Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Quicksand

If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into
the pit. Matthew 15:14

It is a fatal mistake to suppose that, in order to pluck
people out of the fire, we must go into the fire our-
selves. This would never do. The best way to deliver
people from an evil position is to be thoroughly out
of that position myself.

How can I best pull a man out of quicksand? Surely
not by going into the quicksand, but by standing on
firm ground and from thence lending him a helping
hand. I cannot pull a man out of anything unless I
am out myself. If we want to help the people of God
who are mixed up with the surrounding ruin, the first
thing for ourselves is to be in thorough and decided
separation; and the next thing is to have our hearts
brimful and flowing over with tender and fervent love
to all who bear the precious name of Jesus.
CH Mackintosh 1820-1896--An Irishman was one of
the most prolific Brethren writers. He is still widely
read today. Check out his biography:
https://www.mybrethren.org/bios/framchm.htm

Reader, I am finding that most of my days go differently
than planned. It seems to me that time is flying and I
am, somehow, running to catch up with myself. It has
crossed my mind to cut something out--like the blog?
No, that is His desire, not my choice. However, the
numbers have fallen way down lately and the comments
are removed almost as soon as they are posted, so I
am pretty sure that this site is being shadow banned.
Please hit "like" on my FB page. I don't have any idea
of how many are accessing it either on FB or google.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Revival

Reader, we are in difficult times, not only here but
all around the world. Every day we get to watch
crazy, unheard of things from the persecution of
the church to the coming election. Things are not
what we in the west would call, "normal." How-
ever I think it is giving us an opportunity to find
out what really matters and it is a call to prayer.

Here is what I have been praying:

O Breath of Life come sweeping through us
Revive Thy church with life and power.
O Breath of Life, come cleanse renew us
And fit Thy church to meet this hour.

O wind of God, come bend us, break us
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us
Revive, restore, for this we plead.

O Breath of love, come breathe within us,
Renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ afresh to win us,
Revive Thy church in every part.

Revive us Lord! Is zeal abating
While harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive us Lord the world is waiting,
Equip Thy church to spread the light
Bessie Porter Head  1850-1936

First the revival of the church;
then salvation can come to the
world around us.


Friday, October 26, 2018

Asking

You do not have because you do not ask God...
James 4:2b

True praying involves serious attention and time,
which flesh and blood do not relish. Few people
have such strong fiber that they will make a costly
outlay when inferior work will pass just as well 
in the marketplace.

To be little with God is to be little for God. It takes
much time for the fullness of God to flow into the 
spirit. Short devotions cut the pipe of God's full 
flow. We live shabbily because we pray meagerly. 
This is not a day of prayer. Few men pray. In these 
days of hurry and bustle men will not take the time 
to pray. Prayer is out-of-date, almost a lost art. 
EM Bounds 1835-1913
He was a minister in the American Methodist
Episcopal Church. He served as a captain in the
Confederate Army. Today he's best known for
his many books on prayer, especially,
Power Through Prayer 

Reader, if it was true then, just how more true it is
now. We live in dangerous times full of anxiety--
admit it--and we desperately need a powerful move
of God in this nation.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Without Strength

For when we were without strength, at the right time,
Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die
for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good per-
son one would dare to die--BUT GOD shows His love
for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died
for us

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his
blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the
wrath of God.

For if while we were ENEMIES we were reconciled
to God by the death of His Son, MUCH MORE, now
that we are reconciled, shall we be saved my His life.
Romans 5:6-10

Grace is not looking for good men whom it may ap-
prove, for it is not grace but mere justice to approve
goodness. But it is looking for condemned, guilty,
speechless and helpless men whom it may save, sanc-
tify and glorify. C I Scofield--1843-1921
Scofield was a lawyer and Confederate army officer
before his conversion.

I found several biographies and discovered that just
like John Newton, it took him awhile to actually live
as one who is saved. He discovered in himself total
helplessness to live the Christian life. However, God
took this fleshly lump of clay and worked in Him some-
thing that staggers. He is the CI Scofield that put
together the Scofield Bible that is still cherished today.

https://www.gotquestions.org/C-I-Scofield.html

Reader, the verses above are beyond comprehending,
but try...

