“So the first effect of Christianity is to make people stop and think. They are not simply overawed by some great occasion. They say, “No, I must face this. I must think.”..the greatest trouble is that men and women go through life without thinking. Or they think for a moment but find it painful, so they stop and turn to a bottle of whiskey or television or something else—anything to forget.”  Martin Lloyd Jones

These are Charles Haddon Spurgeon quotes:

“It has been said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength. “

A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you when forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts, and not on marble. 

My Meditation of Him shall be sweet. . . . .Psalm 104:34

I can’t help but write my thoughts today, which are focused on Christ.  About a month ago, I was reading about Samuel Rutherford, who was “a soul enthralled by the surpassing loveliness of Christ”.  I immedietly was struck by the thought, “Am I enthralled with Christ?”   I want to love Christ more, just like Elizabeth Prentiss writes in her hymn.

Am I “on tip toe for the sky?”, (which is another description that I read of S. Rutherford.)  Tip toe for the sky!  What a glorious thought!

Turn your eyes upon JESUS
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangly dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

We have love names for our precious ones here on earth.  Do I have love names for Christ?  Fair and fairest Sun of Righteousness, Maker of Kings, Ancient of Days, Satisfyer of my soul, The Candle that lighteth the sun and moon, the bright and morning Star, Lover of my soul, Beautiful Saviour, Rose of Sharon, Strength, Shield, my Hope, my Life.  In my own personal prayer life, I want to use these names.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows,
heals his wounds
And drives away his fear.

In makes the wounded spirit whole
and calms the troubled breast
‘Tis manna to the hungry soul
and to the weary, rest.

Jesus!  my Saviour, Shepherd, Friend
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart
and cold my warmest tho’t;
but when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

John Newton, 1779

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the days return
Till Thy mercy’s beams I see
Till Thy inward light impart
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit, then, this heart of mine:
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiency Divine,
scatter all my unbelief.
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

Charles Wesley, 1740

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.”  Matthew 22:36, 37

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.  Amen
Ephesians 6:24

In shame I admit that I just scratched the surface.  My brief thoughts are nothing compared to Christ.  But, if I can glorify Him in some small way here today, that is enough. 

Think of Christ and Love Him More

Give of Your Best to the Master

Give of your best to the Master;  Give of the strength of your youth;
Armed with the sword of salvation, Join in the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example, His life for others He gave;
Give Him your loyal devotion, Give Him the best that you have.

Give of your best to the Master; Give Him firt place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service, Fully surrender each part.
Give, and to you shall be given; God, His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have.

Give of your best to the Master; Naught else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom, Gave up His glory above:
Laid down His life without murmer, You from sin’s ruin to save;
Give Him your heart’s adoration, Give Him the best that you have.

Words by Howard B. Grose, 1851-1939

“Oh, what a sweet couple, what a glorious yoke, are truth and grace, Christ and a young man.”  ~ Samuel Rutherford, “the Saint of the Covenant”
1600-1661

I am reading a book titled, Makers of Puritan History, by Marcus L. Loane.  It has four biographies in it:  Alexander Henderson, Samuel Rutherford, John Bunyan, and Richard Baxter.  I am currently on the chapter about John Bunyan and I have been absolutely blessed and mesmerized by his life!  Here are some quotes:

On Focusing on Christ instead of Self:

“Oh, methought, Christ! Christ! there was nothing but Christ that was before my eyes. . . .Now I could look from myself to Him and reckon that all those graces of God that now were green in me were yet but like those cracked groats and fourpence half-pennies that rich men carry in their purses when their gold is in their trunks at home.  Oh, I saw my gold was in my trunk at home!  In Christ my Lord and Saviour!  Now Christ was all; all my wisdom, all my righteousness, all my sanctification, and all my redemption!”

So you don’t have a Bible degree?  Neither did John Bunyan:

“He had no book learning on which to draw, but he knew the Bible as few men do.  He knew that he could not always claim to be right, but at least he had not ‘fished in other men’s waters.’  His sound common sense was second only to his knowledge of the Bible and made him an acute judge of what a preacher should say and do.  He chose plain and simple words that would hit the mark where more learned ones would only pierce the air;  and he argued that the preacher who strives to be learned often fails to be understood either by his hearers or by himself.”

