Thought for the morning of Wed January 1, 2014

Verse

"They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year."

— jos 5:12

Thought

Israel's weary wanderings were all over, and the promised rest was attained. No more moving tents, fiery serpents, fierce Amalekites, and howling wildernesses: they came to the land which flowed with milk and honey, and they ate the old corn of the land. Perhaps this year, beloved Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. Joyful is the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it will yield unalloyed delight. To be with Jesus in the rest which remaineth for the people of God, is a cheering hope indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is a double bliss. Unbelief shudders at the Jordan which still rolls between us and the goodly land, but let us rest assured that we have already experienced more ills than death at its worst can cause us. Let us banish every fearful thought, and rejoice with exceeding great joy, in the prospect that this year we shall begin to be "for ever with the Lord."

A part of the host will this year tarry on earth, to do service for their Lord. If this should fall to our lot, there is no reason why the New Year's text should not still be true. "We who have believed do enter into rest." The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance; he gives us "glory begun below." In heaven they are secure, and so are we preserve in Christ Jesus; there they triumph over their enemies, and we have victories too. Celestial spirits enjoy communion with their Lord, and this is not denied to us; they rest in his love, and we have perfect peace in him: they hymn his praise, and it is our privilege to bless him too. We will this year gather celestial fruits on earthly ground, where faith and hope have made the desert like the garden of the Lord. Man did eat angels' food of old, and why not now? O for grace to feed on Jesus, and so to eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan this year!

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2014. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/VzxXR--hoBE/0101-am.html

Thought for the evening of Wed January 1, 2014

Verse

"We will be glad and rejoice in thee."

— so 1:4

Thought

We will be glad and rejoice in thee. We will not open the gates of the year to the dolorous notes of the sackbut, but to the sweet strains of the harp of joy, and the high sounding cymbals of gladness. "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation." We, the called and faithful and chosen, we will drive away our griefs, and set up our banners of confidence in the name of God. Let others lament over their troubles, we who have the sweetening tree to cast into Marah's bitter pool, with joy will magnify the Lord. Eternal Spirit, our effectual Comforter, we who are the temples in which thou dwellest, will never cease from adoring and blessing the name of Jesus. We WILL, we are resolved about it, Jesus must have the crown of our heart's delight; we will not dishonour our Bridegroom by mourning in his presence. We are ordained to be the minstrels of the skies, let us rehearse our everlasting anthem before we sing it in the halls of the New Jerusalem. We will BE GLAD AND REJOICE: two words with one sense, double joy, blessedness upon blessedness. Need there be any limit to our rejoicing in the Lord even now? Do not men of grace find their Lord to be camphire and spikenard, calamus and cinnamon even now, and what better fragrance have they in heaven itself? We will be glad and rejoice IN THEE. That last word is the meat in the dish, the kernel of the nut, the soul of the text. What heavens are laid up in Jesus! What rivers of infinite bliss have their source, aye, and every drop of their fulness in him! Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, thou art the present portion of thy people, favour us this year with such a sense of thy preciousness, that from its first to its last day we may be glad and rejoice in thee. Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus.

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2014. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-evening/~3/86IPwP_UDP0/0101-pm.html

31 Days Of Thanks

January, according to many US calendars, is National Thank You Month. This, of course, is easily transferable everywhere, so perhaps it should be Global Thank You Month.

via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/HnivEHcuQcw/

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=2+Corinthians+5:17

Everyone's literal about sin until you bring up homosexuality

In the crucible of what passes for discussion about the sin of homosexuality, I've noticed an insidious acceptance in Christians of one of the conditions that the gay lobby insists we make. This acceptance has crept in and is in fact a double standard. It is akin to the scenes in the old Seinfeld episode "The Outing." Let me explain.



Twenty years ago, in an episode of the comedy sitcom "Seinfeld," Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza, lifelong buddies, are mistaken for a homosexual couple, and "strenuously deny that they are gay, conditioning their denials with 'Not that there's anything wrong with that.' The line would soon afterward become a catchphrase. Jason Alexander maintains that it is the most popular to originate from the series. The episode earned a GLAAD award . (source )



In each case when the catchphrase was uttered, the person would shrug, throw up their hands in a mock submission and shake their head. See this 17 second compilation:

In discussing homosexuality today, immediate ire rises from all quarters unless homosexuality is couched in the most glowing of terms. If a person does not give hearty approval to homosexuality, (Romans 1:32), one is immediately scourged. The scourging is fast, immediate, and vicious. Just ask Phil Robertson .



If it were up to the homosexual lobby, no one would ever mention homosexuality as a sin. Evah. Failing that, the double standard now is that we can't mention homosexuality as a sin unless we also mention all the other sins too, at the same time. To paraphrase many of the other discussions I've read, such as Rachel Held Evans's question, "Why is homosexuality the great biblical debate of this decade and not slavery?" a discussion along those "not that there's anything wrong with that" lines might go like this-



"Homosexuality is a sin".

"Wait just a minute, bub. Gossip is a sin, what about that? Or envy, that's a sin too. And drunkenness. Why single out homosexuality? Hey, bub, there's lots of sins. Not that there aren't other sins too!"



We are now supposed to cushion the sting of stating sodomy is a sin by including it in a list of all other sins.



The double standard enters in because the reverse is not true.



"Murder is a sin."

"Wait just a minute, bub. Homosexuality is a sin, too. What about that? You didn't mention that one. Or envy, that's a sin. And drunkenness. Why single out murder? Hey, bub, there's lots of sins. Why aren't you talking about them, too?"



"Gluttony is a sin"

"Wait just a minute, bub. Homosexuality is a sin, too. What about that? You didn't mention that one. Or drunkenness, that's a sin. And anger. Why single out gluttony? Hey, bub, there's lots of sins. Why aren't you talking about them, too?"



We have allowed ourselves to substitute the phrase, "Not that there's anything wrong with that" with "Not that there aren't any other sins!" And throwing up our hands in a mock submission and shaking our heads, in vain attempts to stave off anger and vicious comebacks.



Don't fall for it. This is just a temporary compromise to the gay lobby's ultimate goal: full-on prohibition of any talk of homosexuality being mentioned as a sin at all. (Romans 1:32 again). It's a diversionary tactic.



It is a given that we understand there are many sins. Lists and lists of them are given in the bible. (Romans 1:29-31, 2 Corinthians 12:20, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Jude 1:16). Committing even one of them disqualifies a person from heaven and Jesus is great enough to forgive them, no matter how many you committed. If a person is talking about the greatness of Jesus in His ability and desire to forgive any and all sins, then by all means, list the bunch of them to illustrate the breadth of His mercy and grace! That's what Phil Robertson was doing when he mentioned a hearty selection of sins, not just the one that must not be mentioned.



