to be drawn out by the love and understanding of that same man.

A Woman’s Love

(© 19^th September 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown it:
if a man would give all the substance of his house for love,
it would utterly be contemned. (Song of Solomon 8:7 – AJKV)

The love a woman has to give

To the man who truly loves her,

Cannot be told by human art;

It is something God has shown her.

It’s hidden deep within her breast,

In a secret place of learning;

If triggered by a true man’s love,

It will burst forth bright and burning.

The only thing to hold it down,

And prevent this love’s appearing.

Is one who does not know her worth,

And ignores her inward yearning.

A woman’s love must be nurtured;

It does not grow among the weeds.

It flourishes with tenderness,

And on a true man’s love it feeds.

Old Couple In Love by Ian MacKenzie. Copyright. Used under the CC BY 2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this site. We made no changes to this photograph.

Giving up – Or Never Letting Go?

APOLOGIES: I recently posted two of my blogs TWICE. Not cool. It won’t happen again. Thank you for your understanding.

Giving up – Or Never Letting Go?

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. ⁶⁷So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69 – NASB)

I read a fortune cookie statement once that said, “Men don’t fail… they give up trying.”

Besides noting women are just as likely as men are to give up, that is a sad commentary on the human spirit, even if only partly true.

For a follower of Christ it ought never to be true.

The only situations in which giving up would be an appropriate response to the tragedies and disappointments of life are:

If God did not love us
If Christ had not died for our sins and risen again
If the blood of Christ lost its cleansing power
If the promises of God were no longer valid
If Christ no longer dwelt within us
If Heaven were a myth
If Eternal Life did not exist

The list goes on and on. Since God does love us with an everlasting love; Christ did die for us and rose again from the dead; Christ’s blood will never lose its power; God’s promises will never fail; Christ in us is the hope of glory; Heaven for the redeemed is a firm reality and Eternal life is offered to all…. giving up is not and option.

All you have to do is keep on believing and giving up won’t even occur to you.

Tony Evans said: “If life gets too hard to stand, kneel.

Not an Option

(© 30^th April 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69 – NASB)

I haven’t got any give-up in me,

For my God: He still renews my spirit;

He causes my heart to be steadfast, free

To serve God now – without merit.

God took all the giving-up out,

And replaced it with godly zeal;

Even when discouragement comes,

The Word that He tells me will heal.

I cannot give up for I know

That God works together for good

All things taking place in my life

God has covered – I knew He would.

When giving up seems an option,

And I can’t continue to stand,

I fall on my knees and cry out,

“I’ll do whatever You command.”

For the promise of God is true;

I can trust though I cannot see.

Giving up is not an option –

For my Saviour lives within me.

Don’t Let Go by dbking unknown photographer. It was uploaded to wikimedia by AgnosticPreachersKid. Used under the CC BY 2.0 license; Please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to this photograph.

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!” ⁴³And 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 any more.

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?” ¹¹She 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 any more.

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, ⁹that 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?

…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.

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.

Compelling Love

(Picture credits at end of post)

Compelling Love

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; ¹⁵and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 – NASB)

The love of Christ controls us. The NKJV renders it as: For the love of Christ compels us…

The two thoughts together give the idea of a controlled but compelling desire to fulfil Gods will, motivated by the love of Christ. In the previous verse Paul and his companions were beside ourselves, which is another way of saying they were almost crazy with excitement in declaring the Gospel. People thought they were out of their minds, when in fact they were the only ones among them having soundness of mind.

Oh that every church member had this apparently crazy mix: to be controlled, compelled and crazy with love for our Lord. To stand out from the crowd, yet make a lasting Impression upon it. To be noticed, and yet not be overwhelming. To be dynamic, and yet approachable and warm.

How will this happen?

It will happen when we allow the love of Christ to control and compel us. It will happen when we are not so self-conscious we are afraid people will think we are crazy if we are bold enough to share the Gospel with them. It will happen when we share the Gospel even if they do end up thinking we are crazy.

The love of Christ has to be a fire in our souls, a compulsion in our spirits, and a passion in our hearts.

Compelling Love

For the love of Christ compels us… (2 Corinthians 5:14 – NKJV)

Not to be crazy but crazy in love,

Compelled by the love that compelled my Lord;

Bearing His cross to bring Grace from above –

So, Lord compel me – let Heaven applaud.

They may think I’m crazy; I don’t much care,

As long as I’m controlled by God’s own power;

As long as I’m spreading love everywhere,

And still live in His Presence hour by hour.

Light a fire of compelling love in me;

Let it burn up the dross and purify

All unworthy motives for what I do –

Make me a true witness before I die.

There are many things worthy to strive for,

But love is one thing worth it to die for.

Please check out my books at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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Photo by Nik Frey. Copyright. Used under the CC BY 2.5 license; please note the Disclaimer at this final link. No changes were made to this photograph.

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