Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

My family believes in God, but we aren't the kind of people to get up on Sunday mornings and go to church. Personally, I didn't know why attending church was all that important if you already believed in God. So when my best friend invited me to go with her and group of friends to a weekend Youth Camp, I was surprised that I said yes. But she'd been to the same camp before, and said it was really fun. Judging from the group of cool boys who stood waiting for the bus at the "take off spot" I decided it probably was going to be a whole lot of fun. At that point, I was glad I'd said I'd go!

The drive was five hours -- which wasn't all that fun, but we did get to know each other. Then, once we got to the campsite, dinner was waiting for us, served on picnic tables. I was really hungry, so everything tasted good. After dinner, we all went off to "Club." Here we all sat around and sang songs, and then listened to someone read scripture from the Bible. The singing part was fun; personally, I found the scripture reading a bit boring. And scary, too: a camp counselor had said, "This weekend will change your life. When you leave here, you will be a totally different person."

After Club, we went to our cabins. I lay for a long while thinking about the camp counselor's words, "When you leave here, you will be a totally different person." I was worried, because I didn't want to "a totally different person." I wondered what was planned, why wouldn't I be the same again? Plus, I liked who I was, and didn't want to be "totally different". I had ups and downs like everyone else, but otherwise, I was pretty happy. If I did become "totally different," what would I be like? Will my friends still like me; would they accept the "totally different" me? What would my parents think? And, would the "totally different" person (me), want to redo my room; get different clothes; get a new hairstyle; keep the same friends?

What had I gotten myself into?

The next morning we had "Club" again, and after that, were directed to go back to our cabins for what was called "Cabin Time". During this time the head counselor asked each of us questions and we were to answer in front of everyone. I didn't like the exercise; I had to do oral reports in front of the class (and I didn't like to do them). These were strangers, and some of the questions we were asked I didn't think was any of their business.

Some of the other girls must have felt the same, because when Cabin Time was over, we all went for food, and got into a huge food fight. Then, towards the end of the food fight, something peculiar happened to me, something that I still can't really explain. All I know is that it felt as if someone was holding a sign in front of me saying "Believe with all your heart." It was a startling feeling, but tried not to make too much of it. Then, after we ate lunch, we had Club again. Once again, I felt the words, "Believe with all your heart." This time I decided to think about where this was coming from. Had the food fight triggered it? Had smashing oatmeal and other things in other people's faces made me delirious? Or, did I get food poisoning and was hallucinating?

The next morning we had another Club, where two teens gave testimonials of their life faith. Their stories were touching, and left everyone in tears. Me, too. Then, once again we were directed to return to our cabins where we were to write down our feelings about the testimonials we'd heard. I felt like I let every girl and leader in that cabin down because everyone was very emotional about what they'd heard, and though I'd been teary while listening to them, I didn't particularly have any thoughts about them now. "They were very good" I said, and like everyone was looking at me like I was weird or something to not be gushing my heart out over them.

When that exercise was done, we all walked to Town Hall where we talked about everything from boys to why they call cheesecake "cheesecake"-when there is no cheese in cheesecake. And then we talked about Jesus. We talked for two-and-a-half hours. And that night I cried my self to sleep thinking about my life, all the ups and downs, the times when I was so happy, and the times when I am so depressed. Sunday Morning came faster for me than you could say Not Enough Sleep! Sunday we had out last Club. Without prodding from anyone, I openly accepted Christ in my life.

The counselor had been right. The weekend "totally changed" my life.

And I was a totally different person. Like pure magic, it was an instant attitude shift. I was genuinely happy-and a genuinely joyous person. There was the knowing that I didn't have to go through life alone, feeling sadness and depression, feeling insecure about who you are or what your friends think of you. Within me, now, is a serenity and strength that is solid, one I can count on. When you "Believe with all your heart" your heart is lighter, your life is brighter. Things feel less disastrous.

Now as I sit here a year later, I think back. I am so thankful that my friend invited me to Youth Camp, where I was introduced to God in a way I'd never known before, a God who makes it easy to have simple answers to even life's difficult and fuzzy questions. Well, all except "why is cheesecake called cheesecake when there is no cheese in it?"

 

[beensetfree]

He Pardons all our sins Oh! What a wonderful God we serve! Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin. Exodus 34:7 KJV __________________ As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Psalm 65:3 KJV __________________ I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isaiah 43:25 __________________ Corrie ten Boom used to say that God puts our sins in the deepest part of the ocean... and then puts up a "No Fishing!" sign. Glory! __________________ Men Ought Always To Pray - We need revival, saints. As the household of God first, we are called to repentance; judgement begins with us. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it.”

