Christianity is not a voice in the wilderness...

Christianity is not a voice in the wilderness, but a life in the world. It is not an idea in the air but feet on the ground, going God’s way. It is not an exotic to be kept under glass, but a hardy plant to bear twelve manner of fruit in all kinds of weather. Fidelity to duty is its root and branch. Nothing we can say to the Lord, no calling Him by great or dear names, can take the place of the plain doing of His will. We may cry out about the beauty of eating bread with Him in His kingdom, but it is wasted breath and a rootless hope, unless we plow and plant in His kingdom here and now. To remember Him at His table and to forget Him at ours, is to have invested in bad securities. There is no substitute for plain, every-day goodness. ...Maltbie D. Babcock

Are we living in a holy relationship with God?

Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship with God, or have we become hard and dogmatic?

Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Get involved in the real work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work-work that demands all your energy, but work which has no hidden pitfalls. -Oswald Chambers

Do not run impetuously before the Lord...

Do not run impetuously before the Lord; learn to wait His time: the minute-hand as well as the hour-hand must point the exact moment for action. ...Mrs. Charles E. Cowman image

As one of His redeemed ones...

As one of His redeemed ones, you are His delight, and all His desire is to you, with the longing of a love which is stronger than death, and which many waters cannot quench. His heart yearns after you, seeking your fellowship and your love. Were it needed, He could die again to possess you... His life is bound up in yours; you are to Him inexpressibly more indispensable and precious than you ever can know. ...Andrew Murray
 (I took this picture at the Tel Dan Nature reserve in northern Israel-PD)

Love ever gives...

Love ever gives, forgives, outlives,

And ever stands with open hands.

And while it lives it gives.

For this is love's prerogative,

To give, and give, and give.

...John Oxenham image

There is a certain extravagance in love...

There is a certain extravagance in love. The alabaster phial of perfume was meant to be used drop by drop; it was meant to last for years, perhaps even a life-time; but in a moment of utter devotion, the woman poured it on the head of Jesus. Love does not stop nicely to calculate the less or more; love does not stop to work out how little it can respectively give. With a kind of divine extravagance, love gives everything it has and never counts the cost. Calculation is never any part of love. ...William Barclay image

Anybody who lives beneath the Cross...

Anybody who lives beneath the Cross and who has discerned in the Cross of Jesus the utter wickedness of all men and of his own heart will find there is no sin that can ever be alien to him. Anybody who has once been horrified by the dreadfulness of his own sin that nailed Jesus to the Cross will no longer be horrified by even the rankest sins of a brother. ...Dietrich Bonhoeffer image

As our life comes to maturity...

As our life comes to maturity we discover to our confusion that human ears can pick up from the Infinite many incompatible tunes, but cannot hear the whole symphony. And the melody confided to our care, the one which we alone perhaps can contribute and which taxes our powers to the full, has in it not only the notes of triumph but the notes of pain. The distinctive mark therefore is not happiness but vocation: work demanded and power given, but given only on condition that we spend it and ourselves on others without stint. ...Evelyn Underhill image

The Power of the Cross

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
-1 Corinthians 1:18

Those who follow the Lamb...

If anyone tells you that the life of prayer is one uninterrupted experience of being happy with Jesus, do not follow him. He is not a safe guide. Those who follow the Lamb know that there are stretches of darkness and loneliness and perplexity along the way, and they know that Jesus himself went that way. ...Lesslie Newbigin image

Look at what Christ has done for the soul of man...

How can we know that what Jesus has shown us of God is the truth; ... how do we know when we look into the face of Jesus that we are looking into the face of God? ... The answer is so plain and simple that it is a marvel how intelligent men can manage to miss it as they do... Look at what Christ has done for the soul of man: that is your answer. Christianity is just Christ—nothing more and nothing less. It is a way of life, and He is that way. It is the truth about human destiny, and He is that truth. It is the offer of life lived in the sunshine of eternal love, and He is that life. To know this is to know God, and every need is satisfied in that one word. ...RJ Campbell image

The road to true intimacy with God...

The road to true intimacy with God is an inward journey, proceeding into His Presence through the entrance gate of quietness of the soul. It is a narrow track that lies well off the beaten path, virtually unseen and ignored by the vast majority of humanity careening headlong through life.
...Jim Goll image

We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God...

