Just sharing.

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“He is precious.”

1 Peter 2:7

As all the rivers run into the sea, so all delights centre in our Beloved. The glances of his eyes outshine the sun: the beauties of his face are fairer than the choicest flowers: no fragrance is like the breath of his mouth. Gems of the mine, and pearls from the sea, are worthless things when measured by his preciousness. Peter tells us that Jesus is precious, but he did not and could not tell us how precious, nor could any of us compute the value of God's unspeakable gift. Words cannot set forth the preciousness of the Lord Jesus to his people, nor fully tell how essential he is to their satisfaction and happiness.

Believer, have you not found in the midst of plenty a sore famine if your Lord has been absent? The sun was shining, but Christ had hidden himself, and all the world was black to you; or it was night, and since the bright and morning star was gone, no other star could yield you so much as a ray of light. What a howling wilderness is this world without our Lord! If once he hideth himself from us, withered are the flowers of our garden; our pleasant fruits decay; the birds suspend their songs, and a tempest overturns our hopes. All earth's candles cannot make daylight if the Sun of Righteousness be eclipsed. He is the soul of our soul, the light of our light, the life of our life.

Dear reader, what wouldst thou do in the world without him, when thou wakest up and lookest forward to the day's battle? What wouldst thou do at night, when thou comest home jaded and weary, if there were no door of fellowship between thee and Christ? Blessed be his name, he will not suffer us to try our lot without him, for Jesus never forsakes his own. Yet, let the thought of what life would be without him enhance his preciousness.

 

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What Is Spiritualism?



What is spiritualism? It is something that should be taught or is practiced in the Bible?
The Spirit World
There is another world out there that we don’t see. It includes both holy angels and fallen angels, now called demons. They seek to do harm to the church and to believers, but they have their limitations. Still, evil or unclean spirits can sometimes mimic or imitate lost loved ones, but that’s probably not why they’re called “familiar spirits.” In the ancient world, familiar spirits were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches in their practice of magic. Perhaps these familiar spirits were demons who worked through human agents to practice their magic. The Bible is clear that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12), and these “spiritual forces of evil” will try to distort the gospel, or in some cases, come up with their own religion.

Fallen Spirits
When Jesus was speaking about unclean spirits or demons, He said, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order” (Matt 12:43-44), but something interesting happens after this. “Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation” (Matt 12:45). We know that Satan or a demon cannot possess someone who has the Spirit of God in them. God the Holy Spirit is greater than Satan or any demon. The Apostle John wrote, “[Y]ou are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:19).

Failed Exorcism
The Sons of Sceva were so fascinated by all the miraculous sings and wonders of the Apostle Paul (Acts 19:11-12) that these “Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims” (Acts 19:13). The problem arose from the fact that the Sons of Sceva didn’t really have a personal relationship with Jesus like Paul had. Paul had been born again; apparently not so with these sons. They simply knew about Jesus and the power in His name, but remember Jesus did not know them, so they had no authority to cast out demons. When they tried to cast the evil spirit out, “the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:15-16).

Spiritualism
It is believed that the Modern Spiritualist movement dates from 1848 when the Fox sisters of Hydesville, New York produced knocking sounds that were alleged to be messages sent from a spirit. These knocking sounds were obviously hoaxes, but despite that, spiritualism never died. Spiritualists seek to communicate with the spirits of people who have died. Most Christians, I would hope, would realize that seeking to communicate with the dead is sin. Part of the Old Testament civil laws included the command, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God” (Lev 19:31).

If they do manage to contact a spirit, my question is, “What kind of spirit is it?” Most certainly it is not a holy angel because God forbids this practice, so it can only be a demonic spirit that is imitating someone who has been deceased. They might think they’re seeing a ghost or spirits of the dead, but they’re demonic spirits, and they’re nothing to mess around with for those who are not saved. Even so, the Spiritualist community is one of the quickest growing spiritual communities; the largest being the Lily Dale Assembly in New York City.

