Happy New Year

God Knows

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will Is best. 
The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision, Are clear to God.
Our fears are premature;
 In Him,All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until 
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.

Christmas Day's Checkbook of Faith entry

From Charles Spurgeon's "Faith's Checkbook"
He Came; He Is Coming
December 25
This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

Many are celebrating our Lord's first coming this day; let us turn our thoughts to the promise of His second coming. This is as sure as the first advent and derives a great measure of its certainty from it. He who came as a lowly man to serve will assuredly come to take the reward of His service. He who came to suffer will not be slow in coming to reign.
This is our glorious hope, for we shall share His joy. Today we are in our concealment and humiliation, even as He was while here below; but when He cometh it will be our manifestation, even as it will be His revelation. Dead saints shall live at His appearing. The slandered and despised shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Then shall the saints appear as kings and priests, and the days of their mourning shall be ended. The long rest and inconceivable splendor of the millennial reign will be an abundant recompense for the ages of witnessing and warring.
Oh, that the Lord would come! He is coming! He is on the road and traveling quickly. The sound of His approach should be as music to our hearts! Ring out, ye bells of hope!

(Another great Spurgeon quote. Good stuff.)

Glory to God ( Happy Christmas!!)

3 inspiring passages I read today. Spurgeon and Tozer

December 23 Precious Things

And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath. (Deuteronomy 33:13)

We may be rich in such things as Joseph obtained, and we may have them in a higher sense. Oh, for "the precious things of heaven"!

Power with God and the manifestation of power from God are most precious. We would enjoy the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the glory of our God. The benediction of the three divine Persons in love, and grace, and fellowship we prize beyond the most fine gold. The things of earth are as nothing in preciousness compared with the things in heaven.

"The dew." How precious is this! How we pray and praise when we have the dew! What refreshing, what growth, what perfume, what life there is in us when the dew is about. Above all things else, as plants of the Lord's own right hand planting, we need the dew of His Holy Spirit.

"The deep that coucheth beneath." Surely this refers to that unseen ocean underground which supplies all the fresh springs which make glad the earth. Oh, to tap the eternal fountains! This is an unspeakable boon; let no believer rest till he possesses it. The all-sufficiency of Jehovah is ours forever. Let us resort to it now.

and from Tozer's "God's Power for your life",

"God's Word is both our terror and our hope; it both kills and makes alive. If we engage it in faith, humility and obedience, it gives life, cleanses, feeds and defends. If we close it in unbelief or ignore it or resist it, it will accuse us before the God who gave it. It is the living Word of God, coming like a fierce man of war with great power, and you and I dare not resist it, and we dare not argue it down. 

I know people who believe part of it but do not believe other parts of it. They say that if it inspires them, it is inspired; and if it does not inspire them, it is simply history and tradition. For my part, I believe this is God's unique thing- the uttered Word of the living God - and that when we get into the meaning of it and know what God is uttering forth, it has the power to kill those who resist and the power to make alive those who believe.

There is power in God's Word, and when I believe it and engage it, and it engages me, something happens; The eternal God does an eternal act in the heart of a finite man."

"God has made our future, our destiny, our faith, our hope and our grief; He has done so for the entire world and all the countless centuries yet ahead. God has made it all and tied it up with this Book. This Word of God, at the discretion of the Holy Spirit, is the power in the life of a believer, and it is not to be challenged.

God is speaking authoritatively, and nobody has any right to come in and say, "I don't believe that." All right, go your way, but the Word of the living God still sounds through the world, destroying what it does not redeem. In that awful day when God shakes all that can be shaken, that living, vibrant, awesome, all-powerful, eternal Word will destroy all that is not redeemed. I, for my part, want to be on the side of the redeemed."

Today's entry in Faith's CheckBook

Faith's Check Book, Daily Entry

C. H. Spurgeon

---

December 7

Gift of Strength; Peace to Bless

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

David had just heard the voice of the Lord in a thunderstorm and had seen His power in the hurricane whose path he had described; and now, in the cool calm after the storm, that overwhelming power by which heaven and earth are shaken is promised to be the strength of the chosen. He who wings the unerring bolt will give to His redeemed the wings of eagles; He who shakes the earth with His voice will terrify the enemies of His saints and give His children peace. Why are we weak when we have divine strength to flee to? Why are we troubled when the Lord's own peace is ours? Jesus, the mighty God, is our strength; let us put Him on and go forth to our service. Jesus, our blessed Lord, is also our peace; let us repose in Him this day and end our fears. What a blessing to have Him for our strength and peace both now and forever!

