Address to the converted young

(If you want to read something really good on this subject, read Jakes address to the unconverted young)

Some time ago, as I was talking with a very wise friend , the subject of my own conversion came up. In the course of the conversation, I talked about some of the older young men, such as my very good friend Caleb, who have had a great influence on my life by the way they live their lives. Mr. Lanny told me that as I grow older, some of the boys and younger young men will look at me the way that I had look up to Caleb, and that I must pray and strive to live and converse in such a way, that they would see the Lord’s hand and work in my life, and see that it was “all of Christ, and none of me”. As I look back across all of my life, but especially the last few months since that conversation, I am conscious of great failure to live this out. I pray that the Lord would help me .

So, why did I write all that. It is because I have seen with sadness that it seems that many of the younger young people around me have little or no spiritual hunger, and many do not appear to be seeking the Lord at all. But how can I expect that they would thirst after God when it seems I am so often colder in my heart than I should be? Or expect them to seek God, when I so often do not seek Him as I should? And, especially, if I’m not living unto God as I should? O, to have a life lived unto Him, a life that has some faint reflection of His love! How I “wish to be nothing, that Christ may be all”. Again , I pray the Lord would give me grace to live unto Him.

There is great hope . All things are ultimately in Gods hands. It is God who gives the increase . We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. O Lord , glorify Thyself in their young lives!

P.S. sorry the post was so short. I had about twice as long post in mind, but it always seem that as soon as I strike the first key, everything I have in mind completely disappears.

of a sermon and such

On the sermon sunday

The sermon this last Sunday was a very powerful one. Pastor John preached on the third commandment: ‘Thou shalt not take the of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.’(Exodus 20:7).

Pastor John start by talking about what the name of God is; it is not a meaning less label; the name of God is what He has revealed of Himself. Pastor gave some passages ,like Exodus 34, and pointed out that what God says of Himself in these passage’s is more than just a title or label. Pastor talked about where the name of God dwells; His name dwells in the heaven, His people, and in the temple.

Some ways we break the commandment;

1: we can use God’s name as a slang word.

2: to use God’s name in jokes. ( these last two are very common in our culture).

3: to misuse His name in worship, especially in singing. This very common in the church. Whether it’s the repeating words over and over again in order to work one’s self up into some emotional state where we think we have to be to worship God , or some of the outright blasphemous songs they teach children in “vacation bible school” these days, the church is everywhere dishonouring God’s name in worship and singing. As my friend brother Thomas Floyd says, “it smacks of entertainment”. (by the by, I do not mean to say there is necessarily anything wrong with repeating lines over again, I myself have often felt the urge to do so while singing, but there a great danger of focusing on the emotions, or of coming to a state where we think we have to be in a high emotional state to worship God). Another way in which we dishonour God’s name in singing , one which I feel I have been very guilty of, is when we go about our day singing songs or psalms, saying great things about God, simply for our own amusement or entertainment without thinking about what we’re saying.

4: a false profession of Christ. We should never carry the name we’ve been given lightly.

A few Names of God;

1. Lord: the church today often tries to make Jesus Saviour, but not Lord.

2. Jesus: do we want a Saviour who takes away our boast’s? do we sometimes hold back from Christ because of our pride? O, pray that He will give us Grace to humble ourselves before Him.

3. Father: a life of worrying and grumbling is against this Name.

 

We can plead for the church, and the saving of souls, and bring glory to God.

Well, that was the sermon in a rather small nutshell, and I have just a few short thoughts on it.

1: when people mock God in talking to me, my tendency sometimes is to bow up because they have hurt pride, to become angry not because they have dishonoured God’s name, but because I feel they’ve mocked mine. We must remember that we too were once dead in our trespasses and sins, and that we need Christ every bit as much as this man does. I pray that the Lord would give me grace not to react out of anger, but to respond out of love to Christ.