It is the world’s largest Spiritualist community, and they encourage people to participate in the activities and to open their minds and their hearts. They’re welcome to witness clairvoyance demonstrations during their services. They tell you to keep an open mind, but that’s not exactly safe, is it? Remember the unclean spirit who brought his friends with him? No one leaves their doors open at night, but they lock them to keep out potential harm. We are told that the peace of God will guard our hearts (Phil 4:7), and the Spirit of God and the Word of God can help us do just that. Regular study and intake of the Word of God helps us gain more discernment about certain practices we might encounter. More exposure to the Word of God helps us more easily recognize unsound practices.

Conclusion
Satan has his own ministers, and they do a great job of imitating teachers and preachers. So much so that it’s difficult to tell them apart, but as for the Spiritualist Movement, it’s not that hard to see that it’s wrong to try and communicate with the dead. They may reach someone or something alright, but they might not be who they think they are (see Acts 19:11-16). Most troubling is the fact that the Church of Spiritualism defines their foundational doctrine as this: “We accept all truths and endeavor to prove their validity.” Not very scientific is it? They accept something as true, and then try to prove it is. Why not open the Bible and start out with “the truth,” and that will prove its validity easy enough. It seems like they have it backwards. All truths cannot be equally true.

What if one person’s truth is 2 +2 = 4, but another says 2 +2 =7. Remember, we’re told to accept all truths, and then worry about proving it later, however, what we believe to be true does not change what is actually true. Here is what is true: Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). You are entitled to your own opinion, but no one but Jesus is entitled to their own truth. He is the One and only way, and you can’t spiritualize that away.

 

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Be A Warrior for Him Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5,6 NIV __________________ Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23 KJV __________________ Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 1 Timothy 4:12,13 NASB __________________ 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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“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Ephesians 3:8

The apostle Paul felt it a great privilege to be allowed to preach the gospel. He did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, but he entered upon it with intense delight. Yet while Paul was thus thankful for his office, his success in it greatly humbled him. The fuller a vessel becomes, the deeper it sinks in the water. Idlers may indulge a fond conceit of their abilities, because they are untried; but the earnest worker soon learns his own weakness.

If you seek humility, try hard work; if you would know your nothingness, attempt some great thing for Jesus. If you would feel how utterly powerless you are apart from the living God, attempt especially the great work of proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ, and you will know, as you never knew before, what a weak unworthy thing you are.

Although the apostle thus knew and confessed his weakness, he was never perplexed as to the subject of his ministry. From his first sermon to his last, Paul preached Christ, and nothing but Christ. He lifted up the cross, and extolled the Son of God who bled thereon. Follow his example in all your personal efforts to spread the glad tidings of salvation, and let “Christ and him crucified” be your ever recurring theme. The Christian should be like those lovely spring flowers which, when the sun is shining, open their golden cups, as if saying, “Fill us with thy beams!” but when the sun is hidden behind a cloud, they close their cups and droop their heads.

So should the Christian feel the sweet influence of Jesus; Jesus must be his sun, and he must be the flower which yields itself to the Sun of Righteousness. Oh! to speak of Christ alone, this is the subject which is both “seed for the sower, and bread for the eater.” This is the live coal for the lip of the speaker, and the master-key to the heart of the hearer.

 

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The Muse’s Favor (Let All Who Can Sing. . . Sing!) Priscilla Jane Thompson
When we limit beauty, we limit our ability to flourish as humans. A glory of the world God made is that beauty, objective beauty, is expressed in many different ways. One result of sin is an inability to see certain types of beauty.

Merely seeing “common humanity” is not enough, we should be able to see the beauty in our fellow humans. Why? The beauty is real and failure to acknowledge reality is never a good idea. God has made a world so beautiful that all of us, at one time or another, need to sing, write poetry, make a speech, create a garden.
Beauty should be acknowledged and poetry made if you can.

