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Beacon of Truth is a Reformed Evangelical blog ministry passionately promoting gospel-centered theology, life and ministry. Beacon Booklets aims to spread essential truths of the gospel, which we believe would serve the church at large to grow in their faith.

Copyright © 2011 Refocusing Our Eyes This book has been copyrighted to prevent misuse. It should not be reprinted or translated without written permission from the author. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Permission is however given for any part of this book to be downloaded and printed provided it is for FREE distribution, provided NO ALTERATIONS are made, provided the AUTHOR‟S NAME AND ADDRESS are mentioned, and provided this entire copyright notice is included in each printout. For further details, please contact: Beacon of Truth http://beaconoftruthministries.blogspot.com/ Refocusing Our Eyes http://refocusingoureyes.com/

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Contents Foreword............................................................................................................................................. 4 Adoration ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Affliction/Hardships/Suffering ............................................................................................................. 5 Carnality .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Deception (False Doctrine/False Gospel).............................................................................................. 7 Doctrine .............................................................................................................................................. 8 Easy Believism ..................................................................................................................................... 8 God’s Sovereignty ................................................................................................................................ 9 Government ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Grace................................................................................................................................................... 9 Heaven .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Justification ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Prayer................................................................................................................................................ 11 Sanctification/Consecration (Holiness)............................................................................................... 12 Salvation............................................................................................................................................ 14 Scriptures .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Sin ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 Singleness of Heart ............................................................................................................................ 15 Submission ........................................................................................................................................ 16 About The Author .............................................................................................................................. 17

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Foreword

R

eflecting on the Word of God and looking at the world around them through that lens of the Word, has always been an indispensable mark of thoughtful Christians. It is indeed a sad and disastrous reality that today, at least in certain quarters of Christianity, thoughtlessness and lack of sobriety is considered as normative of being a Christian. However it is crucial that Christians be serious-minded in all their thinking and reflection of the Word. For it is such reflection that makes our understanding of truth profound. Only when one possesses a profound understanding of the truth of the Word, one is able to understand the world around him and explain the world in terms of the truth of the Word. Such a Word-centered and Wordsaturated understanding of all realities of life, what some call Christian worldview, is very much needed to live a Word-centered and Word-saturated life. For one‟s worldview always determines one‟s priorities in life. This collection of quotes penned by Holly Dye is a wonderful example of such deep reflections on the Word of God. The author however applies her reflections to understand the present state of the church much more than the culture around us. Collected from over a period of years, these quotes are thoughtful reflections, concisely presented to make the reader think, ponder and wonder. Covering a wide range of topics from doctrine to suffering, containing prayers to testimonies, the book gifts a delightful treat for the reader. Though not all quotes require deep meditation, this book ought to be read slowly and carefully, while contemplating on each quote. May these quotes bless the reader with a thoughtful appreciation of and a passionate embracing of the truth of God. May every word be tested against the Holy Writ which unfolds the matchless glory of our great God and King. To Him alone be glory in the Church.

Jay.M Nair, Beacon of Truth

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Adoration

 Jesus Christ ~ a never ending bounty for the soul.  Oh for a tongue to express the utter delight I have found in you, my Lord and King!  Oh that my words could tell of Your marvelous glory! I lack the means, but my heart longs to express it! Loosen my tongue to only sing Your praise, O Most High and Holy God!

 If you know the Lord, it is impossible to loose your wonder of Him; His name alone, declares this. (Isaiah 9:6)

 Even if my praise to the Lord was uninterrupted and my entire life, one continuous song, it could never adequately express the mercy God has shown to me. His salvation is beyond my comprehension and His worth beyond what I can express.

 May the signet of my King be so firmly pressed upon my heart that when the letters of my life are opened, the words written by the blood dipped pen are exquisitely found.

 With the cup of salvation, I drink long from the wells of life. In such depths, my soul is found ~ oh for grace to abide!

Affliction/Hardships/Suffering

 Hardships, tribulations, persecutions, sufferings, torments, losses, pain…tears ~I thank God this is the only hell I will ever see.

 I won‟t ask, “Why have you allowed this, Lord?” but will kiss the Hand of Providence because He has designed it to be so ~ for His glory and my ultimate good. I am Yours, O Lord…be it unto me as You will.

 All that God allows to come to us is ultimately for our good, so let us be thankful for every grace given and patient when the grace has been withdrawn. May our hearts never be lifted in pride against His sovereign plan. He is Lord of all.

