God is to have the scraps of a man's life!

God is to have the scraps of a man's life!

(Charles Spurgeon, "A Good Start!")

David said, "O Lord, truly I am Your servant." Psalm 116:16

If you become the servant of God — then become the servant of God truly. God is not mocked. 

It is the curse of our churches, that we have so many merely nominal Christians in them. It is the plague of this age, that so many profess Christ — and yet never intend to live for Him. Oh, if you serve God, mean it! 

If a man serves the devil — then let him serve the devil! 
But if he serves God — then let him serve God! 

Is there not much of this hypocrisy abroad? God is to have the scraps of a man's life — and he flings these down as if they were all that God was worth. But as for the world, that is to have the vigor of his life and the cream of his being. 

God does not want nominal servants! "O Lord, truly I am Your servant!" He who does not mean to betruly God's servant, let him not pretend to be one at all.

Every man in the presence of the cross-bearing Jesus, should feel that to take up his cross and follow Christ is the most natural thing that can be; and he should resolve in God's strength that he will do it, and continue to obey the Lord, though all the world should ridicule. He must put on the badge of Christ, and say, "I am His servant and His follower from this day to life's end, and will shoulder the cross! I am free from all the maxims and customs of the world!"

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

A cheap, easy Christianity

A cheap, easy Christianity

(J.C. Ryle, "The Cost!")
"Any of you who does not give up everything he has, cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33 

What does it cost to be a Christian?

I grant freely that it costs little to be a mere outward Christian. A man has only got to attend a place of worship twice on Sunday, and to be tolerably moral during the week — and he has gone as far as thousands around him ever go in religion. All this is cheap and easy work — it entails no self-denial or self-sacrifice. If this is saving Christianity and will take us to Heaven when we die — we must alter the description of the way of life, and write, "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to Heaven!"

But it does cost something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are . . .
  enemies to be overcome,
  battles to be fought,
  sacrifices to be made,
  an Egypt to be forsaken,
  a wilderness to be passed through,
  a cross to be carried,
  a race to be run.
Conversion is not putting a man in a soft armchair, and taking him pleasantly to Heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Hence arises the unspeakable importance of "counting the cost."

True Christianity will cost a man . . .
  his self-righteousness,
  his sins,
  his love of ease, and
  the favor of the world.

A religion which costs nothing — is worth nothing! 

A cheap, easy Christianity, without a cross — will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown!

Victory in the Spiritual Life

Victory in the Spiritual Life

By Bobby Moore


Once you make a commitment to spend time with God regularly in Scripture reading and prayer, you will likely face a variety of obstacles and frustrations. At least that has been my experience, and I don't think I'm alone in it.

I want to share with you seven of the obstacles I have encountered in my devotional life, along with some of the ways I have overcome these obstacles.

Lack of Discipline

Since coming to recognize the importance of having a daily devotional life and establishing one for myself, I have asked hundreds of Christians about their own devotional lives. A large percentage of those I have talked to said they did not have a consistent devotional life. It saddens me to see how many Christians are negligent and disobedient in this vital area. But I can understand it, because I was once the same way myself.

How did I overcome my lack of discipline in the vital matter of my personal devotional life? Simply by recognizing the importance of what I was overlooking. Of course, this insight is hardly original with me. Joseph Parker said, "If I really love my Savior, nothing will stand in my way of a personal meeting with God every morning." Oswald Chambers said, "It is impossible for a believer, no matter what his experience, to keep right with God if he will not take the trouble to spend time with God. Spend plenty of time with Him; let other things go, but don't neglect Him."

Once I recognized the importance of the personal devotional life, I made the choice to discipline myself and give priority to starting and continuing daily devotions. Soon I was experiencing God in a more intimate manner in my devotional times.

Lack of Concentration

I have found that, when I have difficulty keeping my mind and heart focused on the Lord during my devotional time, one of several actions will help me.

I personalize the promises of God. For instance, I personalize Philippians 4:5: "The Lord is at hand." I repent of my lack of concentration and focus on the Lord's promised presence with me. Or I personalize Isaiah 26:3: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." I ask the Lord to give me the ability to keep my mind from wandering and to keep it fixed on Him. Or I personalize 2 Corinthians 10:5. I ask the Lord to enable me to "[bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

I speak aloud. Oswald Smith shared that wandering thoughts in his personal devotional life often plagued him. He got rid of the wandering thoughts by reading God's Word aloud and praying aloud. That same strategy has often worked for me, too.

