by John Carpenter | Aug 24, 2014 | Devotional
“My presence shall go with thee — and I will give thee rest.” “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me — for I am meek and lowly in heartThese three texts are cohesively connected to one another in that they each describe a close personal relationship with our Lord. A relationship that only He can initiate. A relationship that He has purposed to exist between us from everlasting — because He is everlasting! A relationship that is ear-marked with genuine “rest”.
The Exodus passage comes right out of the context of when Moses was afraid that the task — the commission — the vocation that he was called by God to complete with his life — he could not do by himself. From Ex.33:12-13 Moses said to the Lord, “See — thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people — and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me! Yet, thou hast said — I know thee by name — and thou hast also found grace in my sight! Now, therefore, I pray thee — if I have found grace in thy sight — show me, now, thy way — that I may know thee — that I may find grace in thy sight — and consider that this nation is thy people!” It is at this juncture that the Lord spoke unto Moses the blessed words of Ex.33:14. This becomes the divine seal of the close personal relationship that our Lord initiates with each and every one of His eternally loved and chosen ones. Just knowing that this exists between us and Him — delivers to us — even bestows upon us — blessed rest in Him.
Jesus taught this from Mt.11:29-30. To have the “yoke” of Christ graciously put upon us — is to become closely tied to the will of the Lord — even to be united with Him. He is meek and lowly in heart — and so are we then humbled and subservient to His leading, keeping and providing. His yoke is easy — because it commands us to love Him — and to trust Him — which, by His grace, we already do. And, it is in this that we find “rest” — because in Him we know we are eternally safe and secure.
The truth of Mt.11:29 is entered into from the irresistible obedient response to His command for us to “come” to Him from Mt.11:28. Jesus issues to all of His “weary and heavy laden” ones — not an invitation, or an offer — but an irresistible command for them to “come” to Him — for “rest”. We come — because we are drawn to do so by God the Father’s everlasting love and mercy and grace [Jer.31:3; Jn.6:44-45]. We come out of the darkness of our tombs of spiritual death — right into His Light and Life — where we find in Him — and in Him, alone — that we have true “rest” for our souls. Our whole lives — and the way that we live and walk through this fallen world — are, henceforth, made new according to the close personal relationship that we have with our Lord. In Him we abide. In His “yoke” we abide. In His “rest” we abide. Under His leadership and grace we abide. And, it’s only natural that our walk through this world should reflect his abiding, leading, providing “presence”. Praise His Name!
— and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy — and my burden is light.” “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself, also, so to walk — even as He walked.” Ex.33:14; Mt.11:29-30; 1Jn.2:6
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Jul 5, 2014 | Devotional
“Whereunto I also labor — striving according to His working — which worketh in me mightily!” “For it is God that worketh in you — both — to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Col.1:29; Phil.2:13
Any and every true ministry and service for Christ is literally performed in complete accordance with the enabling grace of God by virtue of the indwelling Spirit of God.
The first text above comes from a context that directly involves preaching the pure truth of the everlasting gospel. Preaching, warning and teaching — in all wisdom — so that there may be presented many wonderful souls that have been found to have been made “perfect in Christ Jesus” ! It is to this end that the faithful minister “strives” — or, struggles, contends, or endeavors to accomplish. That’s why we strive after this manner — “according to His working — which worketh in us mightily!” He does it! The second text serves to echo this very same reality. In fact, it is the same word in the original that is translated as “worketh” that is used in both descriptions. This outward working — of willing and doing the good pleasure of the Lord God — is the evidence of His divine, soul quickening, life transforming — indwelling presence in our lives.
It is His performance — in us and through us — that does it all! It is His efficiency that continues to maintain the ministry that He has placed us in — even for the meeting of all the endless, mundane tasks that need to be routinely accomplished in and throughout its entire operation in this fallen world. It is in conjunction with His divine strength and power that provides all the ability for His servants to be able to endure all the hardships — all the troubles — and all the difficulties that become an integral part — of all the demands that are involved in the ministry we are called to do while we are here. And, all these demands — and all that’s a part of their accomplishment — will indeed be many! For God’s true servants — are also His true soldiers upon the blood soaked battlefield that this world represents.
So we press on in our labors — realizing that our God, our Savior, the Captain of our faith — has positioned us — at any given moment — precisely where He wants us on the battlefield of this world. That which He wills for us to be — and that which He wills for us to do — will ultimately be exactly what He has ordained for us to be and do. It is coming to know and realize this truth — which keeps us humble before Him and which also gives us strength to carry on until He — and He, alone, changes things — or, takes us home to be forever with Him.
