Christian Course, No.4

...some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course..."
from the pen of Jonathan Edwards
Northampton, New England
June 3, 1741

Though God has forgiven and forgotten your past sins, yet do not forget them yourself: often remember, what a wretched bond-slave you were in the land of Egypt. Often bring to mind your particular acts of sin before conversion, as the blessed apostle Paul is often mentioning his old blaspheming, persecuting spirit, and his injuriousness to the renewed, humbling his heart, and acknowledging that he was "the least of the apostles," and not worthy "to be called an apostle," and the "least of all saints," and the "chief of sinners" (I Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8; I Timothy 1:15). And be often confessing your old sins to God, and let that text be often in your mind, "That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of they shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God" (Ezekiel 16:63).

Christian Course, No.3

...some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course..."
from the pen of Jonathan Edwards
Northampton, New England
June 3, 1741

3. When you hear a sermon, hear for yourself. Though what is spoken may be more especially directed to the unconverted, or to those that, in other respects, are in different circumstances from yourself, yet, let the chief intent of your mind be to consider, "In what respect is this applicable to me? And what improvement ought I to make of this, for my own soul's good?"

Christian Course, No.2

...some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course..."
from the pen of Jonathan Edwards
Northampton, New England
June 3, 1741

2. Do not leave off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted person to strive for, and a degree of which you have had already in conversion. Pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know yourself, and be brought to God's footstool; and that you may see the glory of God and Christ, and may be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those who have most of these things, have need still to pray for them; for there is so much blindness and hardness, pride and death remaining that they still need to have that work of God wrought upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them, that shall be bringing them out of darkness into God's marvelous light, and be a kind of new conversion and resurrection from the dead. There are very few requests that are proper for an impenitent man, that are not also, in some sense, proper for the godly.

Christian Course

...some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course..." from the pen of Jonathan Edwards
Northampton, New England
June 3, 1741

1. I would advise you to keep up as great a strife and earnestness in religion as if you knew yourself to be in a state of nature and were seeking conversion. We advise persons under conviction to be earnest and violent for the kingdom of heaven; but when they have attained to conversion, they ought not to be the less watchful, laborious, and earnest in the whole work of religion, but the more so; for they are under infinitely greater obligations. For want of this, many persons, in a few months after their conversion, have begun to lose their sweet and lively sense of spiritual things, and to grow cold and dark, and have "pierced themselves through with many sorrows (I Timothy 6:10)." Whereas, if they had done as the apostle did (Philippians 3:12-14), their path would have been "as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18)."

George Mueller

Savory Morsels of George Mueller (1805-1898)


"The last portion of scripture which I read to my precious wife was this: “The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Now, if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have received grace, we are partakers of grace, and to all such he will give glory also. I said to myself, with regard to the latter part, “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly”—I am in myself a poor worthless sinner, but I have been saved by the blood of Christ; and I do not live in sin, I walk uprightly before God. Therefore, if it is really good for me, my darling wife will be raised up again; sick as she is. God will restore her again. But if she is not restored again, then it would not be a good thing for me. And so my heart was at rest. I was satisfied with God. And all this springs, as I have often said before, from taking God at his word, believing what he says."

"The difference between the gift and the grace of faith seems to me this. According to the gift of faith I am able to do a thing, or believe that a thing will come to pass, the not doing of which, or the not believing of which would not be sin; according to the grace of faith I am able to do a thing, or believe that a thing will come to pass, respecting which I have the word of God as the ground to rest upon, and, therefore, the not doing it, or the not believing it would be sin. For instance, the gift of faith would be needed, to believe that a sick person should be restored again though there is no human probability: for there is no promise to that effect; the grace of faith is needed to believe that the Lord will give me the necessaries of life, if I first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness: for there is a promise to that effect. Matthew 6:33"

"Now in brotherly love and affection I would give a few hints to my younger fellow-believers as to the way in which to keep up spiritual enjoyment. It is absolutely needful in order that happiness in the Lord may continue, that the Scriptures be regularly read. These are God's appointed means for the nourishment of the inner man. . . .Consider it, and ponder over it. . . . Especially we should read regularly through the Scriptures, consecutively, and not pick out here and there a chapter. If we do, we remain spiritual dwarfs. I tell you so affectionately. For the first four years after my conversion I made no progress, because I neglected the Bible. But when I regularly read on through the whole with reference to my own heart and soul, I directly made progress. Then my peace and joy continued more and more. Now I have been doing this for 47 years. I have read through the whole Bible about 100 times and I always find it fresh when I begin again. Thus my peace and joy have increased more and more."

Click here to read the biographical article on George Mueller's life in its entirety. I highly recommend it.

Faith, not sight

It often gets dangerous to travel on the slick roads when it snows or rains. Even if we travel with caution, there are times when we'll lose control of our car.

