Are you playing the hypocrite?

This devotion gem comes from www.christianresearchnetwork.com...

“If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him Life for them that sin not unto death.” 1 John 5:16

If we are not heedful of the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other folks are failing, and we turn our discernment into the gibe of criticism instead of into intercession on their behalf. The revelation is made to us not through the acuteness of our minds, but by the direct penetration of the Spirit of God, and if we are not heedful of the source of the revelation, we will become criticizing centres and forget that God says - “. . . he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.” Take care lest you play the hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right before you worship God yourself.

One of the subtlest burdens God ever puts on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning other souls. He reveals things in order that we may take the burden of these souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them, and as we intercede on His line, God says He will give us “life for them that sin not unto death.” It is not that we bring God into touch with our minds, but that we rouse ourselves until God is able to convey His mind to us about the one for whom we intercede.

Is Jesus Christ seeing of the travail of His soul in us? He cannot unless we are so identified with Himself that we are roused up to get His view about the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so whole-heartedly that Jesus Christ will be abundantly satisfied with us as intercessors. (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, 65)

Humility and Prayer

I recently started a part time position at a major retail chain. After my first week, I was grumbling and complaining to myself over this part time position. How soon I forgot...I must go where the Lord places me. In shame, I asked for forgiveness. I all too frequently forget that I am a servant of the Most High God; He places me where He wills. The Spirit of God convicted and brought me down to where I needed to be so I could seek Him. May the God of Grace grant me a heart to understand the importance of humility; may I seek His face and cry out to Him continually. Without humility, how will I obey, or serve, or glorify the God who gave himself for me?
My experience has caused me to reflect upon these words from E.M. Bounds...

"Happy are they who have no righteousness of their own to plead and no goodness of their own of which to boast. Humility flourishes in the soil of a true and deep sense of our sinfulness and our nothingness. Nowhere does humility grow so rankly and so rapidly and shine so brilliantly, as when it feels all guilty, confesses all sin, and trusts all grace. "I the chief of sinners am, but Jesus died for me". That is praying ground, the ground of humility, low down, far away seemingly; but in reality brought nigh by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God dwells in the lowly places. He makes such lowly places really the high places to the praying soul.
Let the world their virtue boast
their works of righteousness
I, a wretch undone and lost
am freely saved by grace

Other title I disclaim
this, only this is all my plea
I, the chief of sinners am
but Jesus died for me

E.M. Bounds 'Prayer and Humility'

The Lost Doctrine - - Paul Washer

Voddie Baucham Supremacy of Christ

Lord, Lord? I Never Knew You -- Paul Washer

The Gospel

This is the gospel of Jesus Christ: Salvation is by sola fide--through faith alone; sola gratia--by grace alone; solus Christus--in Christ alone; sola scriptura--according to the Word alone; soli Deo gloria--to the glory of God alone (Rom. 3:21-26; Rom. 10:9-10; Luke 24:46-49). The gospel is good news! Jesus Christ being fully God came to earth, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, fulfilled the law and all righteousness, went to the cross as our divine substitute, satisfied the holiness and justice of God through His once for all sacrifice for our sins, took on Himself the guilt, penalty, and wrath of God that burns against us, was buried and rose bodily three days later from the grave; and that by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone we have eternal life--for we are clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, and have peace with God forever. This is the narrow way that leads to eternal life--that is the good news of the gospel. Anything less, no matter how sincere, is just a cheap watered down substitute. When the souls of people are at stake, may we not speak with timidity, uncertainty, or unbiblically. But let us speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:11-16); always ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15-16).


originally posted at Steve Camp's blog

When the Entertainment God Comes to Church - Don Currin

I have personally witnessed the lure of deception that Contemporary Christian music produces. After a brief stint volunteering at a CCM radio station in my area, I realized just how powerful this deception is. People would e-mail, or call, saying how 'such and such' a song made them 'feel good'. No one wants to hear how they must suffer for Christ, or how they must go through trials and tribulations for the sake of growth and maturity. They want to hear a song that sings about a Jesus that will just make it all better.
I have found an article by Pastor Don Currin on this very topic that I want to share with you...

With the increased temptation to lower God’s standard in music, let us wage war against the God of this age who would seek to bring contempt upon the Lord’s song. Let us resolve to guard the sacredness of that holy song by protecting our worship services from music that appeals to the flesh and “serves and worships the creature” more than the Creator. Let us strive to preserve the sacredness of the Lord’s song that Christ may receive the preeminence that He rightly deserves.

Continue reading here...

Pleasant are thy courts above

My morning scripture reading was focused on Psalm 84:10, 'For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness'
I went to www.blueletterbible.org for a deeper look into this passage, and I discovered a wonderful hymn by Henry Francis Lyte that compliments this passage. I hope it blesses your spirit as it has mine!



Pleasant are Thy courts above,
In the land of light and love;
Pleasant are Thy courts below
In this land of sin and woe;
O, my spirit longs and faints
For the converse of Thy saints,
For the brightness of Thy face,
For Thy fullness, God of grace.

Happy birds that sing and fly
Round Thy altars, O most High;
Happier souls that find a rest
In a heavenly Father’s breast;
Like the wandering dove that found
No repose on earth around,
They can to their ark repair,
And enjoy it ever there.

Happy souls, their praises flow
Even in this vale of woe;
Waters in the desert rise,
Manna feeds them from the skies;
On they go from strength to strength,
Till they reach Thy throne at length,
At Thy feet adoring fall,
Who hast led them safe through all.

