THE TENDERNESS OF GOD

When the Lord removes the blinders
and reveals Himself to His child
He sees the Lord for whom He is
Tender and merciful.

"He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." Isaiah 40:11

How soothing, in the hour of sorrow, or bereavement, or death, to have the countenance and sympathy of a tender earthly friend. Reader, these words tell you of One nearer, dearer, tenderer still; the Friend that never fails; a tender God!

By how many endearing epithets does Jesus exhibit the tenderness of His relation to His people.
Does a shepherd watch tenderly over his flock? "The Lord is my Shepherd."
Does a father exercise fondest solicitude towards his children? "I will be a Father unto you."
Does a mother's love exceed all other earthly types of affection. "As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you."
Is the 'apple of the eye' (the pupil) the most sensitive part of the most delicate bodily organ? He guards His people "as the apple of His eye!"
"He will not break the bruised reed."
When the Shepherd and Guardian of Souls finds the sinner, like a lost sheep, stumbling on the dark mountains, how tenderly He deals with him! There is no look of wrath; no word of upbraiding; in silent love "He lays him on His shoulders rejoicing!"
Reader, are you mourning over... the weakness of your faith; the coldness of your love; your manifold spiritual declensions?
Fear not. He knows your frame! He will give 'feeble faith' tender dealing. He will "carry" in His arms those that are unable to walk, and will conduct the burdened ones through a path less rough and rugged than others.
When "the lion" or "the bear" comes, you may trust the true David, the tenderest of Shepherds!
Are you suffering from outward trial?
Confide in the tenderness of your God's dealings with you. The strokes of His rod are gentle strokes; the needed discipline of a father yearning over his children the very moment He is chastising them. The gentlest earthly parent may speak a harsh word at times; it may be, needlessly harsh. But not so God. He may seem, like Joseph to his brethren, to 'speak roughly'; but all the while there is love in His heart.
The 'pruning knife' will not be used unnecessarily. It will never cut too deeply.
The 'furnace' will not burn more fiercely than is absolutely required. A tender God is seated by it, tempering the fury of its flames.
And what, believer, is the secret of all this tenderness? "There is a Man upon the Throne!" Jesus, the God Man Mediator; combining with the might of Godhead, the tenderness of spotless humanity.
Is your heart crushed with sorrow? so was His!
Are your eyes dimmed with tears? so were His? "Jesus wept!" Bethany's Chief Mourner still wears the Brother's heart in glory!
Others may be unable to enter into the depths of your trial; Jesus can; Jesus does!
With such a tender God.... caring for me, providing for me, watching my path by day, and guarding my couch by night,
"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

John MacDuff

Watch Out for the False Teachers Among You

I read this at Biblical Discernment Ministrie's Site and thought it worthy of sharing.....

"Paul said that these false teachers (Romans 16:17,18) are effective in deceiving believers. They're effective for two reasons: (1) These false teachers are very effective communicators -- 'They use smooth and flattering speech to deceive people;' ... (2) Believers aren't paying attention. Believers are unsuspecting ... They're [the false teachers] using smooth and flattering speech. They have personal magnetism about them. Our attention gets turned away from what they are saying to how they are saying it, to the impression they are making with their own personality. And when we are put in that situation, we turn our attention from the content of what is being taught, and ... we open ourselves up to be deceived and turned away from our purity and devotion to Jesus Christ."Now, one of the ways that believers get deluded is they begin to focus on what they agree with in false teaching, but what is at issue is what we disagree with ... Many believers are being deluded today [in this way] ... In such a debate [with false teachers], we have to be sure to focus on what we disagree on ... we have to be very careful as we are exposed to false teachers. " ... If we're talking about it being the power of God that establishes us, how do believers get deceived? Did God's power not work for them? ... You must understand the means of God's power -- 'according to my Gospel ' ... The Gospel of God is the message of Jesus Christ. He is the subject of that message ... The Gospel includes everything related to His death, burial, and resurrection ... The whole book of Romans is a detailed presentation of the Gospel ... God's power always works in the context of His Gospel, His revealed Word ... That is true not only in the initial salvation of the lost, but the ongoing salvation that the believer experiences [i.e., progressive sanctification] ... God's power does not work in the life of God's child -- to establish them, to firmly plant them, to strengthen them -- apart from the ministry of the Word of God in that life. If you are not being regularly exposed and taught and saturated with the Word of God, then God's power will not operate to establish you, and you will become a prey to satanic deception."I hope you have this underlined in your Bible -- 'There will also be false teachers among you.' He doesn't say maybe. We're not talking about the [cults] ... we're talking about those that rise from within the Church of Jesus Christ and promote false doctrine. 'They will secretly introduce destructive heresies' (2 Peter 2:1). How can you secretly introduce a destructive heresy among believers? Well, you present it under the guise of being truth to believers who are unsuspecting. You present it very cleverly, very smoothly ... "We [the Church] are more concerned with our feelings and our experiences than we are with the Truth of God ... You better be looking for a place where the Word is believed and taught. That's what the Church is; it's the pillar and support of the truth ... Are you looking for friends or are you looking for the truth? We want to corrupt and twist the Church to make it what people want ... Come to the church that believes and teaches the truth! ... God's power does not operate apart from God's Word ... If Satan wants to disrupt the work of God in your life, what does he do? -- attack the Word, so that the power of God does not work ... You could never have been saved apart from the Word of God, and you ought to understand, you can never grow, you can never be firmly planted as a child of God, unless you are constantly, constantly taking in the diet of the pure milk of the Word of God ... We must have that imbedded in our hearts and minds. Never be satisfied, never tolerate anything else, than a ministry that is focused in its entirety on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

