Listening ...

When you are tired of all of the evil happening in the world and you're just waiting for the trumpet to sound … 

Matthew 25:13 ...  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 ... Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Luke 12:37 ... Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. ❤

Deicide!

The Word of Truth declares that "the carnal mind is enmity against God" (Romans 8:7). Men do not believe it, in fact most of them pretend the very opposite. Nevertheless, at Calvary they gave proof of their hatred of God. Not only was Christ un-welcome here but men hated Him and that "without a cause" (John 15:25). He gave them every reason to admire and adore Him, but they had an inveterate detestation of Him! 

Multitudes go through the form of paying homage to God, but it is a "god" of their own imagination. They hate the true and living God and were it possible they would rid the universe of His existence! This is clear from their treatment of Christ, for He was none other than "God manifest in flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). They hated and hounded Him to death and nothing short of His cruel death by crucifixion would appease them! 

Here at Calvary the real character of man was revealed, and the desperate wickedness of his heart was laid bare. There it was shown that man was capable of the blackest of all crimes! As evil as man had shown himself all through his history the coming of Immanuel to this earth brought sin to such a head that all that which had gone before, was relatively but a trifling thing when compared with the monstrous wickedness which was done against Love incarnate! 

In the treatment which the Son of God received at the hands of men we see sin in its true colors, stripped of a disguise, exposed in its hideous reality; revealed in its true nature as contempt of God, and rebellion against Him. Here at Calvary, we behold the climax of sin and the fearful and horrible lengths to which sin is capable of going! That sin which germinated in Eden culminated in the crucifixion! Here at Calvary, we see sin at its apex Deicide in the slaying of the Lord of Glory! 

[A. W. Pink]

Luke 23:21 ... But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.

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Pray Tonight!!

One song can change a moment.

One idea can change a world.

Once step can start a journey.

But prayer can change the impossible.

[message from the Internet]

 Luke 1:37 ... For with God nothing shall be impossible. ❤

Lessons Learned Too Late!

Luke 16:19-31. Here is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

Lazarus died and was carried up to Heaven. Chosen, redeemed and born of God--he entered into glory. "The rich man also died." What became of him? "In Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment!" 

 Our Lord here allows us to look beyond the grave. He allows us to look into Hell itself. He shows us the pains, feelings and desires of a damned man one who is forever shut up in Hell. Here are seven things that the rich man learned, but he learned them too late! He learned them in Hell! I pray that you will not learn them too late. 

1. Death does not end all. "If a man dies, shall he live again?" Indeed, we shall. We all have an immortal soul that will live on forever after our bodies are in the grave. Will you spend eternity in the bliss and glory of Heaven--or in the torments of the damned in Hell? 

2. There is a real place called "Hell." Hell is as real as the town in which you live. The same Inspired Book that tells us about Heaven and the eternal bliss of the redeemed, also tells us about Hell and the eternal misery of the damned. I do not know where it is, and I cannot imagine what it is, but Hell is a real place. The rich man found out too late, that Hell is not a myth. 

3. A holy God must and will punish sin. God is so inflexibly just and holy, that when the sin of His people was imputed to His own dear Son He poured out His infinite wrath upon Him! In the same way He who punished His Son for sin He will certainly punish you for your sin, if it is not removed by His Son. 

4. Hell is a place of endless torment. The rich man cried, "I am tormented in this flame!" Hell is a place of unfulfilled lust and desire a place of eternal mental, moral and physical agony. 

5. Christ is the only way of salvation. The rich man's riches, religion, and works, were of no value to him in Hell. Missing Christ, he lost all! 

6. Unless a man repents, he will surely perish. In Hell this man realized that without repentance, there is no salvation. (verse 30) 

7. No one can ever be saved without hearing and believing the gospel. (verses 28-31) Be wise now and believe the gospel. Trust Christ, lest you also perish forever under the wrath of God!

[Don Fortner]

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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. ❤

When a Lost Man Dies ...

