How Do You Read Your Bible?

"The Book of God is a store of manna for God's pilgrim children; and we ought to see to it that the soul get not sick and loathe the manna. The great cause of neglecting the Scriptures is not want of time, but want of heart, some idol taking the place of Christ. Satan has been marvellously wise to entice away God's people from the Scriptures. A child of God who neglects the Scriptures cannot make it his business to please the Lord of Glory; cannot make Him Lord of the conscience; ruler of the heart; the joy, portion, and treasure of the soul.
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"If the Word of Christ dwell in me richly, it will teach me to do everything and to look at everything in relation to God. And remember this, if the Bible be used aright by anyone, it will be to him the most pleasant book in the world. If I serve it well it will serve me well. The children will say: 'What a lovely book the Bible is!' And they will not want anything to please and interest them in comparison with the Scriptures, when handled by one whose heart is full of the love of God. Beloved, remember it is one thing to read the Bible, choosing something that suits me (as is shamefully said), and another thing to search it that I may become acquainted with God in Christ; that I may be fashioned like unto Christ; that I may first of all please God by my affections to Him; that I may find in Him my deepest joy; and that He may find His banqueting-room in my heart. If I read the Bible with this end in view, the Spirit of God will always make it to me better than thousands of gold and silver, and sweeter than honey and the honey-comb (Psa. xix. 10). But supposing I do not, then I turn the Gospel of Christ into the law of Moses without knowing it, and, instead of paths of pleasantness and peace, the Gospel of Christ becomes bands of iron."

-Robert C. Chapman, "Robert Cleaver Chapman of Barnstaple"

Rescue Shop Within a Yard of Hell

A plea written by missionary to China, India, and Africa, Mr. C.T. Studd, at the age of 55 before leaving for his last missionary journey to Africa, where he would eventually die in 1931 at the age of 70...

     Christ's call is to feed the hungry, not the full; to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; not to call the scoffers, but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals at home in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers and artistic musical performances, but to raise living churches of souls among the destitute, to capture men from the devil's clutches and snatch them from the very jaws of hell, to enlist and train them for Jesus, and make them into an almighty Army of God. But this can only be accomplished by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered Holy Ghost religion, where neither Church nor State, neither man nor traditions are worshiped or preached, but only Christ and Him crucified. Not to confess Christ by fancy collars, clothes, silver croziers or gold watch-chain crosses, church steeples or richly embroidered altar clothes, but by reckless sacrifice and heroism in the foremost trenches.
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     When in hand-to-hand conflict with the world and the devil, neat little biblical confectionery is like shooting lions with a pea-shooter; one needs a man who will let himself go and deliver blows right and left as hard as he can hit, trusting in the Holy Spirit. It's experience, not preaching, that hurts the devil and confounds the world, because unanswerable; the training is not that of the schools, but of the market; it's the hot, free heart and not the balanced head that knocks the devil out. Nothing but forked-lightning Christians will count. A lost reputation is the best degree for Christ's service.
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     I am more than ever determined that no ring nor limit shall be placed around us, other than that of our Lord Himself: "To the uttermost parts," "To every creature." I belong and will ever belong to "The Great God" party. I will have nought to do with "The Little God" party.
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     The difficulty is to believe that He can deign to use such scallywags as us, but of course He wants faith and fools rather than talents and culture. All God wants is a heart; any old turnip will do for a head. So long as we are empty, all is well, for then He fills with the Holy Spirit.
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     The fiery baptism of the Holy Ghost will change soft, sleek Christians into hot, lively heroes for Christ, who will advance and fight and die, but not mark time. Let us race to heaven; an accident means dashing into the arms of Jesus - such accidents are God's choicest blessings. Don't be a luggage train.
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     Fools would "cut" the devil, pretending they do not see him; others erect a tablet over his supposed grave. Be wise; don't cut nor bury him; kill him with the bayonet of evangelism.
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     Hugh Latimer was an inextinguishable candle; the devil lit him, and ever since has been kicking himself for his folly. Won't someone else tempt the devil to make a fool of himself again?
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     Nail the colors to the mast! This is the right thing to do, and, therefore, that is what we must do, and do it now. What colors? The colors of Christ, the work He has given us to do - the evangelization of all the unevangelized. Christ wants not nibblers of the possible but grabbers of the impossible, by faith in the omnipotence, fidelity and wisdom of the Almighty Savior who gave the command. Is there a wall in our path? By our God we will leap over it! Are there lions and scorpions in our way? We will trample them under our feet! Does a mountain bar our progress? Saying, "Be thou removed and cast into the sea," we will march on. Soldiers of Jesus, never surrender! Nail the colors to the mast!
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     Such as look to Jesus become grasshoppers in their own sight, but giants in the estimation of the devil.
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     "Follow Me," says Jesus. "I will," we reply, yet somehow forget that Christ pleased not Himself, deliberately made Himself poor to save others and became the first foreign missionary. We all pray to be like Jesus, yet refuse to pay the price. How can Dives be like Jesus?
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     The crumbs of Dives are not a dainty dish to set before King Jesus. Try "cake" for a change, and don't forget to put all you've got into it.
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     "But what if C.T. dies?" This frequent and foolish question must have its answer. Here it is from C.T. himself: "We will all shout 'Hallelujah.' The world will have lost its biggest fool, and with one fool less to handicap Him, God will do greater wonders still. There shall be no funeral, no wreaths, crape, nor tears, not even the Dead March. Congratulations all around will take place. 'And I, if I be offered up, rejoice and congratulate you; do ye also rejoice and congratulate me.' - Phil. 2:17 and 18. The Wedding March, by special request. Our God will still be alive and nothing else matters. The first Heart of Africa Mission funeral will take place when God dies, but as that will not be until after eternity, cheer up all. Forward! Every man straight before him. Hallelujah! 'To die is gain.'"
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                                  Some wish to live within the sound