WARFARE

When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith. Abraham Kuyper

We are in a battle that we know one day will end in Victory. We know because the scriptures tell us that (Revelation 20:1-15) It will come when Jesus returns and Satan is cast into the lake of fire.

We are going to find when we are walking stronger and stronger each day for Christ Satan will try everything to tempt us to fall. He doesn't want us sharing the gospel with the lost. He would rather the world see us sin, he would rather see us quarrel amongst one another so the lost do not see the unity that should be found amongst brothers and sisters. Satan does NOT want the true gospel to be spread so he uses false teachers and preachers to spread hearsay. (1 Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah 3:1-2).

Satan is so suttle, he is the great deceiver, Satan is an expert at falsifying truth (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). That is why reading and studying the word is SO important. That is why we put on the Armor of God, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Verse Ephesians 12 tells us why.... For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high place. Satan will use anyone and anything to take us away from the Word, Satan is the father of lies and he is using many men and women behind the pulpit for his plan. God has given us the righteousness of Christ, imputed by God and received by faith, which guards our hearts against the accusations and charges of Satan, and secures our innermost being from his attacks.We are fitted with feet to walk the right path and to avoid being tempted.We have our shields, Hebrews 12:2 tells us it is like a golden shield, precious, solid, and substantial; and like a shield of mighty warriors, by which mighty things are done, and by which the believer not only repels, but conquers the enemy.WOW! We have our helmet, this a good description...The head of the soldier was among the principal parts to be defended, as on it the deadliest strokes might fall, and it is the head that commands the whole body. The head is the seat of the mind, which, when it has laid hold of the sure Gospel “hope” of eternal life, will not receive false doctrine, or give way to Satan’s temptations to despair. The unsaved person has no hope of warding off the blows of false doctrine because his mind is incapable of discerning between truth and falsehood. And finally the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and we sure know how important this is to a believer. It is our livelihood, it is our guide as we live in this foreign land until we are called home and are present with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we hear those words we have long to hear "Well done my good and faithful servant, Well done!" Servant of God, well done; well hast thou fought The better fight..


The same moment in which I close my eyes on a
world of sin and suffering, I open them in glory!


Just a note...if you have a problem with your brother or sister dealing with the lost or with sin in their lives, go to that brother and sister privately and not in front of the lost because the lost just love to see God's children fight amongst one another. I see it more and more in blogs...

*what I meant by doing it privately is when we are angry and instead of being nasty in front of the lost go to the brother and sister one on one , thank you Sarah


Cristina

PROVIDENCE

Those circumstances, which to the dim eye of Jacob's faith wore a hue so somber, were at that very moment developing and perfecting the events which were to shed around the evening of his life the halo of a glorious and cloudless sunset. All things were working together for his good! And so, troubled soul, the "much tribulation" will soon be over, and as you enter the "kingdom of God" you shall then see, no longer "through a glass darkly" but in the unshadowed sunlight of the Divine presence, that "all things" did "work together" for your personal and eternal good.

—Arthur W. Pink

Do you ever wonder why certain circumstances happen in our lives? When there is loss in our lives how do we react? Sure there is sorrow but to the Christian there is comfort from the Holy Spirit. To the Holy, there is understanding because we know the Bible tells us, "He has a purpose" in all things----to bring Him Glory.

Corrie Ten Boom said "Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only he can see."

God sees the whole picture and He has planned it all since the beginning of time. There is no mistakes, no coincidences, everything we are given are blessings given to us to learn from and grow. We serve a gracious Master who knows how to overrule even our mistakes to His glory and our own advantage.

God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.--Charles Spurgeon

Christians have the advantage of knowing the Lord will work out all things for His Good and our good. He love His children with an everlasting love that will guide them through good times and bad. The lost have no hope, they live in darkness and can not see the Glory of God.

His word says Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.'Matthew 10:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Colossians 1:16-18 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

It is hard for the lost to grasp the idea that God is in charge of the storms, the hurricanes, the tornadoes, the tsunami and the damage that sometimes happens when these occur.

Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
[ This verse shows that God's plan & purpose will NOT be changed, despite man's attempt at doing so. Though man tries to change things for his own sinful purposes, God's will & purpose will ALWAYS prevail.)

Samuel 2:6-10 6 "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He has set the world upon them. 9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed."The Children of God trust in God and know that He has planned the beginning to the end and it will all end up for good and for His glory. The Christian may not understand sometimes why certain things happen but their faith in their Savior and the work on the cross He suffered and that is sufficient enough for them.

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

AND LASTLY.....

Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
[ This verse shows that God's plan & purpose will NOT be changed, despite man's attempt at doing so. Though man tries to change things for his own sinful purposes, God's will & purpose will ALWAYS prevail. ]

Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL

"There is a friend who sticks closer than
a brother." Proverbs 18:24
Such a friend is Jesus. He is so a friend
to every one of His people, as if He were
a friend to none besides. Jesus is . . .
an omnipotent friend;
an omniscient friend;
an omnipresent friend;
an indeficient friend;
a sovereign friend;
an immutable friend;
a watchful friend;
a loving friend;
a faithful friend;
a compassionate friend;
a close friend,
a universal friend—a friend in
all cases and in all places,
our first friend,
a constant friend—"Whom He loves,
He loves to the end." John 13:1

The true healing of the soul is always through the birth of love. Before a soul loves, it lives only to itself; as soon as love is born it lives beyond itself and finds its life in the object of its love. It is Christ who first reveals the full measure of love, who makes us seethe one adequate Object of love, and who forges within our human spirits the invisible bonds of a love that binds us forever to Him who so loved us. Here in Him - "a Man loving all the world, a God dying for mankind" - we see that we are infinitely beloved, that the foundations of an eternal Friendship are laid, that God is infinitely prone to love, and that true love spares nothing for the sake of what it loves - "O miraculous and eternal Godhead suffering on a Cross for me!
Rufus M Jones

Go measure the heavens with your span;
go weigh the mountains in the scales;
go take the ocean's water and calculate each drop;
go count the sand upon the sea's wide shore;
and when you have accomplished all of this,
then you can tell how much He loves you!
He has loved you long!
He has loved you well!
He will love you forever!
C H Spurgeon

TRUE FELLOWSHIP

Today being football Fan's biggest day of the year, you see a lot of fellowshiping going on. Mostly men getting together to watch the big game and eat all the great tasting food that is not good for us prepared mostly by their wives or food just ordered in. Others will go to bars and do the same thing. They all sit around their TV's rooting for their favorite teams. They laugh, they joke, they just have a rip roaring time with each other. After the game is over they head home and may not see each other till the following year when they meet again or they see each other throughout the year.

FELLOWSHIP
What is true Fellowship?
A dear Pastor and man I call Friend put it this way:

The term we see translated “fellowship”, actually comes from three distinct nouns, and one verb. The First noun, koinonia, which is also translated communion, and communication. Its basic meaning is “sharing in common”. The second noun is moteche, meaning partnership. The third noun koinonos, denotes a partner, or partaker. The verb, koinoneo, means to have fellowship or communication with. Sunkoinoneo means the same. Basically, to fellowship, means to have in common, or have partnership in something. Here are a couple of verses that might better help us to understand.

1 John 1: 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we continually walk contrary to the light of Christ, then how can we claim to have fellowship with Him, or be a partaker of new life from Him?

"Tell me with whom thou are found and I will tell you who thou art." Johann Wolfgang

Let the reader, where we are equally confident, stride on with me; where we are equally puzzled, pause to investigate with me; where he finds himself in error, come to my side; where he finds me erring, call me to his side. So that we may keep to the path, in love, as we fare on toward Him, 'whose face is ever to be sought.'


True fellowship is when we can come to one another and lift each other up, we can mourn together, rejoice together, rebuke one another in love, we can grow together, learn from one another, have a genuine love for one another, a love that is like no other because our common bond is found in the Christ.

Christians in consort are an abridgement of heaven, shining like a firmament of bright stars. . . Surely, of all fellowships, this is the only good fellowship. Next to communion with God, there is no communion like the communion of saints.

One hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.... A. W. Tozer

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings;
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea.
Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.
Henry Francis Lyte, 1847. The three verses of Abide With Me which are often omitted.

I John 1:3. “declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us.” “Truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” Now, whatever our fellowship is, it’s with each other as believers and it’s with the Father and the Son. Fellowship is a Partnership.

I appreciate the Fellowship I find in my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am thankful that they love me enough to come to me when I am in error and we can discuss our difference and grow together. I am thankful when life can get me down sometimes and just spending time with a fellow believer can lift my spirits up. Fellowship in Christ is what helps us get through some rough days. That common Bond that has us glued together is Christ, the greatest Friend a child of God has. I always remember "He Loved me First". He brought me into this wonderful fellowship with the body of Christ and my life has never been the same.

Cristina