MEAT IN DUE SEASON ----J.C. PHILPOT

"These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season." Psalm 104:27

The "meat" which God's children long after is to have "the truth as it is in Jesus," in its various branches, revealed with power to their hearts. Not merely to see a certain truth in God's word; that is like a hungry beggar looking at savoury provision through a window, from which he is barred out; such a sight whets his appetite rather than satisfies it. The meat that God's people are longing after, and the only thing which can assuage their spiritual hunger, is "the truth as it is in Jesus" manifested, revealed, discovered, and applied with power to their souls; dew, unction, savour, sweetness, life, light, liberty accompanying the word, so that truth falls as heavenly manna into their hearts. It is not sufficient that the Holy Ghost should create the appetite, but He must overshadow the soul with His Divine influences, breathe abroad a heavenly savour, and fill it with some sensations of His presence, with some meltings of heart at the feet of Christ, with some drawing forth of affection to God, and thus communicate an inward reception of the truth and an enjoyment of its sweetness and savour.

"Thou givest them." It is not to be taken out of the Bible, because it may be read; not to be caught up, as the minister throws it forth, because it may be heard; not to be got out of books; but to be bestowed by the holy Hand of Jehovah Himself, and received in the posture of a penitent, in the attitude of a suppliant, a sinner prostrate at the foot of the cross, without anything in self but wounds, condemnation, and guilt.

But there is a due season: "Thou givest them their meat in due season." There are many living souls, who are hungering after divine blessings, but the "due season" has not come. "The times and the seasons the Father hath put in his own power." You are not yet fit for it; the Lord has to bring you lower; you will have to travel through darker paths, to pass through sorer exercises. There is a "due season" for the manifestation of gospel blessings; there is a fitting time which the Searcher of hearts knows. And that Searcher of hearts knows that many of the true Church of God are at this present time in that state, that He will not manifest to them His greatest and richest blessings. There is a "due season" in which they are revealed and manifested to the soul; and that season will be as suitable to all its wants, as it will be most glorious to God. That "due season" will most probably be when the soul will least expect to receive it. The promise having been so long delayed, it seems as though it would never come; the blessing having been so long withheld, it appears as though the Lord would never bestow it; having denied His countenance so long, it seems as though He had drawn a black cloud over the throne, and through that cloud the rays of the sun would never shine. But it is a "due season;" it will surely come — "though the vision tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry." There is a "set time to favour Zion," and when that set time arrives, the Lord will build up Zion and appear in His glory, for "he will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer." (Psalm 102:17)

ALL THAT GLISTENS IS NOT GOLD---THOMAS BROOKS (1608-1680)

Here is some more wisdom from one of my favorites, and, I hope yours too, Thomas Brooks. If you have opportunity, get some, or all of his writings. He will grow on you. He had spiritual insight that will be good for you, and your family. Like most Puritans, he was patient and earnest in preaching. Read him! (cw)

[1.] First, Hereby you will give an evident proof of the soundness and uprightness of your own hearts, Philippians 1:27-29. Afflictions and persecutions will discover what metal men are made of. All is not gold that glisters: many there be that glister and look like golden Christians, but when they come to the fire, they prove but dross: he is a golden Christian indeed, who remains gold when under fiery trials. The stony ground did glister and shine very gloriously, for it received the word with joy for a time, but when the sun of persecution rose upon it, it fell away, (Mat 13:20, 21).

Men that now embrace the word, will, in times of persecution, distaste the word, if it be not rooted in their understandings, judgments, wills, affections, and consciences. Men may court the word, and compliment the word, and applaud the word, and seemingly rejoice in the word, but they will never suffer persecution for the word, if it be only received into their heads, and not rooted in their hearts. The house built upon the sand was as lovely, as comely, as goodly, and as glorious a house to look upon as that which was built upon the rock; but when the rain of affliction descended, and the floods of tribulation came, and the winds of persecution blew and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall of it, (Mat 7:26, 27). No professors will be able to stand it out in all winds and weathers, but such as are built upon a rock. All others will sink, shatter, and fall when the wind of persecution blows upon them, (Mal 3:2); as sure as the rain will fall, the floods flow, and the winds blow, so sure will an unsound heart give out when trials come.

