My dear wife,
What is all below except vanity and vexation! There is no solid comfort or abiding peace except what we derive from God. Once we knew nothing of this. But the Lord directed our path in life, in subservience to the designs of His saving grace. How few of those with whom you were acquainted in your early years, have any right knowledge of God or of themselves. We ourselves set out upon this dreadful plan and if God's mercy had not stopped us, we would have gone on until we had perished with a lie in our own hands! Admire the Lord's goodness in choosing you (as one of a thousand) to the knowledge of His truth when you might have been still swimming down the stream of vanity and folly with the thoughtless multitude!
The great lesson we have to learn is to love and trust the Lord Jesus. We are slow students, but He can teach us effectually. Without Him, the very best of this life is insipid. His presence can make the worst things supportable. He can forgive sin, impart grace, subdue corruption, silence unbelief,
make us strong in our weakness, and do more than we can either ask or think!
And what He does, He does freely, without money and without price! A humble spirit, sincere faith, heart-felt repentance, and every other grace and virtue are all His gifts, which He bestows freely on the unworthy. We have nothing, deserve nothing, and can do nothing; but He is mighty to both save and to preserve all who come to Him in sincere faith and love.
May we grow daily in the knowledge of His grace and views of His excellency. He will surely, though gradually, make Himself known to the heart that sincerely seeks Him. Everything else is vain, uncertain and changeable.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus--the author and perfecter of our faith!" Hebrews 12:2
- John
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Christian Friendships- Pt. 3
Favorite author
"A good friend can be a sublime comfort to us in hours of loneliness. And the Christian will meet many occasions of loneliness in his pilgrimage. So we shall both be better in character and lighter in heart if we allow a due place for the forming and fostering of relationships with like-minded brethren. To start the day with a short phone call or a brief note from an esteemed Christian can be the difference between a day of victory or a day of depression and temptation.
"Generally speaking, when we are depressed and dejected, we should seek the remedy, not in private prayer and fasting, but in fellowship and friendship. Martin Luther said that a person ought not to go to prayer primarily when they are depressed, but into the company of good people. Satan is always more menacing when we meet him on our own alone. Half an hour of fellowship, therefore, when the mind is dejected, will often release the springs of our soul and will cause the life-blood of Christian gladness to flow afresh in our veins. Whatever gives us a sense of well-being as Christians is good for us. High on the list of things which brings us a sense of well-being is friendship.
Mack
A Christian must ultimately depend upon his Heavenly Father for and in all things. But that does not mean that Jesus is all we need. He is all we need obviously in salvation and for ultimately security and provision. But not in living the Christian life. Jesus is NOT all we need or God would not have ordained our vital need for church life and for other believers in our lives. No Christian can walk alone. Whoever tries to is either ignorant, unwise, or proud, and is in for defeat in their walk. It is only through real fellowship and deeper friendship that we often receive the grace we need to grow and do well spiritually.
In seeking to apply the priority and need of genuine deeper friendships in Christ, we ought to ask ourselves such questions as these:
- Am I a loner and do I remain distance from other believers because I fear closer relationships?
- Am I open to God changing me in this area of my life?
- Can I commit to showing myself friendly to those within my local church fellowship and to other believers I know?
- What hindrances are there in my heart and mind that would keep me from having deeper fellowship and friendship with others?
- Am I will to ask God to bring into my life those he wants to use to minister to me and those he wants me to minister to?
It's possible that one of the biggest needs your Christian life has is being closer to other Christians. So ask God for new and for deeper friendships. And begin to show yourself friendlier in a way that will honor the Lord. He who would have friendships must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Do you have one of those? If not, its about time it happened. And God has it waiting for you.
- Mack Tomlinson
"A good friend can be a sublime comfort to us in hours of loneliness. And the Christian will meet many occasions of loneliness in his pilgrimage. So we shall both be better in character and lighter in heart if we allow a due place for the forming and fostering of relationships with like-minded brethren. To start the day with a short phone call or a brief note from an esteemed Christian can be the difference between a day of victory or a day of depression and temptation.