 Too many believers try to find a way out of their circumstances instead of learning why they are there.

 Even when it does not seem God is there and all His comfort has been withdrawn; even when deliverance does not come speedily, do not faint dear Christian. For these seasons are given in order that we may more fully and submissively cast ourselves upon His dear mercies and realize that there is no hope outside of Him; no peace or joy to be found. Christ must be all and that is the lesson our buffeted souls must learn.

 “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) Shall I bless Him only for mercies and not sorrows? Shall I only praise Him during my comforts and not my crosses? Though tears stain my cheeks and strength seems far, I will lift up my eyes to the One who holds me still. My heart cries out, “Abba, Father…” Penned Thoughts | 5

 I have come to experience that the more affliction is given me, the more deeply I love and the more deeply I love, the less prone I am to see the shortcomings of others. For did the Lord not take such a one as me, out of the depths of defiling darkness and place a ring on my finger and a robe upon my back? Shall I not look at others with the same eyes of compassion?

 I have become very thankful for affliction, for by it, the Lord has worked such stability, such peace, such love for the brethren and the best part is, I‟ve come to know HIM more in all His wonderful beauty and grace! There is no other way to be refined than to go through the fire; having everything burned away and replaced with that, which cannot be taken from you.

 When I find myself nearing despair and hope seems to be far from me, when there is not a soul upon which I can depend and joy seems but a faint memory, I remind myself of the devil‟s dark dungeon in which I was held in chains of sin -a prisoner of hell- until the mighty power of Christ‟s grace broke the fetters of unrighteousness and released me from it‟s wretched grasp. O my soul! Delight in HIM!

 O Great and Sovereign Lord, how you govern the affairs of my life! In my solitary you have provided the sweetest fellowship that has ever been known; in my confinement, great freedom. In the vastness of my fears and insecurities, You have been an anchor to my soul. May I say with David, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Lord, I yield.

 O how sweet it is to be broken by the Lord! To know that of the afflictions, which we endure, we deserve far worse. O how blessed be the rod that breaks the back of my pride! How I welcome with joy the trouble that has been brought to my soul‟s door, for by it‟s torments, it has only driven me into the arms of my Savior, who is blessed forevermore!

 When in the furnace of affliction, our prayer must be that God would grant us the grace to endure until His divine purpose is established in our lives.

 Your life, in the fires of affliction must always accomplish the glory of God. Should God deliver you, glory must be given to Him and should He not deliver you, but leave you long in the furnace, to the agonizing of your soul, glory must still be given.

 It is not for the believer to seek acceptance into the courts of king‟s palaces, but in the dungeons. Here, in this foreign land, we must expect to suffer for our Lord‟s name and should not be surprised when persecution comes. If a crown is what we seek, may it be given us in the form of thorns and not gold. (Heb 13:13-14)

 For the pilgrim‟s consideration: What valley is too deep, what tragedy too great, what sorrow too overwhelming can ever remove His love from us? Oh, but do we not hurt? Do we not grieve over our pain? What of it?! Feelings quickly dissolve and cannot be trusted EVER. The solidity of our foundation in Christ is sure and steadfast. He is a refuge to His people always.

Carnality

 Is the new earmark of strong Christianity the right to dabble in darkness? “I can watch anything, read anything, go anywhere, and be with anyone…. because my faith is strong.” O Christian, do you now so tempt Christ? (I John 2:6; I Cor. 10:12) Penned Thoughts | 6

 What is this mixing with the world I see? How can I be silent when those of God‟s House mingle that which is holy with what is profane! My heart grieves and cries out to God today for His Church. O Lord, awaken! Unveil! Purge! Until only that which is pure remains…

 O Christian, the „freedoms‟ that you enjoy now, will they end up bringing you shame?  Examine yourself, O professing Christian, if your conversation about worldly things, cause your eyes to light up and your face to brighten. Should your joy be found in that which is temporal and which has no lasting value? Should you not rather joy in Christ and set your affections on things above? (Col. 3:1-3)

Deception (False Doctrine/False Gospel)

 My heart goes out to all those being deceived into thinking that a closed Bible means, “the spirit is mov‟in”. I once was in that camp, thinking, “now the service has truly begun” when I was blind to my own ignorance of how to discern the truth. I don‟t really care if the preacher can quote multiple verses without opening the Bible, because he can take those verses and twist them into anything he so desires. Show the context and see if that doctrine stands or falls, because I guarantee you when “the spirit is mov‟in”, you‟ll know which spirit it is.

