Bread & Wine

March 2007          ●          Vol. 2   No. 14

Editorial                                                                                         4

Russ Atmore

Fellowship                                                                                    5     

Russ Atmore

Exposition Must Have Application                              7

A W Tozer

The Holy Spirit                                                                       9

George Müller

How To Spend The Day With God                              11

Richard Baxter        

Heavenly Mindedness                                                        16     

Samuel Rutherford

Issues Over Fasting                                                              18

(Mark 2:18 – 22)

Russ Atmore

Bible Quiz                                                                                   21

Kaitlin Atmore

Editorial

Does it not strike you as interesting that in all conflicts about religion, that ultimately it is a conflict about how to be saved. From the social Gospel to Jihad, from law to grace – it does not matter what religion you look at – it is always about salvation. Even atheism promotes its own brand of salvation achievable in this life by man. Whether a person accepts life in eternity or not – everyone promotes concern for some brand of salvation. It was Jesus, however, who because He came from God showed that He alone is the way, the truth and the life, and that no-one can ever come to God apart from Him (John 14:6)

We should never be surprised that the Gospel will be attacked. Jesus pointed out to us that in this world we would have tribulation, but that we were to rejoice because He had overcome the world (John 16:33). Our culture offers a changing brand of consumer salvation. This salvation is for now. Eternity is not an issue because you cannot enjoy this brand of salvation then. This means that our media and education are all geared to promote self. Man is great we are told. Look at what he has achieved, and yet in spite of these achievements, we still war, murder and hate.

We must abandon all desire for this world. We must not be sucked into the swirling vortex of trying to probe this world because its attraction is fleeting and dangerous. This world is going to be judged by God one day. In the meantime we are to live as salt and light. In one sense this is a judgment present-tense because salt hurts and heals and light dispels darkness and reveals sin. So we offer to our world help and life through Christ Jesus by caring and confronting at the same time. This is what Jesus did. We have drawn from a variety of sources this month to focus on life in Christ. As usual we confront you with a new challenge – be on your guard as you seek to solve the puzzle from the Psalms.

Soli Deo Gloria

Fellowship

Fellowship means communion. It is communion with someone else. For the Christian, fellowship is communion with God and other believers. It is a relationship with God and fellow Christians. It is not communion with unbelievers. Why is this so? The Bible gives us a clear answer – we have nothing in common with them anymore (read 2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1). This does not mean, of course, that we do not converse with unbelievers – we do and we must. We meet with them, we invite them to our homes, we minister to them, we love them, we take care of them – we do these things because this is simply fulfilling the law of loving our neighbor as ourselves. But when it comes to the things of God, we communicate the Gospel to the unbelieving world, but we have no harmony with the world because the world is approaching God from a totally different perspective. The world does not care about God. The world is indifferent to God. The world has its own ideas about God. The world even says there is no God.

The Apostle Paul defends separation in the Bible by using these words – “fellowship, harmony, common, agreement”. The Christian is to separate himself or herself from the world, the flesh and the devil. If we are Christians, we have no common ground with the devil (do we?). If you marry an unbeliever you have no agreement with that person spiritually. You are in the light, the unbeliever is in the darkness – there is no fellowship between light and darkness, as Paul says. In fact, is downright rebellion and sin for a Christian to knowingly marry an unbeliever, in fact, the same can be said of any relationship in this regard.

2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1 gives us the negative and the positive. I have outlined briefly the negative. The Apostle John does the same in 1 John 2: 15 – 17.There are numerous passages in the Bible (both OT. and NT.) that say the same thing.

The positive side of Paul’s statements is very encouraging. He uses terms like – Christ, righteousness, light, believer, temple of God, to portray the relationship that actually exists between God and His people. Now, what is this positive side that we should be concerned about? In 2 Corinthians 6:16b – 7:1, Paul gives his reasons for separation positively. Here they are:

• God lives with us and walks among us
• He is our God
• We are His people
• He will receive us if we touch no unclean thing
• He will be our Father
• We will be His sons and daughters

Fellowship is first of all, with our God. We have a close relationship with him. Notice that this relationship starts from God’s side. He only expects of us that we stay away from the negatives outlined above. What a wonderful thing fellowship with God is! All of these positive things are described as the promises of God. God always keeps His promises. He cannot lie, and He does not lie. What should we do, in view of what God has done for us? Consider verse 7 – “let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness (pursuing holiness, making it happen in our lives) out of reverence for God.”

It is because we love God that we must do these things. We must endeavor to separate ourselves from every contamination of body and spirit. That about covers all of your life. Give yourself to God in these things and enjoy fellowship with Him and with His people.

