Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Desiring God
(Thomas Watson, "The Lord's Prayer")
We may know the kingdom of grace is set up in
our hearts—by having true desires after God. By
the beating of this pulse—we conclude there is life.
A true desire after God is sincere. We desire God for
Himself, for His intrinsic excellencies. The savor of the
ointment of Christ's graces draws the virgins' desires after
Him. Canticles 1:3. A true saint desires Him not only for
what God has—but for what He is; not only for His rewards
—but for His holiness. No hypocrite can thus desire God.
He may desire Him for His jewels—but not for His beauty!
A true desire after God is insatiable. It cannot be satisfied
without God; let the world heap her honors and riches—they
will not satisfy. No flowers or music will content him who is
thirsty. Just so, nothing will quench the soul's thirst—but the
blood of Christ! He faints away, his heart breaks with longing
for God. Psalm 84:2; Psalm 119:20.
A true desire after God is active. It flourishes into endeavor.
"With my soul have I desired you in the night; yes, with my
spirit within me will I seek you early." Isaiah 26:9. A soul that
desires aright says, "I must have Christ! I must have grace!
I must have heaven, though I take it by storm!"
A true desire after God is supreme. We desire Christ, not
only more than the world—but more than heaven! "Whom
have I in heaven but You?" Psalm 73:25. Heaven itself would
not satisfy—without Christ. Christ is the diamond in the ring
of glory!
A true desire after God is increasing. A little of God will not
satisfy—but the pious soul desires still more. A drop of water
is not enough for the thirsty traveler. Though a Christian is
thankful for the least degree of grace—yet he is not satisfied
with the greatest degree of grace. He still thirsts for more of
Christ, and His Spirit. A saint would have more knowledge,
more sanctity, more of Christ's presence. A glimpse of Christ
through the lattice of an ordinance is sweet; but the soul will
never stop longing—until it sees Him face to face! It desires to
have grace perfected in glory! It desires to be wholly plunged
into the sweetness of God. We would be swallowed up in God,
and be forever bathing ourselves in those perfumed waters of
pleasure, which run at His right hand!
Surely this sincere desire after God is a blessed sign that the
kingdom of grace has come into our hearts. The beating of
this pulse shows life! "Desires for God—are from God." If iron
moves upwards contrary to its nature—it is a sign some magnet
has been drawing it. Just so, if the soul moves towards God in
sincere desires—it is a sign the magnet of the Spirit has been
drawing it!
We may know the kingdom of grace is set up in
our hearts—by having true desires after God. By
the beating of this pulse—we conclude there is life.
A true desire after God is sincere. We desire God for
Himself, for His intrinsic excellencies. The savor of the
ointment of Christ's graces draws the virgins' desires after
Him. Canticles 1:3. A true saint desires Him not only for
what God has—but for what He is; not only for His rewards
—but for His holiness. No hypocrite can thus desire God.
He may desire Him for His jewels—but not for His beauty!
A true desire after God is insatiable. It cannot be satisfied
without God; let the world heap her honors and riches—they
will not satisfy. No flowers or music will content him who is
thirsty. Just so, nothing will quench the soul's thirst—but the
blood of Christ! He faints away, his heart breaks with longing
for God. Psalm 84:2; Psalm 119:20.
A true desire after God is active. It flourishes into endeavor.
"With my soul have I desired you in the night; yes, with my
spirit within me will I seek you early." Isaiah 26:9. A soul that
desires aright says, "I must have Christ! I must have grace!
I must have heaven, though I take it by storm!"
A true desire after God is supreme. We desire Christ, not
only more than the world—but more than heaven! "Whom
have I in heaven but You?" Psalm 73:25. Heaven itself would
not satisfy—without Christ. Christ is the diamond in the ring
of glory!
A true desire after God is increasing. A little of God will not
satisfy—but the pious soul desires still more. A drop of water
is not enough for the thirsty traveler. Though a Christian is
thankful for the least degree of grace—yet he is not satisfied
with the greatest degree of grace. He still thirsts for more of
Christ, and His Spirit. A saint would have more knowledge,
more sanctity, more of Christ's presence. A glimpse of Christ
through the lattice of an ordinance is sweet; but the soul will
never stop longing—until it sees Him face to face! It desires to
have grace perfected in glory! It desires to be wholly plunged
into the sweetness of God. We would be swallowed up in God,
and be forever bathing ourselves in those perfumed waters of
pleasure, which run at His right hand!
Surely this sincere desire after God is a blessed sign that the
kingdom of grace has come into our hearts. The beating of
this pulse shows life! "Desires for God—are from God." If iron
moves upwards contrary to its nature—it is a sign some magnet
has been drawing it. Just so, if the soul moves towards God in
sincere desires—it is a sign the magnet of the Spirit has been
drawing it!
Hiding Place
Performed by Mark Webb, pastor and Senior Elder at Grace Bible Church of Olive Branch, MS.
http://www.gracemessenger.com/index.p...