Lord, be mine this prize to win,
Guide me through a world of sin,
Keep me by Thy saving grace,
Give me at Thy side a place;
Sun and shield alike Thou art,
Guide and guard my erring heart.
Grace and glory flow from Thee;
Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me.

I Desire Mercy!

“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” Hosea 6:6
This is a passage that is given little attention; it needs to be pulled out and dusted off. There are those who offer up a worship that is collective. They are a people who, as a group, go through a process of worship, a set standard to follow…i.e. prayers read from a book rather than poured out individually from the heart. They rise and sit at the command of the priest, pastor, preacher, etc. They aren’t prompted by the Spirit of God to do so, they do it because it’s part of their liturgical worship.This liturgical style of worship is gaining momentum in various denominations. We should have orderly worship, indeed; but NOT mechanical, cookie cutter worship.
Under the old covenant, the priest would offer the burnt offering on the altar for the sins of the people. They dare not go themselves before the Lord, this was not acceptable. There are those in our day who lay their sins before a priest, they do not go before the Lord and confess. They are given a process, or procedure to follow to ‘atone’ for their sins. However, the sinless Lamb of God has been sacrificed, the veil torn, and access to the heavenly throne as well as forgiveness is available through Christ alone.
In Hosea we see what God delights in…mercy! The Hebrew meaning for mercy is ‘goodness, kindness, faithfulness’. The desire of Almighty God is that His people are faithful to Him {and that they be kind and gentle to all}. This is a plea for desired intimacy with each of us! The Bridegroom is calling for His bride to be loyal to Him alone, our hearts are to be in total devotion to Him. We are loyal to our husbands, or wives; we understand a relationship consists of two people, who, through commitment, love and faithfulness, become as one. This is exactly what Christ desires, He and I, one on one, united in heart, mind and soul, all by the Spirit and power of God.
Another example of collective, or liturgical worship is the fasting many do for lent. Lent is considered a time of penance and discipline; however, NOWHERE in scripture are we commanded to do this! This is a tradition added by men based on the Lord’s 40 days in the wilderness. It brings to mind the old testament practices of the Jews putting ashes on their head and dressing in sackcloth…this was an expression of repentance. Repentance is God - given, it cannot be worked by man {2nd Timothy 2:25}.
God must break us over our sins; an outward work will not crush the heart and bring about godly sorrow which leads to repentance {Corinthians 7:9-10}. This is part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit; true sorrow for sin is not possible through an ash cross on the forehead or fasting. The price for sin was paid once for all; now all that is needed for those who are born of God is a daily foot washing.
For those who desire personal fasting, this is spiritually rewarding if done individually for the purpose of spiritual gain. When asked ‘why fast?’ most cannot even tell you the purpose of it. They get a sense of feeling religious, a superficial closeness to God from this, but it really serves no purpose if done only to follow ‘tradition’. My point is this, worshiping God and following the Lamb is ‘one on one’. Those who follow traditions, rituals and the like miss the mark entirely. The blessing of intimacy with Christ comes by desiring Him. This cannot be taught or experienced through liturgical practices. It is only attainable by being broken over sin, crying out for mercy and forgiveness, and being born from above. Only God can save a lost sinner, He does so by His grace.
God desires personal intimacy with each, that is why He desires ‘the knowledge of God’…He delights in hearts that hunger for Him. He desires for His people to cry out for His wisdom with the passion that we’d have if we’d just fallen in love and desperately wanted to know everything about our man/woman. Our souls should pant and thirst for the knowledge of God…this is what He’s seeking in us. How can we have intimacy with Christ if we refuse to know Him? How can we love and be faithful to a God we do not understand? Study the attributes of God! His holiness, His faithfulness, His righteousness, etc...
God does not desire a mechanical type of worship of Him, or a knowledge of Him based solely on what someone else has taught you. The Lord wants your heart, mind and soul to delight in Him; in the knowledge, wisdom, and insight He gives in His word. Listen to Psalm 42:1, ‘As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God’. He will send ‘droughts’ in our lives to cause us to thirst for Him.
The outward practice of religion could NEVER take the place of the inward longing the born from above soul has for his/her Blessed Savior!

'The Religion of Rome'

"The superstition of Rome is the worst of all the evils which have befallen our race; may the Lord arise, and sweep it down to the hell from whence it arose."---C.H. Spurgeon...from 'The Religion of Rome' available to read here....

Many of you are familiar with Grace Gems; this was in my inbox yesterday. It is one of those 'must share' inspired writings...from C.H. Spurgeon

Such likeness between men and swine!

(Sword and Trowel)

Rowland Hill illustrated the folly of sinners, by the story of a butcher who was followed by the swine right into the slaughterhouse. As pigs are not usually in the mind to go where they are wanted, it seemed a mystery how these animals were so eager to follow their executioner; but when it was seen that he wisely carried a bag of corn with which he enticed the creatures onward--the riddle was solved at once. Unsuspicious of impending death--the hogs cared only for the passing gratification of their appetites, and hastened to the slaughter.

Just in the same manner, ungodly men follow the great enemy of souls down into the jaws of hell, merely because their depraved passions are pleased with the lusts of the flesh and the pleasures of sin which the devil gives them by handfuls on the road. Alas, that there should be such likeness between men and swine!