I wrote some bad poetry as a boy, but at least I was encouraged to try. Nobody told me boys did not write poetry or that people like I am do not have anything to say.
That’s not always true for everyone. Priscilla Jane Thompson had poetic talent, but not a nation eager to hear what she had to say. She was a romantic, but could find too little romantic poetry for women who looked like she looked (The Song).
One way to measure where the Spirit of the Lord is to be found is to measure the liberty to sing if you can sing, create if you can, and speak if you have the call. Here is Thompson:

THE MUSE’S FAVOR
Oh Muse! I crave a favor,
Grant but this one unto me;
Thou hast always been indulgent—
So I boldly come to thee.

For oft I list thy singing —
And the accents, sweet and clear,
Like the rhythmic flow of waters,
Fall on my ecstatic ear.
But of Caucasia’s daughters,
So oft I’ve heard thy lay,

That the music, too familiar —
Falls in sheer monotony.
And now, oh Muse exalted!
Exchange this old song staid,

For an equally deserving —
The oft slighted, Afric maids.
The Muse, with smiles consenting,
Runs her hand the strings along,

And the harp, as bound by duty —
Rings out with the tardy song.

The poet boldly says she is bored with the white voice she hears and hears only to hear some more. However good the voice was at the start, too much of even a good thing is tedious.
Africa’s women are equally deserving, if oft slighted Thompson observes.There is a different voice, another perspective, an equal beauty, that must be heard. The Muses oblige, because all God’s children can be inspired and create. The nation should listen as the diversity prevents tedium.*

Human civilization needs all the beauty we can make. A tyrant thinks his single voice is enough for a nation, but a tyrant dies a bore. In the Trinitarian God there is endless possibility for variety, but an individual human is not so blessed.

A racist society misses the beauty of many and the poetry of beautiful embodied souls. The other notes, the parts unsung because suppressed, turn the society into a bore, a tyrannical institutional wicked old bore.
Stop.
Listen. We can hear the song, tardy, but being sung.
—————————
*The injustice is the worst harm done, but the tedium of sin is what Thompson notes.

 

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Hope in Him We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. Colossians 1:4-6 NIV __________________ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 KJV __________________ Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11 NASB __________________ 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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“He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.”

Matthew 3:16

As the Spirit of God descended upon the Lord Jesus, the head, so he also, in measure, descends upon the members of the mystical body. His descent is to us after the same fashion as that in which it fell upon our Lord. There is often a singular rapidity about it; or ever we are aware, we are impelled onward and heavenward beyond all expectation. Yet is there none of the hurry of earthly haste, for the wings of the dove are as soft as they are swift.

Quietness seems essential to many spiritual operations; the Lord is in the still small voice, and like the dew, his grace is distilled in silence. The dove has ever been the chosen type of purity, and the Holy Spirit is holiness itself. Where he cometh, everything that is pure and lovely, and of good report, is made to abound, and sin and uncleanness depart.

Peace reigns also where the Holy Dove comes with power; he bears the olive branch which shows that the waters of divine wrath are assuaged. Gentleness is a sure result of the Sacred Dove's transforming power: hearts touched by his benign influence are meek and lowly henceforth and for ever. Harmlessness follows, as a matter of course; eagles and ravens may hunt their prey—the turtledove can endure wrong, but cannot inflict it.

We must be harmless as doves. The dove is an apt picture of love, the voice of the turtle is full of affection; and so, the soul visited by the blessed Spirit, abounds in love to God, in love to the brethren, and in love to sinners; and above all, in love to Jesus. The brooding of the Spirit of God upon the face of the deep, first produced order and life, and in our hearts, he causes and fosters new life and light. Blessed Spirit, as thou didst rest upon our dear Redeemer, even so rest upon us from this time forward and for ever.

 

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On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand



Where you stand on Christ will determine whether you fall or not.

