Continue earnestly in prayer

Continue earnestly in prayer

(James Smith, "The Pastor's Evening Visit")

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

Prayer is always necessary, and it is always profitable. In prayer . . .
we do homage to the perfections of God,
we exercise faith on His omnipresence,
we express our dependence on Him for our supplies,
we evince the sincerity of our profession,
we acknowledge our poverty and weakness,
we unburden the mind of our secret trials,
we give vent to our feelings of joy and sorrow, of gratitude and grief,
we give utterance to our desires, and spread our case before the Lord,

we . . .
confess our sins,
acknowledge our backslidings,
and obtain pardon and restoring grace.

Prayer is the medium of communication between God and our souls:

We communicate our thoughts, feelings, fears, and desires.
He communicates light, strength, comfort, and grace to us.

Prayer is a very important duty; it is a great privilege.

Prayer should be . . .
constant,
fervent,
believing,
hopeful, and
incessant.

God loves it,
Satan hates it, and
every true Christian values it.

We should be always in a praying frame — though we cannot be always in a praying posture.

True prayer is always . . .
necessary,
profitable and
acceptable to God.

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need!" Hebrews 4:16

This flattering enemy!

This flattering enemy!

(Thomas Watson, "The Christian's Charter")

"Don't you know that friendship with the world is
 hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a
 friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
    James 4:4

The world is a deadly enemy.

This enemy courts us.

It smiles—that it may deceive.

It kills—by embracing!

The world's music enchants us.

It has a golden apple in one hand
—and a dagger in the other hand!

Riches are but golden dust, which will sooner choke
us, than satisfy us. Riches are called thick clay, which
will sooner break our back, than lighten our heart.

Marcia gave poison in sweet wine, to the emperor
Commodus. Such an aromatic cup does the world
present us with—that we may drink and die.

The ivy, while it clasps about the oak, sucks away
the heart of it; such are the world's embraces.

Judas-like, whom the world kisses—it betrays.

The world is a silken halter.

The world is a golden fetter.

Some have been drowned in the sweet waters of
pleasure! Others have been choked in silver mines!

Oh arm, arm against this flattering enemy!

The divinest ministries

(J.R. Miller, "The Glory of the Commonplace")


"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 

We must not make the mistake of thinking that Christian service consists merely in prayers, devotions, and acts of worship. 

The divinest ministries of each day are the small services of love which God sends across our way. The half-hour the busy man takes from his business . . .
  to comfort a sorrow,
  to help a discouraged brother to start again,
  to lift up one who has fainted by the way,
  to visit a sick neighbor and minister consolation, or
  to give a young person needed counsel — 
is the half-hour of the day that will shine the most brightly when the records of life are unrolled before God.

The secret of abundant helpfulness, is found in the desire to be a help, a blessing, to all whom we meet. We begin to be like Christ only when we begin to wish to be helpful. Where this desire is ever dominant, the life is an unceasing benediction. Rivers of water are pouring out from it continually to bless the world.

"Serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13

The Church WITHOUT The Spirit

By Samuel Chadwick

      The Church is the Body of Christ, and the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. He fills the Body, directs its movements, controls its members, inspires its wisdom, supplies it's strength. He guides into truth, sanctifies its agents, and empowers for witnessing. The Spirit has never abdicated His authority nor relegated His power. Neither Pope nor Parliament, neither Conference nor Council is supreme in the Church of Christ. The Church that is man-managed instead of God-governed is doomed to failure. A ministry that is College-trained but not Spirit-filled works no miracles. The Church that multiplies committees and neglects prayer may be fussy, noisy, enterprising, but it labors in vain and spends its strength for nought. 

