(This picture is the library of C. H. Spurgeon-The Prince of Preachers. Mr. Spurgeon collected twel

(This picture is the library of C. H. Spurgeon-The Prince of Preachers. Mr. Spurgeon collected twel
(This picture is the library of C. H. Spurgeon-The Prince of Preachers. Mr. Spurgeon collected twelve thousands of books. May we also pursue after the spiritual, heavenly and eternal things with our whole heart by God's grace!)

Thursday, November 18, 2021

1. Devotional: Be Patient

Be Patient
Author: David Jeremiah

I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—
that it is good for a man to remain as he is. (1 Corinthians 7:26)

    We’ve all heard the advice: "Count to ten before doing/saying anything you might regret later." In other words, impulsive, emotionally-based decisions or actions are fraught with the possibility of disappointment. If that is true for everyday decisions, how much more might it be true when making marriage plans? Patience is the watchword when it comes to such life-changing decisions.
    The apostle Paul gave such advice to the Corinthian church when he wrote to them about marriage. He said, given the "present distress," don’t make life-altering decisions. If you are single, remain single; if you are married, remain married. What was the "present distress" of which he wrote? It could have been some sort of crisis in Corinth resulting in hardship, or it might have been simply the challenges of following Christ in an ungodly, antagonistic culture. In other words, sometimes life presents enough "troubles" of its own without making drastic changes impulsively. Marriage is good; singleness is good. Just be patient and seek the Lord’s will and timing.
    This advice about marriage applies to all the Christian life: Be patient, seek the Lord, move deliberately and prayerfully.

Saturday, September 4, 2021

1. Devotional: Let’s Talk about Families

Let’s Talk about Families
Author: Robert A. Cook (1912-1991)

For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him. (1 Sam. 1:27)

    How do you plot a course for your family? Note three crucial elements evident in today’s text: first, prayer; second, commitment; and third, responsibility.
    Hannah prayed earnestly. In agony of soul, she cried out to God. And God answered her prayer beautifully, in the arrival of a baby boy, Samuel. Prayer makes the difference between a family full of God and a family full of self. This has to be more, by the way, than a prayer now and again in formal fashion. It takes that personal intercession where mothers and dads, sons and daughters, are each seeking God.
    Second, commitment. Hannah vowed that Samuel would be lent to the Lord as long as he lived (1:28). Would you be willing to give your child to God—perhaps even for overseas missions service? Would you be willing to give up your home, your financial security, your prestige? My dear friend, the willingness to give your most precious possession to God, and yourself with the gift, makes all the difference.
    The third factor, of course is responsibility. Eli knew that "his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not" (3:13). Eli was a chief priest, and, as such, it was his responsibility to say who would serve with him in the tabernacle. He could have, and he should have, said, "Boys, if you’re not going to walk with God, you’re not going to work here either."

Small thought here:

    My father said to me on many occasions, "Boy, as long as you have your feet under my table I’m responsible to God for you." And parents, it’s true!

Saturday, August 7, 2021

2. Hymn: Be Thou My Vision

Hymn: Be Thou My Vision 
Translator: Mary E. Byrne (1880-1931)

1. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
    Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art—
    Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
    Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2. Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
    I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord;
    Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
    Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
    Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
    Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
    High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

4. High King of heaven, my victory won,
    May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun!
    Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
    Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.



Sunday, August 1, 2021

1. Devotional: Family Decisions

Family Decisions 
by Robert A. Cook (1912-1991)

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, 
and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice. (Gen. 18:19)

    A young woman became concerned about the spiritual condition of her parents and her brother. They were all good, church-going people, but seemed to have no spiritual vitality. She began to pray about the matter and became convinced that, for her at least, having a daily quiet time would be the key to spiritual growth. 
    The young lady asked to use the family alarm clock. In return for the privilege, she promised to waken the rest of the family on time each morning. Then she arose half an hour before the others to meet quietly with her Lord. Before long, the rest of the family began to show interest in spiritual things. They began to pray and have their own devotions. The family became more and more spiritually minded and both children are now active in Christian service.
    You may be your own family’s only source of spiritual teaching. This is true not only in the case of one believer in the midst of an unsaved family; it is also true in families where all profess faith in Christ. By this I mean that you may be the one person who can show by your example that a certain scriptural truth is both real and important.
    Make family decisions, then, realizing that you are God’s instrument in your home. Family members will define what you really are by observing what you do.

