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God at work! And if God had not helped us! by James Smith

2012-01-27T13:19:00.000+10:00

God at work!

"There is nothing too hard for You!" Jeremiah 32:17

There is nothing too hard for God to EFFECT:

"Is anything too hard for Me, says the Lord?"

"I know that You can do everything."

"He does according to His will among the armies of Heaven, and the inhabitants of the earth."

"He works all things after the counsel of His own will."

Nothing is too hard for God — no change in providence — however it may appear improbable, or impossible to us. He could bring water out of the flinty rock. He could supply quail to satisfy the needs, and gratify the lusts of His people in the desert. He could feed Elijah for twelve months by ravens, and for two years and a half more, by a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in the widow's cruse. He could inundate Samaria with plenty — in the midst of famine and fearful desolation. If He wills it . . .

the fire shall not burn the three Hebrew youths,

nor the lions injure Daniel,

nor death hold Lazarus in the tomb.

What He has done — He can do; for He is the same. And if necessary for the glory of His name — He will do it, for He will not allow His name to be polluted.

"Providence" is simply God at work — at work for . . .

the accomplishment of His decrees,

the fulfillment of His promises,

the manifestation of His character, and

the present and eternal welfare of His people.

He can . . .

give whatever we need,

do whatever we need, and

glorify Himself in giving to us, and working for us!

*****

If God had not helped us!

"I was pushed back and about to fall — but the Lord helped me!" Psalm 118:13

The psalmist had been reviewing his toils, his trials, and his dangers; he commemorates his deliverances, his conquests, and his triumphs; and he ascribes the whole, to the help of God! If God had not helped him — his faith would have failed, his expectations would have been disappointed, and his foes would have prevailed. Through the Lord, he did valiantly; and now, with joyful heart, he records the loving-kindness of the Lord.

How sweet to look back upon the rough road, the bloody battle-field, the scenes of peculiar trial. Then, if ever, gratitude will work within us, and praises will flow from our tongues and hearts. Delivered from the mouth of the lion, and the paw of the bear — we thankfully acknowledge, "The Lord helped me!"

In looking back we see that we have needed help — and more help than any mere creature could afford us!

The daily cross,

the inward conflict,

the domestic troubles,

the perplexities of business,

the state of the church,

the affairs of the world —

have all combined to teach us that Divine help was necessary!

If God had not helped us . . .

we would have fallen into sin,

we would have disgraced our profession,

we would have been crushed by our foes,

we would have fainted under our trials,

we would have apostatized from the faith!

God alone knows what would have been the result — if we had been left to our own resources. We needed help in infancy, in youth, in manhood. We needed help in prosperity — and in adversity! We needed help in temporals — and spirituals. We found our own strength — to be weakness, and our own wisdom — to be folly.

The feeblest of our foes — would have been more than a match for us!

The least corruption in our hearts — would have overcome us!

And we need help now — as much as we ever did; for, unless the Lord helps us . . .

our foes will yet triumph over us,

our crosses will yet prove to be too much for us,

and we shall yet faint in the day of adversity!

The Lord has promised help. He has said, "Fear not — for I am with you; be not dismayed — for I am your God! I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness!" And because His people feel themselves to be vile, weak, and incompetent; He stoops to speak to them according to their own views of themselves and says, "Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel — for I Myself will help you! declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel!"

Oh, precious promise, of a good and gracious God!

It extends to all times,

it embraces all circumstances,

it belongs to all believers, and

it ensures us triumph over all our foes!

Yes, the strength of Jesus has been perfected in our weakness! We have found His grace to be sufficient for us; and to the praise of His glorious grace, in reference to all our trials, troubles, and conflicts — we can truly say, "The Lord helped me!"

Oh, beloved, it is an unspeakable mercy to have God for our helper!

**********

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer by James Smith In every thing give thanks. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

2012-01-27T12:56:00.000+10:00

Every thing we enjoy should be viewed as coming from the liberal hand of God : all was forfeited by sin; what we receive is of grace.

The providence that supplies us, is the wisdom, benevolence, and power of God in operation for us, as expressive of His infinite love and unmerited grace. Talents to provide supplies, opportunities to obtain, and ability to enjoy, are alike from the Lord. Every mercy increases our obligation and deepens our debt.

Thanksgiving is the ordinance that God hath appointed, that we may express our gratitude, and acknowledge our obligation; and our thanksgivings are acceptable and well-pleasing in His sight.
Thanksgiving is never out of season, for we have always much to be thankful for.

In everything we should give thanks, to that end view all things as arranged by His wisdom, pendant on His will, sanctified by His blessing, according with His promises, and flowing from His love.
All our blessings come through Jesus, and all our praises must ascend through Him; for our Father only accepts what is presented in the name of His beloved Son.

Praise Him who by His word
Supplies our every need,
And gives us Christ the Lord,
Our hungry souls to feed :
Thanks be to God for every good,
Eternal thanks for Jesus' blood.

What is the chief end of Man? What is the purpose of our existence?

2012-01-26T16:35:00.000+10:00

There is no point in living without a purpose like this Psalm 67 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

And a hope like this and a God to praise like this...

Psalm 71 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;

...

2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

incline your ear to me, and save me!

3 Be to me a rock of refuge,

to which I may continually come;

you have given the command to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

...

5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

.....

8 My mouth is filled with your praise,

and with your glory all the day.

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

forsake me not when my strength is spent.

....

18 So even to old age and gray hairs,

O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might to another generation,

your power to all those to come.

19 Your righteousness, O God,

reaches the high heavens.

You who have done great things,

O God, who is like you?

20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

will revive me again;

from the depths of the earth

you will bring me up again.

21 ....comfort me again.

22 I will also praise you with the harp

for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy,

when I sing praises to you;

my soul also, which you have redeemed.

24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, ....

Troubles, By James Smith, from Grace Gems

2012-01-24T22:13:00.000+10:00

Troubles, Troubles, Troubles!

James Smith, 1842

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble! I will deliver you — and you shall glorify Me!" Psalm 50:15
Believer, in this portion of the divine word, you will discover:
   1. your present portion — trouble,
   2. your constant privilege — prayer,
   3. your future prospect — deliverance.
1. Your present portion is TROUBLE. You must expect trouble, and will certainly be deceived if you expect to escape it. Sin is the parent of trouble — and our sin-cursed earth its fruitful soil. Trouble springs up all around us, and appears in an almost infinite variety of forms.
Every connection we form,
every character we bear,
every office we fill, and
every relation we sustain —
is a fruitful source of trouble!
We shall have . . .
   trouble in mind,
   trouble in circumstances,
   trouble in body;
   trouble from almost every quarter!
This poor world is not our rest — for it is polluted!
This poor world is not our home — for we are poor pilgrims!
This poor world is not our country — for we are strangers and aliens!
Every day has its peculiar troubles. Often when we look for a certain comfort — we only find peculiar distress and vexation! Everything declares, "Happiness is not in me!" You may look on the right hand — but you will find no permanent peace; on the left — and disappointment awaits you. Only in Jesus is . . .
   solid peace,
   holy satisfaction, and
   permanent comfort to be found.
If we could rightly interpret the various voices around us, we would find them all saying, "Go to Jesus! Abide in Jesus! Derive all from Jesus — or be wretched, miserable, and disappointed!"
In youth, manhood, and old age — trouble and tribulation is the Christian's lot. Our God feeds us with the heritage of Jacob our father; but if we carefully read his history, we shall find some very bitter herbs grew on it:
   Joseph is lost,
   Rachel dies,
   Simeon is imprisoned,
   Benjamin must go,
   Simeon and Levi slay the Shechemites —
   and all these things appear against him!
Just so with us, troubles and trials follow each other, at times, almost like Job's messengers, treading on each other's heels, and we are almost overwhelmed! But,
2. Your constant privilege is PRAYER — to visit the throne of grace, and wait upon our God. He says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble!" Troubles . . .
   furnish us with messages to our Father's throne,
   quicken us in our supplications, and
   oblige us to entreat His favor!
His throne of grace is always accessible, and His ear is always open; but in times of trouble, He especially invites us to draw near. He says:
Call upon Me in trouble, call for whatever you need!
Are you perplexed — then call for wisdom;
are you weak — then call for strength;
are you guilty — then call for pardon;
are you miserable — then call for comfort;
are you in darkness — then call for light;
are you in bondage — then call for freedom and relief.
Call upon Me, for I am always on the throne of grace!
Call upon Me, for I am glad to see you!
Call upon Me, for I am ready to help you!
Call upon Me, for I wait to be gracious unto you!
Call upon Me — upon Me first, before you run to others!
Call upon Me — and you will have no occasion to go anywhere else, for I have all that you possibly can need.
Call upon Me freely — without reserve.
Call upon Me boldly — without fear.
Call upon Me importunately — without doubt!
The promise encourages us,
the invitation allures us — but
trouble impels us to call upon our God!
Our troubles are frequently the instruments the Holy Spirit employs to carry on His sacred work in our hearts. By troubles, He . . .
   empties us of self,
   weans us from the world, and
   endears Jesus and His salvation to us!
Oh, believer, make use of your privilege in every time of trouble — and fully expect what Your God has promised!
3. Your future prospect is DELIVERANCE. The prospect is opened up, "I will deliver you — and you shall glorify Me!" Here God comes under engagement to deliver His calling child. Can we, then, be too confident, or expect deliverance with too much assurance? Surely not! Only let us beware lest we dictate to God as to time, means, or manner of deliverance — and then we cannot be too certain. He will deliver, and in such a way as to . . .
   put honor on your faith,
   pour confusion on your unbelief, and
   secure the glory to His blessed self!
God's delivering mercies are all brought forth on jubilee days — for the deliverances which He affords, proclaim a jubilee in the soul.
"I WILL!" — this promise is . . .
   more durable than earth,
   more stable as the pillars of Heaven,
   and as changeless as the nature of Jehovah.
"I will DELIVER!" — this is at once . . .
   the food, warrant, and plea of faith;
   the lattice through which hope directs the eye, and
   the prime argument which the soul uses before God.
"I will deliver YOU!" This is the laying of God's hand on His needy child.
My poor brother — are you in trouble? Are you calling upon God? The Lord says, "I will deliver YOU!" You are the person God had in His eye and in His heart — when he caused this precious portion to be penned. Take up the language, and say, "He will deliver ME!" And you, being delivered, proving God to be faithful, realizing the power of prayer, and enjoying delivering mercy — shall, though Satan will try to hinder, and unbelief would gladly shut your mouth — you shall glorify Me!
How truly blessed, how pleasant, how satisfactory is this! Every believer must say: "It is just as I would have it! I get all the mercy — and God gets all the glory!"
Brethren in Jesus . . .
   expect your portion — troubles,
   prize your privilege — prayer, and
   look forward to your prospect — deliverance!

