Christ's Love for You

It is not your hold of Christ that saves you, it is Christ’s hold of you.  

Not your joy in Christ, but Christ’s joy in you.   

Not your love for Christ, but Christ’s love for you.

— Charles Spurgeon

A Steady View

 A steady view of the glory of Christ, in his person, grace, and office, through faith,–or a constant, lively exercise of faith on him, according as he is revealed unto us in the Scripture,–is the only effectual way to obtain a revival from under our spiritual decays.

--John Owen.

Impossible for Language

 “Christ is in his people the hope of glory, and they are dead and their life is hid with Christ in God. This is a union of the most wonderful kind, which figures may faintly set forth, but which it were impossible for language completely to explain.”

-Charles Spurgeon

Luther on Galatians

 Luther: But where Christ is truly seen, there there must be full and perfect joy in the Lord and peace of heart, where the heart declares: “Although I am a sinner according to the Law, judged by the righteousness of the Law, nevertheless I do not despair. I do not die, because Christ lives who is my righteousness and my eternal and heavenly life. In that righteousness and life I have no sin, conscience, and death. I am indeed a sinner according to the present life and its righteousness, as a son of Adam where the Law accuses me, death reigns and devours me. But above this life I have another righteousness, another life, which is Christ, the Son of God, who does not know sin and death but is righteousness and eternal life. For His sake this body of mine will be raised from the dead and delivered from the slavery of the Law and sin, and will be sanctified together with the spirit.”

Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 8–9.

Falls Seven Times

 "The just man falls, sometimes falls seven times perhaps, into sin, sins of infirmity, through the surprise of temptation; but he rises again by repentance, finds mercy with God, and regains his peace." — 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 on Prov. 24:16

Rest is Near

 COMPLETE REST IS NEAR

“God will shortly put a blessed end to all those troubles, cares, and labors. The time is coming when your heart will be as you desire; when you will be discharged of these cares, fears, and sorrows and never cry out, “Oh my hard, proud, vain, earthly heart!”; when all darkness will be banished from your understanding and you will clearly discover all the truths in God, that crystal ocean of truth; and when you will be perfectly purged of all corruptions. Then your thoughts will be everlastingly, ravishingly, and delightfully entertained and exercised upon that supreme goodness and infinite excellency of God, from Whom they will never recoil like a broken bow. And as for your pride, passion and worldliness, and all other subjects of your complaints and troubles, let it be said of them as of the Egyptians to Israel:

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord.” (Exodus 14:13)

These corruptions you see today, henceforth you will see them no more forever! Soon you will lay down your weapons of prayers, tears, and groans and you will put on the armor of light----not to fight, but to triumph!”

~ John Flavel 1627-1691, “Keeping the Heart”

Justified in the Sight of God

 By being justified, we are to understand, being so acquitted in the sight of God as to be looked upon as though we never had offended him at all.

--George Whitefield

I think Sproul??? or someone said that our condition is even BETTER than "as though we never had offended him at all." because we still need to fulfill righteousness, and we stand before God with the righteousness of Christ fulfilling righteousness in our place.

Reasons which Induce

 The reasons which induce the soul to love, must first be understood, before they can have a reasonable influence on the heart.

--Jonathan Edwards

10,000

 After 10,000 sins He loves you as infinitely as ever!

--Charles Spurgeon.

Assurance of His Love

 "Only, by the way, let no man misapply this doctrine, saying, If we should not be discouraged, although we do want assurance, then I will neglect the getting of my assurance. Beloved, ye see into what times we are now fallen, times of war, and rumors of war; times of blood; these are dying times: and is this a time for any of you to want assurance of God’s love?

--William Bridge

Christ is the Way

 “Holiness is not the way to Christ, but Christ is the way to holiness.”

— Charles Spurgeon

Fix our eyes on Jesus

 The blessedness of contemplating Jesus

Various authors

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Hebrews 12:2, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!"

There is no sweeter occupation for the soul than to set its gaze steadily upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He who was once despised and rejected by men, is now exalted in the heavens. The heart that contemplates His beauty, drinks deeply of Heaven's own joy.