That same God who rides upon the storm in days of tempest will also rule the hurricane of our tribulation and send us, before long, days of peace. We shall have strength for storms and songs for fair weather. Let us begin to sing at once unto God, our strength and our peace. Away, dark thoughts! Up, faith and hope!

God's Desire for Your Life (Don McClure)

Self-distrust

Here's a quote I read in A.W. Tozer's "The Crucified Life":
"So necessary is self-distrust in this conflict, that without it you will be unable, I say not to achieve the victory desired, but even to overcome the very least of your passions. Let this be well impressed upon your mind; for our corrupt nature too easily inclines us to a false estimate of ourselves; so that, being really nothing, we account ourselves to be something, and presume, without the slightest foundation, upon our own strength. This is a fault not easily discerned by us, but very displeasing in the sight of God. For He desires and loves to see in us a frank and true recognition of this most certain truth, that all the virtue and grace which is within us is derived from Him alone, Who is the fountain of all good, and that nothing good can proceed from us, no, not even a thought which can find acceptance in His sight."

Scripture song

Scripture song:

"O fear the Lord, serve Him in truth with all your heart

Consider what great things He's done for you.

He redeemed your life, rescued you from your enemies

The Lord will not forsake His own.

Cry out to the Lord in your trouble. He will deliver you out of your distress.

Give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.

He satisfies the longing soul, His mercy will endure forever.

He gives good gifts to those who ask. Delight His heart by walking in His ways.

He is my shield and strength, the horn of my salvation and my stronghold.

I trust in the shelter of His wings.

Trust Him at all times. Pour out your heart before Him.

God is a refuge for us.

God is a refuge for us."

Short thought provoking video

https://anchorednorth.org/i-deserve-hell/

I reckon watching this is 5 minutes well spent.

Today's devotional from Tozer

TOZER DEVOTIONAL
Fri, November 06, 2015
Unclean By Comparison
Whenever the living God revealed Himself in some way to humankind in the Old Testament, terror and amazement were the reactions. People saw themselves as guilty and unclean by comparison! In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John describes the overwhelming nature of his encounter with the Lord of glory. Although a believer and an apostle, John sank down in abject humility and fear when the risen, glorified Lord Jesus appeared before him on Patmos. Our glorified Lord did not condemn John. He knew that John’s weakness was the reaction to revealed divine strength. He knew that John’s sense of unworthiness was the instant reaction to absolute holiness. Along with John, every redeemed human being needs the humility of spirit that can only be brought about by the manifest presence of God. Jesus at once reassured John, stooping to place a nail-pierced hand on the prostrate apostle, and saying, “Do not be afraid. I am the Living One. I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and hades” (Revelation 1:18).

Verse
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.
Revelation 1:17

Thought
Our glorified Lord did not condemn John. He knew that John’s weakness was the reaction to revealed divine strength.

Prayer
Lord, I am undone in Your presence; I depend solely on Your robe of righteousness to clothe me and make me presentable to You! Thank You for such a wonderful provision!

found here: https://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer

I thought this was too good not to share!

Faith's Check Book, Today's Entry

Godly Stability

And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 15:20)

Stability in the fear and faith of God will make a man like a wall of brass, which no one can batter down or break. Only the Lord can make such; but we need such men in the church, and in the world, but specially in the pulpit.

Against uncompromising men of truth this age of shams will fight tooth and nail. Nothing seems to offend Satan and his seed like decision. They attack holy firmness even as the Assyrians besieged fenced cities. The joy is that they cannot prevail against those whom God has made strong in His strength. Carried about with every wind of doctrine, others only need to be blown upon and away they go; but those who love the doctrines of grace, because they possess the grace of the doctrines, stand like rocks in the midst of raging seas.

Whence this stability? "I am with thee, saith the Lord": that is the true answer. Jehovah will save and deliver faithful souls from all the assaults of the adversary. Hosts are against us, but the Lord of hosts is with us. We dare not budge an inch; for the Lord Himself holds us in our place, and there we will abide forever.

Well, I thought this was just too good not to share! :) So many good reminders.

Powerful video

https://vimeo.com/117548263?from=outro-embed

Here's a short video clip re: a Professor and a boy

You might have seen it before, but I think it's rather interesting.

