"Farewell"

My very Dear Sister in our precious Lord,

I rejoice to hear of your soul's prosperity under those afflictions which have attended your body. I have again been visited with illness and am weak. The hand the heart of our own God our God of love is in everything to us. In all, let us love, bless, and adore His name, for honorable and glorious are all His works, and most worthy is He of praise from us in all. Under the sweet, enlarging influence of God's free love, we love Him and as much when He frowns as when He smiles.

A believing, loving, adoring spirit, under divine chastisement, is an excellent spirit a God-glorifying frame of soul. Our afflictions, light as they are, as being laid upon us and we supported under them by the Lord's all-gracious and almighty hand, are made blessings to us. They may well be borne by us, not only as they are designed for, and shall end in, our soul's present and eternal advantage, but also, and chiefly, in that our God is and will be glorified thereby His displaying the glory of His infinite love, grace, mercy, wisdom, power, faithfulness, and fatherly goodness towards us in them and by our ascribing all honor in filial duty unto Him.

Our God is infinitely concerned for our good in every affliction. So let us be earnestly, yes only, concerned about His glory as to our duty therein, casting all our care upon Him who cares for us.

We shall bless God, when we come to heaven, for every kind and degree of affliction that we passed through on earth for every trial, and for every circumstance attending it, wherein we are enabled to glorify God.

After this heavenly temper, and an increase therein, let us labor while pilgrims on this earth. A submissive, patient, cheerful, thankful frame of spirit, under the afflicting hand of God, is that honor, that reverence which we owe to Him as a Father and ineffably sweet, and exceedingly profitable is this unto us as His children. In a little, little while, sin and sorrow shall be no more. A fullness, an eternity of joy and glory in the immediate presence of God and the Lamb awaits us.

Our afflictions are given to us as a fruit of the Father's grace, of the Son's purchase and intercession, and as a season of the Spirit's preparing us below for that glory which is prepared for us above. Oh, my dear sister, all things are ours, whether life, or death, or things present, or things to come. Time with all its changes, its comforts and crosses, and eternity with all its great and unchangeable glories, are ours! Christ is ours, and all things in and with Him, and we are His, and shall shortly be with Him where He is, to behold His glory! We shall be like Him, perfectly so for we shall see Him as He is! We shall not be long absent from but shall shortly be forever with the Lord to see, to love, to praise Him perfectly and eternally. Oh, blessed day! It hastens upon us. A day without clouds, without decline, without end! A magnificent, bright day, that will spread its glories over all, when the Lord will be our everlasting light, and our God our glory!

Then farewell forever! Farewell trials! Farewell sin! Farewell sorrow! Farewell death! Farewell darkness! Farewell pain! Farewell weakness! Mortality shall be swallowed in life! And in the meantime, my dear sister, let us go on in faith and hope of that eternal life which God, who cannot lie, has promised; and loving and adoring the Lord in all things, let us follow the Lamb, even wherever He goes, until we reach immortal glory with Him. And now, my dear child, unto the tender care of your everlasting Father, I commit you. May His presence be with you, and His blessing be upon you continually.

[Anne Dutton]

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Everything On This Side of Hell is Mercy

Labor every day to be humbler, and lowlier, and littler, in your own eyes. "Who am I," says the humble soul, "that God should cross me in this mercy, and take away that mercy, and pass a sentence of death upon every mercy? I am not worthy of the least mercy, I deserve not a crumb of mercy, I have forfeited every mercy!" It is only pride that puts men upon contending with God. 

A humble soul will lie quiet at the foot of God; it will be contented with bare necessities. A dinner of green herbs well suits the humble man's palate, whereas a fattened ox is but a coarse dish to a proud man's stomach. A humble heart thinks none are less than himself, nor any worse than himself. 

A humble heart looks upon small mercies, as great mercies; and great afflictions, as small afflictions; and small afflictions, as no afflictions. He therefore sits mute and quiet under all. Do but keep humble, and you will keep silent before the Lord. Pride kicks, and flings, and frets; but a humble man has his hand upon his mouth. 

Everything on this side of Hell is mercy, much mercy, rich mercy, to a humble soul! Therefore, he remains mute under God's smarting rod. 

