My Little Children

John is evidently addressing every believer when he speaks of them as "my little children," as, for instance, in the closing verse of his letter, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (1 John 5:21) 

Surely, all the saints are included in these exhortations. There is a sense in which every Christian is still a little child, a sense in which he ought to be so. We are to be ever dependent upon our great Father, ever ready to receive the Word of our Father without questioning, ever teachable, ever restful in our Father's care, and full of love to Him who is our all in all.   Of necessity we must ever remain children before God; for our finite capacity is so limited that we are mere babes in knowledge in the presence of Infinite Wisdom. We know enough to make us understand that we know very little. 

The most advanced intellects in the church are but as infants, compared with the Ancient of Days. We are of yesterday and know nothing. With all our experience, with all our study, with all our meditation, we remain "little children" when measured by the boundless knowledge of our omniscient God. Children are expected to bear some likeness to their parents. Children of God, regenerated by the almighty energy of the Holy Spirit, are sure to bear a high degree of likeness to their heavenly Father. "Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us, and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God." (Ephesians 5:1–2) 

The believer is as a little child utterly dependent upon our Father, sheltered in the bosom of our Savior, and finding our highest happiness in loving Him and obeying His Word. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

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1 Peter 1:14-16 ... As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1 John 3:1-2 ... Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1 John 2:1 ... My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:❤

Strangers and Pilgrims on The Earth!

This poor world is a boarding-house in which we lodge for a night or two, but it is not our home. The furniture is not ours, the title-deeds are not in our name, and the lease will soon expire. Why then, do we fret over its broken chairs, or quarrel about the best rooms? The Christian's true estate lies yonder, where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. Let us hold all earthly things with a loose hand, lest when the Master calls, we be found glued to the toys of the nursery, instead of ready for the palace of the King.  The path of the Christian pilgrim is not strewn with flowers, but with thorns. He must expect to be misunderstood by the men of this world, for he speaks a different language and seeks a different country. 

Beloved friends, you and I are passing through Vanity Fair, but we are not free to set up shop there. The true pilgrim buys none of the merchandise of the place neither its honors, its pleasures, nor its empty praise. He has his treasure in Heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt. A pilgrim must travel light. The more luggage he carries, the wearier he becomes. So, the Christian is called to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets him. Houses, lands, gold, and reputation are heavy burdens for a man who is bound for eternity. 

This world is a wilderness, and though the desert winds howl and the fiery serpents hiss, the pilgrim need not fear. His God has sworn to bring him safely to the land that flows with milk and honey the better country of everlasting rest.  Our Lord Jesus was the great Pilgrim who had nowhere to lay His head. If we are in Him, we must share His pilgrim spirit. The cross marks the pilgrim's pathway, but the crown lies at the end of it! We are pilgrims and strangers upon the earth, and we do well to remember it every day we live. This poor world is not our rest, for it is polluted! 

Our home is beyond the river of death, in the land where the flowers never fade and the sun never sets. Let us not build our nests too firmly in these trees that will soon be cut down, but keep our hearts loose from earthly things, that when the trumpet sounds, we may rise and enter into the joy of our Lord. What is this poor dying world, that we should fall in love with it? Its smiles are deceitful, its riches take wings and fly away, and its pleasures bite like adders! The believer has been taught by the Spirit to call it what it is a broken cistern, a fading flower, a temporary tent. His heart is fixed on things above, not on earthly toys. 

To the true believer, this world is a wilderness, dry and barren, full of serpents and thorns. He finds no lasting satisfaction in its broken cisterns. He is a pilgrim passing through, and though the road may be rough and the sky dark, he knows that every step brings him nearer to the city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

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Micah 2:10 ... Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

1 Peter 2:11 ...  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Hebrews 11:13 ... These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ❤

The Scripture and Prayer

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit for such things as God has promised.

[John Bunyan]

James 5:14 ...  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

Matthew 21:22 ...  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Romans 12:12 ... Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Ephesians 6:18 ... Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Philippians 4:6 ... Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Colossians 4:2 ... Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

1 Peter 4:7 ... But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Proverbs 15:29 ... he Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Psalm 6:9 ... The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

Psalm 102:17 ... He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. ❤

Hold Me Up!!

