Grace Gems for JULY 2025
If there were an ant at the door of your granary
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble."
"Do not be afraid . . . for I Myself will help you!" Isaiah 41:14
Today, let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: "I Myself will help you! It is but a small thing for Me, your God, to help you. Consider what I have done already.
What! not help you? Why, before the world began, I chose you to be My treasured possession.
What! not help you? Why, I laid aside My glory and became a man for you.
What! not help you? Why, I bought you with My sin-atoning blood.
What! not help you? Why, I have died for you! And if I have done the greater, then will I not do the lesser? I gave up My life for you! And if I have done all this for you, then I will surely help you now. If you had need of a thousand times as much help, then I would give it to you. You require little, compared with what I am ready to give. It is much for you to need--but it is nothing for Me to bestow.
What! not help you? Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of your granary asking for help--it would not ruin you to give him a handful of your wheat! Just so, you are nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency!"
"I Myself will help you!" O my soul, is not this enough?
Bring your empty pitcher here! Surely this well will fill it.
Hasten! gather up your needs, and bring them all here--your emptiness, your woes, your troubles. Behold, this river of God is full for your supply. What more can you desire? The Eternal God is your helper!
"The Lord is with me; He is my helper!" Psalm 118:7
"My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth." Psalm 121:2
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10~ ~ ~ ~We have actually out-sinned many who are now in Hell!
Various authors
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Galatians 2:20, "The Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me!"
Let us sit down and ponder the matchless love of Jesus!
Brethren, what are we, that the precious Jesus should love us and give Himself for us? We were vile sinners, God's enemies, and objects of His wrath--just like the perishing world around us. We have actually out-sinned many who are now in Hell!
Yes! we were once poor wretches wallowing in our blood, and running headlong into damnation--and yet behold, "Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God!" Ephesians 5:2
Jesus is Heaven's delight, the joy of angels, the song of the redeemed, the radiance of the Father's glory! He is the sinner's only hope--mighty to save, tender to receive the undeserving, the ill-deserving and the Hell-deserving into His holy family. He is the Father's wondrous gift--sent in mercy and love, bruised for our transgressions, and faithful to cleanse us from all iniquity. And He is our soul's all-sufficient portion--satisfying our every holy longing, supplying our every need, sustaining us in every trial, and securing our eternal joy. In Him alone, the heart finds rest, the conscience finds peace, and the soul finds life everlasting!
"I will be yours forever," says Jesus, "and My grace shall be yours forever, and My glory shall be yours forever, and My righteousness shall be yours forever. All that I am and all that I have, shall be yours forever!"
Oh, what heart can conceive, what tongue can express--this matchless love of Jesus!
"May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully." Ephesians 3:18-19~ ~ ~ ~
The Sighs of the Savior
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
The sighs of Jesus--brief yet profound--reveal more about His heart than many lengthy sermons ever could. They are not the sighs of weariness or despair, but of holy sorrow and tender compassion. In the space of just two chapters in Mark's Gospel, we hear our Lord sigh twice--once over human suffering, and once over human sin. Both sighs speak volumes of the Savior's perfect heart.
Mark 7:34, "He looked up to Heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, 'Ephphatha!' (which means, 'Be opened!')."In Mark 7:34, Jesus heals a man who is deaf and mute. Before speaking the word of healing, He looks up to Heaven and sighs. Why? Because He sees beyond the man's immediate affliction. He sees the deeper cause--the brokenness of a world cursed by sin. Every disease, every disability, every tear, is a consequence of mankind's fall into sin. Jesus does not sigh in frustration but in sympathetic grief. He feels the weight of this man's misery, and through that sigh, He enters into it. Our Savior is not distant or unsympathetic. He is "a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering." (Isaiah 53:3) Every sigh of the suffering believer, finds a sympathetic echo in the soul of the Son of God.
Mark 8:12 tells us, "He sighed deeply and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign?'"In Mark 8, however, the sigh is different. The Pharisees demand a sign--though they have seen countless miracles already. Their request does not spring from faith, but from unbelief and obstinacy. And so Jesus sighs deeply. This is not the sigh of grief over physical suffering, but over spiritual blindness--a willful refusal to believe. It is the sigh of divine sorrow over hardened hearts. What pain it must have brought Him to walk among those who would not see, to preach to those who would not hear. Still today, the Savior grieves over unbelief--not with frustration, but with righteous lamentation.
What can we learn from the sighs of Jesus?
First, that He truly cares. He is not indifferent to our pain. The groans of a believer, brings sympathetic sighs of the Creator in human flesh.
Second, that He is grieved by unbelief. Let us not be like the Pharisees, cold and demanding. Let us be like the deaf man--helpless, needy, and ready to be touched by grace.
And how do these sighs point us to the cross? There, Jesus uttered His final cry and yielded up His life--not in defeat, but in victory. The sighs of the Savior were absorbed into the great groan of Calvary, where He bore the full weight of sin and sorrow. Now, because He sighed for us, we can sing to Him: "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (Psalm 32:7)
Let us bow in wonder and gratitude before such a Savior--who sighs, who suffers, who saves!
"Lord Jesus, thank You for entering into our pain and bearing our sorrows. Forgive us for the hardness of our hearts. Let us never take lightly, the deep groans You uttered on our behalf. Amen."~ ~ ~ ~
Death, the Christian's best friend!
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints."
To the unsaved man, death is a dreaded enemy--a final and bitter end to a worthless life.
But to the true Christian, death is not a calamity, but a coronation!
It is not the ruin of life, but the very door to everlasting joy.
Why does Scripture call the death of God's saints, precious? Because to God, nothing is more valuable than the bringing home of those whom He has redeemed with the precious blood of His Son. And to the believer, death is the last step in the journey toward full and eternal communion with Jesus.
1. Death delivers us from all sin
One of the chief blessings death brings to the believer, is deliverance from the presence and power of sin. Though justified and sanctified in Jesus, every Christian still laments with Paul, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24) In this life, sin clings to us, wars against us, and hinders every holy pursuit. But death severs that final tie. No more wandering affections. No more inward corruption. The soul is made perfect in holiness and enters immediately into the presence of the Lord! (Hebrews 12:23)
2. Death ends all of our suffering
This poor world is a valley of tears. The believer is not spared from trial and sorrow--often, his path is harder because of his following of Jesus. But death silences every groan, and dries every tear. The Lord will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain! (Revelation 21:4) In the moment of death, all affliction ceases.
No more physical pain,
no more emotional anguish,
no more persecution,
no more battle with the flesh.
