{"id":1192,"date":"2011-08-07T09:56:39","date_gmt":"2011-08-07T09:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1192"},"modified":"2011-08-07T09:56:39","modified_gmt":"2011-08-07T09:56:39","slug":"bulletin-articles-issue-82-august-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1192","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Articles Issue #82 August 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark 8:22-26-<\/strong>And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. <\/strong><\/p>\n

We do not know the reason of the peculiar means employed by our Lord Jesus Christ, in working the miracle recorded in these verses. We see a blind man miraculously healed. We know that a word from our Lord’s mouth, or a touch of His hand would have been sufficient to effect a cure. But we see Jesus taking this blind man by the hand–leading him out of the town–spitting on his eyes–putting His hands on him, and then, and not until then, restoring his sight.<\/p>\n

One thing in the passage demands our special observation. That thing is the gradual nature of the cure which our Lord performed on this blind man. <\/em><\/strong>He did not deliver him from his blindness at once, but by degrees. He might have done it in a moment, but He chose to do it step by step. First the blind man said that he only saw “men as trees walking.” Afterwards his eyesight was restored completely, and he “saw every man clearly.” In this respect the miracle stands entirely alone.<\/p>\n

We need hardly doubt that this gradual cure was meant to be an emblem of spiritual things. We may be sure that there was a deep meaning in every word and work of our Lord’s earthly ministry, and here, as in other places, we shall find a useful lesson.<\/p>\n

Let us see then in this gradual restoration to sight, a vivid illustration of the manner in which the Spirit frequently works in the conversion of souls.<\/em><\/strong> We are all naturally blind and ignorant in the matters which concern our souls. Conversion is an illumination, a change from darkness to light, from blindness to seeing the kingdom of God. Yet few converted people see things distinctly at first. The nature and proportion of doctrines, practices, and ordinances of the Gospel are dimly seen by them, and imperfectly understood. They are like the man before us, who at first saw men as trees walking. Their vision is dazzled and unaccustomed to the new world into which they have been introduced. It is not until the work of the Spirit has become deeper and their experience been somewhat matured, that they see all things clearly, and give to each part of religion its proper place. This is the history of thousands of God’s children. They begin with seeing men as trees walking they end with seeing all clearly. Happy is he who has learned this lesson well, and is humble and distrustful of his own judgment.<\/p>\n

Finally, let us see in the gradual cure of this blind man, a striking picture of the present position of Christ’s believing people in the world, compared with that which is to come.<\/em><\/strong> We see in part and know in part in the present dispensation. We are like those that travel by night. We know not the meaning of much that is passing around us. In the providential dealings of God with His children, and in the conduct of many of God’s saints, we see much that we cannot understand–and cannot alter. In short, we are like him that saw “men as trees walking.”<\/p>\n

But let us look forward and take comfort. The time comes when we shall see all “clearly.” The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us be content to wait, and watch, and work, and pray. When the day of the Lord comes, our spiritual eyesight will be perfected. We shall see as we have been seen, and know as we have been known.-J.C. Ryle<\/p>\n

“The eyes of those who see shall not be dim.” \u2013Isaiah 32:3<\/p>\n

No more, my God, I boast no more
\nOf all the duties I have done;
\nI quit the hopes I held before,
\nTo trust the merits of your Son.<\/p>\n

Now, for the love I bear his name,
\nWhat was my gain I count my loss;
\nMy former pride I call my shame,
\nAnd nail my glory to his cross.<\/p>\n

Yes, and I must and will esteem
\nAll things but loss for Jesus’ sake
\nO may my soul be found in Him,
\nAnd of his righteousness partake!<\/p>\n

The best obedience of my hands
\nDares not appear before your throne;
\nBut faith can answer your demands,
\nBy pleading what my Lord has done!<\/p>\n

Robert Hawker, 1827 (extract from Zion\u2019s Pilgrim)<\/p>\n

He has a healing balm for all<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(John MacDuff, “The Throne of Grace<\/a>“)<\/p>\n

