This is from the book Soul Winner by C.H. Spurgeon
You See that we have before us a mighty work, for which we are, in ourselves, totally incapable. No Christian living can save a soul; neither can all of us together–all the saints on earth and in heaven–work regeneration in one single person. The whole business on our part is the height of absurdity unless we regard ourselves as used by the Holy Spirit and filled with His power.
The Holy Spirit can do much if we just surrender. What is possible with men is impossible with God.
John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
Prodigal: I sure don’t know what is over that hill.
Me: I ain’t sure either, but we can wait together.
When was the last time you needed help? Who helped you? Did you get help? Are you still waiting for help?
There was a leader once. One who asked these questions and then answered them. They are found in Psalm 121 and were written by David.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
I have lifted my eyes to the sky, mountains, beach, bank account, email, text message, voice mail, and finally to the face of a loved one. Asking where will my help come from? Those answers took longer to figure out, then it is to read these two versus in Psalm 121.
I have learned that my help comes from the Lord, but when it comes to my life, I often need to be reminded.
We need help. We only have two choices I believe at times. God says look to me, or look to………..fill in the blank.
I have done both. I keep thinking at times I have to have help that makes sense, that is logical that I can prepare for. God’s help sometimes cannot be prepared for, is not logical, and does not make sense. If we continue to focus on help looking our way, we then take over and miss God’s way. We take control, we turn to emails, phones, money, people, position. We start pushing God along. God takes his hands off and states ok, not my plan, so go for it.
It is only after we fail, we remember God.
Does God have to cower to any problem? Is there any financial problem too big for God? Is there any health problem too big for God? Are there any people in your life that God cannot handle?
Some Jews were once upset with the Romans, and thought Jesus would solve the problem by dealing with the Romans. He would take over government. Made sense, right? That was a plan that could be developed right? It had logic.
Well Jesus, gave himself up to people who had no power over him. He loved them, he allowed himself to suffer, and be made fun of. He then died.
Wait a second what kind of plan was that? That makes no sense, that is not a good plan.
No but that plan involved God. Our help we focus on is about this day, or this year only. God has eternity in mind, when He offers help.
The Jews plan would maybe have helped a generation that lived 2000 years ago in their daily lives. God’s plan is offered to all people in all generations.
Right now, you want to trust God so that He can help you? Remember this is not just about right now, this is about more. He sees the years and decades ahead. That is what His help is about. Looking to the mountains and saying God help me, means I can’t see the whole plan. I can’t make sense of this.
That does not mean we have to remain confused and in fear. We can trust the Lord who came up with a plan for salvation that involved us. We can trust the Lord who didn’t just care about people he saw, lived with, and ate with. He cares for all people of all nations and tongues. He cares for all lives in all generations. He cares for us.
Right now, we are looking at that mountain waiting to see what God’s help will look like. We don’t know the plan, but we know the heart of Jesus and that is what we hold on too.
Romans 5:15
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one mans’ trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
Acceptance means you are valuable just as you are. It allows you to be the real you. You are not forced into someone else’s idea of who you are. It means your ideas are taken seriously since they reflect you. You can talk about how you feel inside, why you feel that way, and someone really cares. Acceptance means you can try out your ideas without being shot down. You can even express heretical thoughts and discuss them with intelligent questioning. You feel safe. No one will pronounce judgment on you even though they don’t agree with you. It doesn’t mean you’ll never be corrected or shown to be wrong. It simply means it’s safe to be you and no one will destroy you out of prejudice.
quote by Henry Drummond
How many prodigals are kept out of the kingdom of God by the unlovely characters of those who profess to be inside?
A while ago, I was driving to run a very quick errand. I was at a long stop light, and was looking around. For just a minute, or two I saw a car pull into the lot beside the stop light, and it was a person I knew.
This person had a huge part in making sure that they would act out their prejudice against me. I did not see things the way they did. I believed that following Christ meant that the Holy Spirit worked from the inside out. They wanted you to look perfect on the outside, and it had to be by your own efforts. They thought I did not try enough out of my own efforts to be perfect, and this type of behavior had to stop. So they tried, bullying, punishment, slander, and anything else to try and make me do things their way.
I knew they were asking for the impossible, I could not be perfect. I could not meet their expectations. At first there was anger, and then I felt like condemning myself, which Is what they did to me mostly.
Then I focused on Christ, and I felt sorry. They lived a life far from Christ, and not knowing his comfort. They lived a life that ignored that the Holy Spirit was there to help. A life like that is difficult to live day to day.
They cannot run from the Lord. Maybe one day they will see the true Christ before they face His judgement. Yes, Lord that is all I could pray. Then I praised God that he took this wrench like me, and allowed me to see the light.
John 1:6-7
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
This is from the book The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart by Charles Swindoll
Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.
The duck was excellent in swimming: in fact, better than his instructor, but he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that–except duck.
The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming.
The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed charley horses from over exertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running.
The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a nonconformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there….
The obvious moral of the story is a simple one: Each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel–unless it is expected or forced to fill a mold that doesn’t fit. What is true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family. God has not made us all the same. It’s ok to be you….so relax. Enjoy your own capabilities, cultivate your own style. Appreciate the members of your family or your fellowship for who they are, even though their outlook or style may be miles different from yours. Rabbits don’t fly. Eagles don’t swim. Ducks look funny trying to climb. Squirrels don’t have feathers. Stop comparing!
