The Character of God:

Oh the depth and beauty of God! So seldom do we fully see - too busy with 'life'; too earth bound and finite are we. How good sometimes to be stopped in our tracks by suffering in order that God would have us to take a good long look at 'who God is' and to bring us to worship God as we ought!
 
The 10 commandments reflect the character of God! This is the best book on the ten commandments!
http://www.tabernaclebookshop.org/god-s-rules-for-holiness-9781870855372.html

The passages on love in the Bible likewise reflect the character of God in all His perfection, here are the best sermons I have heard on the love of God.
http://bbcq.org/sermons.php and scroll down to the following series:Love - The Heart of God - [Pastor Troy D. Cane] ; starting 9 May 2010

Is your Christianity a 'cultural Christianity' that is worth nothing?

By Al Martin:
http://bbcq.org/articles/article01.php
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=22811120120
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1221111334111
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=8910131783 
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=826101220466
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=92911115411

By Paul Washer:

http://media.sermonaudio.com/mediapdf/52906154239.pdf
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=52906154239

February: Science experiments, puppies and garden tucker

He Makes No Mistakes

My Father's way may twist and turn, 
My heart may throb and ache. 
But in my soul I'm glad I know, 
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray. 
My hopes may fade away, 
But still I'll trust my Lord to lead, 
For He doth know the way.

Tho' night be dark and it may seem, 
That day with never break; 
I'll pin my faith, my all in Him, 
He maketh no mistake.

There's so much now I cannot see, 
My eyesight far too dim; 
But come what may I'll simply trust, 
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift, 
And plain it all He'll make, 
Through all the way, tho' dark to me, 
He made not one mistake. 

― A.M. Overton

Will you do this for me?

http://urbanservant.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/gentle-reminder.html

God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered

Spurgeons - Morning, February 18

   "Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me."       Job 10:2

   Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces.

   There are some of thy graces which would never be discovered if it were

   not for thy trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so

   grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too often like a

   glow-worm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of

   surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star--not to be seen in the

   sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of

   adversity. Afflictions are often the black foils in which God doth set

   the jewels of his children's graces, to make them shine the better. It

   was but a little while ago that on thy knees thou wast saying, "Lord, I

   fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith." Was not this

   really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials?--for how

   canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised?

   Depend upon it, God often sends us trials that our graces may be

   discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides,

   it is not merely discovery, real growth in grace is the result of

   sanctified trials. God often takes away our comforts and our privileges

   in order to make us better Christians. He trains his soldiers, not in

   tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to

   forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams,

   and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long mile

   with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. Well, Christian, may not

   this account for the troubles through which thou art passing? Is not

   the Lord bringing out your graces, and making them grow? Is not this

   the reason why he is contending with you?

   "Trials make the promise sweet;

   Trials give new life to prayer;

   Trials bring me to his feet,

   Lay me low, and keep me there."

     __________________________________________________________________

“Ah. Lord God! Behold you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you”.   “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?”  Jeremiah 32:17,27.

Growing worse?

by John Angell James

 One of the last lessons we effectually learn, is

 that true godliness is a constant conflict in a

 believer's heart—between sin and holiness.

 Some sincere believers mistake a clearer view, and

 deeper sense of their depravity, for an actual increase

 of sin. The Christian seems sometimes to himself, to

 be growing worse, when actually it is only that he

 sees more clearly what in fact he really is!

 In the early stages of our Christian life, we have

 usually but a slender acquaintance with the evil

 of our sinfulness, and the depravity of our heart.

 The mind is so much taken up with pardon and

 eternal life, that it is but imperfectly acquainted

 with those depths of deceit and wickedness,

 which lie hidden in itself.

 At first we seem to feel as if the serpent were killed.

 But we soon find that he was only asleep—for by the

 warmth of some fiery temptation, he is revived and

 hisses at us again!

 Nothing astonishes an inexperienced believer more

 than the discoveries he is continually making of the

 evils of his heart. Corruptions which he never dreamt to

 be in him, are brought out by some new circumstances.

 It is like turning up the soil, which brings out worms

 and insects, which did not appear upon the surface.

 Or to vary the illustration, his increasing knowledge

 of God's holy nature, of the perfect law, and the

 example of Christ—is like opening the shutters, and

letting light into a dark room, the filth of which,

 the inhabitant did not see until the sunbeams

 disclosed it to him.

**********

In what do you boast?

(from Grace Gems.) 
Looking firmly at the cross of Christ!

(J.C. Ryle, "The Cross of Christ!")

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!" Galatians 6:14

Look at the cross, think of the cross, meditate on the cross--and then go and set your affections on the world if you can!

I believe that holiness is nowhere learned so well as on Calvary.

I believe you cannot look much at the cross--without feeling your will sanctified, and your tastes made more spiritual.

As the sun gazed upon makes everything else look dark and dim--so does the cross darken the false splendor of this world. As the taste of honey makes all other things seem to have no taste at all--so does the cross seen by faith, take all the sweetness out of the pleasures of the world.

Keep on, everyday, looking firmly at the cross of Christ!
 
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