The weary believer is finally at rest.
3. Death brings us to the immediate presence of Jesus
To depart this life is, for the believer, to be "at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8) "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!" (Philippians 1:23) What makes Heaven, Heaven, is not the streets of gold--but the presence of our Redeemer. To see Him face to face, to be forever with the Lord Jesus--that is the Christian's greatest desire and hope.
4. Death brings the fulfillment of all of God's promises
The believer dies, not into emptiness--but into a priceless inheritance. "Now we see but a poor reflection... then we shall see face to face!" (1 Corinthians 13:12) Faith will give way to sight. Hope will be swallowed up in joy. The promise of eternal life will be fully realized. The resurrection will come in God's time, but the soul of the believer immediately enters into the blessings of paradise. Death opens the gate to the everlasting kingdom prepared for His redeemed people before the foundation of the world.
5. Death unites the believer with the redeemed
All the saints who have gone before us are gathered into the presence of Jesus, rejoicing in His glory. Death for the Christian is not isolation, but a glorious reunion. The believer enters "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" where the saints and angels dwell. (Hebrews 12:22-23) There we shall sit with the redeemed of all ages, and together sing the song of the Lamb.
Christian, do not fear death. Jesus has taken the sting from it. And for you, death is no longer a curse--but a chariot of grace, carrying you into eternal glory! It is precious to the Lord, because He is gathering His beloved ones to Himself. And it is precious to saints, for it brings them the greatest gain--to be with Jesus, which is far better!
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." (Revelation 14:13)~ ~ ~ ~
The great storehouse of all heavenly treasures
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John 1:14, "We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:16, "From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another."
There is in Jesus, not only a sufficiency of grace, but an all-sufficiency. He has enough to supply all our needs; and not only enough for us--but for all the saints who have ever lived or shall live!
Jesus is a fountain of mercy and grace. From His fullness, as from an overflowing fountain, streams every spiritual blessing. He fills our empty vessels again and again, and still the fountain overflows.
The more grace we draw from Jesus, the more is still in Him. The sun is never the less bright, after all the light we receive from it. In the same way, Jesus is never the less full, after all the grace we receive from Him. Grace from the heart of Jesus, is ever flowing out to His people:
grace upon grace,
blessing upon blessing,
mercy upon mercy.
There is in the crucified Jesus, grace sufficient to all the difficulties, necessities, and desires of His poor people. Jesus is . . .
a garment to cover and adorn them,
a counselor to advise them,
a captain to defend them,
a prince to rule them,
a prophet to teach them,
a priest to make atonement for them,
a husband to protect them,
a father to provide for them,
a brother to relieve them,
a foundation to support them,
a head to guide them,
and a treasure to enrich them!
Jesus is the great storehouse of all heavenly treasures. In Him, are laid up all the riches of divine grace. From Him, all believers receive grace, not only at their first conversion, but all along their pilgrim way. His blessings do not come occasionally, but one after another: ceaseless, boundless, sufficient for every step of the Christian life.
Jesus is all-sufficient for a believer. He is . . .
the bread to nourish him,
the physician to heal him,
the rock to support him,
the ark to shelter him,
the sun to enlighten him,
and the fountain to cleanse him!
What more can any Christian desire to save and satisfy him; and to make him holy and happy, in time and in eternity?
Jesus is a treasury of all spiritual blessings, and these are all for His redeemed people! If there is anything lacking in us, it is not because there is any lack in Jesus. The fountain is full, but the hand of faith must be stretched out to receive.~ ~ ~ ~
The essence and objects of Christ's missionCharles Spurgeon, et al.
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Matthew 1:21, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins!"
The essence of Christ's mission: To Save from SinThis verse is a glorious declaration of the very heart of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not salvation from suffering. Not salvation from political oppression. Not salvation from earthly poverty. But salvation from their SIN--that which . . .
separates man from God,
damns the soul,
and defiles every part of life.
He did not come to be a moral teacher, a political reformer, or a cultural icon. He came to save from sin.
Sin is not a light matter. It is the rebellion of the creature against the Creator, the transgression of God's holy Word, and the corruption of human nature. Sin stains every thought, word and deed. Sin places every sinner under the righteous wrath of Almighty God. Therefore, the greatest need of every human soul, is not self-improvement or religious reformation--but divine salvation.
Jesus did not come merely to forgive sin, but to save from sin. That means He delivers . . .
from sin's guilt, by His atoning death,
from sin's power, by His Spirit's indwelling presence,
and soon from sin's presence altogether, in eternal glory.
He came not only to justify, but to sanctify. Any gospel that offers pardon without purification, or Heaven without holiness--is a false gospel. Jesus saves entirely--from the penalty, power, and pollution of sin.
The objects of Christ's mission: His PeopleWHO are the recipients of this glorious salvation? The text is unmistakably clear: "His people." Not all mankind indiscriminately, but those whom the Father gave to Him from eternity past (John 6:37; 17:2); those chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and for whom He laid down His life as their Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 15).
This truth exalts the sovereign grace of God. Jesus did not come to make salvation possible for all, but to secure salvation for His people--a definite, elect, blood-bought multitude. His mission was not to offer redemption hypothetically, but to accomplish it perfectly. "He WILL save…" is the language of certainty, not possibility.
Yet how can one know if he is among "His people"?
The answer is found in the fruits of saving grace:
conviction of sin,
faith in Christ,
repentance toward God,
love for holiness,
and perseverance in the truth.
Those who trust in Christ and walk in His ways,
show themselves to be the people He came to save.
Do not rest in a shallow profession. Examine your heart. Has Christ truly delivered you from the love of sin, the dominion of self, and the darkness of unbelief?~ ~ ~ ~
Simul justus et peccator
Martin Luther, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"Simul justus et peccator". This insightful principle by the reformer Martin Luther means:
"Simultaneously righteous, and a sinner."
That is, a genuine believer in Jesus is simultaneously:
1. RIGHTEOUS (justus) in the sight of God through faith in Christ, having received His imputed righteousness. This is our identity in Christ."For we maintain that a man is justified by faith, apart from observing the law." Romans 3:28
"However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:5
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1
2. A SINNER (peccator) in his own sinful flesh, which remains unchanged even after conversion."I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing." Romans 7:18-19
"For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." Galatians 5:17
Hence every believer daily experiences the constant battle between the flesh and the spirit--the new spiritual nature in Christ.
Though we are genuinely converted, our sinful flesh remains with us until we receive our resurrection bodies. "He will transform our lowly bodies, so that they will be like His glorious body!" Philippians 3:21
"Simultaneously righteous, and a sinner."What I am in Christ: RIGHTEOUS.