The joys of sin are so short and so unsatisfactory, that they can never be thought of for a moment--as a fitting inducement for a rational being to lose his immortal soul. Will a few hours' foolery, gambling, drinking, or immorality -- compensate for eternal fire? Is the momentary indulgence of a base passion, worth . . .
enduring of flames which never can be quenched,
eternally moaning in vain for a drop of water,
being tormented by the never dying worm,
being shut out from heaven forever,
being eternally cursed by God!

Is any sin worth all this? Can any gain make up for this?

O you who delight in the poisonous sweets of sin--remember that though pleasant in the mouth for the moment--sin will be as wormwood and gall in your belly forever! Why will you swallow the bait--when you know that the hook is there? Why will you be lured by the Satanic fowler? Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird; but you are more foolish than the birds--and fly into the snare when you know it to be there! O that you were wise, and would consider your latter end. Let that one word "Eternity!" ring in your ears, and drive out the giddy laughter of worldlings, who prefer the present sensual joys.

Powerful Preaching...God's way

This is what a man who fears God preaches like...

The failing economy

It is clear, the economy is collapsing. The unemployment rate keeps climbing; no matter what our Government tries, it just makes matters worse--- case in point, the AIG mess.
But, what about the true church? Where is our focus this hour? This downward spiral may very well be for our own good. E.M. Bounds {the civil war era preacher} says this, "It is so easy to lean on human agencies and cease praying and relying upon God when material prosperity comes to the church. It is all too true as to the church that we are much further advanced in material matters than in matters spiritual."
How many of us fall before the Lord of all creation and cry out for nothing more except more of Him? How many of us desire to have the worldly ties totally severed? How many say, 'O Lord, untether my heart from this world?
I am guilty of the sin of self-reliance. So, our gracious God has lovingly chastised me of my wrongdoing. It is easy to fall prey to the enemy when our prayers are choppy, repetitious, sporadic, hurried and without feeling. By removing 'things' from me, God has emptied my heart of 'excess clutter'. This makes room for the One who has rightful possession to the throne room of my heart. The Lord has also shown me my reliance is not on self, but totally on Him. Everything I need comes from Him. My sin of 'self' has been exposed! The collapsing economy is the reason I am without a job at the present moment; but, it also is the reason I see who my true Provider is...Almighty God!
This tailspin has also caused me to cry out to Him for more intimacy and insight. He has strengthened me because of this. My prayers are so much more intense; I pray- listen- cry out- praise- rejoice...sometimes it's emotionally draining; yet, so spiritually rewarding.
The time is growing short, Christ will soon return. This isn't the time to hold dearly to earthly treasures or cling to this life. Remember Lot's wife! Her attachment to this world cost her dearly. That is why we must cry out to Him who searches hearts and minds...'Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.'

Roman Catholicism vs. the Gospel - Ken Silva

Pastor Ken Silva defends the Gospel against the heresy of the RCC doctrine

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (Corinthians 15:1-4)

Summary: Verses One And Two

In the first two verses Paul tells the church in Corinth that he will remind them of the gospel I preached to you. The Greek here gives the picture — “I would have you know.” As in “this is a very important matter this” gospel I preached to you. In other words, this was not just a friendly reminder, but a short exposition of the Gospel preached by the Apostles of Jesus.

He was telling them that this gospel was absolutely not to be taken lightly, for it is the very heart of Christianity. The Apostle wanted to make sure they understood that only by this gospel you are saved; as it is possible—no matter how strongly or sincerely—for one to believe in vain. Paul clearly elaborated further on this in Galatians 1:6-9.

Summary: Verses Three And Four can be read here...

Jesus Died - Paul Washer

This is posted on bloodtippedears...

A Prayer

INFINITE and eternal Majesty! Author and Fountain of being and blessedness! How little do we poor sinful creatures know of you, or the way to serve and please you! We talk of religion and pretend unto it, but, alas! How few are there that know and consider what it means! How easily do we mistake the affections of our nature and issues of self-love for those divine graces which alone can render us acceptable in your sight! It may rightly grieve me to consider that I should have wandered so long and contented myself so often with vain shadows and false images of piety and religion. Yet, I can­not but acknowledge and adore your goodness, who hast been pleased in some measure to open my eyes and let me see what it is at which I ought to aim. I rejoice to consider what mighty improvements of which my nature is capable and what a divine temper of spirit does shine in those whom you are pleased to choose and cause to approach you. Blessed be your infinite mercy, which sent your own Son to dwell among men and instruct them by his example as well as his laws, giving them a perfect pattern of what they ought to be. O that the holy life of the blessed Jesus may be always in my thoughts and before my eyes, till I receive a deep sense and impression of those excel­lent graces that shined so eminently in him! And let me never cease my endeavors, until that new and divine nature prevail in my soul and Christ be formed within me.

by Henry Scougal

Are you Ready?

this comes from http://slaughteringthesheep.wordpress.com/

Oh that Christ may be my All in All

Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow
That a time could ever be
When I let the Saviour's pity
Plead in vain, and proudly answered:
"All of self, and none of Thee."

Yet He found me: I beheld Him
Bleeding on the accursed tree;
Heard Him pray, "Forgive them, Father,"
And my wistful heart said faintly:
"Some of self and some of Thee."

Day by day, His tender mercy,
Healing, helping, full and free,
Sweet and strong, and oh, so patient,
Brought me lower, while I whispered:
"Less of self and more of Thee."