The world seeks gratification in a thousand fleeting things, but the  believer finds his satisfaction in contemplating Jesus. This contemplation is not mere wandering thoughts--it is a sanctifying gaze that changes the heart. "I meditate on You through the watches of the night." (Psalm 63:6). In the silence of the night, when all earthly distractions fade, the soul communes with its Savior--and finds in Him a peace which surpasses all understanding.

The Scriptures declare that the man is blessed whose "delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night!" (Psalm 1:2) Even more so, what joy is found when the soul meditates upon the living Word Himself, Jesus Christ! To fix our eyes upon Him, is to behold the fountain of mercy, and the King of glory.

This world with all its vanities beckons us to fix our minds below. But the Spirit calls us higher: "Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things!" (Colossians 3:1-2) True blessedness is not found by looking  within or around--but by looking upward to the Savior who reigns.

To meditate upon Jesus, is to be transformed into His likeness! (2 Corinthians 3:18) As we contemplate His love, His sufferings, His righteousness, and His glory . . .
  our faith is strengthened,
  our repentance is deepened,
  and our hearts are drawn heavenward!

The more we gaze upon Him in faith and love--the more the Spirit conforms us to His image.

Would you be made strong against sin?

Would you be filled with peace amid trials?

Would you be stirred to greater holiness?

Then set your eyes daily on the Lord Jesus!
 
In contemplating Him, we behold . . .
  the beauty that surpasses all beauty,
  the love that exceeds all loves,
  the glory that shall fill all Heaven.

Blessed are those who fix their hearts on Christ--for their joy shall never wither, and their hope shall never fail.

When we meditate on His sin-atoning wounds, we are melted in repentance.

When we contemplate His righteousness, we are filled with assurance.

When we consider His sovereign reign, we are strengthened with hope.

When we behold His coming glory, we are stirred to holiness.

Would you be kept from sin?
Then gaze upon the crucified and risen Lamb.

Would you live above this vain world?
Then anchor your soul by frequent meditation upon your Savior.

"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus!" Hebrews 3:1

Humility in Controversy.

 May we also follow his humility in controversy

“Often have I been wont to declare, that even although he[Luther] were to call me a devil, I should still not the less hold him in such honour that I must acknowledge him to be an illustrious servant of God” -Calvin, Letters, 4:433

Self-Strength

 The "mortification of sin from self-strength to the end of self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion." #JohnOwen

Unworthy Prayer

 "Do you doubt whether God has heard you, because you are a sinner? then cling to the word and say: Though I am a sinner and unworthy, yet I have the command of God, that tells me to pray, and his promise that he will graciously hear me, not because of my worthiness, but for the sake of the Lord Christ…

Pray, not regarding your worthiness or unworthiness, but your need and his word upon which he tells you to build; especially since he has placed before you and put into your mouth the words how and what you are to pray for…so that you joyously send up these prayers through him, and can lay them in his bosom, that he may lay them by his own worthiness before the Father…

As a Father he has promised to hear and help us…pray with hearty confidence, and rely upon this prayer, as assuredly heard, and await help."

—Martin Luther, Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount

Not One Trial

 “In heaven, we shall see that we had not one trial too many.”

— Charles Spurgeon

He Loved Us

 “He loved us when we could not have been worse or further from him than we were.”

— Charles Spurgeon

The Next Trial

 “Welcome the next trial as a friend that forces you to slow down and live utterly dependent on God.” – Joni Eareckson Tada

Evidence His Willingness

 That sea of sin, that sea of wrath, that sea of trouble, that sea of blood that Jesus Christ waded through, that sinners might be pardoned, justified, reconciled, and saved, doth strongly evidence his 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 to save sinners…

—Puritan Thomas Brooks, Works 1:148

Spiritual Attack

 The spiritual attack you're under is your flesh and satanic forces trying to keep you from fulfilling God's will. The stronger it is, the closer you are. Fight back with the Spirit, prayer, the truth of Scripture, personal praise, and worship, and the prayers of mature believers.

