saved by grace

What is true sanctification?

2012-01-30T23:49:00.003-06:00

I am so blessed whenever I read my grace gem, it is like a treat to me. J. C. Ryle and his teachings are dear to me, this short piece is very tasteful indeed. My prayer is that it will bless you as well...

It is not the man who hides himself in a cave

(J.C. Ryle, "The Fight!")

True sanctification does not consist in retirement from our place in life, and the renunciation of our social duties. In every age it has been a snare with many, to take up this line in the pursuit of holiness. Hundreds of hermits have buried themselves in some wilderness, and thousands of men and women have shut themselves up within the walls of monasteries and convents--under the vain idea that by so doing, they would escape sin and become eminently holy.

They have forgotten that no bolts and bars can keep out the devil; and that, wherever we go, we carry that root of all evil our own hearts!

True holiness does not make a Christian evade difficulties--but face and overcome them. Christ would have His people show that His grace is not a mere hot-house plant, which can only thrive under shelter--but a strong, hardy thing which can flourish in every relation of life. It is doing our duty, in that state to which God has called us--like salt in the midst of corruption, and light in the midst of darkness--which is a primary element in sanctification.

It is not the man who hides himself in a cave--but the man who glorifies God in the family and in the street, in business and in trade--who is the Scriptural type of a sanctified man.

A Cheap Easy Christianity

2012-01-28T11:44:00.005-06:00

"Any of you who does not give up everything he has, cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33

What does it cost to be a Christian?

I grant freely that it costs little to be a mere outward Christian. A man has only got to attend a place of worship twice on Sunday, and to be tolerably moral during the week--and he has gone as far as thousands around him ever go in religion. All this is cheap and easy work--it entails no self-denial or self-sacrifice. If this is saving Christianity and will take us to Heaven when we die--we must alter the description of the way of life, and write, "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to Heaven!"

But it does cost something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are . . .
enemies to be overcome,
battles to be fought,
sacrifices to be made,
an Egypt to be forsaken,
a wilderness to be passed through,
a cross to be carried,
a race to be run.
Conversion is not putting a man in a soft armchair, and taking him pleasantly to Heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Hence arises the unspeakable importance of "counting the cost."

True Christianity will cost a man . . .
his self-righteousness,
his sins,
his love of ease, and
the favor of the world.

A religion which costs nothing--is worth nothing!

A cheap, easy Christianity, without a cross--will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown!

If any reader of this message really feels that he has counted the cost and taken up the cross — I bid him persevere and press on. I dare say you often feel your heart faint and are sorely tempted to give up in despair. Your enemies seem so many, your besetting sins so strong, your friends so few, the way so steep and narrow — that you hardly know what to do! But still I say, persevere and press on.

The time is very short!
A few more years of watching and praying,
a few more tossings on the sea of this world,
a few more deaths and changes,
a few more winters and summers —
and all will be over. We shall have fought our last battle, and shall need to fight no more.

The presence and company of Christ, will make amends for all we suffer here below. When we see as we have been seen, and look back on the journey of life — we shall wonder at our own faintness of heart. We shall marvel that we made so much of our cross — and thought so little of our crown. We shall marvel that in "counting the cost" we could ever doubt on which side the balance of profit lay. Let us take courage. We are not far from home! It may cost much to be a true Christian and a consistent holy man — but it pays!

from J. C. Ryle presented by Grace Gems

I highly recommend reading the entire article by J. C. Ryle found here...

Calvinism vs. Arminianism

2012-01-28T10:37:00.005-06:00

I have heard many false accusations against Calvinism {I myself rejected such teaching early on in my salvation, but glory be to God, He is continually teaching me His truth}, and as I read 'The Doctrines of Grace' by Dr. Boice, I realize Calvinism is the only correct biblical view; it all depends on how you view God's glory and His grace. Let's look at what Dr. Boice has to say...

'Having a high view of God means something more than giving glory to God, however; it means giving glory to God alone. This is the difference between Calvinism and Arminianism. While the former declares that God alone saves sinners, the latter gives the impression that God enables sinners to have some part in saving themselves. Calvinism presents salvation as the work of the triune God - election by the Father, redemption in the Son, calling by the Spirit. Furthermore, each of these saving acts is directed toward the elect, thereby infallibly securing their salvation.
By contrast, Arminianism views salvation as something that God makes possible but that man makes actual. This is because the saving acts of God are directed toward different persons; the Son's redemption is for humanity in general, the Spirit's calling is only for those who hear the Gospel, narrower still, the Father's election is only for those who believe the Gospel. Yet, in none of these cases [redemption, calling, or election] does God actually secure the salvation of one single sinner. The inevitable result is that rather than depending exclusively on divine grace, salvation depends partly on human response. So although arminianism is willing to give God the glory, when it comes to salvation, it is unwilling to give Him all the glory. It divides the glory between heaven and earth, for if what ultimately makes the difference between being saved and being lost is man's ability to choose God, then to just that extent God is robbed of His glory. Yet God Himself has said, "I will not yield my glory to another" {Isa. 48:11}. {p. 34-35, 'The doctrines of grace', Crossway publishing}
For Arminianism, human decision making holds a central place in salvation. This results in a theology that is not exclusively God-centered but is distorted in the direction of the self. And of course, this is what the spirit of the age demands. In these post-modern and increasingly post-Christian times, people are clamoring for attention. They are looking for spiritual experiences that are secularized, humanized, and relativized. Arminianism supplies exactly what today's evangelicalism demands: a gospel that preserves a determinative role for personal choice'. {p. 29 'The doctrines of Grace', Crossway publishing}

So what happens when a man-centered gospel is preached? This gospel is rendered powerless because God is not at the center, He must have a little help from man. God is not sovereign in a gospel that leaves it up to man to choose or reject Christ. Look around you, this world is filled with superficial Christians who say they belong to Christ because they chose Him, made a decision for Him, etc. Yet, sin is rampant among professing Christians, worldliness, materialism, living for this life; bigger houses, better income, more stuff. Do you see why we need to recover the doctrines of grace? Those who profess to be elders/pastors need prayer, may they understand the seriousness of preaching the word, the whole counsel, regardless of the popularity of such a message.

Degrees of Sin

2012-01-25T11:46:00.002-06:00

By Thomas Watson, from his sermon 'The Ten Commandments'...

He that delivered me unto thee, has the greater sin.' John 19:11. The Stoic philosophers held that all sins were equal; but this Scripture clearly holds forth that there is a gradual difference in sin; some are greater than others; some are mighty sins,' and crying sins.' Amos 5:12; Genesis 18:21. Every sin has a voice to speak, but some sins cry. As some diseases are worse than others, and some poisons more venomous, so some sins are more heinous. Ye have done worse than your fathers, your sins have exceeded theirs.' Jeremiah 16:12; Ezekiel 16:47. Some sins have a blacker aspect than others; to clip the king's coin is treason; but to strike his person is a higher degree of treason. A vain thought is a sin, but a blasphemous word is a greater sin. That some sins are greater than others appears, (1) Because there was difference in the offerings under the law; the sin offering was greater than the trespass offering. (2) Because some sins are not capable of pardon as others are, therefore they must needs be more heinous, as the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Matthew 12:31. (3) Because some sins have a greater degree of punishment than others. Ye shall receive the greater damnation.' Matthew 23:14. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' God would not punish one more than another if his sin was not greater. It is true, all sins are equally heinous in respect of the object,' or the infinite God, against whom sin is committed, but, in another sense, all sins are not alike heinous; some sins have more bloody circumstances in them, which are like the dye to the wool, to give it a deeper colour.

read on here...

Woe is Us

2012-01-24T09:37:00.004-06:00

Churches across the land are in a pathetic state, bringing worldliness into their 'worship' services by using theatrics, big screens, worship bands, etc.as a means to 'draw 'em in'. I recently read a story where a church put a tattoo parlor in, what can we say except how tragic? Even in reformed churches that profess Christ, there is little in the way of true biblical worship, Christ is not honored, God is not glorified, and church has become a routine, a ritual...something we 'do' on Sundays to appease God. As Dr. Boice states, 'preoccupation with self is the chief sin of the modern world.' This is true, we cannot wait for the service to end so we can return to our Sunday routine. There is little understanding today of God's attributes, which shows in our worship. Preaching is not deep, convicting or empowered by God because most preachers simply do not preach deep truths or convicting sermons. If it weren't for men like Watson, Spurgeon, J.C. Ryle, and in these days men like MacArthur, Washer, Boice, Lawson, and Begg, I would never have learned the deeper truths of God. I have never been 'fed' in my church life, ever. The Bible is the sole source yes, but, hearing it properly expounded is essential in growth: this is rare in our day. I found this quote from David Wells' book 'God in the Wasteland, the Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams'...

"The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is not inadequate technique, insufficient organization, antiquated music - the fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant, His grace too ordinary, His judgment is too benign, His gospel too easy, and His Christ too common."

May the men who profess to be called to preach fall on their faces before a Holy God, tremble at His word, and cry out for His mercy. If they cannot humble themselves before Him, may God remove them from the pulpits and silence the mouths of weak preachers, sensual preachers, and deceivers in sheep's clothing.

The Reality of Eternal Hell

2012-01-21T19:40:00.002-06:00

I have often thought about hell; those who go there at death face a darkness that is so black, they grope in horror for something to grasp, something to give them their bearings back. They will find no such thing. There is mass confusion as they grope in darkness that is so thick, it is impossible to see your hand 1 centimeter from your face. Endless blackness that engulfs them and adds to the terror of this eternal nightmare. My brother sent me this sermon today, it is chilling and very real. You may listen here...

Free Will Defined

2012-01-19T08:45:00.002-06:00

I found this definition and description of man's free will in Dr. Boice's 'Whatever happened to the Gospel of Grace?' page 115 [from Crossway publishing]...

Our culture has taught us that for mankind 'all things are possible'. So the thought that we need the grace of God in order to get right with God seems wrong to us. We assume that it will always be possible for us to mend our relationship with the Almighty. If it is necessary, we will take care of it ourselves in due time.

Those who think like this fail to appreciate another biblical doctrine: man's spiritual inability or, as it is sometimes stated, the bondage of man's will. This is the truth behind Paul's statement that there is 'no one who seeks God' [Romans 3:11]. The reason no one seeks God is that apart from the prior work of God in an individual's heart, no one can seek God, because no one wants to. This matter has been discussed at great length in church history. However, the deepest and most significant thinking ever done on the subject of the will and its impotence was by Jonathan Edwards in a treatise called 'A Careful and Strict Inquiry into the Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the Will'.

The first thing Edwards did was to define the will. We think of the will as that thing in us that makes choices. Edwards saw that this was not accurate and instead defined the will as 'that by which the mind chooses anything'. That may not seem to be much of a difference, but it is a major one. For it means that what we choose is not determined by the will itself [as if it were an entity to itself] but by the mind, which means that our choices are determined by what we think to be the most desirable course of action.

Edward's second major contribution was his discussion of what he called 'motives'. He pointed out that the mind is not neutral; it thinks some things are better than other things, and because it thinks some things are better than other things, it always chooses the better things. If a person thought one course of action was better than another and yet chose the less desirable alternative, the person would be irrational. This means, to speak properly, that the will is always free. It is free to choose [and always will choose] what the mind thinks best. But what does the mind think best? Here we get to the heart of the matter. When confronted with God, the mind of a sinner never thinks that following or obeying God is a good choice. His will is free to choose God, nothing is stopping him, but his mind does not regard submission to God as desirable. Therefore, he turns from God, even when the Gospel is most winsomely presented. People do not want God to be sovereign over them, they do not want their sinful natures to be exposed. Their minds are wrong in these judgments, of course. The way they choose is actually the way of alienation and misery, the end of which is death. But human beings think sin is best, which is why they choose it. Therefore, unless God changes the way we think, which He does in some by the miracle of the new birth, our minds always tell us to turn from God, which is exactly what we do.

People who reject this might argue, 'but surely the bible says that anyone who will come to Christ may come to Him. Didn't Jesus invite us to come? Didn't Jesus say, 'whoever comes to me I will never drive away?' Yes, that is what Jesus said, but it is beside the point. Certainly, anyone who wants to come to Christ may come to Him. That is why Edwards insisted that the will is not bound. But, who is it that wills to come? The answer is: no one, except those in whom the Holy Spirit has already performed the entirely irresistible work of the new birth so that, as a result of this miracle, the spiritually blind eyes of the natural man are opened to see God's truth, and the totally depraved mind of the sinner, which in itself has no spiritual understanding, is renewed to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. This is teaching that very few professing Christians in our day, including the vast majority of evangelicals, believe or understand, which is another reason, perhaps the main reason, why they find grace boring.'- Dr. James Boice

Are women who pastor churches sinning against God?

2012-01-15T21:53:00.012-06:00

This is a subject that isn't very popular within the realm of Christianity, it is hotly debated with more and more women taking what they believe is their rightful place in the pulpit. I believe it goes back to one of the five solas, sola scriptura. Do we really believe God's word is the sole authority and are we submissive to it? If you believe women have a right to preach, you do not adhere to sola scriptura.

We start with the Holy Spirit inspired teaching from the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2, 'I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.' Here Paul clearly states women are not to be in a position of authority, {which is what teaching is}, over men. Then he states two reasons why, 1. it goes out of the order of creation and 2. the woman was the one who fell into sin. A third reason is found in the phrase 'Exercise authority over', this phrase means 'to domineer, govern, acting as an autocrat – literally, self-appointed (acting without submission)'. Women who insist on teaching are in defiance of the God given command to be submissive, which is what verse 11 states, 'a woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness'. This applies to women of all ages, periods of time, from when Paul spoke this truth until Christ returns. If the time has come and women are now allowed to preach, where is the verse[s] to say so? Where is an example from God's word of a woman being permitted to preach/expound the word of God to a gathered body of believers?

I have discussed this topic with a gentleman who I believe may be from a Charismatic background, his response was Paul was not making a universal statement, he was speaking to women of his day. I find that hard to believe in light of the fact of the reasons behind why women are not allowed to teach, these reasons have not changed over time have they? I think not, even so, this pastor was not convinced, so I proceeded to 1 Timothy chapter 3 where the qualifications for the office of bishop/elder/pastor/preacher are laid out in verses 1-7, 'The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.'

These verses leave no doubt about the qualifications for elders, they must be men, as 'husband of one wife' indicates. This was not enough to convince this gentleman, his response was an opinion and not the word of the Lord.

I am amazed at the growing number of ordained ministers who are female and NO ONE approaches them and points them to their sin? Yes, I said sin, the sin of rebellion, isn't that what it's called when you blatantly disobey a command from God? Or do we pick which verses we'll adhere to and which ones we'll toss to the wind?