Even then, you see the gay lobby can't ever be satisfied, because they complained that in mentioning homosexuality together with a bunch of other sins, he was comparing homosexuality to them...you see the pointlessness of caving even an inch to their demands.



But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. (Galatians 2:5)While the discussion may legitimately call for an expanded list of sins, it is not necessary to hide homosexuality within a larger list of sins just to make it palatable to the LGBT lobby. If the discussion is about the sin of gossip, then the discussion will be about gossip. No one will suggest including adultery in the talk because it is in some way perversely fair to all the other sins to mention them too.



So if the discussion arises about homosexuality, it is disingenuous to force an inclusion of all sins along with homosexuality. Homosexuality is not a protected class of sins, and it has biblical merit as a discussion point all on its own.



Here is where some, like Rachel Held Evans , make the mistake of selective literalism. The doctrinally ignorant will insist that if we are going to take the bible literally and include homosexuality as a literal sin (all I can picture is Sheldon saying 'Literally? Literally?') then we must also wear head coverings and gouge out our eyes if looking lustfully at another woman. Because, let's be literal. It's just another diversionary tactic.



Evans wrote: "We may laugh at these examples or dismiss them silly, but the biblical language employed in these contexts is actually pretty strong: eating shellfish is an abomination, a bare head is a disgrace, gossips will not inherit the kingdom of God, careless words are punishable by hell, guys who leer at women should gouge out their eyes. "



Below is a parable of incorrect biblical literalism as acted by the Big Bang Theory's Zack, posed by Evans above:

Correct use of literally:

So if you're discussing homosexuality as a literal and factual sin and that is the topic, don't feel you have to say "Not that there aren't other sins too!" We don't bow in subjection to them for even a moment, give not an inch. Here's why. Going back to the Galatians 2:5 verse above,



"The unyielding stand of Paul and Barnabas and their strong support by the Jerusalem apostles and leaders was to show the Judaizers that from now on, no Judaizer could ever say that Paul deceived you. No Judaizer could ever say that the prominent leaders of Jerusalem agree with us, not him... " (source)



Don't cave. Stay strong. Speak plainly the truth of the bible, not compromising its truths where and when we are called to proclaim them. Otherwise, all too soon, "Not that there aren't other sins too!" literally will become, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"

"If you cannot be positive, then at least be quiet"- Christian, before you press share on that Facebook quote...

There is a quote going around among Facebook that I'd like to address. Here it is:

On the surface, it seems like a good goal, right? In the vein of making New Year resolutions, it seems like a pretty good thing to resolve. I'll press re-share! After all, Ephesians 4:29 says let no unwholesome talk come out of our mouths and speak only what builds up. I'm on board with this.



Wait just a second. I'd like to plea for Christians to stop and think for a moment before sharing or posting. Think of what the quote really says when you consider the source. It is actually a chocloate wrapped cockroach. This quote is exactly the kind of subtle lie that satan spoke in the garden.



When we first meet the devil, we are told off the bat that he is the most subtle creature of all. (Genesis 3:1). He is crafty. Shortly after we were introduced to satan, satan became the god of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is actually in charge of the world system (as far as God lets him). Since satan is a liar and the father of lies, (John 8:44), and he is in charge of the world system, then the world system is a lie. (HT to Todd Friel for that syllogism ).



So what could be harmful or deceptive about such a positive statement as quoted above? It goes like this:



Joel Osteen says it is not positive to speak of sin or judgment- so he doesn't. Even though as a preacher he is supposed to give the whole counsel of God, he decided that speaking of the unsavory things in the bible is "not his calling." He would also disagree on marking and avoiding false teachers as Romans 16:17-18 says to do. Osteen starves his followers of the spiritual bread they need by refusing to speak what he defines as negative, and therefore unnecessary, and only speaks what he deems as positive.



In this subtle way, Osteen gets Christians to remain quiet about confronting sin.



Another way the quote is deceptively harmful to our witness is that Osteen is a Word-Faith preacher.

He says that what we proclaim can impact and even create our reality. Osteen really believes that saying positive declarations aloud will make them come true. This is a false doctrine called positive confession.



"Positive confession is the practice of saying aloud what you want to happen with the expectation that God will make it a reality. " (source )



Osteen says negative speech demonstrates that we lack the kind of faith God requires us to show Him if He is going to fulfill the promises He is 'duty bound' to fulfill- but only if we stay positive. However,



"[T] the Bible is very clear that 'negative confession' does not negate God’s blessings. " (source )



So in this vein I disagree with Osteen's statement "If you cannot be positive, then at least be quiet," because I know what he means by it- and it is not biblical. Alternately, if a person chooses to remain quiet according to the bible's definition (and the two are NOT the same) then I agree.

• Ephesians 4:29 says let no unwholesome talk come out of our mouths and speak only what builds up.


• Ecclesiastes 10:12 says words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.


• Colossians 3:8 says But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips,


• Colossians 4:6 says in part, Let your speech be always with grace,

There is no such thing as a good statement from a false teacher. The bible says, "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:17-20.)

(Source )

Even in a case where the statement seems good and wholesome, coming from an evil and devilish source, it means the quote is evil also. It's tainted by its unseen evil agenda. The bible says, “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”(Romans 3:13).



Throat, tongue, lips; you see that no part of where an evil person speaks from is safe from the venom that permeates their speech before it escapes their body.



Because satan is so deceptive, he packages deception in pleasant-looking bundles. In this way, even a "positive" quote is poison.



The bible is full of admonitions regarding a Christian's speech. And, it has the ultimate advantage of being the most impeccable source. There are many good preachers of the past and present to quote, and it is good to do so. However, if you are unsure of a the quoted person's Christian credibility, you can't go wrong quoting the word of God.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Further Reading



Got Questions: Is there power in positive confession?



Al Mohler: ‘Staying in His Lane’ — Joel Osteen’s Gospel of Affirmation Without Salvation

Thought for the morning of Tue December 31, 2013

Verse

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink."

— joh 7:37

Thought

Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of the feast he pleaded with the Jews, even as on this last day of the year he pleads with us, and waits to be gracious to us. Admirable indeed is the longsuffering of the Saviour in bearing with some of us year after year, notwithstanding our provocations, rebellions, and resistance of his Holy Spirit. Wonder of wonders that we are still in the land of mercy!

Pity expressed herself most plainly, for Jesus cried, which implies not only the loudness of his voice, but the tenderness of his tones. He entreats us to be reconciled. "We pray you," says the Apostle, "as though God did beseech you by us." What earnest, pathetic terms are these! How deep must be the love which makes the Lord weep over sinners, and like a mother woo his children to his bosom! Surely at the call of such a cry our willing hearts will come.