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
Grant me now my soul's desire,
"None of self and all of Thee."

from 'David Brainerd, afame for God'

A Heart for God

"I am in one continued, perpetual, and uninterrupted hurry; and Divine Providence throws so much upon me that I do not see it will ever be otherwise. May I “obtain mercy of God to be faithful to the death!” I cannot say I am weary of my hurry; I only want strength and grace to do more for God than I have ever yet done.

My dear brother; The Lord of heaven, that has carried me through many trials, bless you; bless you for time, and eternity; and fit you to do service for him in his church below, and to enjoy his blissful presence in his church triumphant. My brother; “the time is short:” oh let us fill it up for God; let us “count the sufferings of this present time” as nothing, if we can but “run our race, and finish our course with joy.” Oh, let us strive to live to God. I bless the Lord, I have nothing to do with earth, but only to labour honestly in it for God, till I shall “accomplish as an hireling my day.” I think I do not desire to live one minute for any thing that earth can afford. Oh, that I could live for none but God, till my dying moment!"

A letter penned by David Brainerd to his brother John from December 28, 1745

The Secret of a Successful Ministry

James Caughey

Written by David Smithers




J. A. Stewart has rightly said, "Apart from the mighty enduement of the Spirit of Pentecost, all our Gospel services will be in vain. The natural, unregenerate man cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit. His darkened mind can only be enlightened by the divine intervention of God, the Holy Ghost. He cannot be argued, fascinated, bullied or enthused into accepting Christ as Savior. It is not enough that we clearly expound the Gospel. It must be given in the demonstration and power of the Spirit and then applied by Him." It was this burning revelation that radically transformed the ministry of a young Methodist preacher by the name of James Caughey.

However, Mr. Caughey had already begun to embrace his own desperate need for a genuine upper room experience. He resolved to fully yield and entrust his ministry to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. Burdened and burning with conviction, James Caughey vowed to God to always submit to the following points;

"(1) The absolute necessity of the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost to impart power, efficacy, and success to a preached Gospel.

(2) The absolute necessity of praying more frequently, more fervently, more perseveringly, and more believingly for the aid of the Holy Spirit in my ministry.

(3) That my labors will be powerless, and comfortless, and valueless, without this aid; a cloud without water, a tree without fruit, dead and rootless; a sound uncertain, unctionless and meaningless; such will be the character of my ministry. It is the Spirit of God alone which imparts significance and power to the Word preached, without which, as one has expressed it, all the threatenings of the Bible will be no more than thunder to the deaf or lightning to the blind. A seal requires weight, a hand upon it in order to make an impression. The soul of the penitent sinner is the wax; Gospel truth is the seal, but without the Almighty hand of the Holy Ghost, that seal is powerless . . .

(4) No man has ever been significantly useful in winning souls to Christ without the help of the Spirit. With it the humblest talent may astonish earth and hell, by gathering into the path of life thousands for the skies, while without the Spirit, the finest and most splendid talents remain comparatively useless . . .

read on here........

Roman Catholic Apologists and Scripture

From Christian apologist Dr. James White

Rescuing Souls

Rescuing Precious Souls from the Bondage of Religion

by Mike Gendron

We can be wrong about a lot of things in this life and still survive, but if we are wrong about the only way to obtain forgiveness from God, we will pay for that fatal mistake throughout all eternity. Our Creator provides only one way to redeem man from sin and He has revealed it in a divinely inspired message to mankind. However, it didn't take long for God's complete and perfect Gospel message to be corrupted by religious leaders. These men, who say they speak for God, have distorted and perverted this good news of God's mercy and grace. Their unstated goal has been to control people by keeping them in legalistic bondage to their authority. The Lord Jesus revealed the only way of escape from this bondage. He said: "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).

Read Mike's article here....

Deicide! {the killing of God}

(Arthur Pink, "Beholding the Crucified Christ")

"They kept shouting--Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Luke 23:21

The Word of Truth declares that "the carnal mind is enmity against God" (Romans 8:7). Men do not believe it--in fact most of them pretend the very opposite. Nevertheless, at Calvary--they gave proof of their hatred of God.

Not only was Christ unwelcome here--but men hated Him--and that "without a cause" (John 15:25). He gave them every reason to admire and adore Him--but they had an inveterate detestation of Him!

Multitudes go through the form of paying homage to God--but it is a "god" of their own imagination. They hate the true and living God, and were it possible--they would rid the universe of His existence! This is clear from their treatment of Christ, for He was none other than "God manifest in flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). They hated and hounded Him to death--and nothing short of His cruel death by crucifixion would appease them!

Here at Calvary the real character of man was revealed, and the desperate wickedness of his heart was laid bare. There it was shown, that man was capable of the blackest of all crimes!

As evil as man had shown himself all through his history--the coming of Immanuel to this earth brought sin to such a head--that all that which had gone before, was relatively but a trifling thing--when compared with the monstrous wickedness which was done against Love incarnate! In the treatment which the Son of God received at the hands of men--we see sin in its true colors, stripped of a disguise, exposed in its hideous reality; revealed in its true nature as contempt of God, and rebellion against Him. Here at Calvary we behold the climax of sin--and the fearful and horrible lengths to which sin is capable of going! That sin which germinated in Eden--culminated in the crucifixion! Here at Calvary, we see sin at it's apex--Deicide--in the slaying of the Lord of Glory!

"They kept shouting--Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Luke 23:21


From Grace Gems

Our God is simply amazing!

