Life's Seasons

They say life has it's seasons
And so does every soul;
O'er joys and troubles fleeting
His Spirit has control

A perfect woven tapestry
Of gladness and of pain,
The threads all intermingled
As our seasons wax and wane

Whether groping through the valley
Or conquering the peaks,
Cast your cares on Jesus;
Seek the Mercy Seat

Plead the precious promises
And thorns upon His head;
Plead the nails and spear
And each drop of blood He bled

God cannot help but hear you
For His Son intercedes;
Take courage downcast soul of mine,
There is hope for me!

So fear not dreary seasons,
Our Lord endured much more;
We need only follow
Where He has gone before

~A.L.

The Eye of the Storm

I am not sure who wrote this, but it's beautiful!
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Fear not that the whirlwind will carry you hence,
Nor wait for its onslaught in breathless suspense,
Nor shrink from the blight of the terrible hail,
But pass through the edge to the heart of the tale,
For there is a shelter, sunlighted and warm,
And Faith sees her God through the eye of the storm.

The passionate tempest with rush and wild roar
And threatenings of evil may beat on the shore,
The waves may be mountains, the fields battle plains,
And the earth be immersed in a deluge of rains,
Yet, the soul, stayed on God, may sing bravely its psalm,
For the heart of the storm is the center of calm.

Let hope be not quenched in the blackness of night,
Though the cyclone awhile may have blotted the light,
For behind the great darkness the stars ever shine,
And the light of God's heavens, His love will make thine,
Let no gloom dim your eyes, but uplift them on high
To the face of your God and the blue of His sky.

The storm is your shelter from danger and sin,
And God Himself takes you for safety within;
The tempest with Him passes into deep calm,
And the roar of the winds is the sound of a psalm.
Be glad and serene when the tempest clouds form;
God smiles on His child in the eye of the storm.

The Breaker! (Charles Spurgeon)

Somehow I began getting emails from Grace Gems, an evangelical group in the UK? Anyway, they come daily and have been a really great blessing over the past year. I thought I would share the one that I got today because I found it particularly encouraging:


"The Breaker has gone up before them. He will bring you through the gates of your cities of captivity, back to your own land. Your King will lead you; the Lord Himself will guide you!" Micah 2:13
Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things do not remain as they would have been, had He never passed that way. He has conquered every foe which has obstructed the way. Cheer up O faint-hearted warrior. Not only has Christ traveled the road--but He has slain your enemies upon life's road!
Do you dread sin? He has nailed it to His cross!
Do you fear death? He has been the death of death!
Are you afraid of hell? He has barred the gates of hell from being entered by any of His children; they shall never see the gulf of perdition!
Whatever foes may be before the Christian--they are all overcome!
There are lions--but their teeth are broken!
There are serpents--but their fangs are extracted!
There are rivers--but they are bridged or fordable!
There are flames--but we wear that matchless garment which renders us invulnerable to fire!
The Breaker, Christ--has taken away all the power that anything can have to hurt us. Well then, you may go safely and joyously along your journey, for all your enemies are conquered beforehand! What shall you do--but march on to take the prey? They are beaten, they are vanquished; all you have to do is to divide the spoil. You shall, it is true, often engage in combat; but your fight shall be with a vanquished foe! His head is broken! He may attempt to injure you--but his strength shall not be sufficient for his malicious design. Your victory shall be sure--and your treasure shall be beyond all count!
"Proclaim aloud the Savior's fame, Who bears the Breaker's wondrous name; Sweet name; and it befits Him well, Who breaks down earth, sin, death, and hell!"

The Life of Faith (1855)

Here are some practical thoughts from George Muller regarding faith in God and entrusting Him with the care of your possessions, money, and wealth. I thought this was especially good because it gives a glimpse into the mindset behind George Muller's faith that was displayed on a daily basis in the orphanage works that he carried out. The following excerpt was taken from Valuable Selections from the Writings of George Muller, page 18-19.