I make a list. I remember hearing Del Fehsenfeld Jr. share that he kept a piece of paper and a pen next to him during his quiet time. As his mind would drift to things he needed to do that day, he would jot them down and then refocus on God. At the end of his devotional time with God, he would ask God to prioritize the list and organize his schedule for the day.

I ask God for help. Dr. Stephen Olford advised me to communicate with the Lord when my mind and heart are wandering. He counseled me to ask the Lord these questions: Lord, what are You saying to me? Is there a promise for me to claim? Is there an example I am to follow? Is there some sin I am to avoid? Is there a command for me to obey? Is there any new thought about God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit I am to have? Is there a new thought about Satan? "Never leave a passage," Dr. Olford said, "until you can write down what God is saying to you in order that you can pray it back to God."

I praise God. Praise brings us into the presence of God. In Psalm 100:4 we are encouraged to "enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise." When my heart and mind are wandering, I make the choice to refocus on God by praising Him.

Interruptions

Disruptions of my regular routine and other interruptions are major obstacles to my personal devotional life. These have included vacations and extended periods of travel. But in fact, anything that causes me to miss a day of my personal devotional time with God is a problem, and anything that causes me to miss several days is a crisis.

I have met this obstacle by making my personal devotional time with God my highest priority. It is a matter of planning and being creative with my schedule. In taking practical steps to overcome interruptions, God has helped me protect my devotional times as if there were nothing more important. In reality, there isn't anything more important.

The Morning Hour

The Morning Hour

By Andrew Murray


My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up (Psalm 5:3)


From the earliest ages, God's servants have thought of the morning as the time especially suitable for worshiping Him. It is still regarded by Christians both as a duty and a privilege to devote some portion of the beginning of the day to seeking seclusion and fellowship with God. Many Christians call it the Morning Watch, or the Quiet Hour. Others use the name, the Still Hour, or the Quiet Time.

All these believers, whether they think of a whole hour or half an hour, or even a quarter of an hour, unite with the psalmist when he says, "My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord."

In speaking of the extreme importance of this daily time of quiet for prayer and meditation on God's Word, Mr. Mott has said, "Next to receiving Christ as Savior, and claiming the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we know of no act attended with larger good to ourselves or others, than the formation of an undiscourageable resolution to keep the morning watch, and spend the first half hour of the day alone with God."

At first sight, this statement appears too strong. The act of receiving Christ as Savior is of such infinite consequences for eternity, and the act of claiming the Holy Spirit works such a revolution in the Christian life, that a simple thing like the morning watch hardly appears sufficiently important to be placed next to them. If, however, we think how impossible it is to live out daily life in Christ, or to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, without daily, close fellowship with God, we shall soon see the truth of the sentiment. The morning watch is the key by which the surrender to Christ and the Holy Spirit can be unceasingly and fully maintained.

To realize this, let us look first at what ought to be the object of the morning watch. The morning watch must not be regarded as an end in itself. It is not sufficient that it gives us a blessed time for prayer and Bible study, and so brings us a certain measure of refreshment and help. It should serve as a means to an end. And that end is: to secure the presence of Christ for the whole day.

Personal devotion to a friend or a pursuit means that the friend or pursuit shall always hold that place in the heart, even when other activities occupy the attention. Personal devotion to Jesus means that we allow nothing to separate us from Him in a moment. To abide in Him and His love, to be kept by Him and His grace, to be doing His will and pleasing Him--this cannot possibly be an intermittent thing if we are truly devoted to Him. "I Need Thee Every Hour," "Moment by Moment I Am Kept in His Love"--these hymns are the language of life and truth. The believer cannot stand for one moment without Christ. If we are devoted to Him, we will refuse to be content with anything less than abiding always in His love and His will.

Consider the morning watch now as the means to this great end: I want to secure absolutely the presence of Christ for the entire day, to do nothing that can interfere with it. I feel that my success for the day will depend upon the clearness and the strength of the faith that seeks and finds and holds Him in the inner chamber.

The link for the day between Christ and me must be renewed and firmly fastened in the morning hour. True Christianity aims at having the character of Christ so formed in us, that in our most ordinary acts His personality and disposition shall show themselves. The spirit of Christ is meant to possess us so that in our association with others, in our relaxation, in our business, it shall be second nature to act according to His will. All this can be because Christ Himself, as the Living One, lives in us.

