WHAT'S YOUR NEED?
Jesus knows -- Jesus cares -- He is able
Jesus knows us minutely. He knows what we do and say. He even knows what we think. He knows us by appearance and by name. He knows even the number of the hairs of our head. He knows our frame that it is dust. He knows the longings of our heart, our motivations. He knows our aspirations and apprehensions. He knows our circumstances, our situation, our condition. He knows our past, present, and future. "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me ... and art acquainted with all my ways" (Psalm 139:1, 3).
Not only does Jesus know, but He cares. He cares as none other. You may not be aware of it, only because you do not know His loving heart. His forsaking heaven's glory to dwell on our sin-cursed earth, proves He cares. His ministry to sick, suffering, sorrowing, and sinful mankind, proves He cares. The greatest proof being the cross, where He gave His life a ransom for all. Today in the heavenlies He lives and still ministers for us and to us, proving He cares. " . . . Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (I Peter 5:7).
Jesus also is able. He is able for any and every need. What is your need? Is it too much for you? Is it of such a nature you cannot share it with anyone else? Is it beyond the scope of your church or the help of your minister or the interest of your friends? Is there seemingly no hope, no way out, no solution? Do not despair. No matter what your need, no matter how great, no matter how impossible seems the solution -- "with God all things are possible." "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Jesus is able. "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." "He is able to save and to destroy." "He is able to succour them that are tempted." "He is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." "He is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Hebrews 7:25; James 4:12; Hebrews 2:18; Jude 24; Philippians 3:21).
Yes, our God is able and He knows and cares. What shall you do, then? "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him . . . " (I Peter 5:6, 7).
-- Editor
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"I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:18
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Another in the Series on The Deity of Christ --
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
In spite of voices to the contrary, Jesus Christ is God. Claims are made by Him for Himself which could be true only of one who is God.
Christ claimed absolute authority over the laws and institutions of God.
In Matthew we hear Him say -- "One greater than the temple is here" (12:6). "The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath" (12:8). "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (16:19).
He even changed the law of God. We hear Him teaching from the Mount -- "Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth (as taught in the Pentateuch): but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also: (Matthew 5:38, 39). Who is this that dares to change the law of God? The only One who can do so -- God Himself.
Christ also claimed to be the supreme object of saving faith equally with the Father.
Throughout the Gospel of John we hear Him say -- "I and the Father are one" (10:30). "Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me" (14:1). "And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ" (17:3). "If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him" (14:23).
Sometimes He points to Himself alone as the true object of men's faith and devotion, with no mention of the Father. For instance He says -- "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew (11:28). "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life" (John 3:36).
The highest and most precious of human ties and devotions must yield to Him. "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37). Who is this that we are to love more than our family? Is He just an historical figure who gained some reputation as a good man and great teacher, but is nothing more? Did He live and die as all men do? No, He was more than just a man, He was -- and indeed is -- God.
Christ claimed that in Himself all the deepest spiritual and eternal needs of humanity are completely satisfied.
He claims to have and to dispense the Knowledge of God -- "Neither doth any know the Father, save (except) the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him" (Matthew 11:27).
He claims to be the Way to God -- "I am the way . . . no one cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).
He claims to be the Door to salvation -- "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9).
He claims to be the Light for the soul -- "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).
He claims to be the Water of life -- "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me . . . from within him shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37, 38).
He claims to be the Bread of God -- "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger" (John 6:35).
Besides these bold claims He makes still others. He says He gives rest for the soul -- spiritual guidance -- security from danger -- fruitbearing energy -- life and resurrection -- and a host of other things, too numerous to mention here.
If Jesus Christ is not God, then He was the worst egotist that ever lived on this globe, for everywhere He went He preached about Himself. In His last public discourse He said -- "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself" (John 12:32).
But He wasn't an egotist; He IS God, and has a right to make these claims for Himself.
Where does that leave us? Either we believe His claims and come unto Him to receive from Him eternal life, or we disbelieve His claims and reject Him and finally perish forever. To us He says -- "Believe in God, believe also in me." To the believers He says -- "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish" (John 10:28).
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The following poem was written by Mrs. Ethel E. Downs for a friend who was going through the "darkest hour of her life." The writer lives at the Bancroft Convalescent Hospital in San Leandro, California, and is a reader of Triumph. Her daughter submitted the poem.
NOT ALONE
The way seems dreadfully dark to me,
The pathway is steep and I cannot see.
Dear Lord, I know not which way to go
And my feet are weary, weak, and slow.
My heart is heavy with an unspeakable dread,
Grows faint and depressed with the days yet ahead;
The clouds hang heavy like the curtain of night,
And the "rainbow of promise" seems hidden from sight.
Deep sound of thunder is filling the air,
While the storm in my heart would crush to despair;
Flashes of lightning bring only to view
The memories, the hopes, and the longings anew.
The low bending branches reveal the storm's might,
Though wind and its power is controlled out of sight.
Flowers lashed by the storm, lie quiet and still
On the rain drenched grass at the foot of the hill.
