Nothing Between

This wonderful hymn was spoken of in our sermon today. I just had to post this lovely rendition. Please turn off the music on the sidebar first.

My Grace Is Sufficient

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer by James Smith
"My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Cor 12:9

YOU need look to no other quarter for help, relief, or comfort. Jesus assures you that His grace is sufficient. You are welcome to it. You are exhorted to have it. To be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. It is sufficient to support you under every privation, to help you over every difficulty, to strengthen you for every duty, to mortify every lust, and to fill you with all joy and peace in believing. His grace is almighty, it is free, it is durable, it brings salvation. Look not at difficulties, dangers, or thy own weakness; but look to the free, powerful, and promised grace of Jesus. Go to His throne of grace this morning, on purpose to receive grace for this day; go every day, and whenever you feel weak, timid, or cast down. His grace was found sufficient for Paul, for the martyrs and saints, in the deepest trials, and it will be found sufficient for thee. He says, "I am the Lord thy God; open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Come boldly to the throne of grace, that ye may obtain mercy and find grace to help you in time of need. Every one that asketh receiveth." O Jesus, make good Thy word in me!

Thy strength in weakness is display'd;
My soul this truth can relish now:
A worm upon Thy power is stay'd;
The weaker he, the stronger Thou:
My hope, my joy, is this alone -
My strength is Christ, THE MIGHTY ONE

Count the Cost

So the title of this post is the subject of this morning's sermon. Indeed, we must count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. There are many Scriptures which teach us that we must confess Him, follow Him, deny ourselves, take up our cross, and definitely not be ashamed to own Him. The following words from a hymn come to mind:

Jesus, and shall it ever be, a mortal man ashamed of thee?

Ashamed of thee whom angels praise, Whose glories shine through endless days!

Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend On whom my hopes of heav'n depend!

No; when I blush, be this my shame, That I no more revere His Name.

Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may When I've no guilt to wash away,

No tear to wipe, no good to crave, No fears to quell, no soul to save.

~ Joseph Grigg, 1765

Beautiful Savior

Remember to turn off the music on the sidebar. Be blessed and give praise to our beautiful Savior.

Almost Gone

"But as for me--my feet were almost gone! My steps had well near slipped!" Psalm 73:2

Ah, how frequently have I been almost gone! I can call to mind places and times, when I have been in the very mouth of danger, on the brink of a fearful fall--and yet the Lord has held me up! But for 'special keeping'--where would I have been this morning? Andwhat would I have been? Blessed be God, though it was almost--it was not quite. This word, almost, has been sweet to my soul. Almost gone!--but altogether saved, through God's most free, and all-glorious grace!

- James Smith

The Shallowness of Worldly Possessions

The possession of the whole world, and all that it contains, will never make a person happy. Its pleasures are false and deceptive. Its riches, rank, and honors, have no power to satisfy the heart. So long as we have not got them they glitter, sparkle, and seem desirable. The moment we have them we find that they are empty bubbles, and cannot make us feel content. And, worst of all, when we possess this world’s good things, to the utmost bound of our desire, we cannot keep them. Death comes in and separates us from all our property forever. Naked we came upon earth, and naked we go forth, and of all our possessions we can carry nothing with us. Such is the world, which occupies the whole attention of thousands! Such is the world, for the sake of which millions are every year destroying their souls!

~ J.C. Ryle

A Lesson on Contentment

A bishop of the early church who was a remarkable example of contentment was asked his secret. The old man replied, " It consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes. In whatever circumstance I am, I first of all look up to heaven and remember that my principal business here is to get there. I then look down upon the earth, and remember how small a place I shall occupy in it when I die and am buried. I then look abroad in the world and observe what multitudes there are who are in all respects more unhappy than myself. Thus I learn where true happiness is placed, where all our cares must end, and what little reason I have to complain."

~Author Unknown, Borrowed from 15 Minutes with God for Grandma, by Emilie Barnes

Walking With God

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

They that would maintain a holy walk with God, must walk with him in ordinances as well as providences, etc. It is therefore recorded of Zachary and Elizabeth, that `they walked in all God's ordinances, as well as commandments, blameless'. And all rightly informed Christians, will look upon ordinances, not as beggarly elements, but as so many conduit-pipes, whereby the infinitely condescending Jehovah conveys his grace to their souls. They will look upon them as children's bread, and as their highest privileges. Consequently they will be glad when they hear others say, `Come, let us go up to the house of the Lord'. They will delight to visit the place where God's honor dwelleth, and be very eager to embrace all opportunities to show forth the Lord Christ's death till he come.

If you would walk with God, you will associate and keep company with those that do walk with him. `My delight', says holy David, `is in them that do excel' in virtue. They were, in his sight, the excellent ones of the earth. And the primitive Christians, no doubt, kept up their vigor and first love, by continuing in fellowship one with another. The apostle Paul knew this full well, and therefore exhorts the Christians to see to it, that they did not forsake the assembling of themselves together. For how can one be warm alone? And has not the wisest of men told us, that `As iron sharpeneth iron, so doth the countenance of a man his friend?' If we look, therefore, into church history, or make a just observation of our own times, I believe we shall find, that as the power of God prevails, Christian societies, and fellowship meetings prevail proportionably. And as one decays, the other has insensibly decayed and dwindled away at the same time. So necessary is it for those that would walk with God, and keep up the life of religion, to meet together as they have opportunity, in order to provoke one another to love and good works.

George Whitefield

Charity Never Fails

1 Corinthians 13:8, "Charity never faileth."

Nothing is more valuable and commendable, and yet, not one duty is less practiced, than that of charity. We often pretend concern and pity for the misery and distress of our fellow-creatures, but yet we seldom commiserate their condition so much as to relieve them according to our abilities; but unless we assist them with what they may stand in need of, for the body, as well as for the soul, all our wishes are no more than words of no value or regard, and are not to be esteemed or regarded: for when we hear of any deplorable circumstance, in which our fellow-creatures are involved, be they friends or enemies; it is our duty, as Christians, to assist them to the utmost of our power.

Geroge Whitefield
from the sermon "The great duty of charity recommeded"

True Worship

It is not your worshipping God by words in hymns and prayers, or sitting in a certain place, or covering your faces at certain times that is acceptable to him; true worship lies in your heart paying reverence to him, your soul obeying him, and your inner nature coming into conformity to his own nature, by the work of his Spirit in your soul; and because men can scarcely get the idea of this till the Holy Spirit gives it to them, this is a reason why it is so rare, so exceedingly rare.

Charles Spurgeon