SOVEREIGN
GRACE LIFE
Lasaro Flores /
E-mail
Address: lasaro@netscape.com
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NOTE:
Although I’ll be using articles from various authors, it does not mean
I agree
totally with what they write. But after reading them, I believe some
benefit can be derived from them with respect to Revival and Spiritual
Awakening.
____________________________________________________________________________________
There is a fourfold
purpose for this
newsletter: It goes out for Revival, for Renewal, for Restoration, and
for
Reformation. Perhaps to some this means the same thing, yet I believe
that
there are four aspects of a Life that experiences the Sovereign Grace
of God
that will be manifested when believers experience these four things in
it. It
is my desire that “the God of all grace”
(1 Peter 5:10) will be pleased to use the articles, not only for
His
awesome Glory, but also to “revive (His) work in the
midst of the
years”
(Habakuk 3:2); and as a result, we should be willing to “endure
all things for the elect’s sakes,
that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal
glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).
Therefore, pray with
me that God will be pleased to command the clouds to rain again (cp.
Isaiah
5:6), so that “in the wilderness shall
waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground
shall
become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water” (Isaiah
35:6,7), as
the “showers of blessing” descend
when He “causes the shower to come down in his season”
(Ezekiel 34:26). Oh,
how we need to pray like David: “O God,
thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my
flesh
longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see
thy power
and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary” (Psalm
63:1)! We
can be sure that whenever that happens, not only will we be Revived
from our
deadness without Him, but also Renewed in our desires of Him, Restored
in our
fellowship with Him, and Reformed in our walk before Him. Amen!
MY
FIRST LOVE
"
Thou hast left thy first love" (Revelation 2:4)
At the moment of
conversion, there
is something wonderful and amazing that takes place in the repentant
and
believing sinner with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ. The newly
born-again
believer falls in love with Him. Now He becomes his "first love" and
sees Him as "altogether lovely" and "the chiefest of
ten thousand" (Song 5:16,10)! So it will be no surprise that in
meeting others the enamored Christian, full of love and joy, will glory
in Him
and tell them, "This is my beloved, and this is my friend "
(v.16). In fact, there is every desire to please Him in everything, and
to obey
Him no matter what! At times their love for Jesus may become so
overwhelming,
that not only will they be willing to give up anything for Him
(including their
very lives), but those around them may look at them as being fanatical.
That,
beloved people of God, is the experience (in different degrees) of
every true
believer!
Now, let us be reminded
that this
can only be true if we have first experience God's love in our lives.
Note that
it is written: "We love him, because he first loved us" (1
John 4:19). At the same time, we have to remember that God's love for
anyone of
us can only be possible in His beloved Son; for it is ONLY in Him that
God's
love can draw us to Him "with bands of love" (Hosea 11:4), and
the proof of it is in the Cross: "But God commendeth his love
toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans
5:8). This the apostle Paul testified to, (and of course, every
believer can do
the same,) when he wrote that "the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave
himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
But what happens when the
Lord Jesus
is no longer our "first love"? What possibly could have
ocurred in our love relationship that might have disrupted it? Who, or
what, is
to be blame? There is only one answer; and that is SIN! Sin, at least,
does two
things: First, our love for the Lord gets cold; and secondly, our heart
hardens
towards the Lord. That in turn, not only causes us to leave Him as our "first
love", but we also send Him off away from us, (for that also is the
meaning of the word "left" in the Greek, i.e. to send forth)!
Now this sin can be anything that will take the place of the Lord in
our hearts
and lives; especially "the sin which doth so easily beset us"
(Hebrews 12:1) that occupies our thoughts, desires, and actions; or as
Proverbs
14:14 tells us: "The backslider in heart shall be filled
with his
own ways".
Notice, though, that this
can still
happen even when we are occupied in serving the Lord and being
"faithful" to Him in many other things. The Lord Himself tells these
Christians: "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience,
and
how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them
which say
they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast
borne, and
hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not
fainted"
(Revelation 2:2,3). Yes, we can be very active in the church, and the
Lord even
commend us for it, but just as He said to these church-members, He can
also
tell us: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou
hast
left thy first love" (v.4). That means, then, we can be very
"faithful" in the church while at the same time be in a backslidden
condition; and the proof of this is that we don't love the Lord as we
did at
first!
