The time has come for our ladies online reading club to start a new book so I am canvassing for new members (you can tell an election's coming!). We are starting on Krummacher, the well known F W Krummacher who wrote the popular books 'Elijah the Tishbite', 'Elisha a Prophet for our Times' and 'The Suffering Saviour'. The book we have chosen is not so well known - 'Christ and His People' is an exposition of Christ's life and the beginnings of his Church here on earth. Krummacher writes in his typically colourful and highly devotional style and there is much thought provoking application. Anyone ladies keen to read something that might be a bit tougher than most books they would naturally pick up, with gentle support and encouragement along the way should get in touch with me. The online reading club is run as a member's only blog, our members vary from old to young (it's all relative!) and are spread around the world so don't think you won't fit in - we would love to have new members, it all helps add to the discussions!
We are almost halfway through the current book of the online reading club 'Reading Together'. There are some rich pickings here from Edgar Andrews on the book of Hebrews.Christ saves finally, completely, perfectly and utterly. Here is no partial salvation, as many teach, leaving man to complete a work that Christ began. Here is no temporary salvation that can be lost through neglect or inadvertence. There would be no point in Christ's everlasting intercession if it did not secure an equally complete and durable salvation. A perfect Saviour must provide a perfect salvation for all 'who come to God through him'. But let us be sure that we do come through Christ, for he alone is 'the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him'.Quoted from Chapter 21 'A Perfect Saviour' in A Glorious High Throne - Hebrews Simply Explained by Edgar Andrews (Welwyn Commentary Series).
It is central to the message of Hebrews that Christ's work of deliverance is complete. Christ is the perfect Saviour because he saves perfectly. There is nothing partial, conditional, or temporary about the salvation that is in Christ. Nothing is left to chance. Nothing is left to man's fallible 'decision' or 'commitment'. Jesus' work of atonement is a finished work of grace that has completely and eternally saved his elect. Their entrance into 'glory' is assured.
For the first time I can announce that we are reading a contemporary author! After reading through books by Thomas Watson, Martin Luther, Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Richard Sibbes it is going to be quite a change to read a book by someone who is still living!
"Nothing is stronger than humility, which goes out of itself, or weaker than pride, which rests on its own foundation"
A Christian complains he cannot pray. 'Oh, I am troubled with so many distracting thoughts, and never more than now!' But has he put into your heart a desire to pray? Then he will hear the desires of his own Spirit in you. God can pick sense out of a confused prayer. These desires cry louder in his ears than your sins. 'Oh, but is it possible', thinks the misgiving heart, 'that so holy a God should accept such a prayer?' Yes, he will accept that which is his own, and pardon that which is ours. There is never a holy sigh, never a tear we shed, which is lost. By prayer we learn to pray.
It would be a good contest amongst Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none.
I shall never cease to be grateful to Richard Sibbes who was balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil... I found at that time that Richard Sibbes, who was known in London in the early seventeenth century as the 'Heavenly Doctor Sibbes' was an unfailing remedy... The Bruised Reed quieted, soothed, comforted, encouraged and healed me.
I just noticed this Martin Luther quote on my calendar'We no more earn heaven by good works than babies earn their food and drink by crying and howling'It sounds like classic 'no beating about the bush' Luther to me & made me smile because I have just spent the last hour immersed in Luther's commentary on Galatians and it is full of comments like this. Our online ladies reading club is coming to the end of this commentary on Galatians, it has taken us over a year to steadily work through, but I for one have enjoyed getting to grips with this incredible author who went through so much in his efforts to reform the church. He is amazingly easy to read so don't be put off trying him out. If you fancy joining our reading club please let me know... we will shortly be choosing a new book to tackle so this would be a good point to get involved.