 Some ministers preach the gospel as if they are Walt Disney, trading the truth for aweinspiring fantasy and casting their magical spells of false doctrine. Do not be deceived. “Moving in the gifts” does not make it permissible to swallow poisoned apples.

 If a message comes my way and I am told that I have to “listen with the ears of my spirit” instead of discerning it by the Scriptures, it will not gain an audience with me. If Jesus‟ main objective in bringing people into His Kingdom was to make them wealthy, then why was He always telling people to give up everything they had before they could follow Him? Why did the Bible make a point in telling us that when Jesus called His disciples, “they forsook all and followed Him”? Yes, that even… means their “lucrative” fishing businesses.

 Does it not grieve your heart, O Christian, that false doctrine arises within the midst of God‟s people like sludge in a pond? We are swimming in vile, putrid and offensive doctrines and yet we go about as if it is pure water.

 I‟ve heard it said of false teachers, “They are helpful to babes in Christ.” When did it become lawful to give poison to others, while protecting ourselves?

 Just because a minister is “nice” does not qualify him to preach sound doctrine. Let him be tested against the scriptures!

 The “loss of dominion over the earth” is NOT the root problem; SIN is the root problem. It is blasphemous to say or even insinuate that the dominion given Adam, made him a god. This was the temptation in the garden (Gen. 3:5). Sin is what made man “think” he was a god. This is the pride bound in the heart of Lucifer that he still markets today.

 Deuteronomy 18:22 gives the true test of a “prophet”. MANY would fail this test today. We have scores of people lining up that have pasted the name prophet upon their chest, claiming that Penned Thoughts | 7

“a little of the pipe has to come through with the message”. NO! You either speak for God or you do not.

 It is alarming to me to watch the John Tetzels of our day selling indulgences to God‟s people. They have absolutely no fear of God before their eyes and they consider not that the Judge of the universe is keeping a sharp eye upon their wicked deeds and will repay them accordingly. My fear for what awaits them surpasses my anger against them.

 Be careful that pop psychology hasn‟t replaced the true and undefiled gospel in your heart.  Sobering Reality: Prophesying, casting out demons and doing miracles are not necessarily God‟s stamp of approval on you. (Matt. 7:21-23)

 Deception is like a vile poison wrapped in a luxurious gift. Only the truth of God's Word can expose it before it is received.

 The doctrines of false teachers are incompatible with the gospel. The church must be warned against them.

 How dare anyone think they are able to demand things from the Sovereign Lord of the universe? Positive confessions, personal goodness, or being bold in the face of God will not cause the Divine Potentate to move one inch unless He is pleased to do so. What arrogance is found in the creation who thinks it may command its Creator? O how longsuffering and merciful is the God who is oft defied by such monsters of iniquity!

 Jesus: the Almighty, the Creator & Upholder of all things, Alpha & Omega, Lord God Omnipotent, Lord of Glory, King of kings & Lord of Lords, Blessed and only Potentate is preached as absolutely powerless under the hand of man‟s “almighty” will.

Doctrine

 Let‟s be careful that we do not love our „theology‟ MORE than we love the „God‟ of our theology.

 If we are able to take Scriptural doctrines and explain them to a child, then we know we have understanding of them ourselves.

 If “doctrine is dangerous” and doctrine is systematizing what you believe, then the opposite of this may be a bit embarrassing.

 It is not enough to “just believe”. We must know WHY we believe and be able to clearly and precisely tell others the way to salvation.

Easy Believism

 The professing church has spent too much of its time and energy trying to convince the world that they are cool, when actually, the world will always view Christians as foolish. As these pastors carefully craft their services to prove their hipness, the world continues to watch and

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laugh, confirming what they have thought all along – the church has nothing that they don‟t already have.

 Why don‟t we see the easy formulas, presented to us by modern-day preachers, in the Scriptures? I don‟t recall Jesus ever offering 7 Steps to Receive From God or even ONE of the apostles declaring any Laws of Faith. Let‟s just preach the gospel and forget all this other nonsense!

 I do not want to be lulled to sleep by a false gospel that tells me all the things my carnal flesh wants to hear. Give me the truth that rips to shreds my comfort level and destroys my idols. Give me the truth that causes me to fear God and fall at His feet and not the false gospel that encourages me to slap Him on the back as a comrade.