So what is the sin of rebellion? 1 Samuel 15:23 says this, "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king."According to the word of God, rebellion equals the sin of divination, meaning what? From Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,.... Or divination (e), in whatsoever way it was exercised; for there were various sorts of it among the Heathens, and all condemned by the law of God, Deuteronomy 18:10. Now rebellion against God, or disobeying his commands, though in things otherwise, were they not forbidden by him, lawful to be done, is as heinous a sin as to be guilty of witchcraft, or any kind of divination forbidden by the law of God, and deserves as sore a punishment". - {from biblecc}

So what happened when Saul rejected the word of the Lord? God rejected him; is it any different today? Does God somehow overlook women who disobey the clear teachings of the Apostle Paul and insist on being in the pulpit based on silly excuses like 'we are all equal in God's eyes'?

It could not be more clear, women who insist on pastoring churches are in outright blatant sin, and we know that nothing sinful will enter into God's kingdom. God forgives all sin, but only if it is confessed and forsaken, that is what repentance is all about.
These women must have huge holes in their Bibles from ripping out pages pertaining to their sin of rebellion; this is no light matter. After all, it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This post is not my opinion, here is what men of God, such as John MacArthur, say...

From R. L. Dabney, "“This common movement for women’s rights,’ and women’s preaching, must be regarded, then, as simply infidel. It cannot be candidly upheld without attacking the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures.” read the entire transcript here...

Biblical womanhood is taught here...

Women preachers is also addressed here...

And finally, commentary from Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 2:12-14, " According to Paul, women must be learners, and are not allowed to be public teachers in the church; for teaching is an office of authority, and the woman must not usurp authority over the man, but is to be in silence. But, notwithstanding this prohibition, good women may and ought to teach their children at home the principles of religion. Timothy from a child had known the holy scriptures; and who should teach him but his mother and grandmother? Aquila and his wife Priscilla expounded unto Apollos the way of God more perfectly; but then they did it privately, for they took him unto them, Here are two very good reasons given for the man’s authority over the woman, and her subjection to the man, v. 13, 14. Adam was first formed, then Eve; she was created for the man, and not the man for the woman; then she was deceived, and brought the man into the transgression."

Historical Christianity agrees with the Apostle Paul, it is only in our modern day culture the Apostle's words are twisted and his authority questioned.

Turning the world upside down

2012-01-14T14:13:00.003-06:00

Today's evangelical churches are weak, ineffective, worldlly and compromising...why? I have found the answer in a book written by Dr. James Boice entitled "Whatever happened to the Gospel of Grace: Rediscovering the Doctrines that shook the World".

We have strayed from biblical beliefs birthed out of the Reformation, the five solas are no longer relevant. As Dr. Boice states on page 32 of his book, “Without these five confessional statements —scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and glory to God alone—we do not have a true church, and certainly not one that will survive for very long”. How many rest entirely on the word of God as authoritative, powerful, infallible?
Evangelical churches have adopted the world's theology, which includes believing that everybody is essentially good, no one is really lost, and believing in Jesus is not necessary for anyone's salvation. We follow a worldly agenda, focusing on world hunger, saving the earth, battling racism, taking back this nation by electing 'Christians' into public office, etc. As Dr. Boice states on page 27 of his book, "Was America ever really a Christian nation? Was any nation ever really Christian? Does law produce morality? What about Augustine's doctrine of the two cities, the city of man and the city of God, which meant so much to the Reformers? Will any country ever be anything other than man's city? And what about America's soul? Is there really an American soul to be redeemed or fought over?"
This should not be the focus of the church of Jesus Christ because the greatest need of man is not earthly temporal needs, it is the salvation of the soul. The only remedy for that is the preaching of the true Gospel, the question is, how many know what the Gospel is? We must add to the word of God by using manipulative methods to coerce dead sinners to life, but we only produce dead goats. The theology of many who profess Christ is an inch deep because the Bible simply isn't studied anymore. The gospel presented in most Evangelical churches today is powerless and changes no one, God will not bless an accursed gospel. The sad reality is that many are dying and entering into a Christless eternity because they believed in an accursed gospel, a painful example of this just took place in my area. Three young men were in a fatal car accident, two were killed instantly. The one young man was so intoxicated before the accident he had to be carried to the car. A tribute left to this man stated they knew he was in heaven because he knew Christ as his savior. This same young man had many pictures posted on facebook where he posed repeatedly with a can of beer in his hand, he had a reputation for partying; the bible calls it drunkenness. Yet, shallow biblical knowledge and an accursed gospel may very well have been the downfall of this man. Then there's the widely popular 'you don't know my heart' theology. What comes out of the heart? Matthew 15:19 answers that question. The heart in biblical terms is not a blood pumping organ, it is the center of our being; our thoughts, feelings, emotions, understanding, our minds. The mind that has been regenerated by God's supernatural power understands sin and flees from it. The evidence is in the way one lives, acts, thinks; a holy life is a changed life.

The gospel presented today does not turn the world upside down, it is empty, powerless and fruitless because it is not of God. In 'Whatever happened to the Gospel of Grace' Dr. Boice states "Evangelical Churches today are increasingly dominated by the spirit of this age rather than by the Spirit of Christ. As evangelicals, we call ourselves to repent of this sin and to recover the historic Christian faith. For all, it will mean a new reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit to work through the preaching and teaching of God's word, rather than a frantic search for some tantalizing new methodology to persuade unbelievers to attend and join our churches. Can we that power again in our day? We can, but only if we hold to the full-orbed Reformation gospel and do not compromise with the culture around us, as we have been doing. If we hold to these doctrines, our churches and those we influence will grow stronger, while other churches go the way of the liberals before us, not vanishing entirely but becoming increasingly insignificant as an effective religious force."

There is work to be done, and it starts with getting back to the five solas...scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and glory to God alone, let us 'Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. ' It is time to once again turn the world upside down...

A Living Power

2012-01-12T13:21:00.005-06:00

Recently my brother gave me a book by Dr. Phillip Schaff entitled 'The Person of Christ' available at Granted Ministries . I am not very far into the book and have already discovered it to be very good. This quote is from the second chapter.

"Every book of man loses its interest after repeated reading: but the Gospel of Jesus never wearies, it becomes more interesting the more it is read, and grows deeper at every attempt to fathom its depth. Even Napoleon is reported to have said on St. Helena, pointing to a copy of the Testament on his table: "I never tire with reading it, and I read it daily with equal delight. The Gospel is not a book, but a living power which overwhelms every opposing force. The soul which is captivated by the beauty of the Gospel does no more belong to itself or to the world, but to God. What an evidence is this of the divinity of Christ!"

Our Journey

2012-01-11T10:41:00.001-06:00

(James Smith, "The Believer's Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble" 1842)

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth!" Hebrews 11:13

Every believer is a pilgrim. He is traveling to his Father's house! He is presently a stranger in a strange land, surrounded by temptations, trials, and foes. His journey lies through a great and terrible wilderness. Therefore he must not expect a very smooth path, or many comfortable accommodations. He will have much to grieve and distress him. His heart will be often burdened with grief, and filled with sorrow--tears are common to the Christian. He feels the unsuitableness of the things of time to his spirit, profession, and aim. And therefore he confesses, "I am a stranger and a pilgrim--as all my fathers were!" Psalm 39:12

Weariness and painfulness are his portion now--but a rest remains for him! It is a glorious rest. It embraces and includes all that the believer has prayed for--or can desire!
It waits for him at the end of his journey,
it was prepared for him from the foundation of the world,
it is now promised to him in the faithful word, and
it will be bestowed upon him when he has fought the good fight, and finished his course.

Everything at present may appear gloomy and distressing; but ahead of you, believer, everything is glorious, magnificent, and blessed! Press on then--fight the good fight of faith. Travel on in the strength of Jesus! You are going home--and you have a glorious home to go to!

The minute after you have entered your rest--you will forget all the fatigue, all the dangers, and all the difficulties of the way! You will perhaps be filled with wonder, that you should ever have allowed such trifles to vex you, or such little trials to discourage you--with such a glorious end before you.

Fellow-pilgrim, expect trouble--but also expect mercy to help you in time of need! Expect to feel your circumstances to be trying--but also expect your Savior's strength to be perfected in your weakness! You will soon end your tedious, tiresome journey--and enter into the joy of your Lord!

Never forget you are now a pilgrim--a stranger--only a sojourner here in this poor world. Here you have no continuing city--but you seek for one to come.

Nothing can make this poor world your rest--it will always be a wilderness to you. Be content then, to wait until you get home! There you shall enjoy--and always enjoy, all your desires! There will not be one unfulfilled want, wish, or desire there! All will be satisfied--all will be full. In a little while--you will see the portal of your Father's house, and hear Him say, "Come in, you who are blessed of the Lord, tarry no longer outside! Come, dwell forever with Me!"

from gracegems

Half a Gospel is NO Gospel

2012-01-09T12:28:00.003-06:00

I truly believe America is deluded, the 'gospel' given in most pulpits this past Sunday is not the Gospel we find in God's word. Messages preached are nothing more than motivational speeches, ear-tickling, feel good, do -it- yourself methods: words that do not prick the conscience; there is no power in the earthly man made gospel that permeates this land. As Paul Washer states in this twitter message, 'We may misunderstand many biblical truths without losing our souls. But to be wrong about the Gospel is to be wrong about everything!'

This nation is in dire need of intercessory prayer; may God shut the mouths of the deceivers and be merciful to the souls of men...

How People Get Saved

2012-01-08T17:44:00.000-06:00

In Defense of Tulip

2012-01-08T14:40:00.004-06:00

The war rages on between Calvinism and Arminianism, and will 'til our Lord comes. How can we be of one mind if there is such differing views on salvation, man's depravity, God's sovereignty in the saving of a soul? Both cannot be right, one is damning to the soul in that it robs God of glory and portrays Him as weak, waiting, hoping; anything but what He is and that is sovereign. I am of the persuasion that the free will philosophy is a clear violation of what God's word actually teaches.

Here is a concise teaching on total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverence of the saints...

The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in the Netherlands, known more simply as The Canons of Dort, was an official document written by the national synod of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. It was written in 1619, and represented the official response to another document, The Remonstrance, written in 1610 by the followers of Jacob Arminius. The writers of The Canons of Dort organized their arguments in five points, each corresponding to the five points set out in The Remonstrance. These five points have come to be known as The Five Points of Calvinism, or by the acronym T.U.L.I.P. These five points are:

In the outline below, both the Arminian and the Reformed positions are briefly stated. The Reformed position is then subdivided as necessary, and supported with scripture.

continue here...

The blessing of worship

2012-01-06T12:24:00.001-06:00

He moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord —Genesis 12:8

Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love-gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard it for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded (see Exodus 16:20). God will never allow you to keep a spiritual blessing completely for yourself. It must be given back to Him so that He can make it a blessing to others.

Bethel is the symbol of fellowship with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. Abram “pitched his tent” between the two. The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him. Rushing in and out of worship is wrong every time— there is always plenty of time to worship God. Days set apart for quiet can be a trap, detracting from the need to have daily quiet time with God. That is why we must “pitch our tents” where we will always have quiet times with Him, however noisy our times with the world may be. There are not three levels of spiritual life— worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed; it will not happen overnight.

from Oswald Chambers

Separating from Unbelievers

2012-01-05T12:59:00.000-06:00

I believe this is essential for our day...

The Whole World

2012-01-02T18:39:00.004-06:00

I have been conversing with a person who professes Christ, seems to hold to what I think is an Arminian view but leans toward a universal view at times. My overall opinion is that this person's beliefs are based on an eisegesis approach with a shallow understanding of the Bible as he reads the English translation, forgetting the word of God was not written in English. He takes the words on the page at face value; that in and of itself is not entirely bad, but we simply must go deeper. I am a long way from where I need to be myself.

The topic of discussion is limited atonement; that Christ died for the elect, chosen before the foundation of the world by God and appointed unto eternal life. The doctrine of election fits nicely with limited atonement and both are found in God's word {I will not give all the verses pertaining to this at this time}. The verse he brought up as his proof text against limited atonement was 1 John 2:2, 'and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.'
So what was John saying here, did Christ die for absolutely everyone who ever lived or ever will live? The key to understanding this verse lies in the word 'propitiation'. This comes from the Gr. word 'hilasmos' and means briefly 'the means of appeasing, atonement'. So Christ is the atoning sacrifice for sin, He satisfied God's wrath at sin...but whose sin? Since God's wrath was spent on His Son, this verse must be understood to mean the sins of those who believe. If it were for all, then all would go to heaven because punishment was already spent on Christ, including the sin of unbelief. Atheists, Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, etc would all enter into His kingdom IF John were speaking of 'the whole world'.

This person accused me of 'telling God what He meant rather than simply believing His word'. This is unfortunate, and an example of Christianity everywhere. There is no desire to go deeper into God's word, no hunger for digging out the 'nuggets' of truth that await those who labor. Shallow Christianity is as widespread as a forest fire. I pray to always be teachable, to always be learning and desiring to go deeper into His word not so I can debate, but to correct error and to know Him more intimately. It is humbling and an honor to have biblical truth revealed to me by the God that sits exalted high above His creation. I am nothing, certainly one of the foolish things He has chosen; I delight in His teachings and pray to always be advancing. May all who belong to Him delight in Him...

May Christ be Magnified

2012-01-01T10:31:00.002-06:00

This morning's devotional from Oswald Chambers is absolutely wonderful. Give this a read...

". . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" —Philippians 1:20

My Utmost for His Highest. “. . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed . . . .” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest— my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point— He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only— my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.

My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness.

“Whether it means life or death-it makes no difference!” (see Philippians 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide— for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.

HT-Utmost

'This Generation'

2011-12-31T18:28:00.000-06:00

Brainerd: Oh, That I May Never Loiter On My Heavenly Journey!

2011-12-30T21:37:00.005-06:00

this series of videos is so convicting and encouraging. My life is simply pathetic compared to this man's, and I say that to my shame. As the new year draws near, may we all understand the preciousness of time and resolve to spend it for His glory.
Do view this series of videos, going to the upper left hand corner at the end of each video and clicking on the next video to continue on in this series. Part 7 is the final video in the series...

choosing rather to suffer

2011-12-30T20:32:00.001-06:00

From sermonindex, "This sermon preached by Ravenhill really gets to the root of alot of the causes of why we don't have genuine revival in North America. He takes the life of moses and shows how he choosed rather to suffer for the sake of Christ then enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. The same thing can be asked of the church today? There are many different tangents and convicting statements brought up as the spirit of God lead brother ravenhill to speak. This is a must listen."

go here to listen to Leonard Ravenhill's message.

Jesus is Everything

2011-12-30T13:33:00.001-06:00

Rejoice and Give God Glory

2011-12-30T12:30:00.003-06:00

This comes from I'll be honest, another sinner is pulled from darkness into light! How was it done? Was he baptized, or did he partake of the cup and the bread? Did he repeat a 'sinner's prayer', or invite Jesus into his heart? No, he was changed by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ {Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."}...

Walk in the Light

2011-12-26T00:04:00.002-06:00

If we walk in the light as He is in the light . . . the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin —1 John 1:7

To mistake freedom from sin only on the conscious level of our lives for complete deliverance from sin by the atonement through the Cross of Christ is a great error. No one fully knows what sin is until he is born again. Sin is what Jesus Christ faced at Calvary. The evidence that I have been delivered from sin is that I know the real nature of sin in me. For a person to really know what sin is requires the full work and deep touch of the atonement of Jesus Christ, that is, the imparting of His absolute perfection.