What I am in my flesh: SINNER.
In justification, God credits Christ's perfect righteousness to our account, while our sinful flesh remains with us. We live in constant tension: legally righteous before God, yet we have an ongoing struggle with our sinful flesh.
Therefore, we are to be continually confessing our sins and failures, while at the same time continually clinging to God's grace and forgiveness. Our every sin has been imputed to Jesus, and His perfect righteousness has been imputed to us.
As we are fully aware of our continual battle with sin--so we must ever face our sinfulness. In ourselves, we remain greatly marred by our sinful flesh--our indwelling corruption. Yet at that same moment, we are clothed in Christ's perfect righteousness. When our spotless Substitute hung on Calvary, He bore our sin and fully satisfied Divine justice. "God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
This dual reality delivers us from both despair and self–reliance. We no longer strive to earn acceptance with God, for it is already ours in Christ. And we no longer revel in sin, for we love Him who first loved us. Thus we confess sin and flee to the cross.
As we reflect on Luther's profound insight, we must understand that our flesh is far more sinful than we can ever know. We are likewise far more righteous in Christ, than we could ever imagine. These twin truths will humble us, comfort us, and give us great hope for what we soon will be when we will inhabit glorious, Christ-like bodies.
Luther's profound principle will save us from a thousand theological and practical pitfalls, as it concisely explains the true Christian's continual paradox: Why do I have this constant battle with sin--and so often fall into sin?
"Simultaneously righteous, and a sinner."
Think about it, and commit it to memory.~ ~ ~ ~
Behold His precious gift transfixed to it!
Octavius Winslow, "Morning Thoughts"
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"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all--how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32
Look at the cross!
Behold His precious Gift transfixed to it, and that by His own hand, and for your sins!Then look at your present circumstances, survey . . .
your needs,
your trials,
your chastisements,
your bereavements,
your heart-sickening, heart-breaking tribulations,
and know that God still is love.
If He had love strong enough, deep enough, to give you Jesus; to tear Him, as it were, from His bosom, and to transfix Him on yonder accursed tree for your iniquities; has He not love enough to bow His ear to your cry, and His heart to your sorrow?
Will He not . . .
rescue you from this difficulty,
deliver you out of this trouble,
shield you in this temptation,
supply this need,
support and comfort you in this grief?
Oh yes, He will! Doubt it not!
The cross of Calvary is a standing pledge; standing until sin and guilt, need and woe--shall be known no more; that God, who "spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, will with Him also freely give us all things" necessary to our good, and promotive of His glory.~ ~ ~ ~
The funeral
Thomas Brooks, "The Transcendent Excellency of a Believer's Portion above All Earthly Portions"
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A Christian knows that death shall be the funeral of all . . .
his sins,
his sorrows,
his afflictions,
his temptations,
his vexations,
his oppressions,
his persecutions.
He knows that death shall be the resurrection of all . . .
his hopes,
his joys,
his delights,
his comforts,
his contentments.
He knows that death shall bring him to a more clear, full, perfect, and constant enjoyment of God! This makes him sweetly and triumphantly to sing out, "O death! where is your sting? O grave! where is your victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:35-37~ ~ ~ ~
Walking with the King of kings!
Charles Spurgeon, "Enoch Walking with God"
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Genesis 5:24, "Enoch walked with God."
A man who walks with God will necessarily grow in grace, and in the knowledge of God, and in likeness to Jesus. You cannot suppose a perpetual walk with God year after year, without the favored person being strengthened, sanctified, instructed, and rendered more able to glorify God.
When we read that Enoch walked with God, we are to understand that he realized God's presence. Enoch's faith was a realizing faith. He did not believe things as a matter of creed, and then put them up on the shelf out of the way, as most do. He was not merely orthodox in head, but the truth had entered into his heart, and what he believed was true to him, practically true--true as a matter of fact in his daily life.
Enoch walked with God. It was not that he merely thought of God, or that he speculated about God, or that he read about God, or that he talked about God. Enoch walked with God, which is the practical and experimental part of true godliness. In his daily life Enoch realized that God was with him, and he regarded God as a living friend in whom he confided, and by whom he was loved.
This is the very flower and sweetness of Christian experience. If you would taste the cream of Christian life, it is found in having a realizing faith, and entering into intimate fellowship with the heavenly Father.
Enoch did not commune with God by fits and starts, but he abode in the conscious love of God. He did not now and then climb to the heights of elevated piety, and then descend into the marshy valley of lukewarmness. He continued in the calm enjoyment of fellowship with God from day to day.
Enoch's life must also have been a holy life, because he walked with the holy God. If we are to walk with God, then we must walk according to truth, justice and love. The Lord keeps no company with the wicked; so we know that Enoch who walked with God, must have been an upright and holy man.
Enoch's life must, moreover, have been a happy one. Who could be unhappy with such a companion! With God Himself with us, the way can never be dreary. Since God was his companion, then Enoch's life must have been a way of pleasantness, and a path of peace.
And oh, what an honorable thing it is to walk with the Eternal! Many a man would give thousands to walk with a king. Numbers of people are such worshipers of dignities, that if a king did but smile at them, they would be intoxicated with delight.
What then, is the honor of walking with the King of kings! How ennobling it was for Enoch to be enabled to be the King's companion, to walk alone with Him, and to be His familiar friend.
No life can surpass that of a man who quietly continues to walk faithfully with God, in the place where providence has placed him.~ ~ ~ ~
So deplorable a state!
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1 Corinthians 2:1, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God."
Many pastors have grown 'professional' in their service, and preach like automatons, wound up for a sermon, to run down when the discourse is over.
They have little more care for the souls of men, than if they were so much dirt!
Too many pastors are fascinated with . . .
technical trifles about words,
fancies of speculation,
or fopperies of oratory.
God forgive us if we have fallen into so deplorable a state!
"For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." Romans 16:18~ ~ ~ ~
God is never more angry
Thomas Watson, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"The One enthroned in Heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath!" Psalm 2:4-5
"The Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming." Psalm 37:13
Scripture rarely speaks of God laughing, and when it does, it is never with levity or mirth. God's laughter in Scripture is always solemn, judicial, and scornful--a holy response to the arrogance and rebellion of sinners. There is no record of Jesus laughing in the Gospels. His ministry was marked by sorrow, compassion, and holy seriousness.