We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God, who will thwart our plans and frustrate our ways time and again, even daily, by sending people across our path with their demands and requests. We can, then, pass them by, preoccupied with our important daily tasks, just as the priest—perhaps reading the Bible—passed by the man who had fallen among robbers. When we do that, we pass by the visible sign of the Cross raised in our lives to show us that God’s way, and not our own, is what counts. ...Dietrich Bonhoeffer image

When you go to prayer...

When you go to prayer, your first thought must be: The Father is in secret, the Father waits me there. Just because your heart is cold and prayerless, get you into the presence of the loving Father. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth you. Do not be thinking of how little you have to bring God, but of how much He wants to give you. Just place yourself before Him, and look up into His face; think of His love, His wonderful, tender, pitying love. Tell Him how sinful and cold and dark all is; it is the Father's loving heart will give light and warmth to yours. ...Andrew Murray image

The Land Beyond...

Somewhere over the rainbow.  
 Skies are blue,
 And the dreams that you dare to dream
 Really do come true...    
 If happy little bluebirds fly
 Beyond the rainbow,
 Why, oh why can't I?
 ...lyrics by E. Y. Harburg

The land beyond--shining, elusive.

But is this the "land beyond" we desire?  Are bluebirds happier than other birds?  Why "Over the Rainbow" in the first place?  Why Bali Ha'i? Camelot?  Is this the best we can hope for--a tropical  isle, perfect weather?   Or do these wistful songs spring from deeper roots? 

"You'll Never Walk Alone" points beyond the bright skies and birdsong:

 

At the end of the storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone.
...lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Here is a new element--presence.

Psalm 23 names this presence:

 

   The Lord is my shepherd...

   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

   I will fear no evil,

   For Thou art with me.

   Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

This land beyond is dark, foreboding. Silent.  But we have a companion.  

When someone has passed through this valley, which consoles us?  "Over the Rainbow?

Or the One who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death?   -Meditation by Holly Delavan image

Faith is not a pathetic sentiment...

 Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him. Shipwreck occurs where there is not that mental poise which comes from being established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the heroic effort of your life, you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.

God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him. There are spots where that faith has not worked in us as yet, places untouched by the life of God. There were none of those spots in Jesus Christ’s life, and there are to be none in ours. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee." The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we take this view, life becomes one great romance, a glorious opportunity for seeing marvellous things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power. ...Oswald Chambers image

When the knowledge of God doesn't exist anymore...

When the knowledge of God doesn't exist anymore there is no truth or mercy. God's Word is our only reliable source of truth and God's love is the only source of true mercy. We are now living in a day in which the knowledge of God is being suppressed there's an organized effort to remove the consciousness of God from our national life . The result is and will increasingly be less truth and mercy. Deception is on the increase and heavy cruel treatment of others is running rampant.  ...Chuck Smith image

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

-Jeremiah 1:5 image

Waiting on God prepares for greater blessing...

Waiting on God prepares for greater blessing. God has greater plans than you have realized. Prayer has one function, and that is to answer 'Yes' when He knocks, to open the soul and give Him the opportunity to bring us the answer.
...O. Hallesby image

I love, my God, but with no love of mine...

I love, my God, but with no love of mine

For I have none to give;

I love Thee, Lord, but all that love is Thine,

For by Thy life I live.

I am as nothing, and rejoice to be

Emptied and lost and swallowed up in Thee.

...Mme. Guyon image

Prayer is the expression of a good desire...

Prayer is the expression of a good desire. The human heart is full of restless desires, and the prayers of men consist for the most part of the unsifted petitions which are urged by their varying passions... To desire what is right, and to desire it consistently, and passionately, is the first condition of true living. The desires can be corrected only by truth, the mind must apprehend God, and then it will say, “There is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.” ...James Hastings image

God thinks his choice is so important...

 Jonah teaches us that this storm, whose physical causes are the same as those of all other storms, is there only for Jonah and because of Jonah. It has other effects. It sweeps the coasts, disperses fish, causes ships to founder. But its purpose is to smash inflexible Jonah. Thus the elements and many men, especially the sailors, are engaged in the adventure of Jonah with him and because of him. One sees here the weight and seriousness of vocation. God thinks his choice is so important, and takes the one elected so seriously, that he brings nature into play to see that this man fulfills his vocation.
...Jacques Ellul image

It is only by being grafted into Christ...