 God does not solely exist to “make you feel good”. How superficial is this man-centered gospel that is preached.

 "Believe in yourself," you say? Believe in what? My own power to save myself from an enemy too great for me? My own ability to walk daily in a manner which pleases God? My own determination to be free from sin? If I believed in myself, I would prove to be a great failure indeed!

God’s Sovereignty

 If God is not sovereign, why pray to Him? If you do not believe He has control over everything, then why bother Him with your pleadings? To say He is not sovereign is to say He is not God Almighty. Your defiance of His Honor will be costly.

 You would think by the conversation of some that the devil is more sovereign than God. I hear more people say that we need to give the Sovereign Lord permission to work in our lives, while, the devil, they claim, can do whatever he wills, whenever he wills.

Government

 My hope is not in the rise or fall of governments, but in God alone.  God has ALWAYS used unjust governments to bring His people back to Himself.  Who am I, O Lord that I should presume to know what is fair and just? My wisdom is foolishness to Thee. My rights are worthless. My justifications hold no weight in Thy sight. If the wicked rule, let their rod drive me to Thy feet. Thou alone art my deliverer and source of strength. To Thee shall I look and trust.

Grace

 Oh how beautiful and intricate is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! How it amazes me that even through the worst possible circumstances, He has not allowed me to utterly fall. Meditating on that grace that sustains and not only sustains, but empowers, has filled my heart with such praise.

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 True beauty shines upon the face of those whose hearts are captivated by His glorious Grace.  O God, I cling with feeble fingers, to the ledge of Your great grace.  Oh for the grace of God that abounds to me! His grace is greater than my sin. His grace is stronger than my weakness. His grace upholds me in time of need. His grace justified me. His grace redeemed me. His grace called and separated me from my mother‟s womb. Oh that I may grow more and more in what God has so mercifully extended to me!

 God‟s path requires God‟s strength. If we try to walk His way, trusting in our own ability or might, we will never endure. The strength that we need to walk daily in a world that is vehemently opposed to righteousness is only found in Christ – without His help failure is certain.

 When the sea, that was once calm, turns agitated and fierce and certain destruction threatens to snatch our life away – in our desperation we cry out, “Lord save me!” …and Mercy immediately reaches out His hand… What solace is there to be found in the keeping grace of God.

Heaven

 Every hour that passes in this vapor of a life, draws me closer to that City that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. I await with great joy for the glorious arrival of that day ~ and pray that while in this pilgrim land, I might make the most of every opportunity given me, to glorify that great God and Savior of whom my soul delights!

 Ah! my soul, what love awaits thee, what joy divine! „Tis a weary path thou treadeth and dangers grip thee with fear, but look up! Look up! This world is but a temporal passage, into the eternal weight of glory and the arms of thy dear Savior! (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

 My citizenship is in heaven and from it, I await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil. 3:20)  Who knows if when tonight I close my eyes, the morning will not awaken me to my eternal reward ~ I desire no shame to await me there; thus my hold on earthly comforts loosen more and more easily as I look with utter delight into that which awaits me. Oh for more grace to cling to You alone, most holy and beloved Son of God!

Justification

 Oh blessed obedience of Christ, Whose righteous blood transformed this vile, God-hating sinner into an object no longer under God's wrath! You have freed me from the bondage of darkness, removed my guilt, cleansed me of my shame and see me as innocent based solely upon the satisfaction You made for me on the cross.

 I am what I am "by the grace of God"...not by what I "confess" or by some kind of "seven steps to obtain God's favor". NO! What I am before the throne of God is solely based on me being in Christ. It's HIS righteousness and HIS favor and HIS redemption and HIS sacrifice.

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 Nothing may be found as a point of boasting before our Lord. Not our good works, not our humility, not our doctrine or lack of it, not our tears, nor our joy... everything is by Him, for Him and through Him. We have nothing on which to stand, except that which He has wrought for us.

 God gave the law in order to show man, not only His righteous standards, but man's complete inability to perfectly obey them. Thus, how beautiful our justification in Christ, when He came & fulfilled the requirements, without flaw, for us. How glorious is the scarlet thread of redemption displayed through the pages of scripture!

Prayer

 Oh my Father, thank You for illuminating Your Word to me. Thank You for causing me to see every blessing I have received is through Christ and shall ever be maintained through Him.