"Generally speaking, when we are depressed and dejected, we should seek the remedy, not in private prayer and fasting, but in fellowship and friendship. Martin Luther said that a person ought not to go to prayer primarily when they are depressed, but into the company of good people. Satan is always more menacing when we meet him on our own alone. Half an hour of fellowship, therefore, when the mind is dejected, will often release the springs of our soul and will cause the life-blood of Christian gladness to flow afresh in our veins. Whatever gives us a sense of well-being as Christians is good for us. High on the list of things which brings us a sense of well-being is friendship.
Mack
A Christian must ultimately depend upon his Heavenly Father for and in all things. But that does not mean that Jesus is all we need. He is all we need obviously in salvation and for ultimately security and provision. But not in living the Christian life. Jesus is NOT all we need or God would not have ordained our vital need for church life and for other believers in our lives. No Christian can walk alone. Whoever tries to is either ignorant, unwise, or proud, and is in for defeat in their walk. It is only through real fellowship and deeper friendship that we often receive the grace we need to grow and do well spiritually.
In seeking to apply the priority and need of genuine deeper friendships in Christ, we ought to ask ourselves such questions as these:
- Am I a loner and do I remain distance from other believers because I fear closer relationships?
- Am I open to God changing me in this area of my life?
- Can I commit to showing myself friendly to those within my local church fellowship and to other believers I know?
- What hindrances are there in my heart and mind that would keep me from having deeper fellowship and friendship with others?
- Am I will to ask God to bring into my life those he wants to use to minister to me and those he wants me to minister to?
It's possible that one of the biggest needs your Christian life has is being closer to other Christians. So ask God for new and for deeper friendships. And begin to show yourself friendlier in a way that will honor the Lord. He who would have friendships must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Do you have one of those? If not, its about time it happened. And God has it waiting for you.
- Mack Tomlinson
Christian Friendships- Part 2
Mack
A friendship really working depends on me to preserve it. Friendships do not just automatically continue without commitment and work. That is how I should look at it. But all too often we view it as the other person's responsibility. 'If they did more, it would be better; why haven't they called me?', etc; But the fact is, if I want to have real friendships that are valuable and lasting, the burden is on me to be that kind of a person. 'He who would have friends must show himself friendly'. Do I do that? Probably not enough.
Each Christian ought to do some honest self inventory: 'Do I have an intimate real friend that is vital to my walk? Am I such a friend to anyone? Do I let people get close to me? Do I desire to be such to anyone or am I satisfied with not being close to anyone'?
Favorite author
"It is a common proverb that 'a man is known by his friends'. This means that our intimate friends are what they are to us because they are essentially like us in all that is morally important. We choose our friends, not by accident, but because their souls mirror ours and their minds vibrate in harmony with ours. Friendship begins as soon as this mutual harmony of hearts is felt and it begins to end when the harmony ends. We can be respectful to brethren with whom we feel we have little in common, but it is emotionally impossible for us to count them among our intimate friends.
"Our best friends are those whose company most makes us afraid to sin. These friends are rare and to be valued like solid gold. It is clear that this was the effect which Robert M'Cheyne had upon Andrew Bonar. Bonar could never be the same once he had met M'Cheyne. All his life he remembered this saintly friend, whose presence made God more real to him and, therefore, made sin more foul to him. It is one reason why we should aim more at godliness. An exemplary life may do as much good as a life time of sermons. There are some Christians who impress us by their talents or giftedness. But there are others whose awesome holiness makes us afraid. If we find one friend of this kind, we shall do well to cherish his friendship for life.
Mack
Real friendship is not for popularity, not for being liked or making people feel good; it is about real love, seriousness about life, helping each other through anything that comes, and helping each other not sin, but to become increasingly conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Real friendship is for the rough times and hard things we go through, not for the fun and entertaining easy times. 'A brother is born for adversity' and 'faithful are the wounds of a friend'. For all of us, the times when we really need true friends to be there for us is not when everything is going well when are we are facing no problems; the time we need true friends to be a true friend is when we are fighting our big battles--discouragement, sickness, church problems, situational pressures, on-going personal hardship that no one knows about, or family death and earthly loss--such times are when friendship is needed the most. That is when people contact their friends at such times--they need them very much for help and encouragement. And that is not wrong; God designed it that way because He has ordained that no Christian can walk out the Christian life properly alone without brethren who are close to them.
