The True Secret of Spiritual Prosperity!!

In Christ alone, there is a full supply of all that we require for the needs of our souls. Of ourselves we are all poor, empty creatures empty of righteousness and peace, empty of strength and comfort, empty of courage and patience, empty of power to persevere in the way of holiness or make progress in this evil world. 

It is in Christ alone, that all these things are to be found grace, peace, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It is just in proportion as we live upon Him, that we are strong Christians. It is only when self is nothing and Christ is all our confidence, that are we armed for the battle of life and shall overcome. Only then are we prepared for the journey of life and shall move forward. 

To live on Christ, to draw all from Christ, to do all in the strength of Christ, to be ever looking to Christ this is the true secret of spiritual prosperity! 

[J. C. Ryle]

Philippians 4:13 ... I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

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Time ...

 Time waits for no man!

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Hebrews 9:27 ... And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ❤

Safe in His Hands ...

God assures His children that He is always with them, upholding them in His Hand.

We are safe in the hands of God!

Trust the Lord. He takes care of us!

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Isaiah 41:10 ... Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:13 ...  For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Psalm 139:10 ...  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

John 10:29 ... My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. ❤

"Mortification and Vivification"

The Christian life is not a playground, but a battlefield. We are called to take up arms against two mighty foes: the indwelling corruption of our flesh; and the sluggishness of our hearts toward God. Scripture speaks of this double duty as mortification of sin, and vivification of grace. 

Whenever the Holy Spirit regenerates someone, He implants a holy principle within that person which always manifests itself in the ongoing work of mortification and vivification. That is, the practical putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man. This mortification and vivification are continued throughout life and will not end until glorification. 

First, the mortification of sin. The flesh is a restless rebel, forever plotting treason against its rightful King. Pride, envy, lust, sloth, anger, impurity these are no trifles, but serpents whose venom would destroy the soul if left unchecked. Our duty is not to pamper them, but to slay them. The believer must take the sword of the Spirit and pierce through every darling sin; however small it may appear. Yet we cannot mortify any sin by the sheer strength of our will. Only as we walk in the Spirit, will He enable us to mortify sin. 

Second, the vivification of our graces, so that we increase in strength and make further advances in true piety. To mortify sin is to pull up the weeds but we must also nurture the flowers of holiness. We can do this, only as we vivify our graces: faith must be exercised, love must be kindled, hope must be nourished, prayer must be cultivated. A barren soul is not a safe soul. When our graces are not growing, then our sins will be spreading. But again, here is our weakness: left to ourselves, we can no more make faith flourish than we can make the lilies grow. It is the Spirit who breathes life, waters every grace, and makes the believer fruitful in every good work. 

Thus, the Christian is ever cast upon the Spirit. Only through Him, can we kill sin and cultivate holiness. Let us then walk by the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, and depend wholly on the Spirit until that day when sin shall be no more, and grace shall blossom into glory! 

[A. W. Pink]

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Galatians 5:16 ... This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Romans 13:14 ... But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. ❤

Confronting Evil

When a righteous man confronts evil by speaking Truth, the unrighteous and wicked will hate him for it.

McNaughton Fine Art

Galatians 4:16 ... Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

John 15:18 ... If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Luke 6:22 ... Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

R. I. P.

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10 Things God Does With Our Sin

1. He forgives our transgression. (Psalm 32:1,5) 

David sought and received God’s forgiveness. The Hebrew word for forgiven literally means “lifted off.” The image was portrayed in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan’s protagonist, Christian, was weighed down by the burden of his sin. When he came to the cross, the sin burden fell from his shoulders, rolled down a hill, and disappeared into an empty tomb. Unconfessed sin is a burden that weighs us down. When we confess our sin to God, He lifts it off our shoulders, rolls it away, and it disappears. 

2. He covers our sin (Psalm 32:1, Romans 4:7)

This imagery is taken from the Day of Atonement. On this day the high priest took blood from a sacrificial animal, carried it into the Most Holy Place, and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant (a chest that contained the Ten Commandments). The sprinkled blood symbolically covered the broken law and shielded the sinner from judgment. It’s significant that when David stopped trying to cover up his sin, God “covered” it. When something is covered, it’s hidden from view. God puts our sin out of His sight. 

3. He does not charge us with iniquity. (Psalm 32:2, Romans 4:8)

This is what God does not do with our sin; He no longer counts our sin against us. “Charge” is a bookkeeping term. This is the imagery Paul used in Romans 4:8-25. God charges our sin to Jesus’ ledger (who bore our penalty) and writes Jesus’ righteousness into our ledger and credits us with His righteousness. 

4. He removes our sins from us. (Psalm 103:12, John 1:29) 

How far does God remove our sin from us? “As far as the east is from the west” an immeasurable distance. East and west will never meet. 

5. He washes away our guilt and cleanses us from our sin. (Psalm 51:2, Isaiah 1:18, 1 John 1:9) 

Sin leaves a mark or a stain only God can wipe away. He washes it away “completely.” 