There is no sound more dreadful to a guilty soul, than the laughter of Almighty God. In reality, it is His holy derision against the insolence of sinners who defy their Maker. When He laughs, it is not a careless chuckle, but a thunderous proclamation that their sin will not go unpunished. God's laugh is the prelude to His eternal wrath.
Men may mock at their sin, boast in their rebellion, and strut upon the stage of life as though they were gods. They may ridicule God, His Word, and His people. They may defy His warnings, and scoff at the flames of Hell. But God laughs in contempt at them, because their pride is absurd, their plans are futile, and their doom is certain. God laughs to see men's folly--to see poor, helpless clay, strive with the Almighty Potter. But let the wicked remember that God is never more angry with them--than when He laughs. After His laughing, then He shall speak to them in His wrath.
The Lord has appointed their day of judgment. Every beat of the lost sinner's heart moves him one step closer to eternal ruin. And though the wicked flourish for a season--though they build their towers to heaven and say, "We will not have this Man to rule over us!"--yet the day of reckoning draws near. And when it comes, it is terrifying!
The same voice that now pleads in mercy, will soon thunder in justice. The same Lord who now offers salvation, will soon strike in vengeance. "I also will laugh at your calamity," says the voice of Wisdom, "I will mock when terror strikes you." Oh what horror, when the sinner's cries for mercy are drowned by the laughter of God!
Do you think lightly of this? Are you at ease in your sin? Then know this: the laughter of God will one day break your heart--if it does not first break your pride. Bow now under the weight of God's mercy, lest you fall forever under the weight of His wrath. Eternity is near. Judgment is sure. And God is not mocked.
"I Myself will laugh when disaster strikes you,
I will mock when what you dread comes,
when what you dread comes like a whirlwind,
and disaster strikes you like a devastating storm,
when distressing trouble comes on you!" Proverbs 1:26-27~ ~ ~ ~
The Christian's grand ambition
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 42:1-2, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God!"
What the Christian longs for, is that he may so approach the Lord as to feel himself to be a friend of God, and know that God's love is most surely his own.
Oh, the sweetness of knowing that there is nothing between God and you, but friendship and love; that all the sad and sinful past is forgiven and even blotted out of the Lord's remembrance; and that now you may speak to Him without fear and trust in Him without dread.
Atonement has removed His righteous wrath and brought His boundless love. Now you may come and lie in His bosom for it is your Father's bosom; and hide under the shadow of His wing for it is your Father's wing, and it will cover you from all harm even as a hen covers her chicks. It is the prelude of Heaven to feel that:"The God that rules on high,
And thunders when He please,
Who rides upon the stormy sky,
And manages the seas;
This awesome God is mine!"
All of His power is for my protection,
all of His wisdom is for my direction,
all of His tenderness is for my consolation,
all of His truth is for my encouragement,
all of His grandeur is for my ennobling, and
all the infinity of His nature is for my eternal glorification.
The Christian's grand ambition is to walk with God, and to dwell in communion with Him. He longs to abide in Him, to be forever God's beloved, and to become daily more and more conformed to Him.
"Whom have I in Heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!" Psalm 73:25-26~ ~ ~ ~
How many more years will I live?
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
The king said to Barzillai, "Come over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you."
But Barzillai answered the king, "How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?" 2 Samuel 19:33-34
PLEASURE, shaking her delights in her hands, cries, "Come over with me!"
MAMMON, clinking his bags of gold, cries, "Come over with me!"
AMBITION, pointing to the hazy mountaintop, and her coveted palace gleaming in the sun, cries, "Come over with me!"
The day will come when these things will yield no pleasure; when they shall be seen in their true light, as the empty baubles of an hour!
Oh, what though you may have all that now caters to the pride of life . . .
affluence,
prosperity,
success in business,
gaining the whole world?
Are you imperiling, or impoverishing, your immortal soul?
But Barzillai answered the king: "How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?" 2 Samuel 19:34
What a solemn question for us all, amid the daily occurring proofs of our frailty and mortality. Oh, what a motto to continually consider, amid the wear and tear of life!
Young man, with the flash of young hope in your eye; life extending in an interminable vista before you--ever pause on the enchanted highway, and put the solemn question to yourself: "How many more years will I live?"
Man of business, in availing yourself of new openings in trade, accepting new responsibilities and concerns, involving yourself in new entanglements--have you stopped and probed yourself with the question: "How many more years will I live?"
Lover of pleasure, plunging into the midst of foolish excitement; the whirl of intoxicating gaiety--have you ever, in returning, jaded, and weary, and worn from the heated ballroom--flung yourself on your pillow, and sunk into a feverish dream, with the question haunting you: "How many more years will I live?"
Fruitless professor, who, with the mere form of godliness, are yet destitute of every practical Christian virtue; you who have lived a useless life. Have you ever seriously pondered the question: "How many more years will I live?"
"Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before You.
Each man's life is but a breath." Psalm 39:4–5
"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12~ ~ ~ ~
Worship at Immanuel's feet
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
(We highly suggest that you LISTEN to the audio as you READ the text below.
This is perhaps the most Christ-exalting hymn that we have ever heard!)
1. Worship at Immanuel's feet;See in His face what wonders meet,
Earth is too narrow to express
His worth, His glory, or His grace.
2. The whole creation can affordBut some faint shadows of my Lord;
Nature, to make His beauties known,
Must mingle colors not her own.
3. Is He compared to Wine or Bread?Dear Lord, our souls would thus be fed.
That flesh, that dying blood of thine,
Is bread of life, is heavenly wine.
4. Is He a Tree? the world receivesSalvation from His healing leaves;
That righteous branch, that fruitful bough,
Is David's root and offspring too.
5. Is He a Rose? not Sharon yieldsSuch fragrancy in all her fields;
Or if the Lily He assume,
The valleys bless the rich perfume.
6. Is He a Vine? His heavenly rootSupplies the boughs with life and fruit;
O let a lasting union join
My soul to Christ, the living Vine!
7. Is He a Head? each member lives,And owns the vital power He gives;
The saints below and saints above,
Joined by His Spirit and His love.
8. Is He a Fountain? there I bathe,And heal the plague of sin and death;
These waters all my soul renew,
And cleanse my spotted garments too.
9. Is He a Fire? He'll purge my dross;But the true gold sustains no loss;
Like a Refiner shall He sit,
And tread the refuse with His feet.
10. Is He a Rock? how firm He proves!The Rock of Ages never moves;
Yet the sweet streams that from Him flow,
Attend us all the desert through.
11. Is He a Way? He leads to God;The path is drawn in lines of blood;
There would I walk with hope and zeal,
Till I arrive at Zion's hill.