It is possible to excel in mechanics and fail in dynamic. There is a superabundance of machinery; what is wanting is power. To run an organization needs no God. Man can supply the energy, enterprise, and enthusiasm for things human. The real work of a Church depends upon the power of the Spirit. The Presence of the Spirit is vital and central to the work of the Church. Nothing else avails. Apart from Him, wisdom becomes folly, and strength weakness. The Church is called to be a "spiritual house" and a holy priesthood. Only spiritual people can be its "living stones," and only the Spirit-filled its priests.

      The Church always fails at the point of self-confidence. When the Church is run on the same lines as a circus, there may be crowds, but there is no Shekinah. That is why prayer is the test of faith and the secret of power. The Spirit of God travails in the prayer-life of the soul. Miracles are the direct work of His power, and without miracles the Church cannot live. 

The carnal can argue, but it is the Spirit of God that convicts. Education can civilize, but it is being born of the Spirit that saves. The energy of the flesh can run bazaars, organize amusements, and raise millions; but it is the presence of the Holy Spirit that makes a Temple of the Living God. The root-trouble of the present distress is that the Church has more faith in the world and in the flesh than in the Holy Ghost, and things will get no better till we get back to His realized presence and power. The breath of the four winds would turn death into life and dry bones into mighty armies, but it only comes by PRAYER!

Self-righteousness?

Self-righteousness? The following is from Spurgeon's sermon, "The Interest of Christ and His People in Each Other"  Self-righteousness will destroy you, my friend. I tell you, honestly and plainly, that you might as well hope to get to heaven by flying up in a balloon, as to get there by your 'good works'. You may as soon sail to India in a sieve, as get to glory by your own goodness. Away with your rags, your filthy, rotten rags. They are only a harbor for the parasites of unbelief and pride. Away with your rotten self righteousness, your counterfeit gold, your forged wealth. It is of no worth whatever in the sight of God. Come to him, empty, poor, and naked! It grates on your proud ear, does it? Better to lose your pride, than to lose your soul! Why be damned for pride's sake? Why carry your head so high that it must be cut off? Why feed your pride on your soul's blood? Surely there is cheaper stuff than that for pride to drink! Why let it suck the very marrow out of your bones? Be wise! Bow, stoop, stoop to be saved.

The result has been . . .

The result has been . . .

(Arthur Pink, "An Exposition of the Gospel of John")

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you!" John 15:18-19

"Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you!" 1 John 3:13

The professing Church has boasted that it would convert the world. To accomplish this aim, it has sought to "popularize" religion. Innumerable devices have been employed to attract the ungodly — many of which even a sense of propriety should have suppressed!

The result has been that the world has converted the professing Church!

But notwithstanding this, it still remains true that the world hates the true followers of the Lamb. And nowhere is this more plainly evident, than in those who belong to what we may term the religious world!

If you resolve that by Divine grace you will live godly in Christ Jesus — then know you that persecution must be your portion. And that persecution will come upon you not from atheists and infidels — but from those bearing the name of Christians. It will issue from those who still keep up a form (or semblance) of godliness, but who are strangers to its living power. It will come to you from empty professors whose compromising ways are condemned by your refusal to conform thereto; whose worldliness and carnality is rebuked by your spirituality.

Remember, it was the religious leaders who hounded the Savior to His death!

It is a part of the cross!

(J.C. Ryle)

Let it be a settled principle in our minds, that the true Christian must always enter the kingdom of God "through much tribulation" (Acts 14:22). If we are faithful and decided servants of Christ — the world will certainly hate us, as it hated our Master. In one way or another, true grace will always be persecuted. No consistency of conduct, however faultless; no kindness and amiability of character, however striking — will exempt a believer from the world's dislike, so long as he lives. It is foolish to be surprised at this. It is mere waste of time to murmur at it. It is a part of the cross, and we must bear it patiently. The children of Cain will hate the children of Abel, as long as the earth continues.

"Marvel not, my brethren," says John, "if the world hates you." "If you were of the world," says our Lord, "the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world — therefore the world hates you!" (1 John 3:13; John 15:18-19)

This world is not our home!

Our best things are yet to come!