Provision is made most plenteously; all is provided that man can need to quench his soul's thirst. To his conscience the atonement brings peace; to his understanding the gospel brings the richest instruction; to his heart the person of Jesus is the noblest object of affection; to the whole man the truth as it is in Jesus supplies the purest nutriment. Thirst is terrible, but Jesus can remove it. Though the soul were utterly famished, Jesus could restore it.

Proclamation is made most freely, that every thirsty one is welcome. No other distinction is made but that of thirst. Whether it be the thirst of avarice, ambition, pleasure, knowledge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The thirst may be bad in itself, and be no sign of grace, but rather a mark of inordinate sin longing to be gratified with deeper draughts of lust; but it is not goodness in the creature which brings him the invitation, the Lord Jesus sends it freely, and without respect of persons.

Personality is declared most fully. The sinner must come to Jesus, not to works, ordinances, or doctrines, but to a personal Redeemer, who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Saviour, is the only star of hope to a sinner. Oh for grace to come now and drink, ere the sun sets upon the year's last day!

No waiting or preparation is so much as hinted at. Drinking represents a reception for which no fitness is required. A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink; and so sinfulness of character is no bar to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We want no golden cup, no bejewelled chalice, in which to convey the water to the thirsty; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down and quaff the flowing flood. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, hear the dear Redeemer's loving voice as he cries to each of us,

"IF ANY MAN THIRST,

LET HIM

COME UNTO ME

AND DRINK."

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/EJMuVCD26To/1231-am.html

Thought for the evening of Tue December 31, 2013

Verse

"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."

— jer 8:20

Thought

Not saved! Dear reader, is this your mournful plight? Warned of the judgment to come, bidden to escape for your life, and yet at this moment not saved! You know the way of salvation, you read it in the Bible, you hear it from the pulpit, it is explained to you by friends, and yet you neglect it, and therefore you are not saved. You will be without excuse when the Lord shall judge the quick and dead. The Holy Spirit has given more or less of blessing upon the word which has been preached in your hearing, and times of refreshing have come from the divine presence, and yet you are without Christ. All these hopeful seasons have come and gone-your summer and your harvest have past-and yet you are not saved. Years have followed one another into eternity, and your last year will soon be here: youth has gone, manhood is going, and yet you are not saved. Let me ask you-will you ever be saved? Is there any likelihood of it? Already the most propitious seasons have left you unsaved; will other occasions alter your condition? Means have failed with you-the best of means, used perseveringly and with the utmost affection-what more can be done for you? Affliction and prosperity have alike failed to impress you; tears and prayers and sermons have been wasted on your barren heart. Are not the probabilities dead against your ever being saved? Is it not more than likely that you will abide as you are till death for ever bars the door of hope? Do you recoil from the supposition? Yet it is a most reasonable one: he who is not washed in so many waters will in all probability go filthy to his end. The convenient time never has come, why should it ever come? It is logical to fear that it never will arrive, and that Felix like, you will find no convenient season till you are in hell. O bethink you of what that hell is, and of the dread probability that you will soon be cast into it!

Reader, suppose you should die unsaved, your doom no words can picture. Write out your dread estate in tears and blood, talk of it with groans and gnashing of teeth: you will be punished with everlasting destruction from the glory of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. A brother's voice would fain startle you into earnestness. O be wise, be wise in time, and ere another year begins, believe in Jesus, who is able to save to the uttermost. Consecrate these last hours to lonely thought, and if deep repentance be bred in you, it will be well; and if it lead to a humble faith in Jesus, it will be best of all. O see to it that this year pass not away, and you an unforgiven spirit. Let not the new year's midnight peals sound upon a joyless spirit! Now, NOW, NOW believe, and live.

"ESCAPE FOR THY LIFE;

LOOK NOT BEHIND THEE,

NEITHER STAY THOU IN ALL THE PLAIN;

ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAIN,

LEST THOU BE CONSUMED."

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-evening/~3/6-5EmAgZTTQ/1231-pm.html

In His Grip

When we cross a busy street with small children in tow, we put out our hand and say, “Hold on tight,” and our little ones grasp our hand as tightly as they can. But we would never depend on their grasp. It is our grip on their hand that holds them and keeps them secure. So Paul insists, “Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). Or more exactly, “Christ has a grip on me!”

via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/QIB0QoZnalQ/

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=Isaiah+43:16,+18-19

3RD PHASE OF FREAKSHOW ARAB MURDERERS SET FREE

FUKUSHIMA CONTINUES TO POISON JAPAN

LIVNI-I WANT A LIBERAL ISRAEL-RELIGOUS POLICE MORE POWERS

Thought for the evening of Mon December 30, 2013

Verse

"Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end?"

— 2sa 2:26

Thought

If, O my reader! thou art merely a professor, and not a possessor of the faith that is in Christ Jesus, the following lines are a true ketch of thine end.

You are a respectable attendant at a place of worship; you go because others go, not because your heart is right with God. This is your beginning. I will suppose that for the next twenty or thirty years you will be spared to go on as you do now, professing religion by an outward attendance upon the means of grace, but having no heart in the matter. Tread softly, for I must show you the deathbed of such a one as yourself. Let us gaze upon him gently. A clammy sweat is on his brow, and he wakes up crying, "O God, it is hard to die. Did you send for my minister?" "Yes, he is coming." The minister comes. "Sir, I fear that I am dying!" "Have you any hope?" "I cannot say that I have. I fear to stand before my God; oh! pray for me." The prayer is offered for him with sincere earnestness, and the way of salvation is for the ten-thousandth time put before him, but before he has grasped the rope, I see him sink. I may put my finger upon those cold eyelids, for they will never see anything here again. But where is the man, and where are the man's true eyes? It is written, "In hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment." Ah! why did he not lift up his eyes before? Because he was so accustomed to hear the gospel that his soul slept under it. Alas! if you should lift up your eyes there, how bitter will be your wailings. Let the Saviour's own words reveal the woe: "Father Abraham, send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." There is a frightful meaning in those words. May you never have to spell it out by the red light of Jehovah's wrath!

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-evening/~3/ezlSNGeBxkA/1230-pm.html

Thought for the morning of Mon December 30, 2013

Verse

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof."