Numbers 21:17

Famous was the well of Beer in the wilderness, because it was the subject of a promise: “That is the well whereof the Lord spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” The people needed water, and it was promised by their gracious God. We need fresh supplies of heavenly grace, and in the covenant the Lord has pledged himself to give all we require. The well next became the cause of a song. Before the water gushed forth, cheerful faith prompted the people to sing; and as they saw the crystal fount bubbling up, the music grew yet more joyous.

In like manner, we who believe the promise of God should rejoice in the prospect of divine revivals in our souls, and as we experience them our holy joy should overflow. Are we thirsting? Let us not murmur, but sing. Spiritual thirst is bitter to bear, but we need not bear it—the promise indicates a well; let us be of good heart, and look for it. Moreover, the well was the centre of prayer. “Spring up, O well.” What God has engaged to give, we must enquire after, or we manifest that we have neither desire nor faith.

This evening let us ask that the Scripture we have read, and our devotional exercises, may not be an empty formality, but a channel of grace to our souls. O that God the Holy Spirit would work in us with all his mighty power, filling us with all the fulness of God. Lastly, the well was the object of effort. “The nobles of the people digged it with their staves.” The Lord would have us active in obtaining grace. Our staves are ill adapted for digging in the sand, but we must use them to the utmost of our ability. Prayer must not be neglected; the assembling of ourselves together must not be forsaken; ordinances must not be slighted. The Lord will give us his peace most plenteously, but not in a way of idleness. Let us, then, bestir ourselves to seek him in whom are all our fresh springs.

 

[beensetfree]

Will We Recognize Family and Friends In The Kingdom Of Heaven?


When believers finally reach heaven, will they know family members and friends?
Lazarus and the Rich Man
Does the Bible tell us that we can know our lost family members and friends once we enter the kingdom of heaven? Not exactly, but there are strong indications that we will know those we’ve lost once we see them again and they will now us. One of Jesus’ most powerful stories is that of Lazarus and the Rich Man. Let’s read the account to see if this gives us any help as to whether we will recognize people on the other side of eternity. It is found in Luke 16:19-31 where Jesus said, “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 6:19-21), then “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side” (Luke 16:22-23). Abraham responded by saying, “’Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment’” (Luke 16:25-28). The point to all this is that after death, we will still have feelings, we will be aware of our surroundings, and we will remember those who are still living after we’ve been judged, but we’ll have no place of escape from hell. The rich man wanted his family to know that there truly is a hell. He wanted to go back to warn them, so after death, the rich man (as with all of us) had memories, recollection, feelings, love for his family, and senses (he thirsted), so there is an awareness after death, but the thing is, there is no possible escape for those who’ve rejected Christ.


Mount of Transfiguration
When Jesus revealed his glory to Peter, James, and John, they immediately recognized Moses and Elijah even though they had never seen them before. How did they know them by sight? Did they know enough about them that they recognized them? Jesus never introduced them or told the disciples who these men were, but the disciples already knew them. Let’s read the account of the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:4 where Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

We don’t know how Peter, James, and John knew who Elijah and Moses were by seeing them for the very first time…we only know they knew them, and I believe that gives us some indication that we will know others in the kingdom whom we’ve never met, particularly the heroes and heroines of the faith. Jesus spoke to these men after they had died, indicating that there is life after death. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 8:11, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Even in ancient times, God told Moses that “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Ex 3:6), meaning these men still existed beyond this life.

After Death
Notice that “Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people” (Gen 25:8). Also, “Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people” (Gen 25:17). Jacob was explicit in his instructions about his burial in Genesis 49:29-33, saying, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.” Clearly, Jacob knew that he was going to be buried with his fathers and his relatives and “gathered to his people.”

David also knew he would recognize his son who died in infancy when he sees him again someday, saying, “But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam 12:23). There is no doubt David will recognize his own son for he spoke expectantly of seeing him again and “going” to him. This “going to him” is obviously where the child is at now. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, Paul says, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Think about those you’ve shared the gospel with who are no longer here. Surely they’ll recognize you when they see you and they’ll rejoice with you, no doubt.

Cloud of Witnesses
Some believe that the “cloud of witnesses” is those saints who are now with the Lord and are watching us. The “cloud of witnesses” is mentioned in Hebrew 12:1, but these are witnesses left for us, not spectators. There is no Scriptural evidence that our lost loved ones can see us from heaven. By the way, Hebrews 12:1 is a conclusion of what was just said in Hebrews 11:39-40 that “all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Jesus said that “in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matt 22:30), which some misconstrue to mean that we’ll be like or become angels. I don’t know why or where this myth ever got started, but in fact, someday, we are to judge the angels (1 Cor 6:3) but not become angels.

