In God’s Will
Posted by jerrywhite on Oct 31, 2011
“Only by divine guidance given through the Holy Spirit can the will of God in its beauty, its application to daily life, its ever-growing revelation, be truly known. This instruction will be given not to the wise and prudent but to the babes, the men of childlike disposition, who are willing to wait for and depend on what is given them. Divine guidance will lead in the path of God’s will.
Our secret communion with God is the place where we repeat and learn the great lessons:
(1) The God whom I worship expects of me perfect union with His will.
(2) My worship means ‘I delight to do your will, O God.’
(3) As I seek and cultivate the knowledge of God’s will and the power to perform it
during my secret communion with God, my study of God’s Word and my prayer will
bring their true and full blessing.”
Andrew Murray
The Believer’s Daily Renewal, 90-91
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“God does not need us for anything, yet it is the amazing fact of our existence that he chooses to delight in us and to allow us to bring joy to his heart. This is the basis for personal significance in the lives of all God’s people: to be significant to God is to be significant in the most ultimate sense. No greater personal significance can be imagined.”
Wayne Grudem
Systematic Theology, 162-163
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Is there any greater honor than to do the will of God?
Is there any greater pleasure than to know you have done the will of God?
Is there any greater satisfaction than to know that God is pleased with your life?
~~~
So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
2 Corinthians 5:9 (ESV)
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Reverent Fear Of God
Posted by jerrywhite on Oct 27, 2011
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!
Psalms 96:9 (ESV)
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“I don’t see much terror today among the followers of Christ. In fact, when I say that, people look at me as if I am crazy. Well, I want to know what happened to the bone-chilling, earth shattering, gut-wrenching, knee-knocking, heart-stopping, life-altering fear that leaves us speechless, paralyzed, helpless, and glad. The terror I am speaking of is a mix of wonder, awe, fear, and worship, all happening at the same time.
I am beginning to wonder if we modern followers of Christ are capable of being terrified of God. No fear of God. No fear of Jesus. No fear of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we have ended up with a feel-good gospel that attracts thousands…but transforms no one.
It is time for Christianity to become a place of terror again; a place where God continually has to tell us, ‘Fear not’; a place where our relationship with God is not a simple belief or doctrine or theology, but the constant awareness of God’s terrifying presence in our lives. The nice, non-threatening God needs to be replaced by the God whose very presence smashes our egos into dust, burns our sin into ashes, and strips us naked to reveal the real person within. A healthy, childlike fear should make us more in awe of God than we are of our government, our problems, our beliefs about abortion, our doctrines and agendas, or any of our other earthly concerns. Our God is perfectly capable of both calming the storm and putting us in the middle of one. Either way, if it’s God, we will be speechless and trembling, and smiling, too. It’s time to become people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender and ours; a God whose love frightens us into His strong and powerful arms where He dares to hold us in His terrifying, loving presence.
How did we end up so comfortable with God? How did our awe of God get reduced to a lukewarm appreciation of God? How did God become a pal instead of a heart-stopping presence? How can we think of Jesus without remembering His ground-shaking, thunder-crashing, stormy exit on the cross? Why aren’t we continually catching our breath and saying, ‘This is no ordinary God!’? ”
Michael Yaconelli
Dangerous Wonder, 110-111
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Unreliable Feelings
Posted by jerrywhite on Oct 23, 2011
Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.
Romans 5:2 (Amplified. Bible)
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“Our experiences are as fickle as April weather—now warm, now cold; now sunshine, now cloud; now dry, now wet. But our standing in Jesus doesn’t change. It is like Him—the same yesterday, today, and forever. Our sure position in Christ did not originate in us but in His everlasting love. It has not been purchased by us, but by His precious blood that pleads for us as mightily and successfully when we can hardly claim it as when our faith is most buoyant. It is not maintained by us, but by the Holy Spirit.
If we have fled to Jesus for salvation—sheltering under Him, relying on Him, and trusting Him—then we are one with Him forever. We were one with Him in the grave, one with Him on Easter morning, one with Him now as He stands in the light of His Father’s smile. No doubt or depression can for a single moment affect or alter our acceptance with God through the blood of Jesus, which is an eternal fact.
Our standing in Jesus is our invested capital. Our emotions at best are but our spending money, which is always passing through our pocket or purse, never exactly the same. Cease to consider how you feel and build on the immovable rock of what Jesus is, has done, is doing, and will do for you in times to come.”
The Best of F. B. Meyer, 22 ((1847-1929)
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Everlasting love never ends. Infinite love has no limit. Unchanging love is never affected. This is God’s love for His children. If you are born from above then you are secure in God’s measureless love for you. He knows your every weakness and loves you. He knows your sinful history and loves you. He knows your every flaw and loves you. He knows your feelings of unworthiness and loves you. Your Heavenly Father wants you to be at rest with great peace in His incomparable love for you. Do you believe this?
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The Gentle Spirit
Posted by jerrywhite on Oct 20, 2011
“In our religious services, we too often rely on carnal force and energy. We hope that if we make enough noise, create enough excitement, and stir and agitate, we will be identified with the power of God.
How does God touch our hearts? Our Heavenly Father generally uses a soft, tender, gentle, quiet, calm, and peaceful—still, small—voice. Softly and gently, the Holy Spirit works like the breath of spring dissolving icebergs, and melting glaciers. After winter has taken every stream by the throat and held it fast, spring sets it free. No hammer or file is heard as the icy bonds fall off; only the soft south wind blows, and all is life and liberty.
So it is with the work of the Holy Spirit when he comes into the soul. He can be a mighty rushing wind (Acts 2:2), for He comes according to His own sovereign pleasure. Yet when He brings the peace of God, He usually descends as the dove (Matt. 3:16) or as the dew from heaven—all peace, all gentle, and all quiet.
Satan can set the soul on fire with agony, doubt, fear, and terror. Then the Spirit comes in tender love and reveals Christ the Gentle One. He sets up the Savior’s cross and speaks peace, pardon, and salvation. This is what we want and need: the work of the Spirit of God coming in His even manner of living love.”
C. H. Spurgeon
Beside Still Waters, 33
Roy H. Clarke, Editor
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The wind blows where it wishes, and you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
John 3:8 (ESV)
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Jesus said that His followers are light and salt in the world. Light and salt are quietly effective. Light does not come bursting through the window with loud noise calling attention to its presence, but rather it enlightens in stillness. Salt quietly preserves and flavors, and if used correctly does not call attention to its presence but rather enhances what it affects. The Holy Spirit is self-effacing so He can quietly and gently reveal the Savior’s presence. Most often He tenderly works behind the scenes with a mere whisper.
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Time to Gaze
Posted by jerrywhite on Oct 16, 2011
“We hear of the doctrines of Christ and say we believe them, but never solemnly meditate on them. The mind must be spiritual and holy, not entangled with the things of this world, in order to meditate on the glory of Christ. That’s why most of us are strangers to this kind of meditation—we won’t trouble ourselves to put to death our flesh (Romans 8:6).
Some who seem to be sincere believers never stop to mediate on Christ and his glory. Oddly, they claim that they want nothing more than to see his glory in heaven forever. How can we reconcile this? It’s impossible for someone who never delights to reflect on the glory of Christ as it is revealed in the Scriptures to truly long for it in heaven. How can someone find time to think about every silly thing under the sun, but never seem to have the time or inclination to raise a single thought to the Son?”
Kris Lundgaard
Through the Looking Glass, 39
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“Some people claim to be normal Christians when actually they mean they are nominal Christians. My old dictionary gives this definition as one of the meanings of the word nominal:
‘Existing in name only; not real or actual; hence so small, slight, or the like, as to be hardly worth the name.’
With that definition, those who know they are Christians in name only should never make the pretention of being ‘normal’ Christians.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ your most precious treasure in this world? If so, you can count yourself among normal Christians.
Is the moral beauty which is found only in Jesus Christ constantly drawing you to praise and worship? If so, you are indeed among those whom God’s Word identifies as normal, believing, practicing Christians….
How can anyone profess to be a follower and a disciple of Jesus Christ and not be overwhelmed by His attributes? These divine attributes attest that He is indeed Lord of all, completely worthy of our worship and praise.”
A. W. Tozer
Whatever Happened To Worship, 105-106
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