God

I need just such a friend

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Jesus knows all my wants and weaknesses; all my sin and misery. He knows the malice of my enemies, and the foolishness of my heart. He has power to subdue my whole nature to Himself, and to defeat the wiles and machinations of my foes.

His grace is all-sufficient.

His love is infinite.

His wisdom cannot be defeated.

His power cannot be resisted.

He has all power and strength–and I am very weak. He has all the knowledge to understand my whole case, and all the wisdom necessary to direct everything concerning me. He makes no mistakes. He is never deceived. He is never outsmarted. He knows all things.

He knows my weaknesses. He knows my sorrows. He knows my heart. His wisdom never fails. He is never confounded or perplexed. He has as much mercy and kindness as I need. His loving-kindness is so great that we cannot fathom its top or the bottom–the length or the breadth of it. The ocean of the Divine love is boundless and inexhaustible! It is infinite!

I have no sorrow to which He is a stranger.

He sympathizes with me in all my sufferings and temptations.

I need just such a friend.

(William S Plumer)

The Only True Reformer of Mankind

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Political and social reforms labor in vain–because they ignore the fall of Adam and original sin. These are great stubborn facts, which ruin all their calculations. Without acknowledging the reality and consequences of sin–the great problems of human nature can never be solved.

How much we ought to hate sin, and to make the checking of sin the first object in our efforts to do good! How much we ought to long and strive to promote the progress of the Gospel of Christ! This, after all, is the only true reformer of mankind. Just in proportion as men are brought under the influence of the despised old Gospel–will be the increase of peace on earth and goodwill among men.

The more Christ is known and loved, and the more the Bible is read–the more will the inhabitants of the earth love one another. The more grace reigns over hearts and lives–the less hatred and violence will there be in the world. If pure and undefiled religion prevailed everywhere–then such plagues and pests and nuisances as quarreling, robbing, murder, drunkenness, immorality, swindling, gambling, idleness, lying, and cheating would be comparatively unknown. Most of the prisons and workhouses would soon be shut. Lawyers and policemen would have little to do. Taxes would be cut in half.

He is the truest friend to human happiness–who does the most to spread the knowledge of Christ and evangelize the world!

J.C. Ryle

Due Season

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So often recently I have been reminded of how important it is to be faithful to the ministry God has entrusted to me and to the people God has placed in my life. Many times we go through difficulty or discouragement and we are tempted to give up and walk away. But the word of God tells us this:

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

That due season is a tremendous time of rejoicing both in heaven and on earth. But there may be a very long (and sometimes frustrating) season of sowing and watering and praying and waiting.

Don’t lose heart! Because the reaping shall surely come. See it with the eyes of faith as you consider the faithfulness of Him who promised.

First, the Presence

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Many chapters in the book of Exodus are concerned with the making of the tabernacle in the wilderness, both God’s detailed instructions for it and the people’s detailed following of those instructions. It’s tempting to just pass over these chapters as unimportant. But sometimes God stores a treasure in the midst of the monotony, maybe just to see if we’re looking.

There were many articles and utensils and furnishings made for the tabernacle. Once the tabernacle itself was erected, those things just needed to be put in their place inside the tabernacle. But God was very particular even about this. Here are His instructions to Moses:

Exodus 40:1-3 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil.

It can be easy to pass over this as just another item in a detailed to-do list. But I think it speaks to us something that is so important to the heart of God….first, the Presence.

The ark of the testimony is the place of meeting between God and man (Exodus 25:22). So while all the other things in the tabernacle are about religious service, the ark is about intimacy. And intimacy must come first for it is the fuel for our religious service. Many time we get this backwards, zealous about our spiritual disciplines but never really getting to Him….which seems to be a time tested recipe for Pharisee making.

Believer, we are the dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22) We are the tabernacle. He abides in you and empowers you for service in the kingdom, and this is so important to Him. But His priority for your life has not changed….first, the Presence.

But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works. Psalm 73:28

Give your flowers now

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About two years ago I met a homeless man named Ricky. I see him almost every weekend on Third Street and he always comes over to chat. He has come to church with me several times and whenever he meets somebody that he thinks I can help, he will call me. It has been an unexpected friendship. One Friday night a couple of months ago I saw Ricky on Third Street and as usual he came over to visit for a while. And just out of the blue he began to share some kind words about how our friendship had affected his life. I didn’t really know what to say in response so I just stood there for a few moments in silence. He said “when people die, their friends and family will have flowers sent to the funeral home. The flowers will be laid on top of their grave but that person will never experience any enjoyment from those flowers. I wanted to give you a flower now.”

I think about these words often….and about how easy it is to leave things unsaid, sometimes until it is too late to say them. Don’t wait…..give out some flowers today.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. (1 John 4:7)

Life is a vapor

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Today my heart is heavy as I have been considering two lives that were cut short in the last few weeks. One of them was an 18 year old boy that I didn’t know, murdered by his “friend” only 900 feet from my house. The other was a 53 year old man that I did know whose body was found less than a mile from my house. It’s a very strange feeling to realize that someone’s life ended so close to where you live. So far in 2017, Baton Rouge has had 65 homicides. That’s 65 people suddenly forced into eternity.

God wasn’t joking when He said life is a vapor. It can be gone so suddenly. That truth should affect the way we live every day.
If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, let that affect your heart, your priorities, your activities and your words. When you look at people, let it be with the realization that they could step into eternity before the day is over. So say the important things to them…..the eternally meaningful things.

We must be ready to meet God. For all of you who may be somewhere between spiritually indifferent and counting the cost of a full surrender to Jesus Christ — please don’t continue in a state that leaves you unprepared for eternity. It could be closer than you think.

Complete

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Colossians 2:10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

I was so encouraged to read the definition of the word “complete”. Look at this:

You are caused to abound in Him

You are furnished and supplied liberally in Him

You are filled to the top in Him so that nothing shall be wanting

You are made complete in every particular in Him

For all of us who have ever felt discouraged by the weakness of our own life, remember….we don’t live by that life anymore. We live by the life of Another. And that Life lacks nothing. What a glorious truth!

Vessel of Honor

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2 Timothy 2:20-21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

If the way we live our lives and the things we choose to abstain from affect our usefulness in advancing the kingdom, WHY would we allow anything in our lives that hinders us from being that vessel of honor?

Time is short. Live ready to be useful to your King.

This Present Evil World

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Galatians 1:3-4 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father.

Our mighty Lord Jesus has saved us who have called upon His name from the penalty and power of sin, opened our eyes and turned us from darkness to light. Because of Him, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. But although we are not of the world, we are still in the world… this present evil world.

It is a world system that is in view in this verse, with its thoughts, opinions, and values which continually press us and attempt to mold us into its image. The world is not content with merely being corrupt. It insists upon actively exerting its corrupting influence upon our lives. Not all at one time, mind you. Little by little, numbing us by increasingly graphic scenes of violence and immorality on the news and in entertainment, the distracting nature of current events, and an endless variety of cares of this world. All of it numbing us and pulling us away from that which is truly important.

The will of God is that we would be free of that influence, however if we continue to immerse ourselves in it, then we will undoubtedly be affected by it. How can we be sensitive to the Spirit of God when our souls have been polluted (and oftentimes entertained) by the corruption of this world?

This verse has been a strong reminder to me today. Maybe it will be helpful to someone else.