My Heart Needs Thee, O Lord!

Devotion from George Matheson

My heart needs Thee, O Lord, my heart needs Thee! No part of my being needs Thee like my heart. All else within me can be filled by Thy gifts. My hunger can be satisfied by daily bread. My thirst can be allayed by earthly waters. My cold can be removed by household fires. My weariness can be relieved by outward rest. But no outward thing can make my heart pure. The calmest day will not calm my passions. The fairest scene will not beautify my soul. The richest music will not make harmony within. The breeze can cleanse the air; but no breeze ever cleansed a spirit.

The world has not provided for my heart. It has provided for my eyes; it has provided for my ear; it has provided for my touch; it has provided for my taste; it has provided for my sense of beauty--but it has not provided for my heart. Provide Thou for my heart, O Lord!

It is the only unwinged bird in all creation; give it wings, O Lord! Earth has failed to give it wings; its very power of loving has often dragged it in the mire. Be Thou the strength of my heart. Be Thou its fortress in temptation, its shield in remorse, its covert in the storm, its star in the night, its voice in the solitude! Guide it in its gloom; help it in its heat; direct it in its doubt; calm it in its conflict; fan it in its faintness; prompt it in its perplexity; lead it through its labyrinths; raise it from its ruins! I cannot rule this heart of mine; keep it under the shadow of Thine own wings!

The Life & Power to Follow!

I was reading this devotion today and I realize I ought to include it in today's post for various reasons. If you are a true Christian stucked in a rut never knowing the power of true Christianity, trying to guess whether you are holy or not, wondering why some people seems to talk about things that beyond your understanding. You need to read an Oswald Chambers devotion today with special attention. If you do not feel the Spirit talking to you, then put it aside and keep coming back to it until you are convicted.

The second “follow me” is brutal, it is painful, it is real, it is for all of us Christians and brings power, spirituality, authority and spiritual maturity. In short, it transforms us. It is the narrow gate that separates mediocre Christians strong in lip service and those prepared for heaven’s businesses.

 Once you read it, pray that God would help you see when He brings you to this point of the second follow me through the circumstances in your life, you do not miss out on it. In your prayer ask Him to give you strength and the courage to choose Him inspite of the uncertainties and the pain of choosing to go with Him. Remember, within a few months only Peter was transformed from a man who could not own up to the simple fact that he was his follower before the rooster crowed three times (Mark 14:66-72) to a man with boldness and with no fear for his life after Christ ascended into heaven.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others around you!

In His Agape love,

M.J Andre

The Life of Power to Follow

Jan

05

2013

Jesus answered him, ’Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward’ —John 13:36

“And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ’Follow Me’ ” (John 21:19). Three years earlier Jesus had said, “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), and Peter followed with no hesitation. The irresistible attraction of Jesus was upon him and he did not need the Holy Spirit to help him do it. Later he came to the place where he denied Jesus, and his heart broke. Then he received the Holy Spirit and Jesus said again, “Follow Me” (John 21:19). Now no one is in front of Peter except the Lord Jesus Christ. The first “Follow Me” was nothing mysterious; it was an external following. Jesus is now asking for an internal sacrifice and yielding (see John 21:18).

Between these two times Peter denied Jesus with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75). But then he came completely to the end of himself and all of his self-sufficiency. There was no part of himself he would ever rely on again. In his state of destitution, he was finally ready to receive all that the risen Lord had for him. “. . . He breathed on them, and said to them, ’Receive the Holy Spirit’ ” (John 20:22). No matter what changes God has performed in you, never rely on them. Build only on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Spirit He gives.

All our promises and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to accomplish them. When we come to the end of ourselves, not just mentally but completely, we are able to “receive the Holy Spirit.” “Receive the Holy Spirit “— the idea is that of invasion. There is now only One who directs the course of your life, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Courtesy of http://utmost.org/

The Gifts of Discernment & Wisdom

I know I talk a lot about people in the Church who are not truly Christians and they do not know about it. I decided to write this post to shed some light on the matter because the people that are just dabbling with Christianity and those that are in it for a little corner of heaven tend to feel offended when they hear certain comments. Granted the internet is full of people going on and on about Christ, and they are willing to condemn everyone even the real Christians. They usually hide behind the fact that they are doing it just to defend the faith.

