Proverbs 17:3Β (ESV)
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.
Tag Archives: Faith
π Precious Proverbs: Pleasant Words
April 16, 2020 
5 Comments
Serve Him Today
April 16, 2020 0 Comments
Don’t look to the future when you might be in a better situation to serve God. Serve Him today, whatever your situation may be.
Oh, comforting truth!
April 14, 2020 0 Comments
Oh, comforting truth!
“TheΒ LORDΒ has heard my cry for mercy;Β theΒ LORDΒ accepts my prayer.”Β Psalm 6:9Β
“You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted” Psalm 10:17
“This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles” Psalm 34:6
“The righteous cry out, and theΒ LORDΒ hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles”Β Psalm 34:17Β
Β Β
“Evening, morning and noonΒ I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice”Β Psalm 55:17Β
“God has surely listenedΒ and heard my voice in prayer”Β Psalm 66:19Β
“I love theΒ LORD, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy”Β Psalm 116:1Β
“I call on theΒ LORDΒ in my distress,Β and He answers me”Β Psalm 120:1Β
“He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;Β He hears their cry and saves them.”Β Psalm 145:19Β
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,Β and His ears are attentive to their prayer”Β 1 Peter 3:12Β
Christian! God is near at hand whenever you approach Him in prayer.Β
Oh, comforting truth!Β You have a God at hand . . .
Β to listen to the softest breath of prayer,
Β to listen to every confession of sin,
Β to listen to every cry of need,
Β to listen to every utterance of sorrow,
Β to listen to every wail of woe,
Β to listen to every appeal for counsel, strength and support!
Arise, O my soul! and give yourself to prayer, for God is near at hand to hear and answer you!
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Oh, be ravished with this!
April 13, 2020 2 Comments
Oh, be ravished with this!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“That the world may know that You sent Me andΒ loved them even as You have loved Me!”Β John 17:23Β
Can you believe it . . .
Β thatΒ youΒ should be the object of God’s delight,
Β thatΒ youΒ should be the object of the Father’s love as truly as Christ is!Β
See the amazing sacrifice which the Father made in giving Jesus to us.Β
Think what it cost Him to tear His Well-Beloved from His bosom and send Him down below to be despised and rejected.Β
Think what it cost Him to nail Jesus up to yonder cross, and then forsake Him and hide His face from Him, because He had laid all our sins upon Him.Β
Oh, the love He must have had to us, thus to have made His best Beloved to become a curse for us, as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree!”Β
I want you to get this truth right into your souls, dear friends.Β
Do not hold it as a dry doctrine, but let it penetrate your heart.Β
Oh, when the river ofΒ God’s great love to usΒ came rolling in like a mighty torrent, what a sea of love was there! Now we are borne onward forever by the mighty sweep of infinite love into an everlasting blessedness which tongues and lips can never fully set forth!Β
Oh, be ravished with this!Β Be in ecstasy at love so amazing, so divine! The Father lovesΒ youΒ even as He loves His Son! After the same manner and sort, He loves all His redeemed people.
Can you believe it!Β
Oh, if the love of Jesus once enters into a man’s soul . . .
Β Β it will forever transform him,
Β Β it will sway him with the noblest passions,
Β Β it will make him a zealot for Christ,
Β Β it will cast out his pride and selfishness,
Β Β it will change him into the image of Christ, and
Β Β fit him to dwell in Heaven where love is eternally perfected.
We were dead men rotting in a dunghill of sin!
April 12, 2020 0 Comments
We were dead men rotting in a dunghill of sin!
(Charles Spurgeon, “Treasury of David“)
“The Lord raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy from the dunghill!” Psalm 113:7Β
What a gracious stoop of love! He frequently lifts the lowest of mankind out of their poverty and degradation, and adopts them into His family.Β
His gracious Spirit is continually visiting the down-trodden, giving beauty for ashes to those who are cast down, and elevating the hearts of His mourners until they shout for joy.Β
These upliftings of grace are here ascribed directly to the divine hand, and truly those who have experienced them will not doubt the fact that it is the Lord alone who brings His people up from the dust of sorrow and death. When no hand but His can help, He interposes and the work is done.Β
“And lifts the needy from the dunghill”Β whereon they lay like worthless refuse, cast off and cast out–left as they thought, to rot into destruction, and to be everlastingly forgotten.Β
How great a stoop from the height of His throne, to a dunghill! How wonderful is that power which occupies itself in lifting up beggars, all befouled with the filthiness in which they lay! For He lifts them out of the dunghill, not disdaining to search them out from amidst the base things of the earth–that He may bring to nothing the great ones, and pour contempt upon all human glorying.Β
What a dunghill was that upon which we lay by nature!Β
What a mass of corruption is our original estate!
What a heap of loathsomeness we have accumulated by our sinful lives!
We could never have risen out of this corruption by our own efforts–we were dead men rotting in a dunghill of sin!Β
Almighty were the arms which lifted us, which are still lifting us, and will lift us into the perfection of Heaven itself!
He Has Risen β¨ Happy Easter! π
April 12, 2020 5 Comments
π¬ Quote 4 2day…Β
“You have saved our lives, we are eternally grateful!“
Looking at the world through the cross!
April 10, 2020 5 Comments
Looking at the world through the cross!
(Octavius Winslow)
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14Β
Jesus could accomplish man’s redemption in no other way than by crucifixion. He must die–and die the death of the cruel cross.Β
What light and glory beam aroundΒ the cross!
Of what prodigies of grace, is it the instrument,Β
of what glorious truths, is it the symbol,Β
of what mighty transforming power, is it the source!Β
Around the cross gathers all the light of the Old Testament economy:Β
Β it explains everyΒ symbol,Β
Β it substantiates everyΒ shadow,Β
Β it solves everyΒ mystery,Β
Β it fulfills everyΒ type,Β
Β it confirms everyΒ prophecy,Β
of that dispensation which had eternally remained unmeaning and inexplicable, but for the death of the Son of God upon the cross.Β
Not theΒ pastΒ only–but allΒ futureΒ splendor gathers around the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It assures us of the ultimate reign of the Savior, and tells of the reward which shall spring from His sufferings. And while its one arm points to the divine counsels of eternity past–with the other it points to the future triumph and glory of Christ’s kingdom in the eternity to come! Such is the lowly yet sublime, the weak yet mighty instrument, by which the sinner is saved and God eternally glorified.Β
The cross of Christ is . . .
Β the grand consummation of all preceding dispensations of God to men;
Β the meritorious procuring cause of all spiritual blessings to our fallen race;
Β the scene of Christ’s splendid victories over all His enemies and ours;
Β the most powerful incentive to all evangelical holiness;
Β the instrument which is to subjugate the world to the supremacy of Jesus;
Β the source of all true peace, joy and hope;
Β the tree beneath whose shadow all sin expires, all grace lives.Β
The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!Β
What a holy thrill these words produce in the heart of those who love the Savior!Β
How significant is their meaning, how precious is their influence!Β
Marvelous and irresistible, is the power of the cross! The cross of Christ has . . .
