Wounded for Me

By the late Mel Ludvigson (1922-2012)

My Savior once paid the supreme price for me

On the cross, where His life was laid down.

Had He not done the will of the Father above,

He could not claim me for His own.

He bled from His head my thoughts to atone –

So sinful and vile they be.

He blotted them out, and remembers no more –

His pardon gives liberty.

He bled from His hands, my deeds to transform

Into service for Him and His own.

To take up His cross, and come after Him,

I need not bear my burdens alone.

He bled from His side, my affections to win.

My pleasures He bids me lay down—

To drink from His fount, be fed with His saints.

My past is forgiven and gone.

He bled from His feet to forgive my old ways,

Made the cares of the world grow dim

He turned my eyes to the Ancient of Days,

Showed a new way of life found in Him.

Oh, Thou Holy Ghost, Thou Blest Lamb of God,

Take complete possession of me,

Till the fragrance of Christ comes forth from my life,

And my all shall be lost in Thee.

Melvin A. Ludvigson was a member of The Bible Church of Little Rock and went to be with the Lord on January 20, 2012.  Several of his original poems were read during his memorial service and we've been given permission to post some of them here over the next few Fridays.

If you would like to purchase a hardcopy of his book of poems, "Psalms the Spirit Taught Me," please contact Dan Ludvigson at dludvigson AT familylife DOT com. You will only be charged the cost of the printing.

You may read all of Mel's poems posted thus far here.

The Words of Life from the Jaws of Death

By George Lawson

In the beginning of May, 1665 London had a divine appointment with what the Puritan Thomas Vincent described as “one of the most terrible plagues that was ever visited on this or perhaps any other kingdom.” We now know it as the bubonic plague.

The disease at first claimed the lives of only nine people, but after a pause it rapidly spread across the city and was soon taking no less than 470 people a week. The number of deaths collected from the bills of mortality amounted to 68,596 in that first year, though some have estimated that the number was much higher.

Vincent tells us that the progression of the disease “began with a pain and dizziness in their head, then trembling in their other members.” They felt “boils under their arm…and saw blains to come forth in other parts” and when spots appeared they were considered “the certain tokens of near approaching death.” (Vincent, God’s Terrible Voice pp. 14-15)

The introduction to The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ contains a description of the outbreak:

On every hand were to be heard the groans of the dying, the lamentations and the distress of the survivors. In vain did thousands look for consolation in their last moments from those who had ministered to them the Word of Life. Dismay and terror had alike seized the pastor and his flock and a place of safety from the plague was all that either the one or the other had time, or in general the inclination to seek.

Vincent was pastoring a flock that was at the heart of the outbreak, and he was strongly urged by fellow ministers to flee the city. In one of the more remarkable cases of pastoral sacrifice, he refused. He said he would not allow any to “weaken his hands in this work.” He could not bring himself to leave his flock “in the time of their greatest need” and committed himself to the protection of his God.

“Without fear he rushed into the scenes of contagion and entered the dwellings of disease and death” and “though upwards of sixty-eight thousand died in London including seven persons in the house in which Mr. Vincent resided, yet did he continue in perfect health during the whole season of the visitation.”

It is worth noting that Vincent had no divine revelation that promised his safety through this plague. There was no guarantee that he would be immune to the disease as long as he was engaged in the Lord’s work. He understood that committing himself to the protection of God did not obligate the Lord to preserve him.

So why then would he risk his life to enter the jaws of death itself?

The 17th century Puritan gives us at least one answer to this question from his own hand. In his book The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ he writes:

“If you have but little love to Christ, you will be apt to faint in the day of adversity, to shrink when you are called to take up His cross and suffer for His sake. Lesser sufferings will decompose you, greater sufferings will frighten you and amaze you, and you will be in danger of turning into fearful apostates in time of great trials. There is need of great love to Christ, as well as great faith, to carry you through sufferings with courage that you may persevere unto the end” (p. 33).

Thomas Vincent’s words, backed up by his example, strike a blow to my anemic love for Christ and His flock.  “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5

The Straying Lamb

By the late Mel Ludvigson (1922-2012)

The Shepherd, tender, watched the sheep;

One hundred was the count.

But one rebelled, and went astray,

Far off, into the mount!

The Shepherd left the ninety-nine;

Went out to seek the lost –

To find the one that went astray

No matter what the cost.

So oft’ the rebel would repeat,

What he so well did know;

The tender Shepherd brought him back;

And perfect love would show.

One day the lamb began to stray:

The Shepherd soon pursued.

