Tri-Youth

Surrender

January 12, 2008 | by Dmitriy Belous | Category: Devotions No Comments

Very memorable was the night when I came to close quarters with God. The Angel that wrestled with Jacob had found me, eager to make me a Prince. There were things in nay heart and life which I felt were questionable, if not worse; I knew that God had a controversy with respect to them ; I saw that my very dislike to probe or touch them was a clear indication that there was mischief lurking beneath. It is the diseased joint that shrinks from the touch, the tender eye that shudders at the light. At the same time I did not feel willing to give these things up. It was a long struggle. At last I said feebly, “Lord, I am willing to be made willing; I am desirous that Thy will should be done in me and through me, as thoroughly as it is done in Heaven ; come and take me and break me and make me.” That was the hour of crisis, and when it had passed I felt able at once to add, “And now I give myself to Thee : body, soul, and spirit ; in sorrow or in joy ; in the dark or in the light ; in life or in death, to be Thine only, wholly, and for ever. Make the most of me that can be made for Thy glory.” No rapture or rush of joy came to assure me that the gift was accepted. I left the place with almost a heavy heart. I simply assured myself that He must have taken that which I had given, and at the moment of my giving it. To that belief I clung in all the days that followed, constantly repeating to myself the words, “I am His.” And thus at last the joy and rest entered, and victory, and freedom from burdening care. I also found that He was moulding my will and making it easy to do what I had thought impossible; and I felt that He was leading me into the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, but so gently as to be almost imperceptible, to my weak sight.

Now out of my own experience I would suggest these Seven Rules to my fellow-Christians.
(more…)

God’s Thought Of Me

December 14, 2007 | by Stefan Slonevskiy | Category: Devotions No Comments

“Thou art a God that seeth me.”– Gen 16:13 (R.V. marg.).
“How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God.”– Psa 139:17.

HAGAR WAS an Egyptian slave-girl, who had been brought up amid the idolatries of Egypt, and had no sort of idea that the gods had any personal interest in so insignificant a human atom as she was. Probably in Abraham’s encampment she had heard of Jehovah, but would doubtless think of Him as being equally outside the limits of her little life. What care should the God of her master and mistress have for her, as she fled from the harsh treatment of Sarah, and was in danger of perishing in the lonely desert! Then, suddenly, in her despair, she heard the voice of the Angel-Jehovah speaking to her, and she called Him “The Living One who seeth me”.

To her the thought was an inspiration and comfort, enabling her to return and submit herself to Sarah. But to many these words have been a note of fear and judgment. They have thought of God as spying upon their evil ways, and have shrunk from the thought of His eye seeing them. That thought, however, is not the significance of these inspiring words, but that we can never wander into the far country, or take one weary step in loneliness without the tender notice of God our Father, who notices even the sparrow that falls to the ground.

The Psalmist had the same thought when he wrote the 139th Psalm. When he says that God knows his downsitting and uprising, that his thoughts and ways are all open to His Almighty Friend, it is in a tone of rapturous gladness. It is the prerogative of friendship to love the presence and thought of a friend, and the crowning characteristic of Christianity is that we are admitted into personal friendship with our Lord. He knows our thoughts afar off. With an instant sympathy He enters into our anxieties and discouragements. Wherever we go He precedes and brings up the rear; we are beset by His care behind and before. Let every reader open the door to this great Friend, remembering that His one test is obedience: “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Thus you will find His presence the delight of your life (Rev 3:20).

– Our Daily Walk by F B Meyer, December 13th

I have poured out my soul…

December 5, 2007 | by Stefan Slonevskiy | Category: Devotions No Comments

“I have poured out my soul before the Lord” – 1 Samuel 1:15

HANNAH’S soul was fall of complaint and grief, which flowed over into
her face and made it sorrowful. But when she had poured out her soul
before the Lord, emptying out all its bitterness, the peace of God
took the place of her soul‑anguish, she went her way, and did eat, and
her countenance was no more sad. What a glad exchange! How great the
contrast! How much the better for herself, and for her home!

