Walk in View of God’s Care

June 22, 2010 at 9:10 am | Posted in William Gurnall | Leave a comment
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Wisdom from William Gurnall – Walk in View of God’s Care

God strengthened Abraham’s faith when He told him to be upright: “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1). He was saying, “Act for Me and I will take care of you.” Once we begin to doubt God’s protection, then our sincerity will soon falter. Hypocrisy hides in distrust. The unbelieving Jews, for instance, stored up manna overnight against God’s explicit instruction because they did not have faith to trust Him for the next meal. And we do the same thing – first we doubt His care and then we start to lean son our own understanding.

This is the same old weapon Satan has always used to cheat Christians out of sincerity. “Curse God and die,” he taunted Job through his wife (Job 2:9). Her words ran with bitter distrust; “Why are you still holding the castle of your sincerity for God to live in? You have been besieged long enough with sorrows on every hand. And to this day you have not gotten any news from heaven that God cares anything about you. Why do you not just curse Him and die?”

Jesus Himself faced Satan’s identical tactic when he tempted the Son of God to turn stones into bread. We see, the, why it is so important for us to strengthen our faith in the caring heart and hands of God. This is the very reason He has made such abundant provision to shut out all doubt and fear from the hearts of His people. God has placed His promises like safe harbors, so if a storm sweeps the sea or an enemy chases us through the darkest night, we can tie up in one of them and know the comfort of full protection.

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them,” or to unite with them “whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). God does not depend on others to keep watch; His own eyes do it. He watches over us in the same way a mother takes care of her own child. – from The Christian In Complete Armour, edited by James S. Bell, Jr., Moody Publishers.

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For no matter how many promise God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Wisdom from William Gurnall – Seeking Worldly Admiration

June 15, 2010 at 10:19 am | Posted in Devotional | Leave a comment
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My hope is that these excerpts from The Christian In Complete Armour will encourage you to look into the life, ministry and writings of William Gurnall. Anyone who wants to follow closely to Christ will be challenged by Gurnall’s words.

Christ is not “ashamed to call” the poorest saints “brethren,” but He despise to have His name seen upon a rotten-hearted hypocrite (Hebrews 2:11).

Of all sinners the hypocrite does the most harm in this world and therefore will have the most torment in the other world. And yet it is religion which has consistently proved to be the most effective bait of hypocrites, as they seek to snare others into their error and sin while posing as children of God. Ehud, for example, could not have chosen a better key to open the doors into King Eglon’s presence that to say he had brought a message from God. This caused such expectation and confidence that Eglon welcomed him. When the two were alone, the king rose to hear the Word of the Lord from the deceiver – but what he received instead was brutal death (Judges 3:14-30).

I confess the hypocrite may act his part so well that he may accidentally do some good. His glistening profession, heavenly speech, and eloquent preaching might bring to the sincere seeker a measure of real comfort. Like an actor at center stage who stirs up passion in the audience by counterfeit tears, the hypocrite, playing his religious role, may temporarily spark the believer’s true graces. But that is when the Christian may be in the most serious danger, for he will not readily suspect the person who once helped him spiritually.

It would have been far better had Sisera the Canaanite done without Jael’s butter and milk than to be nailed to the tent floor, having been fooled by that woman’s seeming hospitality. Thus it is to our advantage not to sample the free gifts and give-away graces of stage play saints, applauding and drinking ourselves drunk with their admiration. Sometimes a calculated distance from the hypocrite is the safest way to avoid having our heads nailed by errors.

The Christian In Complete Armour – Aim Your Heart Toward God

June 8, 2010 at 10:33 am | Posted in Devotional, Spiritual Warfare | Leave a comment
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Wisdom from William Gurnall – Aim Your Heart Toward God

Today’s excerpt from Gurnall really spoke to me. I read a lot of material regarding men and men’s ministry. I have been involved in helping men grow and starting men’s groups. I have friends, some close and some more like acquaintances that lead or start men’s groups. In some way the simplicity of this spoke to me. I hope it speaks to you too.