There is a glorious humility in this brief prayer. It is the cry of one who knows both his weakness, and his heavenly Father's ability. The psalmist does not say, "I will hold myself up!" or "I will stand in my own strength!" He knows better. He has learned the painful lesson of his own weakness and instability, and proneness to wander from God. Instead, he casts himself entirely upon the Lord: "Hold me up, and I shall be safe!" Only God can uphold His redeemed people, with corruption in their hearts, in a world full of spiritual dangers and deceits.

This verse is a declaration of the utter necessity of God's sustaining grace. The redeemed are not kept by their own willpower, intelligence, or resolve--they are "kept by the power of God through faith" (1 Peter 1:5). It is sovereign grace that chose them, grace that effectually called them, grace that redeemed them, and grace that will preserve them to the end.

Were it not for God's moment-by-moment upholding grace, no believer could endure to the end. The world entices, the flesh rebels, the devil accuses and divine grace alone keeps their feet from slipping.

The Lord's people shall not fall away finally or totally. They may fall foully, but they shall not fall finally. He who began the good work in them, will carry it on until He completes it. The same hand which gave us spiritual life, must preserve that life. Grace in the heart, is like a spark in the ocean it would be utterly quenched, unless the Lord kept it alive.

Yet God's sustaining grace is not merely a necessity it is a comfort beyond all measure. What greater security could the believer have, than to be upheld by God's everlasting arms! What sweeter assurance than to know that our safety depends, not on our grip on God, but on His mighty hold on us! "The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3). When fear arises, when temptations threaten, when strength fails may this prayer be our rock of refuge: "Hold me up, and I shall be safe!"

Let every believer pray this daily. Let us not rely on our own wisdom or strength. Let us lean wholly on Him who never fails. And when we are upheld, when we find ourselves still walking with God, still standing in grace, still looking to Jesus let us give Him all the praise. For it is not we who have held fast to Him but He who has held fast to us.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Jude 24 ...  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Psalm 119:117 ... Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. ❤

Never Lacks An Apple!

The devil is not a lamb, but a lion; not a sleeping lion, but a roaring lion; not a lion standing still, but a lion prowling around to devour! He is not satisfied with the prey he has already gotten but is restless in his designs to fill Hell with damned souls.

He never lacks an apple for an Eve; nor a grape, for a Noah; nor a change of clothing, for a Gehazi; nor a wedge of gold, for an Achan; nor a crown, for an Absalom; nor a bag of silver, for a Judas; nor a world, for a Demas!

If you look into one company, you shall find Satan a-dishing out his dainties to every taste.  If you look into another company, you shall find him fitting a lace to every shoe.

If you look into a third company, you shall find him suiting a garment to every back.

Here, with Jael, he allures poor souls in with milk; and murders them with a nail! There, with Joab, he embraces with one hand; and stabs with another! Here with Judas, he kisses; and betrays! And there, with the whore of Babylon, he presents a golden cup, with poison in it!

[Thomas Brooks]

1 Peter 5:8 ... Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

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Petty Troubles and Vexations!

We must see our heavenly Father's hand in our lesser trials and cares, as much as in the greater ones.

David recognized the hand of God in Absalom rising against him in rebellion, but he saw it no less in Shimei throwing stones and dust and casting bitter words at him.

Just so, let us see God's hand in everything. These petty troubles and vexations are a part of our schooling for Heaven. They are just as much sent from above, as the fierce storm that wrecks our home and leaves us desolate in a cold world. They all come to prove us, to humble us, to draw out the grace which God has given us, to break the tie that binds us too closely to earth, to knit the tie that draws us nearer to Heaven.

Let us ever fix this in our minds. Let us say to ourselves:

"My Father has sent this trial!

 Not a sparrow falls to the ground without Him.

 The very hairs of my head are numbered by Him.

 So, I will trust His heart, where I cannot trace His hand.

 He is too wise to be mistaken and too good to be unkind!"

[George Everard]

1 Peter 5:7 ... That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

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Battle Hymn of The Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He hath loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on. 

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps, They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps. I have read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps, His day is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah Glory, glory, hallelujah Glory, glory, hallelujah, His truth is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel, As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal. Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel, Since my God is marching on. 

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat, He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat. Oh, be swift, my soul to answer Him, be jubilant, my feet, Our God is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah Glory, glory, hallelujah Glory, glory, hallelujah, His truth is marching on.  His truth is marching on. 

[Julia Ward Howe] 

1 Peter 4:13 ...  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. ❤

Like a Fire

When our Father uses the word “argue," clearly, He’s not implying we’re to verbally fight with Him to have our own way. For its every evil thing, NOT YHWH, that dwells with strife and self-ambition. (James 3:16) Instead, we’re to “plead and argue” our case with Him just as attorneys do in earthly courtrooms. And since we know attorneys need to research the world’s laws before arguing their cases, how much more should we research YHWH’s Laws before arguing a case before Him? For example, can we successfully argue in Heaven’s Court that the curse of poverty, disease, or confusion is bound (declared unlawful) in our lives, then loose (declare lawful) YHWH’s Laws of prosperity, health, and wisdom? Yes! Those Laws to name a few are found in: Matthew 18:18; Galatians 3:13-14; Deuteronomy 28; 1 Peter 2:24; Jeremiah 30:17; James 1:5; and Colossians 2:2-3.

But remember, we must always remain careful in our representation of the Kingdom of Heaven; we should never use our Yah-given power to “bind” and “loose” in vain by commanding laws that He DID NOT give, nor for our own selfish reasons. Otherwise, then we become the one who is actually illegal and, thereby, become exposed to all the wiles of the devil without the protection of YHWH’s Word to stand on. If the Judge of the Universe is to rule in our favor and grant our petitions, He must first determine that we are in compliance with His Law. Therefore, because YHWH watches over HIS Word, not ours, to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12), let us first research His Word for all the Laws, He’s given that specifically apply to whatever case we’re bringing before Him, then line up our prayers to agree with them, line upon line and precept upon precept. (Isaiah 28:10)

We cannot imitate what we do not know, and what we do not know has the power to destroy us. (John 7:49; Hosea 4:6) However, by studying and imitating the example Yeshua, The Word of YHWH (John 1:14; Revelation 19:13) came to give us, we’re able bring our case before His Throne of Grace EXPECTING to be proved right! And even if a case should prove to be too hard for us, never fear. For our merciful, loving Father is Elohim, Creator and Judge of the Universe, and has promised to argue that one for us.

[Tracie Justice]

Deuteronomy 1:17  ... Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

Isaiah 43:26 ...  Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. ❤

The Only Suitable Dress For a Saved Sinner!

"True humility," said one, "is a lovely ornament; it is the only suitable dress for a saved sinner!" O let us seek then to be clothed in this robe, that we may be brought to lie low at the footstool of our Maker and Redeemer.

In the saints of old, this grace of humility appeared with marked prominence; and they are patterns for our imitation.

There was Abraham, the father of the faithful and the friend of God. How great was his humility! How profound his self-abasement! "I have ventured to speak to the Lord, even though I am nothing but dust and ashes!" (Genesis 18:27) He was filled with a consciousness of his absolute nothingness in the presence of the Great Eternal.

There was David also, who speaks of himself as "a worm and not a man!" Job cried out, "Behold, I am vile!" (Job 40:4)

In the apostle Paul, again, what a striking exemplification have we of this grace of humility. If self-delight were ever allowable in any individual, it would be in him; for such a laborious, self-denying, unselfish character, has doubtless not yet appeared; the man Christ Jesus alone, and always excepted.

But what were Paul's views and feelings in reference to himself? On one occasion we hear him saying that he was not worthy to be called an apostle. At another time he says, "I am less than the least of all God's people!" (Ephesians 3:8) And when penning one of his last epistles, he designates himself the very chief of sinners! He was brought to know himself some knowledge in which all wisdom centers. If we knew ourselves as he did, pride and self-delight would find no room within us!

But, above all, let us consider Him who said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." (Matthew 11:29) The heaven of heavens could not contain Him; all the fullness of the Eternal Godhead dwelt in Him; devils trembled at His rebuke and flew from His presence to the abodes of misery; yet how gentle, how humble He was! Reader, aspire after conformity to Christ in His humility.

Against the proud, God's displeasure has been manifested in all ages.

Think of Pharaoh. The language of that proud monarch was, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him?" (Exodus 5:2) But the Divine Majesty could not bear to be thus insulted; hence the puny worm with all his legions were destroyed they sank as lead in the mighty waters! 

Think of Nebuchadnezzar. Hear his boasting exclamation, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:30) But God resisted him, and he was turned from the society of men to eat grass with the beasts of the field! 

Think of Herod. With what delight did he receive the applause of the people, when they cried, "It is the voice of a god, and not the voice of man!" But the angel of the Lord smote him, and he was eaten with worms! (Acts 12:23)

While, however, God resists the proud; He has promised to give grace unto the humble. The humble are the objects of His special regard. "For thus says the high and lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy place" that is one of the palaces of the Great King, where the throne of His glory is erected, where the countless armies of cherubim and seraphim are stationed, and where perfected saints reside. But He has another place of habitation: "with him also, who is humble and contrite in spirit!" (Isaiah 57:15)

[John MacDuff]

1 Peter 5:5 ... Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

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Mourning Into Dancing ...

Exhibiting joy in the midst of trouble confounds the enemy. He’s focused on killing, stealing and destroying our faith in Abba-YHWH, so when we respond with His joy when the devil throws his best punch at us, it confuses him. This kind of joy causes him to temporarily retreat from the battlefield (our minds) in order to strategize a better approach. But we must never forget, though, that his only intent is to take us out and, furthermore, just how extremely cunning and patient he is. He prowls around believers like a hungry, roaring lion waiting for a more opportune time to strike again in order to devour our faith in our Heavenly Father. (John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 4:13)

It’s easy to wonder how we can possibly have such joy in times of severe trials and grief. But if we look at this scripture again, we can plainly see it doesn’t say it’s OUR joy that’s our strength but the YHWH’s. HIS joy builds us up and sets us back on course to face the ensuing battle yet again. All we have to do is ask…

Father, I am weakening from the fierce blows of the enemy. I cannot endure another moment unless you supernaturally intervene. Anoint (empower) me with YOUR joy, Father, that I may finish the race you have set before me. Strengthen me that I may declare in the face of my enemy that I am more than a conqueror in Messiah Jesus of Nazareth! Amen.

[Tracie Justice]

2 Chronicles 20:27 ... Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

Nehemiah 8:10 ... Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.❤

Do Not Worry ~~~

The Lord knows all His people all their needs, and all their trials. He thinks upon them to bless, deliver and supply them. He keeps His eye upon them in all places, at all times, and under all circumstances. He has them in His hand and will not loosen His hold.

He looks upon them always as His own 'treasured possession' objects of His eternal love, the purchase of His Son's blood, the temples of His Holy Spirit. They are precious in His sight!

He knows they are weak and fearful, and that they have many enemies. He teaches them to cast themselves and all their cares into His hands! And He has given them His promise that He will care for them.

It is a Father's care which He exercises.  It is a wise, holy, tender, and constant care.

Therefore, all will be well with you only trust Him.

Believe that He cares for you this day. Carry all your concerns to Him, in the arms of faith! Leave all with Him, persuaded that He will manage all by His infinite wisdom, and bring all to a good outcome by His omnipotent power.

Cast all your cares upon Him as fast as they come in.

Do not worry about anything.

[James Smith]

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1 Peter 5:7 ...  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Psalm 55:22 ... Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. ❤

Divine Love!!

The greatest treasure of all of God's unsearchable riches, was His only begotten Son. God took Jesus from His bosom, where He had forever dwelt serenely; and sent Him to earth, that He might live and die to save rebellious sinners.

The death of Jesus manifests the solemnity of God's dealings with sin and is fitted to bow the soul in lowliest humility before Him. If the evil of sin is seen in the tremendous price required to atone for it, then sin must be evil beyond thought for nothing less than the bloody death of the Son of God could remedy it.

