Andrew Murray – The Life of Obedience
From the chapter titled The Secret of True Obedience
The secret of true obedience, I believe, is a clear and close personal relationship to God. All our attempts to achieve full obedience will fail until we have access to His abiding fellowship. It is God’s holy presence, consciously abiding with us, that keeps us from disobeying Him. Imperfect obedience is the result of a life that is lacking. To defend our life by arguments and faulty motives will only make us feel the need of a more committed life, one that is entirely under the power of God, in which place obedience becomes natural. A life of broken and spasmodic fellowship with God must be healed to make way for a full and healthy life of obedience. The secret of true obedience, then is the return to close and continual fellowship with God.” (Page 34)
Wow, even our obedience to Him and His leadings is wrapped up in our closeness to the Lord and our love for Him.
Showing posts with label Love the Lord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love the Lord. Show all posts
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
How much do we Love the Lord? Part 5
I have been reading a book by John Piper entitled, A Hunger for God, Desiring God Through Fasting and Praying. In the introduction on page 23, he writes, “The more deeply you walk with Christ, the hungrier you get for Christ . . . the more homesick you get for heaven . . . the more you want “all the fullness of God” . . . the more you want to be done with sin . . . the more you want the Bridegroom to come again . . the more you want the Church revived and purified with the beauty of Jesus . . . the more you want a great awakening to God’s reality in the cities . . . the more you want to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ penetrate the darkness of all the unreached peoples of the world . . . the more you want to see the false worldviews yield to the force of Truth . . . the more you want to see pain relieved and tears wiped away and death destroyed . . . the more you long for every wrong to be made right and the justice and grace of God to fill the earth like the waters cover the sea.”
My prayer is for all of the readers to walk deeply with Christ and have all these wants in our minds and hearts. Amen.
My prayer is for all of the readers to walk deeply with Christ and have all these wants in our minds and hearts. Amen.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
How much do we Love the Lord? Part 4
In my reading lately, it seems I keep coming onto the theme of ‘loving the Lord.’ It is the basis of all things Christian and must be our focus. I have already posted three times on it, but here is another. There will be a least a couple more in the next few days. As you probably can tell if you read the blog very much, I appreciate Charles Spurgeon so here is another devotion from him on loving and enjoying God.
Spurgeon Evening... Jan. 24
Luke 10:40 Martha was cumbered about much serving.
Her fault was not that she served: the condition of a servant well becomes every Christian. "I serve," should be the motto of all the princes of the royal family of heaven. Nor was it her fault that she had "much serving." We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we possibly can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the Master's service. . . . Her fault was that she grew "cumbered with much serving," so that she forgot Him, and only remembered the service. She allowed service to override communion, and so presented one duty stained with the blood of another. We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. . . . .
Beloved, while we do not neglect external things, which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see to it that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus. See to it that sitting at the Saviour's feet is not neglected, even though it be under the specious pretext of doing Him service. The first thing for our soul's health, the first thing for His glory, and the first thing for our own usefulness, is to keep ourselves in perpetual communion with the Lord Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality of our religion is maintained over and above everything else in the world. (Bold add by me for emphasis)
Spurgeon Evening... Jan. 24
Luke 10:40 Martha was cumbered about much serving.
Her fault was not that she served: the condition of a servant well becomes every Christian. "I serve," should be the motto of all the princes of the royal family of heaven. Nor was it her fault that she had "much serving." We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we possibly can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the Master's service. . . . Her fault was that she grew "cumbered with much serving," so that she forgot Him, and only remembered the service. She allowed service to override communion, and so presented one duty stained with the blood of another. We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. . . . .
Beloved, while we do not neglect external things, which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see to it that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus. See to it that sitting at the Saviour's feet is not neglected, even though it be under the specious pretext of doing Him service. The first thing for our soul's health, the first thing for His glory, and the first thing for our own usefulness, is to keep ourselves in perpetual communion with the Lord Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality of our religion is maintained over and above everything else in the world. (Bold add by me for emphasis)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
How much do we Love the Lord? Part 3
Spurgeon Morning and Evening 9/3/07 – AM
Song of Solomon 1:7 “Thou whom my soul loveth”
Why do we love Jesus? Because he first loved us.
Why do we love Jesus? Because he “gave himself for us.”
We have life through his death; we have peace through his blood.
Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor.
Why do we love Jesus? Because of the excellency of his person.
We are filled with a sense of his beauty! an admiration of his charms!
a consciousness of his infinite perfection!
His greatness, goodness, and loveliness, in one resplendent ray, combine to enchant the soul till it is so ravished that it exclaims,
“Yea, he is altogether lovely.”
Blessed love this—a love which binds the heart with chains more soft than silk, and yet more firm than adamant!
Song of Solomon 1:7 “Thou whom my soul loveth”
Why do we love Jesus? Because he first loved us.