“The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress.” Rom. 8:26
\nYou cannot live without the Holy Spirit.<\/strong>
\nThere cannot be . . .
\none heavenly aspiration,
\none breathing of love,
\none upward glance of faith<\/p>\n

without His gracious influences.
\nApart from Him, there is . . .
\nno preciousness in the Word,
\nno blessing in ordinances,
\nno permanent, sanctifying results in affliction.
\nThe Holy Spirit . . .
\ndirects His people to the waters of comfort,
\ngives new glory to the promises, and
\ninvests the Savior’s character and work,
\nwith new loveliness and beauty.
\nCome, then, with your affliction!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come with your infirmity!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come with your need!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come with your wounded spirit!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come with your broken heart!<\/strong>
\nWhatever, then, be your present situation,
\nseek the promised help of the Holy Spirit.
\nHe has a healing balm for all<\/strong> . . .
\nthe weak,
\nthe tempted,
\nthe sick,
\nthe sorrowing,
\nthe bereaved,
\nthe dying.<\/p>\n

“The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress.” Rom. 8:26<\/p>\n

Lord, I feel my own utter helplessness!<\/span><\/strong>-J.C. Philpot<\/p>\n

“O send forth Your light and Your truth,
\nlet them guide me.” Psalm 43:3<\/p>\n

The Christian is often dissatisfied with his state. He
\nis well aware of the shallowness of his attainments
\nin the divine life, as well as of the ignorance and the
\nblindness that are in him. He cannot perceive the path
\nof life. He sees and feels so powerfully the workings
\nof sin and corruption, that he often staggers, and is
\nperplexed in his mind.
\nAnd therefore, laboring under the feeling of . . .
\nhis own shortcomings for the past<\/strong>,
\nhis helplessness for the present<\/strong>,
\nand his ignorance for the future<\/strong>,
\nhe wants to go forward wholly and solely
\nin the strength of the Lord, to be . . .
\nled,
\nguided,
\ndirected,
\nkept,
\nnot by his own<\/strong> wisdom and power\u2014but by
\nthe supernatural entrance of light and truth
\ninto his soul.
\nWhen thus harassed and perplexed, he will at times
\nand seasons, as his heart is made soft, cry out with
\nfervency and importunity, as a beggar that will not
\ntake a denial, “O send forth Your light and Your truth,
\nlet them guide me!” As though he would say, “Lord,
\nI feel my own utter helplessness!<\/strong> I know I must go
\nastray, if you do not condescend to guide me. I have
\nbeen betrayed a thousand times when I have trusted
\nmy own heart<\/strong>. I have been entangled in my base
\nlusts<\/strong>. I have been puffed up by presumption<\/strong>. I have
\nbeen carried away by hypocrisy <\/strong>and pride<\/strong>. I have been
\ndrawn aside into the world<\/strong>. I have never taken a single
\nstep aright when left to myself. And therefore feeling
\nhow unable I am to guide myself a single step of the
\nway, I come unto You, and ask You to send forth Your
\nlight and Your truth, that they may guide me, for I
\nam utterly unable to lead myself<\/strong>.”
\nThe child of God\u2014feeling his own ignorance, darkness,
\nblindness, and sinfulness\u2014causes him to moan, and
\nsigh, and cry unto God\u2014that he might be . . .
\nled <\/strong>every step,
\nkept <\/strong>every moment,
\nguided <\/strong>every inch.<\/p>\n

“O send forth Your light and Your truth,
\nlet them guide me.” Psalm 43:3<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

NONE CAST OUT<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“This is the resting place, let the weary rest; and this is the place of repose Isaiah 28:12<\/p>\n

“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37<\/p>\n

An invitation to every burdened Israelite\u2014every way-worn pilgrim of the wilderness, to come for shelter under the branches of the Heavenly Palm!<\/p>\n

How these and such like gracious words which proceeded out of the mouth of Jesus, must have told on the wondering multitudes He addressed, those who never heard kind sayings before\u2014who were led to imagine that it was learned scribes, or devout Pharisees, or austere Sadducees, or elaborate-robed priests, who alone had any hope of salvation! Can we marvel that “the common people heard Him gladly,” when He lifted them up from the dust of degradation; when He proclaimed boldly\u2014”I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” I came not to call you<\/em> rich\u2014you<\/em> learned\u2014you<\/em> who pride yourselves on your religious formalism and self-righteous austerities\u2014but you<\/em> broken-hearted penitents, weeping prodigals, despairing Magdalenes\u2014you<\/em> the most erring wanderers from the fold, who are really and earnestly seeking to return. “If ANY man thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink.” “If ANY man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.”<\/p>\n