Β subdued many a rebellious will;Β
Β broken many a marble heart;Β
Β laid low many a vaunting foe;Β
Β overcome and triumphed, when all other instruments have failed;Β
Β transformed the lion like heart of man, into the lamb like heart of Christ!Β
When lifted up in its own bare simplicity and inimitable grandeur–the cross of Christ has won and attracted millions to its faith, admiration, and love!Β
What a marvelous power does this cross of Jesus possess! It changes the Christian’s entire judgment of the world.Β Looking at the world through the cross–his opinion is totally revolutionized.Β
He sees the world as it really is–a sinful, empty, vain thing.Β
He learns its iniquity, in that it crucified the Lord of life and glory.Β
His expectations from the world, and his love to the world, are transformed.Β
He has found another object of love–the Savior whom the world cast out and slew.Β
His love to the world is destroyed by that power which alone could destroy it–the crucifying power of the cross.Β
It is the cross which eclipses, in the view of the true believer, the glory and attraction of every other object.Β
What is the weapon by which faith combats with, and overcomes the world? What but the cross of Jesus!Β
Just as the natural eye, gazing for a while upon the sun, is blinded for the moment to all other objects by its overpowering effulgence; so to the believer, concentrating his mind upon the glory of the crucified Savior, studying closely the wonders ofΒ graceandΒ loveΒ andΒ truthΒ meeting in the cross–the world with all its attraction fades into the full darkness of an eclipse.Β
Christ and His cross infinitely better than the world and its trinkets!Β
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14Β
The delight which God has in His redeemed people!
April 9, 2020 5 Comments
The delight which God has in His redeemed people!Β
“I willΒ rejoiceΒ over them to do them good.” Jeremiah 32:41Β
“AsΒ a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,Β so your God willΒ rejoiceΒ over you!”Β Isaiah 62:5Β
The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take greatΒ delightΒ in you . . . He willΒ rejoiceΒ over you with singing!” Zephaniah 3:17Β
How heart-cheering to the believer, isΒ theΒ delightΒ which God has in His redeemed people!
We cannot see any reason inΒ ourselvesΒ why the Lord should take pleasure in us. We cannot take delight in ourselves, for we often have to groan, being burdened; conscious of our sinfulness, and deploring our unfaithfulness.Β
And we fear thatΒ God’s peopleΒ cannot take much delight in us, for they must perceive so much of our imperfections and our follies, that they may rather lament our infirmities, than admire our graces.Β
But we love to dwell upon this transcendent truth, this glorious mystery–that as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so does the Lord rejoice over us!Β
We do not read anywhere that God delights in the cloud-capped mountains, or the sparkling stars–but we do read that His delights are with the sons of men.Β
We do not find it written that evenΒ angelsΒ give His soul delight; nor does He say, concerning cherubim and seraphim, “You shall be calledΒ Hephzibah, for the LordΒ delightsΒ in you”; but He does say all that to poor fallen creatures like ourselves, debased and depraved by sin–but redeemed and saved by His grace.Β
In what strong language He expresses His delight in His people! Who could have conceived of the eternal One as bursting forth into a song? Yet it is written, “He will take greatΒ delightΒ in you . . . He will rejoice over you withΒ singing!”Β
As He looked upon the world He had made, He said, “It is very good”. But when He beheld those who are the purchase of Jesus’ blood, His own chosen ones, it seemed as if the great heart of the Infinite could restrain itself no longer–but overflowed in divine exclamations of joy.Β
Should not we utter ourΒ grateful responseΒ to such a marvelous declaration of His love, and sing, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”Β
May we see our sins
April 8, 2020 2 Comments
May we see our sins
(Henry Law, “Family Prayers”)
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us miserable sinners. Move, we beseech You, in our disordered hearts. Remove the deformities of unruly desires and hateful lusts. Chase away the mists and darkness of unbelief. Brighten our inner man with the pure light of truth. Sow abundantly the seeds of righteousness. Make our souls fragrant as the garden of the Lord. Enrich them with every godly fruit. Beautify them with heavenly grace. Be our comforter, our guide, our light, our sanctification.Β
Especially take of the things of Christ, and show them with enlarged power to our longing souls. May we daily learn more of His love, His grace, His tender compassion, His faithfulness, and His beauty. May we delight ourselves in Him with increased delight.Β Lead us to the cross, and show us in His wounds–the hateful character of sin.Β May we see our sins, as . . .Β
Β theΒ nailsΒ which transfixed Him,
Β theΒ cordsΒ which bound Him,
Β theΒ swordΒ which pierced Him,
Β theΒ thornsΒ which tore Him,
Β theΒ tauntsΒ which stung Him.Β
Help us to read in His cruel death, the reality and immensity of His love.Β
Open to us the wondrous volumes of glorious truth in the cry,Β “It is finished!”Β
Our atonement is forever achieved,Β
our debt is fully paid,Β
all our guilt is washed away,
all our sins most righteously forgiven,
our souls saved,
Hell vanquished,
the devil crushed,
Heaven won, andΒ
eternity of glory our rightful home!
Holy Spirit, deepen in us these saving lessons.Β
Write them with Your finger on the tablets of our hearts.Β
May our walk be . . .
Β sin-loathing,
Β sin-fleeing,
Β Christ-loving,
Β God-fearing!
Believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil
April 7, 2020 4 Comments
Believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil
(Charles Spurgeon)
“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!” Romans 8:28Β
The Christian does not merely hold this truth as a theory, but he knows it as a matter of fact. Everything has worked for good as yet.Β
TheΒ poisonous drugsΒ mixed in fit proportions, have worked the cure.Β
TheΒ sharp cutsΒ of the lancet, have cleansed out the infected flesh and facilitated the healing.Β
In every event of your life, God has always worked out the most divinely blessed results.
Believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil–the believer’s heart is comforted, and he is enabled calmly to meet each trial as it comes. The believer can in the spirit of true resignation pray, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine! Send me what You will, my Father, so long as it comes from You!”
The crying evil of both the Church and of the world!
April 6, 2020 4 Comments
The crying evil of both the Church and of the world!Β
(Thomas Reade, “The Desire of More”)Β
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, andΒ covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5Β
“You can be sure that no immoral, impure, orΒ covetousΒ person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For aΒ covetousΒ person is really anΒ idolaterΒ who worships the things of this world.” Ephesians 5:5Β
The love of moneyΒ under every form, insinuates itself into every heart.Β
A day is fast approaching when it will be clearly seen whether Christ or Mammon has swayed our affections.Β
Covetousness, in the language of Scripture, is the desire of having more. If we are habitually desirous of riches, for their own sake, we are, in the estimation of God,Β covetousΒ people, idolaters, the servants of mammon. Our station may be exalted; our profession of religion may be outwardly strict, but still our destruction is sure.Β
There are, perhaps, few sins which assume so plausible an appearance; and for which so many excuses are made as for that ofcovetousness. And hence it is that we have need to guard so much the citadel of the heart.Β
Covetousness, eatingΒ like a canker, upon the vitals of our religion–isΒ the crying evil of both the Church and of the world!Β
What advantage did Lot’s wife, Achan, Gehazi, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira, gain by their desire for more? They reaped shame and death; and now stand asΒ beaconsΒ in the Word of God to warn us against their soul-destroying sin!Β
“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?”Β Luke 9:25Β
As foolish as to hope to bind an angel with a string, or to lure a star with music!
April 5, 2020 5 Comments
As foolish as to hope to bind an angel with a string, or to lure a star with music!Β
(Charles Spurgeon)
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!” Romans 1:16Β
To try to win a soul to Christ by keeping that soul in ignorance of any truth, is contrary to the mind of the Spirit. To endeavor to save men by mere claptrap, or entertainments, or excitements, or oratorical displays–isΒ as foolish as to hope to bind an angel with a string, or to lure a star with music!Β
The best attraction is the gospel in its purity. The weapon with which the Lord conquers men, is the truth as it is in Jesus. The gospel will be found equal to every emergency. The gospel is anΒ arrowΒ which can pierce the hardest heart–aΒ balmΒ which will heal the deadliest wound. Preach it, and preach nothing else. Rely implicitly upon the old, old gospel.Β
You need no otherΒ netsΒ when you fish for men; those your Master has given you are strong enough for the large fish, and have meshes fine enough to hold the little ones.Β
Spread those nets and no others, and you need not fear the fulfillment of His Word, “I will make you fishers of men.”
