Apr 23
30
Every sinner that God saves has to come out of his hiding place and become real before God. You just can’t run the aisle, dedicate your life, and think you will get to Heaven on that. God doesn’t do business that way with a sinner. There are many covers a sinner will run to and try to hide under—religious ceremonies, baptism, decisions, professions, promises, and the sad fact is he sticks to these things like glue. Unless God himself comes where you are and makes known to your heart what YOU are and what HE is, you will continue running, and hiding and holding fast to your hiding place and miss Christ who is salvation. Why don’t you quit waving your fig leaves in God’s face and renounce your righteousness and receive HIM.
Scott Richardson
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His grasp? Ah, what a mercy it is that it is not YOUR hold of Christ that saves you, but HIS hold of you! What a sweet fact that it is not how you grasp His hand, but His grasp of yours that saves you. -Spurgeon |
Cry Unto the Lord
One mark of God’s children is they cry to the Lord. Here are just two examples. “Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.” (Psalm 27:7) “LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.” (Psalm 141:1)
Recently I was able to spend some time with my newborn grandson. In that time, I was reminded how babies cry. As I saw my grandson cry, it occurred to me that the way he was crying is the very way I should cry unto the Lord. My grandson cried when he needed something or something hurt him. I noticed that he never one time made a suggestion to his parents as to how they could fix his problem. He just cried and depended on his parents or grandparents to fix what ailed him.
I want to cry to the Lord just that way. I desire child-like faith that will enable to me cry unto my heavenly Father in complete dependence on Him. I wish I would never again make suggestions as to how the Lord could help me. I desire to cry to the Lord and wait on Him in His love and wisdom to do what is best and right for me. ~Frank Tate
“Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me: it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my hand.”
Ps. 141:5
When I read this, I asked myself this question: Is this my prayer? Or would I be offended? If I would be offended by the correction of the righteous, I am a great fool filled with pride, and I miss out on a valuable blessing I would have otherwise had. “Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee.” If I fail to love a man for a needful rebuke, I prove myself unwise! Oh for the humility to receive a rebuke with thankfulness! ~Todd Nibert
Before we can worship God in peace of conscience and liberty of heart, we must know, upon authority of God’s Word and by the power of God’s Spirit, that the entire question of sin has been forever settled by the blood of a divine sin offering. All of God’s claims and all our necessities as ruined, guilty sinners have been forever answered. This gives us peace; and in the enjoyment of that peace, we worship God. We have a perfect Sacrifice, and a perfect conscience.
~Henry Mahan (1926-2019)
His sheep feed in the midst of wolves!
(Letters of John Newton)
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my Shepherd! This is a comprehensive word. The
sheep can do nothing for themselves. The Shepherd must guide, guard, feed, heal
and recover. It is well for us that our Shepherd is the Lord
Almighty! If His power, care, compassion and fullness were not infinite the
poor sheep would be forsaken, starved and die! But we have a Shepherd full of
care, full of kindness, full of power, who has said, “I will search for My
lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will
bind up the injured and strengthen the weak!” Ezekiel 34:16. How tender
are these expressions, and how well fulfilled! His sheep feed in the
midst of wolves yet are safely preserved; for, though they cannot see
Him His eye and His heart are ever upon them!
Which of God’s children have not cause to say, “My soul is
among lions!” But our Shepherd stops their mouths, or only
permits them to gape and roar, and show their teeth. He does not allow them to
bite and tear us at their will. Let us trust our Shepherd and all shall be well.
As to daily occurrences, it is best to trust that a daily portion of comforts and crosses each
one the most suitable to our case is adjusted and appointed by the hand
which was once nailed to the cross for us! We must trust, that where
the path of duty and prudence leads us that there is the best situation we
could possibly be in, at that time.
Engraved!
(John MacDuff, 1874)
“Can a woman forget the suckling child that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? Yeah, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee!
behold! I have engraved thee on the palms of My hands; Isaiah
49:15-16
Behold, I have engraved thee on the palms of My hands!”
Not on the mountains, as colossal as they are, for they shall
depart;
not on any page of nature’s vast volume, for the last fires shall scorch them;
not on blazing sun, for it shall grow dim with age;
not on glorious heavens, for they shall be folded together as a scroll.