— ec 7:8

Thought

Look at David's Lord and Master; see his beginning. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Would you see the end? He sits at his Father's right hand, expecting until his enemies be made his footstool. "As he is, so are we also in this world." You must bear the cross, or you shall never wear the crown; you must wade through the mire, or you shall never walk the golden pavement. Cheer up, then, poor Christian. "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." See that creeping worm, how contemptible its appearance! It is the beginning of a thing. Mark that insect with gorgeous wings, playing in the sunbeams, sipping at the flower bells, full of happiness and life; that is the end thereof. That caterpillar is yourself, until you are wrapped up in the chrysalis of death; but when Christ shall appear you shall be like him, for you shall see him as he is. Be content to be like him, a worm and no man, that like him you may be satisfied when you wake up in his likeness. That rough-looking diamond is put upon the wheel of the lapidary. He cuts it on all sides. It loses much-much that seemed costly to itself. The king is crowned; the diadem is put upon the monarch's head with trumpet's joyful sound. A glittering ray flashes from that coronet, and it beams from that very diamond which was just now so sorely vexed by the lapidary. You may venture to compare yourself to such a diamond, for you are one of God's people; and this is the time of the cutting process. Let faith and patience have their perfect work, for in the day when the crown shall be set upon the head of the King, Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, one ray of glory shall stream from you. "They shall be mine," saith the Lord, "in the day when I make up my jewels." "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof."

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/Ps0rEqhX4OI/1230-am.html

Mixed Emotions

For Marlene and me, “mixed emotions” precisely describes our wedding. Don’t take that the wrong way. It was a wonderful event that we continue to celebrate more than 35 years later. The wedding celebration, however, was dampened because Marlene’s mom died of cancer just weeks before. Marlene’s aunt was a wonderful stand-in as the “mother of the bride,” but, in the midst of our happiness, something clearly wasn’t right. Mom was missing, and that affected everything.

via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/4yzmiy0z0UM/

John 16:33

““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=John+16:33

US DELUTION OF PEACE JEWISH ISRAEL FOR 67 LINES DEAL

Thought for the evening of Sun December 29, 2013

Verse

"What think ye of Christ?"

— mt 22:42

Thought

The great test of your soul's health is, What think you of Christ? Is he to you "fairer than the children of men"-"the chief among ten thousand"-the "altogether lovely"? Wherever Christ is thus esteemed, all the faculties of the spiritual man exercise themselves with energy. I will judge of your piety by this barometer: does Christ stand high or low with you? If you have thought little of Christ, if you have been content to live without his presence, if you have cared little for his honour, if you have been neglectful of his laws, then I know that your soul is sick-God grant that it may not be sick unto death! But if the first thought of your spirit has been, how can I honour Jesus? If the daily desire of your soul has been, "O that I knew where I might find him!" I tell you that you may have a thousand infirmities, and even scarcely know whether you are a child of God at all, and yet I am persuaded, beyond a doubt, that you are safe, since Jesus is great in your esteem. I care not for thy rags, what thinkest thou of his royal apparel? I care not for thy wounds, though they bleed in torrents, what thinkest thou of his wounds? are they like glittering rubies in thine esteem? I think none the less of thee, though thou liest like Lazarus on the dunghill, and the dogs do lick thee-I judge thee not by thy poverty: what thinkest thou of the King in his beauty? Has he a glorious high throne in thy heart? Wouldest thou set him higher if thou couldest? Wouldest thou be willing to die if thou couldest but add another trumpet to the strain which proclaims his praise? Ah! then it is well with thee. Whatever thou mayest think of thyself, if Christ be great to thee, thou shalt be with him ere long.

"Though all the world my choice deride,

Yet Jesus shall my portion be;

For I am pleased with none beside,

The fairest of the fair is he"

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-evening/~3/AmmZaBqtVEQ/1229-pm.html

Thought for the morning of Sun December 29, 2013

Verse

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."

— 1sa 7:12

Thought

The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto."

But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for-

He who hath helped thee hitherto

Will help thee all thy journey through.

When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye!

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/Bz9pOKHEVKM/1229-am.html

Letter To A Child

Even at the end of his life, C. S. Lewis showed an interest in the spiritual nurture of younger believers. Although in ill health, he took time to respond to the letter of a child named Philip. Complimenting the boy’s fine written expression, Lewis said he was delighted that Philip understood that in the Narnia Chronicles the lion Aslan represented Jesus Christ. The next day, Lewis died at his home in the Kilns, Oxford, England, one week before his 65th birthday.

via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/i6xUFlTmrms/

John 14:1-3

“[Jesus Comforts His Disciples] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=John+14:1-3

KERRY TO ISRAEL-3RD SET OF ARAB MURDERERS TO BE SET FREE

The Guardian Liberty Voice asks the prophetic question: "Could Pope Francis Be a Modern-Day Jesus?"

There is no doubt that Pope Francis is the rock star religious celebrity of the day. His humble attitude, message of tolerance and unity, and his rapport among people have endeared him to millions, despite his tenure has so far lasted less than one year. He was chosen man of the year by Time Magazine. He has an 88% approval rating among US Catholics. Why is he so popular? And why is he being likened to a modern day Jesus?



Catholic Online wondered the same thing about his popularity, and wrote yesterday, "The secret to Pope Francis' fame REVEALED "



They like that he doesn't act like a televangelist, megachurch pastor, or a king (though Pope Francis is a king) by succumbing to the lavish lifestyle so many in his position or level of wealth take as their due.



"He deliberately lives as impoverished a lifestyle as possible, lives in a Vatican guest house, eats with the staff, and mingles with the public far beyond what his security detail thinks prudent. He has expressed, on several occasions, his desire for the Church to be "a poor church, for the poor ."



This is a strange statement coming from a man who accepted the globe's only absolute monarchy worth an estimated 110 billion dollars today (source Time Magazine estimation of the Vatican's worth in 1965, adjusted for 2013 dollars ). I wonder if the Pope would give away 100 billion of the money, keeping "only" 10 bn for expenses? Or alternately, how can a poor church help the poor, if it's poor? So it seems that the people like that Pope Francis pretends to be poor.



"There seems to be no end to the public fascination with Pope Francis. While the Pope is the Vicar of Christ and is expected to serve as God's representative on Earth, complete with splendid regalia, Pope Francis actually walks and talks like a living saint. ... Why does he capture our attention? The ordinary man, the person who has no hope of incredible wealth or power, sees Pope Francis who has all the access, money and power that a man can have, and he watches Francis turn away from it. Pope Francis chooses humble garments, lunch with homeless men and their dog, to ride in the back seat of a compact car, and to make sandwiches for the people who are meant to wait on him. Has the modern world seen a better example of a holy man?



Pope Francis has not turned away from incredible wealth. He is the the only absolute monarch on the planet and sole manager of the largest amassed wealth and treasure on the planet. Turning away from it would mean he declined to be Pope. "I do not seek, nor will I accept..." But no, Pope Francis accepted the papal office and all the wealth, luxury, and power that comes with it.



Anyway, that is a slight bit of background as to this new religious rock star we have on our hands. On to the article that asked if he is a modern-day Jesus, though the previous article asked pretty much the same question already. The people love Pope Francis because he brings a message the lost and carnal world wants to hear. Jesus came to bring a sword, to show the way was narrow and exclusive. To show we are condemned in our sins but He is the Good News. Pope Frances says he brings a white flag of peace, a message of love and unity for all who are all on one broad path, holding hands and singing kumbayah. To the lost, this is a better Jesus.



Pope Francis gave a speech in St. Peter's Basilica balcony the other day. It was his first Christmas message. The article below pounced on the Pope's message of love, tolerance, and unity, digging in like a lion on a wildebeest.



"In a world where many of today’s clergy seek to tear down anyone or religion that doesn’t line up completely with what they believe, the Pope is sweeping through the world like a breath of fresh air. Francis has chosen not to waste time with different persuasions of belief or religions; instead he focuses on what’s most important in the world: a message of love, hope and peace. ... While the fallen nature of mankind loves religion, since it bolsters the ego and boots one’s self esteem, Jesus came to bring the gift of relationship which includes a message of love, hope and peace; much like Pope Francis. " (source )



Oh my.



The false, satirical message "Pope declares all religions are true " that Snopes recently debunked, and the real message Pope Francis has consistently brought so far this year, are hard to tell apart because essentially, the pope does say all religions are true. He even says atheists and unbelievers can get in . "He realizes that atheists and agnostics are people of good intentions and good morals with whom we want to work closely, ” said Martin," explained the culture editor of 'America Magazine.'



BTW, Billy Graham said the same thing. If you have good intentions and good morals and lived a sincere life, you're in. I am not making this up.



Here is the snopes-debunked satirical Pope message :



"...because Muslims, Hindus and African Animists are also made in the very likeness and image of God, to hate them is to hate God! To reject them to is to reject God and the Gospel of Christ. Whether we worship at a church, a synagogue, a mosque or a mandir, it does not matter. Whether we call God, Jesus, Adonai, Allah or Krishna, we all worship the same God of love. This truth is self-evident to all who have love and humility in their hearts! "



It doesn't sound so different from the real pope's message, does it?



Shortly after he took papal office, Pope Francis said that peoples from different faiths are united under God, it sent shock waves throughout the Catholic Church. This is because for two thousand years, the Catholic Church said said anyone who is not a Catholic is anathema (cursed) and is going to hell. Now the RC message -via Pope Francis- has changed. Don't overlook the significance of that.



The bible says that the entire church age will be filled with false teachers and the spirit of antichrists (1 John 2:18) but it will get a lot worse by the end of the end. This following verse could be speaking to all popes from then until now!



"And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" (Mark 7:6-9)



The Pope is a false prophet, having the spirit of antichrist, and with his popularity and his espousing of the prophesied message of peace and ecumenism we know will come to fruition in the Tribulation, he is certainly a good candidate for the Antichrist. He is laying the groundwork anyway.



As the antichrist will be, Pope Francis is also concerned with the economy, with the poor and disenfranchised, and wants to stop their exclusion from the economy and include them. Just a few weeks ago. Daily Kos said "Pope Francis has attacked unfettered capitalism as "a new tyranny", urging global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality in the first major work he has authored alone as pontiff, " calling it "a scathing critique of modern capitalism in an 84-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation, and which amounts to an official platform for his papacy and the Roman Catholic Church."



Pope Francis is setting the platform for all the precepts the antichrist is prophesied to espouse.



We know that in the Tribulation one man will hold sway. It will be his dictates on economy, finance, and religion that will cause the entire world to worship Him and swear allegiance (except for the people who come to faith after the rapture and become martyrs, the Tribulation Saints).



It is a hard thing to see the sweep of popery come across the world with such renewed vigor. It is a worse thing to see popery, Catholicism, and its Roman mysticism intertwine within the precious walls of the Christian evangelical faith, heresies brought in by many, including Beth Moore!



We mourn for Pope Francis in his lost state, and all the Catholics who are also lost. See how Spurgeon puts it. Charles Spurgeon said of popery:



It is the bounden duty of every Christian to pray against Anti-Christ, and as to what Anti-Christ is no sane man ought to raise a question. If it be not Popery in the Church of Rome there is nothing in the world that can be called by that name…because it wounds Christ, because it robs Christ of His Glory, because it puts sacramental efficacy in the place of His atonement, and lifts a piece of bread in the place of the Saviour, and a few drops of water in place of the Holy Ghost, and puts a fallible man like ourselves up as the Vicar of Christ on earth; if we pray against it, because it is against Him, we shall love the persons though we hate their errors; we shall love their souls though we loath and detest their dogmas, and so the breath of our prayers will be sweetened, because we turn our faces towards Christ when we pray. ”



We turn our faces toward the true Christ, His message, and His statutes. He is the One whom all knees will bow, including all kings, sultans...and popes. (Revelation 6:15-17).

Marriage is to be between a man and a woman, yes, even in this day and age

I think Rachel held Evans, the author of a Year of Biblical Womanhood , has revived an essay she wrote, in which my blog essay mentioning her is linked to. In any case, though the blog entry is months old, I am suddenly receiving a LOT of traffic from and to. The subject is homosexuality.



Given the culture war regarding this particular sin, especially the explosive week regarding the Duck Dynasty controversy , and given that there are many eyes reading or re-reading these essays, I'll speak to the subject again.

Homosexuality is the last battleground in a culture that is fighting to live or die. In Romans 1, Paul laid out in the inspired word, a process which a culture undergoes when it is rejecting God. It begins with individual's suppression of the truth in unrighteousness, and continues worse as more and more people in that culture suppress the truth. As they do, God judges them and He judges the society. Eventually, He gives them over to their sin. S. Lewis Johnson said in 2010 ,



"The devolution in human history is reflected in the more recent tendency of society to accept the sin of homosexuality and other sexual deviations as a mere sickness and not as sin. ... This is God’s temporal judgment which is preliminary to His eternal judgment on a rebellious human race. "



It may surprise some to know that God judges people and societies before they die and go to hell. But He does. God ordains "thus sin shall be punished by sin" said Heinrich Meyer . Homosexuality is the final earthly judgment in the process of traveling away from His holiness into carnal rebelliousness. When the verse says "He gave them over," it doesn't mean God threw up His hands saying 'Kids these days!' It means a holy, judicial act has occurred.



