One Word

I titled this "One Word" because it is what struck my heart when I read the story. We may not have had 7 demons in us like Mary Magdalene but we had our own "demons" to contend with. And it is only through the power of Christ that we could hope to slay them. I am so very grateful that when He called my name and I answered "Master".

"He appeared first to Mary Magdalene."
- Mark 16:9Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene," probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates, she had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering power. Learn from this, that the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we may not be specially favoured with the very highest grade of fellowship. She was one who had left all to become a constant attendant on the Saviour. He was her first, her chief object. Many who were on Christ's side did not take up Christ's cross; she did. She spent her substance in relieving his wants. If we would see much of Christ, let us serve him. Tell me who they are that sit oftenest under the banner of his love, and drink deepest draughts from the cup of communion, and I am sure they will be those who give most, who serve best, and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear Lord. But notice how Christ revealed himself to this sorrowing one-by a word, "Mary." It needed but one word in his voice, and at once she knew him, and her heart owned allegiance by another word, her heart was too full to say more. That one word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion. It implies obedience. She said, "Master." There is no state of mind in which this confession of allegiance will be too cold. No, when your spirit glows most with the heavenly fire, then you will say, "I am thy servant, thou hast loosed my bonds." If you can say, "Master," if you feel that his will is your will, then you stand in a happy, holy place. He must have said, "Mary," or else you could not have said, "Rabboni." See, then, from all this, how Christ honours those who honour him, how love draws our Beloved, how it needs but one word of his to turn our weeping to rejoicing, how his presence makes the heart's sunshine.
~Spurgeon~

Birthdays

Ever wonder about birthdays? What are they really? I have, especially today, which is my birthday, well, one of my birthdays. I have two - my human birth to my mother and father here on earth and my spiritual birth to my Heavenly Father. Today is my human birth.

I've wondered about my conception, how two people themselves had to be born, meet, marry and conceive me. I've thought about how these events had to be orchestrated. I've thought about how I'm one of the fortunate ones who was conceived by a married couple and who wasn't aborted.

In this birth, I had no choice to be born. With this birth I have life here on Earth and the assurance that I will have tribulation. (John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.")

How wonderful it was when I realized that it was God who had formed me and was God who had a plan for me! (Psa 139:13 For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb.) (Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.)

Without knowing it, the Holy Spirit had been by my side nudging me along -- my conscience, showing me what was right and what was wrong, convicting me of my sin. It was with this help that there came a day when I was able to see the need for Christ in my life. A day that I knew I had offended God and that I needed God. There was no way that I could make up for the hurt I had caused him and no way that I could continue life as I was living it. I had come to a point where I knew that I needed Christ. Christ to pay for my sins and Christ to show me a better way of living.

So at church service, when I heard the pastor do the "altar call", I went forward. I stood in front of a crowd of people and asked Jesus to forgive me of my past sins and to become the owner of my heart and life.

That day is my second birthday and it had to be entirely my choice. With this birth, I have life eternal in Paradise (Joh 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.) and forgiveness of sins (Mat 26:28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.), I have assurance of salvation (Heb 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.) and I believe it is the day I became truly born, truly alive and truly free to be the person God intended me to be.

I thank you Lord (Dad) for both of my birthdays - the one that gave me life and the one that gives me forgiveness and an eternity with you!

Teach Our Children

The following is a wonderful family devotion by Spurgeon. He is referring to parents teaching their children the Gospel and the ways of living as outlined in the Scriptures. We, the family, are called to do the training, not the schools, the government or our neighborhoods...it must begin at home with the parents. It is time for us to take back our homes and families, turn off the TV, computer games and IPOD's and get back into the Word.

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"Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation."
-Joel_1:3

In this simple way, by God's grace, a living testimony for truth is always to be kept alive in the land-the beloved of the Lord are to hand down their witness for the gospel, and the covenant to their heirs, and these again to their next descendants. This is our first duty, we are to begin at the family hearth: he is a bad preacher who does not commence his ministry at home. The heathen are to be sought by all means, and the highways and hedges are to be searched, but home has a prior claim, and woe unto those who reverse the order of the Lord's arrangements. To teach our children is a personal duty; we cannot delegate it to Sunday school teachers, or other friendly aids; these can assist us, but cannot deliver us from the sacred obligation; proxies and sponsors are wicked devices in this case: mothers and fathers must, like Abraham, command their households in the fear of God, and talk with their offspring concerning the wondrous works of the Most High. Parental teaching is a natural duty-who so fit to look to the child's well-being as those who are the authors of his actual being? To neglect the instruction of our offspring is worse than brutish. Family religion is necessary for the nation, for the family itself, and for the church of God. By a thousand plots Popery is covertly advancing in our land, and one of the most effectual means for resisting its inroads is left almost neglected, namely, the instruction of children in the faith. Would that parents would awaken to a sense of the importance of this matter. It is a pleasant duty to talk of Jesus to our sons and daughters, and the more so because it has often proved to be an accepted work, for God has saved the children through the parents' prayers and admonitions. May every house into which this volume shall come honour the Lord and receive his smile.

~Charles H. Spurgeon~