If anyone desires to live a life of faith and trust in God he must:

1) Not merely say that he trusts in God but must really do so. Often individuals profess to trust in God, but they embrace every opportunity where they may directly or indirectly tell someone about their need. I do not say it is wrong to make known our financial situation, but it hardly displays trust in God to expose our needs for the sake of getting other people to help us. God will take us at our word. If we do trust in Him, we must be satisfied to stand with Him alone.

2) The individual who desires to live this way must be content whether he is rich or poor. He must be willing to live in abundance or in poverty. He must be willing to leave this world without any possessions.

3) He must be willing to take the money in God's way, not merely in large sums, but in small. Many times I have had a single shilling given to me. To have refused such tokens of Christian love would have been ungracious.

4) He must be willing to live as the Lord's steward. If anyone does not give out of the blessings which the Lord gives to him, then the Lord, who influences the hearts of His children to give, would soon cause those channels to be dried up. My good income increased even more when I determined that, by God's help, His poor and His work would be helped by my money. From that time on, the Lord was pleased to entrust me with more.

Abandoned

Utterly abandoned to the Holy Ghost!
Seeking all His fullness, whatever the cost;
Cutting all the moorings, launching in the deep
Of His mighty power--strong to save and keep.

Utterly abandoned to the Holy Ghost!
Oh! The sinking, sinking, until self is lost!
Until the emptied vessel lies broken at His feet;
Waiting till His filling shall make the work complete.

Utterly abandoned to the will of God;
Seeking for no other path than my Master trod;
Leaving ease and pleasure, making Him my choice,
Waiting for His guidance, listening for His voice.

Utterly abandoned! No will of my own;
For time and for eternity, His, and His alone;
All my plans and purposes lost in His sweet will,
Having nothing, yet in Him all things possessing still.

Utterly abandoned! It's so sweet to be
Captive in His bonds of love, yet wondrously free;
Free from sin's entanglements, free from doubt and fear,
Free from every worry, burden, grief, or care.

Utterly abandoned! Oh, the rest is sweet,
As I tarry, waiting, at His blessed feet;
Waiting for the coming of the Guest divine,
Who my inmost being will perfectly refine.

Lo! He comes and fills me, Holy Spirit sweet!
I, in Him, am satisfied! I, in Him complete!
And the light within my soul will nevermore grow dim
While I keep my covenant--abandoned unto Him!

~Author Unknown

Hebrews 11:1

How do the blind know that grass holds the dew,

That sunshine is bright or that clouds carry rain?

Others describe to them all of these truths,

And faith springs from the unseen.

How does the soul know God is real,

Or feel the conviction of sin?

How do hearts of stone suddenly feel

The need for new life within?

The workings of God cause all of these things

To bring out repentance and faith;

Then out of the darkness a Christian heart springs,

A product of Christ's saving Grace.

Faith in things that are hoped for,

Conviction of things not seen;

Trust in the one true Lord of Lords,

You don't have to see to believe.

~A.L. 6/08

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Today I was reading the passage in Matthew 16 where Jesus is asking his disciples who they thought that he was. Some said John the Baptist, some said Elijah, and some said Jeremiah. But what caught my attention was the question that Jesus asked Peter:

Verses 15-16 say "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

The reason that I like Peter's response so much is because he had no doubt in his mind about who Jesus was. A lot of times it is easy to look down on Peter because of his over-zealous spirit followed by his denial of Jesus. But there is a lesson that we can learn from Peter. Even though he was misguided in a lot of ways and was not as faithful as he declared he would be, he still had a measure of reality in regard to who Christ really was. I think that we can learn from this because in life we are tempted to look at all kinds of things other than Christ. Our own sins and failures, doubts and fears, the routine of daily living, even the shortcomings of others. But all of these are things that the enemy uses to distract us from the one thing that should be our focus, and that is Christ.