Psalm 3:5
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I looked at my phone. The time said almost an hour and half. I could not believe I had been talking for that long. Time flies when the conversation is great! It was toward the end of the night. I had decided to walk my dog, Romans, and talk at the same time. Romans needed his nightly walk before bed, so it all worked out great.
I finished the walk, and went inside. I went to my bedroom, and sat in my chair. I took out my bible, and nightly devotion. I sat there enjoying God’s word for the night. As I closed the bible, I looked around for Romans who usually joins me in bed. He was nowhere to be found. I did a quick search of the house, and found him by the door.
He was staring at his leash, and was ready to go outside. I thought. How strange, there is no way he has to go out so quick after an hour and a half walk. I did not want any accidents though, so we went outside. Just as I thought. Romans really did not have to use the bathroom. I then began to piece it together.
I had changed up my routine. Every night I read my bible first, and then walked Romans. Romans saw me reading my bible, and was just waiting for the usual routine.
Without realizing it. Romans began to be trained by me. For two years my dog saw me read my bible every night, and then walk him. He thought when I read the bible at night, the next step, meant he goes for a walk. He was just following the nightly routine.
Routines are developed daily, and then weekly. Weeks turn to months, and months turn to years. I have been guilty of the desire to prove “how Christian I am”. I need people to see this, or understand this about me.
I need to tell people I do this. I need to show people I do this. Then they will see what a great Christian I am. I think I was way off track with these thoughts.
I developed the habit of reading my bible every night for a lot of reasons, but I was determined to make that a goal that stayed with me for the rest of my life. It really was between me and God, this goal of reading the Bible. I knew that if His word was so important to me, I would have to make it a priority to at least read part of it every day.
I praise God that the habit has been developed. The things we create that are consistent do not need to be shouted out. They speak for themselves. Even a dog figured out that I can be faithfully relied upon to read my bible every night.
Others have watched you too. They can see what you are faithful about. You don’t have to list them. It will show itself to others.
I love when I can talk, and show others what I have done, and accomplished. I think this night though God was showing me something else. He was showing me that just by seeking Him, others will notice. I don’t always have to be focused on who is seeing, and who is listening, and who understands.
I read the bible that night and saw God words. But the Lord used my dog that night to understand what his words look like in action.
Luke 12:2-3
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
This is from the book When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado
My wife loves antiques. I don’t. (I find them a bit old.) But because I love my wife. I occasionally find myself guiding three children through an antique store while Denalyn shops.
Such is the price of love.
The secret to survival in a shop of relics is to find a chair and an old book and settle down for the long haul. That’s what I did yesterday. After cautioning the kids to look with their eyes and not with their hands. I sat down in an overstuffed rocker with some Life magazines form the fifties.
That’s when I heard the music. Piano music. Beautiful music. Vintage Rogers and Hammerstein. The hills were alive with the sound of someone’s skill at the keyboard.
I turned to see who was playing but couldn’t see anyone. I stood and walked closer. A small group of listeners had gathered at the old upright piano. Between the furniture I could see the small back of the pianist. Why, it’s only a child! With a few more steps I could see her hair. Short, blonde, and cute like….My heart, it’s Andrea!
Our seven-year-old was at the piano, her hands racing up and down the keyboard. I was stunned. What gift of heaven is this that she can play in such a way? Must be a time-released gene she got from my side of the family. But as I drew closer, I saw the real reason. Andrea was “playing” a player piano. She wasn’t making the music; she was following it. She wasn’t commanding the keyboard; she was trying to keep up with it. Though it appeared she was playing the song, in reality, she was only trying to keep up with one already written. When a key would dip, her hands would dash.
Oh, but if you could have seen her little face, delighted with laughter! Eyes dancing as would her feet had she been able to stand and play at the same time.
I could see why she was so happy. She sat down to attempt “Chopsticks” but instead played “The Sound of Music.” What’s more, she couldn’t fail. One greater than she was dictating the sound. Andrea was free to play as much as she wanted, knowing the music would never suffer.
It’s no wonder she rejoiced. She had every reason to. And so do we.
Hasn’t God promised the same to us? We sit at the keyboard, willing to play the only song we know, only to discover a new song. A sublime song. And nobody is more surprised than we are when our meager efforts are converted into melodious moments.
You have one, you know, a song all your own. Each of us does. The only question is, will you play it?
By the way, as I watched Andrea “play” that day in the antique store I observed a couple of things.
I noticed the piano got all the credit. The gathered crowd appreciated Andrea’s efforts, but they knew the real source of the music. When God works, the same is true. We may applaud the disciple, but no one knows better than the disciple who really deserves the praise.
But that doesn’t keep the disciple from sitting at the bench. It sure didn’t keep Andrea from sitting at the piano. Why? Because she knew she couldn’t fail. Even though she didn’t understand how it worked, she knew it did.
So she sat at the keyboard–and had the time of her life.
Even though you may not understand how God works, you know he does.
So go ahead. Pull up a bench, take your seat at the piano, and play.
Philippians 4:5
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Me: When the storm comes you will know if it is stable, or not.
This is from the book All of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon
I venture to say that a sinner justified by God stands on a surer footing than even a righteous man justified by his works, if there is such. Yet, if we were in that situation, we could never be sure that we had done enough works. Our consciences would always be uneasy for fear that, after all, we would fall short and have only the trembling verdict of a fallible judgment to rely on. However, when God Himself justifies, and the Holy Spirit bears witness to the fact by giving us peace with God, then we feel that the matter is sure and settled, and we enter into rest. No tongue can tell the depth of the calm that comes over the soul that has received the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