Nothing speaks out more soundness and uprightness than a pursuing after holiness, even then when holiness is most afflicted, pursued, and persecuted in the world to stand fast in fiery trials argues much integrity within.

JESUS ONLY!---W.F. BELL

"They saw no man, save Jesus only" (Matthew 17:8).  We declare without apology that this is the greatest need of our day!  These words should be written upon our hearts!  The transfiguration of Christ truly proclaims His great glory.  How wonderful to see "no man, save Jesus only."  Sinners, even religious ones, often blind us to the Savior, but Christ is above all men, no matter their name.  This is why we must never "glory in men" (I Corinthians 3:21).

Jesus, my All, to heaven has gone,
He whom I fix my hopes upon.

"Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1).  Yes, "Consider Christ Jesus."  We must see Him alone as "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14), "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9).  The Lord of glory is totally unique, having no rivals, being Himself our Teacher and Treasure.  All sinners are blind and dead, lost and hopeless, without Christ.

Let us never substitute a false Jesus for the real one, including any puny preacher or pope.  We must exalt Christ only as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6).  No doctrine that does not glorify Him is worth teaching!  No denomination of men must claim our loyalty above Christ!  His atonement alone redeems us, not any work we do!  Christ is a mighty Savior, never being disappointed or frustrated!  Calvary only is our refuge, and may it never be said of us, "For we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves" (Isaiah 28:15).  Religion without Christ is a false place to hide!

Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

Christ exalted is our song,
Hymned by all the blood-bought throng.

The Lord Jesus Christ has sought us and bought us!  Regeneration has made us "new creatures in Christ."  King Jesus alone has the "preeminence"  in His church (Colossians 1:18).  Nothing is greater than the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.  "But we see Jesus" (Hebrews 2:9), and truly what a liberating sight it is!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.       

WHOSE VOICE DO YOU LISTEN TO?----MARIANNE LORDI

Today I am presenting to you a meditation by my friend, Marianne Lordi. This is a blessed bit of spiritual advice. I pray that you will be blessed by this writing. Be sure and comment if you have questions.

 

In the course of our day, we go through a series of choices.  What time to get up, where to go and what to eat are just some of them.  But the most important choice we make each day is whose voice will we listen to?

In the bible, God says in Deuteronomy 30:19  “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life”.  That is a decision you alone must make. The enemy comes around like a roaring lion seeking to destroy you.  If you allow Satan to have a foothold in your life, you are allowing the thief entry to steal your joy.

Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly”.  Jesus never promised that we would not have problems. He promised that despite our struggles, he would still be able to give us peace and joy in the midst of them and to those who endure blessings for having gone through them.  There is not a circumstance in your life that Christ cannot turn and use for your good.  It doesn’t matter what pain, addiction, illness, financial problem or relationship heartache that you are going through, the power of Christ can and will take you through it. 

The enemy wants you to believe that your situation is hopeless and there is nothing that can help you.  The truth that sets you free is the knowledge that God has a perfect plan for your life.  Those who have put their faith in the shed blood of Jesus need to know that the enemy has no power over your life.  The trials you face are only the winds that God allows as you sail toward the reward he has for you in eternity.

What Satan sends to harm you cannot crush you.  A child of God can never be defeated!  Satan already knows this so his job is to try and convince you that you that your battle cannot be won and that no one cares.  That is a lie from the father of lies.  Remember that it was God who sent his only Son to save us so that none should perish.  It was God who loved us before we first loved him and who works all things out for our good. And it is God, through his Son Jesus, who will never leave us alone but has promised believers an inheritance in eternity.  The only promise the enemy can fulfill is one of pain and despair.  He has no other power. 

