Coming For You!!

The Scriptures confront us with a truth that the proud heart hates to ponder man is but dust. Beauty, wealth, strength, and status all of these perish at the grave's edge. What is frailer than the body? It is but a heap of dust, held together by the breath of God and when He withdraws it, it returns to the earth from whence it came. So do not boast in outward beauty, or earthly treasure.

Death makes the greatest beauty so loathsome, that it must be buried out of sight! The fairest face, so admired in life, will in time become an object of horror. The smooth skin will shrivel. The bright eyes will dim. The laughter, the voice, the charm will be silenced forever in death. The body, now so tenderly cared for, shall be turned into a lump of corruption, and lie moldering in the dust.

Death will strip you of all your ornaments, tear the mask from your face, and leave you loathsome to those who once admired you. Your corpse shall be carried to the grave, the house appointed for all living; and there the worms shall cover you yes, the worms shall feed sweetly on you.

What has become of the loveliness that once charmed the eyes of beholders? Death has blasted it! And what of the fine clothing, and the gold and glitter of this world? The finest clothes are but badges of our sin and shame. Soon enough, they will be exchanged for a burial shroud. And the body, no matter how pampered or praised, will become a feast for worms!

Such truths are not morbid. They are merciful. For they will strip away our illusions and compel us to look beyond this vain and fleeting world.

At every funeral we attend, we should ever hearken to death's voice, for it always says to us: "I am coming for you soon!"

[Thomas Boston]

 ✞  ✞   ✞ 

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

Genesis 3:19 ... In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Psalm 49:14 ... Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. ❤

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.

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

Is Hell Real?

Hell exists, and everyone deserves it. When we understand God for who He is as perfectly holy, we immediately see not only who He is, but who we are utterly sinful. Some speak of hell as the absence of God, but hell is not the absence of God absolutely; indeed, it is the presence of God in wrath. Hell is the presence of God the righteous wrath of God, as unbelievers suffer the torments of their ruinous sin forever. 

The point is this: a penitent murderer goes to heaven; an impenitent orphanage founder goes to hell. All of our badness does not make us harder to save. All of our goodness does not make us easier to save. The world tends to believe that heaven is for the good, and hell is for the bad. The Bible teaches that heaven is for the penitent, and hell is for the impenitent however good or bad anyone has been. Jesus had no hesitation warning the crowds of the horrors of hell, because He, more than anyone, saw the true frightfulness of it. No one who ever lived will receive injustice from God. Some will receive mercy. The rest will receive justice. 

No one is ever treated by God unfairly. (Genesis 18:25) We tend to think that the default destiny of all people is heaven, and that hell is reserved for the particularly wicked. But in truth our default destiny is hell, and heaven is reserved for those who honestly admit their wickedness and look to Christ alone for salvation. More than likely, in the next few days, within a few miles of the spot where you are sitting right now, someone will descend into hell. We are not any further from hell if we've lived a moral life. 

We are not any closer to hell if we've lived an immoral life. Heaven is not for the deserving. It is for the repentant. Hell is not for the undeserving. It is for the unrepentant. Hell is filled with people who think they should be in heaven. Heaven is filled with people who know they should be in hell. The astonishing surprise is not that there is only one way to get to heaven. The astonishing surprise is that there is any way to get to heaven for miserable sinners such as us. 

[Dane Ortlund] 

Ephesians 2:3-5 ... Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

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

Hating Sin ...

It is evident that our conversion is sound when we loathe and hate sin from the heart.

A man may know his hatred of evil to be true, first, if it is universal- he that hates sin truly, hates all sin.

Secondly, true hatred of sin is fixed there is no appeasing it but by abolishing the thing hated.

Thirdly, true hatred of sin is a more rooted affection than anger, anger may be appeased, but hatred of sin remains and sets itself against the whole kind.

Fourthly, if our hatred of sin is true, we hate all evil, in ourselves foremost, and secondarily in others he that hates a toad, would hate it most in his own bosom. Many, like Judah, are severe in censuring others (Genesis 38:24), but partial to themselves.

