TRUE SOUL WINNING--CHARLES SPURGEON

                                            

"We do not regard it to be soul-winning to steal members out of churches already established, and train them to utter our peculiar Shibboleth: we aim rather at bringing souls to Christ than at making converts to our synagogue. There are sheep-stealers abroad, concerning whom I will say nothing except that they are not "brethren", or, at least, they do not act in a brotherly fashion. To their own Master they must stand or fall. We count it utter meanness to build up our own house with the ruins of our neighbor’s mansions; we infinitely prefer to quarry for ourselves."

NOT ABLE TO FINISH----W. F. BELL

 (Another fine article by W.F. Bell for your reading. Please heed its mmessage. It has much biblical truth for us. If we apply it, we can receive help. The Bible is the word of truth. Please treat it so.)

One of the saddest texts in all of Scripture is Luke 14:29-30, "Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."  "Builders" have started projects all through the ages, but have had to stop building for various reasons.  None of us like to start something, then become "not able to finish it."  But we are all guilty of starting a project, and after failing to "count the cost" (either in time, help, materials, or money), we then must abandon the project.  Sometimes, as in the words of Jesus, we experience "mockery" from others for our failures, lack of foresight, or our lack of perseverance.

The Christian life is likened to "running a race" (I Corinthians 9:24-27), but off and on we wonder if we are going to finish it, don't we?  Cares and burdens weight us down.  We take our eyes off of the Lord Jesus Christ, our "forerunner" (Hebrews 6:20), and look to "time and chance" to see us through.  We fail to "keep our body under subjection," we do not "count the cost" of discipleship, and often feel totally lost and deceived, locked up fast in Doubting Castle.  With Paul, we too say that we are "troubled on every side; fightings without, fears within."  It seems impossible for us to persevere.

So, to encourage us, let us forget about our failures, and let us look rather to Him who has already "run" this race successfully, even the great "captain of our salvation," our Lord and Savior, "a merciful and faithful high priest" (Hebrews 2:10,17).  Surely, with humble gratitude, we all must confess that He did finish what He came into the world to do, that is, "bringing many sons to glory."  He suffered tremendously by "finishing the race," for in "counting the cost," He willingly gave His own life's blood.  For such, Christ Jesus can never be "mocked" for failure!  And we truly rejoice in these words:  "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).  And with William Cowper we sing,

Come, let's run our race with patience,
Looking unto Christ the Lord,
Who doth live and reign forever,
With His Father and our God.
He is worthy to be praised,
He is our exalted King.    

LIVES AGAIN OUR GLORIOUS KING----W. F. BELL

Gathered with an assembly of God's people yesterday (Easter Sunday), how the tears did flow while singing the wonderful hymn of Charles Wesley (1707-1788), Christ the Lord is Risen Today!  Listen to the fourth verse:

Lives again our glorious King,
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save,
Where's thy victory, boasting grave?

Why would there not be "tears" of joy when singing that?  Why not "joy" and "shouts" of praise?  How can we possibly contemplate the glory of the resurrection of Christ without high emotions and wondrous praise of our glorious God?  It is beyond me how many "church" people can be so "stoic" in emotion about the glory of the gospel, yet go absolutely crazy over who wins a football game!  There is no comparison whatsoever.  When the women who went to the tomb of Christ first realized and grasped that Christ had "risen indeed," here is what the text says: "And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and GREAT JOY; and DID RUN to bring his disciples word" (Matthew 28:8).  What has happened to us, beloved?  Have we lost this excitement and joy and thrill of Christ being raised from the dead?  Wesley's line is correct, Lives again our glorious King!

What joy also yesterday to see my two youngest grandsons follow the Lord in believer's baptism, baptized by my son, their father!  All six of my precious grandchildren (three girls, three boys) have now professed faith in the living Christ.  What wonderful fellowship our family has in the things of God!  How glorious to read God's Word together in family gatherings, offer prayer in praise for God's goodness to us, and rejoice as a family in truly knowing the living, risen Savior!  Death has lost its sting!  The grave has lost its victory!  Why are we all not shouting right now?  "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15:57).  Hallelujah!  We need "a thousand tongues" to sing our great Redeemer's praise!

QUOTE FOR THE DAY
“The two aspects, if I may use the expression, of our gracious Lord, in which are wrapped up all our faith, and hope, and love, are a dying Jesus and a risen Jesus; Christ in his sufferings and death, Christ in his resurrection and life. This is the Christ of God; this is the Son of God in whom we believe unto life eternal, as he is presented to our view in the Scriptures of truth, and by the inward teaching and testimony of the Holy Spirit. If, then, you do not believe in a dying Christ and in a risen Christ, your faith is not the faith of a Christian.”  J. C. Philpot on Romans 4:25