 What beauty there is to be found in You, Who shall sustain me to the end – guiltless. Oh the wonder, the resplendent honor of being called into fellowship with You! There is no higher place to be found than at Your feet.

 My Father, as I gather together with the saints this day, do not allow my mind to be clouded that I miss and resist the force of the Scriptures. Open and unveil my mind and illuminate my heart that I may understand what You have revealed. Mend and stabilize my broken heart, for You are my only hope and refuge.

 Oh Lord, I am falling under the weight of my cross. Ironically it is not my back that has been broken from the beams, but my heart. Make me willing to accept what You have for me. Help me not to fight against it. Help me to see the beauty in what repulses me. Oh God! My God! Bear me up and don‟t let me utterly fall!

 Once again Lord, a new day dawns and I am confronted with my absolute need for Your strength to see me through. Thank You for placing me in such a position and may I never know the power of my own strength again (2 Cor. 12:9).

 Oh how I bless the Hand of Providence! Be it unto me as You see fit, my Lord and King. Grind me to the dust and I will praise you still. Take everything away and in You, I will still trust. Thank You for those who remind me this is not my final dwelling place. This life is but a pilgrimage and whatever You have designed for me here, may my soul be found to continually say, “Bless the Lord”!

 Soften my heart, O Lord; make me pliable, that I may be capable of receiving the impression of Your precepts. Ever conform me to Your dear will.

 Deliver me, O Lord, from the fear of man and likewise, of their approval. May I be dead to both criticism and praise. The former brings a snare, the latter destruction. May my eyes be continually fixed upon You and my ears open to Your council. May I receive the instruction and guidance of the wise and submit to their rebuke, that through it O Lord, You, and You alone, may be glorified.

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 O Holy Sovereign Lord, may I always be reminded that I am a representative of Thy courts. May I dare not bring reproach upon Thy name by displaying myself in a manner that is unworthy. May my speech and my conduct always reveal that I belong to Thee and Thee alone.

 No greater honor than to be drawn into prayer by the Master. Oh that I tarry long at His feet and hear His dear heart. Fill me with Your holy passion, O God. Let me speak with the urgency You place within me and at the end of my days, may there be nothing left of me, for in that, I was wholly consumed by You.

 Lord, may I be spent for You. Take me – All of me. May there be nothing left of me after You are done, but to rise in glory to meet You. Only then may I rejoice that You have been glorified in this life I have dared to call my own.

 I never feel so alive as when I pray. Your faithfulness, alone, astounds me.  In the darkest seasons of my soul, Lord, You are near. You never allow me to go there alone. I am comforted by Your strength. I am relieved from my sighing by Your dear, dear presence. O, may I learn to trust You more when the path is darkness under my feet! May I tune my ear to Your wondrous voice that will direct me into Your grace.

 O Lord, I cry unto You. Let my voice come before you and hear me. BURN AWAY the dross in my soul, O God! Let the flames of your grace consume my being! Let me not be swept away by my own casualness. Let me not be satisfied with vanities. Let me NEVER think I am okay and become settled in my own lukewarmness. Break me until I can do nothing but look to You!!!

 Give me an ear to hear, O Lord, Your marvelous words of life. Give me a tongue, to speak of that which angels long to understand. Give me a heart, emblazoned with a cry for Your righteousness. Give me a life that I may lay down, in service to my King.

 Oh Great Potter, take this lump of clay that has been so misused and broken. Pour the water of your Spirit upon it and mold and shape it anew. Consecrate it for no other purpose but to be a vessel in Your House. If it is to be broken again, may it be for Your precious ointment that is spilled for Your Name's sake. Glorify Your Name.

 Oh Great God, my ultimate Treasure, out of Your bounty You have blessed me with overflowing graces that have renewed my spirit and refreshed my heart. Your love and mercy astound and humble me more than any strict commandment that can be found.

Sanctification/Consecration (Holiness)

 We are to be sanctified – not sanitized. We are not to be less offensive to God; we are not to be offensive at all!!

 Make Thy cut of sanctification, O Lord. Scrape out that which offends Thee. Burn away the vile and lackadaisical attitude that has replaced the sweetness of Thy dear presence. O may I be wholly consumed by Thee. Let not a single thought be focused upon my selfish heart, but refine me till passion for Thy holiness is all I seek.