The Holy Spirit applies or administers the work of the atonement to us in the deep unconscious realm as well as in the conscious realm. And it is not until we truly perceive the unrivaled power of the Spirit in us that we understand the meaning of 1 John 1:7 , which says, “. . . the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” This verse does not refer only to conscious sin, but also to the tremendously profound understanding of sin which only the Holy Spirit in me can accomplish.

I must “walk in the light as He is in the light . . .”— not in the light of my own conscience, but in God’s light. If I will walk there, with nothing held back or hidden, then this amazing truth is revealed to me: “. . . the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses [me] from all sin” so that God Almighty can see nothing to rebuke in me. On the conscious level it produces a keen, sorrowful knowledge of what sin really is. The love of God working in me causes me to hate, with the Holy Spirit’s hatred for sin, anything that is not in keeping with God’s holiness. To “walk in the light” means that everything that is of the darkness actually drives me closer to the center of the light.

Oswald Chambers

1874-1917

Do we really worship God?

2011-12-25T22:48:00.013-06:00

"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" - John 4:24

I am working my way through the Gospel of John; when I came to this verse, it caused me to stop and think. As I pondered on it, I wanted to find out the meaning of the word worship. What does it truly mean, do we even know? In the church I attend, parents bring drinks and snacks into the sanctuary for their kids and themselves as well to partake of during the worship service. Children play video games on hand held electronic devices during the service, or they lay under the pews and color or play with toys; can we not teach children what reverence means? Perhaps not, especially if we do not comprehend it ourselves. I do not believe one can worship God if you have no reverence and awe of Him, this is where it starts.

I got out my Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary and looked up the word 'worship', here is what I found; from the Greek word proskyneō, meaning to fall down and/or worship. I also went to blueletterbible.org and got this definition, ' in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance {a gesture of respect, as a bow} whether in order to express respect or to make supplication.' So I wonder, when we gather to worship God, do we fall down prostrate? Do we even kneel? It would appear, at least in my church, reverence and awe are sorely lacking, so worship is not done respectfully. There is no inward worship, no giving of heart, mind and soul to the adoration of a God who is worthy, holy, sovereign, mighty, merciful, loving, faithful, trustworthy and full of grace. To worship in spirit is to worship with 'the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one, the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.' {from blueletterbible.org}, this is inward, as opposed to outward religiosity which fills churches all across this globe. Here is commentary from Matthew Henry, "The stress is not to be laid upon the place where we worship God, but upon the state of mind in which we worship him. Note, The most effectual way to take up differences in the minor matters of religion is to be more zealous in the greater. Those who daily make it the matter of their care to worship in the spirit, one would think, should not make it the matter of their strife whether he should be worshipped here or there. Christ had justly preferred the Jewish worship before the Samaritan, yet here he intimates the imperfection of that. The worship was ceremonial, 10. The worshippers were generally carnal, and strangers to the inward part of divine worship.

Then there is this from gotquestions.org, "True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how the worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things completely misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed. Worship can include praying, reading God's Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place. Worship can be public praise to God (Psalm 22:22, 35:18) in a congregational setting, where we can proclaim through prayer and praise our adoration and thankfulness to Him and what He has done for us. True worship is felt inwardly, and then comes out through our actions. "Going through the motions" out of obligation is displeasing to God and is done completely in vain. He can see through all the hypocrisy, and He hates it.

If one's understanding of God is shallow or superficial, their worship will reflect that; weak preaching compounds the problem. Worshiping God is an inward action that reveals itself in outward adoration and action, this worship is rooted in a proper understanding of the *attributes of God which results in deep reverence and awe. Only when we comprehend God's attributes can we have such reverence and awe, which leads to proper biblical worship. Sadly, this is more the exception than the rule in the visible church. May the Lord work in our hearts proper reverence and awe, may we understand and desire to know this God so we can worship Him just as His word says, 'in spirit and truth'.

* For those who may be interested, you can download Paul Washer's study on the attributes of God entitled "The One True God" by going here.

Learning Contentment

2011-12-24T21:33:00.002-06:00

Being content in all situations is a lesson we must learn in order to advance in our walk with Christ. Outward situations and circumstances should never be the source of our contentment/discontentment. God will put us to the test, in most cases, taking us to the edge so we may truly cultivate contentment within. Thomas Watson teaches this priceless pearl of a lesson in his sermon entitled 'the art of divine contentment'.

Here is a snippet...

We must be content, not only when God gives mercies, but when He takes away. If we must "in every thing give thanks,"^{1 Th. 5. 18} then in nothing be discontented.

Perhaps God hath taken away the cistern, that he may give you the more of the spring; he hath darkened the starlight, that you may have more sun-light. God intends you shall have more of himself, and is not he better than ten sons? Look not so much upon a temporal loss, as a spiritual gain; the comforts of the world run dregs; those which come out of the granary of the promise, are pure and sweet.

Your child was not given but lent: "I have, saith Hannah, lent my son to the Lord;"^{1 Sa. 1. 28} she lent him! the Lord hath lent him to her. Mercies are not entailed upon us, but lent; what a man lends he may call for again when he pleases. God hath put out a child to thee a while to nurse; wilt thou be displeased if he takes his child home again; O be not discontented that a mercy is taken away from you, but rather be thankful that it was lent you so long.

The Doctrine of Repentance

2011-12-24T10:42:00.002-06:00

Is salvation possible without repentance? No, not according to God's word. Sadly, you would be hard-pressed to find any powerful preaching on repentance in today's visible church, which is why I enjoy reading the works of the Puritans. I have read this sermon by Thomas Watson and think I will read it again. I invite you to read it as well. Here is a sample...

To discover what true repentance is, I shall first show what it is not. There are several deceits of repentance which might occasion that saying of Augustine that `repentance damns many'. He meant a false repentance; a person may delude himself with counterfeit repentance.

1. The first deceit of repentance is legal terror
A man has gone on long in sin. At last God arrests him, shows him what desperate hazard he has run, and he is filled with anguish. Within a while the tempest of conscience is blown over, and he is quiet. Then he concludes that he is a true penitent because he has felt some bitterness in sin. Do not be deceived: this is not repentance. Ahab and Judas had some trouble of mind. It is one thing to be a terrified sinner and another to be a repenting sinner. Sense of guilt is enough to breed terror. Infusion of grace breeds repentance. If pain and trouble were sufficient to repentance, then the damned in hell should be most penitent, for they are most in anguish. Repentance depends upon a change of heart. There may be terror, yet with no change of heart.

continue on here...

the radicals

2011-12-23T18:29:00.002-06:00

this movie is about Anabaptists and persecution...

The way is narrow

2011-12-23T00:06:00.000-06:00

looking forward to January...

2011-12-22T12:10:00.003-06:00

I do not indulge in the traditions of this man-centered season and look forward to when it is over. This piece is from Sinclair Ferguson, posted at a voice crying out.
This sums up my sentiments concerning this wildly man-centered time of year...

I took the hand of my toddler son (it was several decades ago now) as we made our way into the local shop on the small and remote Scottish island where earlier that year I had been installed as minister. It was Christmas week. The store was brightly decorated and a general air of excitement was abroad.

Without warning, the conversations of the customers were brought to a halt by a questioning voice from beside me. My son’s upraised index finger pointed at a large cardboard Santa Claus. “Daddy, who is that funny-looking man?” he asked.

read on here...

PLease do not kill me

2011-12-21T13:08:00.001-06:00

Godliness

2011-12-21T12:39:00.001-06:00

This is from a few years back; the message is convicting. Is God the center of our everything? Do we live solely for the glory of God?

Our Obedience

2011-12-21T12:13:00.001-06:00

This is the real test of claiming Jesus as Lord...

The meaning of the Lord's supper

2011-12-21T12:07:00.001-06:00

This is a short, concise and powerful teaching on the true meaning of this ordinance...

How do we acquire faith to believe?

2011-12-20T14:05:00.003-06:00

I have heard Gospel presentations that include putting one's faith in Christ, or placing one's trust in Him; is this biblical and how does one do this? The Bible commands us to believe, but can we do this on our own? If we are born sinners, slaves to sin as our Lord tells us in John 8:34, then how can we who are in bondage to sin, which overpowers us, how can we place faith and trust in God? Is this not teaching salvation by works? Where does this faith and trust come from, is it buried deep within our depraved natures, do we have the ability to believe in Christ on our own? This debate will continue until Christ returns.
For a deeper look, let's go to Ephesians 2:8-9 for an explanation of this dilemma. You must go into the original language to understand and unpack these verses; for that, we turn to Jim McClarty...

Our Best Day is Our Last Day

2011-12-20T12:35:00.002-06:00

These are wonderful words of encouragement from Thomas Brooks courtesy of Grace Gems...

Revelation 14:13, "Blessed are the dead who die in
the Lord." Why? "They will rest from their labor!"

A believer's last day is his best day! Death brings
the soul to a state of eternal rest. Death is . . .
a rest from the trouble of our labors,
a rest from afflictions,
a rest from persecutions,
a rest from temptation,
a rest from sin, and
a rest from sorrow.

Now while we are here in this present world, the soul
is in a perpetual agitation. The godliest man in the world,
who is highest and clearest in his enjoyments of God--
either lacks some temporal mercy or spiritual mercy--and
will do so until his soul is swallowed up in the everlasting
enjoyments of God!

Death brings a man to an unchangeable rest!

Death is a believer's coronation-day, it is his
marriage-day! Death is an eternal rest . . .
from sin,
from sorrow,
from afflictions,
from temptations.

Death to a believer is an entrance into
paradise--into the joy of his Lord.

A believer's dying-day is his best day. The day
of his death better than the day of his birth!

"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which
is better by far!" Philippians 1:23

Pre-Trib Rapture?

2011-12-17T20:35:00.003-06:00

This is the clearest teaching I have heard in support of the pre-trib rapture. Pay CLOSE attention to the fourth and fifth videos, they are the clinchers...

Does Theology matter in our Gospel presentation?

2011-12-17T19:18:00.003-06:00

Yes!!! In light of the recent attention given Tim Tebow, I feel it necessary to post this video.
Listen to this...

The hand of God

2011-12-16T20:40:00.004-06:00

this is from Grace Gems ...

It is the same hand!

(J.C. Ryle)

Are you a distressed believer? Is your heart . . .
pressed down with sickness,
tried with disappointments,
overburdened with cares?

To you I say, "Behold the cross of Christ!" Think whose hand it is that chastens you; think whose hand is measuring to you the 'cup of bitterness' which you are now drinking. It is the hand of Him who was crucified! It is the same hand which, in love to your soul, was nailed to the accursed tree! Surely that thought should comfort and hearten you. Surely you should say to yourself, "My crucified Savior will never lay upon me anything that is not for my good. There is a needs be. It must be well."

How God uses Suffering

2011-12-16T13:31:00.002-06:00

Many times we go through trials blinded & dumbfounded as to what is going on. This I think is due in part to weak preaching in America as well as scant time spent in His word. If you are presently in a trial, take heart. John MacArthur has a sermon series just for you...

Go here for part one, and here for part two.

You Go Voddie!!!

2011-12-16T00:00:00.003-06:00

This is what America truly needs, men who will boldly stand up and profess truth. Give this a listen...

Thanks Linda for bringing this to my attention!!!

Be Blessed...

2011-12-15T00:14:00.010-06:00

I found this at Ken Silva's website, it is a wonderful excerpt from Jon Cardwell's book 'Christ and Him Crucified'...

As the gospel of Christ crucified cannot be attained through the religious works of sinful men, nor can be attained through the logical thinking of sinful men, neither can it be more effective, more persuasive or more savingly executed through the eloquent proclamation of sinful men.

To suggest such a thing would certainly contradict what the apostle stated prior to his telling the Corinthians that he determined to know nothing among them except the gospel truth of Christ, and Him crucified:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1

Neither excellent speech nor cunning wisdom was used by Paul in declaring the gospel truth. It is the work of the Holy Spirit alone regardless of whether one is on the receiving side or the delivery side of the gospel. Why? God tells us in a verse just prior to what we’ve read in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2,

That no flesh should glory in his presence. 1 Corinthians 1:29

GLORY IN THE CROSS
God receives glory from the work of Christ’s crucifixion and He also receives glory from proclamation of Christ’s crucifixion, in those to whom God is saving, and in those by whom God is using to preach His truth. Therefore, if man’s chief end, ultimate goal and reason for existence is to glorify God, then we glorify God when our boast is in the crucified Christ, as it is written,

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14

*When we can boast in anything apart from the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, by His righteous life lived, His prophetic word taught, His heavenly declarations proclaimed, His obedient servitude exemplified, His perfect substitutionary death, etc., we sin, straying from the gospel, departing from its glory and its power.* [star emphasis mine]

But we proclaim Christ crucified,
Offensive to the Jews,
And unto Greek minds foolishness:
Rejected by both views.

Yet, for all those whom God has call’d,
Both Jews and Greeks alike,
Jesus Christ, the great pow’r of God
And wisdom from on high.

For God’s apparent foolishness
Is wiser than all men;
And what seems to be God’s weakness:
Stronger than all heaven.

For, brethren, won’t you bring to mind,
God’s calling, ye can see,
Not many wise or strong are call’d,
Noble, too, not many.

But God had chosen from this world
The foolish things to stun
The wise; and weak things He chose too,
Confounding those things strong.

And the lowly and despis’d things,
The world considers base,
God has valued and has chosen;
The lofty He laid waste.

The reason God has done these things:
That no flesh should glory
In His presence― for God’s Word
Knows no other story.[1]
[1] Jon Cardwell, Christ and Him Crucified [Anniston: Vayahiy Press, 2011], 56-58.

I put stars before and after Jon's statement {*When we can boast in anything apart from the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, by His righteous life lived, His prophetic word taught, His heavenly declarations proclaimed, His obedient servitude exemplified, His perfect substitutionary death, etc., we sin, straying from the gospel, departing from its glory and its power.*} because I wonder, if people claim to invite Jesus into their heart, if they make their decision, or if they choose Jesus, are they not boasting, are they not robbing God of glory due only to Him? Let's compare two scenarios; 'I accepted Jesus into my heart', and 'Christ has redeemed me from the pit of hell thru His death, burial, and resurrection'. Which statement best glorifies God? God forbid any should dare to take credit for something they have no ability to do...

For the Remnant

2011-12-14T11:29:00.004-06:00

Today's Christianity knows nothing of growing in holiness, Christ-likeness; there is no desire to go deeper into the things of God. Recently, I was called a 'fanatic' and told I take 'religion' too far; guess who made this accusation? A professing 'Christian'. There is a remnant that longs for Him, that sees the blackness of their sins and detests what they see. This Grace gem is for that remnant...