                                  Of Church or Chapel bell,

                                  I want to run a Rescue Shop

                                  Within a yard of hell. 

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-C.T. Studd
  "C.T. Studd, Cricketer & Pioneer" by Norman Grubb

Makes You Feel Warm Inside :)

 

Faith or Experience?

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Galatians 2:20

"We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, “I haven’t had this experience or that experience”! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith “in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption...” (1 Corinthians 1:30). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!

We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.

It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief."

-Oswald Chambers

Primary Business

May 7, 1841. "The primary business I must attend to every day is to fellowship with the Lord. The first concern is not how much I might serve the Lord, but how my inner man might be nourished. I may share the truth with the unconverted; I may try to encourage believers; I may relieve the distressed; or I may, in other ways, seek to behave as a child of God; yet, not being happy in the Lord and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, may result in this work being done in a wrong spirit.

The most important thing I had to do was to read the Word of God and to meditate on it. Thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, and instructed.

Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible. But I often spent a quarter of an hour to an hour on my knees struggling to pray while my mind wandered. Now I rarely have this problem. As my heart is nourished by the truth of the Word, I am brought into true fellowship with God. I speak to my Father and to my Friend (although I am unworthy) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.

It often astonishes me that I did not see the importance of meditation upon Scripture earlier in my Christian life. As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time unless he eats, so it is with the inner man. What is the food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God -- not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe. No, we must consider what we read, ponder over it, and apply it to our hearts.

When we pray, we speak to God. This exercise of the soul can be best performed after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God. Through His Word, our Father speaks to us, encourages us, comforts us, instructs us, humbles us, and reproves us. We may profitably meditate, with God's blessing, although we are spiritually weak. The weaker we are, the more meditation we need to strengthen our inner man. Meditation on God's Word has given me the help and strength to pass peacefully through deep trials. What a difference there is when the soul is refreshed in fellowship with God early in the morning! Without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day can be overwhelming."

-George Muller (The Autobiography of George Muller, pg. 138-140)

"Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul."

Psalm 143:8

Gospel-Centered Thinking

"I can see in the near future hundreds, thousands, and even tens of thousands of people in my city of Sacramento, CA longing for God, his truth, his love, his gospel, and his mission.

I can see it.

It's beautiful ... it's authentic ... it's bold ... it's real ... it's raw ... it's risky ... it's costly ... it's breathtaking. It's big ... it's humble ... it's ingloriously glorious ... it's more grand than the grand canyon.

I can see people voraciously content to live on a different course of life, and entirely unashamed of the gospel of Jesus.