Reached out His staff, broke rebel’s limb—

The action seemed so rude.

He drew the lamb unto Himself,

And took him in His arm.

Bound up the wound, bestowed His love—

And sheltered him from harm.

A fellowship so soon began

Between a man and lamb!

He stroked him tenderly, and said—

“I’m glad you’re back again.”

The count, one hundred, e’er remained;

Thanks to the Shepherd, true.

The rebel now is walking close—

His life began anew.

The Shepherd, Jesus Christ Himself;

‘Tis very plain to see.

The sheep, the ones bought with His blood;

The straying lamb was me.

Melvin A. Ludvigson was a member of The Bible Church of Little Rock and went to be with the Lord on January 20, 2012.  Several of his original poems were read during his memorial service and we've been given permission to post some of them here over the next few Fridays.

If you would like to purchase a hardcopy of his book of poems, "Psalms the Spirit Taught Me," please contact Dan Ludvigson at dludvigson AT familylife DOT com. You will only be charged the cost of the printing.

You may read all of Mel's poems published thus far here.

The Key to Understanding the Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Still thinking about the role of the Spirit from last Sunday's message? Here's another helpful quote from Bruce Milne on the ministry relationship between the Spirit of God and the Son of God.  Some of our men are studying Milne's book Know the Truth in our dokimos class.

The key to understanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the NT is the profound connection between the ministry of the Spirit and the glorification of Jesus (John. 7:39)…The pouring forth of the Spirit at Pentecost was simply the coming into human history of the kingdom of God inaugurated through Jesus’ triumph. This is why Jesus states that unless he ‘goes away’ the Spirit will not come (John. 16:7). The point is not that the two persons of the Godhead cannot be co-present, but what Jesus meant by ‘going away’;

it is only on the basis of
      his ‘going away to the Father’ (John. 14:5, 12)
          in death,
          resurrection
          and ascension
     that the Spirit could
          come upon the disciples,
          be their paraclete,
          and bear his witness to the world through them.

In other words, the dispensation of the Spirit in the church and in the world which found glorious initial expression at Pentecost depends utterly on the triumph of Jesus....

The heart of Christian experience of the Holy Spirit lies in his bringing us into a living relationship to Jesus Christ so that we share in his redemption and all its blessings. All Christian experience can be focused in this one gift of God to us through his Spirit, our union with Christ.

Bruce Milne, Know the Truth, p. 249-251

What Does it Mean to “Walk By the Spirit?”

By Tim Senn

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  
Galatians 5:16-17, ESV

In last Sunday's message, we began taking a look at the answer to the question, “What does it mean to ‘walk by the Spirit’?” In today's post, I'd just like to remind us of two brief yet basic things that I covered in my message - the concept and the conflict of this walk.

The Concept

The “concept” of walking in the Holy Spirit is set forth in verse 16.  Paul gives both a command and a promise.  Our responsibility as believers is to daily conduct our lives under the control and direction of the Holy Spirit – we actively obey God’s commands and submit ourselves to His influence and control over our lives.  And the promise from God is that when we depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit for holiness, we will not “carry out the desire of the flesh.”  This does not mean that we will be sinless, but it does mean that in those daily skirmishes with remaining sin in our lives, we can obey God and experience victory over particular sins and temptations that used to defeat us and cause us to stumble! 
    Notice that verse 18 adds that as we walk in the Spirit, the Spirit leads us!  The leading of the Holy Spirit is our sanctification, as He leads us through the battlefield of our fight with remaining sin and onward to glory!

“It is the Holy Spirit’s part to keep us in the path and to bring us at length to the goal.  But it is we who tread every step of the way; our limbs that grow weary with the labor; our hearts that faint, our courage that fails—our faith that revives our sinking strength, our hope that instills new courage into our souls—as we toil over the steep ascent.
B.B. Warfield, The Power of God unto Salvation, p. 172

The Nature of Sin

Here's a short but powerful study on sin for you.  This came out of our 5th & 6th Grade Boys Equipping Hour class curriculum, Teach Me Your Way, from Children Desiring God. These boys are taught each week by Austin Trembley.

The nature of sin is that:

• Sin enslaves.
• Sin offers fleeting pleasure.
• Sin is aggressive and destructive.
• Sin cannot be hidden forever.
• Sin grows and is far-reaching.

