"Perilous Times"

In recent months I have found myself more and more aware of the rapid decay of our nation. It is not only evident that we have departed from our basic governmental foundations and under-pinnings, but we have also allowed ourselves to be swept away by the currents of our compromising, God-less culture.

Now, let me clarify, I do not mean to insinuate that we have jettisoned religion, even religion that many call Christianity. What I mean to say is that we have left, in large measure, "the faith once delivered to the Saints", that is, biblical Christianity!!
We are a nation of "comfort-lovers", a nation of apathetic "self-seekers"! We give lip-service to God and His word, but, in reality we love ourselves and our temporal things far more than God and vital holiness.

Pauls' words to Timothy come to mind: "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." (2Tim.3:1-5)

Does this not describe the day in which we live with great accuracy? We are a nation of organizations, of political groups, of churches, of individuals, that have been "rocked to sleep" by the music of self-indulgence and greedy pragmatism!

God is simply a means to an end, a heavenly "vending machine", a celestial genie who we use when needed and forget about when all of our present desires for "health, wealth, and prosperity" are met.

Tragically though, this is not the Holy God of scripture! This is not the Sovereign God who commands all men every where to repent or perish, no, this is the God of men's fallen and depraved imagination, a God made in man's "image", rather than the true God that is declared to "hold our breath in His hand", and testifies to us that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord"! This is the Creator and Sustainer of all things that warns: "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." (Psa.9:17)

We are doing despite to the matchless grace and long-suffering of God and we are daily, as a nation, and as individuals, rebelling against His precepts, and rejecting the way of life so that we might continue to fulfill our own evil desires for autonomy and fleshly gratification!

I cry in my heart with the prophet Jeremiah: "....turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God." (Jer.31:18)

Our only hope as a nation is that God would "make His arm bare" and send forth His quickening Spirit to turn us from our race to destruction, to awaken us from our drunken stupor and our lethargy!

Brothers and Sisters, may our God grant us hearts of discernment and compassion so that we might not be content to "lay in our beds" and entertain ourselves with the "pleasures of sin for a season" while men and women, and our nation devolve into greater and greater darkness and misery!!

I pray that I and you who read this are not as those in the days of the prophet Ezekiel when the LORD lamented, "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found NONE." (Ezek. 22:30)

"Being Conformed"

"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." (Rom.8:29)

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" (Phil.3:10)

What does it mean to be "conformed" to his image? What does it mean to be "made conformable to His death"?

This is how a dictionary defines "Conform": (to make similar in form or character/to bring into harmony)

I do believe we have a problem!......"similar in form or character", "To bring into harmony".....With Christ!!

This will take a radical work of "conforming"!! Christ is holy and ever walks in the way of the Father in perfect obedience and complete faithfulness. I am unholy and I walk after my own wants and desires and am found to be most faithful, not to Him, but to myself! If such a "conformity" is ever to be achieved, God must do it. He alone can bring to pass such a radical transformation! I also know that this work will not be comfortable or appealing to the flesh, on the contrary, the flesh will resist it and strive to run away from it.

There are other words and phrases that desribe the ordained plan and purpose of God for the believer, such as, "Pruning", "Purging", "Refining"........Crucifying!

None of these words conjure up images of ease or pleasantness. Instead they bring to mind discomfort and suffering. But if One is to be "conformed" into the "similar form and character" of the Son, and brought into "harmony" with Him,.....there is no other way.

O' I wish there were! I have no innate desire for the way of struggle, the way of suffering, the way of constriction and narrowness that presses so hard on all that my flesh holds dear!....But, if I am to be "conformed", I must follow Him to Calvary!

This is the calling of every true believer. This is the aim and purposed end of the Father for us.....To "conform" us to the image of His dear Son. And, in order for this image to replace what I have inherited from Adam....I MUST die!

I must be "made conformable to his death".....I must, "take up my cross and follow him"!

There is no easy, flesh gratifying way to be "conformed", to be pruned, or purged, or refined.

No wonder Jesus said, "If anyone will follow me, let him sit down and count the cost." I recall a statement that was attributed to Bonhoeffer: "When Christ bids a man follow Him, He bids him to come and die."

Christianity is costly....It is costly indeed!.....But, consider the cost from this perspective: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom. 8:18)

In contrast, we can seek to save our lives and preserve our comforts here, and in the end, lose both!

Yes, being "conformed" is an arduous and hard road.....yet, it yields true life, eternal comfort, and what every true believer so earnestly desires....To be like Him!!

"The Tyranny of Fear"

"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was AFRAID, because I was naked; and I hid myself." (Gen. 3:8-10)



In this post it is my aim to briefly consider "Fear". The fear that I wish to deal with is not that "noble fear" that the scripture declares to be "the beginning of wisdom", or that proper and reverent awe and circumspection that is to be present as we contemplate the Holy character of God. No, the fear that I have in mind is that fear that began with our first parents at the Fall. This "fear" is a servile fear, that fear that brings seperation and enmity, that fear that I believe is summed up well in the word, "condemnation".

The account from Genesis that I noted above is such a stark contrast to what previously had been the experience of the man and the woman in Eden. What once was a place of sweet fellowship, harmony, and peacful co-existence with their creator was now a place that simply afforded them foilage and cover in their effort to hide from the One who should have been their chief joy!!

