Scottish Profession Of Faith-Original Sin

Of Original Sin

By which transgression, commonly called Original Sin, was the image of God utterly defaced in man; and he and his posterity of nature became enemies to God, slaves to Satan, and servants to sin; insomuch that death everlasting has had, and shall have, power and dominion over all that have not been, are not, or shall not be regenerated from above: which regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, working in the hearts of the elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God, revealed to us in his word; by which faith we apprehend Christ Jesus, with the graces and benefits promised in him.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5 (NKJV)

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10 (NKJV)

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. Romans 7:5 (NKJV)

And that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:26 (NKJV)

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1-3 (NKJV)

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. Romans 5:14 (NKJV)

So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21 (NKJV) 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NKJV) 

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5 (NKJV) 

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 (NKJV)

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Philippians 1:29 (NKJV)

A Proverbs 31 Woman

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Proverbs 30: 10-12

It could be said that Proverbs 31 is considered God’s “gold standard” for virtuous womanhood. Most women I know feel this is an impossible goal to reach. I do not believe that Proverbs 31 is so much about what a woman must “do” as it is about what a woman can “be.”  The woman depicted here is not a “shrinking violet” or a “doormat.” This is a woman who walks confidently and boldly in the gifts that God has given her and, as for her husband, she “does him good and not evil all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:12). This is a woman who exhibits excellence in what she does, thereby blessing her husband and children in great measure. “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.‘ “(Proverbs 31:26-29). This is a woman who has the confidence of her husband and has his blessing as she develops all of her God-given talents and abilities.

You might guess that I am a proponent of strong, competent, and capable women.  These women are resilient; they face life’s many challenges with faith, courage, and strength of character. The women who, with their pioneering husbands, settled our country and expanded its borders, are a perfect example of what I mean. They worked tirelessly along side of their husbands, building a place for their families, and helped to birth our nation. These women were no “hot-house flowers.”

My daughter, Hannah, comes from a long line of competent, capable, and intelligent women: a paternal great-grandmother with a Masters in Education (she wasn’t allowed to get a Masters in Mathematics, her first choice, because it wasn’t considered to be a “woman’s field” at that time); twin paternal great-aunts with Ph.D.’s in English and Literature; a maternal great-grandmother who went to the mission field as a young single woman, not marrying until her mid-thirties; and a maternal grandmother who finished her college education over a ten-year period with three small children, graduating as valedictorian of her class. With the exception of the twin great-aunts who remained single until they died at 104 years of age, the others had strong marriages of long duration and the full support of their husbands. Each one of these women loved the LORD and served Him with their whole heart. This is an incredible spiritual heritage and a testament to what a godly marriage can and should be and speaks highly of their husband’s character as well.

The Beatitudes tell us in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” For me, until recently, meekness has always been equal to “weakness.”  It seems that much of the American church also equates meekness with pacifism. The best example of meekness I have ever heard is that of a horse who is completely “rein trained.”  This horse is so well-trained, and in tune with his rider, that he is waiting for the slightest pressure of the reins on his neck to tell him which direction he is to go. This is true meekness: strength under complete control. This is how God desires to lead us by the Holy Spirit.

By this definition, a “Proverbs 31 woman” should be a “meek” woman. She walks obediently in the ways of her God, fulfilling His call on her life. She does not fear the future because she knows that God is her Protector and her Guide.  She is confident that her contribution is necessary, and is ready and willing to meet the needs of others.  Her heart is generous, and when she speaks, wisdom is evident. She fears the LORD and ministers life to those she meets. She passes down to the next generation a spiritual heritage; her legacy will be evident in the lives of all those that she has touched.

This was eloquently stated in 1852 by Edward Mansfield in “Woman:”

“There is a beautiful parallelism between the condition of woman in her domestic life, and the character of a nation. She is the mother of men, and the former of their minds, at that early age when every word distils upon the heart, like the dew-drop upon the tender grass. There is to that young mind no truth or falsehood in the world but that whose words flow from the mother’s lips. There is no beauty in character, nor glory in action, which has not been concentrated by her praise. There is to that climbing child no path where the mother’s feet has not trod. Her mind is to his the supernatural pillar of fire which illumines his mid-night ignorance, and the silvery cloud which at mid-day precedes him in every highway to the world.

And, even when science has conducted her pupil through the highest walls of knowledge; or when art has polished him into the accomplished citizen; or when power has dignified him with the memorials of office, she still lives in his soul, which she has imbued from her heart’s ‘pictured urn, With thoughts that breathe, and words that burn.”

