washedaway

hello out there.

2010-08-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by saying that it has been a while. The blog world seems quite quiet these days.
Something made me remember the days when blogging was all the rage. It made me think. I want to be more consistent with expressing my thoughts--writing, to be specific.
So, why not start this blog thing again--it feels like I am bring back an old trend, kindof like baggy pants or pogs. However, ironically, bringing back an old trend seems to be a new trend. So, with that logic in mind, I am being trendy. I think.
Anyways, I wont make any promises about regular posts, but I will try. And what more could one ask for?

Let me know if you're out there.
Is anyone listening?

2009-04-11T22:46:00.001-07:00

Its been a while, but I have the urge to write.

While listening to one of my favorite hymns today, I was struck by the truth within the lyrics.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

I need to hear this often. It is far too easy to fall into the snare of works based righteousness. Too many times I feel that, in some perverted way, I can pay back grace. In my heart I believe that the 'good' works that I muster-up will somehow appease the wrath of a holy and just God. For what other reason would I attempt to find peace in the law? It is a frightening thought; in-light of the glorious news of the redeeming work at the cross, I still attempt to work for my salvation.

The truth is that the work of Christ on the cross was enough. Jesus is my only claim. Nothing but the blood. He is more than enough. How wonderful the thought that God became man and lived a perfect life. He became sin and died on the cross. Taking on the punishment of sin, he gives life to all who trust in His name. It is by grace, through faith that we are saved.

What an amazing God that we serve.

I am reminded this Easter that Jesus came to give us life. We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. We have been saved to love him. Saved to enjoy him. He is our peace. He is the source of all joy. He is the end of the quest. He is the Lord of Lords. He is Emmanuel; God with us. He was crucified and He is risen.

Well, those are my thoughts.
Im off to bed.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

2008-11-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to [2] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ [3] 22 But the father said to his servants, [4] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Luke 15

2008-11-02T17:16:00.001-08:00

"Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior. All other topics in Holy Scripture are important, and none of them are to be cast into the shade. But the death of the Son of God is the central sun of all these other minor luminaries. May this house be utterly consumed with fire before the day should come here when there should be given an uncertain sound about the atonement. This is not merely a doctrine of the church; it is the doctrine of the church. Leave this out, and you have no truth, you have no Savior, and you have no church."

--Charles Spurgeon

God Is Our Fortress

2008-10-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46

2008-10-17T12:52:00.001-07:00

"Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us."

-John Scott

blog.(again)

2008-10-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

I am going to start this blog up again. It never officially shut down, but after a few months with out a post I am sure that some of you have stopped checking. Good on you loyal blog readers that never stopped checking. (That was a joke)...Anyways, I figured this would be a good place to share what I have been reading/pondering of late. If anyone reads, that would be pretty cool.

Tonight I took a break from studying and read out of a collection of CS Lewis quotes that Mike gave me. I came across an excellent passage from Clive Staples book, The Problem of Pain. There are some lines that stuck with after I read through it a couple times, and I figured that you(whoever you are, if anyone) might find helpful/convicting/encouraging. Lewis highlights the repeating patterns that I so often see in my own life. Patterns that reveal themselves in times of tribulation and suffering, but hide when all seems well. So often I forget about God when things are going well, and when things turn for the worst I either blame him or run to Him. God is not some sort of cosmic insurance agency that I can use when things go bad. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. He created the heavens and the earth, and He created us to worship Him. Our souls will find true satisfaction in the enjoyment of Christ. Our souls will only find frustration and unrest when we fix our lives on ourselves. Thankfully, God is so faithful to continually take my eyes from my feet and point them to the cross. Anyways, read the quote, Lewis says it best:

One Mans Tale of Tribulation

My own experience is something like this. Iam progressing along the path of life in my ordinary contentedly fallen and godless condition, absorbed in a merry meeting with my friends for the morrow or a bit of work the tickles my vanity today, a holiday or new book, when suddenly a stab of abdominal pain that threatens serious disease, or a headline in the newspapers that threatens us all with destruction, sends this whole pack of cards tumbling down. At first I am overwhelmed, and all my little hapinesses look like broken toys. Then, slowly and reluctantly, bit by bit, I try to bring myself into that frame of mind that I intended to possess my heart, that my true good is in another world and my only real treasure is Christ. And perhaps, by God's grace, I succeed, and for a day or two become a creature consciously dependent on God and drawing its strength from the right sources. But the moment the threat is withdrawn, my whole nature leaps back to the toys: Iam even anxious, God forgive me, to bonish from my mind the only thing that supported me under the threat because it is now associated with the misery of those few days. Thus the terrible necessity of tribulation is only too clear. God has had me for but forty eight hours and then only by dint of taking everything else away from me. Let Him but sheathe that sword for moment and I behave like a puppy when the hated bath is over--I shake myself dry as fast as I can and race off to reacquire my comfortable dirtiness, if not in the nearest manure heap, at least in the nearby flower bed. And that is why tribulations cannont cease until God either sees us remade or sees that our remaking is now hopeless.

