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“I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.” Php 4:13

I just completed reading the little known autobiography of Hannah Whithall Smith. Raised a Quaker, she eventually came to know Jesus and was used of God to bring the knowledge of salvation to the people of her day, and countless people since. Perhaps you know of her as a result of reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life. I don’t agree with everything she says in autobiography–there are some Quaker leanings that come through–but there are some gems that are so clear they are worth sharing. I have posted a few chapters of the book on path2prayer.com, including one on discovering victory.

Here is a paragraph from “Discovering Victory”:

“The present attitude of my soul is that of trusting in the Lord. And I have found it is a practical reality that He does deliver. When temptation comes, if I turn at once to Him, breathing this prayer: ‘Lord, save me. I cannot save myself from this sin, but Thou canst and wilt,’ He never fails me. Either He completely changes my feelings in the case, or He causes me to forget all about it, and my victory, or rather His victory is entire. This is a secret of the Christian life that I never knew before…. But why have I not know it? Why has my course been such a halting, miserable one, when I might have lived in victory? What a striking proof I have been of the inherent legality and unbelief of the human heart, for, while trusting the Lord entirely and only for my justification, I have always been trusting myself for my sanctification…. I have depended upon my own efforts, my own resolutions, my own watchfulness, my own fervency, my own strivings, to accomplish the work of holy living. This was legality. It was as truly legality as if I had trusted to these things to save my soul in the first place. I was ‘frustrating’ the grace of God as really in regard to my sanctification as those whom I have been used to condemn so utterly as legalists, were doing it in regard to their justification. I could easily see how they made the death of Christ of none effect by their legal striving, but I was blind to the fact that I also was doing the same thing. Our strivings to be sure were with a different end in view, but it was still in both cases our own striving—in both it was self, and not Christ. ‘For, if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.’ But now how different it is! Now I commit my daily life to Him, as well as my future destiny, and I trust Him just as nakedly for the one as for the other. I am equally powerless in both cases. I can do nothing—not even I, the new man,—and if the Lord does not do it all, it will not be done. But oh! glorious truth, He does do it! When I trust Him He gives me deliverance from the power of sin as well as from its guilt. I can leave all in His care-my cares, my temptations, my growth, my service, my daily life, moment by moment. Oh the rest and calm of a life like this!”

You can find the rest of her Discovering Victory at the new resources page on path2prayer.com where you will also find more on the same subject.

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I am an avid bookworm and find wonderful admonitions in the books that I am reading. Accordingly I have started a new section on my path2prayer.com web site where I share some of the quotations that I have read on a particular day. Today I was reading Legh Richmond’s take on raising Christian families. Along the way he also comments on music. His words are simple, come from a father’s heart and are profound.

Legh Richmond:

Richmond was very concerned about the way he raised his family. He strongly believed that many so called “innocent” pleasures were anything but innocent.

Richmond’s first object was to make home the happiest place to his children; to render them independent of foreign alliances in their pursuits and friendships; and so to interest them in domestic enjoyments, as to preclude the feeling, too common in young people, of restlessness and longing to leave their own fire-sides, and wander abroad in search of pleasure and employment. In this attempt to satisfy his family, and engage their compliance with his wishes, he so completely succeeded, that every member of it left home with regret, even for an occasional visit, and returned to Turvey with fond anticipation—as to the place of their treasures.

“I have long thought that though a good school is better than a bad home, a good home is the best of schools. Children are for the most part educated in temper and habits of all kinds, not by schools-but by companions, and here, all is contingency.”

“Some may think I am too fond of seeing my children around me; if it be a weakness, I must plead guilty to it-from their infancy I have looked forward, as far as providential circumstances would permit, to find comfort, support, and companionship in my children. My middle, and if spared, my old age, may much require it; and if my life be short, can anyone wonder that I should like to see and know much of them while I remain in this world. It has ever been my heart’s desire and prayer, to give them a useful, happy, exemplary home-were I to fail here, life would indeed become a blank to me. I would strive “to roll the troublous trial on God,” but I would deeply mourn in secret.”

A happy home greatly depends on the recreations and amusements which are provided for young people…. Mr. Richmond was aware to these issues and endeavored, by a succession and variety of recreations, to employ the leisure hours to advantage. He had recourse to what was beautiful in nature or ingenious in art or science-and when abroad he collected materials to gratify the curiosity of his children.

Music was another source of domestic amusement in which Mr. Richmond excelled, being both a good composer, and no mean performer. Many of his children played on some instrument, and occasionally joined their father in a “concert of sweet sounds.”

He encouraged the use of the pencil, and was very anxious that his daughters should cultivate their taste for drawing.

“Mere innocent pleasure is not a sufficient motive-the glory of God must be the end and aim of every attainment, or else it is a waste of time, and an abuse of talent. Pencils, paint, Indian ink, and Indian-rubber, may be devoted to the honor of him who bestows the power of combining their respective properties, so as to produce the similitudes of his works.”

“I am no less anxious about the cultivation of musical talents; there is, however, more danger of music being abused than drawing-the inundation of frivolity, and the sometimes unsuspected associations of a carnal and worldly nature, which mingle with musical compositions of a modern and fashionable cast, often distress and hurt me. The fascinations of the ballroom, the corruptions of the theater and opera-house, too often creep into the quiet piano-forte corner of young people. Even instrumental music, with its appendages of waltzes, dances, and love-sick airs, has often a tendency to familiarize the young mind with subjects injurious to its welfare. The sober dignity of genuine instrumental music is nearly lost in the substitution of modern trick and blandishment-but if instrumental music be thus abused, how much more so vocal music-here the art and science of music opens its richest stores of opportunity for glorifying God and edifying man.”