When a lost man dies: his relatives scramble for his money; the worms scramble for his body; and the demons scramble for his soul! What a fearful and sobering picture this is! The world may dress death in velvet and flowers, but God reveals its true horror for the unregenerate soul. The instant a man without Christ breathes his last, everything he loved is torn from him. His money is left behind, becoming a point of contention and greed among his relatives. The body he once adorned and pampered, is claimed by corruption and decay. And his soul the most precious part of his being is cast into eternal Hell. 

The world's goods, its riches, its pleasures, its pomp, its fame what are all these without Jesus? They are a painted pageantry to go to Hell in! They are a mockery to an immortal spirit. They are like a mirage in the desert, deluding the traveler, but not yielding one substantial drop of joy. "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind!" (Ecclesiastes 1:14) 

Yes! This poor world is a heap of chaff; the only enduring treasure is to be found in Jesus. If you neglect Him, you neglect all that is worth having. For the lost, death is not an escape it is the doorway to everlasting punishment. Jesus spoke more often of Hell than of Heaven, warning us with great compassion: "Fear Him who, after killing the body, has power to throw you into Hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5) 

The man who lives for himself and dies without Jesus, does not rest in peace. He awakens to eternal torment, where hope never dawns, and mercy is no longer offered. Dear reader, do not be deceived. Life is short! Death is certain! Eternity is near! 

A golden coffin will be a poor compensation for a damned soul! 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

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

Mark 8:36 ... For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ❤

The Little Flock

The music of the Shepherd's voice again! Another comforting "word," and how tender! His flock, a little flock, a feeble flock, a fearful flock, but a beloved flock, loved of the Father, enjoying His "good pleasure," and soon to be a glorified flock, safe in the fold, secure within the kingdom! How does He quiet their fears and misgivings? As they stand panting on the bleak mountain side, He points His crook upwards to the bright and shining gates of glory, and says, "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you these!" What gentle words! what a blessed consummation! 

Gracious Savior, your gentleness has made me great! That kingdom is the believers by irreversible and inalienable charter-right "I appoint unto you" (by covenant), says Jesus in another place, "a kingdom, as my Father has appointed unto me." (Luke 22:29) It is as sure as everlasting love, and almighty power can make it. Satan, the great foe of the kingdom, may be injecting foul misgivings, and doubts, and fears as to your security; but he cannot divest you of your purchased immunities. 

He must first pluck the crown from the 'brow upon the throne', before he can weaken or impair this sure word of promise. If "it pleased the Lord" to bruise the Shepherd, it will surely please Him to make happy the purchased flock. If He "smote" His "Fellow" when the sheep were scattered, surely it will rejoice Him, for the Shepherd's sake, "to turn His hand upon the little ones." Believers, think of this! "It is your father's good pleasure." The Good Shepherd, in leading you across the intervening mountains, shows you signals and memorials of paternal grace studding all the way. He may "lead you about" in your way there. He led the children of Israel of old out of Egypt to their promised kingdom how! By forty years' wilderness discipline and privations. 

But trust Him; dishonor Him not with guilty doubts and fears. Look not back on your dark, stumbling paths, nor within on your fitful and vacillating heart; but forwards to the land that is far off. How earnestly God desires your salvation! What a heaping together of similar tender "words" with that which is here addressed to us! The Gospel seems like a palace full of opened windows, from each of which He issues an invitation, declaring that He has no pleasure in our death but rather that we would turn and live! 

Let the melody of the Shepherd's voice fall gently on your ear "It is your Father's good pleasure." I have given you, He seems to say, the best proof that it is mine. In order to purchase that kingdom, I died for you! But it is also His: "As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so," says God, "will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day." Fear not, then, little flock! Though yours for a while should be the bleak mountain and sterile wasteland, seeking your way Zion Ward, it may be "with torn fleeces and bleeding feet;" for, "It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)

[Author Unknown]

Luke 12:32 ... Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ❤

Arise and Shine!!

