From “Evening Thoughts” by Winslow

“Therefore I love your commandments above gold; yes, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all your precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.” Psa_119:127; Psa_119:128

To the true believer there is glory, harmony, and excellence in spiritual truth. Every part to Him is precious-no portion undervalued. In whatever form it presents itself, whether doctrinal or preceptive-with whatever tone it speaks, whether it rebukes or comforts, admonishes or cheers, he welcomes it as God’s own eternal truth, more precious to him than gold, yes, than much fine gold. In His eye it is a perfect system; dismember it of any one part, and you mar its beauty. It is a sovereign panacea; take out of it any single ingredient, and you impair its efficacy. He must have it with no doctrine dissevered, with no precept diluted, with no institution perverted. He can consent to no compromise; he has bought the truth, and the truth he cannot sell. Not only does he feel bound to watch it with a jealous and vigilant eye, because it is God’s own truth, but he loves it for its perfect adaptation to his own case. It has disclosed to him his sinfulness, and has revealed to him a “fountain open for sin.” It has led him in his ruin, helplessness, poverty, and condemnation, to the cross, and there introduced him to a Savior all- sufficient and willing to repair that ruin, assist that helplessness, enrich that poverty, and remove that condemnation. Is it any marvel that to such an individual God’s revealed truth should be precious? that he should guard it vigilantly, and love it ardently?

This leads us to revert to the close and important yet much forgotten connection which exists between a clear, spiritual perception of God’s truth, and a holy, humble, and close walk with God. The two can never be separated. A distant and careless walk not only veils the mind to the glory of the truth, but hardens the heart to the power of the truth. The world in the heart, guilt upon the conscience, and unmortified sin in the life, have a fearful and certain tendency to petrify the moral sensibilities, and render powerless the sword of the Spirit. Let not such a professor of Christ wonder that appeals the most thrilling, truths the most solemn, and motives the most persuasive, all, all are disarmed of their force in his case. Let him not be amazed that, with an enlightened judgment, and a scriptural creed, and a spotless orthodoxy, he knows nothing of the holy spiritual actings of the life of God in the soul; and that he does but hang a lifeless, sapless, withered branch upon the vine, ready to be removed at the husbandman’s bidding. Let him not be astonished that there is no close and fervid fellowship with the Father and His dear Son Christ Jesus-that his prayers are cold and formal, the habitual frame of his mind earthly and sensual-and that all taste and desire for the “communion of saints,” and for a spiritual searching ministry, should have become extinct in his soul-this is no marvel. The greater wonder would be if it were otherwise; that if, while living in a state of distance from God-the ordinances neglected, and sin unmortified-the Father and the Son should yet draw near and manifest themselves, and so make known that secret which peculiarly belongs to those that fear Him. But oh, to have Christ in the heart!-this, this is the truth of God experienced. Call you it enthusiasm? Blessed enthusiasm!-we exult in it, we glory in it. Let the formalist, let the man of notional religion, let the mere professor, call it what he may, deride it as he will; we admire the grace, and adore the love, and extol the power, which has formed “Christ within us the hope of glory.” Reader, be satisfied with nothing short of this.

 

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From “Morning Thoughts” by Winslow

” And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3

When heart and flesh are fast failing, and the trembling feet descend into the dark valley of the shadow of death, to whom shall we then look but unto Jesus? The world is now receding, and all creatures are fading upon the sight; one object alone remains, arrests and fixes the believer’s eye-it is Jesus, the Savior; it is Emmanuel, the Incarnate and now-present God; it is the Captain of our salvation, the Conqueror of death, and the Spoiler of the grave; it is our friend, our brother, our Joseph, our Joshua, loving and faithful, and present to the last. Jesus is there to confront death again, and vanquish him with his own weapons. Jesus is there to remind His departing one that the grave can wear no gloom, and can boast of no victory, since He himself passed through its portal, rose and revived, and lives for evermore.

Sick one! in your languishing, look to Jesus! Departing one! in your death-struggles, look to Jesus! Are you guilty?-Jesus is righteous. Are you a sinner?-Jesus is a Savior. Are you fearful, and do you tremble?-the Shepherd of the flock is with you, and no one shall pluck His sheep out of His hands. How fully, how suitably, does the gospel now meet your case! In your bodily weakness and mental confusion, two truths are, perhaps, all that you can now dwell upon-your sinfulness and Christ’s redemption, your emptiness and Christ’s sufficiency. Enough! you need no more; God requires no more. In your felt weakness, in your conscious unworthiness, amid the swelling of the cold waters, raise your eye and fix it upon Jesus, and all will be well. Hear the words of your Savior calling you from the bright world of glory to which He bids you come, “Arise, my love, my fair one! and come away.” Believer! look to Him-lean upon Him-cleave to Him-labor for Him-suffer for Him-and, if need be, die for Him. Thus loving and trusting, living and dying, for “Jesus only.”

