Wednesday, September 30, 2020
WARM OURSELVES WITH PRAYER AND PROMISES
The promises are the cork to keep faith from sinking in prayer. —Thomas Watson
Thursday, September 17, 2020
May this be our Happiness.
"May ours be the happiness of him who,
content with less than little,pleased with whatever pleases the Father,
anxious for nothing,
thankful for anything,
prayerful in everything;
can say with Paul,
Thomas Guthrie
Daily Collection of Quotes
The Lord sometimes suffers his people to be driven into a corner that they may experimentally know how necessary he is to them. Whatever our morning’s need may be, let it like a strong current bear us to the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow, he delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to him while he waits to meet us.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
John Newton on Regeneration
"Regeneration, or that great change without which a man cannot see the kingdom of God, is the effect of the Almighty power. Neither education, endeavors, nor arguments can open the eyes of the blind.
It is God alone, who at first caused light to shine out of darkness, who can shine into our hearts, "to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." People may attain some natural ideas of spiritual truths by reading books, or hearing sermons, and may thereby become wise in their own conceits; they may learn to imitate the language of an experienced Christian; but they know not what they say, nor whereof they affirm, and are as distant from the true meaning of the terms, as a blind man, who pronounces the words blue or red, is from the ideas which those words raise in the mind of the person who can distinguish colors by his sight.
And from hence, we may infer the sovereignty, as well as the efficacy, of grace; since it is evident, not only that the objective light, the word of God, is not afforded universally to all men; but that those who enjoy the same outward means, have not all the same perceptions.
There are many who stumble in the noon day, not for want of light, but for the want of eyes; and they who now see were once blind, even as others, and had neither power nor will to enlighten their own minds. It is a mercy, however, when people are so far sensible of their own blindness, as to be willing to wait for the manifestation of the Lord's power, in the ordinances of His appointment.
He came into the world, and sends forth His Gospel, that those who see not, may see; and when there is a desire in the heart for spiritual sight, it shall in due time be answered."
-- John Newton
Sobering Post from John Newton
I know this is a long post, so don't feel obligated to read it; I'm just saying it was sobering material that very few sermons today will remotely resemble. More from John Newton below (who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace"):
Saturday, September 12, 2020
The Lord is Compassionate
It is important to understand that when a child of God sins, their Heavenly Father is not looking on them in wrath. A Christian should never think that God has even a single drop of wrath stored up for them. God only has glorious treasures stored up for us, and wrath isn’t one of them. Christ drank that cup dry. There wasn’t a drop of God’s wrath left for God’s elect when Christ Jesus finished that cup. To say otherwise is to say that Christ failed.
When a child of God sins, it is true that our Heavenly Father is displeased, and He will even surely chastise us severely if He sees it fit to do so, but He is also looking on us in deep pity. He looks on us with a tender heart. He looks on us with great compassion like a mother looks on her little child that is fighting cancer. His heart goes out to us. The only wrath involved is His wrath toward our Accuser, and the sin that burdens us.
And so if any child of the Most High God has stumbled recently, no matter how recent or severe it was, they must remind themselves of these truths. They must not think harsh thoughts about God. Do not think He is looking on you in disgust or wrath. Christ Jesus did not die for you when you hated Him so that you would think hard thoughts of Him, as though He didn’t do enough to prove His everlasting love for you. Hard thoughts of Him are lies, and they will only hinder you from running to Him and embracing Him.
The Lord knows the heart He has given you, He knows there are holy desires in it, He sees the Grace He planted in your heart even when you don’t, and He knows you are weak and still fail often. He knows that you hate sin. He is the one who put that love for Him and hatred for sin in you. The thorn in your flesh is there in order for you to draw nearer to Him, and to gain a greater sense of His grace. Yes, you are a failure, but His Son isn’t. He is not looking at what you’ve done, He is looking at what His Son has done.
Run to your loving and lovely Lord Jesus and enjoy your God. Do not withhold your love from the One who loves you more than anyone does. It should help you to know that He desires your love more than you desire His. -- Joshua Arnold.
Friday, September 11, 2020
BEATEN ON MY FEET
When I was beaten on the bottom of my feet, my tongue cried. Why did my tongue cry? It was not beaten. It cried because the tongue and the feet are both part of the same body. And you free Christians are part of the same Body of Christ that is now beaten in prisons in restricted nations, that even now gives martyrs for Christ. Can you not feel our pain? -Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Bought, Brought, Sealed by Christ!
By His substitutionary death, Jesus BOUGHT us for Himself. By His effectual call, He BROUGHT us to Himself. By His Holy Spirit, He SEALS us in Himself. -- Steve Lawson.