Fifthly, he that hates sin truly, hates the greatest sin in the greatest measure; he hates all evil in a just proportion.

Sixthly, our hatred to sin is right if we can endure admonition and reproof for sin, and not be enraged- therefore, those that swell against reproof do not appear to hate sin.

[Richard Sibbes]

Psalm 97:10 ... Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

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

Perishing With Salvation in Sight!!

Beware of worldly entanglements! How many there are, who, like Lot's wife have apparently set out to the Zoar of safety, yet who linger and perish in the plains of Sodom! They hear the terrors of the law; they are roused by the threat of the coming conflagration. They think of fleeing they have actually set out.

The world they have left, has too many attractions and fascinations! Like Demas, they give the preference to these. They look back to Sodom and perish eternally! Beware of yielding to temptation!

Lot's wife had gotten out of reach of the summoning's and jeers of her evil companions. She had reached the brow of the hill and was apparently completely safe. She had been rescued from the idolatries of Chaldea, and the superstitions of Egypt. She had been plucked from the burning fires of Sodom and yet she perished notwithstanding!

How sad it is, to see a soul that had set out on the way to Heaven, that had escaped the temptations of youth, that got rid of worldly entanglements, that got out of Sodom, and was on its way to Zoar, yet perishing with salvation in sight!

[John MacDuff]

 ✞  ✞   ✞ 

Genesis 19:25-26 ... And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke 17:32-33 ... Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. ❤

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]

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

Berakah

בְּרָכָה

Blessing.

Genesis 12:2-3 ... And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

                                                 ✞  ✞  ✞ 

God Causes the Temptations of the Godly

Among the many trials the Lord appoints for His people, few are as relentless and distressing as temptation. The Christian is not merely opposed by the world and the flesh; but by a personal, malicious enemy. Satan is rightly called "the tempter." (Mark 4:15) He is restless, strategic, and cruel, ever watching, ever waiting, ever laying snares for the saints. Yet even here, Scripture speaks with settled certainty: temptation itself, is sovereignly overruled by God for the good of those who love Him. 

The devil's methods are both violent and subtle. As a dragon, he assaults the soul with fiery darts, blasphemous thoughts, doubts of God's goodness, and suggestions that strike at the very foundations of faith.  (Ephesians 6:16) Like the old serpent, he is cunning beyond measure. He studies temperament, times his attacks, disguises sin in religious language and sometimes delivers poison in a golden cup! (2 Corinthians 11:14) Yet for all his craft, Satan remains a creature under restraint. He can propose objects, stir the imagination, and excite remaining corruption but he cannot force the will, nor can he move one inch beyond the limits God has set. (Job 1:12)

Here the comfort of Romans 8:28 shines with peculiar brightness. Temptation does not escape God's providence. The same Lord who permits the assault, also governs its outcome. Like a tree shaken by fierce winds, the believer becomes more deeply rooted. What Satan intends for ruin, God intends for refinement. 

First, temptation drives the soul to prayer. When the enemy presses hard, the saint flees faster to the throne of grace. "For this I implored the Lord three times," Paul says of Satan's buffeting. (2 Corinthians 12:8) Temptation exposes our weakness, strips away self-confidence, and teaches us to cry, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:13) That which sends us to prayer cannot ultimately harm us. 

Second, temptation strengthens resistance to sin. The more fiercely the devil urges, the more clearly the believer learns to hate the evil set before him. Joseph's refusal was sharpened, not softened, by the persistence of temptation. (Genesis 39:9) God turns Satan's spur into a bridle, making the soul recoil from the very sins it is urged to commit. 

Third, temptation humbles pride. Paul's "thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan" was given was given so that he would not exalt himself. (2 Corinthians 12:7) Far better to be humbled by temptation, than proud of success. God will sooner allow a saint to feel their frailty than to trust their own strength. 