Jude

2012-01-07T15:09:00.001+10:00

Don't you find the book of Jude fascinating? Here is my favourite part: (ESV) I would love to put verses 20 - 23 or some of it to the same tune as we know for verses 24-25? Anyone who can help, let me know!

Doxology: Now Unto Him (Jude 24-25, as we sing it to teh well known tune.)

Now unto Him, who is able to keep
Able to keep you from falling
And present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory
With exceeding joy

To the only wise God our Saviour
Be glory and majesty
Dominion and power
Both now and forever
Amen

Jude 20-23

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Your present affliction (James Smith, "The Believer's Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble" 1842) "God is love!" 1 John 4:8

2012-01-07T14:55:00.000+10:00

From Grace Gems again!

Believer, the author of your present affliction, is Jehovah (Amos 3:6); it comes at the command of the Lord Almighty, who is excellent in counsel and wonderful in working. But though He afflicts you, His heart is not, and cannot be turned against you--for He has revealed Himself in His Word, as LOVE. He does not merely tell you that He loves you, but that He is LOVE ITSELF--infinite, eternal, unchangeable love! Fury has no place in Him; His anger is turned away from you, by the sacrifice of Jesus.

Your present affliction flows from His love; though occasioned by your sin--or called for by the circumstances in which you are placed. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve His redeemed children without cause. But while He puts you to pain, while He lays His rod upon you--He loves you with an inconceivable love! There is nothing but love in His heart toward you! Every affliction is absolutely necessary, and could not be dispensed with. He will never fail you nor forsake you--and therefore He lays His rod upon you. The discipline may be sharp--but the design is truly gracious. He seeks the good of your immortal soul; and designs only your welfare--even your sanctification. He intends to . . .
remind you of your follies,
bring you to reflection, and
lead you back to Himself from whom you have wandered.
Or else He intends to prevent your falling into some real evils, to which you were fast hastening. He intends, in a word . . .
to conform you to Jesus;
to answer your prayers; and
to show you, your absolute need of His presence, power, and love.

It was Divine love which chose the trial. It was Divine love which sent it. And the God of love is waiting to hear your confessions, your prayers, and your complaints.

Believe that He is love; believe that your sickness flows from love; and entreat Him to sanctify it--and then remove it. But seek its sanctification before its removal.

Sanctified afflictions are among our choicest blessings! They . . .
wean our hearts from earth,
direct our affections above, and
give energy and fervor to our prayers.
Many have had to say, "It is good for me, that I have been afflicted! Before I was afflicted I went astray--but now I keep Your precepts."

The Lord watches over you in love; while you are in this furnace--He is about your bed. Do not forget that the God of love is present with you--present to . . .
hear your groanings,
number your pains,
mark your tears,
listen to your prayers,
and bless you indeed.
You may not have the comfort of His presence--but you have the benefit of it. Endeavor to realize that God is with you--with you as a kind and gracious Father, watching over you to do you good.

By this affliction, He calls you . . .
to self-examination;
to surrender yourself afresh to Him;
to seek your happiness alone in Him;
to cast all your cares upon Him;
to make known your request to Him!
He says, "I will be very gracious unto you at the voice of your cry. When I hear you--I will answer you." His eye is fixed upon you for good! He is full of compassion, and plenteous in mercy unto all who call upon Him in truth. Call then upon the Lord, in this day of trouble; He will deliver you--and you shall glorify Him.

"The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes every one He accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:6

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How do all things work for the good of those who love Him?

2012-01-06T12:26:00.001+10:00

Jeremaih 9:7
Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Behold, I will refine them and test them,

for what else can I do, because of my people?

Isaiah 1:25

I will turn my hand against you

and will smelt away your dross as with lye

and remove all your alloy.

In hard time we have opportunity to draw closer to the Maker of the Universe! See below

The Believer in affliction and trial:from Grace Gems again:

2012-01-06T12:21:00.000+10:00

In that hand which was once nailed to the cross for your redemption!

(James Smith, "The Believer's Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble" 1842)

"The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes every one He accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:6

Afflicted Christian, you are perhaps tempted to think that God cannot love you--or He would not so deeply try you. But the reverse is the case--if He did not love you, He might perhaps refuse to try you. But because He loves you, and is a Father to you--therefore He corrects you.

All of the Lord's children need correction! Many of them will not grow without very severe discipline--consequently your heavenly Father says, "I will melt them, and try them." "I will turn My hand upon you--and will purge away your dross."

Look to the generations of old, and see if the Lord's people in every age have not been an afflicted people. Look at Job, at the prophets, at Lazarus; God tenderly loved them--and yet how severely He tried them. He has commanded an earthly parent to chasten his son, and not to let his soul spare for his crying--and by this rule He also proceeds. He chastens us--that He may not destroy us. There is infinite mercy in your present trial--as dreadful as it may appear to you. There was an absolute necessity for it--for He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve His redeemed children.

He takes pleasure in the spiritual prosperity of His people--and therefore He uses means to promote it. He has received you as a son, and He is now . . .
using His paternal authority;
manifesting His infinite wisdom;
fulfilling His gracious covenant;
making good His precious promises;
and displaying His unutterable love!

Every one who is . . .
adopted into His family;
quickened by His grace;
and united to Jesus--
is made to pass under the rod, and prove the truth of the Scripture which says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous--but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

He chastens you, not for His own pleasure or gratification, but for your profit--that you might be a partaker of His holiness. What a gracious design is this--every way worthy of God. It affords full proof of His infinite wisdom, care, and love!

Think within yourself:
I could not do without this affliction;
it is sent in love;
it is intended to do me good;
it is a proof that I am a child of God
--and you will then think rightly.

Do not despise the chastening of the Lord, by thinking that you could have done as well without it; or that there was no necessity for it. Depend upon it, you must either be . . .
pained--or ruined;
tried--or injured;
corrected--or lost.

Do not faint when the Lord rebukes you. He has promised you, that as your day is--so shall your strength be. He says to you, "Do not fear--for I am with you; do not be afraid--for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!" Isaiah 41:10. Precious promise of a faithful God! He made it in love. He has not forgotten it--no, He intends to make it good. Yes, He is now making it good to you--as tried and afflicted as you are.