In the presence of the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary, sin must be an evil so great that it is not possible to exaggerate its horrors. Oh, sinful men, your transgressions are horrendous indeed, since they can only be expiated by such a sacrifice! Oh, reprehensible creatures, you required a dying God to save you!

The sin-atoning death of Jesus displayed the supreme love of God to heinous men. He gave up the darling of His heart, to save wicked sinners. God has manifested His love in the death of His beloved Son, in a way which must have astonished every inhabitant of Heaven; and it ought to ravish every man of this lower globe.

Truly, the blood of Jesus is the ruby gem of the ring of divine love! Brethren, we have but a faint idea of how much the Lord our God loves us. "God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

There was nothing lovable in us; we were enemies to God, polluted and polluting. There was everything in us that was obnoxious to the holy mind of God. And yet, because of the riches of His grace and the supremacy of His mercy. He loved us to the uttermost.

Lament that you should be guilty of such a horrible thing, that even God's own spotless Son must suffer, bleed, and die; before our sin, with all its scarlet dye, could be washed out.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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1 Peter 1:18-19 ...  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Hebrews 9:22 ...  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. ❤

Followers!!

Beloved, may the Spirit of God help you to rise to heavenly mindedness. Do not be miserable money-grubbers, or sordid earthworms. Do not be pleasure hunters and novelty seekers. Do not set your affections upon these childish toys, which will be so soon broken up. Be no more children, but followers of the Lord Jesus. 

Find your joy in Jesus, your wealth in Jesus, your honor in Jesus, your everything in Jesus! Be in the world, but not of it. Sit loose, I entreat you, to this poor fleeting world. Get a tighter grip of the glorious world to come--so shall the love of Jesus fill your heart. Throw your anchor upward, into the soothing sea of divine love, and not downward into a troubled ocean. Anchor yourselves to the eternal throne; and never be divided even in thought, from the indescribable love of Jesus your Savior. 

It is your wondrous privilege, brethren, to lean your heads and hearts on the bosom of Jesus, until the day breaks and the shadows flee away. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Colossians 3:1-4 ... If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

1 Peter 2:11 ... Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Nehemiah 8:10 ... Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. ❤

Don't Look Back!!

Fire was falling, mercy was moving, and deliverance had already been given. God had taken Lot and his family by the hand and pulled them out of a place that was moments away from judgment. The command was simple, clear, and urgent: do not look back. Yet, in one moment, one glance, one longing for what God had already called her out of, everything was lost. 

Luke 17:32 reminds us that Jesus himself gave the warning in the gospels: remember Lot's wife. Two words, not 'remember Sodom' or 'remember Lot,' but 'remember Lot's wife,' because her body left Sodom, but her heart did not. She was delivered physically, but she was still attached spiritually, and many are in that same place today. 

God brought you out of addiction, out of relationships, out of bondage, out of the sin that was slowly destroying your soul. He broke chains you could not break yourself, silenced voices that tormented you, and set you free, putting your feet on solid ground. But now, the enemy whispers, 'Just look back, just a small visit, just entertain it, just once.' But what you look back to, you will eventually walk back into, and what you walk back into can destroy you.

Genesis 19:26 says, 'But his wife looked back from behind, and she became a pillar of salt, a monument, a witness, a warning to every generation that would come after her.' God's grace delivered her, but her longing betrayed her. Here's the truth clearly: grace is not permission to return to what God saved you from; grace is the power to walk away and never go back. Many today want a watered-down message that makes room for the flesh, a message that says holiness is optional, a message that says you can live however you want and still walk in the fullness of God. But God's word has not changed. 

1 Peter 1:5-16 says, 'Be ye holy, for I am holy.' Holiness is not punishment; holiness is protection. It keeps you free, keeps your vision clear, and keeps your heart from hardening. The same God who calls you to holiness gives you his Spirit to help you walk in it. You were never meant to overcome the flesh alone. 