Fourth, temptation tests and proves grace. The devil tempts to destroy, but God permits temptation to reveal sincerity. Faith is shown not in the absence of battle, but in steadfast resistance. Courage shines brightest when the conflict is fiercest. (James 1:12)  

Fifth, temptation equips believers to comfort others. Those who have wrestled with the enemy are best suited to warn, guide, and encourage fellow pilgrims. "We are not ignorant of his schemes." (2 Corinthians 2:11) The scars of battle become instruments of mercy. 

Sixth, temptation draws forth the tender compassion of Jesus. "He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered; He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:18) When the soul is bruised, Christ intercedes; when the battle rages, grace is supplied. 

Seventh, temptation loosens our attachment to this world and makes us long for Heaven. Here on earth the fight never ends; there the enemy is forever silenced. The weary soldier looks for the crown. (2 Timothy 4:7-8) Even when a believer is temporarily overcome, it works for his spiritual good. Peter's fall shattered his pride and produced deeper humility, greater watchfulness, and truer dependence on Jesus. (Luke 22:62; John 21:15-17)

Thus, the old serpent is continually outwitted by divine wisdom. Temptation becomes a crosswind that carries the saints toward glory. The enemy rages, but Jesus reigns. And the God who permits the battle, ensures the victory. 

[Thomas Watson] 

 ✞  ✞   ✞ 

1 Corinthians 15:57 ... But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:28 ...  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ❤

He Sees You!!

 Only God sees your side of the story!

[Jessy Paul]

Genesis 16:13 ... And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? ❤

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!

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

Why Are We Here?

Before there was a Milky Way, there was God! Before there were galaxies, solar systems, constellations, and nebulae, there was God! Before Mercury, Venus, and Mars were plugged into their sockets, there was God! Before Polaris was fastened above the North Pole, there was God! 

Before Orion the hunter had a belt, and Saturn had its rings, there was God; all alone, perfect and content, glorious in His solitary existence as the eternal I AM! Before there was a sun, a moon, or an earth; before there was grass to clothe the field, and flowers to adorn it; before the mountains were brought forth, and the sea filled the depths; before the eagle soared through the sky, and the fish swam through the sea; before angels, devils, and men had their being there was God alone! 

If we would understand things aright, we must not begin with man, but with God for He is the beginning of all things. To begin with man is folly, for man is but a creature, a production of the Creator. We must back up and begin where the Bible begins, with God! God's people know, and have always known, what continues to baffle the minds of the scholars and scientists of our day, that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

Through faith, God's people understand the mystery of creation. I ask you, "Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is God's purpose?" Can we even know the answer to these questions? Indeed, we can. The twenty four elders seated around God's throne in Heaven give us the answer in Revelation 4:10-11, "The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and for Your pleasure they exist and were created!" 

You, me, angels, animals, plants, rocks, and all other things, exist and were created for one reason: the pleasure of the Creator. We were created according to His will and purpose, for His pleasure and glory. God did not create the Heaven and the earth arbitrarily. He created them to be the stage upon which He would perform His eternal purpose of grace and reveal all the wonders of His goodness and mercy toward His elect. It is upon the stage of time, that God displays His eternal purpose and shows forth His glory in the salvation of chosen sinners. He created this world for the salvation of His people, that they would be recovered from their sin by His almighty grace. 

[Frank Hall] 

Isaiah 46:9-11 ... Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

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

Two Words ...

When the enemy comes at you, just remember these two words ~~~ but God!!

Genesis 50:20 ... But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Exodus 13:18 ... But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

Psalm 73:26 ... My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Psalm 49:15 ... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Proverbs 21:12 ... The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

Isaiah 17:13 ... The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

Romans 5:8 ... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Corinthians 3:6 ... I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ... There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Ephesians 2:4 ... But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

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

Keturah

Genesis 25:1 ... Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 

 

Keturah [Hebrew] ~ Perfumed or fragrant.  ✿ 

Lot's Wife...

Don't look back. You're not going that way.

Genesis 19:23-26 ... The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke 17:32 ... Remember Lot's wife. ❤

We Are Like That Dove!!