In Matthew 14 there is the account of Jesus walking on the water during a storm and Peter goes out to meet him. Verse 30 says "But when he saw the wind, [Peter] was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Getting out of the boat and onto the water showed faith on Peter's part, but the problems began when he focused on the wind and the waves. Once he had taken his eyes off of Christ, he began to sink. There are so many things in our everyday lives that can draw our eyes and attention away, but we must not be tempted to look to anything other than Christ. If we truly believe that Christ is who he said he is, we might be less tempted to look so easily away from the one thing that is capable of both saving and keeping.

Risen, Ascended, Returning

"He is not here; He has risen!" Luke 24:6

"After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God." Mark 16:19

"Behold, I am coming soon!" Revelation 22:7

'Twas by a path of sorrows drear
Christ entered into rest;
And shall I look for roses here,
Or think that earth is blessed?
Heaven's whitest lilies blow
From earth's sharp crown of woe:
Who here his cross can meekly bear,
Shall wear the kingly purple there.
~Author Unknown

While the hosts cry Hosanna, from Heaven descending,
With glorified saints and the angels attending,
With grace on His brow, like a halo of glory,
Will Jesus receive His own.
~Author Unknown

Hudson Taylor Quotes

• I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working.
• It is the consciousness of the threefold joy of the Lord, His joy in ransoming us, His joy in dwelling within us as our Saviour and Power for fruitbearing and His joy in possessing us, as His Bride and His delight; it is the consciousness of this joy which is our real strength. Our joy in Him may be a fluctuating thing: His joy in us knows no change.
• Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success.
• To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, "Come to me and rest". But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too. For them this same invitation is meant. Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it. It is not, "Go, labour on," as perhaps you imagine. On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, "Come to me and rest." Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one, a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service. For such the Bible only says, "Come, come, come."
• I cannot tell how I am buffeted sometimes by temptation. I never knew how bad a heart I have. Yet I do know that I love God and love His work, and desire to serve him only and in all things. And I value above all else that precious Saviour in whom alone I can be accepted.

George Muller's Testimony

To give a little background, before his conversion George Muller was an accomplished liar. He was fond of pleasure and sin, he denied himself nothing, and often lied in order to get what he wanted or to cover up his actions. After breaking trust with his father, Muller went off to college where he met other young men who were equally wicked. Spending what little money he had on frivolous living, Muller and his friends resorted to dishonesty in order to obtain passports and essentials for a luxurious trip to Switzerland. Even after living out the experiences of his dreams, Muller was not satisfied but God was preparing his heart. The following account is taken from Valuable Selections from the Writings of George Muller.

"The time was now come when God would have mercy upon me. His love had been set upon such a wretch as I was before the world was made. His love had sent His Son to bear punishment on account of my sins, and to fulfil the law which I had broken times without number. And now at a time when I was as careless about Him as ever, He sent His Spirit into my heart. I had no Bible, and had not read in it for years. I went to church but seldom; but, from custom, I took the Lord's supper twice a year. I had never heard the gospel preached up to the beginning of November, 1825. I had never met with a person who told me that he meant, by the help of God, to live according to the Holy Scriptures. In short, I had not the least idea that there were any persons really different from myself, except in degree."

Upon returning from Switzerland, Muller was searching and empty. When a friend of his with some degree of morality invited him to a Christian gathering, Muller agreed. It was there that he was significantly impacted by his first exposure to true Christianity. After that evening and his encounter with Christians, Muller says this:

"Now my life became very different, though all sins were not given up at once. My wicked companions were given up; the going to taverns was entirely discontinued; the habitual practice of telling falsehoods was no longer indulged in, but still a few times after that I spoke an untruth...I now no longer lived habitually in sin...I read the Scriptures, prayed often, loved the brethren, went to church from right motives, and stood on the side of Christ, though laughed at by my fellow students...What all the exhortations and precepts of my father and others could not effect; what all my own resolutions could not bring about, even to renounce a life of sin and profligacy; I was enabled to do, constrained by the love of Jesus. The individual who desires to have his sins forgiven, must seek for it through the blood of Jesus. The individual who desires to get power over sin, must likewise seek it through the blood of Jesus." pages 12, 13, 14