Favorite author
"A Christian ought to prize his friendships and to preserve them. Much is owed to true friends. They impose duties and obligations on us which are not to be neglected, even when life is full of business. We become too dogmatic in minor things and the remedy for over-certainty is to listen at times to our friends' judgment of us. 'The wounds of a friend are faithful' (Pr. 27:6), in that they hurt us for our good. Therefore, we should not resent them.
"The temptation we all have is to mainly spend time mainly with those who admire us and never dare to stand up to us or disagree with us. John Wesley would have gotten much improvement if he had listened more to Whitefield. We can be too sure of our opinions and so lose the chance of becoming a better person and a more solid Christian.
"One of the most painful parts of Christian friendship is to be honest with brethren we love when we consider them to be wrong or misguided. We often do not have the moral courage to stand up to our brothers or sisters when they go off on a tangent [or when they are simply wrong about something]. In this, we must remember Paul's faithfulness to stand up to Peter and rebuke him for his position that was a compromised one (Gal. 2:11). Instead, we generally prefer to keep a criminal silence rather than giving a well-timed and proper rebuke. But when we remain silent at such times, we are not acting as friends should. We are not to allow our brother to sin (Lev. 19:17); 'open rebuke is better than secret love' (Pr. 27:5). The Lord Jesus felt no inconsistency in altering his tone of voice to Peter from 'blessed are you, Simon' to 'get thee behind me, Satan' (Mt. 16:23). The two expressions appear to have come from Christ's lips during one conversation. This shows how quickly we must sometimes change our voice from praise to proper blame when dealing with friends in Christ whom we love.
Mack
Are you and I honest with our friends when they are wrong? Or are we, as my author friend says, criminally silent, and we hold back from saying what our friends need to hear? When we do this, we are a coward and we care more about our own reputation than we do about our friend. Thus, we are not being a true friend.
Author
"Therefore, the price of real friendship is honesty. A genuine friend must at time be ready to appear judgmental, intrusive, or unfair, even being cruel. But we must be cruel to be kind. Even if we have to wound those we love, we know that it is part of hate, not love, to see our brother wander from the path and let them go unchecked. However much we love our Christian brothers or sisters, we must love the Lord Jesus and the truth more. This sentiment is fully consistent with the gospel and, indeed, is the very essence of Christian friendships. But such friendship is rare because we either lack the courage to correct our brethren in their crankish quirks or else we take it badly when they put their finger on our own cherished sins or inconsistencies.
To Be Continued
A friendship really working depends on me to preserve it. Friendships do not just automatically continue without commitment and work. That is how I should look at it. But all too often we view it as the other person's responsibility. 'If they did more, it would be better; why haven't they called me?', etc; But the fact is, if I want to have real friendships that are valuable and lasting, the burden is on me to be that kind of a person. 'He who would have friends must show himself friendly'. Do I do that? Probably not enough.
Each Christian ought to do some honest self inventory: 'Do I have an intimate real friend that is vital to my walk? Am I such a friend to anyone? Do I let people get close to me? Do I desire to be such to anyone or am I satisfied with not being close to anyone'?
Favorite author
"It is a common proverb that 'a man is known by his friends'. This means that our intimate friends are what they are to us because they are essentially like us in all that is morally important. We choose our friends, not by accident, but because their souls mirror ours and their minds vibrate in harmony with ours. Friendship begins as soon as this mutual harmony of hearts is felt and it begins to end when the harmony ends. We can be respectful to brethren with whom we feel we have little in common, but it is emotionally impossible for us to count them among our intimate friends.
"Our best friends are those whose company most makes us afraid to sin. These friends are rare and to be valued like solid gold. It is clear that this was the effect which Robert M'Cheyne had upon Andrew Bonar. Bonar could never be the same once he had met M'Cheyne. All his life he remembered this saintly friend, whose presence made God more real to him and, therefore, made sin more foul to him. It is one reason why we should aim more at godliness. An exemplary life may do as much good as a life time of sermons. There are some Christians who impress us by their talents or giftedness. But there are others whose awesome holiness makes us afraid. If we find one friend of this kind, we shall do well to cherish his friendship for life.
