Psalm 28

Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto Thee...Blessed be Jehovah, for He hath heard the voice of my supplications. - Psalm 28:2, 6

It's beautiful how the psalmist found assurance of answered prayer almost immediately and praises the Lord for it. Oh for my soul to find such assurance when I pray!

Vital Equations

Law = Command + Penalty
Grace = Command + Power

1 John - Declaration of the Witness

The World (1 John 5:4-5)
The Witness (1 John 5:6-13)
The Will (1 John 5:14-17)
The 'We knows' (1 John 5:18-20)
The Warning (1 John 5:21)

1 John - Depths of Love

Listening to the Spirit (1 John 4:1-6)
Loving the Saints (1 John 4:7-5:3)

1 John - Deeds of the Devil

Righteous Living (1 John 2:28-3:10)
Really Loving (1 John 3:10-24)

1 John - Delusion of the World

John's address:
To the Entire group - forgiveness of sin (1 John 2:12)
To the Experienced group - familiarity with Christ (1 John 2:13, 14)
To the Energetic group - fondness of the world (1 John 2:13, 14-17)
To the Enthusiastic group - faltering from the truth (1 John 2:13, 18-27)

1 John - Deception of Darkness

Witnessing about the Life (1 John 1:1-4)
Walking in the Light (1 John 1:5-2:2)
Walking by the Law (1 John 2:3-8)
Working out of Love (1 John 2:9-11)

Outline of 1 John

Deception of Darkness (1 John 1:1-2:11)
Delusion of the World (1 John 2:12-2:29)
Deeds of the Devil (1 John 3:1-4:6)
Depths of Love (1 John 4:7-5:3)
Declaration of the Witness (1 John 5:4-5:21)

I said to the man that stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown." And he said to me, "Go forth into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God; And it shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way."

Minnie Louise Haskins

Start Over

When you've trusted Jesus and walked His way,
When you've felt His hand lead you day by day,
But your steps now take you another way,
Start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry,
When you've tried your best 'till there's no more try,
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why,
Start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit,
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit,
When you've tried and tried to get out of it,
Start over.

When the year's been long and success few,
When December comes and you're feeling blue,
God gives a January just so you
Start over.

Starting over means victories won,
Starting over means a race well run,
Starting over means the Lord's "well done"
So don't just sit there,
Start over.

Woodrow Kroll

When God wants to drill a man
and thrill a man and skill a man
When God wants to mold a man
to play the noblest part;
When he yearns with all his heart
to create so bold a man
that all the world will be amazed,
Watch his methods, watch his ways:

How he relentlessly perfects
whom he royally elects;
How he hammers us and hurts us
and with mighty blows converts us
into trial shapes of clay
which only God can understand,
While our tortured heart is crying
and we lift beseeching hands.

How God bends, but never breaks
when his good he undertakes;
How he uses whom he chooses
and with every purpose fuses us;
By every act induces us
to try his splendor out —
God knows what he's about!

Author unknown

Oh! I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved's mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner into His house of wine!
I stand upon His merit; I know no other stand,
Not e'en where glory dwelleth, in Immanuel's land.

The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bride-groom's face;
I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace -
Not at the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land.

Anne Ross Cousin

If I gained the world, but lost the Saviour,
Were my life worth living for a day?
Could my yearning heart find rest and comfort
In the things that soon must pass away?

If I gained the world, but had no Saviour,
Would my gain be worth the life-long strife?
Are all earthly pleasures worth comparing,
For a moment with a Christ-filled life?

Anna Olander