How much longer, dear Lord, will this terrible storm last?
Is there no hope for me, that it soon will pass?
The sound of the thunder, the wind and the rain,
Cause me often to ask, "Will the sun shine again?"
Out of the darkness comes His voice, the Divine:
"I have been walking beside thee all of the time;
True you could not see me, though My presence was near.
Be not disheartened, my child, put aside every fear.
"I saw the approaching storm and heard the wind blow,
Remember, dear heart, I see and I know:
I love you and want your yielded life to be
Filled to the fullest measure of love for me.
"And out of this storm I will surely lead you,
For there is yet much I would have you do.
Strong oaks and the sweetest flowers too
Need the sunshine, the shadows, the storms and the dew.
"You, too, like them must have these in your life;
As the vine to bear fruit, must yield to the knife;
So trust me to guide and carry you through,
NOT ALONE -- NO NEVER! for I'll be with you.
"And through these testings of faith and love
I can better fit you for service above;
So put your hand willingly, confidently in Mine,
Knowing you will understand, someday, sometime."
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THE FACTOR OF DEPARTURE
I believe this was the spirit of the early Christians. The hope and longing for the likeness of their Lord, to be granted in their immediate translation to His presence at the moment of departure. It gave each moment here on earth a wonder and significance that spurred them on to a fearful purity of purpose with God. It left the world dumbfounded and nonplussed. They were a spectacle. Burning and crucifixion were all discounted in the glory yet to be revealed. They were concerned not in retaining life but in realizing it. To hold it fast was only to see it wither in their hand. To lose it meant they had their every treasure with the Lord. They were not concerned in living for a long time but in dying at the right time. Not in clasping the earthbound rope but in learning how to let it go and see the ship put out to sea. They were not concerned in emphasizing their arrival or in pleading honour in descent. They were in Christ, born to a new creation, going where He had gone. To them departure was their special exercise of soul. They looked not for a life that might exceed the allotted span but simply for a life lived in completion, however short it be. If they but lived just long enough to live out all God's will for them, then they could fall asleep, their generation served. Surely "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." We know He lives; He has told us that we shall live also. Then let the factor of departure win. Let that which is to be, be now in me.
-- Geoffrey T. Bull
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"WAIT ON THE LORD"
Wait on the Lord, thou contrite one,
In penitence draw near;
He will His pard'ning grace bestow;
Your cry for mercy hear.
(James 4:8).
Wait on the Lord, thou tempted one,
Beset by hosts of sin;
Sufficient will His grace be found
The victory to win.
(II Corinthians 12:9).
Wait on the Lord, thou weary one,
When cares of life oppress;
In Him find ev'ry need supplied;
In Him find quietness.
(Psalm 84:10).
Wait on the Lord, thou saddened one,
That grief and sorrow knows;
He shares the measure of your need;
His heart with love o'erflows.
(Psalm 103:13).
Wait on the Lord: In confidence
And expectation wait;
His promises are ever sure;
His mercy truly great.
-- Fred Scott Shepard.
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BILL BOWEN WAS READY TO DIE
by Rev. James Cantrell
When I was asked to go and see Bill Bowen in his penitentiary cell I resisted. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, almost 100 miles from Kilby Prison. Surely, I said to myself, there are good chaplains at Kilby. Surely there are plenty of fine ministers in nearby Montgomery. Perhaps, also, something in me was reluctant -- although I hated to admit this even to myself -- to become involved with a man convicted of murder. But someone had given my name to Bill Bowen's mother. She asked me to go, and I went.
I don't know exactly what sort of man I expected to meet. All I knew was what I had read in the papers. Bill Bowen, crazed by drink or drugs or both, had killed a woman with a knife, fled from the scene, later came to his senses and turned himself in to the police. At his trial, he said that he deserved to die for what he had done. The judge and jury agreed.
The man I met on death row was a stocky, blue-eyed individual with thinning blond hair -- not remarkable in any way. He was sharing a cell with another condemned murderer. Already the long series of stays of execution and postponements was under way; the dreadful cat-and-mouse game that most prisoners finally come to regard as worse than death itself.
But there was a remarkable serenity about Bill Bowen, and it did not take me long to find out why. Someone had preceded me there on death row, a Person who Himself long ago had died between two condemned felons. And He had wrought the miracle that St. Paul describes, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17).
Let me quote from some of the letters I received from this man during the long, harrowing months that followed: letters filled not with bitterness or fear or despair but with a kind of joyousness that under the circumstances is almost incredible.
"When a person first comes to death row he feels pretty low," Bill wrote. "In my case, I knew that what I did was a terrible thing; that's why I gave myself up, because there was no excuse for it. When I came here, I felt that no one would ever love me again, not even God. I didn't think he would forgive me. I was as low as a man could go. But many friends began to write and some good Christians came to see me. I began to pray and read the Bible, and after many weeks I found my Lord. He came to me here on death row, He forgave me. He gave me the peace of mind and heart, hope and faith in Him and others. This is wonderful; I can never thank Him enough."