Life, at times, can appear to be slippery without any firmness below us.

The Psalmist David said,

"Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." Psalm 17:5

We are commanded to put our trust in God and not in ourselves [or any other material or non-material possession]. He is so powerful and mighty that nothing can overcome Him.

Put your trust in Him.

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad
A severe thunderstorm passed through our region late last night causing the destruction of an area interstate attraction. The "touchdown jesus" (as it is called...notice the small "j") was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. The church maintains that it has never been their intention for the 62-foot statue to be an idol of worship but rather as a reminder as travelers drive along I75 that Jesus loves them and wants a relationship with them. It is my opinion that lightening has never struck a more worthy ornament of blasphemy.

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that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him. But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. (1 Corinthians 2:5-13)

Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by sight); (2 Corinthians 5:6-7)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)

But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (Matthew 25:31-34)

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41)

You Reap What You Sow

As we travel through life, it seems that a break or rest area is always a long way off. Some people do not enjoy their journey for they only look forward to their destination. It always pays to go the extra mile or putt forth the extra effort and enjoy life.

People who never do anymore than they get paid for never get paid for any more than they do.

In our age of instant gratification, this principle might seem unfashionable - but it works. In business and in all other areas of life, if you give more than is asked of you, you will reap great rewards.

Have a good day!
Love
Dad


"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move." Benjamin Franklin

"All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work." Calvin Coolidge

Our Roles

"I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth." --Ecclesiastes 10:7

Upstarts frequently usurp the highest places, while the truly great pine in obscurity. This is a riddle in providence whose solution will one day gladden the hearts of the upright; but it is so common a fact, that none of us should murmur if it should fall to our own lot. When our Lord was upon earth, although He is the Prince of the kings of the earth, yet He walked the footpath of weariness and service as the Servant of servants: what wonder is it if His followers, who are princes of the blood, should also be looked down upon as inferior and contemptible persons? The world is upside down, and therefore, the first are last and the last first. See how the servile sons of Satan lord it in the earth! What a high horse they ride! How they lift up their horn on high! Haman is in the court, while Mordecai sits in the gate; David wanders on the mountains, while Saul reigns in state; Elijah is complaining in the cave while Jezebel is boasting in the palace; yet who would wish to take the places of the proud rebels? and who, on the other hand, might not envy the despised saints? When the wheel turns, those who are lowest rise, and the highest sink. Patience, then, believer, eternity will right the wrongs of time.

Let us not fall into the error of letting our passions and carnal appetites ride in triumph, while our nobler powers walk in the dust. Grace must reign as a prince, and make the members of the body instruments of righteousness. The Holy Spirit loves order, and He therefore sets our powers and faculties in due rank and place, giving the highest room to those spiritual faculties which link us with the great King; let us not disturb the divine arrangement, but ask for grace that we may keep under our body and bring it into subjection. We were not new created to allow our passions to rule over us, but that we, as kings, may reign in Christ Jesus over the triple kingdom of spirit, soul, and body, to the glory of God the Father.

Spurgeon's Morning and Evening for May 19.

Our Comfort

When your soul is heavy, when your life is filled with chaos, when darkness blackens your sky, when everything in your life seems to be turning upside down, and confusion seizes your very soul, lift up your eyes unto the hills and hope in God our Savior, who closes his Book with “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” who has prevailed to fulfil all the good will and purpose of God for your soul. — Behold the Lamb upon his throne and rejoice. Be easy, O my soul: — The Lamb of God who loved me and gave himself for me sits upon the throne of heaven! — “The Lord God omnipotent reigneth!” Let us be glad and rejoice!

Don Fortner, May 16, Grace Baptist Church Bulletin

The Only Way

Speed seldom is as important as direction. An individual could be traveling at a very high speed but going in the wrong direction and never get to the right destination. Whereas another person traveling at a substantially slower speed, but in the right direction, would eventually reach the correct destination.

Make sure that you're going the right way!

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad


Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(John 14:6)

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,".... Our Lord takes the opportunity of this discourse about the place he was going to, and the way unto it, more fully to instruct his disciples concerning himself, saying, "I am the way"; Christ is not merely the way, as he goes before his people as an example; or merely as a prophet, pointing out unto them by his doctrine the way of salvation; but he is the way of salvation itself by his obedience and sacrifice; nor is there any other; he is the way of his Father's appointing, and which is entirely agreeable to the perfections of God, and suitable to the case and condition of sinners; he is the way to all the blessings of the covenant of grace; and he is the right way into a Gospel church state here; no one comes rightly into a church of Christ but by faith in him; and he is the way to heaven: he is entered into it himself by his own blood, and has opened the way to it through himself for his people:

-from John Gill's commentary