Grant me a clear and passionate call, Lord.

Is my calling sure?
Is my vision clear?
Is my passion burning strong for Jesus Christ alone?
Is my character fully submitted to Him?
Are my fears at bay?
Is my psychological baggage surrendered?
Are my ears open to the Holy Spirit?
Is my pace sustainable?

Dearest Lord,
My heart's desire is to say 'yes' to all of the above.
Please help me be who You want me to be.
Nothing of myself, but everything of You in this 1 life, I pray.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling,
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

~ Galatians 6:14

Nearer to Thee, precious Lord

Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee..
Even though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee!

Winter

The winter prepares the earth for the spring, so do afflictions sanctified prepare the soul for glory.

~ Richard Sibbes

Be an Example

Many now are watching the footsteps that we take;
Many soon will follow in the choices that we make.
So let us then be faithful to be what we should be,
And leave a good example that they can clearly see.

Be an example of the believers in word and in conduct;
Be steadfast in love, in faith, in purity of life.
For those behind us, let us stand within the gap and make a difference in their lives;
Be an example to follow Christ.

Let us then be watching the weary, day by day,
Looking to encourage and to lead them in the way;
To run the race with patience;
On Jesus fix their eyes,
And challenge them with excellence, that they might win the prize.

Be an example of the believers in word and in conduct;
Be steadfast in love, in faith, in purity of life.
For those behind us, let us stand within the gap and make a difference in their lives;
Be an example to follow Christ.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ~ Matthew 5:8

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;
May I devote my life wholly to Thee:
Watch Thou my wayward feet,
Guide me with counsel sweet;
Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;
Teach me to do Thy will most lovingly;
Be Thou my Friend and Guide,
Let me with Thee abide;
Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;
Until Thy holy face one day I see:
Keep me from secret sin,
Reign Thou my soul within;
Purer in heart, help me to be.

~ F. E. Davison

Calvary Love

If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I find myself taking lapses for granted, "Oh, that's what they always do," "Oh, of course she talks like that, he acts like that," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can rebuke without a pang, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my attitude be one of fear, not faith, about one who has disappointed me; if I say, "Just what I expected" if a fall occurs, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am content to heal a hurt slightly, saying "Peace, peace," where there is no peace; if I forget the poignant word "Let love be without dissimulation" and blunt the edge of truth, speaking not right things but smooth things, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I hold on to choices of any kind, just because they are my choice, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am soft to myself and slide comfortably into self-pity and self-sympathy; If I do not by the grace of God practice fortitude, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I myself dominate myself, if my thoughts revolve round myself, if I am so occupied with myself I rarely have "a heart at leisure from itself," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If, the moment I am conscious of the shadow of self crossing my threshold, I do not shut the door, and keep that door shut, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth); if I cannot take the first without making a fuss about my unworthiness, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I take offense easily, if I am content to continue in a cool unfriendliness, though friendship be possible, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel injured when another lays to my charge things that I know not, forgetting that my sinless Savior trod this path to the end, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel bitter toward those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If souls can suffer alongside, and I hardly know it, because the spirit of discernment is not in me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the praise of others elates me and their blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself; if I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I crave hungrily to be used to show the way of liberty to a soul in bondage, instead of caring only that it be delivered; if I nurse my disappointment when I fail, instead of asking that to another the word of release may be given, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given room there; if the cup of flattery tastes sweet to me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If in the fellowship of service I seek to attach a friend to myself, so that others are caused to feel unwanted; if my friendships do not draw others deeper in, but are ungenerous (to myself, for myself), then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I refuse to allow one who is dear to me to suffer for the sake of Christ, if I do not see such suffering as the greatest honor that can be offered to any follower of the Crucified, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I slip into the place that can be filled by Christ alone, making myself the first necessity to a soul instead of leading it to fasten upon Him, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my interest in the work of others is cool; if I think in terms of my own special work; if the burdens of others are not my burdens too, and their joys mine, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I wonder why something trying is allowed, and press for prayer that it may be removed; if I cannot be trusted with any disappointment, and cannot go on in peace under any mystery, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the ultimate, the hardest, cannot be asked of me; if my fellows hesitate to ask it and turn to someone else, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the Cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

That which I know not, teach Thou me, O Lord, my God.

~ Amy Carmichael

Love

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

~ Mark 12:30-31

A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend. The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend's sermons, but he heard them often. One night, the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big sky lights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practise by. The young man climbed up to the highest diving board and as he turned his back to the pool on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow of his body, was in the shape of a cross. Instead of diving, he knelt down and finally asked God to come into his life. As the young man stood, a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on. The pool had been drained for repairs..

