A grateful day for all!

O the Love of His Royal Heart!

(William Mason, "The Believers Pocket Companion")

"Christ is all!"

Colossians 3:2O for the pen of a ready writer, to set forth the matchless glory and unparalleled excellence of the King--the King of Kings--the King of saints, even King Jesus!

We were once stout-hearted rebels against His crown and government! But, O the love of His royal heart! Instead of executing fierce vengeance upon us, for our sins--lo, He came from heaven to earth, with a flame of love in His heart, and matchless grace on His lips--on purpose . . .

to die for us,
to wash us from our sins in His own blood,
to conquer the rebellion of our hearts against Him,
and to win our affections to Him!

Has He saved us by His precious blood? Has He made us His willing, loving disciples, by His powerful grace? Surely then, we should live in the sweet enjoyment of all the rich blessings of his kingdom, and be holy and happy every day, yes, every hour--IN HIM. This is His loving will concerning us.

O for a single eye to look unto Jesus, a humble heart to sit at His feet, and a simple soul to hear and believe every word from His gracious lips, that we may know the love of Christ--constantly know it by a heartfelt sense of it. This, this is the one thing needful--to make poor sinners rich, and miserable sinners happy in time, and joyful to all eternity!

Remember your chief employment. It is not merely to make a profession, and to keep up a form of godliness; but to maintain and keep up a warm, lively, comfortable sense of the love of Christ in your hearts, from day to day, yes, from hour to hour!

Fun in Kansas :-)

For all the Posse:

We (that would be Beth and me and CJ and Andrew and Tim--who's at work) are having a blast here in Fairway (The City of Trees). The Ritter Trio arrived safely yesterday afternoon; today we're off to a slow start to allow for recuperating from a l-o-n-g travel day.

Wish you could all be with us!

Encouragement

The Monday Memo was waiting for me in my inbox this morning. I don't know about you, but I need to be encouraged. Every day. From a variety of resources. And I have been blessed to find them. And, in turn, I then feel it my duty, my joy, my privilege to encourage somebody else. Today's Monday Memo is all about encouragement.

PERSEVERANCE IS NOT A LONG RACE
PHILIPPIANS 3:14

Walter Elliot said, "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."

Many would define perseverance as one consistent day after another, but the fact is that no one is consistently consistent in all things 100% of the time.

A better way to say it is that perseverance is 4 consistent days out of 5. Or 9 consistent days out of 10.

I love Paul's use of the phrase "press on" in Philippians 3. It communicates the idea of not just trying, but trying again. Paul admits that he is not perfect, has not yet attained all that he desires to be ...

(v. 13-14) But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind

and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal ...

Perseverance isn't so much a matter of winning one long marathon as it is a matter of winning (or even "placing" in) the short races you run day after day, hour after hour. It requires us to press on, even after minor setbacks and temporary defeats.

Perseverance is a lifetime accomplishment ... lived out one day at a time, one 40-yard dash at a time.

--Steve May
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WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT PERSEVERANCE

One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is better than half-a-hundred half-finished tasks. --B.C. Forbes

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. --William Feather

Mistakes are easy, mistakes are inevitable, but there is no mistake so great as the mistake of not going on. --William Blake

The universal line of distinction between the strong and the weak is that one persists; the other hesitates, falters, trifles and at last collapses or caves in. --Edwin Percy Whipple

Paul Harvey said that if there is one common denominator of men whom the world calls successful it is this: They get up when they fall down.

The Monday Memo is a weekly devotional for leaders sent out each Monday by Steve May. This is a free service. For more information please visit http://www.aboutsunday.com/omm.htm

Church Lite

I wonder how this would go at our church... I'm not looking for this anytime soon.

THE LITE CHURCH

(everything you always wanted in a church . . . and less)

7. Guaranteed 20-minute sermon or your next one's free!

6. Your choice of only 8 commandments

5. Only happy hymns and choruses

4. Fewer commitments

3. No messages on subjects that hit too close to home

2. Reclining pews with pillow pads and head rests

1. Offering followed by a complimentary beverage and after service mint

(From "Bible Humor Top Seven Lists" by Dave Veerman and Rich Anderson.

http://snipr.com/biblehumor)

Desiring God

We may know the kingdom of grace is set up in our hearts--by having true desires after God. By the beating of this pulse--we conclude there is life.

A true desire after God is sincere. We desire God for Himself, for His intrinsic excellencies. The savor of the ointment of Christ's graces draws the virgins' desires after Him. Canticles 1:3. A true saint desires Him not only for what God has--but for what He is; not only for His rewards--but for His holiness. No hypocrite can thus desire God. He may desire Him for His jewels--but not for His beauty!

A true desire after God is insatiable. It cannot be satisfied without God; let the world heap her honors and riches--they will not satisfy. No flowers or music will content him who is thirsty. Just so, nothing will quench the soul's thirst--but the blood of Christ! He faints away, his heart breaks with longing for God. Psalm 84:2; Psalm 119:20.

A true desire after God is active. It flourishes into endeavor. "With my soul have I desired you in the night; yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you early." Isaiah 26:9. A soul that desires aright says, "I must have Christ! I must have grace! I must have heaven, though I take it by storm!"

A true desire after God is supreme. We desire Christ, not only more than the world--but more than heaven! "Whom have I in heaven but You?" Psalm 73:25. Heaven itself would not satisfy--without Christ. Christ is the diamond in the ring of glory!

A true desire after God is increasing. A little of God will not satisfy--but the pious soul desires still more. A drop of water is not enough for the thirsty traveler. Though a Christian is thankful for the least degree of grace--yet he is not satisfied with the greatest degree of grace. He still thirsts for more of Christ, and His Spirit. A saint would have more knowledge, more sanctity, more of Christ's presence. A glimpse of Christ through the lattice of an ordinance is sweet; but the soul will never stop longing--until it sees Him face to face! It desires to have grace perfected in glory! It desires to be wholly plunged into the sweetness of God. We would be swallowed up in God, and be forever bathing ourselves in those perfumed waters of pleasure, which run at His right hand!

Surely this sincere desire after God is a blessed sign that the kingdom of grace has come into our hearts. The beating of this pulse shows life! "Desires for God--are from God." If iron moves upwards contrary to its nature--it is a sign some magnet has been drawing it. Just so, if the soul moves towards God in sincere desires--it is a sign the magnet of the Spirit has been drawing it!

Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer