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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2010 6:40:09 GMT -6
" Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7) THE COMFORTER
"It is expedient for you That I should go away." What strange, perplexing words were these For Christ the Lord to say
To that small helpless flock of His, So soon to be bereft Of Him who daily walked with them. Only eleven left.
To spread abroad through all the world The knowledge of His Word. So small a flock, so large a task! Beloved, when our Lord
Came from His ivory palaces And set aside His crown, For three and thirty years He laid His omnipresence down.
Could He at one time be with all, Wherever they might roam? But when the Comforter was come He made each heart His home.
Yea, Lord, it was expedient That Thou shouldst go away, So He, the mystical, the blest, Might come to earth to stay.
O wondrous Trinity of God, The FATHER and the Son, The HOLY SPIRIT, God complete, The perfect Three in One!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2010 6:46:35 GMT -6
" The meek will He teach His way" (Psalm 29:9) WHAT WOULD I BE?
God has His way with a butterfly, Fragile dweller 'twixt earth and sky, Lovely harbinger of the spring. He tenderly fashions each grossamer wing, Then stencils them with His own design, Intricate, line upon fine, thin line.
Then dipping His brush in the rainbow's hue, He colors them, golden and green and blue, And sets them adrift on the warm spring air, Bits of loveliness floating there Between the earth and the bending sky. God has His way with a butterfly.
What would I be If He had His way with me? suggested by a sermon of Gypsy Smith
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2010 7:17:18 GMT -6
Just think about the awesome truth behind this statement: Man is the only created thing that can say no to God!
- The wind must say yes - The angels do his bidding faithfully (except for the 1/3 that followed their dark lord). - Animals have to submit to God - The seasons are totally under God's determinate time and on and on,
but man - though called, he can simply say, "not interested!"
and God must honor his choice.
God's sovereignty is equal to man's responsibility.
It was D. L. Moody that asked the question, "What can one man do wholly surrendered to God?" - and he found out in his life and ministry.
Will God ever know another Moody?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2010 6:43:16 GMT -6
" And thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 20:21) HIS PATH FOR ME
I put my feet upon God's path, I know not where that path will lead Nor yet how long the road will be, I need not know, I only plead
That He will always be my guide. And I shall find, when life is past, His path was safe, and it was best; And it has led me home at last.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2010 8:13:13 GMT -6
" Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences" (II Corinthians 5:11) TERROR
I have felt the earth quaking and reeling Beneath my once confident feet, As tall buildings crashed into rubble Which littered the quivering street.
I have seen the waves mounting in fury Above our small, disabled boat When we were adrift on wild waters, Rudderless, barely afloat.
I have fought for the breath of life, gasping Long hours in an oxygen tent, Starving for air, panic-ridden, Choking, exhausted and spent.
Yes, I have known terror, but under The terror a God-given peace, The knowledge of my hands in His hand, Of His strength though my strength should cease.
Thank God that the ultimate terror Can never be felt by His own - To wait for His sentence, defenseless And guilty before His white throne!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2010 10:11:28 GMT -6
" And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord" (Hosea 2:13) EARRINGS
I saw a woman from whose ears there hung Two golden crosses, and I bit my tongue To keep from uttering the unkind word Which rose to my lips; but O, my Lord, Thy Cross, on which that sacred for of Thine Bore agony and death for sins of mine!
Thy blood-stained cross! My eyes still see it flow - That crimson tide which washed me white as snow. The precious Cross of Christ, epitome Of all God's love for poor lost souls like me. I scarce can see it through my blinding tears. But she - she wears it dangling from her ears!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2010 11:14:25 GMT -6
" The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9) JUST AS I AM
Not what my neighbors think I am, Not what I judge myself to be; Not even what I wish I were, But that which He, the Lord, can see.
And evil and deceitful heart, Within whose darkest depths I know The blackest sins of all mankind Still dwell in dreadful embryo.
Deeps which I did not know nor guess, Bafflings and strange perplexities; A mystery I cannot solve, To which He only holds the keys.
I cannot understand nor like This hateful stranger which is I. But, praise His name, there once was One Who loved me well enough to die.
Just as I am He bought be there, And paid a fearful price for me. Keep Thou my spirit, body, soul, Till some day I shall be like Thee!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2010 7:41:38 GMT -6
" What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Psalm 56:3) I WILL TRUST HIM
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." I recall, when I was young, That I thought these words the bravest Ever said by mortal tongue.
For my heart knew only laughter, And my feet were light and fleet; And my blood was warm and singing So the breath of life was sweet.
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." That were easy now to say, Just my Lord and I together Slipping quietly away.
Just a moment of the anguish I have long since learned to bear; Then to sleep - to dream of heaven - Wake and find that I am there!
"Yet a little while, my daughter," Thus one day I heard Him say, "I know all they love and yearning" Yet I bid thee longer stay
In that weary, broken body, Which has suffered overlong. Stay, tired heart, homesick for heaven, Stay and praise Me with a song."
"Though He slays me, I will trust Him; Though He bids me go or stay; For His blessed shining presence Will be with me all the way. " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him (Job 13:15).