I read this over at www.bloodtippedears.blogspot.com, and just had to share it. Please take the time to read this amazing story...

Run In With Robbers - Part ll

from openlife
- By Michael Spotts

Some of my readers should recall last year, when I was attacked and robbed while riding a bicycle home from work. The astounding details of that incident are recorded in the post for July 7th, 2008, Run in With Robbers - Part I, but the gist of it was that I chose not to react violently because of my religious beliefs. Instead I prayed, gave them my knife and offered my possessions willingly and calmly in return for an opportunity to tell them the good news of Jesus. Rather than listen, the thieves ran off with nothing but an .mp3 player loaded with an audio bible and some gospel sermons. Afterward multiple police told me I should have attacked since it was not likely the men were armed. I held, however, to my belief that I was directed by God to refrain. I have wondered since then what I might do in a future similar circumstance.

Now, jump eight months forward to March 11, 2009.

Just after 2:00 PM I was riding my bicycle through the same infamous stretch of the Lowe's parking lot where I was mugged. During the daytime this is usually a busy area but at present I was alone, at least until a red Mustang sidled up and slowed to my pace. The driver was a unfamiliar Hispanic man, perhaps twenty-one years old, and he leaned over and pointed something at me. In his hand was a green iPod mini and some earphones. Sometimes people try to sell stolen items on the street, but an immediate thought which occurred to me was, 'don't stop pedaling, you might be getting set up again.'

He waved the item at me again and said, "Don't you remember me? I stole your .mp3 player last year." Instantly I clutched the brakes. My friend Erin was on the phone with me so I told her to pray and hung up. An enormous grin crossed my face as he stopped his car. Lord, thank you.

Again he expressed desire to give me the .mp3 player. "It's fine, man, I don't need it. I have another."

"But I want to do something for you... can I give you my number? I'll go to church with you... what can I do?"

I told the young man all I wanted was for him to go home and read the whole New Testament, and see for himself the Son of God who had transformed me from a worse criminal into someone capable of loving his enemies. As if to show his improvement without religion, he explained how he had cleaned up since the night when he mugged me. Apparently that event signaled the beginning of a realization he had about the foolishness of his life. Two weeks after, he totaled his car. Perhaps confronted with the thought of death, he resolved to live differently from then on.

Over the next eight months he walked out of drugs and crime, and into a regular forty-hour job. "Now I need to be a man and earn a living. I can't be a fool anymore. I need to do good to people." He confronted his friends and convinced one of the attackers to straighten up. Now that man is apparently living in another city pursuing a decent life as well. With sober pride he even confessed his acceptance by a semi-pro baseball league in Mexico which he will be joining soon. "I was raised Roman Catholic, but I'm not sure about religion. Now I'm trying to find my own path, to be a good person."

"You can't take credit for that," I retorted, shaking my head. "For weeks after, hundreds of people were praying for you, from my church and around the country through my website." With manifest care, I added, "You'll be the best person in hell, friend, if you trust in anything but the perfect sacrifice of Christ for your standing before God. " I pointed to the drink in his cup-holder. "Does that taste good?" He nodded and smiled, "Sprite? Yeah, Sprite is good."

"But," I went on, "what if you opened the lid and saw black filth inside, all around the walls of the cup? You'd be disgusted and throw it out the window. Your deeds may be outwardly good but God sees your motives. The greatest commandment is not to love others, but to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Every thought, action, intention, is supposed to be for Him. Instead of using your muscles to rob people, you ought to be using them to help others for God's sake. Even a dog licks the hand of the one who feeds it, but how thankless towards God are you? If your ultimate reason for doing good things is not to glorify God first, but to magnify your self-worth, or elevate others, or shut your conscience up, then God sees it all as filthy rags. That's what Isaiah said."

This whole while he listened intently.

"It's a matter of values. If you saw someone kick a dog, you might not think twice. But if you saw someone kick an infant you would be enraged. That's because infants are more valuable to you than animals. But to God, every sin that a man commits is against the Lord, Himself. He takes it personally. Psalm 5:5 says, "The foolish shall not stand in God's sight: the Lord hates all workers of iniquity." After David committed murder and adultery, he said, "Against God alone have I sinned." The Bible says that only perfect people will be acquitted at God's judgment. And since God is infinitely valuable, His punishment upon offenders will go on infinitely. It's justice."

"But that's where Jesus comes in. From before time, God foresaw selfish, wicked, God-hating people like you and me and determined to save them by His grace. The Bible says, "Christ died for the ungodly," not those whom He foresaw doing good works to earn salvation. He wanted to magnify His kindness and generosity to undeserving sinners. So Jesus came and fulfilled the moral laws of God; he lived the way you and I should have. And then He suffered God's wrath as a substitute on the cross. He took the whole penalty in his soul and became accursed for others. He bore all the sins of everyone who would believe on Him, so that anyone who will believe can have faith that since Christ, the infinite Son of God, bore their entire judgment, they will receive His righteousness credited to them. It's a transfer: God looks at Jesus suffering to death and sees you; God looks at you and sees Jesus obeying throughout His life."

"God doesn't want you to try to earn anything. That takes away from His glory. It makes salvation a wage that you earned, instead of a gift to be received. He doesn't even want you to have faith in your faith. He wants you to turn from doing everything He hates, just to please Him, and to rely on Jesus' life and death to be good enough to satisfy the Father's justice. Rely on the resurrection as proof that Jesus was accepted by the Father."

