A Target!

Every child of God is a soldier, and a real one. In the Christian army, there are no featherbed, no fire-side soldiers. All to a man are actual combatants. Are not their enemies real? Flesh and blood real? The world real? And Satan real? a real devil? And if their enemies are real, the conflict with their enemies must be real too. "Every battle of the warrior," we read, "is with garments rolled in blood." And such is "the good fight of faith."  It is no sham fight but a hand-to-hand battle, in which wounds are inflicted, bloodshed, and life, according to our feelings, often at stake. 

But how shall we be able to fight this great battle, and so to withstand the enemies of our soul's salvation, as to come off more than conquerors? Weak and defenseless as we are, without one weapon of sufficient temper and strength through sin, like the children of Israel, "made naked unto their shame among their enemies." (Exodus 32:25) fall we shall, defeated we must be, unless we have some better weapons than our own armory can furnish. 

God, who knows the strength of our enemies God, who knows the weakness of our flesh, has therefore provided in the heavenly armory weapons whereby, and whereby alone, we can make an effectual stand. Of this heavenly armor the apostle speaks in the text, where, addressing his Christian brethren, he says, "therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)

He here makes it imperative upon them to take not a part of, but "the whole armor of God," assuring them that it is indispensable to their safety that only by being clad in it from top to toe, can they "withstand in the evil day," when all the powers of earth and hell are arrayed against them and that even then, when they have in the strength of that heavenly armor "done," or "overcome all," they must not put it off  but will still need it "to stand." 

[J. C. Philpot]

2 Timothy 2:1-3 ... Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ❤

Preach!!

2 Timothy 4:2 ... Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

We preach to people who must live forever in Heaven or Hell; with God or devils; in an eternity of joy or of torment. 

[Thomas Doolittle]

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Matthew 25:45-46 ... Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Luke 16:22-23 ... And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

John 3:15 ... That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.❤

Sound Doctrine ....

Sound doctrine is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life! It is my firm impression that we need a thorough revival of Scriptural holiness. I have had a deep conviction for many years, that practical holiness and consecration to God are not sufficiently attended to by modern Christians. Worldliness has eaten out the heart of vital piety in too many of us. The subject of personal godliness has fallen sadly into the background. The standard of Christian living has become painfully low in many quarters. The immense importance of "adorning the doctrine of God our Savior" (Titus 2:10) and making it lovely and beautiful by our daily habits and tempers has been far too much overlooked! 

The details and particular ingredients of which holiness is composed in daily life ought to be fully set forth and pressed on believers. True holiness does not consist merely of believing but of doing, and a practical exhibition of the active and passive graces. Our tongues, our tempers, our natural passions and inclinations, our conduct at home and abroad, our dress, our employment of time, our behavior in business, our demeanor in sickness and health, in riches and poverty all, all these are matters which are fully treated by inspired writers. They go into particulars. They specify what a holy man ought to do an be in his own family, by his own fireside, and at the workplace. 

True holiness is something of "the image of Christ" which can be seen and observed by others in our private life, and habits, and character, and doings! 

[J.C. Ryle] 

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1 Timothy 6:3-5  ...  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 ... Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. ❤

God Will Get You There!

One of the most interesting things to me about the story of Jonah and the whale is that getting swallowed by a whale was the best thing that could have ever happened to Jonah. 

Likewise, there are probably events that have happened in your life that don't seem like good news at all, but it could just be God steering you to where you need to be. God PREPARES things like these it's not just a coincidence.

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Jonah 1:17 ... Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. ❤

Willingly ...

Jesus Christ went more willingly to the cross than we do to the throne of grace.

[Thomas Watson]

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John 10:17-18 ...  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Hebrews 4:16 ...  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ❤

Predicting?

Matthew 24:36-42 ... But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

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This is Too Much!!

Only to be permitted to contemplate such a being as Jehovah; to ponder God's absolute goodness, holiness, justice, mercy, patience and sovereignty; to ponder them united with eternity, infinite power, unerring wisdom, omnipresence, and all-sufficiency; to ponder all these natural and moral perfections indissolubly united and blended in sweet harmony in one pure, spiritual being and that being placed on the throne of the universe; to ponder this would be happiness enough to fill the mind of any creature in existence! 

But in addition to this, to have this ineffable Being for my God, my portion, my all; to be permitted to say, "This God is my God forever and ever;" to have His resplendent countenance smile upon me; to be encircled in His everlasting arms of power and faithfulness and love; to hear His voice saying to me, "I am yours and you are Mine! (Isaiah 43:1) Nothing shall ever pluck you from My hands or separate you from My love, but you shall be with Me where I am, to behold My glory, and reign with Me forever and ever!" (John 10:28)

This is too much! It is honor, it is glory it is happiness too overwhelming, too transporting for mortal minds to conceive, or for mortal frames to support! In Heaven, the saints will be entirely lost and swallowed up in God, and their minds will be so completely absorbed in the contemplation of His ineffable, infinite, uncreated glories! Oh then, what must it be, to escape forever from error and ignorance and darkness and sin into the region of bright, unclouded, eternal day! 

What must it be, to behold your God and Redeemer face to face! What must it be, to continually to contemplate with immortal strength glories so dazzlingly bright, that one moment's view of them would now, like a stream of lightning, turn your frail bodies into dust! What must it be, to see the eternal volume of the divine counsels, the mighty map of the divine mind unfolded to your eager, piercing gaze! What must it be, to explore the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths of the Redeemer's love and still to see new wonders, glories, and beauties pouring upon your minds in constant, endless succession; calling forth new songs of praise songs in which you will unite with the innumerable choirs of angels, with the countless myriads of the redeemed--all shouting with a voice like the voice of many waters: "Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns!" (Revelation 19:6)

[Edward Payson]

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A Riddle in Providence!