[Thomas Brooks] 

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Psalm 39:9 ... I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

Proverbs 13:10 ... Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

James 4:10 ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. ❤

Daily Bread

By asking God to give us our daily bread, we confess our dependence upon Him.

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Matthew 6:11-13 ... Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

John 6:35 ... And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Acts 17:28 ... For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. ❤

Oh, The Sense of Pardoned Sin!

The attribute of God which David selects for special praise: "All my inmost being, praise His holy name." You might have expected to read "gracious name," or "merciful name." But you find it written, "holy name."  Indeed, this is the emphatic point of the text: that an impeccably holy God would forgive our sin. He is a holy God righteous, just, and pure; who cannot look upon iniquity; whose fury burns against evil. Therefore, it is astonishing that He should forgive our iniquities. To accomplish this wonder, the miracle of the sin-atoning cross was wrought by His unspeakable love. 

You must have a true idea of that holiness, which is like a consuming fire that holiness which even angels cannot gaze upon, but of which they sing, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory!"  You have but to gain a glimpse of that unutterable perfection, and you will abhor yourself in dust and ashes. And then you will marvel to think that the thrice holy God should have spared your guilty soul. How abhorrent is your depravity in His sight; and yet He does not smite you!  

What are you but a mass of corruption; and yet the infinitely pure One has considered you in love! What are you but a sink of impurity; and yet the all-holy God has looked upon you in compassion. While you were rotting away with the leprosy of sin, the Lord visited you in pity, to show that there was nothing good in you to earn His redeeming love. While you still had your thinking perverted, your affections polluted, and your desires depraved; even while you were full of the sinful plague of your own heart, God says to you, "I have forgiven you." 

In your confessed guiltiness, the Holy God will forgive your sin by an act of both justice and mercy. Plead your guiltiness and say, "Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great!" You must cast all your splendid righteousness onto the rubbish heap, right along with all your heinous iniquities and the ever-flowing stream of Christ's sin-atoning blood will wash it all away. You must cast all your prayers, your charities, and your good works on the same rubbish heap as your sins! You might have tried to sort them a little, but one is so much like the other, that you must fling all your good works and all your bad works overboard, and swim to glory on the sin-atoning cross! 

Though God is glorious in holiness, He is also glorious in mercy and grace. Do you sincerely trust in the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus to save you? Then every grain of your sin is as far removed from you, as the east is from the west. He has hurled the whole of your sin into the unfathomable depths of His ocean of mercy. Oh, the sense of pardoned sin! If indeed the royal pardon has been sent to you from the court of Heaven, then you may heartily sing, "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits who forgives all your sins!" 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Psalm 103:1-3 ... Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

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Matchless Love!!

Sit down in astonishment at this matchless love of Jesus! 

 

Oh! what is in us, that should cause the Lord to save us? We were all equal in sin and misery; nay, doubtless, we have actually out-sinned thousands, to whom this precious salvation is denied. 

Oh! we were once poor wretches sitting upon the ash-heap; yes, wallowing in our blood; and yet behold, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, has so far abounded in His love, as to bestow Himself, His Spirit, His saving grace, and all the jewels of His royal crown, upon us! 

Oh! what heart can conceive, what tongue can express, this matchless love! Says Jesus: "I will be yours forever, and My Spirit shall be yours forever, and My grace shall be yours forever, and My glory shall be yours forever, and My righteousness shall be yours forever! All that I am, and all that I have shall be yours forever!" 

Oh, what incomparable love is this! 

Oh! what a precious Jesus is this! 

[Thomas Brooks] 

Romans 5:6-8 ... For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

1 John 3:1 ... Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

John 3:16 ...  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ❤

Love Speech ...

 Biblical truth is not hate speech.  

It's LOVE speech.

Truth is only considered hate from those that hate the truth.

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Amos 5:10 ...  They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

Galatians 4:16 ... Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Ephesians 4:15 ... But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ❤

Paul's Hobby-Horse!

