All of Grace

How Firm a Foundation

Mike Berttucci — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:54:39 +0000

This is one of my favorite hymns of all time. Praise be to Jesus, who is our firm foundation. By His grace, He has set our feet upon the Rock!

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake

Confession

Mike Berttucci — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:25:39 +0000

“There is a difference between confessing sin as a culprit and confessing sin as a Child”

–C.H. Spurgeon

What a great reminder of our standing with God. A culprit confesses in fear. Fear of the consequences of his sins, fear of what the Judge’s sentence will be. As children we know that the court is adjourned. The sentence is in; because of Jesus, we are fully accepted by the Father and are fully approved. We are loved unconditionally as children. Therefore, we are able to freely confess, laying all our sins before our Father. We have been washed with His precious blood and are accepted once and for all. There is no fear in the confession of a child.

Spurgeon

Mike Berttucci — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:58:12 +0000

These are the lyrics of Shai Linne’s song “Spurgeon” on his CD Storiez. He basically gives a biographical summary of CH Spurgeon’s life. What a faithful disciple of Christ and a wonderful testimony of God’s Grace! Quite simply, these words are structured in a beautiful rap; thus, this does not do this piece of art justice..it needs to be listened to.

http://itunes.apple.com/album/spurgeon/id292506546?i=292506577&ign-mpt=uo%3D5

Let me make this plain kids – God is the greatest. He never changes. His ways are blameless. For His own glory and at different stages, He raises up servants to make His name famous. I’ll highlight one particular servant for the purpose of encouraging your worship to the Lord. Furthermore, Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born on the outskirts of London, 1834. His dad and his grandpa were both in the ministry. His mother was praying for his soul since his infancy. Naturally intelligent, rapidly developing, but lacking Jesus’ fellowship, that would be irrelevant. The God of his mother unknown though Christ was up in his home, the faith just wasn’t his own. The Lord answered prayer when at the age of 10 young Charles became convinced of the wages of sin. For the next five years, the Spirit brought conviction. Terrors and affliction, aware of his condition. One Sunday morning though, the stormiest snow kept Charles from going in the church he’ll normally go. Randomly stepped into a church heard the words, “Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth”, And though only heaven knows the name of the preacher that’s the day that Spurgeon became a believer.

The Lord is so merciful, always so purposeful. Those whom He draws find His call irreversible. Immediately after Spurgeon’s conversion, obediently, he was earnest to serve Him. The Lord poured His Spirit on Spurgeon abundantly. Anyone could see that he spoke with profundity. Extraordinary giftedness seen. Proclaiming God’s mysteries at the age of fifteen. In a place called Waterbeach graced with the sort of speech that even made the old folks say,”This boy can preach!” In fact he was so crafted after the Master. A Baptist church snatched him and asked him to pastor. At the time, He was seventeen years old. On fire for the King who redeemed his soul. People flocked from everywhere- it was quite a scene. Called to a church in London at the age of nineteen. He was more than ready – to his Lord he was dedicated even though he was never formally educated. If you would have scratched him, he would bleed Bible. A rich prayer life was his means of survival. Amount that he read was truly mind-blowing. Steeped in the writings of dudes like John Owen. And by God’s grace He fed the sheep new manna. In London met his wife, her name was Susannah.

Behold the grace of God. Stand to the side. The Spirit exalting the Lamb who has died. It can’t be denied – this man we describe was simply a tool in the hand of his God to observe this servant extremely instructive. One word about Spurgeon is he was productive. Preached Jesus – no speakers – loudly he shout it. Each week packed houses of crowds in the thousands. His sermons were published – sixty-two volumes. He worked almost like he just knew he would die soon. Made mad disciples, passed on his knowledge. Established a school to train pastors in college. Sold out to the Lord Jehovah, his portion. Also he built two homes for the orphans. A monthly magazine, plus he wasn’t too busy to write books – about a hundred and fifty. God’s grace in Spurgeon was manifest. But remember, the best man is a man at best. Yes, he struggled with depression – consistently sick, kid. Both he and Susannah physically afflicted. He experienced as a servant of Jesus the power of God made perfect in weakness. Later on comes complications. His stands for orthodoxy got him shunned by his denomination. But through all the hardship and all the controversy he never stopped relying on the sovereign God of mercy. And when he had finished pressing towards the goal, he entered into heaven at the age of fifty-seven. His life is a case of God’s grace effectively at work in sinners to leave a great legacy. The proof is many years later in your speakers we’re praising Jesus for raising up the “prince of preachers.”

- “Spurgeon” by Shai Linne

What the Gospel is Saying

Mike Berttucci — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:35:54 +0000

I got the following quote from Dan Weber’s blog, “Of First Importance“

“The gospel is saying that, what man cannot do in order to be accepted with God, this God Himself has done for us in the person of Jesus Christ. To be acceptable to God we must present to God a life of perfect and unceasing obedience to his will. The gospel declares that Jesus has done this for us. For God to be righteous he must deal with our sin. This also he has done for us in Jesus. The holy law of God was lived out perfectly for us by Christ, and its penalty was paid perfectly for us by Christ. The living and dying of Christ for us, and this alone is the basis of our acceptance with God”

- Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom, p86

Enough Evil

Mike Berttucci — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:04:36 +0000

“There is enough evil in my best prayer to damn the whole world”

–John Bunyan

God the Spirit

Mike Berttucci — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:53:11 +0000

“I pray not so much for graces as for the Spirit himself, because I feel his absence, and act by my own spirit in everything. Give me not weak desires but the power of his presence, for this is the surest way to have all his graces, and when I have the seal I have the impression also; He can heal, help, quicken, humble suddenly and easily, can work grace and life effectually, and being eternal he can give grace eternally. Save me from great hindrances, from being content with a little measure of the Spirit, from thinking thou wilt not give me more…Teach me to find and know fullness of the Spirit only in Jesus.”

-Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers and Devotions

The Hope of a Gospel Preacher

Mike Berttucci — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:51:35 +0000

“I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, “You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.” My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will. I believe that Christ came into the world not to put men into a salvable state, but into a saved state. Not to put them where they could save themselves, but to do the work in them and for them, from first to last. If I did not believe that there was might going forth with the word of Jesus which makes men willing, and which turns them from the error of their ways by the mighty, overwhelming, constraining force of divine influence, I should cease to glory in the cross of Christ.”

(C.H. Spurgeon, Sermons, Vol. 3, p. 34).

Isaiah 55:1-2

Mike Berttucci — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:14:26 +0000

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food!”

Isaiah 55: 1-2

This verse is a great reminder of the gift of the Gospel. It is not something we can buy, rather we receive it. As sinner’s with no merit of our own, we humbly receive the approval, acceptance and righteousness of Christ. Let us continue to eat what is good and to delight in the richness of the Gospel. Let us drink of the living water, that truly satisfies and liberates. Let us dwell in the grace and peace of the Gospel. I end with a quote from Tullian Tchividjian.

“The Gospel frees me. It liberates me because now I look at the finished work of Christ and simply say, ‘Why am I going out and trying to buy what I already possess.’ Everything I need, I already have in Christ.”

An Interview with Phil Ryken, the new president at Wheaton College

Mike Berttucci — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:42:32 +0000

An Interview with Phil Ryken

Posted using ShareThis

And can it be

Mike Berttucci — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:23:01 +0000

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior’s blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

‘Tis mystery all: th’ Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.

He left his Father’s throne above
(so free, so infinite his grace!),
emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam’s helpless race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
alive in him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach th’ eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’ eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

- Charles Wesley (1739)