Now we, as their progeny, feel the weight of their terrible choice. We bow our faces toward the ground as we sense the displeasure of God toward our rebellious thoughts, words, and deeds!
We are creatures now that know fear intimately and deeply. We are tyrannized by it!

If I were to ask the question, "What are you afraid of?", or if you were to pose that same question to me, I have no doubt that we could quickly reply with a vast number of particular fears that we have. We are afraid of so many things, both animate and inanimate.
We fear the prospect of failing health. We fear the rejection of other people. We fear the loss of jobs or of economic security. We fear loneliness. We fear other people. We fear crime. We fear violent weather. We fear not being prepared for exams and questions that confront us. We fear the darkness and the unknown noises of the night. We fear to stand in front of others to speak or to just simply be there before their searching eyes. We fear the death of loved ones. We fear our own death!
We fear God! We fear His Just judgement against our own painfully perceived guilt and sin.

We are most miserable in our fears. It is bondage! It is a pitiless tyrant who hounds all those of Adam's race and dominates much of their daily motives and activities. We are indeed, moved by our fears!

Just ask yourself the question, "How many things do I do on a daily basis that are motivated by some sort of fear?" I would assert that fear taints many of our decisions and our actions!
How many of our "doings" and our "stresses" are directly related to the "fear of man" or, to the "fear of God"?

We are driven by an uneasiness, a feeling of uncertainty about people, places, and things, and most especially, the Holy gaze of God. We so desire certainty and acceptance, but alas, it seems so allusive!

I believe that I can say confidently, it's a scary world out there! It is, many times, an extremely inhospitable place. Also, we are ever aware of our failures and shortcomings with regard to our Creator's Holy standards and precepts!

O' wretched man that I am!!! Is there any hope for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, or is it our destiny to pine away our days in trepidation and dread? Must we live this life in constant uncertainty and, even worse, contemplate the terrors to come when we stand before the righteous Judge who will "by no means clear the guilty"?

Is there any hope? For, if there is not, I would shout unapologetically, It would have been better to have never been born!!

But God!! He has not left us to our just desserts! He has not abandoned us to our self-imposed bondage, and the cruelity of sin's dominion!
He sent forth His Beloved! He sent forth the Son who lay in His bosom! He sent forth the One who was hated and despised by those whom He had made, and the One whom supplies our every breath!
He sent us HOPE and said to us FEAR NOT!!

The Son who had known no fear before the ever approving eye of the Father, must now bear our fears. The Son who had ever enjoyed the sweet fellowship that we threw away in the garden must know the crushing hell of fear fully realized......utter forsakeness by God!!

O' the depths of the riches of the mercy and grace of God! There is hope for our fear enslaved race!! May we all be enabled to look to the bearer of our fears and our condemnation, to Him who drank every last drop from the cup of God's just wrath, and may you and I hear these words afresh, each time fear seeks to dominate us once again, "FEAR NOT"!!!

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb.2:14-15)

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1John4:18)

"He Loves Me :)........He Loves Me Not :("

My life-long struggle is not unique to me...it is apparently the lot of many who name the name of Christ. What I am referring to is the matter of doubt, that
nagging uncertainty that relentlessly plagues the minds of those who are
naturally self-conscious and introspective.

Does He love me?, or, does He loathe me? Am I really His, or, am I self-deceived? Have I experienced true saving faith and repentence?


It is a cruel foe, a pitiless task-master that never seems to tire in its assaults upon the minds and emotions of its victims!

I am an accomplished doubter...I am extremely adept at finding fault and failure within myself. I have wrestled and do wrestle with this vicious adversary on a daily basis....as I said above, it is a relentless opponent!

I also asserted above that I am not alone in this fight.....In talking and listening to others over the years it has become painfully evident that this particular malady is very wide spread and prevelant among professed believers.

Yes, I know full well what the scripture says concerning the atoning work of Christ, and the finished transaction of Calvary...and so do others, but, I also know of the scriptures that speak of self-deception and a false belief that one is under the salvific merits of the Lord Jesus.
The accusations come.....do you measure up here?....have you neglected to do that there?.......Where are the fruits and the evidences in you that are to characterize one who claims to be born from above?

So, the battle rages. On the one hand there is the clear declaration that Christ has put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself....a declaration that serves as an anchor and a bright light of hope that bursts forth upon the soul and mind of the guilty, and the despairing.
But soon, without fail, the doubts are resurrected in all their foul vitality and fury! Yes, they argue, the redeeming work of Christ is indeed true and real......but.....that awful word.....BUT!
But?......The accusing thoughts say......How do you know that these accomplishments of the Son are applied to you and are reckoned to your account?....How do you know that?.....If it were so, the thoughts continue like a room full of prosecuting attorneys, would not your life reflect more of the evidences of the New Birth?

There, in the midst of these conflicting thoughts, many, including myself, find ourselves regularly!

What is the remedy? Where is relief to be found? These charges ring true!....Does not the scripture declare again and again that the regenerate are a people that are known by their holy character and fruits?
I cannot answer these charges!....I cannot deny my guilt!.....I cannot find a reason, a righteousness, a feeling, or a ground of confidence when I look at myself!

I am a sinner!...I am wretched!....I am hopeless on my own!.....I have no plea...BUT CHRIST!!!

This is not a cop-out.....this is not a mind game......this is my only refuge from the Just Wrath of a Holy God!!
So, as I continue to be charged, as I continue to be accused, as the battle continues to assault me......I WILL PLEAD THE MERITS OF THE SAVIOR'S BLOOD!!