The world is full of distractions, and even within the church, countless voices clamor for attention.  But Paul, that faithful minister of the gospel, had one great theme that eclipsed all others: Jesus Christ and Him crucified!  This was not a passing interest or occasional emphasis it was his constant, unwavering focus. If Paul had a "hobbyhorse," it was Christ crucified.  He rode it in every letter, proclaimed it in every sermon, and treasured it at all times. Paul had deep theological knowledge, an unmatched intellect, and a rich grasp of Old Testament Scriptures.  Yet when he came to Corinth a city dazzled by eloquence and puffed up with human wisdom, he deliberately laid aside every other topic.  He determined; he resolved to make the cross of Christ his singular subject. Why? Because the cross reveals both the vileness of human sin, and the marvelous grace of God in salvation. 

The cross manifests the sinfulness of man, exalts the glory of God, and unveils the only way of redemption.  To preach "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" is to proclaim the eternal plan of God, the willing sacrifice of the Son, and the effectual power of the Spirit in saving those for whom Jesus died.  It is to declare that totally depraved and spiritually dead sinners, can be reconciled to the holy and righteous God, only through the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus.  No philosophy or moral reform can accomplish this.  Only the blood of the Lamb can cleanse and justify ungodly sinners! 

In a world of theological fads and spiritual shallowness, we need more men like Paul men who will refuse to drift from the centrality of the cross. The cross must not be reduced to a mere entry point of the Christian life. It is the very heart of the gospel, the foundation of all doctrine, and the fuel for sanctification. As believers, we never outgrow our need to hear again and again, of our Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us! Let Paul's holy obsession be ours. Let Christ crucified be our boast, our theme, our delight, and our message! May we, too, resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

1 Corinthians 2:2 .... For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Galatians 6:14 .... But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. ❤

"Vacations"

My dear brother, 

I well remember how much I used to think of vacations when I was a boy. But it pains me to consider how much of this precious time was altogether wasted. But you will say, "Must we study all the time? May we never play?" Surely, I do not mean this. No one can be a greater friend to recreation than I. I consider recreation not only harmless but absolutely necessary. But what I mean is that even in play one should not be foolish or unreasonable. 

There is such a thing as being profitably employed, at the same time that one is entertained. And there is a certain way of spending vacations so as to get neither profit nor recreation. Gustavus was a schoolmate of mine, and a more idle lad I never knew. Half his time seemed to be spent in lounging over his books, yawning, stretching, and wishing that the play-hour had come. But how did he use this time of recreation when it came? I think I see him even now. When the Saturday afternoon, or any of the regular vacations came, Gustavus seemed as much at a loss as when he was at his desk in the schoolroom. He had no plan laid out, no arrangements made for his sports or exercise. 

Now, I like a boy to have some method even in his play. Gustavus used to saunter along the road on his way homeward, as if he scarcely knew what to do with himself. Then he would put away his books and come out again. What he was going to do next, he could not tell. Sometimes he would lie under the trees, or hang upon the gate, or lounge in the lanes, waiting for some of the other boys to come along. Gustavus was thus more uncomfortable than if he had been at his books. And at the end of a vacation, he used to feel more exhausted and worn out, than his younger brother who had been working in the field. 

There is no profit in such vacations as these they encourage idleness and irresolution. Take another picture of another boy. Matthew went to the same school. While he was at his desk he was always employed, and scarcely ever looked away from his lesson. His whole soul was engaged in it. But when school was out, and books put away, there was not a livelier fellow in the whole school than Matthew vacations were full of pleasure to him, and full of profit, too. He always had something planned beforehand. Sometimes he had formed a group to climb the neighboring mountains, or to build a fort in the edge of the woods, or to visit some of the villages. Sometimes he used to work for hours with the carpenter's tools which his uncle had given him; and thus, he received exercise as well as amusement. But what he chiefly loved was to go with his father to walk in the woods, and gather flowers, and learn the names of trees, plants, and minerals. You will now be able to understand me, when I say, do not waste your vacations. 

One of the most important ways of spending them is in taking active exercise a wholesome game at ball, or an hour's ride on a good horse, will fit you for studying so much the better when you return to your lessons. It is a duty for us to take care of our health. Many people ruin their health in youth; and then it is almost impossible to live either comfortably or usefully. Visits to your friends may also be paid in your vacations. It is a good sign for boys to be fond of accompanying their mothers and sisters in their visits. Thus, they learn good manners and escape that clownishness which is apt to grow upon students. 