The rod which afflicts you, is in the hand of Jesus! In that hand which was once nailed to the cross for your redemption! In the hand of that Friend who loves at all times; and who is a Brother born for adversity. Will Jesus who suffered, bled, and died to redeem you--ever hurt you? Surely not! His heart is too tender! His love is too great! "He will not break the bruised reed--and He will not quench the smoking flax!" He will bind up the broken heart, and comfort the sorrowful spirit.

You say, "He is sorely trying me!" True--but He is only making you fit to partake of the inheritance of the saints in light. They are . . .
loving strokes,
valuable trials,
blessed afflictions!
As sharp they may be--short they must be.

Humble yourself then under the mighty hand of God;
mourn before Him;
surrender all to Him;
plead with Him;
justify Him--and . . .
   the rod will soon fall from His hand,
   the scourging will soon be over, and
   peaceable fruits of righteousness will make their appearance.

Look up to your God, and say:

Submissive to Your will, my God,
I all to you resign;
I bow before Your chastening rod,
And mourn, but not repine!

Why should my foolish heart complain,
When wisdom, truth, and love,
Direct the stroke, inflict the pain,
And point to joys above?

How short are all my sufferings here!
How needful every cross!
Away then, my unbelieving fear,
Nor call my gain, my loss.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of the best books for free this month, a must get! See

2012-01-06T10:48:00.000+10:00

http://christianaudio.com/knowing-god-j-i-packer

John Newton's Letters: How to walk with God:

2012-01-06T07:38:00.000+10:00

John Newton's Letters How to walk with God

March, 1773

Dear sir,

A simple dependence upon the teaching and influence of the good Spirit of God, so as not to supersede the use of appointed means, would, if it could be uniformly maintained, make every part of duty easy and successful. It would free us from much solicitude, and prevent many mistakes. Methinks I have a subject in view already, a subject of great importance to myself, and which perhaps will not be displeasing to you—How to walk with God in the daily occurrences of life, so as to do everything for his sake and by his strength.

When we are justified by faith, and accepted in the Beloved—we become heirs of everlasting life; but we cannot know the full value of our privileges, until we enter upon the state of eternal glory. For this, most who are converted have to wait some time after they are partakers of grace. Though the Lord loves them, hates sin, and teaches them to hate it—he appoints them to remain a while in a sinful world, and to groan under the burden of a depraved nature. He could put them in immediate possession of the heaven for which he has given them a fitness—but he does not. He has a service for them here; an honour which is worth all they can suffer, and for which eternity will not afford an opportunity, namely—to be instruments of promoting his designs, and manifesting his grace in the world. Strictly speaking, this is the whole of our business here, the only reason why life is prolonged, or for which it is truly desirable, that we may fill up our connections and situations, improve our comforts and our crosses, in such a manner as that God may be glorified in us and by us.

As he is a bountiful Master and a kind Father, he is pleased to afford a variety of temporal blessings, which sweeten our service, and as coming from his hand are very valuable. But they are by no means worth living for, considered in themselves, as they can neither satisfy our desires, preserve us from trouble, or support as under it. That light of God's countenance, which can pervade the walls and dissipate the gloom of a dungeon, is unspeakably preferable to all that can be enjoyed in a palace without it. The true end of life is, to live not to ourselves—but to Him who died for us; and while we devote ourselves to his service upon earth, to rejoice in the prospect of being happy with him forever in heaven.

These things are generally known and acknowledged by professors; but they are a favoured few who act consistently with their avowed principles; who honestly, diligently, and without reserve, endeavour to make the most of their talents and strength in promoting the Lord's service, and allow themselves in no views or designs but what are plainly subordinate and subservient to it. Yes, I believe the best of the Lord's servants see cause enough to confess, that they are not only unprofitable in comparison of what they wish to be—but in many instances unfaithful likewise. They find so many snares, hindrances, and temptations, arising from without, and so much encumbrance from sin which dwells within—that they have more cause for humiliation than self-complacence, even when they seem most earnest and most useful.

However, we have no Scriptural evidence that we serve the Lord at all, any farther than we find a habitual desire and aim to serve him wholly. He is gracious to our imperfections and weakness; yet he requires all the heart, and will not be served by halves, nor accept what is performed by a divided heart.

Doing all to the glory of God, is the true alchemy which turns everything to gold, and ennobles the common actions of life into acts of piety; 1 Cor. 10:31. Nor is there a grain of real goodness in the most specious actions, which are performed without a reference to God's glory. This the world cannot understand; but it will appear highly reasonable to those who take their ideas of God from the Scripture, and who have felt the necessity and found the benefits of redemption.

We are debtors many ways—the Lord has a right to us by creation, by redemption, by conquest, when he freed us from Satan's power, and took possession of our hearts by his grace; and, lastly, by our own voluntary surrender, in the day when he enabled us to fix our choice on himself—as our Lord and our portion. Then we felt the force of our obligations. We saw the beauty and honour of his service, and that nothing was worthy to stand in the least degree of competition with it. This is always equally true, though our perceptions of it are not always equally strong. But where it has been once really known, it cannot be wholly forgotten, or cease to be the governing principle of life; and the Lord has promised to revive the impression in those who wait upon him, and thereby to renew their strength; for in proportion as we feel by what ties we are his—we shall embrace his service as perfect freedom.

Again—when the eye is thus single, the whole body will be full of light. The principle of acting simply for God, will in general make the path of duty plain, solve a thousand otherwise dubious questions, lead to the most proper and obvious means, and preclude that painful anxiety about events, which upon no other plan can be avoided. The love of God is the best casuist; especially as it leads us to a careful attendance to his precepts, a reliance on his promises, and a submission to his will.

Most of our perplexities arise from an undue, though perhaps unperceived, attachment to SELF. Either we have some scheme of our own too closely connected with our general view of serving the Lord; or lay some stress upon our own management, which, though we suspect it may possibly fail us, we cannot entirely help trusting to. In these respects the Lord permits his servants occasionally to feel their own weakness; but if they are sincerely devoted to him, he will teach them to profit by it, and bring them by degrees to a simplicity of dependence, as well as of intention. Then all things are easy. Acting from love, and walking by faith, they can neither be disappointed or discouraged. Duty is their part, care is his, and they are enabled to cast it upon him. They know, that, when their expedients seem to fail—that he is still all-sufficient. They know, that, being engaged in his cause, they cannot miscarry; and that, though in some things they may seem to fall short of success, they are sure of meeting acceptance, and that he will estimate their services not by their actual effects—but according to the gracious principle and desire he has put into their hearts. 2 Chron. 6:7-8.

**********

Praying about trials!

2012-01-04T09:53:00.002+10:00

Spurgeon, "Prayer Perfumed with Praise"

We should have faith enough to believe that the present trouble,

about which we are praying, is sent to us in love by God.

We should pray concerning our trials in this way--

"Lord, I have this thorn in the flesh. I beseech you, deliver me

from it, but meanwhile I bless you for it; for though I do not

understand the why or the wherefore of it, I am persuaded there

is love within it. Therefore, while I ask you to remove it, so far as

it seems evil to me, yet wherein it may to your better knowledge

work for my good, I bless you for it, and I am content to endure

it so long as you see fit."

What is the chief end of Man? What is the purpose of our existence?

2012-01-04T09:22:00.001+10:00

In conservative Conservative Christian circles, most of our little kids can answer the question, "What is the chief end of Man?" "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." But do we put this into practice in our daily living? Or do we have a 'humanistic Christianity', where our chief end is to find satisfaction and happiness and God becomes the means to this?

The following is a series of quotes by preachers who have looked at revival and this issue over the years. As one of them says, "It's not what you are going to get out of the glory of God. It is about what He is going to get out of you. Let us be done once and for all with utilitarian Christianity, which makes God the means instead of the glorious end that He is."

Clips of following speakers included in this message: Ian Paisley, Leonard Ravenhill, Paris Reidhead, Duncan Campbell, A.W. Tozer, T. Austin Sparks.

May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering...

Bible Reading Plans

2012-01-02T09:49:00.003+10:00

Take leisurely delight in reading God's word - remember it is just that, 'God's word', God 'talking to us today'! There is much blessing in listening to God talking to us.

Exodus 34:6b and 7a “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

Here are some Bible reading suggestions:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/12/27/bible-reading-plans-for-2012/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+between2worlds+%28Between+Two+Worlds%29

Too wise to be mistaken, Too good to be unkind.