Small thought here:

    Your family is something uniquely yours. These are the people with whom God has placed you and to whom you belong. And it is a responsibility which cannot be evaded. Your family may be your number one mission field. Your conduct and choices may affect their relationship to Christ.

Saturday, July 17, 2021

1. Devotional: Home Evangelism

Home Evangelism
by W. A. Criswell (1909-2002)

    Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him (Luke 8:39).

    In the last chapter of the Book of Romans, the sixteenth chapter, Paul will write, "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus; and likewise greet the church that is in their house" (Romans 16:3, 5). Look again as he closes the First Corinthian letter, 1 Corinthians 16, with this word: "The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, and the church that is in their house" (1 Corinthians 16:19).
    I turn again to the fourth chapter, the last chapter of Colossians, and he writes there, "Salute the churches which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house" (Colossians 4:15). And I turn again, to the beginning of Philemon, who lived in Colossae. He starts off his sweet letter of love and appeal, "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and fellow laborer. Greetings to the beloved Apphia," who apparently was his wife, "and to Archippus," who apparently was their son, "our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house" (Philemon 1-2).
    The greatest success, triumph, of the Christian faith, the greatest it has ever known was in the first three Christian centuries. It literally subverted the civilized world. It swung the Roman Empire on new hinges. It created a new civilization. There has never been anything like it in the history of mankind. And they did it without a church house. They didn’t build churches until about three hundred years after Christ.
    You could ask these ancient first-century Christians the same question that I once asked the choir leader from the Baptist church in Moscow: "Oppressed, how do you carry on your work?" The man from Moscow said, "We do it in the home, from house to house." If you were to ask the earliest Christians, "How did you do it in the time of the greatest power of the Christian church?" they would answer, "We did it in the home, in the house. We gathered friends, and we gathered neighbors, and there we taught the Word of God, and we sang the songs of Zion, and we prayed together."

Saturday, May 8, 2021

6. Hymn: Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear

Hymn: Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear
Author: John Keble (1792-1866)

1. Sun of my soul, thou Saviour dear,
    It is not night if thou be near;
    O may no earth-born cloud arise
    To hide thee from thy servant‵s eyes.

2. When the soft dews of kindly sleep
    My weary eyelids gently steep,
    Be my last thought, how sweet to rest
    For ever on my Saviour‵s breast.

3. Abide with me from morn till eve,
    For without thee I cannot live;
    Abide with me when night is nigh,
    For without thee I dare not die.

4. If some poor wandering child of thine
    Have spurned today the voice Divine,
    Now, Lord, the gracious work begin;
    Let him no more lie down in sin.

5. Watch by the sick; enrich the poor
    With blessings from thy boundless store;
    Be every mourner‵s sleep tonight,
    Like infant‵s slumbers, pure and light.

6. Come near and bless us when we wake,
    Ere through the world our way we take,
    Till in the ocean of thy love
    We lose ourselves in heaven above.



5. Hymn: My Father Watches Over Me

Hymn: My Father Watches Over Me
Author: William C. Martin (1864-1914)

1. I trust in God wherever I may be,
    Upon the land or on the rolling sea;
    For come what may, from day to day,
    My heav‵nly Father watches over me.

Refrain:
I trust in God, I know he cares for me,
On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
Though billows roll, he keeps my soul,
My heav‵nly Father watches over me.