“I am persuaded that music is designed to prepare for heaven; to educate for the choral enjoyment of paradise; to form the mind to virtue and devotion, and to charm away evil, and sanctify the heart to God. A Christian musician is one who has a harp in his affections, which he daily tunes to the notes of the angelic host, and with which he makes melody in his heart to the Lord. Does he strike the chord with his hands? it is to bid lute and harp to awake to the glory of God. The hand, the tongue, and the ear, form a kind of triple chord, not to be broken…. Bring music, my beloved child, to this test, and your vocal hours will not be spent in vain.”

You can find my reading notes at this link: I also have notes on Huegel’s Bone of His Bone, and Brainerd’s Prayer Journal. There is much more at path2prayer.com on practical Christianity.

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Gal. 6:14 “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

1 Cor. 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

The following sobering words are worth pondering!

“Satan has no great controversy, no real quarrel with those who are content to go along professing to be Christ’s, while ‘self’ in one form another sits, so to speak, upon the throne. So long as the ‘old life’ is not displaced, so long as the cross is simply looked upon as a distant symbol, so long as no inner crucifixion takes place releasing the spiritual faculties and entailing a vital union with Christ in the power of His ascension-life, the Enemy is not greatly alarmed.”

“The ‘self-life’ and the Satanic spirit are in unconscious affinity. However polished the former—it may shine with the culture of the ages and bear the religious glow of the best in natural religions—-it is still ‘self,’ it is still ‘flesh-life.’ It has the curse of God upon it. It has the smell of infernal associations about it. It stinks. ‘The carnal mind is enmity with God’ (Rom.8). It hates Him while it pretends to love Him. Where ‘self-life’ dominates, be the religous professions what they may, Satan finds plenty of ground on which to work.”

“If the ‘self-life’ is supreme, Satan does not have to be invited in. The lines are already set for the ‘electric’ current to flow. Satan is master of ceremonies, though he be apparently non-existent.” F. J. Huegel, Bone of His Bone, pp. 76,77,80.

Learn more about dethroning self at this link: Overcoming Self

Learn more about about the overcoming life at path2prayer.com

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Luke 11:8 “Because of his persistence he will rise and give him AS MANY as he needs.”

A friend and I had been praying for a new job for her. She called again, a few months later saying there was a possible job opening up and we needed to pray about whether God wanted her to take it considering everything going on in her life.

A few weeks later to my dismay she called to say she was moving farther away to take the position God had given her. She had a month to pack a whole house and keep up with a full-time job and aged parents who were ill on top of her own health challenges. We kept in touch every day. It soon became clear there wasn’t going to be enough time with all she had to do to pack the house though everyday she packed a few boxes.

I was seven hours away and felt helpless; though staying in touch was useful in keeping her priorities on the right things, I could hear the despair in her voice. The feeling of needing to help grew strong, but I was seven hours away and gas was just ridiculously costly.

I prayed about the need my friend had and what God wanted me to do with it. Should I go or just listen on the end of the phone. God answered. He opened up some time at work but there was not enough money, and gas was soaring at $4.50 a gallon. How could I do it? Seven hours, 450 miles equaled a lot of money in gas.

(For the reader: I am self-employed so missing a week of work meant missing a week of pay also.)

I called her and mentioned that God had opened my schedule to take time off. And, I thought there was enough money for gas. I knew she didn’t have any money either, but she said she would pay half of the gas if I would come. It had been a year since we had been together, and this may be the last time we would see each other for a longer time since she would be eight hours farther away.

We made arrangements for the end of July.

It came time to leave, we prayed for safekeeping, and that my 15-year-old car would not have any problems on the way. I climbed in the car and drove about an hour before filling the tank, which equaled $60, and I would have to do that at least twice each way. Gas was less in Indiana and the farther you drove south the cheaper it was so the news said. The long stretches of road were lonely, but singing along to scripture songs on a tape and praying for wisdom and strength for moving was comforting.

It was a very nice drive. I watched the gas gauge, and for the cheapest place to stop for gas, but the gauge hardly moved. I stopped frequently for food and to stretch my legs but not for gas.

Pulling into her drive my eye caught the gauge for the last time and it hit me. God drove me 6 hrs on a quarter tank of gas!

My friend asked, “What kind of car is this? Truly this must be God’s car!”

Praising God for his blessing, the next week was filled with conversations and lots of packing. Oh, what a blessing for us as we spent time together.

But that wasn’t all! A week later when it was time to leave, I topped off the tank for the drive home. The customary stops for food and to stretch my legs were made, but not for gas. When I got home again, after driving seven hours I looked at the gas gauge. A quarter tank of gas was gone. God knew neither of us had the money and supplied this car with God’s gas. What a blessing to bless others in their time of need and share just how powerful God truly is.

Praise God! He is faithful to His unworthy children!

Oh, and my gas tank holds 15 gals so that was what 3.75 gals. What a God!

I did my part; driving 64 miles an hour to save gas, but this was just God and God alone. What a miracle!

Margie Mitchell
Michigan

Note from Dan: I know Margie personally and know her story to be true. God is good!!!

Find more resources on praying at path2prayer.com. Find more testimonies on God’s miracle keeping on the testimonies page.