Only then may we be able to boldly say along with the apostle Paul: “But by the grace of God — I am what I am! And, His grace which was bestowed upon me — was not in vain — but I labored more abundantly than they all — yet not I — but the grace of God which was with me.” He gets all the glory — that’s the way it should be!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Jun 20, 2014 | Devotional
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jn.16:33
Jesus spoke this wonderful word of encouragement shortly before He went to the Calvary. When He suffered the affliction of the cross – He endured the worst of conditions for those He came to save.
Although His outward condition was about to become one of unbelievable agony, yet His position was one of unshakable security. Earlier from Jn.14:10-11 He told the disciples that He was “in the Father” and that the things He said and did were not in accordance to His own will, but of the will of the Father. Even so do we have a like relationship with Christ. According to Eph.1:4, we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world!
In Jesus (who is our peace) we have peace; whereas in this world we have tribulation. But, praise His name, Jesus has “overcome the world”.
God’s grace of faith readily receives this Word from God. What an understatement it truly is — that in the world we will have tribulation. Everyday in this world proves the veracity of this declaration, and it is certain that our Lord knew this to be true — more than anyone — when He said it. What He means to convey for the strengthening of our faith is that — although we must endure the tribulation that fills up the conditions of this world — we who are positioned in Him will have peace…because He, the Prince of peace, has overcome this world of tribulation.
“Tribulation” connotes the pressures that we are under on virtually every level of our life. Whereas the word for “peace” communicates the “rest” of our being in union with our Lord. We are, therefore, by grace united with the only one who has indeed “overcome” the world. That is to say that He has subdued it and brought it completely under His reigning control…Hallelujah! It is no wonder, then, that He also encourages us to “be of good cheer” — which literally means that we are to, in Him, be brave and courageous in the presence of all the world’s trials and pressures.
Is.48:10 declares that the Lord has literally chosen and tried His people “in the furnace of affliction”. We are reminded from this passage of the experience of the three Hebrew boys in the midst of the fiery furnace…with the Son of God. They came out — they came through it — without even the odor of smoke on their clothes.
And finally, Acts 14:22 relates to us how Paul and Barnabus went back through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God’.” And, having been positioned in Christ — we cannot fail.
by John Carpenter | May 15, 2014 | Devotional
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief — but was strong in faith — giving glory to God — and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform — and, therefore, it was imputed to him for righteousness.”
This wonderful text from Ro.4:20-22 is written in reference to the faith experience of Abraham concerning the birth of his promised son, Isaac, by Sarah. And, anyone who knows the circumstances surrounding this incident realizes the impossible odds that were naturally against such a thing ever even happening. Why?– simply because Abraham was 100 years old — and his wife, Sarah, was 90! In fact, the scripture says that Sarah was passed the age of being able to have children. So, when it says that Abraham “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief” — it is bearing testimony to a rather remarkable aspect in itself. For how could Abraham not doubt in the face of such obvious physical obstacles? After all — this is the same Abraham that just a few years earlier — when traveling with Sarah through Egypt — was so afraid that if Pharaoh knew that he was Sarah’s husband — that he would probably kill him so he could steal her for himself. So, what did this mighty man of faith do? He concocted a scheme to be disguised as his wife’s brother in order to have a better chance of staying out of harm’s way with the Pharaoh! Of course, our gracious and almighty God then intervened for Abraham and delivered him from the Egyptians. Nevertheless, there certainly was some serious “staggering” going on at this particular time in Abraham’s life!
Now — where our text is concerned — the physical aspects of the unlikelihood of being able to bear a firstborn son with his aged wife — were very much pronounced to say the least! But, as it says, even in the face of all the impossibilities he did not demonstrate any wavering unbelief. In fact, it says that he “(1) was strong in faith — (2) giving glory to God — (3) being fully persuaded — that what He had promised, He was able also to perform”. Oh, that we might exude these three Godly traits as well!
There were three miracles that occurred simultaneously around the birth of Isaac:
1. The actual birth of Isaac (which only God by His grace could have done)
2. The unshakable faith of Abraham that stood so strong through all the praying and waiting for the birth of Isaac to finally take place (again, performed by God)
3. Then there is the righteousness that through this whole faith experience that was, by God’s grace, imputed unto Abraham — making him totally acceptable with Him!
This is the miracle of the grace of faith, my friends! For it, alone, is this kind of faith — true saving faith — that is as un-natural to fallen human contrivance as it is for a barren, 90 year old woman to give birth to her first child! There can be no doubt about it — that the very faith that was so remarkably exercised from Abraham — in the face of such impossibilities — was the Col.2:12 kind of faith…“faith of the operation of God — who raised Him [I.e. Jesus] from the dead.