Here I Stand, I can do no other!! God Help Me!!

"The Journey"

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jer. 10:23)


Life on this earth is often described as a Journey, the walking of a path that winds and turns as we live out our alotted time here. This Journey is sometimes pleasant and there is laughter and smiles, there is good news that comes and accomplishments that are achieved. This Journey is also marked by struggles,unfulfilled dreams, by sorrow and tears, by unwelcome tidings and failures of various kinds.
This Journey is often confusing and mysterious and it causes questions to arise in our hearts and minds, such as, "What is my purpose?", "What difference am I making in this world?", or ultimately, "Why am I here at all?"
This Journey is too great for us and often leaves us bewildered and feeling very small, insignificant, and alone!
This Journey is an opportunity for us to come to know ourselves as we come to know God, our Maker and Redeemer.
The aquired knowledge that is gained in this Journey concerning ourselves is, many times, grievous and causes us to groan within and to desire to quit or to turn aside in an effort to find a more pleasant and smooth way, but, as by an Invisible Hand, we are constrained to persevere and to take one more step and to Journey one more day.
This Journey has proven clearly to me that I am not equipped for the rugged terrain or the often harsh elements, and that I desperately need a guide, a Wise Counselor, a Shepherd to lead me in the way!
In this Journey I have experienced His direction, His care. He has often brought those into the path with me whom I needed for that very hour and struggle! He has often illuminated a verse of scripture that spoke to my present dilemma.
He has also, graciously hemmed in my way when I sought to turn down a side path that would have led to destruction and misery!
He has chastened me as a loving Father that I might be a partaker of His holiness.
When I reflect on this Journey I am humbled, I am moved to tears, I am ashamed of my, too often, cold and unthankful heart, and conversely, I am amazed at His longsuffering and faithfulness!
I don't know what lies around the next turn or over the next rise, but this thing I do know and am convinced of, if I acknowledge Him in all my ways, He shall direct my paths.
These paths will, no doubt often, be rough and hard, nevertheless, I have this promise, that He walks with me by His Spirit and ministers to me through His people and by His Word!
I stand upon the declaration of His Word which assures me that He completes what He begins.
This life is indeed a Journey, a pathway that stretches before us, sometimes bright and cheerful, sometimes dark and foreboding, but in this Journey I take consolation in this, that One has gone before to provide life now, and at the end of this Journey, and has been, and can be toucned with the feelings of my infirmities and ever liveth to make intercession for me!
Because of these exceeding great and precious promises I will continue to walk by His grace and hope for the coming day when I no longer "see through a glass darkly", but instead, I will behold Him face to face! Then I will know as I am known and the path I have trod and the Journey I have taken will be seen for the glorious "working together for good" that God had ordained for me before this world of paths and Journeys was!

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." (Prov.4:18)

"Reflections and Anticipations"

Well, after a rather long hiatus, I am going to attempt to write a few lines and simply share from my experiences over the past several months.
First of all, this year, in many respects has been like no other that I have ever experienced. It has been a season of struggle,to say the least! I have felt a sense of heaviness and depression at times like I have never known before, and anxious periods have often seemed more than I could bear. Various reasons could be identified as catalysts for these "dark nights of the soul", a Father's serious and life threatning illness, a layoff from a long time job, and a reoccuring sense of my own failure in what I perceive, I "ought" to be doing for my Lord.
I am naturally introspective and prone to see my areas of weakness and defeat rather than the manifold blessings that God has graciously bestowed upon me throughout my life.
I wrestle regularly with the weightiness of guilt and accusation with regards to what I am here for, and am I fulfilling that purpose.
It is hard sometimes to discern "how we should then live". In particular, how should I go about pursuing service to my Savior. That is to say, am I doing what He would have me to do and am I adequately utilizing what He has committed into my hands?
I see such need on all sides and in every direction.....I, many times, feel so heavy and useless in the great and evident causes that surround me!
The question comes that David asked as Goliath withstood the armies of Israel, "Is there not a Cause?" Yes, I respond, there is most certainly a cause!....but, it seems to me, that it goes no further than the repeated acknowledgement that "there is a cause!!"
Through all of these strivings of heart and mind I cling to the Sovereignty of God and I run back for refuge to the truth of His governance of all things and times. I also am humbled and stirrred to praise when I think of God's tender care for me in this past year through the compassion and encouragement of brother's and sister's in Christ!! Apart from this, I would have been cast down in despair many times! I have been held up and strengthened innumerable times by believers, some of which I have never met face to face. I have no doubt that God brought them into my path for "such a time as this". His mercies are new every morning!!! He loves the unlovely!!
Many questions still flood my mind, but, I find solace in His provisions. I ask for your fervent and earnest prayers on my behalf as I seek to know when to be still and when to move!
I am convinced that God doeth all things well and that He enrolls us in the "courses" that will teach us what we do not yet understand as we ought, nevertheless, I am often a slow learner!!
So, again, I would ask that you bring my cause before the Throne of Grace and intercede on my behalf to the one who loved us and gave Himself for us!

Were It Not for Grace

This is a song that has ever spoken powerfully to my heart and tells me afresh of my only resting place

"He Maketh No Mistake"

My Father's way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I'm glad I know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hope may fade away,
But still I'll trust my Lord to lead,
For He doth know the way.