Let me ask you: Do you
love the Lord
Jesus Christ as your "first love", or do you have to honestly
confess like so many of us have done as Peter did, when he couldn't
bring
himself to say that he loved the Lord with an agape love, which
involves
the whole being, but only with a phileo type of love as a
friend. Cp.
John 21:15-17; Mark 12:30. Sadly, this can, and does, happen to
Christians. We
won't deny that we "love" the Lord, yet at the same, we won't
"admit" that He truly is our "first love"; and that
is evidence that we are backslidden. But what is worse is that we can
be so
backslidden that it won't bother us that the Lord has this against us!
IS this
your case? Are you so content with your churchianity that perhaps
you're not
even conscious of your condition? Oh, I hope not!
Perhaps someone will say:
"This
Scripture has nothing to do with backsliding! Oh, I'll admit that my
love for
the Lord is not as fervent as before, but I do still love the Lord.
Besides
that, I'm not out in the world in gross sin, but I still serve Him. To
be
truthful, I still do all the normal Christians things".
Yes, you probably do. But
notice
that the Lord saw this in these Christians, and yet He told them in
verse 5, "Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and
do the
first works...". To be "fallen" (Greek - to drop away;
specifically be driven out of one's course), and to be told to"repent",
means to not only to have "left thy first love", but that
something, or someone else, has replaced the Lord as your "first
love".
Beloved, one may be a true believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, but at
the same
time, have dropped away from an intimate love relationship with
Him; or
have been driven out of course with respect to it!
Yet, the Lord in His
condescending
mercies, even though He has every right to leave us in "the
deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:13) and to be chastized severely
for
it, and in spite of how we have treated Him, still calls us to "remember...from
whence thou art fallen"; in other words, "Think and recollect how
it was before you left me Me as your "first love". As
you do so, exercise your memory to see what caused you to drop, or
drive you,
away from our love relationship". If we do this, and pray as David: "Search
me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if
there be
any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm
139:23,24), "he" who "knoweth the secrets of the
heart" (44:21), will show us what it is that came between us and
Him.
We can be sure of one thing, whatever it is, IT IS SIN!
Why do I say that? Well,
notice that
the Lord says we are to "repent", i.e. we are to think
diferently, that is, reconsider, to feel compunction,
for
letting anything to come between Him and us; and if you will
also
notice, that in repenting, it means that the problem started in our
thinking
and in our desires which drove a wedge between us and the Lord, to the
point
that we don't love the Lord as in the beginning. If we're honest with
ourselves, we'll have to admit that our minds are no longer staying
upon the
Lord, or our heart fixed upon Him, because they have been distracted;
and that,
we know will cause us to no longer "see (our) King in His
beauty" (Isaiah 33:17) and as "altogether lovely" (Song
5:16)! That would call for repentance, wouldn't it? Yes, we should have
a
"change of mind" with a "godly sorrow" (2 Corinthians
7:10) if the Lord Jesus is not our "first love" as at the
first!
But notice that the Lord
doesn't
just simply let us "feel sorry" for being unfaithful to Him and
having new lovers! (Cp. Hosea 2:13). No, He tells us we are to "do
the
first works" (Revelation 2:5). What does that mean? Well, "remember"
that in falling in love with the Lord Jesus at the beginning, we
delighted
to do His will and to please Him in everything! Do you remember the
sweetness
of the communion you had with Him in prayer? What about the delight you
had in
studying and meditating in His Word? Most certainly, you remember the
joy you
had in telling others of your precious Savior, don't you? Besides that,
because
of our love for Him we would keep His commandments and His Word (John
14:15,21,23,24). We would love Him so much that "his commandments
are
not grievous" (1 John 5:3). That, dear believer, are the "first
works" that should be real in our lives if the Lord Jesus is our
"first love"!
Now, a question is
raised: How serious
is it for a Christian to be in this backslidden condition? Perhaps one
might
think that it is not so, especially if one is very active in "serving
the
Lord in the church" (?), but consider what the Lord himself will do if
we
persist in our backsliding. He warns us that if we don't "repent",
He'll remove us as His witnesses: "Or else I will come unto thee
quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou
repent" (v.5). Remember, we are to "shine as lights in the
world" (Philippians 2:12), but we can only do so if Jesus, who is "the
light of the world" (John 8:12) shines through, and in, us; and
ultimately, it can only be true if He is our "first love". You
know, one of the saddest things that can happen to a believer is to be
very active
in the church, while at the same time have no witness at all of the
love of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Sad to say, our last days can be like those of Lot
(cp.