2 quotes

"Redemption means that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin and through Jesus Christ can receive an unsullied heredity, viz., the Holy Spirit."   Oswald Chambers

"God is always right, always trustworthy, and He loves us deeply."  Mark Thomas

I thought these were really great reminders.

When This Passing World is Done (How Much I Owe)

Beautiful rendition of this lovely old hymn.

A wonderful old hymn by Robert M. McCheyne

When this passing world is done,
When has sunk yon glaring sun,
When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o’er life’s finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

When I hear the wicked call,
On the rocks and hills to fall,
When I see them start and shrink
On the fiery deluge brink,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne,
Dressed in beauty not my own,
When I see Thee as Thou art,
Love Thee with unsinning heart,
Then Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

When the praise of Heav’n I hear,
Loud as thunders to the ear,
Loud as many waters’ noise,
Sweet as harp’s melodious voice,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

Even on earth, as through a glass
Darkly, let Thy glory pass,
Make forgiveness feel so sweet,
Make Thy Spirit’s help so meet,
Even on earth, Lord, make me know
Something of how much I owe.

Chosen not for good in me,
Wakened up from wrath to flee,
Hidden in the Saviour’s side,
By the Spirit sanctified,
Teach me, Lord, on earth to show,
By my love, how much I owe.

Oft I walk beneath the cloud,
Dark, as midnight’s gloomy shroud;
But, when fear is at the height,
Jesus comes, and all is light;
Blessed Jesus! bid me show
Doubting saints how much I owe.

When in flowery paths I tread,
Oft by sin I’m captive led;
Oft I fall—but still arise—
The Spirit comes—the tempter flies;
Blessed Spirit! bid me show
Weary sinners all I owe.

Oft the nights of sorrow reign—
Weeping, sickness, sighing, pain;
But a night Thine anger burns—
Morning comes and joy returns;
God of comforts! bid me show
To Thy poor, how much I owe.

Scripture under Scrutiny by Brian Edwards

2 video clips demonstrating the authority of the Bible. I thought it was very interesting.

2 more Wesley hymns

1 LET the world their virtue boast,
Their works of righteousness;
I, a wretch undone and lost,
Am freely saved by grace;
Other title I disclaim;
This, only this, is all my plea,
I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me.

2 Happy they whose joys abound
Like Jordan's swelling stream,
Who their heaven in Christ have found,
And give the praise to him;
Meanest follower of the Lamb,
His steps I at a distance see;
I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me.

3 I, like Gideon's fleece, am found
Unwatered still, and dry,
While the dew on all around
Falls plenteous from the sky;
Yet my Lord I cannot blame,
The Saviour's grace for all is free;
I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me.

4 Surely he will lift me up,
For I of him have need,
I cannot give up my hope,
Though I am cold and dead;
To bring fire on earth he came,
O that it now might kindled be!
I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me.

5 Jesus, thou for me hast died,
And thou in me shalt live,
I shall feel thy death applied,
I shall thy life receive;
Yet, when melted in the flame
Of love, this shall be all my plea,
I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me.

http://www.invubu.com/lyrics/show/Charles_Wesley/Let_The_World_Their_Virtue_Boast.html


1 FATHER of Jesus Christ, my Lord,
I humbly seek thy face,
Encouraged by the Saviour's word
To ask thy pardoning grace.

2 Entering into into my closet, I
The busy world exclude,
In secret prayer for mercy cry,
And groan to he renewed.

3 Far from the paths of men, to thee
I solemnly retire;
See, thou who dost in secret see,
And grant my heart's desire.

4 Thy grace I languish to receive,
The Spirit of love and power,
Blameless before thy face to live,
To live and sin no more.

5 Fain would I all thy goodness feel,
And know my sins forgiven,
And do on earth thy perfect will
As angels do in heaven.

6 O Father, glorify thy Son,
And grant what I require;
For Jesu's sake the gift send down,
And answer me by fire.

7 Kindle the flame of love within,
Which may to heaven ascend,
And now the work of grace begin,
Which shall in glory end.

http://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/hymn/jwg01/jwg0119.html

Two of Wesley's Hymns (mentioning Perfection)

How can a sinner know
His sins on earth forgiven?
How can my Saviour show
My name inscribed in Heaven?
What we ourselves have felt, and seen,
With confidence we tell,
And publish to the sons of men
The signs infallible.

