Pensive, Doubting, Fearful Heart

 by John Newton

Pensive, doubting, fearful heart, Hear what Christ the Savior says;
Every word should joy impart, Change thy mourning into praise:
Yes, he speaks, and speaks to thee, May he help thee to believe!
Then thou presently wilt see, Thou hast little cause to grieve.

“Fear thou not, nor be ashamed, All thy sorrows soon shall end
 I who heav’n and earth have framed, Am thy husband and thy friend
 I the High and Holy One, Israel’s GOD by all adored;
As thy Savior will be known, Thy Redeemer and thy Lord.

For a moment I withdrew, And thy heart was filled with pain;
But my mercies I’ll renew, Thou shalt soon rejoice again:
Though I scorn to hide my face, Very soon my wrath shall cease;
‘Tis but for a moment’s space, Ending in eternal peace.

When my peaceful bow appears Painted on the wat’ry cloud;
‘Tis to dissipate thy fears, Lest the earth should be o’erflowed:
‘Tis an emblem too of grace, Of my cov’nant love a sign;
Though the mountains leave their place, Thou shalt be for ever mine.

Though afflicted, tempest tossed, Comfortless awhile thou art,
Do not think thou canst be lost, Thou art graven on my heart
All thy walls I will repair, Thou shalt be rebuilt anew;
And in thee it shall appear, What a God of love can do.

 

Christ Needs No New Inventions

Scott T. Brown of NCFIC February 29, 2012

Today's church is a house of inventions, where church leaders feel free to reinvent Christianity in their generation. Not only do they feel free to do this, but they also believe it is their obligation to the people in order to be relevant. In this age of inventions, Charles Spurgeon speaks clearly about the inappropriateness of man's inventions in the church.

First of all, Christ needs no new inventions to glorify Him. "We have invented a new line of things," says one. Have you? "We have discovered something very wonderful." I daresay you have, but Christ, "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb. 13:8 NKJV), needs none of your inventions, discoveries, or additions to His truth. A plain Christ is forever the loveliest Christ. Dress Him up, and you have defamed Him. Bring Him out just as He is, the Christ of God, nothing else but Christ, unless you bring in His Cross, for "we preach Christ crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23); indeed, you cannot have Christ without the Cross; but preach Christ crucified, and you have given him all the glory that He desires. The Holy Spirit does not reveal in these last times any fresh laws or any novel doctrines or any new evolutions. He simply brings to mind the things that Christ Himself spoke. He brings Christ's own things to us, and in that way glorifies Him.

– C. H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon on the Holy Spirit, p. 60-61

A Picture-Perfect Marriage

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31,32)

Here are links to a three part series on "A Picture-Perfect Marriage" by Tim Challies.
It is very well written and quite thought provoking. How is your marriage?

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Are You an Admirer or a Follower of Christ?

"And Christ's life indeed makes it manifest, terrifyingly manifest, what dreadful untruth it is to admire the truth instead of following it. When there is no danger, when there is a dead calm, when everything is favorable to our Christianity, then it is all too easy to confuse an admirer with a follower.

And this can happen very quietly. The admirer can be under the delusion that the position he takes is the true one, when all he is doing is playing it safe. Give heed, therefore, to the call of discipleship!

If you have any knowledge of human nature, who can doubt that Judas was an admirer of Christ? "

~Kierkegaard

Here is a quote that Ann Voskamp's blog today. To read her article in it's entirety go to Holy Experience.