It is only by being grafted into Christ that we produce good fruit. Other religions say, “Do good and you will become good.” Christianity says, “Be in Christ, and you will do good.” The meaning of the Atonement and the Blood that washes away our sins is that we are grafted into Christ, I in Him, and He in me. It is a bitter sprig which is grafted into the tree, but, once it is grafted in, the sweet juice of the tree flows through the bitter sprig and makes it sweet. ...Sadhu Sundar Singh image

What star is this, with beams so bright...

What star is this, with beams so bright,

More lovely than the noonday light?

’Tis sent to announce a newborn King,

Glad tidings of our God to bring.
 

’Tis now fulfilled what God decreed,

“From Jacob shall a star proceed”;

And lo! the Eastern sages stand

To read in heaven the Lord’s command.
 

While outward signs the star displays,

An inward light the Lord conveys,

And urges them, with force benign,

To seek the Giver of the sign.
 

True love can brook no dull delay;

Nor toil nor dangers stop their way

Home, kindred, father land and all

They leave at their Creator’s call.
 

O, while the star of heavenly grace

Invites us, Lord, to seek Thy face,

May we no more that grace repel,

Or quench that light which shines so well!

To God the Father, God the Son,

And Holy Spirit, Three in One,

May every tongue and nation raise

An endless song of thankful praise!

...Charles Coffin image

Love came down at Christmas...

Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and Angels gave the sign.

 

Worship we the Godhead,

Love Incarnate, Love Divine;

Worship we our Jesus:

But wherewith for sacred sign?

 

Love shall be our token,

Love be yours and love be mine,

Love to God and all men,

Love for plea and gift and sign.

...Christina Rossetti


When we give each other our Christmas presents in his name, let us remember that he has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans and all that lives and moves upon them. . . . And to save us from our own foolishness and from all our sins, he came down to earth and gave himself.  ...Sigrid Undset

Wishing all the readers of this blog a blessed and

 Merry Christmas!

 

Raymond and Pat Dague

and Herschel dog

There is a time appointed...

There is a time appointed in the history of our world, when that very Jesus who appeared on earth, "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," shall reappear with all the circumstances of majesty and power, "King of kings and Lord of lords." We are led to expect a day when Christ shall find a home in the remotest hearts and families, and the earth in all its circumference be covered with the knowledge and the power of the Lord. ... Henry Melvill image

"Stand still"

"Stand still" - keep the posture of an upright man, ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice; and it will not be long ere God shall say to you, as distinctly as Moses said it to the people of Israel, "Go forward." ...Charles Haddon Spurgeon image

12 Reasons You Should Pray Scripture

Andrew David Naselli
November 2013

I don’t want to give the impression that I’m a prayer-expert. I’m not. But that’s one reason I find praying Scripture so helpful (more on that later).

My argument is simple: You should pray Scripture.

Three qualifications:

1. I don’t mean merely that you should pray. That’s a given.

2. I don’t mean that you should merely pray scripturally informed prayers. That’s also a given. I’m arguing specifically that you should pray Scripture itself.

3. I’m not arguing that you should pray only Scripture every time you pray. Rather, I’m arguing that you should pray Scripture itself often. So why should you pray Scripture? For at least twelve reasons: Here-Excellent!

You who bring good news to Zion...

You who bring good news to Zion,

go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good news to Jerusalem,

lift up your voice with a shout,

lift it up, do not be afraid;

say to the towns of Judah,

“Here is your God!”

See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,

and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.

-Isaiah 40:9-11 image

Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness...

Lord Jesus,

Master of both the light and the darkness,

Send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces
to hear your voice each day.

We who are anxious over many things look forward
to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways long
for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.

To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!" Amen.

 ...Henri Nouwen image

The glory of the star...

The glory of the star, the glory of the sun - we must not lose either in the other. We must not be so full of the hope of heaven that we cannot do our work on the earth; we must not be so lost in the work of the earth that we shall not be inspired by the hope of heaven. ...Phillips Brooks image

For all the blessings of the year...

For all the blessings of the year,

For all the friends we hold so dear,

For peace on earth, both far and near,

We thank Thee, Lord.
 