2012-01-02T08:25:00.001+10:00

C.M.

God shall alone the refuge be

By Samuel Medley

The Wisdom and Goodness of God. Exod. 34. 6

1 God shall alone the refuge be,

And comfort of my mind;

Too wise to be mistaken, He,

Too good to be unkind.

2 In all his holy, sovereign will,

He is, I daily find,

Too wise to be mistaken, still

Too good to be unkind.

3 [When I the tempter’s rage endure,

’Tis God supports my mind;

Too wise to be mistaken, sure,

Too good to be unkind.]

4 [When sore afflictions on me lie,

He is (though I am blind)

Too wise to be mistaken, yea,

Too good to be unkind.]

5 What though I can’t his goings see,

Nor all his footsteps find?

Too wise to be mistaken, He,

Too good to be unkind.

6 Hereafter he will make me know,

And I shall surely find,

He was too wise to err, and O,

Too good to be unkind.

Hymn and Prayer for Times of Trial and Thorns:

2012-01-02T08:21:00.002+10:00

Heavenly father! To Whose eye By Joshua Condor

Heavenly father! To Whose eye

Future things unfolded lie;

Through the desert where I stray,

Let Thy counsels guide my way.

Lead me not, for flesh is frail,

Where the fiercest trials assail;

Leave me not, in darkened hour,

To withstand the tempter's power.

Lord, uphold me day by day;

Shed a light upon my way;

Guide me through perplexing snares;

Care for me in all my cares.

Should Thy wisdom, Lord, decree

Trials long and sharp for me,

Pain or sorrow, care or shame,

Father, glorify Thy name.

Let me neither faint nor fear,

Knowing still that Thou art near;

In the course my Saviour trod,

Travelling home to Thee, my God!

How happy I am...

2012-01-02T08:09:00.004+10:00

My children bless me everyday; each and every one of them is a delight and a joy. Each and every one of them was an answer to prayer, as I asked the Lord for them...God gave; each and every one is a blessing from God. How I thank my God for them!

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD:
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior;
so are children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them:
They shall not be ashamed,
but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:3-5

Where are you going in 2012?

2011-12-31T21:26:00.001+10:00

He cares for the birds of the air, how much more does He care for us. In Him there is a hope that never dies.

What grace is mine that He who dwells in endless light

Words: Kristyn Getty
Traditional Melody arranged Rob Mathes

What grace is mine that He who dwells in endless light
Called through the night to find my distant soul
And from his scars poured mercy that would plead for me
That I might live and in his name be known

So I will go wherever He is calling me
I lose my life to find my life in Him
I give my all to gain the hope that never dies
I bow my heart, take up my cross and follow Him

What grace is mine to know His breath alive in me
Beneath his wings my wakened soul may soar
All fear can flee for death's dark night is overcome
My Saviour lives and reigns forevermore

So I will go wherever He is calling me …

Speak, o Lord by Keith Getty

2011-12-31T21:20:00.000+10:00

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.

Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility;
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of pow'r that can never fail—
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we'll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.

O God beyond all praising

2011-12-31T21:15:00.000+10:00

O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honor and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Savior,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favor
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we'II triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.

Words: Michael Perry (1942-1996)

Celebrating...

2011-12-28T11:05:00.000+10:00

As we 'feast' and celebrate at Christmas time and for New Year's celebrations remember...

Psalm 34:8 (NKJ)

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

**********

As we give and receive gifts and watch the joy of children giving and receiving, let us remember that....

James 1:17 (NKJ)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

**********

And best of all let us remember the greatest gift of them all....

John 3: 16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

**********

The perfect husband

2011-12-26T19:23:00.000+10:00

(James Smith, "The Glories of Christ!" 1864)

There is but one object that can be presented to a sinner's mind, which contains all that is needful for him, and all that is delightful to him--and that is JESUS! In Jesus, he finds an infinite variety which is always pleasing and profitable! The more he knows of the person, perfections, and works of Immanuel--the more happy, holy, and useful he will be. Unbounded kindness, unparalleled meekness, and exquisite tenderness--shine in all His dealings with His people! He has never left room for one to doubt . . .
the kindness of His heart,
the power of His arm, or
the faithfulness of His Word.

Jesus loved, labored, suffered, bled, died, rose, ascended, and intercedes--to save His people from their sins! He is the perfect husband who . . .
brings us into marriage-union with Himself,
provides for all our necessities, and
assures us of His unalterable love!
He gives us . . .
His arm to support us,
His fullness to supply us,
His name to entitle us,
His robe to cover us,
His angels to guard us,
His Word to assure us, and
His Heaven to be our habitation at last!

To know Christ--is true wisdom;
to love Him--is the evidence of grace; and
to walk with Him--is the highest honor that can be put upon a sinful creature!

It is the delight of a truly spiritual mind to think of Jesus, feed on Him, and rejoice in Him. There is nothing in Christ--but what is precious to him. Christ is the object of his faith, love, and desire; and the subject of his meditation, boast, and song in the house of his pilgrimage. To a Christian, Christ is ALL!

The believer is knit to Jesus, walks in fellowship with Him, and desires above all things to exalt and glorify Him. Jesus is just suited to the believer, and he thinks on Him with great delight and satisfaction!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Be sure to read James Smith's choice 2 page article, "The Glories of Christ!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blessings to you all at Christmas Time:

2011-12-24T22:03:00.000+10:00

Luke 2: ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Matthew 2: ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

May our worship be as theirs, God bless you all, Joy

How do we worship?

2011-12-20T13:42:00.000+10:00

And when they were come into the house,

they saw the young child with Mary his mother,

and fell down,

and worshipped him:

and when they had opened their treasures,

they presented unto him gifts;

gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

Divine Sympathy! (by John MacDuff) "I know their sorrows!" Exodus 3:7

2011-12-19T21:34:00.000+10:00

From Grace Gems

These are God's own words! Man cannot say so. There are many sensitive fibers in the soul, which the best and tenderest human sympathy cannot touch. But the Prince of Sufferers, He who led the way in the path of sorrow, "knows our frame."

When crushing bereavement lies like ice on the heart--when the dearest earthly friend cannot enter into the peculiarities of our grief--Jesus can! Jesus does! He who once bore my sins--also carried my sorrows. That eye, now on the throne--was once dim with weeping!

Israel had long groaned under bondage. God appeared not to know it--or, if He did know it--not to care. He seemed, like Baal, to be "asleep". Yet at that very moment--His pitying eye was yearningly beholding His enslaved people. It was then that He said, "I know their sorrows!"

Just so, He may seem at times thus to forget and forsake us--leaving us to utter the plaintive cry, "Has God forgotten to be gracious?" When all the while, He is bending over us in tenderest love. He often allows our needs to reach their extremity--that He may stretch forth His supporting hand, and reveal the plenitude of His grace! "You can see how the Lord was kind to Job at the end--for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy!" James 5:11

And God fully "knowing" our sorrows--is a blessed guarantee that none will be sent, but those which He sees to be needful. "I will not," says He, "make a full end of you--but I will correct you in measure." Jeremiah 30:11

All the trials which He sends--are precisely meted out--and wisely apportioned. There is nothing accidental or random or unnecessary--no excess thorn--no superfluous pang!

"You keep track of all my sorrows! You have collected all my tears in Your bottle! You have recorded each one in Your book!" Psalm 56:8. Each one is counted and recorded--drop by drop--tear by tear! Tears are sacred things among the treasures of God!

Suffering believer, the iron may have entered deeply into your soul; yet rejoice! Jesus, a sorrowing, sympathizing Jesus--"knows" your aching pangs and burning tears, and He will "come down to deliver you!"

And of this divine sympathy, we are also assured in the New Testament, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in every way, just as we are!" Hebrews 4:15. What an elevating truth! We have the Sympathy of the God-Man-Mediator in our sorrows! What a source of exalted joy, to the stripped and desolate heart! What a green pasture to lie down upon, amid the windy storm and tempest, or in the dark and cloudy day!

The sympathy of man is cheering and comforting; but "thus far shall you go, and no farther." Man's sympathy is finite--limited--and often selfish! There are nameless and numberless sorrows on earth, which are far beyond the reach of all human alleviation!

The sympathy of Jesus alone, is . . .
exalted,
pure,
infinite,
removed from all taint of selfishness!