I suppose there is always the chance that a condemned man will pretend to have a change of heart in order to obtain clemency. But such deception would include repeated appeals for mercy. Bill made none. Besides, such pretense would be based on a terror of dying and, as the end approached, Bill showed no such terror.
"I have no fear of death any more," he wrote, "because I have come to know Jesus and He took away my fear. I know a real happiness now, and I am firmly convinced that nothing can separate me from God; not if my life ends in a few days or if I live for many years."
This newfound happiness did not mean that Bill tried to make excuses for the way he had lived and the things he had done:
"Tomorrow I will be 32 years old, and what have I done for my Lord, my fellow man? If I have done anything good, it is small compared to the wrong I have done. Why? What will make a man live the best part of his life for the devil when he could live for Christ. I cannot understand it now; you see, Christ has been so wonderful to me in the last few months that I cannot see why I haven't had this joy all my days. Isn't Jesus wonderful!"
Actually, Bill did what he could for his Lord and his fellow man while he was in prison. One day he wrote to me with excitement:
"I have some great news in which you can rejoice with me to the glory of God. There was a friend of mine here who said he did not believe in God. Since my time was so short, I wrote him a letter telling him I was glad to have his friendship and, also, of my faith in God. Well, today the chaplain told me that this man came to his office with tears in his eyes, wanting the chaplain to pray for me and for himself! So if I die now, I will feel better because Christ used me to plant a seed of faith in this man's heart. Who knows the outcome of it? Only God. The glory is all His."
Soon after, I got a message that Bill urgently wanted to see me. It turned out that he had heard, if executed, that he could before his death arrange to donate the corneas of his eyes to blind persons whose sight might thereby be restored. Could I make the arrangements with the doctors to have this done? I could and did.
Several times the date of the execution came very close, then was postponed at almost the last moment. Someone told me that the governor was heard to say wearily that such responsibility was too much for one man, that there ought to be a board of experts to pass on such things. But the ponderous machinery of the law clanked on.
Bill's cell mate's time ran out. This man also had turned to Christ, and showed the same remarkable serenity and control. Both men asked if I thought our church would receive them into membership, even though they were on death row. I asked my people about it. When the congregation agreed to accept them, the men's joy and gratitude were touching to behold.
Now Bill was all alone in his cell. Another letter came:
"Mr. Cantrell, this is my hour. I seem to feel it in all my mind, body and soul. It may be the will of God that I come home, and by dying I may be able to do more than by living. If in my hour I can show some people that the love of God will reach even the lowest of men, that He comes to death row as well as any place, then I will have done the will of God and will go happy.
"Let me put it another way. I have failed God so many times in my life that it may not be His will that I live. But I have this chance to prove His love. If in that hour someone can see a little of Christ in me, if only for that moment before death, then it all will be worthwhile. Pray that I can overcome the fear of the flesh on that night and go to Him with a word of cheer. Let my heart, soul and mind be on Christ in that hour. Everyone of us has his hour; this is mine, and I accept it as such."
The final night came. When I arrived at the prison the first thing Bill said to me was, "Did you bring the doctors for my eyes?" I told him that the doctors were ready.
When I went upstairs to the execution chamber with the warden I noticed that he was carrying a length of rope. I asked him why and he shook his head grimly. "Sometimes they struggle," he said. "Sometimes we have to tie them."
No one had to tie Bill Bowen. He came in quietly, led by his guards. There was no tension in him at all.
He spoke to the warden, urging him not to feel bad for what he had to do. He walked over and sat down in the chair under the harsh overhead light. The straps and the headpiece were adjusted. He pointed out calmly to the guards that the straps over his left forearm were loose. They came back and tightened them.
Before the hood was slipped over his head he made his last statement to us all. "I am now ready to pay for the crime I committed. I have no malice for anyone. God has forgiven me; Christ has saved me. This chair will not send me to my death, but to my home."
The warden gave a signal. I kept my head bowed. When I raised it, Bill Bowen's brief life was over.
The next day I met a friend on the streets of Birmingham. "Well," he said, "I hear you were with Bill Bowen at the end. Is that right?" The answer seemed to be waiting, deep inside me. "No," I said, "I was with him at the beginning."
(Copyright 1965, Guideposts Associates, Inc., Carmel, New York.)
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Poem written by a converted prisoner in Strangeways Jail.
Manchester, England, 1965.
I wander in the wilderness,
Yet fall not by the way,
And roam within a desert place,
Far from the light of day.
Whilst all around do strive and seek
To snatch me from Thy care,
But yet, my God, when shadows fall,
I know that Thou are there.
The trials I have are not for long,
The privilege is mine
To consecrate myself to Thee
For I am wholly Thine.
As every trial that's undergone
Finds me beneath Thy sway,
Thus I am moulded, shaped anew,
A vessel made of clay.
Oh, blessed evenings as I kneel
And lift my eyes to Thee,
Amid my prayers awareness grows
That Thou art near to me.
Oh, wonder great, that this can be
That such a worthless one
As I, should be within Thy sight
Accepted as a son!
-- D. B. H.
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