Many women tend to think their professional contribution is more important than their contributions at home. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is easy for us to focus on ever-increasing piles of laundry and dishes or the never-ending housework. It would be easy to overlook those “teachable moments” when our children’s hearts are wide open and ready to receive godly wisdom. The seeds of wisdom we plant in each of those moments bears eternal fruit. And, they will continue to bear fruit for succeeding generations as our children pass down to their children that which we have so carefully taught them.

In a perfect world (alas, I don’t live in one!) I would do all of these things well every day. Of course this doesn’t happen, but each day I can do my best as God enables me. The rest I must leave in God’s hands.  And when I fail, which I regularly do, His grace, mercy, and forgiveness allow me to start the next day with a clean slate.

My husband will tell you that a strong man generally desires a strong woman for his wife. He recognizes that, like two horses in harness, both must be strong or the team will fail to run the race that is set before them. In our culture, we tend to define strong women as bossy, boisterous, and pushy, but God sees a strong woman as one who has been tempered as steel and refined like silver. It is His manifested presence in a woman that makes her strong. It is not a personality trait but a heart issue.

It is the heart of a “Proverbs 31″ woman that makes her home a safe haven for her family; a place of peace where they can find rest from the struggles of their lives. It is the quiet strength of her heart that soothes her husband and children when their hearts are filled with pain. It is the godly wisdom in her heart they turn to when confusion fills their minds and they don’t know what to do. It is her heart, completely captivated by the love of her Saviour, that is the conduit of His love for them. It is her heart, where the King of Kings reigns, which gives her the strength to become a “Proverbs 31 woman.”

“Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.  The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.  My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”  Isaiah 32: 16-18 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

More Bits Of A.W. Tozer

More wisdom from A.W. Tozer for us to ponder today.

“I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.”

“We need a baptism of clear seeing. We desperately need seers who can see through the mist–Christian leaders with prophetic vision. Unless they come soon it will be too late for this generation. And if they do come we will no doubt crucify a few of them in the name of our worldly orthodoxy.”

“One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team.  The first requisite is life, always.”

“Wise leaders should have known that the human heart cannot exist in a vacuum. If Christians are forbidden to enjoy the wine of the Spirit they will turn to the wine of the flesh….Christ died for our hearts and the Holy Spirit wants to come and satisfy them.”

“The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos; the church that is not jealously protected by mighty intercession and sacrificial labors will before long become the abode of every evil bird and the hiding place for unsuspected corruption. The creeping wilderness will soon take over that church that trusts in its own strength and forgets to watch and pray.”

“It is because of the hasty and superficial conversation with God that the sense of sin is so weak and that no motives have power to help you to hate and flee from sin as you should.”

“What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

“An honest man with an open Bible and a pad and pencil is sure to find out what is wrong with him very quickly.”

“God is not silent. It is the nature of God to speak. The second person of the Holy Trinity is called “The Word.”

“The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”

“Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ.”

“For not only does sound reason direct us to refuse the guidance of those who do or teach anything wrong, but it is by all means vital for the lover of truth, regardless of the threat of death, to choose to do and say what is right even before saving his own life.”

“A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself.”

Original Content: Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

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Right Turn, Left Turn

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)

I have recently become a fan of the British time travel series, “Dr. Who.” Slowly working my way through all the episodes, I have recently watched one from the fourth season called, “Turn Left.” This particular episode deals with the consequences of life decisions–as in what would happen if we made the wrong one. Donna Noble, traveling with The Doctor, finds herself in an open air market, lured into what appears to be a fortune-teller’s lair. Donna is told by the fortune-teller that she must go back to a point in time and make the decision to “turn right” (not left) when she arrives at a certain intersection (a critical junction in time). The result? She never meets The Doctor, who then dies (because Donna isn’t there to help him), the world winds up on a collision course with destruction (again), and there is no Doctor to “ride in and save the day,” thus leading to the end of the world.

Because of this episode, I have wondered what would happen if I had the opportunity to go back in time and make different choices with what I know now. The concept of time travel makes wonderful fiction, thus making this conjecture moot, although an entertaining way to examine one’s past life.

So many of the decisions we make in life are not recognized as critically important when we make them: we decide to take a different job because it pays better; we buy a new house because we like the kitchen; we become good friends with someone because of our proximity or shared experience; we marry someone because we are lonely; we buy an expensive car because we think it will change how others view us, all in hopes these will make our lives better and we will be happier. What if we had made these decisions, not based on our emotions or intellectual reasoning, but because we had actively listened for the voice of the Holy Spirit when we made them? Would we still have made the same choices?