The Solid Rock
The old hymn, Rock of Ages, refers to Jesus as a cleft for letting us hide in Him, “as the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure,” and it does purify us in God’s sight. The Apostle Paul says that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). Then there is the old hymn, The Solid Rock, which specifies that “on Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.” Jesus spoke about those who build their house upon sinking sand, and those who build upon the Rock. In due time, all others will sink, but those who trust in the Rock shall never be disappointed (Rom 9:23, 10:11). Every other world religious leader of the past has died and is buried, and none ever claimed to be “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). None ever conquered the grave. The Scripture says, “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24). The wages of sin is death, but since Jesus never sinned, the grave couldn’t hold Him. It was just not possible.

Rock of Ages
When Jesus told the Jews that “before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:48-59), the Jews took up stones to try and kill Him. They were so angered because that was the covenantal name of God, but Jesus was telling them the truth. God made Himself know to Moses as, “I Am that I AM” (Ex 3:14), and interestingly, there are seven “I AM’s” in the Gospels which Jesus uses for Himself. Jesus would also forgive sins and that really irked them. That was something that only God could do, but Jesus as God could forgive sins, and He could also refer to Himself as “I AM,” because He was! And He is! He did exist before Abraham, but also in Abraham’s day. He is without beginning and without end. Jesus is God and since God is eternal, Jesus was before anything existed (John 1:-2).

The Bible even says, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). The Jews just could not accept that fact. When the Apostle Paul was referring to the children of Israel, and in the context of speaking of Christ, he wrote, “They all ate the same spiritual food and they all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:3-4). This is He of which the Scriptures testify which “opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river” (Psalm 105:41).

Christ the Rock
We have already read that Christ was that Rock in ancient times, but there’s another reference to Jesus, where Jesus asks the chief priests and the elders, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Matt 21:42). After this, He adds as a warning, “the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him” (Matt 21:44). It’s like the relationship you might have had with Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia. Was he safe? It depends upon your relationship to him, and so it is with Jesus Christ. He isn’t safe if you haven’t repented and trusted in Him. If we choose to fall on this stone, we will be broken or crushed, but God saves the crushed and brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), however, that same Stone will fall upon those who reject Him, and that will be a crushing judgment from which no one will recover.

God our Rock
The psalmist understood what the Rock meant to him, writing, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). That’s why he could confidently say, “you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31:3). Jesus tells us that if we build upon any other foundation, our house will fall. If you insist on going your own way, you will be “like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built” (Luke 6:48), so “the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:49).

Conclusion
There is no Man in history that has brought more change and more controversy to the world than Jesus Christ. He has caused many to be offended, but many others to be saved, but you might notice that Jesus spoke some very hard words to very hard hearts (i.e., Jewish religious leaders) but He spoke very soft words to very soft hearts (to the brokenhearted & repentant). Still today, He is willing to receive all that come to him. He says to you and to all, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30). Today is the best of days for you to be saved (2 Cor 6:2). Wait, and it could be too late (Heb 9:27). Put your trust in the Savior today and stand firm on that Solid Rock. That Rock which is Christ.

 

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He Is Our Teacher O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. Psalm 71:17,18 NKJV __________________ So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. Deuteronomy 5:32,33 NIV __________________ But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:8-12 NASB __________________ 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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“They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house.”

Psalm 36:8

Sheba's queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon's table. She lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marvelled equally at the company of servants who were feasted at the royal board. But what is this to the hospitalities of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of his people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore.

Though the host that feed at Jehovah's table is countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his portion of meat. Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads his table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation. Observe the full feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy's banquet are satisfied, nay, more “abundantly satisfied;” and that not with ordinary fare, but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God's own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah's wings.

I once thought if I might but get the broken meat at God's back door of grace I should be satisfied; like the woman who said, “The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table;” but no child of God is ever served with scraps and leavings; like Mephibosheth, they all eat from the king's own table. In matters of grace, we all have Benjamin's mess—we all have ten times more than we could have expected, and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the marvellous plenty of grace which God gives us experimentally to enjoy.

