The Gospel and the Vileness of sin.

I found this on the Sacred Sandwich site, and thought it was a good reminder!:

Here is..." a stark reminder of the vileness of sin in the life of every man. Too often, especially among unbelievers, we become complacent with our sinfulness because we see no evidence of negative repercussions. Because of God’s great patience and benevolence, our lives seem unaffected by our rebellious actions. In fact, in some cases, life seems even better than before. Prosperity abounds and our consciences are easily seared to the point of seeing no harm in our “inconsequential” sin.

Let us not forget, therefore, the reality of the vileness of all sin, even those so-called “lesser” sins of omission, those failures of duty and those shortcomings in spirit that even beset the believer. As the Scriptures tell us, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”—1 John 1:8-10.

In conclusion, I leave you with these eloquent words from Charles Spurgeon in response to the above text:

“The Lord will not consent to parley with you on the ground that you are not much of a sinner, and that after all your sin is not a great evil. No, he will meet you where the truth is and nowhere else; when you confess that you are unworthy of his pity, you are owning the truth, and when you feel guilty, you feel what is really fact; on this footing of truth, sad truth though it be, the Lord will meet with you through the atoning blood. It is in your vileness that sovereign grace o’er sin abounding will come to you and cleanse you, and therefore the sooner you come to the honest truth the better for you, for the sooner will you obtain joy and peace through believing in Christ. The text means just this—Treat God truthfully, and he will treat you truthfully. Make no pretensions before God, but lay bare your soul, let him see it as it is, and then he will be faithful and just to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Mark the beauty of that expression; God will deal with you in faithfulness. His nature is mercy, and you naturally expect that if you confess your sin to a merciful God, he will deal mercifully with you and be faithful to his nature; and he will be so. But he has also given a promise that if the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn unto the Lord, he will have mercy upon him; depend upon it he will be faithful to his promise. The blood of Jesus Christ has made a full atonement, and God will be faithful to that atonement. He will deal with you on the grounds of the covenant of grace, of which the sacrifice of Jesus is the seal, and therein also he will be true to you…

“For my own part, I mean to come to him always as a sinner. I know I am saved, but I never hope to get one inch beyond that verse,— ‘The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth me from all sin,’ for only so can I walk in the light as he is in the light.”

Amen."

Men and women who hear the Gospel regularly, I often fear much for you. I fear lest you become so familiar with the sounds of its doctrines, that insensibly you become dead to its power. I fear lest your religion should sink down into a little vague talk about your own weakness and corruption, and a few sentimental expressions about Christ, while real practical fighting on Christ’s side is altogether neglected. Oh, beware of this state of mind! Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. No victory—no crown! Fight and overcome!

~ J.C. Ryle

Plenty there to be challenged by!

Thou Oh Lord

Well, as part of the Olive Tree Ministries UK team, I was at the Lakes Gospel Choir concert last night and it was a really good evening. They sang some lovely songs, with some lovely voices, all praising our lovely Lord! (I keep remembering(at the moment!) that chorus: "He's the altogether lovely to my soul!"(probably because we sang it at Barn Camp!))

This is one of my favourites: by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. They sang this one last night too. :)

Randall Hardy on Should Creationism be taught in schools.

http://www.4thought.tv/themes/should-creationism-be-taught-in-schools/randall-hardy

What do you think to this then???

In Acceptance Lieth Peace.

In acceptance lieth peace,
O my heart be still;
Let thy restless worries cease
And accept His will.
Though this test be not thy choice,
It is His—therefore rejoice.

In His plan there cannot be
Aught to make thee sad:
If this is His choice for thee,
Take it and be glad.
Make from it some lovely thing
To the glory of thy King.

Cease from sighs and murmuring,
Sing His loving grace,
This thing means thy furthering
To a wealthy place.
From thy fears He’ll give release,
In acceptance lieth peace.

—Hannah Hurnard

This poem keeps encouraging and challenging me. I hope it does so for you too!

You'll never guess... some more quotes!!!

Take comfort in Christ. Are there any among you who have tasted of this blessed change—who have put off the old man which is corrupt, and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness—who mourn over your own daily shortcomings, and sigh after more holiness, more self-denial, more mortification of the flesh with all its lusts? We bid you take comfort, and remember that Christ is still the same: He called you and gave you the witness of the Spirit, and He will not forsake you. You may waver and tremble: go forward in faith, and He will still support you. ~ J.C. Ryle

The right manner of growth is to grow less in one's own eyes. - Thomas Watson

"Only after all the noise has spent itself do we begin to hear in the silence of our hearts, the voice of God." AW Tozer

 Let my candle go out, if the Sun of Righteousness may but shine. -Thomas Watson

It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. - Spurgeon 

 "When sin is your burden, Christ will be your delight." - Thomas Watson

 A mighty grace which he does not wish to resist enters into the man, disarms him, makes a new creature of him - Spurgeon

 In prayer we act like men; in praise we act like angels. - Thomas Watson

"When the bright star of purity shines in a Christian's heart, it distinguishes him from a formal professor" - Thomas Watson 

 You are saved - seek to be like your Saviour. - Spurgeon

Affliction promotes holiness: The more the diamond is cut, the more it sparkles. - Thomas Watson 

 Enjoy and be challenged!!!!!