Could you imagine a group of people standing together in clear, anthemic, powerful, truthful, and truth-filled praise to God just like warriors on a battlefield bursting forth in excitement because of victory over the enemy?

They are not fools. They are not brainwashed. They are not mystics. They are not emotionalized energizer bunnies, mindlessly bouncing around others. They are not arrogant vikings. They are not disillusioned into loving princess bunnies on stages. They are not a clique of cool, hip, wealthy, poor, or anything else that is niche-centric. They are focused, clear, and confident in who they are, who God is, what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do. They are unswayed by tradition, culture, chaos, or comforts. They long to be made alive in Jesus instead of being made alive by music, concert, cool band, or motivational speech.

Could you also imagine that same group of people well beyond a Sunday gathering, on their knees, in quiet, and in their own homes praying fervently for their neighbors, relatives, co-workers, their city, and the nations to know, believe, and follow the Christ of Christianity?

Could you also imagine that same group of people honestly, boldly, and courageously loving each other? Could you also imagine them living not hypocritically but humbly? Could you imagine them covenanting with their spouses in word and deed, committed for the long haul of life, parenting, finances, and conviction of the gospel?

Could you imagine the young growing up in those households and maturing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus? Could you imagine the steadfastness, clarity, and drive of the young trained by gospel-centered parents? Could you imagine the young men raised by the older, gospel-centered, wise men who are willing to give up their life for Jesus?

Could you also image that same group of people standing around a funeral of one of our own who was unashamed of the gospel, and confidently grieve the loss but have deep seeded joy in knowing they are with God the Son Jesus as well as God the Father and God the Spirit?

Could you imagine that same group of people fervently studying scripture individually and corporately in order to love the author of the book and love those who have yet to know about the book of the Bible?

Could you imagine that same group of people unconcerned and unashamed to speak of the gospel? Speaking not in a weird, forced, or contrived way, but speaking sincerely out of love and rhythm of life. Speaking as if something is cooking in the heart ready to be served by the tongue to another.

Could you imagine that group of people unconcerned for the decor of a building, society, or people and able to worship the Lord with their life and not just with their mouth?

Could you also imagine that same group of people unconcerned for publicity or glory?

Could you imagine that same group of people becoming larger and larger because of one primary thing - the gospel?

We want to keep the primary thing the primary thing..."

-Pastor Nathan Gunter

TelosChurch.com

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How I long to see us all keep the primary thing - the Gospel - the primary focus of our lives. My prayers, my hope, my heart, is to see the Church, once again, fall in love with the Gospel. How I long to see us love to hear it, love to read it, love to speak it, and love to live it. I long to see us never tire of hearing it, but always hungering to hear it just one more time. I long to see us not being able to contain it within ourselves, but being painfully compelled to plead with the lost to repent and believe in Christ. I long to see it radically transform lives, maintain lives, and drastically turn the lives of Christians upside down. I long to see it drive our prayers and even make us mourners, because our suffering will be the haunting thoughts of the millions of souls who will eternally suffer. Still yet, I long to see it drastically increase our happiness because it will ever draw us into a closer, life-reviving, eternal relationship with Christ. I just long to see souls saved. I long to see the very way we think be entirely Gospel-centered. How I long, how I yearn in my prayers, alongside my friends Nate & Abby, to see this in Sacramento. Oh, to Him be all the glory in the Church forevermore.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." 

Romans 1:16

I have nothing to offer but Christ

I have nothing, apart from Christ.
I have no love, apart from Christ.
I have no joy, apart from Christ.
I have no peace, apart from Christ.
I have no patience, apart from Christ.
I have no kindness, apart from Christ.
I have no goodness, apart from Christ.
I have no faithfulness, apart from Christ.
I have no gentleness, apart from Christ.
I have no self-control, apart from Christ.

Apart from Christ, I have nothing to offer you.
Apart from Christ, I have no love of my own to give you, for my love will grow cold.

Apart from Christ, I have no joy to brighten you with, for my own joy will fade into darkness.

Apart from Christ, I have no peace to bring you, for my own peace will turn into war.

Apart from Christ, I have no patience to bear you with, for my own patience will collapse in its short-temper.

Apart from Christ, I have no kindness to bless you with, for my own kindness will become selfish.