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 Who am I, O Lord that I should resist Thy hand of correction? Shall I say I have no need? Shall my own heart deceive me into thinking I am clean? Come, great Holy Spirit and brood over the waters of my heart. Let Thy powerful light expose all the dark corners where sin so loves to hide. Let passiveness be far removed from me! May I be sickened by my own self-righteousness. Cut it out, O Sovereign Lord!

 My life is not my own. I am bound to Your will. Take me, O God and slay me if you must, but let the sacrifice of my life be a sweet smelling savor to You forever. Selah.

 Destroy in me O God, every idol in the temple of mine heart. Burn it out with the fire of Thy Holy Spirit. Show no mercy. Show no compassion. Do not cease until nothing is standing but my desire for Thee. Let the smoldering rubble remain that I might not forget what was once erected in Thy place.

 We must be willing to ask ourselves this question: “What is the fruit produced in my life from the things which I focus on?”

 The scripture, “Greater is He that is within you…”, has evolved into “He makes YOU great, for He dwells in you.” No, no, no…this can never be. The more we are sanctified (grow in holiness), the LESS we become. Christ‟s indwelling strips us of ourselves ~ henceforth we can only live for His glory alone.

 O saint, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ! Let not your attire represent anything but Him. (Rom. 13:14)

 To live, I must indeed die.  There are many who cry out against the sins of the modern church (and rightly so), but before we can ever hope to see reformation in our churches, we must first look inward at our own heart.  You who cry out against prayerlessness, do you pray? You who cry out for repentance, is your life defined by it? You who cry out for holiness, do you show the fruit of it? Guard against hypocrisy in your life.

 Our walk is one of crucifixion. Daily, and sometimes, hourly, we must take our desires, our expectations, our hopes and dreams and nail them to the cross. It is only in our death that we live. It is only in our weakness that we are strong. It is only in the total emptying of ourselves that we find fullness in Christ.

 Sometimes in the passion of our heart, we cry out for God to take His knife of sanctification and thoroughly cut out anything that displeases Him. When that process begins, are we willing to lay silent and submissive under the pain that this will bring? We are mostly unaware, until God's light shines upon us, how many areas in which we must be humbled, for His honor to be revealed.

 Lord, I am Thine. Everything, My rights are given over to Thee. My desires have been laid upon the altar. Nothing I have is my own. My passion is for Thee. My surrender is unequivocally Thine. Oh hold me to Thyself; bind me with the cords of Thy love. Break my heart with what breaks Thine. Blind my soul to worldly pleasures and keep me only for Thyself.

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 May I never say of my service to Christ, "it is a sacrifice"; quite the contrary, it is a privilege..  How soberly we should walk, as the cost required of us is great. Salvation

 When I ponder the immense greatness of my God‟s power in taking a wretch, such as myself, and transforming me from an object of wrath to an object of worth (based solely on the merits of Christ), I realize that the whole of eternity would never afford me enough time to express my thankfulness.

 When I look at myself and then look at my Savior, I must bow in awe and utter amazement that He would ever choose to love me.

 Salvation is the supreme joy and essence of all things. There IS nothing greater than this.  Salvation is not a “base thing”. It is not something to be hurried out of the way so that we can move on to the “good stuff”. Salvation is the MAIN and GREATEST thing! The GREATER work was that God removed your wretched soul out of the kingdom of darkness and translated it into the Kingdom of Light!

 Can salvation be lost? Well, only to those, I suppose, who feel they somehow contributed to their own salvation. However, Eph. 2:8-9 clearly states that we can contribute nothing to our salvation, not even the faith necessary to believe. It is all of grace, and that of God alone.

 Of all that God is, the one thing that amazes me the most, is that He allows me to call Him Abba Father. His holiness causes me to fall to my face in worship, but His love breaks me and draws me to Himself.

 Whatever befalls us, let our joy and rejoicing be that we were as a firebrand of hell, destined to be scorched and tormented for an eternity of eternities, but were raised by the ineffable excellency of Christ, by that great and glorious Gospel, which even the angels desire to look into.

Scriptures

 What a treasure the Scriptures are! To lower the bucket into such a glorious well and draw such rich and timely truths are simply unfathomable to the carnal mind. Oh what a gift! Oh what a comfort! Oh what direction and strength!

 It is imperative that we rightly divide the Scriptures. Otherwise, we will find ourselves giving comfort to the sinner and wrath to the saint.