Friday, October 19, 2018

Fellowship

...and our fellowship is with the Father and with 
His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3b

You must abide in Christ in heaven before you can
descend with heavenly ability to act for Him down
here. The great secret of all blessing is to come from
the Lord. Most Christians go to Him.
AJ--Nothing is known abut him.

Reader, what does it mean that we descend with
heavenly ability? Don't we live down here?
Check out this verse:

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us 
up with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus...
Ephesians 2:6

WOW!

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Be Filled

...Be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18b

The promise of the Spirit is not for great or exceptional 
Christians, but for any Christian who yields himself to God. 
Paul addressed everyday Christian believers at Ephesus: 
husband, wife, parent, child, master, slave. He encouraged 
all to live lives full of the divine Holy Spirit, full from within.

What this command to be filled with the Spirit meant in 
Ephesus, it means in England, it means to the one who 
is writing these words in his study at Cambridge, and to 
his brother in Christ who reads them, wherever and when-
ever God has bid him dwell.
Hendley Moule 1841-1920
Moule was a popular leader of the evangelical wing of the
Church of England and a speaker at Keswick conventions.

I must be filled. It is absolutely necessary.
I may be filled. God has made it blessedly possible.
I want to be filled. It is eminently desirable.
I will be filled. It is so blessedly certain.
Andrew Murray 1828-1917
Murray was a South African clergyman who strongly in-
fluenced the missionary movement to South Africa. Today
he is largely remembered for his many devotional books,
still in print and still strong sellers.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Seek Him First

But seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Once it was a blessing,
Now it is the Lord;
Once it was a feeling,
Now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted,
Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing,
Now Himself alone.
WM Trumbull

Reader, this is a good word for today!

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

He Delights In You

How many of you believe that God delights in you?
Most of us feel that He tolerates us on a good day.
I watched a You Tube video this afternoon on this
very subject and rather than trying to summarize it,
I will post it below. Malcolm Smith is one of my
favorite teachers. He can get more out of one verse
of scripture than anyone I know. I once was at a
conference where he taught on one verse for one
hour, at least four times. And, each talk was differ-
ent in its emphasis. What was the verse?

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind 
is stayed on thee:  because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3 King James

"He Delights in you" out of Luke 15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfWp8jF9bLc

Friday, October 5, 2018

Perfected Forever

And they went in, went in male and female of all
flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord
shut him in.  Gen 7:16

Just as with Noah, how completely has God shut us
in a place of better blessing, by a covenant of His
own blood! There can then be no more offering for
sin--because there has been remission of all the be-
liever's sins and iniquities; but the blessing does not
stop here; the knowledge of the remission sets a
man apart to and for God--saying to him, as it were,
"You need look for nothing more either to cleanse
you or to make you meet. I, the Blood, am all you
want as to the question of acceptance: By Me you are
perfected for ever; go, go away from thinking about
self; go, go and serve God; for you are set apart to
Him--yes, perfected for Him. Let Him be your study,
your delight, your end in everything you do, or think,
or say."  George V Wigram  1805-1874

Here is a good biography:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wigram

Monday, October 1, 2018

Why Are You So Afraid?

"Don't you care if we perish...?" Mark 4:38

Many of you have read the story of Jesus sending the
boats and His disciples to the other side after a grueling
day of ministry. He lay down in the back of the boat
on a cushion and fell deeply asleep. Suddenly a furious
squall came up with waves pouring into the vessels.
These seasoned fishermen were terrified and resentment
rose within. "What's wrong with Jesus?  He is still sleep-
ing and we are about to drown! So, they shake him and
say, "Don't you care...?"

Jesus, does not answer them but stands in that rocking
boat and says something like, "stop" to the wind and
then speaks three words to the waves, "Peace, be still"

He then turns to His disciples--wimps everyone--and
says, "Why are you so afraid? Don't you even yet have
confidence in me?"

Reader, it is so easy to go from great joy and confidence
to descent into fear. Some days it comes with the morn-
ing coffee and the news....

God has not given us a spirit of fear, 
but of power, love and a sound mind!