"He positively gave men over to the judgment of “more intensified and aggravated cultivation of the lusts of their own hearts with the result that they reap for themselves a correspondingly greater toll of retributive vengeance ." (S. Lewis Johnson & John Murray, Epistle to the Romans)



The passage speaking to this is Romans 1:18-32. It is titled in the ESV, "God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness". Lest you think I am cherry picking, in the NIV the section is titled "God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity." Even the NLT says "God’s Anger at Sin".



It begins this way:



"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." (Romans 1:18)



The wrath of God IS REVEALED. Present tense, and means "uncover, revealing what is hidden". So? Where is all this wrath? Do we see fire and brimstone coming down on San Francisco as it did to Sodom? Do we see lakes of fire opening up under the NYC Gay Pride Parade? His wrath will be that blatant on His Day, AKA the Tribulation period, but it is being revealed now too. It is being revealed every day since the Garden, when man became cursed with a sin-nature.



Think on this, the first thing Jesus did when He went to Jerusalem at the start of his public ministry - His first public act - was to wrathfully overturn the tables of the merchants at the temple, crying out against their defilement of his temple. As John MacArthur said , Jesus didn't send an advance committee and make His statutes sound like harps and flowers. Instead, in wrath He cried out against their defilment of His temple.

Jesus casting out the money changers at the temple - Carl Bloch

Today we don't have a temple, but the temple is our body.



"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19a)



And today the holy wrath against defiling His temple is just as strong!



“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18)



His wrath was revealed in the curse. It was revealed in the Flood. It was revealed in the sacrificial system. It was revealed on the cross. It is revealed as Romans 1 states, when He allows the moral order to collapse.



People today who want to re-define homosexuality as acceptable and gay marriage as normal are usually concerned with two overarching themes. Besides actively participating in the moral collapse of society, one thing they are inordinately concerned with is “love” and the other is “judge.”



Scripture can be used correctly or incorrectly. It is the word of God, breathed from Him to men, inerrant in the original language and profitable for all teaching, correction, and reproof. (2 Timothy 3:16). It is the bread from heaven (John 6:32) and the way we learn about who God is…AND what His standards are. And He’s got standards. We cannot simply clip out of the bible that which displeases us.

Photo by Alexandria Searls, are of the two Bibles from which

Thomas Jefferson clipped text to create

"The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth." Source Jefferson Library

It is up to each Christian to determine if the things they are being taught are based on a correct understanding of scripture, and to “judge” whether a teaching is valid or not valid. In this way, you reader, too, “judge”. (1 John 4:1-3). And I certainly hope you test what I've written against the scriptures in context.



In the bible, God said that He has standards for behavior, morals, language/speech, sexual fidelity, marriage, and etc. He listed specific sins that disqualify one from heaven. He continually reminds us that our default condition as sinner precludes us from heaven. Man tries to writhe out of His standards, but to do so is death to him.



“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)



Helping someone who is knowingly or unknowingly struggling under the false conclusion that they are not sinning is not judging them. It is loving them. There are many lists of sins that He hates, (Proverbs 6:16-19,1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 5:11) and one of them in particular, He used as a benchmark of a society’s collapse. Homosexuality. (Romans 1:28-32). Sin is serious!



Not everyone is qualified for marriage. Not everyone is getting into heaven. Not everyone worships acceptably. For example, it is a sin to come to the Lord's table unrepentant. (1 Corinthians 11:27-2). It is a sin to come to church drunk. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). Not everyone behaves in a way that pleases God. He has standards. Though the bible is the clear and plain outline of what standards will please Him, some fail the standard. Society hates to hear this.

"Heaven visited me" Creative Commons, by Kevin Dooley

Now, in today’s permissive “tolerant” society, people don’t like that Christians hold to the standards God laid out. They do not like it when Christians tell them that some things are forbidden. They call it “hate.” It IS hate to them, they hate to be told they can’t do what their carnal heart desires! People can redefine judging, hate and love all they want, but those redefinitions to suit their carnal desires will not stand on the day they face THE Judge.



“Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.” (Proverbs 2:4-5)



Homosexual marriage is not a marriage, because it is outside God’s law. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Period. (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-5).



Homosexuals have the “right to love” as much as any sinner! They can choose to love Jesus and His statutes. Or they can choose to hate Jesus and His statutes. But they are not qualified for marriage. And they do not have the right to love one another in a sexual way. Sodomy is not “love” - it is hate against God’s statutes and standards. It is loving to tell them so, in order that they may repent.



Do you approve of sex between a 37 year old man and an 8 year old girl? No? Then you are “judging” aren’t you? Do you approve of relations between a 42 year old man and his German Shepherd dog? No? Then you are “judging.” Do you approve of your spouse having sex with another person while you’re married? No? The bible forbids those acts, by the way, just as much as it forbids sexual acts between same sexes.



Yes, I am intolerant, in the way people want to use the word. I am intolerant of sin, my own especially. I’m intolerant of people who try to change God’s laws to suit their own carnal desires. I try to tell them that they are doing a disservice to Jesus and to their own selves, but some won’t listen. Yet I persist because I love them. I love them in the biblical way: because Jesus first loved us, and came to seek and save sinners. Jesus's first ministry words were an order, not an invitation and certainly not harps and flowers. He said,

"Repent and believe." (Mark 1:14-15).

Creative Commons, Art4theGlryOfGod

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



Further Reading, in order:



Rachel Held Evans: If my son or daughter were gay



Dr Joel McDurmon: To Rachel Held Evans, RE: “If my son or daughter were gay… "



Elizabeth Prata: Rachel Held Evans asks "What if my son or daughter were gay..." and gets a response from Dr Joel McDurmon



Rachel Held Evans: Everyone's a biblical literalist until you bring up gluttony



Fred Butler: No sympathy for the fat guy



What letter would you write to a gay son?



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



Other Rachel Held Evans mentions from this blog:



The Feminist Agenda



How the new Christian Feminists are redefining biblical womanhood

Does the United States Support Israel?

via Bible Prophecy Blog http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2013/12/does-united-states-support-israel.html

PHIL ROBERTSONS SUSPENTION OVER-MONEY PREVALES OVER LGBT CHRISTIANOPHOBE

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.



THANK YOU OUR JEWISH GOD AND SAVIOUR KING JESUS FOR LETTING THE 30-40% OF CHRISTIANS TO INFLUENCE A&E AS WELL AS ALL THE CASH THE SHOW GENERATES FOR THEM.AND THIS CLEARLY IS A VICTORY FOR CHRISTIANITY OVER THE SODOMITE RAINBOW GROUPERS AND CHRISTIANOPHOBES JESUS-ISRAEL HATERS.PHIL KEEP QUOTING THE BIBLES TRUTHS TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THEIR SINNING AGAINST JEWISH JESUS AND THE TRINITY IN GENERAL. THANKS PHIL FOR STICKING UP FOR JEWISH GOD KING JESUS AND HIS WORDS THE BIBLE.


