Still He Doth Work

We know not His way, but still He doth work;
Let not in your heart a doubt of it lurk.
For He needeth not that thou have seeing eyes,

And He’ll show thee His working by and by.

The Lord often works while hidden from view;
This testing you’ll find your strength will renew.
Just rest in Him fully and trust in His Word
For He careth for thee more than His birds.

Our Lord still doth work thought we may not see;
The outcome you’ll find to be best for thee,
And know that He worked when you thought Him not there;
Simply trust in His kindness, love and care.

We know not His way and need not to know;
His all-seeing eye doth goodness bestow,
Without any help or assistance from thee,
And He’ll give what is best though thou canst not see.
~LSC~ 4/11/10

Ebenezer

by Leah S. Carpenter

“Then Samuel took a stone…and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” 1 Sam. 7:12.

How often do we set up our own personal Ebenezer stones? The Lord most certainly has helped us hitherto, as he helped the Israelites. We should make a practice of setting up “stones for a memorial” of how our God helped or delivered us, both that we might remember his goodness and that we may teach our children and generations to come of his faithfulness. When the children of Israel crossed Jordan, Joshua commanded to take twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan—out of the midst of their difficulty, their testing, their barrier to victory—and set them up for a memorial such as this (Josh. 4) and so ought we to do. Set up stones of memorial out of the midst of every trial, difficulty and seeming defeat that God has brought you to and declare to all his goodness and mercy, his faithfulness and love, his power and might. Praise God that he has helped you hitherto and remember that he will continue the same.

~Ebenezer: the beauty and promise of God’s mercy~

No Other Book Like This Book

No other book like this Book, for it’s written by God’s hand.
No other book like this Book: forever it shall stand.
No other book like this Book, for its’ transforming power;
No other book like this Book – it’s needful every hour.

No other book like this Book to guide me all the way;
No other book like this Book, for it’s good for every day.
No other book like this Book; no error can be found;
No other book like this Book, each jot and tittle sound.

No other book like this Book; do you visit or explore?
No other book like this Book; we should love it more and more.
No other book like this Book – let’s spread excitement round.
No other book like this Book: Be often in it found.
~LSC~ 10/10/10
From sermon by Bro. Tyler Austin
Text: II Chronicles 34:14-33

Art Thou a Master in Israel and Knowest Not These Things?

“Jesus…said unto him, Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?” Jn. 3:10

Such sad words these, this question asked by the Master. “Art thou a teacher, an instructor, yet know not the basic, fundamental things?” he seems to be saying. Surely God hath hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes. Ah! the sadness of a teacher knowing not how to lead men to the Light. And Nicodemus came to him by night, ashamed, to be seen seeking the Master. Yet he came to the right place for instruction, which it seems he was seeking. He came to the very source of wisdom and, lo, it was imparted to him. So it may be with us.
Perhaps Nicodemus came at night, not from shame, but because his heart burned within him to seek the Master. Perhaps he could not wait for morning, but must needs come immediately. Oh that it may be thus with us. We may come anytime, expecting wisdom to be imparted, expecting instruction and knowledge freely given.
Let us never be ashamed or hesitate to be taught of Christ, even if we are “masters”, teachers ourselves. But rather let us ever be anxious, eager, unable to wait, for the instruction and wisdom of our Saviour, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.

Remember:

• Those who lost their lives in what was planned as a normal day: enjoy your loved ones.
• Those left behind to carry on

• Those who volunteer to fight for your freedom and safety and
• Those they leave behind.
• Those who stay behind supporting the champions of freedom
• Those who have been left behind by the ones who have made the ultimate sacrifice
• Those who, though home, continue to fight more desperate battles, and to whom the war will never be over.

• Our beloved country: may God bless her as we, individually, examine ourselves to see that we are on "blessing ground"

Earth's Love Cannot Compare

Earth’s sweetest love can ne’er compare

To the love with Him that we may share
No love down here can equal His
Nor fill us with this heavenly bliss.

Earth’s dearest love, as sweet can be,
Though held close and treasured now by me,
Can’t satisfy my soul’s deep need
Nor all my joys or sorrows heed.

Yet Love Divine gives me my joys
And it heals my pains, eases annoys;
When I abide in Him, complete,
This Love my every need doth meet.

Earth’s sweetest love, though sweet indeed,
Is yet not the love my soul doth need;
But fairer love, and sweeter still –
The love, of God – my heart doth fill.
~LSC~ 3/12 & 4/4/10

Mirroring Christ

“And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye shall be mine.” Lev. 20:26

There must be a separation in your heart and life if you are a child of God. He himself has done the severing and bought you with his precious blood, that you should come out from the world and be ye separate. God has called you to be a holy and peculiar people now, distinctly separate from the world in thought, feeling, appearance and action. Only in this way may we be his. The severing must happen in order for the possession to take place.

At times you may feel severed from everyone, but it is not so. Elijah was severed unto God, yet there were seven thousand others who had also been severed as well as he. Many times you may feel as if everyone thinks you strange; if you are sure that you are following God, praise him! You are a peculiar people and that is a blessing, not cause to pout under a juniper tree.

If you have been severed from other people, that you should be God’s, then God is all you have to cling to. Do not try to cling to, or even lightly hold, the world. Hold fast to Christ, cling to him; he is your all.

~Severed from the world, that you may cling to, and mirror, Christ~

Quotes from recent sermons

Here are some quotes I have copied from sermons recently; I hope they are a blessing to you. The first 2 quotes are from Kyle Melton, CA. The rest are from George Riddell, Urbana, OH.