--online post.

Be much alone.

 "Be much alone with God. Do not put Him off with a quarter of an hour morning and evening. Take time to get thoroughly acquainted. Converse over everything with Him. Unbosom yourself wholly - every thought, feeling, wish, plan, doubt - to Him." -Horatius Bonar.

Refer it Back to God

 But we are short-sighted creatures, not only unworthy--but unable to rightly choose for ourselves.

If the choice was left to us--it would be our wisdom to refer it back to God.

We may be sure that He does not willingly grieve or afflict us. He takes no pleasure in seeing us weep and mourn--rather, every day brings us ten thousand proofs that He delights in our prosperity.

Whenever we are in heaviness, therefore, there is a need-be for it--faithful are the wounds of such a Friend! Our trials are made no sooner, nor longer--than the necessity of the case requires. He who wounds--has promised likewise to heal. He is all sufficient, and can give more than He will ever take away from His redeemed people. I trust she will find power to commit herself, and her every concern, into His hands; and that she will have reason to acknowledge, from day to day, that He does all things well!

Whatever the outcome may be--our Lord is wise and good in all His dealings. His mercies to us are new every morning--and as numerous as the minutes of our lives!

One of the excerpts from John Newton's Letters.

Share in Suffering

  From Don Green.

At the recommendation of the incomparable Phil Johnson, last year I read an older biography of Charles Spurgeon by W. Y. Fullerton. It was superb and a privilege to read.

Spurgeon, as most know, was often opposed during the course of his ministry. As I prepare for an online session to encourage pastors and elders on February 10, I give you this quote from Spurgeon as a preview of coming attractions:

"If we never offended, it would be proof positive that we did not preach the Gospel. They who can please man will find it quite another thing to have pleased God. Do you suppose that men will love those who faithfully rebuke them? If you make the sinner's heart to groan, and waken his conscience, do you think he will pay you, court and thank you for it?"

My brothers, your adversity in ministry is a sign of approval and blessing, not a cause for discouragement and resignation. Better and more noble men than us have walked rocky paths in ministry, only to enter glory triumphantly (albeit with scarred feet) as a result. They would all tell you it was worth the cost.

So look up for grace and persevere below. You must. And by grace, you will stand, for Christ is able to make you stand.

So preach with all your heart tomorrow, and may the Lord send His blessing on the Word as you do. I, for one, am on your side.

"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:3).

Beveridge

  I cannot pray, except I sin. I cannot preach, but I sin. I cannot administer, nor receive the holy sacrament, but I sin. My very repentance needs to be repented of and the tears I shed need washing in the blood of Christ.

~ William Beveridge

Were They as Great as

  That blood that hath cleansed so many from sin, and from such multitudes of sin, in their several capacities, can cleanse you from 𝘢𝘭𝘭 your sins, were they as great as all those jointly that have been cleansed by it from the beginning of the world.

—Stephen Charnock, 3:531

Bradford Prayer

 “O dear Father, be merciful unto me, and forgive me all my sins; and of thy goodness give me thy holy Spirit to open mine eyes that I may see sin, the better to know it, the more truly to hate it, and most earnestly to strive against it, and that effectually both in myself and others. Again grant me the same thy holy Spirit to reveal unto me the remedy of sin by Christ only, and to work in me by faith to embrace the same thy Christ and mercies in him; that I may henceforth be endued with thy holy Spirit, more and more to begin and obey thy good-will continually, and to increase in the same for ever.”

- John Bradford, Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer, Vol. I: The Works of John Bradford, p. 134.

Leave it all in the Hands

 "Leave it all in the Hands that were wounded for you." -Elisabeth Elliot.

We don't need now

 "God has promised to supply all our needs. What we don’t have now, we don’t need now."

-- Elisabeth Elliot.

Riches in Christ

"There are riches enough in Christ to pay all your debts, and to satisfy divine justice to the utmost farthing, without being beholden to your prayers, tears, or humiliations. Kings love no consorts; power is impatient of participation." -- Thomas Brooks:

Dragged Downward

 Earthbound Christianity will always collapse under its own weight.

