"Seeking Him" - Lesson One: Revival (What is it and Who needs it?)

"Seeking Him" - Lesson One: Revival (What is it and Who needs it?)
Submitted by Leah Page on Mon, 01/17/2011 - 9:24pm RevivalSH011Sovereignty

LESSON ONE

Key Verse(s): Hosea 10:12-13
"Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. You have plowed wickedness; You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, Because you trusted in your own way, In the multitude of your mighty men."

The bulk of our discussion, last week, as we reviewed our study time in lesson one, focused on the questions laid out on pages 16-17 in our book. Based on that discussion, these were some of the main themes we discovered and/or traced throughout:


•Revival is for the BELIEVER ~ We must first have life from God to be able to experience life afresh. This isn't to say that the Lord doesn't newly save individuals in the context of, for example, a "revival meeting," but rather it is to emphasize that "Revival" is not some external activity or event (or something we ourselves can "drum up"). Rather, it is description of a work that takes place from within, and can only be brought about by God, who in Christ Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith.
•Revival is God's gift for his children, to give grace so that we have both the desire and the power to return to him. It's ultimately about our intimacy with our heavenly Father, and how that intimacy changes us from the inside out.
•As Nancy pointed out in the video segment of our study, the first step in the process is to "break up the fallow ground" ~ For us to have hearts that are soft and made ready to receive the good seed so that we may yield a harvest of righteouness, we must first have hearts that have been broken, tilled, plowed. And the plow needs to dig DEEP so that the soft soil underneath can be turned up, and the hard soil on the top can be broken up and made soft. It was by means of this analogy that Nancy warned us that these first few weeks of this study will be the most difficult, perhaps the most painful part. The Lord will begin exposing the soft undersides of our heart, and we will no doubt be disgusted by what he finds there. It makes us unconfortable, but we must be willing to submit to the process if we want to experience revival ~ Lord, we want you to search us and know us and see if there be any wicked way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. (see prayer at end of Ps. 139)
•One of the tools in our lesson, this first week, was a kind of heart "inventory" we took on day 5 ~ examining our own hearts, looking at our lives in light of Scripture, being honest about whatever sin we might be seeing there. Several of us found this very helpful!
•Questions 4 and 5 on pages 16-17 were especially revealing. Both touched on the issue of what other things - often even GOOD things! - in our lives to we hold on to for security, or do we turn to in place of God? And as we discussed, we are quick to depend on our money, our health, our intelligence, our family relationships or friendships, or any number of other GOOD things that can very easily become idols of our hearts. We cling tightly to our expectations (demands?)!, rather than "holding all things," as Pastor Krogh has said, "with an open hand." We become distracted from loving the Lord, deceived even by our own hearts, so we go about "trusting in our own way" rather than fully following after the Lord.
•It was a point of conviction - in keeping with the hard and painful work of "plowing" our hearts - but there is a sweetness to it! We must remember that it is the KINDNESS of the Lord that leads us to repentance! It is for our GOOD that the Lord exposes the uglinesses of our hearts to ourselves, so that these sinful motives, these sinful desires, these self-preserving actions can be seen for how ugly they really are - and WHY are they ugly? Because they keep up from the love of our Father, they keep us from living righteous lives as God desires - and God's desire FOR us in this regard is not only for his glory, but for our JOY.
•Let us keep that JOY before our eyes, even as we humble ourselves to the Spirit's examination of our hearts! Let us, like King Josiah (see "going deeper" corner on p. 1, and text in 2 Kings 22:8-13, 18-20), weep over our sin, to the degree that we would "rend our garments" in mourning over how we have failed to obey the word of the Lord. And let us truly invite the Lord's life-giving work, trusting that he is GOOD, and that he changes us from the inside out because of his great LOVE for us.


Book Recommendation: "The Valley of Vision" compiled/edited by Arthur Bennett

This is a collection of prayers from several writings from many "Puritan" Christians from the past several hundred years. This collection has been SUCH a blessing in my own life, and as I said in class, if I could own only one other book besides the Bible, it would probably be this book.

Like nothing else I've read, I feel this book has taught and is still teaching me how to pray, and the poetic phrases - aside from just being beautiful and worshipful in their expression - contain some of the richest theological truths that in themselves are teachers. These heart-felt prayers encourage us to give our all, and to willingly invite the Lord to do the work that only he can....