Passages for Study:

• James 1:13-15
• Romans 6:16-17,12
• Hebrews 11:24-25
• Proverbs 6:27
• Matthew 6:22-23
• Genesis 4:6-7
• Numbers 32:23

Keep Talkin' To Yourself; People Will Think You're Crazy

By George Lawson

There is a scene in the Pixar film Cars where Lightning McQueen is complaining out loud to himself as he is serving his sentence for ruining the main road through Radiator Springs.  While talking to himself, he passes by a car named Lizzie sitting alone on a porch who says… “You keep talkin’ to yourself; people will think you’re crazy.”  McQueen sarcastically says, “Thanks for the tip!” to which Lizzie replies, “Uh- what?  I wasn’t talking to you!”

“You keep talkin’ to yourself; people will think you’re crazy.”  In some cases that might very well be true.  But is talking to yourself a clear indication of insanity?  The Psalmists didn’t think so.  On several occasions these biblical counselors made an appointment with their own souls.  Here are a few examples:

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.
Psalm 42:5

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;
Psalm 103:1-2

Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
Psalm 116:7

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
Psalm 146:1

Thomas Vincent, the English Puritan, in a similar way counsels his own soul in the book, The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ.   Listen to his words:

“Why do you hang downwards, O my soul?  Why do you bend so much to the earthly things?  What is there here below that is not beneath you and altogether unworthy of your love?  How empty and vain and thorny are these things?  Do not waste your time, weary yourself for every vanity’ do not prick and wound yourself with these things anymore.  What ails you, O my soul that you are so backward to the love of Christ…O my soul are you so drenched in the flesh that visible objects shall have more power to draw down your heart than this most glorious object shall have power to draw up your heart?”
(p. 77)

Do earthly things have more power to draw your heart down than the most glorious Christ has the power to draw your heart up? 

What a powerful and convicting example of self counsel that we would do well to imitate.   Friends, we need to make frequent appointments with our own souls.  How many sins would we avoid if we were resolved to preach the truth to ourselves? “If we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31).  

“You keep talkin’ to yourself people may think you’re crazy.”  But sometimes talking to ourselves is the only way to keep their accusation from being true.

The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ:   Hardcover | eBook | Free Google eBook

What's In a Name?

By George Lawson

What's in a name? Well, it depends on what you mean by that.
 
Shakespeare said, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

But I’m talking about more than the title by which we refer to something or someone.  When Paul said “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,” he meant much more than simply doing everything while pronouncing the word “Jesus”.  There is something much more profound in Colossians 3:17.

To do all in the name of the Lord Jesus means we are to do all things…

1. In Association with Christ’s Person
2. By the Approval of Christ’s Authority
3. By the Assistance of Christ’s Power
4. In Agreement with Christ’s Character
5. And in Adoration of Christ’s Glory

As Christians, the name of the Lord Jesus should permeate everything about us.  Every word and action should be marked by the evidence of Christ’s power and presence in our lives.  There is no other name that is worthy of this kind of devotion.  Not only does this verse reveal the priority of Christ but it also points to His deity, because only God could demand this of us! 

Can you imagine doing everything you do in the name of fame, or in the name of fun, or in the name of fortune, or in the name of (dare we say it) ourselves?  No other name is worthy of dedicating your life to besides the name of the Lord Jesus.  He alone is worthy of this supreme place and may God forgive us for living for anything less.  

“What’s in a name?”  Well, if we’re talking about the name of Jesus the answer should be “everything!” 

Open Up The Bible

Still having trouble getting into a Bible-reading routine?

The Good Book Company has created an entire website to helping Christians - young and old - get into their Bibles.  Visit the site Open Up The Bible to find articles, videos and resources designed to assist your daily Bible reading and study.  They're also in the process of developing an app for daily study here. You can follow their progress on their Facebook page or The Good Book Blog.

I've used their children's resource, XTB (eXplore the Bible) with two of my girls and they've really enjoyed it. The Good Book Company offers free trials for many of their resources, so be sure to check them out.
 

BCLR Ministries Resume This Week

Our men's Bible study groups resume meeting this week.  Pastor Tim Senn and Pastor Paul Hamline will co-lead a group on Wednesday evenings from 6:30p to 8:15p in Room 211 at the Bible Church.  There is also a group that meets every Friday from Noon to 1p at the FamilyLife Building on Ranch Drive, led by Aaron Wilson. 

The book being read and discussed this semester is Jerry Bridges', The Discipline of Grace.  If you haven't obtained your copy yet, you can order from Amazon here and you can also download the Preface and first full chapter here for free to prepare you for this week's reading assignment.

Please note that most of our other studies resume this week as well, including Student Ministries, Awana, and the Women's Wednesday Study (the Women's Tuesday morning study will resume on January 10th).