The longer a redeemed sinner lives--the more he will want to know Christ.
The brighter the revelation of Christ to his soul--the blacker SELF will be in his apprehension.
The more his heart is warmed with a sense of the love of his God--the more he will mourn because of his coldness and deadness.

This is a paradox which no hypocrite or mere professor can understand. As the child of God grows in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and . . .
sees more of His beauty,
enjoys more of His bounty, and
feels more of His blessedness--
the more he is brought into a true conception of what he is in himself--as a wretched, ruined, undeserving, and Hell-deserving sinner!

Yet he discovers something else--a heart, yearning, longing, panting and desiring after communion with a glorious God, and fellowship with a precious Christ! As he grows in grace, Christ is exalted--and Self is abased!

Mortifying Ungodly Emotions

2011-12-11T18:01:00.003-06:00

I listened to this and I could not agree more with Brian Borgman. If you suffer from depression, or know someone who does, pay close attention to this sermon...

The Battle is the Lord's

2011-12-10T22:28:00.003-06:00

by Dr. Steven Lawson

This sermon is worthy of a listen, it is delivered through Dr. Steve Lawson. Here is your link...

For Ladies Only!

2011-12-10T20:54:00.003-06:00

With the growing apostasy swirling all around, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find solid biblical teaching. There is a dear sister in Christ who heads up a woman's bible study and whose teaching is solid and biblical. Let's take a look...

The Doctrine of Limited Atonement

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46)

We live in a culture that demands immediacy. We like things quick and easy and when we don’t get what we want when we want it, we grow impatient. One sociologist, has coined the term “The McDonaldization of society” which describes a culture that takes on the characteristics of a fast food restaurant. Sadly, we see this influence in the evangelical church where short, entertaining messages have replaced biblical and doctrinal preaching. For those who are convinced that Christ is all, there is no sacrifice too great for the immeasurable prize of knowing Christ. That is the message of Jesus in the above parable. When we pick up our Bible’s and we diligently search and examine the doctrines of our faith, when we labor and pore over the word of God, sacrificing time and precious energy, God promises that we will find a pearl of great value.

continue on here...

Consider your ways

2011-12-10T00:14:00.003-06:00

This is an excellent sermon from J.C. Ryle, it is just as relevant today...

Consider your ways

There is a generation of Christians in this age who grieve me to the heart. They make my blood run cold. I cannot understand them. For anything that man's eye can see, they make no progress. They never seem to get on. Years roll on, and they are just the same — the same besetting sins, the same infirmities of disposition, the same weakness in trial, the same chilliness of heart, the same apathy, the same faint resemblance to Christ; but no new knowledge, no increased interest in the kingdom, no freshness, no new strength, no new fruits, as if they grew. Are they not forgetting that growth is the proof of life — that even the tree grows, and the snail and the sloth move? Are they not forgetting how awfully far a man may go, and yet not be a true Christian? He may be like a wax figure, the very image of a believer, and yet not have within him the breath of God — he may have a name to live, and be dead after all.

Brethren, these are the reasons why I write so strongly. I want your Christianity to be unmistakable. I want you all to grow really, and to do more than others. Let us all henceforth remember Sardis and Laodicea — let us resolve to be more holy and more bright. Let us bury our idols. Let us put away all strange gods. Let us cast out the old leaven. Let us lay aside every weight and besetting sin. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God. Let us renew our covenant with our beloved Lord. Let us aim at the highest and best things. Let us resolve by God's blessing to be more holy, and then I know and am persuaded we shall be more useful and more happy. I name some things for prayerful consideration.

Let us believers take more pains to edify others! It is incredible and sad to see how Scripture speaks on this matter, and then to observe the conduct of many of Christ's people. Paul tells the Corinthians, that the members of Christ "should have the same care one for another." He says to the Thessalonians, "Edify one another, even as also you do." He says to the Hebrews, "Exhort one another daily, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin;" and again, "Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching." Brethren, I fear we fall very short of the New Testament Christians in this respect. We are sadly apt to lose sight of this edifying one another when we are in the company of believing friends. Prayer, and the Word, and godly conversation are not put in the foremost place, and so we separate, being nothing the better, but rather worse. Far too often there is so much coldness, and restraint, and reserve, and backwardness, that a man might imagine we were ashamed of Christ, and that we thought it proper to hold our tongues, and not make mention of the name of the Lord.

the entire sermon is available here...

O come O come Emmanuel

2011-12-08T23:53:00.000-06:00

Charles Spurgeon Movie

2011-12-08T13:51:00.000-06:00

The Gospel

2011-12-07T13:29:00.010-06:00

I just finished reading Paul Washer's '"The" Gospel' in the latest edition of Heartcry magazine. This edition {volume 69} should be available soon for download here.
As I read this I thought, are there two different Gospels? Is there a 'free will' Gospel and a Gospel based on grace thru Christ because man is totally depraved and unable to come to Christ apart from regeneration? It can't be, there is only ONE Gospel, not two. Yet, all across this nation, we hear men beckon sinners to invite Jesus into their heart, or to make their decision. Maybe this is so hotly debated because we do not even know what the true, biblical Gospel is.

Here is a sample of that Gospel...

"Paul did not have "a" Gospel that was peculiar to him. His was not a 'Pauline' Gospel as opposed to a 'Petrine' or 'Johannine' Gospel. Though something of the personalities of these apostles is evident in their presentation, the Gospel they shared was the same. They would know nothing of the frequent language of our day that speaks of different variations, versions, and flavors of the Gospel as though there could be more than one. It is clear from Scripture that there was an unbroken continuum between what Jesus did and communicated to His followers and what Paul believed and preached.
In the Gospel of Jesus, genuine conversion is always accompanied by sincere and costly discipleship. Jesus frequently culled the large crowds that followed Him by making radical demands upon them: "if anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple". He even warned His own disciples, "if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me..." In the Gospel of Paul, the same radical demands of discipleship are found.
In the Gospel of Jesus, men are taught that a mere profession of faith alone is no sound evidence of salvation. Jesus warned that not everyone who says to Him, "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those whose lives are marked by obedience to the will of God.
Finally, the Gospel of Jesus abounds with warnings about future judgment and the terrors of hell. The matter was so crucial to Jesus that He gave the following warning even to those whom He considered to be His friends: "I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!"

There is but one Gospel, which stands above the editor and the censor, and which must not be changed, adapted, or repackaged. Any attempt to do so, regardless of the reason or motivation, will result in a different Gospel, which is NO Gospel at all!' - Paul David Washer

Loving Christ

2011-12-06T23:51:00.002-06:00

1. If we love a person, we like to think about him.
We do not need to be reminded of him. We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation. He comes up before our mind’s eye many a time in the day.

Continue reading here...

Lord, you are holy- a MUST watch

2011-12-06T09:48:00.003-06:00

This is a fantastic song uplifting our God.
The video is available here...

Seek Him Violently

2011-12-03T18:30:00.000-06:00

True Missionaries

2011-12-03T00:11:00.003-06:00

The story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and fellow missionaries Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming is simply amazing, even 50 plus years later...
What an absolutely awesome God we serve...

The Unquenchable Fire

2011-12-02T21:50:00.002-06:00

J.C. Ryle, 1878

"He will gather His wheat into the barn — but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire!" Matthew 3:12

This text describes in words, that which should make our ears tingle — Christ shall "burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire!"

When the Lord Jesus Christ comes to purge His threshing floor — He shall punish all who are not His disciples with a fearful punishment. All who are found impenitent and unbelieving — all who have held the truth in unrighteousness — all who have clung to sin, stuck to the world, and set their affection on things below — all who are without Christ. All such shall come to an awful end! Christ shall "burn up the chaff!"

Their punishment shall be most SEVERE. There is no pain like that of burning. Put your finger in the candle flame for a moment, if you doubt this, and try. Fire is the most destructive and devouring of all elements. Look into the mouth of a blast furnace — and think what it would be to be there. Fire is of all elements most opposed to life. Creatures can live in air, and earth, and water — but nothing can live in fire! Yet fire is the portion to which the Christless and unbelieving will come. Christ will "burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire!"

Their punishment shall be ETERNAL. Millions of ages shall pass away, and the fire into which the chaff is cast, shall still burn on. That fire shall never burn low and become dim. The fuel of that fire shall never waste away and be consumed. It is "unquenchable fire."

Continue here...

Wouldn't this be a great reminder

2011-12-01T08:48:00.003-06:00

This post is very much needed {and convicting too, I might add}, it comes from acidri's blog ...

This sign is found in Iloilo. The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province.

How wonderful would it be to find this sign at the exit gate of every church. To be read as you got out of the church building. Nice!

And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” – Mark 16:15

The Last Gospel Message

2011-11-30T13:34:00.000-06:00

America's forgotten

2011-11-30T13:03:00.004-06:00

The Dow is soaring as we speak, albeit temporary; as the world deems survival based on monetary terms, many may think we are on the road to recovery. With the record number who shopped and spent their money this past 'black Friday' & 'cyber Monday', things do look better, on the surface. However, let's go with 60 Minutes into a topic most Americans would just as soon not talk about...the homeless. This is a heartbreaking story and it is reality {the number of the homeless continues to grow, just as does unemployment}. This is not what you see on your nightly news, instead, you will see stories of financial bailouts, banks merging and doing what they must for the greater good; mainstream media only gives you the 'good news'. The truth is America, and the world, is racing toward judgment. Our world is falling apart and man, in his wisdom, cannot fix what is wrong.

Not telling the heartbreaking stories like this one give people a false sense of 'all is right with the world', when, in fact, it is anything but. Please, do pray for these folks, and all of mankind; whether they live in comfort or in the street, without Jesus Christ, they have no hope...

Check this video out as well.

The Day and the Hour

2011-11-29T23:23:00.002-06:00

It is time to wake up, this warning comes from watchman on the wall...

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is." Mark 13:32-33

The European Union meltdown is heading into high gear as warning signs continue to flash. Even though President Obama said he was keen to see the eurozone crisis end: "the United States stands ready to do our part to help Europe resolve this issue.

continue here...

Is Christmas a Christian tradition?

2011-11-28T13:44:00.006-06:00

This is a wonderful, insightful sermon by Jim McClarty on Christmas and its origin; if you celebrate the Christmas tradition, this sermon may cause you to rethink your view on this pagan tradition...

go here for this sermon

Jim also has this response in his Q&A section concerning Christmas...

Christmas

Q -

What do you think about Christmas? Is it okay to have a Christmas tree? And, what about Santa Claus? I heard that he was connected with Baal worship. Is that right?

Jim -

I purposely tabled these questions until after the holidays so I would not be introducing any crisis of conscience into your household just as you were preparing to celebrate.

Briefly, Christmas is not a Christian holiday (read: holy day), or time of observance. Jesus was clearly not born on Dec. 25, as is widely known and admitted. Even the details of His birth make that obvious. There are no shepherds in the Middle East who watch their flocks by night in the mid-winter. That alone ought to tell us something's amiss.

Anyway, we can get a pretty good sense of Christ's actual birth date by using Luke's gospel. John the Baptist is said to be six months older than Christ (Luke 1:26 and Luke 1:36). So, if we can determine John's conception date, we simply add 15 months and we're in the right territory. John's father was a priest who served in the temple during the course of Abijah, or Abia (Luke 1:5). King David established the courses of the priests. There are of 24 courses and Abijah is the eighth (1 Chron. 24:10). By comparing those courses to the Hebrew religious calendar, we can easily deduce the period when Zacharias, John's father, served his course and heard that his wife was about to conceive.

So, let's do the math. The Hebrew calendar was lunar, not solar. It was divided into 12 months of 30 days. So, the eight course would fall during the last two weeks of the fourth month of the Sacred calendar. That month was called Tammuz, the tenth month of the Civil Calendar. It fell between mid-June and mid-July on our western Calendars. Add fifteen months (or, just three months to make it easy) and you arrive at the month of Tishri, which is mid-September to mid-October. So, Jesus was born near the time of the Autumn equinox, in the early Fall.

By the way, that period is also the time of the Feast of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, when every Jewish family capable of travel was required to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. So, even the smaller towns that bordered Jerusalem would be overflowing with people. That would help explain why there was "no room at the inn" in Bethlehem.

Meanwhile, the early Christian Church failed to record the date of Jesus' birth with any certainty because it simply wasn't important to them. The death of Christ is attested to in great detail in all four gospel records. But, His birthday was of little consequence. It wasn't until the time of Emperor Constantine's efforts to "Christianize" Rome that we find any real attention paid to His birth.

The Romans were steeped in Helenized culture, which they "borrowed" from the Greeks. The Greek pantheon of gods was inculcated into Roman mythology and simply given new names. And, the vast majority of Greco/Roman mythological worship finds its roots in Babylonish mystery religion, which all revolves around "sun worship." So, one of the primary festivals (read: holy days) that the Romans observed each year was the Saturnalia Feast (which came to be known as the Feast of Fools in the Nordic and Gaelic cultures). It happened on the shortest day of the calendar year as a tribute to the sun, in order to entice the sun to return and keep their agricultural society going. So, every year, during the winter solstice, there was a drunken, wild, gift-giving festival that had its roots in ancient sun worship.

Meanwhile, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine (306 to 337 AD) there had been 150 years of unbridled torture of Christians. However, Christianity, far from being disposed of by the Roman persecution, continued to grow and thrive. So, when he rose to the throne of Rome, he had a huge social dilemma. Although his personal devotions prove that he worshipped the Roman gods Mars and Apollos, Constantine unilaterally forbid Christian persecution throughout his realm.

The next significant event in Constantine's religious development occurred in 312. Lactantius - who tutored his son, Crispus - and who therefore must have been close to the imperial family, reports that during the night before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge Constantine was commanded in a dream to place the sign of Christ on the shields of his soldiers. Constantine was victorious and he attributed his victory to "the god of the Christians." Consequently, he began the effort to "christianize" Rome, making it the State religion. Since every Roman citizen was required to embrace some form of Christianity - though it was a severely watered-down and superficial form of Christianity - Constantine effectively established the Roman universal (the meaning of "catholic") church and the Holy Roman Empire. And, of course, Roman Catholicism went on to dominate Western Religion for the next 1200 years.

So, what doest that have to do with Christmas? Well, in his efforts to "Christianize" Rome, Constantine encountered considerable resistance from the heathen Roman populace. Realizing that he could not utterly remove all of their various feasts, orgies, bacchanalias and observances, he simply stamped Christian names and observances onto the festivities that already existed. For instance, the Feast of Ishtar, a Spring Fertility Feast replete with rabbits, eggs and other symbols of fertility, occurred close to the time of the Passover, when Christ rose from the dead. The two were effectively mashed together, and the early-risers who went to celebrate the rising of the sun, the rebirth of Tammuz, and his mother Semirimus, called Ishtar, was simply "Christianized" to celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. In fact, it's pretty spooky that the most significant religious observance of the calendar year still bears her name - Easter! And, people in the Christian church still run out to greet the sun as it rises - a form of Babylonish Baal (sun god) worship.