The condition of a Christian wandering over earth in search of rest; and disappointed, returning at length to his Savior, glad to be received again into His bosom, where alone there is peace. Surely, he who has been accustomed to drink at the pure fountain of spiritual joy, can never find rest for the soul in this polluted world. How true is it, that to one whose affections have been directed to things above, earthly pleasures seem to have lost their usual relish. 

No prospect however beautiful, no pleasures however tantalizing can be enjoyed, without the associated presence and blessing of God. Yet when God is recognized in them, and the heart is properly affected towards Him-then do even earthly scenes acquire an additional interest. But let the Christian lose sight for a season of his heavenly inheritance, and wander over earth's surface in search of worldly good how soon will he find an unsatisfying vacuity, where not even an olive leaf shall be found to greet his eye or to cheer his heart. 

The Christian may so far backslide, as to wish to explore anew the world which he professes to have forsaken, and God may allow him to do so. But O how soon his wing will tire, and his prospect become gloomy. Glad will he be to return and flutter around the ark, longing to be taken in, where he can once more feel himself happy and at home. And Jesus kindly extends His hand to take us in, even when we have sinfully wandered from His loving arms. 

Why is it that we can be so often deceived? Have we not tried the world, and have we not been disappointed in the pursuit? Never again then let us leave the sacred ark, never again wander from our Lord. 

[Jared Waterbury]

Genesis 8:9 ...  But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. ❤

Enlightened!!

Into what a new world of wonders are we introduced, when the Holy Spirit visits us with enlightening grace! We are then indeed translated from darkness to light; and pass from death unto life. We enter upon a new being. Previously sin had fast closed our eyes, so that we saw nothing in the spiritual kingdom of grace. But when He, who said "Let there be light," (Genesis 1:3) and there was light in the chaos of nature, says "Let there be light" in the dark chambers of the soul, instantly the scales fall off, and we see ourselves vile and loathsome in the pollution of our sins, and we see that there is One mighty to save us, even Jesus we see Him in all the beauty of His person and work, chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely; washing out our every transgression in His own most precious blood, and covering our every deformity in the spotless robe of His divine righteousness. Blessed are the eyes which see this enrapturing sight!

[Matthew Henry]

Ephesians 1:18 ...  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ❤

How You Treat Others ...

Cain killed his brother and still did not become the accepted one.

Those that continue to pull people down will never be raised up!!

Genesis 4:5-11 ... But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.  And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; ❤

The God of Light!

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is to behold the sun. In what believing heart will not these words awaken a quick and grateful response? The renewed man is the only being who knows what true light is, because he only, really knows Jesus. All others are like miners dwelling from their birth beneath the surface of the earth, having never seen the sun, through whose eternal gloom not one vivifying ray has ever pierced. "Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people." (Isaiah 60:2)

When man sinned, God went out of the temple, luminous and glorious with His presence, and the sun of the soul set in guilt, darkness, and death. Henceforth the natural man walks in darkness, not knowing where he goes, until the time of electing love and sovereign grace draws on, when He who at creation's dawn said, "Let there be light, and light was," (Genesis 1:3) causes the light of life to shine, and the soul is immediately "translated out of darkness into His marvelous light," (1 Peter 2:9) henceforth and forever to be a child of the light and of the day. "You were once darkness, but now are you light in the Lord Walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8)

But the present pages have more especially to do with God Himself as the God of light. We are invited to consider, less the reflection and effects of God's light, than the Divine Fountain from which it flows. 

[Octavius Winslow]

1 John 1:5 ... This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ❤

How Will I Vote?

 I will vote for the most pro-life candidate, because God hates the shedding of innocent blood. 

(Proverbs 6:17)

I will vote for the most Pro-Israel candidate, because God blesses those who bless Israel and He curse those who don't. (Genesis 12:3)

I will vote for the most pro-debt reduction candidate, because the borrower is the servant to the lender. 