Conclusion
The very next moment after you die, you are with the Lord; that is if you are saved. Paul wrote that “to be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8), which also means that “while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord” (2 Cor 5:9). When Paul says “in the body,” he means here on earth and when he speaks of “with the Lord,” we know that He means present with Christ. Jesus is presently seated at the right hand of the Father, because after His death and resurrection, the Scriptures say that God “seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:20).

This is where He directs His own church today as He gathers a people unto Himself. He is coming again for those who’re repented and trusted in Christ. Then, we’ll be with those we’ve lost and recognize them immediately. Again, that is only if they have trusted in Christ. That is the hope of the resurrection…and the hope of every believer in Christ.

 

[beensetfree]

Absent from the body...Present with the Lord Future Blessings Are Ours: Happiness Immediately After Death The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. Isaiah 57:1,2 KJV __________________ We are confident I say, and willing rather to be abent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 KJV __________________ Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Luke 16:25 __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse.”

Song of Solomon 5:1

The heart of the believer is Christ's garden. He bought it with his precious blood, and he enters it and claims it as his own. A garden implies separation. It is not the open common; it is not a wilderness; it is walled around, or hedged in. Would that we could see the wall of separation between the church and the world made broader and stronger. It makes one sad to hear Christians saying, “Well, there is no harm in this; there is no harm in that,” thus getting as near to the world as possible. Grace is at a low ebb in that soul which can even raise the question of how far it may go in worldly conformity.

A garden is a place of beauty, it far surpasses the wild uncultivated lands. The genuine Christian must seek to be more excellent in his life than the best moralist, because Christ's garden ought to produce the best flowers in all the world. Even the best is poor compared with Christ's deservings; let us not put him off with withering and dwarf plants. The rarest, richest, choicest lilies and roses ought to bloom in the place which Jesus calls his own.

The garden is a place of growth. The saints are not to remain undeveloped, always mere buds and blossoms. We should grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Growth should be rapid where Jesus is the Husbandman, and the Holy Spirit the dew from above. A garden is a place of retirement. So the Lord Jesus Christ would have us reserve our souls as a place in which he can manifest himself, as he doth not unto the world.

O that Christians were more retired, that they kept their hearts more closely shut up for Christ! We often worry and trouble ourselves, like Martha, with much serving, so that we have not the room for Christ that Mary had, and do not sit at his feet as we should. The Lord grant the sweet showers of his grace to water his garden this day.

 

[beensetfree]

Tornadoes


Tornado season is here, which means you can expect to hear one of those bizarre news stories in which a twister sweeps through a neighborhood, completely demolishing one house, but leaving the nearly identical home next to it virtually untouched.

Keep that phenomenon in mind as we approach another annual spring event--the commemoration of Passover and Easter. You've probably celebrated Easter since you were a kid, but what about Passover? Do you know much about it, or is it something you leave to your Jewish friends? If you've never thought about Passover before, now would be a great time to start. After all, it's no coincidence that Jesus' death and resurrection (the first Easter) took place during Passover.

Passover started way back in the days of Moses as the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt and set out for the Promised Land. God had sent nine plagues to get the attention of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. A tenth and final plague was about to occur. At God's instructions, faithful people in each Israelite home killed a lamb and splashed some of its blood on their doorframes. On a designated midnight, God passed through the land. When He saw the blood on the door, He "passed over" the house and no harm was done, but in every household without blood on the doorframe, the firstborn son died. So even though two dwellings may have looked nearly identical, the blood on the doorframe meant the difference between life and death.

Fast-forward almost 1,500 years to another Passover. Two thieves hung on crosses, on either side of a third crucifixion victim. To most observers, one thief looked pretty much like another. But one criminal saw the blood of the figure next to him, dared to believe that He was the Savior, made a statement of faith, and was in Paradise that day. The other merely scoffed and died. The blood meant the difference between life and death.

Fast-forward another 2,000 years. Two students in a youth group look and act very much alike--singing, praying, going to church, and being good normal teenagers. One has thought about the significance of Jesus' sacrifice and has made a commitment to Him, but the other has never gotten around to it. Jesus shed His blood for both of them, of course, but only one has "applied" it.