“It is only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man”

                          John Witherspoon


Exposition Must Have Application[1]

The Bible is among other things a book of revealed truth. That is, certain facts are revealed that could not be discovered by the most brilliant mind. These facts are of such a nature as to be past finding out. They were hidden behind a veil, and until certain men who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost took away that veil, no mortal man could know them. This lifting of the veil of unknowing from undiscoverable things we call divine revelation.

The Bible, however, is more than a volume of hitherto unknown facts about God, man and the universe. It is a book of exhortation based upon those facts. By far the greater portion of the book is devoted to an urgent effort to persuade people to alter their ways and bring their lives into harmony with the will of God as set forth in its pages.

No man is better for knowing that God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth. The devil knows that, and so did Ahab and Judas Iscariot. No man is better for knowing that God so loved the world of men that He gave His only begotten Son to die for their redemption. In hell there are millions that know that. Theological truth is useless until it is obeyed. The purpose behind all doctrine is to secure moral action.

What is generally overlooked is that truth as set forth in the Christian Scriptures is a moral thing; it is not addressed to the intellect only, but to the will also. It addresses itself to the total man, and its obligations cannot be discharged by grasping it mentally. Truth engages the citadel of the human heart and is not satisfied until it has conquered everything there. The will must come forth and surrender its sword. It must stand at attention to receive orders, and those orders it must joyfully obey. Short of this any knowledge of Christian truth is inadequate and unavailing.

Bible exposition without moral application raises no opposition. It is only when the hearer is made to understand that truth is in conflict with his heart that resistance sets in. As long as people can bear orthodox truth divorced from life they will attend and support churches and institutions without objection. The truth is a lovely song, become sweet by long and tender association; and since It asks nothing but a few dollars, and offers good music, pleasant friendships and a comfortable sense of well-being, it meets with no resistance from the faithful. Much that passes for New Testament Christianity is little more than objective truth sweetened with song and made palatable by religious entertainment.

One reason for the divorce between truth and life maybe the lack of the Spirit’s illumination. Another surely is the teacher’s unwillingness to get himself into trouble. Any man with fair pulpit gifts can get on with the average congregation if he just “feeds” them and lets them alone. Give them plenty of objective truth and never hint that they are wrong and should be set right, and they will be content.

On the other hand, the man who preaches truth and applies it to the lives of his hearers will feel the nails and the thorns. He will lead a hard life, but a glorious one. May God raise up many such prophets. The church needs them badly.

“The secret of holy living is in the mind.”

                                     John Stott

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost to the church in her collective capacity, to abide with her forever, and has not been taken away, notwithstanding our many failings. Just as the fiery pillar was not taken from the Israelites, notwithstanding their many provocations, so the blessed Spirit of God has not been taken away from the church. Moreover God has given His Spirit to the individual believer—to all who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But though the Spirit dwells in the church of Christ as to her collective capacity, and in the individual believer, nevertheless it is fitting and suitable and right on the part of the children of God that they should ask God again and again, and with great earnestness, that He would work mightily by His Spirit.

We depend entirely on the power of the Holy Spirit for the conversion of sinners. There might be the most mighty preacher as to the knowledge of the scriptures and the clearness with which he sets forth the truth; yet if the Spirit of God is not pleased to bless the word, he may preach for months, and yet there will be no blessing.

Are you renewed by the Holy Spirit? This is the momentous point, whether through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we are partakers of the Holy Spirit or not. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His. Whatever we have, if we have not the Holy Spirit, we do not belong to Christ. In whatever way we seek to resemble the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ—we may be in the habit of reading our Bibles, of bowing our knees, of singing together with them, of meeting together with them, of partaking with them at the Lord’s supper, we may be reckoned among them as disciples—and yet with all this, far from God. With all this - unregenerate. With all this, wanting the Spirit of Christ. With all this, not born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Talkers we may be, in outward appearance like the children of God, but if the heart is unrenewed, if there be no faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls, through which we are born again and renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the Holy Spirit takes our bodies and makes them His temple—if this is not the case, we are yet far from God and His kingdom.

“We are told to take, not make our cross. God in His providence will provide one for us.”

                         William Gurnall

How To Spend The Day With God

A holy life is inclined to be made easier when we know the usual sequence and method of our duties - with everything falling into its proper place. Therefore, I shall give some brief directions for spending the day in a holy manner.

Sleep

Measure the time of your sleep appropriately so that you do not waste your precious morning hours sluggishly in your bed. Let the time of your sleep be matched to your health and labour, and not to slothful pleasure.