Jesus Christ is the source of our existence and He is our eternal Saviour. Without Him, we will be nothing. Without him, we are nothing..remember we can only do all things through Christ that strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

A Broken Spirit

God will never plant the seed of His life upon the soil of a hard, unbroken spirit. He will only plant that seed where the conviction of His Spirit has brought brokenness, where the soil has been watered with the tears of repentance as well as the tears of joy.

~ Alan Redpath

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

~ Psalm 51:17

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

~ Psalm 34:18

"Trust Me, My child," He says. "Trust me with a fuller abandon that you ever have before, Trust Me, as minute succeeds minute, every day of your life, for as long as you live. And if you become conscious of anything hindering our relationship, do not hurt Me by turning away from Me. Draw all the closer to Me, come, run to Me. Allow Me to hide you, to protect you, even from yourself. Tell me your deepest cares, your every trouble. Trust Me to keep my hand upon You. I will never leave you. I will shape you, mold you, and perfect you. Do not fear, O child of My love, do not fear. I love you."

~ Amy Carmichael

The Pastor and his son

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK, Dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor Dad asked, "Ready for what?"

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."

Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?"

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son."

"Thanks Dad!"

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract. After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady.

She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?"

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God bless you!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church, Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?" Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face.

"No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, "Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU." Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more. You see -- I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son..except for One.

This Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to the King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message. Don't ever let this message die, read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people! Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone close to you.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

~ Proverbs 30:5

Almighty Father

Almighty Father,
You alone are holy.
You are my refuge,
I will trust in You.
You are a tower, a mighty fortress.
You are my strength and shield,
You are God.

Almighty Father,
You alone are holy.
You guide my footsteps that I may not fall.
In joy or sorrow,
I will exalt You.
You are my righteousness,
You are God.

Almighty Father,
You alone are holy.
You are Creator,
You are all in all!
Yours is the power,
Yours is the glory.
Yours is the majesty,
You are God.

Romans 8..to me

God
I may fall flat on my face
I may fail until I feel
Old and beaten and done in
Yet Your love for me is changeless.

All the music may go out of my life
My private world may shatter to dust
Even so You will hold me
In the palm of Your steady hand.

No turn in the affairs
Of my fractured life
Can baffle You.
Satan with all his braggadocio
Cannot distract You.

Nothing can separate me
From Your measureless love:
Pain can't
Disappointments can't
Anguish can't
Yesterday, today and tomorrow can't
The loss of a dearest one can't
Death can't
Life can't
Riots war insanity unidentity.
Hunger neurosis disease--

None of these things
Nor all of them heaped together
Can budge the fact
That I am dearly loved.
Completely forgiven
And forever free
Through Jesus Christ
Your beloved Son.

~ R. H. Calkin

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~ Romans 8:35-39

We all want to do the will of God, and we know that there is nothing nearer to His heart than the evangelization of the world.

~ Oswald J. Smith

God has huge plans for the world today! He is not content to merely establish a handful of struggling churches among each tongue, tribe and nation. Even now He is preparing and empowering His Church to carry the seeds of revival to the uttermost ends of the earth.

~ David Smithers

Absolute Surrender

Lord, here in Your precious Word I give myself, my husband, my children, and all that I have or ever shall possess, all to You. I will follow Your will, even to China. Lord, open doors, and I will go and tell the Chinese of Your great love. In time of need, supply for us; in time of sorrow, give us peace; in times of joy, send someone to share. Help me to never murmur nor complain. I love You, Lord Jesus.

~ Tanna Collins

This note comes from a page in Mrs. Collins’ Bible that was found at the scene of the airline crash in Tibet in which the entire family perished in 1994.

Holiness

The Lord Jesus received is holiness begun;
The Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing;
The Lord Jesus counted upon as never absent would be holiness complete.

~ 'Christ is All'

Living out God's thoughts

Let your highest ambition be to become what God has planned for you. Lay all your plans at His feet. Let God’s will be your will, and He will lead you to just that life which will be for you the most beautiful, the most honourable and the most blessed. If you would have God’s thoughts to live out in your life, you must go to God for them. You must sit down often with Him in the silence. You must look reverently into the divine Word and ponder deeply on its holy sentences. You must turn your steps habitually to the place of prayer. You will not have heavenly visions if you never look upward for them.

Am really blessed by this very encouraging and thought-provoking paragraph written by J. R. Miller. May God help us be what He wants us to be..may we daily live out His thoughts and purposes for our lives..=)

When I really enjoy God I feel my desires of Him the more insatiable and my thirstings after holiness the more unquenchable. O' this pleasing pain. It makes my soul press after God.

~ David Brainerd

Jesus for us is all our righteousness before a holy God, and Jesus in us is all our strength in an ungodly world.

~ Robert M. McCheyne