Category Archives: Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts (John 9:6-7)

Morning Thoughts,

John 9:6-7, "When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing."

This morning, we contemplate the wisdom and choice of God to do certain things in certain ways. When considering all that God does, He always does things according to His good will and pleasure, but we do not always honour His good will and pleasure as we should. For example, many today cry that God perhaps "should" do things like the Bible records (such as the Red Sea parting, etc.) so that people today would believe more in Him. What is painfully obvious from Scripture is that no matter how majestic the Lord's working is on different occasions, people are still quite prone and victim to doubt and disbelieve the Lord, His promises, and His pleasure. Those that saw the Red Sea part quickly fell into unbelief. We today see His awesome working in our lives at different times, yet we also fall victim shortly thereafter to unbelief. However, no matter how the Lord chooses to work and move in a particular situation, we should honour and extol what He does at all times.

In our verses above, we read of an interesting circumstance in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. He encounters a man that is blind from his birth, and He is pleased to heal this man from his blindness. While Christ chose many times to have compassion on people and heal them from many different afflictions and sicknesses, His manner of healing them is not always the same. Sometimes, the healing comes from speaking a word, sometimes from giving a command, and sometimes from just speaking from a distant location (not even in the proximity of the sick person). However the Lord chooses to move and have compassion on people, His pleasure is to perform that thing in that way. In our story, the blind man is healed by Christ after Christ anoints his eyes with clay that is made from Christ's spittle.

Consider this scene for a moment. Here is One with all power that can simply speak a word and command something to come to pass. (Psalm 33:7) Here is One that can have the simplest command of thought to accomplish His will. Yet, on this occasion, He chooses to make clay from spit and daub it on this man's face around his eyes. Quite often today, people marvel and remark that a Holy and Wise God would use simple men to preach the gospel to enlighten the eyes of His children. Why would He do such a thing? Why would not the One with all might simply pour in the knowledge at the moment of regeneration? That is a question often asked of me, and I would imagine many minister's experiences are similar. The simple answer is that it pleased Him not to do so. (I Corinthians 1:22)

What are we to learn of Christ's actions towards this blind man when He could have healed Him in any number of different – and perhaps simpler – ways? The first thing we must ask when considering this account is what it pictures or typifies. Indeed, this account is literal and happened just as it is recorded on the page. However, what picture are we given on this occasion? It is our belief and suggestion that this scene of a blind man with clay in his face washing in the pool of Siloam typifies baptism as we experience it when joining ourselves to the New Testament church.

By nature, man is of the earth, earthy. (I Corinthians 15:47) When God created the first man Adam, He did so by taking the very dust of the earth to fashion into a body. That same dust from whence the man first came is the very same dust to which his body will go whenever this life is over. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) That, dear friends, is not much – if anything – to glory about. Being fashioned of the very common and nearly worthless dust is not very special. On top of that, our dust is corrupted by the old stench of sin and death. The corruption that inhabits these bodies reeks of sores from our own depravity. What this blind man had in front of his eyes was the very same substance that his body is by nature.

Baptism, as the Bible teaches it, does not wash away one ounce of filthiness before God. (I Peter 3:21) What baptism does do is answer that conscience that cries out, "What must I do?" when first posed with the knowledge of our own corruption contrasted against the holiness and sacrifice of our God for us. After we hear about the majestic grace and mercy of Christ despite our own depravity and worthlessness, we feel convicted and convinced that we must show gratitude to Him in return. The answer is to be baptized in the picture of His noble sacrifice for us.

Since that does not wash away one sin in the sight of God, does that mean that it washes nothing away? No dear friends, it washes a great many things away, but they are washed away symbolically in our eyes: not God's. When Paul experienced baptism at the hands of Ananias, there were many things that needed to be washed away from Paul's sight. (Acts 22:16) They were the sins that he finally saw for their guilt and blackness. Before his regeneration and eventual conversion, he felt no guilt for any of his actions. By nature, we are the same. We feel no condemnation for anything that we do, for we have not the capacity to feel the guilt that only spiritual eyesight can discern. (I Corinthians 2:14)

When Paul went into the baptismal waters, his sins – such as the stoning of Stephen – were washed away from his sight. His very sins that plagued his mind during those three days and nights of blindness were alleviated by the baptismal waters. This did absolutely nothing to absolve any of his misdeeds before God – Christ's work alone accomplishes that – but many things were absolved in his own mind going forward in his life. Just as the blind man had to have some clay (this old flesh) washed away to see, so do we have to have some of this old self washed away to serve God more acceptably in this life. We do not leave our eternal condemnation in the water, but we do leave personal guilt and condemnation in the water when we submit to His command to repent and be baptized in His name. (Acts 2:38)

Now, today many minimize the importance of baptism. Some are even heard to herald statements that say, "Well, so-and-so is an Old Baptist or one of us, but he/she has never been baptized." Friends, such thoughts and statements minimize the great importance and benefit of baptism. If it was not that important, rest assured that Christ would have never submitted to it nor commanded us to submit to it as well. As we say so often about washing the saint's feet, "If Christ could do it, then what should hinder us from doing it?" But, let us look at the blind man's case for a minute as it pertains to baptism. Specifically, let us look at his case from the anointing of Christ until his washing in Siloam.

