You are my lamp, O Lord ...

"While we were lying in our blood, filthily polluted,

defiled, he passed by, and he said in the sovereignty

of his love, "Live!" and we do live. The whole must

be traced to sovereign grace! From this sacred well

of discriminating distinguishing grace we must

draw water this morning, and we must pour it

out, saying, "Oh Lord, I will praise your name,

for the first origin of my light was your sovereign

purpose, and nothing in me."

from Spurgeon's sermon: "Light, Natural and Spiritual"

Word of God Speak ...

One Rule ~ Well Observed ....

“One rule, well observed, will make all other rules superfluous: let prayer be uttered as in the very presence of God – poured into his ear as from a miserable sinner who deserves his wrath, but to whom for Christ’s sake he extends his infinite mercy.” (William G. Blaikie’s For the Work of the Ministry, pg. 177)

How often do we forget God's very Presence in our lives? Prayer becomes rote, we do it with the intent of our hearts but do we pray in the mind set of being in His Presence? We set at the foot of the Cross, pour out our hearts in praise, thanksgiving and requests, but are we humbled in being in His presence?

I work as a CNA in a retirement home and recently lost a resident on my shift. I work the 10:30pm to 7am shift and the person passed on around 3am. It is a thing for workers in a nursing home to open a window and allow the spirit of the deceased to depart. As a Christian I find this disturbing. I did not do it and the daylight shift about had a fit. Oh well!!! ....

The person had no family only a POA and her daughter there with the resident during the last hours on this earth. I have peace that I gave the resident the best possible care I could. During the night hours as I took care of the resident I talked to this person and prayed aloud for them. I knew the person was a Christian. This, too, brought about a peace I had for this resident. After the person passed on the POA talked some about the life of this person. I got a glimpse into more of the personal aspect since the resident could not speak well theirself. The POA was becoming distraught and I asked her if she was a Christian, she stated she was and I said to her then you do realize that at the very moment the resident took their last breath that they was in the presence of Jesus? Through tear filled eyes she looked at me and said she did not think of the passing in that way, she was too distracted by her loss. We all have been there and react differently to death. One minute here on earth and the next in the presence of the Almighty!!! When an unsaved person passes on I am heartsick for the soul of the person. Hell and torment is their lot. I am at a loss of words to the family and friends. I am sorry for the loss and have deep sympathy and share that but I can not share the joy of Christ with them, I can not share with them the glory in death.

We often hear people stating they don't want to die alone. As a Christian we are never alone, there is always the Three with us. I appreciate my prayer time in His Presence. Let you not forget He is there with you during your time in prayer ... and always ...

"When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 1 Cor.15:54,55 ESV"

~~~~~~

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Rev. 7:13-17 ESV

~~~~~

Blessings,
Pam <><

Married Life

I am currently reading the book, "Susannah Spurgeon, free grace and undying love." It is a book of devotions by her and also about her life, published by Banner of Truth Trust.

On this day, Monday, Jan. 8th, Susannah Thompson married Charles Haddon Spurgeon at the New Park Street Chapel in the year of our Lord, 1856. From my reading I understand this must have been a wedding of huge proportion for the day, as far as crowds are concerned. (The reading of this wedding reminds me of watching Prince Charles and Dianna's wedding on TV.) Special police were summoned to prevent accidents. The building they said was filled to capacity, those who had tickets to be at the wedding could not even get in the door, some headed back home, while others lined the streets. That's big for that time and era.

Spurgeon has to leave the wife and home to do the work of the Lord. A conversation ensued between them as to his coming and going, "The constant absence from home of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in fulfilment of his preaching engagements were sources of sore trial to the young wife. ... Once and once only she broke down, where her dear one was about to leave in the early morning for a distant mission, and the tears could not be kept back. 'Wifey,' said her husband, 'do you think that when any of the children of Israel brought a lamb to the Lord's altar as an offering to Him they stood and wept over it when they had seen it laid there?' and when she replied in the negative he added, tenderly, 'Well, don't you see, you are giving me to God in letting me go to preach the gospel to poor sinners, and do you think He likes to see you cry over your sacrifice?" When they were getting ready to be apart he would say to her, "What! crying over your lamb, wifey?" She says, "could ever a rebuke have been more sweetly and graciously given?"

(You can read all this here at this link -- http://www.biblebb.com/files/SPURGEON/mrsspur.htm)

As my eyes fell upon those last few words, it caused me to examine my responses to those in my home -- my husband and my two sons. "More sweetly," and "graciously given," I admit my responses have not been sweet nor gracious as of late. While putting away the Christmas stuff my husband has decided to put a floor down in a section of our attic which had none. All the stuff from that side of the attic that sat upon boards, is now in my living room and kitchen. I appreciate the fact he is doing it ... honestly, but now I am enduring the verbage, "Why are you saving this stuff?" and then there comes, THE LOOK!, gee whiz! The burning barrel has been hot as of late, the neighbors are probably wondering where all this cardboard is coming from, but my sons and I are having a blast looking thru old artwork, school papers, cards, toys and such.

My husband has also found my stash of books, but they are not going to the burning barrel, maybe to the book bin at the Goodwill Store ... maybe ... ;-)

Then the Lord brings to mind a verse I had taught on in October to a group of women from my church at a retreat. Eph. 5:2 -- "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Look at the word 'fragrant' as in aroma. Therefore, I am now thinking, "What kind of aroma/fragrance have I been lately?" OUCH!
Strong?
Salty?
Bitter?
Stinky?
Sweet?
Musty?
Fruity?
Flowery?
Spicy?
etc., etc., etc.

Have I been a single fragrance? A potpourie? An essential oil? A toilet water? A cologne?

I have been mulling this over and over and it has not been pleasant. I have had to fall on my face, seek God's forgiveness and my families. This is a gut wrenching experience. I did not like myself for a few days, but God in His graciousness has shown me how me to be a pleasing fragrance. Ask God to reveal to you what type of fragrance you are. Then adjust whatever, wherever, however you have to, but JUST DO IT!