The diamonds of Heaven!
April 4, 2020 6 Comments
The diamonds of Heaven!
“You keep track of all myΒ sorrows.
Β You have collected all myΒ tearsΒ in Your bottle.
Β You have recorded each one in Your book.”Β Psalm 56:8
“Behold, he is praying!” Acts 9:11Β
Prayers are instantly noticed in heaven. The moment Saul began to pray, the Lord heard him. Here is comfort for the distressed but praying soul. Oftentimes a poor broken-hearted one bends his knee, but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and tears; yet that groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God and treasured in theΒ lachrymatory of Heaven.Β “You have collected all my tears in Your bottle.”Β ThisΒ implies that they are caught as they flow!Β
The suppliant, who groans out his words, will be well understood by the Most High God. He may only look up with misty eye; butΒ prayer is the falling of a tear!Β Tears areΒ the diamonds of Heaven!Β SighsΒ are a part of the music of Jehovah’s court, and are numbered with the most sublime strains which reach the majesty on high!
Do not think that your prayers, however weak or trembling, will be unregarded. Our God not onlyΒ hearsΒ prayers, but alsoΒ lovesΒ to hear them. “He does not forget the cry of the humble.”Β
True, He does not regard proud looks and lofty words.Β
He no concern for the pomp and pageantry of kings.Β
He does not listen not to the swell of martial music.Β
He does not regard the triumph and pride of man.Β
But wherever there is a contrite heart full with sorrow, or a lip quivering with agony, or a deep groan, or a penitential sighθhe heart of Jehovah is open! He marks that prayer down inΒ the registry of His memory!Β He puts our prayers, like rose leavesεetween the pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last there shall be a precious fragrance springing up therefrom!
When a tear is wept by you–do not think that God does not behold it
April 3, 2020 0 Comments
When a tear is wept by you–do not think that God does not behold it
(Charles Spurgeon)
“The LORD said:
Β I have indeedΒ seenΒ the misery of My people in Egypt.
Β I haveΒ heardΒ them crying out because of their slave drivers,
Β and I amΒ concernedΒ about their suffering.
Β So I have come down toΒ rescueΒ them . . .” Exodus 3:7, 8
Perhaps no figure of speech represents God in a more gracious light, than when He is spoken of as stooping from His throne and coming down from Heaven to attend to the wants and woes of His redeemed people.Β
How can we but love Him, when we know that He . . .
Β numbers the very hairs of our heads,
Β marks all our paths, and
Β orders all our ways?
When a tear is wept by you–do not think that God does not behold it, for . . .
“You keepΒ trackΒ of all my sorrows.
Β You haveΒ collectedΒ all my tears in Your bottle.
Β You haveΒ recordedΒ each one in Your book.” Psalm 56:8Β
Your sigh is able to move the heart of Jehovah,Β
your whisper can incline His ear unto you,Β
your prayer can stay His hand,Β
your faith can move His arm!
Do not think that God sits on high taking no account of you. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him.
There is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life!
April 2, 2020 3 Comments
There is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life!
(Charles Spurgeon)Β
“Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age!” Matthew 28:20Β
It is well that there is One who is ever the same, and who is ever with us. It is well thatΒ there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life. O my soul, do not set your affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures–but set your heart upon Him who abides forever faithful to you. Do not build your house upon the moving quicksands of a deceitful world–but found your hopes upon this rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall stand immovably secure!
My soul, I charge you–lay up yourΒ treasureΒ in the only secure cabinet; store yourΒ jewelsΒ where you can never lose them. Put yourΒ allΒ in Christ; set . . .
Β all yourΒ affectionsΒ on His person,
Β all yourΒ hopeΒ in His merit,
Β all yourΒ trustΒ in His efficacious blood,
Β all yourΒ joyΒ in His presence,
and so you may laugh at loss and defy difficulties.Β
Remember thatΒ all the flowers in the world’s garden wither and die–and the day is coming when nothing will be left but the black, cold earth.Β Death’s black extinguisherΒ must soon put out your candle. Oh! how sweet to haveΒ sunlight–when theΒ candleΒ is gone! TheΒ dark floodΒ must soon roll between you and all you have!Β
So wed your heart to Him who will never leave you. Trust yourself with Him who will go with you through the black and surging current of death’s stream, and who will land you safely on the celestial shore, and make you sit with Him in heavenly places forever!Β
Go, sorrowing son of affliction–tell your secret troubles to the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. Trust all your concerns with Him . . .
Β who never can be taken from you,
Β who will never leave you, and
Β who will never let you leave Him, even “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”Β
“I am with you always,”Β is enough for my soul to live upon–though all others forsake me!
“Iβve never seen so clearly since going blind” 20 Years Of Sight-loss!
March 28, 2020 26 Comments
Hi friends. As it is 20 years to the day since i went blindβ¦I thought iβd share one of my older posts(yet updated) from 4 years ago when i was asked to share a little of what i went through when i lost my sight at 24.
I really hope that youβll have the time to read it, and that it blesses you in some small way?!Β
Here Goes…
I was asked by our Minister Nik if i would share my Testimony in the parade service. The theme was βFaith through Adversityβ, Nik said “i can ask you some straight forward questions, it will only take about 5 minutes(or so we thought)β βYeah, ok, if you think it will help?β.
Sunday 8th May 2016…
Walking into the church building Sunday morning, it was quite full, as it was parade service, the scouts and other uniformed groups were there, but Nik found us seats at the front, then showed me up the steps and where iβd stand to speak, after testing the microphone i remembered the steps and sat back down.Β
As iβm blind, i canβt use any notes, so i spent a little time trying to etch some answer headings into my mind, hoping iβd not veer too far off track. I then prayed that iβd use this time to Glorify Him, as i talked about the Truth that sets us free, and how iβm not ashamed of the Gospel, itβs the power of God unto Salvation to all who believe…please make it real(be careful praying this, lol).
It;s time…
Steve, we are looking at people who have showed faith in difficult circumstances and I have asked you to share some of your story with us.
Many people here, even those who have seen you around at various church events may not know that you are blind.
My Testimony…
Nik stood next to me at the microphone and started with the first 2 questions:
Have you always been blind? How and when did you loose your sight?
I explained iβd been fully sighted until i was 24, and after 2 brain haemorrhages(March – July 2000) that burst my optic nerve, iβm now registered blind and have Severe Hypertensive Retinopathy.
“How did that change your life?”
I said βI can only scratch the surface this morning, but if ever you see me walking around here or in town, please ask me anything. But now i’ll try and sketch you a quick picture and give you a flavour of what happened⦔
βI went to the gym 6-7 days a week, played football most evenings and was quite violent, acting the tough guy. Β I wasnβt a Christian, i hadnβt been born again, or even been inside a church buildingβ¦soβ¦As i stepped out of the eye consultants office after being told iβd be blind for the rest of my life, it was out of character but i collapsed on the floor sobbingg my eyes out. And as my crying out got a little too loud they pulled me into a small empty roomβ¦.And this was the easy bitβ.