Jesus has Himself passed through every experience of woe. There are no depths of sorrow or anguish into which I can be plunged--but His everlasting arms are lower still! He has been called "The great sympathetic nerve of His Church, over which the afflictions and oppressions, and sufferings of His people continually pass!"

Child of Sorrow! A human heart beats on Heaven's Throne--and He has your name written on that heart! He cares for you as if no other claimed His regard--as if you were the only object of His care!

He "has been tested in every way, just as we are!" Blessed assurance! I never can know a sorrow into which the "Man of Sorrow" cannot enter. Ah rather, in the midst of earth's most lacerating trials--let me listen to the unanswerable challenge from the lips of a suffering Savior, "Was there ever any sorrow, like unto My sorrow!" Yet He willingly drank the cup of wrath! He did not shrink back from the appointed cross! And even when He hung upon the bitter tree--He refused the sour wine which would have assuaged the rage of thirst and mitigated physical suffering.

Are we tempted at times to murmur under God's afflicting hand? "Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart!" Shall we hesitate to bear any cross which our Lord and Master sees fit to lay upon us--when we think of the infinitely weightier Cross He so meekly and willingly carried for us?

Jesus has some wise and gracious purpose in every mysterious chastisement. His language is, "Hear the rod--and Him who has appointed it!" Micah 6:9. He has too kind and loving a heart--to cause us one needless or superfluous pang!

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I (4)

2011-12-16T12:30:00.000+10:00

Psalm 40: 2

He drew me up from the pit of destruction

(a horrible pit, NKJV, a pit of despair NLT),

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I (3)

2011-12-16T11:20:00.006+10:00

You may wonder where an 'old lady' like me has experience of climbing up a rock 'higher than I'...as a young adult I went hiking in the Gamsaskloof Mountains, South Africa. There, there is a rock that ever person who goes there must climb, a rock much, much 'higher than I'.

It is buried deep in the deepest, steepest gorge I have ever climbed; down in this gorge which we

called by the local name, 'De Hell'; it is a rock 'higher than I'. (This rock is in actual fact dwarfed by the magnificent gorge it sits in and so in a sense it looks small by comparison.). One must swim across a large mountain rock pool, until you come to this towering rock. The reward here is not so much the view, but the reward of a massive dive into the icy water below.

Do you know how I know that it is harder to go backwards down, rather than forwards up a rock? I got to the top of that rock and could not get myself to dive, so I cambered all the way back down instead. We had no safety ropes, no safety nets.

I notice that there are no photographs on the Internet that show this actual gorge. And I wonder if it is now closed to the public. We knew the name of this gorge as De Hell. Now it seems that the general area is called by this name. Maybe one day if the Lord so blesses me, I will go back there and see for myself. I wonder if I would attempt to climb that rock again? I know I will go down for a swim in the magnificent gorge if I can. There are other gruelling hikes in that area, with magnificent views at the end of the effort as your reward. And I know I would take on this challenge for I know that the view is worth the agony, even for an 'old lady' like me.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I (2)

2011-12-16T11:19:00.003+10:00

Have you ever clamoured up a massive rock higher than you? It can be a gruelling, excruciatingly painful, sweaty experience, full of hardship. You can be pushed to your furthest physical capacity, to the point where you feel as if you just have to, 'let go', to give up. Why? Because you are shaking in the agony of the strain..."how can I ever be strong enough not to go plummeting to death?" you wonder...and yet our Lord is our safety net or the safety rope that keeps us anchored and ensures that if we fall, we will not be smashed on the ground below. As one clamours up a gruelling challenging rock you wonder...."How can I overcome such weakness? How could I ever have thought of myself as fit and healthy and full of strength before this?" There is a realistic realisation of how pathetically weak we are; of our utter dependence on God for our safety and ability to carry on. There is a deep desire to 'give up' to go backwards, and yet going backwards is always harder than going forwards.

And yet when we reach the top there is a euphoric exhilaration....the exhilaration of a job finally 'well done'. There is a feeling that all the enduring hardship being a worthwhile the effort; an immense feeling of freedom, freedom from pain, freedom from the burden of hardship of getting there. It is a time to exult in the beautiful reward as you drink in the 360 degree view, the splendid beauty we behold. Our focus shifts from gripping and staring at the rock face in front of you, to the splendid view around and about - our look becomes outward.

If God leads us and we let Him lead us up the rock 'higher than I', there will be no going backwards because we took the wrong path; no retracing of our steps, no going backwards to go forwards, no unnecessary pain. There is joy and peace in his gentle leading, no matter how hard the gruelling uphill clamour.

Psalm 18: 35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand supported me,

and your gentleness made me great.

36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

Do you realise too that our Lord himself is our Rock of Ages, our fortress, our place of safety!

Isaiah 26:3

You keep him in perfect peace

whose mind is stayed on you,

because he trusts in you.

4 Trust in the Lord forever,

for

the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I (1)

2011-12-13T14:55:00.006+10:00

Psalm 61: 2 reads, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I"

in the context of

1. Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer;

2 from the end of the earth I call to you

when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock

that is higher than I,

3 for you have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the enemy.

This has been a good verse to meditate on over past weeks. To remember that the Lord will lead us to a place 'higher than I', if we keep crying out to Him. The week before last we went to Currumbin Beach ....at the mouth of the river between the river and the sea is a massive rock, much 'higher than I'; the wind blew stinging sand and the tide was coming in. How I wished we could clamber up this rock, but there was no way up that I could see.

God will keep us safe from the 'stinging sand' in life, and protect us from the swirling sucking currents, from dangerous waters. He will also give us a magnificent view of our surroundings, 360 degrees; a view of life from His perspective if we let him lead us to a rock 'higher than I'. How good that He takes us beyond our usual pathways....that we might learn to follow, that we may know His safety and protection, and that we can see life a little better from His viewpoint. I look at Google maps now and Currumbin Beach's massive rock looks so puny, so miniscule. In reality it is less than a pin prick in the whole universe, and yet it is a rock 'higher than I'. So too no doubt is our view/perspective on life. What grace that He leads us to a rock, 'higher than I’. What joy will be ours when we finally reach heaven and gain an even better perspective on life and for an eternity. What peace to know His loving arms around us, to know we are safe, even now, for 'He leads us to a rock higher than I'.

Psalm 27:5b says, He shall lift me high upon a rock. What a beloved 'day by day' Saviour/Rescuer we have, who takes us daily to higher ground.

My Favourite verse...

2011-11-28T06:04:00.002+10:00

^{Right now my favourite verse is}

^{Psalm 27: 13} I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.

But take a look at the next verse too ....how do we have hope in trials? Through the Lord's strengthening and just plain old 'waiting'!

¹⁴ Wait on the LORD;
         Be of good courage,
         And He shall strengthen your heart;
         Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Do not Fret....

2011-11-28T06:00:00.001+10:00

Our trials are designed to wean us off fretting as we rest in the Lord....

Psalm 37 (NKJ)

A Psalm of David.

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
         Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
         And wither as the green herb.

³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;

         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
         Trust also in Him,
         And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
         And your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
         Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
         Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
         Do not fret—it only causes harm.

"O that I knew where I might find him!"

2011-11-23T22:31:00.000+10:00

Spurgeon:

Evening, November 19

"O that I knew where I might find him!"

Job 23:3

In Job's uttermost extremity he cried after the Lord. The longing

desire of an afflicted child of God is once more to see his Father's

face. His first prayer is not "O that I might be healed of the disease

which now festers in every part of my body!" nor even "O that I might

see my children restored from the jaws of the grave, and my property

once more brought from the hand of the spoiler!" but the first and

uppermost cry is, "O that I knew where I might find Him, who is my God!

that I might come even to his seat!" God's children run home when the

storm comes on. It is the heaven-born instinct of a gracious soul to

seek shelter from all ills beneath the wings of Jehovah. "He that hath

made his refuge God," might serve as the title of a true believer. A

hypocrite, when afflicted by God, resents the infliction, and, like a

slave, would run from the Master who has scourged him; but not so the

true heir of heaven, he kisses the hand which smote him, and seeks

shelter from the rod in the bosom of the God who frowned upon him.

Job's desire to commune with God was intensified by the failure of all

other sources of consolation. The patriarch turned away from his sorry

friends, and looked up to the celestial throne, just as a traveller

turns from his empty skin bottle, and betakes himself with all speed to

the well. He bids farewell to earth-born hopes, and cries, "O that I

knew where I might find my God!" Nothing teaches us so much the

preciousness of the Creator, as when we learn the emptiness of all

besides. Turning away with bitter scorn from earth's hives, where we

find no honey, but many sharp stings, we rejoice in him whose faithful

word is sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. In every trouble we should

first seek to realize God's presence with us. Only let us enjoy his

smile, and we can bear our daily cross with a willing heart for his

dear sake.

