Christ Exalted

"In this also Christ appeared gloriously above the guilt of men. For he offered a sacrifice that was sufficient to do away all the guilt of the whole world. Though the guilt of man was like the great mountains, whose heads are lifted up to the heavens; yet his dying love, and his merits, appeared as a mighty deluge that overflowed the highest mountains, or like a boundless ocean that swallows them up, or like an immense fountain of light that with the fullness and redundancy of its brightness, swallows up men’s greatest sins, as little motes are swallowed up and hidden in the disk of the sun.

"In this Christ appeared above all the corruption of man, in that hereby he purchased holiness for the chief of sinners. And Christ in undergoing such extreme affliction, got the victory over all misery; and laid a foundation for its being utterly abolished, with respect to his elect. In dying he became the plague and destruction of death. When death slew him, it slew itself. For Christ, through death, destroyed him that had the power of death, even the devil (Heb. 2:14). By this he laid the foundation of the glorious resurrection of all his people to an immortal life."

~ From "Christ Exalted" by Jonathan Edwards 

Hallelujah. Meditate on this during this holy weekend.

My Jewels

"Shall I hold them back--my jewels?

Time has traveled many a day

Since I laid them by forever,

Safely locking them away;

And I thought them yielded wholly,

When I dared no longer wear

Gems contrasting, oh, so sadly!

With the adorning I would wear.

"Shall I keep them still--my jewels?

Shall I, can I, yet withhold

From that living, loving Saviour

Aught of silver or of gold?

Gold so needed, that His gospel

May resound from sea to sea;

Can I know Christ's service lacketh

Yet forget His 'unto Me?'

"No; I lay them down--my jewels,

Truly on the altar now

Stay! I see a vision passing

Of a gem-encircled brow.

Heavenly treasure worn by Jesus,

Souls won through my gift outpoured;

Freely, gladly I will offer

Jewels thus to crown my Lord."

~ From Woman's Work.

(copied from Kept for the Master's Use, 

Frances R. Havergal

Katy the Young Bride

I enjoyed  Elisabeth Elliot's radio broadcast "Gateway to Joy" and have a few of the transcripts bookmarked on my computer, most connected with some of her readings from the book Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. The reading on one particular day was from some of the thoughts Katy had when she was first married. Or may I say struggles Katy had. Katy was married on January 16, 1837, the day after her birthday. Her wedding day reflections were pretty good ones, I rather think:

"Yesterday was my birthday and today is my wedding day. We meant to celebrate the one with the other, but Sunday would come this year on the 15th! I am dressed and have turned everybody out of this room, where I have suffered so much mortification and experienced so much joy, that before I give myself to Earnest and before I leave home forever, I may once more give away myself to God. I have been much too absorbed in my earthly love and am shocked to find how it fills my thoughts, but I do want to belong to God. I will begin my married life in His fear, depending on Him to make me an unselfish, devoted wife."

But then, after having been back from the honeymoon for just a short while, we see a regression. On February 16th she writes:

"Our honeymoon ends today. There hasn't been quite as much honey in it as I expected. I supposed that Earnest would be home every evening at least, and that he would read aloud and have me play and sing and that we should have delightful times together. But now he has got me, he seems satisfied and goes about his business as if he had been married 100 years. "

After some more unfortunate reflections and a less than pleasant confrontation with her new husband, she wrote this on February 17th:

"February 17. Mrs. Embury has been here today. I longed to compare notes with her and find out whether it really is my fault that I'm not quite happy, but I could not bear to open my heart to her on so sacred a subject. We had some general conversation, however, which did me good for the time at least. She said she thought one of the first lessons a wife should learn is self-forgetfulness. I should like to know if there is any reason on earth why a woman should learn self-forgetfulness, that does not apply to a man."  

Mrs. Elliot made some good points on this that I wanted to pass on. Quoting Colossians 3:12-21, she mentions that as a good passage for parents to pass on to their children who are leaving home to be married: "And for a recipe for a happy marriage and a peaceful home, a passage that I often give to young couples when they are getting married is in Colossians 3. If any couple would take this passage for their rule of life, I don't think there would ever be a divorce."

You know, I would agree with Mrs. Elliot. And I do believe Katy learned this as the years went by. And one many of us continue to learn.

Focus John 3:16

(Photo by Olga Novikova)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

"A more wonderful verse in the Bible cannot be found." ~ J.C. Ryle

And last evening's sermon was focused squarely on this wonderful verse, which indeed I would agree, Mr. Ryle, there is none more so. The young man who often comes to share the Word with us, came again to minister and as he never fails to give us solid food for the soul, this sermon was no exception. He had four points, and we were fed:

1. The Fountain of Love is God
Here he talked about the love of God in all of its beauty and wonder. 

2. The Flow of His Love Directed Toward the World
 Here he talked about what is meant by “the world”  and after much discussion he settled on the fact that God’s love in this instance is directed towards all nations, not just the Jews. Both Jews and Gentiles are included.

3. The Fact of God’s Love
He gave His Son, the One with whom He had the most special and unique relationship. He gave Him to die. He gave Him to die for sinners. He gave Him who also was divine like Himself to die a cruel death on the cross for the sins of others.

4. The Fruit of His Love
Whoever will, whoever believes in His Son and what He accomplished there on the cross won’t have to perish. They can have eternal life. They can be saved from the wrath to come.

This is the essence of the gospel. It’s difficult for a child of God like me not to be refreshed and encouraged hearing the precious gospel laid out before me once again. And indeed I was refreshed and encouraged. Ready to press on in the faith. Only seeing Jesus before me does that.