• "The only alternative to trusting God is to worry"
• "Resting in the arms of God is better than worrying in the arms of flesh"
• "If you have doctrine without practical application, you have Corinthians --knowledge that puffs up does no good."
• "If you are not living for Christ, please do not tell anyone you are a Christian"
• "We don't need to keep up with the world, we need to keep up with the Word.
• "Scripture does not have a multitude of meanings, but it does have a multitude of applications.
• "If we're going to magnify Christ, we'd better get our feelings out of the way and just follow His Word."

Unanswered Prayers

“Unanswered prayer”: How oft it doth seem
That He to Whom our burden we bring
Doth ne’er take note of our request;
We’re spurned as uninvited guest.

“Unanswered prayer”: Yet worship Him still
For His loved voice shall faithful souls thrill.
Plead on and make your case to Him,
And worship, though with eyes tear-dimmed

“Unanswered prayer”: Yet surely He works,
Though out of sight. Let doubt never lurk.
Believe and trust; leave in His hands
Thy problem – He’ll loose its’ bands.

“Unanswered prayer”: But ask it again;
Let Him not go till blessing He sends,
Believing fully in His pow’r
To yet deliver in this hour.

“Unanswered prayer”: In His love now rest
For He shall do for thee what is best,
And He doth love thee far too true
For ought but good to give to you.
~Leah S. Carpenter March 12, 2010
from message by Bro. Hansard.
Text: Mt. 15:21-28

He Made It Again

“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.” Jer. 18:4

I knew and loved this verse, yet I began to understand it a little more as I sat sewing one day. Being a quilter, I cannot bear to throw my old dresses out. I wear them until they are worn, frayed, mended and coming apart, but there is still useful material there, especially in the skirt. There is always usable material left though the dress is of no use in and of itself. So, I took one of my worthless dresses and made a smocked dress out of the skirt. I made it again into something useful and more beautiful than the original. Is that not what Christ does? We are worn and ugly, in the way and of no use. Then the Great Potter comes and makes us again into something lovely and useful to Him. Is it not wonderful to think of how he humbles himself to work with such clay!? He takes away the unusable material about us and makes us again, as it seems good to him. Resent not his cutting—I cut away the unneeded scraps, the worn, mended, patched pieces in order to make a new dress—just thank God that he chose to use and remake you, an unworthy vessel of mercy.

He Cannot Deny Himself

"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." 2 Timothy 2:13


What a tremendous truth is here! God is still God, still in total, complete, sovereign control as King of kings and Lord of lords, without our faith or belief in him. He can be nothing else. "He abideth faithful" because he is faithfulness itself.

And yet we doubt him. In the midst of a trial, we doubt his presence. In the midst of the storm, we doubt that he will calm the sea. In the midst of temptation, we doubt that he will succor us. In the midst of affliction, we doubt his grace. "Yet he abideth faithful." Trust God: he cannot deny himself--cannot be other than faithful. Believe in him: he is worthy.


Believe in God, for he is faithful,
Trust in God, for he is true,
He cannot deny himself:
He will always care for you.

The Sweetest Lady I Know: A Tribute

Emma M. Brown-Kirkman

Loaned to us October 1, 1922

Went Home to The Father on February 17, 2010

She’s the sweetest lady I believe I have ever met, and a role model for me. If ever I have wanted to be like someone, it is her. She had the sweetest voice, so soft and gentle, and a soft little laugh. I know I’ve heard her laugh many times, for she laughed easily (such a gentle, joyous—or sympathetic—laugh) but I don’t really remember her laugh very much: her constant, sweet smile overshadowed that for me. It seems to me that anyone who sees her smile cannot go away the same person they were before. She rarely said much, and what little she said was usually confined to kindly questions about you and your family, but she would sit or stand beside you holding your hand in silence that was sweet, like everything else about her. Usually, one has to be very familiar with someone to be comfortable with silence between them, but you never thought of it with Mrs. Kirkman—there was no such thing as discomfort with her. You knew instinctively that you could trust her fully, that she was understanding and full of love—the love God had placed in her heart which and she had cultivated. I watched her growing more frail as the years passed, and knew we wouldn’t have her much longer. She had been sickly for a while, and I grieved to hear it, and, for her, was anxious for her summons Home, but it is hard to think that it will seem so long to me before I see her again. I know it sounds trite to say that earth’s loss is heaven’s gain, but it seems so true in this case. Her angels were Gentleness and Love, and how they must rejoice to have her Home at last. And I am thankful that I had her on earth as a friend and example for a little while. Her memory will live on in my heart, and I pray that her example will be followed by me and many other women. Words and space cannot allow a proper tribute to her life, because her life was devoted to God. She and her dear husband are an inspiration to all who know them. Their outpouring of God’s love to all they come in contact with are a testimony of His greatness and mercy. Her husband was spreading God’s love at the funeral service just as he always has each time I have seen him, even when he is weak and ill. I thought of both of them as I read James 3:17 & 18 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

One Thing Is Needful

One thing is needful,
What will you choose:
A prize forever yours
Or what you will lose?

One thing is needful
To give you sweet life;
If too busy serving
There will be some strife.

One thing is needful—
Not rushing about,
Not being so busy
That His presence you’ll doubt.

One thing is needful:
To hear His sweet Word
And dwell in the Spirit
In peaceful accord.

One thing is needful:
Sit at His feet
And listen to His words
As with you He doth meet.
~Copyright 2009 by Leah S. Carpenter~
From Luke 10:38-42