βFollowing this was pure isolation… all my football mates left me, i lost my job, my car and ability to do anything…i lost everything, i was completely broken, and on top of that i was left to my acusing thoughts βNobody wants you, youβre useless now, unwanted, rejected, unloved and unlovable!!β
Suddenly, as i was telling my story…
My mouth was silenced, an image of Jesus in Glory(Revelation 1) filled my mind, it wasΒ so clear(not blurred by my blindness)Β I could see His flaming eyes of judgmentβ¦thenβ¦the image changed, it was Jesus on the cross, now His eyes were filled with Mercy, Compassion & Grace, and while looking down straight at me he said βI did this for you, so that you can live. Iβ¦LOVEβ¦YOU!!!
I started sobbing uncontrollably, and it took a couple of minutes for me to try and start talking againβ¦.but more sobbingβ¦i was completely undone. But these tears were different!
I already knew He’d given His life so i could live. He’d come down so farΒ to save me it is immeasurable. His blood washed me clean, white as snow. He’s forgiven me all my sins, past, present and future, and there is no more condemnation for me, it is finished!
Iβd been Β praying for so long for God to βBreak my heart for what broke Hisβ and sang the songs many times, but rarely had i caught a glimpse of the true cost of His Love, and His free gift of Grace to those who Repent and Believe in Him. I knew He wanted me to share the True Gospel to people listening(and now reading), as it alone is the only Hope. It is the Power of God unto Salvation for anyone that believes.
Still sobbing, i continued…
My every word was a different pitch but i said βMy pit was so dark, my accusing thoughts were too heavy, and this led to a daily cycle of waking up and trying to kill myselfβ¦failing, which made me feel worseβ¦then drinking so much i could drown them out for the rest of the day, until i woke the next day, then it started again.Β
I didnβt have the strength to kill myself, and i didnβt have the strength to live…i was without God, and without Hope!
Nik, whoβs hand was rested on my shoulder asked question 4 “I know you were deeply unhappy at the time, what changed that?”
The world followed itβs pattern and sent me to Counselling, then Psychotherapy & finally Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, they didnβt work, they all had no answer for me, they couldnβt reach far enough down to pull me out. I needed a Saviour, I needed the light of the Gospel!Β
The Good News &Β Lovely Sarah…
Meeting Sarah changed my life! I have no idea how sheβs put up with me. Sheβs Β been so patient and long suffering as i tried attacking her Faith and this Jesus! But she kept on loving me. Sarah always seemed to have a rock to stand on no matter how bad things got for her, and i was being dragged deeper into the sinking sand. She always had this Blessed Hope that i didnβt,
Jesus worked through Sarah to shine the light of the Gospel, the Good News i was dying for.Β
Words failed me as i was trying to describe how much i love Sarah, so when my mind filled with thoughts of how far weβve grown together in loveβ¦i broke down again.Β
The sobbing was still making me pause every few words, but mentioned Jesus doesnβt want to see anyone perish, but he pursues you, He has come to seek and save that which is lost. He loves you and no matter how bad or hopeless you think you are, Heβll keep coming with His free gift of Salvation!
Nik asked Question 5 “some people would say that your life must be worse now, would you agree with them?”
Iβd gone way over my time slot, and i was almost pulled away from the mic as i was so overwhelmedβ¦BUT i knew these tears were not about me, or my losses. I had 1 focus and that was to share the Truth that sets us free. I had no feeling of sorrow or pain. I knew it must have seemed like this to the congregation, and i thought theyβd stick me in a counselling room when iβd finished!
The Holy Spirit was filling me like never before, and made the Power of the Gospel so real to me i almost exploded.
I continued βI wouldnβt agree with anyone who thinks(or measures) life by how good our circumstances are. Iβd lead them to 2 Corinthians 4 & 5 where it talks about living by Faith, not by Sight, and now that we are born again in the Spirit, we should walk by the Spirit. Not living for things that are seen which are temporary(like my sight loss), but living for the unseen which is Eternalβ
βI used to hate this song, but now iβd play it every service if i couldβ¦have you heard Amazing Grace, the Chris Tomlin version? If you pass me in the street youβll normally hear me singing or humming these words:”
“Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.Β I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see. My chains are gone I’ve been set free. My God, my Saviour has ransomed me. And like a flood His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing graceβ.
βIβve never seen so clearly since going blindβ This is one of my fave sayings.Β πΒ
Nik then walked me back to my seat next to Sarah. The church was completely silent, it had been silent since i first started sobbing. I could feel Sarah was upset as she didnβt react for a while, then she said βPeople kept on running up and passing me tissuesβ. Nik sat down next to Sarah, and Sarah said βYouβre not borrowing him again to speakβ.Β
After the service people came over and said they really connected with the things i said, although i think everyone thinks iβm back in dark depression again, lol.
He showed me the reality and Power of transformation in His Gospel, and how vital it is to share it, as Jesus is the Β Way, the Truth and the Life and no-one gets to Β the Father but by Him. Heβs the forgiver of Sins, breaker of chains, and the only Salvation for Eternal Life in Heaven.
John 3:14-21Β New King James Version (NKJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[a] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 βHe who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.β
I felt i needed to share this post to try and explain a little more of what was happening to me, and maybe reach out to someone who is struggling with the creeping death called Depression,or who is just simply lost and without God, and without Hope.
Related Post: My Full TestimonyΒ
Building The Muscle Of Faith!
March 2, 2018 2 Comments
For the past 6 months I’ve started training in the gym! I know it was a surprise for me too. lol. πΒ
It came about when our friends Ben & Rosie had their latest son Leoin August 2017. Β and while Sarah & i were visiting Rosie in hospital, Rosie mentioned that her son Vini(16 already) was going to the local Gym but needed some encouragement?!
Sarah quickly said βSteve knows loads about training at the gym and it would be great for Steve to get training againβ. I said βErm, i havnβt trained for over 20 yearsβ¦..And i could see back then. Iβve tried Gyms since, but they are simply not accessible for meβ. My avoidance tactic didnβt work, lol.Β
A huge, huge huge Thank you to Viniβ¦. πΒ
I was excited about the prospect of training again as my blindness kills my mobility and i lose hope of exercise etc. But after meeting Vini at the Gym, i realised that there were quite a few machines i could do, i canβt see the dumbbell sizes(or even the dumbbells for that matter) but it doesnβt matter much as Vini sorts all of that out. But unfortunately i still have to lift them on my own!
Β It is really, really hard work. Every time I train I leave the gym completely exhausted and feeling very sore the next few days. Nothing beats when you begin to feel good after a workout and to see improvements every time you go. Being able to lift heavier, for longer and knowing your body is beginning to adjust and change according to your routine.Β
The Christian Walk With God Is a little Like Training At The Gym…
The beginner gym goer is like the newly saved christian who has to build up their relationship with Jesus and become more familiar with the word of God slowly and consistently.
Iron Sharpens Iron…
The beginner needs to be discipled and encouraged along their journey, and not keep looking to the mature ones and comparing themselves to them. You are now born again, like a new born babe. The fruit tree starts out as a seed so pride has to be beaten down like a baddie in a film that doesnβt want to die! Yes by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body.
After the gym our bodies create muscle that wasnβt their before, it uses the energy and protein that our body stores and consumes through the food we eat. Like a muscle our faith can turn into something that it wasnβt before. If we feed it with the word of God, with prayer and fellowship with other christians we can have a stronger faith day by day.
