Because He lives, just for my precious Jessica

Make me a captive, Lord. By George Matheson, 1842 - 1906

1. Make me a captive, Lord.
   And then I shall be free;
   Force me to render up my sword,
   And I shall conq'ror be.
   I sink in life's alarms
   When by myself I stand,
   Imprison me within Thine arms,
   And strong shall be my hand.
2. My heart is weak and poor
   Until it master find:
   It has no spring of action sure,
   It varies with the wind;
   It cannot freely move
   Till Thou hast wrought its chain;
   Enslave it with Thy matchless love,
   And deathless it shall reign.
3. My power is faint and low
   Till I have learned to serve:
   It wants the needed fire to glow,
   It wants the breeze to nerve;
   It cannot drive the world
   Until itself be driven;
   Its flag can only be unfurled
   When Thou shalt breathe from heaven.
4. My will is not my own
   Till Thou hast made it Thine;
   If it would reach the monarch's throne
   It must its crown resign;
   It only stands unbent
   Amid the clashing strife,
   When on Thy bosom it has leant,
   And found in Thee its life.

Source (you can hear the music hear too): http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/422#ixzz230U7Icim
or you can use this tune

When peace like a river and how great thou art

Why? Understanding the Sovereignty of God

John Piper on 'why suffering?':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwu272eeyOY&feature=player_detailpage

Voddie Buchman on the sovereignty of God:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPuBb1wUnoI

Penitence, a Puritan Prayer from the “Valley Of Vision” , edited by Arthur Bennet, Banner of Truth

Penitence

O Lord Of Grace,

I have been hasty and short in private prayer,

O quicken my conscience to feel this folly,

to bewail this ingratitude;

 

My first sin of the day leads into others,

and it is just that thou shouldst withdraw

thy presence

from one who waited carelessly on thee.

Keep me at all times from robbing thee,

and from depriving my soul of thy due worship;

Let me never forget

that I have an eternal duty to love, honour

and obey thee,

that thou art infinitely worthy of such;

that if I fail to glorify thee

I am guilty of infinite evil that merits infinite

punishment,

for sin is the violation of an infinite obligation.

O forgive me if I have dishonoured thee,

Melt my heart, heal my backslidings,

and open an intercourse of love.

When the fire of thy compassion warms my

inward man,

And the outpourings of thy Spirit fill my soul,

then I feelingly wonder at my own depravity,

and deeply abhor myself;

then thy grace is a powerful incentive

to repentance,

and an irresistible motive to inward holiness.

May I never forget that thou hast my heart

in thy hands.

Apply to it the merits of Christ’s atoning blood

whenever I sin.

Let thy mercies draw me to thyself.

Wean me from all evil, mortify me to the world,

and make me ready for my departure hence

animated by the humiliations of penitential love.

My soul is often a chariot without wheels,

clogged and hindered in sin’s miry clay;

Mount it on eagle’s wings

and cause it to soar upward to thyself.

Your good things are all yet to come!

(From Grace Gems)(J.C. Ryle)
"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God!" Hebrews 12:1-2

We must run with perseverance--or we shall never obtain. There may be many things we cannot understand, much that the flesh could perhaps wish otherwise--but let us endure unto the end, and all shall be made clear, and God's arrangements shall be proved best. Think not to have your reward on earth--do not draw back, because your good things are all yet to come.
Today is the cross--but tomorrow is the crown.
Today is the labor--but tomorrow are the wages.
Today is the sowing--but tomorrow is the harvest.
Today is the battle--but tomorrow is the rest.
Today is the weeping--but tomorrow is the joy.

And what is today, when compared to tomorrow?
Today is but seventy years--but tomorrow is eternity!

"Run in such a way as to get the prize!" 1 Corinthians 9:24

Grace Gem's on the Sovereignty of God again.

The hand of God is in every trial, trouble, and disappointment

(James Smith)

Your trials, though many, painful, and tedious--are but proofs of your heavenly Father's love! They are sent in mercy--to convince you that this poor world is not your rest.
Your Father's wisdom chose them,
His love sent them, and
His mercy will sanctify them to you!

Tried believer--are you looking to Jesus? He can hush the storm, and still the tempest. He is always near in trouble. Is your eye fixed upon Him? Does your heart repose on His tender love and faithful Word?

Do you recognize your heavenly Father's hand in your trials? His hand is in them, whether you see it or not. He sends, bounds, and removes them--as He wisely desires. And it has often comforted the saint to realize that the hand of God is in every trial, trouble, and disappointment.

Do you sweetly acquiescence in God's will, in faith that whatever He permits in our life, is right and best for you?

"He is the LORD; let Him do what is good in His eyes!" 1 Samuel 3:18

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We have published another 2 page article by James Smith, "The Invitation to the Beloved".