If you are not pulled upward by the world to come, you will inevitably be dragged downward by the world you see.

Jeffery Perry

Always Forgiving

 “You are often sinning, but he is always forgiving you.”

— Charles Spurgeon

Looks at Himself

 “when the Christian looks at himself he can only have grounds for anxiety, indeed despair, but [in] fellowship with Christ, he can think of himself in no other way than as a member of Christ, thus making all the blessings of Christ his own.”

-John Calvin

Continually

 “I sin continually. But Christ has died and forever lives as my Redeemer, Priest, Advocate and King.”

-Martin Luther

Jeremiah 17:9

 The addicted heart.

Calvin on the natural man in Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is especially inclined (procliue) toward every evil, and filled with corrupt desires (prauis cupiditatibus), and enslaved (addictum) to them, and obstinately rebellious against God. And though we sometimes display something that appears good, yet that inner disposition (animi affectus) of the soul remains in its own defilement (sordibus) and crooked perversity (obliqua perversitate).” Deeper than wrong doing is wrong loving. Pic: Calvin, *Institutio* (Basil, 1536), 44.

Who we embrace

 Godly living centers not on what we avoid, but on whom we embrace. Anytime we talk more about dos and don’ts than about Jesus, something’s wrong.

~Randy Alcorn

Hammer away

 “Hammer away ye hostile hands; your hammers break, God’s anvil stands.”

—inscription on a monument to the French Huguenots, testifying to their view of Scripture

Mere Notions

 If we satisfy ourselves in mere notions and speculations about the glory of Christ as doctrinally revealed unto us, we shall find no transforming power or efficacy communicated unto us thereby.

John Owen

FAITH IS WEAKENED

 Where any corrupt and inordinate affections, as love of the world, care about it, inclinations unto sensuality, or the like spiritual disorders do prevail, faith is weakened in its spiritual acts, especially in discerning and beholding the glory of Christ.

John Owen

Our Peace is Stable

 Our peace with God is not fragile; it is stable.

When we sin, God is displeased, and He will move to correct us and convict us of our sin. But he does not go to war against us. His bow is no longer bent, and the arrows of His wrath are no longer aimed at our hearts. He does not rattle His sword every time we break the treaty.

— R.C. Sproul

Help Me, Help Me, Help Me.

 As Christ hears the multitude of angels cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy" thundering in the heavens, He can still hear His people's daily cry of, "Help me, Help me, Help me."

Adam Ashoff

What God Ordains

 What God ordains is always good;

His will is just and holy.

As He directs my life for me,

I follow meek and lowly

My God indeed in ev'ry need

knows well how He will shield me;

to Him. then. I will yield me

 

What God ordains is always good;

He never will deceive me.

He leads me in His righteous way,

and never will He leave me

I take, content, what He has sent;

His hand that sends me sadness

will turn my tears to gladness

 

What God ordains is always good;

His loving thought attends me;

no poison can be in the cup

that my Physician sends me

My God is true; each morning new

I trust His grace unending,

My life to Him commending

 

 

 

What God ordains is always good;

He is my Friend and Father.

He suffers naught to do me harm

tho' many storms may gather

Now I may know both joy and woe;

some day I shall see clearly

that He has loved me dearly.

 

What God ordains is always good;

tho' I the cup am drinking

which savors now of bitterness,

I take it without shrinking

For after grief God gives relief,

my heart with comfort filling

and all my sorrow stilling

 

 

What God ordains is always good;

this truth remains unshaken

Tho' sorrow, need, or death be mine,

I shall not be forsaken

I fear no harm, for with His arm

He shall embrace and shield me;

so to my God I yield me

Every Hour

 "Let us not expect too much from our own hearts here below. At our best we shall find in ourselves daily cause for humiliation, and discover that we are needy debtors to mercy and grace every hour." - J. C. Ryle

Holy Ends

 God hath 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 ends in permitting sin, while man hath 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 ends in committing it.

—Puritan Stephen Charnock, A Discourse on Divine Providence, Works 1:18

 God hath 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 ends in permitting sin,

while man hath 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 ends in committing it.

