2007 April « No Other Rock

Unmistakable Assurance

April 30, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ | Leave a Comment

Godd . . . hath raised up Jesus. ~ Acts 13:33

Christ’s ressurection is the devine declaration of acceptance of atonement on our behalf. But further, His resurrection objectifies our wonderful new union with God through redemption.

It symbolizes the Christian believer’s spiritual resurrection “in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). It is assurance of Christ’s return as the world’s ruler, His appointment as judge of the world.

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will seek to be ready for His return.

The Question of the Angels

April 29, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ | Leave a Comment

Woman, why weepest thou? ~ John 20:13

The two angels, placed in the tomb by the Lord, represent much through their simple question.

First, their question of “Woman, why weepest thou?” suggests the interest which the angels feel toward us. They are not impassive and display a keep interest in our race.

Next, they express sympathy. The pure love in their hearts gives them an outreach of sorrowful emotion toward us.

Also, they suggest special knowledge of the Lord’s resurrection and articulate it that it is with great joy that Jesus is risen!

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will celebrate and take great joy in our risen Savior.

Fact Versus Fiction

April 28, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Bible, Christ | Leave a Comment

God . . . hat raised up Jesus. ~ Acts 13:33

“Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” That is the message which shook the synagogues and “turned the world upside down”! That is the message which could share the twentieth [and twenty-first] century. There is the same human heart-need and heart-cry; and today, as ever, the one, unchanging, all sufficient answer is the risen Christ, mighty to save.

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will meditate on this fact.

Angels Eclipsed

April 27, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ, faith | Leave a Comment

Rabboni, which is to say, Master. ~ John 20:16

Back to Mary Magdalene. At the moment she realized it was Christ – by His voice, she fell at His feet exclaiming “Rabboni!” She was attuned to the two angels no more.

The Lord’s reply, “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended.”

Sympathetically, He meant “You need not cling, dear Mary, as though I were about to elude you. Have no fear; I am not yet ascended to My Father…” In fact, the translated Greek is better rendered as “cling” thank “touch”.

Moreover, although He now has ascended, he still lingers in our gardens of sorrow and prayer, outwardly unseen but inwardly real, transforming them into gardens of sanctifying discovery. “He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father; and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21).

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will remember that Christ still lingers in all our gardens.

Get a Random Post

April 26, 2007 at 9:11 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Click Here for a Random Post.

Nothing fancy, just did it because I could.

The Mighty Attestation

April 26, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Providence, The Cross, atonement | Leave a Comment

[NOTE: If you are following along with me, you will notice this is not the devotion for April 26th. A look ahead will tell you that this is the devotion for April 29. No, I'm not trying to mess with you - here's the story. God leads us. As you probably know, God led me to this blog and even led me to this book of devotions. I ordered the book used. It came with minimal markings from the pervious owner(s). But at the top of the page for April 26th's appears the words "Do Sunday's Today." Obviously, it is divine providence that I have this exact copy - so I'm going with it. Feel free to comment on that as well as the post.]

God . . . hath raised up Jesus. ~ Acts 13:33

The devotion basically discusses the nature of leaders like Hitler, Alexander, Ceasar, et al who made their life ambitions to rule the world. In effect, they would have been rulers of the entire human race. As we know, they all failed.

The human race has and has only ever had one ruler, and that was Jesus Christ. As Baxter notes, the ressurection of the drucified, dead and burried Christ “proclaims with finality the absolute virtue of His life, and the absolute value of His death as an atonement for sin.”

Baxter also goes on to point out in a more figurative way that the Nazi Swastika, Communist hammer-and-sickle never swept their ways to world domination. But one symbol has: The Cross.

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will not cling so tightly to our personal agendas that we forget to consider His plans.

Angels in the Tomb

April 25, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart | Leave a Comment

Two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. ~ John 20:12

Two angels sent to bear witness to the risen Lord. Both, clothed in white to signify they are derived from a world of light. Seemingly, the give death a new aspect.

Still, so intense was Mary’s grief that she noticed them not. Yet, their very presence “seemed to express the rest of heart which the redeemed were now to find in the vicarious victory of Christ.”

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will find solace in the victory of Christ.

Jesus Present but Unknown

April 24, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ, Jesus | Leave a Comment

She, supposing Him to be the gardener. . . ~ John 20:15

How often do we have times – periods of life – where we feel like God has abandoned us? Who’s fault is that? Is it that we really have been abandoned? Obviously, we know that is not the case.

But maybe it is the other way around. Maybe we have abandoned Him. Take the example of Mary. Even though Jesus stood right there, she supposed He was the gardener because she did not expect Jesus to be there.

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will expect Jesus to be there at all times.

The Revealing Voice

April 23, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ, Prayer | Leave a Comment

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. ~ John 20:16

Let us again reflect upon the way in which Jesus revealed himself to Mary. It was by voice – though His body was changed, that voice remained and we will one day hear that same voice.

So often I hear people suggest that God does not talk to them, or that they don’t know how to pray. But it is more than just praying and waiting, all the while, hoping that God will talk to you. He does speak to us all – if we are acceptable to hearing Him.

Examine this scenario further and we see that Jesus was revealed by more than His voice. It was also by word. And Jesus still reveals Himself in this manner to this very day. As Baxter notes:

…on that resurrection morning our Lord was revealed, not discovered. It is ever so. He must reveal Himself to us if we are truly to know Him. But always He does reveal Himself, if we seek Him with the same longing as Mary.

It’s no wonder that Mary became the first evangelist of the risen Lord (18).

Today, my prayer for you and I is we will be willing to hear Jesus and open ourselves to becoming the voices for Him to others.

Tear-Blinded Morning

April 22, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Jesus, faith | Leave a Comment

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre, weeping. ~ John 20:11

In case you are wondering, a sepulchre is a tomb or burial chamber. In this case, it is the the tomb of Jesus Christ.

That said, it is easy to see understand why Mary weeps. But look again at the scripture, where it states that she “stood without.” So saddened was Mary, she became blinded by her grief.

It’s easy to become consumed by a major event or trauma and feel like we too have lost our Saviour. But it is not that He has left us – it is merely that He has withdrawn the sense of His presence. But that is never permanent, is it?

Often through our biggest sorrow Jesus speaks His loveliest word to us; but we can be so obsessed and self blinded by our very tears that we do not recognise Him.

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will remove ourselves from the equation and always seek to see Him.