If you’ve happened to stop by this blog and read this post I hope it makes you think. You may have seen references to John 3:16 before. Are you included in the “whosoever?” If not, or if you’re not sure, I implore you to find a Bible and read this verse and pray for God to reveal Himself to you and to save you. Read the entire third chapter of the Book of John. Indeed it would be even better if you read the whole Book of John and then go on from there, praying for God’s help all the while. And may He use this to give you the salvation that’s been talked about here.

I Will Wait Upon the Lord

Believers daily Remembrance - james smith
"I will wait upon the Lord." Isa 8:17

THE Lord hath concealed His face, His favour could not be discovered, but marks of displeasure appeared; yet the church determines not to despond or yield to fear, but to wait upon the Lord who was hiding Himself from the house of Israel, and to look for Him. It is a great trial to a real believer for his God to hide His face: but it is still his privilege to wait daily at His gates, and to watch at the post of His doors, persuaded that He will turn again and display His forgiving love. We must not give up hope, nor abandon the Lord's ways, nor restrain prayer before Him; but we must wait in faith, believing His word—in expectation, trusting His faithfulness. Nothing should be allowed to weaken our faith in God's word, or drive our souls from His throne. He waits for the fittest time to be gracious; and we should wait His time to be comforted, or delivered. Wait on the Lord and KEEP HIS WAY. Wait as a servant for his master's return—as a child for his father's blessing; as a bride for the tokens of her bridegroom's love. He says, "Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that watcheth."

Still nigh me, O my Saviour, stand,
And guard in fierce temptations's hour;
Hide in the hollow of Thy hand,
Show forth in me Thy saving power,
Still be Thine arm my sure defence,
Nor earth nor hell shall pluck me thence

Success

So how do you define success?

If you were an actress, you may define it in terms of getting a big part and becoming "famous." If you were a businessman you may define it in terms of huge profits. If you were a baseball team, you may define it in terms of winning the World Series. But if you have the heart of a missionary, you define it in terms of seeing a group of people whom you've been ministering to, gathered around an open Bible praying to the one true God.

Such is the case of a young man who came to preach the Word yesterday and give a presentation to our church of his hopes and dreams to serve God in the "uttermost parts of the world." He and his wife and two small children will be leaving to go to live in a place that not many folks go to for vacation. In April, they're moving to Papua, New Guinea. Why are they going to this remote part of the world and leaving the comforts of America? Why to preach the gospel there; to try to reach the unreached, that's why.

As he said in his sermon yesterday, the Triune God will accomplish the task of Missions. It's guaranteed. How exactly this will work out in this young man's life  and ministry we can't know yet. But I certainly will be praying for his family and certainly do wish him success.

The Measure of Days and Years

 

(Photo by letoirina)

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4

"The Holy Ghost expresseth himself according to the manner of men, to give us some notion of an infinite duration, by a resemblance suited to our capacity. If a thousand years be but a day to the life of God, then as a year is to the life of man, so are three hundred and sixty-five thousand years to the life of God: and as seventy years are to the life of man, so are twenty-five millions five hundred fifty thousand years to the life of God. Yet still, since there is no proportion between time and eternity, we must dart our thoughts beyond all these, for years and days measure only the duration of created things, and of those only that are material and corporeal, subject to the motion of the heavens, which makes days and years."

~ Stephen Charnock

As the Lord has been our stay for 2012, may He again be so for 2013. Have a blessed and Christ-filled New Year.

He Will Yet Deliver Us

Believers daily Remembrance - james smith
"He will yet deliver us." 2 Cor 1:10

HOW many times has our God delivered us, from how many dangers, in how many ways; and He who hath delivered, doth deliver, and in Him we trust that He will yet deliver us. He delivered us from spiritual death, by the operations of His Holy Spirit, and from eternal death, by the sacrifice of His Son. We were dead, but we are now alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord; and He who delivered from the greatest evil, spiritual death, will not refuse to deliver us from any lesser danger. Let us trust in Him, rely upon Him, and expect Him to deliver. It is written, " Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." He knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation. Let us triumph with Paul, "The Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion; and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." If He had not intended to carry on the work, He would not have begun it, for He well knew what opposition it would meet with: but He that began will perfect it in the day of Jesus Christ.

Yet I must fight, if I would reign:
Increase my courage, Lord!
I'II bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy word.

He'll Keep Us

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. John 17:15

Painting by Stanley M. Brice

If we have any hope that we are Christ's true disciples, let us be satisfied that Christ knows better than we do what is for our good. Let us leave "our times in His hand," and be content to abide here patiently as long as He pleases, however hard our position, so long as He keeps us from evil. That He will so keep us we need not doubt, if we ask Him, because He prays that we may be "kept." Nothing, we may be sure, glorifies grace so much as to live like Daniel in Babylon, and the saints in Nero's household, -- in the world and yet not of the world, --tempted on every side and yet conquerors of temptation, not taken out of the reach of evil and yet kept and preserved from it's power. ~ J.C. Ryle

Enter Into His Gates

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving" . . . So long as we are receivers of mercy we must be givers of thanks. Mercy permits us to enter his gates; let us praise that mercy.  

"And into his courts with praise." Into whatever court of the Lord you may enter, let your admission be the subject of praise: thanks be to God, the innermost court is now open to believers, and we enter into that which is within the veil; it is incumbent upon us that we acknowledge the high privilege by our songs.

"Be thankful unto him." Let the praise be in your heart as well as on your tongue, and let it all be for him to whom it all belongs.

"And bless his name." He blessed you, bless him in return; bless his name, his character, his person. Whatever he does, be sure that you bless him for it; bless him when he takes away as well as when he gives; bless him as long as you live, under all circumstances; bless him in all his attributes, from whatever point of view you consider him.

~ From The Treasury of David, Charles Spurgeon