Something to ponder

December 6, 2011

If I allow my work to get between my heart and the Master, it will be of little worth.

We can only effectually serve Christ as we are enjoying Him. It is while the heart dwells upon His powerful attractions that the hands perform the most acceptable service to His name; nor is there anyone who can minister Christ with unction, freshness, and power to others, if he is not feeding upon Christ in the secret of his own soul.

True, he may preach a sermon, deliver a lecture, utter prayers, write a book, and go through the entire routine of outward service, and yet not minister Christ.
The man who will present Christ to others must be occupied with Christ for himself.

Happy is the man who minsters thus, whatever be the success or reception of his ministry. For should his ministry fail to attract attention, to command influence, or to produce apparent results, he has his sweet retreat and his unfailing portion in Christ, of which nothing can deprive him. Whereas the man who is merely feeding upon the fruits of his ministry, who delights in the gratification which it affords, or the attention and interest which it commands, is like a mere pipe, conveying water to others, and retaining only rust itself. This is a most deplorable condition to be in and yet it is the actual condition of every servant who is more occupied with his work and its results than with the Master and His glory. C.H. Mackintosh

Kevin and orphaned young girls

*Note*
I have learned from personal experience that you cannot give what you do not possess.
To think that we can be so consumed in serving Jesus and actually leave Him behind is astounding, but real.

Any time, in my life, that I begin to think that His need to use me is more pressing than my need to simply know Him, well then I am sure to be derailed.

To love Jesus is the most natural of all faculties when we know Him. Love, true love, is never measured. It sets no limits but instead gladly gives all. In fact the cry of a love smitten heart is not, I gave way to much but rather, Oh, that I had more to give. To serve from a heart of love is divine. To serve because you think you will be more loved by God is a lie.

Is God honored when you set out to follow Him and make Him known to others by word and deed? Yes, emphatically yes! But remember dear saint, God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in “being” for Him rather than simply “doing” for Him. The latter would assume that God has need and one only needs to look through the scriptures to see that of all things, God is complete in and of Himself.

Rest then, rest in knowing that He who neither slumbers nor sleeps is the very one who keeps you. Rest knowing that God who alone can see the inner vestibule of your heart and has put His life their, with it’s desire to please Him, is able to correct your course as you allow Him to speak to your heart. If I have been given one dollar to use for God in His kingdom then I cannot fret about giving one hundred dollars that I do not possess. Instead I lovingly and humbly lay at His service that which He has given to me. That my beloved saint is true surrender.

May the Lord Himself encourage your heart today. Take some time and kneel before the one who alone is able and let Him search your heart today.

May these words form Horatius Bonar, encourage you today as they have me each day over the many years I have pondered upon them.

“In the place of self the believer gets the Son of God. Christ fills us, occupies us, engrosses us henceforth. He is all to us what self was before. He takes the place of self in everything from first to last, great or small.

He is the substitute for self in the matter of our standing before God. As the first thing the Holy Spirit does is to set aside self in the matter of justification and acceptance, so His next is to present to us the Son of God as the true ground of our acceptance.

We no longer seek to be justified by self in any sense or on account of anything done to self, on account of amended self or improved self or mortified self, but solely on account of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us and Who rose again. And in this Son of God, Whom we take as a substitute for self, we find an object worth living for, someone we can carry through every part of our life and into every region of our life.”

 

Run to the Battle! 1 Sam. 17:22
Consumed by the CALLER.

Kevin J Turner

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Posted in Kevin Turner, Pondering, Strategic World Impact, Suffering