Saturday, September 3, 2011

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

Psalm 18:1-3
I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised...

Deut 7: 9 
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

Psalm 31: 21-22
Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.

Psalm 16: 11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

And beautiful Isaiah 40:
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Word of God Stands Forever

A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

The Greatness of God

Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
18 To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
 

Good preaching:

Here are some links, I will try and develop some more links as I have done in the past...nothing though beats the good fellowship and growth that comes from being in a local church!

http://bbcq.org/
http://www.tbcnj.org/sermons/Sermons1.html



Is there a place for feeling inferior in the church?

Pastor Conrad Imbewe is of the RB church in Lusaka, Zambia. He has been writing about their recent conference where Voddie Baucham /'Pastor Zulu' has been preaching....Below is an extract from his blog that has been encouraging to me over the past week (used with his permission) Each society has it's own issues/culture where even as Christians we can feel bias to others, yes... even in the church context! The obvious issues are race and gender but there are still more issues like schooling, how many kids you have, divorce, past mistakes etc which can all be issues that divide and make some in the church feel spiritually inferior... Sometimes God chooses circumstances for us that are not always to our taste or liking. And yet as we walk the life that God has chosen  for us from before the beginning of time, He can be glorified in each and every circumstance - even when we do not like the circumstance we are in or would not have chosen it for ourselves. The truth of the matter is that if we feel inferior due to our circumstances or status we cannot worship and glorify our God as we should.There is no place for inferiority complexes in the church, it is a type of selfish pride, which clings to a 'poor me attitude'; it is a false humility, which can destroy a close relationship with God and fellow believers; for it is a false view of self and is not God's view of us as his dearly beloved children. God in His sovereignty chooses circumstances beyond us, for his own glory, may we with Job, not sin and fall to the ground and worship ( http://tarryhome.blogspot.com/2011/08/job-blessed-be-name-of-lord.html )

Here is a quote from Pastor Conrad Imbewe, it is Voddie Baucham's teaching on the matter, see the original posting here. http://www.conradmbewe.com/2011/08/4th-day-at-zambian-annual-reformed.html

" “Pastor Zulu” stated that if you suffer from a spiritual inferiority complex then you undervalue what Christ has done for you. Paul wanted the Gentiles to remember who they were (v.11-13). It is only in realising your former circumstances that you will appreciate your current circumstances in Christ. The Jews were glad to see the Gentiles worshipping Jehovah, but they did not want them in the place where they themselves worshipped him. They were to remain in the outer court. Paul was saying that they were no longer to be in the outer court. The blood of Christ brought them near. This is the highest status that anyone can have before men and God. Don’t undervalue that!


Secondly, if you suffer from a spiritual inferiority complex then you make light what God has done for them—i.e. the Jews (v.14-18). The Jews also needed to be saved (see Romans 2:17ff). What they had in their ethnicity, culture, and religion was not enough. Their problem was a sin problem and so they needed the blood of Christ to save them.


Thirdly, if you suffer from a spiritual inferiority complex then you are accusing God of using some inferior materials in building his church (see v.19-22). Paul here uses construction language. That which is being built is a holy temple. As with any painting, the excellence of the painter is what dignifies materials that he uses. Remember, that the builder is God himself. Thus a chief will sit next to a slave and worship the Lord singing, “In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever…” This will be even more evident when we are all gathered with the Saviour in eternity. At that point what will matter will not be ethnicity but only the cross. This is what the cross-centred life is all about.

As we streamed out of the Lusaka Baptist Church auditorium, it was evident that skin colour, ethnicity, nationality were overshadowed by the power of the cross. Yes, we had come from different tribes and nations across the world but we were all one in Christ. We went home at the end of the day sensing once again that God has been good to us."

Friday, September 2, 2011

Come and see...

Oh Love that will not let me go, by George Matheson 1842-1906

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Comfort

Psalm 27:   

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!


Psalm 37 
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Flying to our Father's arms


Spurgeon - Morning, August 31



   "On mine arm shall they trust."

  Isaiah 51:5

   In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he
   can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God
   alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance
   can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence
   and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this!
   O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is
   no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our
   friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he
   has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father's arms, and is
   blessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so
   pressing and so peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God,
   he may be thankful for them; for he will learn more of his Lord then
   than at any other time. Oh, tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy
   trouble that drives thee to thy Father! Now that thou hast only thy God
   to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full confidence in him.
   Dishonour not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and fears; but be
   strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God is
   worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in
   thy poverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how
   strong thou art in thy weakness when underneath thee are the
   everlasting arms. Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant
   exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall
   certainly, as surely as he built the heavens and the earth, glorify
   himself in thy weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of thy
   distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the
   sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would
   lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye.
   May the Holy Spirit give you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the
   month.

Free children's books online

http://www.techsupportalert.com/free-books-children

God's tender love


 How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Luke 13:34

You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory. Psalm 73:24

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

This saying is trustworthy:

2 Timothy 2: 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.

A Parents Prayer/Hymn by Thomas Haweis 1734-1820

Do you remember this post in July 2010? http://tarryhome.blogspot.com/2010/07/praying-for-our-children.html

Today we sang this hymn again and what a thrill to see that child singing happily...things have changed in his heart!  It is still my earnest prayer for my children, now more than ever...



1. Our children, Lord, in faith and prayer,
We now present to Thee;
Let them Thy covenant mercies share,
And Thy salvation see.

2. Such helpless babes
Thou didst embrace,
While dwelling here below;
To us and ours, O God of grace,
The same compassion show.

3. In early days their hearts secure,
From worldly snares, we pray;
O let them to the end endure
In every righteous way.

4. 
Before them let their parents live
 in goldy faith and fear,
then, Lord, to heaven their souls recieve,
and bring their children there
.

Gems

Gen 46: 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid...

Job 23:10 But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Isiah 41: 10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God cares about our little needs

This morning I really wanted to talk to a special friend that I have only got to know recently,she is real sweet and a good 'pray-er'. Due to certain circumstances I didn't feel quite brave enough to phone her  yet...so I asked God if He would get her to phone me today, I am not normally that bold. I promptly forgot my request until she phoned this afternoon.

If God cares for us in such little things, how much more we can trust Him for the big things. How wonderful to have special friends who are good at praying for you and with you and who are good at encouraging you and are just there for you when you need them!

As another friend says, "God gives us little love letters from heaven, to remind us of His love for us.". Our God even remembers to answer the prayers we forget we have prayed!

More encouragement:

1 Peter 1:7 When our faith is tried in the fire it will be found unto praise and honour and glory when the Lord appears.

Psalm 126: 5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 103:1,2 Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name...and forget not all His benefits

Ps 116:1-2 I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. Ps 116:1-2

1 Samual 7:12 thus far the Lord has helped us

May I trust that our gracious Lord will do what is right.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Timely words of encouragement:

Revelation 3: 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

Psalm 66:
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!

Isaiah 40:11
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

Psalm 116:
1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.


When grief presses you to the dust (Spurgeon)

Psalm 61: 8 
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. 


When grief presses you to the dust,worship there, 'pour out your heart your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us.'  This sweetens sorrow and takes away it's sting. Spurgeon.

Oh the depth of God's beautiful love that carries me moment by moment, how can I not praise Him in such blessed closeness to so holy a majestic Lord who stoops to shepherd me.