**********

Hymn and Prayer for Times of Trial and Thorns Joshua Condor

2011-11-21T22:59:00.000+10:00

Heavenly father! To Whose eye

Future things unfolded lie;

Through the desert where I stray,

Let Thy counsels guide my way.

Lead me not, for flesh is frail,

Where the fiercest trials assail;

Leave me not, in darkened hour,

To withstand the tempter's power.

Lord, uphold me day by day;

Shed a light upon my way;

Guide me through perplexing snares;

Care for me in all my cares.

Should Thy wisdom, Lord, decree

Trials long and sharp for me,

Pain or sorrow, care or shame,

Father, glorify Thy name.

Let me neither faint nor fear,

Knowing still that Thou art near;

In the course my Saviour trod,

Travelling home to Thee, my God!

******

The Holy Spirit's Presence By G.D. Watson

2011-11-21T22:58:00.000+10:00

Dear Holy Spirit, who can know

The Comforter Thou art,

Till they have felt deep need of Thee

From out a broken heart.

Ten thousand griefs, dear Lord, have swept

Across this heart of mine,

But every one has pushed me out

Still deeper into Thine.

I know Thou workest for my good,

The soul's unfathomed pains,

The deep, dark dungeon's doleful cries

Thou turn'st to mellow strains.

Thou art far sweeter than Thy gifts,

Though they surpass all thought;

And yet Thy presence in my breast

With precious blood was bought.

O Comforter! it is Thyself

Who shows the blood to me,

And in my mind revealest Christ

Like an effulgent sea.

No creature in this world can know

The way Thou leadest me,

Through storms and pangs and lonely griefs,

From self out into Thee.

Dear, peaceful Spirit, Thou hast borne

My sad heart far away

Into a gulf of tender love,

Which melts it day by day.

Blest Holy Ghost, to me

Thou art A boundless crystal sea,

And I can lose all loneliness

When all alone with Thee.

I have no wish in all the world

But to be filled with Thee,

And drink my being full of love

From Thine immensity.

**********

It is I! -- Octavious Winslow

2011-11-16T15:07:00.001+10:00

"Take courage! It is I! Do not be afraid." Mark 6:50

Listen, then, to the voice of Jesus in the storm!

It is I who raised the tempest in your soul — and will control it.

It is I who sent your affliction — and will be with you in it.

It is I who kindled the furnace — and will watch the flames, and bring you through it.

It is I who formed your burden, who carved your cross — and who will strengthen you to bear it.

It is I who mixed your cup of grief — and will enable you to drink it with meek submission to your Father's will.

It is I who took from you worldly substance, who bereft you of your child, of the wife of your bosom, of the husband of your youth — and will be infinitely better to you than husband, wife, or child.

It is I who has done it ALL!

I make the clouds My chariot, and clothe Myself with the tempest as with a garment. The night hour is My time of coming, and the dark, surging waves are the pavement upon which I walk. Take courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.

It is I — your Friend, your Brother, your Savior! I am causing all the circumstances of your life to work together for your good.

It is I who permitted . . .

the enemy to assail you,

the slander to blast you,

the unkindness to wound you,

the need to press you!

Your affliction did not spring out of the ground, but came down from above — a heaven-sent blessing disguised as an angel of light, clad in a robe of ebony.

I have sent all in love!

This sickness is not unto death — but for the glory of God.

This bereavement shall not always bow you to the earth, nor drape in changeless gloom your life. It is I who ordered, arranged, and controlled it all!

In every stormy wind,

in every darksome night,

in every lonesome hour,

in every rising fear,

— the voice of Jesus shall be heard, saying, "Take courage! It is I! Do not be afraid."

**********

Octavious Winslow

Lean hard!

"Cast your burden upon the Lord — and He shall sustain you." Psalm 55:22

It is by an act of simple, prayerful faith that we transfer our cares and anxieties, our sorrows and needs, to the Lord. Jesus invites you come and lean upon Him, and to lean with all your might upon that arm that balances the universe, and upon that bosom that bled for you upon the soldier's spear!

But you doubtingly ask, "Is the Lord able to do this thing for me?" And thus, while you are debating a matter about which there is not the shadow of a shade of doubt, the burden is crushing your gentle spirit to the dust. And all the while Jesus stands at your side and lovingly says, "Cast your burden upon Me — and I will sustain you. I am God Almighty! I bore the load of your sin and condemnation up the steep of Calvary; and the same power of omnipotence, and the same strength of love that bore it all for you then — is prepared to bear your need and sorrow now. Roll it all upon Me! Child of My love! Lean hard! Let Me feel the pressure of your care. I know your burden, child! I shaped it — I poised it in My own hand and made no proportion of its weight to your unaided strength. For even as I laid it on, I said I shall be near, and while she leans on Me, this burden shall be Mine, not hers. So shall I keep My child within the encircling arms of My own love. Here lay it down! Do not fear to impose it on a shoulder which upholds the government of worlds! Yet closer come! You are not near enough! I would embrace your burden, so I might feel My child reposing on My bosom. You love Me! I know it. Doubt not, then. But, loving me, lean hard!"

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The only refuge in sorrow

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From Grace Gems:

Treasures from J.R. Miller

1840 — 1912

The only refuge in sorrow

"Being in anguish — He prayed more fervently." Luke 22:44

We see the Master at prayer in Gethsemane. It was here that He prepared for His Cross. We should notice that His refuge in His exceeding sorrow — was prayer; and that, as the sorrow deepened — the refuge still was prayer. Prayer is the only refuge in sorrow. The lesson from the garden prayer is that we should take all the hard things, the anguishes, the insufferable pains, the bitter griefs of our lives — to God in prayer. We may be sure, too, that God will answer. If He does not relieve us of the suffering, He will strengthen us so that we can keep it, and still go on trusting and singing.

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

O royal privilege, inestimable blessing, to be under the care of heaven, and tutelage of God!

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(from Grace Gems)

Solitude Sweetened Affliction the lot of saints below

by James Meikle, 1730-1799

While I am mortal, I must taste of the waters of Mara; drink of the cup of adversity; and swim the tempestuous ocean. It is the perfection of angels, that they could never experience the pain of mental disquiet, or the pangs of anguish. And it is the happiness of departed saints, to obtain joy for mourning, a crown for crosses; and to forget their misery, if not wholly, yet to remember it as waters, once swelled to a dreadful flood—but which now have forever flown away. It is, then the misery of the sons of men, only while here, to be, as it were, a mark set up for the arrows of tribulation, and to be engaged in constant war, and in perpetual broils. But it is the privileges of the Christian soldier to wear the shield of faith, with which he shall be able to quench the fiery darts of Satan, and to ward off the sling-stones of tribulation which pelt him from every quarter. How, then, may I triumph under all my afflictions? Consider,

1. Afflictions come from God, whatever, be the instrument. "You have chastised me, and I was chastised—you have afflicted me in faithfulness."

2. Afflictions are sent out of love. "Whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives."

3. Afflictions are for my good. "Our human fathers punished us for a short time, as it seemed right to them; but God does it for our own good, so that we may share his holiness."

4. Afflictions are for the exercise of grace, even of that noble grace of faith. "When I am afraid, I will trust in you;" here faith is improved by affliction. "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." "And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

5. Afflictions are noble antidotes against, and preservatives from sin. "Before I was afflicted, I strayed—but now I keep your word."

6. Afflictions assimilate the saints to their glorious Head, their sympathizing and feeling High Priest, who was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." Yes, in the work of redemption, "the Captain of their salvation was made perfect through sufferings."

7. Afflictions give a general disgust of all created things, and prove the creature to be subject to vanity; hence, says one much tempered in affliction, "I have seen an end of all perfection."

8. Afflictions teach humanity and sympathy to fellow-creatures in the same circumstances. Israel, from their being strangers, were to know the heart of a stranger, and deal kindly with him; and in this men ought to imitate him, "who suffered being tempted, that he might know how to support those who are tempted, and be a merciful High Priest to his people."

9. Afflictions make very humble, and break the haughty mind and bring down the lofty thought. "I shall go softly all my years, in the bitterness of my soul; my soul is as a weaned child." And God has this in view by them—to hide pride from man.

