Headship of Jesus Christ (George Mueller)

One point has struck me particularly, as to the Headship of our adorable Lord Jesus. It is the will of that blessed One that His disciples should love one another, and be united together in heart and affection. If it is, then, the will of Him, without whom we must perish eternally, who poured out His soul unto death for our life, and stooped so low that we might share His throne, that we should love one another, and be united as His disciples, does it not become us in love and gratitude to obey?

What are the great hindrances to brotherly love and unity? Self-complacency, high-mindedness, pride, and thinking that we know more than others; but if, by God's grace, we are enabled to subdue these evil tendencies, and to love our fellow-believer, and be united to him, we shall see, perhaps, that if in one thing we have more grace or knowledge than he, yet in four, or five, or ten points he has more than we. Who am I that I should despise my brother? What have I that I have not received ? If I have more grace (though that is yet to be questioned), I received it from my Lord. If I have more knowledge (though that is yet questionable), am I indebted for it to my own mind? How does it come? It is by the grace of God that I know more than my fellow-believer.

If we are, then, what we are by the grace of God, so that every particle of power over sin, of heavenly-mindedness, of desire to act according to the Holy Scriptures, becomes ours, because it pleased God, in the riches of His grace, thus to bless us, who are we, that we should look down upon a brother, because there are degrees of ignorance or spiritual weakness in a fellow-disciple? Jesus is our head. It is His will that we should love one another. In gratitude to that blessed One, who laid down His life that I might be saved, let me obey; and if I find pride keeps me from it, let me seek grace to subdue it. We who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. When we meet with a weak brother, as to grace or knowledge, our natural tendency is to say, Oh, he is a weak one. The carnal mind says, Put him aside. But the Word of the blessed Lord says, Bear the infirmities of the weak. If I am strong, let me prove my strength by putting my shoulder to the burden. If I cannot bear with the weakness of my brother it is a plain proof that I am a weak one myself. Why have we received grace? That we may help on our weaker or less instructed brother: that in helping others we may bring glory to God.

Unity Among Brethen (George Mueller)

It has been often observed how remarkable it was that we should have laboured for so many years, so harmoniously together, and that this should have continued up to the last. Now, as I write this introduction for the profit of the reader, I dwell a little on this point. It was not because Mr. Craik had no mind of his own, and therefore submitted himself habitually to my judgment; nor was it because I blindly followed him, having no judgment of my own. All our Christian friends who were acquainted with us knew well that this was not at all the case; but the reasons were these, When in the year 1832 I saw how some preferred my beloved friend's ministry to my own, I determined, in the strength of God, to rejoice in this, instead of envying him. I said, with John the Baptist, 'A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from Heaven' (John iii. 27). This resisting the devil hindered separation of heart. But this was not all. God honourcd me also from that time in the ministry of the Word, and greatly, which is only referred to, to show how a double blessing followed my resisting the devil. But when it pleased the Lord, from the beginning of 1839, and thenceforth, to condescend to bestow such abundant honour upon me as He did in connection with the Orphan Houses and the other objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, the temptation was the other way, especially when this work was more and more extended, and the blessing of God resting thereon became greater and greater. Then my beloved friend, on his part, speaking after the manner of men, had cause for envy. But how was it in reality? There were few, if any, who are more truly rejoiced in all the honour which the Lord condescended to put on me than my friend did.