In fact, I can think of someone who has been very popular on the internet for years now. While this person appears knowledgeable to others who are not spiritual, what they do not know about this guy is that he himself has not been saved yet. In fact that is why there is so much rage and zeal in him to accuse everyone of apostasy. While the word Jesus is found everywhere on his site and he uses the word love a lot in his writings you would think that he is working for the real God that we Christians know. But the reality is that he is not. I am aware of his site because I was impressed with him about twelve to thirteen years ago. I have now been a Christian for fifteen years and I can say without fear of repercussions from God that this guy is not a Christian, but he does not know it. Satan knows the Bible by heart and can have lengthy conversations about it too. Demons too, believe, and they have more fear of God in them than some so called Christians.

Throughout my book “Apprehended & Apprehending” I tried to help readers about the type of questions they should honestly be asking themselves in order to examine their walk with God. But for some, I know it will be useless simply because Satan’s bondage can be so blinding that you cannot see what is right under your nose. You cannot see what is obvious to everyone else, even unbelievers have radar to spot those who are not truly Christians. Christ did not quote Mathew 23:15 just to hear Himself talk. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”

This crime Christ accused the Pharisees of, is also our crime today. We go around putting strenuous effort into getting people to come to know Jesus. We have not left one stone unturned just so we can find converts for our churches. Then instead of doing it for God’s glory we do it to satisfy our ego. (Just saying we are doing things for God's glory does not make it so) So we brag about the size of our Church, how it grew under our administration, we pad our resumes as if all these things make us real Christians. But, often what we fail to realize is that this is just the end result of running a business. At the end of the day, we fill the pews and pulpits with people who embrace our sects.

These people reject the true Gospel in favor of living out perverted doctrines. They have no idea what it means to ever be spiritually mature, you talk about things like brokenness, surrender, regeneration, holiness, the victorious life, Godly repentance and so on, they are totally in the dark. Some of the more educated one go about formulating some hypothesis on these subjects but never truly become real Christians. But, blessed be to God for scouting the Churches and single out His chosen ones.

So, when we are living a full Christian life, embracing the whole Bible as being God’s mercy, love and grace it is not difficult for us to decipher who is who. Through God’s grace, as you become Spirit filled mature Christian, you are like  a teacher standing in front of his class, he is able to tell which one knows the subject he is teaching, which one needs help which one is in the wrong class all together, and which one is completely out to lunch.

Sometimes we are able to see these things simply because of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which is discernment and/or wisdom. In my opinion, having those two gifts together is a little bit much for someone who is not in any kind of leadership position in Church business. It can be overwhelming, frustrating, sad, and so many emotions at the same time. These emotions seem to come from the fact that you feel so powerless with the information at your fingertips. But, like all the gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit, they grow with us, and we learn to use them better. Nevertheless, I find what does not go away is the need to sometimes be able to shut it all off and be “average” for a while.

Even if God has provided the gift of wisdom without the gift of discernment, I find with the gift of wisdom alone you can look at people and see right through them. You are able to let go of the shell on the outside and penetrate them deeper. To your mind, the outside looks like clear water. At first, I remember finding it a little bit like invading people’s privacy. But, I realized soon enough even if I close my eyes it does not change anything because you are dealing with the Spirit’s eyes. In fact this gift cannot even be contained by space. With your spiritual eyes, you are seeing with the mind of the Holy Spirit and you can be sure you are seeing what you are seeing for a good reason. I find that no matter how you turn it around, He shows you these things just so that you can see the need of the body of Christ.

I also find that sometimes God blocks Christians that He feels are not my business to see for now and sometimes He also blocks Christian leaders just because He wants to use this person in my life for a little while. Once it is done, it seems that He unblocks everything! The bottom line is that you would be surprised to see as you grow spiritually how the Holy Spirit is not stingy at all.

- IF YOU HAVE TIME -

THE REMAINING OF THIS POST IS ABOUT QUOTES RELATED TO THE POST THAT COULD BE USEFUL

Read what Oswald Chambers said:

A person who has not been born again by the Spirit of God will tell you that the teachings of Jesus are simple. But when he is baptized by the Holy Spirit, he finds that “clouds and darkness surround Him . . . .” When we come into close contact with the teachings of Jesus Christ we have our first realization of this. The only possible way to have full understanding of the teachings of Jesus is through the light of the Spirit of God shining inside us. If we have never had the experience of taking our casual, religious shoes off our casual, religious feet— getting rid of all the excessive informality with which we approach God— it is questionable whether we have ever stood in His presence. The people who are flippant and disrespectful in their approach to God are those who have never been introduced to Jesus Christ.”