Your purpose will especially have its influence on the spirit in which you keep the morning watch. As the grandeur of the aim (unbroken fellowship with God in Christ through the day) and the true nature of the means to secure it (a definite conscious meeting with Christ, securing His presence for the day) possess us, we will see that the one essential thing is the fixed determination, whatever effort or self-denial it may cost, to win the prize. When studying or on the sports field, a student knows the need for vigorous will and determined purpose if he is to succeed. Christianity needs, and indeed de-serves, not less but more intense devotion. If anything, surely the love of Christ needs the whole heart.

Above everything else, it is this fixed determination to secure Christ's presence that will overcome the temptation to be unfaithful or superficial in the keeping of our pledge. It is this determination which will make the morning watch itself a mighty means of grace in strengthening character, and enabling us to say "No" to every call for self-indulgence. It is this determination which will enable us, when we enter the inner chamber and shut the door, to be there with our whole heart, ready at once for our communication with Christ. And it is this determination that, from the morning watch on, will become the keynote of our daily life.

The Christian who makes personal devotion to Christ his watchword, will find in the morning hour that day by day insight into his holy calling is renewed. This is the time when his will is braced to walk worthy of Christ. His faith will be rewarded by the presence of Christ waiting to meet him, and take charge of him for the day.

The Author of Faith

The Author of Faith

By Bible Names of God


"Looking unto Jesus, the author...of our faith." Hebrews 12:2

The Author (Leader) of our faith is Jesus. Look to Him for the inspiration to faith is found in Him. He is the prophesied and promised "Seed of the woman," bruised by Satan. He paid the penalty and then robbed the grace of its power, rose in the majesty of His glorified body and will come some day to bruise the serpent's head, master and imprison him. He inspires us by His sacrificial death and by His precious promises. His message is "Follow Me. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." And our response to Him should be, "Lead on; we will follow Thee even unto death."

Oh, Thou great Author of our Faith, keep our eyes fixed on Thee and with unwavering faith may we follow Thee to the end. Amen.

His Yoke is Easy

His Yoke is Easy

By E. Stanley Jones


The phrase I've said most in life is this one: "Lord, You've got me." And I've meant it. And it works -- works gloriously. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Why? Because He puts nothing on you? On the contrary, you come to Him and He will dump the world and its troubles into your heart. You begin to care. I came to Him all unsuspecting. I wanted salvation and found in taking it I wanted the salvation of the world. At eighty-three I'm taking more and more projects upon myself -- world projects. And the more I take on myself, the more I'm taken over by joy, by well-being, by inner excitement, by adventure, by growth, by life.

His yoke is easy because His yoke is my yearning. It gives me the very thing I'm made for -- creative activity. When I surrender to Him, it is the same surrender a wire, unattached and noncreative, makes when it surrenders to a dynamo: it throbs with light and power. The same surrender which paint makes when it surrenders to an artist: mere color becomes a living picture. The same surrender which ink makes when it surrenders to a writer: mere print becomes words that burn and bless and enlighten. 

When you surrender to Christ, you surrender to the most creative and dynamic Person on this or any other planet. You begin to be alive with His life, enlightened with His light, loving with His love. You have surrendered to creativity. Therefore His yoke is easy, for you are made by the Creator for creation.

The Forgiveness Of God

The Forgiveness Of God

By Oswald Chambers


'In whom we have ... the forgiveness of sins.'
Ephesians 1:7

Beware of the pleasant view of the Fatherhood of God - God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That sentiment has no place whatever in the New Testament. The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ; to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive sin and reinstate us in His favour is through the Cross of Christ, and in no other way. Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony of Calvary. It is possible to take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and our sanctification with the simplicity of faith, and to forget at what enormous cost to God it was all made ours.

Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace; it cost God the Cross of Jesus Christ before He could forgive sin and remain a holy God. Never accept a view of the Fatherhood of God if it blots out the Atonement. The revelation of God is that He cannot forgive; He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God by the Atonement. God's forgiveness is only natural in the supernatural domain.

Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is slight. Sanctification is simply the marvellous expression of the forgiveness of sins in a human life, but the thing that awakens the deepest well of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven sin. Paul never got away from this. When once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vice, constrained by the love of God.