There are those whose lamps of Christian profession will not go out when the Lord appears. They are His own chosen, redeemed, and called people. Their light, by reason of manifold infirmities, may often have burned but dimly through life; but there is vital religion in the soul the golden precious oil of grace, flowing from Jesus into their hearts; and this can never be extinguished. Many were the hostile influences against which their weak grace had to contend, many were the trials of their feeble faith, but the light never quite went out. The waves of sorrow threatened to extinguish it; the floods of inbred evil threatened to extinguish it; the cold blasts of adversity threatened to extinguish it; and the stumbling of the walk, the inconstancy of the heart, the declension of the soul, often for a while, weakened and obscured it; but there it is, living, burning, and brightening, as inextinguishable and as deathless as the source from where it came. 

The grace of God in the heart is as imperishable, and the life of God in the soul is as immortal, as God Himself. That light of knowledge enkindled in the mind, and of love glowing in the heart, and of holiness shining in the life, will burn in the upper temple in increasing effulgence of glory through eternity. The divine light of Christian profession, which holy grief for sin has enkindled, which love to God has enkindled, which the in-being of the Holy Spirit has enkindled, will outshine and outlive the sun in the firmament of heaven. That sun shall be extinguished, those stars shall fall, and that moon shall be turned into blood, but the feeblest spark of grace in the soul shall live forever. 

The Lord watches His own work with sleepless vigilance. When the vessel is exhausted, He stands by and replenishes it; when the light burns dimly, He is near to revive it; when the cold winds blow rudely, and the rough waves swell high, He is riding upon those winds, and walking upon those waves, to protect this the spark of His own kindling. The light that is in you is light flowing from Jesus, the "Fountain of light." And can an infinite fountain be exhausted? 

When the sun is extinguished, then all the lesser lights, deriving their faint effulgence from Him, will be extinguished too but not until then. Who is it that has often fanned the smoking flax? Even He who will never quench the faintest spark of living light in the soul. "You will light my candle." And if the Lord light it, what power can put it out? Is not His love the sunshine of your soul? Is He not Himself your morning star? Is it not in His light that you see light, even the "light of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ"? 

Oh, then, arise and shine!

[Author Unknown]

Isaiah 60:1 ... Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

Luke 12:35 ...  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

Matthew 5:16 ... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ❤

Scarcely Saved!

The Bible states that "the righteous are scarcely saved." (1 Peter 4:18) 

Now how can this be? Is not such a man sure to be saved? Is not salvation promised to him? Is there any doubt about it? None whatever. "The righteous" here means not one who is righteous in himself for there is no such person in the world but a true Christian, a converted man, one who is justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks daily to live to His glory. There is no doubt about such a person's salvation. He is a branch of the true Vine, a sheep of the flock of Christ; eternal life is given him by Christ; he shall never perish, and none shall pluck him out of the good Shepherd's hand! (John 10:28) 

What then does this "scarcely" mean? Take a case by way of illustration. A fire once broke out in one of the large houses in Hatton Garden, London. It was thought all the inhabitants were saved, when a man was seen hanging by his hands from one of the upper windowsills. The fire escape was immediately placed, but did not reach him. The fireman then climbed up and called to him to let himself drop on the top step of the escape, but the man did not answer he was deaf and dumb. With great difficulty the fireman managed, by standing on the top step, to reach high enough to touch his foot, and so attracted his attention. The man was saved but "scarcely saved." 

Take another case. It was a frosty day in winter; the ice seemed strong, and the pond was crowded with people. Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound was heard, and an instant after the cry arose, "A boy is under the ice!" One of the skaters had ventured too near a dangerous part; the ice had given way, and he had sunk beneath. Not a moment was lost. A line was formed to the shore, and those nearest the hole stretched themselves flat on the ice. The boy rose to the surface, the nearest hand laid hold on him, the line moved gently toward the shore, and in a few minutes the boy lay on the bank. But he was senseless. They took him to the nearest house and applied the usual means for recovery but all, as it seemed, in vain. The eyes were closed; the limbs were stiff and cold; the breath was gone. At length, when hope was almost past, signs of life appeared; the limbs began to glow; the stiffness relaxed, and he breathed again. The boy was saved, but only just saved, "scarcely saved." 

