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ArthurRosh
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 Keep Looking Unto Jesus - Bakht Singh

Keep Looking Unto Jesus - Bakht Singh

In Revelation chapter 1, we read how the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in His heavenly glory to His apostle John. Six times in his the apostle calls himself ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved ’. This shows that he has a great desire to be very close to the Lord Jesus Christ. Some people wanted to be around the Lord to be honored by Him. When a great person comes to a city some people desire to be very close to him, not because they love him but because they want to be in the front so that they might be able to say,” we saw that person”, and thus be honored by men. But John the apostle was not sitting near the Lord for any honor, but because he loved Him, and wanted to enjoy His love. That is why he speaks much more about God’s love than any other apostle. And because of that same love, he had the privilege to see, in his old age at Patmos, something more of the Lord Jesus Christ than what he had seen in his whole lifetime. John then saw His glory in a more wonderful way than ever before. Even though in the past years he had many glimpses of His glory and His beauty, yet now he saw Him in an entirely new way.

It may be that most of us have had many experiences of the Lord Jesus and we thank God for them all but according to God’s Word there is far more to be seen and learnt of Him. But we should have eyes to see Him. Sometime ago a young man went to Bombay. When he returned his friends asked him, “how did you like Bombay?, ”it is a wonderful city,” he told them, "why is it so wonderful” he replied, “because they gave us very nice ‘biriyani’”. He was so pleased with the biriyani, that this was all that he could say of Bombay. He was not at all attracted by the buildings, the sea, the gardens and the people; but he could say truthfully and joyfully, “I never ate such a biriyani anywhere”. Perhaps you also may be in that condition because you do not know more of Christ, however we do hope and pray that God will give us much more by looking unto Him.

John the beloved Apostle - A lonely prisoner

Many of us live lives of defeat and shame and we soon become discouraged, depressed and dejected. How easily we are deceived by the Devil! We are warned through God’s Word that the enemy is very subtle and wicked, and very powerful. He can come like a roaring lion, a ravening wolf, a flood, or an angel of light. But our Lord told us, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. ” John 16:33. Let the enemy come any way that he pleases. Our eyes have to be kept fixed only on the Lord; not on ourselves, nor on the preacher, nor on the gifts, talents, position or place. We read in Psalm 46:10, ”Be still and know that I am God”. Only when we stand still we know who the Lord is. God takes us to see His true beauty and glory, and appreciate Him. This is our desire and prayer in these days. John was the most beloved disciple of the Lord, and yet in his old age he became a prisoner for the Word of God and for the testimony of the Lord. We see that on other occasions the Lord sent His angels and delivered His servants from prison. If he had so desired He could have delivered John in one second, but He allowed him to be a prisoner in that lonely place. He was not treated as a special prisoner but only as an ordinary one. Though he was a man of God, ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’ there he was, a prisoner in a lonely place. John must have felt discouraged and must have gone through many inward conflicts.

We read in Acts 6:7, 12:24, 13:49 and 19:24, how God’s Word went on spreading and prevailing. The Scripture says that a few men turned the world upside down in a very short time. Wherever they went men started trembling. Suddenly, however there came falling away. Many believers lost their first love. For the sake of money and worldly gain and advantage many went away. They preferred worldly pleasure rather than God. On the other hand some did suffer and even become prisoners because of the Word of God. Only a very small number thus remained true to the end. When the apostle saw such conditions he felt very much discouraged. Just as Patmos was a barren island, so also John saw the same barrenness spiritually among the people. He cried “Oh Lord! Why this spiritual barrenness? Why are Thy people become so cold, so weak, and so indifferent? Lord, why cannot we now see the same power as we did before?” Questions such as these were in the mind of the apostle at that time. I do not think he was anxious so much about his own physical discomfort and sufferings. He never complained about them. But he was concerned only about the spiritual condition of God’s people everywhere. He was discouraged when he saw the enemy so active. He felt downcast because God’s people were helpless and weak. The same condition is prevailing today among God’s people and His witness in every part of the world. We also would say, “Oh Lord, why is this? Oh Lord, how long? Oh God, give us an answer and show us Thy way”.

The Lord Speaks - Listen, Turn, Look

We are told first of all that John heard the voice of the Lord behind him (Revelation 1:10-12). It was for a purpose that the Lord appeared and spoke to him from behind. The Lord could as well have appeared in front of him. The Scripture says that the Lord spoke loudly like a trumpet, in a clear voice and said, “I am Alpha and Omega.” Then the apostle says, “I turned to see the voice that spake to me.” Why did He not appear in front of him? The reason is He wanted to answer the questions in the mind of the apostle. By appearing behind him the Lord was saying, “John! I know exactly what you are thinking. I know all your fears and troubles. I know you feel discouraged and defeated. But John you are looking in the wrong direction. You had better turn around, then all your questions will be answered and your problems will be solved. When you turn right round you will see Me and know who I am.” John could say that He knew all about the Lord, His miracles and teachings. He was an eyewitness to his transfiguration and ascension. Still the Lord was saying the beginning and the end, don’t you understand the full meaning of what I say? Then turn right round and look at Me and you will know Who I am. When he turned around he saw the Lord in a way in which he had never seen Him before (v.17). As he turned around he was so taken up by the vision that he exclaimed, “Lord, I never knew that you are so glorious. I never knew that you are so great.”

Keep looking unto Jesus

Because we do not see Him as He is we live a life of defeat. Our eyes are unsteady looking in two directions, one eye upon the Lord, and one upon the world. Many years ago in Allahabad I saw a Brahmin shopkeeper. He had one part of his shop full of idols and in the other part he kept the things, which he sold such as rice, sugar, etc. If anyone came to buy something he would attend upon him, and then he would return to the other side and attend upon those who came to worship the idols. It is the same with many believers; they have one eye upon the Lord, and the other upon something else. That is why they become spiritually blind. When you really want to see Him, your eyes should be only upon Him. Suppose you go to the railway station to meet someone. You find many people alighting from the train. You watch them and say; “What a nice man! What a nice woman! How nice they are!” As you are thus engaged your friend will quietly move away. When you return home, you will find your friend already there. You will question him saying, “I have been looking for you at the station. I was searching two hours. But I could not find you. How did you come here?” Your friend will reply, “ I saw you there at the station. But you were too busy looking and admiring the other passengers and that is why you could not see me….

Well, that is our trouble also. We waste our time looking at people and things which have no concern with us, and that is why our life is so barren. Even men like John, the apostle, could be deceived. Our Lord loved John and He had so much to show him and give him. You find more mysteries in the book of Revelation than in any other. But they were all revealed to John in his old age. When he was in prison and very discouraged. Then he saw things that nobody else had seen. Our Lord was able to show him the whole of heaven and the whole of His kingdom. This privilege is for us also. Our Lord Himself said in Matthew 13:17 that these mysteries are now to be revealed to us. Things, which eyes have not seen which ears have not heard which have not entered into the heart of man, can be revealed to us according to 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 provided we have eyes to see and ears to hear. But our point now is this; our eyes have been deceived and drawn away by many other things. What are the things that draw you most? Suppose you go to a bazaar with your wife and child and you pass by various shops. Whenever you come to a sweetmeat shop or a toyshop you child shouts “Daddy” and points out to the sweetmeat or the toy. The child has interest only in these things. And when you pass a sari shop your wife says, “Look at that beautiful sari.” Thus we are all attracted by things that we like most. Now can you say that the Lord has given you eyes to see that you may learn to be drawn to Him alone? If not, pray like the Psalmist in Psalm 119:18. “Open Thou mine eyes”

When our Lord opened the eyes of the apostle what did he see, what did he hear and what did he do? We shall be considering them later on. Ask the Lord to give you eyes to see, then you will see the beauty and the glory of the Lord Jesus such as you have never seen before. Look unto Jesus, and go on looking unto Him, and let not man or woman or anything else draw away your attention.

Many years ago, I was sailing from Liverpool to Canada. A newly married couple was in the same ship. They were always together. They wanted no one else to come near them. They were so absorbed in each other wherever they went they took no notice of people around them. Their eyes were only on each other. Our Lord has the same desire that nothing else should draw away our attention. He would have us to keep looking unto Himself.

 2013/3/19 19:48Profile





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