The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. Psalm 50:1-3
MY TEARS, GOD’S BOTTLE
“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Ps 56:8)
The day has not yet come when Christ shall wipe away all tears from our eyes and there be no more. But the day is here right now when the tears of his saints awaken sympathy in our Redeemer's heart. Mary Magdalene anointed Christ’s feet with precious ointment. But her tears with which she washed them were far more precious to our Redeemer (Is 63:9). Believer, God knows everything that is happening to you right now! It is all according to God’s purpose, all governed by God’s hand. He knows every tear and heartache and God shall provide (Mal 3: 16; Mt 10: 28-31).
Pastor Clay Curtis
Live Unto Christ
This natural body is a dying body, subject to afflictions, diseases, infirmities, and eventually DEATH! But if the Spirit of God dwells in us (by grace through faith), death is not the end; for He that raised Christ from the dead shall also, in His appointed time, raise our bodies from the grave (1 Cor. 15:12-22; 42-44). This body shall not always be in corruption and ruin but shall be raised in the image of Christ (1 Jn. 3:1-3).
Therefore, since our primary interest is not the flesh, materialism, and things of the world, but the kingdom of God and His righteousness – since to be fleshly minded is a sign of absence of the Spirit of Christ, and since our flesh and all pertaining thereunto shall die and we shall be raised in His likeness – we are not obligated to live for the flesh and this world, but to live unto Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Men and women who are freed from condemnation and death are not freed from obedience to Christ – nor do they want to be! To whom much is given and forgiven, he will love much. We are motivated to holiness by His love for us and our love for Him (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
Pastor Henry T. Mahan (Bulletin 1986)
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to cloth you, all goodness to supply you and all happiness to crown you.
Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)
A PRECIOUS DEATH
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).
Several people asked for the outline of the message I preached from this text recently.
The death of a believer is precious because of other things the scriptures call precious.
The death of a believer is precious because their redemption is precious. (Psalm 49:8). The redemption purchased by Christ’s precious blood can never be lost. So when the body of flesh dies, the spirit lives.
The death of a believer is precious because their blood is precious to God. (Psalm 72:14).
The death of a believer is precious because God’s thoughts toward His people are precious; thoughts that bring an expected end in glory. (Psalm 139:17, Jeremiah 29:11).
The death of a believer is precious because the Word of God is precious. (I Samuel 3:1) Whoever believes this precious Word cannot die because they have already passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
The death of a believer is precious because of precious faith in Christ. (I Peter 1:7).
The death of a believer is precious because Christ is precious. (I Peter 2:7) The death of a believer is precious because at the moment of death a believer is instantly with Christ and made just like Christ.
The death of a believer is precious because of God’s precious promises. (II Peter 1:4) The death of the believer is God’s way of giving His children the ultimate fulfillment of His promise of glory.
The death of a believer is precious because the death of a believer is a blessing. (Rev. 14:13).
I do not know what it is like to die, but I can just imagine that the death of a believer is like having a cast taken off of a limb that has had a broken bone that is now healed. That cast has been weighing you down and has stopped you from doing what you want to do, just like sin has stopped us from being holy and doing what we would like to do. (Rom 7:15) Oh the freedom that the saints must enjoy when they lay down this body of dead flesh and are made like Christ and they can see Him face to face. Unto you who believe, that will be precious!
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