"Strive, each of you, to bring at least one human being, in the next five years, to the happiness for which God made him. Awaken him to some inward spiritual growth. Strive to raise him above the crushing necessities of the body, by turning him to the great purpose of his being. Show him that the fountain of all happiness is within us, and that this fountain may be opened alike in every soul. Show him what a near union he may form with God; and what a benevolent influence he may exert in his narrow sphere; what heroism may be exercised by sacrificing for others, and how that sacrifice may be turned to glory; and how heaven may begin in the most unprosperous conditions on earth. Surely he who can carry such truths to any human being is charged with a glorious mission, a "Great Commission" from above." William Ellery Channing.  

"If you extract the precious from the worthless, 

you will become my spokesman." Jer. 15:19 

That verse struck me, it reminds me of Romans 8:28

The verse in its entirety says - 

"If you return, then I will restore you --

You will stand before me; 

and if you extract the precious from the worthless,

you will become my spokesman." 

 "We all stumble in many ways", and life can be so harsh for some, words fail to describe; but if we return to the Lord He will reveal the precious soul shaping lessons in even the most tragic circumstances, and those precious things will tune your heart to the needs of others and you will have a message to speak.

 

"The tongue is like a sharp razor." Ps. 52:2

"The tongue is a fire." Ja. 3:6

Which of us has not been betrayed by a lying tongue? Who has not felt loss, anguish and hurt by a deceitful tongue of another, or our own. 

But a soothing tongue, a healing tongue, is a tree of life. Ps. 15:4

 O Lord, may I guard my heart and curb my tongue!

   "This moral, spiritual interest in the poor, we should express and make effectual, by approaching them, by establishing an intercourse with them, as far as consists with other duties. We must live with them, not as another race, but as brethren. Our Christian principles must work a new miracle, it must expel the spirit of caste. The outward distinctions of life must seem to us not "a great gulf" but superficial lines, which the chances of a day may blot out, and which are broad only to the narrow minded."  William Ellery Channing. 

   "Our whole connection with the poor should tend to awaken in them the consciousness of their moral powers and responsibility, and to raise  them in spirit and hope above their circumstances. They should be aided to know themselves, by the estimate we form of them by our love and compassion. They should be rescued from self-contempt by seeing others impressed with the great purpose of their being. We may call the poor unfortunate, but never call them low. If faithful to their light, they stand among the high. They have no superiors, but in those who follow a brighter, purer light; and to withhold from them respect is to defraud their virtue of a support which is among the most sacred rights of mankind. Are they morally fallen and lost? They should still learn, in our unaffected concern, the worth of the fallen soul, and learn that nothings seems to us so fearful as its degradation." William Ellery Channing. 

   "There is no art so divine as that of reaching and quickening other minds. Do not tell me you are unequal to this task. What! you call yourselves educated, and yet lack the power to approach and aid your unimproved (Depressed, grieving, addicted, impoverished, imprisoned, sick and downcast) fellow-creatures? Of what use is education if it does not fit us to receive and give freely in our various social connections? How wasted has been our youth if it has taught us only the dialect and manners of a select class, and not taught us the language of humanity, not taught us to mix with and act on the mass of our fellow-creatures? How far are you raised above the poor, if you cannot comprehend, guide, or sway them? The chief endowment of a social being -- I mean the power of imparting what is true and good in your own souls -- you have yet to learn.                                      You cannot learn it too soon." William Ellery Channing.

 

"Love your neighbor as yourself". 

  "You are not immediately kindled into anger and wrath against yourself, nor do you express it with such violence, though you have often done yourself more injury by your own sins than all other persons ever could do you. You do not bear malice against yourself, nor hate yourself, though you have, perhaps, some evil qualities belonging to you, and are long in patience with yourself and you forgive yourself easily: learn then to be patient and forgiving to your neighbors." Isaac Watts. 

     "To wear away life in unproductive harmlessness, is innocent no more." Martineau. 

   Hunger, thirst, sickness, the refugee and foreigner, those in need of clothing and those imprisoned, are problems we will always have with us. On the great day of judgment, how we responded now will be all that matters then.  Matt. 25:31-46

   These are excerpts from Isaac Watts book about learning how to converse and debate. He's talking about our natural tendency to defend our position. 

 "It is exceedingly hard to dispute without gaining some invisible prejudice and good liking for the opinion we defend. So devoted are we to ourselves, that self love too easily engages our favor to the cause we have espoused, and for no other reason than because we espoused it. Though we may have had no kindness before for an opinion that we maintain for disputing sake, yet if a plausible and smiling argument for it occurs in our hasty thoughts, how prone are we to hug the creature of our brain, and be almost in love with the opinion for the sake of argument and we are insensibly captivated to esteem any thing that proceeds from ourselves. There is a certain wantonness of wit in youth, and a pleasing ambition of victory, which works in a young warm spirit, much stronger than a desire for truth. Upon the first sight of an objection against our arguments, our thoughts are strangely hurried away to ransack the brain for a reply, and we torture our invention to make our side have the last word." 