2. He makes the rose an object of his care,
    He guides the eagle through the pathless air;
    And surely he remembers me,
    My heav‵nly Father watches over me.

3. I trust in God, for, in the lion‵s den,
    On battlefield, or in the prison pen;
    Through praise or blame, through flood or flame,
    My heav‵nly Father watches over me.

4. The valley may be dark, the shadows deep,
    But oh, the shepherd guards his lonely sheep;
    And through the gloom, he‵ll lead me home,
    My heav‵nly Father watches over me.



4. Hymn: Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

Hymn: Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
Author: St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1151)

1. Jesus, the very thought of Thee
    With sweetness fills my breast;
    But sweeter far Thy face to see
    And in Thy presence rest.

2. No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
    Nor can the memory find
    A sweeter sound than Thy blest name,
    O Savior of mankind.

3. O hope of every contrite heart,
    O joy of all the meek,
    To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
    How good to those who seek!

4. But what to those who find? Ah, this
    Nor tongue nor pen can show;
    The love of Jesus, what it is
    None but His loved ones know.

5. Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
    As Thou our prize wilt be;
    Jesus, be Thou our glory now
    And through eternity.



3. Hymn: Day by Day

Hymn: Day by Day
Author: Karolina W. Sandell-Berg (1832-1903)

1. Day by day, and with each passing moment,
    Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
    Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
    I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
    He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
    Gives unto each day what He deems best—
    Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
    Mingling toil with peace and rest.

2. Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
    With a special mercy for each hour;
    All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
    He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r.
    The protection of His child and treasure
    Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
    “As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
    This the pledge to me He made.

3. Help me then in every tribulation
    So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
    That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
    Offered me within Thy holy Word.
    Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
    E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
    One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
    Till I reach the promised land.



2. Hymn: Abide With Me

Hymn: Abide With Me
Author: Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847)

1. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
    The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide:
    When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
    Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2. Swift to its close ebbs out life‵s little day;
    Earth‵s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
    Change and decay in all around I see;
    O thou who changest not, abide with me.

3. I need thy presence every passing hour;
    What but thy grace can foil the tempter‵s power?
    Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
    Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

4. I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless;
    Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
    Where is death‵s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
    I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

5. Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
    Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies:
    Heaven‵s morning breaks, and earth‵s vain shadows flee:
    In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.



1. A Quote from C. H. Spurgeon (3)

Monday, April 12, 2021

3. Devotional: Purpose of Marriage

Purpose of Marriage

by Ray C. Stedman (1917-1992)

Read: Genesis 2:18-25

    This is a remarkable passage because it gathers up the great concepts of marriage that run throughout the Bible. After God finished making woman and Adam slept off the deep unconsciousness into which he had fallen, God brought the woman to Adam. What a scene that must have been! Here is the first of a long series of boy-meets-girl stories. Out of this account emerges four factors that are essential to marriage.
    The first is that marriage is to involve a complete identity. The two are to be one. Adam's first reaction when he saw his wife was, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, or, She is one being with me. This is strengthened in the latter part of verse 24, which adds, and they will become one flesh. It is not without reason that this has become part of the marriage service, this recognition of unity. As someone has well said, the one word above all that makes marriage successful is ours. 
    The second thing is the biblical principle of headship, which is developed at much greater length in the New Testament. She shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man. Paul expands on this in his letter to Timothy to point out that man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. It is the man who is ultimately responsible before God for the nature and character of the home. It is the man who must exercise leadership in determining the direction in which the home should go and must therefore answer for that leadership, or its lack, before God. The woman's responsibility is to acknowledge this leadership.
    Then the third factor indicated here that characterizes true marriage is permanence. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. In the Hebrew text is the word dabag, which means to adhere firmly, as if with glue. A husband is to cleave to his wife. He forsakes all others and adheres to her. Whatever she may be like, he is to hold to her. He is to stay with her, and she with him, because marriage is a permanent thing.
    Finally, the fourth factor is set forth in verse 25, The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. This speaks clearly of openness between man and wife. They have no secrets, nothing that they do not share with each other. It is the failure to achieve this kind of openness that lies behind so much breakdown in marriage today, the utter breakdown of communication, where two sit and look at one another and say nothing or talk about merely surface trivialities. Often this is why they are so judgmental with one another, each one trying to get the other to agree and not being willing to allow differences of viewpoint to exist. There is to be a freedom of communication, one with the other. Marriages shrivel, wither, and die when this is not true.

