• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

A paragraph from T. Austin Sparks!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.

BeLedbyHisSpirit

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
138
16
✟22,844.00
Faith
Christian
I truly hope you will discover T. Austin Sparks. In my opinion, no greater anointed teacher and instructor in the ways of God. I used to think C. S. Lewis was my favorite, but upon discovering Sparks he has stepped into 1st place.

Here is a paragraph from one of his 100+ books. He died (by the way) in England, in 1971.

http://www.austin-sparks.net/

Be sure to sign up your Email on this site. You'll get chapters of his writing sent to you daily. GREAT STUFF!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What is the Lord after with you and with me? Is He first of all wanting us to do things? The idea of what is of God today is chiefly associated with the things which are being done for Him, the work we are engaged in, and so on--that is, with what is objective and outward. But the Lord is not first of all concerned about how much we do. He is far more concerned that, whether we do little or much, every bit of it should come out of a knowledge of Himself. Any amount can be done for the Lord in Christian work and activities, just as you do other work, but it may not proceed from your knowledge of God. The Lord is concerned above all else that we should know Him. "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth Me" (Jeremiah 9:23, 24, ARV).

May that not explain the very principle of the Cross that is being applied to us? THe Lord does not satisfy and gratify; along many lines He seems again and again to be saying 'No' to quite a lot that we crave for; and, being denied, we often come to the point where we would almost give up everything and allow the biggest questions as to our relationship with the Lord.
 

ephraimanesti

Senior Veteran
Nov 22, 2005
5,702
390
82
Seattle, WA
✟30,671.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
I truly hope you will discover T. Austin Sparks. In my opinion, no greater anointed teacher and instructor in the ways of God. I used to think C. S. Lewis was my favorite, but upon discovering Sparks he has stepped into 1st place.

Here is a paragraph from one of his 100+ books. He died (by the way) in England, in 1971.

http://www.austin-sparks.net/

Be sure to sign up your Email on this site. You'll get chapters of his writing sent to you daily. GREAT STUFF!

MY DEAR BROTHER,

You are certainly right! T. Austin Sparks is indeed an anointed teacher and that website is a treasure house of spiritual goodies! Thanks for turning me on to him!

LOVE IN CHRIST,
ephraim
 
Upvote 0

BeLedbyHisSpirit

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
138
16
✟22,844.00
Faith
Christian
Thanks for saying so, Ephraim. That blesses me more than you can realize.

An elderly lady, who has been extremely instrumental in my life the past 4 years, turned me onto him. At a restaurant one day, she hands me a book of his and says, "Read this, if you will, and tell me what you think."

The book was "What is Man?"

I ate it up, totally. Finished it in 2 days. It was so comprehensive, complete, and answered critical questions I had been unable to resolve for 21 years.

As it turns out, most of the Christian people who I have turned onto that book, don't seem to get much out of it, which the elderly lady continues to illustrate to me, "It is by God's timing, and that book isn't for everyone."

Quickly, though, "What is Man?" (in my opinion) is the critical key which opens up everything else, the bible, and all the other books he wrote. So if you can get through "What is Man?" (which may seem a bit tedious for some reason to some people), it will pay off huge dividends as you read all his other writings.

What is Man?, clearly shows God's dealings with man are in the spirit, not the body or soul. It answers seemingly contradictory statements such as Paul writing Romans 7 about "why do I do the things I do not want to do?", and John writing in 1 John about the "seed of God cannot sin".

If you pay your dues and read this book thoroughly (again, my opinion) (and it was a complete joy for me to read because I was perfectly ready for it when I did read it), you will absolutely love all the others, such as "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus", and "The Holy Spirit's biography on Christ", and more.

I get excited just thinking about these things now as I write this message to you.

Thanks again for letting me know.

Jesus is the King!
 
Upvote 0

ephraimanesti

Senior Veteran
Nov 22, 2005
5,702
390
82
Seattle, WA
✟30,671.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Thanks for saying so, Ephraim. That blesses me more than you can realize.

An elderly lady, who has been extremely instrumental in my life the past 4 years, turned me onto him. At a restaurant one day, she hands me a book of his and says, "Read this, if you will, and tell me what you think."