First Thoughts

Let God have your first awaking thoughts; lift up your hearts to Him reverently and thankfully for the rest enjoyed the night before and cast yourself upon Him for the day which follows.

Familiarize yourself so consistently to this that your conscience may check you when common thoughts shall first intrude. Think of the mercy of a night's rest and of how many that have spent that night in Hell; how many in prison; how many in cold, hard lodgings; how many suffering from agonizing pains and sickness, weary of their beds and of their lives.

Think of how many souls were that night called from their bodies terrifyingly to appear before God and think how quickly days and nights are rolling on! How speedily your last night and day will come! Observe that which is lacking in the preparedness of your soul for such a time and seek it without delay.

Prayer

Let prayer by yourself alone (or with your partner) take place before the collective prayer of the family. If possible let it be first, before any work of the day.

Family Worship

Let family worship be performed consistently and at a time when it is most likely for the family to be free of interruptions.

Ultimate Purpose

Remember your ultimate purpose, and when you set yourself to your day's work or approach any activity in the world, let HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon your hearts in all that you do.

Do no activity which you cannot entitle God to, and truly say that he set you about it, and do nothing in the world for any other ultimate purpose than to please, glorify and enjoy Him. "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Diligence in Your Calling

Follow the tasks of your calling carefully and diligently. Thus:

(a) You will show that you are not sluggish and servants to your flesh (as those that cannot deny it ease), and you will further the putting to death of all the fleshly lusts and desires that are fed by ease and idleness.

(b) You will keep out idle thoughts from your mind, that swarm in the minds of idle persons.

(c) You will not lose precious time, something that idle persons are daily guilty of.

(d) You will be in a way of obedience to God when the slothful are in constant sins of omission.

(e) You may have more time to spend in holy duties if you follow your occupation diligently. Idle persons have no time for praying and reading because they lose time by loitering at their work.

(f) You may expect God's blessing and comfortable provision for both yourself and your families.

(g) it may also encourage the health of your body which will increase its competence for the service of your soul.

Temptations and Things That Corrupt

Be thoroughly acquainted with your temptations and the things that may corrupt you - and watch against them all day long. You should watch especially the most dangerous of the things that corrupt, and those temptations that either your company or business will unavoidably lay before you.

Watch against the master sins of unbelief: hypocrisy, selfishness, pride, flesh pleasing and the excessive love of earthly things. Take care against being drawn into earthly mindedness and excessive cares, or covetous designs for rising in the world, under the pretence of diligence in your calling.

If you are to trade or deal with others, be vigilant against selfishness and all that smacks of injustice or uncharitableness. In all your dealings with others, watch against the temptation of empty and idle talking. Watch also against those persons who would tempt you to anger. Maintain that modesty and cleanness of speech that the laws of purity require. If you converse with flatterers, be on your guard against swelling pride.

If you converse with those that despise and injure you, strengthen yourself against impatient, revengeful pride.

At first these things will be very difficult, while sin has any strength in you, but once you have grasped a continual awareness of the poisonous danger of any one of these sins, your heart will readily and easily avoid them.

Meditation

When alone in your occupations, improve the time in practical and beneficial meditations. Meditate upon the infinite goodness and perfections of God; Christ and redemption; Heaven and how unworthy you are of going there and how you deserve eternal misery in Hell.

The Only Motive

Whatever you are doing, in company or alone, do it all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Otherwise, it is unacceptable to God.

Redeeming The Time

Place a high value upon your time, be more careful of not losing it than you would of losing your money. Do not let worthless recreations, television, idle talk, unprofitable company, or sleep rob you of your precious time.

Be more careful to escape that person, action or course of life that would rob you of your time than you would be to escape thieves and robbers.

Make sure that you are not merely never idle, but rather that you are using your time in the most profitable way that you can and do not prefer a less profitable way before one of greater profit.

Eating and Drinking

Eat and drink with moderation and thankfulness for health, not for unprofitable pleasure. Never please your appetite in food or drink when it is prone to be detrimental to your health.

Remember the sin of Sodom: "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food and abundance of idleness" - Ezekiel 16:49.

The Apostle Paul wept when he mentioned those "whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame -- who set their minds on earthly things, being enemies to the cross of Christ" - Philippians 3:18-19. O then do not live according to the flesh lest you die (Romans 8:13).

Prevailing Sins

If any temptation prevails against you and you fall into any sins in addition to habitual failures, immediately lament it and confess it to God; repent quickly whatever the cost. It will certainly cost you more if you continue in sin and remain unrepentant.