This next Wednesday, we will start class with a time of prayer, using p. 18-19 in our book as a guideline.

~Leah

Mortifying Darling Sins (Thomas Brooks)

~Mortifying Darling Sins~ (grace gem shared last night)
Submitted by Leah Page on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 3:32pm

The best means to mortify sin

(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity,or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness", 1662)

"Therefore, put to death whatever in you is worldly: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:5

While a darling sin lives and keeps the throne in the heart, grace and holiness will be kept exceeding weak and low. But when your darling sin is dethroned and slain by the power and the sword of the Spirit—grace and holiness will quickly grow stronger and stronger, and rise higher and higher.

When a man has eaten poison, nothing will make him thrive, until he has vomited up the poison. Beloved sins—they are the poison of the soul, and until these are vomited up, and cast out by sound repentance, and the exercise of faith in the
blood of Christ, the soul will never thrive in grace and holiness!

If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then fall with all your might, upon subduing and crucifying your most raging corruptions, and your most daring lusts!

Oh do not think that your golden and your silver idols will lay down their weapons, and yield the battle, and lie at your feet, and let you trample them to death—without striking a blow! Oh remember that besetting-sins will do all they can to keep their ground, and therefore you must arise with all your strength against them, and crush them to powder, and burn them to ashes!

Oh deal with your most enraged lusts, as the Philistines dealt with Samson—pluck out their eyes, and force them to grind in the mill of mortification, until their strength is utterly consumed and wasted.

I have read of five men, who being asked what was the best means to mortify sin, gave these answers. Said the first, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on death."

Said the second, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the judgment-day."

Said the third, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the joys of heaven."

Said the fourth, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the torments of hell."

Said the fifth, "The best means to mortify sin, is to meditate on the death and sufferings of Christ."

Doubtless the last man hit the nail on the head!

The daily sight of a bleeding, groaning, dying Savior—is the only thing which will subdue and mortify darling sins!

O friends! Never leave looking up to a crucified Christ, until virtue flows from Him to the crucifying of those special besetting sins which do most obstruct and hinder the growth and increase of holiness.


~

~More Solid Happiness in a Passing Thought of God~

~More Solid Happiness in a Passing Thought of God~
http://www.solagrace.org/growing2gether
Submitted by Leah Page on Wed, 10/07/2009 - 9:19pm
Octavius Winslow, (neo)puritan writer, in chapter "The God of Comfort" from his book, "Our God" -

***quote***
The religion of Jesus possesses in the experience of its disciples this remarkable characteristic; there is more true holiness in the heart's thirst for sanctification, and more solid happiness in a passing thought of God, and more real life in one believing look at the Savior, and more perfect repose in one single promise of God's Word, and more of the reality of heaven in a glance within the veil, than this world could ever give, or its religion inspire. Empty, were it possible, the whole world into the soul, and still the worldling's inquiry would be, "Who will show me any good?" .... But let one devout, holy, loving thought of God in Christ enter that soul, and its satisfaction is full, its happiness complete.


Incidentally, I misspoke in class, Octavius Winslow is actually a neo-puritan in that he was writing in the 1800's, rather than the 1600's as I'd originally stated. I still love and recommend him to you. :)
Here is an online link to the whole above-referenced book:
http://gracegems.org/WINSLOW/Our%20God.htm

Groups: Women of Grace

Today's Grace Gem - Zeal Blended w/Humility

*OH how I need to take note of this one:

Those mistakes, blemishes and faults in others
(Letters of John Newton)

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15:7

The Christian, especially he who is advanced and established in the life of faith, has a fervent zeal for God--for the honor of His Name, His Word and His Gospel. The honest warmth of zeal which he feels, when God's Word is broken, His Gospel is despised, and when the great and glorious Name of the Lord his God is profaned, would, by the occasion of his infirmities, often degenerate into anger or contempt towards those who error--

--if he was under the influence of zeal alone.

But his zeal is blended with benevolence and humility; it is softened by a consciousness of his own frailty and fallibility.

He is aware, that his knowledge is very limited in itself, and very faint in its transforming power in his own life; that his attainments are weak and few, compared with his deficiencies; that his gratitude is very disproportionate to his obligations; and that his obedience is unspeakably short of conformity to his prescribed rule; that he has nothing but what he has received, and has received nothing but what, in a greater or less degree, he has either misapplied or misimproved. He is, therefore, a debtor to the mercy of God--and lives upon His multiplied forgiveness.