For life and health, those common things,

Which every day and hour brings,

For home, where our affection clings,

We thank Thee, Lord.
 

For love of Thine, which never tires,

Which all our better thought inspires,

And warms our lives with heavenly fires,

We thank Thee, Lord.

...Al­bert H. Hutch­in­son image

Little Things...

Little things are most apt to turn my inward eye

Either to distraction, or if I’m listening,

To a flash of something greater…

Or perhaps to just ground me in the common day.

 

Little things: scattered seed, sparrow and lily,

Copper coins, salt and lamp, fishes, loaves,

Towel and basin, alabaster jar;

These I can touch.

 

Dreams of soaring, lifting, desirous of the higher hills

Are just moments and glimpses of what’s to come.

For now, the ground beneath me-dust, grass, gravel,

Sometimes flower and fern, mark the path that is mine.

-Pat Dague image

Rejoice, the Lord is King!

Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;

Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
 

Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;

When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
 

His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and Heav’n,

The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n;

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
 

Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,

And take His servants up to their eternal home.

We soon shall hear th’archangel’s voice;

The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!

...Charles Wesley image

How different the world would look...

How different the world would look, how different the state of our nation would be, if there were more sanctified priestly souls! These are souls who have the power to bless, for they intercede with sanctified hearts. They never begin their daily time of intercessory prayer without having first brought to the cross all that is unholy in their lives, so that their old self can be crucified there with Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb. ...Basilea Schlink image

Time alone with the Lord Jesus each day...

Many Christians backslide...They are unable to stand against the temptations of the world, or of their old nature. They strive to do their best to fight against sin, and to serve God, but they have no strength. They have never really grasped the secret: The Lord Jesus will every day from heaven continue His work in me. But on one condition—the soul must give Him time each day to impart His love and his grace. Time alone with the Lord Jesus each day is the indispensable condition of growth and power. ...Andrew Murray image

God is waiting anxiously to lead each of us in the dance of praise...

God is waiting anxiously to lead each of us in the dance of praise. God is on a mission - a quest. He is looking for worshipers. As he constantly draws each of us into a deeper and more intimate friendship with himself, he is creating within us hearts that will praise him. ...Claire Cloninger image

It is not the strength of our faith, but the perfection of Christ's sacrifice that saves!

With a weak faith and a fearful heart, many a sinner stands before the Lord. It is not the strength of our faith, but the perfection of Christ's sacrifice that saves! No feebleness of faith, nor dimness of eye, no trembling of hand can change the efficacy of Christ's blood. The strength of our faith can add nothing to it, nor can the weakness of our faith take anything from Him. Faith (weak or strong) still reads the promise, "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." If at times my eye is so dim that I cannot read these words, through blinding tears or bewildering trials, faith rests itself on the certain knowledge of the fact that THE PROMISE IS THERE, and the blood of Christ remains in all its power and suitableness upon the altar, unchanged and unaffected. ...Horatius Bonar image

Are you worried because you find it so hard to believe?

Are you worried because you find it so hard to believe? No one should be surprised at the difficulty of faith, if there is some part of his life where he is consciously resisting or disobeying the commandments of Jesus. Is there some part of your life that you are refusing to surrender at his behest, some sinful passion, maybe, or some animosity, some hope, perhaps your ambition or your reason? If so, you must not be surprised that you have not received the Holy Spirit, that prayer is difficult, or that your request for faith remains unanswered. Go rather and be reconciled with your brother, renounce the sin that holds you fast—and then you will recover your faith! ...Dietrich Bonhoeffer image

Our trusting the Lord...

Our trusting the Lord does not mean that there are not times of tears. I think it is a mistake as Christians to act as though trusting the Lord and tears are not compatible. ...Francis A. Schaeffer image

To pray is to let God into our lives...

To pray is to let God into our lives. He knocks and seeks admittance, not only in the solemn hours of secret prayer. He knocks in the midst of your daily work, your daily struggles, your daily grind. That is when you need Him most. 
...O. Hallesby image

Giver of all, another day is ended...

