Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Do They Really Understand

Hey folk, I was just thinking,



On many of the websites and postings to various patriotic pages I have heard a lot of rhetoric, though well intentioned, where young mostly young female writers are glorifying the warrior in the field bringing honor onto themselves in the face of horrific odds, etc... etc... Whereas I have the highest regard for the men and women serving this nation in our armed forces all over the world, I can’t help but wonder if these young people really understand what this stuff is really about. This is not a video game it is real life and I wonder any of these bright eyed children have ever asked themselves, who are these warriors of this nations military, do they really understand they are real, that its Tom from next door, Bill from the gas station, Charlie from work and Sally from the grocery store, just average men and women who want to give something back to a nation they love. So they leave their families and go to a place where they don’t want to be, to do a job they would rather not do, all the while trying to stay alive by killing the other guys before they kill you. It is not like the movies where super heroes abound tall and strong on a closed sound stage. No, these are real bullets and the real warriors are simply average folk who are scared out of their wits most of the time, praying that they get to live another day while doing the most incredible things the horror of which that a civilian could not even begin to imagine. There is little glamour in watching your friends die and for that first brief moment thanking God it was not you, before you mourn them, nor are there any flags or parades at 3 AM when you wake up screaming as you replay the battle over and over, night after night, seeing your friends die and looking in the face of every one that you have killed... True it was either them or you, but you can’t help but remember they were fighting for their families too. No my friends don’t glamorize war for it truly is Hell in living color and I just thank God that there still men women out there that are willing to stand up and say; Hey I’ll do it, I will go because, America is worth it. God bless these people, every one of them and please continue to honor their resolve and also pray that they will come home to their families some day, but don’t glorify the fires of hell, for as necessary as war is in this evil self-serving world, it is never quite worth the cost we must pay in the lives of our warriors for in real life they are after all, our sons, our daughters, our mothers, our fathers and our friends! Truly the freedoms we enjoy in this nation do not come cheap; the cost has always been paid in the blood of millions of our loved ones. So why I wonder, do we throw away our precious right to vote by wasting it on those who have vowed they would destroy us and call it change. God Bless our Warriors God help our nation!
Well at least that is my opinion
Big J

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Open Letter To Bishop Mark Hanson ELCA

It is with great sorrow that I must write this letter to the presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. As a citizen of this once great nation and a long time practicing Lutheran I have for years mourned the moral decay of a society that at one point in history was indeed great, but alas her honor of late has been tarnished. Sadly this has become the norm not only in our society but also worldwide oozing into every facet our culture as well as into our churches of all denominations. I have always been proud of the fact that the Lutheran synods stood on the high ground in the face the demonic assaults on our families that is until the 21 of September 2009 when the ELCA with a 2/3’s majority made the decision to implement synod policy which will in effect render the sanctified blood of Jesus the Christ as “irrelevant” thereby having no real need or purpose in the so called Christian community of life.
I must now mourn a church which having given way to the demands of the world has not fallen from grace, rather they have willing fled from it. In their demented wisdom this prestigious body of church leaders and prominent theologians has officially ordained a new ELCA doctrine of “committed personal choice” issuing that it shall supersede the need for any expressions of repentance or prayers for forgiveness relevant to personal lifestyle choices. Atonement is no longer an issue for any individual without regard to either commandment or commission from God as defined by His Holy Word. Simply stated you have elected that “sin” as defined by scripture shall remain sin. Any judgment or condemnation for commission of that sin however, shall be waived in light of the church doctrine so long as you are personally committed to your manor of living no matter how wicked. I am sure that every man that has been looking to dump his wife or anyone else wishing to enter into some kind of an elicit relationship with children, pets or whatever, will all embrace your brave decision to reject scripture and to move out from the light into the darkness of this world.

So now the world quietly awaits God’s endorsement of your actions. In the meantime however without fanfare it continues to pursue its debase existence proclaiming violence, immorality and decadent lifestyles as being the norm and a politically correct manner of life, while the proclamation righteousness shall still be considered by those of the world as evil.

