guest devotions

COFFEE BREAK BY LORRAINE

"Your Own"

"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see." Revelation 3:18

In our study last night at church on the seven churches in the Book of Revelation we discovered that at Laodicea they made eye salve. One of the commands to the church of the Laodiceans was to anoint their eyes with eye salve that they might see. This eye salve was not the one that they made-- it was not their own. It was the one that came from God. Their own eye salve only met a physical condition but not a spirit one. That is why He said they were "blind". (verse 17) God was saying to them that "your own eye salve won't heal your blindness".

Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with their own clothing-- fig leaves. Their own clothing wouldn't do it-- they were still naked. God had to make clothes for them that would cover it.

Your own righteousness won't save you-- Christ Jesus' righteousness will. Your own good works won't make you right with God-- the sacrifice and atoning work of Jesus at the cross will. Your own wisdom will not guide you-- the wisdom from above will. Your own understanding can't solve your problems-- acknowledging God will. Your own strength can't deliver you, you will grow weak and tired-- God's strength is perfect and never wears out. His strength will deliver you. Your own course of action won't grow your ministry-- God's plan will. He grows it by His Spirit.

You can try to do your own thing, use your own resources, and direct your own steps, but you will still be lacking like the church of Laodicea. Or you will wind up with an Ishmael like Abraham and Sarah who tried to manifest the promise of God in their life with their own means, idea and plan.

Have a great day. Doing things your own way will not bring success. Your way is faulty and will not accomplish anything. Doing it God's way will.

For further reading:
Revelation 3:14-22
Genesis 3:7,21

CHARLES SPURGEON

Let me tell you a little secret!
(Charles Spurgeon)

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law!" Psalm 119:18

Let me tell you a little secret: whenever you cannot understand a text, open your Bible, bend your knee, and pray over that text; and if it does not split into atoms and open itself, then try again. If prayer does not explain it, then it is one of those things that God did not intend you to know, and you may be content to be ignorant of it.

Prayer is the key that opens the cabinets of mystery. Prayer and faith are sacred picklocks that can open secrets, and obtain great treasures! There is no college for holy education like that of the blessed Spirit, for He is an ever-present tutor, to whom we have only to bend the knee, and He is at our side — the great expositor of truth!

You will frequently find fresh streams of thought leaping up from the passage before you, as if the rock had been struck by Moses' rod! New veins of precious ore will be revealed to your astonished gaze as you quarry God's Word and use diligently the hammer of prayer!

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth!" John 16:13

"Every text prayed over opens a mine of 'unsearchable riches,' with a light from above, more clear and full than the most intelligent exposition." (Charles Bridges)

"A humble and prayerful spirit will find a thousand things in the Bible — which the proud, self-conceited student will utterly fail to discern." (J.C. Ryle)

"There should be a definite asking Him to graciously anoint our eyes — not only that we may be enabled to behold wondrous things in His law, but also that He will make us of quick discernment to perceive how the passage before us applies to ourselves — what are theparticular lessons we need to learn from it. The more we cultivate this habit, the more likely that God will be pleased to open His Word unto us." (Arthur Pink)

DON FORTNER

I Am A Sinner

by Don Fortner-

1. I Am A Sinner-- I am convinced of my sin.
I am a sinner by birth, by nature, by choice, and by practice
(John 16:8-11; Ps. 51:5; 58:3; Rom. 3:9-19; 5:12).

2. I Am A Sinner Chosen Of God--
(Eph. 1:3-6; Gal. 1:15-16; 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

3. I Am A Sinner Redeemed By The Precious Blood Of Christ--
(Gal. 2:20-21). The Son of God purchased me, atoned for all
my sins, and made me righteous by his obedience to God as my
Representative and Substitute- obedience even unto death!

4. I Am A Sinner Saved By God's Irresistible Grace--
(Ps. 65:4; Eph. 2:1-10).
I am saved by the grace of God alone.
"By the grace of God I am what I am."
It was God the Holy Spirit who sought me out when I would not
seek him, came to where I was when I could not come to him,
called by almighty grace when I refused to call to him, raised me
from the dead when I had no desire to be raised from the dead,
and loosed me when I loved my bondage.

5. I Am A Sinner Sealed And Preserved By His Grace--
(John 10:27-30; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 1 Pet. 1:5).
Grace put me in the way.
Grace leads me in the way.
And grace keeps me in the way.
I am kept in the hands of Christ my covenant Surety and good
Shepherd, kept by the seal of God the Holy Spirit, and kept in
the hands of God my Father, kept in the omnipotent hands of the
triune God, and none can pluck me from those hands!

6. I Am A Sinner Living In Hope Of The Resurrection--
(1 Thess. 4:13-18). I do not know when Christ shall appear;
but I do know that soon my Lord Jesus will come in power and
great glory. When he does, he will raise me up, transform me
into his glory, and bring me into his glorious kingdom in the
perfection of beauty which he has put upon me, by which I am
worthy to take possession of the inheritance of the sons of God!

7. I Am A Sinner Exercising Myself To Have A Good Conscience--
(Acts 24:16).
Walking before God, trusting Christ alone as my Savior, I
strive always to have a good conscience before God (Col. 2:6),
seeking his will, endeavoring to honor him, serving his people.
I also strive to have a conscience void of offence toward men,
living honestly and showing mercy.
Grace makes men both honest and gracious.

RIFKAH

A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . .
Intelligence makes a great first impression.
A FAITHFUL PROVERB
"This is a faithful saying: For if we died with HIM, we shall also live with HIM. If we endure, we shall also reign with HIM. If we deny HIM, HE also will deny us. If we are faithless, HE remains faithful; HE cannot deny HIMSELF." [2+Timothy 2. 11 - 13]
How often we find the phrase "if, then