We who in Christ believe
That He for us hath died,
His unknown peace receive,
And feel His blood applied:
Exults for joy our rising soul,
Disburdened of her load,
And swells, unutterably full
Of glory, and of God.

His love, surpassing far
The love of all beneath,
We find within, and dare
The pointless darts of death:
Stronger than death, or sin, or hell,
The mystic power we prove,
And conquerors of the world we dwell
In Heaven, who dwell in love.

The pledge of future bliss
He now to us imparts,
His gracious Spirit is
The earnest in our hearts:
We antedate the joys above,
We taste the’ eternal powers,
And know that all those heights of love,
And all those heavens are ours.

Till He our life reveal,
We rest in Christ secure:
His Spirit is the seal,
Which made our pardon sure:
Our sins His blood hath blotted out,
And signed our soul’s release:
And can we of His favour doubt,
Whose blood declares us His?

We by His Spirit prove
And know the things of God,
The things which of His love
He hath on us bestowed:
Our God to us His Spirit gave,
And dwells in us, we know,
The witness in ourselves we have,
And all His fruits we show.

The meek and lowly heart
Which in our Saviour was,
He doth to us impart,
And signs us with His cross:
Our nature’s course is turned, our mind
Transformed in all its powers,
And both the witnesses are joined,
The Spirit of God with ours.

Whate’er our pardoning Lord
Commands, we gladly do,
And guided by His Word
We all His steps pursue:
His glory is our sole design,
We live our God to please,
And rise with filial fear divine
To perfect holiness.

Found here: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/o/w/howcansk.htm

THE Spirit of the Lord our God
(Spirit of Power, and Health, and Love)
The Father hath on Christ bestowed,
And sent him from his throne above;

Prophet, and Priest, and King of peace,
Anointed to declare his will,
To minister his pardoning grace,
And every sin-sick soul to heal.

Sinners, obey the heavenly call;
Your prison-doors stand open wide;
Go forth, for he hath ransomed all,
For every soul of man hath died.

'Tis his the drooping soul to raise,
To rescue all by sin opprest,
To clothe them with the robes of praise,
And give their weary spirits rest;

To help their grovelling unbelief,
Beauty for ashes to confer,
The oil of joy for abject grief,
Triumphant joy for sad despair;

To make them trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord below,
To spread the honour of his grace,
And on to full perfection grow.

found here:

http://www.invubu.com/lyrics/show/Charles_Wesley/The_Spirit_Of_The_Lord_Our_God.html

Selected quotes. Challenge and Encouragement

"You must maintain continual watchfulness so that nothing arises in your life that would cause you shame.
God has called you to a higher standard. 
Never dull your sense of being your utmost for His highest; your best for His glory."

"The honour of Jesus Christ is at stake in your bodily life."
                                                                      (Oswald Chambers)

"May this day be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellowmen! I am wholly at Thy disposal; willing, yea, eager to be used of Thee for Thy holy purposes."

"Let us not fear any danger, for He is mighty to save!"

"This day let us just stow ourselves away in our hiding place and sit and sing under the protection of our Covert. Blessed Jesus! Blessed Jesus! How we love Thee! Well we may, for Thou art to us a shelter in the time of storm."

"Let us this day run to Him and be at peace."

"Our Lord Jesus, the glorious man, is a covert which is never blown down. In Him we mark the tempest sweeping by, but we ourselves rest in delightful serenity."
                                           (Charles Spurgeon's Checkbook of Faith)

"Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: My God will hear me.
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I shall arise; 
When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me." Micah 7:7-8.

I hope you find these as encouraging and challenging as I have this past week.

John Wesley's Hymns

Today I started reading through "Wesley's Hymns" and came across some really beautiful lines.

"I bid you all my goodness prove: My promises for all are free:
Come, taste the manna of my love, and let your souls delight in Me"

"Thy faithfulness, Lord, each moment we find, so true to Thy word, so loving and kind,
Thy mercy so tender to all the lost race, the vilest offender may turn and find grace."

"Ye all may find favour, who come at His call.
O come to my Saviour, His Grace is for all."

"He offers you pardon; He bids you be free: If sin be your burden, O come unto Me."

"To us, at thy feet, The Comforter give,
who gasp to admit Thy Spirit and live;
The weakest believers acknowledge for thine,
and fill us with rivers of water divine!"