Giver of all, another day is ended and I take my place beneath my great Redeemer's cross, where healing streams continually descend, where balm is poured into every wound, where I wash anew in the all-cleansing blood, assured that Thou seest in me no spots of sin. Yet a little while and I shall go to Thy home and be no more seen; help me to gird up the loins of my mind, to quicken my step, to speed as if each moment were my last, that my life be joy, my death glory.

I thank Thee for the temporal blessings of this world—the refreshing air, the light of the sun, the food that renews strength, the raiment that clothes, the dwelling that shelters, the sleep that gives rest, the starry canopy of night, the summer breeze, the flowers' sweetness, the music of flowing streams, the happy endearments of family, kindred, friends. Things animate, things inanimate, minister to my comfort. My cup runs over. Suffer me not to be insensible to these daily mercies. Thy hand bestows blessings: Thy power averts evil. I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces, the full warmth of faith, the cheering presence of Thy Spirit, the strength of Thy restraining will, Thy spiking of hell's artillery. Blessed be my sovereign Lord! -Puritan Prayers image

If He prayed who was without sin...

If He prayed who was without sin, how much more ought sinners to pray; and if He prayed continually, watching through the whole night in uninterrupted petitions, how much more ought we to watch nightly in constantly repeated prayer! ...St. Cyprian image

What was the joy that Jesus had?

"That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." -John 15:11

What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. "I delight to do Thy will." Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happenings, not in seeing God's work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had. The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of this world, said Jesus, will choke God's word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the shows of things. All that God has done for us is the mere threshold; He wants to get us to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim Who Jesus is.

Be rightly related to God, find your joy there, and out of you will flow rivers of living water. Be a centre for Jesus Christ to pour living water through. Stop being self-conscious, stop being a sanctified prig, and live the life hid with Christ. The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes. The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it. ...Oswald Chambers image

"Thou hast shewed thy people hard things"

"Thou hast shewed thy people hard things" Ps.60:3

I have always been glad that the Psalmist said to God that some things were hard. There is no mistake about it; there are hard things in life. Some beautiful pink flowers were given me this summer, and as I took them I said, "What are they?" And the answer came, "They are rock flowers; they grow and bloom only on rocks where you can see no soil." Then I thought of God's flowers growing in hard places; and I feel, somehow, that He may have a peculiar tenderness for His "rock flowers" that He may not have for His lilies and roses. ...Margaret Bottome image

To breathe Himself in as I breathed...

I had to learn to take from Him my spiritual life every second, to breathe Himself in as I breathed, and breathe myself out. So, moment by moment for the spirit, and moment by moment for the body, we must receive. You say, "Is not that a terrible bondage, to be always on the strain?" What, on the strain with one you love, your dearest Friend? Oh, no! It comes so naturally, so spontaneously, so like a fountain, without consciousness, without effort, for true life is always easy, and overflowing. ...AB Simpson image

Slow us down...

In the name of Jesus Christ, who was never in a hurry, we pray, O God, that You will slow us down, for we know that we live too fast. With all of eternity before us, make us take time to live - time to get acquainted with You, time to enjoy Your blessings, and time for each other. ...Peter Marshall image

Life will bring us questions without answers...

Life will bring us questions without answers;

To live is to encounter silent seasons of the soul,
When every prayer will seem to go unanswered
As we face events beyond our understanding or control.

Yet in the quiet darkness, Christ is working.
His silence in the shadows doesn't mean He doesn't care;
A part of faith is trusting without reason,
Believing, when He can't be seen or heard, that He's still there...

So when answers fail to come, don't be discouraged.
Keep leaning on His steadfast love and trusting in His will,
For knowing why won't really make a difference -
But growing close and knowing Jesus will.
...BJ Hoff image

Our Saviour kneels down...

Our Saviour kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, 'I can clean that if you want.' And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin. ...Max Lucado image-Tintoretto

It was no exceptional thing for Jesus to withdraw Himself “into the wilderness to pray"...

It was no exceptional thing for Jesus to withdraw Himself “into the wilderness to pray.” He was never for one moment of any day out of touch with God. He was speaking and listening to the Father all day long; and yet He, who was in such constant touch with God, felt the need, as well as the joy, of more prolonged and more quiet communion with Him... Most of the reasons that drive us to pray for strength and forgiveness could never have driven Him; and yet He needed prayer. ...GH Knight
 image by Argenberg

Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength...

Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you. ...Corrie Ten Boom image