 

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How to Read the Bible Without Missing the Point


Too often we skim over God’s Word rather than slowing down to see what it’s saying. Sometimes, we look at what Scripture says, yet we fail to ask — what does it mean? Other times, we consider what the Bible is saying and what it means, yet we still fail to ask the two most vital questions — What is God saying to me? and How does God want me to apply what I have read to my life?

Life is busy. We live in an instant gratification world where we expect quick responses and fast results. We are accustomed to doing things quickly and getting immediate satisfaction. But, that’s not how God wants us to approach Him or His Word. Quite the opposite.

To experience the full measure of God’s presence — we must slow down. To grasp the true meaning of God’s Word — we must consider it carefully.
“My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:20-23

I’m guilty of living life at Mach speed. If you ask my friends, they would likely say, she doesn’t know how to slow down. But, when it comes to experiencing God and His Word, I’ve learned to make myself stop. I intentionally set time aside to spend quality and quiet time with God. I ask questions when I’m reading my Bible and I ask God to open my eyes and heart to what He desires to teach me.

No matter what passage, chapter, or book of the Bible I’m reading, I’ve learned there are powerful and life-changing messages within its words. But, I will completely miss God’s point, if I don’t slow down and take time to carefully examine His Words.

If we want to find courage for life in the Bible, we must do more than simply read its words and move on. We must meditate on the Scriptures and apply what we learned to our everyday lives. God wants to change the way we think, the way we act, and the way we react. It’s our job to carefully consider His words and apply them to our lives in ways that challenge us and change us.
So how can you read the Bible without missing God’s point?

1. Begin with prayer. Ask God to open your heart and mind to what He wants you to understand within the book or passage you are reading.
2. Observe the words. To observe what God is saying, you must ask questions of the text like, Who is talking; Who are they talking to; What are they talking about; and Why are they talking about the particular subject?
3. Interpret the words. To interpret God’s Word, you must ask questions of the text like, What does God want me to learn; Is there a sin I need to avoid; or is there a principle I need to follow?
4. Apply the words. To apply God’s Word, you must ask yourself, what real-life situation am I facing that relates to the text I am studying; how can I change what I believe or how I behave to better honor God and His Word? Then put what you’ve learned into practice.

 

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Wonder does anyone read all that you have posted ?

 

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Our Helper in Troubles Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:6,7 NIV __________________ Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For He maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and His hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine He shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword. Job 5:17-20 KJV __________________ The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever. Psalm 37:23-27 NASB __________________ 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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“Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.”

Psalm 35:3

What does this sweet prayer teach me? It shall be my evening's petition; but first let it yield me an instructive meditation. The text informs me first of all that David had his doubts; for why should he pray, “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation,” if he were not sometimes exercised with doubts and fears? Let me, then, be of good cheer, for I am not the only saint who has to complain of weakness of faith. If David doubted, I need not conclude that I am no Christian because I have doubts.

The text reminds me that David was not content while he had doubts and fears, but he repaired at once to the mercy-seat to pray for assurance; for he valued it as much fine gold. I too must labour after an abiding sense of my acceptance in the Beloved, and must have no joy when his love is not shed abroad in my soul. When my Bridegroom is gone from me, my soul must and will fast. I learn also that David knew where to obtain full assurance. He went to his God in prayer, crying, “Say unto my soul I am thy salvation.” I must be much alone with God if I would have a clear sense of Jesus’ love. Let my prayers cease, and my eye of faith will grow dim. Much in prayer, much in heaven; slow in prayer, slow in progress.

I notice that David would not be satisfied unless his assurance had a divine source. “Say unto my soul.” Lord, do thou say it! Nothing short of a divine testimony in the soul will ever content the true Christian. Moreover, David could not rest unless his assurance had a vivid personality about it. “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” Lord, if thou shouldst say this to all the saints, it were nothing, unless thou shouldst say it to me. Lord, I have sinned; I deserve not thy smile; I scarcely dare to ask it; but oh! say to my soul, even to my soul, “I am thy salvation.” Let me have a present, personal, infallible, indisputable sense that I am thine, and that thou art mine.

 

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How Generosity Changes the World…And You!



If we really understood how good things happen to those who are generous, we might all be a little more generous to others.
Blessed by Giving
God often uses others as a means to bless people, and so it is with believer’s who know enough to help when they see the need, but something more happens…sometimes later, or sometimes sooner…the person who gives is blessed. It may not be financial blessings but maybe a new relationship, a new opportunity, or some other blessing that comes unexpectedly. Solomon writes about this subject, saying that “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want” (Prov 11:24). The one who holds tight to what they have cannot receive back from God.

Only open hands can give and only open hands can receive. This means that “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered” (Prov 11:25). Many I know are blessed by giving to others, but they don’t give just so they can get more. They understand that, “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor” (Prov 22:9), and “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (Prov 19:17). When you see the generosity of others, you can see for yourself that “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse” (Prov 28:27). You reap what you sow…but you also reap according to how much you sow.

Sinful Neglect
There is no excuse for the Christian to neglect his or her immediate family. Maybe that’s why the Apostle Paul wrote that “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8). The Bible clearly teaches us to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:4). If we ignore the needs of our brothers and sisters, it is just like neglecting Jesus Christ because they’re part of the Body of Christ. What affects them affects Him. The Apostle John wrote that “if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him” (1 John 3:17)?

That’s a great question. Love is a verb. It’s what you do, and if we fail to do anything, especially if we have the means, then to us…it is sin. Jesus said that “when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:13), but don’t’ do it so you can get paid back later. Those who have little no nothing are probably not going to be able to pay us back, and besides, we don’t give in order to get. Jesus said if you give, just for the benefit of helping others, “you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14).

Old Testament Poor
The Old Testament laws made provisions for the poor of the land. They were allowed to glean the corners of the fields for grain or any that might be left over after harvest (Lev 23:22), but it also says, “you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God” (Let 19:10). These laws were not part of the Mosaic Law but part of the civil law of Israel. Just as there is today, there were poor in the land. Some became poor due to bad choices, but others from circumstances beyond their control. God knew that, and so He said, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother” (Duet 15:7). God knew that there would always be poor in the land.

The Scripture says as much: “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land” (Deut 15:7). God wanted the Israelites, and I would imagine He wants us to remember where everything we have comes from. The Apostle Paul wrote, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it” (1 Cor 4:7), therefore, “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deut 8:18).

Final Judgment
When a believer faces Jesus Christ for the final judgment, it won’t be for their sins, but with respect to what they did for Christ while here on earth. Jesus sees you helping others as doing it unto Him (Matt 25:40). Many will claim to know Jesus Christ on the Day of judgment, but those same many will be turned away (Matt 7:21-23), having either done their works to be seen by others, or having done nothing for Him at all (Matt 25:40). Either way, their fate is sealed if they do not repent and fully trust in Christ. Whatever we do here on earth, God “will render to each one according to his works” (Rom 2:6), and “to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Rom 2:7), however, “for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Rom 2:8).

Conclusion
Generosity is contagious. When you help someone, they might help someone too, and thus, it keeps paying it forward. Like ripples on a pond, our generosity extends beyond what we can even see, and like ripples, they return again to us in some other way. There is no doubt that God blesses those who bless others. When it comes down to it, Jesus says we must “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

 

[beensetfree]

some people read some of the posts I think.

Wonder does anyone read all that you have posted ?

 

[beensetfree]

Eternal God Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. Psalm 119:89-91 NIV __________________ Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Psalm 104:1 & 5 KJV __________________ And at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:1b-3 NASB __________________ 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]

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty.”

Proverbs 18:12

It is an old and common saying, that “coming events cast their shadows before them;” the wise man teaches us that a haughty heart is the prophetic prelude of evil. Pride is as safely the sign of destruction as the change of mercury in the weather-glass is the sign of rain; and far more infallibly so than that. When men have ridden the high horse, destruction has always overtaken them.

