A House Without Light!

Our earthly fire, when it burns it shines, it casts a light. It has light as well as heat in it. But the fire of hell burns but it does not shine, it gives no light at all. It retains

the property of burning but it has lost the property of shining. Christ calls it "outer darkness," or utter darkness that is, darkness beyond a darkness.

Light is a blessing that shall never shine into that infernal prison. In Jude verse 6, you read of "chains of darkness." It would be a little ease, a little comfort, to the damned in hell if they might have but light and liberty to walk up and down the infernal coasts; but this is too high a favor for them to enjoy; and therefore, they shall be shackled and fettered down in chains of darkness, and in blackness of darkness so that they may fully undergo the scorching's and burnings of divine wrath and fury forever and ever.

In Jude verse 13 you thus read, "To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." The words signify exceeding great darkness. Hell is a very dark and dismal region, and extreme are the miseries, horrors, and torments which are there. Sinners, when they are in hell, when they are in chains of darkness, when they

are in blackness of darkness they shall never more see light! Hell is a house without light!

Though our earthly fires have light as well as heat, yet the infernal fire has only heat to burn sinners; it has no light to refresh sinners; and this will be no small addition

to their torment.

[Thomas Brooks]

Colossians 1:13 ... Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Matthew 25:30 ... And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 11:36 ... If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. ❤

God Reasoning with Lost Sinners

Because "the mouth of the Lord has spoken it," it must be true. Every threat will be made good, every promise will be fulfilled; every warning and exhortation is of the most solemn importance. It is not man who speaks, not even the prophet but the Lord Almighty Himself. He is speaking to sinners. What does He say?

"Come now and let us reason together." How kind and gracious! He does not yet say, "Come, stand before the judgment-seat. Come, and receive the punishment due for your sins" but "Come now and let us reason together." God, whom he has offended, invites the sinner to speak with Him, to hear what He will say, to listen to His offer.

And what an offer! Nay, more than an offer a promise, plain and sure. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." God does not shut His eyes to what the sinner has done; his sins are all before Him, many and great, deep-colored, red like crimson or scarlet. Nor must the sinner himself shut his eyes to them. He must not deny them or refuse to look at them. God calls him to look at them and shows them to him as they are, with no veil or excuse red like crimson. Then God says that they shall be as white as snow; and, as if to make it more certain, He says it again in other words, "they shall be as wool." He will forgive them all. He will fully forgive them. So fully, that not a stain shall be left. What is whiter than wool or purer than snow? So white and pure will God make the sinner in His sight.

How is this? We know now, under the gospel, how it is. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's dearly beloved Son, was shed on the cross. It is that precious blood that washes our sins away and makes us clean. It is for His sake that sinners are forgiven. "He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

We must believe in Him. We must be "willing and obedient"; obedient to the gospel call, willing to give up all for Christ all sin, all self-righteousness, all hope and trust but in Him. We must draw near to God with broken and contrite hearts, seeking mercy for Jesus' sake. This is what God invites us to do when He says, "Come now, and let us reason together."

We are not to argue the matter with our Maker and Judge, to make excuses, to put our case in the best light. We are to confess all, to humble ourselves before Him, and simply to plead that Jesus died for us. Then God will be gracious to us. He will surely pardon us. The blood of Jesus will wash away our guilt. Our sins will become as white as snow. "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it."

But let none think to find forgiveness and yet to continue in willful sin. This would be to "refuse and rebel," not to "be willing and obedient." This would be to "turn the grace of God into a license for sin" (Jude 4). Where there is a true coming to Christ for pardon there will be also a change of heart; and where there is a change of heart there will be a hatred of sin. A living faith will certainly lead us to strive continually, that we may "cease to do evil" and "learn to do good."

The pardoned sinner cannot but love his Savior; and Christ and sin cannot be loved together. There can be no real work of grace in the heart, no true faith in Christ, and no pardon of sin unless there is the fruit of love to Him who redeemed us by His blood; and love will certainly be shown by striving to keep His commandments. Jesus said of one penitent sinner, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." (Luke 7:47) He said to all, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)

[Francis Bourdillon]

Isaiah 1:18-20 ... Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. ❤

Pride Month

If the god you follow is okay with Gay Pride, then you are following a FALSE god that you have made up in your mind.

God is NOT okay with "pride month" and neither should we be!