Friday, March 26, 2021

9. Modern Worship Song: Draw Me Close To You

Modern Worship Song: Draw Me Close To You
Author: Kelly Carpenter 

Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I‵m your friend

You are my desire
No one else will do
‵Cause nothing else can take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace
Help me find the way
Bring me back to you

You‵re all I want
You‵re all I‵ve ever needed
You‵re all I want
Help me know you are near

Friday, March 19, 2021

8. Devotional: Peace Greater than the Storm

Peace Greater than the Storm

by David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

    Jesus gives us more than one reason why we need his peace. Christ said to his disciples in John 14:30, “the ruler of this world is coming.” What was the context of his statement? He had just told the twelve, “I will no longer talk much with you” (14:30).
    Jesus knew Satan was at work in that very hour. The devil had already enlisted Judas to betray him. And Christ knew that the religious hierarchy in Jerusalem was being empowered by the principalities of hell. He was also aware that a devil-inspired mob was coming shortly to take him prisoner. That’s when Jesus said to the disciples, “Satan, the wicked one, is coming. So, I won’t be talking to you much more.”
    Jesus knew he needed time with the Father to prepare for the coming conflict. He was about to be delivered into evil men’s hands, just as he had spoken. And he knew that Satan was doing all he could to shake his peace. The devil would harass and attempt to discourage him, all in an effort to break Christ’s faith in the Father—anything to get him to avoid the Cross.
    You may be in turmoil, thinking, “It’s over. I’m not going to make it.” But Jesus says “I know what you’re going through. Come and drink of my peace.”
    Right now you may be going through the hardest time you’ve ever faced. Your life may be unsettled and things may look hopeless. There seems to be no way out for you and every avenue you turn to fills you with more stress, confusion and weariness.
    It doesn’t matter what you’re going through. Your life may look like it was struck by a tornado. You may endure trials that cause others to look at you as a modern-day Job. But in the midst of your troubles, when you call on the Holy Spirit to baptize you in the peace of Christ, he will do it.
    People will point to you and say, “That person’s world has come completely apart. Yet he’s determined to trust God’s Word, live or die. How can he do it? How does he go on? He should have quit long ago. Yet he hasn’t given up. And through it all, he hasn’t compromised anything he believes. What amazing peace! It’s beyond understanding.”

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

6. Hymn: My Jesus I Love Thee

Hymn: My Jesus I Love Thee
Author: William R. Featherston (1848-1875)

1. My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine,
    For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
    My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
    If ever I loved Thee, My Jesus, ’tis now.

2. I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
    And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
    I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
    If ever I loved Thee, My Jesus, ’tis now.

3. I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
    And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath,
    And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow;
    If ever I loved Thee, My Jesus, ’tis now.

4. In mansions of glory and endless delight,
    I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
    I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
    If ever I loved Thee, My Jesus, ’tis now.





Tuesday, March 16, 2021

5. Hymn: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

Hymn: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go
Author: George Matheson (1842-1906)

1. O Love that wilt not let me go,
    I rest my weary soul in Thee;
    I give Thee back the life I owe,
    That in Thine ocean depths its flow
    May richer, fuller be.

2. O Light that follow'st all my way,
    I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
    My heart restores its borrowed ray,
    That in Thy sunshine’s glow its day
    May brighter, fairer be.