John Bunyan’s Wise Prayer:

“He lifted up his heart to pray that he might be kept from all that would DISHONOR GOD or DISCOURAGE the church.”

Some Beautiful Words by John Bunyan:

“Christians are like the several flowers in a garden that have upon each of them the dew of heaven, which being shaken with the wind, they let fall their dew at each other’s roots whereby they are jointly nourished and become NOURISHERS OF ONE ANOTHER.”

Hold Opinion Loosely:

“It is strange to see at this day how, notwithstanding all the threatenings of God, men are wedded to their own opinions beyond what the law of grace and love will admit.  Here is a Presbyter, here is an Independent, and a Baptist, so joined each man to his own opinion that they can not have that communion one with another as by the testament of the Lord Jesus they are commanded and enjoined.  What is the cause?  Is it truth?  No!  God is the author of no confusion in the Church of God.  It is because every man makes too much of his own opinion.”  John Bunyan, 1684

Give of Your Best to the Master

Give of your best to the Master;  Give of the strength of your youth;
Armed with the sword of salvation, Join in the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example, His life for others He gave;
Give Him your loyal devotion, Give Him the best that you have.

Give of your best to the Master; Give Him firt place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service, Fully surrender each part.
Give, and to you shall be given; God, His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have.

Give of your best to the Master; Naught else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom, Gave up His glory above:
Laid down His life without murmer, You from sin’s ruin to save;
Give Him your heart’s adoration, Give Him the best that you have.

Words by Howard B. Grose, 1851-1939

“Oh, what a sweet couple, what a glorious yoke, are truth and grace, Christ and a young man.”  ~ Samuel Rutherford, “the Saint of the Covenant”
1600-1661

I am reading a book titled, Makers of Puritan History, by Marcus L. Loane.  It has four biographies in it:  Alexander Henderson, Samuel Rutherford, John Bunyan, and Richard Baxter.  I am currently on the chapter about John Bunyan and I have been absolutely blessed and mesmerized by his life!  Here are some quotes:

On Focusing on Christ instead of Self:

“Oh, methought, Christ! Christ! there was nothing but Christ that was before my eyes. . . .Now I could look from myself to Him and reckon that all those graces of God that now were green in me were yet but like those cracked groats and fourpence half-pennies that rich men carry in their purses when their gold is in their trunks at home.  Oh, I saw my gold was in my trunk at home!  In Christ my Lord and Saviour!  Now Christ was all; all my wisdom, all my righteousness, all my sanctification, and all my redemption!”

So you don’t have a Bible degree?  Neither did John Bunyan:

“He had no book learning on which to draw, but he knew the Bible as few men do.  He knew that he could not always claim to be right, but at least he had not ‘fished in other men’s waters.’  His sound common sense was second only to his knowledge of the Bible and made him an acute judge of what a preacher should say and do.  He chose plain and simple words that would hit the mark where more learned ones would only pierce the air;  and he argued that the preacher who strives to be learned often fails to be understood either by his hearers or by himself.”

John Bunyan’s Wise Prayer:

“He lifted up his heart to pray that he might be kept from all that would DISHONOR GOD or DISCOURAGE the church.”

Some Beautiful Words by John Bunyan:

“Christians are like the several flowers in a garden that have upon each of them the dew of heaven, which being shaken with the wind, they let fall their dew at each other’s roots whereby they are jointly nourished and become NOURISHERS OF ONE ANOTHER.”

Hold Opinion Loosely:

“It is strange to see at this day how, notwithstanding all the threatenings of God, men are wedded to their own opinions beyond what the law of grace and love will admit.  Here is a Presbyter, here is an Independent, and a Baptist, so joined each man to his own opinion that they can not have that communion one with another as by the testament of the Lord Jesus they are commanded and enjoined.  What is the cause?  Is it truth?  No!  God is the author of no confusion in the Church of God.  It is because every man makes too much of his own opinion.”  John Bunyan, 1684