GLAAD CAN NOW BE CALLED BACAJ (BIGOTS AGAINST CHRISTIANS AND JEWS).I THINK GLAAD AND THE REST OF THE SODOMITE RAINBOW GROUPERS GROUPS SHOULD BE FORCED TO GO TO RADICAL MUSLIM COUNTRIES AND HAVE THEIR GAY PARADES IN THE OPEN.SEE HOW MANY HEADS WOULD LITERALLY ROLL IN THESE SHARIA ISLAMIC MUSLIM COUNTRIES FOR THE GAYS AND REST OF THAT CROWD WANTING TO HAVE THEIR RIGHTS-LIKE THEIR TRYING SO HARD TO DO IN WESTERN COUNTRIES.

Duck Dynasty': GLAAD responds to Phil Robertson's return

Phil Robertson from the popular series "Duck Dynasty." Robertson was suspended for disparaging comments he made to GQ magazine about gay people but was reinstated by the network on Friday. (Associated Press / May 20, 2013)

by Greg Braxton

December 27, 2013, 7:24 p.m.

GLAAD is not pleased with A&E's decision reversing the suspension of Phil Robertson from "Duck Dynasty." -"Phil Robertson should look African American and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising Jim Crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists," the organization said in a statement. "If dialogue with Phil is not part of next steps then A+E has chosen profits over African American and gay people – especially its employees and viewers."GLAAD was one of the key groups that condemned Robertson after controversial comments he made about gays and blacks in GQ magazine. The group's outrage helped prompt the suspension of Robertson by A&E.A&E announced that they were lifting the suspension, allowing the show to resume filming in the spring with the entire Robertson family.http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-duck-dynasty-glaad-responds-to-phil-robertons-return-20131227,0,1182256.story#ixzz2omBrIPEI

http://israndjer.blogspot.com

via EVENTS IN TIME (BIBLE PROPHECY LITERALLY FULFILLED)(BY GOD) http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2013/12/phil-robertsons-suspention-over-money.html

Thought for the evening of Sat December 28, 2013

Verse

"I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword."

— mt 10:34

Thought

The Christian will be sure to make enemies. It will be one of his objects to make none; but if to do the right, and to believe the true, should cause him to lose every earthly friend, he will count it but a small loss, since his great Friend in heaven will be yet more friendly, and reveal himself to him more graciously than ever. O ye who have taken up his cross, know ye not what your Master said? "I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother; and a man's foes shall be they of his own household." Christ is the great Peacemaker; but before peace, he brings war. Where the light cometh, the darkness must retire. Where truth is, the lie must flee; or, if it abideth, there must be a stern conflict, for the truth cannot and will not lower its standard, and the lie must be trodden under foot. If you follow Christ, you shall have all the dogs of the world yelping at your heels. If you would live so as to stand the test of the last tribunal, depend upon it the world will not speak well of you. He who has the friendship of the world is an enemy to God; but if you are true and faithful to the Most High, men will resent your unflinching fidelity, since it is a testimony against their iniquities. Fearless of all consequences, you must do the right. You will need the courage of a lion unhesitatingly to pursue a course which shall turn your best friend into your fiercest foe; but for the love of Jesus you must thus be courageous. For the truth's sake to hazard reputation and affection, is such a deed that to do it constantly you will need a degree of moral principle which only the Spirit of God can work in you; yet turn not your back like a coward, but play the man. Follow right manfully in your Master's steps, for he has traversed this rough way before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest, than false peace and everlasting torment.

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-evening/~3/73ud4F-KnvY/1228-pm.html

Thought for the morning of Sat December 28, 2013

Verse

"The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God."

— ga 2:20

Thought

When the Lord in mercy passed by and saw us in our blood, he first of all said, "Live"; and this he did first, because life is one of the absolutely essential things in spiritual matters, and until it be bestowed we are incapable of partaking in the things of the kingdom. Now the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having proceeded from it as its firstfruit. It is the neck which joins the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head.

"Oh Faith! thou bond of union with the Lord,

Is not this office thine? and thy fit name,

In the economy of gospel types,

And symbols apposite-the Church's neck;

Identifying her in will and work

With him ascended?"

Faith lays hold upon the Lord Jesus with a firm and determined grasp. She knows his excellence and worth, and no temptation can induce her to repose her trust elsewhere; and Christ Jesus is so delighted with this heavenly grace, that he never ceases to strengthen and sustain her by the loving embrace and all-sufficient support of his eternal arms. Here, then, is established a living, sensible, and delightful union which casts forth streams of love, confidence, sympathy, complacency, and joy, whereof both the bride and bridegroom love to drink. When the soul can evidently perceive this oneness between itself and Christ, the pulse may be felt as beating for both, and the one blood as flowing through the veins of each. Then is the heart as near heaven as it can be on earth, and is prepared for the enjoyment of the most sublime and spiritual kind of fellowship.

Devotional provided by Heartlight^®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.

via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/7KhSprj2xxA/1228-am.html

The Presentation

My wife, Martie, is a great cook. After a long day I often look forward to the smell of spicy aromas that promise a tasty feast. Not only does she know how to prepare a meal, but she is also a master at the presentation. The colors of the food on the plate, beautifully arranged in a harmony of meat, white puffy rice, and vegetables welcome me to pull up my chair and enjoy her handiwork. But the food was not so attractive before she got her hands on it. The meat was raw and squishy, the rice was hard and brittle, and the vegetables needed to be scrubbed and trimmed.

via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/DfZjoQxUln4/

Matthew 11:28

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=Matthew+11:28

US MIGHT FINALLY GIVE ISRAEL POLLARD BACK

Gift of Healing

via Bible Prophecy Blog http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2013/12/gift-of-healing.html

Setting the course for the New Year

I've mentioned before that I lived on a yacht and sailed around for two years. We sailed north. We sailed south. We sailed coastal. We sailed offshore. We sailed fast and we sailed slow. We sailed during the day and we sailed at night.



I remember one night passage in particular. We had been anchored at Nassau's Paradise Island and had upped anchor to scoot to nearby Rose Island. Rose Island is a long, skinny palm tree-lined island with no roads and no houses. A daily excursion boat playing a steel drum version of Yellow Bird arrived every day. We'd hear Yellow Bird coming, we'd hear Yellow Bird staying, we'd hear Yellow Bird going. I liked hearing the distant calypso steel drums, their notes winding around the palm tree leaves before bouncing off to arrive at our swaying boat to serenade us. In between it was quiet. Very quiet.