"Anyways," I concluded, "I don't mean to overwhelm you."

"It's cool," he laughed, extending his hand. I gripped it and smiled once more.

"I just want to see you in heaven, and I want you to trust Jesus instead of your actions. Do good because it's right, but not in order to be right with God. When you believe, you're born again and obedience and good works come supernaturally by His Spirit."

"I've done a lot of bad stuff, man... that night we had a gun, we wouldn't have hesitated to shoot you."

"It doesn't matter. Christ bore all for all who believe on Him. He changed me. All I feel for you is love, bro. God bless you."

We shook hands again and he drove out. "Lord, thank You!" I shouted. Oh, how the Lord is good to such an undeserving sinner as me.

In consideration of the gun, I now realize more fully how close to the threshold of eternity I was! But really, am I further now? This life is a vapor that vanishes away.

Please pray for this man. He is near to the Kingdom of God.

Following Christ

This message is 45 minutes long, well worth the time to listen!

Mighty Thunder

"When God spoke out of heaven to our Lord, self-centered men who heard it explained it by natural causes: they said, `It thundered.' This habit of explaining the Voice by appeals to natural law is at the very root of modern science. In the living breathing cosmos there is a mysterious Something, too wonderful, too awful [i.e. `awesome'] for any mind to understand. The believing man does not claim to understand. He falls to his knees and whispers, `God.' The man of earth kneels also, but not to worship. He kneels to examine, to search, to find the cause and the how of things. Just now we happen to be living in a secular age. Our thought habits are those of the scientist, not those of the worshipper. We are more likely to explain than to adore. `It thundered,' we exclaim, and go our earthly way. But still the Voice sounds and searches. The order and life of the world depend upon that Voice, but men are mostly too busy or too stubborn to give attention."

A.W. Tozer- 'The Pursuit of God'

Fervency in Prayer

by E.M. Bounds

God wants warmhearted servants. The Holy Spirit comes as a fire, to dwell in us; we are to be baptized, with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Fervency is warmth of soul. A phlegmatic temperament is abhorrent to vital experience. If our religion does not set us on fire, it is because we have frozen hearts. God dwells in a flame; the Holy Spirit descends in fire. To be absorbed in God's will is to be so greatly in earnest about doing it that our whole being takes fire, as the qualifying condition of the man who would engage in effectual prayer. Our Lord warns us against feeble praying. "Men ought always to pray," he said and not to faint." That means that we are to possess sufficient fervency to carry us through the severe and long periods of pleading prayer. Fire makes one alert and vigilant, and brings him off, more than conqueror. The atmosphere here about us is too heavily charged with resisting forces for limp or languid prayers to make headway. It takes heat, and fervency and meteoric fire, to push through, to the upper heavens, where God dwells with his saints, in light.

from 'Power through Prayer'

forsaking sin

"Sin is naturally exceeding dear to us; to part with it is compared to plucking out our right eyes. Men may refrain from wonted ways of sin for a little while, and may deny their lusts in a partial degree, with less difficulty; but it is heart-rending work, finally to part with all sin, and to give our dearest lusts a bill of divorce, utterly to send them away. But this we must do, if we would follow those that are truly turning to God: yea, we must not only forsake sin, but must, in a sense, forsake all the world, Luke xiv.33 'Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.'"


Jonathan Edwards

Two Cures for Lukewarmness

By C.H. Spurgeon

It seems to me that my text (Rev. 3:17,18) accounts for the lukewarmness of the Laodiceans. They were lukewarm because they imagined themselves rich when they were poor. Two conditions will help us to escape lukewarmness. The one is to be really rich in grace; for they that have much grace will not be lukewarm. Grace is as a fire in the soul, and he that hath much of it, so as to become an advanced Christian, cannot but have a heart boiling with earnestness. The other way is to have but little grace, but to be painfully aware of it, to be deeply conscious of soul-poverty, to sigh and cry because you are not what you should be. There is no lukewarmness in a strong desire caused by a bitter sense of need. The poor man, poor in spirit, conscious of his imperfections and failures, is never a lukewarm man, but with sighs and cries coming out of a heart that is all on fire with a desire to escape out of such a sad condition, he besieges the throne of God that he may obtain more grace. These Laodicean people were unhappily in such a state that you could not get at them. They were not so poor that they knew they were poor, and therefore when the poverty-stricken were addressed, they said, " These things are not for us: we are increased in goods." They were blind, but they thought they saw; they were naked, and yet they prided themselves in their princely apparel, and hence it was hard to reach them. Had they even been outwardly worse, had they openly sinned, had they defiled their garments with overt transgression, then the Spirit might have pointed out the blot and convicted them there and then but what was to be done when the mischief was hidden and internal? Had they been utterly cold and frost-bitten, then he might have thawed them into living warmth; but such was their puffed-up notion of themselves that one could not convince them of sin, or awaken them to any sense of fear, and it seemed likely that after all the Lord must needs spue them out of his mouth as things he could not endure. How far this may be true of any one of us may God of his infinite mercy help us to judge each one for himself.

[From sermon 1,677 MTP vol 28]

http://www.puritansermons.com/

On Fire for Jesus!