Do not make light of your habitual failures, but confess them and daily strive against them, taking care not to aggravate them by unrepentance and contempt.

Relationships

Remember every day the special duties of various relationships: whether as husbands, wives, children, masters, servants, pastors, people, magistrates, subjects.

Remember every relationship has its special duty and its advantage for the doing of some good. God requires your faithfulness in this matter as well as in any other duty.

Closing the Day

Before returning to sleep, it is wise and necessary to review the actions and mercies of the day past, so that you may be thankful for all the special mercies and humbled for all your sins.

This is necessary in order that you might renew your repentance as well as your resolve for obedience, and in order that you may examine yourself to see whether your soul grew better or worse, whether sin goes down and grace goes up and whether you are better prepared for suffering, death and eternity.

May these directions be engraven upon your mind and be made the daily practice of your life.

If sincerely adhered to, these will be conducive to the holiness, fruitfulness and quietness of your life and add to you a comfortable and peaceful death.

“Those who acquainted with God and Christ are already in the suburbs of life eternal.”

                                     Matthew Henry

Heavenly Mindedness

Letter to the Lady Cardoness

Greetings - Walk in the truth, worthy and well-beloved in the Lord,

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. I long to read a letter from you, so that I may know how your soul prospers. My desire and longing is to hear that you walk in the truth, and that you are content to follow the despised but most lovely Son of God.

I cannot but recommend Him to you, as your Husband, your Well-beloved, your Portion, your Comfort, and your Joy. I say this of the Lovely One, because considering what He has done for me, I can say nothing else. He has watered with His sweet comforts an oppressed prisoner. He was always kind to my soul; but never so kind as now, in my greatest extremities.** I dine and sup with Christ. He visits my soul with the visitations of love, even in the middle of the night.

I am completely convinced that what I am now suffering for is nothing less than Christ's own truth, and Christ's own way to heaven. I exhort you in the name of Christ to continue in the truth which I delivered to you. Make Christ sure to your soul; for your day draws near to the end. Many slide back now, who seemed to be Christ's friends, and prove themselves dishonest to Him. Be faithful to the death, and you shall have the crown of life. This span-length of your days (of which the Spirit of God speaks, Psalm 39:5) will, within a short time, come to a finger breadth, and at length to nothing. Oh, how sweet and comfortable will the feast of a good conscience be to you, when your eyes will be clouded, your face become pale, and your breath turn cold. Then your poor soul will come sighing to the windows of the house of clay of your dying body, and will long to be let out, and to have the jailer to open the door that the prisoner may be set free! You draw close to the shore: look to your accounts; ask your Guide to take you to the other side.

Don't let the world be your portion, who are you to be satisfied with dead clay? You are not an illegitimate child, but a rightful heir of the King. Therefore set your heart on your inheritance. Go up beforehand, and see your lodging. Look through all your Father's rooms in heaven, because in your Father's house are many dwelling places. Men take a sight of lands before they buy them. I know that Christ has made the bargain already, but think kindly of the house you are going to, and see it often. Set your heart on things that are above, where Christ is at the right hand of God.

Stir up your husband to mind his own country at home. Counsel him to deal mercifully with the poor people of God under him. They are Christ's, and not his; therefore desire him to show them merciful dealing and kindness, and to be good to their souls. I desire you to write to me. It may be that my parish forget me; but my witness is in heaven that I dare not, I do not forget them. They are my sighs in the night and my tears in the day. I think myself like a husband plucked from the wife of his youth. O Lord, be my judge: what joy would it be to my soul to hear that my ministry has left the Son of God among them, and that they are walking in Christ!

Remember my love to your son and daughter. Desire them from me to seek the Lord in their youth, and to give Him the morning of their days. Acquaint them with the word of God and prayer.

Grace be with you. Pray for the prisoner of Christ. In my heart I forget you not.

Your lawful and loving pastor, in his only Lord Jesus.

S.R.

Aberdeen, March 6, 1637.

Issues Over Fasting

(Mark 2:18 – 22)

 Scripture  

Mark 2:18 – 22

  Key Verse 

“… as long as they have the Bridegroom with them they cannot fast.” Mark 2:19b

 Theme  

It is not possible to harmonize legalism and grace.

  Exposition 

Mark 2 is a chapter about conflict. We have seen the conflict that arose over healing the paralytic. Jesus demonstrated that He was God. He had the power to heal and to forgive sins (2: 1 – 12). Jesus has also demonstrated that traditions keep us from doing the will of God. The Pharisees were more interested in the letter of the law and failed in loving their neighbors. They were always quick to judge and condemn (2:13 – 17).