A Request

If you’ve been mentioned on my prayer request page, would you please provide an update on how things are progressing? Nothing is more wonderful than to see that God has answered prayer, so if yours has been please let me know. Thank You.

From “The Word For You Today” by Bruce Christian

DEVELOPING PATIENCE

How do you develop patience?  Through tribulation!  When your honesty seem to go unnoticed, when your hard work seems to go unrewarded, when your kindness is rendered without thanks, when your helping hand if offered and ignored, when even love is refused-that’s when patience shines in all it’s beauty.  Paul writes, “Tribulation worketh patience.”  You’ve seen this principal at work in the development of children.  One child, overly shielded and protected, grows up into a weakling without ambition and courage, destined to failure.  Another, left to fight their own battles, to struggle, to learn through trial and error, grows into near-perfect maturity.  The same principle applies to the Christian life when you realize that each storm brings it blessings and each trial produces it’s rewards.  Lets look at three practical benefits of patience: First, patience brings hope.  “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us.  And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled” (Ro 15:4 NLT).  Second, patience produces fruit.  “And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted  people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” (Lk 8:15 NLT).  Third, through patience you receive what God has promised.  “Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent.  Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance” (Heb 6:12 NLT).

My Prayer to the Father, July 30, 2012

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

I come to You, Father, in humility, in faith

Knowing Father, that I can have confidence

In You.

Understanding and acknowledging that

I have the privilege of coming

Before Your throne

Not because of anything I’ve done

Or will do; but

Because of what Your Son, my beloved Lord

Has done for me.

Heavenly Father,

I look at the world around me.

This world with all it’s evil.

It seems to me the whole world,

And all it’s inhabitants

Are only out for one thing

Themselves,

and it would be too much

If I couldn’t look at Your creation,

And know that You who have

Created all, sustain all as well.

Heavenly Father,

I know that You are above and beyond all.

That You, Father, are from

Everlasting to everlasting;

That You have always been and will always be.

No matter what man may say

Or proclaim

From his little place on this little rock

He lives upon.

You, Father, who in Your

Amazing love and grace

Have allowed a place

For him to dwell.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You, and I’m so indebted to You

For so many reasons, but the greatest of these

Is Your Son, My Lord, my love,

My Savior, For Savior He is

To me, and to all who know

That we can’t save ourselves.

For those of us who know our state

Before You.

Heavenly Father,

I come before You on behalf of  a

People You have called to be Your own,

But who in sinful, selfishness cannot see

Beyond themselves.

Who even standing in the light of

Your truth

Remain blind and ignorant

Not because Your truth is not readily seen

But because in doing so

They see who they really are

And what they truly amount to.

These who call upon Your name;

Who claim Your son

Who call Him Lord; but

Who refuse His call upon their lives, and

Who ignore His commands, and

Who live unto themselves,

And yet proclaim to be

Christian.

Heavenly Father,

I call upon You.  I implore You

To awaken Your people,

Yours who You have claimed,

Who You have set apart

And made Your special possession

And call Your own.

Father, I pray You will awaken them,

That You will show them

That life in You is not within

The confines of our finite bodies

With our petty aches and pains

Our problems and struggles,

But in Your Son Jesus.

Heavenly Father,

How we need You.

We are desperately in need of teachers, leaders

Who can help us to see into eternity.

Who can show us that there is so much more beyond

This present, temporary life

That we think so much of, and

Call our own as if had anything to do

With our being here.

We strive, cry and pursue

For all those things in this temporary world

That are already ours in You

Through Your beautiful Son.

Heavenly Father,

Help us to realize we have all we need in You/

Help us to know and to trust in Your provision,

Help us to be confident in our place and position

Before you

Bought and paid for, secured for us

Through the precious atoning blood

Of Your beloved Son

Of our beloved Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ.

Forgive us our sins, Heavenly Father,

Forgive us for our lack of love

Our lack of diligence

Faith

Trust

Belief.

Grow in us these things

By whatever means necessary

So that we may know their

True worth in Your eternal Kingdom