Hail, sovereign love which first began,
The scheme to rescue fallen man!
Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace,
Which gave my soul a hiding place!
Against the God who rules the sky,
I fought with hand uplifted high!
Despised the notion of His grace,
Too proud to seek a hiding place!
Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night,
And fond of darkness more than light!
Madly I ran the sinful race,
Secure without a hiding place!
But thus the eternal counsel ran:
"Almighty love--arrest that man!"
I felt the arrows of distress,
And found I had no hiding place!
Indignant Justice stood in view;
To Sinai's fiery mount I flew!
But Justice cried, with frowning face,
"This mountain is no hiding place!"
E'er long, a heavenly voice I heard,
And Mercy's angel soon appeared;
He led me on with gentle pace,
To Jesus as my hiding place!
Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,
And shake the earth from pole to pole;
No thunder bolt could daunt my face,
For Jesus is my hiding place!
On Him almighty vengeance fell,
That would have sunk a world to hell!
He bore it for the chosen race,
And thus became their hiding place!
A few more rolling suns at most,
Shall land me on fair Canaan's coast;
Where I shall sing the song of grace,
And see my glorious Hiding Place!
http://www.gracemessenger.com/index.p...
Hail, sovereign love which first began,
The scheme to rescue fallen man!
Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace,
Which gave my soul a hiding place!
Against the God who rules the sky,
I fought with hand uplifted high!
Despised the notion of His grace,
Too proud to seek a hiding place!
Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night,
And fond of darkness more than light!
Madly I ran the sinful race,
Secure without a hiding place!
But thus the eternal counsel ran:
"Almighty love--arrest that man!"
I felt the arrows of distress,
And found I had no hiding place!
Indignant Justice stood in view;
To Sinai's fiery mount I flew!
But Justice cried, with frowning face,
"This mountain is no hiding place!"
E'er long, a heavenly voice I heard,
And Mercy's angel soon appeared;
He led me on with gentle pace,
To Jesus as my hiding place!
Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,
And shake the earth from pole to pole;
No thunder bolt could daunt my face,
For Jesus is my hiding place!
On Him almighty vengeance fell,
That would have sunk a world to hell!
He bore it for the chosen race,
And thus became their hiding place!
A few more rolling suns at most,
Shall land me on fair Canaan's coast;
Where I shall sing the song of grace,
And see my glorious Hiding Place!
The Great Heart Changer
The great heart changer!
From Spurgeon's, "The Stony Heart Removed"
The heart of the natural man, like marble,
is stone-cold towards spiritual things.
No arguments have power to move a soul so steeled,
so thoroughly stony, hard, and impenetrable.
O rocks of iron and hills of brass,
you are softer than the proud heart of man!
Fallen man is like the deaf adder which will not be charmed,
charm we never so wisely.
Tears are lost on him.
Threatenings are but as the whistlings of the wind.
The preachings of the law, and even of Christ crucified--
all these are null and void and fall hopelessly to the ground,
so long as the man's heart continues what it is by nature--
dead, and hard, and cold.
The heart of man grows harder whether it be the soft sunshine
of love, or the harsh tempest of judgment that falls upon it.
Mercy and love alike make it more solid,
and knit its particles closer together;
and surely until the Omnipotent himself speak the word,
the heart of man grows harder, and harder, and harder,
and refuses to be softened or broken.
Granite may be ground and be broken into pieces,
but unless God gets the hammer in his hand,
and even he must put both hands to it,
the great 'granite heart' of man will not yield in any way.
You may smite a man's heart right and left with death,
with judgment, with mercy, with tears, with entreaties,
with threatenings, and it will not break!
No, even the fires of hell do not melt man's heart,
for the damned in hell grow more hard by their agonies,
and they hate God, and blaspheme him all the more
because of the suffering they endure.
Only Omnipotence itself, I say,
can ever soften this hard heart of man.
Christ is the Great Heart Changer!
"Lord, melt my heart.
None but a bath of blood divine can take the flint away;
but do it Lord, and you shall have the praise."
=============
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The Secret of True Happiness
The secret of true happiness
(Harvey Newcomb, "The Young Lady's Guide to the
Harmonious Development of Christian Character" 1843)
The secret of true happiness lies in a cordial acquiescence in the will of God. It is sweet to lie passive in His hand—and know no will but His!
The doctrine of a 'particular providence' is precious to the Christian's heart. It enables him to see the hand of God in every event. Hence the sinfulness of a repining, discontented, unsubmissive temper. It is difficult to reconcile the habitual indulgence of such a sinful disposition—with the existence of grace in the heart. The first emotion of the new-born soul is submission to the will of God.
We are prone to lose sight of the 'hand of God' in the little difficulties and perplexities which are of every-day occurrence, and to look only at 'second causes'. We often do the same, in more important matters. When we are injured or insulted by others, we are disposed to murmur and complain, and give vent to our indignation against the immediate causes of our distress; forgetting that these are only the 'instruments which God employs' for the trial of our faith, or the punishment of our sins.