Upstarts frequently usurp the highest places-while the truly great pine in obscurity. This is a riddle in providence whose solution will one day gladden the hearts of the upright; but it is so common a fact, that none of us should murmur if it should fall to our own lot. When our Lord was upon earth, although He is the King of the kings of the earth-yet He walked the footpath of weariness and service as the Servant of servants. 

What wonder is it if His followers, who are princes of royal blood, should also be looked down upon as inferior and contemptible people? The world is upside down, and therefore, the first are often last-and the last are often first. See how the servile sons of Satan rule in the earth! What a high horse they ride! How they lift up their horn on high! Haman is in the court, while Mordecai sits in the gate. David wanders on the mountains, while Saul reigns in state. 

Elijah is complaining in the cave, while Jezebel is boasting in the palace. Yet who would wish to take the places of the proud rebels? And who, on the other hand, might not envy the despised saints? When the wheel turns-those who are lowest rise, and the highest sink. Patience, then, believer, eternity will right the wrongs of time! 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

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Ecclesiastes 10:7 ... I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

Matthew 20:16 ...  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. ❤

God of Comfort

The inspiration for this image came from one of my followers, anonymous, who requested a picture about Jesus protecting a woman from verbal abuse. Domestic violence and abuse are a heavy topic, and there is very little artwork out there for encouragement. My heart breaks for anyone in this situation, and I pray that this image gives you the assurance that you are not alone. I do not have all of the answers for you, but I do know that the Bible says we can trust in Him for comfort and safety!

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Psalm 34:18 ... The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Proverbs 18:10 ...  The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ... Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. ❤

A Woman To Be Remembered!

Few words ever spoken by the Lord Jesus are more solemn or searching than this brief, three-word warning: "Remember Lot's wife!" How striking it is that, out of all the women of Scripture, our Lord singled out one for us to remember, not Sarah for her faith, not Ruth for her devotion, not Hannah for her prayer, not Mary for her love but Lot's wife, for her destruction! 

The Spirit of God has placed this warning before us as a perpetual beacon, lest we too be deceived by the bewitching world and perish. Yet all of this availed her nothing. She perished miserably because her heart was never truly separated from the world. Outwardly she fled Sodom, but inwardly she lingered. Her body was on the path to safety, but her affections were chained to the city of destruction. With one glance backward, she revealed the state of her soul. That look cost her eternal glory, and she was turned into a pillar of salt a monument of God's righteous judgment against hypocrisy and divided hearts. 

The tragedy of Lot's wife stands as a warning to all who imagine that religious advantages, spiritual associations, or outward privileges can save. Many think that because they were raised in a Christian home and attend church, that they are safe. Lot's wife shows us that one may be surrounded by light and truth and yet perish in eternal darkness. She had seen angels, heard warnings, and been led by the hand of mercy yet she never savingly believed. The heart is what God is concerned with, and her heart was still in Sodom. Her backward look was not a small matter. It was the outward expression of inward rebellion. God had said, "Do not look back." (Genesis 19:17) 

In disobeying, she revealed where her treasure lay. She longed for the life she left behind, the comforts, the pleasures, the society of Sodom and in doing so she despised the salvation of her soul. Jesus declares, "No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) The danger of worldliness and divided affection is real. How many professors of religion today claim to follow Jesus, yet their hearts cling to the world! They say they are bound for Heaven, but they look longingly at Sodom. They want to go to Heaven when they die, but they also want the soul-ruining world. The end of such double mindedness is eternal destruction. 

Scripture is full of warnings against this very danger. John writes, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15) James tells us that "friendship with the world is hatred toward God." (James 4:4) The Savior Himself declared, "Remember Lot's wife!" She was almost saved yet lost forever! There are many in churches today who will come just that far they will hear sermons and sing hymns, and yet their hearts remain with the world. Their empty profession will not hold up in the Day of Judgment. Beloved reader, let us examine our hearts. 

Are we secretly longing for the very things that God calls us to forsake? Are we following Christ with a whole heart, or are we still glancing backward toward Sodom? When Jesus calls us to take up our cross, we must not look back to our Sodom. Salvation demands the forsaking of sin, and the forsaking of the world. It demands a heart fixed on Christ. "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:17) The warning of Lot's wife is not written to terrify the believer, but to search the heart of the hypocrite and to awaken the careless professor. 

If you are resting in your church attendance, your upbringing, your knowledge then, remember Lot's wife. If you are unwilling to forsake the world and to follow Christ, then remember Lot's wife. If you are almost persuaded, almost a Christian, almost saved, remember Lot's wife. If you are but almost saved, then you will be altogether damned! "Remember Lot's wife!" 

Let us take warning. Let us not dally with sin, linger in compromise, or toy with the world. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-2) For the soul that looks to Him in faith shall never be cast away, but the soul that loves the world will be lost forever.

[J.C. Ryle] 

Luke 17:32 ... Remember Lot's wife!

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Return of Christ Predictions

With all of the online hype around the rapture happening next week, I felt it necessary to create this chart of previous predictions and prophecies. As Christians we are called to eagerly await the Lord and be excited for His return. I believe we all desire the day He comes and judges the world and brings us home. 

However, we CANNOT make predictions or prophecies about specific dates. We aren't called to do that. And everyone who does is deceiving the brethren. I hope this chart is helpful for you. Not to discourage you that the Lord isn't coming back, but so that you do not get wrapped up in the online hype. The Lord is indeed coming back, but it will be at a time we do not expect. 

May it be soon!

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Just be ready ... 

Matthew 25:8-10 ... And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.. ❤