6. He throws all our sins behind His back. (Isaiah 38:17) 

In a metaphorical sense, God puts all our sins behind His back so that He does not see them anymore. 

7. He sweeps away our transgressions. (Isaiah 43:25)

Our unconfessed sins hang over us like a dark cloud, but God promises to sweep them away like the rising sin burns away the morning mist (Isaiah 44:22) 

8. He remembers our sins no more. (Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12, 10:16-17)

When God forgives our sins; He forgets them. That means He no longer holds our sins against us. 

9. He casts all our sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19) 

God casts (hurls) our sins into the sea, where they sink like a stone. Such an act of grace caused Micah to ask, “Who is a God like you?” 

10. He nailed our sin debt to the cross. (Colossians 2:14) 

God not only erases our sin debt, but He also destroys the document on which our debt was recorded by nailing it to the cross. We are forgiven because of the cross of Jesus. 

[ Mike Livingstone ~ 10 Things God Does with Our Sin (Session 11 – Psalm 32:1-11) - Explore the Bible]

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The Last Four Things

1. DEATH – The Inescapable Appointment Death is not a possibility--it is a divine certainty. It is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), and the doorway to eternity. No one escapes it. The rich and the poor, the righteous and the wicked, the young and the old, all must pass through its shadow. Yet for the believer, death is not the end, but the beginning of glory. Christ has removed the sting of death (1 Corinthians 15:55), and to die is now gain (Philippians 1:21). But for the unrepentant, death seals their eternal doom. "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) 

2. JUDGMENT – The Unavoidable Reckoning After death comes judgment not reincarnation, not annihilation, not a second chance. Every soul will stand before the throne of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The books will be opened (Revelation 20:12), and every thought, word, and deed will be weighed. For the believer, Christ has borne the judgment. For the unbeliever, every sin will be exposed and justly condemned. There will be no appeals, no excuses, no escape. "For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:14) 

3. HEAVEN – The Eternal Home of the Redeemed Heaven is not earned, it is purchased by the blood of Christ. It is the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13), the dwelling place of God (Revelation 21:3), and the eternal inheritance of the saints (1 Peter 1:4). There, we shall see Christ face to face (1 John 3:2), worship without sin, and rejoice without sorrow. No more tears. No more death. Only unending joy in the presence of the Lamb! "In Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11) 

4. HELL – The Eternal Justice of God Hell is real. It is not a metaphor, not a scare tactic, but a terrifying reality. It is the just punishment for sin, under God's righteous wrath (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 14:10–11). Jesus spoke more of Hell than anyone else in Scripture. The Cross of Christ is the only refuge from the Fire of Hell. Those who reject Christ, will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb; the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night. There are many ways to enter Hell. There is only one way to avoid Hell. There is no way to escape Hell. "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46) 

These Four Last Things are not distant abstractions they are imminent realities. You will die. You will be judged. You will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. The only hope is Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to save sinners. 

Repent and believe the gospel. Cling to Christ. Live every moment in light of eternity!

[Various Authors]

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Hebrews 9:27 ...  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Amos 4:12 ... Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. ❤

W.W.J.D.

Hang this question up in your houses, "What would Jesus do?" And then think of another, "How would Jesus do it?" For what Jesus would do, and how He would do it will always stand as the best guide to us. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

W.W.J.D. = What Would Jesus Do?

The Workings of Grace

The workings of grace in the heart are utterly mysterious and unsearchable. We cannot explain why the Word produces effects on one person in a congregation, and not upon another. We cannot explain why, in some cases; with every possible advantage, and in spite of every entreaty people reject the Word and continue dead in trespasses and sins. 

We cannot explain why in other cases; with every possible difficulty, and with no encouragement people are born again and become decided Christians. We cannot define the manner in which the Spirit of God conveys life to a soul, and the exact process by which a believer receives a new nature. All these are hidden things to us. We see certain results, but we can go no further. 

This is deeply instructive. It is humbling no doubt to ministers, and teachers of others. The highest abilities, the most powerful preaching, the most diligent working, cannot command success. God alone can give spiritual life! But it is a truth at the same time, which supplies an admirable antidote to excessive anxiety and despondency. Our principal work is to sow the seed. That done, we may wait with faith and patience for the result. We may leave our work with the Lord. He alone can, if He thinks fit, give success. 

[J. C. Ryle] 

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John 3:8 ... The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Romans 9:15 ...  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ❤

"Why?"

Why was I made to hear Your voice and enter while there's room, when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come? 

It was the same love that spread the feast that sweetly forced me in. Else I had still refused to taste and perished in my sin.

[Isaac Watts]

John 6:44 ... No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

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"Even If"

Do not fear. Have faith!!

Isaiah 41:10 ... Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Psalm 46:1 ... God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Hebrews 13:16 ...  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. ❤