In this doctrine of the secret agency of divine Providence, we have the strongest motive for a hearty and cheerful resignation to all the troubles and difficulties, trials and afflictions, which come upon us in this life—whatever may be their immediate cause. We know that they are directed by our heavenly Father, whose "tender mercies are over all His works," and who "does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men."
Whatever may be our afflictions, so long as we are out of hell, we are monuments of His mercy. "Why does a living man complain—a man for the punishment of his sins?"
We are assured "that all things work together for good, to those who love God." The afflictions of this life, are the faithful corrections of a kind and tender Father. "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives." How consoling the reflection—that all our sufferings are designed to mortify and subdue our corruptions, to wean us from the world, and lead us to a more humble and constant sense of dependence upon God! How ungrateful for a child of God to repine at the dealings of such a tender and faithful Father!
God will give us all that He sees is best for us. And surely we ought to be satisfied with this; for He who sees the end from the beginning, must know much better than we—what is for our good. It is our duty to maintain a contented and cheerful spirit in every situation of life. If God directs all our ways, and has promised to give us just what He sees we need, we surely ought to rest satisfied with what we have; for we know it is just what the Lord, in His infinite wisdom and unbounded goodness—sees fit to give us.
==============
This Puritan Devotional has been brought to you by Grace Gems, a treasury of ageless sovereign grace writings.
Please visit us at www.gracegems.org
Friday, June 19, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Living with the Loss of a Loved One
For Lyle Dorsett, it was the sudden loss of his ten-year-old daughter Erica. She came down sick one night, and she died the next morning...
Years later, Dorsett and his wife Mary still are healing. Losing a child is a long, painful journey. There have been times, Dorsett says, when he's thought, God, if I were in charge, I wouldn't have done it this way. But his ways are higher than ours — and he doesn't leave his children without a wealth of resources for comfort, even and especially when the path of pain is long and dark...
Continue reading: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts...
http://www.desiringGod.org
Fight Addiction By Enjoying Jesus More
Jimmy Needham | Find more resources on fighting pornography athttp://www.desiringgod.org/blog/topic...
http://www.desiringgod.org
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
John Piper Interviews Rick Warren on Doctrine
Published on May 14, 2014
3:29 The glory of God.
7:16 David Wells and the weight of God's reality.
9:00 Would you write the book the same today?
12:00 The sovereignty of God.
18:47 How do you speak of God's sovereignty in the presence of tragedy?
22:01 How do all things work for bad for those who reject Christ?
24:14 Do you hedge on Larry King?
27:00 Unconditional election.
30:18 The importance of eternity.
34:42 How do you conceive of eternity: in heaven, on earth?
38:53 What is the Gospel?
42:00 What did Jesus achieve on the cross?
43:40 Repentance.
50:50 Why don't you call yourself a Calvinist?
53:09 Propitiation.
54:39 Prevenient grace.
1:00:01 Total depravity.
1:03:00 Hell.
1:09:10 Eternal destiny of those who never heard.
1:12:40 The extent of the atonement.
1:17:00 Do unbelievers always do the devil's bidding?
1:18:40 Your view of the Bible.
1:22:40 Expository preaching and doctrinal depth.
1:28:10 Rick Warren's sacred trust.
John Piper read Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life with great care and brought 20 pages of quotes and questions to the interview. You will hear John quote the book dozens of times. With these quotes as a starting point John digs into Rick's mind and heart on all the issues listed below... Read more athttp://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts...
http://www.desiringGod.org
7:16 David Wells and the weight of God's reality.
9:00 Would you write the book the same today?
12:00 The sovereignty of God.
18:47 How do you speak of God's sovereignty in the presence of tragedy?
22:01 How do all things work for bad for those who reject Christ?
24:14 Do you hedge on Larry King?
27:00 Unconditional election.
30:18 The importance of eternity.
34:42 How do you conceive of eternity: in heaven, on earth?
38:53 What is the Gospel?
42:00 What did Jesus achieve on the cross?
43:40 Repentance.
50:50 Why don't you call yourself a Calvinist?
53:09 Propitiation.
54:39 Prevenient grace.
1:00:01 Total depravity.
1:03:00 Hell.
1:09:10 Eternal destiny of those who never heard.
1:12:40 The extent of the atonement.
1:17:00 Do unbelievers always do the devil's bidding?
1:18:40 Your view of the Bible.
1:22:40 Expository preaching and doctrinal depth.
1:28:10 Rick Warren's sacred trust.
John Piper read Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life with great care and brought 20 pages of quotes and questions to the interview. You will hear John quote the book dozens of times. With these quotes as a starting point John digs into Rick's mind and heart on all the issues listed below... Read more athttp://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts...
http://www.desiringGod.org
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