Each day begins as a gift from God.  You have a choice to walk in the light of truth which comes from the word of God.  It is a life full of promise and joy in the midst of your problems and a hope that God will fulfill his purpose for you.  Finally, it is the strength to turn from the voice of the enemy who seeks to destroy you and to live the life that Christ has already won for you.   The victory is yours. Choose life!

    

EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS--JEREMIAH BURROUGHS (1600-1646)

Jeremiah Burroughs was a Puritan preacher in England that was greatly used of God. He was tutored in school by Thomas Hooker, a man who later emigrated to America, and founded the state of Connecticut. Burroughs  wrote a number of books in his time including a commentary on Hosea, and The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. This excerpt is from his book  A Treatise of Earthly-Mindedness.

They can be so content with so little in this world and can live such comfortable lives in the enjoyment of so little. Perhaps you cannot tell how to have comfortable lives unless you have so much coming in each year, so much provision. But one who is heavenly, a godly man or woman can tell how to live a joyful and happy life in the lack of the things of this world. Though they have only a little, just bread and water, mean habitations, mean clothes, low esteem in the world, they can still go through the world with a joyful heart, blessing God all their days.

There are many poor and low people in this world whose houses are filled more with the blessings of God in one day than many a rich, noble, great men have in twenty or forty years. This argues that they have their conversations in heaven, that though they lack comfort in this world, yet they can live comfortable lives. Surely it is something that causes them to rejoice, when they can rejoice in the lack of outward things, when there joy does not depend on the things of this world.

If men who have earthly hearts lose even their outward comforts they cry out "O we are undone!" And you might see mighty alterations in their countenances. They have nothing to cheer their hearts when they lose the things of this world, but it is not so with the saints. Whatever crosses they meet with in this world, yet they still rejoice in Christ, blessing God. A man that has nothing to do with another country is like a dead man there, he goes there with little joy. But a man who has been trading in another country and has great riches and has thrives there, whatever he seems to be here he is a great man there! O how comfortably does that man go to that country.

THE MATTER OF ASSURANCE--THOMAS BROOKS (1608-1680)

The first proposition that I shall lay down concerning assurance is this, That God denies assurance for a time to his dearest and choicest ones, and that upon many considerable grounds.

(1.) As, first, for the exercise of their grace. A gracious soul would always be upon mount Tabor, looking into Canaan; he would always be in his Father’s arms, and under his Father’s smiles; he would always be in the sunshine of divine favour;[1] he would always have the heavens open, that be might always see his Christ and his crown; he would with Peter be always upon the mount; he is loath to walk through the valley of darkness, through the valley of Baca. As the king of Sodom said once to Abraham, “Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself,” Gen 14:21; so gracious souls are apt to say, Give me joy, give me peace, give me assurance, and do you take trials, afflictions, and temptations to yourselves. But pray, what use would there be of the stars, if the sun did always shine? Why, none. Why, no more use would there be of your graces, if assurance should be always continued; therefore the Lord, for the exercise of his children’s faith, hope, patience, etc., is pleased, at least for a time, to deny them assurance, though they seek it by earnest prayer, and with a flood of penitent tears.

(2.) The Lord denies assurance to his dearest ones, that he may keep them in the exercise of those religious duties that are most costly and contrary to flesh and blood, as to mourning, repenting, self-judging, self-loathing, self abhorring, and self-searching; as Lam 1:16, “For these things I weep: mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me;” Lam 3:2-3, “He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, not into light. Surely against me he is turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day;” Lam 3:17, “And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.” Now, what this sad dealings of God puts the church upon you may see in Lam 3:40. “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.”  And if you look throughout the book, you shall find the church much in self-examining, self-judging, self-loathing, etc., upon this ground, that God had hid his face, and drawn a curtain between him and them, and stood at a distance from them, and would not speak comfortably and friendly to them.
—Thomas Brooks From “Heaven on Earth”

BECAUSE HE CHOSE TO----BROWNLOW NORTH

                                                             