Reader! say not, ‘This invitation cannot be for me. I cannot take my place under the gracious palm-shade, just as I am, with the memory of countless transgressions.’ Yes! it is just because you are<\/em> wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, that He invites you to come. Come, just as you are. Christ does not require any previous qualifications<\/em>. It is because <\/em>you are weary He asks you to partake of the shelter. It is because <\/em>of your poverty that He so importunately exclaims\u2014”Behold, I have set before you an open door.”<\/p>\n

When, in a season of scarcity and poverty, thousands thrown out of employment are forced to avail themselves of bread doled out to stop the rage of hunger, they are not heard to say, ‘We must have proper clothing first.<\/em> We must first cover these children’s bleeding, frost-bitten feet, before we can venture to appear before the distributors of a city’s or a nation’s bounty.’ No; if they did so, it would invalidate their plea\u2014it would send them home again to a cupboard, and hearth, and wardrobe, as empty as they left it. It is because<\/em> they appear in tattered rags, and because<\/em> hunger has written its appeal on their emaciated faces and in the hollow eyes of the hapless children at their side, that the door opens for relief.<\/p>\n

There is no desert wanderer, haggard and footsore, who may not come to that grove of “exceeding great and precious promises.” God has made provision not for the strong only, but for the weak, the tempted, the sorrowful, the suffering. The feeblest bird may make a perch of these branches. The anointing oil of blessing poured on the head of the true Aaron, flows down to the very skirts<\/em> of His garments, so that the least and lowliest are made partakers of His covenant grace.<\/p>\n

It is well for us, however, to remember that there is but one Redeemer; and “neither is there salvation in any other.” A few days previous to the Elim encampment, there was but one way for the Hebrew host through the Red Sea from the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh. There was but one way for evading the destroying angel\u2014by the sprinkling of blood on the doorposts of their dwellings. There was but one way, in a subsequent age, for Rahab escaping the general destruction of Jericho\u2014by hanging out from her window the scarlet thread. There was but one way\u2014by washing in the river of Jordan\u2014that the proud Syrian captain of a yet later day, could have his leprosy healed.<\/p>\n

The Hebrews, on that memorable night of the death of the firstborn, might have built up Egyptian pyramid on pyramid to keep out the messenger of wrath. It would have been of no avail. Or the army of a million, passing through the sea, might have piled its coral rocks to make an avenue through the waters. The wild waves would have laughed them to scorn and made them the plaything of its tide! Naaman might have made a toilsome pilgrimage to every river of Asia\u2014from Abana and Pharpar, to the Euphrates and the Indus\u2014but all would have been to no purpose. Nothing but ‘the waters of Israel’ would prove efficacious in curing his malady.<\/p>\n

Let us make sure of a personal interest in the one<\/em> great Salvation. That Almighty Redeemer remains, to this hour, immutable\u2014all-sufficient\u2014faithful among the faithless\u2014changeless among the changeable. Bernard beautifully sang in the words of his familiar hymn\u2014<\/p>\n

“Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts!
\nThou Fount of life, Thou Light of men!
\nFrom the best bliss that earth imparts,
\nWe turn unfilled to Thee again.”<\/p>\n

Yes! you who are weary, sick at heart it may be of the world which has deceived you\u2014bubble after bubble bursting in your hands; that gracious Savior, with outstretched arms, is waiting to welcome you back. With the hoarded love of eternity<\/em> in His heart, He is ever repeating the “faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance” which heads this meditation\u2014“whoever comes to me I will never drive away!”<\/em><\/p>\n

“With a heart full of anxious request,
\nWhich my Father in heaven bestowed,
\nI wandered, alone and distressed,
\nIn search of a quiet abode.
\nAstray and distracted, I cried
\nLord, where would You have me to be?
\nAnd the voice of the Lamb that had died
\nSaid, ‘Come, My beloved, to ME!’<\/p>\n

“I went\u2014for He mightily wins
\nWeary souls to His peaceful retreat,
\nAnd He gave me forgiveness of sins,
\nAnd songs that I love to repeat;
\nMade pure by the blood that He shed,
\nMy heart in His presence was free,
\nI was hungry and thirsty\u2014He fed;
\nI was sick, and He comforted me.<\/p>\n

“He gave me the blessing complete,
\nThe hope that is with me today;
\nAnd a quiet abode at His feet,
\nThat shall not be taken away.”<\/p>\n

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”<\/p>\n

John MacDuff, 1879.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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