—Puritan Stephen Charnock, A Discourse on Divine Providence, Works 1:18

Too Needy

 We are too needy to be satisfied by a mere creature.

-- John Owen.

We are too needy to be satisfied by the creation.

(Money, Houses, Land, Cars, Jobs, Arts, Entertainment, Amusement, Nature, Self).  

Much Alone with God

 Be much alone with God. Do not put Him off with a quarter of an hour morning and evening. Take time to get thoroughly acquainted. Talk everything over with Him. Pour out every thought, feeling, wish, plan, and doubt to Him. He wants converse with His creatures. Shall His creatures not want converse with Him? He wants, not merely to be on "good terms" with you, if one may use man's phrase, but to be intimate. Shall you decline the intimacy and be satisfied with mere acquaintance? What! Intimate with the world, with friends, with neighbors, but not with God? That would look ill indeed. Folly, to prefer the clay to the potter, the marble to the sculptor, this little earth and its lesser features to the mighty Maker of the universe, the great "All and in all!"

~ Horatius Bonar

Neck of the King

 “Even Macaulay had grudgingly to recognize the fortitude and commitment of the Puritan: ‘The Puritan was made up of two different men, the one all self-abasement, penitence, grati-tude, passion, the other proud, calm, inflexible, sagacious. He prostrated himself in the dust before his Maker; but he set his foot on the neck of the king.’

Scholarship in recent decades has recognized the vitality and power of the Puritan movement for its lasting impact not only in religion, but also in politics, education, economics, and science. The great increase in knowledge about the Puritans and the recognition of their influence has done little, however, to change the widespread perception of the Puritans as busybodies who sought to eliminate pleasure from life, by force if necessary, in the service of their arbitrary and unattractive God.

In the light of these attitudes it is truly remarkable that about fifty years ago two young scholars conceived the idea of holding a conference on Puritanism as a practical help for pastors and Christians generally. Surely a modern conference largely devoted to the study of Puritan thought as a vital resource for the contemporary church would not commend itself to many. But O.

Raymond Johnston and James I. Packer had an advantage over many: they had actually read the Puritans. They had so profited spiritually from their own study of the Puritans that they wanted others to share in the rich spiritual blessing that had been theirs.

In the late 1940s they consulted with D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, minister at Westminster Chapel, London, who enthusiastically embraced the idea and offered the chapel as a meeting place for what became known as "The Puritan Conference.’”

Puritan Papers: 1:X.

Themes for Tears

“Never let us speak of the wicked harshly, or flippantly, or without holy grief: the loss of heaven and the

endurance of hell must always be themes for tears.

----  Charles Spurgeon

Look to Christ

 If you look within for peace, you’ll only find unrest.

If you look at your performance, you’ll only find failure. But if you look to Christ crucified, you’ll find everything: Pardon, righteousness, and rest for your soul.

Jeffery Perry

Finding Rest

 To the One Worn Down by the Mix-Up:

You love Jesus. You’ve tried hard to live for Him. You love the Bible. You’ve memorized Scripture, confessed your sins, and promised to do better. But somewhere along the way, the gospel stopped feeling like good news. It started to feel like a never-ending treadmill, where you are always running, never arriving. Maybe you were told to live a holy life, but no one told you where the power comes from. You heard grace in theory… but law in tone It's no wonder you’re tired, no wonder you feel like giving up. Because you were never meant to carry what Christ already bore. Let me try to make the distinction clear: The law commands. The gospel declares. The law commands, "Do this and live.” The gospel declares, "It is finished." The law reveals your sin and inability. The gospel reveals your Savior. Both are good. Both come from God. But they’re not the same, and they must not be confused. When we mix them, we crush the weary and puff up the proud. We produce actors and burnouts. People who are faking it, and people who are fading away. But the gospel, my friend, the gospel gives life. It doesn’t demand change to earn God’s love. It gives God’s love freely… and that changes everything. Yes, we must heed the law; we need to see our need. But don’t stop there. Let the gospel ring out. Not grace with conditions, but Jesus for you, in your place. Crucified, risen, and freely given to all who believe. He did it all, everything required, and He did it all for you. If you're crushed, know that He was crushed for you. If you're tired, know that He gives rest. If you're unsure, know that He is your surety. Come to Jesus again, or maybe for the first time, fall into the arms of grace that has always been running after you. - A Fellow Sinner Who Found Rest in the Gospel