Tho' night be dark and it may seem,
That day will never break;
I'll pin my faith, my all in Him.
He maketh no mistake.

There's so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight's far too dim;
But come what may, I'll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.

And by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He'll make.
Through all the way, tho' dark to me,
He made not one mistake

(A.M. Overton)

"Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted" by Fernando Ortega

Looking to our Great Savior!!

Before the Throne of God Above

This Song has really beena great blessing to me!!!

Through the Precious Blood by Sovereign Grace Music

"Look and Live"

"Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live."
(Num. 21:6-9)


The people desire the serpents to be removed, but instead the serpents and their bites remain and God says look and live.
Look at the the very image of your suffering. Look and live.

In this life we groan and desire the removal of our sin and suffering and the deadly bite of the serpent, but God says, Look and live.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in him may have eternal life."
(John 3:14)

Look to your suffering substitute. Look to Him who was made sin for you. Look to the very image of your suffering poured out upon Him as He hangs there upon the tree. Look and live!

"Reflections"

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Rom.12:12)

"A Christian is a person who decides to face and live through suffering. If we do not make that decision, we are endangered on every side. A man or woman of faith who fails to acknowledge and deal with suffering becomes, at last, either a cynic or a melancholic or a suicide...the Gospel offers a different view of suffering: in suffering we enter the depths; we are at the heart of things; we are near to where Christ was on the cross."

(Eugene Peterson/A Long Obedience in the Same Direction)

"The Master of the Sea"

How often I have felt overwhelmed in various storms and tempests......But God!

In the whelming flood.....He is there!

He is an ever present help in time of need who brings us to the haven of rest!

When I take my eyes off of Him, I sink in despair. He hears my cry of fear and graciously reaches forth His hand to lift me up.

This "hand" is often one of His children, who gives an edifying word in due season, a cool drink of water to a weary soul......He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother!

"For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits end.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven." (Psa.107:25-30)

"When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, "It is I, do not be afraid." Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going." (John 6:16-21)

"Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee."

"All I Have is Christ"

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,....." (Phil.3:7-8)


I once was lost in darkest night,
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life,
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that you would own,
A rebel to your will.
And if you had not loved me first,
I would refuse you still.

But as I ran my hell bound race,
Indifferent to the cost.
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God's love displayed,
You suffered in my place.
You bore the wrath reserved for me,
Now all I know is grace.

CHORUS
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ!
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life!

Now Lord I would be yours alone,
And live so all might see,
The strength to follow your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father use my ransomed life
In any way you choose;
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

(Words and music by Jordan Kauflin)

"The Rock of My Refuge"

"Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law.......When I thought, my foot slips, your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.......But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge."
(Psa.94:12,18-19,22)

How grateful I am, an need to be more, for the gracious hand of God as He "Father's" me through this journey! He is faithful in love to bruise us when necessary, and to heal us when it is time. He is a true friend that ever speaks to us the truth and kindly encourages us with hope when we are cast down.......by turning our focus back to Calvary and in that still, small voice saying, "Behold your Surety and the Rock of your salvation"!

"Who are We trying to Please?"

"among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." (Eph.2:3)

We are, by nature, pleasure seekers. That is, our own pleasure. We live in a society that sanctions and applauds self-gratification at any cost or regardless of it's offensiveness to the God who holds our breath in His hand!

We live for what tastes good, looks good, sounds good, smells good, feels good......etc.

Sadly, the most prevelant way of life is the way of self and "the fleeting pleasures of sin." (Heb.11:25)

We are the measure and end of all things......or are we?

Why am I here? Why did God create all things, including you and I?

"Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases." (Psa.115:3)

It is all for His pleasure. It is all for His glory and purposes.

I am here for Him!

"but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love." (Psa.147:11)

There was such a Man who lived such a selfless, God-pleasing life......"And he who sent me is with me, He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." (John 8:29)

But, it is evident, that I cannot say this of myself......."I am carnal, sold under sin." I realize that, "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom.7:14/8:8)

I will never be able to make this flesh pleasing to Him or acceptable in His sight....I must look away to the One who is ever and always pleasing, for "without faith it is impossible to please Him." (Heb.11:6)

By faith in the God who is declared to be able to conform me to the image of His Son and that is working in me, "both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phil.2:13), I can desire to please Him rather than myself!

Paul says of his own desire, "So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." (2Cor.5:9)
and....."but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts." (1Thes.2:4)

He also exhorts his readers and us, "Finally, then brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do more and more." (1Thes.4:1)

and finally, in his words to Timothy, he gives this council....."No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him".
(2Tim.2:4)

How contrary is the believers calling from what we are by nature and from what this fallen world espouses!!

We are His, the work of His hands, and the redeemed of the Lord........Lord, grant me a heart and a mind that desires to please you, regardless of whether my flesh is pleased or not!

May it never be said of us that claim the name of Christian that we were, ".......lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God....." (2Tim.3:4)

"Our Questioning God"

I was thinking today of one of the ways that God has dealt with humanity throughout history. He asks them questions. I know that He is omniscient and isn't looking for new, unknown information, so, why does He do it?

I believe it is to confront the individual with themselves! When we have questions posed to us, we are forced to stop and consider our state, our attitude, our motives, etc.

We are brought face to face with causes and realities that, are many times, unpleasant to face, but, if we are to be healed and furthered along in God's purposes, we must face them, and answer them honestly.