The Christian also makes the gracious conduct of the Lord towards himself--a pattern for his own conduct towards his fellow-worms. He cannot boast of himself--nor is he anxious to censure others. He considers himself, lest he also fall. And thus he learns tenderness and compassion to others, and to bear patiently with those mistakes, blemishes and faults in others--which once belonged to his own character; and from which, as yet, he is but imperfectly freed.

...Knowing that the Gospel is the wisdom and power of God, and the only possible means by which fallen man can obtain peace with God--he most cordially embraces and avows it. Far from being ashamed of it--he esteems it his glory. He preaches Christ Jesus, and Him crucified. He disdains the thought of distorting, disguising, or softening the great doctrines of the grace of God, to render them more palatable to the depraved taste of the times (2 Corinthians 4:2). And he will no more encounter the errors and corrupt maxims and practices of the world, with any weapon but the truth as it is in Jesus--than he would venture to fight an enraged tiger with a paper sword!

~ ~ ~ ~

Well CURED in the blood of Christ....

"A Great Sin will certainly give a great turn to the life of a [professing believer].

If it be well cured* in the blood of Christ,
with that humiliation which the gospel requires,
it often proves a means of more watchfulness,
fruitfulness,
humility,
and contentation [satisfaction, reassurance],
than ever before the soul obtained.

If it be neglected, it certainly hardens the heart,
weakens spiritual strength,
enfeebles the soul,
discouraging it unto all communion with God,
and is a notable principle of a general decay."

~John Owen, from "The Effect and Strength of Indwelling Sin"
(as printed in "Overcoming Sin and Temptation," p. 387)

*Cured: to prepare (meat, fish, etc.) for preservation by salting, drying, etc.
to restore to health. to relieve or rid of something detrimental, as an illness or a bad habit.
to promote hardening of (fresh concrete or mortar), as by keeping it damp.
to process (rubber, tobacco, etc.) as by fermentation or aging.

Edwards: The emerald rainbow around the throne of God....

**I have reflected on this very thing - the emerald rainbow around the throne of God - I have seen, similarly, a statistic to the effect that the color "Green" is the most soothing to the human eye. It would stand to reason, then, that God himself would surround himself in a light upon which it is most SOOTHING to gaze for eternity! How right, then, that we could consider such a mediating glow that of God's covenantal LOVE for his children in Christ!**

~

"...Love is the principal thing which the gospel reveals in God and Christ. The gospel brings to light the love between the Father and the Son, and declares how that love has been manifested in mercy; how that Christ is God's beloved Son in whom he is well pleased. And there we have the effects of God's love to his Son set before us in appointing him to the honor of a mediatorial kingdom, in appointing him to be the Lord and Judge of the world, in appointing that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father.

There is revealed the love which Christ has to the Father, and the wonderful fruits of that love, as particularly his doing such great things, and suffering such great things in obedience to the Father, and for the honor of the Father's justice, authority and law. There it is revealed how the Father and the Son are one in love, that we might be induced in like manner to be one with them, and with one another, agreeable to Christ's prayer, John 17:21-23, "That they all may be one; as thou Father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."

The gospel teaches us the doctrine of the eternal electing love of God, and reveals how God loved those that are redeemed by Christ before the foundation of the world; and how he then gave them to the Son, and the Son loved them as his own. The gospel reveals the wonderful love of God the Father to poor sinful, miserable men, in giving Christ not only to love them while in the world, but to love them to the end. And all this love is spoken of as bestowed on us while we were wanderers, outcasts, worthless, guilty, and even enemies.

The gospel reveals such love as nothing else reveals. John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this." Rom. 5:7-8, "Scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God and Christ in the gospel revelation appear as clothed with love, as being as it were on a throne of mercy and grace, a seat of love encompassed about with pleasant beams of love.

Love is the light and glory which are about the throne on which God sits.

