Grace

Grace! 'Tis the charming sound which turned the world upside down!
Grace! Saved the sinner's soul which, bound for hell, was almost drowned!

Grace! The sweet and blessed wind which upon the sheep doth blow!
Grace! The cleansing wave which washes o'r them which dwell below.

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When at the end I must my breathe my last, 

When I must meet with death's dark blast,
'Tis grace which shines the glorious light,
Carries me home to heaven bright.

There, I see Him now! 'Tis grace personified!
I now by grace behold the Lamb who for me was crucified!
Oh wandering, dying sinner, don't you see?
'Tis grace that saves by faith alone and grace will set you free!

Behold the Man!

If there be one place where our Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of his people,it is where he plunged deepest into the depths of woe. Come hither,gracious souls, and behold the man in the garden of Gethsemane; behold his heart so brimming with love that he cannot hold it in so full of sorrow that it must find a vent. Behold the bloody sweat as it distils from every pore of his body,and falls upon the ground. Behold the man as they drive the nails into his hands and feet. Look up,repenting sinners,and see the sorrowful image of your suffering Lord. Mark him,as the ruby drops stand on the thorn-crown,and adorn with priceless gems the diadem of the King of Misery. Behold the man when all his bones are out of joint,and he is poured out like water and brought into the dust of death; God hath forsaken him,and hell compasseth him about. Behold and see,was there ever sorrow like unto his sorrow that is done unto him? All ye that pass by draw near and look upon this spectacle of grief, unique,unparalleled,a wonder to men and angels,a prodigy unmatched. Behold the Emperor of Woe who had no equal or rival in his agonies! Gaze upon him,ye mourners,for if there be not consolation in a crucified Christ there is no joy in earth or heaven. If in the ransom price of his blood there be not hope,ye harps of heaven,there is no joy in you,and the right hand of God shall know no pleasures for evermore. We have only to sit more continually at the cross foot to be less troubled with our doubts and woes. We have but to see his sorrows,and our sorrows we shall be ashamed to mention. We have but to gaze into his wounds and heal our own. If we would live aright it must be by the contemplation of his death; if we would rise to dignity,it must be by considering his humiliation and his sorrow.

Charles Spurgeon

He Is Our Praise

Deuteronomy 10:12-18, 20-21 KJV

And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

The Life You Live Today Is the Beginning of Eternity

Master forgive, 

and inspire us anew.

Banish our worldliness, 

help us to ever live with eternity's values in view.

We'll hardly get our feet out of time into eternity and gaze on eternity, that we bow our heads in shame and humiliation and say: "My God, look at all the riches in Jesus Christ, and I come to the Judgment Seat almost a pauper." - A. W. Tozer

I believe that the church of Jesus Christ needs a new revelation of the majesty of God! We're all going to stand one day - can you imagine it? - at the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for the deeds done in the body. This is what - this is the King of kings and He's the Judge of judges and its the tribunal of tribunals and there's no court of appeal after it. The verdict is final... When you see Jesus, you will be almost paralyzed with fear unless you have a glorified body and a glorified mind... The most shattering thought I have ever had is my personal accountability to God one day...When I see the church in the New Testament, they didn't have stately buildings, they didn't have paid evangelists, they didn't have a lot of money, they didn't have organization, they couldn't get on TV and beg, but I'll tell you what they did  - they turned the world upside down! And I am embarrassed to be a part of the church of Jesus Christ today because I believe it is an embarrassment to a holy God. Most of our joy is clapping our hands and having a good time, and then afterwords we're talking all the dribble of the world. Oh to be lost in Him! To be consumed in Him! [Do] you get so near to the heart of God, that you share His grief over a world and over a backslidden church that we have today?... The only thing that will tie me in victory continually through the blood of  Christ is my personal devotion to Him, the Son of God. ... Do you know why the world is poor and sick outside? Because we really don't know how to pray, That's why. ... If we cannot live as a different breed of people on this earth, we have no right to live here. And if we get back to a people who are really baptized with obedience, submissive to the total will of God, not concerned about human opinion, not asking for more to spend prodigally on ourselves, ... as James says, - we shall not be ashamed of His appearing. - Leonard Ravenhill

Awake, Thou that Sleepest

The Church today is like a big bedroom filled with sleepy Christians and they are all sleeping. And they are saying, "Please! Don't wake me up!" But you can't sleep in the Church when the Spirit of God moves among the people.

"Awake, awake, put on strength." Wake it up you sleepy Christians! Awake, thou that sleepest! Arise for the dead! And Christ will give thee light.

Oh God, sovereign Lord of all the earth, send revival! The bar is high Lord. You have said that no man putting his hand to te plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom. Wake us up Lord! Have mercy on your people.

The Reward of His Suffering

Why do we witness to others? Why do we share the good news of Jesus Christ? Do we go forth bearing precious seed with the end being souls saved? Do we desire an end of a better, happier life for those who are living in darkness? What then is the focus of this? The focus of such an end is man! It is a motivation of humanism! Why must we witness? That the Lamb of God may receive the reward of His suffering! Have ye not read, he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for His names sake? Yes the path of righteousness leads to eternal happiness for man, but that is not the end of the road. Christ deserves the worship and service of those for whom he died and for His sake we call men to come to Him and be reconciled to God. Evangelism exists because there are places where the worship of God does not. Oh that we would remove our humanistic mindset and be set on fire for the Lamb who was slain and who is worthy to receive blessing and honor, and power for ever and ever. Christ has loved those who deserve hell and we must operate for the sake of Him who died and not solely for the sake of the dying.

Preach the cross friends! The Lamb is risen and is calling His sheep from the four corners of the earth. Today is the day of salvation; now is the acceptable year of our Lord. May the power of Christ be with you all. Amen