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Abstract: Many individuals claim to hear God’s voice. Some appear to legitimately do so, but not all! It seems Satan sometimes uses the claim to having “heard God’s voice” for mischief. In this article I summarize what I have learned about the place of “God’s voice” in determining His will. These thoughts first appeared in my weekly newsletter.

Perhaps the most common question that is directed my way is how to know God’s will. Lately there has been an added twist to the question: “What am I to do with the “voice” that sometimes speaks to me?” Voices are a challenge when it comes to prayer—sometimes confusion comes from too many voices speaking; sometimes there doesn’t seem to be any voice.

There are people who say “God told me…” and it seems to be legitimate. I am a bit envious of them to be honest. These people love the Lord and are thoroughly committed to whatever He wants. Others speak of God giving them dreams—I hear this particularly in primitive cultures or in the early stages of their Christian walk. I think that is wonderful too. Some talk of God “speaking” to them, but I am frightened because what God seems to be saying is at variance with what God has spoken through His word or other teaching. For example, one time in the past I was informed that I was going to die during a particular week, something that made me initially sad, but obviously did not happen.

The point is, any time you rely on God’s voice alone for direction, you are potentially placing yourself in a dangerous position since Satan will seek to take advantage of such a mode of seeking direction. For example George Muller only used “lots” twice before giving up of them, for both times the lots misdirected him—he comments later that Satan can apparently turn the coin as it is falling to the ground. God uses multiple voices when He leads us and we must seek to hear from all of them, and to hear them speak unitedly to correctly know what God is saying.

Generally speaking, God rarely communicates directly. In my life I can probably count on one hand the number of times God seemed to be speaking to me, and it appears that my experience is similar to many others. That doesn’t mean that God hasn’t given strong impressions, but God speaking directly as in saying specific words in unmistakable ways has been more the exception, and certainly not something that could be planned on ahead of time—in fact came when I was desperate for wisdom on at least one occasion. When God spoke, it was short, to the point, profound and life changing. God had already been directing through his word, was providentially opening and closing doors, and the direct communication was in complete harmony with—and confirmed—that prior communication.

I am certain that God prefers to speak to us through His word and He will rarely communicate directly if it is already in the Bible—though the devil would have us believe God speaks apart from His word. When God speaks He speaks in harmony with His Word. In reading countless books written on prayer by great Christians down through the ages, I find the same thing. Many speak of having received strong lingering impressions and eventually sensed direction in the basis of those impressions, but they also confirmed those impressions in other ways—remember Gideon!

I always come back to what George Muller said regarding knowing God’s will: 1. 90% of the challenge of knowing God’s will is choosing to have no will of our own—or, to put it another way, choosing to have WHATEVER God wants. (Luke 9:23) 2. Recognize that God’s leading will always be in harmony with His word (Isaiah 8:20). 3. Realize that God’s leading will often be accompanied by the opening and closing doors of His providence. 4. Hold out for God’s peace, for God’s leading will be accompanied by His peace (Col. 3:15). If you sense that something isn’t quite right, or just don’t feel at peace about it, it either means “no” or “wait.”

Muller said that any time he rushed beyond God’s leading he invariably made mistakes.

Muller did one other thing that was brilliant when it came to knowing God’s will. When he felt satisfied that God was leading in a particular direction, he would go to his friend Craik, share what God had put on his heart, and ask Craik to expose any unworthy motives and/or scriptural objections to his intentions. In this way Muller was further protected from making poor decisions. I think this would be a good plan to adopt, but make sure you are going to a friend with a mature Christian experience.

This is taken from my newsletter that is sent out almost weekly. Write me at path2prayer@gmail.com to subscribe.

There are many more resources on knowing God’s will at the Practical Christianity page at path2prayer.com.

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Friday, December 12, 2008

Greetings!

Introduction:
Among the precious blessings given me, are friendships with older, god-fearing saints. Though they may have physical and other limitations, their zeal continues unabated! Here are three thing you can count on with these people: 1. They are busy working for Jesus. 2. They experience more than their share of trials. 3. They know Jesus and He knows them. This time I mention one hero friend of the older generation. He always inspires me to be active for Jesus!

The Wise Soul-Winner (Prov. 11:30):
Psalms 71:18 “Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.”

I want to introduce you to my friend and hero Ben. Ben is 81, has serious health problems—diabetes, and pernicious anemia are only two of them, but is busy working for Jesus. Visiting Ben I have personally seen the motor home He modified into a witnessing vehicle. I have heard his stories of answered prayer and am so grateful to be on his prayer list. I have also heard about his long-term efforts to reach his former tilling clients. Ben invented a tiller—a tiller on steroids, it can grind a stump several inches thick while going through a wheat field—but that tiller was used for more than just tilling up fields, it was also Ben’s witnessing machine. You see, he gave all his customers books and invited them to yearly catered dinners at the Legion hall where he lovingly shares Jesus with them. Recently the tiller was retired, but Ben didn’t retire, for he is still planning to invite his clients to the catered dinners, and now visiting his neighbors and passing out books—he has 400 books to share, and has already given 150 of them away. He does more than most of us who are much younger. Why? Well he loves Jesus. He knows God has a supreme witnessing purpose for his life. He maintains a simple life. and He uses his time and his funds wisely. I recall hearing of a student missionary who was going overseas who Ben promised to help. He had a bit of money in a bank account and promised to help the student with that money. He figured he had $66 Canadian. Going to the bank he asked the teller for the money in cash. She checked his account and then whispered, “How do you want your money?” He was a bit perplexed. How many different bills could a person request for such a little bit of money. Turns out, there was more than $2,000 in that account. Ben is certain the Lord put the extra money in his account. Ben never has much money, but God keeps taking care of him and he uses what he has for God. I think he is what we would call a wise soul-winner! Why? He is doing what he can. He is touching the people he knows. He is investing his resources wisely. And since he can’t serve Godin other places, he is making it possible for others to go in his place.