Read what J.C Ryle said:

“I think there can be no question that there is an immense difference among those who profess and call themselves Christians. Beyond all dispute, there are always two classes in the outward Church—the class of those who are Christians in name and form only, and the class of those who are Christians in deed and in truth. All were not Israel who were called Israel, and all are not Christians who are called Christians. "In the visible Church," says an article of the Church of England, "the evil be ever mingled with the good."

Read what James Smith said in 1859:

There is much spurious religion in the world. Many pass for Christians—who are not. This fact places professors in solemn circumstances. When there is much counterfeit coin in circulation, people in trade are doubly cautious. They look at the proffered piece carefully, they rub it, ring it, weigh it, and test it in a variety of ways. No one will take base coin—if they know it. Nor will people take what is suspicious without examination.

Friends, have we any religion? If so, are we sure it is the genuine article? Many are deceived, and deceived to the last! The foolish virgins were. The multitudes referred to by Jesus were, when he said, "Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name cast out devils, and in your name have done many wonderful works? Then I will profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me you that work iniquity."

Choosing an Obedient Lifestyle!

Intouch magazine in by Pastor Charles Stanley September 2, 2008

“Choosing an Obedient Lifestyle
Romans 6:16-18

Though God is sovereign and omnipotent, many believers don’t trust Him to guide them. Instead they think about obedience on a case-by-case basis, evaluating how the consequences of various choices might affect their life. But the Lord desires followers whose lifestyle is submissive—in other words, people who've made a deliberate decision to surrender to His will in every circumstance.

When confronted with the idea of absolute submission, many of us are assaulted by anxious thoughts: What if the Lord wants me to do something I can’t? Or, What if I don’t want to do what He asks? We fear we wouldn't have the strength, wisdom, or faith to carry out commands He might give. And we’d be right—if we relied upon our own resources. But if we commit to obedience, God equips us at the right moment to follow where He leads.”

If you noticed on a few occasions in my blog I said to you guys “there is a different Christian life other than the one most of us are accustomed to” The truth is even though I know it is true, but whenever I said those words I always felt uncomfortable because I was always afraid that some Christians would think that I am referring to a different Gospel. My problem was that I could never find the right words to describe what I am living in the Spirit and the life that I come to know as my regular daily life with Him.

I started reading the Bible from Genesis 1 yesterday January 3. As I made it to chapter 3:6, it dawned on me, all of the sudden there was a burst of light and I said out loud, “I got it” “this is what I have been trying to explain”. I realized all the time that I have been saying to you there is a different kind of Christianity in union with Him, the difference really lies in the life of Adam & Eve before their eyes opened and they acquired their own wisdom after their eyes opened. In Genesis 3:6 “the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it”. The only word that did it for me so vividly that I could grasp it with my spiritual eyes is the word “wisdom” even as I am writing this, I am hoping God would give my readers the spiritual understanding to see what I also saw.

Now I know it is more than living a life in the Spirit, even though living in His divine life is so awesome and so out of this world, so pure and so restful that man has not created a word that could describe this life fully. The ingredient that makes the Christian life we live through the eyes of God and through our own understanding, so different, is the absence of the worldly wisdom that was acquired by Adam and Eve after they disobeyed. The whole difference I have been trying to share with you in just in that sentence and it is so powerful to my soul.

It is powerful because this wisdom Eve was seeking after has brought us sin, blindness, spiritual death, limitations, barriers and heaviness of the life in the flesh, the bondage, the filth in our souls, the miseries etc. Imagine being able to let go of it?

It is funny though that I have a whole chapter in my book “Apprehended & Apprehending” dedicated to how the life we have in Christ, as we live in oneness with Him, feels as if He is feeding us His life like a mother feeding the growing baby in her womb. The baby is us, taking all that we need as we are fed spiritually by Him. I also shared how essential it is to keep growing in this manner with Him. Yet, I did not realize the discovery of this “different kind of Christianity” that I have been sharing with you is simply the continuity and the growth that I am experiencing with Him as I am being fed by Him.

On a side note the feeding tube is His divine life we acquire only as we live in oneness with Him. It is the abiding life. If you could only see the beauty of being connected to Him, then you would fully understand what we are told in Romans 8:39 “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It was only then God allowed me to claim this promise for myself.

