A Repost From Charles Spurgeon

March 16: Morning "I am a stranger with thee." - Psalm 39:12 Yes, O Lord, with thee, but not to thee. All my natural alienation from thee, thy grace has effectually removed; and now, in fellowship with thyself, I walk through this sinful world as a pilgrim in a foreign country. Thou art a stranger in thine own world. Man forgets thee, dishonours thee, sets up new laws and alien customs, and knows thee not. When thy dear Son came unto his own, his own received him not. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. Never was foreigner so speckled a bird among the denizens of any land as thy beloved Son among his mother's brethren. It is no marvel, then, if I who live the life of Jesus, should be unknown and a stranger here below. Lord, I would not be a citizen where Jesus was an alien. His pierced hand has loosened the cords which once bound my soul to earth, and now I find myself a stranger in the land. My speech seems to these Babylonians among whom I dwell an outlandish tongue, my manners are singular, and my actions are strange. A Tartar would be more at home in Cheapside than I could ever be in the haunts of sinners. But here is the sweetness of my lot: I am a stranger with thee. Thou art my fellow-sufferer, my fellow-pilgrim. Oh, what joy to wander in such blessed society! My heart burns within me by the way when thou dost speak to me, and though I be a sojourner, I am far more blest than those who sit on thrones, and far more at home than those who dwell in their ceiled houses. "To me remains nor place, nor time: My country is in every clime; I can be calm and free from care On any shore, since God is there. While place we seek, or place we shun, The soul finds happiness in none: But with a God to guide our way, 'Tis equal joy to go or stay." Evening "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins." - Psalm 19:13 Such was the prayer of the "man after God's own heart." Did holy David need to pray thus? How needful, then, must such a prayer be for us babes in grace! It is as if he said, "Keep me back, or I shall rush headlong over the precipice of sin." Our evil nature, like an ill-tempered horse, is apt to run away. May the grace of God put the bridle upon it, and hold it in, that it rush not into mischief. What might not the best of us do if it were not for the checks which the Lord sets upon us both in providence and in grace! The psalmist's prayer is directed against the worst form of sin--that which is done with deliberation and wilfulness. Even the holiest need to be "kept back" from the vilest transgressions. It is a solemn thing to find the apostle Paul warning saints against the most loathsome sins. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." What! do saints want warning against such sins as these? Yes, they do. The whitest robes, unless their purity be preserved by divine grace, will be defiled by the blackest spots. Experienced Christian, boast not in your experience; you will trip yet if you look away from him who is able to keep you from falling. Ye whose love is fervent, whose faith is constant, whose hopes are bright, say not, "We shall never sin," but rather cry, "Lead us not into temptation." There is enough tinder in the heart of the best of men to light a fire that shall burn to the lowest hell, unless God shall quench the sparks as they fall. Who would have dreamed that righteous Lot could be found drunken, and committing uncleanness? Hazael said, "Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?" and we are very apt to use the same self-righteous question. May infinite wisdom cure us of the madness of self-confidence. Reposted From Charles Spurgeon

A Repost From Charles Spurgeon

March 15: Morning "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." - 2 Timothy 2:1 Christ has grace without measure in himself, but he hath not retained it for himself. As the reservoir empties itself into the pipes, so hath Christ emptied out his grace for his people. "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." He seems only to have in order to dispense to us. He stands like the fountain, always flowing, but only running in order to supply the empty pitchers and the thirsty lips which draw nigh unto it. Like a tree, he bears sweet fruit, not to hang on boughs, but to be gathered by those who need. Grace, whether its work be to pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to enlighten, to quicken, or to restore, is ever to be had from him freely and without price; nor is there one form of the work of grace which he has not bestowed upon his people. As the blood of the body, though flowing from the heart, belongs equally to every member, so the influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint united to the Lamb; and herein there is a sweet communion between Christ and his Church, inasmuch as they both receive the same grace. Christ is the head upon which the oil is first poured; but the same oil runs to the very skirts of the garments, so that the meanest saint has an unction of the same costly moisture as that which fell upon the head. This is true communion when the sap of grace flows from the stem to the branch, and when it is perceived that the stem itself is sustained by the very nourishment which feeds the branch. As we day by day receive grace from Jesus, and more constantly recognize it as coming from him, we shall behold him in communion with us, and enjoy the felicity of communion with him. Let us make daily use of our riches, and ever repair to him as to our own Lord in covenant, taking from him the supply of all we need with as much boldness as men take money from their own purse. Evening "He did it with all his heart and prospered." - 2 Chronicles 31:21 This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labour leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is he pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent in business. It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let it be done with all your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business, for it deserves far more. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but he does not encourage our idleness; he loves active believers. Who are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake for God with all their hearts. Who are the most successful Sabbath-school teachers? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the men whose hearts are on fire, those are the men who see their Lord riding forth prosperously in the majesty of his salvation. Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, "It is the Lord's work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in his strength I will accomplish it." Christian, art thou thus "with all thine heart" serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was his! He could say, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." When he sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden he had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when he poured out his heart, it was no weak effort he was making for the salvation of his people. Was Jesus in earnest, and are we lukewarm? Reposted From Charles Spurgeon

Power Verse # 15- Zechariah 4:6b

"Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty."