Mack
Real friendship is not for popularity, not for being liked or making people feel good; it is about real love, seriousness about life, helping each other through anything that comes, and helping each other not sin, but to become increasingly conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Real friendship is for the rough times and hard things we go through, not for the fun and entertaining easy times. 'A brother is born for adversity' and 'faithful are the wounds of a friend'. For all of us, the times when we really need true friends to be there for us is not when everything is going well when are we are facing no problems; the time we need true friends to be a true friend is when we are fighting our big battles--discouragement, sickness, church problems, situational pressures, on-going personal hardship that no one knows about, or family death and earthly loss--such times are when friendship is needed the most. That is when people contact their friends at such times--they need them very much for help and encouragement. And that is not wrong; God designed it that way because He has ordained that no Christian can walk out the Christian life properly alone without brethren who are close to them.
Favorite author
"A Christian ought to prize his friendships and to preserve them. Much is owed to true friends. They impose duties and obligations on us which are not to be neglected, even when life is full of business. We become too dogmatic in minor things and the remedy for over-certainty is to listen at times to our friends' judgment of us. 'The wounds of a friend are faithful' (Pr. 27:6), in that they hurt us for our good. Therefore, we should not resent them.
"The temptation we all have is to mainly spend time mainly with those who admire us and never dare to stand up to us or disagree with us. John Wesley would have gotten much improvement if he had listened more to Whitefield. We can be too sure of our opinions and so lose the chance of becoming a better person and a more solid Christian.
"One of the most painful parts of Christian friendship is to be honest with brethren we love when we consider them to be wrong or misguided. We often do not have the moral courage to stand up to our brothers or sisters when they go off on a tangent [or when they are simply wrong about something]. In this, we must remember Paul's faithfulness to stand up to Peter and rebuke him for his position that was a compromised one (Gal. 2:11). Instead, we generally prefer to keep a criminal silence rather than giving a well-timed and proper rebuke. But when we remain silent at such times, we are not acting as friends should. We are not to allow our brother to sin (Lev. 19:17); 'open rebuke is better than secret love' (Pr. 27:5). The Lord Jesus felt no inconsistency in altering his tone of voice to Peter from 'blessed are you, Simon' to 'get thee behind me, Satan' (Mt. 16:23). The two expressions appear to have come from Christ's lips during one conversation. This shows how quickly we must sometimes change our voice from praise to proper blame when dealing with friends in Christ whom we love.
Mack
Are you and I honest with our friends when they are wrong? Or are we, as my author friend says, criminally silent, and we hold back from saying what our friends need to hear? When we do this, we are a coward and we care more about our own reputation than we do about our friend. Thus, we are not being a true friend.
Author
"Therefore, the price of real friendship is honesty. A genuine friend must at time be ready to appear judgmental, intrusive, or unfair, even being cruel. But we must be cruel to be kind. Even if we have to wound those we love, we know that it is part of hate, not love, to see our brother wander from the path and let them go unchecked. However much we love our Christian brothers or sisters, we must love the Lord Jesus and the truth more. This sentiment is fully consistent with the gospel and, indeed, is the very essence of Christian friendships. But such friendship is rare because we either lack the courage to correct our brethren in their crankish quirks or else we take it badly when they put their finger on our own cherished sins or inconsistencies.
To Be Continued
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Christian Friendships
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." - Pr. 17:17
"A man that has friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." - Pr. 18:24
I, for one, do not think Solomon was speaking of Christ Himself in Pr. 18:24. I think he was speaking of very special friends God gives that go much deeper than earthly family relationships. I believe he was speaking of a God-given close friendship in our journey in grace.
For some reason, I often think of the importance and power of friendship. I'm not sure why, except that over the course of my life, I have had some very special ones, some that affected me deeply, some that were there to speak words of life when it seemed my heart was dying, and some who simply pursued me and really cared. After saving and sanctifying grace, the ministry of truth, and the ministry of the local church, friends have impacted me more than any other earthly reality. The fact is, a great majority of grace, truth, and edifying church life has been channeled to me through deep and special friendships.
Leonard Ravenhill once said something to the effect that if a person has one true friend in life, he is very rich and has found a rare treasure. I think this is true. But I find that it is a very rare thing for those who consider themselves friends to faithfully pursue one another to keep that friendship a treasure.