Ben isn’t the only one doing this, by the way. Another one of my retired prayer partners sent 2,500 Christian books to her neighbors, and is busy praying that the books will be silent messengers kindling a new interest in Jesus.

On Overcoming:
Isaiah 43:1,2 “But now says the LORD that created you, O Jacob, and he that formed you, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by thy name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; neither will the flame kindle upon you.”

The following may be a new thought: It is because God IS blessing us that we sometimes find ourselves enduring pruning experiences. And remember, surrender is not only about allowing God to put His hands on us, but also about taking our hands off. Note the following:

Christ says to (us), You are mine. I have bought you. You are now only a rough stone; but if you will place yourself in my hands, I will polish you, and the luster with which you shall shine will bring honor to my name. No man shall pluck you out of my hand. I will make you my peculiar treasure. On my coronation day, you will be a jewel in my crown of rejoicing. The Divine Worker spends little time on worthless material. Only the precious jewels does he polish … cutting away all rough edges. This process is severe and trying; it hurts human pride. Christ cuts deep into the experience that man in his self-sufficiency has regarded as complete, and takes away self-uplifting from the character. He cuts away the surplus surface, and putting the stone to the polishing-wheel, presses it close that all roughness may be worn away. Then, holding the jewel up to the light, the Master sees in it a reflection of himself, and he pronounces it worthy of a place in his casket. Blessed be the experience, however severe, that gives new value to the stone, causing it to shine with living brightness. RH, March 7, 1912

We all want to be witnesses for Jesus. Just remember that fruit-bearing and pruning go together. It goes without saying, that bear MUCH fruit means MUCH… (you know the word AND the experience I suspect)!

Prevailing In Prayer:
“And Enoch walked with God.” Gen. 5:24

What does it mean to “walk” with God. Someone recently wrote of taking walks and imagining that Jesus was with them; even mentioned thinking about what He might be wearing. Many of us take walks—a good thing—and meditate and do various things as we walk. My two favorite things are listening to sermons—easy these days with an mp3 player and a downloaded sermon from audioverse.org, or sermonindex.net/; or memorizing the Bible—I copy the chosen chapter from a small print Bible I have, cut out the verse from the copy, tape the verses of the chapter to a 3×5 card, cover the card with plastic mailing tape so it doesn’t get soggy if it rains, and bring the card with me. I’ve learned several chapters of the Bible this way.

But there is something to be said for spending quality undistracted time communing with Jesus—realizing He is next to me while I am walking and talking with Him. Sometimes we are so busy we don’t take the time—something that isn’t good for us and I am sure frustrates Him! It reminds me of a time when I was speaking in a city about an hour away from where I live. The pastor also lived in my town, but we independently drove to the church because our schedules were so different and because we had so little time to spare before departing—gas was also cheaper:) On one occasion we happened to leave at the same time and eventually found ourselves driving side by side. We followed each other the entire trip, waving and smiling to each other from time to time. We should have stopped to ride together but we were running late and I didn’t know if he was coming back immediately after the meeting. Sometimes my relationship with Jesus is the same way, so busy that I don’t take the time to surrender and invite Jesus to be a part of my day in the serious earnest say that is so necessary every day, which means I don’t have much time for Him during the day either. On those days I probably have a perfunctory prayer to get the day going and figuratively wave at Him from time to time, and I am sure He waves back, but I am also sure He has a sad smile on those days. I think He would rather be in the car with me, so to speak, or walking next to me, and helping me, and enjoying the day with me. So, whether we are walking in the quiet of the day, or we are commuting to work, or we are studying in some class, let’s make sure Jesus is a part of every minute of every day.

“Waiting upon God. Just think—that He may reveal Himself in us; that He may teach us all His will; that He may do to us what He has promised; that in all things He may be the Infinite God…. This is the attitude of soul with which each day should begin. On awaking in the morning, in the inner chamber, in quiet meditation, in the expression in prayer of our ardent longings and desires, in the course of our daily work, in all our striving after obedience and holiness, in all our struggles against sin and self-will-in everything there should be a waiting upon God to receive what He will bestow, to see what He will do, to allow Him to be the Almighty God.” Andrew Murray The Secret of Adoration Christian Literature Crusade, p 70

Goals:
A prayer partner is a wonderful gift. Do you have a prayer partner?

Coming Up:
I am in Nashville, TN the weekend of January 17, speaking on prayer.

Path2prayer.com:
You will find some links on god-honoring music in the new resources section. Sometime soon there will be more audio files having to do with August Francke, one of three “spiritual fathers” of George Muller, and the Welsh Revival.

Would you like to receive this newsletter directly? Please write!

A Final Prayer:
Father, I want to thank you for Ben and people like him, who are not letting anything—age, sickness, intimidation, the press of daily life, resources or finances—get in the way of serving you. Thank you that we can all follow Ben’s example in shining brightly for you wherever you have planted us. Help me be such a person, and help the one reading this to be that kind of person too. Make us the people that you can happily use. To that end we give you permission to prune us so that we can bear much fruit. And do the same kind of good work in our families and in the members of our churches. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

God bless you!

