From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Wrapped In Clothing of Calvary Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 20:34:06 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0007_01C46C3D.6CDACCE0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C46C3D.6CDACCE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable WRAPPED IN THE CLOTHING OF CALVARY By Clinton White The Bible teaches that we have an enemy who goes about like "a roaring = lion . . . seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet.5:8); and his basic attack = upon your life as a Christian is to tear down the structure of your = identity comprehension so that you will not feel sure of your identity = as a child of God, and to confuse you about the feelings of the old man = and the life of the new man. Once your true identity comprehension has = been damaged, then you are weakened in prayer, in witness and in Bible = study. So it is of the utmost importance to every avenue and facet of = your spiritual life that you maintain a continuous awareness of your = identity as a blood purchased child of the living God. What is it that makes you doubt or be confused about your identity = comprehension, your being filled with all the fullness of God? You can = sum it up in two words (and most of us say these two words quite often): = "I feel!" We can look through the Scriptures and see the continuous declaration of = God's unyielding presence in our lives, and see the unrelenting cry of = His goodness and mercy: He'll never leave us; we are His children . . . = and yet . . . "I feel." "I feel I've done something wrong; I feel I'm = weak in prayer; I feel I'm weak in faith . . . I feel . . . " And so we = go by our feelings instead of God's word. Do you remember the lesson in Genesis, chapter 27, about Esau and Jacob = when Jacob stole the blessing from his brother? He connived with his = mother to get the inheritance. He wanted to have the identity = comprehension of being the first born and have all the blessings that go = with it. Jacob's father, Isaac, was old, blind and dying, and he was about to = give the blessing to Esau. Jacob's mother had Jacob go out, get two = goats, and she cooked them up so that Jacob could bring them to his = father and then get the blessing. She put the goats' skins over Jacob's = body because his skin was smooth and Esau's was hairy. So Jacob stood at = the door of his father's tent and Isaac said, "Who is it?" And Jacob = said, "It is your son Esau." Isaac responded, "No, this is the voice of = Jacob; this is not the voice of my son Esau." Blind Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near, that I may feel thee." So Jacob = walked over, and Isaac stretched forth his hand and felt the hairy skins = that were on Jacob's body; and he said, "Oh yes, this is indeed my son = Esau." And Jacob received the blessing. I read a story of a shepherd who rode on horseback through a flock of = sheep during lambing season, and in his saddlebag he had a little = orphaned lamb. That lamb had just been born but its mother had died. So = the shepherd looked until he found a ewe that had just given birth to a = stillborn lamb. But he couldn't just take that little motherless lamb = and give it to the ewe whose lamb had died, because she wouldn't nurse = it; she'd nudge it away and reject it, for she'd know it wasn't her own. = So he took the ewe's little stillborn lamb, cut the skin off it and = wrapped that skin around the little orphaned lamb. Then he put the lamb = up to the ewe. She looked at it, and she sniffed the little creature; = then, believing that it was her own, she accepted it and nurtured and = nourished the little lamb. We know that at Calvary a miracle happened: the Lamb of God was slain, = and, because of that, you and I are wrapped in the garments of Golgotha, = in the clothing of Calvary. So when God stretches forth His hand, what = does He touch? He touches the skins of Salvation. He does not touch the = old you. You may have an identity comprehension where you still feel = your old nature, but when God stretches forth His hand, He touches the = clothing of Calvary. And just as Jacob (and the little lamb) were = blessed and accepted because of the skins on them, God accepts you, for = He touches the skins of Salvation, and the scent of the Son is on your = life. He becomes as blind to your sin as Isaac was to Jacob's conniving. = You relate to God only because of those skins around you. We have this conflict within; we have the feelings of the old natural = man. But when God looks upon us He sees His Son, and He gives us the = blessing that we do not deserve anymore than Jacob deserved the blessing = that he robbed from his brother. He received it because of those skins = that were wrapped around him. We receive it because of the clothing of = Calvary on our hearts and on our lives. God looks upon us and He sees = Christ! ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C46C3D.6CDACCE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
WRAPPED IN THE CLOTHING OF = CALVARY
 
By Clinton = White
 
The Bible teaches that we have an enemy who goes about = like=20 "a roaring lion . . . seeking whom he may devour" (1 = Pet.5:8); and=20 his basic attack upon your life as a Christian is to tear down the = structure of=20 your identity comprehension so that you will not feel sure of your = identity as a=20 child of God, and to confuse you about the feelings of the old man and = the life=20 of the new man. Once your true identity comprehension has been damaged, = then you=20 are weakened in prayer, in witness and in Bible study. So it is of the = utmost=20 importance to every avenue and facet of your spiritual life that you = maintain a=20 continuous awareness of your identity as a blood purchased child of the = living=20 God.
 