When I see a boy ready to sneak out of the room, I naturally conclude that he will never be a well-bred man. And this is more important than you might think at first; for when young men grow up, they need and desire some society. And if they have become so foolishly bashful, or disgracefully awkward, as to shrink from the society of their mothers and sisters, they will be very apt to go out into bad company. Lastly, whatever you do, do it upon principle, do it conscientiously, and you will never regret it. 

Your affectionate brother, 

James

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Letter to a Young Wife

My Dear Lizzie, 

I have just received the pleasing news of your marriage with one so worthy of your trust and affection. Of course, you are very happy; for there is no more perfect happiness for a young and loving woman, than to center her heart's best feelings upon one being to feel her destiny bound up in his to become, as it were, a very part of his life. Perhaps, at such a time, my dear girl, it may seem unkind to throw the least shadow over the bright sky of your happiness; but I cannot refrain from giving you some little advice now, at the outset of your new life. You are looking forward are you not? with perfect confidence to the future. You think that the sea upon which you are launched, will ever remain calm and untroubled as now; that you will go on forever thus, joyous and happy thus, free from care and sorrow. 

But, oh, remember, there is no sunshine that is not clouded over sometimes; no stream so smooth as to be always undisturbed. Then, make up your mind to have cares, perplexities, and trials such as have never troubled you before; and be prepared to meet them. As yet, you are to your husband the same perfect being that you were before marriage, free from all that is wrong your follies even regarded as delightful. You are now placed upon a pedestal a very goddess; but, believe me, you must soon descend to take your place among mortals, and well for you if you can do it gracefully. 

Believe me, dearest, I have no wish to sadden your spirit only to prepare it for the trials which must come to perplex it. You must learn to have your faults commented upon, one by one and yet be meek and patient under reproach. You must learn to have your sayings which you have heard praised as witticisms regarded as mere nonsense. You must learn to yield even when you seem to be in the right; to give up your will even when your husband seems obstinate and unreasonable; to be chided when you expected praise; and have your utmost endeavors to do rightly regarded as mere duties. 

But, be not cast down by this dark side of the picture. You will be happier, spite of all these trials, than you have ever been if you only resolve to be firm in the path of duty: to strive to do well always; to return a kind answer for a harsh word; and, above all, to control your temper. There may be times when this may seem impossible; but always remember that one angry word provokes another, and that thus the beautiful gem of wedded affection is tarnished, until what seemed to be the purest gold is found only gilded brass. Amiability is the most necessary of all virtues in a wife, and perhaps the most difficult of all others to retain. Pray fervently for a meek forbearing spirit; cherish your kindly impulses and leave the rest to your Father in Heaven. 

I shall, if you like, write you again upon this subject. You know I have been wedded long enough to have had some little experience, and if it can benefit you, you are welcome to it. 

Adieu for a while,

Ever your friend.

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Faith and Trust

Persistence. That is one of the keys of both life and of being a true believer. Jesus shared with you ALL of God’s promises and every single one will absolutely come true, but they won’t all come true today. You need to have FAITH and TRUST and wait for His timing. You need to stand tall and continue working daily for His glory, telling people the Good News, and living according to His commandments. When the time is right, God will shower you with blessings including eternal life but remember you reap what you sow. 

Lord, thank you for grace, understanding, mercy, hope, forgiveness, and unconditional love. Thank you for keeping all of Your promises according to Your timing. Help us stand strong in our faith. Help us be better and do better each day. Let Your will always be done. In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen. 

Ultimately you are doing what you do for one of two reasons: to serve oneself or to serve God. There is enough time in every day to do God's work in God's way. 

 

[Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom]

2 Chronicles 15:7 ... Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

Proverbs 3:5 ... Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Matthew 21:21 ... Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. ❤

Twice Born ~

 The once born will die twice.

~ AND ~

The twice born will die once.

[A. W. Tozer]

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Revelation 20:6 ... Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 21:8 ... But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Romans 6:10-11 ... For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ❤