Genesis 13:10,11; 19:1,36), Samson (Judges 16) and Solomon (1 Kings
11:4),
perhaps not to that extreme; nevertheless, the Lord might just simply
set us
aside, or take us out of the way, as He says here, if we don't repent!
But, having said that, as
far as you
are concerned, you can truly say that the Lord Jesus is your "first
love"; and in fact, the Lord himself will say of you, as "the
LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there
is none
like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth
God, and
escheweth evil?" (1:8); in other words, by God's grace, not only
are
you faithful to Him in serving Him, but also you have stayed away from
anything
that will come between you and Him. To you I say: Stay humble before
the Lord,
and as Proverbs 3:5-7 says, "Trust in the LORD with all thine
heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge
him, and
he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the
LORD, and
depart from evil". Keep close to the Lord in prayer and do not
faint
(Luke 18:1), be "nourished up in the words of faith and of good
doctrine" (1 Timothy 4:6), and "grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18), "looking
unto (him)", who is "the author and finisher of our
faith" (Hebrews 12:2). If by God's grace, you do this, you can be
sure
of this: He "is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy"
(Jude
1:24). Hallelujah!!!
But alas! how many of us
have to
confess that we have fallen from that precious love relationship with
the Lord,
and have backslidden into a cold religious life! As we noted before, we
can be
very active in the church, and yet be "loveless" toward the Lord.
Could it be said of us as it was said of those in Ezekiel's time: "They
come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my
people, and
they hear (the preacher's) words, but they will not do them: for
with their
mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their
covetousness"
(33:31). Could this be true of you? You say you love the Lord, yet your
heart
is fixed upon other things; and as I said before, it can be ANYTHING
that takes
the place that belongs to the Lord in your heart! Are you concerned
about this?
Perhaps you are one that
will
honestly confess that your love for the Lord has been cold, and you
have been
negligent in your relationship with Him. "What must I do?" you might
ask. Here's the answer: "Remember therefore from whence thou
art
fallen, and repent, and do the first works" (v.5);
and
yet this is impossible to do apart from the grace of God. Know this: To
backslide is very easy and we're able to do it, but to come back to the
Lord so
that He becomes our "first love" once again, is beyond our
strength and ability. What is true in working out our salvation, is
also true
in coming back to the Lord; "for it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
David
recognize this when he prayed: "Wilt thou not revive us again: that
thy
people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6); and "quicken
(revive) thou me according to thy word" (119:25). We have to look
to
God and call on Him if we desire to come back to Him!
Let me close with this
Scripture from Lamentations, (and
truly we have something to lament for if the Lord Jesus is not our "first
love",): "Turn thou us (me) unto thee, O LORD, and we (I)
shall be turned; renew our (my) days as of old" (5:21). Make this
your
daily and constant prayer until by the grace of God you are Revived,
Renewed,
Restored, and for sure you will be Reformed, as the Lord Jesus Christ
once
again becomes your "FIRST LOVE"!!! Amen.
EVIDENCES
OF A BACKSLIDDEN CONDITION
From Revival
By
Richard Owen Roberts
Backslidden Christians are
evident
everywhere. They are in the churches and out of the churches. They are
in the
pews and in the pulpits. They are on boards and are bored. They are on
committees and teach Sunday School. The backslidden seem to be more
numerous
than the upright and their influence throughout the world vastly more
profound.
While backsliders do not all manifest the same traits, evidences of
their
condition are not difficult to pinpoint. The following characteristics
merit
our serious attention.
7. When sports,
recreation and entertainment are a large and necessary part of your
lifestyle,
you may assume backsliding is in force. Paul acknowledged there
was profit in physical exercise.
Jesus demonstrated the worth of drawing aside from daily tasks for rest
and
revitalization. However, the current focus of games and entertainment
has
nothing in common with a Biblical lifestyle. So serious has become
man’s love
of entertainment that some churches even compete with one another for a
star-studded cast to lead their public services. Few churches even
consider
holding special meetings in competition with sporting events. Many a
preacher
is more certain to have the Sunday morning service over by noon sharp
that he
is to say anything worthwhile. He would no sooner incur the wrath of
his
recreation-minded congregation by detaining them from Sunday afternoon
picnics
and games than he would deprive himself of his own Saturday evening
entertainment.