"There we shall see his face, and never, never sin;
There, from the rivers of His grace, drink endless pleasures in:
Yea, and before we rise to that immortal state,
The thoughts of such amazing bliss
Should constant joys create."

Quote from today's "My Utmost for His Highest"

"Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source."
Oswald Chambers

HEBRON | For Such A Time As This (Track Samples) and Great prayer from Spurgeon

I don't know if you've come across this group, but I really love this cd.

Hope you enjoy it too!

"The LORD will be with you." 2 Chronicles 20:17.
"Oh for faith to take hold upon the short but sweet text for today! O LORD, fulfil this word to Thy servant!
Be with me in the house, in the street, in the field, in the shop, in company, and alone. Be Thou also with all Thy people." (Spurgeon's Checkbook of Faith)

Amen!!

A couple of quotes

"The Word of God is perfect; it is precious and pure; it is truth itself."
     Martin Luther

"My soul, keep thou close to Jesus, follow on to know God in Jesus, and so shalt thou come to the knowledge of Christ, which is the most excellent of all the sciences. The Holy Ghost will lead thee into all truth. Is not this His gracious promise? Rely upon Him to fulfil it."
      Charles Spurgeon

A prayer and a reminder.

"Lord Jesus, I have found Thee; be found of me to an unutterable degree of joyous satisfaction."
           C.H. Spurgeon

"in the first waking moment of the day... swing the door of your heart wide open... let God in... and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God."
            Oswald Chambers


Amen!

Tozer devotional

I came across this last night, and thought it was well worth sharing.

"GOD'S HIGHEST WILL

Let us consider three simple things reinforced in the Word of God for those who would discern God's highest will. First, be willing to put away known sin! Second, separate yourself from all of the attractions of the world, the flesh and the devil! Finally, offer yourself to your God and Saviour in believing faith! God has never yet turned away an honest, sincere person who has come to know the eternal value of the atonement and the peace that is promised through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The only person who will never be cleansed and made whole is the one who insists he or she needs no remedy. The person who comes in faith to God and confesses, "I am unclean; I am sin-sick; I am blind," will find mercy and righteousness and life. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour, the Cleanser. He is the Purifier, the Healer. He is the Sight-giver and the Life-giver. He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life!"

Found at https://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=173

"Let us go on to know Him and to love Him more dearly; not for His gifts and benefits but for the pure joy of His presence. Thus we will fulfil the purpose for which He created us and redeemed us!"
Found at https://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=175

God is a refuge for us.

How great is it that our God knows just what we need as and when we need it.

This verse went round my head today and it made me pause and think.

How amazing that God told us to pour out our hearts before Him!

God tells us He is waiting for us to commune with Him.

He already knows what is in our hearts but He knows it's good for us to be able to come and tell Him.

He is in control and He will shelter us if we will run to Him.

I needed that encouragement today. 

The Forbidden Chapter in the Tanakh

https://youtu.be/cGz9BVJ_k6s


Well, I found this very interesting. I don't know whether or not you will...

Faith's Checkbook for yesterday and today.

I didn't read yesterday's entry till today but both seemed very appropriate for me at the moment.

July 12

Whom, When, How to Deliver

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. (2 Peter 2:9)

The godly are tempted and tried. That is not true faith which is never put to the test. But the godly are delivered out of their trials, and that not by chance, nor by secondary agencies, but by the Lord Himself. He personally undertakes the office of delivering those who trust Him. God loves the godly or godlike, and He makes a point of knowing where they are and how they fare.
Sometimes their way seems to be a labyrinth, and they cannot imagine how they are to escape from threatening danger. What they do not know, their Lord knows. He knows whom to deliver, and when to deliver, and how to deliver. He delivers in the way which is most beneficial to the godly, most crushing to the tempter, and most glorifying to Himself. We may leave the "how" with the Lord and be content to rejoice in the fact that He will, in some way or other, bring His own people through all the dangers, trials, and temptations for this mortal life to His own right hand in glory.
This day it is not for me to pry into my Lord's secrets but patiently to wait His time, knowing this, that though I know nothing, my heavenly Father knows.