Either of these cases may serve to explain how the righteous is said to be scarcely saved. It is not that he is not quite saved and certainly saved; but it is because of the great danger he was in, and the great difficulties he has been brought through. He was by nature a child of wrath, dead in trespasses and sins, with no power or wish to turn to God. But through grace he has been led to see his danger and to seek Christ; a change of heart has been wrought in him by the Spirit of God; he has become a new creature in Christ Jesus and has passed from death unto life. But his difficulties are not over. Snares and temptations lie in his path; and his heart, though renewed by grace, is by no means free from sin. He finds the Christian life to be no smooth and easy course but a race, a strife, a warfare, from first to last; and often has he to mourn over his own backslidings and shortcomings. And probably he has trials of another kind too losses, sorrows, afflictions; for God does not leave His children unchastised. The chastisements He sends are proofs of love, rather than of anger and sometimes seem to fall heaviest on the best Christians. Thus, it is through danger and difficulty, temptation and trial that the Christian is saved. 

Many a rough place must he pass; many a battle must he fight; many a sorrow must he bear before his course be done. He is saved, but "scarcely saved." Yet it is surely though scarcely. Tried and harassed he may be but not lost. Worn, tempted, and persecuted but not cast away. God's love and faithfulness are engaged for his salvation. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and my father are one" (John 10:27-30) 

But now comes a solemn question: If the righteous is scarcely saved—then what will become of the unrighteous? It is the Bible that puts this question about the unrighteous. The words are these: "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18) They are in fact the words of God, though written by the apostle Peter. They are God's words to you, reader, if you are among the ungodly and the sinners God's solemn question to your soul. A question, but a question without an answer: the answer is left to you. 

"The ungodly and the sinner." Why are there two words instead of one? On purpose, it would seem, to take in sinners of all sorts the hardened transgressor, the man who lives in habits of sin, the bold wicked man the weak and wavering man, the light and careless, the worldly, the empty professor all who are living without God in the world, all who are not washed in the blood of Christ and renewed by the Spirit. It is quite plain that the apostle means here all who are not righteous; he puts the righteous on one side, and the ungodly and the sinner on the other side; and on one side or the other, he means to take in everybody. It is just the same as if he had said, "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall all the rest appear?" 

Now, ask yourself honestly whether you are among the righteous. The question is not whether you are better or worse than your neighbors; that has nothing to do with it but are you righteous? Does what was said at the beginning apply to you? Are you converted? Do you believe with the heart? Are you seeking daily to live to God? If not, then this question about the ungodly and the sinner is for you. Perhaps you do not like either of these words. You do not pretend to be righteous, yet you are not so bad, you think, as those who are called ungodly or sinners. 

Then, reader, I ask you, if neither righteous nor ungodly what are you? Put your finger on that word in the Bible which describes you. You cannot. There is nothing in the Bible between righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, reconciled and unreconciled. And if you are not righteous in God's sight, then before Him whatever you may be in your own eyes or in the eyes of the world before Him, you are ungodly or sinful. I beseech you weigh this well. And now we come to the question itself, "Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 

But this question must not be taken by itself; it hangs upon what has gone before about the righteous: "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" The full meaning is this. Seeing that even the righteous man is scarcely saved, that his dangers and difficulties are great; that he finds it necessary to "put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11), to "press toward the mark" (Philippians 3:14), to "strive to enter through the narrow gate" (Luke 13:24), and that, though saved to the uttermost by Jesus Christ yet it is as one is rescued from the water or the flames seeing all this, what will become of the wicked? 