I recalled a few examples of such questioning by God in scripture:

"And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?"
(Gen.3:9)

"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 shall rule over him."
(Gen.4:6-7)

"And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here Elijah?"
1 Kings 19:9)

"And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"
(Jonah 4:9-11)

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?"
(Mat.16:15)

".......Why reason ye these things in your hearts?"
(Mark 2:8)

"Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat?...."
(John 21:5)

and finally.....

"......Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"
"......Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?"
"......Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?"
(John 21:15-17)

So, the "question" is.......What question is God asking us today?

"Where to Look"!

An encouraging Brother sent this Spurgeon quote to me and I just wanted to pass it on. Thanks much Scott!




LOOKING TO JESUS. – HEBREWS 12:2


It is always the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. But Satan’s work is just the opposite; he is constantly trying to make us look at ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you do not have the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold on Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that Christ is everything. Remember, therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you—it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, although that is the instrument—it is Christ’s blood and merits. Therefore, do not look so much to your hand with which you are grasping Christ as to Christ; do not look to your hope but to Jesus, the source of your hope; do not look to your faith, but to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of your faith. We will never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our deeds, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we are to overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking to Jesus.” Keep your eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession be fresh upon your mind. When you waken in the morning look to Him; when you lie down at night look to Him. Do not let your hopes or fears come between you and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail you.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

The Entrance and Exit of Fear"

Where did fear come from? Where does it find it's beginning?

"But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"
And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."(Gen.3:9-10/ESV)

By the first man came sin, and by it, FEAR!! Ever since, man has cowered when confronted with the Holy prescence of God. We feel our unworthiness and our deserved condemnation!

I recall Peter's words on the Sea of Galilee after Jesus provides a miraculous catch of fish, "depart from me, for I am a sinful man."

We are undone in His prescence, just as Isaiah was in Isaiah 6.

Our live's are dominated by the fear of His justice and wrath!

But, there is a "second Adam", the last man from heaven, who has come to free us from this lifelong bondage to fear and death!

In 1 John 4:18 it says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."(ESV)

Amazing! The first man plunged the whole human race into a life of fear and bondage, whereas the last man, set us free to have life and to have it more abundantly in love. We no longer have to live in fear, but by the Spirit, as we cry out Abba Father!

Oh, what a Redeemer and Friend!!

Your thoughts and comments please!

"And Can It Be......."

I never cease to be amazed at the grace of God. Each time that I am reminded of His unmerited favor toward one such as myself, a rebel, a proud, self-focused sinner, I am staggered and brought to ask, "And Can It Be?"

I am always stirred by the words of that hymn that includes the question, "And can it be, that I should gain, an interest in the Saviors blood?"

A lofty thought indeed, for a rebel against God, to realize that a Holy God who is light and in whom there is no darkness at all would tolerate me enough to let me breath, much less, would deliver up His delightful, sinless Son to rescue me!

I feel that I must respond like Mephibosheth did when confronted with the unmerited favor of King David, "And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" (2 Sam.9:8)

A "dead dog" in truth!! What do I have that would win such lavish treatment? Why am I not consumed? How can I begin to fathom such depths of kindness and love?

I am left in silent awe! Lord, what would you have me to do? Can there be any other response?

Yes, I am left to wonder and muse upon the love of Christ that passeth all knowledge, I am left to desire that I might know it more, in it's depth, and length, and breadth, and height!

I am left to ask in joyous contemplation, "And Can It Be.....?"

The Way of Escape

Christian and Hopeful,after having been confined and tormented by Giant Despair in Doubting Castle.....


"Now, a little before it was Day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out in this passionate speech; What a Fool, quoth he, am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty? I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will I am persuaded open any lock in Doubting-Castle. Then said Hopeful, That's good news, good brother, pluck it out of thy bosom and try.
Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the dungeon door, whose bolt (as he turned the Key) gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door that leads into the castle-yard, and with his key opened that door also. After he went to the Iron Gate, for that must be opened too, but that lock went very hard, yet the Key did open it. Then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; but that gate as it opened made such a creaking, that it waked Giant Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to fail, for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the King's Highway again, and so were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction."
(John Bunyan, "The Pilgrim's Progress")

Remember God's sure, unfailing Promises when Giant Despair and Doubting-Castle are your portion!

"Wait for the LORD"

"Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take
courage;
wait for the LORD!"
(Psa.27:14)


In this Psalm of David there is strength and solace to be found.....Yet, I will readily admit, waiting is not one of my strong points!

Maybe it's in my genes or maybe I have been influenced by our "instant gratification" society. Maybe it's a little of both.

To wait on the LORD is hard for us finite creatures. Time is of the essence....please God, can't you do this right now?.....is often my plea.

How easy it is to affirm our belief in the declarations of scripture when all is smooth....but how hard it becomes to rest and wait when the trials and needs come!

But God, throughout scripture instructs us to "wait" and trust.

I think of Abraham and Sarah....."you shall have a son"....but it would be 25yrs of waiting! A wait that was broken by an attempt to expedite the fulfillment.

This attempt, as usual, brought trouble and sorrow, and it was again proven that God is always right on time and faithful...if we will but wait.

In the wilderness, the children of Israel were instructed to move when the pillar of cloud moved, and when it stood still, they were to abide in their tents....they were to wait on God.