12. Is He a Door? I'll enter in;Behold the pastures large and green;
A paradise divinely fair;
None but the sheep have freedom there.
13. Is He designed the Cornerstone,For men to build their heaven upon?
I'll make Him my foundation too,
Nor fear the plots of hell below.
14. Is He a Temple? I adoreThe indwelling majesty and power;
And still to His most holy place,
Whene'er I pray, I'll turn my face.
15. Is He a Star? He breaks the night,Piercing the shades with dawning light;
I know His glories from afar,
I know the bright, the Morning Star.
16. Is He a Sun? His beams are grace,His course is joy and righteousness;
Nations rejoice when He appears
To chase their clouds and dry their tears.
17. O let me climb those higher skies,Where storms and darkness never rise!
Where He displays His powers abroad,
And shines and reigns the incarnate God!
18. Nor earth, nor seas, nor sun, nor stars,Nor heaven His full resemblance bears;
His beauties we can never trace,
Till we behold Him face to face!
~ ~ ~ ~
I know this, and I know that!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Luke 4:33-34, "In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice: Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!"
Luke 4:41, "Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting: 'You are Christ, the Son of God!' But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ."
We should notice in this passage, the clear religious knowledge possessed by the devil and his agents. Twice in these verses we have proof of this. "I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" was the language of an evil spirit in one case. "You are Christ, the son of God," was the language of many demons in another. Yet this knowledge was a knowledge unaccompanied by faith, or hope, or love. Those who possessed it were miserable evil beings, full of bitter hatred both against God and man.
Let us beware of an unsanctified knowledge of the truths of Christianity. It is a dangerous possession, but a fearfully common one in these latter days. We may know the Bible intellectually, and have no doubt about the truth of its contents. We may have our memories well stored with its leading texts, and be able to talk glibly about its leading doctrines. And all this time the Bible may have no influence over our hearts, and wills, and consciences. We may in reality, be nothing better than the demons!
Let it never content us to know religion with our heads only. We may go on all our lives saying, "I know this, and I know that!"--and sink at last into Hell with the words upon our lips! Let us see that our knowledge bears fruit in our lives.
Does our knowledge of sin make us hate it?Does our knowledge of Christ make us trust and love Him?
Does our knowledge of God's will make us strive to do it?
Does our knowledge of the fruits of the Spirit make us labor to cultivate them in our daily behavior?
Knowledge of this practical kind is really profitable. Any other religious knowledge will only add to our condemnation at the last day!
~ ~ ~ ~
The Christian's use of time!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Richard Baxter:
"Be careful how you spend your time. To waste time is to squander a precious gift from God."
Thomas Brooks:
"Time, like a river, carries us swiftly toward eternity! Steer your soul well.""Your life is short, and your duties are many. Therefore faint not, walk in the paths of holiness, and Heaven shall make amends for all!"
Jonathan Edwards:
"Time is a talent given us by God, and He will call us to account for how we have spent it.""Time is so short, and the work which we have to do in it is so great, that we have none of it to spare."
"Time is precious because it gives us opportunity of escaping everlasting misery, and of obtaining everlasting blessedness and glory."
"Time is a thousand times more precious than money. For when it is gone, it cannot be purchased for money, nor redeemed by silver or gold."
John Flavel:
"Let us not trifle away our precious hours, for they are few and uncertain.""Time is a talent to be stewarded, not squandered."
William Gurnall:
"Each year spent without progress in grace, is a year wasted in vanity."
John Owen:
"Our days will flee away quickly, but eternity presses ever nearer!""The greatest spendthrifts in the world, are those who waste their time."
"Time is not your own, but lent to you by God. See that you spend it for His glory."
Thomas Watson:
"Time is a most precious commodity, yet nothing is more wasted."
George Whitefield:
"How sweet is rest, after fatigue! How sweet will Heaven be, when our toilsome journey is ended."
God's Word:Psalm 39:4-5
"Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth . . . Each man's life is but a breath."
Psalm 90:10
"The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away."
Psalm 90:12
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Ephesians 5:15-16
"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
Hebrews 10:37
"For, in just a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay."
James 4:14
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."~ ~ ~ ~
The art of god-making is very common among men
Charles Spurgeon, "God of the hills and god of the valleys"
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
1 Kings 20:23, "The officials of the king of Syria advised him: Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they."
While the Syrians thus ascribed their defeat unto Jehovah, they made a great mistake as to His character, for they supposed Him to be a local god, like their own imaginary deities. They had gods for the mountains, and gods for the valleys, gods for the rivers, gods for the fields, gods for their houses, gods for their gardens--and these so-called gods were powerless outside of their own sphere. They imagined the only living and true God, to be a local god like their idols.
Let us abhor this dishonoring of God and avoid the sin of idolatry, by never daring to make a god after our own ideas.
The art of god-making is very common among men. Instead of going to Scripture revelation to see who God is, and humbly believing in Him as He reveals Himself there--men sit down and consider what sort of god He ought to be, and in so doing they are as foolish as the man who makes a god of mud, or wood, or stone.
If we make a god in our own thoughts, and after our own ideas--then we have virtually made an imaginary deity of God Almighty; and in so doing we are idolaters in mind and heart!
No man knows what God is, except only as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. All thoughts and imaginings apart from this, are idolatrous.
Believe what He reveals about Himself, but do not follow the way of the Syrians, and begin to conceive of Him according to the darkness of your own feeble and foolish minds, or into what other blasphemies your own proud thoughts may lead you.
"The man of God came up and told the king of Israel: This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Syrians think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.' " 1 Kings 20:28~ ~ ~ ~
Seven lessons learned too late!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Luke 16:19-31. Here is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
Lazarus died, and was carried up to Heaven. Chosen, redeemed and born of God--he entered into glory.
"The rich man also died." What became of him? "In Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment!"
Our Lord here allows us to look beyond the grave. He allows us to look into Hell itself. He shows us the pains, feelings and desires of a damned man--one who is forever shut up in Hell. Here are seven things that the rich man learned, but he learned them too late! He learned them in Hell! I pray that you will not learn them too late.
1. Death does not end all. "If a man dies, shall he live again?" Indeed, we shall. We all have an immortal soul that will live on forever after our bodies are in the grave. Will you spend eternity in the bliss and glory of Heaven--or in the torments of the damned in Hell?
2. There is a real place called "Hell". Hell is as real as the town in which you live. The same Inspired Book that tells us about Heaven and the eternal bliss of the redeemed, also tells us about Hell and the eternal misery of the damned. I do not know where it is, and I cannot imagine what it is--but Hell is a real place. The rich man found out too late, that Hell is not a myth.
