ALL GIFTS

"All gifts from God are intended by God to direct our attention to God & create fresh affections for God"- CJ Mahaney

FRESH

"The study of truth in its academic more than in its devotional form has robbed it of its freshness and power, engendering formality and coldness."

~ Horatius Bonar

COMMUNE

"It is not sufficient to commune with the truth, for truth is impersonal. We must commune with the God of truth. It is not enough to study and ponder the contents of religious books, or even the Bible itself. We must actually address the Author of the Bible, in entreaties and petitions" ~W.G.T. Shedd

DESTROYING

"No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves and repent and believe just when they please."

~ Charles Hodge (Systematic Theology, vol 2)

Remember

"Remember thy sins, & Christ's pardonings; thy hell-deservings, & Christ's merits; thy weakness, & Christ's strength; thy pride, & Christ's humility; thy many infirmities, & Christ's restorings; thy guilts, & Christ's new applications of His blood; thy fallings, & Christ's raisings-up; thy wants, & Christ's fullness;... thy temptations, & Christ's tenderness; thy vileness, & Christ's righteousness." -Wilcox-

OUR COMFORT

"He that hath Christ for his king and God, let him be assured he hath the devil for his enemy, who will work him much sorrow, and will plague him all the days of his life. But let this be our comfort and great glory, that we poor people have the Lord of life and of death, and of all creatures, clothed with our flesh and blood who ever liveth and maketh intercession for us, defendeth and protecteth us."

~ Martin Luther

UNTIL MEN RECOGNIZE

"For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by His fatherly care, that He is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond Him — they will never yield Him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in Him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to Him."

-John Calvin

HIS SUFFERINGS

"God may thunder His commands from Mount Sinai and men may fear, yet remain at heart exactly as they were before. But let a man once see his God down in the arena as a Man--suffering, tempted, sweating, and agonized, finally dying a criminal's death--and he is a hard man indeed who is untouched."

J.B. Phillips, "Your God Is Too Small"

AS FREE AS

"Your will is as free as a frog in a snakes belly."

Don Fortner.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=819071543340

NEW NEW NEW

2 Cor 5:17) "[The regenerated person] gets not only a new head, to know and understand true religion; or a new tongue, to talk of it; but a new heart, to love and embrace it, in the whole of his/her life."


-- Thomas Boston.

GREATER IMPORTANCE

“To convert one sinner from his way is an event of greater importance than the deliverance of a whole kingdom from temporal evil.”


-- George Smeaton, in his classic work on the atonement observes...

GIFT OF GOD

"Church growth, if it is genuine, is not a human achievement; it is a gift of God. There is therefore no place for rivalry, for jealousy, or for boasting."

Lesslie Newbigin

PRAY WHEN

"If you do not pray except when you feel like praying, you will not pray much, nor pray when you most need it."

---C.H. Spurgeon

BE OF GOOD CHEER, KNOWING THE GOD OF JACOB-ISRAEL

The past 3-4 days a fire has been in my bones in 2-3 different facets, could type 30 pages about it, but here is one facet.

If the God of

...Abraham, and of
...Isaac, and of
...Jacob, and of
...Joseph, and of
...Moses, and of
...the slaves in exodus, and of
...the infants of the jews, and of
...those at the bottom of Mount Siani,
...those sent to spy the land
...those stuck in the wilderness for 40 years, but with manna, the pillar, the ark, the tabernacle, the rod of Aaron,
...those like Joshua and Caleb who entered,
...those like Joshua who conquered, and like Rahab spared.
...those blessed by the numerous Judges
...those heard like Hannah, and those called like Samuel
...those mercied like David, and Solomon
...those sent like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
...forerunners like John the Baptist, unworthy to loose his sandals
...an unamed person like the leper, prostitute, man born blind, theif on the cross
...sinful men like Peter
...those graced like doubting Thomas
...those forgiven like at Pentecost
...murderers like Saul-Paul
...gentiles, whom the believing Jews were astonished that God hath granted them eternal life; Acts 10:45
...countless episodes, events, issues per each individual above and more individuals not named.