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ... Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Colossians 3:5 ... Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Leviticus 18:22 ... Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Romans 1:21-27 ...  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

1 Timothy 1:9-10 ... Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Jude 7 ... Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. ❤

"Am I This Blessed Person?"

Ask yourselves, "Am I this blessed person?" 

Do I so live in this world, that others notice the holiness of my walk, and my entire devotion to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Do I, instead of loving the world, account it a dreary wilderness? Do I renounce the pomp's and vanities of this wicked world, and the sinful lusts of the flesh? Am I dying unto the world, to its cares, its pleasures, its maxims, its habits, its friendship? Am I "crucified unto the world, and is the world crucified unto me by the cross of Christ," so that I value it no more than a man does who is in the very throes of death? (Galatians 6:14)  

In my passage through this wilderness world, am I leaning constantly on my beloved Savior, saying, "In the Lord I have righteousness and strength!" (Isaiah 45:24)  

If these things are true of you, then as your sympathetic high priest, in every time of need, He will be with you: to counsel you by His wisdom, to uphold you by His power, and to enrich you with His benefits! What an all-sufficient support you have in this dreary wilderness world! Your ever-present Savior shields you, and cares for you, and guards you as the apple of His eye! 

[Charles Simeon] 

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Song of Solomon 8:5 ... Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

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,❤

Empowered Life

There are seven new things, which all believers now possess:

Repentance—A new mind about God. Acts 20:21

Justification—A new state before God. Romans 4:25

Regeneration—A new life from God. Titus 3:5

Conversion—A new attitude toward God. Matthew 18:3

Sonship—A new relationship with God. 1 John 3:1

Sanctification—A new position before God. Jude 1

Glorification—A new place with God. Romans 8:30

[A.W. Pink]

1 Corinthians 4:20 ... For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. ❤

Pastor Statistics.

Barna reports:

38% of pastors are thinking of quitting the ministry, 51% from mainline denominations. (2021)

84% of pastors feel they are on call 24/7.

65% of pastors feel their family lives in a "glass house" and fear they are not good enough to meet expectations. (2020)

24% of pastor's families resent the church and its effect on their families. (2018)

50% of pastors state they spend 1 hour in prayer each day. (2020)

57% of pastors believe they do not receive a livable wage. (2021)

57% of pastors are unable to pay their bills. (2021)

35% of pastors battle depression. (2019) These numbers have risen sharply since Covid-19 (2022).

70% of pastors report they have a lower self-image now than when they first started. (2020)

70% of pastors do not have someone they consider to be a close friend. (2020)

80% of pastors currently will not be in ministry ten years from 2021 due to outside pressures, and only a fraction make it to retirement. (2022)

77% feel they do not have a good marriage. (2021)

38% are divorced or divorcing (2021).

50% admit to using pornography and 37% report inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church. (2021)

13% of pastors have committed suicide. (2021)

Pray for your pastor!

Jude 20 ... But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

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

The Why's About Sin

"Why do I keep struggling with the same sinful thoughts?"

"Why can't I just gain victory over lust and pride?"

"Why does God allow sin to remain in His people?"

These are questions Christians ask from time to time. We think of how nice it would be if we didn't have to struggle with sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. But, in His sovereignty, God has a reason for allowing sin to remain in His children. Here are some of Thomas Boston's answers:

  1. God has ordered the matter of the believer's sanctification that sin is left to be active in their souls while here on earth, for their further humiliation. For example, God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble. And so, we find David, after his grievous fall, grows in the grace of humility.

  2. The Lord allows sin to remain in His people, so they are stirred to the frequent exercise of prayer. The soul feels the continual need of pardon, and therefore must be much lying at God's footstool. When His children grow remiss in their duty, the Lord sometimes allows them to fall into some grievous sin to awaken them and wound their conscience, so that they cry to Him like a child who falls into a fire.

  3. The sin left in us makes us more watchful of our hearts which still are prone to wander. When a prisoner escapes, and they catch him, they will put him into more close custody than before. We walk through a world filled with many snares; if we were not watchful, we would be caught in them!

  4. Just like God allowed some Canaanites to remain in the land to try His people, so He has left remains of natural corruption in them for their exercise and trial. Indwelling sin makes us lean on Christ's strength and use God's armor in the battle.