Yesterday's evening by evening by Spurgeon and Rejoice Again!

It ties in very nicely with some of the themes at Barn Camp so I thought I'd share it with you.

Conscious of their own natural defencelessness, the conies resort to burrows in the rocks, and are secure from their enemies. My heart, be willing to gather a lesson from these feeble folk. Thou art as weak and as exposed to peril as the timid cony, be as wise to seek a shelter. My best security is within the munitions of an immutable Jehovah, where his unalterable promises stand like giant walls of rock. It will be well with thee, my heart, if thou canst always hide thyself in the bulwarks of his glorious attributes, all of which are guarantees of safety for those who put their trust in him. Blessed be the name of the Lord, I have so done, and have found myself like David in Adullam, safe from the cruelty of my enemy; I have not now to find out the blessedness of the man who puts his trust in the Lord, for long ago, when Satan and my sins pursued me, I fled to the cleft of the rock Christ Jesus, and in his riven side I found a delightful resting-place. My heart, run to him anew to-night, whatever thy present grief may be; Jesus feels for thee; Jesus consoles thee; Jesus will help thee. No monarch in his impregnable fortress is more secure than the cony in his rocky burrow. The master of ten thousand chariots is not one whit better protected than the little dweller in the mountain’s cleft. In Jesus the weak are strong, and the defenceless safe; they could not be more strong if they were giants, or more safe if they were in heaven. Faith gives to men on earth the protection of the God of heaven. More they cannot need, and need not wish. The conies cannot build a castle, but they avail themselves of what is there already: I cannot make myself a refuge, but Jesus has provided it, his Father has given it, his Spirit has revealed it, and lo, again to-night I enter it, and am safe from every foe. Spurgeon

"This also comes from the LORD of hosts,
Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. " Isaiah 28:29

And here's today's J.C. Ryle quote which also ties in very much with Barn Camp!

Your trials may be many and great. Your cross may be very heavy. But the business of your soul is all conducted according to an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. All things are working together for your good. Your sorrows are only purifying your soul for glory; your bereavements are only fashioning you as a polished stone for the temple above, made without hands. From whatever quarter the storms blow, they only drive you nearer to heaven! Whatever weather you may go through it is only ripening you for the garner of God. Your best things are quite safe. ~ J.C. Ryle

Rejoice!

Well, I was reminded at Barn Camp that we can and should rejoice all the time and there are so many reasons to rejoice about! Look at Psalm 103 for some of them! God is so good. God never promised us an easy road (I know we wish He had sometimes, but He didn't!) but, what He did promise is so much better: He will be with us every step of the way, strengthening us when we're too weak. This verse, found in Isaiah 41:10, says, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." If that isn't something to rejoice about, please tell me something that is! 

Today's excerpt from Mrs Charles Cowman's "Traveling Toward Sunrise" devotional.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3

I look not back--God knows the fruitless effort,
The wasted hours, the sinning and regrets;
I leave them all with Him that blots the record
And graciously forgives and then forgets.

I look not forward, God sees all the future,
The road that short or long, will lead me home;
And He will face with me its every trial,
And bear for me the burden that may come.

I look not around me-- then would fears assail me,
So wild the tumult of life's restless sea;
So dark the world, so filled with war and evil,
So vain the hope of comfort and of ease.

I look not inward, that would make me wretched,
For I have naught on which to stay my trust;
Nothing I see but failures and shortcomings,
And weak endeavours crumbling into dust.

But I look up-- up into the face of Jesus!
For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled;
And there is joy, and love and light for darkness,
And perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled.
Miss J. H. Hunt

I thought this was a really lovely poem.
What do you think of it??

Barn Camp and quote

So, I'm really looking forward to Barn Camp, it's only a week away!:)
It's always really encouraging and challenging and I'm definitely ready for a time of refreshing!!

and, here's another great quote:

"Wherever we turn in the church of God, there is Jesus. He is the beginning, middle and end of everything to us. There is nothing good, nothing holy, nothing beautiful, nothing joyous which He is not to a His servants. No one need be poor, because, if he chooses, he can have Jesus for his own property and possession. No one need be downcast, for Jesus is the joy of heaven, and it is His joy to enter into sorrowful hearts. We can exaggerate about many things; but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus, or the compassionate abundance of the love of Jesus to us. All our lives long we might talk of Jesus, and yet we should never come to an end of the sweet things that might be said of Him. Eternity will not be long enough to learn all He is, or to praise Him for all He has done, but then, that matters not; for we shall be always with Him, and we desire nothing more."
Frederick Faber

Catch up time on quotes and a lovely video.

“Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.” - John_21:12

In these words the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus. “Come and dine,” implies the same table, the same meat; aye, and sometimes it means to sit side by side, and lean our head upon the Saviour’s bosom. It is being brought into the banqueting-house, where waves the banner of redeeming love. “Come and dine,” gives us a vision of union with Jesus, because the only food that we can feast upon when we dine with Jesus is himself. Oh, what union is this! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom, that we thus feed upon Jesus. “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” It is also an invitation to enjoy fellowship with the saints. Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one cup. As the loving cup goes round we pledge one another heartily therein. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. If we were more near to Jesus we should be more near to one another. We likewise see in these words the source of strength for every Christian. To look at Christ is to live, but for strength to serve him you must “come and dine.” We labour under much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting this percept of the Master. We none of us need to put ourselves on low diet; on the contrary, we should fatten on the marrow and fatness of the gospel that we may accumulate strength therein, and urge every power to its full tension in the Master’s service. Thus, then, if you would realize nearness to Jesus, union with Jesus, love to his people and strength from Jesus, “come and dine” with him by faith.

 

“With thee is the fountain of life.” - Psalm_36:9

There are times in our spiritual experience when human counsel or sympathy, or religious ordinances, fail to comfort or help us. Why does our gracious God permit this? Perhaps it is because we have been living too much without him, and he therefore takes away everything upon which we have been in the habit of depending, that he may drive us to himself. It is a blessed thing to live at the fountain head. While our skin- bottles are full, we are content, like Hagar and Ishmael, to go into the wilderness; but when those are dry, nothing will serve us but “Thou God seest me.” We are like the prodigal, we love the swine-troughs and forget our Father’s house. Remember, we can make swine-troughs and husks even out of the forms of religion; they are blessed things, but we may put them in God’s place, and then they are of no value. Anything becomes an idol when it keeps us away from God: even the brazen serpent is to be despised as “Nehushtan,” if we worship it instead of God. The prodigal was never safer than when he was driven to his father’s bosom, because he could find sustenance nowhere else. Our Lord favours us with a famine in the land that it may make us seek after himself the more. The best position for a Christian is living wholly and directly on God’s grace-still abiding where he stood at first-”Having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Let us never for a moment think that our standing is in our sanctification, our mortification, our graces, or our feelings, but know that because Christ offered a full atonement, therefore we are saved; for we are complete in him. Having nothing of our own to trust to, but resting upon the merits of Jesus-his passion and holy life furnish us with the only sure ground of confidence. Beloved, when we are brought to a thirsting condition, we are sure to turn to the fountain of life with eagerness. Spurgeon

All systems of theology, except that which is founded upon free grace, in some way or other take off the edge of guilt. Spurgeon

Within the Scripture there is a balm for every wound, a salve for every sore. Spurgeon

Old-fashioned believers could give you chapter and verse for what they believed; but how few of such remain! Spurgeon

"I want to be one of those rare Christians whose very presence incites others to also be better Christians." AW Tozer

To me the Bible is not God, but it is God’s voice, and I do not hear it without awe. Spurgeon

Let us see now one more proof of the unspeakable importance of the death of Christ. Let us treasure up His gracious sayings. Let us strive to walk in the steps of His holy life. Let us prize His intercession. Let us long for His second coming. But never let us forget that the crowning fact in all we know of Jesus Christ, is His death upon the cross. From that death flow all our hopes. Without that death we would have nothing solid beneath our feet. May we prize that death more and more every year we live; and in all our thoughts about Christ, rejoice in nothing so much as the great fact that He died for us! ~ J.C. Ryle

Devotion to God will be found to be the basis of holiness. If you backslide in secret before God, you will soon err in public before men. Spurgeon

If we only spent more of our time in looking at Him we should soon forget ourselves. - Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Emotions are not fired by logic; and yet reasons furnish fuel for the flame. Spurgeon

You must be made miserable before you can know true Christian joy. - M. Lloyd-Jones

Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength. Spurgeon

Indeed the real trouble with the miserable Christian is that he has never been truly made miserable because of conviction of sin- M. Lloyd-Jones

Every sin of the elect was laid upon the great Champion of our salvation, and by the atonement carried away. Spurgeon

Holiness is not something we are called upon to do in order that we may become something; it is something we are to do because of what we already are. M. Lloyd-Jones

If we will only think, we shall begin to thank. Spurgeon

Faith is the refusal to panic - Martyn Lloyd-Jones

There are two great certainties about things that shall come to pass—one is that God knows, and the other is that we do not know. Spurgeon

And here's a lovely video: http://www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html

Enjoy!