This seems to be intended in that vision which the apostle John, that loving and beloved disciple, had of God in Rev. 4:3. He tells us that when he had a vision of God on his throne there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

That is, God as he sat on his throne was encompassed round with a circle of exceeding sweet and pleasant light,' pleasant like the beautiful colors of the rainbow, like an emerald. An emerald is a precious stone of exceeding pleasant and beautiful color. This represents that the light and glory with which God appears surrounded in the gospel is especially the glory of his love and covenant grace. For the rainbow, you know, was given as a token of God's love and covenant grace to Noah. Therefore this spirit, even a spirit of love, is the spirit to which the gospel revelation does especially hold forth motives and incitements. And this is especially and eminently the Christian spirit, the right spirit of the gospel...."

(Jonathan Edwards, from Charity and its Fruits)

http://truthinheart.com/EarlyOberlinCD/CD/Edwards/Sermons/Cor13book/1.htm

Satisfaction and Happiness Complete

"...The religion of Jesus possesses this remarkable characteristic in the experience of its disciples: there is more true holiness in the heart's thirst for sanctification, more solid happiness in a passing thought of God, more real life in one believing look at the Savior, more perfect rest in one single promise of God's Word, and more of the reality of heaven in a glance within the veil than this world could ever give or its religion could ever inspire. If it were possible to empty the whole world into the soul, the inquiry of mankind would still be, 'Who will show me any good?'....But let one devout, holy, loving thought of God in Christ enter that soul and its satisfaction is full, its happiness complete...."

-Octavious Winslow, "Our God" p. 51 (RHB)

How can the consideration of the depths of sin bring anything but greater misery?

~John Owen, from "The Nature of Mortification" as published in "Overcoming Sin and Temptation," p. 105

"Bring your lust to the gospel - not for relief, but for further conviction of its guilt (!); look on him whom you have pierced [Zech. 12:10; John 19:37], and be in bitterness. Say to your soul:

What have I done? What love, what mercy, what blood, what grace have I despised and trampled on! Is this the return I make to the Father for his love, to the Son for his blood, to the Holy Ghost for his grace? Do I thus requite the Lord? Have I defiled the heart that Christ died to wash, that the blessed Spirit has chosen to dwell in? And can I keep myself out of the dust? What can I say to the dear Lord Jesus? How shall I hold my head up with any boldness before him? Do I account communion with him of so little value, that for this vile lust's sake I have scarce left him any room in my heart? How shall I escape if I neglect so great a salvation? In the meantime, what shall I say to the Lord? Love, mercy, grace, goodness, peace, joy, consolation -- I have despised them all, and esteemed them as a thing of naught, that I might harbor a lust in my heart. Have I obtained a view of God's fatherly countenance, that I might behold his face and provoke him to his face? Was my soul washed, that room might be made for new defilements? Shall I endeavor to disappoint the end of the death of Christ? Shall I daily grieve the Spirit whereby I am sealed to the day of redemption?

Entertain your conscience daily with this treaty. See if it can stand before this aggravation of its guilt. If this make it not sink in some measure and melt, I fear your case is dangerous."

~

**A personal note, dear reader: I have been challenged by some of my well-meaning friends to consider that such an aggressive, and dare I say BRUTAL assault on my own sin, lust, and inclination toward the idol of my Self would otherwise lead me to despair. And I will readily confess, I have a tendency towards "depression." In truth, the reading of this book [Overcoming Sin and Temptation] with all of its brutal honesty about the unwavering intensity of sin - which does still rise up against its enemy God in the heart of the believer - has had the effect of leading me into a greater FREEDOM in Christ. You may think this ironic - but it is not as though the above kind of instruction inspires a person to WALLOW in their despair. Rather it is the intentional cultivating of a godly sorrow which leads to REPENTANCE and revives again for the soul the consideration of Him, Christ - who is lovely to behold! More to be desired; this Desire of Nations! - and because, precisely, he has made an END to all my sin, and I stand RIGHTEOUS in him before the Father.

In truth, too WEAK a view of the vileness and pervasiveness of our sin, I think, leaves us with too WEAK a view of our Savior and the grace that he has poured out on his own to redeem us from the mastery of this evil enemy! And an enemy which is by nature implanted in our own hearts and souls and so we can never escape it! We MUST be "rescued" from ourselves! (It is true - I am my own worst enemy!) But praise be to God, in Christ Jesus, because he has established the means of my redemption, he has anchored it in the blood of Jesus from before the foundations of the world; and he has set his affection on me in Christ, having numbered my days before, as yet, there was even one of them!