What is it that makes you doubt or be confused about = your=20 identity comprehension, your being filled with all the fullness of God? = You can=20 sum it up in two words (and most of us say these two words quite often): = "I=20 feel!"
 
We can look through the Scriptures and see the = continuous=20 declaration of God’s unyielding presence in our lives, and see the = unrelenting=20 cry of His goodness and mercy: He’ll never leave us; we are His = children . . .=20 and yet . . . "I feel." "I feel I’ve done something wrong; I feel = I’m weak in=20 prayer; I feel I’m weak in faith . . . I feel . . . " And so we go = by our=20 feelings instead of God’s word.
 
Do you remember the lesson in Genesis, chapter 27, = about Esau=20 and Jacob when Jacob stole the blessing from his brother? He connived = with his=20 mother to get the inheritance. He wanted to have the identity = comprehension of=20 being the first born and have all the blessings that go with it.
 
Jacob’s father, Isaac, was old, blind and dying, = and he was=20 about to give the blessing to Esau. Jacob’s mother had Jacob go = out, get two=20 goats, and she cooked them up so that Jacob could bring them to his = father and=20 then get the blessing. She put the goats’ skins over Jacob’s = body because his=20 skin was smooth and Esau’s was hairy. So Jacob stood at the door = of his father’s=20 tent and Isaac said, "Who is it?" And Jacob said, "It is your son Esau." = Isaac=20 responded, "No, this is the voice of Jacob; this is not the voice of my = son=20 Esau."
 
Blind Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near, that I may = feel=20 thee." So Jacob walked over, and Isaac stretched forth his hand and = felt the=20 hairy skins that were on Jacob’s body; and he said, "Oh yes, this = is indeed my=20 son Esau." And Jacob received the blessing.
 
I read a story of a shepherd who rode on horseback = through a=20 flock of sheep during lambing season, and in his saddlebag he had a = little=20 orphaned lamb. That lamb had just been born but its mother had died. So = the=20 shepherd looked until he found a ewe that had just given birth to a = stillborn=20 lamb. But he couldn’t just take that little motherless lamb and = give it to the=20 ewe whose lamb had died, because she wouldn’t nurse it; = she’d nudge it away and=20 reject it, for she’d know it wasn’t her own. So he took the = ewe’s little=20 stillborn lamb, cut the skin off it and wrapped that skin around the = little=20 orphaned lamb. Then he put the lamb up to the ewe. She looked at it, and = she=20 sniffed the little creature; then, believing that it was her own, she = accepted=20 it and nurtured and nourished the little lamb.
 
We know that at Calvary a miracle happened: the Lamb = of God was=20 slain, and, because of that, you and I are wrapped in the garments of = Golgotha,=20 in the clothing of Calvary. So when God stretches forth His hand, what = does He=20 touch? He touches the skins of Salvation. He does not touch the old you. = You may=20 have an identity comprehension where you still feel your old nature, but = when=20 God stretches forth His hand, He touches the clothing of Calvary. And = just as=20 Jacob (and the little lamb) were blessed and accepted because of the = skins on=20 them, God accepts you, for He touches the skins of Salvation, and the = scent of=20 the Son is on your life. He becomes as blind to your sin as Isaac was to = Jacob’s=20 conniving. You relate to God only because of those skins around = you.
 
We have this conflict within; we have the feelings of = the old=20 natural man. But when God looks upon us He sees His Son, and He gives us = the=20 blessing that we do not deserve anymore than Jacob deserved the blessing = that he=20 robbed from his brother. He received it because of those skins that were = wrapped=20 around him. We receive it because of the clothing of Calvary on our = hearts and=20 on our lives. God looks upon us and He sees Christ!
 
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