3. A holy God must and will punish sin. God is so inflexibly just and holy, that when the sin of His people was imputed to His own dear Son--He poured out His infinite wrath upon Him! In the same way He who punished His Son for sin--He will certainly punish you for your sin, if its is not removed by His Son.
4. Hell is a place of endless torment. The rich man cried, "I am tormented in this flame!" Hell is a place of unfulfilled lust and desire--a place of eternal mental, moral and physical agony.
5. Christ is the only way of salvation. The rich man's riches, religion, and works, were of no value to him in Hell. Missing Christ, he lost all!
6. Unless a man repents, he will surely perish. In Hell this man realized that without repentance, there is no salvation (verse 30).
7. No one can ever be saved without hearing and believing the gospel (verses 28-31). Be wise now, and believe the gospel. Trust Christ, lest you also perish forever under the wrath of God!~ ~ ~ ~
The Ways and Ends of the Righteous
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 1:1-3,
"Blessed is the man . . .
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on His law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers."
The Psalmist begins the Psalter by describing the man whom God calls "blessed." Not one whom the world admires for riches, fame, or power--but one separated from evil and saturated with Scripture.
The righteous man "does not walk in the counsel of the wicked"--he does not adopt their philosophies.
He does not "stand in the way of sinners"--he does not linger with their practices.
He does not "sit in the seat of mockers"--he refuses the settled scorn of those who defy God.
The progression is deliberate: walking, then standing, then sitting. Sin gains strength by degrees. But the righteous man turns aside from that path entirely. He chooses the narrow road that leads to life (Matthew 7:14).
The foundation of his godliness is inward delight: "His delight is in the law of the Lord." He does not merely read the Word out of duty--he treasures it as his joy. It is his rule and compass, his comfort and guide. He feeds upon it as his daily bread.
"On His law he meditates day and night." Scripture is not a garnish on the side of his life--it is the main course. He turns it over in his heart continually. This is no superficial engagement. Like Mary, he "treasures up all these things and ponders them" (Luke 2:19).
And what is the result? "He is like a tree planted by streams of water." His stability is not his own doing--he is planted by the sovereign grace of God. The living water of God's Word nourishes him, and he becomes fruitful. His life bears the character of Jesus--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and all the Spirit's fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
"His leaf does not wither"--his spiritual life is not seasonal, but enduring. In drought and in flood, his roots are deep.
"Whatever he does prospers"--not in worldly gain, but in spiritual success. His soul flourishes under the blessing of God.
This is the way and the end of the righteous:
separation from evil,
saturation in Scripture,
and steadfast fruitfulness.
Such a life is only possible through union with Jesus--the Blessed Man par excellence--who perfectly obeyed God's law, bore our curse, and now lives in His people by the Spirit. May our lives mirror His, as we walk not with the wicked, but with our Shepherd-King.~ ~ ~ ~
The Ways ad Ends of the Wicked
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 1:4-6,
"Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish!"
"Not so the wicked!"
With these solemn words, the Psalmist draws a sharp contrast between the godly and the ungodly. The righteous are like fruitful trees--rooted, nourished and prosperous. But "the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away." Chaff is the worthless husk separated from grain--light, dry, and empty. It is easily scattered and quickly forgotten. Such is every life lived apart from God: rootless, fruitless, and ultimately futile. However impressive the wicked may appear for a season, their prosperity is short-lived and their end is destruction! (Psalm 73:18-19)
The wicked "will not stand in the judgment."
They will have no defense, no covering, no hope. When they stand before the Judge of all the earth, their works will be burned up as stubble. All their excuses will be silenced. The day of judgment will reveal what they are: rebels against the Most High God, having rejected His Son and despised His Word. They will not be counted "in the assembly of the righteous." They may have mingled with the godly on earth--but in the last day, the Shepherd will infallibly separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32). Their exclusion will be eternal.
"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." Here is the final contrast.
The Lord lovingly and attentively watches over the path of His redeemed people. He guards their steps, directs their course, and brings them safely home.
But the way of the wicked--though it may seem smooth for a time--leads only to ruin! Their end is not annihilation, but everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46). The broad road may appear pleasant, but it descends into outer darkness, with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth!
Reader, Psalm 1 presents only two ways: the way of life, and the way of death.
One is watched over by God, ending in glory.
The other is forsaken by God, ending in judgment.
Which way are you walking? The only escape from the perishing path, is found in Jesus. He bore the wrath for sinners, that all who turn from their wicked ways and trust in Him may be counted among the righteous. "The Lord knows those who are His!" (2 Timothy 2:19) Let every soul flee to Him and find life!~ ~ ~ ~
The devil's chapel!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 101:3, "I will set before my eyes no vile thing!"
William Plumer:
"The theater is an evil place. In this vortex of vice:
the first step is to the theater,
the next is to the bar,
the next is to lewd company,
the next is to the brothel,
the next is to disease,
the next is to death,
and the last step is to HELL!"
Augustine:
"Stage-plays are the subverters of goodness and honesty--the destroyers of all modesty and chastity."
Seneca:
"Nothing is so destructive of good manners or morals--as attendance on the theater."
Gregory Nazianzen:
"Play-houses are the lascivious shops of all filthiness and impurity."
Tillotson:
"The play-house is the devil's chapel, a nursery of licentiousness and vice. It is a recreation which ought not to be allowed among a civilized nation, much less a Christian people."
The American Congress, October 12th, 1778:
"Whereas, true religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness: Resolved, that it be, and is hereby earnestly recommended to the several States--to take the most effectual means for the suppressing of theatrical entertainments, horse-racing, gambling, and such other diversions; as are productive of idleness, dissipation, and a general depravity of principles and manners."
"Turn my eyes away from worthless things!" Psalm 119:37~ ~ ~ ~
A mystery of unfathomable love!
David Harsha, "Thoughts on the Love of Christ"
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Ephesians 5:2, "Christ loved us, and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God!"
In the sin-atoning sufferings and death of Christ, we behold the most astonishing exhibition of divine love that has ever been manifested to a lost world.
Such love as is here displayed, is without a precedent. Yes, without a parallel in the annals of time, or in the records of eternity.
To behold the Son of God, the Maker of worlds, bowing His head on the cross, and yielding up His immaculate soul amid the agonies of death--is the most amazing, the most affecting, the most melting sight that mortals ever witnessed!
