THE SECRET OF USEFULNESS

December 16, 2008 By Pastor David Stone

Here the secret of usefulness is set forth. “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee.”(Psalm 84:5)

Many of you have been Christians for a long time. When you get in difficulties or troubles or pressures, where is your strength? Have you found that your strength is in God, that He is the One who makes a difference?

One Saturday night I came home after a day away from my church responsibilities, and I was very tired. My wife told me some of the things that had been happening, some of the pressures that had come that day from the church and from the family. They were the kind of things I would normally want to lay before the Lord and pray about. But I didn’t feel like praying. I was tired, and I wanted to go to bed. I thought to myself, “What’s the use of praying, anyway? I’m so tired that my prayers wouldn’t have any power.”

Then it struck me: What a thing to say! What difference does it make how I feel? My reliance isn’t upon my prayers but upon God’s power. It always bothers me to hear Christians talk about “the power of prayer.” There isn’t any power in prayer. There is power in the God who answers prayer. I was rebuked in my own spirit by the remembrance that it makes no difference how tired I happen to be. So I prayed–very briefly, because the power of prayer doesn’t lie in the length of it, either. Charles Spurgeon used to speak of those who had the idea that the power of the ministry lay in the lungs of the preacher. But it doesn’t lie there, either. Power lies in the God who is behind prayer. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you.”

Some time ago I was trying to sell my car. Intending to put an ad in the paper, I read through several car ads to learn how to phrase it. I noticed a phrase that appeared again and again throughout the ads. It said, “Power all around.” At first I didn’t know what that meant, and then I realized it meant power steering, power brakes, automatic transmission, power windows, power seats, and, in the case of a convertible, a power top. Power all around! All this power is designed to take the terrible strain out of driving so that all you need to do is sit there and push little buttons and things will happen. What a tremendous description of the Christian life! Power all around!

Lord, You are the strength of my life. When I am weak and weary, let me turn to You for the power I need.

By Ray Stedman

THE MORROW

December 15, 2008 By Pastor David Stone

” Take therefore no thought for the morrow—“(Matthew 6:34)

O how often we need to remember those words from our gracious Redeemer! We all tend to worry too much and most of our worries pertain to our fears of the future. I found these following words from an unknown author in my files and they serve as a good reminder of our Lord’s words:

Every day let us renew the consecration to God’s service; every day let
us, in His strength, pledge ourselves afresh to do His will, even in the
veriest trifle, and to turn aside from anything that may displease Him.
He does not bid us bear the burdens of tomorrow, next week, or next year.
Every day we are to come to Him in simple obedience and faith, asking
help to keep us, and aid us through that day’s work; and to-morrow, and
to-morrow, and to-morrow, through years of long to-morrows, it will be but
the same thing to do; leaving the future always in God’s hands, sure that
He can care for it better than we. Blessed trust! that can thus confidingly
say, “This hour is mine with its present duty; the next is God’s, and when
it comes, His presence will come with it.”—–That’s good advice!

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday

God–Our Guide

December 14, 2008 By Pastor David Stone

“For this God is our God for ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”(Psalm 48:14)

Life is a journey with many twist and turns–and rough places over which we must travel. The good news is that God is always there to guide and help us.H. E. Manning expressed this beautifully in these words:

He has kept and folded us from ten thousand ills when we did not know it:
in the midst of our security we should have perished every hour, but that
He sheltered us “from the terror by night and from the arrow that flieth by
day”–from the powers of evil that walk in darkness, from snares of our own
evil will. He has kept us even against ourselves, and saved us even from
our own undoing. Let us read the traces of His hand in all our ways, in all
the events, the chances, the changes of this troubled state. It is He that
folds and feeds us, that makes us to go in and out,–to be faint, or to
find pasture,–to lie down by the still waters, or to walk by the way that
is parched and desert.

God Will Not Lead You Where He Cannot Keep You

HE CAME

December 13, 2008 By Pastor David Stone

“He came–” (John 1:11)

As I was searching for illustrations concerning Christmas, I came across the following story:   A striking Christmas card was once published with the title “If Christ Had Not Come”. It was founded upon our Savior’s words “If I had not come.” The card represented a pastor’s falling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come.
   In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas bells or wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort, gladden and save. He walked out to the street, but there was no church with its spire pointing to Heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Savior had disappeared.
   The doorbell rang and a messenger asked the preacher to visit his poor, dying mother. He hastened with the weeping child, and as he reached the home he sat down and said, “I have something here that will comfort you.” He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended with Malachi. There was no Gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair.
   Two days later he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service. There was no message of consolation, no hope of heaven.

Thank God “He came”! And His coming has brought help and hope for all those who trust Him! Have you received Him?

PRAISE THE LORD

December 12, 2008 By Pastor David Stone

“Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” (Psalm 112:1)

Here is good reason to praise the Lord.When we stop praising Him we are out of accord with heaven and life turns sour. But when we praise Him there are blessings in abundance.

The basis of our happiness is found in the fact that we fear the Lord. That’s just the opposite of what most people think. They suppose that happiness is found by ignoring God—throwing off all restraints and doing as they please. They could not be more wrong–“Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD.”

The evidence of this fear of the Lord is found in the next phrase–“that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” Spurgeon wrote, “Holiness is his happiness, devotion is his delight, truth is his treasure.” It should be the same for all of us!

Read the rest of this Psalm and consider the precious promises given to those who fear God and delight in His commandments. They are amazing! But, that shouldn’t surprise us–our God is AMAZING! We should stand in awe of His greatness and praise Him continually for His goodness. Resolve right now that you will do so. It really will make a difference!

THE SECRET OF USEFULNESS

Here the secret of usefulness is set forth. “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee.”(Psalm 84:5)

THE MORROW

God–Our Guide

HE CAME

PRAISE THE LORD

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