Word For Wednesday

God's Everlasting Love

Romans 8:31-39

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our Foolishness and God's Great Salvation....

Before the Lord saved me--I was a proud, thoughtless girl, fond of dress and finery. I loved the world and the things that are in the world. I went once on a Sunday to church, more to see and be seen--than to pray, or hear the Word of God. I thought I was quite good enough to be saved, and disliked and often laughed at pious people. I was in great darkness; I knew nothing of the way of salvation; I never prayed, nor was sensible of the dreadful danger of a prayerless state. I was tolerably moral and decent in my conduct, from motives of carnal and worldly policy; but I was a stranger to God and Christ. I neglected my soul; and had I died in such a state, hell must, and would justly, have been my portion!

But He who loved me with an everlasting love--drew me by His loving kindness, showed my the way of peace, and taught me that, while without Him I could do nothing--yet I could do all things through His strength!

I was convinced of my own guilt--and Jesus is my 'Righteousness'.

I saw my corruption--and Jesus is my 'Sanctification'.

I felt my slavery to sin and Satan--and Jesus is my 'Redemption'.

~Legh Richmond, "The Dairyman's Daughter"

Cultivating Godly Children

My husband printed this article by John MacArthur last night for us to read and I thought it was worth sharing. Those of us who are parents are striving to raise our children to be godly...for the purpose of bringing glory to God. We desire, first of all, for them to have a heart change that can only come about from God's intervention in their lives. We desire for them to know God and love Him with all of their hearts. As parents we have an unspeakable challenge in sharing the gospel with our children all the time...with wisdom and love, as we encourage, discipline, teach, guide, and have fun together. I thought this part of the article was good as a father speaks to how he would do things differently if he could. Let's intentionally strive to be the parents God has planned for us to be and ask the Lord for His grace to accomplish it.

One wise father said, "My family's all grown and the kids are all gone. But if I had it to do all over again, this is what I would do: I would love my wife more in front of my children. I would laugh with my children more--at our mistakes and our joys. I would listen more, even to the littlest child. I would be more honest about my own weaknesses, never pretending perfection. I would pray differently for my family; instead of focusing on them, I'd focus on me. I would do more things together with my children. I would encourage them more and bestow more praise. I would pay more attention to little things, like deeds and words of thoughtfulness. And then, finally, if I had to do it all over again, I would share God more intimately with my family; every ordinary thing that happened in every ordinary day I would use to direct them to God."

A Personal Savior

A Living, Loving, Personal Savior

We are in the habit of saying that Christ saved
us by dying for us on the Cross. In an important
sense this is true. We never could have been
saved--if He had not died for us.

But we are actually saved by our relation to a
living, loving, personal Savior--into whose
hands we commit all the interests of our lives;
and who becomes our Friend, our Helper, our
Keeper, our Burden bearer--our all in all.

Christian faith is not merely laying our sins on
the Lamb of God, and trusting to His one great
sacrifice; it is the laying of ourselves on the living,
loving heart of one whose friendship becomes
thenceforward the sweetest joy of our lives!

"The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20

(J. R. Miller, "Counsel and Help" 1907)

Is Christ Your Treasure...Even in Suffering?

When Christ is the Treasure of Suffering People

“I don’t think Christ is glorified anywhere more than when suffering people rejoice in Him as their treasure.”

- John Piper, “Suffering for Christ,” an interview with C. J. Mahaney

New Years Prayer

1842 Diary entry from Ruth Bryan:

Precious Christ, I come with a large request for 1842: it is that You would be the "Alpha and Omega" of it. Do You not say, "Ask what I shall give you?" Yourself, Lord! You have most blessedly given Yourself to me. But I find sweet liberty to entreat more unfolding, revealing, and opening of Your glorious person, amazing work, and matchless love, than I have yet had; and more losing and treading down of SELF, too--that I may be lost in Your fullness, and forgotten and forsaken in Your soul-absorbing glories. Oh! raise me higher, draw me nearer, that I may daily die, and You live in me more manifestly. I just give myself to You, to live on You, to live in You, to live for You, more and more than heretofore, and that by the power of the Spirit resting on me. I humbly ask that mine may be a large and still-increasing portion; that, under fresh annointings, You, most lovely Jesus, may be more fully known, more loved, more served; for it is to You the Holy Spirit leads, of You He testifies.

Oh, do make this a large, rich, full year! You being increasingly honored in me, and I increasingly lost in You, and made an increasing blessing to Your dear people. An Ebenezer for past mercies befits me; large and magnificent have been Your bestowments; bountiful and constant Your favors to me--a poor worthless nothing! "Bless the Lord, O my soul--and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

Could this be our prayer, too?

Glory to the New Born King!!!

You shall call His name JESUS. For He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

Words from John MacArthur in Truth for Today:

You may skip the genealogy when you read the Christmas story aloud. But don't overlook its message of grace, which after all is the heart of the Christmas story: God in His mercy doing for sinners what they cannot do for themselves...That's why He came--to save His people from their sins. Here's the best part: The same grace that was evident in the genealogy is active today, and the same Jesus is saving His people from their sins. No sin, no matter how heinous, puts sinners beyond His reach!

Isn't that the good news of Christmas?

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"