Tag: Quotes

Every one of us must deal with God. Every one of us must, at some time, face God. Every one of us must be prepared to give an account to God. For, as Scripture says, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” or “to whom we must give account.”See AlsoSuch Is the God of the BibleWhat It Takes To Be An Evangelical LeaderA Prayer for Public Worship

It is something we have all observed at one time or another and something we have all wondered about. Why is it that those who seem most likely to come to Christ so often reject him? Why is it that those hear the boldest invitations and who have the greatest opportunities so commonly turn away? Robert Macdonald once pondered this in helpful ways in light of the parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24). In the parable of the Great Supper—designed to set forth the fulness of redemption and the generous freeness with which it is offered—those to whom the servant was first sent might have been thought the worthiest to get the invitation, and the likeliest to accept it. They were the respectable, the industrious, the well-to-do— men who had ground of their own, and oxen of their own. But not one of them would come. Though civil to the servant and respectful, yet with one consent they began to make excuse. Thus the likeliest to come first never came at all, and entirely missed the feast with all its joy. Not succeeding in his first attempt, and with the first class, the servant had to go out a second time,—not an easy thing to do after such previous failure. Fishermen have little heart to cast in the net again, if all the night before has been one of weary and fruitless toil. So this servant, after such discouragements in the beginning, would have but little heart for renewed message-bearing, especially to another and…See AlsoParablesA La Carte (July 30)Book Review – “A Tale of Two Sons” by John MacArthur

God’s plan and God’s expectation is that those who are saved will bear fruit. And not only will they bear fruit, but they will bear fruit quickly and abundantly. Fruitfulness is evidence of both salvation and sanctification. See AlsoShaken to Bear FruitFruitfulness and Usefulness5 Ways Every Christian Grows

It is good to contemplate God’s work in our lives—to contemplate the wonderful reality that we are children of God only because God took the initiative and drew us to himself. F.B. Meyer once considered this in light of Hebrews 7:25 which proclaims that Jesus is “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him.” Here is how Meyer rejoiced in that fact. We draw near because we are drawn. As the sun is ever exerting a drawing power on each planet and each particle of stardust in the solar system, so God is ever attracting us to Himself. To all eternity we shall be ever drawing nearer to Him, though there will be ever an infinite distance to traverse. When Jesus was lifted up on the Cross He began to draw all men unto Himself, and that magnetic attraction has continued through the centuries. There is no reason for us to be afraid of God. He is Love! He is a consuming fire to our sin, but His Nature is essentially lovely. Moses exceedingly feared when he ascended Sinai, amid the trembling of the mountain and the heavy clouds that enclosed the Divine Light. But, as we learn from the 12th chapter of this Epistle, when we approximate to God, we encounter three circles. The innumerable Hosts of Angels, including the Cherubim and Seraphim, with their burning love and purity! The Church of the First-born, the purest and noblest of elect spirits! The Spirits of the Just made perfect, inclusive of our own beloved ones that have passed over.…See AlsoHow To Draw Near To The Throne of GraceWorshipGod06 – Second SessionBook Review – Wasted Faith

There are some hymns that disappear because they are simply not very good. There are some hymns that disappear because they are too tied to a particular niche. And there are some hymns that disappear because their language becomes antiquated. I think this hymn/poem by John Newton spans the latter two categories. It is closely tied to New Year’s, so likely to be sung for only one Sunday out of every 52. And then some of the language has become just a little bit old-fashioned. Still, it is worth dusting off, reading, and pondering as one year fades into another. In it, Newton marks the year that has gone and celebrates the year to come (though possibly not right now)—the year that will prove to be the best of your life. See! another year is gone!Quickly have the seasons passed!This we enter now uponMay to many prove our last.Mercy hitherto has spared,But have mercies been improved?Let us ask, am I preparedShould I be this year removed? Some we now no longer see,Who their mortal race have run;Seemed as fair for life as we,When the former year begun;Some, but who God only knows,Who are here assembled now,Ere the present year shall close,To the stroke of death must bow. Life a field of battle is,Thousands fall within our view;And the next death-bolt that flies,May be sent to me or you:While we preach, and while we hear,Help us, Lord, each one, to think,Vast eternity is near,I am standing on the brink. If from guilt and sin set free,By…See AlsoHymn Stories: How Sweet the Name of Jesus SoundsHymn Stories: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (+ Free Download)Hymn Revival

It is one of the most important habits that any married couple can form. Unfortunately, it is also one of most rare. For a husband and wife to live well together before the Lord, they must pray together. For a couple to honor God in their marriage, they must be as intimate spiritually as they are physically. At times it can be difficult to know what to pray or how to pray. This prayer by George Swinnock is a wonderful model of a prayer a couple can (and perhaps should) pray together. Lord, who are the guide of all relationships, may our marriage befit those married to the Lord Christ. Like Abraham and Sarah, may we be famous for faith; like Isaac and Rebecca, may we live in dearest love; like Zachariah and Elizabeth, may our walk be blameless. May the meditation of each other’s frailty spur us to greater fidelity. May you be our guide, and Scripture our compass. Whatever stony paths we walk on earth, may we enjoy a comforting sunshine from heaven. And since you have tied this knot between us, may we do nothing which might loosen it through angry thoughts or quarrelsome deeds. May our thoughts of each other be sweetened with love; may our words to each other be seasoned with love; and may our actions towards each other be given a relish and savour by love. May love be the strength with which we bear one another’s burdens. May love be the mantle with which we cover one…See AlsoWell-Planned, Hard, Sweat-Inducing Prayer and WorkThe Main Lesson About PrayerTeach Me to Pray!

It can be difficult to make sense of our trials as we endure them. But the Bible always assures us that our difficulties are never purposeless but always in some way purposeful. God is always using them to accomplish something good. This is the theme of this short devotional reflection from my friend Paul Tautges (and drawn from his new book Remade). ❖ The simple gold ring on my left hand is priceless to me. It is my most valuable …

This life is filled with many cares, many concerns, and many anxieties. It is fitting that in our times of trouble we turn to the Lord, the one who is always eager to hear us and to bless us. This prayer from George Swinnock gives words to such prayers. Perhaps it would serve you to make its words your own. You, O God, are all good things and every good thing. You are self-sufficient, alone-sufficient and all-sufficient. Nothing is wanting …

Sometimes we are forced to have conversations that are almost too strange to believe—conversations, for example, in which we insist that there is such a thing as a gender binary. Yet today so many people are convinced that gender is a mere construct of an oppressive culture. Gender, they believe, is a decision we make for ourselves and not one grounded in any biological reality (not to mention any divine design). In his book Does God Care About Gender Identity?, …

The Lord calls many of us to live humble and quiet lives, lives that are lived far more in the mundane than in the spotlight. And truly, even the most exceptional of men and women still spend most of their time in obscurity, laboring in secret, carrying out their tasks far from human eyes. But this does not at all mean that our lives are wasted or that we are failing to meet God’s expectations for us. F.B. Meyer explains well …

I spend a surprising amount of time reading through old hymnals and collections of poetry—rather a strange hobby, I suppose. There is a lot that’s familiar and a lot that’s terrible. Every now and again, though, I come across a poem that is new to me and that I find especially enjoyable. That was the case with this one written by Caroline Noel in honor of her husband. It reflects on the joy they experience in one another and the …

We often marvel at the wonder of God made man—of Jesus coming to earth to inhabit a human body and to live in a world like this. Yet as Theodore Cuyler points out in this short reflection, Jesus is not the only member of the Godhead who has been willing to condescend for the sake of love. We speak a great deal, especially at Christmas time, of the condescension of the eternal Son of God in coming to earth, to …