For Christ’s Glory Only,
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Apr 18, 2014 | Devotional
“Now the God of peace — that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus — that great shepherd of the sheep — through the blood of everlasting covenant…” He.13:20
This is the traditional time of year where it is common among professing Christians to meditate and focus upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, that great event is what sanctifies Him — and all of us who truly believe in Him — from all other religious systems and beliefs throughout the world! For any and all religions that follow some special man — no matter how great that they may make him out to be — none — absolutely none of them — ever truly and historically died and then was raised back to life as the Savior of all His loved and chosen followers.
This text not only declares this truth, but puts the greatness of this feat in perfect perspective. It may said to do this — through three points. First of all, it makes plain that our Savior and Lord was completely in league with almighty God. God — who is unto us who are His — a God of peace. Hence, it says that He — as the God of peace — brought again from the dead our Savior and Surety, the Lord Jesus. God did this great thing for Him — because He is His Son! Ro.6:4 says, “like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father”. Praise His Name!
Secondly, this text declares the Lord Jesus to be the great Shepherd of the sheep. This premise of the perspective is so important because it adds unto the equation eternal divine purpose. His purpose was the eternal salvation of His sheep! Jesus declared Himself — from Jn.10:11 — to be the “Good Shepherd” — which — “giveth Hid life for the sheep”. It is from here, also, that He announced the amazing truth: (14) “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. (15) As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep!” And then the Lord Jesus said, (18) “No man taketh it from me — but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down — and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from my Father.”
This last phrase gives us the: Third point that puts Christ’s resurrection into perfect perspective for us. For it declares that our Savior/substitute was under law to obediently do, and to have this done, unto the glory of God’s grace. This is the essence of the “Law of the Lord” — that is fulfilled “in the blood of the Everlasting Covenant”. It is this Law — that becomes the delight of true child of God (Ps.1:1-3). They meditate day and night on the fulfillment of this wonderful gospel truth!
Beloved, He.13:21 makes it clear that we — His sheep — are the recipients of the eternal blessings of Christ’s shed blood of the eternal covenant. For it says that through His resurrection — the God of peace will: “make you perfect in every good work to do His will — working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight — through Jesus Christ — to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”
It is indeed our earnest prayer that each of you will have a wonderful time of worship in spirit and in truth this time of year. May your reflections upon the great resurrection of our Lord bring glory — only — upon Him.
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Mar 30, 2014 | Devotional
“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return – and come to Zion with songs – and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness! And sorrow and sighing shall flee away!” Is.35:10
It has been just a little over a week now since God — in His grace — allowed us to witness the glorious end of an earthly journey of one of God’s redeemed ones. A witness that is being described in this text. Mary Lee Carpenter entered into the eternal joy of her Lord and Savior at 7:45 AM on March 13, 2014. She was 93 years old — and she lived all those years, except for her last three weeks, healthy enough to live and move and get around by herself.
She spent her daily time reading books – listening to favorite Christian music – and writing entries into her prayer journal. She often voiced her longing to be able to just go on and be with the Lord — and lamented being so old that she did not feel “useful” anymore. “Why is the Lord keeping me here?” – she would ask. In the end, however, she became a living testimony to all of us who were there to see it — of the substantive and applicable meaning of the 16th verse from 2Cor.4: “For which cause we faint not, but though, also, our outward man perish — yet the inward man is renewed — day by day.” This is the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
The Lord God called her (with her husband) to life long service for His great glory in the ministry of Camp Del-Haven. She was faithful…to the Lord Jesus Christ in serving Him in this ministry. She came to truly understand — that everything that is done for Christ in this life – is not done at all – unless it is done by His strength and completely and totally for His glory! That’s why she never fainted in being faithful.
Beloved friends, she went to sleep in Jesus — having lived — and having worn out her old earthly tabernacle of flesh — and having been divinely prepared to be received into the glorious joy-filled presence of her sovereign Savior Substitute – her eternal Lord and Redeemer forever and ever and ever! While she closed her eyes here — her faith and hope became sight and reality there! What she couldn’t grasp of some spiritual things here — she entered into the peace, rest and pure understanding of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit — there!
She experienced — unto its glorious completion — 2Cor.5:2 — which says: “For, also, in this (earthly house) we groan — earnestly desiring to be clothed upon — with our house which is from heaven…” And again — 2Cor.5:4: “For, also, we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened — not for that we would be unclothed — but clothed upon! That mortality might be swallowed up by life!” Yes — she bore witness to the culmination of a life drawn to — and held tight — in the grip of the gospel of the glory — only — of the Lord Jesus Christ, “who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light”! She was faithful because her Lord had called her to be so. Praise his name!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