--from The Problem of Pain
CS Lewis

later.

Horatius

2008-06-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

"Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die; another’s life, another’s death, I stake my whole eternity."

Horatius Bonar

its been a long while...

2008-06-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

The fact that I have a blog seemed to have slipped my mind for the last few months...I dont know if anyone will even read this, but thats ok.
Moving on...
These past few days have been great. I was baptized on sunday, and as I was attempting to prepare my heart, I came across a section of scripture in Isaiah 41 that really stood out to me.

"When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water."
Isaiah 41:17

As I read this amazing promise of God, my mind immediately jumped to the new testament, where Jesus is often refered to as the "Living Water"

"...Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’" John 7:37

God has promised in the old testament to quench the thirst of the "poor and needy", and sheds light on this promise through His Son, Jesus Christ. His promise was not to quench the physical thirst of the poor and needy, but to quench the spiritual thirst of the spiritually "poor and needy". Jesus is the fulfilment of this promise. By His blood, our greatest thirst has been quenched. Jesus said that whoever "drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again."(John 4:14)

Psalm 103:7-19

2008-03-04T22:31:00.000-08:00

The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame; [1]
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.

2008-02-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Exodus 33:19

"...These eyes are but organs to convey to me the knowledge of material substances; they can not discern spirits; it is not their duty; it is beyond their province. Purer than celestial ether of the most refined nature; subtler than the secret power of electricity; infinitely above the most rarified forms of matter is the existence we call a spirit. As well might we expect to bind the winds with cords, or smite them with a sword, as to behold spirits with eyes which were only made to see gross solid materialism.

We find that Moses saw no similitude; no form passed before him. He had an audience; he had a vision; but it was an audience from behind a covering, and a vision, not of a person, but an attribute. Behold then the scene. There stands Moses about to be honored with visions of God. The Lord is about to answer thee. O Moses, God is come. Dost thou not tremble; do not thy knees knock together; are not thy bones loosened; are not thy sinews broken? Canst thou bear the thought of God coming to thee? O, I can picture Moses as he stood in that cleft of the rock with the hand of God before his eyes, and I can see him look as man never looked before, confident in faith, yet more than confounded at himself that he could have asked such a petition.

Now, what attribute is God about to show to Moses? His petition is, "Show me thy glory." Will he show him his justice? Will he show him his holiness? Will he show his wrath? Will he show him his power? Will he break yon cedar and show him he is almighty? Will he rend yonder mountain and show him that he can be angry? Will he bring his sins to remembrance, and show that he is omniscient? No; hear the still small voice—"I will make all my goodness pass before thee." Ah! the goodness of God is God's glory. God's greatest glory is that he is good. The brightest gem in the crown of God is his goodness. "I will make all my goodness pass before thee." There is a panorama such as time would not be long enough for you to see.

Consider the goodness of God in creation. Who could ever tell all God's goodness there? Why, every creek that runs up into the shore is full of it where the fry dance in the water. Why, every tree and every forest rings with it; where the feathered songsters sit and make their wings quiver with delight and ecstasy. Why, every atom of this air, which is dense with animalculae, is full of God's goodness. The cattle on a thousand hills he feeds; the ravens come and peck their food from his liberal hands. The fishes leap out of their element, and he supplies them; every insect is nourished by him. The lion roars in the forest for his prey, and he sendeth it to him. Ten thousand thousand creatures are all fed by him. Can you tell, then, what God's goodness is? If you knew all the myriad works of God, would your life be long enough to make all God's creative goodness pass before you?"

Charles Spurgeon

2008-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many
men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is
no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use
knowledge is to have wisdom.
-Charles Spurgeon

2008-01-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, "You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself." My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

2008-01-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

"The first thing I ask is that people should not make use of my name, and should not call themselves Lutherans but Christians. What is Luther? The teaching is not mine. Nor was I crucified for anyone...How did I, poor stinking bag of maggots that I am, come to the point where people call the children of Christ by my evil name?"

-Martin Luther.

soft soap and wishful thinking.

2007-12-30T23:50:00.000-08:00

"If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair."
CS Lewis

Immanuel

2007-12-21T23:36:00.000-08:00

"Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor."
Charles Spurgeon

2007-12-19T22:24:00.000-08:00

"He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute."