Some will ask, "If someone has never been baptized, can they still have fellowship with Christ?" Certainly. "If someone has never been baptized, can they still enjoy preaching and worship services?" Absolutely. "Then what are they truly missing?" The answer to this last question is answered by the blind man's obedience to Christ' command. Consider that before his washing, he had experienced the sweet touch of Christ's gentle hand. As those holy hands anointed his eyes with clay, he felt what Christ felt like. As Christ utters that sweet command to him, he hears the gentle voice of the Dear Redeemer. But friends, how well could he see his Lord? How clearly could he describe this Great One? There are God's children that have felt the sweet caress of Christ's hand in their bower of prayer, and heard the still, small voice whispering peace to their heart and soul. But friends, to see Him high and lifted up, we have to wash some of this old self away in the pool of Siloam.

One might then say, "But don't they see Him through preaching?" Indeed they may. However, how much will He allow or permit us to see when still willfully blinded by our old clay? When we refuse the simplest of commands to submit and be baptized, how much will He honour us with clear sight of His majesty? I have made the challenge from coast to coast for someone to be baptized and tell me that it made no difference on how well they perceived Christ. So far, none have come forward. While I cherish those quiet and peaceful moments with His voice in my heart and hand at my cheek, I cherish and highly prize those times when His face is seen by faith. That sight was never more clearly aligned than it was after I submitted to His example and followed his lead to be baptized into His church. May we therefore wash in the pool of Siloam that we may come forth seeing Him better than ever before.

In Hope,

Bro Philip

Morning Thoughts (Isaiah 41:1)

Morning Thoughts,

Isaiah 41:1, “Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.”

This morning, discretion becomes harder and harder to find with each passing day. Modern society – now more than ever – has lost the art of dealing prudently and discreetly. The motto today is: if you want to say it, say it. More unfortunately, the addendum to the motto is: whenever you want to say it, say it. People speaking their minds with little forethought or even any consideration to the ramifications of their speech is more and more commonplace. In fact, the instant messaging and instant communication that defines our modern society has left most people uncomfortable at even a moment of silence. A quiet room makes today’s most introverted soul quite unsettled. However, time and place must be given to quietness and discretion, for they keep us from having to retract so much of what we do and say as well as fulfilling the Scriptural injunction of being swifter to hear than to speak. (James 1:19)

Many times when I read the Bible, I have to forget about the divisions that were placed in it for our convenience. While I do not despise chapter and verse divisions (as some do), sometimes they do serve as roadblocks to our reading and study rather than an aid and help for retrieval of information. While many verse divisions break up long sentences (as in Paul’s epistles), verse divisions do not trip us up nearly as often as chapter divisions in the middle of thoughts. Quite frequently, I visit the 40th chapter of Isaiah, as it happens to be one of my favourite passages with a wide range of comforting thoughts that are chock full of the goodness, power, mercy, and great hand of God. Many times, we like to ponder the first two verses and think of the rich tenderness of our Lord for delivering us who were without hope and unlovable. We like to ponder the greatness of His strength in the middle portions that describe the smallness of the creation in relation to its Creator. Then, we like to ponder His strength in our lives as the chapter reaches its conclusion with the culmination of mounting up with wings as eagles when waiting upon Him and doing what even youths and strong men at times fail to do.

The last verse of Isaiah 40 is almost as popular as the first two verses to Primitive Baptists. Among professing Christians in general, it may be even more popular. Considering the rich truth that our spirits are revived by the strength of God so that walking can be done without fainting and running without weariness, how comforting is that to those looking at all the gloominess in this old, cold world? How comforting to know that His hand is not just with us in eternity, but His hand is here now to help us and give us strength for the days ahead? No matter what comes in life, we can bear it and get through it, for He is ever with us. (Philippians 4:13, I Corinthians 10:13) Yet, how often is the thought stopped at verse 31? More personally, how often have I stopped at verse 31?

While there is a chapter division placed there for convenience, the thought progresses into the next chapter. Many times, ministers get asked what to do in a certain situation. The most common and best answer is to take it to the Lord. If the inquirer tells the minister that they have done that, the most common and best answer is to wait upon the Lord. Oftentimes, Abraham is used as an example as he had to wait many years until the fulfillment of God’s promise to him in the birth of Isaac. The apostles are used as they had to wait upon the Lord in Jerusalem until the power from on high came upon them at Pentecost. These answers are good and Biblical to be sure, but Isaiah further writes, in our verse, about how waiting upon the Lord can and should be accomplished.