All the exploits of the great men in the Bible were not accomplished through their own strength nor wisdom but by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that enabled Abraham and Sarah to have a child at their old ages and despite the fact that Sarah was barren. It was the Holy Spirit who enabled Moses to perform all the miracles, signs and wonders before Pharaoh and the Egyptians. It was the Holy Spirit that gave Gideon and Samson the courage and strength to overcome all their enemies. It was the Holy Spirit who guided the young David to kill the proud Goliath and who gave Solomon his unmatched wisdom. It was the Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets to prophesy about the Messiah- Jesus Christ. If we are Spirit filled, we will be successful in all we do so long as we commit them to the Lord. It will not be our own strength nor our own inherent intelligence that will see us through all adversities we will face but the Holy Spirit who indwells in our heart . We must always have an intimate relationship with God through constant prayers and by regular reading the word of God in the Bible and by walking in His ways. Then all the things that we will do will surely succeed as long as we commit them to the Lord.

Power Verse # 14 - Isaiah 1:18b

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."


This is the greatest miracle of God in man- the miracle of divine grace. It is a doctrine that is unmatched in all religious beliefs and philosophies ever invented by man. The grace of God is all encompassing and does not depend on the worthiness of the person who will accept it. It is dependent on his faith in the faithfulness of God to keep His promises. A man's sins may be as numerous as the stars in the sky and as abominable as the most heinous sins he can commit, but by just accepting the offer of forgiveness and eternal salvation offered by God to him by accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior and surrendering his life to the Lord, his sins are forgiven. Even if those sins are like scarlet and crimson, they shall be as white as the purest now and wool because of the saving grace of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Not only are man's sins forgiven, he is totally justified before the Father as though he committed no sin at all. The memories of those sins are forever erased in the memory of his soul. Not only that, the righteousness and holiness of Jesus Christ are imputed upon the born again person, making him co-heir with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God as the title of sons and children of God is bestowed upon him by God Himself.




Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Isaiah 1:18b, Salvation, Grace, Lord and Savior, Born Again, Love, Joy, Peace, Gospel, Word of God, Holy Bible

Posted by: Mel Alarilla
Philippines
Gospel/Word of God/Holy Bible

Power Verse # 13 - 2Corinthians 4:16-17

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."


This is a very powerful promise to those whose earthly bodies are bogged down with debilitating diseases. It is not always that a sick person is suffering from the consequences of sins. There are times when God uses sicknesses and pain to show His eternal glory to those who will endure sicknesses and pain with great equanimity and complete trust and confidence in God. Though outwardly their earthly bodies are wasting away, yet inwardly their spiritual bodies are being renewed day by day that when the hour of their earthly departure comes, or when the Lord fetch them for the rapture of the church, those eroded bodies are replaced by glorified bodies that are so resplendent in all glory and splendor. These bodies put to shame the splendors of the sun and the stars in the firmament of heavens. These same people become God's messengers of hope and trust in the Lord as they show the power of God in their lives. They become lights of the world and salts of the earth reflecting the glory of God with their exemplary behaviors as they lead other souls to the path of God's kingdom.

Power Verse # 12 - Luke 1:37

Jesus Resurrected From The Dead


Jesus Walks On Water And Saves Peter From Drowning


The Parting of The Red Sea By God Through Moses




" For nothing is impossible with God"

Here, in this promise, God shows His limitless power, His infinity. Here, we can hold on to the promise that nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible with God. This was uttered by the archangel Gabriel to Zechariah- father of John the Baptist who expressed incredulity when told that Elizabeth, his wife, would give birth to a son who would prepare the way for the Messiah. But the more incredible feat was the birth of Jesus Christ by the Virgin Mary who was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. There were other impossible things done by God that borders on the impossible like when Lazarus was raised from the dead, changing of water into wine, walking on water and in the Old Testament, dividing the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross it walking on dry land. If we consider the limitless enormity of the entire universe which was created by God, we could easily say that indeed nothing is impossible with God. On a personal level, we can safely say that no problem, no situation, no trial is impossible with God for those who believe and put their trust in Him.




Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Nothing Is Impossible With God, Faith, Belief, Trust, Promise of God, Limitless Power, Archangel Gabriel, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Virgin Mary, John The Baptist, Messiah, Lazarus, Walking On Water, Changing of Water Into Wine, Old Testament, Parting of The Red Sea, Israelites, Universe

Posted by: Mel Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Gospel/Word of God

Power Verse # 11 - Proverbs 4:18

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn shining ever brighter till the full light of day."


This is a promise of an irrevocable road for the righteous. No matter what seeming darkness may seem to surround us, we are assured that our path will become brighter and brighter like the full blown shine of the bright sunny day. As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit by walking in the will of the Lord, we are assured that we will be transformed from glory to glory until we reach the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus Christ. So we persevere in overcoming all trials that come our way and feel rest assured that they are not stumbling blocks that hinder our way but stepping stones to further strengthen us for the looming battles ahead of us until God's final glory is fully revealed on earth.


Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Path, Righteous, Gleam of Dawn, Full Light of Day, Walking in The Lord, Sovereign Will, Holy, Blameless, Love, Joy, Peace, Heaven, Eternal Life, Grace, Bliss, Word of God, Bible

Posted by: Mel Alarilla
Philippines
Gospel Verses/Spiritual