Is your face darkened by the bitterness of your soul? Perhaps the
enemy has been vexing you sorely; or there is an unrealized hope, an
unfulfilled purpose. in your life; or, perchance, the Lord seems to
have forgotten you. Poor sufferer, there is nothing for it but to pour
out your soul before the Lord. Empty out its contents in confession
and prayer. God knows it all; yet tell Him, as if He knew nothing. “Ye
people, pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us.” “In
everything, by prayer and supplication make your requests known unto
God.”

As we pour out our bitterness, God pours in his peace. Weeping goes
out of one door whilst joy enters at another. We transmit the cup of
tears to the Man of Sorrows, and He hands it back to us filled with
the blessings of the new covenant. Some day you will come to the spot
where you wept and prayed, bringing your offering of praise and
thanksgiving.

День Благодарения

November 22, 2007 | by Stefan Slonevskiy | Category: Devotions No Comments

Быть благодарным и за все благодарить, действительно может только истинный христианин, не зависимо в каких условиях он находится, кто его окружает, что он имеет или чего у него нет. Послушайте одну историю …

Богаты мы или бедны?

Как-то раз один богач решил показать своему сыну, как бедно живут другие люди. Они приехали в деревню и остановились в самом бедном доме, где и провели пару дней и ночей. После этого, возвращаясь, домой отец спросил своего сына: “Как тебе понравилась поездка?”

“Это было просто замечательно, папа!”

“А ты заметил, разницу в том, как мы живем, и эти люди?” – спросил отец.

“О, да”, – ответил сын.

“Ну, расскажи мне, что ты понял и увидел во время этого путешествия”, – сказал отец.

“Я увидел, что у нас одна собака, а у них четыре.

Увидел, что у нас есть бассейн, противоположный край которого доходит до середины нашего сада, а у них есть река, у которой нет конца.

Я увидел, что мы установили бесчисленное количество фонарей в саду, а у них есть звезды, которые светят им ночью.

Мы имеем огромный участок, который заканчивается соседским забором, а их земля продолжается до самого горизонта.

И каким бы большим не был наш участок, это всего лишь маленький кусочек по сравнению с полями и лесами, которые есть у них.

Мы имеем работников и нянек, которые служат нам, а они помогают и служат другим людям.

Нам надо покупать продукты в магазине, а у них все это растет.

Мы построили стены вокруг нашего жилища, для безопасности, а у них есть друзья, которые готовы защищать их”.

Отец остолбенел, он не мог произнести ни слова от неожиданности.

Тогда мальчик добавил: “Спасибо папа, что ты показал мне, какие мы бедные”.

Не нужно большого ума, чтобы, оглянувшись увидеть, как обильно благословил каждого из нас Господь. Давайте будем благодарны ему за то, что имеем!

«Межи мои прошли по прекрасным местам, и наследие мое приятно для меня». Псалом 16:6.

–Отрывок из рассылки BBN новостей, http://www.bbnradio.org

Fellowship in The Gospel

November 14, 2007 | by Stefan Slonevskiy | Category: Devotions No Comments

FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
“Fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 3:2

After sanctification it is difficult to state what your aim in life
is, because God has taken you up into His purpose by the Holy Ghost;
He is using you now for His purposes throughout the world as He used
His Son for the purpose of our salvation. If you seek great things for
yourself – God has called me for this and that; you are putting a
barrier to God’s use of you. As long as you have a personal interest
in your own character, or any set ambition, you cannot get through
into identification with God’s interests. You can only get there by
losing for ever any idea of yourself and by letting God take you right
out into His purpose for the world, and because your goings are of the
Lord, you can never understand your ways.

I have to learn that the aim in life is God’s, not mine. God is using
me from His great personal standpoint, and all He asks of me is that I
trust Him, and never say – Lord, this gives me such heart-ache. To
talk in that way makes me a clog. When I stop telling God what I want,
He can catch me up for what He wants without let or hindrance. He can
crumple me up or exalt me, He can do anything He chooses. He simply
asks me to have implicit faith in Himself and in His goodness. Self
pity is of the devil, if I go off on that line I cannot be used by God
for His purpose in the world. I have “a world within the world” in
which I live, and God will never be able to get me outside it because
I am afraid of being frost-bitten.

–Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, Entry for November 10th

Your Cross

October 6, 2007 | by Stefan Slonevskiy | Category: Devotions No Comments

I got this in email the other day…

(more…)