Searching for God's Will

 To the One Searching for God’s Will:

You’ve spent years chasing it... The one perfect path. The right job, the right city, the right spouse, the right major; whatever it is, you just don’t want to blow it. Maybe you were told that God has a “perfect will” for your life. And if you miss it, well… you might get put on the shelf—used less, loved less, left to wonder “what could’ve been.” So now you feel the weight of every decision. Every open one feels like a test that you forgot to study for. You ask God for a sign, but the sign never comes. If you didn't feel dumb about it, you'd throw a fleece out in the yard to see what happens. But let me tell you something that’ll breathe life into your tired soul: You are not powerful enough to ruin God's plan for your life. Stop. And read that again. You are not powerful enough to ruin God's plan for your life. The God of the universe isn’t wringing His hands in heaven, hoping you make the right move. He’s a Father, not a coach. God doesn’t bench His kids. The idea that there’s a "perfect will" and a "permissive will", like the will of God, is on a sliding scale, is found nowhere in Scripture. Here’s what the Bible does say: “And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one who seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life.” (John 6:40) Trust Jesus. That’s His will. Apart from that, the will of God as a believer is that you live a faithful, ordinary life. (1 Thes. 4, Eph. 4) You will make mistakes, but He even uses your mistakes. He’s sovereign, not reactive. You don’t need to “hear a voice” or “feel a peace.” You need what He’s already said. You’ve been given Christ. You’ve been given wisdom. You’ve been given freedom. So take the job. Move to the city. Stay single. Get married. Change careers. And trust that if you’re in Christ, you’re not outside of God’s will; and that He is working everything according to His will and your good (Rom. 8). You may mess up, but you’re not going to mess it all up. You’re not going to be shelved. You’re not one wrong move away from divine disappointment. He holds your future. And He’s holding you.

Produced in me by God

 “Every good desire, every Christian thought and aspiration which I have, is something which has been produced in me by God. God controls my willing. It is God who energizes my very desires and hopes and aspirations and thoughts, He stimulates it all. . .I wonder whether we always realize that these desires for a fuller and better and more perfect Christian life are not self-generated or self-produced. When you have a desire to do something good, or a desire to pray, it is God who energizes it in your will, God working in us both to will and to do.”

– Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Phil. 2:12–13

Affections in Addition.

 He that has doctrinal knowledge and speculation only, without affection, never is engaged in the business of religion.

—Jonathan Edwards

It is not an either/or situation. Edwards of all people had a vast, large, in-depth aptitude in knowledge; but that is not all he had. This doesn't mean our emotions will be "mountain top thrills" for 16 hours every day. But there will be a calm enduring love and joy in Jesus that is a result of His grace and not a cause or condition of His grace being conferred.

Most Perplexing Circumstances

"To love God is to rest in His sovereign will, trusting that even the most perplexing circumstances are shaped for our ultimate good. In every situation, whether in joy or sorrow, we are called to trust that God is orchestrating the events of our lives for His glory."

• Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)

Sin is Believing

 “Sin is believing the lie that you are self-created, self-dependent and self-sustained.”

– Augustine

His Royal Gift

 "The robe of righteousness we wear was wrought by him; every ornament of our sanctification is his royal gift."

- Charles Spurgeon

How you bear fruit

 "You don’t bear fruit by trying, you bear fruit by abiding in the Word of God. Don’t worry about the fruit, God will see to it that you bear fruit."

— John MacArthur

Sanctification is not our effort

 Sanctification is not fueled by our effort for Christ but by our communion with Christ, and that communion is sustained through God’s ordained means. -- Jeffery Perry.