Shall the righteous be scarcely saved and you so easily? Shall he reach Heaven by so rough a road and you by one so smooth? Shall he go in by the straight gate and the narrow way and shall you choose the broad gate and the wide road, and yet find it leads you at last to the same happy place? Shall he take up his cross and follow Christ and shall you follow nothing but your own will, and yet win Christ in the end? Never repenting, never turning, never believing and yet saved? Finding without seeking; not running the race, and yet winning the prize; wearing a crown, though never having taken up the cross? Impossible! Reason says so conscience says so, and, as plainly as words can speak, God Himself has said so. Have you never read of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:30), of the sheep and the goats, of the right hand and the left (Matthew 25:33)? 

I spoke just now of a broad road and a narrow road, a straight gate and a wide gate; do you remember what the Bible says about them, and about the places to which they lead? Here are the words our Lord's own words: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14) The righteous and the wicked are traveling different roads and will come to different ends. It is true, they are mixed now, as plants growing in one field are mixed; but it will not always be so. A great separation day is coming, when every plant which God has not planted shall be rooted up (Matthew 25:13); and all refuges of lies shall be swept away (Isaiah 28:17), and the true sheep of Christ from every quarter shall be gathered together into one-fold, into which no mere pretender shall ever come. 

 To that great day, this question itself seems to point, "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Appear when? Why, on that very day when the Lord Jesus shall appear in His glory, and the saints who slept shall appear with Him, and His waiting people on earth shall appear with joy to meet Him. Then, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Appear they must, somewhere. They cannot hide themselves. "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him." (Revelation 1:7) 

Oh, sinner! Careless and stout-hearted now where will you appear, and how will you feel then? In vain will you call upon the mountains and rocks to fall on you and hide you "from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!" (Revelation 6:16) You must come forth you cannot escape from that all-seeing eye you must meet the Judge. Where will you appear? I leave the question to your conscience. "If the righteous one is scarcely saved then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Look on to that great day so sure to come and coming so swiftly! Look on to it as if already come imagine yourself even now before the throne; imagine that, just as you are, you are suddenly called to stand there. Where do you appear? What do you feel? Which side are you placed on? What words do you hear? How does it fare with your soul? Can you think of this and yet continue in sin and still put off coming to Christ? 

Come with us. "We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the Lord has promised good things to Israel" (Numbers 10:29) His word cannot fail. Not one true believer shall be lost. "He is also able to save to the uttermost, those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25) and He will save them with an everlasting salvation. "Come with us." Turn from sin and the world. Leave the broad road and begin to walk in the narrow way. It is a safe way, though narrow the only safe way; and happy, though rough. And it is not always rough; it has many green spots, many pleasant places; and even when rough, one is with us in it, to help and cheer us by His presence. 

Oh, set out on this road without delay! Too much time has been lost already lose no more. No longer run the risk of appearing among the ungodly and the sinners at His coming flee to Christ at once; be instant and urgent at the mercy seat; pray for the Holy Spirit, for light, pardon, grace, and strength; and ask that, for Christ's sake, you may even now be reckoned among the righteous, and be saved in the day of the Lord! 

[Francis Bourdillon]

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Your Obedience...

Release work for today and see the details that the LORD will show you. Set apart your times and be glad in all things. Take His hand on the water of your divine purpose.  He will uphold you and give you the ‘pro’-vision needed. 

Take time to sit at His feet and shut out all that distracts. No greater purpose than for you to sit in His Divine Counsel. There is simply no work, chore, or responsibility that will benefit your life more than you sitting before Him. 

Allow Him to reveal to you the pathways of heaven. He calls the fish into the net of your ‘obedience.’ Listening and heeding His words is critical to the abundant experience. 

Learn this lesson above all else and you will indeed be His Supernatural Child. 

[Troi Cockayne] 

Luke 10:42 ...  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

John 14:23 ...  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. ❤

Comforting Words ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:18!!