Written by Joe Brice

The thought of flaming enthusiasm in religion arouses distrust in the modern mind as in the ancient. Enthusiasm is permitted in any other pursuit; in religion it is regarded as bad form. Enthusiasts in piety are either despised as unintelligent zealots, or tolerated as well-meaning fanatics. Reserve is the rule in religion; and there are established conventions settling what is proper and "what isn't done." And yet, New Testament Christianity is holy fire, having little in common with the decorum and ritualism which often beggars the name today. The essential faith of the Pentecostal Church was a heart on fire with devotion to God and enthusiasm for His purposes in the world. It was this flame of sacred love, which distinguished the early Christian and was the secret of his success. The spread of the Faith in its earliest days, as Carlyle has shown us, had little or nothing to do with external organization.-"How did Christianity arise and spread among men? Was it by institutions, and establishments, and mechanical systems? No! It arose in the mystic deeps of a man's soul, and was spread by simple, altogether natural, and individual efforts. It flew like hallowed fire from heart to heart till all were purified and illumined by it." "Men ablaze are invincible. Hell trembles when men kindle." The company gathered in the Upper Room represented the most rigid religion in the world, and some of them belonged to its straightest sect. They were strict formalists; and never was formalism so frigid, never so icy as in the Judaism of their day. Jesus had loosened some of their fetters, but the prejudices and habits of years are not easily cast off. Then a sound from heaven like the rush of a gale - the sudden appearance of light, like tongues of flame and in a moment that company was transfigured by the sacred fire. We know the result. Enthused by it, those men and women ultimately turned their world upside down. My old chief, Samuel Chadwick often said, "Men ablaze are invincible. Hell trembles when men kindle. The stronghold of Satan is invincible against everything but fire. The Church is powerless without the flame of the Holy Ghost. Destitute of fire, nothing else counts; possessed of fire, nothing else really matters. The one vital need is fire. Without the flame and fervor of the Holy Ghost, the Church will never accomplish its mission." continue reading here...

The Power of God is unleashed through fervent, heartfelt prayer

We live in a time where everyone professes Christ, yet, to see the power of God within professing believers is all but impossible. What is lacking in the body of Christ at this very hour? What is it we desperately need? Why are we void of His power? How many of us spend hours on our knees, crying out to God, 'Oh give us hearts that desire more of you Lord, give us souls that thirst and pant for Christ alone!' Many seem to be more concerned with the downward spiral of the economy and how it will affect their financial status. Where is the denial of self? Where is the yielding up all to Him, and trusting Him? Do you cry out to God to empty your heart of this world?
I hear the Master's voice asking each of us {put your name in the blank}, "______________ do you love me more than these?" Do we love Him more than our comforts, our careers, our bank accounts, our own lives? I can only respond, 'Lord, I pray I do'.
We read His word-- not to love the world, walk in the Spirit, deny self, etc...but, these do not become a reality in us until God has put us through the fires of refinement. If we are hesitant to go into the fire, we will never grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. We will never love as He loves, we will never have true intimacy with Him. If we pray 'safe prayers', we will never know the heart of God.
Let us pray to go farther and deeper with Christ, not shying away, but going ever forward...when we go, we grow.
"Oh Lord, bring the fire!"

Some have two hells

By Thomas Watson - 'The Lord's Prayer'

Suffering Christian--remember that this
is all the hell you shall have.

Some have two hells. They suffer now in
their body and conscience, which is one hell;
and they will suffer eternally in another hell
to come, in unquenchable fire!

Judas had two hells--but a child of God has
but one. Lazarus had all his hell here on earth;
he was full of sores--but had a convoy of angels
to carry him to heaven when he died. Say, then,
"Lo! if this is the worst I shall have, if this is all
my hell--I will patiently acquiesce. May Your
will be done!"

Preparing the ground for revival

Written by J. Edwin Orr

"See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant" (Jer. 1:10). Of this six-fold commission, four injunctions are destructive and only the latter two are constructive. "To build and to plant" surely a great work. But it had to be preceded by a rooting-out and a pulling-down, destruction and demolishing. Surely this sounds drastic! Yet it was very necessary, as the historical background shows. The Jewish kingdom had become overgrown with weeds, overbuilt with traditional superstructures. They had to go first. Some iconoclasm was necessary. Some destruction was required. Let us look in the garden for a parable. We walked round a beautiful garden which occupied a former piece of waste land. The gardener showed us round. "Those are beautiful roses," we said to him. "I planted them," replied the gardener, with justified pride. "What a beautifully-cut hedge," we remarked next. "I trimmed that," he said. "Who is responsible for that lovely Sweet William border?" Again the gardener smiled and claimed the credit. We passed on, thinking to ourselves that this gardener had created a grand testimony to his skill in gardening. the rest of this article can be read here....