Why do we love Jesus? Because he “gave himself for us.”
We have life through his death; we have peace through his blood.
Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor.
Why do we love Jesus? Because of the excellency of his person.
We are filled with a sense of his beauty! an admiration of his charms!
a consciousness of his infinite perfection!
His greatness, goodness, and loveliness, in one resplendent ray, combine to enchant the soul till it is so ravished that it exclaims,
“Yea, he is altogether lovely.”
Blessed love this—a love which binds the heart with chains more soft than silk, and yet more firm than adamant!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
How much do we Love the Lord? Part 2
I do not know where I read this, but an author asked a question of Christians about our patriotism. If we would be patriotic enough to suffer and even die for our country, how much more would we do for our Lord? This was a very convicting question for me. What about my family? I know I love them enough to suffer for them and even die for them. Am I willing to do this for the Lord.
In the book by Dennis Miller, Searching for God Knows What, on page 203-204 he provides an interesting take on actions we take when we are in love. He states, “I’ve a friend who has a leather-bound day planner, and on an inside page of the planner there is a space for facts about a spouse: her dress size, her favorite foods, her favorite music. Amazingly, this is not a page my friend created on a blank sheet of paper; rather, he bought it from the company that makes the time-management system. We laughed together at the oddity of the idea of trying to calculate, plan and structure knowledge that would be meaningful to a woman only if her husband knew it, as a consequence of his love. The whole point of intimacy is that you want to know things, random facts; you are driven to them because this woman has taken you captive, not that you would write them down as a matter of discipline. Imagine calling your wife to tell her you love her and then hanging up the phone to check off the action on your to-do list.”
How many of us treat the Lord like this? Again, I am convicted by how many times I pray, read, go to Church out of duty, to have the ability to mark off what I have done for the Lord.
Lord, I pray for a fresh love in my heart for you. One which shows I will ‘call you’ to tell you I love you, because of my want to make you happy. I want to die to myself for you. I want to love you with all my being. And also, move this love for my family, friends, co-workers and all mankind. Like in Luke 10:27, I want to live the two Commandments. “He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'*; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'*" Amen.
In the book by Dennis Miller, Searching for God Knows What, on page 203-204 he provides an interesting take on actions we take when we are in love. He states, “I’ve a friend who has a leather-bound day planner, and on an inside page of the planner there is a space for facts about a spouse: her dress size, her favorite foods, her favorite music. Amazingly, this is not a page my friend created on a blank sheet of paper; rather, he bought it from the company that makes the time-management system. We laughed together at the oddity of the idea of trying to calculate, plan and structure knowledge that would be meaningful to a woman only if her husband knew it, as a consequence of his love. The whole point of intimacy is that you want to know things, random facts; you are driven to them because this woman has taken you captive, not that you would write them down as a matter of discipline. Imagine calling your wife to tell her you love her and then hanging up the phone to check off the action on your to-do list.”
How many of us treat the Lord like this? Again, I am convicted by how many times I pray, read, go to Church out of duty, to have the ability to mark off what I have done for the Lord.
Lord, I pray for a fresh love in my heart for you. One which shows I will ‘call you’ to tell you I love you, because of my want to make you happy. I want to die to myself for you. I want to love you with all my being. And also, move this love for my family, friends, co-workers and all mankind. Like in Luke 10:27, I want to live the two Commandments. “He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'*; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'*" Amen.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
How much do we Love the Lord? Part 1
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Oct. 22 AM
How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has He ever done anything for thee? Has He forgiven thy sins? Has He covered thee with a robe of righteousness? Has He set thy feet upon a rock? Has He established thy goings? Has He prepared heaven for thee? Has He prepared thee for heaven? Has He written thy name in His book of life? Has He given thee countless blessings? Has He laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not seen nor ear heard? Then do something for Jesus worthy of His love. . . . . Love should give wings to the feet of service, and strength to the arms of labour. Fixed on God with a constancy that is not to be shaken, resolute to honour Him with a determination that is not to be turned aside, and pressing on with an ardour never to be wearied, let us manifest the constraints of love to Jesus.
14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Oct. 22 AM
How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has He ever done anything for thee? Has He forgiven thy sins? Has He covered thee with a robe of righteousness? Has He set thy feet upon a rock? Has He established thy goings? Has He prepared heaven for thee? Has He prepared thee for heaven? Has He written thy name in His book of life? Has He given thee countless blessings? Has He laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not seen nor ear heard? Then do something for Jesus worthy of His love. . . . . Love should give wings to the feet of service, and strength to the arms of labour. Fixed on God with a constancy that is not to be shaken, resolute to honour Him with a determination that is not to be turned aside, and pressing on with an ardour never to be wearied, let us manifest the constraints of love to Jesus.
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