There is much food for thought in these verses, closing with this exhortation: "Wherefore, comfort one another with these words" (v 18). There is comfort here concerning:

I. The Second Advent. "The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven" (v. 16) The Lord does not promise to send death, or any other messenger, to take His Bride home. He is coming Himself for her. It is "this same Jesus, which was taken up into Heaven, that is coming in like manner as He was seen to go" (Acts 1:11); and "they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30). What a comforting hope this is in these "perilous times." 

II. Our Departed Friends. We are not to be in ignorance about them, nor to be in sorrow for them, for we believe that Jesus rose again, and that when He comes He will bring them with Him (vv. 13, 14), for in spirit they are with Him now (2 Corinthians 5:8) It is the "dead in Christ" who will rise first (v. 16). This rising means the putting on of the incorruptible body, being changed into His resurrection image. They shall lose nothing by being put to sleep before the Coming of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:52). For we who are alive at the Coming of the Lord shall have no precedence over those who have gone to sleep (v. 15). Comforting words indeed. 

III. The Living Saints. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air" (v 17). We are assured, as God's people, that all shall not die before He Comes. "We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of His last trumpet" (1 Corinthians 1 51, 52). When all in every age who have been put to sleep in Jesus have been raised and clothed with immortality, and when all the believers who are alive on the earth, when He comes, are changed in a moment and caught up together with them. What a host of ransomed souls. "A multitude whom no man can number" Tell me, will any man say on that day that the Church of God has been a failure? "He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied." "Comfort one another with these words" (v. 18). 

IV. The Place of Reunion. "Caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (v. 17). The air is spoken of as the sphere of Satan's stronghold. He is called "the prince of the power of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). Does it mean that the transfiguration and reunion of all Christ's redeemed ones will take place right in the heart of Satan's territory? What a triumph this would be for "The Lamb that was slain," and for all those who all their lives were warring against the prince of darkness? And what a shameful defeat for the Devil. "I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven" (Luke 10:18). V. Our Final Position. "And so shall we ever be with the Lord" (v. 17). Saved by Him. Made like Him. Then forever with Him. 

He has gone to prepare a place for His Church in the coming Kingdom. He will come again and receive it unto "Himself, that where He is, there shall the bride be also (John 14:3). Then the Bridegroom's prayer will be gloriously answered. "Father, I will that they also whom You have given Me be with Me where I am; that They may behold My glory" (John 17:24); and be "forever with the Lord." Earth's greatest blessing is to find Him. Heaven's greatest honor is to be forever with Him. This honor has all the saints. 

"Comfort one another with these words." 

[James Smith]

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We Really Need Very Little

Those who seek the Lord may be sick, or poor, or tried, in a variety of ways; but the Lord will send them supplies, OR give them the grace of contentment, so that they shall not lack any good thing. But how many mistake wishes for needs! And while the Lord has promised to supply all His people's needs. He has nowhere promised to gratify all their wishes. We really need very little. 

Therefore, the apostle says, "If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that!" (1 Timothy 6:8)   And again, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said: Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)   "They shall not lack any good thing." That is, they shall not lack whatever is really good for them at the time, and under the circumstances. 

Whatever will promote their holiness and happiness, shall certainly be conveyed to them. Those who seek the Lord are sure of necessary supplies, for four reasons: 

First, the Lord is ABLE to supply them. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." (Psalm 24:1)  He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20)

Second, the Lord DESIRES to supply them. "Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:13-14)

Third, the Lord has PROMISED to supply them. "The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11)  "My God shall supply all your needs, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

Fourth, the Lord ALWAYS HAS supplied them. Look at Jacob, at David and at all who have already arrived in glory. If the question, put by the Lord Jesus, to His disciples when they returned from their missionary tour on which He sent them without purse or bag, was put to them: "Have you lacked anything?" Every one of them would readily answer, "Nothing, Lord!" (Luke 22:35) 

[James Smith]

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Gods Angels

God's angels protect you without you even realizing.

[Billy Graham]

Luke 4:10 ...  For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

Psalm 34:7 ... The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

Daniel 6:22 ...  My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Matthew 18:10 ... Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. ❤

Fellow Workers

The Lord's harvest is the salvation of men. The wheat he gathers into his barn are the redeemed souls of his people. They are the good seed which he sows in the field of this world, and which he is to reap in the everlasting glories of the world to come. To cultivate this harvest, he employs the labors and ministry of men. To reap it to separate the tares from the wheat, he commissions an angelic agency.  They carry each saint to his home of glory. They will gather all at last to the kingdom provided for them from the foundation of the world. 

Among men, the Lord selects and employs a special ministry of individuals, who are set apart as laborers in his harvest. It is their whole business, the appointed occupation of their life. But surely the labor and ministry are not confined to them. All the servants of Christ are to be workers together with him, in preparing his field for harvest. It is every Christian's duty. It is my duty. I am to be a laborer in the Lord's harvest.

[Author Unknown]

 

Matthew 9:38 ...  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

1 Corinthians 3:9 ...  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. ❤

The Astonishing Love of Jesus For Us!

There is no greater wonder in all the universe than this: that the infinitely holy Son of God would set His heart upon vile, guilty, Hell-deserving sinners. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" Not when we were seeking Him. Not when we were repenting. Not when we were bettering ourselves. But while we were rebels, with hearts full of enmity against Him, He loved us still. (Romans 5:6, 8, 10) 

Paul, once a blasphemer and persecutor of Christ's church, could only marvel: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinner of whom I am the worst!" (1 Timothy 1:15)   So, it is with all who have been given eyes to see their corruption, and hearts to feel their need. When we know ourselves rightly, we are utterly astonished that Jesus would save such ungodly ones as ourselves. 

Our salvation was not the fruit of our seeking, but of His. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost!" (Luke 19:10) It was the overflowing of His sovereign, unmerited love. Dead in sin, blind in mind, corrupt in heart yet He loved us, and by His great mercy made us spiritually alive. (Ephesians 2:4–5) 

What love is this, that stooped so low? "He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities." (Isaiah 53:5) The pure and spotless Lamb bore the filth and condemnation of our sin. He who knew no sin, was made sin for us, "so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) It was not out of obligation, but out of sheer grace. "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." (Titus 3:4–5) 

Christian! Jesus loved you before the world began, He loves you now and He will love you forever! His love for you is unfathomable it is as boundless as infinity. Oh, the precious love of Jesus! It is the sun in the heavens of grace, the river in the garden of mercy, and the foundation of the temple of redemption! 

The love of Jesus is the most amazing thing under Heaven, if not in Heaven itself. Oh, what a Savior is ours! His love is not shallow or sentimental it is a love that bleeds, and bears wrath. It is a love that will never let us go. It is a love that astonishes us now and will be our wonder and song for all eternity. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Revelation 1:5–6 ... And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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Seven Lessons Learned Too Late!

Here is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus died and was carried up to heaven.  Chosen, redeemed and born of God, he entered into glory. But "the rich man also died!" What became of him? "In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment!" 

Our Lord allows us to look beyond the grave. He allows us to look into hell itself. He shows us the pains, feelings and desires of a damned sinner, one who is forever shut up in hell. 

Here are seven things that old Dives learned. But he learned them too late. He learned them in hell! I pray that you will not learn them too late. 

 1. DEATH DOES NOT END ALL. "If a man die, shall he live again?" Indeed, we shall. We all have an immortal soul that will live on forever, after our bodies are in the grave. Will you spend eternity in the bliss and glory of heaven or in the torments of the damned in hell? 

 2. THERE IS A REAL PLACE CALLED "HELL". Hell is real. The same Inspired Book that tells us about heaven and the eternal bliss of the redeemed tells us about hell and the eternal misery of the damned. I do not know where it is, and I cannot imagine what it is, but hell is a real place. The rich man found out too late that hell is not a myth. 

 3. A HOLY GOD MUST AND WILL PUNISH SIN. God is so inflexibly just and holy that when he found sin upon his own dear Son he poured out his infinite wrath upon him. And he who punished his son for sin will certainly punish you for sin, if your sin is not removed by his son. 