Merely looking like a Christian doesn't result in abundant life here and now, and eternal life later on. Jesus' blood still means the difference between life and death.

Think about these things this week as Passover and Easter approach. Think about them again each time you hear of tornadoes hitting one house and sparing another. Don't let another Easter "pass over" until you've considered the importance of responding to the sacrifice Jesus made on your behalf.

A tornado is indiscriminate. It never distinguishes between what is destroyed and what is spared. God always does.

 

[beensetfree]

Justified by His Grace Justify - "Just as if I" had never sinned... Oh! What a wonderful God we serve! __________________ Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Ezekiel 36:25 KJV __________________ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Romans 3:24 KJV __________________ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Romans 8:1,33,34 KJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“My Beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my Beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.”

Song of Solomon 2:16, 17

Surely if there be a happy verse in the Bible it is this—“My Beloved is mine, and I am his.” So peaceful, so full of assurance, so overrunning with happiness and contentment is it, that it might well have been written by the same hand which penned the twenty-third Psalm. Yet though the prospect is exceeding fair and lovely—earth cannot show its superior—it is not entirely a sunlit landscape. There is a cloud in the sky which casts a shadow over the scene. Listen, “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away.”

There is a word, too, about the “mountains of Bether,” or, “the mountains of division,” and to our love, anything like division is bitterness. Beloved, this may be your present state of mind; you do not doubt your salvation; you know that Christ is yours, but you are not feasting with him. You understand your vital interest in him, so that you have no shadow of a doubt of your being his, and of his being yours, but still his left hand is not under your head, nor doth his right hand embrace you. A shade of sadness is cast over your heart, perhaps by affliction, certainly by the temporary absence of your Lord, so even while exclaiming, “I am his,” you are forced to take to your knees, and to pray, “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my Beloved.”

“Where is he?” asks the soul. And the answer comes, “He feedeth among the lilies.” If we would find Christ, we must get into communion with his people, we must come to the ordinances with his saints. Oh, for an evening glimpse of him! Oh, to sup with him to-night!

 

[beensetfree]

4 Great Bible Verses To Read When You’re Doubting God



Have you or someone you know had time where God seems silent, and so much so that you begin to doubt Him? If so, here are four great Bible verses to read when you doubt God.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
If God had not encouraged Joshua after Moses’ death, then Joshua may not have had the courage to take over the leadership of Israel, especially following what is considered the greatest leader of the Jews (save, Jesus Christ of course). If you know someone who is experiencing a time of doubt in the goodness of God, please share some of these Bible quotes with them, because they’re not just the Word of God, they are the truth, and what is true never changes, just like the promises of God which included His never leaving us or forsaking us (Heb 13:5), even when we do for a season. It might give them some reassurance, and perhaps the peace of God which only He can give. It should give you some peace of mind.

John 16:22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Only later would the disciples see that this came true. On the day Jesus died, they had lost all hope for like the Jews, they had thought the Messiah would come to rule, not live and be crucified. That would be the last thing they expected, but if not for Jesus sinless life, death, and resurrection, we wouldn’t have the gospel (2 Cor 15:1-3) or the opportunity for eternal life (John 3:16), so we can’t always trust what we see, but we can always trust what God says. For example, Solomon wrote, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Prov 3:5-6).

Psalm 50:15 “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
In the economy of God, nothing goes to waste, and even Joseph understood that, tell his brothers “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen 50:20). The Apostle Paul would suggest that we can “know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28), and it’s nothing to compare with the glory that’s coming with Christ (Rom 8:18).

Do you want to have God more clearly manifest Himself to you? I do. Jesus says that it is a cause and effect, saying, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). For Thomas, seeing was believing, but it should not be so with us. Jesus, in rebuking Thomas’s lack of faith told him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). This is all the more reason to “not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1).


Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.


The promise of no more separation from God and no more separation being possible because of God, so we are to “be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me” (Heb 13:5b-6)? Why fear when we have God’s Word on it that someday, God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). The disciples were troubled by Jesus’ leaving and feeling a sense of loss, so Jesus reminded them that it was only temporary, saying, “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.

Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19), so “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). And the peace of God “surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7). It is as the Apostle Peter wrote: “For it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (1 Pet 2:6). The last time I checked, that cornerstone was still standing, and like the Word of God, He abides forever.

Conclusion
What Bible verse might you add to someone who is having a season of doubt? What verses help you in times where it seems God is silent? Are there some chapters you automatically turn to when you feel like you beginning to have doubts? Jude comes to my mind he wrote about those who may have been experiencing a time of doubt. He wrote, “And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 1:22-23).

