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The Pilgrim Path (8-10-2022)

The Pilgrim Path---Acts 23: 11 

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

THE LORD STOOD BY HIM…

Did you ever say to yourself, “I wish Jesus the Christ---would simply stand beside me. Encourage me. Talk to me. Listen to me.” The marvelous message in today’s text is that the Living Christ did appear to the Apostle Paul---and strengthen his soul. We need encouragement in the face of circumstances we endure. We need our faith fortified. The LORD Jesus knew this and prepared His own for His ascension and place of glory at the right hand of the Father. Listen to the Savior in John 14: 18 – 21:

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

One of the major realities of the Gospel is where the Holy Spirit meets the Followers of Jesus---in the Word of God. Where the two merge---the Savior is present. This is a supernatural glory of the Gospel: The Living Christ is spiritually perceived. The Third Person of the Trinity opens the Word of God to our heart and mind to grasp the presence of the Son (amazing).

From Hugh Martin: If my Father and I are to make our abode with you, and manifest ourselves unto you, give heed to my sayings, my word which you hear, which is my Father’s word. To speak that word has been all my care hitherto. I have given you the word which my Father gave to me (John chapter 17). I have taken advantage of my bodily presence with you to speak unto you in the Word of God. “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you” (v. 25). And if I have taken advantage of my presence with you to speak the word, see that you take advantage of the word to secure my intelligible presence and fellowship with you still. To this very end the Spirit will come. By this very means his advent will be my explicit presence with you, Thus I will come unto you. Thus you see me. Thus will I be manifest unto you, as making my abode with you. Even thus: “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (v. 26). It is one continuous train of thought throughout. And the design of it is to show that he will himself be manifestly present with his church by the Spirit. The Spirit achieves Christ’s presence with his people.

To heighten the perception, believe Him---obey Him---rest in Him--- and make it your goal to glorify Him in all things. He is closer than you think…closer than you think…

From John Flavel: If Christ lay eternally in the bosom of the Father’s love, and yet was content to forsake it for you, then, Christians, should we not be ready to forsake all the comforts we have on earth for Christ? Moses left the glory of Egypt, and Peter and the other Apostles left all! What we have to leave is of no comparison to what he left for us…

From George Swinnock: Christ waits at the door of your ear for access to your heart to deliver you---a poor captive---out of his (the devil’s) hands. The devil will seek to hinder you from hearing as in God’s presence by finding other work for you to do…

From John Duncan: It’s Christ in the Bible that makes the Bible a glorious Bible.

Grace and Peace in Jesus, the Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason