~Brittany

The Most Important Thing

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed,

because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;

therefore will I hope in him.

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him,

to the soul that seeketh him.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait

for the salvation of the Lord.

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth."

~ Lamentations 3:22-27 ~

"How much strength each man hath is best proved

by occasions of adversity:

for such occasions do not make a man frail,

but show of what temper he is."

- Thomas a' Kempis -

"He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow,

but labors joyfully and with a great heart.

"For he giveth His beloved, as in sleep."

They must work and watch,

yet never be careful or anxious,

but commit all to Him,

and live in serene tranquility;

and with a quiet heart,

as one who sleeps safely and quietly."

- Martin Luther -

~Brittany

The believers only hope and greatest joy: In Christ alone

A foundational truth of biblical Christianity is that the believer has a right standing before God in the gospel-in Christ alone.  The psalms of David confront us with man's greatest dilemma: "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?  Or who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully."  Any man who entertains even the remotest possibility that there is a personal and moral God must tremble at David's question.  Unless he is an imbecile or his conscience has been seared beyond use, he must recognize that he does not possess the necessary qualifications to stand approved before the Judge of all the earth.  The Scriptures tell us that if he looks within, he will find that his heart is more deceitful than all else and is wicked beyond comprehension.  If he turns to consider his own mind, he will find that there are wicked thoughts lodged within.  If he listens intently to  his speech, he will become aware that it is full of deceit, cursing, and bitterness.  If he gazes upon his hands, he will see that they are stained with the residue of countless misdeeds.  If in desperation he seeks to cover his shame by dressing himself in his most righteous deeds, he will find that he is clothed in the filthy rot of  a leper.  Although he washes himself with lye and uses much soap, the stain of his iniquity remains.  Everywhere he turns, he finds himself accused, condemned, and without hope.  It is in this moment of absolute helplessness and final resignation that the illumined and regenerate sinner looks to Christ and finds his hope in Him.  Turning from self-righteousness, he believes and is justified by grace alone through faith alone.  From that moment on, he bears the twin marks of a Christian: he glories in Christ Jesus and puts no confidence in the flesh.  He has entered into that great company of saints who believed God and it was reckoned to them as righteousness.  He has cast himself upon Christ and clings to Him with a strength multiplied by the terror of what would have befallen him if he had been left to fend for himself.  He stands upon Christ alone and will not venture from Him.  He is convinced that he can ascend into the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place only by virtue of the person and merit of Christ.  To paraphrase the old hymn writer: "His hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.  He dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.  On Christ the solid Rock he stands, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand."  

~Paul Washer in his book The Gospel's Power & Message, chapter 2 pages 13-14

~Breanna

What does it mean and how do we run to Christ?

"Many people hear the phrases 'Run to Christ,' 'Look to Christ,' 'Come to Christ,' and they get worn out trying to run, look, and come. Instead they still find themselves lost and without rest. So what does it mean to 'Run to Christ'? Tim goes to Romans 10 to give an answer."

I was very blessed as I listened to this message yesterday.  It is so worth listening to, especially for those of you who want to be saved, but don't feel like you're getting any where or that feel like God's not saving you even though you're asking Him to.  A powerful message by pastor Tim Conway on how to run to Christ!
~Breanna

Guest post by a dear brother and friend

 

Abide in Me......

Does it ever bug you when you hear a “professing christian” say, “I just asked Jesus to come in my heart and now I'm saved, or Johnny was an alcoholic but went he was three years old he asked Jesus to come in his heart so we know where he is.”?

I wanted to address some of these fallacies as they are on my mind. First off, getting saved is not “asking Jesus to come in your heart” trust me I know first hand.

Picture this.... little angelic me at age seven, did I mention that I would be classified as a fallen angel. Threatening my big sisters, who were picking on me, with a razor knife. Screaming like a banshee and then running away... well, at least to the edge of the yard. You know that evening, waiting for certain death in the laundry room from my father, feeling defiant rather than repentant, “getting saved” was the last thing on my mind.

Dad came in and started lecturing me and asking me why I kept doing evil things over and over and ended up leading me through the “sinners prayer”. My thoughts were, and I still remember them, were this is awesome!!! No spanking, Mom and Dad are happy and now I'm going to heaven.

I tell you that for seven more years I was just as lost and just as hell bound as before. I had no change, no desire for God, no compassion for others and thought only for myself. There is a lot more to my testimony but that is for another time. It took the death of another man before my eyes to awaken the hardened sinner inside.

Let me break it down, Jesus requires us to do four things. These things are only accomplished by the working of grace in our hearts, for as carnal men we are unable to do them. One, Repent. Two, Believe. Three, Confess. Four, Abide.

I expect that most who read this article will understand these things to be true having experienced them for themselves. I wish therefore to touch on the fourth. Jesus says, Abide in e, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4

Drunk Johnny is in hell, no amount of lying from a man who calls himself a preacher will change that. Why? Abide in Me, and I in you.

The doctrine of eternal security is accepted across the reformed world of Christendom, but most only say, “Once saved always saved.” I would agree, however the true question is were they ever even saved? “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

Are you abiding in Christ? He says very clearly, Abide in Me and I in you. This is a two way street. Are you spending time with Jesus, in his word, in meditation, in prayer? Do you think that God is going to live in you honestly if you haven't allowed him to purge your heart as he did the temple? If you feed only your flesh? No, if you do not abide in Christ. If you do not follow him, he will not abide. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

We cannot live without the vine Jesus and if we like Judas we grafted in but refuse the vine... If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. So as in Pilgrims Progress we see the young lad go to the very gates of the city riding across the river of death in the ferry called false hope let us be wary and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Thomas Smith

Thanks so much Thomas for sharing this part of your testimony and for allowing us to share it with our readers!  May God's richest blessings be upon you and your precious family.

Salvation is of the Lord

May this be true and truly recognized in each of our hearts!

"Salvation is of the Lord."—Jonah 2:9.

Salvation is the work of God. It is He alone who quickens the soul "dead in trespasses and sins," and it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both "Alpha and Omega." "Salvation is of the Lord." If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God's gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God Himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely. If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord's strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God's Holy Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God's chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great Instructor teaches me. All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. "He only is my rock and my salvation." Do I feed on the Word? That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My help cometh from heaven's hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in Him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me learn this morning in my closet: "Salvation is of the Lord."

-Charles Spurgeon's Morning Meditation, February 26th

Posted by: Brittany

Examine Yourself

Ever Doubt Your Salvation?