__Augustine

The Word Became Flesh

2007-12-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, [1] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, [2] and his own people [3] did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, [4] who is at the Father's side, [5] he has made him known.

John 1:1-18

cs lewis

2007-12-07T16:15:00.001-08:00

Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..."

--Mere Christianity

2007-12-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

"If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem be against us, we do not believe Him at all."
--Spurgeon

Great is Thy faithfulness!

2007-12-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

"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?"
Romans 8:32

This reminded me of the old hymn, 'Great is thy faithfulness'.

'Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!'

Sovereign God

2007-11-17T20:43:00.000-08:00

"There is no middle ground between the absolute sovereignty of God and total atheism."
Charles Spurgeon

I've been thinking about the sovereignty of God alot lately, I came across this quote by Mr Spurgeon. This is good. Think about it.

2007-11-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

I was working on writing a new melody for the hymns Tis' So Sweet last night and i was loving the lyrics. so here they are:

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to trust His cleansing blood
And in simple faith to plunge me
Neath the healing, cleansing flood

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus
Just from sin and self to cease
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that Thou art with me
Wilt be with me to the end

By His wounds

2007-11-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:22

Christ's Agony

2007-10-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

OUR Lord Jesus Christ, in his original nature, was infinitely above all suffering, for he was "God over all, blessed for evermore;" but, when he became man, he was not only capable of suffering, but partook of that nature that is remarkably feeble and exposed to suffering. The human nature, on account of its weakness, is in Scripture compared to the grass of the field, which easily withers and decays. So it is compared to a leaf; and to the dry stubble; and to a blast of wind: and the nature of feeble man is said to be but dust and ashes, to have its foundation in the dust, and to be crushed before the moth. It was this nature, with all its weakness and exposedness to sufferings, which Christ, who is the Lord God omnipotent, took upon him. He did not take the human nature on him in its first, most perfect and vigorous state, but in that feeble forlorn state which it is in since the fall; and therefore Christ is called "a tender plant," and "a root out of a dry ground." Isa. 53:2. "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." Thus, as Christ's principal errand into the world was suffering, so, agreeably to that errand, he came with such a nature and in such circumstances, as most made way for his suffering; so his whole life was filled up with suffering, he began to suffer in his infancy, but his suffering increased the more he drew near to the close of his life. His suffering after his public ministry began, was probably much greater than before; and the latter part of the time of his public ministry seems to have been distinguished by suffering. The longer Christ lived in the world, the more men saw and heard of him, the more they hated him. His enemies were more and more enraged by the continuance of the opposition that he made to their lusts; and the devil having been often baffled by him, grew more and more enraged, and strengthened the battle more and more against him: so that the cloud over Christ's head grew darker and darker, as long as he lived in the world, till it was in its greatest blackness when he hung upon the cross and cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!

Johnathan Edwards
Christs Agony

My cup runneth over

2007-10-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

"If we give the impression that the main effect of Christianity is to make us miserable, then it is not surprising that ninety per cent of the people are outside the Christian church. 'Miserable Christians,' they say, 'look at them!' And they add that they have life, they have joy, they have fullness. Shame on us Christian people! But it is not merely a question of saying shame on us. What a terrible responsibility is ours if we are so misrepresenting this 'glorious gospel of the blessed God' (1 Timothy 1:11). We are meant to be witnesses to all people that we are filled to overflowing. We are meant to show the truth of the psalmist's words: 'My cup runneth over!' (Psalm 23:5)."
--Dr Martin Lloyd Jones
A Superabundance of Blessing

Importance.

2007-10-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."
--C.S. Lewis

"He only is my salvation"

2007-10-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

"I suppose there are some persons whose minds naturally incline towards the doctrine of free-will. I can only say that mine inclines as naturally towards the doctrines of sovereign grace. Sometimes, when I see some of the worst characters in the street, I feel as if my heart must burst forth in tears of gratitude that God has never let me act as they have done! I have thought, if God had left me alone, and had not touched me by His grace, what a great sinner I should have been! I should have run to the utmost lengths of sin, dived into the very depths of evil, nor should I have stopped at any vice or folly, if God had not restrained me. I feel that I should have been a very king of sinners, if God had let me alone. I cannot understand the reason why I am saved, except upon the ground that God would have it so. I cannot, if I look ever so earnestly, discover any kind of reason in myself why I should be a partaker of Divine grace. If I am not at this moment without Christ, it is only because Christ Jesus would have His will with me, and that will was that I should be with Him where He is, and should share His glory. I can put the crown nowhere but upon the head of Him whose mighty grace has saved me from going down into the pit. Looking back on my past life, I can see that the dawning of it all was of God; of God effectively. I took no torch with which to light the sun, but the sun enlightened me. I did not commence my spiritual life—no, I rather kicked, and struggled against the things of the Spirit: when He drew me, for a time I did not run after Him: there was a natural hatred in my soul of everything holy and good. Wooings were lost upon me—warnings were cast to the wind—thunders were despised; and as for the whispers of His love, they were rejected as being less than nothing and vanity. But, sure I am, I can say now, speaking on behalf of myself, "He only is my salvation." It was He who turned my heart, and brought me down on my knees before Him. I can in very deed, say with Doddridge and Toplady—