 4. HELL IS A PLACE OF ENDLESS TORMENT. Dives cried, "I am tormented in this flame!" Hell is a place of lust and desire unfulfilled, a place of mental, moral and physical agony. 

 5. CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION. The rich man's riches, religion and works were of no value to him in hell. Missing Christ, he lost all! 

 6. EXCEPT A MAN REPENT HE WILL SURELY PERISH. In hell this man realized that without repentance there is no salvation (v. 30). 

 7. NO ONE CAN EVER BE SAVED WITHOUT HEARING AND BELIEVING THE GOSPEL (vv. 28-31). Be wise now and believe the gospel. Trust Christ, lest you also perish forever under the wrath of God. 

 [Don Fortner]

Luke 16:19-31 ... There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

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Old Toledo Blade!

The old Toledo blade cost the warrior much at first, but when he had once procured it, he knew that it would cut through joint and marrow in the day of battle. So, he was not afraid to dash into the thick of the fray, trusting to its unrivaled temper and keen edge. Could he not find a cheaper sword? He could have found it easily enough, and with small expense, but then in the moment when his sword smote upon his enemy's helmet instead of cleaving through the skull, it would snap in the warrior's hand and cost him his life! 

In the same way, many professors of the gospel take up a cheap religion. There is, no self-denial in it, no forsaking of the world, no giving up of sinful amusements. They are just the same as the world. Their religion costs them nothing and at last when they need it, it will fail them it will snap like the cheap, poorly made sword in the day of battle, and leave them defenseless. 

Oh, if you want that which will endure the conflict, you must expend cost upon it. Many professing Christians never separate from the world no, not they! They fall in with the fashions of the day, as the dead fish floats with the current! Have they any cross to bear? Does anybody mock them for living a holy life? Oh, no! for theirs is the easy religion which the world praises, and consequently the religion which God abhors. "If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him!" (1 John 2:15) He who has the smile of the ungodly, must expect the frown of God. No man has truly committed himself to Christ, unless he has also said, "My Lord, this day I give to You my body, my soul, my talents, my goods, my house, my children, and all that I have. Henceforth I will hold them as Your steward. As for me, I have nothing. I have surrendered all to You." 

You cannot be Christ's disciples at any less cost than this. If you possess a farthing that is your own, then Christ is not your Master. It must be all His, every single jot and tittle, and your life also or you cannot be His disciple. Oh, count the cost! If any of you have taken up a religion which costs you nothing then throw it down and flee from it, for it will be your curse and your ruin. But may we not get to Heaven without all this cost? No! You may be counterfeits, you may be hypocrites, you may be brethren of Judas, but you cannot be real Christians. 

The cost of the cross is unavoidable, it cannot be lessened one solitary mite. Salvation is not merely deliverance from Hell and eternal suffering. It is deliverance from this world's vain and wicked ways. If you would have justification, you must have sanctification. If you would have pardon of sin, you must have holiness of life. If you would walk the streets of gold above, you must walk the road of holiness below. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

Luke 14:27, 33 ... And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple ...  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

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Do His Will.

Obedience can be uncomfortable, but God has blessings in store for those who do His will. 

[Dr. Charles F. Stanley]

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Luke 12:31 ...  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jeremiah 7:23 ... But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

Ephesians 5:8-10 ...  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

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. ❤

Success is ...

 Success is when the Lord Jesus Christ writes your name in His Book of Life.

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Luke 10:20 ...  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Malachi 3:16 ... Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

Revelation 21:7 ... And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.❤

Believe Through Faith!!

No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, no financial gifts, and no church positions. The man on the cross hanging next to Jesus couldn’t even bend his knees to pray. He didn’t say the sinner’s prayer either. 

What did he do? He just BELIEVED through FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

[message from the Internet]

Luke 23:42-43 ...  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Romans 10:9-10 ...  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ❤