Anyway (you can see this coming), rather than try to stop the mid-winter Saturnalia feast, called "birthday of the unconquered sun," Constantine simply imposed the birth of Christ onto that date in order to give it significance for every citizen of Rome, regardless of their personal depth of Christian commitment. It was a small matter to change "the sun" to "the Son." And, in keeping with their penchant for mixing and matching heathen and Christian names and concepts, that holiday came to be known as the Christ-mass. The English word "mass" is derived from the Latin "masse," which is derived from the Greek "maza," which were small, round barley cakes baked to honor Semirimus as the "queen of heaven." That name was carried into the Catholic worship service, with its veneration of Mary as "queen of Heaven." So, when the Mass was performed to honor her child, it was designated the yearly "Christ-mass." We just call it Christmas.

And, Christmas doesn't have the sort of illustrious American history that modern folk assume. It was understood to be a pagan practice by the earliest pilgrims and settlers. In fact, Christmas was generally outlawed in America until the end of the last century. Up until 1870, the city of Boston proclaimed that anyone missing work on Christmas Day would be fired. Factory owners required employees to come to work at 5 a.m. on Christmas in order to insure they would not go to church that day. And any student who failed to go to school on December 25 was summarily expelled. Alabama was the first state of the union to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday, but that was late in the nineteenth century. It's amazing how times have changed; now that Christmas is a staple in our national economy.

While there's some debate as to where the various traditions and observances of Christmas started, it's clear that most of them pre-date Christ Himself. They were simply carried over from their heathen roots into the "christian" culture. And, Santa Claus is one of those traditions. If you do a simple search on the Internet on the History of Christmas, or the history of Santa Claus - remember that "Santa" comes from the Latin word for "saint" - you'll find a wealth of debate and information. But, it's clear that a fat man in red coming down the chimney to give gifts to children has nothing to do with the birth of Christ.

The reason I referred to him as Baal, is because of the ancient mid-east and European wood carving that depict Baal as an old man with a long white beard, usually holding a fir, or evergreen, tree as a sign of eternal life. That exact imagery, by the way, appeared on this year's Christmas stamps from the US postal service. Spooky.

It's funny how inculcated this essentially heathen custom has become in our society, though. I once told a woman that I didn't care for Christmas and she accused me of being an atheist! But, it's just the opposite. I don't like Christmas because I am a committed Christian! Certainly, Jesus was right when He said, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." (Mat. 15:6)

However, I am not a complete killjoy where Christmas is concerned. We give our kids gifts and we enjoy the time the family. But, we have never taught our children Santa Claus. I mean, they know who he is, but they know he is fictitious, on the level of Bugs Bunny and Ronald McDonald. We never wanted to ascribe God-like attributes to anyone but God. Only God "sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake." And, only God rewards and judges people, not some mythological fat man from the North Pole. Libbie and I agreed early in our marriage that we would not lie to our kids. That way, they would always know that whatever we told them was true. And, they would trust us to guide them in the pathways of truth and honesty.

When my parents - who really played the Santa Claus thing to the hilt - told me that he was not real, I was crushed. And, the very next question I asked (according to my mom) was, "Then is there really a God?" Of course, they instantly went into recovery mode and did their best to convince me that the God I had never seen, never felt, seldom talked to and who never seemed to actually do anything for me, was really, genuinely alive and significant. But, the man who had entered my home every year, brought me gifts, ate our cookies, drank our milk, who I wrote letters to and who loved me for being good, was fake. I hated it. So, as a parent, I will never take my children through that crisis. When I tell them about God - whom they have heard about from their earliest years - they know I'm telling the truth and that I will never recant.

A couple of years ago we even stopped putting up a tree. The tree had bothered me, but my wife did not share my conviction, originally. But, after a while it even bothered her. Like I've said, revelation of God is progressive and we are responsible to the truth we know. So, we asked the kids if they would prefer a tree each holiday, or if we spent that extra fifty bucks on gifts. You can imagine their reply. Bingo - no tree.

Thanks for your question. I know plenty of Christians struggle with the holidays and how to properly observe them. My opinion is that we all react in accordance with our level of understanding, in keeping with the truth revealed to us as individuals. Some folk with less knowledge of Christmas history and traditions may celebrate the holidays in all their detail without a pang of conscience. And, I would never condemn them. They are a perfect example of Paul's "weaker brethren." I will continually strive to teach God's word until we all come to the knowledge of the Lord and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Then, each Christian must work out the details between them and God. My job, and our job as a church, is to expose the truth and promote the worship of Christ and Him only.

Fair enough?

Yours for His sake,

Jim

Does God hate sinners?

2011-11-26T15:26:00.002-06:00

How many refuse to teach the whole counsel of God, all His attributes today? Praise God for Paul Washer and Tim Conway, who proclaim the whole truth about God. If you are an unbeliever, the truth presented in this video should terrify you. Know this, there is hope through Christ and His finished work, trusting in what He has done to save your soul, crying out for mercy to a God who is rich in mercy while you still have breath in your lungs...

from sermonindex

The Meaning of Discipleship

2011-11-26T11:50:00.001-06:00

This comes from airo...

We must strive

2011-11-24T20:54:00.001-06:00

There is another road to Hell quite as sure!

(J.C. Ryle, "Practical Religion" 1878)

"Strive to enter in at the narrow gate: for many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able!" Luke 13:24

"STRIVE" teaches that a man must expect many adversaries and a hard battle--if he would have his soul saved. And this, as a matter of experience, is strictly true. There are no "gains without pains" in spiritual things--any more than in temporal things. That roaring lion, the devil--will never let a soul escape from him without a struggle. The heart which is naturally sensual and earthly--will never be turned to spiritual things without a daily fight. The world, with all its opposition and temptations--will never be overcome without a conflict.

I warn you to take heed that you do not perish forever--for lack of "striving." Do not suppose that it needs some great scarlet sin to bring you to the pit of eternal destruction! You have only to sit still and do nothing--and you will find yourself there at last. Yes! Satan does not ask you to walk in the steps of Cain, and Pharaoh, and Ahab, and Judas Iscariot. There is another road to Hell quite as sure--the road of spiritual indolence, spiritual laziness, and spiritual sloth!

Satan has no objection to your being a respectable member of the Christian Church. He will allow you to sit comfortably in church every Sunday you live. He knows full well, that so long as you do not "strive"--that you must come at last to the worm that never dies, and the fire that is never quenched! Take heed that you do not come to this end. I repeat it, you have only to do nothing--and you will be eternally lost!

Think, think above all things, what a state this is to die in! Your life is but a vapor. A few more years at most--and you are gone! Your place in the world will soon be filled up; your house will be occupied by another.
The sun will go on shining;
the grass and daises will soon grow thick over your grave;
your body will be food for worms,
and your soul will be lost to all eternity!

from grace gems

Unequalled Greatness

2011-11-24T16:07:00.001-06:00

This is a fascinating truth by Art Azurdia.

Wonderful Thanksgiving Reminder from John MacArthur

2011-11-24T12:58:00.002-06:00

As we sit down to a meal of fellowship, of giving of thanks with friends and family, let us all reflect and recall what we are truly thankful for this day...

from John MacArthur

The Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time to heighten your sensitivity to the blessings bestowed by God. Thanksgiving grabs your attention, shakes the cobwebs loose, and reminds you of all God's most precious gifts. That's one reason Thanksgiving has always held such a special place in my heart. It rekindles in me the kind of God-centered gratitude that our Lord demands and deserves—the kind that should readily be on our lips year round.

To help stimulate that kind of deeper gratitude, my family has adopted a Thanksgiving tradition we've found extremely helpful. Each year after our Thanksgiving meal we gather in our living room and simply recite the blessings of God that have touched our lives. One by one we circle the room, each one of us expressing our gratitude to God for His many physical and spiritual blessings.

Allow me to share with you just five blessings that deeply touch me every year and prompt me to thank God. Perhaps it'll catch and you'll be able to rekindle your gratitude!

You're Saved and You Know It

No work of God's is more beyond my comprehension yet closer to my heart and more worthy of gratitude than salvation. Before coming to know Christ, each of us lived in a self-imposed prison. Guilty, condemned, spiritually blind, and with no means to pay our debt, our destiny was one of eternal separation from God.

But Christ not only rescued us from the power and penalty of our sins, He also lifted us to a place of blessing. He delivered us from punishment and brought glory. He took away the threat of hell and gave us the hope of heaven. He dismissed us from divine wrath and brought us a divine benediction. One hymn writer put that unfathomable transaction like this:

In wonder lost, with trembling joy, We take the pardon of our God; Pardon for crimes of deepest dye, A pardon bought with Jesus' blood, Who is a pard'ning God like Thee? Or who has grace so rich and free?

We sing of salvation. We talk of salvation. Salvation is the essence of Christianity. Thanking God for saving us should be the unceasing occupation of our lips—only a stone-cold heart could offer anything less.

The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

Watch a half hour of news and tell me if the word chaos doesn't come to mind. The world is gripped by it. Conflict abounds as religious, philosophical, and political systems collide. Moral, social, and economic problems proliferate but solutions are scarce. The political process is drifting rudderless on a sea of confusion. Life is all questions and no answers. There is no concrete guideline or standard by which to judge good and bad, right and wrong. The suppression of truth exacts a tremendous price.

But thanks to God, you and I have an eternal, objective, incontestable, irrevocable standard we can depend on for all matters of life. From the truth of Scripture we can understand the ebb and flow of life better than all the educators, philosophers, politicians, and social pundits combined. God's Word offers us a window on the real issues people battle. We know how to be good employees, to love our spouses, to raise our families, to truly love our neighbors. Meaning in life is not a question, it's a fact. I thank God for revealing His truth to us and for allowing me the privilege of studying and teaching it.

Life's Storms

Perhaps the most difficult time to be thankful is when we're in the midst of a setback, a challenge, or a trial. When the storm comes, giving thanks is rarely our first reaction. Being thankful for adversity is never easy, but it is always right. From experience I know the difficult times are the ones in which God seems to be most at work in our lives, strengthening our weak spots, comforting our hurts, and drawing us to greater dependence. A well-known businessman offered this perspective: "Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees." Let's not neglect to thank God for the strong winds He allows to blow our direction.

Faithful Churches

I'm sad to say there are some congregations today that seem to be wrestling with who they are and what their mission is—a spiritual identity crisis of sorts. Relentlessly assaulted by doctrinal fads, scandals, divisions, internal and external criticism, and worldly thinking, they've buckled under the pressure. The chain reaction that creates is heartbreaking. Doctrine is compromised, effectiveness is forfeited, biblical ministry is abandoned, and God's blessing is withdrawn. That grieves me, and I know it grieves you as well.

However, we can thank the Lord for the many churches that have stayed the course in spite of pressure, and the many others that struggle but have not given up the fight. Large or small, the congregations that remain faithful to God's Word are the ones that are alive, vital, flourishing, reaching their communities with great effectiveness, and advancing the kingdom of God. They've resisted the fads, remained true to God's calling, and are now seeing His blessing. I'm grateful to Him for those churches, and for the encouragement they are to me and to the Body of Christ.

The People Who Make a Difference

Someone once made this wise observation: "Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up, and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it's just enough to know they’re standing by."

That's certainly been true in my life. I thank God daily for the many people who add so much color and warmth to my life. My best friend and wife, Patricia. Loving children and grandchildren. All who labor with me for the sake of the gospel. Each one enriches me greatly and is a very personal gift directly from the hand of God. I'm grateful for the friends—seen and unseen—whom I’ve been able to lean on, and who, to some small degree, have been able to lean on me.

Let me encourage you not to allow this Thanksgiving to come and go without taking inventory. Biblical gratitude isn't something that should pass from our minds with the passing of a season. It's an attitude, a God-focused response to circumstances that should pervade each moment of each day of each year.

May you, your family, and friends enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving season...all year!

GTY

Modern American Christianity

2011-11-22T23:50:00.003-06:00

Paul Washer lays it all out as he describes the pitiful state of Christianity in America. This is a must hear and must share...

You can listen to this sermon here...

Antony, a missionary affiliated with Heartcry in Israel

2011-11-22T13:43:00.003-06:00

You can visit Paul Washer's 'Heartcry Missionary' for sermons, bible teaching, videos, etc.
Please pray for Antony, and all who risk their lives for the souls of men as they take the Gospel to the nations...

180, award winning documentary

2011-11-21T13:49:00.000-06:00

WARNING!!! Graphic scenes

Is your all on the altar?

2011-11-20T20:29:00.004-06:00

I have been studying Romans 12:1, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” I went to blueletterbible and found this wonderful hymn to coincide with my study...

You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

Would you walk with the Lord,
In the light of His Word,
And have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will,
To be free from all ill,
On the altar your all you must lay.

O we never can know
What the Lord will bestow
Of the blessings for which we have prayed,
Till our body and soul
He doth fully control,
And our all on the altar is laid.

Who can tell all the love
He will send from above,
And how happy our hearts will be made,
Of the fellowship sweet
We shall share at His feet,
When our all on the altar is laid.

words and music by Elisha Albright Hoffman 1839-1929

I've been set free!!

2011-11-19T20:00:00.001-06:00

This song brings me to tears

Who do you desire to please?

2011-11-19T13:23:00.004-06:00

Here is a checklist for us to go through; feel free to share...

The Ten Marks of a Flesh-Pleaser

by Richard Baxter

The signs of a flesh-pleaser or sensualist are these:

1. When a man in his desire to please his appetite, does not do it with a view to a higher end, that is to say to the preparing himself for the service of God; but does it only for the delight itself. (Of course no one does every action conciously with a view to the service of God. Nevertheless, the general manner or habit of a life spent in the service of God is absent for the flesh-pleaser.)

2. When he looks more eagerly and industriously after the prosperity of his body than of his soul.

3. When he will not refrain from his pleasures, when God forbids them, or when they hurt his soul, or when the necessities of his soul call him away from them. But he must have his delight whatever it costs him, and is so set upon it, that he cannot deny it to himself.

4. When the pleasures of his flesh exceed his delights in God, and his holy word and ways, and the expectations of endless pleasure. And this not only in the passion, but in the estimation, choice, and action. When he had rather be at a play, or feast, or other entertainment, or getting good bargains or profits in the world, than to live in the life of faith and love, which would be a holy and heavenly way of living.

5. When men set their minds to scheme and study to make provision for the pleasures of the flesh; and this is first and sweetest in their thoughts.

6. When they had rather talk, or hear, or read of fleshly pleasures, than of spiritual and heavenly delights.

7. When they love the company of merry sensualists, better than the communion of saints, in which they may be exercised in the praises of their Maker.

8. When they consider that the best place to live and work is where they have the pleasure of the flesh. They would rather be where they have things easy, and lack nothing for the body, rather than where they have far better help and provision for the soul, though the flesh be pinched for it.

9. When he will be more eager to spend money to please his flesh than to please God.

10. When he will believe or like no doctrine but "easy-believism," and hate mortification as too strict "legalism." By these, and similar signs, sensuality may easily be known; indeed, by the main bent of the life.

from Puritan Sermons

A Question of Origins

2011-11-19T08:14:00.004-06:00

This is a series of videos that debunks evolution, this is great to share with your kids.

