It is my sweetest comfort, Lord,
And will forever be,
To ponder on the gracious truth
Of Your humanity.
Oh joy! there dwells in our flesh,
On a throne of light
One of a human mother, born,
In perfect Godhead bright!
Though earth’s foundations should be moved,
Down to their lowest deep;
Though all the trembling universe
Into destruction sweep;
Forever God, forever man,
My Jesus will endure;
And fixed on Him, my hope remains
Eternally secure.
~ Charles H. Spurgeon
Posted by Pastor Clegguart Mitchell on November 29, 2018
https://clegguart.com/2018/11/29/forever-god-forever-man/
A week after 9/11 (2001) a small group of us spent two weeks in Kiev and Odessa Ukraine with Slavic Gospel Association. It was… incredible. (Though no-one prepared me for being greeted with “a holy kiss”…over and over and over…everywhere we went.)
The pastors we met were dedicated (and godly) men who love the Word, cherish the Son, exalt the Father and yearn for their friends and neighbors to come to Christ. Whole communities came out for the 3-4 hour long services that often included 2-4 sermons. People arrived early, quietly prepared their hearts before the service and tearfully sang with rapturous joy in their hearts.
We also visited orphanages full of children. I will never forget the little boy Uri who approached me and in broken but clear English said, “My name is U-ri. Vhat is yours?” I wish someone could have taken a picture of his expression when I said, “Clegguart” (pronounced clay-gert) … I was ready to adopt him on the spot (along with the rest of the children).
I often find myself praying for the pastors we met and the churches in which we ministered. One in particular stands out in my mind. Outside of Odessa and down rough dirt roads (I’m being generous) and across several fields lay a tiny little village where church was held every week, in a garage.
Packed in like sardines and using a little Casio keyboard for accompaniment, we gathered for worship. After the service we walked a short distance down the road to a pile of rocks (not finely crafted bricks – random rocks). The enthusiasm and anticipation was almost unbelievable. This was to be their new church building. They were building, stone by stone, piece by piece, mostly with their bare hands, a church.
I don’t know the political ups and downs of the current situation in Ukraine. I do know that God is still on His throne and the Gospel still saves.
My prayer for Ukraine: May God’s people be faithful, God’s Word be proclaimed, God’s Spirit be unleashed, God’s Son be exalted and God be glorified!
To my pastor friends in Ukraine… Remember: Preach the Word, love the people and trust the Lord!
Posted by Pastor Clegguart Mitchell on March 5, 2014
https://clegguart.com/2014/03/05/my-prayer-for-ukraine/
Lord, You are my Comfort.
When hard times come my way,
Your presence never leaves me.
You are with me all the way.
Lord, You are my Strength.
When I grow weary in this land,
Never will I falter.
I’m upheld by Your right hand.
Lord, You are my Peace.
You are the calmer of my fears.
When worries overwhelm me,
Your love wipes away my tears.
Lord, You’re my Sustainer,
You hold me safely at Your side.
I will make it through the storms,
Because in You I will abide.
Lord, You are my Joy.
Amidst the trials and the pain,
I trust Your sovereign care.
I see the Son between the rain.
Lord, You are my Rock,
My firm foundation, solid ground.
You are mighty and unchanging,
You have no limits and no bounds.
Lord, You are my Everything,
Life with You is complete.
One day You’ll bring me home to You,
And I will worship at Your feet.
~ By Jackie Arnoldi
Posted by Pastor Clegguart Mitchell on February 14, 2014
https://clegguart.com/2014/02/14/lord-you-are-my-everything/
Praying tonight for those men who stand in the pulpit to give faithful exposition of the word of God… most of us will spend our lives in earthly anonymity.
That’s OK!
Tomorrow is Sunday. The Lord’s Day. The gathering of the brethren in order to feed on the word, to hear from the Lord, and to commune with one another. Most important of all they will gather in order to engage the heart, ready the mind, and prostrate the soul in worship of the living God.
Brothers: Preach so as to please God, not men!
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16)
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober- minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
Additional Food For Thought:
Isaiah 6:1-8; 2 Timothy 2:1-7; 15; Revelation 4:10-11; 5:8-10; 7:11
Posted by Pastor Clegguart Mitchell on January 25, 2014
https://clegguart.com/2014/01/25/praying-for-pastors-tonight/
“O My God,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects, my heart admires, adores, loves, thee, for my little vessel is as full as it can be, and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created, for adorning it, sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;
I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.”
~ The Valley of Vision
Posted by Pastor Clegguart Mitchell on November 28, 2013
https://clegguart.com/2013/11/28/praise-thanksgiving/
And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know
And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I
Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through Him and from Him are all things
So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone
~ Steven Curtis Chapman
Posted by Pastor Clegguart Mitchell on September 24, 2013
https://clegguart.com/2013/09/24/god-is-god/
“Ten Indictments Against the American Church,” by Paul Washer, is a long sermon that was preached on October 22, 2008 at a Conference in Atlanta, GA. It is a message that preachers and churches today desperately need to hear. . . again and again.
The Ten Indictments:
1. A practical denial of the sufficiency of Scripture.
2. An ignorance of God.
4. An ignorance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.3. A failure to address man’s malady.
5. An ignorance of the doctrine of regeneration.
6. An unbiblical gospel invitation.
7. Ignorance regarding the nature of the Church.
8. A lack of loving and compassionate Church discipline.
9. A silence on separation.
10. Lack of children being taught in the home.
May God stir His people with His Word, by His Spirit, because of His Son, for the glory of His name . . .
For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17
You can download the free ebook here:
Posted by Pastor Clegguart Mitchell on August 9, 2013
https://clegguart.com/2013/08/09/for-the-time-has-come-indeed/
Family, Fun, & Food for thought... 