Apart from Christ, I have no goodness to display for you, for my own goodness is self-righteousness and pride.

Apart from Christ, I have no faithfulness to promise you, for my own faithfulness, in time, will betray you.

Apart from Christ, I have no gentleness to comfort you with, for my own gentleness will eventually harden and fail you.

Apart from Christ, I have no self-control, for my own self-control will be overtaken by lust.
 

My hands are empty. I am a sinner. Yes, I have been saved by God's grace through faith, but I am still a sinner yet saved by His grace. I have absolutely nothing to offer you except for Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
 

Christ is offering you everything. Take His everything.
Christ is offering you love. Take His love.
Christ is offering you joy. Take His joy.
Christ is offering you peace. Take His peace.
Christ is offering you patience. Take His patience.
Christ is offering you kindness. Take His kindness.
Christ is offering you goodness. Take His goodness.
Christ is offering you faithfulness. Take His faithfulness.
Christ is offering you gentleness. Take His gentleness.
Christ is offering you self-control. Take His self-control.

Do not need me, need Christ. Do not follow me, follow Christ. Do not lift me up, lift up Christ. Do not look at me, look at Christ.

Together, let us need Him and Him alone! Together, let us follow Him and Him alone! Together, let us lift Him up and Him alone! Together, let us see Him and Him alone!

Oh, to be found in Him.

"God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.'"

1 Corinthians 1:27-31

East to West

Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in Your sea of forgetfulness

The chains of yesterday surround me

I yearn for peace and rest

 I don't want to end up where You found me

And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight

I know You've cast my sin as far as the east if from the west

And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned

But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west

'Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been, come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'Cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin

Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in

Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west

'Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been, come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'Cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other

I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light

I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night

I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your Word reveals

I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me

You're holding on to me

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west

I don't have to see the man I've been, come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'Cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other

From one scarred hand to the other

-Bernie Herms & John Mark Hall

"AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST, SO FAR HAS HE REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS FROM US." 

Psalm 103:12

Victory

"It is much more difficult to live Christ than it is to learn Christ. It is much more difficult to hear Christ than it is to speak Christ. It is much more difficult to remember Christ than it is to forget Him. 

To live Christ is beyond any human being…it is impossible to encapsulate the vast goodness of His character in our weak, earthly bodies. We utterly fail, time and time again. We are literally brought to our knees by the sheer weight of the task at hand, if we are in any way attempting to be like Him. 

And although we may sustain our noble efforts at first, ultimately the house that is not built upon Christ will fall. The house that doesn't allow Christ to dwell deep within will collapse; the innermost room of that house, if not locked with the word of God, if not adorned with the beautiful characteristics of Christ, if not supported by the endurance of His strength, will fall. And if that house is to be tested, it must be tested beyond its limits, or else it is no test at all. 

That being said, the strength of our “house” is determined by the strength of the storm to which it is being subjected. You may build yourself a castle, ironclad with the word of God, strengthened with His fortitude, and seemingly impervious to the naked eye, but if the storm to which it is being subjected knows how to rust iron, knows how to weaken the strongest of people, and knows how to penetrate to the deepest part of a person’s soul – this house too will fall. Our enemy is not a mindless, lifeless storm, and our test is not delivered from a foolish creature; Satan is capable of finding the cracks which will bring our house to ruin. 

So what is left for the hopeless, for the weak, for the strong, for the clever, for the wise? Our times are not in our hands. Our limits are set by God; by His word, by His grace, and by His command, are we saved. He provides escape when the test is too great to bear and prevents the ruin that so tauntingly hangs above our heads. 

All admiration goes to God. All glory goes to the One who is capable of fighting the battle, to the One who knows the tactics of the enemy and counters them, and to the One who owns the armor that protects the weakness of those who follow after Him. 

Humility brings us to our knees, and wisdom keeps us kneeling; there is no other stature that is more acquainted with victory."

-R. E. Harris, "The Nature of Victory"

In the midst of this spiritual warfare we are all fighting, I say a sorrowful yet hopeful AMEN. My hope, our hope, is in Christ alone. I am looking to Christ in each of my brothers and sisters, as that is where my hope and prayers lie: that HE will overcome in each of us and take the victory every day and in every battle.

"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world...For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith."

1 John 4:4; 5:4