Our choices and decisions on a daily basis often seem insignificant, as it did to Donna– whether to “turn right” or “turn left” at a specific intersection. She is talked into turning right (instead of left to her job as a temp at a big company) by her mother who wants Donna to take, what she views, a safer career path to a more stable job. As this episode reveals, the “safer” path isn’t always so safe.

I have been thinking a lot lately about safety and security. With the large-scale damage on the Eastern Seaboard due to recent weather events, the current financial crisis that has hit so many families, and with elections looming, there is much about our current situation that destroys our feelings of “safety.” We can find ourselves making decisions based solely on the desire to feel comfortable and safe. Obviously, the above examples are major life events–a big deal to most of us. However, for the rest, there is a saying: “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff.” We aren’t supposed to get too concerned about the other things in life. Just relax. . . Don’t worry. . . It doesn’t matter. . .

What if that’s wrong? What if all the “small” decisions we so thoughtlessly make, set events into motion taking us places we should not have been in the first place? What would our lives have been like if different decisions had been made? What if we stopped making decisions based on expediency, fear, comfort, safety, someone else’s advice, good intentions, or how much money we make (or it costs)? What would happen if we asked the Lord, “What is it You want me to do right now? Where is it You want me to go?”

What if we began to actively seek the direction of Holy Spirit Who desires to say to us: “This is the way, walk in it?”

Many parents tell their children, “You can be anything you want to be” or conversely, “You will never amount to anything.” Some parents encourage their children to follow certain career paths because “You will always have a job” or “Don’t do that. Nobody ever makes any money doing that (fill in the blank here).” As Christian parents, we must teach our children to search the Scriptures and listen to the Holy Spirit for each decision and life choice they make, no matter how great or small it appears to be on the surface. Our job is to encourage them to discover what God’s specific call is on their lives and then help them discern, with wisdom, how God wants them to accomplish it.There is nothing worse than looking back on your life (or the lives of your children) and realizing that God’s call was never fulfilled because we settled for something less than the best He had.

The Christian walk requires courage to “swim upstream” when every one else is telling us to “go with the flow.” It doesn’t matter if the pressure to conform and be like everyone else comes from the world, our family, our friends, or from the Church. The results are the same: lost opportunities and events are changed. We turn “right” instead of “left” and people’s lives are affected. We may think we are able to make these decisions in a vacuum, but we can’t.

My husband holds a private pilot’s license. He has told me a number of times that being a mere three degrees off from your intended flight plan can ensure you wind up in a completely different city than you started out for. Our lives are the same way. We make a series of “wrong turns” and wind up some place we never intended, wondering how we got there.

God’s perspective is not limited by time or short-sightedness as ours is. He knows how things are meant to fit together, not only for today, but for eternity. He knows what we do not: each decision is important in our lives and affects the path we take. For this reason, He greatly desires to be a part of each and every one of them. And thankfully, we serve a God who is well able to make the ultimate “course correction” and get us back on track when we have created a mess for ourselves. All that is required is a repentant heart, the willingness to change, and the courage to step out in faith. God can repair the “collateral damage” of our poor decisions.

Donna Noble asks the following question when confronted by others about her responsibility to change/fix the chain of events that has gone totally awry due to her decision to go right instead of left: “Why me? I’m a nobody. I’m just a temp from Chiswick.” How many of us feel the same way? We do not understand that God, in His sovereignty, has assigned us a role in His Kingdom and we have an important part to play in His plans. Like the biblical account of Esther, important outcomes may hinge on our decisions. Had Esther made the wrong one, results could have been very different and the story of her courage and faith not included in Scripture. While I do not understand why a sovereign God would give us the ability and responsibility to choose between His Will and ours, I know that He has.

Today when you come to that inevitable “fork in the road,” before you make the decision to “turn right” or “turn left,” turn to the Lord and ask Him which way you should go. You never know what may be riding on your decision. . .

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37 (NKJV)

Having just returned from an eight-day trip to Israel with a group from my church, I have a confession to make. Israel is a place that I never cared much about before. Oh, I had a passing interest due to the fact that this is the place where biblical history took place and Jesus walked, but other than that, it didn’t show up much on my “radar screen.” That all changed several months ago when our pastor announced that he and his wife would be leading a group to Israel. I felt the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit telling me that I needed to go on this trip. I then spent much time trying to find a way not to go. You know how it is, God tells you that you need to do something you really don’t want to do and you find all kinds of reasons why you don’t have to. Obviously, I finally capitulated and obeyed, but didn’t know why God would have me do something that I clearly didn’t want (or I thought, needed) to do.