Let David's aching heart show that there is an eclipse of a man's glory when he dotes upon his own greatness. 2 Sam. 24:10. See Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty builder of Babylon, creeping on the earth, devouring grass like oxen, until his nails had grown like bird's claws, and his hair like eagle's feathers. Dan. 4:33. Pride made the boaster a beast, as once before it made an angel a devil. God hates high looks, and never fails to bring them down. All the arrows of God are aimed at proud hearts.

O Christian, is thine heart haughty this evening? For pride can get into the Christian's heart as well as into the sinner's; it can delude him into dreaming that he is “rich and increased in goods, and hath need of nothing.” Art thou glorying in thy graces or thy talents? Art thou proud of thyself, that thou hast had holy frames and sweet experiences? Mark thee, reader, there is a destruction coming to thee also. Thy flaunting poppies of self-conceit will be pulled up by the roots, thy mushroom graces will wither in the burning heat, and thy self-sufficiency shall become as straw for the dunghill.

If we forget to live at the foot of the cross in deepest lowliness of spirit, God will not forget to make us smart under his rod. A destruction will come to thee, O unduly exalted believer, the destruction of thy joys and of thy comforts, though there can be no destruction of thy soul. Wherefore, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

 

[beensetfree]

How Can You Know If You’re A Christian?




Here is a bit of an angry piece. Evangelicals deserve to be cancelled, says Jonathan Merritt, because they started it first:

Beyond the SBC, one of the best-known examples of evangelical cancel culture involved the public shaming of author Rob Bell, a former megachurch pastor who dared to question whether non-Christians went to hell after they died. Strictly, Bell was not “canceled,” but “farewelled” — the patent online move was simply to bid “Farewell, Rob Bell,” next to a link to his apostasy. Suddenly, anyone who was friends with Bell, owned books by Bell or even dared to quote Bell’s earlier work was at risk of being canceled as well. Since then, other Christian writers, including Jen Hatmaker and Rachel Held Evans, found their books no longer welcome in Christian bookstores due to their support for same-sex marriage.

Now the tables have turned. Something shifted in 2016 after the election of Donald Trump. The rapidly proliferating groups evangelicals had been marginalizing and attacking — women, people of color, feminists, immigrants, LGBTQ people — recognized that they had their own pulpits on social media. They began to sermonize back. This “Great Awokening” has flipped the script on cancel culture, and white evangelicals are calling for a rewrite.

Of course, a few days after this piece came out, Matt tweeted that Mr. Merritt himself is not a Christian, which, I suppose, Mr. Merritt would count as being “cancelled,” though not, as he says at the end of the piece, in the least bit ironic.

Seriously, we need more and better classes on irony. But until then, I have two things to say.
First, it is pretty undeniable that “Evangelicalism”—whatever that entails now and did back in the dark ages—squandered a lot of the daylight by majoring on the minors. Tinky-Winky of the Teletubbies did not really deserve the attention he got, and it was a bad idea to focus a lot more on how everybody was behaving than on the gospel itself. I actually find it sort of tragical, in a bleak and funny kind of way, that people now are saying things like, “It’s not enough just to preach the gospel” in regards to race, because, as I’ve said thousands of times, it’s never been tried—not before, not now.

Behavior modification sermons are not the gospel. They just aren’t. Sermons about the lengths of the dresses and how often you “have a quiet time” are not the gospel. Study groups about how to be encouraged when you’re really down, books about how to raise your children to be Christian, youth camps designed to keep everyone’s roiling lust at bay—all these are not the gospel. Some of them might be fruits of the gospel (or not—some of them are too weird for that), but they were never the gospel.

The people explaining now that the gospel is not enough to deal with the horrors of racism and ethnic prejudice, and even systemic injustice, don’t know if it’s not because it’s never been tried. Indeed, they have only traded one kind of behavior modification “gospel” for another, in this case, a currently culturally acceptable one. So that’s too bad. And in so far as “Evangelicals” have been awfully hypocritical—especially about the religiosity and morality of Mr. Trump—they deserve the scorn of Mr. Merritt.