(Proverbs 22:7)

I will vote for the most pro-wok candidate, because God says if a man won't work let him eat not. 

(2 Thessalonians 3:10)

I will vote for the most pro-marriage candidate, because God is for marriage defined as between one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24)

I will vote for the candidate who most closely believes that government's purpose is to reward good and punish evil. (Romans 13)

I will vote based as close as I can on the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16)

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

The Sins of The Saints

Bernard of Clairvaux once mentioned an old man who, upon hearing about any professing Christian who fell into sin, would say to himself: "He fell today; I may fall tomorrow!" The apostle Paul commended the same mindset when he wrote, "let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12) 

There is great wisdom in not trusting our own ability to stand. When I was a boy, my father would often say, "The person I trust least of all is myself." It should shock us to hear a professing Christian say, "I would never do that," or "How could anyone do that?" Consider the following: 

If Adam, an innocent man, could choose a piece of fruit over the infinitely valuable God (Genesis 3:6);  if Noah, the most righteous man of his day, could get so drunk that he passed out naked before his sons in his tent (Genesis 9:21);  if Abraham, the most faithful man of his day, could father a child with his wife's handmaiden (Genesis 16:1-4) and twice hand his wife over to other men (Genesis 12:11-15; 20:1-2);  if Sarah, the mother of promise, could laugh at the words of the God of promise and then lie to Him about doing so (Genesis 18:9-15);  if "righteous Lot" could greedily pick the most materialistic and sexually depraved place for himself and his family to live (Genesis 13:8-13), and could hand his daughters over to the sexually perverse men of the city (Genesis 19:4-8);  if Isaac, the son of promise, could show partiality to his oldest son because he liked his hunting skills (Genesis 25:28), and he, too, could hand his wife over to another man (Genesis 26:6-11); and if Jacob, the namesake of Israel, could swindle his brother for a birthright (Genesis 25:29-34), then so could I. 

If Moses, the meekest man on the planet, could act in such sinful anger and unbelief that God would not let him into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:7-12);  if his successor Joshua, could disobediently covenant with pagans (Joshua 9);  if Gideon, the mighty man of valor, could fall into idolatry at the end of his life (Judges 8:22-27); and if Samson, the strongest man who ever lived, could be defeated by wine and women (Judges 14-16), then so could I. if David, the man after God's own heart, could commit adultery and premeditate the murder of one of his mighty men (2 Samuel 11);  if Solomon, the wisest man, could foolishly allow his heart to be led astray by a thousand women to worship foreign gods (1 Kings 11);  if Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, could charge God with deceiving His people (Jeremiah 4:10); and if Elijah, a prophet of Israel, could self-righteously run from the mission of God (Jonah 1-3), then so could I. 

 If John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, could doubt the identity of the One to whom he bore witness (Matthew 11:2-3); and if the Apostle Peter could try to stop Jesus from going to the cross (Matthew 16:21-23), deny Jesus (Luke 22:54-61), argue with the Lord about the gospel and its implications (John 13:6-10; Acts 10:9-16), and support division in the church over the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Galatians 2:11-21), then so could I. 

If James and John could use Jesus to get to the top (Mark 10:35-37) and could want to call fire down from Heaven on those who did not believe the gospel (Luke 9:51-55); and if the Apostle John could twice fall down to worship angels (Revelation 19:9-10; Revelation 22:8-9), then so could I. 

We must resist the temptation of thinking that we can stand in our own strength. We must depend on the grace of the One who said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). The greatest believers are subject to great weaknesses. In no way do these truths give a license to sin; instead, they give a sober realization that by nature, "nothing good dwells in us." (Romans 7:18) 

We must distrust ourselves, bear with the weak, and hold fast to Christ. We must flee to our Great High Priest, who was tempted in all points as we are, yet never sinned. We must go to Him for grace and mercy to withstand temptations, and we must go to Him for grace and mercy if we fall.

[Nick Batzig]  

 ✞   ✞   ✞  

1 Corinthians 15:10 ...  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

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