The Joy of Giving

“Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.”—Phil 4:17 

We want to remind the Grace family of the two special opportunities to give toward the work of the gospel in the coming days:

1. Spreading Christ To Our Neighbors—Grace’s annually Easter offering emphasis will begin this coming Sunday (Feb 3) and will last until Easter (March 23).
2. Giving toward the Mathenia Fund is an ongoing offering that will collected at Grace, then sent to their home church. These resources will be used to cover any immediate costs related to the funeral and life change. Any excess will go toward the continuation of Anthony’s work for the gospel in Ethiopia.

Communion With God

“Now, if a man have a golden mill, he will not use it to grind dirt, straws and rotten sticks in. The soul, the mind, the thinking faculty of man is too high to be exercised in the things of this earth. The soul is of a most excellent capacious nature, it is fit to converse not only with angels, but with the eternal God himself, with Father, Son and Holy Ghost; it is of a transcendent being, put all the world into the balance with it, and it is nothing in comparison. The soul of the meanest galley slave is more than heaven and earth, than sun and moon and stars, and all the host of heaven. Now, if a man’s soul be of such an high-born nature, if the Lord hath put such a spirit in to the bosom of man; for him to bestow the strength of it upon low, base, mean and earthly things, oh what an evil is this [to neglect communion with God]!”

- Isaac Ambrose, Looking Unto Jesus. 24.

Note: Available for $25 from Grace and Truth! Amazing! Especially considering it is going for $175 at Amazon!

Correction: Amazon is cheaper.

I Know That I Shall See Thy Face

Shortly before his death, late into his many sleepless nights, Clyde Cranford wrote a collection of poems. As he planned each part of his own funeral (yes, that’s right), he assigned me to read the one that follows.

I KNOW THAT I SHALL SEE THY FACE

(II Corinthians 4:18)

Eternity calleth me of late.

What wonders lie beyond the gate

Of temporal thing?

Each season brings a sigh;

Life’s days are passing swiftly by

With whisps of radiance unseen

And joy beyond imagining.

Unseen by eyes, but known by faith;

Yet eyes do long to see Thy face

And hands to touch Thy wounded side,

Fair Savior who for sinners died,

But lives again.

I know that I shall see Thee then,

My Lord, some day, some happy day,

In Spring or Summer fair,

Or when the Autumn’s golden hair

Begins to fall to Winter bare.

Sweet Lord who keeps me to the end,

Even I shall see Thee then.

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Corinthians 4:18