Dan

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Greetings

Introduction:
We have just held Thanksgiving here in the US. Considering the economic and other challenges being faced, I suspect this year’s thanksgiving celebrations were muted compared to past years for many families. But we are admonished to give thanks at ALL TIMES and for ALL THINGS no matter what is going on! I know doing so isn’t easy but it is still God’s plan, and we need to recognize His presence in our lives, and accept what is going on, as one person put it, “with both hands joyfully.” If we count our blessings, we will find plenty to praise God for; if we remember how God has worked in the past, we will also trust Him for the future!

The Wise Soul-Winner (Prov. 11:30):
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

I recently read of three kinds of “go” when it comes to missions: 1. Young people MUST go. 2. Parents must LET go. 3. Those who cannot go must HELP them go. I have modified the three a bit, but I think L.E. Maxwell is on target with this. I want to ask three questions:

1. If you are younger, have you already gone, or are you planning to go, as a volunteer missionary. You should. Your life will be changed as a result!
2. If you are a parent, are you encouraging the young adult in your family to spend time in missions? Remember, we are either “no limit” Christians, or “limit God Christians.” The same holds true for parents.
3. If you are in neither category and are unable to go, what are you doing to make it possible for someone to serve in your place? Supporting can include prayer, encouragement, finances, or whatever else God puts on your heart.

Do you need ideas for where to serve? In addition to serving in the orphanages in Cambodia and Thailand, there are also service opportunities teaching languages in Southeast Asia (this is a very interesting situation), working with schools in Central America, or working with a school or orphanage in Eastern Europe.

On Overcoming:
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezek. 36:26

One of my favorite songs is closely linked to Pastor E. L. Minchen, a much loved evangelist of former times. At his revivals they would always sing the song, “I want dear Lord…,” the words of which follow. I traded a few letters with Pastor Minchen shortly after I graduated from college. In addition to asking how he came to know Jesus, I asked what were his favorite books. He mentioned a few, confessing that he still cried in reading over some of them, particularly mentioning one on the cross of Christ. I hope to have some of his sermons on path2prayer.com before too long. I mention the song because it shares the way of victory in very simple terms: A heart-felt desire for a pure and clean heart, a desire to have a heart where there is no cloud or other barrier, a desire for a heart that comes from heaven, a heart that only God can bestow. Here are the words of the song:

I want, dear Lord, a heart that’s true and clean,
A sunlit heart, with not a cloud between;
A heart like thine, a heart divine,
A heart as white as snow;
On me, dear Lord, a heart like this bestow.

I want, dear Lord, a love that cares for all,
A deep, strong love that answers every call;
A love like thine, a love divine,
A love to come or go;
On me, dear Lord, a love like this bestow.

I want, dear Lord, a soul on fire for thee,
A soul baptized with heavenly energy;
A willing mind, a ready hand
To do whate’er I know,
To spread thy light wherever I may go.
George Galloway Jackson (1866-93)

Prevailing In Prayer:
“Giving thanks always, for all things….” (Eph. 5:20)

Jonathan Goforth, who served with Hudson Taylor in China, tells of a “Miss Gregg,” a single missionary, who at a point of discouragement determined that she was going to return to England. She had been promising the ladies at her mission station that when he came to hold meetings, the missionaries would all come into harmony. But instead of things changing as a result of the meetings, they had remained the same. Desponding, she stated: “The meetings are all over and the quarrels remain unsettled. I’m so disappointed. I simply cannot face those women again. They trusted me so implicitly. So the only thing I can do is to go back to England.” Goforth was eating with her at the time, and relates how she also shared how a motto that had been given her one year previously had become, in her words, “blurred.” The motto went as follows: “Whatever my Father sends me, be it joy or disappointment, no matter how hard it may be to bear, since I know it comes from my Father, I’m going to receive it with both hands joyfully.” Under the circumstances, however, the motto sounded hollow and though a friend had recently repainted it, she had in fact turned it around at this time of disappointment. Goforth reminded her that she had been insisting that God work in a particular way to bring about the solution. As he put it, “In other words, as far as you were concerned, God had no option. He must please you in your own way or else lose your service. Remember that God is sovereign. He can never lay aside His sovereign will and authority. I understand that Mr. Green is out there now in the tent holding a prayer‑meeting with the Christians. How do you know but that at this very moment every hindrance has been removed?” The words had hardly left his mouth when “Mr. Green” bounded in crying “Hallelujah! All quarrels have been made up, and every hindering thing has been laid away, and they’re all waiting out there in the tent for you people to come and rejoice with them over what God has done.” Needless to say, the hallelujahs began while people began getting up from the table. Miss Gregg didn’t leave the mission either. She remained and was mightily used by God all over China, receiving the things in her life as blessings, no matter what they were, joyfully with both hands.”

Presumption versus Faith:
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Psalm 19:13.