July 13

Implicit Trust

For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 39:18)

Behold the protecting power of trust in God. The great men of Jerusalem fell by the sword, but poor Ebed-melech was secure, for his confidence was in Jehovah. Where else should a man trust but in his Maker? We are foolish when we prefer the creature to the Creator. Oh, that we could in all things live by faith, then should we be delivered in all time of danger! No one ever did trust in the Lord in vain, and no one ever shall.
The Lord saith, "I will surely deliver thee," Mark the divine "surely." Whatever else may be uncertain, God's care of believers is sure. God Himself is the guardian of the gracious, Under His sacred wing there is safety even when every danger is abroad. Can we accept this promise as sure? Then in our present emergency we shall find that it stands fast. We hope to be delivered because we have friends, or because we are prudent, or because we can see hopeful signs; but none of these things are one-half so good as God's simple "because thou hast put thy trust in me." Dear reader, try this way, and, trying it, you will keep to it all your life. It is as sweet as it is sure.

Found here: http://www.spurgeon.org/fcb/fcb-bod.htm

I hope you're as blessed by this as I've been. :)

Excerpt from today's "My Utmost for His Highest" devotional

"You have no business trying to find out where God is leading— the only thing God will explain to you is Himself."
http://utmost.org/

This struck me as an interesting concept. Are we willing to surrender our desire to know what's going to happen next, and just trust our Father who works all things for the good of those who love Him?

Misha Goetz video "For You are good."

Well, I really like this video.
Hope you enjoy it too. :)

Yes, it's another quote from "the Old Helmet"

"The effect of our following Christ in this way will be, that we shall bear testimony to the world that He is our King, and what sort of a King He is. We shall proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We shall have the invisible army of angels for our fellow-servants and co-workers; and we shall be passing on with the whole redeemed world to the day of full triumph and final restoration; when Christ will come to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in them that believe- because our testimony among you was believed. But now our business is to give the testimony."

Today's excerpt from "In Green Pastures" by J R Miller D.D.

June 10

Power of the Tongue

The tongue's power of blessing is simply incalculable. It can impart valuable knowledge, making others wiser. It can utter kindly words, which will comfort sorrow or cheer despondency. It can breathe thoughts which will arouse, inspire, and quicken heedless souls, and even call up dead souls to life. It can sing songs which will live forever in blessed influence and ministry. Such power we should consecrate to God, and hold ever pure for him. The lips which speak God's name in prayer and Christian song, and that utter vows of fidelity to Christ, should never defile themselves with any forms of corrupt speech. They should be kept only for Christ.

(found here: http://gracegems.org/Miller/in_green_pastures2.htm)

Quite a challenge isn't it! (Especially when you take it a step further like Jesus does when He judges the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, not just our words!!!)

More quotes from "The Old Helmet" (volume 2)

I'm really enjoying Susan Warner's books. Here are some more quotes, this time from volume 2 of "The Old Helmet".

"I saw how Jesus loves sinners. I saw I had nothing to do but to give myself to Him, and He would do everything. I see how sins are forgiven through His blood; and I trust in it, and I am sure mine are; and I feel as if I had begun a new life."

"I had been trying and thinking to make myself good first. I thought I was unworthy and unfit to be Christ's servant; but now I see I can be nothing but unworthy, and only He can make me fit for anything; so I give all up, and I feel that He will do all for me. I am so happy! I was so blind before!"

"The way to keep that joy and to know more of it, is to take every succeeding step in the Christian life exactly as you took the first one; in self renunciation, in entire dependence. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. It is a simple and humble way, the way along which the heavenly light shines. Do everything for Christ - do everything in His strength; and you will soon know that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. Blessed be His name! He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might He increaseth strength."


Hope you enjoy them as much as I am doing.

Some quotes from Susan Warner's book, "The Old Helmet"

"You know yourself an offender before the Lord—and you want the sense of forgiveness in your heart. You know yourself inclined to be an offender again—and you want the renewing grace of God to make your heart clean, and set it free from the power of sin. Then you want also something to make you happy; and the love of Jesus alone can do that."

"Jesus said, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.' There is all fulness in him. Go to him for light—go to him for strength—go to him for forgiveness, for healing, for sanctification. 'Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.'"

"Hear it now. The Lord Jesus is not far off—as you think—he is very near; he can hear the faintest whisper of a petition that you send to him. It is his message I bring you today—

a message to you. I am his servant, and he has given me this charge for you to-day—to tell you that he loves you—that he has given his life for yours—and that he calls (your name here) * to give him your heart, and then to give him your life, in all the obedience his service may require."