In reading my favorite author this week, his words on the subject of friendship are found to be very insightful. Here are some of those thoughts.
"The Christian discovers that, while he has fellowship with all his brothers in Christ, he has special friendships only with some of them. It is not always easy to say why such friendships between some Christians develop or why potential friendships with others come to nothing. But it is a fact which ultimately must have its explanation in the mystery of God's providence.
"The best of God's servants have had special friends--Moses and Joshua, David and Jonathan, Daniel and his brethren, Peter and John, Paul and Timothy; even our Lord had his special relationships with his own disciples. Out of the twelve, three were more intimate--Peter, James, and John. Out of the three, one was unique. Only John was known as 'the disciple whom Jesus loved.'
"Therefore, it appears clear that we as Christians ought not to be surprised to find that we have closer relations with some of God's people than with others. This must certainly not lead us to be dismissive of brethren who are not in our intimate circle of friends. But it reassures us that there is no sin in the Christian having closer ties with some than with other brethren."
Mack talking now
This applies to all of us as believers. We are to love all other believers. We find a minimal Christian bond with all true Christians. And we are duty-bound to love them because Christ does. But isn't it true also that in life we find God giving special friendships that have a knitting, a special kinship, a unique closeness with someone that was not expected, planned or foreseen, and was not humanly produced by us. God just gives it because He purposes it. And when He does, such a friendship is to be cherished, nourished, and maintained by both persons.
The important thing for us to realize about this is that each of us ought to treasure those special friendships and keep them nourished and continuing, certainly not to the neglect of other relationships, but it is a responsibility to pursue those friendships and keep them fresh. It is possible to neglect, presume upon, and be careless about close friendships that God has given and not even know you are doing it. Remember-- 'A man that has friends must shew himself friendly'. The question each of us ought to ask ourselves is: Having I been shewing myself truly as a friend to those friends or have I been neglecting them?
Favorite author again
"It belongs to the genius of our friendships that we must accept our brethren for what they are and extend affection to them accordingly. The gifted brother who cannot bear to be anything other than idolized will have admirers but not friends. There is a significant difference. An admirer cares about us for the sake of our talents or giftings, but a friend loves us for our own sake. Friendship is far more beneficial to us than admiration because it makes sanctifying demands on our character.
"Gifted brethren who want only our admiration are only seeking additional fuel for their own self-love and ego. But genuine friendship leads to the destruction of self-love because it forgets itself in a sincere desire to do good to the other person."
Mack again
I have often wondered how much my pursuing a friendship has been based primarily on my admiring someone or upon how I could benefit from that friendship. Let's face it-- we are all attracted to those who benefit us somehow-- that preacher who deeply ministers to us, that person who makes us feel accepted and loved, that individual who is always interested in how we are doing. Supposed friendships are all too often only about self-centeredness, not self-giving.
Author
"To accept our brethren for what they are, within the bond of Christian friendship, is to leave them room to think and act as they wish, provided they keep within scriptural bounds. This is far from easy because we are all inclined to hold our opinions in lesser matters rather too strongly and, given the opportunity, we tend to squeeze others into our own mold, even in secondary matters. It is much easier to quote Augustine's famous statement than to practice it in our friendships: 'In things essential, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity'."
Mack
I have often seen in my heart an alienation happening between myself and brethren who did not agree with me; they were not violating Scripture-- they just had a different opinion or a different position on something than me. So they must be wrong, right? Wrong! But even if they are wrong, can I still love all Christians when I differ from them on some point, even if I feel stronly about it? If I abstain from drinking alcohol, do I relate to in love just as much those who drink wine as those who abstain? Or do I judge them in my heart as being less spiritual because they are doing what they do? If our friendships and our showing ourselves friendly is based upon conditions or complete uniformity with our own personal preferences, then it is not true Christian friendship.
Author
"Friendships are good and necessary for us, just as, in most cases, marriage is necessary. It corrects our angularity and rubs off our corners. The recluse is the first to fall into eccentricities or even error. The more we are alone with ourselves, the more we become like ourselves (Ugh!- MT). It is only when we come back into the circle of our godly friends once again that we realize how awkward or opinionated we have become. We all go astray like sheep, but we go astray less if we keep within the flock and refuse the temptation to wander off into solitary pastures where we are on our own. Healthy Christian character, which is full-orbed, well-rounded, and rich in good fruit, can best be formed within the circle of sanctified friendships."