         Some little time ago, after the conclusion of one of Mr. Brownlow North's addresses in Edinburgh a young man came into the room where he was receiving persons anxious for private conversation, and said to him, "I have heard you preach three times, sir, and I neither care for you nor your preaching unless you can tell me why did God permit sin." "I will do that with pleasure," was the immediate reply,—"Because He chose to." The young man, apparently taken by surprise, stood speechless; and Mr. North again replied, "Because He chose to; and," added he, "if you continue to question and cavil at God's dealings, and vainly puffed up by your carnal mind, strive to be wise above what is written, I will tell you something more that God will do,—He will some day put you into hell-fire. It is vain for you to strive with your Maker—you cannot resist Him; and neither your opinion of His dealings, nor your blasphemous expression of them, will in the least lessen the pain of your everlasting damnation, which, I again tell you, will most certainly be your portion if you go on in your present spirit.

         There were such questioners as you in St. Paul's time, and how did the apostle answer them? “Nay, but O man, who art thou that replied against God” (Romans 9:20).”

        

         The young man here interrupted Mr. North, and said, "Is there such a text as that in the Bible?" "Yes, there is," was the reply, "in the ninth chapter of the Romans; and I recommend you to go home and read that chapter; and after you have read it, and seen there how God claims for Himself the right to do whatever He chooses, without permitting the thing formed to say to Him that formed it, 'Why hast Thou made me thus?’ Remember that, besides permitting sin, there is another thing God has chosen to do, — God chose to send Jesus. Of His own free and sovereign grace God gave His only begotten Son to die for sinners in their stead—in their place; so that, though they are sinners, and have done things worthy of death, not one of them shall ever be cast into hell for his sins who will receive Jesus as his only Saviour, and believe in Him and rest in His Word. I have no time to say more to you now: others are waiting to see me. Go home, attend to what I have told you, and may God the Holy Spirit bless it for Jesus Christ sake."

         This conversation took place on Sunday evening. On the following Friday, Mr. North was sitting in a friend's drawing room, when the servant announced that a young man wanted to speak to him. On being shown upstairs, he said, "Do you remember me?" "No." "Do you not remember the young man who on Sunday night asked you to tell him 'why did God permit sin'?" "Yes, perfectly." "Well, sir, I am that young man; and you said that God permitted sin because He chose to, and you told me to go home and read the ninth chapter of Romans; and also that God chose to send Jesus to die for such sinners as I am; and I did, sir, what you told me, and afterwards I fell down at God's feet and asked Him to forgive my sins, because Jesus died for me, and He did; and now I am happy—oh! so happy, sir; and though the devil still comes sometimes to tempt me with my old thoughts, and to ask me what reason I have to think God has forgiven me, I have always managed to get him away by telling him that I do not want to judge things by my own reason, but by God's Word, and that the only reason why I know I am forgiven, is that for Christ's sake, God chooses to pardon me.

         The changed expression of the young man's countenance was quite sufficient to account for Mr. North's not knowing him again. It was radiant with joy and peace.

         Dear reader, the first lesson a poor sinner has to learn, is to trust in the Lord, and not to his own understanding; to trust God not only for what he does understand, and for what is explained, but for what he does not understand, and for what is not explained. This is faith, and such faith honors God and saves the soul. This is receiving the kingdom of God as a little child; and let us ever remember that it is written (and the scripture cannot be broken), that unless we receive the kingdom of God as a little child, we shall in no wise enter therein.

         

         "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 8.)

         (Copied from an old tract in my files- author unknown)- (emphasis mine-cmw)

         Brownlow North was known as the great Evangelist of 19^th century Scotland. God’s hand was on him in unusual way. When converted at age 45, he had been a sinful playboy, but went on to be remembered as one who spoke to the common man. Several books of his sermons have been published, but all seem to be presently out of print. The best are “The Rich Man and Lazarus” and “Wilt Thou Go with This Man?” You may find used copies at Amazon.com. Here is a link to a brief biographical article about Brownlow North.

          http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?503