But on . . .
the hand which made the worlds,
the hand which was transfixed on the cruel cross,
the hand of infinite might and unmeasurable love;
I have engraved you there! No corroding power can efface the writing, or
obliterate your name!
You are Mine now, and Mine forever!
“Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name; thou
art Mine!” Isaiah 43:1
The Lord preserves His people
(Letters of John Newton)
March 1, 1769
Dear madam,
Through grace, I can say, that, as I never saw more of my own vileness —
so I never saw Jesus more precious and desirable; or was more clearly sensible
of the vanity of everything without Him, than I have of late. “None
but Jesus!” is my motto. All wisdom, righteousness, holiness and
happiness, which does not spring from and centre in Him — I renounce!
The heart is deceitful,
the world is ensnaring,
the enemy is subtle and powerful.
But we know Him who has said, “My grace is sufficient for you!” He is
able to keep us from falling, in every circumstance and situation to which His
providence calls us.
The Lord preserves His people — by putting His fear in their
hearts, by making them sensible of their dangers, and drawing them to come
boldly to His throne of grace, that they may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in every time of need.
Our daily prayer should be, “Hold me up — and I shall be safe!” Psalm
119:117
I will hold you up with My victorious right hand!
(“Every Day!” Author unknown, 1872)
“Having therefore obtained help of God — I continue until
this day.” Acts 26:22
This is the testimony of the great apostle of the Gentiles. Many were the perils to
which he was exposed, and many were the hardships which he
endured — but he was borne up and carried through them all by the help of God
his Savior.
Just so, He who was the Helper of the great apostle — is the Helper of
the feeblest child in His family, or the weakest
lamb in His flock. He is your Helper, beloved
Christian reader! He who has redeemed you, not with corruptible things, such as
silver and gold, but with His precious blood — will assuredly afford you
seasonable aid. Look then to Him, in the discharge of your daily duties — for
all needful wisdom and strength.
In domestic cares and trials — remember that
your Helper is near.
In every hour of weakness and sorrow — cast
yourself on His sustaining grace.
In the hour of your extremity, when human help avails nothing — then cling to
Him, and listen to Him as He says,
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you!
Do not be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with My victorious right hand!” Isaiah
41:10
May this be your daily prayer, “Hold thou me up — and I shall be safe!” Psalm 119:117
The longer I live, the more I feel that if there were one thing left undone, if the devil were not conquered, sin not expiated, justice not satisfied, the law not honoured and magnified, death not overcome, and every burden not carried, I should not have a ray of hope. I used to think I saw this as clear as the noon day thirty or forty years ago; but I saw it very differently then to what I see now; for I see and feel now that if one hair-breadth is left for me to do to merit heaven, or bring as a plea before God, I am undone for ever and ever. But on the Mount of Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ undertook the cause of His people; and there is not a jot nor a tittle that He left undone, but, “By one offering He perfected for ever them that are sanctified” and “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Here is complete perfection: Saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation.
– John Warburton, 1853
“Thou, Being A Man, Makest Thyself God”
John 10:33
This charge, levelled against our Lord by the Jews, was a fully justified accusation. All that he taught plainly asserted his Godhood. If Jesus Christ is not God, then he fully deserved to be put to death, for he declared to all that he is God. Anyone who denies his eternal Godhead takes sides with the Jews and says, “This man deserves to be crucified!”
The Deity of Christ is not a matter of controversy in God’s church. It is not a matter of speculation, debate, or discussion. No one can be called a christian who questions the fact that Jesus Christ is God. Throughout the Scriptures our Lord Jesus Christ is plainly declared to be God. These are the words of God himself written in the Bible. Each passage quoted is unquestionably referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre” (Psa. 45:6; Cf. Heb. l:8). “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6). “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Isa. 45:22-23; Cf. Rom. 14:10-12). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us” (I John 3:16). Reading these Scriptures in their context, we can draw only one of two conclusions: either Jesus Christ is God, or the Bible is a book of lies!
Jesus Christ is Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, God manifest in the flesh (Matt. 1:22; I Tim. 3:16). He is over all, God blessed forever (Rom. 9:5), the great God and our Savior (Tit. 2:13). Jesus Christ is the living God (Heb. 3:12) and the true God (I John 5:20). All who are born of God look to Christ by faith and confess, with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
Don Fortner