Someone wrote asking the difference between faith and presumption? Note the following points:
1. To insist that every one of our prayers is answered is presumptuous. (1 John 5:14)
“The assurance is broad and unlimited, and He is faithful who has promised.  When we do not receive the very things we asked for at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers.  We are so erring and short-sighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our highest good-that which we ourselves would desire if with vision divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are.  When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise:  for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most.  But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption.  God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.  Then do not fear to trust Him,  even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers.  Rely upon His sure promise, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you.’”  Steps to Christ 96

2. To minimize Satan’s success to tempt us to presumption is presumptuous. (1 Peter 5:8)
“Beloved, Satan being fallen from light to darkness, from felicity to misery, from heaven to hell, from an angel to a devil, is so full of malice and envy that he will leave no means unattempted, whereby he may make all others miserable with himself… makes use of all his power and skill to bring all the sons of men into the same condition and condemnation with himself. Satan has cast such sinful seed into our souls, that now he can no sooner tempt, but we are ready to assent; he can no sooner have a plot upon us, but he makes a conquest of us. If he does but show men a little of the beauty and finery of the world, how ready are they to fall down and worship him! Whatever sin the heart of man is most prone to, that the devil will help forward. If David is proud of his people, Satan will provoke him to number them, that he may be yet prouder (2 Sam. 24). If Peter is slavishly fearful, Satan will put him upon rebuking and denying of Christ, to save his own skin (Matt. 16:22; 26:69-75). If Ahab’s prophets are given to flatter, the devil will immediately become a lying spirit in the mouths of four hundred of them, and they shall flatter Ahab to his ruin (2 Kings 22). If Judas will be a traitor, Satan will quickly enter into his heart, and make him sell his master for money, which some heathen would never have done (John 13:2). If Ananias will lie for advantage, Satan will fill his heart that he may lie, with a witness, to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Satan loves to sail with the wind, and to suit men’s temptations to their conditions and inclinations. If they be in prosperity, he will tempt them to deny God (Proverbs 30:9); if they be in adversity, he will tempt them to distrust God; if their knowledge be weak, he will tempt them to have low thoughts of God; if their conscience be tender, he will tempt to scrupulosity; if large, to carnal security; if bold-spirited, he will tempt to presumption; if timorous, to desperation; if flexible, to inconstancy; if stiff, to impenitency.” Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies from Satan

Presumption is a common temptation, and as Satan assails men with this, he obtains the victory nine times out of ten. Those who profess to be followers of Christ, and claim by their faith to been listed in the warfare against all evil in their nature, frequently plunge without thought into temptations from which it would require a miracle to bring them forth unsullied. Meditation and prayer would have preserved them and led them to shun the critical, dangerous position in which they placed themselves when they gave Satan the advantage over them. The promises of God are not for us rashly to claim while we rush on recklessly into danger, violating the laws of nature and disregarding prudence and the judgment with which God has endowed us. This is the most flagrant presumption.” Lift Him Up, p. 80

3. To claim God’s promises even though we are disobeying is presumptuous. (1 Sam. 15:22)
But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures.” Desire of Ages p. 126

4. To seek after anything less than GOD’S COMPLETE WILL lends itself to presumption. (Prov. 3:5)
“I never remember, in all my Christian course, a period now (in March 1895) of sixty-nine years and four months, that I ever SINCERELY and PATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the word of God, but I have been ALWAYS directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the word of the living God, I made great mistakes.” George Muller Counsels to Christians

5. To limit oneself to only ONE voice lends itself to presumption. (Isa. 8:20)
When God reveals His will, he will speak first and foremost through His word, then through the impressions he places in our hearts, through the providential opening and closing of doors, the counsel of friends and spiritually mature individuals—sometimes, and His peace. Note all of these—or maybe I should say MOST of these will point in the same direction. Note that anything that is contrary to the teachings of God’s word CANNOT be according to His will. Fleeces only confirm God’s will; they do not reveal it. And by all means take enough time to clearly hear his voice. In the desire to be bold for God, some individuals are jumping off presumptuous cliffs—so to speak—and finding that the landing is a bit hard if not disastrous. If you are serious about knowing God’s will, and open to whatever He wants, you can be assured that He will carefully and clearly reveal what He has in mind. And if you are not sure, wait until it becomes clear.

6. God’s bidding are His enablings. (Php 3:12,13)
“As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All his biddings are enablings.” Christ Object Lessons, p. 333

7. God will lead us forward one step at a time. (Isa. 30:21; John 7:17)
It has been pointed out that God will generally lead us one step at a time. If God has called you to a particular service or task, He will clearly open doors and bring resources that make that next step possible. Faithfulness in that step will open the way to the next step. If you study the lives of great Christians—George Muller and Hudson Taylor, for example—you will find they went forward taking incremental steps, for which God had prepared them with prior, often small, preparatory testing experiences ahead of time.

8. Genuine faith will result in the impossible! (Php 4:13)
Heavenly intelligences are waiting to cooperate with human instrumentalities, that the world may see what human beings may become through a union with the divine. Those who consecrate body, soul, and spirit to God’s service will constantly receive a new endowment of physical, mental, and spiritual power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the life of His life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in mind and heart. Through the grace given us we may achieve victories which, because of our defects of character and the smallness of our faith, may have seemed to us impossible. To every one who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing, is given power for the attainment of measureless results.” Heavenly Places 62

Goals:
Are you spending time with Jesus each day? What about a prayer partner? Are you still praying that God will allow you to lead at least one person to Jesus and last day truth this year? Did you write a letter or call that person you are trying to reach?

A Special Meeting:
A special gathering of young adults will take place in San Jose, California from December 17 to 21. Get more information on these meetings at http://www.gycweb.org.

Service Opportunities
Asapministries.org is seeking volunteers for a short-term—I believe a two week—mission trip to Cambodia in February.

Path2prayer.com:
I have added a document on evaluating a marriage partner and some audio sermons, including the Romanian translations of my More Abundant Life series.

Communicating with me and Requests
Please let me know how you are doing, and feel free to send prayer requests.

Do you know friends who would benefit from this newsletter? Please have them write me in that regard.

