THE FRIEND OF GOD

 

THE FRIEND OF GOD For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3 Abraham’s faith rested in God Himself. He knew the God he was trusting, and his confidence was based on a personal relationship with a God he could utterly rely on. The real secret of Abraham’s life was that he was a friend of God. He knew God as his great, good, and faithful friend, and he trusted Him completely. When God called him to leave the sinful pagan city of Ur where he grew up, and go to a new place; Abraham stepped out, leaving behind everything familiar, venturing into the unknown with nothing but God’s word to guide him. Beloved, are we trusting not only in God’s word but in God Himself? Have we learned to lean fully on the God of infinite love and power, our covenant God, and our everlasting Friend? We are told that Abraham glorified God through his obedient life of faith. God is not looking for extraordinary people to be His instruments. He is looking for humble vessels who are simply willing to say, "Yes, Lord!" That is how any great saint began their journey with God; trusting Him with each small step they took. By A.B. Simpson

HOLY FEAR

 

HOLY FEAR He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded. Proverbs 13:13 Holy reverence for God’s Word seems to be in short supply these days. People think themselves wiser than Scripture and sit in judgment over it. But like Nehemiah said, "I did not do so, because of the fear of God." We accept the inspired Word as infallible and prove our respect for it by obeying it. This current age is one of great rebellion everywhere we look, but those who are spiritual know the value of obedience to God. A healthy "Holy Fear" leads to the peace that comes with humility, which is far sweeter than the carelessness of pride. Holy fear can be our guide in life—holding us back when we’re heading downhill and pushing us forward when we need to climb. We are preserved from evil and guided into righteousness by our reverence for God’s Word! We know a peace in our daily lives that those who live apart from God will never know. The ungodly may mock our deep respect for God’s Word, but what does that matter? The reward for our obedience (both now and in eternity) is more than enough to comfort us. But one thing I do: I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 By Charles H. Spurgeon

CUSHION OF THE SEA

CUSHION OF THE SEA And the peace of God, which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 There is what is called the “cushion of the sea.” Down beneath the surface that is agitated by storms, and driven about with winds, there is a part of the sea that is never stirred. When we dredge the bottom and bring up the remains of animal and vegetable life, they give evidence of not having been disturbed in the least, for hundreds and thousands of years. The peace of God is that eternal calm which, like the cushion of the sea, lies far too deep down to be reached by any external trouble and disturbance. Those who enter the presence of God, can tell of that peace and calm and confidence which are beyond our natural understanding. Such peace comes to us from the very sweetness of heaven. Dr. A. T. Pierson, updated.

 

COFFEE THOUGHTS

COFFEE THOUGHTS Sip... Coffee time. I had an interesting morning yesterday. A conservative Mennonite from PA had a flat tire and needed help. Well, I’m a fixer man, and so I offered they could bring it to the shop and I’d see what I could do. In the process I noticed plain clothing and my mind went to my childhood. We were what many would have called “plain” people. We shunned the world and lived a very separated life. In my walk with God clothes is about the last thing on my mind. It seems like it’s a full time job for me to grow in faith, grow in Christ-likeness, grow in the fruits of the Spirit. To be honest, I have done very poorly at that. Maybe I don’t get it because I am not THAT spiritually mature. Yet even now as I write I have a hard time imagining that God is THAT much into clothes. The tire was fixed, I was thanked multiple times, and there was a wonderful spirit of joy present. The conversation we had; I knew they also knew the God I speak of. People have a lot of different Ideas of how God must be served, or what one must do to be saved. Later my mind went to Corinthians where Paul talked of the burning of wood hay and stubble in the lives of the believers. Notice this is written to people of faith. The wood, hay and stubble will burn, but they will be saved. I wonder, what is the wood hay and stubble in my life? What will burn? Only what’s rooted in Christ Jesus will endure. God knows! If you have an opportunity read 1 Cor 3. Good stuff it is. Gerald D Hochstetler Jr. #coffeethoughts on Facebook Used with Permission

 

SUSTAINED BY FEEDING

SUSTAINED BY FEEDING Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. John 6:57 The source of our spiritual Life is our union with the Son of God. And the source of Life for Jesus is his union with the Father. The Father is the source and sustainer for Jesus, and Jesus is our source of Life as well as the one who sustains us. These are spiritual truths which we will learn as we grow in our Christian life. Just as physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is sustained by spiritual nourishment, and that nourishment is Jesus Himself. This is symbolized in the Lord’s Supper, but we truly experience it when we meditate on our Lord, believe in Him with trusting faith, take time for prayer and read his words in the Bible. And then, day by day we find that we are being transformed by the power of His life within us!  We know what it means to feed on Jesus, even if we can’t fully explain it in words. The wisest thing we can do is to continue practicing this, so it is as much of a habit as sitting down for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We are invited to eat abundantly, and it will be to our eternal benefit when Jesus becomes just as essential as our daily bread and drink. Lord, I thank You that this, which is a necessity for my new life, is also my greatest joy. Even now, I feed on You. By Charles H. Spurgeon