The book was "What is Man?"

I ate it up, totally. Finished it in 2 days. It was so comprehensive, complete, and answered critical questions I had been unable to resolve for 21 years.

As it turns out, most of the Christian people who I have turned onto that book, don't seem to get much out of it, which the elderly lady continues to illustrate to me, "It is by God's timing, and that book isn't for everyone."

Quickly, though, "What is Man?" (in my opinion) is the critical key which opens up everything else, the bible, and all the other books he wrote. So if you can get through "What is Man?" (which may seem a bit tedious for some reason to some people), it will pay off huge dividends as you read all his other writings.

What is Man?, clearly shows God's dealings with man are in the spirit, not the body or soul. It answers seemingly contradictory statements such as Paul writing Romans 7 about "why do I do the things I do not want to do?", and John writing in 1 John about the "seed of God cannot sin".

If you pay your dues and read this book thoroughly (again, my opinion) (and it was a complete joy for me to read because I was perfectly ready for it when I did read it), you will absolutely love all the others, such as "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus", and "The Holy Spirit's biography on Christ", and more.

I get excited just thinking about these things now as I write this message to you.

Thanks again for letting me know.

Jesus is the King!

DEAR BROTHER,

i look forward to reading the book! May you be blessed for recommending it!

IN CHRIST,
ephraim
 
Upvote 0

BeLedbyHisSpirit

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
138
16
✟22,844.00
Faith
Christian
This book, by T. Austin Sparks, is a wonderful revelation on the work of the Holy Spirit, and reveals this theme as shown in the book of Ezekiel 1, and chapters 46 and 47

"...and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house..."

An amazing understanding and revelation of the Holy Spirit, but I wish to post a page from this book. Sparks writes the following, and if it does not touch you as it has touched me (and so many, I am sure!), I pray that you feel the immense grace and love from God when reading it at a later time.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The grace of God is a very great thing: it is mighty to save, to keep, to use, and to make us a blessing. When we respond to the grace of God, we find ourselves in something very great -- something that could never, never be compensated for by anything or everything else that we might have. ... This favor comes out to us freely and -- because it is grace -- asks for nothing as a basis for operation, calls upon us to do nothing but to accept it in faith, to believe in the good faith of God. That is all. You will only put it back if you argue, in any way, "I am not good enough". That puts grace out of court, does it not? -- for grace is just what it is because we are not good enough! We may almost say that it requires us not to be good enough. There would never be such a thing as grace if we were good enough. Grace presupposes in its very nature that we are not good enough, and that we can do nothing about it.

Perhaps you argue: "But if I do start, I shall not be able to go on", -- and you put grace out of court again, because none of us has ever gone on one day without the grace of God, as we know right well. Grace comes in to keep us going. "But I could never be of any use to God -- oh, no, I could never think that I could serve the Lord." You put grace out of court when you say that. Ask the people who have been most used by God -- ask this man Paul, so mightily used. Was it because he was such a well-educated man, so clever, so intellectual, had such tremendous power of mind and will? He will tell you, "Certainly not. None of it would have carried me on. It is nothing but the grace of God that has seen me fulfilling my ministry." You say, "Well, I think that great calling, that which you say is going to be at the end, is far beyond me. That might be for some people, but I cannot think that it applies to me." If you say that, once again you put grace out, for it is grace that is going to do it. It was grace that wrote our name in the Lamb's book of life, and the grace that commenced will perfect.

It is all of grace. Cast yourself upon the grace of God. I am quite sure that some of us who have known the Lord a long time find that this is the only thing to do, and we want to do it again: just plunge into the river and let it carry us on -- the river of His grace.

p.78-79
 
Upvote 0

sistakrista

PLEASE, PLEASE FEED YOUR PET! THEY ARE HUNGRY!
Aug 30, 2006
2,744
219
62
by the Arch
✟26,471.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
It is all of grace. Cast yourself upon the grace of God. I am quite sure that some of us who have known the Lord a long time find that this is the only thing to do, and we want to do it again: just plunge into the river and let it carry us on -- the river of His grace.


:thumbsup:
I agree. 100%
 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.