KEEP LOOKING TO CHRIST

I recently watched the running of a marathon on television. The elite runners all stayed together for the first 18 miles, seemingly without an extraordinary amount of effort. Then the race began in earnest. In those last difficult miles, the pace of the lead runner picked up, and only one runner could keep up with him for a few more miles. Everyone else dropped back - unable to continue at the pace they had been running.

That marathon race gave me a glimpse of the life of a believer. Every child of God has a race to run. The only way that race can be run and completed is by running every step the same way we started, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). We began the race in joy by looking to Christ. The only way we can finish every long and painful mile is by doing the exact same thing: looking to Christ. Everyone who runs looking to Christ will be able to say with the apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (II Timothy 4:7-8).

A man cannot be thoroughly humbled till he realizes that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works, and depends absolutely on the will, counsel, pleasure and work of another – God alone.

Martin Luther

TRUE WORSHIP

I am persuaded that true worship has to do mainly with THE THOUGHTS TOWARD, THE LOVE FOR, AND THE RELATION WITH the object of worship. When next you have the opportunity to visit a new-born baby and everyone is gathered about the mother holding her young child, instead of looking at the baby, look into the eyes of the mother as she gazes upon the object of her love; and you’ll see what I want to feel and experience in the presence of Him who alone is worthy of our total love and devotion. Where this relationship exists, we need not instruction on “how to worship”

Unknown

Stand Up For The Gospel

Contending for the truth against the errors of modern religion is the duty of God’s servants. I hope our spirit is one of genuine love to all the chosen of God; but today’s rule of charity which requires us to keep silent on certain points in order to avoid controversy, I utterly despise. It is treason to the Lord Jesus to be silent on any point where He has spoken and the honor of His Gospel is concerned. It is easy on the flesh to deal in generalities, to denounce hyper-this or hyper-that, and to claim to be a friend to all; but it is required of the loyal servant of King Jesus to maintain HIS crown-rights and to stand up for His Gospel of Glory and Grace.

Pastor Henry Mahan

Stop and Think

Passing through a country graveyard the other day, an inscription on a head-stone struck my eye. The stone was by the side of the path, where everyone could see it, and it was placed there in memory of a young man who died at the age of seventeen. It was:

Reader, one moment, – Stop, and think:

That I am in eternity! – And you are on the brink!