"Then you can understand now, that when one can say, joyfully, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth';—when he is no vague abstraction, but felt to be a Redeemer;—when one can say assuredly, he is my Redeemer; I know he has bought back my soul from sin and from the punishment of sin, which is death; I feel I am forgiven; and I know he liveth—my Redeemer—and according to his promise lives to deliver me from every evil and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom;—do you see, now, that one who can say this has on his head the covering of an infinite protection—an infinite shelter from both danger and fear?—a helmet, placed on his head by his Lord's own hand, and of such heavenly temper that no blows can break through it."

*slight abridgement from the book.

Encouraging quote about our Faithful God.

I found this quote also from Peter Marshall's book very encouraging.
"I know that the promises of God are true, for they have been fulfilled in my life, time and time again. Jesus still teaches and guides and protects and heals and comforts, and still wins our complete trust and our love."

Amen! Yes, it's so good to remember that He is so faithful.

An interesting challenge

I've been reading Peter Marshall's book, "Mr. Jones, meet the Master" and it's proved quite interesting.
Here's a quote (pg. 153)
" The world has enough women who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple.
The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave.
The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure.
We need women, and men too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct."

I don't know if you'd agree, but I found it challenging.

Grange over Sands

We had a lovely ride out yesterday, up to Grange over Sands. We walked around the ornamental gardens and I couldn't resist posting these pictures.

Romans 6 "Reckoning the old man dead" by Don McClure.

Listening to another Don McClure sermon from a while ago.
Great stuff.

Check it out here:
http://calvary-chapel-streaming.s3.amazonaws.com/teaching/guestspeakers/donmcclure/G42524.mp3
(sorry, no video for this one.)

Great testimony. Check it out.

http://www.imetmessiah.com/index.php/testimonies/mordechai-baleston

Spurgeon again. He got this right!

God's Pursuit of Man by Tozer

Really enjoying reading God's Pursuit of Man at the moment. Hope you enjoy these excerpts as much as I am doing. :)

(About the Holy Spirit,) "Let us begin to think of Him as One to be worshipped and obeyed. Let us throw open every door and invite Him in. Let us surrender to Him every room in the temple of our hearts and insist that He enter and occupy as Lord and Master within His own dwelling. And let us remember that He is drawn to the sweet name of Jesus as bees are drawn to the fragrance of clover. Where Christ is honoured the Spirit is sure to feel welcome; where Christ is glorified He will move about freely, pleased and at home." Page 72.

"True spiritual knowledge is the result of a visitation of heavenly wisdom, a kind of baptism of the Spirit of Truth which comes to God-fearing men. This wisdom is always associated with righteousness and humility and is never found apart from godliness and the holiness of life." Page 84.


"There is a knowing of Truth as it is in Jesus, as it is in a Christlike nature, as it is in that sweet, mild, humble and loving Spirit of Jesus, which spreads itself like a morning sun upon the souls of good men, full of life and light. It profits little to know Christ Himself after the flesh; but He gives His Spirit to good men that search the deep things of God. There is an inward beauty, life and loveliness in divine Truth, which can be known only when it is digested into life and practice.
There is an inward sweetness and deliciousness in divine Truth, which no sensual mind can taste or relish: this is that "natural" man that savours not the things of God... Divinity is not so much perceived by a subtle wit as by a purified sense."
(excerpt from The True Way of Attaining Divine Knowledge by John Smith quoted by Tozer.)

Son of God song by Starfield

I really rather like this song. I thought I'd posted it earlier, but I can't see any record of having done so, so here it is.

The law of the Spirit

http://streaming.ccphilly.org/video.aspx?id=G619
I listened to this sermon yesterday on Romans 8:2-9 by Don McClure, and was greatly challenged and encouraged.

Hope you are too.

Quote and a hymn

"There is an awful lot you do not need to know to find God. The light shines, the voice calls, and the Presence is here." A.W. Tozer.


"Church of God, beloved and chosen,
Church of Christ, for whom He died,
Claim thy gifts and praise thy Giver,
Ye are washed and sanctified.
Sanctified by God the Father,
And by Jesus Christ His Son,
And by God the Holy Spirit,
Holy, Holy Three in One.

By His will He sanctifieth,
By the Spirit's pow'r within;
By the loving hand that chast'neth,
Fruits of righteousness to win;
By His truth and by His promise,
By the Word, His gift unpriced,
By His blood and by our union
With the risen life of Christ.