Christians are not saved to play
but to serve. If sporting events are as important to you as spiritual
progress,
you are backslidden. If you must choose between church and recreation
and
recreation wins, you are backslidden. If you devote more time to play
and
exercise than to prayer and the Word of God, there can be no doubt of
your true
spiritual condition. In your case, backsliding has not only begun, but
progressed to a deplorable level.
(To Be Continued)
The Promise of Revival
Oswald J. Smith in his
book "The Enduement of
Power" encourages us that revival is a definite promise of God, just
waiting to be laid hold of. Oswald J. Smith writes, "'And it shall come
to
pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all
flesh.'
Now, we are still living in the 'last days'. Pentecost was the birthday
of the
Church. But if Peter could speak of Pentecost as the 'last days', then
we are
living in the 'last hours' of the 'last days'. This is Saturday night
in the
history of the Church. God has declared that in the 'last days' He
would pour
out of His Spirit. That promise was partially fulfilled on the day of
Pentecost.
But it remains for us to see the final and complete fulfillment. Let me
again
remind you that this is still the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Have
we,
then, Scripture to warrant the hope of another great outpouring of the
Spirit
of God as we enter the 'last hours' of this age? I believe we have. It
is my
deep, deep conviction that God is waiting to pour out His Spirit once
again,
and that wherever He can find a people who will meet His conditions, He
will
give flood-tides of revival. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the
greatest
need of the hour. Any one may have it and expect it. This is the
solution of
all problems. Not money, but the outpoured Spirit. Not how to get the
attention
of the people, but how to secure the operation of the Holy Ghost. Not
better
preaching, but Holy Ghost preaching. 'I will pour out of My Spirit upon
all
flesh.' This, my brethren, is the greatest need of the hour."
It is time for the Church to become united about its desperate need for
revival. We must recognize our true condition! Let us agree in prayer
with that
old German mystic, Tersteegen, for the promise of revival. "O Lord
Jesus!
May we all be assembled and wait with ardent desire for the power from
on high,
and the outpouring of Thy precious Holy Spirit. This you have promised
to us.
As You have gathered us together as the body, so unite our minds that
we may
mutually seek, desire, and sigh after You in our spirits. Purge our
hearts of
all distractions and of all that which does not lead us to You, that we
may
meditate on You alone. O Lord Jesus! What are we without the fervor of
Your
Spirit, without the light and life of Your Spirit in our hearts? In
reality, we
are nothing but dead and formal Christians who neither know You, nor
love You,
nor glorify You. Come then, blessed Comforter! Descend upon this
assembly!
Enter into every heart! And though we may not all be filled with You,
let at
least a few drops of Your grace flow unto us on this occasion, that by
this
water of life our hearts may be mutually refreshed and incited to
devote and
offer up ourselves to You entirely. May we utterly forsake all that is
not You!
O Lord Jesus! Forgive us if we have ever grieved Your Holy Spirit,
resisted His
influences, and withdrawn ourselves from them. O let Your most sacred
blood
cover and atone for these and all other sins! Be in the midst of us,
and
manifest Yourself graciously and mercifully to our souls like the
disciples
that we may proclaim the gospel effectually to others. Do this, and
hear and
answer this our prayer, for the sake of Your precious blood and merits!"
INVITATION
TO SALVATION
In order for one to experience Revival, they first need to have
Life,
otherwise they are “dead in trespasses and
sins”
(Ephesians 2:1) and “alienated from the
life of God” (4:18). If you have not been “born again”
(John 3:3,7), then you have not the Life of Christ in
you according to 1 John 4:12 – “He that
hath the Son hath life; and
he that hath not the Son of God hath not life”. If this is true of
you,
then you do not need Revival but Salvation in order to have Life.
You
may obtain this Life in Christ Jesus by believing in Him; for “this is the record, that God hath given to
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (v.11). At the
moment that a
spiritually dead sinner believes in Him, he “is
passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Is this true of you at
this very
moment?
If not, then “repent ye, and believe the gospel”
(Mark 1:15). Look only to the Lord
Jesus Christ; for He alone died on
the Cross in order to save sinners and to give them eternal life. The
proof of
this is that He rose from the dead and is ALIVE! By faith alone
trust Him for your salvation, and ‘be persuaded’ that it’s
ALL OF GRACE alone that God will
save you. Amen.
__________________________________________________________________________
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this newsletter to
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receives
this newsletter, please do me the favor of acknowledging at the above
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please let me know, and I will take you off the mailing list. Thank you.