Still this was not all. There is this particularly to be added, that whatever the spiritual infirmities of my friend or of myself were, there was given to us, throughout the whole thirty-six years of our friendship, an honest purpose to live to God, and not to ourselves; to please Him, and not ourselves; and thus it came that our friendship remained unbroken to the end, though the temptations for alienation of heart, humanly speaking, increased more and more, instead of decreasing. Our natural constitution of mind and temperament were very different, and yet we had to work together; whilst about 2500 believers were received into fellowship since first we came to Bristol; and whilst of late years, nearly 1000 believers were in fellowship in the Church meeting at Bethesda and Salem chapels, among whom we labored. Who therefore can doubt the difficulty there was constantly in the way to this continuation of love and union? but there was help to be found in God, and we found it to the end. Our parting was thus, when I saw my dear friend for the last time. After I had kissed him, when I purposed to go, he, being too weak to converse any more, said, 'Sit down,' and also asked Mrs. Craik to sit down, that he might look on us, though he could not converse. I sat thus silently still awhile, and then left. This was our last interview. The next day I took cold, and was for several days kept at home, during which time my dear friend fell asleep.

The TRUE Gospel (Aaron Dixon)

The headline tells it all - That is what I am interested in - Not a version of the Gospel but I truly desire to know and understand The TRUE Gospel - I am not interested at all in a weak Jesus Christ but I am interested in the TRUE Lord Jesus Christ who reigns and rules and regulates as he sees fit - Yes.....I am a Calvinist.....yes I believe all five down the line - Man's spiritual state by nature is dead - That God elected a people based upon no condition that they would meet but that Christ would meet and did - That Christ laid down his life for the sheep....not the goats.....not the tares but the wheat....the precious blood of Christ was spilt not to give opportunity but to obtain salvation and secure it - Something was accomplished on that CROSS - Considering man's state, it takes an act of Great Grace and Mercy to call dead men and women to life and when he calls.....bless your heart they answer and because salvation is of the Lord through and through with no contribution from man.....we are kept by the power that saved us Yes I believe them but I say this with no hesitation - Calvinism is NOT the Gospel - Christ is the Gospel - Christ, not John Calvin provides this poor sinner with hope both which to live and die by - That is who by God's grace I am and that is where I stand.

Aaron Dixon, Pastor – Great Falls, MT

Let Her Be Covered (I Cor 11:3-6)

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered [Christ], dishonors his head. But every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head [man]: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if a woman be not covered [in subjection to man in church and home], let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered [in subjection].”

If it is a shame for a woman to act like a man, then let our women be women in subjection to God.

The order in the family and church are of God. This doesn’t mean that the man is a brute who uses authority to serve himself; it means that God gave order to be followed. And, since it is a shame for a man to act like a woman and a woman to act like a man, let us assume the FULL responsibility He gives us (I Cor 11:13-15).

Be what He’s called you to be and don’t draw back. His glory and your happiness are connected, and the best thing for us is experiencing what He says. In obedience, we have green pastures, still waters, and the results of obeying God. We spare ourselves shame.

God’s given us order, “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman” (vs11-12). The man is not without the woman, so we NEED, depend on, and are helpful to one another. Each part plays its function in the good of the whole, and we don’t despise what He gives. He has made the man the head, and yet the man comes from the woman. The woman is subject, and yet she is the mother of every man. God established a MUTUALLY beneficial RELATIONSHIP whereby man and woman help EACH OTHER for good, and He gave ORDER as to how this is done. It is like READING the owner’s
manual, except you and I can’t figure this out another way, and we can’t do it any other way and succeed.

It is shameful for men to behave as women, even as it is wrong for women to think themselves and behave as men, “Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him” (vs13-14).

Let men be manly, not in a macho superficial human bravado, but in the REAL sense of OBEDIENCE to the Son of God, taking the position and responsibilities God gave you seriously. Be no tyrant, live for God’s glory, and if the wife obeys too, then great. If not, DO NOT let her unbelief keep you from serving Christ in any way.

If you want membership in God’s church, then you must follow God’s way, “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God” (I Cor 11:16). You can’t do things how you see fit and call it grace. Christ says, “I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not”, and FORNICATION is the same as rebellion because we WORSHIP our way, rather than how prescribed by God (Rev 2:21). But, people who say, “Saved to live as I see fit” have no membership in the church. You can’t be IN Christ and be your own boss. Christ SAVES us to obedience, and this is salvation, the only one.