Mack
How are your closest friendships? Are you pursuing those friendships still or has it become a one way street, where you are still pursued but you fail to pursue in return, where they have pursued you but you do not reciprocate? It seems sinful to be this way. When we do this, we are the losers in the equation.
Each of us ought to be a true, consistent, pursuing friend to those special friendships God has given to us. If the friendship continuing and staying fresh depended on how you are toward them, would it remain or dissolved? Don't neglect them. Both you and they are missing out on some good things God has for you both.
To Be Continued
"A man that has friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." - Pr. 18:24
I, for one, do not think Solomon was speaking of Christ Himself in Pr. 18:24. I think he was speaking of very special friends God gives that go much deeper than earthly family relationships. I believe he was speaking of a God-given close friendship in our journey in grace.
For some reason, I often think of the importance and power of friendship. I'm not sure why, except that over the course of my life, I have had some very special ones, some that affected me deeply, some that were there to speak words of life when it seemed my heart was dying, and some who simply pursued me and really cared. After saving and sanctifying grace, the ministry of truth, and the ministry of the local church, friends have impacted me more than any other earthly reality. The fact is, a great majority of grace, truth, and edifying church life has been channeled to me through deep and special friendships.
Leonard Ravenhill once said something to the effect that if a person has one true friend in life, he is very rich and has found a rare treasure. I think this is true. But I find that it is a very rare thing for those who consider themselves friends to faithfully pursue one another to keep that friendship a treasure.
In reading my favorite author this week, his words on the subject of friendship are found to be very insightful. Here are some of those thoughts.
"The Christian discovers that, while he has fellowship with all his brothers in Christ, he has special friendships only with some of them. It is not always easy to say why such friendships between some Christians develop or why potential friendships with others come to nothing. But it is a fact which ultimately must have its explanation in the mystery of God's providence.
"The best of God's servants have had special friends--Moses and Joshua, David and Jonathan, Daniel and his brethren, Peter and John, Paul and Timothy; even our Lord had his special relationships with his own disciples. Out of the twelve, three were more intimate--Peter, James, and John. Out of the three, one was unique. Only John was known as 'the disciple whom Jesus loved.'
"Therefore, it appears clear that we as Christians ought not to be surprised to find that we have closer relations with some of God's people than with others. This must certainly not lead us to be dismissive of brethren who are not in our intimate circle of friends. But it reassures us that there is no sin in the Christian having closer ties with some than with other brethren."
Mack talking now
This applies to all of us as believers. We are to love all other believers. We find a minimal Christian bond with all true Christians. And we are duty-bound to love them because Christ does. But isn't it true also that in life we find God giving special friendships that have a knitting, a special kinship, a unique closeness with someone that was not expected, planned or foreseen, and was not humanly produced by us. God just gives it because He purposes it. And when He does, such a friendship is to be cherished, nourished, and maintained by both persons.
The important thing for us to realize about this is that each of us ought to treasure those special friendships and keep them nourished and continuing, certainly not to the neglect of other relationships, but it is a responsibility to pursue those friendships and keep them fresh. It is possible to neglect, presume upon, and be careless about close friendships that God has given and not even know you are doing it. Remember-- 'A man that has friends must shew himself friendly'. The question each of us ought to ask ourselves is: Having I been shewing myself truly as a friend to those friends or have I been neglecting them?
Favorite author again
"It belongs to the genius of our friendships that we must accept our brethren for what they are and extend affection to them accordingly. The gifted brother who cannot bear to be anything other than idolized will have admirers but not friends. There is a significant difference. An admirer cares about us for the sake of our talents or giftings, but a friend loves us for our own sake. Friendship is far more beneficial to us than admiration because it makes sanctifying demands on our character.
"Gifted brethren who want only our admiration are only seeking additional fuel for their own self-love and ego. But genuine friendship leads to the destruction of self-love because it forgets itself in a sincere desire to do good to the other person."