Around the Cross of Christ shine the most resplendent rays of divine love that ever beamed from the Sun of Righteousness--that ever emanated from the Deity.
O, my soul, behold and wonder!
Behold your Savior bleeding on the cruel cross! See Him bleeding from His head, His hands, His feet, His heart--that your sins might be washed away in the flowing stream! See Him pouring out His soul unto death for your salvation! Is not this a manifestation of unparalleled love to you?
Christ's suffering and dying for us is a great mystery--a mystery of unfathomable love!
How vehement was the love of Christ, that led Him to endure death in its most terrible form, even the death of the cross!
Such is the love of Christ.
All the waters of affliction and suffering; all the billows of divine wrath that rolled over our blessed Redeemer, were not sufficient to quench the ardency of that love which He felt for His beloved people!
" . . . the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20~ ~ ~ ~
Away with the sin--it is a deadly viper!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
John 5:40, "You will not come to Me, that you might have life."
Possibly the reason why you will not come to Jesus, is that you are indulging some secret sin which you will not give up. O that secret sin--that worm at the root of the soul! I know not what it is, but God knows, and you know.
Is it your pride? You will not stoop to be saved by mercy, through the free grace of God.
Or is it a fleshly lust from which you will not separate yourself? It is as dear to you as your right hand. Off with it man! "It is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire."
Is your secret sin holding you back from Jesus, from eternal life, from Heaven? As dear as this enchanting sin may be, do not prefer it to the Lord Jesus. Away with the sin--it is a deadly viper! Depart from it, or else God will say, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!"
If you will not come unto Jesus that you might have life--then you shall not have life, but the wrath of God abides on you, and you must be cast into the eternal flames of Hell.
Sirs, if you must trifle, then trifle with something that will cost you less than your immortal souls.
May God be pleased to awaken you from such folly as this.~ ~ ~ ~
Voices From the Past Regarding Christian Entertainment
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
William Prynne (1600–1669)"The playhouse is the devil's chapel, the school and nursery of lewdness, the fortress of sin, and the citadel of the Devil."
Richard Baxter (1615–1691)"The play-house is a nursery of lewdness, a school of vice, a place of Satan's appearing, and a sure way to harden the heart against God."
"The common stage-plays are not indifferent things which a Christian may use without sin, but sinful things which he must by all means avoid."
Thomas Watson (1620–1686)"Sin enters in at the eye. How many have looked themselves into Hell! The theater is the devil's playground."
Increase Mather (1639–1723)"Among the many sins that have brought down the judgments of God upon nations, the play-house has ever been a notable provocation. These are the places where men meet together to forget God."
John Bunyan (1628–1688)"Stage-plays are but Satan's instruments to steal away the heart from God, and drown the soul in perdition."
Philip Stubbes (1555–1610)"Theaters are the very chapels of Belial. The plays are not only the delights of the wicked, but snares of the devil to entangle poor souls."
Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892)"The theater is the temple of the devil as much as any place can be. Let people once go there for amusement, and they are in the way of being damned."
"The theater is a moral pest house. If men must have amusement, let them not seek it where the leprosy of sin is bred."
"Plays are not fit for the Christian to witness. The very atmosphere is tainted with sin. To go there is to court spiritual disease."
J.C. Ryle (1816–1900)"The theater is one of the chief places where the devil's children gather together. Let not the Christian be found among them."
"I warn you plainly against the frequenting of theaters. The tendency of stage plays is manifestly immoral. Their whole tone is antagonistic to the spirit of Christianity."
"Can a man touch pitch and not be defiled? Can a believer feed on folly and not weaken his soul?"
Robert Dabney (1820–1898)"The theater is the school of lust and vanity, of vice and blasphemy. It is the polished instrument of Satan to destroy souls under the guise of mirth."
Albert Barnes (1798–1870)"No man can regularly attend the theater without injury to his soul. It is a house of spiritual disease, and all its associations are unfavorable to piety."
Thomas Guthrie (1803–1873)"The theater is not the school of virtue, but the house of temptation."
Scriptural Principles Regarding Christian Entertainment
The call to holiness and separation from the world."Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 2 Corinthians 6:17
The danger of feeding the flesh."Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." Romans 13:14
Guarding the eyes and the heart."I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me." Psalm 101:3
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23
Avoiding the appearance of evil."Avoid every kind of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Not loving the world."Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15-17
Fleeing youthful lusts."Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22
Setting our minds on things above."Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2
Friendship with the world is enmity with God."You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?" James 4:4
~ ~ ~ ~
The fool!
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 14:1, "The fool says in his heart: There is no God."
There are no infidels anywhere but on earth. There are none in Heaven, and there are none in Hell. In Heaven they see His face, and in Hell they feel His justice and power; but on earth men dream and doubt, and defy their God.
There is no greater folly than to deny the existence of the One who made us. This is not the voice of rational doubt, but of moral rebellion. It is not reason that rejects God--it is the sinful heart that refuses to bow before Him.
To deny God is to deny the foundation of all truth, justice, and meaning. Without God there can be . . .
no moral standards,
no true purpose in life,
and no hope beyond the grave.
The fool tears down . . .
the only shelter from the storm of sin,
the only light in the darkness of this world,
the only Savior from the wrath to come.
The consequences of such foolishness are severe. Psalm 14 goes on to say, "They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good." To cast off God is to plunge into moral decadence. When the fear of the Lord is absent, then wickedness abounds.
To say in the heart, "There is no God," is to utter a lie which is fraught with the most deadly consequences. Atheism is self-deception--a soul-damning self-deception. The fool chooses to believe there is no God, simply because this suits his lusts and quiets his conscience. Because he loves his sin, the fool willfully deceives himself into believing that there is no God who sees his sin, or will judge and punish him for his sin.
Atheism is a strange thing. Even the demons never fell into that wickedness, for "the demons believe and tremble." And yet there are found among men, such monsters in iniquity who will mock the holy and righteous God to His face.
No man is born an atheist. Men become atheists by hardening their hearts and searing their consciences. He who denies God is not mentally deficient--he is morally debased. It is not a lack of intelligence--but a love of sin that leads men to atheism. The fool wishes that there were no God, for then he could sin with impunity.
If there is no God, then there is no punishment for sin, and the pit of Hell is a fable. The willful and foolish denial of God, is the first link in a long chain that ends in eternal damnation.
A man may live like a beast, and die like a fiend, all because he hopes that there is no God. But when he stands before the throne of judgment, he will know--too late--how great his folly was.
Atheists will not doubt God's existence in Hell. They will weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth--but they will not question His existence.
