Jesus' Notes of Encouragement

Tonight I read this little excerpt from a book about Amy Carmichael. I am sharing this with you all for two reasons. The first is because at the recent conference in Denton, TX a message was preached by Ryan Fullerton about the "worth of sinful men." (greatly impacting, do whatever you can to find it and listen!) The message was meant to show the great value of lost souls and to compel Christians to seek out the lost, treat them as Christ would have, and show them the Gospel through Christian love. That was Amy Carmichael's life-work.

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"In Amy's Bible, on a card pasted inside the front cover, are these words: 'These children are dear to Me. Be a mother to them, and more than a mother. Watch over them tenderly, be just and kind. If thy heart is not large enough to embrace them, I will enlarge it after a pattern of My own. If these young children are docile and obedient, bless Me for it; if they are froward, call upon Me for help; if they weary thee, I will be thy consolation; if thou sink under thy burden, I will be thy Reward.' The words are followed by a picture of the Shepherd, reaching for a lamb while a vulture hovers overhead."

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The second reason I share this is because I absolutely love that the card sounds as if Jesus wrote it Himself. I can picture Him quietly making His way to Amy's room and slipping the card under her door while she slept, so that she would find it there in the morning. Of course that didn't happen; she wrote it herself because He had revealed His vision to her and showed her the India Mission work from His perspective. But isn't that just how it feels when you receive something like that from the Lord? Some new lesson or fresh perspective, especially when it comes from His Word. It's like He wrote it just for you and left it where He knew you'd find it.

Matthew Henry's Daily Thoughts, April 27th

"We are likely to seek and find when we seek with affection and seek in tears. But many believers complain of the clouds and darkness they are under, which are methods of grace for humbling their souls, mortifying their sins, and endearing Christ to them. A sight of angels and their smiles will not suffice without a sight of Jesus, and God's smiles in Him. None know, but those who have tasted it, the sorrows of a deserted soul, which has had comfortable evidences of the love of God in Christ, and hopes of heaven, but has now lost them, and walks in darkness; such a wounded spirit who can bear? Christ, in manifesting himself to those that seek him, often outdoes their expectations. See how Mary's heart was in earnest to find Jesus. Christ's way of making Himself known to His people is by His word; His word applied to their souls, speaking to them in particular."

"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:1

Building a Godly Life

"Godly life is not built in a day, a year, or a single event, but by the daily practice of prayer and renewing the mind in the Word of God." ~Paul Washer

We Have An Anchor

"We are in this world as a ship at sea, tossed up and down, and in danger of being cast away. We need an anchor to keep us sure and steady. Gospel hope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure and steadfast, or it could not keep us so." ~Matthew Henry

Running the Race

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1st Peter 2:9

As the traveler, the racer, the warrior, and the laborer, gathered in their long and loose garments, that they might be ready in their business, so let Christians do by their minds and affections. Be sober, be watchful against all spiritual dangers and enemies, and be temperate in all behavior. Be sober-minded in opinion, as well as in practice, and humble in your judgment of yourselves. The best Christians have need to be exhorted to sobriety. These excellent Christians are put in mind of it; it is required of a bishop, of aged men, the young women are to be taught it, and the young men are directed to be sober-minded (Titus 2:4-6). A Christian's work is not over as soon as he has got into a state of grace; he must still hope and strive for more grace. When he has entered the strait gate, he must still walk in the narrow way, and gird up the loins of his mind for that purpose. A strong and perfect trust in the grace of God is agreeable with best endeavors in our duty. Holiness is the desire and duty of every Christian. It must be in all affairs, in every condition, and towards all people. We must especially watch and pray against the sins to which we are inclined. The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian's life, and by this rule we are commanded to be holy every way. God makes those holy whom he saves.

~Matthew Henry's Daily Thoughts

Make It Your Aim to Fear God - Tim Conway

Ways We Waste Our Marriage

I recently listened to this message by Don Currin which was preached at the February Bentley Camp and it is so good! Even though I'm single there were a lot of lessons learned from it, and a lot of these things can be applied to other relationships besides marriage. I can only imagine how helpful it would be to those of you who are already married. Please make time to listen to it....you won't regret it.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=213111351128

Perspective on Prosperity

While reading this week I came upon Psalm 1:3 which says..."He (the righteous man) is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." For some reason this was much more impacting than it has ever been for me. In all that he does? That statement sounds too good to be true! But then I began to think about what prosperity really is. Webster's dictionary defines prosperity as "the condition of being successful or thriving." It adds that this is usually economical, but not always. When most of us hear the word "prosperity" we do think economics. We picture someone with plenty of money in the savings, two nice cars in the garage, a comfortable home, a booming business, etc. But why don't we think on a deeper level? Why don't we think of prosperity in terms of spiritual thriving? That is what this verse is talking about. Here is spiritual prosperity: 1) Draw all nourishment from the stream of living water, 2) Continue to yield up your fruit in season, and 3) Separate yourself from anything that might cause you to wither. Abiding by these things will cause your soul to thrive and God will bless you with spiritual, eternal prosperity.

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Blessed state! and happy he
Who is like that planted tree;
Living waters bathe its root,
Bends its bough with golden fruit.

When the seedling from its bed
First lifts up its timid head,
Ministry of thine must give,
All on which its life can live.

Showers from thee must bid it thrive,
Breath of thine must oft revive;
Life from thee its bloom supplies,-
Left by thee it fades and dies.

Thine, O Lord, the power and praise!
Which a sight like this displays;
Power of thine must plant it there,
Praise of thee it should declare.

~M. B. Barton

Count it All Joy...

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds..." James 1:2

"Philosophy may instruct men to be calm under their troubles, but Christianity teaches them to be joyful because such exercises proceed from love and not fury in God. In them we are conformable to Christ our head, and they become marks of our adoption. By suffering in the ways of righteousness, we are serving the interests of our Lord's kingdom among men, and edifying the body of Christ; and our trials will brighten our graces now and our crown at the last." ~Matthew Henry

The Virtuous Woman

A virtuous woman is a woman of spirit, who has the command of her own spirit and knows how to manage her affairs, one that is pious and industrious, and a help meet for a man. A virtuous woman is a woman of resolution, who, having espoused good principles, is firm and steady to them, and will not be frightened with winds and clouds from any part of her duty. The difficulty of meeting with such a one: "Who can find her?" This intimates that good women are very scarce, and many that seem to be so do not prove so; he that thinks he has found a virtuous woman may be deceived. But he that designs to marry ought to seek diligently for such a one, to have this principally in his eye, in all his enquiries, and to take heed that he be not biased by beauty or elegance, wealth or parentage, dressing well or dancing well; for all these may be and yet the woman not be virtuous, and there is many a woman truly virtuous who yet is not recommended by these advantages. The unspeakable worth of such a one, and the value which he that has such a wife ought to put upon her, showing it by his thankfulness to God and his kindness and respect to her, whom he must never think he can do too much for. Her price is far above rubies, and all the rich ornaments with which vain women adorn themselves. The more rare such good wives are, the more they are to be valued.

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Well girls, here is the standard we are to live up to, according to Matthew Henry. It's a high one, and only the Lord's help can cause anyone to attain it.