Beloved, I still have such a long way to go. I am not sharing this with you to show off or make you feel bad. I answer only to God, and if this was my aim, then He would deal with me accordingly. But, understand that my blog is not to condemn, or censure you, and even though my words can be so bold sometimes and I have no shame of telling you bluntly what I see with the gifts of discernment and wisdom given to me by God. Believe it or not, my heart is full of love and I am hoping that God could touch few of you to teach you to live a better life in Him.

There are three paths for us Christians and we have covered them all in the Church with Christians in the pews and in the pulpits. There is a group that fall in the category pastor Charles Stanley referred to as having obedience on a case by case basis. If you belong to that group then you are waking once in a while in the Spirit and that is not good enough to live the abiding life and your growth is slow and limited. There is a small group living deliberately the surrendered life. The third path is for those sitting in the pews and in the pulpits thinking they have truly made a decision for Christ, when in reality they never believe but they are not wiser. Unfortunately, this group is really big, much bigger than the other two combined, hence, my ministry.

Right here on earth, we are expected to live the Christian life having acquired eternal life, and the Kingdom of God within. If we do not have them here on earth, then they are not ours for the taking when we die, it would be too late. The diluted Gospel tells us that we are going to be missing out on some crowns, yes that is true. But, that is only part of it. Before worrying about missing out on a crown or two wouldn't you like to know that you have the very basic? It is like fantasizing about a fancy wedding ball that you are going to, yet you have never managed to secure the tickets you need for admission. Furthermore, you have never been fitted by the groom, with the proper attire. For some of you missing out on a few crowns is the last of your problem. You need to re-prioritize!

I read a long time ago that Andrew Murray was crossing the streets, before he got to the other side, he stood there in the middle of the street quietly for a moment. Someone when he reached the other side, a man asked him why he stopped in the middle of the street. He replied young man I lost contact with the Holy Spirit for a moment and I had to regain it before he continues crossing the street. I wish I could say I am there. Often, I am aware that I lose contact with Him, but I wait a few hours and even a day or two before I go back and reattached myself to Him. I am indeed work in progress.

Quote from Andrew Murray

“The purpose of redemption is Possession, and the purpose of Possession is likeness to Him who is Redeemer and Owner, is Holiness.

The link between Redemption and Holiness is Obedience.

The life of Christ is the holiness of Christ. The reason we so often fail in the pursuit of holiness is that the old life, the flesh, in its own strength seeks for holiness as a beautiful garment to wear and enter heaven with. It is the daily death to self out of which the life of Christ rises up.”
Andrew Murray, Holy in Christ.

Trials & Sorrows are Part of The Christian Life!

"In the world, you will have many trials and sorrows." John 16:33

A few years ago, right before my wilderness time with God I had so many challenges in my life. If it was not about problems encountered in the workplace, it was in the family or my finances and so on. My Bible study group was doing a study of the life of Paul. During the study I have acquired understanding and something now I know came from the Holy Spirit was strength to expect the unexpected and to learn to view my trials in His light. During our time of sharing with the group, I mentioned how through the study I have acquired so much understanding in regards to my trials, that I am no longer afraid of them, and I am now equipped to endure anything. The group leader corrected me right away and made sure that I understand it was not the right attitude to expect trials all the time in our Christian walk with God! I believed those words so much that they are still with me even today!

I understand now, while I did not know how to communicate with the Holy Spirit yet, but God used the study of Paul's life to give me a solid understanding of what was to come for me. While my life is far from being like Paul, but the pain and trials pattern that plagued his life have not escaped me. Paul's pain and trials were customized for his life and the time he was living in. Mine are customized for my life and the time that I am living in.  

Through my wilderness wanderings with Him, I have learned to acquire solid faith, as solid as an oak tree. Yet here I am, just finishing seven years of wilderness with Him. Then, just when I thought I was going to get a break and live free of troubles for a little while I found myself afflicted once more. To my surprise the Holy Spirit revealed to me the cause of my affliction this time is simply to learn to wait upon Him without discouragement. One would think because I have acquired solid faith, this waiting period he is putting me through now, would be a piece of cake, but, not so. If this kind of thinking was true, none of us Christians would ever backslide. David would not have gotten involved with Bathsheba, got her pregnant and killed her husband all the while thinking that God is not wiser. How did he get so deep into sinning so badly, when he knew God so well? He simply let his guard down and was not sober minded. Yesterday grace cannot carry us through today or a few months down the road.