 Would that Christians would wait in line (for hours) for the doors of the church to open, to excitedly await the opening of the Scriptures and be fed the words of life. How this would show our eagerness for that which cannot perish and our hope for that which will never fade.

 The Scriptures being exquisitely elegant, reveal to us over and over again the wonders of the ineffable God.

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 As I hold the precious Scriptures in my hands, that which is called the very Word of God, may I not take for granted my freedom in reading it. Oh Father, may I pour over each line as if it were my last opportunity to ever see this blessed Book. May I commit it to memory, as if by memory, it were the only thing I had left to stand on.

 Lord, if it pleases You to illuminate my mind to the beauties and depths of Your truth, grant me the grace to share it with such simplicity that the most unlearned among us (as I so often find myself) may understand and grow by it.

Sin

 The Scriptures speak of sin in a different way than man does. Man speaks of sin as a “mistake”…”an accident”…but the Scriptures define sin as wicked rebellion that brought the wrath of Almighty God.

Singleness of Heart

 “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 Jn 5:21) O Believer, it would seem our hearts must always be kept in check because they have a tendency to set up almost anything in the place of God. Therefore, we must pump our hearts so full of the gospel that there is no room for any devotion but Christ…alone.

 Everything I am ~ under the shadow of the cross.  None shall have my affections so much as Christ, my Lord. He is the center of my joy and the crown of my life. My heart is wholly set upon Him.

 May God grant us all the grace to say with singleness of heart, “…There is nothing on earth I desire besides You.”

 By one door, people walk into our life and by another they walk out. Christ remains and He is enough.

 His life, His all, thus requires of me ~ my life, my all.  Oh to have my delight fully satisfied with the glories of Christ than anything else this world could ever offer! What are gold and jewels compared to His ineffable majesty? What are the finest of clothes compared to His robes of righteousness? What are houses and lands compared to my heavenly abode? Nothing but Christ! Nothing but Christ!

 Thirst! I thirst for more of Thee! Let not my heart content ever be, until that Thou art all to me. O Savior, may I be lost in Thee!

 May the truth, as it is in God‟s Word, powerfully melt, sweeten and ravish my heart! May I ever be so enthralled in the Great Sovereign Lord that no pleasure on this earth could draw my heart away from the constraints of His love.

 Lord, help me to see all things as a shadow and You, as the substance.

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 Oh the blessed privilege to be able to say, “All I have is Christ”! He is better than any earthly comfort; greater than riches untold; sweeter than the finest delicacy and more satisfying than life itself!

 Our lives are not our own; they belong to God. These earthly temples and the breath that they have been given, are His. The blood that runs through our veins, whether kept or shed, is for His honor. Everything is for Him...and everything that is done for others must point to Him. This is the testimony ~ that whether by life or by death, Christ shall be glorified.

 God's glory is the object of my obsession.  May my one desire be to please God and my one fear, to displease Him.  Comforts and pleasures are meant for those who have taken their eyes off of our heavenly country and have settled for this temporal one.

Submission

 So thankful that no matter what stage I am in my life, God gives me His divine grace to not only accept that station, but to delight in it and grow thereby. Therefore there is no need to buck and kick like a wild mare against His plan, for submission to His will is the greatest joy and fulfillment.

 I shall not dictate to God what His way should be. “Shall not the judge of the whole earth do right?”

 O! what great settled peace to be absolutely surrendered under the hand of the Almighty. There is no safer place to dwell and no surer ground to stand.

 If you are called by the Most Supreme God to a way in which few follow, do not expect to be able to live your life like the common man. This is a holy, sacred calling. Do not trifle with it.

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About The Author Holly Dye is a Particular Baptist believer from Ohio. She is currently the author and administrator of Refocusing Our Eyes, a website aimed at seeing the reformation of local churches, using the writings of Christians, mostly of the bygone age. For many years, Holly was actively involved in the Word of Faith (WoF) camp and witnessed many a blatant heresies, one after the other. Mercifully God delivered her from it by opening her eyes to the truths of the gospel and saved her from the clutches of false doctrines. Ever since, she has been actively serving the church through her writings and promotion of other writings of old and new authors, in an effort to see the church reformed. The Lord has been truly gracious to her, in using her website to bless saints all across the nations. Today, Refocusing Our Eyes, is a site accessed by thousands across the world, for resources that are doctrinally sound and aimed at the reformation of the church. For more information of the author, please go to Refocusing Our Eyes http://refocusingoureyes.com/

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