But By My Spirit
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July 16, 2010
Jesus told his disciples that they would be better off when he left, because then they would benefit from the presence of the Holy Spirit. We cannot overestimate this gift."I can do it myself." Face it, those words represent our human default setting. Self-dependency is natural, optomistic, and deceptive. It always promises more than it can deliver.
God's solution is the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, and empowers us to live in a fashion after God himself. And when we fit in with the Spirit and walk in step with him, wonders happen, and God is glorified.
F. B. Meyer in a book on Isaiah has a chapter on prayer titled ASKING AND COMMANDING. He concludes:
All the resources of God dwell bodily in the risen and glorified Lord. They are imparted to us through the communion of the Holy Spirit, who goes between the unsearachable riches of Christ and our poverty; bringing the one to the other, as the ocean brings the wealth of the world up to the wharves (a pulley or flywheel) of London or New York.
We have then to deal with the Holy Spirit, to study the methods of his operation - what hinders or helps, what accelerates or retards.
Obey Him, and He pours such mighty energy into and through the spirit, that men are amazed at the pridigality (extravagant wastefulness) of its supply.
Resist or thwart Him, and He retires from the spirit, leaving it to struggle as best it may with its difficulties and trials.
Meyer concludes by pointing out that in the proportion by which we are able to be under the authority of the Commander-In-Chief, to that degree we will have the earthly authority to "say to this and the other resources, "Go," or "Come," or "Do this!"
God will be able to trust us, and answer our prayers, as we lay before him our concerns regarding his sons and the work of his hands, and what we long to see Him do.
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When God Comes Close
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May 19, 2010
Jacob had his dream, and knew that God had been there. Jonathan Edwards had that afternoon in the woods, as God poured out his love profoundly and personally. Paul had an experience with God that he could not put into words. And they were changed.A pastor in Scotland for the latter part of the 19th Century, Matheson's eyesight gradually declined to the point of blindness, but thanks to the help of his sisters, he excelled, and armed with an exceptional ability to memorize, he maintained a successful and fruitful ministry from the pulpit. Often those who heard him preach for the first time did not even realize that he was blind.
From Matheson's own recollection, we are told how O LOVE THAT WILT NOT LET ME GO was born.
My hymn was composed in the manse of Argyleshire, Scotland on the evening of the 6th of June, 1882, when I was 40 years of age. I was alone in the manse at that time. It was the night of my sister’s marriage, and the rest of the family were staying over night in Glasgow.
Some thing happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some in ward voice rather than of working it out myself.
I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high.
O Love that wilt 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.
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"YES SIR!! RIGHT AWAY SIR!!"
May 18, 2010
There are no "reserve soldiers" in the Kingdom of God. We are all on the front lines, battle ready, armed to the teeth with the armor of God.
Of Whom This World Was Not Worthy
July 20, 2009
In Hebrews 11, the reader is overwhelmed with a heritage of the faithful. They are many and varied. And history testifies that this glorious train of believers is ongoing, and magnificent. It will take all of history to tell the full story.
What Really Matters
July 11, 2009
On the surface, this world seems promising. But as wonderful as it is, it can't compare with knowing Christ, and the living water he supplies that quenches any and every thirst.
We Tremble Not For Him
June 28, 2009
In the first chapter of Job we see Satan with easy access to Almighty God. They converse, even. And Job's welfare is the subject. Not surprisingly, Francis Quarles (1592-1644) is bothered by this, and seeks resolution in a poem.
All That Glitters....
May 29, 2009
Would it be fair to say that luxury involves something very pleasant but not really needed in life? And when we pursue luxury, are we doing damage to ourselves? Is the process itself like playing with fire? C. S. Lewis thinks so.
The Ass's Ears Of The Old Adam
February 9, 2009
How often do we pray, stopping "short of the "finish line"? The woman in Luke 18 is commended for her persistence. Consider the story of a missionary to India, one Samuel Hebich.
Thank God For Lancelot Andrewes
February 6, 2009
Who? In the 1500's in England, Lancelot Andrewes compiled for his own use "Private Prayers," which formed the structure he used to poured out his heart to God. Why reinvent the wheel? How might his "method" help us in the 21st Century?
Is It Well With Your Soul?
February 2, 2009
You can't see it. There is no "proof" it exists, but the soul cannot be overestimated or over valued. Even if we gain the whole world, we cannot do so at the risk of harming our soul.
Overheard From The Closet
January 28, 2009
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
History In The Making
January 28, 2009
“Prayer is a grand cement, and lack of prayer is like withdrawing the force of gravitation from a mass of matter, and scattering it into so many separate atoms.” C. H. Spurgeon
If The Lord Had Not Been On Our Side
January 20, 2009
Life is more fragile than we realize. Our very existence hangs by a thread. But unless God wants that thread to break for some reason, we are perfectly safe. And if it snaps by his will, he is ready to catch us. The saints of God are secure in Him.
The Only Authentic Truth Syrum
December 25, 2008
Your truth, my truth. That doesn't work very well, does it. God has a truth, and it is the word of God, scripture, the Bible, the holy book. No matter what you call it, it is his word to us. And we need it now more than ever.
Deep Waters
November 18, 2008
Our God is in the rescue business. He delivers, he saves. And not only that. The very trials we face are the testings we need to become strong, eventually producing eternal results
"And In This Corner..."
November 17, 2008
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. Samuel Chadwick
Faith And Real Life
November 16, 2008
"Keep a stiff upper lip," we're told. Buck up. Life is capable of throwing a withering sequence of blows at us, bringing even the strongest to their knees - literally. For if our hope is in God, our future is very bright, no matter how grim the present.
Making A Difference
November 13, 2008
We all want our lives to matter, to count for something. How can we be sure we are not throwing our life away? What will count for eternity? This much we know. Giving ourselves to Kingdom of God work is never wasted effort.
A Pastor After God's Own Heart
October 22, 2008
The shift from pastor as shepherd to pastor as CEO has had devastating effects on the "sheep." They've wandered off. So what are the pastoral basics again, and how do we become "retro?"
The Company We Keep
October 10, 2008
You've heard the phrase "in the world, but not of the world." How do we associate with unbelievers, without being molded by their perspective on life, and losing our zeal and spiritual fervor?
The Best Time Of The Day
October 8, 2008
Most of us struggle to have a quiet time at all, so to argue for the early morning hours as "most desirable" seems a bit unfair. What secret did Jesus know that we need to rediscover?
Examine Yourself
October 4, 2008
Man is so prone to sinful ways, that without maintaining a constant strict watch over himself, no other can be expected than, that he will walk in some way of sin. Jonathan Edwards
Comfort and the Plan of God
July 11, 2008
The kingdom of this world is becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. But that battle is "no holds barred" - it's nasty, and believers can get caught up in some pretty uncomfortable moments in the process.
Life's Wear And Tear
July 8, 2008
"I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:16
God and Ishmael - The Jury Is Out
July 5, 2008
God has great plans for Jesus. Namely, He has been exalted to the highest place, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11