Even though the Holy Spirit has told me the goal of this affliction I am in now, and even though I know Him so well, I still find that some days I have doubts, just because of those words the leader said to me a few years ago. It feels as if a tape is being played in my mind and my focus is on the message that is being played instead of focusing on God. Every time I get into those pockets of doubts I have to drag myself out of a state of discouragement and into God's grace and love and take my stand like a true soldier of Christ.

I have read the biography of several of those men that I admire so much for the depth of their walk with God and I found out most of them had some kind of trials that never stopped. An example of that would be Spurgeon who lived his life with continuously painful gout  constant depression, and critics that would not let up. Try having to deal with these things all your life with no relief in sight, I can imagine, his life was no picnic.

The purpose of our trials is to train our faith, sanctify us, and learn from Him while we unlearn those things we acquired on our own or through misguided leaderships. Things like, our explanations of His Word, characters, traits etc. Our trials are by-products of the redemptive life we have in Christ, so they truly prepare us for the life awaiting us in heaven, and teach us intimacy with the triune God. We take root in Him and so on. It is important that we learn not to give in to self-pity, rebel against God, or spend most of our time being so discouraged that Satan would gain the upper hand. During our trials, the right attitude toward God is to me maintained. If we don’t we never learned what it means to walk a steadfast life, persevere and endure in Him and through Him!

Even when life seems to have singled you out, you still have to believe that God has a purpose and nothing escape Him. We have to believe that the God we serve does not make mistakes and He is a good God. So, whatever is our lot, we take it all in His name. Through the pain we believe in Him, cling to Him and learn to choose Him over and over again and as we do, we position ourselves for more of His grace, we are comforted and strengthen.

To choose Him over and over again requires that we learn to focus on Him. Not His blessings and not what other people’s lives are in comparison to ours. So, look to Him on the cross and cling to Him, do not let go.

The Agape Love Of God!

I find that when it comes to Agape love, I am in the dark and I have so much to learn about it. I found out, we grow and learn how to make use of it only as we grow with God in union with Christ. I was amazed to see as we grow in our union with Christ, the Agape love of God grows so fast in our hearts like a plant near the water. May be other people reading this post will say I knew that. But, you see, I did not. If you are walking with God to a point where you already knew that, I say kudos to you and to Him be the glory!

This Agape love of His has become the center point in my life. The reason is, a few months ago someone who has been Christian for decades,  in words and rituals only, I know this person for years yet, I have yet to see an ounce of growth or changes in his/her life. Another thing about this person is that he/she despised being surrounded by true Christians and only feel comfortable if you are a nominal Christian, then you are fit for his/her friendship.

It was strange how strongly this person felt the need to correct me for having a lack of tolerance for Christians and unbelievers alike who have knowingly chosen to live in sin for years and not be bothered by it. One of the examples during the conversation was something like a pastor being openly gay while walking the Christian path. I chose to shrug it all that day because the Holy Spirit showed me there was malice behind it all and I was being tempted by that person. So, I keep quiet to avoid the trap of a heated discussion with a spiritually blind person who is not willing to do anything that has anything to do with God’s Word.

Knowing God the way I do, and knowing how much He hates sin and every single little detail in the world that is not in harmony with Him, grieve Him so much. I became hesitant that my past experiences of God’s wailing for this world and what we have made of Christ and His Salvation had affected my judgement in my hatred for sin whether in me or in someone else. I used the experience of what had happened with this person, to examine myself and see if I am acting in the light of God’s Word and nature.

Since then, I have been in conversation with God and I became mindful of God’s Agape love and the use of it. My only desire, the only thing I want to get out of it, is to love other people in a way that is pleasing to God. I want to be mindful of loving even the unlovable because I don’t want to take away my love for others just because they do not meet with my expectations. God keeps reminding me that there is a balance in loving that has to be sought after and we get there only through Him. He brought it to my attention on several occasions and every time I am reading the Bible, if there is something that pertains to His love, you can be sure He will remind me of it. For instance, Paul taught us to grieve for Christians who continue in sin. He taught us to be mindful in our dealing with Christians with questionable characters and corrupt behavior because they could lead us as well on the wrong path if we insist on keeping their companies. While love teaches us to be patient, bear each other’s burden, to love those that are different from us etc, we also know when to admonish and when to administer reproof in love, humility and gentleness.