 

[beensetfree]

Justified by His Grace But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7 KJV __________________ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 __________________ Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. Acts 13:38,39 NIV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

''Straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.”

Mark 1:18

When they heard the call of Jesus, Simon and Andrew obeyed at once without demur. If we would always, punctually and with resolute zeal, put in practice what we hear upon the spot, or at the first fit occasion, our attendance at the means of grace, and our reading of good books, could not fail to enrich us spiritually. He will not lose his loaf who has taken care at once to eat it, neither can he be deprived of the benefit of the doctrine who has already acted upon it.

Most readers and hearers become moved so far as to purpose to amend; but, alas! the proposal is a blossom which has not been knit, and therefore no fruit comes of it; they wait, they waver, and then they forget, till, like the ponds in nights of frost, when the sun shines by day, they are only thawed in time to be frozen again. That fatal to-morrow is blood-red with the murder of fair resolutions; it is the slaughter-house of the innocents. We are very concerned that our little book of “Evening Readings” should not be fruitless, and therefore we pray that readers may not be readers only, but doers, of the word.

The practice of truth is the most profitable reading of it. Should the reader be impressed with any duty while perusing these pages, let him hasten to fulfil it before the holy glow has departed from his soul, and let him leave his nets, and all that he has, sooner than be found rebellious to the Master's call. Do not give place to the devil by delay! Haste while opportunity and quickening are in happy conjunction. Do not be caught in your own nets, but break the meshes of worldliness, and away where glory calls you.

Happy is the writer who shall meet with readers resolved to carry out his teachings: his harvest shall be a hundredfold, and his Master shall have great honour. Would to God that such might be our reward upon these brief meditations and hurried hints. Grant it, O Lord, unto thy servant!

 

[beensetfree]

Tough Decision




"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -- Psalms 139:13,14


It is that time of year again...the time for rainy spring days, the smell of budding flowers, and the sound of chatter on the softball field?

As I watch the tear-stained eighteen-year-old, I want to hug out all of the sadness and frustration she is feeling and tell her how much I love her. Tonight may be the last softball game of her high school career. A career cut short because a nagging knee injury needs surgery so that she can be ready to fulfill her athletic scholarship at college. As I gaze upon her face, I cannot help but think of how fortunate I have been to know this beautiful young lady. However, I know how easily her song could have been one that was unsung...

It was almost nineteen years ago that a teenager trembled as she tearfully said to her mother and father the words that every parent dreads... "Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant."

What a frightening time for a nineteen-year-old as she is just starting her adult life and already facing an uncertain future. What devastation for the parents as this is the last thing they would have chosen for their daughter. Thoughts of "we have failed her" to "I am too young to be a grandparent", fill their minds. In a heartbeat the atmosphere in the house becomes strained and the following nights are long for the teen as she drenches her pillow with tears. Tears that come only when she thinks no one can see or hear her.

Many try to persuade her to keep her options open, but there is only one choice for this determined teen. The little life within her has now become her responsibility, and she will sacrifice all she has to see that this precious being grows to be the young man or woman God intended him/her to be. She is at peace with herself, and the choice she has made?

A baby's first cries fill the air and an exhausted but proud, teenage mom holds her young daughter for the first time. She is inexperienced, but is determined to provide for her priceless daughter the best way that she can. If the first few days are any indication, she has a tough hill to climb. Because of no insurance, she leaves the hospital early and takes her daughter home, but the baby girl develops jaundice, and they are forced back to the hospital. Her pediatrician tells her to leave the baby in their care and to go home and rest. "You have got to be kidding me!" she exclaims, refusing to leave her baby girl for even a moment. Something inside her clicks, and, with a determination that surpasses anything she has felt up to this point, she comes to grips with the situation. "You are a mom now. Deal with it," she quietly tells herself.

Life is not easy and many hopes and plans for the future are set aside. The early years are filled with tests and trials but it is a time in her life that she wouldn't trade for anything. During those rough days and nights, she need only look at this tender creation God has given her to realize that the best things in life are right before her in the smile, the coo, and the laugh of this darling baby girl.

Those eighteen years have flown by, and I ponder all of these things as we slowly walk away from the softball diamond today. I think about all the joy this baby girl, who is now a young woman herself, has brought into my life and to those around her. I remember all the basketball and softball games that we as her family have sat through, proudly cheering her on. Not only is she the best all-around female athlete I have ever seen, she is also one of the classiest and I am most proud of who she is off the court. She conducts herself with grace and humility and shows kindness to all who cross her path. I cannot imagine life without my Jen, my darling eighteen-year-old niece.

