| Forerunner |
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| Written by Dr. Pravin Moudgill |
| Tuesday, 17 November 2009 12:21 |
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Let me begin with the following scripture: • “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” Song 8:5 The above is a description of the Bride. Let us see the truths behind the words ‘beloved’ and ‘leaning upon’. Beloved The only reason why my heart is not continually longing, panting, fainting after my Lover is because I have not yet tasted Him Ps 42:1-2, 63:1, 84:2, 143:6. Alcoholics and drug addicts know what it means to be deprived of their addiction. Money, power and success, name and fame—even in the context of ministry—are some other addictives. But God is more addictive than all other addictions put together. The only reason I am not addicted to Him is because I have not yet tasted Him. The invitation to taste Him is open to all. • “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good” Psalms 34:8 The only reason I have not yet tasted Him is because I have never made the decision: ‘Lord, the one thing I will seek is to taste (know) You. Slay me, my Lord and my Lover, that may I be dead to all else.’ Leaning upon It is the weak who lean upon God. We, unlike Paul 2 Cor 12:9-10, seek to be strong. A person who seeks to be strong, or works according to his own strengths, will not know the truth ‘my God is my strength’ Ex 15:2 We seek to be strong. Paul’s boast was ‘I am weak in Christ’ 2 Cor 12:10, 13:4 Question: Who leans upon God most? Answer: The one who is most weak or crucified To summarise: The Bride comprises of people (1) whose self has been crucified—who can say in reality, ‘it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me’ Gal 2:20, and (2) whose heart pants for Jesus' return. (The two truths are two sides of a coin. They go together) Let us now consider the task of a forerunner The task of the forerunner is to prepare the Bride—so that the Bridegroom may return soonest A forerunner is therefore one (1) who helps (‘equips’ Eph 4:12) the people to give up all other addictions so that they may ‘taste’ God. Who helps the people to give up all other loves—including love for ministerial success—so that they may love God with all their heart. Also, (2) he helps people along the process of (equips them for) crucifixion so that—through fellowship in the sufferings of Christ Phil 3:10—they know the crucified Christ 1 Cor 2:2 and become like Him in His death Phil 3:10 Dr. Pravin Moudgill |