God's ways and times are not ours, and they do not conform to our plans and our preconceived answers to our requests.

Nevertheless, we are told to wait and trust that His ways and times are perfect and that they will be for His glory and our good.

So, I must learn again and again this principle of waiting on the LORD, not with idleness or a wandering heart.....on the contrary, I am to "be strong" and "let my heart take courage" as I actively look to Him by faith and gaze with great anticipation toward what He has in store!

If I am to find strength and courage of heart, I must learn to "stand still and see the salvation of the LORD". I must sit at His feet as Mary did and be quiet and listen.....Wait on the LORD.......The Wait is always worth it!

Some Thoughts.......

Hello to all,

I haven't posted in a few days so I thought that I would just share some things that are bouncing around in my head!

First of all I am daily amazed at the goodness of God and His mercy toward me. He sheds abundant provision on me for my every need. He is worthy of all praise and honor, even if I had never received one good thing from His Holy hand!

Secondly, I am hunbled and stirred in heart when I think of the precious brothers and sisters that the Lord has brought into my life over the years. These dear Saints have many times refreshed my weary soul with their words of wisdom and encouragement.

Where would I be without the faith and strength that flows from the Head and through the other members of the body to nourish my heart and mind?

As I have mentioned in a previous post, the last several months have been some of the most trying of my life as I have dealt with anxiety issues and just a general sense of nervousness and depression. I will freely admit, this has been the toughest ordeal that I have ever endured, and am stil battling!

But God, who is rich in mercy, interposes daily on my behalf through His word, His Spirit, and His children!

I, like you, don't understand many of the experiences of this life, but I am convinced that God is good all the time and that He is working all things for His glory and our profit!

Let me offer my deepest expressions of heart felt thanks for your intercessions for me before the throne of grace, and I continue to covet your prayers on my behalf as I seek to keep my eyes fixed on the gospel and the beauties of Christ!

A Fellow Pilgrim,

Tom

Flood Relief

I have had the privilege this week to work with the Red Cross in their flood relief efforts in the Nashville area and it has truly been a blessing!

It is very fulfilling to help alleviate the burden these folks are going through in whatever small way that we can.

I was moved by the sincere gratitude of many of the recipients of what we had to give and their expressions of thankfulness and "God bless you's" were certainly uplifting as we worked to supply their needs with what we had to give.

How wonderful it is to see God's good that He brings out of such destruction and loss! What an opportunity we have to live out the gospel in times like these and to show forth just a small portion of the abundant grace that Christ has poured on us every day of our lives!

Missional, practical Christianity is most definately a tiring and a strengthening experience all at the same time.

Thanks be to God for His work of mercy to us and through us in this world!

"IT IS FINISHED"

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
(1Cor.1:30-31)

My heart can rehearse this truth that will ring through eternity, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things."

To God be the glory, great things He hath done!!

Lord, whom do I have in heaven or earth but thee?

My prayer......Lord Jesus, let me only boast in you!

Keep Running!!

I have been pondering perseverance lately. In my ponderings I have considered the fact that Christian perseverance cannot be based upon feelings, experiences, or any other subjective thing.
No, our persevering in the faith must find it's foundation in the indicatives of Holy Scripture.
The unchanging word of God must be our refuge in good times and hard times, in victories and in defeats.
When the flesh or the world or the devil comes knocking, I have only one recourse, "It is written."

How precious is the word in this spiritual battleground! In comfort or discomfort the word of God is forever settled in heaven!

The blood-bought child of God finds in it, inexhaustable strength and solace as we run the race that is set before us. Let us press on regardless of ups or downs and continue to look to the author and finisher of our Faith who has gone before us and ever lives to intercede for us! How do I know this?..... "It is written"!!

[Screwtape warns Wormwood]"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's [God's] will, looks around upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."
(C.S. Lewis/ The Screwtape Letters)

All of Grace!

In the Face of Jesus Christ

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.



It is written: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (II Cor. 4:6-7)



The Apostle Paul lays out a parallel in this passage of the account of creation in Genesis chapter one and the salvation of man. Creation was without form, void, and in darkness; but the Spirit of God moved upon it and God commanded, “Let there be light: and there was light.” Man is void, in darkness, and dead in trespasses and sins; but in the sovereign grace and purpose of God, the Holy Spirit moves at the command of God and breaks forth with the true Light in the dark abyss of sinners’ hearts. Creation could not create itself. It required the sovereign act of God to create something from nothing. So to, man cannot self-create a new creature within himself. It requires the sovereign act of God to create life in deadness, to give the true Light in the utter darkness of a sinful heart.


This true Light is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews the description of Jesus’ relation to the Father is: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…” (Heb. 1:3) The Almighty Eternal God has purposed to reveal the glory of His majesty by His amazing grace through Jesus Christ. It is in and through Jesus Christ that the saints of God are made to know the glory of the Father. If God did not command the Light to shine in the dark deadness of men’s hearts in the face of Jesus Christ, men would forever be doomed, adrift in the condemnation of their sins. Jesus is the Beacon that gives the Light of the glory of God, beaming out GRACE, GRACE, ALL OF GRACE.



Those who have gone through the new birth are truly able to sing, “I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.” In the face of the Lord Jesus is taught the knowledge of the glory of the Father, and the believer has this “treasure in earthen vessels.” In the believer’s frail body of the flesh, there is found the awesome eternal treasure of the glory of God. It is this treasure that the saints of God give witness to in the face of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Great Things He Hath Done".......Boasting in the Lord!