I am still processing the impact and meaning of this trip (not to mention the associated jet lag), but one thing is sure: Israel, and more specifically, the city of Jerusalem has a special place in God’s heart. I went on this trip with one question: “Why this piece of dirt?” I wanted God to tell me why, out of all the places on earth which He could have given to His chosen people the Jews, this piece of dirt was so special to Him.

We visited all the usual (and some of the not-so-usual) sites on our journey through Israel. Many of the places I thought would be emotionally or spiritually significant to me, weren’t. Others, however, left a profound impact. I am sure this was the same for the others in our group. Visiting Israel leaves you changed in a way you don’t expect.

The other “take-away” from this trip was an understanding of the age-old conflict between the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac, which remains explosive. You must tread carefully everywhere you go, especially in Jerusalem. And while I will not comment here on politics in the Middle East, I make one observation: the contrast between Jewish and Arab parts of the country (and in Jerusalem) is stark. Where Jews have settled, green is everywhere–trees, agriculture, and flowers. In parts which the Arabs control, trash, dirt, and rock are prevalent.

One thing is for sure. I will begin praying for the land of Israel, something which I have never done before. I will be praying they come to know the Messiah who lived, died, and was resurrected in this land of dirt and rock which is special to the heart of God.

I will be praying for the peace of Jerusalem.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” Psalm 122:6-7 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

The House With A Broken Heart

For some reason, this poem has worked its way into my heart, probably because it so aptly expresses how I feel every time I see an abandoned house. I don’t normally consider myself to be much of a “romantic,” but when I see an abandoned or run-down house, I always wonder about the people who have lived in it and how it came to its present state. Nothing gets my imagination going or tugs at my heart more than an empty house does. This may be because, over the course of the last thirty-four years of married life, we have moved a total of twenty-eight times. (For those who have followed this blog for awhile, you know this has been due to a combination of military life and my husband’s employment in an extremely volatile industry.)

In the course of our many relocations, we have walked through, and lived in, many houses. Some of these houses have been well cared for and others have not. It always saddens me to walk through a house that has not been taken care of. Somehow, it seems to me, that a house almost has a “soul;” not literally, of course, but as a representation of all who have lived there. Just as a historical site is remembered for all that transpired there, a house represents, to me, the lives of the families that lived and loved within those four walls.

And like “The House With Nobody In It,” our lives are also empty without the life-giving presence and power of the Holy Spirit. I originally came across this poem on another blog. For those that really enjoy poetry, you may want to give the blog, “The Last Minstrel,” a look. The link for it is at the bottom and it includes an auditory rendering of this poem which is quite well done. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I have.

The House With Nobody In It

By Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

Whenever I walk to Suffern along the Erie track
I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black.
I suppose I’ve passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute
And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it.

I never have seen a haunted house, but I hear there are such things;
That they hold the talk of spirits, their mirth and sorrowings.
I know this house isn’t haunted, and I wish it were, I do;
For it wouldn’t be so lonely if it had a ghost or two.

This house on the road to Suffern needs a dozen panes of glass,
And somebody ought to weed the walk and take a scythe to the grass.
It needs new paint and shingles, and the vines should be trimmed and tied;
But what it needs the most of all is some people living inside.

If I had a lot of money and all my debts were paid
I’d put a gang of men to work with brush and saw and spade.
I’d buy that place and fix it up the way it used to be
And I’d find some people who wanted a home and give it to them free.

Now, a new house standing empty, with staring window and door,
Looks idle, perhaps, and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.
But there’s nothing mournful about it; it cannot be sad and lone
For the lack of something within it that it has never known.

But a house that has done what a house should do, a house that has sheltered life,
That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife,
A house that has echoed a baby’s laugh and held up his stumbling feet,
Is the saddest sight, when it’s left alone, that ever your eyes could meet.

So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track
I never go by the empty house without stopping and looking back,
Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,
For I can’t help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart.

(“The House with Nobody in It” was originally published in Trees and Other Poems. Joyce Kilmer. New York: George H. Doran Company, 1914)

Link: http://thelastminstrel.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/the-house-with-nobody-in-it/

Original Content Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Justified

Romans 5 (NKJV)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Peace And Safety

1 Thessalonians 5 (NKJV)

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Brethren, pray for us.

Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Bits Of Andrew Murray

Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was born in South Africa to missionary parents. Educated in Scotland, he returned to South Africa as a pastor and teacher. He was a prolific writer having authored over 240 books and was instrumental in the South African Revival of 1860. Below are just a few examples of his wisdom and evidence of his passionate faith.

“God has no pleasure in afflicting us, but He will not keep back even the most painful chastisement if He can but thereby guide His beloved child to come home and abide in the beloved Son.”

“One great power of sin is that it blinds men so that they do not recognize its true character.”

“Christ will always accept the faith the puts its trust in Him.”

“Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation.”

“The greatest test of whether the holiness we profess to seek or to attain is truth and life will be whether it produces an increasing humility in us. In man, humility is the one thing needed to allow God’s holiness to dwell in him and shine through him. The chief mark of counterfeit holiness is lack of humility. The holiest will be the humblest.”

“Men ought to seek with their whole hearts to be filled with the Spirit of God. Without being filled with the Spirit, it is utterly impossible that an individual Christian or a church can ever live or work as God desires.”

“Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue. God’s voice in response to mine is its most essential part.”

“Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will draw our hearts out to God and keep us engaged with Him; it will take our attention from ourselves and give the Spirit room in our hearts.”

“Do not strive in your own strength; cast yourself at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and wait upon Him in the sure confidence that He is with you, and works in you. Strive in prayer; let faith fill your heart-so will you be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

“The coming revival must begin with a great revival of prayer. It is in the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundance of rain will first be heard. An increase of secret prayer with ministers will be the sure harbinger of blessing.”

“Time spent in prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the way for God Himself to do His work in us and through us. Let our chief work as God’s messengers be intercession; in it we secure the presence and power of God to go with us.”

“A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness and selfishness, and making God and His love triumph in the heart and life.”

“The enemy uses all his power to lead the Christian, and above all the minister, to neglect prayer. He knows that however admirable the sermon may be, however attractive the service, however faithful the pastoral visitation, none of these things can damage him or his kingdom if prayer is neglected.”

“We have within us a self that has its poison from Satan–from hell–and yet we cherish and nourish it. What do we not do to please self and nourish self–and we make the devil within us strong. … Look at your own life. What are the works of hell? They are chiefly these three: self-will, self-trust, and self-exaltation.”

“Do not confound work and fruit. There may be a good deal of work for Christ that is not the fruit of the heavenly Vine.”

“God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.”

“May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God’s presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of myself as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love.”

Original Content: Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Messy Places

“Messy places require tidying and permanent cleanness requires God.” We all have “messy places.” One of God’s greatest desires is to get into the deepest recesses of our hearts, dispelling the darkness that resides there. And when He sweeps those nasty, dank places clean with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are clean indeed.

The following is from my daughter’s blog, “My Soul Found Rest.” I am so grateful for all that God has been doing in her life and for her willingness to let Him do it.

The Hidden Place

“Hello? Is anyone there?” I brushed away the cobwebs from the doorway and peered into the gloom. A chill breeze brushed past me, and I shivered. The thought of venturing into such a forbidding place was unthinkable. I stood in the doorway, teetering with indecision.

Musty rooms, cobwebs, chill breezes: such are the components of a bad horror story. But this is no horror story; it is a vivid picture of what goes on inside me. That doorway is the door to my heart, the deepest place inside me where I fear to tread. “Here there be monsters,” reads the saying, and that’s exactly what it feels like.

What’s inside? What squashed hopes, unfulfilled dreams, thwarted longings, long-held grudges, impassioned jealousies, and gripping fears might turn into terrible beasts and leap out at me from the shadows? What holds me captive and prevents me from accepting the truth that has penetrated only so far as my mind? Do I even want to know?

The truth is that sometimes I don’t. If I’m totally honest, life seems a lot easier when I can cover over and tidy the entrance to the messy places. With a little paint and dim lighting, it looks almost respectable. But when God digs deep within, and the lamp of the Lord lights up my innermost places, then the façade is shown for what is.

I tremble when I hear the “suggestion” of the Lord: “Daughter, let’s go down here. What’s in here?” The question is for my benefit–it’s not as if He doesn’t know. I don’t want to answer His question or follow His suggestion. But messy places require tidying, and permanent cleanness requires God, not my shabby painting skills. Clinging to Him, I follow the light of His lantern through the doorway.

I am willing, Lord, because Yours is the hand that does the tidying…

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” Proverbs 20:27 (NKJV)

By My Soul Found Rest
Copyright © 2012
Used with permission