  5. Through sin is left in us, we are made more and more to feel our need for Christ and His precious blood for the removal of our guilt daily contracted anew, and for the strengthening of our souls in our Christian course so that we come out of the wilderness resting upon our Beloved.

  6. Through the indwelling sin that remains, Christ is glorified. While the enemy, sin, dwells in us, Christ's grace and Holy Spirit are at work in us so that the enemy cannot overcome, domineer, or destroy us. Because of indwelling sin, we know that we cannot justify ourselves but can only be justified by the perfect obedience of Christ, which we lay hold of by faith. In this, Christ is glorified.

  7. To see how God makes such an excellent medicine from such poisonous ingredients, cannot be but very delightful!

The struggle against indwelling sin is difficult for sure. But when we remember God's sovereign use of indwelling sin in His people for their good and His glory, it helps us press on in the faith with our eyes fixed on Jesus. He will one day graciously give us the full victory over sin! 

[Thomas Boston]

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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,

Romans 8: 28-29 ... 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.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ❤

O, Eternity!!

Who do I see in those dark regions, stung incessantly with the ruthless fangs of the never-dying worm? A numerous crowd, who once despised the gospel of God and turned a deaf ear to the messages of salvation. In neglect and contempt of Christ, and the things of His kingdom, they went away: one to his farm, another to his business; preferring, either the pleasures of sense, or the paltry concerns of this transitory world to the treasures of the everlasting gospel, and the momentous affairs of eternity. 

Woe unto them! it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them! Who, let me repeat the inquiry, Who do I behold in those infernal flames? The rich man, Dives! For eighteen hundred years he has been crying out in vain for one drop of water to cool his scorched tongue. But are his miseries any nearer to a close? Ah, no! The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever! Their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched!  Should the ablest arithmetician try to number the ages of eternity, he would be forever baffled. 

O, eternity! eternity! immense, unfathomable depth! Millions of millions of ages, and ten thousand times ten thousand millions more, would diminish nothing from the account of eternity! Is it possible for dying mortals to push the thought of eternity from their minds? Is it possible for them to be as thoughtless about it, as if it were no more than an idle dream? What can exceed what can equal the stupidity, the insensibility, the madness of sinful man! Lost sinner! where are you? Just on the verge of the burning lake! Should the feeble thread of life be cut, should you die in your present state then inevitable eternal damnation awaits you! 

Ask yourself seriously, "Can you dwell with devouring fire? Can you dwell with everlasting burnings?" If you can, go on and add iniquity to sin; still treasure up more wrath against the day of wrath; and, for the sordid, the short-lived pleasures of sin, reap eternal ages of woe and horror! You are purchasing your carnal delights at a dear rate indeed. Such is the horrid nature of sin, that its proper wages, its just desert is everlasting damnation, an eternal Hell of misery! 

[John Fawcett]

Jude 11: Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

 ✞ 🕊 ✞ 🕊 ✞ 🕊 ✞ 🕊 ✞ 🕊 ✞ 🕊 ✞ 🕊 ✞

Pray and Believe!!

 Pray big even when you feel small. 

Matthew 17:20 ... And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

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

Jude 20 ... But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,❤

A Kept Woman

There were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, But GOD kept me sane. (Isaiah 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer, But the LORD kept me moving. (Genesis 28:15)

At times, I’ve wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, But the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psalm 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn’t enough, But GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, food on my table. (Matthew 6:25 -34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up. (Jude 24)

hen I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (Matthew 11:28-30)

I felt unloved then HE took me in and showed me real love (Song of Solomon 2:4)

I Praise the Lord because I'm grateful and blessed to be "KEPT."

[Author Unknown] 

1 Peter 1:5 … Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.❤

Spirit of Lawless

The reason why homosexuality is spreading across the world, becoming more and more acceptable as we move further into the last days, is for one reason, it (homosexuality) represents the spirit of Antichrist which will eventually peak from his seat in Jerusalem. 

In Revelation 11:8, God calls Jerusalem "Sodom" and "Egypt", he does so to give us a glimpse of how evil, wicked and immoral the world will become at some point in the future when the man of sin will establish homosexuality as the global norm across the globe. This movement has nothing to do with equality, but perversion, to undermine that which God HATES, and which will eventually bring about his wrath.

It's not about choice or lifestyle, it's about the spirit of the lawless one who is coming in the near future. Read the book, don't wait for the movie.

[Christopher Gregory]

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Daniel 11:37 … Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

Jude 7 … Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Romans 1:18 … For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;❤

Prayer is Just Talking to Jesus

The firm believing of this promise will give new meaning and reality to prayer. Many people are perplexed at times, as they think about prayer. Is there really an ear to hear the words we speak when we bow in prayer? How can God hear us so far away? Then suppose ten thousand of God's children, in different parts of the world, are praying at the same moment, how can He hear them all, and disentangle the confusion of the words as they come up to Him, and distinguish the supplications of each?

Who has not at times been puzzled and even perplexed by such questions? But the promise of Christ's abiding presence makes it all plain. He is not way off in any imagined central Heaven, up to which all prayers of earth must fly through the air before they can be heard or answered. He is close beside each one of us!

We remember how it was when Jesus was on the earth in human form. The people came to Him with their needs and sorrows. Those who sinned came with their confessions, bathing His feet with their penitential tears. Those who were in trouble came with their burdens.

That is what prayer is now, only now Christ can be with millions at the same moment of time, as He could not be when in the flesh.

Prayer is just talking to Jesus weeping at His dear feet, if we have sinned; leaning upon His bosom, if we are weary or in sorrow; breathing our heart's longings into His ear; telling Him our needs, whatever they may be.

Does not the realization of this truth of the Lord's presence with us, take from prayer all its mystery?

[J. R. Miller]

Psalm 145:18-20 … The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

Matthew 28:20 … Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jude 20 … But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,❤

The Savior's Crown

Revolve in your mind that wondrous word "faultless"! We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in His work of redeeming love, every saved sinner shall be without blemish one day. The Savior who will keep His people to the end, will also present them at last to Himself as "a glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish!"

All the jewels in the Savior's crown are without a single flaw!   But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in His own blood, until we are as white and lovely as God's purest angel! We shall be clothed in His perfect righteousness, which makes the saint who wears it truly faultless, perfect in the sight of God.

Also, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. We shall be as holy as God is holy, and we shall dwell in His presence forever!

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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,

Song of Solomon 4:7 … Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

Isaiah 61:10 … I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. ❤

The Person Jesus

Jesus was not a refugee, he did not teach or preach Socialism, nor did he did hang out with sinners of every sort just to get along. Christ was not about this world and it’s vast and many kingdoms. He (Jesus) did not (and still isn’t) advocating for open borders to any nation, nor is he asking us to embrace alternative lifestyles and gender confused people. 

The Jesus I know and serve still demands repentance. He still requires men to work for their daily needs. He does not promote a welfare mentality among his children. He does not mingle with sinners by tolerating their refusal to repent when they hear the gospel. 

His judgment is sure for those who will not come and taste what he has to offer. Christ yielded a whip to the backs of those who took advantage of the people and made his house a den of iniquity and greed. His promise to cast those who would reject him into a burning place of torment will be fulfilled. And his return will put an end to this upside down world where Satan has tried to make it his own personal heaven. 

That is the person of Jesus Christ and his character, anything else construed by men is a lie, and a damnable one at that.

[Christopher Gregory]

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Mark 1:15 … And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.


Jude 15 … To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.



Hebrews 13:8 … Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.❤

Wings of Prayer

Prayer is the rustling of the wings of the angels that are on their way bringing us the blessings of heaven. Have you heard prayer in your heart? You will see the angel in your house. When the chariots that bring us blessings rumble, their wheels sound with prayer. We hear the prayer in our own spirits, and that prayer becomes the sign of the coming blessings. Even as the clouds appear before the rain, so prayer precedes the blessing; even as the first green blade of a plant is the beginning of the harvest, so is prayer the prediction of the blessing that is about to come.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

1 Thessalonians 5:17 … Pray without ceasing.

Jude 20 … But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

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

Anything But Normal

Hong Kong has pulled every book that promotes LGBT ideas or beliefs, especially in the children's market from off the shelves in book stores across the Island. To that I can rejoice, as at least in this part of the world, there are some Governments who still see the harm in promoting a harmful lifestyle, especially promoting it to children as "normal", it is anything but, normal.

[Christopher Gregory]

Romans 1:24 … Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Jude 7 … Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

1 Corinthians 6:9 …  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,❤