"Grace taught my soul to pray,
And made my eyes o'erflow;"

and coming to this moment, I can add—

"'Tis grace has kept me to this day,
And will not let me go."
--Charles Spurgeon (A defence of Calvinism)

Salvation is of the Lord

2007-09-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

"Is it not wonderful news to believe that salvation lies outside ourselves?"
--Martin Luther

How Deep the Fathers Love for Us.

2007-09-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

'How deep the Fathers love for us
How vast beyond all measure
that He would give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure'

I have been encouraged/convicted this week. Convicted in the sense that I dont think upon 'How deep the Fathers love' for me really is. If my human mind could fully comprehend the extent to which I have sinned against the Holy God, and could grasp the extent to which Jesus Christ suffered for MY sin, I dont think that I would have a problem with forgeting 'How Deep the Fathers Love' is for me. But I do. However, here is the best part(why I was encouraged), because of the Fathers deep love for me, I can know that the times when I sin against God by not viewing Him as He should be viewed, have been paid for on the Cross. Amen to that. God is Good isnt He?

The Deeps- Valley of Vision

2007-09-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

Lord Jesus,
Give me a deeper repentance
a horror of sin,
a dread of its approach;
Help me chastely to flee it,
and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone
Give me a deeper trust,
that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,
the ground of my rest,
the spring of my being.
Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself
as Saviour, Master, Lord, and King.
Give me deeper power in private prayer,
more sweetness in thy Word,
more steadfast grip on its truth.
Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.
Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman
that my being may be a tilled field,
the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until thou alone art seen in me,
thy beauty golden like summer harvest,
thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.
I have no master but thee,
no law but thy will,
no delight but thyself,
no wealth but that thou givest,
no good but that thou blessest,
no peace but that thou bestowest,
I am nothing but that thou makest me,
I have nothing but that I recieve from thee,
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.
Quarry me deep, dear Lord,
and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

Mr. Spurgeon

2007-09-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

"I will not believe that thou hast tasted of the honey of the gospel if thou can eat it all to thyself."
--Charles Spurgeon

Mr. Luther

2007-09-18T22:40:00.000-07:00

Called to be holy

2007-09-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14

That is the call; holiness. "You shall be holy, for I am holy" This is not our standard of 'holiness', but God's standard. God is the standard of holiness that we are called to; Perfection is what we are called to(matthew 5:48). Perfection is exactly what we are not. It would seem that perfection is the thing that we are farthest from.
Charles Spurgeon once said, talking about Sin and the total depravity of the human heart;
“One sin can ruin a soul for ever; it is not in the power of the human mind to grasp the infinity of evil that slumbereth in the bowels of one solitary sin.“

It is indeed 'not in the power of the human mind to grasp' the severity of our sin. But, it 'was grace that taught my heart to fear'. With out God sending down his grace upon me, I was, and would still be ignorant to the fact that I was storing up wrath for myself. But, God being rich in mercy, allowed me to see my sin as it really was. And further more he sent his perfect and blameless Son to die on the cross for my transgressions. 'And grace my fears relieved'.

It would seem that perfection is the thing we are farthest from. However, because of Christ's cleansing blood, Those of us who are saved, are now viewed as perfect before the father. But, because we are still in the flesh, we continue to sin. Which results in conviction and hopefully repentance and growth; otherwise known as sanctification. This verse sum's it up perfectly;
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, [1] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:18

Consideration

2007-09-03T10:42:00.002-07:00

The fear of God is wisdom as it makes us considerative. 'I considered my ways' (Psalm 119.59). A great part of wisdom lies in consideration. He who fears God considers how vain the world is, and therefore dares not love it; how short time is, therefore dares not lose it; how precious salvation is, therefore dares not neglect it.

-Thomas Watson

Speak of Christ.

2007-08-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

"When we speak of wisdom, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking about Christ. When we are speaking about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking about Christ"
-Ambrose

2007-08-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Joe and I(Sean) decided to create a blog. We plan to write about different scriptures and books(etc.) that have encouraged us recently. We hope that by doing this, the different resources that have encouraged us, will also encourage you in your walk.

19 Therefore, brothers, [3] since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:19-25