Second—and I trust you hear that my tone is in no way scornful—not everyone who says he is a Christian is a Christian. Not everyone who claims Jesus loves Jesus. Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will be embraced by the Lord of Life. To some when he comes again in glory and they anxiously sidle up to him, he will say, “I never knew you.” It is actually the job of Christian pastors to “guard the flock” which means saying to the people in their sway, “That person says she is a Christian but she is not a Christian, please do not listen to her or do what she says.” That’s not “cancelling,” it’s the job.

Now, is the job done badly? Often. When a Christian pastor wastes his time on Tinky-Winky, that is a crying shame. When a Christian pastor is himself racist, this is not ok. But when Mr. Piper tweets, “Farewell Rob Bell” and Rob Bell has persistently and deliberately undermined the substance of the Christian faith, Mr. Piper is actually just doing his job. Rob Bell is not a Christian, Jen Hatmaker is not a Christian, Glennon Doyle is not a Christian, that person on twitter who tweeted a string of, “I’m a Christian but I don’t go to church; I’m a Christian and I believe that Love is Love,” that person is not a Christian.

It’s actually quite easy to know who is a Christian and who is not. We’re not talking about eternal destiny here. That is up to God. He can bring any wretched sinner to repentant faith even in the final hour of life. I think we will be surprised about who is in heaven and who is not (well, not “We”…some of us won’t be there, as I just said). But as for who is a part of the visible body of Christ now? That isn’t actually hard. If you confess the faith of Christ crucified, if you accept the words of our Lord (which is the whole Bible) as true, if you try to conform your life to that strange and painful truth, other people will be able to see that you’re a Christian.

This necessarily excludes the vast swaths of people who think that it’s fine to be LGBTQ affirming, because—and I know this is very hard to understand—the scripture does not allow it. You’ll notice that the effort to make the scripture LGBTQ affirming is fast fading away because it’s so hard and impossible to do. There are other ways to not be a Christian—to deny the trinity, to deny that Jesus is both fully God and fully Man, to deny the resurrection, to deny the virgin birth, to deny the right of God to judge to the world, to redefine words like “Love” and “Selfless” and “God”—goodness, we’ve made up quite a list over the centuries. But just now, the biggest and most alluring way not to be a Christian is to embrace the LGBTQ heresy, that other gospel.

Now, should Christians actually “cancel” people who claim to be Christian and yet embrace this heresy? No. I don’t think Mr. Merritt and Ms. Hatmaker should be “cancelled,” though it was absolutely sane of Lifeway to stop selling Ms. Hatmaker’s books. I think they should go on living and being people. But I do think that true Christians should call out to them to repent. One way to do that is to say, “You’re not a Christian—yet…would you like to be one? Let me tell you about our Lord.” It may feel like cancelling but it’s not actually cancelling. It may feel “unloving” but it is actually what God does with us—when we were wrong and bad, he came and told us In Person that we were wrong and bad. We did not want him to tell us this and so we gathered up our rage and killed him. And yet he, in his great mercy, used that very action of attempted deicide to save us and make it possible for us not to be separated from him forever.

I guess I’ve said lots more than two things. I’ll just say one more. The heart of the gospel is Jesus saving sinners, which means that sinners have to agree that they need to be saved. Any pride, any vainglory, any attempt to be “ok,” to be good without God is wicked. God’s love demands that we sinners repent, we say we are sorry, we ask God to forgive us. When anyone goes to him in humility, in ash and with weeping, he welcomes that one into his Kingdom.

So yes, Mr. Merritt is not a Christian, but he could be, if he would turn back and run into the arms of his Lord.

 

[beensetfree]

Children - God's Blessing! Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5 NKJV __________________ Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. Proverbs 17:6 KJV __________________ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:14-16 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.