3. O Joy that seekest me through pain,
    I cannot close my heart to Thee;
    I trace the rainbow through the rain,
    And feel the promise is not vain
    That morn shall tearless be.

4. O Cross that liftest up my head,
    I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
    I lay in dust, life’s glory dead,
    And from the ground there blossoms red
    Life that shall endless be.





Friday, February 5, 2021

7. Hymn: Take My Life and Let It Be

Hymn: Take My Life and Let It Be
Author: Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

1. Take my life, and let it be
    Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
    Take my moments and my days,
    Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
    Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2. Take my hands, and let them move
    At the impulse of Thy love;
    Take my feet and let them be
    Swift and beautiful for Thee,
    Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice, and let me sing
    Always, only, for my King;
    Take my lips, and let them be
    Filled with messages from Thee,
    Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my will, and make it Thine;
    It shall be no longer mine.
    Take my heart; it is Thine own;
    It shall be Thy royal throne,
    It shall be Thy royal throne.

5. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
    At Thy feet its treasure-store.
    Take myself, and I will be
    Ever, only, all for Thee,
    Ever, only, all for Thee.




6. Hymn: Before the Throne of God Above

Hymn: Before the Throne of God Above
Author: Charitie Lees Bancroft (1841-1923)

1. Before the throne of God above
    I have a strong and perfect plea,
    A great High Priest whose name is Love,
    Who ever lives and pleads for me.
    My name is graven on his hands,
    My name is written on his heart;
    I know that while in heav‵n he stands
    No tongue can bid me thence depart,
    No tongue can bid me thence depart.

2. When Satan tempts me to despair
    And tells me of the guilt within,
    Upward I look and see him there
    Who made an end of all my sin.
    Because the sinless Savior died,
    My sinful soul is counted free;
    For God the Just is satisfied
    To look on him and pardon me,
    To look on him and pardon me.

3. Behold him there! The risen Lamb,
    My perfect, spotless righteousness;
    The great unchangeable I AM,
    The King of glory and of grace!
    One with himself I cannot die,
    My soul is purchased by his blood;
    My life is hid with Christ on high,
    With Christ, my Savior and my God,
    With Christ, my Savior and my God.

5. Modern Worship Song: 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

Modern Worship Song: 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
Author: Matt Redman

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I‵ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it‵s a new day dawning
It‵s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I‵ll worship Your holy name

You‵re rich in love, and You‵re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I‵ll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I‵ll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I‵ll worship Your holy name
Lord, I‵ll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before
O my soul
I‵ll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I‵ll worship Your holy name
I‵ll worship Your holy name

4. Modern Worship Song: Above All

Modern Worship Song: Above All
Author: Michael W. Smith

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There‵s no way to measure what you‵re worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone

Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

3. Modern Worship Song: You Are My All in All

Modern Worship Song: You Are My All in All
Author: Dennis Jernigan

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I‵d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is your name

Taking my sin my cross my shame
Rising again I bless your name
You are my all in all

When I fall down you pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is your name

2. Modern Worship Song: Wonderful, Merciful Savior

Modern Worship Song: Wonderful, Merciful Savior
Author: Dawn Rodgers and Eric Wyse

Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb
Could rescue the souls of men
Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost our way
Oh, we‵ve hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we‵re falling before Your throne

You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

1. Modern Worship Song: My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)

Modern Worship Song: My Tribute (To God Be the Glory) 
Author: Andraé Crouch  

How can I say thanks 
For the things You have done for me? 
Things so undeserved, 
Yet You gave to prove Your love for me;  

The voices of a million angels 
Could not express my gratitude. 
All that I am and ever hope to be, 
I owe it all to Thee.  

To God be the glory, 
To God be the glory, 
To God be the glory 
For the things He has done.  

With His blood He has saved me, 
With His power He has raised me; 
To God be the glory 
For the things He has done.  

Just let me live my life, 
Let it pleasing, Lord to Thee, 
And if I gain any praise, 
Let it go to Calvary.