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2010 8:15:36 GMT -6
" Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?" (Job 39:12) HOME
Our earthly homes are simple things Of plaster and of board; Sometimes as humble as the nest Built by a wildwood bird.
And yet through all our lives our hearts Cling to the childhood home Of hallowed, precious memories - No matter where we roam.
And so I often think about How dear, how very dear, Our heavenly home will come to be With every passing year.
That home where we shall meet and dwell With loved ones gone before; And sometimes, looking up, shall see Our Lord come through the door.
O lovely home, where fulfilled joys Become rich memories; And ever sweeter pleasures crowd Age-long eternities!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2010 8:28:34 GMT -6
" When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:3-4) BEYOND THE STARS
I dream of what our SAVIOUR's home must be, What setting for a Pearl as rare as He; What garden where the Rose of Sharon grows; What blending beauty where His radiance glows; What ivory palaces which rear their spires Against the very stars; what heavenly choirs In what sweet strains of joy their voices raise Exquisite haunting melodies of praise!
I cannot dream nor guess; I only know He left it all for us once long ago And came to earth; and died and rose that we Might dwell within His mansions there and be His bride; and down through all the ages share That home beyond the stars - beyond compare!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2010 6:30:03 GMT -6
" Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Eph. 3:20) THE POWER OF PRAYER
Why should I try to spread my words? Why should I waste my time In stringing thoughts together or In polishing a rhyme?
Forgive me, Lord; I know full well That only Word of Thine Convicts, and that there is no power In feeble word of mine.
Lord, send me to my knees; teach me The power of prayer, not pen, Thus may my supplications rise Till Thou shalt come again.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2010 7:02:49 GMT -6
" Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21) A BRIDE'S DRESS SHOULD BE WHITE
I shopped in all the marts of earth, I was to be His Bride; And I would purchase garments rich So He might view with pride
The one He chose. I bought good works, Broidered in colors bright; And felt that He would look at me With satisfied delight.
And then I heard His gentle voice, "My child, unto My sight These good works are but filthy rags; A bride's dress should be white."
And as I knelt before Him, shamed, In soiled and unclean dress, He clothed me in the spotless robe of His own righteousness! " And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Revelation 19:8)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2010 7:02:14 GMT -6
" Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13) BLESSED HOPE
This is the hope that sustains us; This is our lamp in the night; This is the beacon we follow Waiting till faith becomes sight.
This is our pillow at night time. The promise in each golden dawn; This is the spur for the laggard, "Occupy while I am gone."
This is our hearts choicest treasure, Balm for our sorrow and pain; Words that are priceless as rubies, "Christ JESUS is coming again!"
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2010 5:43:50 GMT -6
" Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6) WHEN SKIES ARE BRASS
When skies are brass and, though we pray, No answer comes; and when our day Is filled with pain and grief and care, Sometimes we wonder, "Is God there? And does He hear us - does He know The pangs we suffer? And if so - Because He is omnipotent, And we so weak, our small strength spent - Why not reach down His mighty hand To help?" Could we but understand His ways with us - could we but know What God is doing for us now!
What is God doing for us now? O child of His, why should we know? He is the Potter, we the dust, Shaped by His hand. Can we not trust? Enough that He, the Perfect One, Will finish what He has begun. The Master Artist's own design, Worked out in lives like yours and mine. The Shepherd knoweth what is best For that small lamb upon His breast; And tenderly the FATHER feeds And nourishes the child He leads.
O suffering ones, whose skies are brass, Know that all grief and pain will pass; All tears be dried. We may be sure This life is but the overture. Some day our voices we shal raise In swelling symphonies of praise . . . We could not bear it yet to know What God is doing for us now!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2010 6:38:39 GMT -6
" Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28) JEWELS
Will a king not protect all his jewels, And guard and treasure each one Which flashes like fire from his garments, Or shines in his bright diadem?
My king will watch over and keep me; For I shall be His on that day When He cometh to make up His jewels, I am safe every step of the way! " For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (II Timothy 1:12)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2010 7:04:29 GMT -6
" But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12) " And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:7) HIS SON'S BIRTHDAY
God had His Son's companionship, And Heaven was sweet and fair; And yet He yearned for other sons To share His mansions there.
So Christ the Lord came down to earth, And ever since He came, All may become the sons of God Who trust upon His name.
And thus the heavenly family grows. Now earnestly I pray, "May many sons be born to God Upon this Christmas day!"
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2010 7:20:48 GMT -6
" Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert" (Isaiah 35:6) STREAMS IN THE DESERT
Because His fountain freely flows My desert blossoms as the rose;
My dry parched ground becomes a pool, My wilderness a garden cool
Where passing bird may rest a wing, And nightingales delight to sing.
My barren wastes are verdure-clad, My solitary places glad.
The cooling shadow of His hand Refreshes all the thirsty land.