As God reminded me, while He loves the world, and wailed for those that are perishing (in or outside the Church) but not everyone will go to heaven. It is actually His Holy love that demands that He is true to Himself. As for this person who tried to tempt me into a quarrel with him/her, God enlighten me  about the man that Paul had to deal with in 1 Corinthians 5  because of sexual immorality. The Corinthians actually tolerated him but Paul passed judgement on him and told the Church to get rid of him. There are times in using Agape love we know not to tolerate people who knowingly chose to sin, is the right thing to do so. This does not mean you take your love away, but you make a choice between them and God until they are able to come to their senses, then you are to open your heart and accept them back with open arms, in your life.

The Agape love of God can be misunderstood drastically, especially by those who chose not to walk the walk.  The Agape love of God, while it has no limit and is basically bottomless when it comes to its depth, God can only be loyal to Himself because He is holy and just. Furthermore, the Agape love we are using is not even ours but God’s love sheds in our heart to rise up to the occasion. I find myself in situation sometimes where I have no idea how to apply His Agape love because things might not be so black and white. But, I am learning to depend on Him to teach me how to reach a balance and apply His Agape love in all circumstances in my life, so that I can honour Him, while wearing the badge of Christianity.   

I find it somewhat bizarre how Christians are writing about Agape love and their focus is so much on emotions, attitude, choices etc, yet when you are using true Agape love, first of all you are aware of the fact that it is not yours for the taking, IT BELONGS TO GOD, IT IS PART OF GOD - PERIOD! The next thing is that while He is a passionate God, so you would think Agape love would involve passion. Well not really! This is not to say that Agape love does not have emotions in it, in fact it does because there is no being more passionate than God. My personal opinion is that God removes those emotions for us because we are already inundated with the wrong emotions when it comes to love, that we do not need to feel them as we use His Agape love. 

It is my experience while we are using His Agape love to interact with others, He makes sure the only concerns we are involved with are His priorities. There is an overwhelming sense of His priorities that is not of this world and one of them is that all our actions are for His sake.  We also have a sense of justice, fairness, righteousness and His Holiness. Then the next big thing that permeates the use of Agape love is the compulsion of being mindful of His glory. It is as if you cannot use Agape love without glorifying Him. There is an attitude that comes with it and whether we are aware of it or not, the glory has to go back to God. When you experience the beauty of His Agape love, in fact you have no use for any kind of love; you realize the pettiness, and the shallowness of Eros and Philos love.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1john 4:8)

Family Prayers For The New Year 2013

As we began the New Year 2013, a lot of us will feel the need to make some new plans, and oodles of New Year’s resolution that we may or may not keep. While most of our New Year’s resolutions are good but instead of thinking of yourself, may I suggest that you think of honouring and delighting God in whichever way you decide to change your life. I would even suggest that you consider talking to the Holy Spirit to seek His wisdom in deciding what would be pleasurable to God. Let’s make the next 12 months or 365 days, or 52 weeks, or 8,760 hours or 525,600 minutes or 31,536,000 seconds, one that is completely commitment to Him. Be Blessed by this prayer below!

Happy New Year 2013!