Muscle fibres are being torn and broken down in the gym so they need repaired this causes pain for a few days after.
Sometimes growing in our faith and relationship with Jesus can be sore and uncomfortable as we will have to go through situations and rise up to challenges that seem difficult emotionally and physically but every time after this our faith will seem stronger than it was before if we keep being led by the Holy Spirit and not our fleshly desires.
So next time youβre at the gym, exercising, preparing healthy food or out for a walk etc, make sure to remember to schedule in your daily βtrainingβ time with God and get building that βmuscleβ of faith.
π Prayer 4 2dayβ¦..
Lord, I ask that you would bring me the wisdom, motivation, and ability to properly exercise my body. Stir me up to train all for the glory of God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Never let us read any portion of God’s Word without looking up for divine teaching!
October 8, 2017 0 Comments
Never let us read any portion of God’s Word without looking up for divine teaching!
(James Smith, “The Evening Sacrifice; Or, A Help to Devotion” 1859)
“Open my eyes–that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.” Psalm 119:18
God’s Book is a book of wonders! It is a wonderful record . . .
of God’s power in creation,
of His wisdom in providence,
and of His grace in redemption.
It has the stamp of infinity upon it. We cannot penetrate its heights, fathom its depths, or traverse its lengths and breadths–but as we are taught of God. The Holy Spirit, who composed it and inspired holy men to write it, must unfold and reveal it to our minds–or we shall never . . .
see its glory,
be impressed with its majesty,
or rejoice in its divine truths.
Never let us read any portion of God’s Word without looking up for divine teaching. Never let us imagine that we know all that is contained in any one verse of God’s blessed Book–for there is a fullness in the holy Scriptures not to be found anywhere else.
Oh, ever blessed Spirit of God, who has given us Your holy Word to . . .
instruct our intellects,
sanctify our hearts, and
regulate our lives–we beseech You to . . .
enlighten our minds to understand it,
open our hearts to receive it,
give us faith to believe it, and
enable us to reduce it to practice in our every-day life!
O may we be given grace . . .
understand the sublime doctrines,
believe the precious promises, and
practice the holy precepts of Your blessed Word!
Lord, unveil to us the types, unfold to us the prophecies–and apply to our hearts, the consolatory portions of the sacred Scriptures. May we hide the Word in our hearts, that we may not sin against You. O to catch the meaning, taste the sweetness, and feel the power–of Your holy truth! O Lord, open our eyes, and unfold the truth to us this night! O Lord, soften our hearts, and bring home Your Word with power!
“Then He opened their understanding–that they might understand the Scriptures.” Luke 24:45
“Behold, God is exalted in His power! Who is a teacher like Him?” Job 36:22
Remembrance Sunday(inspiring you by reminding you of the Truth)
November 13, 2016 0 Comments
2 Peter 1 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Growth in Christian Virtue
1 [a]Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ,
To those who have [b]received and possess [by Godβs will] a precious faith of the [c]same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be multiplied to you in the [true, intimate] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through [d]true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to, [e]develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, [develop Christian] love [that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit]. 8 For as these qualities are yours and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity], they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is blindβshortsighted [closing his spiritual eyes to the truth], having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by [f]doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin]; 11 for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you.
12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and are established in the truth which is [g]held firmly in your grasp. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this earthly tent, to inspire you by reminding you, 14 knowing that the laying aside of this earthly tent of mine is imminent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 Moreover, I will diligently endeavor [to see to it] that even after my departure you will be able, at all times, to call these things to mind.
Copyright Β© 2015 by The Lockman Foundation.
Saviour, Sobbing & Sharing my Testimony ~ Amazing Grace
May 12, 2016 14 Comments
I was asked by our Minister Nik if i would share my Testimony in yesterdays parade service. The theme was βFaith through Adversityβ, Nik said “i can ask you some straight forward questions, it will only take about 5 minutes(or so we thought)β βYeah, ok, if you think it will help?β.
Sunday 8th May 2016…
Walking into the church building Sunday morning, it was quite full, as it was parade service, the scouts and other uniformed groups were there, but Nik found us seats at the front, then showed me up the steps and where iβd stand to speak, after testing the microphone i remembered the steps and sat back down.Β
As iβm blind, i canβt use any notes, so i spent a little time trying to etch some answer headings into my mind, hoping iβd not veer too far off track. I then prayed that iβd use this time to Glorify Him, as i talked about the Truth that sets us free, and how iβm not ashamed of the Gospel, itβs the power of God unto Salvation to all who believe…please make it real(be careful praying this).
It;s time…
Steve, we are looking at people who have showed faith in difficult circumstances and I have asked you to share some of your story with us.
Many people here, even those who have seen you around at various church events may not know that you are blind.
My Testimony…
Nik stood next to me at the microphone and started with the first 2 questions:
Have you always been blind? How and when did you loose your sight?
I explained iβd been fully sighted until i was 24, and after 2 brain haemorrhages(March 2000) that burst my optic nerve, iβm now registered blind and have Severe Hypertensive Retinopathy.
“How did that change your life?”
I said βI can only scratch the surface this morning, but if ever you see me walking around here or in town, please ask me anything. But now i’ll try and sketch you a quick picture and give you a flavour of what happened⦔
βI went to the gym 6-7 days a week, played football most evenings and was quite violent, acting the tough guy. Β I wasnβt a Christian, i hadnβt been born again, or even been inside a church buildingβ¦so… as i stepped out of the eye consultants office after being told iβd be blind for the rest of my life, i collapsed on the floor crying outβ¦.and this was the easy bitβ.
βFollowing this was pure isolation… all my football mates left me, i lost my job, my carβ¦everything, i was completely broken, and on top of that i was left to my acusing thoughts βNobody wants you, youβre useless now, unwanted, rejected, unloved and unlovable!!β
Suddenly…
It was about this time where my mouth was silenced, an image of Jesus in Glory(Revelation 1) filled my mind, it wasΒ so clear(not blurred by my blindness)Β I could see His flaming eyes of judgmentβ¦thenβ¦the image changed, it was Jesus on the cross, now His eyes were filled with Mercy, Compassion & Grace, and while looking down straight at me he said βI did this for you, so that you can live. Iβ¦LOVEβ¦YOU!!!
I started sobbing uncontrollablyβ¦iβd never sobbed like this in my entire life, and it took a couple of minutes for me to try and start talking againβ¦.but more sobbingβ¦i was completely undone.
I knew He’d given His life so i could live. He’d come down so farΒ to save me it is immeasurable. His blood washed me clean, white as snow. He’s forgiven me all my sins, past, present and future, and there is no more condemnation for me(or you), it is finished!
Iβd been Β praying for so long for God to βBreak my heart for what broke Hisβ and sang the songs many times, but never had i caught a glimpse of the true cost of His Love, and His free gift of Grace to those who Repent and Believe in Him. I knew He wanted me to share the True Gospel to people listening(and now reading), as it alone is the only Hope. It is the Power of God unto Salvation for anyone that believes.
Still sobbing, i continued…
My every word was a different pitch but i said βMy pit was so dark, my accusing thoughts were too heavy, and this led to a daily cycle of waking up and trying to kill myselfβ¦failing, which made me feel worseβ¦then drinking so much i could drown them out for the rest of the day, until i woke the next day, then it started again.Β
I didnβt have the strength to kill myself, and i didnβt have the strength to live…i was without God, and without Hope!
Nik, whoβs hand was rested on my shoulder asked question 4 “I know you were deeply unhappy at the time, what changed that?”