"On earth there are atheists many.
In Hell, there are not any!"~ ~ ~ ~
Judge not, lest you be judged!
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Few verses are more misunderstood or misused than the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, lest you be judged!" In our day of moral relativism, blame-shifting, and self-justification, this verse is regularly pulled out of context to silence any voice that dares to call sin what it is. Yet such misuse turns the Lord's words on their head, distorting both His meaning and His purpose.
First, what Jesus is NOT saying: He is not forbidding all forms of judgment. Scripture itself commands believers to discern between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14), to expose the fruitless deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), and to confront a brother or sister who is in sin (Galatians 6:1). In fact, just a few verses later in Matthew 7, Jesus warns against giving what is sacred to dogs (verse 6), and identifying false prophets by their fruits (verses 15-20)--both of which require spiritual discernment and righteous judgment. Clearly then, Jesus is not promoting a blind tolerance of sin, or moral indifference.
Nor is He forbidding the correction of others. His very command, "then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye"--implies that helping a brother overcome sin is a necessary and loving work. But it must be done with humility, self-awareness, and sincerity.
What Jesus IS condemning, is self-righteous, hypocritical judgment--the kind that sees minor faults in others, while ignoring major ones in ourselves. He is exposing the pride that delights in criticizing others from a position of moral superiority, while remaining blind to our own sin.
The image which Jesus paints is intentionally exaggerated in order to make His point: a man with a plank sticking out of his eye, trying to remove a speck of dust from someone else's eye. None are more unjust in their judgments of others, than those who have a high opinion of themselves.
Until we have first humbled ourselves before God, repented of our own sin, and been cleansed by His grace--we are not fit to help others. We must first judge ourselves rightly--only then will we be able to see clearly and act compassionately.
In the end, this passage is not a prohibition against loving confrontation. The real force of Jesus' words is this: Judge yourself first. Deal with your own sinful heart, before you presume to deal with another's. And when you do speak to others about their sin, let it be from a place of grace, truth, and godly love--never from hypocrisy.
Judgment that aligns with God's Word, is exercised in humility and aims at restoration--is not only permitted--it is commanded. The problem is not judgment itself, but self-righteous, hypocritical, or unjust judgment.
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1~ ~ ~ ~
Resort at once to Jesus for His all comforting balm
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
John 16:33, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
When these words were spoken, our Savior was about to leave His disciples to go to His death for their sakes. His great concern was that they might not be overly cast down by the trials which would come upon them. He desired to prepare their minds for the heavy sorrows which awaited them, while the powers of darkness and evil men wrought their wicked will upon Him.
Observe that our Lord Jesus, in whom infinite wisdom dwells, knew all the secret springs of comfort, and all the hallowed sources of consolation; and yet in order to console His disciples, He spoke concerning Himself.
Does He not herein teach us, that there is no balm for the broken heart, like Himself; and that there is no consolation comparable to His own person and His work. If the divine consoler Himself must point to who He Himself is to us, and what He has done for us, in order to comfort us--then how wise it must be for ministers to preach much of Jesus by way of encouragement to the Lord's afflicted. And how prudent it is for troubled believers to look to Him for all the comfort they need. "Be of good cheer," He says, "I"--something about Himself, "I have overcome the world."
So then beloved, in every time of trouble or sorrow, hasten to the Lord Jesus! Whenever the cares of life burden you, and the way is hard for your weary feet--flee to Jesus!
There are other sources of consolation, but they are not helpful at all times, or in every situation. But there dwells such a fullness of comfort in Jesus, that His streams of consolation are always flowing. However great your trouble, and from whatever quarter it may arise--resort at once to Jesus for His all-comforting balm.
It has been rightly said, "The Spirit is the comforter--but Jesus is the comfort."
"Come to ME, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28~ ~ ~ ~
A new creation!
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
Whenever anyone is saved by the sovereign grace of God, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit--he becomes a new creation in Christ. This is not a mere moral improvement, nor a religious reformation, nor the adoption of a more wholesome lifestyle--but a supernatural work of the Spirit, producing a new nature.
Having experienced this miracle of salvation, the new man now has new views, new ambitions, new convictions, new desires, new notions, new hopes, new dreads, new pleasures, new aims, new principles, new affections, new joys, and new pursuits. Everything about him is changed. He does, as it were, live in a new world!
He was once spiritually dead, enslaved to sin, governed by the flesh, blind to truth, and hostile to God!
Now, his affections are changed--he loves what he once hated, and hates what he once loved!
Now, his mind is renewed--he no longer sees life through the lens of popular culture, but through the lens of Scripture.
Now, his will is liberated--he longs to do the will of God, though not without struggle. Though sin still remains in his flesh, it no longer reigns in his life.
The believer is brought into a new realm: from darkness, to light; from death, to life; from the kingdom of Satan, to the kingdom of God. He is adopted as God's child, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and sealed for the day of redemption. In Christ, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms is now his! (Ephesians 1:3-8).His past is forgiven,
his present is transformed,
and his future is secured.
But the glory of this new creation lies not in the man himself, but in the One who made him new. Just as the original creation displayed the majesty of God--so this new creation displays the greatness of His sovereignty, mercy, and grace.
Christian, never forget who you are--you are not what you once were. And though you are not yet what you will be--you are already made new in Christ. Let this truth humble you, encourage you, and move you to walk in newness of life, to the glory of God who "has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins!" Colossians 1:13–14~ ~ ~ ~
God's rod is a pencil to draw Christ's image upon us!
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 119:67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your Word."
Affliction is never accidental for the believer. Every trial, pain, and hardship, is sovereignly appointed by God for His glory and our good. The world sees suffering as meaningless, or merely as an obstacle to their happiness. But Scripture teaches that suffering is a tool in the hands of our loving Father . . .
to purify our faith,
to humble our pride,
and to draw us nearer to Jesus.
"But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I will come forth as gold." Job 23:10
God often uses affliction:
to bring His people to repentance,
to teach them humility,
to refine them in the furnace of affliction,
to draw them closer to Himself,
to cause them to live a more holy life,
to strengthen their faith,
and to conform them to Christ.
God's rod is a pencil to draw Christ's image upon us!
God's people never grow strong in grace without trials. Troubles are the tools with which God polishes His jewels. The pruning knife is never out of His hand, and it is never used without wisdom or love.
Affliction is not the end of the story. One day, every tear will be wiped away, every pain will be no more, and we will see our trials as God's instruments that shaped us for eternity. Until that day, we endure with faith, knowing that God is working out His perfect plan.
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen--since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18