The True Power of God in Fearful Men

J.H. Weber

Written by David Smithers

Are we truly Spirit-filled Christians? Does the term "Spirit-filled" describe our doctrine or our devotion? Samuel Chadwick described the fullness of the Spirit in the following way: "Spirit filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They serve with a faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with fierceness that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the fire of God." The revivalist J. H Weber is a true example of this burning Baptism. His life was distinctly marked by the Holy Spirit's urgency, zeal, and compassion. Yet the most striking feature of Mr. Weber's ministry was not so much his message of methods, it was the fact that he had actually become the message. He warned the sinner and saint alike of the eternal danger of rejecting the love of Jesus Christ. His life was literally a burning trumpet call to repentance toward God. J. H. Weber's ministry brought men to the valley of decision. His plain preaching forced men to choose between "death and victory," the self-life or the Christ-life. On one occasion when Mr. Weber was preaching on the Judgement Seat of Christ, "the people became terrified and some came very near rushing to the altar before the sermon was done. When the invitation was given it seemed a race as to who should get there first. The altar and front seats were crowded with earnest seekers. The presence of God filled the place..." Rev. Bennett Mitchel describes another revival scene: "The entire community was greatly stirred. The house was packed from the first to the last service. The devil raged. Men got mad. Some wanted to whip (Mr. Weber), others to tar and feather him. Others stood aghast with mute astonishment, while many came to the Lord and were saved. For the first week his preaching was directed to the church, and he scored the Christian people almost unmercifully. This was fun for the irreligious. They greatly rejoiced while he exposed hypocrisy and denounced the sins in the church. But he suddenly turned attention to them. Some of them were maddened, some slunk away in shame, while many were subdued and brought penitently to the cross. In the congregation men would threaten to strike him, when he would calmly look them in the face and say, 'You dare not do it, I am in God's hands,' and then put his arms around them and pray for them. Women would threaten to spit in his face, but he heeded it not, and persisted in pleading with and praying for them. He visited every family in the town and prayed in nearly every home." Like all true revivalists, J. H Weber's ministry transformed whole communities. Often in the midst of a revival he would march through the town with hundreds of believers following him singing and praising God. "Saloon keepers trembled, businessmen feared; but God was in it." When Mr. Weber led left the town, the church was revived and the last saloon was closed. In 1884, Mr. Weber wrote in his journal: "Began this year as the previous one, on my knees in the he house of God." J. H Weber was a man who knew the necessity of fervent knee-work. He fasted often, spending whole nights in travailing prayer. When Satan raged or people resisted, Mr. Weber's solution was always the same, to cling to Jesus in prayer. At times he would lay in his tent and pray by the hour, often resulting in a wave of salvation prostrating entire congregations. Because God found a man who would pray, literally thousands were brought to Christ, broken and crying for mercy. Who among us has seen such glorious events and how many of us yearn to see such things? Have we become content with a nominal and entertaining Christianity? If not, then let us give ourselves to true travailing prayer. For until we get on our knees, we are nothing less than unconcerned and insincere regarding revival. God have mercy and help us to see our great need for a genuine move of the Holy Spirit. http://www.watchword.org/

Let me tell you about my Jesus- - Paul Washer

Economic Meltdown

By Joel C. Rosenberg

Last weekend, I met with some evangelical Christian business leaders in Naples, Florida. They asked me what I thought the future held. I did not offer advice on how to win on Wall Street. But I did share with them a few thoughts from the Scriptures.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there is your heart also.”

The Lord is shaking our country and purifying His Church. He is requiring all of us to reconsider what we value, where our treasure is, where our hearts are. He is preparing us to see Him face to face. And when we see Him, there will be a day of accounting. He will ask us what we did with the resources He entrusted to us. What, then, shall we say?


The entire article can be read here....

Why would the Father send His Son?- Paul Washer

The sword of God's Truth

(Arthur Pink, "Faithfulness")

"Their speech is filled with flattery." Psalm 5:9

This is the identifying mark of the "hireling," the false pastor. He aims at pleasing his hearers, making them feel satisfied with themselves, ever patting them on the back.

"But he who has My Word--let him speak My Word faithfully" (Jeremiah 23:28), no matter how unpalatable it may be to the flesh, how much of a weariness to those who wish to have their ears tickled with novelties, or how loud the outcry against it is!

Ministerial faithfulness includes loyalty to his Master, devotion to His interests, steadfast adherence to the preaching of His Word, dispensing the Truth unto those whose souls are committed to Him--not mixing it with his speculations, much less substituting false doctrine. A far higher motive than the pleasing of his hearers must actuate and regulate ministerial service. Faithful preaching will render the minister unpopular, and will 'empty' churches--not 'fill' them!

"Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." (John 8:32) Souls are caught fast in the meshes of Satan's lies--and nothing but the sword of God's Truth can cut them free!

"A faithful man--who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6). Why is this? Because it is the part of fallen human nature to take the line of least resistance, and choose the path easiest to the flesh. But remember, my reader, whoever you are, that, "Lying lips are abomination to the Lord; but those who deal 'faithfully' are His delight." (Proverbs 12:22)

"Be faithful unto death--and I will give you a crown of life!" (Revelation 2:10)

www.gracegems.org

Unity at what cost?

"Unity which is obtained by the sacrifice of truth is worth nothing. It is not the unity that pleases God. The Church of Rome boasts loudly of a unity which does not deserve the name. It is unity which is obtained by taking away the Bible from the people, by gagging private judgment, by encouraging ignorance, by forbidding men to think for themselves"

J.C. Ryle's 'The Fallibility of Ministers'

What Do These Huge Numbers Mean?

What Do These Huge Numbers Mean?

By Todd Strandberg

I am absolutely stunned at the magnitude and speed of the unfolding global economic crisis. Since September of last year, there has been a continuous flood of negative news. The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department have pumped more than $10 trillion into the financial system, yet our economy continues to implode.

The losses incurred by the federal government are so staggering that nobody really knows what they imply for the future. Last week, the Obama administration reported a projected deficit for 2009 of $1.75 trillion. The deficit for 2008 was only $435 billion...

I believe we are witnessing one of the last warning signs to the tribulation hour. Christians need to adopt a very sober attitude about where they are in God's will. Peter's words in 1 Peter 4:7 really ring true for our day:

"But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers."



Read the entire article here....