Tonight my heart is bursting with pride, love, and joy for this remarkable being who came into our lives. I shudder to think if she had not been born. How different our family would have been, not to mention the lives of an untold number of people whom she has touched in her everyday life.

A scared but determined teenage mom made a tough decision all those years ago, and through it, gave us all the gift of Jen.

 

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Pardon for all our sin I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions and as a cloud, thy sin: return unto Me for I have redeemed thee. Isaiah 44:22 KJV __________________ He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:9-12 KJV __________________ How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: Hosea 11:8,9a KJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“The foundation of God standeth sure.”

2 Timothy 2:19

The foundation upon which our faith rests is this, that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” The great fact on which genuine faith relies is, that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,” and that “Christ also hath suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”; “Who himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree”; “For the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.”

In one word, the great pillar of the Christian's hope is substitution. The vicarious sacrifice of Christ for the guilty, Christ being made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, Christ offering up a true and proper expiatory and substitutionary sacrifice in the room, place, and stead of as many as the Father gave him, who are known to God by name, and are recognized in their own hearts by their trusting in Jesus — this is the cardinal fact of the gospel. If this foundation were removed, what could we do? But it standeth firm as the throne of God. We know it; we rest on it; we rejoice in it; and our delight is to hold it, to meditate upon it, and to proclaim it, while we desire to be actuated and moved by gratitude for it in every part of our life and conversation.

In these days a direct attack is made upon the doctrine of the atonement. Men cannot bear substitution. They gnash their teeth at the thought of the Lamb of God bearing the sin of man. But we, who know by experience the preciousness of this truth, will proclaim it in defiance of them confidently and unceasingly. We will neither dilute it nor change it, nor fritter it away in any shape or fashion. It shall still be Christ, a positive substitute, bearing human guilt and suffering in the stead of men. We cannot, dare not, give it up, for it is our life, and despite every controversy we feel that “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.”

 

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The Exodus And Christian Conversion


How is the Exodus from Egypt like a Christian’s conversion? Are there similarities?
The Exodus
When God heard the cries of His people under their harsh bondage to the Egyptians, God told Moses that He was going to free His people. After a series of plagues, and Pharaoh’s persistent refusal to free the Israelites, God promised that every firstborn, both man and beast would die. Only the firstborn of those who would take a spotless lamb’s blood and apply it to their doorposts would live. We read of this account where it says, “The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt…that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household” (Ex 12:1, 3), but it was critical that “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats” (Ex 12:6). Naturally, the reference to a lamb without spot or blemish foreshadows Jesus Christ by whom we were ransomed (1 Pet 1:18), so it was only “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:19).

Egypt and Sin
It’s not that the Egyptians themselves represented sin, but some have seen the Israelites coming out of Egypt as symbolic for the Christian coming out of sin. Jesus said “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). The Apostle Paul asked, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Rom 6:16), so whoever is held captive by sin is under the bondage of sin. The only way the Israelite’s firstborn could survive was to “take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it” (Ex 12:7), so essentially, that lamb’s blood on the door posts was a public profession of faith in God. It gave them the assurance that God would pass over that house, meaning they would avoid God’s judgment, so the Lord will pass over those with the blood publically displayed.

God will not pass through but pass over them, but He will not pass over, but pass through those who reject the blood of Christ, and that lamb’s blood looked ahead to the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. Whoever had the lamb’s blood would live, and God’s judgment would pass over them. Today, whoever trusts in Christ will cause God’s wrath to pass over them. “Whoever” applied the blood in Egypt would not die, and that is very much like an invitation to come to Christ and be saved, because “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16b).

Passing Over
The Passover comes from the simple idea of God passing over the Israelites (with the lambs blood), but not over those who refused to believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When the unleavened bread is to be eaten with bitter herbs, the unleavened bread may have served to remind them of their bitter enslavement in Egypt, and the New Testament is replete with references to sin being like leavening. It puffs up, it grows, and it expands. And leavening works the very quickest in lukewarm water (Rev 3:14-22). When the Passover Lamb is sacrificed, it is a total sacrifice, which is why God commanded that, “They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Ex 12:8), and if “anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand.

And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt” (Ex 12:11-13).

A Cleansing
In Exodus 12:21-22, “Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.” Why was hyssop used? Hyssop is an herb in the mint family. It has cleansing, medicinal, and flavoring properties, but in ancient times, hyssop was used for ceremonial cleansing of people and houses.