FAMILY PRAYERS

By John MacDuff, 1885

Prayer for the first morning of a new year
 

Almighty and everlasting God, You are the Alpha and the Omega—the First and the Last. Amid all the vicissitudes of a changing world, You change not. All things below must perish—but You remain the same. You have mercifully preserved us to see the commencement of another year. We desire to begin this new period of our existence by consecrating its hours to You. Before we enter on its manifold duties, and its unknown trials—we beseech You to impart to us Your gracious benediction. We would seek to connect its coming blessings with You—to own Your hand and Your wisdom in its coming sorrows. We would seek to feel that it can only be to us a happy year by being a holy one—spent in Your service and devoted to Your praise. It is one of the many new years we have seen; we cannot tell how few we may have yet to see.
Our prayer is, that we may live this year as if it were to be our last. Lord, we desire to begin the year, where we would wish to begin and to end its every day—at the opened Fountain. We desire to take as our motto and superscription throughout its course "God forbid that we should glory, save in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ." We desire to connect this New Year’s morning with the great atoning sacrifice, without which no years could have revolved to us. Our every temporal comfort, as well as every spiritual blessing, flow to us entirely from Jesus. Oh, do enkindle in our hearts a flame of more ardent devotedness to Him, whose amazing love it is, which crowns every year with goodness, and makes all its paths to drop fatness.
Gracious Lord, we desire, this morning, to make a fresh consecration of ourselves and our household unto You. Sprinkle our lintels with the blood of the everlasting covenant. Set Your own seal and mark on our foreheads. If in past years there has been forgetfulness of You—if Your kindness has been abused, and Your mercies slighted, and Your name dishonoured—enable each and all of us to make this year one of more undivided surrender to Your service. May it be a new year of love, and meekness, and forgiveness, and close walking with God. May sin be more dreaded, and holiness more loved. May the lessons of eternity come more powerfully and impressively home to us. Let us live as immortal beings. Let us live a dying life. Let it not be the impression of a solemn anniversary like the present, but a habitual conviction, that "The fashion of this world is passing away."
O Lord, accept of this our united new year's sacrifice. We would light our flickering lamps at Your holy altar—do replenish them day by day with the oil of Your grace; that should any of us be summoned in the course of the year to meet our Lord, we may not have to make the mournful confession, "Our lamps have gone out."
Good Lord, bless all our dear friends; we would remember them, as we trust they are remembering us, this day, at Your footstool. Hear our mutual prayers: may the cloud of mercy descend on all our heads. Though absent from one another on earth, may faith bring us near, by having our tents pitched by the gate of heaven. Bless our native land; may it ever remain a center of holy influences, distinguished by that righteousness which exalts a nation. Bless our rulers, our senators, our magistrates. Bless the ministers of the everlasting Gospel; may they be wise to win souls; and may every religious privilege we now enjoy, be handed down unimpaired to the last posterity. God of all grace, undertake for us. Let the pillar of Your presence go before us. Direct, control, suggest throughout this year, all that we design or do—so that every power of our bodies, and every faculty of our souls, may unite for the showing forth of Your praise and glory. And all that we ask is for the sake of Jesus—Your only Son and our Savior. Amen.

We might have begun this year in Hell!

We might have begun this year in Hell!

 (James Smith "The First Day of the Year" 1865)

This Title  is Still Valid For 2013

Happy New Year!

What a mercy that we have been spared until now. How many have been cut down during the last year. We might have begun this year in Hell. Oh, if we had! How dreadful the thought!
But many who did begin the last year as we begin this — are in Hell now. They little thought that it would be so — but there they are, and now there is no redemption, there is no way of escape. They are shut up in hopeless despair. Their doom is forever fixed. 

And why are we spared? To go on in sin? To abuse the mercy that has been shown to us? To aggravate our woe? Oh, no! We are spared that we may escape from the wrath to come, that we may secure the pardon of our sins, and that we may be happy both in this world and in that which is to come.

This is the first day of the year, and what is our first thought? What shall we fix our thoughts upon? 
Let us think of past mercies — and past sins; 
let us think of present duty — and present danger;
let us think of future probabilities — and certainties.

Let us think of our state before God — what is it? 
Are we pardoned — or condemned?
Are we sons of God — or children of wrath? 
Are we reconciled to God — or living at enmity with God? 

Do we ever . . .
  speak to Him in prayer,
  look to Him in faith,
  walk with Him in love,
  work for Him with pleasure, or
  long to be with Him in glory?

New year! By Arthur Pink

Public domain Courtesy

"Go forward!" Exodus 14:15

Is not this a timely word for each of us as we enter into, and journey through, a new year?

We need to clearly realize that there is no such thing as remaining stationary in the spiritual life. If we do not progress — we inevitably retrograde. How that solemn fact should search our hearts! 

Christian friend, your history this year will be either one of going forward — or backsliding. This new year will mark either an increased fruitfulness in your soul and life, to the glory of Him whose name you bear — or increased leanness and barrenness, to His reproach. It will witness either a growing in grace — or a decline in your spirituality. It will record either an increased love for the Word, use of the Throne of Grace, strictness of walk and closer communion with Christ — or a growing coldness and a following of Him afar off!

"Go forward!" Exodus 14:15

Conversion of the Soul - Part 2

"The Soul after Conversion" By Octavius Winslow

We now proceed to show in what MANNER the blessed Spirit commences, carries forward and sustains this great work in the soul. 