"And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel." (Mark 5:18-20)

In this account of the demoniac of Gadara who was delivered and set free by Jesus, I am confronted with the mandate for the recipients of God's amazing grace.

It is certainly understandable that this man who had previously lived such a nightmare existence would want to cleave to Jesus, his rescuer and deliverer, but this was not to be his calling at this time.

No, Jesus would have this one whom He had shown such mercy to testify to the mighty act of a gracious God on his behalf.

His instructions were simple.....Go and tell how great things the Lord hath done for thee.

What of us? Do we not have the same charge? Has God not done inummerable great things for us and has He not not shown unspeakable compassion to us?

We tend to make our calling as followers of Christ a complicated matter instead of simply boasting in the person and work of Jesus in our stead.

As believers we have so much in Christ to glory in and brag on! It is my desire and prayer that my mouth might be full of the testimony of the great things He hath done for me and His daily compassions toward me, and in so doing, see men marvel!

"Awe and Admiration"

We have so much to meditate on and glory in with regards to the majesty of Christ!

In my current readings I came across these contrasts that reveal the beauty of the person of our Savior. We are able to behold some of the many facets of God manifested in the flesh.


*"we admire him for his glory, but even more because his glory is mingled with humility;
*we admire him for his transcendence, but even more because his transcendence is accompanied by condescension;
*we admire him for his uncompromising justice, but even more because it is tempered with mercy;
*we admire him for his majesty, but even more because it is a majesty in meekness;
*we admire him because of his equality with God, but even more because as God's equal he nevertheless has a deep reverance for God;
*we admire him because of how worthy he was of all good, but even more because this was accompanied by an amazing patience to suffer evil;
*we admire him because of his sovereign dominion over the world, but even more because this dominion was clothed with a spirit of obedience and submission;
*we love the way he stumped the proud scribes with his wisdom, and we love it even more because he could be simple enough to like children and spend time with them;
*and we admire him because he could still the storm, but even more because he refused to use that power to strike the Samaritans with lightning(Luke 9:54-55) and he refused to use it to get himself down from the cross."

"The list could go on and on. But this is enough to illustrate that beauty and excellency in Christ is not a simple thing. It is complex. It is a coming together in one person of the perfect balance and proportion of extremely diverse qualities. And that's what makes Jesus Christ uniquely glorious, excellent, and admirable. The human heart was made to stand in awe of such ultimate excellence. We were made to admire Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
(excerpt from "God is the Gospel" by John Piper)

Our Great Salvation

I never grow weary of being reminded of the great salvation that we have in Christ as he condescended to our low estate!


"The brazen serpent was not lifted up because of gnats, but because of the stinging of fiery serpents. And Christ came to save not only the least of sinners, but the chief of sinners. Christ brought no petty cures, but such as physicians could not do, as we see in the case of the woman with the issue of blood and the man's son whom the disciples could not cure (Matthew 9 and 17). Where sin abounds, Christ's righteousness is ordained to superabound. The way is opened to Christ for all sinners who come weary and burdened to Him. He bids none of them stand back. "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). There is more danger of their missing this righteousness who have something of their own to trust in than of theirs who have nothing. Christ sends the rich away empty. Fewer scribes and Pharisees believed on Christ than publicans and sinners (Luke 1)"
(Obadiah Grew)

"In the Potters Hands"

"I do not believe that any suffering is ultimately absurd or pointless, although it is often difficult to go on convincing oneself of this. At first, we react with incredulity, anger and despair. Yet the value of suffering does not lie in the pain of it,...but in what the sufferer makes of it....It is in sorrow that we discover the things which really matter, in sorrow that we discover ourselves."
(Mary Craig)






How I love and prefer comfort! But, this is not the way of the cross. The way to glory is the way of suffering. The way to being conformed to the image of Christ is the way of pressure.

The love of the Father for His children is just as vividly displayed in His dark providences as it is in the bright light of His comforts.

He is dealing with us as with children! What an unspeakable blessing to consider in the midst of the victories and the struggles of our pilgrimage.

How rich we are to be in the potters hands and to be pruned by the master husbandman!

God is working and bringing to pass in His perfect way and in His perfect time a glorious work of new creation.

So, to all of my brothers and sisters, we have these great words of consolation from the scriptures, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom.8:18)

Reconcilliation......Past Tense!

"The work of reconcilliation, in the sense of the New Testament, is a work which is finished, and which we must conceive to be finished, before the gospel is preached....Reconcilliation...is not something which is being done; it is something which is done. No doubt there is a work of Christ which is in process, but it has as its basis a finished work of Christ. It is in virtue of something already consummated on his cross that Christ is able to make the appeal to us which he does, and to win the response in which we receive the reconcilliation."
(James Denney)

"God was in Christ reconcilling," actually reconcilling, finishing the work. It was not a tentative, preliminary affair....Reconcilliation was finished in Christ's death. Paul did not preach a gradual reconcilliation. He preached what the old divines used to call the finished work....He preached something done once for all-a reconcilliation which is the base of every soul's reconcilement, not an invitation only."
(P.T. Forsyth)

How glorious to consider that we have been reconcilled to God! His just wrath toward sinners has been fully satisfied in Christ! Peace has been declared and we are told to lay hold of this glorious peace and Christ-wrought, completed, reconcilliation by faith. Truly, it is finished, the battle is over! Let us rejoice in our great salvation and reconcilliation.