2: the other day Ben and I were reading about he Aztecs, and were amazed at the numbers of people the Aztecs killed. Henty called it “an astounding figure, over twenty thousand a year”. But when I thought about the enormousness of this number, I realized, it takes America only five days to kill twenty thousand children. And during the sermon I thought, “is this too high a price to pay, for dishonouring the name of God the way we do in America, and even in the church?” No. but I pray that the Lord would be merciful the our nation; that He would not allow His name to become a byword among the nations, be cause of the failure and sins of the church.

well, I guess if you look at my mom’s blog than you already know, but we have a new boy. I wish I could put pictures up, but he is a fine little chap.  I told them all along it would be boy.

O, yeah, Prince Caspian came out today. we’re going to go see it tonight, and as I said before, i’m not expecting much, only I’m expecting even less, but I still want to see it.

 

 

 

 

finally, a post!

I take my pen in my hand, (or, in this case, my keyboard) because I fear that if I don’t write soon,  my little blog will either shrivel up and die, or rise in rebellion against me for neglecting him so long. But, in any case, I take up my keyboard in order put down a few thoughts on one of my favorite hyms.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Nought be All else to me save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, Thou my true word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be Thou my armour, be Thou my might;
Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower;
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Rich’s I heed not nor man’s empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, Thy victory won;
May I reach heaven’s joy, O bright heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart Webster’s defines the word ‘vision’, as: “1: the act of seeing external objects; actual sight“. So, the hymn writer says, God is to our actual sight; all we think, do or feel is to be for His glory. As we go about our every day tasks and duties, as we work or play or learn, all is to be done as unto Him. This is how we practice the wonderful presence of God. This one area where I have found the early seeking of the Lord to be of great necessity . “If my heart be early seasoned with His presence, it will savour of Him all day after“.

Adoption if you’ve been reading my sisters blog, you probably already know the currant state of affairs on the adoption. We’re still wait for Thursday as patiently as we can (it’s amazing how patient one can be when one has no choice). But I ask that you would pray for this baby, that whomever the Lord gives this baby to, that He would do a great work in their heart, and get Himself great glory in their life, and He would show his family, whoever they are, more of Himself in through their life.

A joke Why did the chicken go to Chicago? Because he tried to cross the road.

 

 

on the necessity of seeking the Lord early

says McCheyne “If my heart be early seasoned with His presence, it will savour of Him all day after. I ought to pray before seeing anyone. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, and then have family prayer and breakfast and forenoon callers, it is eleven or twelve o’clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ rose before each day, and went into a solitary place…Family prayer loses much of it’s power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek for me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then when secret prayer comes, the soul is often out of tune. I feel it far better to begin with God, to see His face first, to get my soul near Him before it is near another.. It is best to have at least one hour alone with God before engaging in anything else. At the same time I must be careful not to reckon communion with God by minutes or by hours, or by solitude

Psalm 63:1-4 O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

 

says St. Anselm Up now, slight man! Flee for a little while your occupations; hide yourself for a time from your disturbing thoughts. cast aside now your burdensome cares, and put away your toilsome business. Yield room for some little time to God, and rest for a little time in Him. Enter the inner chamber of your mind; shut out all thoughts save those of God and such as can Aid You in seeking Him. Speak now, my whole heart! Speak to God, saying, I seek Thy face; Thy face Lord, will I seek.

 

telcontar after hearing the thoughts of such great men on this subject, it doesn’t seem that I would have much to add, except that I have known these things to be true by personal experience. the most vital thing to seek the Lord early is rising early. I also find that I rarely think about how it will effect seeking the Lord early the next day, when I stay up late the night before. it is hard to concentrate on seeking Him when you can but with difficulty stay awake because you were up until two o’clock reading Henty or watching a movie.

Seek Him early! His mercies are new every morning, and He is sufficient all the day,

adoption news Well, the baby is supposed to be born Monday. I’m excited. Other news We’ve been saving for some time and yesterday Jake and I finally got our laptop. Today Jake and I went over to the Brandons and slaughtered  chickens today.   Price Caspian will be out in three weeks . From what I’ve seen I expect it will not be very good. But I want to see it any way because, next to a fulfilment of one’s wish’s, one likes a fulfilment of one’s expectations.

at last

prepare to be amazed!