Here is a sample video, along with a link that will take you to other videos...

here is the link..http://www.eternal-productions.org/question_video/chapter2.html

the End is closer than you think

2011-11-17T23:32:00.004-06:00

I just got home from work and was checking out my choice websites and came across this fascinating article from herescope. Do take time to read this...

The Vatican and the New World Order

“Europe, the Holy Father recalled, had had its eras of greatness when a common faith had animated the hearts of its peoples. Europe, he urged, could have its geopolitical greatness again, refurbished and burnished anew, if it could create a new heart. Europe, he intimated, could again forge a supernal, common and binding faith.

"Inwardly, the [six foreign] ministers winced. Pius [XII] had pointed to the greatest difficulty facing the EEC [European Economic Community] upon the day of its birth [March 25, 1957]. Beneath his words lay the warning that neither democratic socialism nor capitalist democracy nor the prospect of the good life nor a mystic 'Europa' of the humanists could provide the engine to drive their dream [for a new world order based on a unified Europe]. Practically speaking, their new Europe lacked a glowing center, a superior force or principle to bind it together and drive it forward. Practically speaking, their Europe lacked what this Pope had. Lacked what he was."
- Malachi Martin, Windswept House[1]

Unfolding Biblical Eschatology*
The Bible paints quite a clear picture of the major events that precede the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. While many of the smaller details may be difficult to interpret, the major events concerning the world’s religious, economic and political future are evident in Revelation, chapters 13, 17 and 18.

continue reading here...

Preach the Gospel!!

2011-11-17T09:43:00.002-06:00

This is a serious problem...Christians feverishly debating theological issues constantly on the internet. All the while, people are dying without Christ while we argue with one another over secondary issues! Where is the heart that breaks over lost souls? I pray God will give me, and you, such a heart...

A Young Man's Invitation to a Life of Sacrifice from HeartCry Missionary Society on Vimeo.

The most terrifying truth in Scripture...

2011-11-16T13:22:00.000-06:00

the cross of Christ

2011-11-14T07:40:00.002-06:00

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!" Galatians 6:14

In the cross we see . . . the rights of divine justice maintained, the designs of divine mercy revealed; sin appearing exceedingly sinful; the law magnified and honored, and the law-breaker pardoned and delivered!

At the cross, God and sinners meet--and a reconciliation takes place. Here, man drops the weapons of rebellion--and God lays aside the sword of divine displeasure. Here, the works of Satan are destroyed--and the gates of paradise are thrown open. Here, the creditor is discharged, his every crime is atoned for--and everlasting righteousness is completed! Here, God is "just, and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus."

At the cross . . . mercy takes the throne, justice guards her rights, holiness maintains her prerogative, the sinner has hope, and iniquity is forever atoned for!

At the cross . . . we are stripped of self--and clothed with Christ; we lose our fears--and obtain the sweetest comforts; we find paradise restored--and have a foretaste of glory; Jehovah is revealed as the sinner's friend; death is destroyed as the believer's foe; Satan's . . . folly is published, designs are frustrated, and character is exposed to perpetual shame.

At the cross . . . all the truths of revelation center, all the perfections of Deity unite, and the way to eternal life is opened!

The Cross of Jesus! May it be . . . the emblem of my faith, the subject of my song, the antidote of my sorrows, and the glory of my soul!

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!" Galatians 6:14

From gracegems

God's Anvil

2011-10-29T12:19:00.003-05:00

This was brought to my attention by a dear sister in Christ, this is such a blessing....

The Anvil of God's Word - (John Clifford)

"Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith's door,
And I heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.
How many anvils have you had, said I,
To wear and batter all these hammers so?
Just one, said he and then with twinkling eye,
The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.
And so, I thought, The Anvil of God's Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon, Yet,
through the noise of falling blows was heard
The Anvil is unchanged, the hammers gone."

whosoever will? Understanding John 3:16

2011-10-27T11:53:00.007-05:00

Here is a rock solid response to the false belief of free will, done by Jim McClarty of salvation by grace, with credit also being given to Dr. James White of Alpha and Omega ministries. This comes from Jim's Q & A tab...

Whenever I'm discussing salvation and "free will" with someone, they always seem to retreat to John 3:16. They say, "Look right there! It says 'whosoever' believes will be saved! That means that anyone who wants to can accept Jesus and be saved!"

How do you answer that?

Jim -

Good question! You're right, John 3:16 has become the bedrock "proof text" of everyone who argues against the doctrine of election or divine predetermination. So, let's see if that verse is actually saying what these folk are convinced it says. Because, if it does, we're in hot water! But, if it doesn't, we really ought to be able to offer a sound, indisputable response.

First, let's look at John 3:16 as it appears in the King James Version:

The first thing that should be obvious is that the English rendering of this verse begins with the word "for." That means that it is the conclusion of an argument. It's the summary statement. So, we need to look at this verse in its larger context. Here is the whole passage:

"Whosever believeth"

Let's start by addressing the heart of the argument and then we'll get into the details. The word "whosever" appears twice in this passage. In both instances, it is used in regard to faith - "whosoever believes." The implication of this English phrase is that anyone who wishes to may exert his will and freedom of choice in order to believe something about Christ. Anyone who would like to can exercise his or her right and faculty to have (or not have) faith. The consequences of their faith (or lack of it) are then the result of that person's free and unencumbered choice.

But, there's a problem. And, it's a big problem. The New Testament was not written in English, any less the King's English. It was written in Greek. And, there is no Greek equivalent for the English word "whosoever."

That's important. So much so that it bears repeating.

There is no Greek equivalent for the English word "whosoever."

The Apostle John did not write, "Whosoever believeth." That word construction was never part of his original letter. What he did write was, "pas ho pisteuoon." The two little Greek words "pas ho" are literally translated "all the." "Pisteuoon" is a form of the word "pisteuo," the verb form of "pistis," or "faith."

The King James translators' choice of the single word "whosoever" to translate the two-word phrase "pas ho" was not an entirely errant decision. In the King's English, "whosoever" did not have the connotation of randomness or free choice that it has come to represent in contemporary English. Originally, "whosoever" designated a particular group - as in "whosoever possesses these certain qualities." In this case, the group included only those who believed, as opposed to those who did not.

But, more to the point, "pas ho" simply does not mean "anyone at all who chooses to exercise their choice." It specifically means "all the" and it serves to designate a particular group of people who share a defining characteristic -"faith" or "believing."

So, when we read, "whosoever believeth," we must understand that what John literally wrote was "all the believing." In other words, the benefits of God's love are not indiscriminately available to anyone who chooses to possess them. Only the particular group - "all the believing" - are gifted with eternal life.

Now, with that bit of exegesis in mind, let's dig into John's use of "pas ho pisteuo" in the larger context.

"Even so must the son of man be lifted up."

This passage comes on the heels of Jesus' instruction to Nicodemus concerning being "born again." Nicodemus, struggling to grasp Jesus' teaching, asked, "How can these things be?" In response, Jesus rebuked him for being a teacher in Israel while failing to understand the fundamentals of God's relationship with His people.

"Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John 3:9-12)

Overall, it's a rather stinging indictment. Jesus insisted that He was speaking the things He knew for certain as a firsthand witness, yet Nicodemus refused to accept His testimony. Jesus concluded that if Nicodemus could not understand the movement and working of the Holy Spirit on Earth, he would never believe the things Jesus could tell him about Heavenly activity.

So, Jesus began to explain His authority. No one has ever gone into Heaven to scope it out and bring back a report. But, the Son of God was intimately acquainted with details of the Heavenly realm. His is the only true account because He is the only true witness.

Then, Jesus reached back into Israel's history and reminded Nicodemus of a particular event. After their great victory at Hormah, the children of Israel journeyed by the Red Sea, circumventing the land of Edom, and they began to murmur and complain about the lack of water. They had grown to loathe the daily manna and complained about the lack of other food, even longing for their days in Egypt. So God sent poisonous serpents into the camp and many of the people died.

So Israel recognized their sin and adjured Moses to intercede for them. Moses prayed for the people and God instructed him to create a brass replicate of the poisonous snake and raise it on a pole above the people. God promised that everyone who had been bitten and looked on the brass serpent would live.

Jesus drew a parallel between Himself and that brass serpent. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, likewise Jesus would be lifted up. And, just as those who looked to the serpent - knowing the instruction and believing God's promise - were healed of their deadly wound and lived, so everyone who had faith in the atoning work of Christ would receive the healing of their sinful wound and gain eternal life. The serpent on a pole typified Jesus on the cross.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)

Now, the words "should not perish, but ..." were added by the translators and are not in the original text. Verse 15 literally reads, "That all the (pas ho) believing in Him have life eternal." The phrase "should not perish" infers that the benefits of believing would be granted at some future date. But, Jesus stated that the present reality of faith was proof that "all the believing" had already inherited, and were in possession of, the promise of eternal life. The New American Standard Version more definitely reads:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)

In other words, Jesus was lifted up on the cross and everyone who has faith in His atoning work already possesses the promise of eternal life. That is a distinct group. Those who did not look at the serpent in the wilderness were not healed. Likewise, those who do not rest in Christ's finished atonement for their salvation will not inherit eternal life.

Now, that's quite different from saying that Jesus was lifted up on the cross and anyone who chooses to believe in Him will (future tense) receive the gift of life. Rather, Jesus said that the very fact of faith or believing was the evidence that those people already possessed the gift of eternal life. Their faith was simply an outgrowth of the life (zoe) that indwelt them.

Or, more plainly, Christians do not earn eternal life as the result of their decision to believe. They believe because they were ordained to eternal life.

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48)

"For God so loved"

Now, that's all the build-up to the verse in question. (For the members of our congregation, that was all introduction and technically does not count against my time.)

The next two words John wrote were "houtoos gar," literally meaning "so for." To make the words flow in English, the word "so" was pushed back into the sentence structure and "for" became the opening word. But, we need to understand each of these words. "Houto" (the root of "houtoos") means "in this manner" or "after this fashion." That's the same way we use the word "so" when we instruct a child to do something "just so." We mean, do it "like this," or "after this manner."

In the modern readings of John 3:16, folk get the impression that John was exclaiming, "God loves the world ssssooooo much!" But, that was not John's meaning. He said, "For in this manner (the aforementioned lifting up of Christ) God demonstrated His love."

"the world"

The next question we must ask is: "Who are the recipients of this love?"

The common reading of John 3:16 insists that God loved "the whole world" - meaning "everyone who has ever lived." And, He loved them immensely. After all "God ssssoooo loved the world!"

That's emotionally appealing, but it's not what John wrote. The word "world" is the Greek "kosmos." While it is true that "kosmos" sometimes denotes "every part and parcel of the whole earth," most often it means, "people of all kindred, tribes and nations, as opposed to Israelites exclusively." This variation of meaning becomes obvious as we look at the Apostle John's own use of this word. He employed the word "kosmos" 82 times in his gospel. Here's just a sampling.

"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." (John 1:10)

Jesus was in the world - a reference to both the planet and its inhabitants. And, he made the world - the physical structure was created and is sustained by Him. And, the world knew Him not - the people did not recognize Him.

In that short verse we get three different nuances of the single word "kosmos."

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

John was saying one of two things, here. Either he was saying:

1) Behold the sacrificial lamb (typified by Israel's sin offerings) that will remove every sin of every person who ever lived. Or,

2) Behold the sacrificial lamb that will remove not only the sin of Israelites but of people from every kindred, tribe, tongue and nation.

If statement number 1 is true, then every sin of every person who ever lived was paid for at Calvary and God cannot judge anyone on the basis of their actions, thoughts, deeds, rebellion or even unbelief, inasmuch as those sins are all paid for.

If statement number 2 is true, then the word "kosmos" can be used in a more narrow sense that includes people of all nations, but not every single person of all nations. As we'll see, number 2 is the more tenable and exegetically consistent reading of that verse.

"For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world." (John 7:4)

In this verse, Jesus' brothers were encouraging Him to go up to the feast at Jerusalem, work some miracles and spread His fame. But obviously, the whole world was not at Jerusalem. They were simply saying, "Go make yourself public." But again, this shows the narrow scope that is possible with the word "kosmos."

"The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him." (John 12:19)

Likewise, the Pharisees did not mean to claim that people on distant continents were following Jesus at that moment. But, a large crowd in Jerusalem did. So again we see an example of the narrow scope of "kosmos."

"The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." (John 7:7)

Here, Jesus spoke of the "kosmos" hating Him. But, not everyone who ever lived hated Him. Rather, Jesus spoke of the majority of the populace who stood against Him. He may even have been referring to the religions and governmental systems that stood in opposition to His Lordship. But importantly, He did not mean that "everyone who ever lived" opposed Him.

"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." (John 13:1)

In this verse, John drew a distinction between the "kosmos" and those that Jesus loved. In other words, those that belonged to Him were in the world and He loved them to the end. But, he contrasted them with "the world." That's a critical distinction. So critical, in fact, that Jesus went on to pray only for His own beloved people, but not for the world.

"I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." (John 17:6-9)

So, if "kosmos" means "everybody who ever lived," and God "ssssoooo loved" them, why would Jesus draw this line of demarcation between the world and "the men which thou gavest me out of the world"? Jesus prayed specifically for those people God gave Him ("for they are thine") and He specifically did not pray for "the world."

Again, "kosmos" does not always mean "everyone who ever lived." It most often means "people of every nationality as opposed to Israelites exclusively."

The fact of the matter is: If God so loved everybody who ever lived that He gave His only begotten Son to die for everybody who ever lived, then Jesus was in direct opposition to His Father when - just prior to being lifted up on the cross - He failed to pray for everybody who ever lived.

But, the reality is ...

Neither Jesus nor John ever taught that God loved and paid the sin penalty for everybody who ever lived.

Allow me to offer two last verses that will prove that Jesus created a distinction between those that were His and the "kosmos."

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:16-17)

The Holy Ghost is the "proof positive" of salvation. He is the "token" of the New Covenant of salvation by grace through faith. Only those who receive the Holy Ghost (the very subject of Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus in John 3) will receive eternal life.

Yet, Jesus said that the world "cannot receive" the Spirit of Truth. In fact, the world does not see him or know him. On the other hand, the apostles did know him because he would be with them and in them.

So, if God loved everybody who ever lived so much that He gave His Son for their sins, why is it that those same people - the world - cannot receive the Holy Ghost that is essential for salvation?

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:19)

Now attempt to read that verse and substitute "everybody who ever lived" for the word "world." Suddenly, the verse makes no sense at all. Here, I'll do it for you -

"If you were part of everybody who ever lived, then everybody who ever lived would love his own; but you are not part of everybody who ever lived, but I have chosen you out of everybody who ever lived, therefore everybody who ever lived hates you."

Quite a jumble, eh? There's only one conclusion. "Kosmos" simply does not mean "everybody who ever lived."