So I am learning to wash Jesus' feet with my tears - to be QUICK to cry out "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" My "depression" is only usually evidence that I am reverting again to a "works-based" theology, somehow trying in myself to bring God pleasure when in truth that very relying on my own self effort is what brings him such grief.

It is only when I finally yield myself up - God help me, I would do it in every breath! but I cannot! - so that at every moment I am truly abiding IN him, walking WITH him, pleading TO him, resting and depending ON him - that I THEN experience not merely true "freedom" from my sin, but my JOY and DELIGHT in my Savior is so magnified as to be veritably rapturous to my soul!

It is not as though meanly pursuing the understanding of the depths of the wickedness of my own soul (left to its own nature and devices) brings me greater sorrow - except that it, by God's grace, leads me into greater repentance, and therefore makes me fit - because it has made me empty of myself, and humble! - to finally receive God's forgiveness and grace. Ultimately, this brings me immeasurable pleasure as I am made, at last, to Rejoice in God my Savior - for he has poured out of himself to bring me righteousness, because he has brought ME to the Gospel, to the cross of Christ, and I can boast in no other!

so help me God.**

All that I can Possibly Want!

All that I can possibly want!
(Octavius Winslow, "The Witness of the Spirit")

"From the fullness of His grace--we have all received one blessing after another." John 1:16

Child of God, all that can possibly want is treasured up in Christ! You have . . . no cross--but Christ can bear it, no sorrow--but Christ can alleviate it, no corruption--but Christ can subdue it, no guilt--but Christ can remove it, no sin--but Christ can pardon it, no need--but Christ can supply it!

Lift up your heads, you who are poor, needy and disconsolate! Lift up your heads, and rejoice that Christ is ALL to you! All you need in this valley of tears. All you will need in the deepest sorrow. All you need under the heaviest affliction. All you need in sickness. All you will need in the hour of death. All you will need in the day of judgment.

Indeed, Christ is IN ALL too. He is in all your salvation. He is in all your mercies. He is in all your trials. He is in all your consolations. He is in all your afflictions.

What more can you want? What more do you desire? A Father who loves you as the apple of His eye! A full Savior to whom to go, moment by moment!

"Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with confidence--so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16



**Oh my God - today though I am well acquainted with my own shortcomings and my griefs, the loss of that which I desire, the prospect of enduring the suffering of this loss for some long time, how merciful that you have given me a fresh glimpse of my Christ through something so simple as a word from this brother who has long been in your presence, now, realizing the fullness of the things of which he tasted while he walked with you below. How merciful - this reminder of the transient nature of this life - and the recollection that ALL we experience here, whether for our immediate happiness or to our sorrow, all are nevertheless to our greater joy because all are for YOUR greater glory and according to your unsearchable wisdom! Please cause me to abide in Christ, in his love, throughout today - so that any sorrow may seem SO small because it IS indeed so small - you have given me MUCH for which I can rejoice, and I need your grace to train me so that I may in truth "turn back to praise" ANYTHING that I receive from your hand, so that I may "give thanks in all circumstances," and again I say, "rejoice in the Lord always." My precious Lord and Savior, let me drink deeply from YOUR goodness and be satisfied.**

May I be Entirely Yours

"Reign, blessed Jesus, in my heart—reign supreme, and without a rival. I would sincerely love You above all things in heaven or earth. I see that You are infinitely glorious in Yourself, and worthy of my highest esteem and love. You are the only all-sufficient good—the overflowing spring of grace and blessedness. All things beneath and besides you—are vanity and emptiness. In comparison with you, they are less than nothing. You have drawn my heart towards Yourself, and made me willing to make choice of You, as my Savior, and my Portion. I would renounce all that the world calls good or great—that I may be entirely Yours. Be my everlasting inheritance, and I shall desire nothing that the whole world can bestow. Whom have I in heaven but You? There is nothing on earth that I desire in comparison of You! What can the present world afford—to tempt me to relinquish You? I would therefore bid 'adieu' to the gaudy pomps and empty vanities of life—and give my heart supremely to You. O may all the alluring trifles and vain delights of this world stand aloof from my heart—for I have devoted it to my Redeemer for His habitation. Keep your distance, O captivating delusions, from the gates of my heart, where You alone should dwell. There may You reign alone, over all my desires forever!"

(John Fawcett, "Christ Precious")