Bishop you have made your decisions and the die has been cast, may Almighty God have mercy on your demented souls. As for me and my house we shall continue to serve the Lord and our first task will be to pray for the millions of souls which may well be forever lost thanks to the Bishops of the ELCA and their fervent love of this world with all its pleasures.
Hey it'a just my opinion but I stand by it,
Big J.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Stand Up Oh Men Of God

On September 21 2009 Satan walked onto a battlefield in Minnesota and threw down the gauntlet challenging God’s people in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America to a dare to fight him, and fight him we shall even if it means from the rubble of our sanctuaries around the world. This battle has been brewing in the Lutheran Church for some time in various forms and has been escalating with every passing year until now when the forces of evil won what they think will be the final battle. Nor is this strictly a Lutheran battle, it is a universal one that is challenging every protestant denomination throughout the world. I must admit to being a bit shaken at first until I remembered that this war has already been won and Satan has already lost when our Savoir and Lord Jesus Christ walked away from His tomb. Since that day Satan has been defeated and has no power over us unless we choose to give it to him. What we have here then is not a battle; it is simply a skirmish with the remnants of a defeated army. Nor does it have anything to do with so called sexuality per say, that is simply an emotional decoy used by the worldly to suck in the weak minded and spiritually uncommitted, those who would prefer the politically correct world with all its pleasures and perversions while they smugly masquerade as respectable and benevolent citizens accepting of all others. Once however you blow away the smoke from the battlefield you find the same old foe, “Sin” and Satan hand and hand! There is no mystery here except to those who are unfamiliar with scripture altogether or those intellectual misfits with special interests. For some inexplicable reason these folk have not got the message which is that it really doesn’t matter what the world proclaims in their streets and byways, nor does the hysterical ranting of the pious black robed guardians of evil calling themselves Judges change one single thing, in God’s eyes sin is still sin as delivered in and defined by the Holy Writ. If anyone continues to engage in a sinful lifestyle they shall come under His judgment period. There is nothing on earth or in heaven that will ever change those facts short of the cross. It is all so incredibly simple, come to the cross accepting Jesus as your Savior and the under the shelter and power of His grace clean up your act and you shall live according the promise of God. Or on the other hand you may reject the cross by continuing to live in sin and come under God’s judgment again according to his promise. Living a sinful lifestyle whether or not you are committed to it, is irrelevant, do it and you will die, Simple! Yet once again God calls His warriors to take to the fields so if you be a warrior, the question then becomes on who’s side will you fight. Shall we stay and fight like warriors of light or run and hide like the cowardly hoping against hope that somehow this will all go away and we will have a fairytale ending. The problem is that fairytale endings only happen in Fairytales. Brothers and Sisters in Christ once again the time has come to gird our loins and put on the armor of God for the enemies of the cross who are the wolves of the gospel, have revealed themselves at last and have set upon the flock.
But Hey, Its just my opinion!
Big J

Sunday, August 23, 2009

America’s Plunge Into The Historical Abyss

In the imperfect world of man, before the onset of secularism, there were always certain personal traits respected by virtually everyone. Among them were: integrity, honesty, loyalty, courage and forbearance. For one to possess these qualities they were considered to be a neighbor of good repute within that community, in other words the average American good citizen. Moral behavior was not considered a form of discipline being forcibly thrust upon us; rather it was considered common good sense. In those days children were protected from the seamier aspects of life and raised with a sense of purpose and respect for others within the community. Today however these qualities have little value and are even discouraged in some circles. In fact the term loving your neighbor has taken on a whole new connotation altogether. These transgressions, which were driven in part by the infusing of many conflicting cultures within a single civilization, have caused a loss in our sense of direction here in America, replacing family values with a misdirected mired of humanistic forms of pseudo compassion driven by artificially inflated feelings of self worth rather than by the honest feelings of accomplishment earned through hard work and a sincere focused belief in a creator God, who does in fact have the final say relative to our eternity. However those without any sense of responsibility, the free spirit if you will, can focus on the monumental task of appeasing those primal gods within us all. Life without the enforced potential of judgment begets a freeborn society without the responsibility to contribute anything beyond ones individual presents, the proverbial “Me” of course, being the greater of importance. Society therefore shall fulfill the supreme roll of becoming our benefactors using the necessary resources developed by the physical toil and financial contributions of others. Even though this commentary is directed at the developing culture here in America, it is not untypical of other great nations in history who in a relatively short time fell into the dust and by divine providence became the scholarly domain of the history books.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

A Joyful State Of Grace

August 14, 2009

Daily Wisdom

Jesus Christ went to the cross to provide each one of us full and complete atonement for all of our sins. Through His precious blood He literally paid the debt for all of our sin so that we no longer must come before the throne of judgment. The gift is free that all may receive it and be saved by coming to the cross and abiding in Christ blood. Forgive us Lord for you who have given us so much, yet we begrudge you a little. You have given us new life that we may show the world of your love and reflect its light on those still living in sin. Empower us Lord that the light of Christ in our lives shine in the midst good times and bad, that we rejoice even in the fire as you lead us giving us new strength and purpose. We suffer but for a moment, let the memory of it glorify the Father in the minds and hearts of those passing by so they may know the power of God’s redeeming light.
Jim Haynes, August 14, 2009


"Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work."
Psalms 92:4

Do you believe that your sins are forgiven, and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, "smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is forgiven; if you have but forgiven me, smite as hard as you will"; and in a similar spirit you may say, "Send sickness, poverty, losses, crosses, persecution, what you will, you have forgiven me, and my soul is glad.” Christian, if you are saved, while you are glad, be grateful and loving also. Cling to that cross which took your sin away; but serve Him who served you. "I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Do not let your zeal evaporate in some little ebullition of song. Show your love in expressive tokens. Love the brethren of Him who loved you. If there be a Mephibosheth (Grandson of Saul to whom David restored the property of his father) anywhere who is lame or halt, help him for Jonathan's sake. If there be a poor tried believer, weep with him, and bear his cross for the sake of Him who wept for you and carried your sins. Since you are forgiven freely for Christ's sake, go and tell to others the joyful news of the Creators pardoning mercy. Be not content with this unspeakable blessing for yourself alone, but publish abroad the story of the cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. A joyful state of grace is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it you. Seek it this morning before you go into the world. When it is the Lord's work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad.
Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

To Live Is To Serve

August 13, 2009

Daily Wisdom

God has planted and created everything mankind needs to live an abundant life on this earth and that which he did not give us directly he gave us the talent to create on our own that which we needed using that which He gave us. He appointed us stewards to over His vineyards and bid us enjoy all that He provided yet man took these things to be their rightful property and began abusing both the gift and the giver for selfish prophet. I am speaking now of the Church for that is God’s real treasure, for He cares for the souls of man and calls us to work in those harvest fields where the fruits are ready for harvest He has atoned for their sin, the Spirit has prepared the ground and planted the seed and he sends us to carry the Light of Christ so that they may grow and find the path to the cross in that Light just as we did as we struggled in the darkness of sin.
Jim Haynes – August 13, 2009

"The cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted."
Psalms 104:16

Lebanon's cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their planting entirely to the Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. He is not planted by the hand of man, nor planted of ones self, rather the Christian is planted by the hands of his Creator. The mysterious hand of the divine Spirit dropped the living seed into a heart which He had Himself prepared for its reception. Every true heir of heaven owns the great Husbandman as his planter. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not dependent upon man for their watering; they stand on the lofty rock, un-moistened by human irrigation; and yet our heavenly Father supplies them all of their needs. So it is with the Christian who has learned to live by faith trusting only in his Creator. He is independent of man’s world, even in temporal things; for his continued maintenance he looks to the Lord his God, and to Him alone. Just so they are God's trees, kept and preserved by Him, and by Him alone. It is precisely the same with the Christian. He is not a hot house plant, sheltered from temptation; he stands in the most exposed position; he has no shelter, no protection, except this, that the broad wings of the eternal God always cover the cedars which He Himself has planted. Like cedars, believers are full of sap having vitality enough to be ever green, even amid winter's snows. Lastly, the flourishing and majestic condition of the cedar is to the praise of God only. The Lord, even the Lord alone has been everything to the cedars, and, therefore David very sweetly puts it in one of the psalms, "Praise ye the Lord, fruitful trees and all cedars.” In the believer there is nothing that can magnify man; he is planted, nourished, and protected by the Lord's own hand, and to Him our Creator and Lord of life, let all the glory and honor be ascribed. For the true believer, to live is to serve the giver of life for that is our call; even so the Master sustains the lives of His faithful.
From Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Lord Reigns

August 12, 2009

Daily Wisdom

The Lord loves both Christian and sinner with equal fervor and calls each of us to His throne of grace that we should humble ourselves, repenting our sins and come to the foot of the cross. To those that come, God will grant redemption from their sins and new life in Christ. Sadly some will reject Gods offer and continue to delight in the pleasures of this world living in darkness serving only the prince of darkness. We therefore by living a renewed life reflect the Light revealing God’s love and forgiving spirit to those still living in darkness so that they may see the light and seek also the new life in Christ. Let us rejoice therefore that the God who reigns over the earth shall give all men opportunity to taste His loving grace.
Jim Haynes – August 12, 2009
"The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice."
Psalms 97:1

