From Maniac To Minister ( by C.H. Spurgeon)

From Maniac to Minister

“He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.”
Mark 16:9

Mary of Magdala was the victim of a fearful evil. She was possessed by not one devil only, but seven. These dreadful inmates caused much pain and pollution to the poor frame in which they had found a lodging. Hers was a hopeless, horrible case. She could not help herself, neither could any human succour avail. But Jesus passed that way, and unsought, and probably even resisted by the poor demoniac, he uttered the word of power, and Mary of Magdala became a trophy of the healing power of Jesus. All the seven demons left her, left her never to return, forcibly ejected by the Lord of all. What a blessed deliverance! What a happy change! From delirium to delight, from despair to peace, from hell to heaven! Straightway she became a constant follower of Jesus, catching his every word, following his devious steps, sharing his toilsome life; and withal she became his generous helper, first among that band of healed and grateful women who ministered unto him of their substance. When Jesus was lifted up in crucifixion, Mary remained the sharer of his shame: we find her first beholding from afar, and then drawing near to the foot of the cross. She could not die on the cross with Jesus, but she stood as near it as she could, and when his blessed body was taken down, she watched to see how and where it was laid. She was the faithful and watchful believer, last at the sepulchre where Jesus slept, first at the grave whence he arose. Her holy fidelity made her a favoured beholder of her beloved Rabboni, who deigned to call her by her name, and to make her his messenger of good news to the trembling disciples and Peter. Thus grace found her a maniac and made her a minister, cast out devils and gave her to behold angels, delivered her from Satan, and united her forever to the Lord Jesus. May I also be such a miracle of grace!

Father’s Love Letter

From Mourning to Dancing ( by Fenny West)

From Mourning to Dancing

From mourning to dancing,

From grass to grace,

From deflation to elation,

That is my portion.

From sulking to singing,

From failure to success,

From fear to faith,

That is my lot.

From nonentity to significance,

From ashes to beauty,

From trash to treasure,

That is my inheritance.

From dross to gold,

From darkness to light,

From decadence to excellence,

That is my destiny.

From rejection to accepted in the beloved

From reformation to New Creation

From sinner to saint

That is my heritage.

From drought to revival,

From deadness to abundant life,

From recession to resurrection,

That is God’s plan for me.

From back of the queue to front of the queue,

From penury to prosperity,

From From the last to the first,

That’s God’s will for me.

3 To console those who mourn in Zion , To give them beauty for ashes , The oil of joy for mourning , The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness , The planting of the Lord , that He may be glorified.” Isa61:3

The Gentiles Bless Zion 1 Arise , shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Isa60:1 17

Therefore , if anyone is in Christ , he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold , all things have become new. 2Cor.5:17 11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you , says the Lord , thoughts of peace and not of evil , to give you a future and a hope. Jer29:11

34 My covenant I will not break , Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Ps 89:34

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You , Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca , They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. Ps84:5-7

A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

1 “Sing , O barren , You who have not borne! Break forth into singing , and cry aloud , You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman , ” says the Lord. 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent , And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords , And strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left , And your descendants will inherit the nations , And make the desolate cities inhabited. 4 “Do not fear , for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced , for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth , And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. Isa54:1-4

10 And the Lord restored Job’s losses when He prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as He had before. Job42:10

Be Bold. Go For Gold ( by Fenny West)

BE BOLD, GO FOR GOLD.

Be bold, go for gold.

Leave the cold,

break the mould.

Press on for riches untold.

Reach, stretch out of the hold.

You’ve got what it takes.

Make a final determined break.

Take courage, sleeping giant awake!

Press on! Finish the race

for His name’s sake.

Make the sacrifice, pay the price.

Rise from the crisis, see the prize.

“Whys “and “sighs “are not nice.

Whatever it is, you’re more than it’s size.

²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

1Cor.9:24-27,

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues,

But the righteous are bold as a lion. Prov.28:1,

¹²Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.¹³Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,¹⁴I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Phil.3:12-14,

¹³I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

-4:13,

⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.⁸Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2Tim.4 :6-8

¹Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb.12:1-3,

The Lot of the Righteous (2) (By Fenny West))

The Lot of the Righteous(2)

Autumn Floral Heart --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

Autumn Floral Heart — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

The Lot of the righteous:

Very glorious, bounteous

Gorgeous, victorious

Generous, wondrous

Magnanimous, fabulous

Voluminous, sumptuous

plenteous and glamourous.

It is palatable, unbeatable,

unfathomable, incalculable

unimaginable, just incomparable.

yours for the asking,

come and enjoy with me.

I’m a Child of Covenant (by Fenny West)

I’m A Child of Covenant.

I’m A Child of Covenant,

A seed of Abraham,

Heir of God, joint-heir with Christ.

Partaker of the divine nature.

I’m a child of God

Born of the Word

Born from above

Born of love.

I’m a New Creation

Of the holy nation

Of the royal priesthood

The Word is my food.

I’m heaven’s citizen

Reigning in every season

Kinging with Christ

Creating with Christ.

I’m set apart for God;

Set apart for good works;

Set apart for the Master’s use.

Set apart as a masterpiece.

I’m more than a conqueror

I’m an overcomer

I’m called to be a soldier

Sitting with Christ in heavenly places.

I’m born to be bold,

Always going for gold.

God’s plan for me is golden.

Something no eye has seen.

I am born a winner

And never a quitter.

I go from glory to glory

And from strength to strength.

29 And if you are Christ’s , then you are Abraham’s seed , and heirs according to the promise.Gal3:29 25

You are sons of the prophets , and of the covenant which God made with our fathers , saying to Abraham , ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ Acts3:25 17

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one , much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One , Jesus Christ.)Ro.5:17

¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Eph2:10 Gal.3:29,Act3:25,Ro.8:17, 2Pet.1:4,1Pet.1:5,9,2Cor.5:17,Ro5:17,Eph2:5,10,1Jn4:4,1Jn5:5,Ps84:7,Hag2:9,Col1:27,Ro8:31,32,37-39,1Cor2:9,2Tim1:7,Prov28:1,Phil1:20,Jn3:3,8