Galatians 5:16 says, 'Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.' Notice it didn't say you might not; it says you shall not, because the Spirit gives you power the flesh never had. The enemy wants you to believe you're missing something, but the truth is, you were dying there. God didn't bring you out to watch you go back; he brought you out to bring you into life, freedom, purity, and purpose. Sodom was behind her, safety was ahead of her, but she chose to look back. 

Jesus said, remember her, because in these last days, many who have been delivered will be tempted to return to old chains, old identities, old sin. But here's the truth: you are not who you were, you are not where you were, and there is nothing behind you worth losing your soul over. The fire is falling, mercy is still leading, but don't look back. 

[End Times Prophecy]

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Refinement

 Refinement is not rejection.

It’s preparation.

We pray for growth.

We pray for influence.

We pray for impact.

But we don’t always pray for the fire.

Fire exposes impurities.

Fire burns off what can’t stay.

Fire reveals what’s real.

Gold doesn’t fear heat.

It becomes purer because of it.

If this season feels intense…

If the pressure feels higher…

If the testing feels deeper…

Maybe it’s not punishment.

Maybe it’s refinement.

God doesn’t waste fire.

He uses it.

And when this season is over,

you won’t look the same.

You’ll be stronger.

Clearer.

More anchored.

More surrendered.

[David Baugh]

Job 23:10 ... But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

1 Peter 1:7 ... That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ❤

All Honey ...

Our mourning shall last but until morning. God will turn our winter's night, into a summer's day; our sighing, into singing; our grief, into gladness; our mourning, into music; our bitter, into sweet; our wilderness, into a paradise.

The life of a Christian is filled up with interchanges of sickness, and health; weakness, and strength; want, and wealth; disgrace, and honor; crosses, and comforts; miseries, and mercies; sorrows, and joys; mourning, and mirth.

All honey would harm us, and all wormwood would undo us. A composition of both is the best way to keep our souls in a healthy constitution. It is best and most for the health of the soul that the warm south wind of mercy, and the cold north wind of adversity both blow upon it. And though every wind which blows, shall blow good to the saints; yet certainly their sins die most, and their graces thrive best when they are under the frigid, drying, nipping north wind of calamity as well as under the warm, nourishing south wind of mercy and prosperity.

[Thomas Brooks]

 ✞  ✞   ✞ 

Psalm 30:5 ... For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Proverbs 30:8-9 ... Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

1 Peter 4:13 ...  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. ❤

Very Precious!!

Oh, that I had power to speak of His preciousness as it ought to be spoken of. None but an angelic speaker to tell out all of His worth. Jesus is essentially precious. He possesses an intrinsic worth. He must be precious, who is infinite God. To every sinner who feels his sin, Jesus is precious. To every saved child of God, the Savior must forever be the fairest among the fair.

To every heir of Heaven who has experienced the sweetness of His saving grace, Jesus is "the chief among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely One." (Song of Solomon 5:10,16) Had it not been for our Savior' sin-atoning death on the cross, we would forever have been cast into eternal Hell.

Jesus is so precious that He cannot be bought. If a man should give all the substance of his house to purchase a saving interest in Jesus, it would be utterly despised. Rich men might gather together all their precious things; yes, India might be exhausted of its wealth, Peru drained of its silver, and California of its gold; but no part nor lot in Jesus could be bought.

He gives Himself away right freely, according to the riches of His grace. But He is utterly unpurchasable, for He is so precious that He cannot even be priced. A whole world can never compare to Him; any more than a single grain of dust could compare to the universe. Jesus is so precious because He is immeasurable. There is no measuring line which could measure Him; He is infinite, and finite minds will never be able to comprehend His unutterable value.

He is God's unspeakable gift. Heaven itself is nothing as compared with Him; and if a man had to wade chest deep through a thousand Hells to come to Jesus, it would be well worth the venture, if at the last he might but say, "My Beloved is mine, and I am His." (Song of Solomon 2:16)

Jesus is so precious that He cannot be matched. There is none like Him. The fairest of the fair are unlovely and deformed when compared with Him. If you were able to ransack time and space, you could find none that could equal Him.