O blessed fountain of His grace, Free-flowing in this desert place,
I had not dreamed that it would bring This miracle of blossoming,
And build this bower of bloom and song Where pain and I have lived so long!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2010 7:28:42 GMT -6
CONCERNING SHUT-INS I would write a word on behalf of my fellow shut-ins, bespeaking for them a deeper understanding of, and symphathy with, their peculiar problems. I have had letters from hundreds of them and I never knew a finer, more courageous set of people - this silent, suffering army, fighting daily battles, their victories too often unrecorded save in the books of Him who said, " I was sick and ye visited me." They are among the unsung heroes of the world, and unsung too are the praises of those who devote their lives to caring for these sick ones. Among these I am proud to number my own dear husband who has never faltered in his devotion to me. The problems of shut-ins are many and, of course, varied according to their circumstances. Some who are married must learn to shop by proxy; must plan food for the family even though the very thought of food sickens; must manage finances, and learn to stretch the paycheck over the constant doctor bills; must keep an understanding interest in the active lives of their children; must, indeed, learn that the very heart of the home can be the sickroom. Others, life-long invalids, have never married and their problems are still more acute, usually complicated by financial difficulties. Many of them must support themselves by making fancywork, taking magazine subscriptions, or something similar. Perhaps you look at them and think that because they have no family they cannot understand. Remember they, too, longed for love and home and children as much as you did. Although these blessings came to you and not to them, their longing is nonetheless keen. Certain problems are common to all shut-ins, married or single: to battle inertia and discouragement; to keep the spirit on tiptoe, as it were; what to do with long hours when the eyes cannot be used and the radio tires; how to hold friends when one cannot return calls nor entertain; how to know the joy of labor when hands must be idle; how to overcome loneliness; how to keep a sense of proportion so that little things will not matter too much.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2010 7:29:38 GMT -6
Part 2
It isn't just being sick that is hard. It is the broken hopes, the feeling of being shut out of real life, the fear of growing odd and different, the dread of being a burden, the terrible feeling of uselessness. We do so want to be loved, yet how hard it is to be always lovable! Of course we cannot expect to be loved just because we are sick.
Perhaps most of those who are shut in for physical causes are also nervously ill. The abnormal manner of life; the lack of physical exercise and interesting occupation; the compulsory indoor life, the bitter knowledge, in many cases, that one will never be any better - all these contribute to this condition.
Most of us learn, in time, to bear pain - we have to - but shattered nerves are still harder to endure. We do not get enough exercise to enable us to sleep; and lack of sleep, in turn, frays the nerves - a vicious cycle. How well I know all the dreadful and humiliating details - the pounding heart and choking breath; inability to concentrate; the mental confusion and keen anguish; the general feeling of disintegration; the dizziness, the roaring in the head.
There is little profit in talking about it. No one who has had it wants to talk about it, and no one who has not can possibly understand it. But thanks be to God, He is the One who made nerves and He understands that they, too, wear out under stress and strain. And He gives peace and rest even to us broken ones. When I get to Heaven I think I shall enjoy my new set of nerves even more than my painless and erect body. And meanwhile even more than my painless and erect body. And meanwhile God has helped me conceal this condition from those who know me.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2010 7:30:26 GMT -6
Part Three
Now may I gently offer a few practical suggestions in which you may be of great help to the sick and the shut-ins of your acquaintance. They are only simple little things but they matter much to the invalid. Do not be too quick with urgent suggestions that they try this or that remedy. Through the years of my invalidism, I have come to the rueful conclusion that there must be hundreds of remedies for hundreds of ailments, and sometimes I feel that I have been urged to try them all. As this is manifestly impossible, and as most of us are doing the best we can - perhaps under strict orders of the doctor - perhaps this manner of helpfulness might better be omitted entirely. There is another little thing which doesn't bother me in the least, but I have learned that it is irritating to many shut-ins - remarks about their appearance. If one is feeling wretched he finds it exasperating to be told, "You look so well. I don't believe you are really very sick." Or if one is already discouraged it doesn't help to be told, "You are looking pale today." Personally this does not affect me one way nor the other.
Food is a very prosaic subject, but alter all we do hear a good deal about it these days. Sick and well have this one thing in common - they all do have to eat. Food presents a great difficulty to the shut-in, especially now that there is a shortage in so many items, and the patient may be on a diet requiring those particular things. I know of many shut-ins who live alone in a single room and must, in some manner, prepare their own simple and none-too-tempting meals, and then they are too tired to eat them. Others are dependent on the efforts of husband, or sister, or mother.
Many a time a kind neighbor has brought me a tray at mealitme and I wish they could really know what it has meant to me. It may have been just what we were going to have anyhow but it was cooked a little differently, it was served on different dishes and, best of all, it was seasoned with love and neighborliness. I shall always feel an almost passionate gratitude to the neighbor, who seeing that I had unexpected company, hastily made a delicious chocolate cake and brought it over. Or the one who, during a heat wave which prostrated me, heated her own oven to bake me some dainties to tempt my appetite. And there was the one who, calling and finding me very ill with flu, went home by way of the butcher shop and, that evening, brought down a kettle of chicken soup with the meat of the entire chicken in it. Still others have taken home fruit and canned it for me.
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