In verses 18 – 22 we, have another conflict. This conflict came from the people who contrasted the disciples of John and the Pharisees with Jesus’ disciples over the question of fasting. This question about fasting probably arose since Jesus was sitting in Levi’s house eating and drinking, but the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting. The contrast seemed obvious to the people and they wanted to know the reason why Jesus’ disciples were not fasting also.

Luke 18:12 notes that the Pharisees fasted twice a week (generally regarded as Monday and Thursday). If this were the case, then why did not Jesus have his disciples fast since he claimed to be a godly leader come from God? Perhaps John’s disciples were fasting because their leader was in prison and this was hardly the time to be rejoicing.  The Old Testament stressed that fasting was required for all Jews on the Day of Atonement, but that was only once a year (Lev. 16:29). Jesus Himself did not forbid fasting (see Matthew 6:16 – 18), but in this case, He will demonstrate the folly of it.

The answer of Jesus is simple, yet profound. He asks how it is possible for wedding guests to fast when they were at a feast celebrating a marriage (vs. 19). Guests don’t do that at wedding feasts. Jesus then explains that his disciples were in the same situation with Him. He was the Bridegroom and he was present with them. Why should they fast? There will come a time for fasting soon enough (vs. 20). It will be when the Bridegroom has been taken away from them. These words “taken away” imply a violent removal or upheaval, and this refers to the crucifixion of our Lord (see Isa. 53:8). Fasting is generally associated with sorrow and eating and drinking with rejoicing. The removal of the bridegroom would bring sorrow and thus fasting is a metaphor explaining what would happen on that day (of being taken away). This is the first time in Mark’s Gospel that there is a hint of future suffering by our Lord.

The insistence by the Pharisees on fasting was to go beyond what Scripture required. It was to impose a legalistic code on the lives of others that God never intended them to bear. It is this attitude that Jesus is seeking to counter. The Pharisees were already concerned at Jesus’ “eating with sinners” (2:16) implying that they did not associate with sinners. Fasting is now used in the same sense. The Pharisees believed that it showed that they were spiritual, yet Jesus reveals that it shows hardness of heart and no spiritual life at all.

Jesus now illustrates what he is saying by referring to cloth and wineskins. If his disciples were to fast, it would be like sewing a new piece of unshrunk cloth on and old garment. It would be like putting new wine into old wineskins. The new state will be worse than the present state once the old garment is washed and the new wine ferments in the old skins, because both the garment and wineskins will be destroyed and thus of no future value.

In other words, Jesus is contrasting the mixing of legalism with grace. They do not belong together. Both will end up destroyed. Legalism destroys grace, and grace cannot operate where legalism reigns. On or the other must go. All the Pharisees were doing was seeking to attain a righteousness not advocated by the Law, but one of their own making, and such righteousness was a salvation by merit or works. That is not salvation by grace. Any work that needs to be done to merit salvation is known as works-righteousness and it is not of grace, and therefore it is not salvation. This is what Jesus says is evidenced by his disciples not fasting and the others fasting. The Pharisees were promoting salvation by works and the Jesus was proclaiming salvation by grace.

  Application 

Salvation by grace is one of joy. Fasting promotes sorrow because ultimately man cannot find salvation in Himself. The disciples eating and drinking reflects the joy of salvation. The Pharisees and other fasting, reflects bondage. The choice is still the same today. Salvation is only by grace, yet how many are seeking to earn their way to heaven by what they do. The righteousness of our Lord Jesus is given freely to us, and it is in that righteousness we must stand to be received by God. This is the new wine that goes in the new wineskin. Judaism and Christianity do not mix – one is the old wineskin and the other is the new wineskin. Which one are you drinking from?

ACROSS

3. “Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is _______ for the upright to praise him.”

4. “Sing to him a new ______; play skillfully, and shout for joy.”                          

5. “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for _____. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”

6. “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing ________ to the name of the LORD Most High.”

10. “Be ________, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.”

11. “I will sing to the LORD, for he has been _______ to me.”                          

12. “My soul will be ____________ as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”

13. “But I will sing of your __________, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

14. “O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my ________, my loving God.”

DOWN

1. “I will be glad and __________ in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

2. “Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make ________ to the LORD.”

4. “that my heart may sing to you and not be ________. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”

7. “Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your _________________.”

8. “For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a ________ of praise.”

9. “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have ____________.”

“Conformity to the world can be overcome by nothing but conformity to Jesus.”

                                   Andrew Murray