Mack again
I have often wondered how much my pursuing a friendship has been based primarily on my admiring someone or upon how I could benefit from that friendship. Let's face it-- we are all attracted to those who benefit us somehow-- that preacher who deeply ministers to us, that person who makes us feel accepted and loved, that individual who is always interested in how we are doing. Supposed friendships are all too often only about self-centeredness, not self-giving.
Author
"To accept our brethren for what they are, within the bond of Christian friendship, is to leave them room to think and act as they wish, provided they keep within scriptural bounds. This is far from easy because we are all inclined to hold our opinions in lesser matters rather too strongly and, given the opportunity, we tend to squeeze others into our own mold, even in secondary matters. It is much easier to quote Augustine's famous statement than to practice it in our friendships: 'In things essential, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity'."
Mack
I have often seen in my heart an alienation happening between myself and brethren who did not agree with me; they were not violating Scripture-- they just had a different opinion or a different position on something than me. So they must be wrong, right? Wrong! But even if they are wrong, can I still love all Christians when I differ from them on some point, even if I feel stronly about it? If I abstain from drinking alcohol, do I relate to in love just as much those who drink wine as those who abstain? Or do I judge them in my heart as being less spiritual because they are doing what they do? If our friendships and our showing ourselves friendly is based upon conditions or complete uniformity with our own personal preferences, then it is not true Christian friendship.
Author
"Friendships are good and necessary for us, just as, in most cases, marriage is necessary. It corrects our angularity and rubs off our corners. The recluse is the first to fall into eccentricities or even error. The more we are alone with ourselves, the more we become like ourselves (Ugh!- MT). It is only when we come back into the circle of our godly friends once again that we realize how awkward or opinionated we have become. We all go astray like sheep, but we go astray less if we keep within the flock and refuse the temptation to wander off into solitary pastures where we are on our own. Healthy Christian character, which is full-orbed, well-rounded, and rich in good fruit, can best be formed within the circle of sanctified friendships."
Mack
How are your closest friendships? Are you pursuing those friendships still or has it become a one way street, where you are still pursued but you fail to pursue in return, where they have pursued you but you do not reciprocate? It seems sinful to be this way. When we do this, we are the losers in the equation.
Each of us ought to be a true, consistent, pursuing friend to those special friendships God has given to us. If the friendship continuing and staying fresh depended on how you are toward them, would it remain or dissolved? Don't neglect them. Both you and they are missing out on some good things God has for you both.
To Be Continued
Monday, July 6, 2009
Small Acts of Kindness: Do We Care About the Lost Pennies of a Child We Don't Even Know?
"The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone." 2 Timothy 2:24
John Newton's biographer writes:
"When Mr. Newton moved to London, being of the most friendly and generous disposition, his house was open to Christians of all social ranks and church denominations. Here, like a father among his children, he used to entertain, encourage, and instruct his friends. Here also the poor, the afflicted, and the tempted found an asylum and a sympathy, which they could scarcely find, in an equal degree, anywhere else. Sometimes his whole day was so graciously spent, that he was found both rejoicing with those who rejoiced and literally weeping with those who wept!
"I remember to have heard him say, 'I see two heaps in this world--of human happiness and misery. If I can take but the smallest bit from one heap--and add to the other, I shall be content. As I am on my way home, if I should meet a child who has lost his penny, and if, by giving him another penny, I could wipe away his tears, I feel I have done something. I would be glad, indeed, to do greater things, but I will not neglect these smaller acts of kindness.'
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12
- John Newton
John Newton's biographer writes:
"When Mr. Newton moved to London, being of the most friendly and generous disposition, his house was open to Christians of all social ranks and church denominations. Here, like a father among his children, he used to entertain, encourage, and instruct his friends. Here also the poor, the afflicted, and the tempted found an asylum and a sympathy, which they could scarcely find, in an equal degree, anywhere else. Sometimes his whole day was so graciously spent, that he was found both rejoicing with those who rejoiced and literally weeping with those who wept!
"I remember to have heard him say, 'I see two heaps in this world--of human happiness and misery. If I can take but the smallest bit from one heap--and add to the other, I shall be content. As I am on my way home, if I should meet a child who has lost his penny, and if, by giving him another penny, I could wipe away his tears, I feel I have done something. I would be glad, indeed, to do greater things, but I will not neglect these smaller acts of kindness.'