10. Afflictions make the man rightly exercised therein, to know himself, and think on his former ways; to resort often to the throne of grace, go often to God, and increase, as it were, the acquaintance between God and his soul. "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord.

11. Afflictions give clear and certain proof of the providence of God, who in six troubles and in seven delivers out of them. They preach his power, who makes his people pass through fire and water, not to ruin, which we might well expect—but to a wealthy place, to heaven and to glory.

12. Afflictions prepare for glory, and make us fit to join the company of those who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their garments and made them white in the blood of the lamb, therefore are they before the throne of God, and enjoy him in all his divine plenitude, world without end.

Shall I, then, despise the discipline of heaven, from which none are exempted, no, not even the Son of God? Yes, all the heirs of glory are brought up in the 'school of the cross'. O royal privilege, inestimable blessing, to be under the care of heaven, and tutelage of God! Away, despondency, begone; you would cast a covering over the love of him who is my tower in troublous days; and make me conclude hard things of him who has thoughts of kindness towards me. Can infinite wisdom be at a loss to contrive, or infinite power confounded to bring to pass, to bring to perfection, my relief? Until then, I shall, I will believe; nor shall I look to means, or tie Omnipotence to them.

Bring Israel to the rock to quench their thirst! What! Can solid flint be converted into a cooling stream? But, lo! the aged rock divides asunder, and lets the promised springs refresh the parched multitude! Omnipotence, rather than not perform, will stop the course of nature, and make the restless billows rise in liquid walls, that Israel's bondaged sons may tread the trackless sand! Omnipotence will bid the raven feed, with morning and evening care, the wandering prophet; and forbid the fire to burn, or even to singe the garments of the glorious martyrs. Yes, to feed his chosen people, he creates and rains down manna from above.

Who, then, should bound his power, or doubt his faithfulness? God will never break his word, whatever men think; nor falsify his faithful promise. Cursed unbelief implies, that either God promises what he never intends to perform, or what he is not able to perfect; both which are blasphemous! Both which, O my soul! abhor, and rather rejoice in tribulation, which, when watered with the dew of heaven, is so far from being a barren soil—that it is the nursery of other graces, and produces endurance; endurance produces proven character; and proven character produces hope; and hope produces strong confidence, and sweet dependence on that God whose love is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit.

Again, in affliction the saints are ascertained of the love and care of God, when their prayers enter into his holy habitation, and their requests are answered to the joy of their soul. Hence it was sin in Israel to chide with Moses, and to quarrel with God, when brought into difficulties and dangers that seemed inextricable every way. Before them the Red Sea forbids them to advance, high hills on every side hinder their escape; and behind advancing hosts, swollen with rage, and ravening after blood, deny a safe retreat. Now man is more than bewildered; all courage fails; faith and hope are low; fears are high; and, alas! their eye is not towards Him who can do all things, and who did instantaneously, to manifest his power, and fix his people's faith in himself, divide the raging floods, and build the restless waters in crystal walls, to bound their steps in ways not known before, and clothe them in shady night which darted pitchy darkness in the eyes of the keen pursuer.

Seeing You, O Governor of men! can make crooked things straight, rough places plain, and affliction even to become a friend—I will rejoice in you forever, nor quarrel at your conduct. Yes, woe to them; nay, woe to me, if I use any unlawful means, or be too anxious to set my nest on high, that I may be delivered from the power of evil. Agitating affliction, like the ebb and flow of the sea—casts out mire and dirt, sweeps its troubled bosom, refines the affections, and purifies the soul. Take courage, O my soul! and mind that in a little while—and sin will be no more, and sorrow will be no more, and temptations will be no more, and troubles will be no more; and time will be no more. But yet a little while, and love, and life and light, and liberty, and joy, and glory, rapture and delight—in a word, God and all his fullness—are yours for evermore!

**********

Conservative, Biblical Couselling Web Site: http://www.ccef.org/

2011-11-10T19:48:00.000+10:00

I know I have promoted this web site before, but I am going to do so again....they seem balanced and wise and I have not been through every single item on their web site yet, but I have not yet seen something I do not like...take Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for example....here is a secular definition
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/

Whereas here is a discussion of PTSD in the context of an overly simplistic secular solution. http://www.ccef.org/emdr-and-meaning-suffering
Or look at this article http://www.ccef.org/blog/biblical-counselings-dirty-words

It deals with many other matters too so keep looking...

http://www.ccef.org/what-does-bible-say-about-divorce-and-remarriage
http://www.ccef.org/angry-person-always-last-know
http://www.ccef.org/atc/think-rightly-about-miscarriages

Behold your God!

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(James Smith, "The Attributes of God" 1863)

The more we have to do with man--the more his littleness, fickleness, and emptiness appear.
But the more we read, think, or have to do with God--the more His greatness, majesty, and infinite sufficiency is discovered! He proclaims Himself, "the Great and Mighty God, the Lord Almighty is His name--great in counsel and mighty in work!" Infinity, omnipotence, and eternity--find a home and a center only in Him.

"His Greatness is unsearchable!" There is more in the works of His hands--than even the angels have ever discovered! There is more in the words of His mouth--than mortals ever conceived. His glory is great unto and above the heavens. "Behold your God!" Isaiah 40:9

Look at His goodness--it runs an endless circuit supplying millions, and supporting all created existences. O how great is His goodness!

Look at His grace--
saving innumerable multitudes from Hell;
saving them at the greatest expense--in the freest possible way;
saving them to the highest honor and greatest glory!
O the exceeding riches of His grace!

Look at His judgments--
He sweeps the ancient world with His broom of destruction!
He makes the cities of the plain into a Hell on earth!
He overthrows Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea!
He encaverns Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their households in the belly of the earth!

O if we could look into Hell, or listen for a moment at the door of the bottomless pit--how dreadful would His judgments appear! We cannot fathom them--but we must exclaim with the apostle, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"

Look at His power. He speaks a world into existence, sustains it, supports every creature upon it--and perhaps millions of worlds beside it. All these things are alike easy for Him. Difficulty is with man--not with God. "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the Heaven and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You!"

Look at His wisdom. It is infinite. Read it in creation's ponderous folio! Then turn to the glorious plan of grace. Here is a display of "the manifold wisdom of God." Angels are learning it--and we can scarcely make out its alphabet at present! But we have . . .
God for our teacher,
eternity for our duration, and
Heaven for the place where we shall fully learn the greatness of the wisdom of God.

Look at His holiness. It is so bright that no mortal eye has seen, or can see it--in its unveiled glory! "Now we see but a poor reflection!" We have but some faint discoveries--for He is . . .
glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises,
constantly doing wonders!

Look at His mercy. It is a boundless ocean--without bottom, bank or shore!
The manifestations of mercy are innumerable!
The proofs of His mercy are like mountains piled on mountains, reaching to the heavens!
The overflowing of His mercy has supplied the needs of unnumbered multitudes.

"Who is so great a God as our God?"

He is a mighty and awesome God--yet so glorious and kind that the feeblest petitioner need not fear!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We have published James Smith's absolutely superb 35 page page article, "The Attributes of God".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Feel free to forward this on to your friends.

Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

Grace Audio Treasures (choice AUDIO sermons)
Sovereign Grace Treasures (choice PRINTED books)

The Attributtes of God:

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http://gracegems.org/C/attributes_of_god.htm

O glorious refuge! O sure defense! O everlasting fortress! Here do I defy the worst that earth and hell can do

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(from Grace Gems)
Solitude Sweetened: by James Meikle, 1730-1799

Christ the Rock in the weary land

"He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock." (Deuteronomy 32:13)

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the strength of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2)

"And a MAN shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." (Isaiah 32:2)

Let the travelers through the parched deserts of Arabia, tell how comforting the shadow of a cloud is—which diminishes the heat in a arid place. Let the desert wanderers tell what it is to hide their scorched shoulders from the burning sun in the shadow of a rock. How much greater reason have I to boast of my Rock! From his pierced side the fountain of life flows—which pours refreshment into my panting soul. Here I have not only shadow from the heat, but shelter from the storm.