Miss Him as your Savior, and you have lost the only salvation possible. Gain Him, and you will need no other. Jesus is our "wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption." He is all your souls can need or desire. If Heaven and earth were sold, you could not match Jesus in any market. If you search eternity and ransack immensity, you could never find one fit to be second to Him, He is so precious.

Jesus is precious to us, because He cannot be lost. All the precious things in this world are losable. The jewels may be stolen, the house may be broken into by the thief, and the treasure may be taken away. But Jesus is such a jewel that even Satan himself can never rob the soul of Him when once it has Him. Is not Jesus a priceless, precious jewel, since He cannot be lost?

Though men have tried to focus the fires of persecution upon the Christian, they have never been able to separate him from the love of Jesus; and though earth and Hell have stirred up their malice, and the furnace has been heated seven times hotter, and the child of God has been tossed into it, and apparently deserted to the fury of his enemies yet never in a single case has the precious gem of Jesus in the heart been destroyed.

See the preciousness of Jesus the intrinsic preciousness, the essential preciousness:  He cannot be bought.  He cannot be priced.  He cannot be matched.  He cannot be lost.  He cannot be separated from His redeemed people.

Happy and rich beyond expression are those who can truly say, "Yes, He is very precious to us who believe." (1 Peter 2:7)

 [Charles H. Spurgeon]

✫❤•°*”˜˜”*°•❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫

One Bite At a Time!

I had a vision of a mighty elephant being surrounded, not by lions, which would make sense, but by a huge pack of wolves. That alone struck me. Elephants roam African terrain; wolves do not belong there. Yet there they were, biting him piece by piece. It was painful to watch. I felt compassion. I felt grief. It reminded me of the movie Black Hawk Down when the helicopter went down in enemy territory. That soldier fought until his last breath, firing as the enemy swarmed him. I remember the camera panning over the scene as the mob rushed in. Watching that scene, I felt such sorrow for that warrior who stood his ground until the very end.

That same sorrow filled me in this vision.

The elephant, strong, massive, powerful, was being attacked from every side. One wolf would bite the back leg, and as the elephant turned to defend itself, another would clamp onto the front. They had him spinning in confusion, reacting instead of advancing. It wasn’t one fatal blow. It was “one bite at a time.”

Scripture says in Acts 20:29 that “grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Wolves do not attack with honor. They attack with strategy. They look for vulnerability. They isolate. They exhaust.

And 1 Peter 5:8 warns us:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Notice, seeking whom he may devour. The elephant is not weak. It is powerful. But even the strongest can be overcome when surrounded and distracted.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” The opposite is also true, division creates vulnerability. Jesus said in Mark 3:25, “If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

What I saw was not just external attack, but confusion. Spinning. Reacting. Losing focus. The strategy was exhaustion through constant biting. The enemy understands strength. The way to bring down something strong is not always with one massive strike, but through relentless pressure, narrative shaping, accusation, internal fracture, and distraction. One bite at a time.

But here is what I also know: The elephant carries weight. It carries memory. It carries endurance. And Scripture reminds us in Isaiah 59:19, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” This is not a call to fear. It is a call to discernment. To vigilance. To unity. To prayer. Because wolves gather when they sense opportunity. And strength must remain steady, not spinning in confusion, but standing firm, sober, and unified.

For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear what the spirit of the Lord is saying.

[Ricardo Colon silentpreacher.net]

Death is Defeated!!

Originally painted this image back in 2019 during the week of Easter. My goal was showing the victorious lion of Judah standing over the empty tomb, having defeated death and the grave. It is interesting to note that both Jesus and Satan are referred to as lions in the New Testament. (Revelation 5:5 and 1st Peter 5:8) 

You could say that the Lion defeated the lion. And the irony is that the Lion used the strongest weapon that the lion has to defeat him: Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14) 

Through the cross and empty tomb, Jesus took away the biggest power that the enemy has: the sting of death. But in order to take it away, Jesus had to first succumb to it. He went through the sting, so that we don't have to.

[Kevin Carden]

www.ChristianPhotoshops.com

1 Corinthians 15:55 ...  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ❤