The world followed itβs pattern and sent me to Counselling, then Psychotherapy & finally Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, they didnβt work, they all had no answer for me, they couldnβt reach far enough down to pull me out. I needed a Saviour, I needed the light of the Gospel!Β
The Good News & Lovely Sarah…
Meeting Sarah changed my life! I have no idea how sheβs put up with me. Sheβs Β been so patient and long suffering as i tried attacking her Faith and this Jesus! But she kept on loving me. Sarah always seemed to have a rock she was standing on no matter how bad things got for her, she always had this Blessed Hope that i didnβt,
Jesus worked through Sarah to shine the light of the Gospel, the Good News i was dying for.
Words failed me as i was trying to describe how much i love Sarah, so when my mind filled with thoughts of how far weβve grown together in loveβ¦i broke down again.Β
The sobbing was still making me pause every few words, but mentioned Jesus doesnβt want to see anyone perish, but he pursues you, He has come to seek and save that which is lost. He loves you and no matter how bad or hopeless you think you are, Heβll keep coming with His free gift of Salvation!
Nik asked Question 5 “some people would say that your life must be worse now, would you agree with them?”
Iβd gone way over my time slot, and i was almost pulled away from the mic as i was so overwhelmedβ¦BUT i knew these tears were not about me, or my losses. I had 1 focus and that was to share the Truth that sets us free. I had no feeling of sorrow or pain. I knew it must have seemed like this to the congregation, and i thought theyβd stick me in a counselling room when iβd finished!
The Holy Spirit was filling me like never before, and made the Power of the Gospel so real to me i almost exploded.
I continued βI wouldnβt agree with anyone who thinks(or measures) life by how good our circumstances are. Iβd lead them to 2 Corinthians 4 & 5 where it talks about living by Faith, not by Sight, and now that we are born again in the Spirit, we should walk by the Spirit. Not living for things that are seen which are temporary(like my sight loss), but living for the unseen which is Eternalβ
βI used to hate this song, but now iβd play it every service if i couldβ¦have you heard Amazing Grace, the Chris Tomlin version? If you pass me in the street youβll normally hear me singing or humming these words:”
“Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.Β I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see. My chains are gone I’ve been set free. My God, my Saviour has ransomed me. And like a flood His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing graceβ.
Nik then walked me back to my seat next to Sarah. The church was completely silent, it had been silent since i first started sobbing. I could feel Sarah was upset as she didnβt react for a while, then she said βPeople kept on running up and passing me tissuesβ. Nik sat down next to Sarah, and Sarah said βYouβre not borrowing him again to speakβ.Β
After the service people came over and said they really connected with the things i said, although i think everyone thinks iβm back in dark depression again.
He showed me the reality and Power of transformation in His Gospel, and how vital it is to share it, as Jesus is the Β Way, the Truth and the Life and no-one gets to Β the Father but by Him. Heβs the forgiver of Sins, breaker of chains, and the only Salvation for Eternal Life in Heaven.
John 3:14-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[a] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 βHe who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.β
I felt i needed to share this post to try and explain a little more of what was happening to me, and maybe reach out to someone who is struggling with the creeping death called Depression,or who is just simply lost and without God, and without Hope.
Related Posts:
The Sunlight Of Hope From A Trustful Soul.
July 15, 2015 2 Comments
Darkness may throw a shadow over my outer vision, but there is no cloud that can keep the sunlight of hope from a trustful soul. One of the earliest resolves that I formed in my young and joyous heart was to leave all care to yesterday, and to believe that the morrow would bring its own peculiar joy. permalink
Fanny Crosby
Ignorant Of The Scriptures
June 30, 2015 1 Comment
βWhy is it so hard to get people to study the Scriptures? Common sense tells us what revelation commands: ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’–‘Search the Scriptures’–‘Be ready to give to every one a reason of the hope that is in you.’ These are the words of the inspired writers, and these injunctions are confirmed by praising those who obey the admonition. And yet, for all that we have the Bible in our houses, we are ignorant of its contents. No wonder that so many Christians know so little about what Christ actually taught; no wonder that they are so mistaken about the faith that they profess.β
William Wilberforce, Real Christianity
The Wasteland Wanderer & The Power Armour Of God
June 18, 2015 2 Comments
Β π Verse 4 2dayΒ ~ Ephesians 6:10-18
Β The Armour of God
10Β Finally, be strong in the LordΒ and in his mighty power.Β 11Β Put on the full armor of God,Β so that you can take your stand against the devilβs schemes.Β 12Β For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,Β but against the rulers, against the authorities,Β against the powersΒ of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Β 13Β Therefore put on the full armor of God,Β so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.Β 14Β Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,Β with the breastplate of righteousness in place,Β 15Β and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.Β 16Β In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,Β with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Β 17Β Take the helmet of salvationΒ and the sword of the Spirit,Β which is the word of God.
18Β And pray in the SpiritΒ on all occasionsΒ with all kinds of prayers and requests.Β With this in mind, be alert and always keep on prayingΒ for all the Lordβs people.
Wasteland Wandererβ¦Β
With the recent announcement of Fallout 4 (released nov 2015) there is a lot of buzz about armour, especially theΒ βBrotherhood of Steelβ power armour (my fave).Β
Every time i read or hear about power armour or surviving in theΒ wasteland, i think of putting on the full armour of God.Β
There is no way at all iβd step out into the wasteland without armour,Β only the foolish would do that. So why do we think we can stand firm against the dark forces in this world (the true wasteland) while forgetting to equip God’s armour??
Easily defeated…
How easy we make it for the evil one and his dark forces to defeat us without any fight at all. We need to put on each pieceΒ carefully andΒ securely making sure itβs pulled tight with the belt of Truth, so we can be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.Β
A little about Fallout 4…Β
Fallout 4 takes place approximately 200 years after a war over resources that ended in a nuclear holocaust in 2077, roughly the same time of events of Fallout 3. The setting is a post-apocalyptic retro-future, covering a region that includes Boston, Massachusetts and other parts of New England known as the Commonwealth.
The player faces all kinds of moral choices, situations, people, mutants andΒ feralΒ l ghouls (and worse), As you encounter more powerful enemies without much armour yourself, you keep wishing that you will find the location of the power armour. The game (like life) is full of choices, Β you can choose to do good or you can choose to do bad, and the consequences of these choices send ripples throughout the game and change the way people receive you.Β
Each choice determines your destiny!
Putting on……Β
Β For us to stand any chance ofΒ survivingΒ against the devil’s schemes,Β powersΒ of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, we MUST choose to put on the spiritual armour. Unlike the game we know the location of this armour is in prayer.Β
Β
Readyβ¦..Aim..β¦Pray!
Β
Iβm writing this post to urge you to pray on the spiritual Armour of God Ephesians 6 (as listed above). Take a moment and carefully consider the power, purpose and reality of each piece as you put it on. Whether you pray this prayer or a prayer like it, make it a routine that you take seriously.
π Prayer 4 2day!Β
Lord, please help me today put on the Full Armour of God so i can stand firm in this spiritual warfare.
Help me put the Helmet of Salvation on my head that I might always remember I am saved, and who I belong to, that my mind is guarded in Christ Jesus, and that I may have the mind of Christ and that I may think the thoughts of Christ and reject all others that flood my mind daily.
Help me put the Breastplate of Righteousness on so that I may walk about in Righteousness and others may see your Righteousness in me, and that my heart is guarded in Christ Jesus, and that I may have the desires of Christ and reject all others.
Help me keep the Belt of Truth securely buckled on my waist, that I may always be secure in the knowledge of the Truth, always speak the Truth and especiallyβ¦live the Truth.
Help me fit my Feet with the Readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace, that I may stand firm in the Gospel, and spread the Gospel of Peace wherever I go.
Help hold the Shield of Faith with which to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one, strengthen my arm and help me hold it high, that I may use it to protect myself, my family, my household and those under my care, and help me use the Shield of Faith to press ahead and push forward for the kingdom of God.
And Lord, help me take up the Sword of The Spirit which is the Word of God, and use it every day, help me us it to protect myself and others from the evil one through the power and authority of Your Word, and to strike the hearts and minds of those who do not know You calling them towards repentance and salvation, help me use Your Word – the Sword of the Spirit – to cause those who know you but are backslidden to repentance, obedience and service, and to help awaken those who know you, but are asleep so they may obey and serve you, and please help me use your Word to bring, encouragement, strength and wisdom to the Remnant of God through your Word.
Help me serve you this and every day. Please use me Lord. These things I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The Issue Of Faith
June 9, 2015 2 Comments
βThe issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in. (p.35)β
R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture
Christian Hope
June 3, 2015 1 Comment
βOptimism hopes for the best without any guarantee of its arriving and is often no more than whistling in the dark. Christian hope, by contrast, is faith looking ahead to the fulfillment of the promises of God, as when the Anglican burial service inters the corpse ‘in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Optimism is a wish without warrant; Christian hope is a certainty, guaranteed by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as to whether good things will ever actually come. Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God’s own commitment, that the best is yet to come.β
J.I. Packer
The Purity Of Truth
May 24, 2015 0 Comments
Though the light shines on things unclean, yet it is not thereby defiled.
Augustine
Β
Truth Or Public Opinion.
April 1, 2015 2 Comments
In the world today, real faith has in most cases been replaced by public opinion.Β People do not believe in God, but they believe in many minor things which are taught by other people.
Leo Tolstoy
Β
Faith Is Not A Matter Of Reason
February 10, 2015 1 Comment
“Faith is not a matter of reason. Some people teach that it is. They say that if only men and women would use their minds, they would be bound to become Christians; they can reason themselves into Christianity. But that is thoroughly unscriptural. They cannot because the natural man or woman’s reason is also fallen. Not only that, there are supernatural and miraculous elements in faith to which reason cannot attain.”
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God The Holy Spirit
The Simple Way
November 24, 2014 9 Comments
A couple of weeks ago, Paul (one of our preachers) asked if iβd like to share a song thatβs on my heart before his sermon (which was yesterday). Itβs not a full band song, but one where i accompany a single singer, a prayerful and reflective song. My first thoughts were βOh yeah iβd love to go up to the front and terrify myself while i share some words and try to play a songβ. So i said βYes iβd love tooβ. He said βGreat, the theme is unityβ.Β
As i went away i said βWow, thank you Lordβ as for nearly 2 months now iβve been doing a personal daily expositional bible study on Ephesians 4 & 5, which is all about unity. Verses suddenly flooded my mind about unity in the Spirit through the bond of peace, unity in the faith, unity in the body and on and on they came. I started getting excited and thought instead of sharing a song, iβd share all of the things iβd been learning for about 6 hours instead! lol. π
Then the more sobering verses and thoughts came along…
βIf we are without Hope and without God (Ephesians 2:12), and if we are not growing in the knowledge and understanding of Christ, if Jesus isnβt the head, and if He is not leading the way, then unity is IMPOSSIBLE!β Jesus who is The Way, The Truth and The Life, simply said “FOLLOW ME!β.Β
β Song “The Simple Wayβ by Sara Sargent
I then went to ask my loving sister in Christ Sara if she would bless us with her beautiful voice while i accompany her on acoustic guitar, and to maybe show me some of the songs she had written but kept quiet. So last week Sara came and showed me βThe Simple Wayβ, wow! π
This is a short section of the song which i recorded on my iPhone as i was learning the guitar chords. The quality isnβt brilliant, but i hope you too are blessed by Saraβs beautiful voice.Β
Peace To The Brothers & Sisters
October 24, 2014 1 Comment
Ephesians 6:23-24 New International Version – UK (NIVUK)
23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
A Broken Tooth
September 25, 2014 1 Comment
Proverbs 25:19 New International Version
Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
β Music “Empty And Beautiful” by Matt Maher
September 20, 2014 2 Comments
“Empty & Beautiful“
My past won’t stop haunting me
In this prison there’s a fight between
Who I am and who I used to be
This thorn in my side is a grace
For because of it the flesh and blood of God
Was offered in my place, my place
You fought the fight in me
You chased me down and finished the race
I was blind but now I see
Jesus You kept the faith in me
Where did my best friends go?
In my defense they disappeared
Just like Your friends did to You, oh Lord
But You were there, You gave me strength
So this little one might come to know
The glory of Your name, Your name
You fought the fight in me
You chased me down and finished the race
I was blind but now I see
Jesus You kept the faith in me
Awaiting, set apart like incense to Your heart
A libation I’m pouring out
Empty and beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
You fought the fight in me
You chased me down and finished the race
I was blind but now I see
Jesus You kept the faith in me
You fought the fight in me
You chased me down and finished the race
I was blind but now I see
Jesus You kept the faith in me
Jesus You kept the faith in me
Savior, You kept the faith in me
Outwardly Righteous
September 20, 2014 2 Comments
Proverbs 20:6 New International Version
Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?
Faith Is A Gift Of God
August 27, 2014 3 Comments
βPeople think of faith as being something that you don’t really believe, a device in helping you believe simply it. Of course that is quite wrong. As Pascal says, faith is a gift of God. It is different from the proof of it. It is the kind of faith God himself places in the heart, of which the proof is often the instrument…
He says of it, too, that it is the heart which is aware of God, and not reason. That is what faith is: God perceived by the heart, not be reason.β
Malcolm Muggeridge, The End of Christendom
Faith In The Biblical Sense
August 22, 2014 0 Comments
βFaith in the biblical sense is substantive, based on the knowledge that the One in whom that faith is placed has proven that He is worthy of that trust. In its essence, faith is a confidence in the person of Jesus Christ and in His power, so that even when His power does not serve my end, my confidence in Him remains because of who He is.β
Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods
The Greatest Wonder That I Ever Heard
June 10, 2014 5 Comments
The greatest wonder that I ever heard of is that God should ever justify me. I feel myself to be a lumpy of unworthiness, a mass of corruption, and a heap of sin apart from His almighty love. I know and am fully assured that I am justified by faith which is in Christ Jesus, and I am treated as if I had been perfectly just and made an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. And yet, by nature I must take my place among the most sinful. I, who am altogether undeserving, am treated as if I had been deserving. I am loved with as much love as if I had always been Godly, whereas before I was ungodly. Who can help being astonished at this? Gratitude for such favor stands dressed in robes of wonder.
Charles H. Spurgeon
When The Road Darkens
June 4, 2014 5 Comments
βFaithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.β
J.R.R. Tolkien
We Must Receive His Grace
May 27, 2014 2 Comments
2 Peter 1:3-4Β The Voice
His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect Godβs true nature through the knowledge of the One who called us by His glory and virtue. Through these things, we have received Godβs great and valuable promises, so we might escape the corruption of worldly desires and share in the divine nature.
God took the first step to rescue us from this corrupt world. He has granted us His power, revealed to us true knowledge, and spoken to us great promises. He has done all this for a reason: that we might participate in His own nature and reflect His own life. But we are not passive observers of Godβs saving actions. We must receive His grace, grow in knowledge, and join Him in this work of redemption.