What is firmer than a rock? Winds may rend the cedars of Lebanon, and tear them up by their roots: but here the tempests beat, and are baffled; the billows dash, and are broken; time hovers, and corrodes not the flinty mass. Nevertheless, rocks are not armor against every invasion from destruction and ruin. For see, the enraged thunders rend their towering tops, and angry earthquakes toss them from their seats, while the earth beneath opens fearfully, and hides the ponderous heaps. But my Rock shall stand fast forever, when the foundations of the earth are moved, and the pillars of heaven tremble! There shall I be safe, when the hail shall sweep away the refuges of lies; yes, when God shall rain on sinners—snares, fire, and brimstone, in the furious storm of wrath, I shall sing in safety, being an inhabitant of the Rock of ages, from which I never shall be moved!

No wonder, then, that the saint of God shouts for joy, being an inhabitant on high, and having for his place of defense the fortress of rocks. Sometimes, indeed, the blind world is ready to allege, that their rock has abandoned them, and that if God were their God, surely he would intervene for them—when they see martyrs going to execution; some to the gibbet, and others to be drowned in the sea; some to the rack, and others to the fire. But then their divine Comforter invisibly attends them, and he whose form is like the son of God walks with them amidst the fire, and fans away the flame. This is the Rock from which I am filled with honey, the Rock that pours out rivers of oil for me.

Do rocks defend me from blasts, from whatever quarter they blow? So does my Rock. Is the blast from hell? Well, he has the keys of hell and of death. Is it from sin? He is my righteousness. Is it from Satan? He has conquered principalities and powers. Is it from afflictions? He is my sympathizing and

loving High Priest. Is it from losses? He is my exceeding great reward. Is it from crosses? He makes all things work together for good to his people. Is it from anguish? He is my joy. Is it from darkness? He is my Sun. Is it from doubts? He is my Counselor. Is it from deadness? He is my life. Is it from enemies? He is my shield. Is it from temptation? He is my deliverer. Is it from false friends? He will never leave me, nor forsake me. Is it from solitude or banishment? He is everywhere present. Is it from disease? He is my healer. Is it from death? He is the resurrection and the life.

O glorious refuge! O sure defense! O everlasting fortress! Here do I defy the worst that earth and hell can do. Henceforth will I live by faith, in the MAN who is my hiding place from the wind, my shelter from the tempest, my stream of water in a dry place, my shadow of a great rock in a weary land—until every blast has blown over, and not a threatening cloud appears in my sky—until my heaven is beautified with everlasting day, and every storm is swept from the air which I breathe!

"And a MAN shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." (Isaiah 32:2)

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Worship: Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us! ( Hebrews 12 1-3)

2011-11-08T13:26:00.004+10:00

I have had months of struggles as I come to terms with a grief so deep - there have been many trails that I cannot talk about, many things to worry about, things to be afraid of... But more and more I find sanctuary in being with my Lord. These were the thoughts He blessed me with this morning as I was tempted again to be swamped with anxiety and about how to overcome this problem...I was thinking about training my brain to go in the direction it will not naturally go in...it is a bit like the physical training to get fit and ready for a race, isn't it? Both require discipline and self control!

"Contrary to our modern 'christian' thought, worship is not the warm fuzzy 'feeling' one gets when singing a song with your friends to a jaunty tune...rather it is a deliberate act of self control of the mind, to turn ones thoughts to God and to meditate on who He is and what He has done for us. In doing this one immediately sees a failing to love Him as we ought, and one must bow in humble confession. The heart follows the mind in adoration, the soul rejoices and one is physically strengthened to love God in all you do...this is worship....to love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, forsaking the temptation to focus on the worries at hand which crowd out our focus on our precious Lord. No 'AWOLing' in this type of love, spending time with our Emmanuel, using ones brain cannot be avoided, if one is to flee from sin, if one desires righteousness."

Lamentations 3:

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²¹ This I recall to my mind,
      Therefore I have hope.
       ²² Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
      Because His compassions fail not.
       ²³ They are new every morning;
      Great is Your faithfulness.
       ²⁴ “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

      “ Therefore I hope in Him!”
       ²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
      To the soul who seeks Him.
       ²⁶ It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
      For the salvation of the LORD.

Psalm 27

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A Psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation;
         Whom shall I fear?
         The LORD is the strength of my life;
         Of whom shall I be afraid?
² When the wicked came against me
         To eat up my flesh,
         My enemies and foes,
         They stumbled and fell.
³ Though an army may encamp against me,
         My heart shall not fear;
         Though war may rise against me,
         In this I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I have desired of the LORD,
         That will I seek:
         That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
         All the days of my life,
         To behold the beauty of the LORD,
         And to inquire in His temple.
⁵ For in the time of trouble
         He shall hide me in His pavilion;
         In the secret place of His tabernacle
         He shall hide me;
         He shall set me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
         Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
         I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
         Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
⁸ When You said, “Seek My face,”
         My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
⁹ Do not hide Your face from me;
         Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
         You have been my help;
         Do not leave me nor forsake me,
         O God of my salvation.
¹⁰ When my father and my mother forsake me,
         Then the LORD will take care of me.

¹¹ Teach me Your way, O LORD,
         And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
¹² Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
         For false witnesses have risen against me,
         And such as breathe out violence.
¹³ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
         That I would see the goodness of the LORD
         In the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the LORD;
         Be of good courage,
         And He shall strengthen your heart;
         Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Psalm 37

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A Psalm of David.

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
         Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
         And wither as the green herb.

³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
         Trust also in Him,
         And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
         And your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
         Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
         Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
         Do not fret—it only causes harm.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
         But those who wait on the LORD,
         They shall inherit the earth.
¹⁰ For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
         Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
         But it shall be no more.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth,
         And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹² The wicked plots against the just,
         And gnashes at him with his teeth.
¹³ The Lord laughs at him,
         For He sees that his day is coming.
¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword
         And have bent their bow,
         To cast down the poor and needy,
         To slay those who are of upright conduct.
¹⁵ Their sword shall enter their own heart,
         And their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶ A little that a righteous man has
         Is better than the riches 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 upright,
         And their inheritance shall be forever.
¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
         And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
²⁰ But the wicked shall perish;
         And the enemies of the LORD,
         Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
         Into smoke they shall vanish away.

²¹ The wicked borrows and does not repay,
         But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
²² For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
         But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
         And He delights in his way.
²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
         For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old;
         Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
         Nor his descendants begging bread.
²⁶ He is ever merciful, and lends;
         And his descendants are blessed.

²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good;
         And dwell forevermore.
²⁸ For the LORD loves justice,
         And does not forsake His saints;
         They are preserved forever,
         But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land,
         And dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
         And his tongue talks of justice.
³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
         None of his steps shall slide.

³² The wicked watches the righteous,
         And seeks to slay him.
³³ The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
         Nor condemn him when he is judged.

³⁴ Wait on the LORD,
         And keep His way,
         And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
         When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power,
         And spreading himself like a native green tree.
³⁶ Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
         Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
         For the future of that man is peace.
³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
         The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
         He is their strength in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰ And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
         He shall deliver them from the wicked,
         And save them,
         Because they trust in Him.

The King of love my shepherd is

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The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul he leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me
And on his shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spredst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never.
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house forever.

What a kind Friend I have who brings me comfort in the sweetest sweetest of ways!

2011-11-06T18:02:00.000+10:00

This morning I woke up with a tune in my head, and I couldn't remember the words bar the first one! O! What a lovely surprise I got when I found it in my hymn book and how the first two lines enveloped me in comfort! What a kind Friend I have who brings me comfort in the sweetest, sweetest of ways!

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.

Our view of Eternity: Does it spur us on to good works

2011-11-04T09:58:00.000+10:00

Lord Shaftesbury, the great English social reformer of the nineteenth century (1801-1885), is reported to have said on one occasion, "I do not think that in the last forty years I have ever lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord's return."

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me

2011-11-01T19:19:00.000+10:00

Psalm: 138

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

before the gods I sing your praise;

2 I bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,

for you have exalted above all things

your name and your word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me;

my strength of soul you increased.

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,

for they have heard the words of your mouth,

5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

for great is the glory of the Lord.

6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,

but the haughty he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

you preserve my life;

you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,

and your right hand delivers me.

8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Oh Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness...For truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness, These are the offerings to lay on His shrine

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O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
With gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness,
Kneel and adore Him: the Lord is His Name!

Low at His feet lay thy burden of carefulness,
High on His heart He will bear it for thee,
And comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
Guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.

Fear not to enter His courts in the slenderness
Of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine;
For truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
These are the offerings to lay on His shrine.

These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
He will accept for the Name that is dear;
Mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
Trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
With gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness,
Kneel and adore Him: the Lord is His Name!

May the God of endurance and encouragement ....

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Romans 15 1We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.