To Profit from Classics & Spiritual Giants #6

Andrew Murray (1828 – 1917)

Preacher, Evangelist, First President of Y.M.C.A., and Author of 250 Christian Books.

Among his famous books were; With Christ in the School of Prayer, Absolute Surrender, Abide in Christ, Waiting on God, and The True Vine.

Andrew Murray’s Life Long Prayer was; “May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love,  and joy of God’s presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of myself as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love.”

Andrew Murray put it in a nut shell when he said;
“Here is the secret of a flourishing church: every believer being a witness for Jesus. Here is the cause of a church’s weakness: so few are willing in daily life to testify that Jesus is Lord.”

To Profit from Classics & Spiritual Giants #5

Frederick Brotherton Meyer (1847 – 1929)

Meyer’s life motto;
Make the most of me that can be made for Thy glory.
To this motto he was held true ; a Baptist Pastor, evangelist, social reformer, author of forty books, preacher of 16,000 sermons and Key player in the Keswick Convention.

Meyer became pastor of The Christ Church of London in 1895. This church of a hundred grew to over two thousand members within two years. After fifteen years of pastoring, Meyer began a ministry of conference preaching and evangelism. 

Spurgeon said, "Meyer preaches as a man who has seen God face to face."

I offer a few lines and thoughts to ponder from one of his writings; “An Audience of One”

What a revolution would come to us all if it became our one fixed aim and ambition to stand before God and always do those things that are pleasing in His sight-and His sight alone.  What if every decision, every action, every word were determined solely on the basis of “standing before God”?

1 Samuel 6:20 (KJV)
And the men of Bethshemesh said,
“Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?
and to whom shall he go up from us”?

Ezra 9:15 (KJV)
O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

To Profit from Classics & Spiritual Giants #4

George Mac Donald combining his passion of literature and ministry became one of the inspiring giants of faith.  An author of children’s stories, a poet, editor, novelist, clergyman and man of God died in 1905 at the age of 81 years.

George Mac Donald wrote,
“You have got to save your own soul first, and then the souls of your neighbors, if they will let you. And for this reason you must cultivate, not a spirit of criticism, but the talents that attract people to the hearing of the Word of God.”

George Mac Donald's “Life Awakens Life” he stated,
“If anyone is desirous of spreading the Truth, let him apply himself to doing it.”

Luke 11:28 (KJV) (Jesus was speaking)
But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

To Profit from Classics & Spiritual Giants #3

Robert Murray McCheyne, (1813-1843)

A brief life of thirty years, but his vibrant ministry continued to reap fruit long after his passing. He so often professed: ”Live so as to be missed.” In fact more than six thousand people attended his funeral.

McCheyne’s church flourished growing in membership and spiritual fervor. He stimulate people with Bible studies, service projects to aid the poor, evangelistic outreaches, also the increasing of praise and worship in his services. McCheyne credits his ministry success to his devotional life, prayer, meditation and Bible study.

If you have ever wondered where God wants you,

then consider this Devotional of Robert Murray McCheyne;

“Live for Christ Where You Are”

1 Corinthians 12:18-19 (KJV)

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

McCheyne said;

Everyone has his peculiar work assigned him and should not leave it. Learn, dear friends, to keep to your own work. When the Lord has hung up a lamp in one corner, is there no presumption in removing it to another ? Is not the Lord wiser than man ? Each of you has your work to do for Christ where you are.

1 Corinthians 7:20 (KJV)

20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

“Only Live for Christ where you are.”

To Profit from Classics & Spiritual Giants #2

There is always a story behind a classic and the wife of Oswald Chambers has provided us that story.

Oswald Chambers lived from 1874 to 1917 dying at the age of 43 with only three books published.

Oswald’s most famous book “My Utmost for His Highest” was published in 1927 some eighteen years after his death.

Now, for the best of the story; Oswald called his wife “Beloved Disciple” shortened to B.D. resulting in her nickname “Biddy” and for the rest of her life she was “Biddy Chambers”. The significance of that is why more than forty books bearing Oswald Chambers name was published after his death with the initials “B.C.”

Biddy Cambers calling was to give the world Oswald’s words. As Oswald gave daily lectures from 1911 to 1917 Biddy recorded his words verbatim in Pittman’s shorthand.

Let Us Keep To The Point

Philippians 1:20 (KJV)
 According to my earnest expectation and my hope,
that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but
that with all boldness, as always,
so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body,
whether it be by life, or by death.

“My Utmost for His Highest”  “My eager desire and hope being that I never feel ashamed.” We shall all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus on the point He asked us to yield to Him.

This book is not the Bible but a treasure of God’s Word and it gives a message to be lived.

Oswald Chambers keeps you to the point;

“The basis of Faith is Jesus Christ”

To Profit from Classics & Spiritual Giants #1

In Deuteronomy 32:35 KJV; The Lord said; 
”To Me belongeth vengeance, and recompence;”

In 1741, at the beginning of “The Great Awakening”
Johnathan Edwards preached his sermon
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”.
Thus raising the question:
“What shall I do to be saved ?”

Edwards answers, in his sermon, 
”God’s Gift to Every Believer” 

“The prospect of eternal glory in the enjoyment
of God from God’s own promise In Christ.”

“That peace, which results from true faith,
Passes understanding; that joy is unspeakable.”

"Christ gives His Spirit, who calms the mind
like a refreshing breeze of wind.”

 John 16:33 (KJV)
"These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world. "

Pray that God will use you to introduce Jesus
to your family and that they will come to
believe in him.

Acts 16:31 (KJV)
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Do not miss that gift of joy

Tozer’s definition; what he believes true worship to be:

“Worship is to feel  in the heart”

Do you have that joy to worship our Lord with feeling?

Ephesians 5:19-20 (KJV)

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Joy comes from a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ. When our lives are intertwined with his, he will help us walk through adversity without sinking into debilitating lows and manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus Christ daily will keep us levelheaded, no matter how high or low our circumstances. (Life Application Study Bible)