“The world’s true man is one who will not wrong another man. Some boldly remind God that they would not steal a dime from their neighbor; yet these same people are thieves in far greater matters than all the money their neighbor is worth. They steal time from God and consistently conform the Sabbath to their personal plans instead of His. They purpose to sanctify God’s name and even pray often for His will but their unholy hearts insist on compromise even though they know His will is sanctification.

But God’s true man desires to be first true to the Father and then to man for His sake. For example, when Joseph’s brothers feared he might deal with them brutally he freed them from suspicion: ‘This do,’ he responded, ‘and live; for I fear God’ (Genesis 42:18). He assured them, ‘Do not expect anything from me except what is right. You might think because I am a man of authority you would have no one to intercede for you if I take advantage. But I see One who is above me – infinitely higher than I seem to be above you; and I fear Him.’ – from The Christian In Complete Armour, edited by James S. Bell, Jr., Moody Publishers.

Have you ever stolen time from God? Sure you have. Have you ever used the Sabbath for your personal pleasure or benefit? Sure you have. There is only one person that we cannot lie to, fool or mislead and you and I know who that is; Almighty God. Yes, our God is a forgiving Father, but He is also a consuming fire.

Let’s try to live upright and holy lives in these last days. Let’s try to live and talk and work and play in a way that shows who we belong to. Any of us who are Christians have been bought with a price, we are no longer our own, we belong to God. What would God want you to change in order for your life to be more conformed to the image of His Son? Let’s redeem the time because the days are evil. Just something to think about.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill (a fellow-laborer)

Romans 15:13

(28)Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (29)for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29)

Wisdom from William Gurnall – Boldly Profess Your Faith

June 1, 2010 at 12:50 pm | Posted in Devotional | Leave a comment
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Part of my devotional reading this morning is worth passing along. If you read through a devotional book to supplement reading through the Bible each year you may want to consider buying and reading The Christian In Complete Armour by William Gurnall, edited by James S. Bell, published by Moody. My wife and I find this devotional book very interesting and timely.

In today’s reading part of what Gurnall says is, “Paul delivered a strict charge to Timothy concerning a steadfast profession of truth: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness’ (1 Timothy 6:11). While people all around you aim at the world, run after spiritual riches with a chase as hot as theirs.

But what if this business of seeking righteousness cannot be transacted peaceably? Should we close up shop, put our profession on the shelf and postpone holiness until favorable times have come again? Paul’s solution is to ‘fight the good fight of faith’ (v. 12). Do not abandon your profession of truth but put your life on the line to keep it.”

If some Christians today are pursuing friendship with world and all the trappings that come with it they are in good company. Some Christians were doing that back in Gurnall’s day also. There has been and always will be a problem that goes on in the mind, heart and life of a Christian. That tension has to do with being in the world but not of the world.

It should be no wonder to us that so many churches today offer the things that world has to give in order to get the attention of both the saved and the unsaved. The church has believed a lie that says it is in competition with the world. That could be why it thinks it has to offer every form of entertainment and luxury to its attendees that the world would give them. Otherwise they may go somewhere else.

But I think the Church is to be used by God to show His manifold wisdom and make it known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 3:11). Many in the Church have forgotten that real freedom comes from finding your Master. So I ask you O, man or woman of God, what are you fleeing to pursue spiritual riches? Are you pursuing spiritual riches as intensely as your unsaved neighbor pursues his pleasures?

Have you denied yourself, taken up your cross and followed Jesus (Mark 8:34-36)? Don’t aim at the world, you just might hit it! Focus on Jesus and follow Him and the world just may take a swing at you. But it will be worth it because they first took a swing at Jesus. You will be in good company.

Stay faithful and hopeful,

Bill (a fellow-laborer)

Romans 15:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

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