David mentions hyssop in Psalm 51:7, writing, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” David does not refer to physical cleansing, but rather, God cleansing him as he confessed his sins of adultery and murder. In the Old Testament, blood and hyssop purified a defiled person (Heb 9:19), so Jesus’ shed blood purifies us from the defilement of our sin, and perhaps why it’s no coincidence that the Apostle John writes that at the cross, “A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth” (John 19:29). The ancient Israelites displayed the lamb’s blood on their doorposts; today, believers are to display their trust in Christ publically.

Those who don’t receive Christ, and have the precious blood of the Lamb atone for their sins, will not have God’s wrath pass over them, but there is only a fearful expectation of falling into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31) when judgment comes after death (Heb 9:27), or at Christ’s return; whichever comes first . Jesus Himself said, “I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him” (Luke 12:5)!

Conclusion
There are many more similarities between the Exodus and the gospel. For example, the Passover Lamb could not have any bones broken (Ex 12:46), which was also prophesied of Christ (Psalm 34:20), and fulfilled in the first century by Christ (John 19:31-36). Then, there’s the symbolism of coming out of Egypt, which represents our coming out of sin and the world. The Exodus also reminds us that God alone can bring us out of the world (John 15:5), just as He did with the ancient Israelite’s who were powerless to escape from Egypt on their own.

And finally, have you ever noticed that Pharaoh’s crown had a serpent on it? Since Egypt is symbolic of sin, surely Pharaoh represents Satan, and like the old serpent deceiver, he desires to keep us in bondage to sin, however, God has made a way (John 3:16-17; Acts 4:12). First of all, God demands a sacrifice, but it’s a sacrifice we can’t provide, so God provided a Lamb for Himself, just as “Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb” (Gen 22:8a), and it was provided in Himself in the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, Who is God. From Genesis (Gen 3:15) to Revelation (22), it’s all about Jesus Christ.

The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee (Through the Bible Ministries) said, “The Bible is a Him book…it’s all about Him,” and of course He’s right. You can see shadows and images in the Old Testament of Jesus’ coming atoning work on the cross. He is the spotless Lamb that makes even the vilest of sinners clean. It is just the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” That’s why none of us can boast (Eph 2:8-9).

 

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Forgiven! Glory! This is real freedom... Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 10:17 KJV __________________ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18,19 KJV __________________ I will forgive their inquity and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:34 KJV __________________ Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterwards receive me into glory. Psalm 73:24 KJV __________________ God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me. Psalm 49:15 __________________ Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43 __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“That those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”

Hebrews 12:27

We have many things in our possession at the present moment which can be shaken, and it ill becomes a Christian man to set much store by them, for there is nothing stable beneath these rolling skies; change is written upon all things. Yet, we have certain “things which cannot be shaken,” and I invite you this evening to think of them, that if the things which can be shaken should all be taken away, you may derive real comfort from the things that cannot be shaken, which will remain.

Whatever your losses have been, or may be, you enjoy present salvation. You are standing at the foot of his cross, trusting alone in the merit of Jesus’ precious blood, and no rise or fall of the markets can interfere with your salvation in him; no breaking of banks, no failures and bankruptcies can touch that. Then you are a child of God this evening. God is your Father. No change of circumstances can ever rob you of that. Although by losses brought to poverty, and stripped bare, you can say, “He is my Father still. In my Father's house are many mansions; therefore will I not be troubled.”

You have another permanent blessing, namely, the love of Jesus Christ. He who is God and Man loves you with all the strength of his affectionate nature — nothing can affect that. The fig tree may not blossom, and the flocks may cease from the field, it matters not to the man who can sing, “My Beloved is mine, and I am his.” Our best portion and richest heritage we cannot lose.

Whatever troubles come, let us play the man; let us show that we are not such little children as to be cast down by what may happen in this poor fleeting state of time. Our country is Immanuel's land, our hope is above the sky, and therefore, calm as the summer's ocean; we will see the wreck of everything earthborn, and yet rejoice in the God of our salvation.

 

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The Lamb




One afternoon in the summer of 1996 Christopher, who is called Chris, was driving back to Porterville, California from Bakersfield where he worked as a California Highway Patrolman. But before I go on, I must back up and tell you about my grandson, Christian. Christian was born in January 1996, at birth he seemed to be a healthy bouncing baby boy with no problems, but at age three months it was discovered that he was born with only three chambers in his heart. The doctors advised of many major surgeries and the likelihood of him not living past his third birthday. At the time Chris was 26 years old and had been married for four years. Of course he was very worried about his son and it weighed heavily on his mind. Many hours were spent in prayer for Christian and Chris had ample prayer time as he commuted to work in Bakersfield from Porterville a 100 mile round trip each day.