Causes for disquietude there are none so long as this blessed sentence is true. On earth the Lord's power as readily controls the rage of the wicked as the rage of the sea; His love as easily refreshes the poor with mercy as the earth with showers. Majesty gleams in flashes of fire amid the tempest's horrors, and the glory of the Lord is seen in its grandeur in the fall of empires, and the crash of thrones. In all our conflicts and tribulations, we may behold the hand of the divine King.
"God is God; He sees and hears
All our troubles, all our tears.
Soul, forget not, 'mid thy pains,
God o'er all for ever reigns."

In hell, evil spirits own, with misery, His undoubted supremacy. When permitted to roam abroad, it is with a chain at their heel; the bit is in the mouth of behemoth, and the hook in the jaws of leviathan. Death's darts are under the Lord's lock, and the grave's prisons have divine power as their warder. The terrible vengeance of the Judge of all the earth makes fiends cower down and tremble, even as dogs in the kennel fear the hunter's whip.

"Fear not death, nor Satan's thrusts,
God defends who in Him trusts;
Soul, remember, in thy pains,
God o'er all for ever reigns."

In heaven none doubt the sovereignty of the King Eternal, but all fall on their faces to do Him homage. Angels are His courtiers, the redeemed His favorites, and all delight to serve Him day and night. May we soon reach the city of the great King!

"For this life's long night of sadness
He will give us peace and gladness.
Soul, remember, in thy pains,
God o'er all for ever reigns."


Adopted by Christ is the Light Ministries - from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
NOTE TO READERS: If you wish to remove your names from this mailing list, please hit the reply button and type remove, and then click on send. Your name will be removed from the list within 48 hours. Conversely, if you received this email as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to this mailing list, please reply to this email and I will be most happy to add your name to my private Devotional mailing list and I assure you to no other list Or you can sign up On Line at: www.christisthelight.com - God Bless, Jim Haynes

Monday, August 10, 2009

Seek What Will Be

August 11th AM
Daily Wisdom

Carnal man often considers it easier to find happiness in the mirror where the outcome is sure, then it is in the present where we have not yet fully achieved, nor do we seek to find peace on the horizon where only the uncertainty of vague prophecies await. Man therefore tends to greet each new day with a questioning heart as to the outcome finding only small comfort in yesterday’s haphazard victories. Only the man of God, the omniscient, can bring peace of mind into the day in the sure knowledge that God will rule that day bringing victory in the face of the imposable. Each new day brings new challenges with its pits and hurdles to overcome, yet for us time has given proof that we can place our complete trust in God’s concern for our well being as one who loves us and has the ultimate power to overcome all adversity in our lives. Do you love and trust God enough to joyfully accept whatever He allows into your life? Then the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your minds and hearts in Christ Jesus and your joy will be found today in the clouds not the mirror.
Jim Haynes – August 11, 2009
"Oh that I were as in months past."
Job 29:2

Numbers of Christians can view the past with pleasure, but regard the present with dissatisfaction; they look back upon the days which they have passed in communing with the Lord as being the sweetest and the best they have ever known, but as to the present, it is clad in a sable garb of gloom and dreariness. Once they lived near to Jesus, but now they feel that they have wandered from Him, and they say, "O that I were as in months past!” They complain that they have lost their evidences, or that they have not present peace of mind, or that they have no enjoyment in the means of grace, or that conscience is not so tender, or that they have not so much zeal for God's glory. The causes of this mournful state of things are manifold. It may arise through a comparative neglect of prayer, for a neglected closet is the beginning of all spiritual decline. Or it may be the result of idolatry. The heart has been occupied with something else, more than with God; the affections have been set on the things of earth, instead of the things of heaven. A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; He must be loved first and best. He will withdraw the sunshine of His presence from a cold, wandering heart. Or the cause may be found in self-confidence and self-righteousness. Pride is busy in the heart and self is exalted, instead of lying low at the foot of the cross. Christian, if you are not now as you "were in months past”, do not rest satisfied with wishing for a return of former happiness, but go at once to seek your Master, and tell Him your sad state. Ask His grace and strength to help you to walk more closely with Him; humble yourself before Him, and He will lift you up, and give you yet again to enjoy the light of His countenance.
Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - For August 11th AM By Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Thursday, August 6, 2009

We Shall Love Him

August 7th AM

Daily Wisdom

Only in the mind of modern man can an intense emotion such as love become so distorted and perverted as to lose its foundation. A term meant to convey the greatest of depths in human bonding of body, soul and spirit, has been rendered meaningless in all but the most casual of relationships. In Christ alone can we find the true meaning of this word; for God so loved the world that He literally died for it… Love in its purest form brought the Son of God to the cross in order to redeem the damned of this world. All those living in bondage to pride, lust and all manner of evil desires have already been judged and sentenced death save for the Love of God and the redeeming blood of Christ. God so loved the people of His creation that He came down from Heaven and allowed Himself to be nailed to a tree that those trusting in Him may live!
Jim Haynes – August 7, 2009
"The upright love You"
Song of Solomon 1:4

Believers love Jesus with a deeper affection then they dare to give to any other being. They would sooner lose father and mother then part with Christ. They hold all earthly comforts with a loose hand, but Him they carry locked fast in their hearts. They voluntarily deny themselves for His sake, but they are not to be driven to deny Him. It is scant love which the fire of persecution can dry up; the true believer's love is a deeper stream than this. Men have labored to divide the faithful from their Master, but their attempts have been fruitless in every age. Neither crowns of honor, nor frowns of anger, have untied this more than Gordian knot*. This is no every day attachment which the world's power may at length dissolve. Neither man nor devil have found a key which opens this lock. Never has the craft of Satan been more at fault than when he has exercised it in seeking to plow under this union of two divinely welded hearts. It is written, and nothing can blot out the sentence, "The upright love You.” The intensity of the love of the upright, however, is not so much to be judged by what it appears to be, as by what the upright long for in the depths of their soul. It is our daily lament that we who love cannot love enough. Would that our hearts were capable of holding more, and reaching further. Like Samuel Rutherford. (1600-1661), we sigh and cry, "Oh, for as much love as would go round about the earth, and over heaven, yes, the heaven of heavens, and ten thousand worlds, that I might let all out upon fair, fair, only fair Christ.” Alas! Our longest reach is but a brief span of love, and our affection is but as a moment compared with God’s vast deserts. Measure our love by our intentions, and it is high indeed; it is in the way we trust that our Lord does judge. Oh, that we could give all the love in all hearts in one great mass, a gathering together of all loves to Him who is altogether lovely!
*The Gordian Knot is a legend associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem, solved by a bold stroke
Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - For August 7th AM by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Monday, August 3, 2009

Christ Is The Light

Daily Wisdom

We have been called into the Light and having seen that light to reveal it to a world living in bondage to the darkness of sin. We are not the light ourselves but are called to reflect that light outward, but unless we also abide in the Light, we will lack the power to drive away the darkness even from our own house. The world will pay little attention to what we say if it is not reflected in what we do. We must therefore be doers of the Word not just hearers, Jesus said if any would follow Him let them take up His cross and come that the world may know we are His disciples. We are called therefore to live our lives in the light of Christ so that the world may see that light in us. Do not listen to those who say you may continue to live in the world for grace alone will save you, for all those who remain in the darkness will soon themselves smother the light so that their deeds may remain hidden. Earnestly seek therefore to live in the light basking daily in God’s word so that those of the world who continue living in the darkness may see that the Light is a better way and come.
Jim Haynes – August 3, 2009
"The Lamb is the light thereof."
Revelation 21:23

Light in Scripture is the emblem of joy as well as knowledge and wisdom. The joy of the saints in heaven is comprised in this: Jesus chose us, loved us, bought us, cleansed us, robed us, kept us, and glorified us; we are here entirely through the Lord Jesus. Light is also the cause of beauty. Nothing of beauty is left when light is gone. Without light no radiance flashes from the sapphire, no peaceful ray proceeds from the pearl; and thus all the beauty of the saints above comes from Jesus. As planets, they reflect the light of the Sun of Righteousness; they live as beams proceeding from the central orb. If He withdrew, they must die; if His glory were veiled, their glory must expire. Light is also the emblem of knowledge. In heaven our knowledge will be perfect, but the Lord Jesus Himself will be the fountain of it. Dark providences, never understood before, will then be clearly seen, and all that puzzles us now will become plain to us in the light of the Lamb. Oh! What un-folding there will be and what glorifying of the God of love! Light also means manifestation. Light manifests. In this world it doth not yet appear what we shall be. God's people are a hidden people, but when Christ receives His people into heaven, He will touch them with the wand of His own love, and change them into the image of His manifested glory. They were poor and wretched, but what a transformation! They were stained with sin, but one touch of His finger, and they are bright as the sun, and clear as crystal. Oh! What a manifestation! All this proceeds from the exalted Lamb. Whatever there may be shining brilliantly in splendor, Jesus shall be the centre and soul of it all. Oh! To be present and to see Him in His own light, the King of kings, and Lord of lords!
From Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - For August 3rd AM by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Friday, July 31, 2009

