The Wilderness Wanderings and the Cross

May thy cross be to me

as the tree that sweetens my bitter Marahs.

This comes from a puritan prayer “Calvary’s Anthem”. The lines above struck me as worthy of more thought so I have posted them now to dwell on later.

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The Barren Fig Tree

If I profess to defend the Doctrines of Grace and yet am not assured of the truth of them, is not that a lie?

If I have never felt my depravity. If I have never been effectually called, never known my election of God, never rested in the redeeming blood, and have never been renewed by the Spirit, is not my defense of the Doctrines of Grace a lie?

If there is nothing but leaves, there is nothing but lies, and the Savior sees that it is so. All the verdure of green leaf to him without fruit is but so much deceit. Profession without Divine Grace is the funeral pageantry of a dead soul.

 

Source: Charles Spurgeon – The Withered Fig Tree no. 2107 September 29, 1889 Metropolitan Tabernacle

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Sovereign Grace Music

As a pastor the music which I most like sung in church is music that can be used as an instrument enabling us to declare God’s praises to Him and to one another. “You and You Alone” is a recent music CD from Sovereign Grace Ministries which does this.

The musical tunes are easily taught to a congregation and moving in themselves. However it is the lyrics that strike me. The words are theologically charged. They draw to mind Biblical phrases and passages. The focus is clearly on the Lord Jesus, his sovereign power and grace. As with the Psalms and some of the old hymns there is depths of meaning and theological teaching in these songs.

Many CDs are played in the background but are only half-listened to in the midst of many distracting activities. This CD is one that if you play it then it will distract you toward Jesus.

We need music in our churches like this. Not music that entertains us but music that points us in thought and feeling toward our Lord Jesus.

The CD can be purchased from Sovereign Grace or downloaded as mp3 files. Check out their website at www.sovereigngracemusic.org

I strongly encourage you to have a look and listen.

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Spirit Empowered Preaching

“The preacher must be a man of prayer. . . . He should pray for his messages . . . soak them in prayer, . . . pray as he goes into the pulpit, pray as he preaches insofar as that is possible, and follow up his sermons with prayer .” (from The Art of Biblical Preaching)

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