Father in heaven. Thank you for for my friend. Thank you for reminding us that you know what you are doing and that your providences can be joyfully received with both hands. Might we seek to hear your voice. Might we then carefully obey you. Help us learn to trust you with the easy things and the not so easy things. Please provide the resources, the direction, and anything else that is needed to assure that my friend will meet every demand of truth and duty. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

God bless you!

Dan

Dan Augsburger
path2prayer.com
God’s will; nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!

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Note the following from Eli Wigle in his book Prevailing Prayer:

“Without the quickening and convicting operations of the Holy Ghost, the sinner will not-nay, cannot come to God. These operations of the Holy Ghost, are conditioned on the faith of the Church! As the Church prevails with God for the convicting power of the Holy Ghost upon sinners, the responsibility for the salvation of sinners, is transferred from the Church to sinners themselves. Only when Christians have done their reasonable utmost, is the responsibility entirely transferred to sinners. Then how great-nay alarming the responsibility of Christians!” Eli Wigle, Prevailing Prayer or the Secret of Soul Winning, (Grand Rapids, MI: Continental Publishing Company, 1900), p. 16.

I think this is worth praying about! Learn more about the importance of prayer at path2prayer.com

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Charles Gordon’s letters to his sisters are considered by some to be the among the most devotional letters ever written. The BBC described him briefly as follows: “British general Charles Gordon became a national hero for his exploits in China and his ill-fated defence of Khartoum against Sudanese rebels.” He was also a great Christian, as evidenced in the letters he sent home to his sister.  Here are some of his life-changing thoughts on a variety of subjects:

On Envy and Backbiting:
“I can say for my part, that backbiting and envy were my delight, and even now often lead me astray, but, by dint of perseverance in prayer, God has given me the mastery to a great degree; I did not wish to give it up, so I besought Him to give me that wish; He did so, and then I had the promise of His fulfillment. I am sure this is our besetting sin; once overcome it, and there will be no cloud between God and ourselves. God is love—not full of love, but love itself. The law is love; possessed of love, we shall find our other temptations fall from us like scales. We are all dreadfully prone to evil-speaking, but God is all-powerful against it; it is opposed to His nature, so He hates it. I pray for those I most envy, and the feeling leaves me at once.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 3  (Gravesend, June 12, 1866)

On Seeking Wisdom:
“Let our endeavors at least make us trust God as much as we would trust man. If we had a powerful friend ever near us, we would often ask his help and trust him; is not God in that relation to us? Is anything too small or too great for Him Therefore in all things make known your wants to Him, and trust Him to relieve them; He never leaves or forsakes. Do not try planning and praying and then planning again; it is not honoring to God. Do not lean at all on your own  understanding. Your heart will call you a fool; but let it call you what it likes, it has often deceived you and is desperately wicked. If doubt should arise in your mind as to what to do in any matter, think which of the two courses will best show forth God’s glory, and follow it; generally this will the be course most contrary to your own wishes. Supposing you have been led to leave the issue of any event to God, and afterwards begin to doubt if you are not called upon to do something to aid it, resist the temptation. All things are possible with God. Do not express your doubts; pray to God to help your unbelief every time it arises; remember we have power over our words, if we have not over our thoughts, and to prevent the tongue sinning is the first step towards the checking of the thoughts, which will soon follow. Act up to your religion, and you will enjoy it.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 4 (Gravesend, June 12, 1866)

On Patience, and Seeking God’s Glory:
“We should always remember that His glory should be more in our minds than our selfish desire to feel happy or comfortable. It is selfish to wish that God should hurry for your benefit; if we only wished for the advancement of His glory we might perhaps be impatient, but it is seldom for that we groan.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 4 (Gravesend, June 14, 1866)

On Receiving More Light:
“What a thought! “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine” (John 7:17). What a delightful verse! It means this: that just as much as we give up to our Lord, so much the more shall we understand; just as much as we live up to the light He has given us, so much the more light shall we receive.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 7 (Gravesend, November 27, 1866)

Trusting God’s Leading:
“To write of the varied scenery one has passed through on a railway journey is unprofitable, and so would be any account of what has been my course of life since we left one another. The longest day comes to an end, and , thanks be to God, the bright morning will soon come. We have not time to look back as yet, He carries us on through all and will never leave us. A passenger is carried in a steamer. He may or may not believe the steamer is proceeding on its course to the appointed haven, but he progresses irrespective of his belief or unbelief of the fact; and thus it with God’s ways. He is carrying out His work, however little we may be aware of it, or however unlike the course pursued is to that which we, in our perverted understanding, would choose.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 7 (Gravesend, 1867)

On Rejecting What God Sends Us:
“I am sure of one thing, we lose the very sweetest times by rejecting willfully what God sends us; in avoiding people and disagreeable things. God says, ‘I will preserve thee from all evil.’ ‘I will preserve thy going out and coming in, from this time forth.’ ‘There shall no evil befall you.’ And yet we refuse to believe this for even a second, and go on plotting and praying for more communion with Him; and the moment He begins to work, we fly from Him. I want to realize this more than I do, it is evidently the reason of our deadness; there can be no confidence where there is distrust. If we think we are bound to look after ourselves, if we think these strong expressions are only figurative, or dependent on any particular frame of mind, they are useless to us. Unless we take them in their strength, we shall crawl along all our days.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 7 (Gravesend, May 3,1867)

On Reading the Bible:
“I have had, and continue to have, the most exquisite delight in the Bible beyond any past experience I ever felt. All that dead time when I read without interest, merely because I ought to do so, is now repaid me, and God brings the passages back to memory with the power of the Spirit. ‘The Holy Ghost shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance’ (John 14:26). Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 10 (Gravesend, May 16,1867)

On Appreciating Trials:
“I have felt a little of late of rejoicing in trials, and trust I may feel more. I mean really being glad at annoyances, inasmuch as they work experience and hope. This is a very great gift to obtain from God, but it is little to what He will give us if we persevere.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p.11 (Gravesend, May 28,1867)

On Mortifying the Flesh:
“We all have veils over our spiritual understandings; some of us have them thicker than others, we are quite blind till we get the veil removed. The veil is the flesh, it is never entirely removed while we live in the world; it is only made transparent by living in the Spirit, or mortifying the flesh, which are similar things. We all want to live in the Spirit and in the flesh also; this is impossible, thence the struggle. The more we apprehend that the death of the flesh is the life of the Spirit, the more we shall realize His presence. Death of the flesh is painful, but absolutely necessary, for, as we mortify the flesh, so shall we grow in the Spirit; we must feed on our flesh as it were. Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 12, (Gravesend, July 21,1867)

The Great Secret of Life:
“Keep in view 1 John 4:15 (“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”); it has in few words the great secret of the new life. I have known many who have lately come to the truth and peace by asking God to manifest the power of it. As we remember it, we live happily; every time we feel cold or apathetic it arises from not realizing the truth, and God alone can keep that realization before us.”
Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 13,14, (Gravesend, July 21,1867)

On God’s Indwelling:
“I have had very nice thoughts on 1 John 4:14—’Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.’ I think it is the key to much of the Scripture. I am more than ever convinced that the secret of happiness and holiness is in the indwelling of God. The same truth is shown in many other verses, but the above, to my mind, shows it more clearly. Let a man seek the teachings of the Holy Spirit on such verses, and he will grow much in grace. As we believe that text, so we shall realize the presence of God in our hearts, and, having Him there, we have as a sequence holiness and love. He alone can make us believe the truth and keep it in mind.” Charles Gordon, General Gordon’s Letters to his Sister, p. 13,14, (Gravesend, July 21,1867)

You can find more on these subjects at path2prayer.com.

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When studying the triumphs of God’s kingdom on earth–the revivals, the great missionary movements, etc.–one invariably finds at the center a man or a woman, sometimes groups of such individuals, who has been greatly used by God for a particular time and challenge.

Some of these individuals are household names in Christian circles. We all know about George Muller and Hudson Taylor. But there are many are less known.

Some of them worked in highly visible venues. Others worked in the obscurity of country parishes where the work was hard, the distances were great, and the daily fare was rough and simple.

In spite of these challenges, men and women were able to bring the Holy Spirit into the every day activities of their parishioners, and in some cases their communities.

Why were they so successful? Were the ruby-throated wordsmiths who could deliver polished phrases in ideal worship-filled settings? Were they attended by large pastoral staffs? Did they have lots of time to study and meditate? Were they loved and protected from outside distractions? Were they blessed to have extra time since they had so few people to look after?

Truth be told, though they were competent to stand before learned men, they spoke in simple terms that their hearers could understand. They preached wherever and whenever they could, sometimes twenty to thirty times each week. Often they spent hours on horseback traveling through their districts in spite of the inclement weather. More often than not their success made their peers jealous, and sometimes those peers led in persecuting efforts. In spite of all of this they were marvelously successful.

William Grimshaw was such a man. He worked in a rural parish, preached countless times per week, faced great opposition, but greatly impacted his community.

Oh, that God would raise up more people like William Grimshaw.

William Grimshaw

Here a few paragraphs of a document that you can find at the page on William Grimshaw: A Great Pastor:

“As a result of his intense interest in the people, a longing for spiritual things swept into his congregation. Speaking of this he said, “Souls were affected by the word, brought to see their lost estate by nature, and to experience peace through faith in the blood of Jesus. My church began to be crowded, insomuch that many were obliged to stand out of doors. Here, as in many places, it was amazing to see and hear what weeping, roaring, and agony, many people were seized with, at the apprehension of their sinful state and wrath of God.” He would meet with these people in smaller groups of ten to twelve people, where the blessings continued.

He was a “plain” preacher. His first aim was to preach the whole truth as it is in Jesus. His second aim was to preach so as to be understood. To accomplish this he was willing to make many sacrifices, including preaching with words that were below his education, but words, none-the-less, that communicated with his parishioners. John Newton, speaking of him, said: “The desire of usefulness to persons of the weakest capacity, or most destitute of the advantages of education, influenced his phraseology in preaching. Though his abilities as a speaker, and his fund of general knowledge, rendered him very competent to stand before great men, yet, as his stated hearers were chiefly of the poorer and more unlettered classes, he condescended to accommodate himself, in the most familiar manner, to their ideas, and to their modes of expression. Like the apostles, he disdained that elegance and excellence of speech which is admired by those who seek entertainment perhaps not less than instruction from the pulpit. He rather chose to deliver his sentiments in what he used to term ‘market language.’ … Frequently a sentence which a delicate hearer might judge quaint or vulgar, conveyed an important truth to the ear, and fixed it on the memory for years after the rest of the sermon and the general subject were forgotten…. But if his language was more especially suited to the taste of his unpolished rustic hearers, his subject matter was calculated to affect the hearts of all, whether high or low, rich or poor, learned or ignorant; and they who refused to believe were often compelled to tremble.” Read the rest of the summary on William Grimshaw at path2prayer.com

William Grimshaw was a great man.

Find more resources for pastors at path2prayer.com

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