  "Awake o sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Eph. 5:14                                       

  "There comes a time to all of us when the sense of responsibility starts up within us and rebukes our pursuit of ease; it tells us that we are living, and life is fast and once for all, and life ends in eternity, and is embosomed everywhere in God; and it bids us to spring up from our collapse of selfishness and sleep, and take up the full dimensions of our strength, and go forth to do much, if it be possible, and at least to do it worthily and well."   James Martineau. 

  "Religion is a subject open to all minds. Its great truths have their foundation in the soul itself, and their proofs surround us on all sides. God has not shut up the evidence of His being in a few books and locked up in the libraries of colleges and professors, but has written His name on the heavens and on the earth. His word, taught by Jesus Christ, was not given to scribes and lawyers, but taught to the poor, to the mass of men, on mountains, in streets and on the sea-shore. 

  It is sometimes said that the multitude may think on the common business of life, but not on higher subjects, and especially on religion. This, it is said, must be received on authority; on this, men in general can form no judgment of their own. But this is the last subject on which the individual should be willing to surrender  himself to other's diction. In nothing has he so strong an interest. In nothing is it so important that his mind and heart should be alive and engaged. In nothing has he readier means of judging for himself. In nothing, as history shows, is he more likely to be led astray by such as assume the office of thinking for him." William Ellery Channing  1Jn. 2:27 

 

 When Jesus saves our soul, He begins the process of leading us out of our sinful behaviors, and in so doing, we begin to see in ourselves a nobleness begin to arise. And in proportion as he helps us gain victory over our animal grossness, our selfish meanness, and our pitiable ignorance or sordid neglect, and other sinful behaviors: we begin to see our doubts disperse, and our true affections grow and aspire: the veil is lifted from the future, the darkness breaks away, and the spirit begins to walk with dignity within the kingdom of God. "He restores my soul" as Kind David said. 

 

  I never realized how true this statement is until I hit my seventies. As I review the years I see life is similar to a pinball game where we traverse a path until a major change comes and then unexpectedly, we find our trajectory altered from our familiar course. It may be for good or ill: a death, sickness, romance, loss of a romance or a spiritual awakening. There are people that enter our world, for a lifetime or for a season, that leave indelible marks for good or ill. Life is a difficult affair, and try as we may to control it, along come these experiences that literally change who you are.

 

   I read this prayer of humility by James Martineau today, this is the spirit that Jesus loves to bless. 

  "What are we, O Lord, that thou shouldst make us sharers in they everlasting work, and give us entrance into thy everlasting rest? It is shameful to think how we have defaced thine image, grieved thy Spirit, quitted thy presence, and strayed by ourselves. When we lose thy hand, we are without strength or stay, and sink into the fretful cares and miserable pride of an unloving mind." 

 I just love this quote, not that I consider myself so; but all through life my true friends have been people like this. I'm drawn to this type of person. They inspire me, amaze me, and yes, entertain me; and I like to think a little of it has rubbed off, which I value immensely.     I must confess they are usually less stable, less predictable, more emotional and less disciplined, but oh! They are mind broadening and soul enriching. And when possessed by the Spirit of Christ, mercy, they are far reaching!                                                           Like my grandmother would say, "Lawdy! that boy's a caution!

When I saw this little sprouts picture he just charmed me! What a cute little snip! It's been years since my sons were this age, and these wonder filled years rush by so quickly; if you have a little one, be sure to spend as much time with them as you possibly can; you will never regret a minute!   

 

Paul states in Philippians 1:8

"How greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ." 

I wondered, 'what is the affection of Jesus Christ?'

In the following verse he prays that, "our love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment."                              I wondered again, 'how does love abound in knowledge and discernment?' He continues and says, "that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense." 

So this occurred to me - The affection of Jesus Christ is not unlike our natural love: we long for those we love and hope our love will abound more and more for them. But when we have that love for a stranger, which I believe is "the affection of Jesus Christ," we need knowledge so we can guide and direct them towards God, away from trouble, but not enable them or ensnare ourselves. And we need discernment so we don't mistake the "affection of Jesus Christ" for a carnal feeling that can betray our good intentions and end up causing an offense instead of being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which glorify God. 

Christian ministry is an emotional, personal, and often deeply moving involvement, that needs real knowledge and discernment.