Do not Expect

 Do not expect everything in life to be good. It will not happen. Do not expect everything in yourself to be good. That will not happen, either. But what you can expect is this: God will weave everything together for His own beloved children to produce a good result, both in time and for all eternity.

~ John MacArthur

Laudable

 Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God.

John Calvin

Carrying the Cross

 "A single day (hour) in Hell will be worse Than a whole life spent Carrying the Cross."  

J.C. Ryle

Carrying our Cross doesn't save us, but knowing that Jesus has delivered us from the justice of God by being our substitute in His Active and Passive Obedience and bearing our sins on the cross and bearing the wrath of God for our sins --- means we WILL be unashamed of Him and being unashamed of Him we will gladly proclaim His righteousness and gift --- and we WILL be willing carry the cross of the world's hatred of Jesus.  Their hatred of Jesus is seen in the cross they put Him on, and their hatred of Jesus is seen in rejecting those who proclaim Him;  Hence they hate Him, they hate us in Him, and therefore we bear the cross of their hatred of Jesus as we proclaim Him.

God of His mercies

 "Every man loves the mercies of God, but a saint loves the God of his mercies."

– John Flavel

Sweetness of Christ

 "Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in him. Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh."

—Robert Murray M'Cheyne

Glorious Gospel

Entirely Free Purpose of Election

 “Your election, your predestination, your adoption, your inheritance, are owing entirely, freely, gloriously to God’s purpose, God’s will, God’s good pleasure, God’s counsel in eternity, and not to anything in you.” —John Piper

Feel that Life is War

 “If we’re going to sustain a heart for prayer, we’ve got to believe and feel that life is war.⁠” —John Piper

Never brought into Judgment

 “The sins of the saints, the weaknesses and enormities of believers, shall never be brought into the judgment of discussion and discovery; they shall never be objected against them, either in their particular day of judgment, or in the great day of their account.”

—Puritan Thomas Brooks, Works 5:53

Flee to Him for Refuge

 Unless we are thoroughly convinced that without Christ we are under the eternal curse of God, as the worst of His enemies, we shall never flee to Him for refuge.

JOHN OWEN

Suffering

 Christianity is not the removal of suffering, but the addition of grace to endure suffering triumphantly.

Thomas Watson

Unconditional Love

 “After ten thousand sins God loves you as infinitely as ever.”

— Charles Spurgeon

Not Happy

 "We have seen men with money, who were not happy; we have seen men with honour, who were not happy; we have seen persons in power, with the command of empires, who were not happy; but we never saw, and never shall see, the individual who hath Jesus with him, that is not happy."

Charles Spurgeon

[Yet consider that Spurgeon struggle with Depression]

Depression

 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. (Matthew 26:37)

The Bible gives us an amazing glimpse into the soul of Jesus the night before he was crucified. Watch and learn from the way Jesus fought his strategic battle against despondency or depression.

1. He chose some close friends to be with him. “Taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” (Matthew 26:37).

2. He opened his soul to them. He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38).

3. He asked for their intercession and partnership in the battle. “Remain here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).

4. He poured out his heart to his Father in prayer. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39).

5. He rested his soul in the sovereign wisdom of God. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

6. He fixed his eye on the glorious future grace that awaited him on the other side of the cross. “For the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

When something drops into your life that seems to threaten your future, remember this: The first shock waves of the bomb in your heart, like the ones Jesus felt in Gethsemane, are not sin. The real danger is yielding to them. Giving in. Putting up no spiritual fight. And the root of that sinful surrender is unbelief — a failure to fight for faith in future grace. A failure to cherish all that God promises to be for us in Jesus.

In Gethsemane Jesus shows us another way. Not painless, and not passive. Follow him. Find your trusted spiritual friends. Open your soul to them. Ask them to watch with you and pray. Pour out your soul to the Father. Rest in the sovereign wisdom of God. And fix your eyes on the joy set before you in the precious and magnificent promises of God.

Always in His Presence

 Let us keep our eyes upon the ultimate, let us remember that we are always in the presence and sight of God, and let us live only to please Him.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones