The Gospel - its Simplicity and Profoundity

A man studying the gospel every hour of his day will never come to a total understanding of the gospel's profoundity, or its height, or scale, yet there won't be a minute in which his mind won't be enlarged by the knowledge of the infinite God. 

The Lord Jesus Christ- Consider Him

Abstract from the merit of Christ we can do nothing towards our justification, and apart from the Spirit of Christ nothing toward our sanctification.Without Christ we can do nothing that will be fruit pleasing to God or profitable to ourselves. [MHC] 

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col 2:9

And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:  Col 2:10

Fearing God

" No fears, no grace. Though there is not always grace where there is the fear of hell, yet to be sure there is no grace where there is no fear of God. For the fear of God of the beginning of wisdom, they that want [lack] the beginning have neither middle nor end."

-from Pilgrim's progress by John Bunyan

Consider Him

Turn your eyes upon Jesus;
Look fully in His wonderful face;
And the things earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;  Hebrews 3:1
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. Hebrews 7:4
 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:3

In Christ
J Roque

Busy for prayer??

Let us increase our prayings as we increase our doings. I like that of Martin Luther, when he says,

I have so much business to do today that I shall not be able to get through it with less than three hours' prayer.

Now most people would say, "I have so much business to do today, that I must only have three minutes' prayer; I cannot afford the time."

But Luther thought that  the more he had to do the more he must pray, or else he could not get trough it. That is a blessed kind of logic: may we understand it!

"Praying and provender, hinder no man's journey." If you have to stop and pray, it is no more a hindrance than when the rider has to stop at the farrier's to have his horse's shoe fastened, for if he went on without attending to that it may be that before long he would be forced to stop for a more serious problem.

Charles Spurgeon

Praying.. for what??

This week I was reflecting  on the necessity to pray for young  believers. I was reminded on how much it takes for a soul to be freed from the dark powers of evil and come to the light; and how precious is the salvation from God. The Bible calls this astonishing event ( being born again; John 3:3) necessary to see the kingdom of God.

I asked the Lord... and He has answered!

I asked the Lord that I might grow

in faith, and love and every grace,

might more of His salvation know,

and seek more earnestly His face.

' Twas He who taught me thus to pray,

and He, I trust, has answered prayer;

but it has been in such a way

as almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favoured hour

at once He'd answer my request;

and, by His love constraining power,

subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel

the hidden evils of my heart,

and let the angry powers of hell

assault my soul in every part.

Yes, more, with His own hand He seemed

intent to aggravate my woe,

crossed all fair designs I schemed,

blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

' Lord, why is this?' I trembling cried,

'will you pursue my worn to death?'

' Tis in this way', the Lord replied,

'I answer prayer for grace and faith'.

"These inward trials I employ,

from self and pride to set you free,

and break your schemes of earthly joy,

that you may seek your all in ME."

John Newton, 1725-1807
748, Christian  Hymns

A truly converted soul !

 -- from the Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan
Then Christian began, and said, I will ask you a question. How came you to think at first of doing what you do now?

Hopeful:  Do you mean, how came I at first to look after the good of my soul?

Christian:Yes, that is my meaning.

Hopeful:  I continued a great while in the delight of those things which were seen and sold at our fair; things which I believe now would have, had I continued in them still, drowned me in perdition and destruction.

Christian: What things were they?

Hopeful: All the treasures and riches of the world. Also I delighted much in rioting, reveling, drinking, swearing, lying, uncleanness, Sabbath-breaking, and what not, that tended to destroy the soul. But I found at last, by hearing and considering of things that are divine, which, indeed, I heard of you, as also of beloved Faithful, that was put to death for his faith and good living in Vanity Fair, that the end of these things is death, [Rom. 6:21-23]; and that for these things’ sake, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. [Eph. 5:6.]

Christian:And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction?

Hopeful:  No, I was not willing presently to know the evil of sin, nor the damnation that follows upon the commission of it; but endeavored, when my mind at first began to be shaken with the word, to shut mine eyes against the light thereof.

Christian:But what was the cause of your carrying of it thus to the first workings of God’s blessed Spirit upon you?

Hopeful: The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that this was the work of God upon me. I never thought that by awakenings for sin, God at first begins the conversion of a sinner. 

2. Sin was yet very sweet to my flesh, and I was loth to leave it. 

3. I could not tell how to part with mine old companions, their presence and actions were so desirable unto me.

 4. The hours in which convictions were upon me, were such troublesome and such heart-affrighting hours, that I could not bear, no not so much as the remembrance of them upon my heart.

Christian: Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your trouble?

Hopeful:  Yes, verily, but it would come into my mind again; and then I should be as bad, nay, worse than I was before.

Christian:Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again?

Hopeful:  Many things; as,

1. If I did but meet a good man in the streets; or, 

2. If I have heard any read in the Bible; or, 

3. If mine head did begin to ache; or, 

4. If I were told that some of my neighbors were sick; or, 

5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were dead; or, 

6. If I thought of dying myself; or, 

7. If I heard that sudden death happened to others. 

The Love of God / O Amor de Deus

We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19  

His love is the incentive, the motive, and moral cause of ours. We cannot but love so good a God, who was first in the act and work of love, who loved us when we were both unloving and unlovely, who loved us at so great a rate, who has been seeking and soliciting our love at the expense of his Son's blood; and has condescended to beseech us to be reconciled unto him.Let heaven and earth stand amazed at such love! !!

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Unbelief or Rebellion?!?

We are inclined to buy into the modern view that " belief" is a matter of opinion.