AND, realizing Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow
AND realizing Hebrews 13:6 that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

THEN, realizing all these things, what a radical difference it will make in our life,in our:
...obedience,
...prayers,
...study of the Word
...proclamation of the Word and Jesus
...zeal
...denial of self, sacrifice
...labor
...redemption of time;
...stewardship of money, possessions, time, and self.
...joy
...peace
...thankfulness
...hope;

This is mainly for myself, and consideration of my own past and present providences; yet I subsequently pass it along;

We need not worry about our current trials, difficulties, stresses, extremities, circumstances, unknowns.

He sent ravens to Elijah, a nice provision,
He sent Jesus to sinners without strength, a gracious, redeeming, atoning provision,
He sent the Holy Spirit to all his Sheep, a uniting, sealing, indwelling, eternal provision
He sent the Scriptures from Greek to Latin, to Luther's German language for those in bondage to the Pope, to modern English, a provision that will not return to him void, but accomplish it's purpose.

Be of good cheer indeed, He has overcome the world, and greater is He that is in us, than He that is in the world.
Be of good cheer, He is preparing a place for us, He will bring us back unto Himself,
Be of good cheer, all the numerous aspects of Revelation 21 and 22 are true and sure
Be of good cheer, Rev. 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

and so like Piper is trying to say to me: "Todd, Don't Waste your life."

Great Video by Linne

James White Video

NOTHING IS DONE

Nothing is done without God's will, not even that which is against His will. For it would not be done if He did not permit it; yet He does not unwillingly permit it, but willingly; nor would He, being good, allow evil to be done, unless being also almighty He could make good even out of evil."

-John Calvin

POWER OF GOD

If one believes in free will, then tell those that are lost that they have the power to believe. I, however, am not ashamed to preach the Gospel for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD unto salvation to those that believe. (Romans 1:16)

At the Cross (3 Hours)

Shai Linne Video, it is awesome, it is the first time I heard of it before.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK4otftrpA4



Verse 1


There’s something you gotta see, journey with me

It’s approximately 30 A.D.

In the land of Israel- the city of Jerusalem

But on the outside there’s screams and loud cries

Through faith, this scene can be seen without eyes

The mean shout lies and seem to sound wise

As we inch through the crowd, we need to be cautious

A Roman execution, men on three crosses

But all the focus is on the one in the center

The gate closes behind you- no one can enter

The sight you behold is so odd, you’re stunned

The man hanging on the cross is God the Son

12 noon, it’s pitch-black because the sunshine’s lacking

Your minds can’t fathom this divine transaction

As slowly the sound becomes mostly drowned

You realize that you’re standing on holy ground


Bridge



So forever will I tell

In three hours, Christ suffered more than any sinner ever will in hell (4x)


Chorus


It’s where we see Your holiness- at the cross

We see that You’re controlling this- at the cross

We see how You feel about sin- at the cross

Your unfathomable love for men- at the cross

It’s where we see Your sovereignty- at the cross

We see our idolatry- at the cross

We know that there’s a judgment day- from the cross

May we never take our eyes away- from the cross


Verse 2


We’re now in the realm of the sublime and profound

With God at the helm it’s about to go down

The Father’s wrath precise will blast and slice

The priceless Master Christ as a sacrifice

Willingly, He’s under the curse

To be treated as if the Son was the worst scum of the earth

The scene is the craziest

Jesus being treated as if He is the shadiest atheist

How is it the Messiah is in the fiery pit

As if He was a wicked liar with twisted desires?

The One who’s sinless and just

Punished as if He was promiscuous and mischievous with vicious lust

The source of all godly pleasure

Tormented as if He was a foul investor or child molestor

How could He be bruised like He was a goodie two-shoes

who doesn’t think that she needs the good news?

He’s perfect in love and wisdom

But He’s suffering as if He constructed the corrupt justice system

We should mourn at the backdrop

Jesus torn like He’s on the corner with crack rock with porn on His laptop

What is this, kid? His gifts are infinite

But He’s hit with licks for religious hypocrites

He’s the Light, but being treated like

He’s the seedy type who likes to beat His wife

He’s treated like a rapist, treated like a slanderer

Treated like a racist or maybe a philanderer

Jesus being penalized like He had sin inside

Filled with inner pride while committing genocide

I could write for a billion years and still can’t name

All of the sins placed on the Lamb slain

But know this: the main thing the cross demonstrated

The glory and the holiness of God vindicated


Bridge


Hook

Jesus Christ's Limited Atonement?