One afternoon as Chris was driving home, north along Hwy. 65 he felt an urgency to pull over to the side of the road. Chris said that he felt that God was telling him to climb to the top of a small hill just off of the roadway. Chris stood there beside his car and looked at the hill, it was not a large hill, but it was hot and he decided that there was nothing he could see from the top of the hill that he could not see from where he stood. Chris looked around and saw nothing except a slow moving diesel truck which he had passed several miles back approaching from the south. Chris let the devil tell him that if he did not get back on the road soon, that he would have to again find a place to pass this approaching truck. So he quickly jumped back into his car and sped off towards home ahead of the diesel truck.

When he arrived in Porterville he stopped by our house for a visit and he told me of the incident. I could not believe that Chris had not obeyed what he felt was a word from God. I encouraged Chris to return to the hill and be obedient to what he felt God had told him. I gladly volunteered to go along to keep him company. So within a few minutes we were on the road headed back to that hill. When we arrived at the hill, Chris pulled to the side of the road, we got out of the car and looked at the hill. Chris said, "Now what?" I said, "Well, if God said to go to the top, then you had better go to the top." Chris then said, "Well, lets' go." "Oh no!", I replied, "God told you to go up that hill, He didn't tell me to go." Chris then crawled through a barbed wire fence and headed up to the top of the hill alone. I stayed by the car and prayed while Chris climbed to the top of the hill and then went over the crest out of my sight. In about twenty minutes he came back to the car and sat in the front seat without saying a word.

We sat in the car for a few minutes and finally Chris said, "You know Dad, just over that hill is a large flock of sheep, maybe two or three hundred. I watched the sheep for a while and all was very peaceful and serene. As I watched those sheep I saw a little lamb stray away from the flock with it's head down grazing on the grass. And then I saw movement in the tall weeds near the flock and saw a big coyote stalking through the weeds, inching ever closer to the little lamb. There was a shepherd sitting on a small knoll watching the flock but he didn't seem to be watching the lamb which had strayed and was now in imminent danger. I called out and whistled trying to alert the shepherd to the danger but I was unable to get his attention.

The coyote kept inching it's way closer and closer to the lamb and I had to watch helplessly knowing that the coyote would soon be upon the lamb. I was too far away and unable to do anything about the impending attack upon the lamb. I was so frustrated in my attempts to get the shepherd's attention and I knew that soon it would be too late. Suddenly the coyote ran out from the cover of the tall weeds and raced towards the defenseless lamb, rapidly closing the distance between them. Even if I managed to get the shepherd's attention he was too far from the lamb to be able to save it. All I could do was watch in horror. I was sure it would be over in seconds, but just then the shepherd raised his arm and pointed toward the lamb. I then saw two of the biggest dogs that I have ever seen burst forth out of the tall weeds and head straight for the coyote at full peed.

The coyote slammed on the brakes at the sight of these two huge dogs bearing down on it. The coyote nearly lost it's footing as it turned and headed in the opposite direction as fast as it's legs could carry it. The last I saw of the coyote it was three hills over, still running at top speed with the two huge dogs nipping at it's heels. The little lamb never looked up, never saw either the coyote or the dogs and never knew how much danger it had been in. The shepherd then turned towards me, gave a little wave and then turned his attention back to the flock. In a few moments I saw the dogs trot back as they returned to lie back down in the tall weeds near the flock. All was again very peaceful and serene.

Chris then started the car and we headed back to Porterville. Neither of us said a word for about ten miles. I finally said, "Chris, your little lamb is going to be just fine. His shepherd has His eye on him and when the time comes He will raise His arm and the next thing you know the devil will be three hills over running at top speed with his tail between his legs, being chased by the biggest angels your ever saw. God may seem to be out of reach and too far away to do anything about little Christian but He is in control. Don't get frustrated when you think that God doesn't hear your prayers, He hears, and He sees all and He knows the situation. He's not going to let the devil snatch one of His little lambs.

By the way, Christian just celebrated his fifth birthday, to watch him run and play, you would never know that he has only three chambers in his heart. The doctors are amazed at his condition and say that the longer they can wait the stronger Christian will be and his chances at surviving the necessary operation will be much better. Please keep him in your prayers.

 

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A Glorious Ressurection And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2 __________________ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:9-11 KJV __________________ Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Isaiah 26:19 KJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.