While many of us fail as we should daily to talk with the Lord, walk in sweet communion with Him, and feel that warm presence when in prayer and supplication to Him, how much more often do we fail to stand daily in silence before Him? Verse 31 plainly declares that waiting upon the Lord yields the result of renewed strength. Our verse just as plainly declares that renewed strength comes from keeping silent before Him. The prophet Habakkuk describes our position of silence before Him when He is in His holy temple. (Habakkuk 2:20) Why is silence so important before God when we are told to pray without ceasing? (I Thessalonians 5:17)

Have you ever had a conversation with someone that asked you a question for what seemed like an impure or improperly motivated reason? Did they ask the question seemingly to open the door to talk about what they already wanted to talk about? Maybe they even wanted the excuse for the conversation to try to “convince” you of their way of thinking? Have you also ever conversed with someone that spent most of the time while you were talking seemingly waiting for their turn to speak instead of actively listening to what you were saying? Indeed, most could attest to having been in these types or similar situations.

When we come before the Lord, pour out our supplications and prayers before Him, and earnestly desire help in our present distress, we need to be ready to listen and hear His reply. We should not approach God with what we already think should happen in the situation. Such prayers are not really prayers at all but demands of the Almighty. Our prayers should always contain the thought and sentiment of “Thy will be done.” (James 4:15) By humbly beseeching His will be done, we show forth the readiness to accept His answer rather than how we already “visualized” or “planned” for things to be. Showing this voluntary readiness and humility before God, our supplication should logically be followed by a ready and listening ear for the answer.

As mentioned above, ministers get asked quite a bit about the problems of life and what to do about them. Most claim to have prayed about it and even might claim to wait on the Lord about it. However, how many of us actively listen in silence to Him? Countless times, I have had people say, “Well, I have prayed and prayed. Waited and waited. But no answer.” My simple question quite often is, “Have you waited in silence?” Since the Lord’s reply quite often comes in a still, small voice (I Kings 19), our silence many times is necessary to understand the communication from the Lord. While He has no problems transmitting the communication, my receiver is sadly out of tune quite often to understand what it is that I should do in my life.

When silence is successfully and properly maintained at the acceptable and suitable time, then it is that we are truly waiting upon the Lord. This does not imply that we do nothing while in silence, but our silence should be marked by a quiet willingness to receive the answer, whatever is may be even if that answer is “No.” By keeping silence before Him – thereby waiting upon Him – we find the most happy benefit of renewing our strength. This renewal of strength many times comes in the knowledge and answer of what it is that we ought to do. Nothing is more unsettling to the constitution of these old frames than a restless mind that does not know the right path to pursue at the time. Peace beyond measure is enjoyed when an impression of the correct path is revealed. This knowledge grants strength of mind and body that no matter the path or journey, we will gladly and cheerfully take it. Some of these decisions may be difficult life changes, hard course corrections, or even daily alterations of habit. However, knowing that that the Lord would have us do those things yields renewed strength to go through them.

Notice that the prophet shows the proper place for speaking again. While we speak with God through prayer and give diligence in silence, quietness is not always the course for the time. Sometimes we should move and other times be still. Sometimes we should speak and other times keep silent. (Ecclesiastes 3:7) After we have kept silence before God and renewed our strength, then it is that we speak again. This speaking should be done in a twofold manner.

First and foremost, our speaking should be done with thanksgiving to God for all of His benefits to us. He is merciful to answer our prayers and hear our petitions before Him. His mercy extends further to answering those requests and supplications, for which our silence should give place. When knowing what the Lord would have us do, what should be our first and immediate thought? When asking for direction and guidance, what should be our initial speech when receiving those things? The first and initial should always be thanksgiving to God for the direction, guidance, and impression in life. Without those things, our wanderings would be aimless and unfruitful. With those things, we can sow in the right place and right way and reap great spiritual blessings in this life.

The second reason this speech should be done is exhibited by the last phrase of our verse “come together to judgment.” This judgment is proper discernment that we are in the right way. We cannot come there on our own, but we must come there “together” with our Lord. That means that we are alongside Him. Our steps must travel sweetly together. This means that one cannot justly claim to be following the Lord’s direction when his steps walk contrary to Scripture. The Lord never contradicts or violates His own purposes and moral laws. However, coming to judgment together with the Lord also means that we understand that this is the right way to go. Not only so, but we can conclude and prove that we are going about it in the right way. The Lord does not call us to towards the right conclusion in the wrong way. Rather, His inclination and answer to our pleadings directs the right way in the right manner.

Therefore, our judgment that we come together unto is that “this is the way, walk ye in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) To come to this judgment (perception or observation), we must necessarily wait upon the Lord. To do so, we must necessarily keep silent before Him and listen for and to His reply. Then we take the strength that He renews to fervently and rigorously follow after His guidance. Our hearts should burn with the Godly passion to fulfill what He has said do, for the judgment we come to with Him shows that indeed He has directed. We should therefore follow. Maybe the minister needs guidance on what to preach. Maybe the hearers need guidance for important life decisions. Maybe the paths at work, in the community, or otherwise seem filled and headed for gloomy disaster. In these cases and more, may we wait upon Him – silently and listening – to discover what it is He would have us do, and then be found heartily doing that which He has called us to do. (Colossians 3:23)

In Hope,

Bro Philip