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12
- John Newton
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Does This Apply to America Today on the 233rd Birthday of Our Nation?
John Newton did not mince words or compromise the clear honest truth. He wrote, so as to cause his readers to really think about what he was saying. I hope we can hear what he is saying, whether it seems harsh or too strong. -- Mack T.
Concerning 'Handel's Messiah' John Newton wrote:
How shall we view the people of our times? I see the great mass of people involved in one common charge of high treason against the omnipotent God! They are already in a state of imprisonment, but have not yet been brought to their trial. The evidence against them is so plain, so strong and pointed, that there is not the least doubt of their guilt being fully proved and that nothing but a free pardon from God can preserve them from their deserved eternal punishment!
In this situation, it would seem in their best interest to avail themselves of every expedient in their power for obtaining God's mercy. But they are entirely heedless of their imminent danger, and are wholly taken up with contriving methods of amusing themselves, that they may pass away the term of their imprisonment with as much cheerfulness as possible!
Among other resources, they call in the assistance of music and they are particularly pleased with 'Handel's Messiah'. They choose to make the themes of their musical entertainment . . .
the solemnities of their impending judgment,
the character of their Judge,
the methods of His procedure, and
the dreadful punishment to which they are exposed
And, as if they were quite unconcerned in the outcome, their attention is chiefly fixed upon the skill of the composer, in adapting the style of his music to the very solemn subjects with which they are trifling!
The offended King, however, unasked by them, and out of His great mercy and compassion towards those who have no pity for themselves, sends them a gracious message. He assures them that He is unwilling that they should eternally perish; and that He requires, yes, He entreats them to submit to Him! He points out a way in which He offers them a free and a full pardon!
But, instead of taking a single step towards a compliance with His undeserved and gracious offer, they set His message to music, sung for their entertainment, and accompanied with every kind of music!
Surely, if such a case as I have supposed, could be found in real life, though I might admire the musical taste of these people, I would certainly commiserate their stupidity and hardness of heart!
- John Newton
Concerning 'Handel's Messiah' John Newton wrote:
How shall we view the people of our times? I see the great mass of people involved in one common charge of high treason against the omnipotent God! They are already in a state of imprisonment, but have not yet been brought to their trial. The evidence against them is so plain, so strong and pointed, that there is not the least doubt of their guilt being fully proved and that nothing but a free pardon from God can preserve them from their deserved eternal punishment!
In this situation, it would seem in their best interest to avail themselves of every expedient in their power for obtaining God's mercy. But they are entirely heedless of their imminent danger, and are wholly taken up with contriving methods of amusing themselves, that they may pass away the term of their imprisonment with as much cheerfulness as possible!
Among other resources, they call in the assistance of music and they are particularly pleased with 'Handel's Messiah'. They choose to make the themes of their musical entertainment . . .
the solemnities of their impending judgment,
the character of their Judge,
the methods of His procedure, and
the dreadful punishment to which they are exposed
And, as if they were quite unconcerned in the outcome, their attention is chiefly fixed upon the skill of the composer, in adapting the style of his music to the very solemn subjects with which they are trifling!
The offended King, however, unasked by them, and out of His great mercy and compassion towards those who have no pity for themselves, sends them a gracious message. He assures them that He is unwilling that they should eternally perish; and that He requires, yes, He entreats them to submit to Him! He points out a way in which He offers them a free and a full pardon!
But, instead of taking a single step towards a compliance with His undeserved and gracious offer, they set His message to music, sung for their entertainment, and accompanied with every kind of music!
Surely, if such a case as I have supposed, could be found in real life, though I might admire the musical taste of these people, I would certainly commiserate their stupidity and hardness of heart!
- John Newton
Thursday, July 2, 2009
A Vulnerable Heel
"In order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are very familiar with his evil schemes." 2 Corinthians 2:11
Satan knows knows how to suit his temptations to our personal tempers and circumstances. And if, like Achilles, you have a vulnerable heel, the old serpent will be sure to strike there!
"Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil." Ephesians 6:11
-- John Newton
Satan knows knows how to suit his temptations to our personal tempers and circumstances. And if, like Achilles, you have a vulnerable heel, the old serpent will be sure to strike there!
"Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil." Ephesians 6:11
-- John Newton
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