A quick recap

So, what have we got so far? We've got this:

For (gar) God so (in this manner) loved (agapao) the world (people from every nationality) that ...

Or in context, Jesus said,

"Remember how Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness and those who looked on it were healed? Likewise, the son of man will be lifted up and all those who believe in Him will have everlasting life. For, God will demonstrate His sacrificial love for people of all nations in this manner ...

And, here's the manner.

"his only begotten son"

Once again, I prefer the Greek construction of this phrase. It literally reads, "that son, his only begotten, he gave."

This is the manner in which God demonstrated His gracious, sacrificial love for His people that were in the world. He gave. He gave His Son. He gave His only begotten Son.

Just as God provided a solution to the rampant death caused by the fiery serpents in the camp, God also provided a solution for the rampant death that eats mercilessly and terrifyingly through humanity. As the serpent was raised up, Christ was raised up. Those who looked on the serpent were healed and those who believe on the Son are healed. Those who were healed by the serpent did not die physically. Those who are healed by the Son have eternal life.

"that all the believing in him"

As mentioned above, the proper rendering of the phrase "that whosoever believes" is "all the believing." It is not an infinite group made up of all those who exercise themselves to believe. It is an exclusive group made up only of those who actually do believe in the finished atoning work that Christ fully accomplished on His cross.

As we will see when we get to verse 18, this stands in stark contrast to "he that believeth not."

"should not perish"

On this occasion, the phrase "should not perish" actually does appear in the original text. The good likelihood is that, due to familiarity, an early copyist inserted this phrase in verse 15.

John's point here is that "all the believing" in Christ will not suffer eternal separation from God. Those who failed to look on the brazen serpent died. Those who fail to trust Christ will perish eternally. Again, verse 18 will make this abundantly clear.

"but have everlasting life"

As opposed to perishing, "all the believing" as a distinct group "have" (the Greek "echo," a present holding and possession) "zoe aioonion," life everlasting.

So, let's put John 3:16 back together in light of this quick exegesis:

"For in this manner God sacrificially loved people from every nationality, in that His son, His only begotten, he gave, so that all the believing in Him should not perish, but possess life everlasting."

What this is, then, is a promise from God of the eternal security of the believer, rather than an open invitation to "whosoever will." And, the ultimate demonstration of God's love for His own people was demonstrated in His willingness and decree to sacrifice His own Son on their behalf. Everyone who believes, trusts and rests on the final, sufficient atonement wrought in Christ has no fear of perishing, but already possess the life eternal.

Jesus' Summary Statement

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:17-18)

The proper understanding of "kosmos" becomes plainer in verse 17. God did not send His Son into the world - among people of every kindred, tribe, tongue and nation - for the purpose of condemning them. The Old Testament is replete with promises that when the Messiah, David's greater son, came into the world, He would reestablish the Kingdom of Israel and judge the nations. So, when Jesus began being recognized as the promised Deliverer, expectations of national prominence ran high.

But, Jesus was clear that His mission was not one of judgment and condemnation. Rather, He came into the mix of peoples and races so that, through Him, people of all nationalities could be saved.

But, then Jesus broke all of humanity down into two groups: those who believed and those who did not. Those who were in the state of "believing on Him" constitute the "all the believing" group of John 3:16 - they are one and the same people. Jesus knows those that are His. They are the recipients of the grace of God that leads to salvation.

But, to the contrary, those people who are in the state of unbelief - "he that believes not" - are "condemned already." The fact that they are living mortal lives is merely a temporary reprieve from the condemnation that awaits them. That's utterly shocking to our sensibilities. It seems unfair.

But, it's not unfair. It's sovereign. It's the way the King rules His creation.

Now, this contrast between the believing and the unbelieving begs the inevitable question, "How can Jesus state so categorically that people who failed to believe on Him were already in a state of condemnation? I mean, couldn't they at some later point exercise their wills, choose to believe and transfer their eternal state to one of redemption and everlasting life?"

The answer is implicit in John 3:16. "All the believing" have everlasting life. The inverse is axiomatically true. All the unbelieving do not. And, that's why John 3:16 should not be removed from its larger context. John 3:18 spells out the whole paradigm in NO uncertain terms.

So, In Conslusion

Despite its popularity, John 3:16 actually proves the absolute inverse of what the "free will" crowd contend. While they insist that this verse throws open the door of salvation to anyone and everyone who will take advantage of it, John declared that those who believe on Christ are eternally secure while those who are in a state of unbelief are already condemned.

Salvation, then, must be God's enterprise, determining from the beginning the saved from the unsaved, the lost from the found, the elect from the world, and those with eternal life from those who are eternally condemned.

And, John 3:16 proves it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Credit where credit is due:

This article relied heavily on exegetical work done by Dr. James White, of Alpha and Omega ministries. You can visit them at:

www.aomin.org

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are the property of Jim McClarty and Grace Christian Assembly.
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but, we do require that you keep the documents in their entirety and the
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Explanation of one race simplified

2011-10-26T15:25:00.001-05:00

From answers in genesis

Trust in God

2011-10-25T12:58:00.003-05:00

We live in a unique time; when we see all that is happening in this world, it is tempting not to trust fully in God, especially when we are affected directly. We must look past all this, keeping our hearts fixed on Him. Easier said than done, believe me, I know. As I read this Psalm, I thought about the wicked, how they prosper and how they do not seem to face the trials we as followers of Christ face. Psalm 73 is of great comfort, read and be blessed...

A Psalm of Asaph.

Psa 73:1Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart!

Psa 73:2But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps [fn]had almost slipped.

Psa 73:3For I was envious of the [fn]arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psa 73:4For there are no pains in their death, And their [fn]body is fat.

Psa 73:5They are not [fn]in trouble as other [fn]men, Nor are they plagued [fn]like mankind.

Psa 73:6Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them.

Psa 73:7Their eye [fn]bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart [fn]run riot.

Psa 73:8They mock and [fn]wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.

Psa 73:9They have set their mouth [fn]against the heavens, And their tongue [fn]parades through the earth.

Psa 73:10Therefore [fn]his people return to this place, And waters of abundance are [fn]drunk by them.

Psa 73:11They say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge [fn]with the Most High?"

Psa 73:12Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.

Psa 73:13Surely in vain I have [fn]kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence;

Psa 73:14For I have been stricken all day long And [fn]chastened every morning.

Psa 73:15If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.

Psa 73:16When I pondered to understand this, It was [fn]troublesome in my sight

Psa 73:17Until I came into the [fn]sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end.

Psa 73:18Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to [fn]destruction.

Psa 73:19How they are [fn]destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!

Psa 73:20Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their [fn]form.

Psa 73:21When my heart was embittered And I was pierced [fn]within,

Psa 73:22Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like [fn]a beast [fn]before You.

Psa 73:23Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.

Psa 73:24With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me [fn]to glory.

Psa 73:25Whom have I in heaven but You? And [fn]besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

Psa 73:26My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the [fn]strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psa 73:27For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have [fn]destroyed all those who [fn]are unfaithful to You.

Psa 73:28But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord [fn]GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

(73:2) Literally: were caused to slip
(73:3) Or, boasters
(73:4) Or, belly
(73:5) Literally: in the trouble of men
(73:5) Or, mortals
(73:5) Literally: with
(73:7) Literally: goes forth
(73:7) Literally: overflow
(73:8) Or, they speak in wickedness; From on high they speak of oppression
(73:9) Or, in
(73:9) Literally: walks
(73:10) Or, His
(73:10) Literally: drained out
(73:11) Literally: in
(73:13) Or, cleansed my heart
(73:14) Literally: my chastening
(73:16) Literally: labor, trouble
(73:17) Literally: sanctuaries
(73:18) Literally: ruins
(73:19) Literally: become a desolation
(73:20) Or, image
(73:21) Literally: in my kidneys
(73:22) Or, an animal
(73:22) Literally: with You
(73:24) Or, with honor
(73:25) Or, with
(73:26) Literally: rock
(73:27) Or, silenced
(73:27) Literally: go to a whoring from
(73:28) Hebrew: YHWH, usually rendered LORD

From blueletterbible.org

Standing Firm on the Rock

2011-10-24T09:42:00.001-05:00

Godly Stability

By C.H. Spurgeon

And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 15:20)

Stability in the fear and faith of God will make a man like a wall of brass, which no one can batter down or break. Only the Lord can make such; but we need such men in the church, and in the world, but specially in the pulpit.

Against uncompromising men of truth this age of shams will fight tooth and nail. Nothing seems to offend Satan and his seed like decision. They attack holy firmness even as the Assyrians besieged fenced cities. The joy is that they cannot prevail against those whom God has made strong in His strength. Carried about with every wind of doctrine, others only need to be blown upon and away they go; but those who love the doctrines of grace, because they possess the grace of the doctrines, stand like rocks in the midst of raging seas.

Whence this stability? "I am with thee, saith the Lord": that is the true answer. Jehovah will save and deliver faithful souls from all the assaults of the adversary. Hosts are against us, but the Lord of hosts is with us. We dare not budge an inch; for the Lord Himself holds us in our place, and there we will abide forever.

The Fear of God has been lost in the Church

2011-10-22T22:26:00.001-05:00

This is a lengthier compilation of a much needed message for today...

For Many other free videos visit the website: www.sermonindex.net

The Way of the Cross

2011-10-21T20:47:00.002-05:00

My intention with this blog is to encourage the brethren; I look for writings that will edify. Amy Carmichael has much to offer in the way of edification from her writings found in 'A Candle in the Dark'. I pray this will bless you as you read...

The way of the Cross

Don't be surprised if you are set at
nought. It is part of the way of the Cross. Mark 9:12 says, `The Son of Man must
be set at nought.' If we follow in the way He went, we also must be set at
nought. You will find this truer every year as you go on. And anything is
easier. Scourging is easier. `He must suffer many things, and' (as if this had
to be mentioned very specially) `be set at nought.'
Have you ever gone through your New
Testament marking the places where the iron of suffering in one form or another
is mentioned? It's wonderfully enlightening. The book is full of joy I know,
but it is also full of pain, and pain is taken for granted. `Think it not
strange. Count it all joy.'
We are meant to follow His steps, not
avoid them. What if the suffering is caused by those whom we love? Was His not
caused by those whom He loved? Oh, what a book the Bible is! If only we steep
our souls in its mighty comfort we can't go far wrong---we shall never lose
heart. 1 Peter 2:21: `For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered
for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps.'
You will find the joy of the Lord comes
as you go on in the way of the Cross. It was one who had nobody all his own on
earth who said, `If I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I
joy, and rejoice' (Philippians 2:17 RV). It is no small gift of His love,
this opportunity to be offered upon the sacrifice and service; something you
would not naturally choose, something that asks for more than you would
naturally give. That's the proof of His love. So rejoice! You are giving Him
what He asks you to give Him: the chance to show you what He can do.

the Holiness of God

2011-10-20T22:10:00.003-05:00

I am in the process of working through Paul Washer's study entitled 'One True God': I am currently on lesson six which deals with God's holiness. This is a tremendous attribute to try and wrap my mind around, I did some more research to dig deeper. In doing so, I found this quote from Stephen Charnock...

The holiness of God is his glory and crown. It is the blessedness of his nature. It renders him glorious in himself, and glorious to his creatures. “Holy” is more fixed as an epithet to his name than any other. This is his greatest title of honor. He is pure and unmixed light, free from all blemish in his essence, nature, and operations. He cannot be deformed by any evil. The notion of God cannot be entertained without separating from him whatever is impure and staining. Though he is majestic, eternal, almighty, wise, immutable, merciful, and whatsoever other prefections may dignify so sovereign a being, yet if we conceive him destitute of this excellent perfection, and imagine him possessed with the least contagion of evil, we make him but an infinite monster, and sully all those perfections we ascribed to him before.It is a contradiction for him to be God and to have any darkness mixed with his light. To deny his purity, makes him no God. He that says God is not holy, speaks much worse than if he said there is no God at all. Where do we read of the angels crying out Eternal or Faithful Lord God of hosts? But we do hear them singing Holy, Holy, Holy. God swears by his holiness (Psa. 89:35). His holiness is a pledge for the assurance of his promises. Power is his hand, omniscience his eye, mercy his heart, eternity his duration, but holiness his beauty. It renders him lovely and gives beauty to all his attributes. Every action of his is free from all hints of evil. Holiness is the crown of all his attributes, the life of all his decrees, and the brightness of all his actions. Nothing is decreed by him and nothing is acted by him that is not consistent with the beauty of his holiness.

Quote from Spurgeon

2011-10-20T21:53:00.001-05:00

"... 'The whole world is gone after him.' Did all the world go after Christ? 'Then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan.' Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem baptized in Jordan? 'Ye are of God, little children', and 'the whole world lieth in the wicked one.' Does 'the whole world' there mean everybody? If so, how was it, then, that there were some who were 'of God?' The words 'world' and 'all' are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture; and it is very rarely that 'all' means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts—some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted his redemption to either Jew or Gentile." (Charles H. Spurgeon, Particular Redemption, A Sermon, 28 Feb 1858).

the dangers of false teachers

2011-10-19T15:35:00.002-05:00

This is a very insightful article on what is currently happening in our world today. Do take time to read this.

LIVING HIGH OFF THE HOG: THE DESTRUCTIVE DOCTRINES, DEMISE, DEPRAVITY, AND DECEPTION OF FALSE TEACHERS
Destructive Doctrines
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words, for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” – 2 Peter 2:1-3
Heresies are dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aims, the word originally represented the making of a choice or having an option, progressing to having a preference because of an opinion or a sentiment which easily slips into a form of disunity. Its having the diversity of beliefs which creates dissension, and substitution self-willed opinions as a contrast to submission to the truth. Another way of putting it is, people professing opinions independently from the truth. How heresy works is false prophets/teachers will bring in an opinion or a lie along side of truth introducing a whole new thought contrary to the truth, hence, they are teachers “who will secretly bring in destructive heresies.” Peter was warning of greedy false teachers who will use people as a means of reaching their own selfish goals. The New Testament details that deceptive teachers will characterize the church age and that their activities will intensify “in latter times” 1 Tim. 4:1. Matthew 24:11 sketches the prevailing conditions of religious deception from false prophets in the latter times, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

No time in church history has the church seen the rise of false prophets as we are seeing today. One sure way to identify them is they offer unanswerable proofs of the truths they claim to adhere to. In a secret manner under plausible pretences they don’t at first make an open appeal of their doctrine, their teachings appears to be in agreement with truth, but covertly maintain opinions which undermine the very foundations of the Christian faith. There is no other way to introduce error but “side by side,” or “along the side of” true doctrine. Remember this as we will see later that they are on the path, heading towards truth, but never arrive. Suffice it to say, heresy grows “line upon line, here a little, there a little” Isa. 28:9-10. It is these which the New Testament categorizes as apostates and today there is no short supply. One such example is the New Apostolic Reformation with men such as C. Peter Wagner, Rick Joyner, Todd Bently, Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton and many others. It is these who have blended the Eastern Mystical Cults of Hinduism with Christianity forming a Christian Jihadist movement also known as Joel’s Army.