Abundance Of Promises

Daily Wisdom

"Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn."
Ruth 2:2

It has been said that by immersing yourself in God’s word and infusing it into your soul you become rigid and angry losing touch with the so called real world. How foolish, it is true you do find in there the harsh words of the law and the wrath of God towards a stiff necked and disobedient people yet, to those who love the Lord you also find there the love of God, His redeeming grace at the hands of Jesus along with the sweet promises of forgiveness, mercy and protection from the evil one who would hold you in bondage to sin, the promise of freedom and eternal life, all of this contained in the Kings covenant with His chosen. All this is waiting for you, if you would but repent and come to the cross of Christ. Come sinner, says the Lord, glean the harvest fields, simply pick it up and claim it as your own, and you also will receive your inheritance, for it is the Fathers good pleasure to receive you into His family as his very own child and heir.
Jim Haynes – August 1, 2009

Downcast and troubled Christian, come and glean today in the broad field of promise. Here are abundance of precious promises, which exactly meet your needs. Take this one: "He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.” Does not this promise suit you? A reed, helpless, insignificant, and weak, a bruised reed, out of which no music can come; weaker than weakness itself; a reed, and that reed bruised, yet, He will not break you; but on the contrary, will restore and strengthen you. You are like the smoking flax: no light, no warmth, can come from you; but He will not quench you; He will blow with His sweet breath of mercy till He fans you to a flame. Would you glean yet another ear? "Come unto Me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What soft words! Your heart is tender, and the Master knows it, and therefore He speaks so gently to you. Will you not obey Him, and come to Him even now? Take another ear of corn: "Fear not, you worm Jacob, I will help you, said the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” How can you fear with such a wonderful assurance as this? You may gather ten thousand such golden ears as these! "I have blotted out your sins like a cloud, and like a thick cloud your transgressions.” Or this, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Or this, "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that is thirsty come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.” Our Master's field is very rich; behold the handfuls. See, there they lie before you, poor timid believer! Gather them up; make them your own, for Jesus bids you take them. Be not afraid, only believe! Grasp these sweet promises, thresh them out by meditation and feed on them with joy.
Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - For August 1st AM by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Somthing To Consider

Society today is obviously all too aware of the decadent and perverse lifestyles which are prevalent in the world and are generally prepared to accept their presence in the name and spirit of freedom of choice. Living an unordered life with no restrictions gives the secular spirit the feeling of power over their own destiny without obligation to any form of higher authority or deity. As a consequence it is mandatory that Society suppress any serious threat to that which they perceive as their serene little world. Even those religious institutions purporting themselves to be Christian, in the interest of maintaining a peaceful coexistence more commonly referred to as “not rocking the boat” have adopted a cocoon mentality content to remain huddled safely in cloistered little gatherings being generally quick to say that the world has their standards and we have ours. Therefore it would seem we as Christians must either adopt a live and let live philosophy in some kind of vain attempt to be more palatable to those living destructive lifestyles or exclude ourselves from the world and lock ourselves in our rooms where they won’t see us and be angry. The problem here becomes we cannot do that without compromising those beliefs on which our Christian foundations rest. In Johns Gospel Jesus clearly tells us that we are not “of” the world yet we must remain “in” the world. God has called us to live by example the Gospel message that the world may see and come to the cross, we cannot answer that call from the closet!
Thought for the Day
The foolish man will place himself in jeopardy by flirting with evil when by definition temptation is the very thing he lusts for in his heart requiring only a little enticement therefore for him to fall. It is through no great struggle that Satan wins these battles for in fact victory is virtually thrust upon him. If therefore a man would honestly wish to avoid the temptation to sin let Him flee from its presence before he comes upon the power of the thing. Listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit when it urges you elsewhere for God will offer you another way which is far more pleasing to Him and at the end of the day more beneficial to you for your soul will be a peace with itself having won a victory at least this day.