First, the commencement of spiritual life is sudden. We are far from confining the Spirit to a certain prescribed order in this or any other part of His work. He is a Sovereign, as we shall presently show, and therefore works according to His own will. But there are some methods He more frequently adopts than others. We would not say that all aspects of conversion is a sudden work. There is a knowledge of sin, conviction of its guilt, repentance before God on account of it; these are frequently slow and gradual in their advance. But the first communication of Divine light and life to the soul is always sudden- sudden and instantaneous as was the creation of natural light. "God said, Let there be light, and there was light." It was but a word, and in an instant chaos rolled away, and every object and scene in nature was bathed in light and glory. 

Sudden as was the communication of life to Lazarus- "Jesus cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth!" It was but a word, and in an instant "he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes." So is it in the first communication of Divine light and life to the soul. The eternal Spirit says, "Let there be light," and in a moment there is light. He speaks again, "Come forth," and "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead are raised incorruptible, and are changed." 

Striking illustrations of the suddenness of the Spirit's operation are afforded in the cases of Saul of Tarsus, and of the thief upon the cross. How sudden was the communication of light and life to their souls! It was no long and previous process of spiritual illumination- it was the result of no lengthened chain of reasoning- no labored argumentation. In a moment, and under circumstances most unfavorable to the change- as we should think- certainly at a period when the rebellion of the heart rose the most fiercely against God, "a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun," poured its transforming radiance into the mind of the enraged persecutor; and a voice conveying life into the soul reached the conscience of the dying thief. Both were translated from darkness into light, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." 

How many who read this page may say, "Thus was it with me! God the eternal Spirit arrested me when my heart's deep rebellion was most up in arms against Him. It was a sudden and a short work, but it was mighty and effectual. It was unexpected and rapid, but deep and thorough. In a moment the hidden evil was brought to view- the deep and dark fountain broken up- all my iniquities passed before me, and all my 'secret sins seemed placed in the light of God's countenance.' My soul sank down in deep mire- yes, hell opened its mouth to receive me." 

Do not overlook this wise and gracious method of the blessed Spirit's operation in regeneration. It is instantaneous. The means may have been simple- perhaps it was the loss of a friend- an alarming illness- a word of reproof or admonition dropped from a parent or a companion- the singing of a hymn- the hearing of a sermon- or some text of Scripture winged with His power to the conscience; in the twinkling of an eye, the soul "dead in trespasses and sins" was "quickened," and translated into "newness of life." O blessed work of the blessed and eternal Spirit! O mighty operation! O inscrutable wisdom! What a change has now passed over the whole man! Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, that which is begotten in the soul is the Divine life, a holy, influential, never-dying principle. Truly he is a new creature, "old things passing away, and all things becoming new." 

For this change let it not be supposed that there is, in the subject, any previous preparation. (The author is not affirming that the Holy Spirit has no dealings with a sinner prior to regeneration but that the sinner does nothing to prepare himself for this saving act of God.) There can be no preparation for light or life. What preparation was there in chaos? What preparation was there in the cold clay limbs of Lazarus? What in Paul? What in the dying thief? The work of regeneration is supremely the work of the Spirit. The means may be employed, and are to be employed, in accordance with the Divine purpose, yet are they not to be deified. They are but means, "profiting nothing" without the power of God the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is His work, and not man's.


We have remarked that the first implantation of the Divine life in the soul is sudden. We would however observe that the advance of that work is in most cases gradual. Let this be an encouragement to any who are writing hard and bitter things against themselves in consequence of their little progress. The growth of Divine knowledge in the soul is often slow- the work of much time and of protracted discipline. Look at the eleven disciples- what slow, tardy scholars were they, even though taught immediately from the lips of Jesus; and "who teaches like him?" 

They drank their knowledge from the very Fountain. They received their light directly from the Sun itself. And yet, with all these superior advantages- the personal ministry, instructions, miracles, and example of our dear Lord, how slow of understanding were they to comprehend, and how "slow of heart to believe," all that He so laboriously, clearly, and patiently taught them!
Yes, the advance of the soul in the Divine life- its knowledge of sin, of the hidden evil, the heart's deep treachery, intricate windings, Satan's subtlety, the glory of the Gospel, the preciousness of Christ, and its own interest in the great salvation- is not the work of a day, nor of a year, but of many days, perhaps many years of deep ploughing, long and often painful discipline, of "windy storm and tempest."