Faith Comes By Hearing
May 16, 2014 2 Comments
I prayed for faith and thought it would strike me like lightening. But faith did not come. One day I read, βNow faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.β I had closed my Bible and prayed for faith. I now began to study my Bible and faith has been growing ever since.
Dwight L. Moody
“Only One Life” by Charles Studd
February 24, 2014 0 Comments
Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Temptation Does Not Come From God
February 23, 2014 3 Comments
James 1:12-18Β Easy-to-Read Version
Temptation Does Not Come From God
Great blessings belong to those who are tempted and remain faithful! After they have proved their faith, God will give them the reward of eternal life. God promised this to all people who love him. Whenever you feel tempted to do something bad, you should not say, βGod is tempting me.β Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone. You are tempted by the evil things you want. Your own desire leads you away and traps you. 15 Your desire grows inside you until it results in sin. Then the sin grows bigger and bigger and finally ends in death.
My dear brothers and sisters, donβt be fooled about this. Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created.
To All The Churches #2
February 7, 2014 1 Comment
Revelation 2:8-11Β The Voice
Letter to Smyrna
Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Smyrna. βThese are the words of the First and the Last, the One who was dead and returned to life:
βI know your deeds and the difficult ordeal you are enduring and your poverty, although you are actually rich. I am aware of the offensive accusations preached by those who call themselves βJews.β But these people are not the Jews they pretend to be; they are actually the congregation of Satan. In the face of suffering, do not fear. Watch; the devil will throw some of you into prison shortly so that you might be tested, and you will endure great affliction for 10 days. Be faithful throughout your life, until the day you die, and I will give you the victorβs wreath of life.
βLet the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches. The one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death will escape the second death.β
β Music “Oceans” by Hillsong United
February 4, 2014 6 Comments
“Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine
Judging Out Of Evil Motives
February 4, 2014 2 Comments
James 2:1-7Β The Voice
My brothers and sisters, I know youβve heard this before, but stop playing favorites! Do not try to blend the genuine faith of our glorious Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, with your silly pretentiousness. If an affluent gentleman enters your gathering wearing the finest clothes and priceless jewelry, donβt trip over each other trying to welcome him. And if a penniless bum crawls in with his shabby clothes and a stench fills the room, donβt look away or pretend you didnβt noticeβoffer him a seat up front, next to you. If you tell the wealthy man, βCome sit by me; thereβs plenty of room,β but tell the vagrant, βOh, these seats are saved. Go over there,β then youβll be judging Godβs children out of evil motives.
My dear brothers and sisters, listen: God has picked the poor of this world to become unfathomably rich in faith and ultimately to inherit the Kingdom, which He has pledged to those who love Him. By favoring the rich, you have mocked the poor. And, correct me if Iβm wrong, but isnβt it the rich who step on you while climbing the ladder of success? And isnβt it the rich who take advantage of you and drag you into court? Arenβt they the ones mocking the noble name of our God, the One calling us?
We are often mesmerized by the rich, powerful, and beautiful people of the world. We dream of associating with them; but when we focus our attention on the fashionable people of this world, it is often at the expense of those who need it the most.
Ignoring the needy and favoring the wealthy is completely contrary to the example Jesus modeled for us while walking on earth. God often chooses those who are the poorest materially to be the richest spiritually. We should welcome everyone equally into Godβs kingdom, even if it means upsetting boundaries like class and race. The rule is simple: we should treat others in the same way we want to be treated. God does not play favorites, and neither should we.
Seeing Through The Fog
February 3, 2014 3 Comments
Faith is like radar that sees through the fog.
Corrie Ten Boom
The Most Excellent Way
January 11, 2014 0 Comments
Β
1 Corinthians 12:31Β The VoiceΒ
Pursue the greater gifts, and let me tell you of a more excellent wayβlove.
1 Corinthians 13 Β The Voice
Gifts of the Spirit, which are intended to strengthen the church body, often divide the body because members of the church elevate those who possess the more visible gifts over those whose gifts function in the background. In fact, this is the very problem facing the Corinthians. So while talking about the importance and function of these gifts in chapters 12 and 14, Paul shifts his focus to the central role love plays in a believerβs life in chapter 13. Love is essential for the body to be unified and for members to work together. Members of the body that are very different, with little in common, are able to appreciate and even enjoy others because of the love that comes when a life is submitted to God.
What if I speak in the most elegant languages of people or in the exotic languages of the heavenly messengers, but I live without love? Well then, anything I say is like the clanging of brass or a crashing cymbal. 2 What if I have the gift of prophecy, am blessed with knowledge and insight to all the mysteries, or what if my faith is strong enough to scoop a mountain from its bedrock, yet I live without love? If so, I am nothing. 3 I could give all that I have to feed the poor, I could surrender my body to be burned as a martyr, but if I do not live in love, I gain nothing by my selfless acts.
Paul boils it all down for the believers in Corinth. Religious people often spend their time practicing rituals, projecting dogma, and going through routines that might look like Christianity on the outside but that lack the essential ingredient that brings all of it togetherβlove! It is a loving God who birthed creation and now pursues a broken people in the most spectacular way. That same love must guide believers, so faith doesnβt appear to be meaningless noise.
4 Love is patient; love is kind. Love isnβt envious, doesnβt boast, brag, or strut about. Thereβs no arrogance in love; 5 itβs never rude, crude, or indecentβitβs not self-absorbed. Love isnβt easily upset. Love doesnβt tally wrongs 6 or celebrate injustice; but truthβyes, truthβis loveβs delight! 7 Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what. 8 Love will never become obsolete. Now as for the prophetic gifts, they will not last; unknown languages will become silent, and the gift of knowledge will no longer be needed. 9 Gifts of knowledge and prophecy are partial at best, at least for now, 10 but when the perfection and fullness of Godβs kingdom arrive, all the parts will end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke, thought, and reasoned in childlike ways as we all do. But when I became a man, I left my childish ways behind. 12 For now, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things, as when we stare into polished metal. I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture. But one day, when Jesus arrives, we will see clearly, face-to-face. In that day, I will fully know just as I have been wholly known by God. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love.
Everlasting Life
November 22, 2013 3 Comments
John 3:16-21Β The Voice
For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life. Hereβs the point. God didnβt send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction.
No one who believes in Him has to fear condemnation, yet condemnation is already the reality for everyone who refuses to believe because they reject the name of the only Son of God. Why does God allow for judgment and condemnation? Because the Light, sent from God, pierced through the worldβs darkness to expose ill motives, hatred, gossip, greed, violence, and the like. Still some people preferred the darkness over the light because their actions were dark. Some of humankind hated the light. They scampered hurriedly back into the darkness where vices thrive and wickedness flourishes. Those who abandon deceit and embrace what is true, they will enter into the light where it will be clear that all their deeds come from God.
Jesus makes the point clear: stay connected to Him, and have no reason to fear. Jesus doesnβt mean that at the instant someone has faith, fear simply vanishes or only good things happen in that personβs life. In fact, the blessings that come with eternal life often have nothing to do with present or future circumstances, but they have everything to do with the individualβs connections to God and others. That is Johnβs message to his listeners. God came to earth embodied in flesh, and then He reached His greatest acclaim through a torturous death. If this is all true, then believers will find strength and beauty in places never imagined. Abiding in Jesus the Anointed is the good life, regardless of the external circumstances.
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