Holiness by faith in Jesus,
Not by effort of thine own;
Sin's dominion crushed and broken
By the pow'r of grace alone;
God's own holiness within thee,
His own beauty on thy brow—
This shall be thy pilgrim brightness,
This thy blessed portion now.

He will sanctify thee wholly;
Body, spirit, soul shall be
Blameless till thy Saviour's coming
In His glorious majesty!
He hath perfected forever
Those whom He hath sanctified;
Spotless, glorious and holy
Is the Church, His chosen bride." by Frances Ridley Havergal

Isaac Watts

While trying to find some music for one of Isaac Watt's over 600 hymns!, I came across this little acrostic which he wrote when he was only 7 years old.

Pretty good theology for such a young person I reckon, although I guess some might say he had low self esteem...

"I" - I am a vile, polluted lump of earth
"S" - So I've continued ever since my birth
"A" - Although Jehovah, grace doth daily give me
"A" - As sure this monster, Satan, will deceive me
"C" - Come therefore, Lord, from Satan's claws relieve me.

"W" - Wash me in Thy blood, O Christ
"A" - And grace divine impart
"T" - Then search and try the corners of my heart
"T" - That I in all things may be fit to do
"S" - Service to Thee, and Thy praise too.

Tozer again

I read these two quotes yesterday and found them very interesting, taken from God's Pursuit of man.

"Not to us has it been given to have life in ourselves. For life we are wholly and continually dependent upon God, the Source and Fountain of Life. Only by full dependence upon Him are the hidden potentialities of our natures realized." (page 47)

"The cross where Jesus died became also the cross where His apostle died. The loss, the rejection, the shame, belong both to Christ and to all who in very truth are His. The cross that saves them also slays them, and anything short of this is a pseudo-faith and not true faith at all." (page 52)

The ways of God

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

"As for God, His way is perfect..." Psalm 18:30

If you ever find yourself wondering why God allows something unexpected to happen, stop and remember these verses.

No, we're not necessarily going to understand it this side of heaven (and I think we might well have forgotten about it by the time we get there), but it is encouraging to remember that He is faithful and perfect.

Another quote on the subject from "The End of a Coil" by Susan Warner,
"His ways are wonderful and past finding out." 

A couple of quotes from J.R. Miller D.D.'s book "In Green Pastures"

"A life may be very lovely and yet be insignificant in the world's eyes. A beautiful life is one that fulfils its mission in this world, that is what God made it to be, and does what God made it to do."
"But the smallest life that fills its place well is far lovelier in God's sight than the largest and most splendidly gifted that yet fails of its divine mission."

Are we willing to be insignificant in the world's eyes?
Do we make it our aim to be well-pleasing to God?

Joe Focht on Colossians

http://streaming.ccphilly.org/video.aspx?id=SAM922

http://streaming.ccphilly.org/video.aspx?id=SAM923

http://streaming.ccphilly.org/video.aspx?id=SAM924

Three excellent teachings from the book of Colossians that are quite challenging.
Well, I thoroughly enjoyed them anyway.
What do you reckon of them?

Another chapter

The Spiritual Person

by A.W. Tozer

---

ALMOST EVERY CHRISTIAN wants to be spiritual, but few know what the experience means. A lot of unfounded comfort could be swept away and much true consolation received if we could get straightened out.
It is difficult for us to shake off the notion that a person is as spiritual as he or she feels. Our basic spirituality seldom accords our feelings. There are many carnal persons whose religious emotions are sensitive to every impression and who manage to keep themselves on a fairly high plane of inward enjoyment but who have no marks of godliness upon them. They have a low boiling point and can get heated up over almost anything religious at a moment's notice. Their tears are close to the surface and their voices carry a world of emotional content. Such have a reputation for being spiritual, and they themselves may easily believe they are. But they are not necessarily so.
Spiritual people are indifferent to their feelings--they live by faith in God with little care about their own emotions. They think God's thoughts and see things as God sees them. They rejoice in Christ and have no confidence in themselves. They are more concerned with obedience than with happiness. This is less romantic, perhaps, but it will stand the test of fire.

( Article taken from This World: Playground or Battleground?, Chapter 8 )

 (found here: http://www.neve-family.com/books/tozer/world/08.html)

I hope someone else finds this as challenging and encouraging as I do. :)
Tozer certainly knew what he was talking about!!