When we decided to leave, we wanted to head back north to Great Abaco Island. We plotted our trip on the chart. It necessitated scooting around the western tip of Rose island we were anchored behind, turning north, making a deep water passage, and then turning west to get inside the Abaco island chain. There were no navigational aids to mariners. We'd have to sail in between dodgy narrow cliffs with shallow waters dotted with deadly coral heads. Coral is sharp, it could rip a hole in the bottom of your boat faster than a blink.



It's easy to see coral heads if the sun is behind your back, you're wearing polarized sunglasses, and you stand far forward on the bow or even better, higher up if you have a wheelhouse. Unfortunately, this meant that to arrive in time for the sun to be behind our back in order to navigate the coral, we'd have to get there before noon. And that meant sailing overnight to arrive at sunrise.



We left Rose Island at dusk, and as the sun set, turned our vessel toward Great Abaco. Our heading was 0 degrees, due north.

Source

Compass set for 0 degrees captain. Easy enough. The sky darkened, turned blue, then purple, then black. The stars came out. Absent any competing light, they were bright. However, one star stood out. It hung off our left spreader. The spreader is the cross-spar halfway up the mast. Our mast was unusual for a modern boat, it was wooden.

If I pointed the left spreader with the star just at the end of it, I could maintain my true north, 0 degree course. That is because the star was the North Star, and the north star never moves. All the other stars rotate around it, but Polaris never moves.

A long exposure photo of Polaris & neighbouring stars

(exposure time 45 min),taken in Ehrenbürg

(Walberla) in 2001. Source

The North Star is a pole star, and it's called Polaris. There is only one, the North Star. Wiki says , "While other stars' apparent positions in the sky change throughout the night, as they appear to rotate around the celestial poles, pole stars' apparent positions remain virtually fixed. This makes them especially useful in celestial navigation: they are a dependable indicator of the direction toward the respective geographic pole although not exact; they are virtually fixed, and their angle of elevation can also be used to determine latitude. ... The North Star has historically been used for navigation since Late Antiquity, both to find the direction of north and to determine latitude. "



We did not sail by celestial navigation, even though we had a sextant. We didn't have a GPS either but we used the compass and the charts and eyeball and Loran. (Yes, that's how old we are). We loved using the North Star as our navigational aid. It made us feel like sailors of antiquity, brave and adventurous, casting off to parts unknown and getting there using only what was set in the heavens.



Little did I know that in truth, that ten years later I'd come to know the real God who set the stars in the heavens. (Genesis 1:16). Now my adventures are more biblical, casting off for spiritual parts unknown, and following my North Star, who never moves from His position, and is always bright.



My New Year wish for you is that you follow the North Star. Always, always keep your heading to true north. Always check for drift and for undersea hazards that can rip your keel off and sink you in a blink. It is Jesus who never moves, never changes, and all other beings, planets, and stars rotate around HIM. You cannot go wrong with a compass heading as true as that. Follow Him, whether it is night or day, or whether there are rough or smooth waters. Navigate by His brightness, and the course that is set will see you there safely.



"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16)



Happy New Year.

PIRAHAS INJURE 70 IN ARGENTINA-TARGET INCRYPTED PINS STOLEN

Can People Who Have Never Heard of Jesus Be Saved?

Pastors confronted with questions and some dissent over the idea that no one can be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ are reaffirming what they assert is a hard yet clear truth.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/can-people-who-have-never-heard-of-jesus-be-saved-75189/

Crystal Cathedral Considers Relocating to Nearby Catholic Church

Crystal Cathedral's newly minted president said Wednesday that the ministry behind the "Hour of Power" might be moving to a Catholic church in their Orange County, Calif., neighborhood, although probably not for another year and a half.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/crystal-cathedral-considers-relocating-to-nearby-catholic-church-75142/

Pastors to New Believers: You'll Have Doubts About Your Conversion, Word of God

Having doubts about Christianity even after having just made a profession of faith in Jesus is inevitable for new believers, say pastors, including Harvest Ministries founder Greg Laurie.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastors-to-new-believers-youll-have-doubts-about-your-conversion-word-of-god-73751/

Is There a Next Billy Graham?

For at least the last half decade, there’s been speculation as to who could replace the Rev. Billy Graham as the next greatly esteemed and world-renowned leading Christian evangelist. When his 2005 New York crusade was billed as most likely his last, we began wondering if anyone could rise to the task. Or should any individual do so?



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/is-there-a-next-billy-graham-49604/

How Bold Should Christians Be?

A person should ask if, in their personal walk with God, they avoid the Scripture passages that call for radical boldness. If that's the case then the defeat is there before you even hit the streets.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/how-bold-should-christians-be-49601/

Driscoll: Without Jesus, You Go to Hell

In admittedly his most difficult sermon in 15 years of ministry, Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll made it abundantly clear that hell is real and is the destination for those who don't trust in Jesus.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/driscoll-without-jesus-you-go-to-hell-49598/

How to Offer Criticism: Part 1

Before you criticize, be sure you understand the person and perspective with which you are taking issue



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/how-to-offer-criticism-part-1-49577/

Christian TV Network Daystar Makes Staff Cuts amid Sexual Allegations

Daystar Television Network, which is facing two lawsuits by ex-employees, including a sexual harassment case, is downsizing three of its production facilities.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-tv-network-daystar-makes-staff-cuts-amid-sexual-allegations-49567/

Why Is Hell Forever?

Yes, hell is horrifying. God deems it so. Our response to such horror should not be denial, but the fervent evangelism of the nations.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/why-is-hell-forever-49561/

One-Armed Surfing Star Bethany Hamilton on Trusting God

Bethany Hamilton, one of the top female surfers in the world despite having only one arm, proclaims in a new video that God can change tragic events into opportunities to glorify Himself.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/one-armed-surfing-star-bethany-hamilton-on-trusting-god-49552/

4 Reasons Marriages Are Failing, Part One

For some reason is has become taboo (especially in the church) to ask for help in your marriage



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/4-reasons-marriages-are-failing-49548/

The Coming Tsunami

What if somehow you got early intel that the tsunami was going to hit when it did?



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/the-coming-tsunami-49526/

Luis Palau Christian Fest in Arizona Draws 120,000 People

An estimated 120,000 people crowded Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, Ariz., over two days this past weekend to hear evangelist Luis Palau share the gospel and to enjoy live musical performances from top Christian artists such as TobyMac and Skillet.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/luis-palau-christian-fest-in-arizona-draws-120000-people-49512/

Contend to the End

Regardless of what others may say or what seems most culturally acceptable, the gospel remains the power of God to deal with the penalty, power, and eventually presence of sin



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/contend-to-the-end-49511/