CONTINUE HERE...

Worst thing that could happen to a preacher

2011-10-19T14:59:00.002-05:00

For Many other free videos visit the website: www.sermonindex.net

To Heaven and Back?

2011-10-19T08:54:00.001-05:00

How many times have you heard someone claim they died and got a glimpse of heaven? Recently a co-worker told me the Pastor of her sister’s church preached a sermon on heaven. In his sermon, he mentioned a little boy who’d died and entered heaven {the child was revived by doctors}. While in heaven, he saw his grandpa who he’d never met. The mother of the child showed the little boy a picture of his grandpa, and he said that wasn’t him. So she proceeded to show him another picture, one of his grandpa when he was younger, and he said that was him. I didn’t say much as I listened, but all the while I knew what she thought was true was anything but. Stories like this are told everywhere, those who do not understand what the Bible actually teaches about death and heaven swallow this as truth.
Several days later as I recalled this again, I went to 2nd Corinthians 12 and Paul’s being caught up to the third heaven. The one thing I notice about Paul’s truthful account, he makes no mention of any family members being there. Not that they weren’t there, but the emphasis is not on deceased loved ones, it is on the unspeakable words Paul heard; this inexpressible language left him with the understanding that what he heard is not lawful for a man to utter. Another thing I noticed is that Paul refuses to boast that he went there personally, he refers to himself as a man he knew in Christ; boasting is sinful.
John MacArthur says this about heaven, based on Ezekiel 1:26-28 – “Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His lions and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face.”
That is Ezekiel’s description of God’s throne in heaven. We can’t fully understand all he described, and neither did he. But under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he attempted to describe what he saw: blazing light reflected off polished jewels and colored wheels of light mingled with angelic beings (the “living beings”). Around the throne of the eternal, glorious God, he saw a flashing, sparkling, spinning rainbow of brilliance. In referring to the faces of the angelic creatures some say the lion refers to majesty and power, the man to intelligence and will, the ox to patient service, and the eagle to swift judgment. Although it’s hard to interpret the specifics, we can say this is describing the sovereignty, majesty, and glory of God and the incredible beauty, symmetry, and perfection of His heaven. The wheels that moved in concert, the flashing lightning, the sparkling jewels, and the brilliant light all picture God’s glory. Ezekiel gave us a picture of heaven, but it’s beyond our ability to fathom.’ – John MacArthur, from his sermon entitled ‘Where heaven is and what it is like’
In Ezekiel’s breathtaking description, the emphasis is on the throne and the One who sits on the throne, not deceased loved ones. When Ezekiel saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, it caused him to fall on his face.

In Revelation 1:13-17, we see John’s vision of the Lord, ‘and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded bout the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead”. All of these men had a supernatural vision, God had granted them a look into things most will never know. The response by these men to their God-empowered visions is one you never hear those who claim to have died, gone to heaven and come back say … ‘I fell on my face’. What John, the Apostle Paul and Ezekiel saw and heard was indescribable; leaving them awestruck, causing them to fall down, to go limp, as if dead. What they saw took their breath away and produced a state of lifelessness because what their eyes were taking in was beyond human ability to describe.

Many of these so-called trips to heaven and back almost always include going into the light, looking down over their earthly body, hearing a voice telling them it isn’t time, to go back, etc. Again, none of this is biblical. If someone dies {take note, the biblical accounts of heaven were visions and the ones who’d had the visions were alive}, they will not be coming back. The Bible teaches when a person dies, they either go to be with the Lord, or they go to outer darkness/hell to await final judgment.

Upon death, the soul separates from the body, it does not tarry hovering over the body. The believer in Christ is ushered in before the Lord {Philippians 1:23; 2nd Corinthians 5:8}. The unbeliever enters into hell {Luke 16:22-23; Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30}. Those who claim to have died and come back to life never really died; their heart may have stopped briefly, or they may have stopped breathing momentarily; but they were not legally dead. Their souls never separated from their earthly bodies; they still had brain activity. They may very well have been resuscitated, but that does not mean they were dead. To be dead is to be without life; no heartbeat, no breathing, no brain activity, no movement. One may indeed have a temporary stoppage of breathing, or a heart that stops briefly, but that does not classify you as legally dead. The better terminology for this would be ‘my heart stopped temporarily’, or ‘I stopped breathing for a short time’; not ‘I died on the operating table three times’. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die (depart, to be dead, separation, departure}, but after this the judgment” – Hebrews 9:27. Death is permanent and final.
How do we explain the stories about near death experiences? The story I was told concerned a child and an angel carrying him to his grandpa; I recall in God’s word the fact that we are all born sinners, radically depraved. This child is just as prone to demonic visions/activity and/or drug induced hallucinating visions as any adult. My suggestion is the so-called trips to heaven and back are either demonic, drug-induced, or the person claiming to have died and gone to heaven is very imaginative; I know they are not of God because His word speaks otherwise.

What will you say when He punishes you?

2011-10-17T21:19:00.007-05:00

"What will you say when He punishes you?" Jeremiah 13:21

God has threatened to punish lost sinners — every sinner who
lives and dies in unbelief. His threatenings are written in His Word —
that we may read them; they are published by His ministers —
that we may hear them;
they are often repeated — that we may not forget them;
some of them are fulfilled in this world — that we may
believe and fear them.

No unbelieving, impenitent, careless sinner shall escape!
The whole of the wicked, shall be turned into Hell — and all
the nations that forget God.

Every one will be punished . . . justly — in exact proportion to the nature and
number of his sins; universally — in every part of body and soul;
fearfully — without any mixture of mercy; eternally — without cessation or end!
The threatenings of God are backed and sustained . . .

by His omnipotent power;

by His unchangeable purpose;

by His impartial justice;

by His inflexible holiness;

and by His solemn oath.

They cannot be more sure — nor can they be more dreadful.
Lost sinner, they are all pointed at you! They speak
. . . of snares, of fire and brimstone, of a never-dying worm,
of a lake of fire, of blackness and darkness, of gnashing of teeth, of eternal separation from God
and a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire, that will consume
the enemies of God! Hebrews 10:27 - Punishment is in store for you! You are warned of it, and
invited to escape from it! But if you do not, then "What will you say when
He punishes you?"

From Gracegems

A Mother's Prayer

2011-10-06T18:01:00.001-05:00

A precious sister in Christ sent this. As I read it, I was moved to tears. This prayer should be made for all children, and grandchildren as well...

I ask not for
riches for my little boy;
His poverty –
this is my plea;
That poor in
his spirit he’d cry out to You;
From all
trust in self he would flee.

I ask not
that happiness fills all his days,
But fear of
his Holy God grows;
That mourning
both sin and contempt for Your Name,
Your comfort
in Christ he would know.

I ask not
that he’d do all he wants to achieve,
But instead
would submit to Your will;
And as he
learns meekness, You’d teach him Your ways,
In awe of You
he would “Be still”.

I ask not
that he’d be satisfied with his lot,
But a hunger
and thirst he would feel,
And for
righteousness’ sake a slave he would be,
Your Spirit
in him as Your seal.

I ask not for
accolades in his career,
But mercy to
others he’d show;
Keen to
forgive those who’ve wronged him at all,
His own sins
once scarlet - now snow.

I ask not
that he’d win the acclaim of his friends,
But Your face
alone he would seek;
His
conscience now cleansed by the blood of the Lamb
Your truth
from his heart he would speak.

I ask not
that his life from trouble be free,
But his work
be the gospel of peace,
And that deep
in his heart his sonship he’d know
So that fear
and worry can cease.

O Lord, now
I’m trembling - please come, strengthen me,
Voice
faltering as I intercede;
Should he be
persecuted because of his faith
I pray that
Your grace meets our need.

(based on
Matthew 5:3-10)

Absolute Total Surrender

2011-09-27T18:09:00.002-05:00

The Christian life is one of total surrender...DAILY! How are you doing? I am in need of His mercy, for I do not always oblige. This is from gracegems, may it encourage and bless you as it has me.

~ ~ ~

He asks for absolute surrender!

(J.R. Miller, "Daily Bible Readings in the Life of Christ" 1890)

"Follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 4:19

"They immediately left their nets, and followed Him." Matthew 4:20

Their nets were probably all that they owned! It was
with these, that they earned their living. Yet at the call of
Christ--they gave up all, cut themselves off from their means
of support, and in simple obedience and faith, went with Him.

That is just what we all should do--when Christ calls us.
We should obey instantly and without questioning.
No matter how much the sacrifice involves--we should
make it cheerfully for His sake. Though to obey cuts us off
from all our ordinary means of livelihood, and leaves us
without provision even for tomorrow--we should not hesitate.
Christ takes care of His servants--when they are faithfully
doing His will. He asks for absolute
surrender to Him. He wants us to trust Him--while we obey Him unquestioningly.

The faith in Christ which the gospel requires--is the
utter, unreserved devotement of the whole life
to Him, and the unquestioning commitment to Him for
time and for eternity--of every interest and hope. The
question of what He will do with us or for us, or how
He will provide for us--should not be raised for an instant. There must be
no 'conditions'--in the following and the consecration. We may
not 'bargain' with Jesus for an easy time, for 'smooth and
pleasant paths'--but should simply give ourselves to Him
absolutely and forever, to follow where and to whatever He may lead us.

The "immediately" is also important. Many people are forever
postponing duties. But every call of Christ should be answered
immediately. Many people obey so laggardly, so reluctantly,
and so long after they are called--that half the
value of their obedience is lost! Christ always wants instant obedience.
There is no 'tomorrow' with Him. Tomorrow He may not have any need
of us, or we may not be here to do the duty which He now asks
of us.

The Gay Agenda and its powerful forces

2011-09-22T20:03:00.003-05:00

The way to get your way is to wear down a person, to lessen the shock...
Here is an insightful article on this...

Yes, Virginia, there is a gay agenda, and a playbook being used to fulfill it.
This week’s change in the law that homosexuality is incompatible with military service – the repeal of the so-called “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy – is not the “triumph for America” that homosexual activists and their supporters in the Senate seemed to say it is.

Read on....

Has the Church lost its fear of the LORD?

2011-09-14T20:28:00.004-05:00

After watching this, I was moved to share. I do believe we do not fully comprehend what it means to fear God.
I encourage you to watch this...

What Wondrous Love is This

2011-09-01T19:35:00.001-05:00

How to Study your Bible

2011-09-01T19:24:00.002-05:00

No one is above being reminded of this; I found this from John MacArthur's website...

Truly the Bible is magnificent. Early twentieth-century evangelist Billy Sunday pictured the Bible like a majestic palace. He wrote,

I entered through the portico of Genesis and walked down through the Old Testament's art gallery, where I saw the portraits of Joseph, Jacob, Daniel, Moses, Isaiah, Solomon and David hanging on the wall; I entered the music room of the Psalms and the Spirit of God struck the keyboard of my nature until it seemed to me that every reed and pipe in God's great organ of nature responded to the harp of David, and the charm of King Solomon in his moods.

I walked into the business house of Proverbs.

I walked into the observatory of the prophets and there saw photographs of various sizes, some pointing to far-off stars or events--all concentrated upon one great Star which was to rise as an atonement for sin.

Continue on here...

Visions

2011-08-31T20:56:00.000-05:00

This is from Lighthouse Trails, give it a read...

There is perhaps nothing so powerful as a vision. When the heavens open and our eyes look upon fantastic things once hidden, it can alter the course of our lives:
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 6:1-5)

Continue here

The one-world church

2011-08-25T18:53:00.002-05:00

This article comes from Roger Oakland and serves to warn and stir up the true body of Christ...

For some time, Understand The Times has been warning pastors of churches
that were formerly considered to be Protestant and evangelical about the
spiritual deception that is currently underway and seducing them into
the One World Religion. As time has passed, it seems that these leaders
no longer consider themselves Protestant or evangelical. They are
ecumenical. Instead of protesting against the rule of Rome, they are
now actually partners with Rome and even promoting a globalist
Dominionist plan to transform the world in what they believe is a great
revival or great awakening. While many innocent sheep follow these
pastors and leaders and do not realize what is happening, the Lord is
calling watchmen and watchwomen to sound the alarm. The question is, how
many are listening?

Read on here

A Society of Animals

2011-08-22T18:02:00.005-05:00

There does not seem to be much that shocks our culture anymore, but this story horrified me. My heart breaks for these tiny innocent human beings that are being murdered daily in this wicked nation; surely judgment is coming and will be swift on this nation...

ORLANDO, Florida, July 26, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In disturbing testimony during court proceedings against a well-known Florida abortionist, a fellow abortionist reportedly admitted that some aborted children are delivered alive and left “wiggling around in the toilet,” where they are allowed to die. The testimony occurred during proceedings against abortionist James Pendergraft, who was forced to pay over $36 million last week for a botched procedure that left its intended target alive, but severely disabled.
Pendergraft, who was convicted of felony extortion in 2001, was told by an Orlando County jury to pay $18 million in the civil suit itself and another $18 million in punitive damages, totaling over $36 million.
Michele Herzog of Pro-Life Action Ministries, a witness in the courtroom, said that jurors listened as abortionist Randall Whitney, one of Pendergrast’s accomplices, “cavalierly stated that yes, babies are delivered in the toilet all the time and many times are still alive, wiggling around in the toilet.”
“I would say it was eye-opening, but we all know what really goes on in these abortion mills. But to hear the abortionist so coldly explain how they kill the children is so hard to hear and so unbelievable to think that it is allowed in our great nation,” Herzog said.
The civil suit was launched by Pendergrast’s former patient, Carol Howard, whose infant barely survived a 2004 medical abortion at his facility. The girl, now ten years old, suffers from a host of disabilities in connection with the attempted killing, including cerebral palsy, loss of function on the left side of her body, strokes, mental disability, chronic lung disease, and seizures.
The jury last week ordered Pendergraft to pay Howard $18,255,000 in damages, as well as $462,000 in court costs, according to reports. The next day, the jury awarded Howard punitive damages of over $18 million, bringing the total to $36,766,000.
“[Pendergraft] has an abortion dynasty around the state of Florida. He only cares about money, and I say hit him where it hurts!” said Howard’s attorney during closing arguments to the jury, according to Herzog.
Although Pendergraft was still in jail for extortion in Marian County at the time, Howard said she was drawn to one of his five abortion clinics because the facility’s website touted his credentials as a board certified OB/GYN. When she got there, she was given RU-486 by a medical assistant to abort her pregnancy at over 22 weeks.
Herzog reports that, according to Howard’s attorney, Howard was given fifty times the standard dosage of Cyotec, a brand name for the labor-inducing drug misoprostol. When Howard began undergoing violent contractions and asked for pain medication, she was told by medical assistants to walk her labor off outside in the parking lot, or else leave, according to the pro-life group. Meanwhile, there were reportedly no doctors or nurses present.
Howard wound up going home, but called 911 and managed to give birth to her baby at a hospital.

From lifesitenews