The Purpose of Affliction

Let me just open this post by acknowledging that I am, by nature, a person that is very prone to nervousness and "taking things to heart". This has caused me much angst over the years and has recently manifested itself in terrible anxiety attacks and, because of their severity, an overall since of dispair. But! thanks be to God, that He purposes even these times of severe turmoil for our growth in grace! In this vein I wanted to share a portion from Milton Vincent's "A Gospel Primer", in which he deals with God's ongoing work of conforming us to the gospel.


"Perspective in Trials"

"More than anything else I could ever do, the gospel enables me to embrace my tribulations and thereby position myself to gain full benefit from them. For the gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me. When I view my circumstances in this light, I realize that the gospel is not just one piece of good news that fits into my life somewhere among all the bad. I realize instead that the gospel makes genuinely good news out of every other aspect of my life, including my severest trials. The good news about my trials is that God is forcing them to bow to His gospel purposes and do good unto me by improving my character and making me more conformed to the image of Christ.
Preaching the gospel to myself each day provides a lens through which I can view my trials in this way and see the true cause for rejoicing that exists in them. I can then embrace trials as friends and allow them to do God's good work in me."

Anxiety and Rest

I recently found this article by Paul Tripp to be very helpful in regards to the believer and the battle with worry and anxiety. Below is an excerpt from the article.


"I am deeply persuaded that real, lasting personal rest of heart is never to be found in ease of circumstances. Even in the best of situations in this fallen world your heart will be able to find reasons for worry.
Inner rest of soul and lasting peace of heart are only ever found when Jesus and His kingdom are your highest and deepest treasures. When you place your identity in His never-changing hands, when you find your meaning and purpose in the unstoppable work of His kingdom, and when you place your inner sense of well-being on the sure foundation of His promise to meet your every need, you will be able to rest even when the situations and relationships around you are broken.

Defeating worry is not about hoping that tomorrow will be better. No, defeating worry is about being a good soldier in this deeper war for the heart. It is about fighting the temptation to attach the peace of your heart to things that, by their very nature are temporary and, therefore, are not organically designed to give you lasting peace (see Mat.6:19). It is about daily feeding your soul on the promises and provisions of your heavenly Father.
It is about taking special care before you name something a need. And it is about living for something bigger than you. It is about giving the love and concern of your heart to the King and His kingdom and fighting the instinct to construct a Lilliputian kingdom of your own. The kingdom of self will never give you rest because it does not have the capacity to satisfy the cravings of your heart.

In the cave, David had it right when he said, "For you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety" (Psa.4:8). It's as if David is saying, "My peace isn't found in locations, relationships, or circumstances; it is found in the Lord.
Because it is, I am as free of worry here in this cave as I was in the palace!"
Yes, David was grieved as any father would be, and no, he did not know how things were going to turn out; but in the middle of his questions and in the throes of his grief he was a man with a heart at rest, so much so that he was able to sleep.
Worry and rest always reveal the true treasures of our hearts, and in this battle we are not alone because the King we are called to serve is also Emmanuel. He is ever with us and battles for us by His grace."

(Taken from the article, "Thinking Biblically about Worry" by Paul David Tripp)

"Take Up Your Cross"

"To deny ourselves is to behave toward ourselves as Peter did toward Jesus when he denied him three times. The verb is the same (aparneomai). He disowned him, repudiated him, turned his back on him. Self-denial is not denying to ourselves luxuries such as chocolates, cakes, cigerettes and cocktails (though it might include this); it is actually denying or disowning ourselves, renouncing our supposed right to go our own way."
(John Stott)

Soul Concerns

I, for one, am convicted by the truth of this Pastor's statements!



For the Love of Souls




From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.



It is written: “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” (Psalm 142:4)

It is a sad truth; nevertheless it is truth, man cares little for the souls around him. Every day folks go about their affairs with only one thought in mind - “ME! ME! ME! And no one else but ME!” “Self” has become the number one priority in the lives of most people. They are so busy with their own desires that they have lost sight of the poor lost souls around them. Now, we expect this attitude amongst the lost but prevailing in CHRISTIANS? How dare it to be so in our midst? Honest Christianity is not about “self” or the big “I.”

Self-esteem has replaced Spiritualism. The harsh reality is that we must “die to self,” or we will never be able to gaze beyond “ME” to behold the multitudes lost with no hope, leaving few to care for their eternal souls. The reason the witness of Christ has grown so cold is that there is no passion for souls in the hearts of those who are only concerned about “SELF.” Caring about souls requires compassion.

It is also written: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6)

Why do you suppose one goes and sows with weeping? Honest tears are a language of the heart. I realize some folk can shed tears at the blink of an eye, but I’m speaking of true tears that come forth because the spiritual burdens of the heart are so overwhelming. When the burden of lost souls begins to weigh down the heart and mind of the saints, the overflow comes through the eyes, being revealed in tears. The heavenly burden upon the heart forces out laborers into the fields sowing precious seed and weeping over the insurmountable numbers of lost souls. Oh, that they could see what we see and hear what we hear of the Redeemer of men’s souls, the Lamb of God. If only they could be covered by the blood of the blessed Savior by the gracious sovereign act of our God, they would know someone cares. Is there a real burden in you that overflows the eyes with tears? Pray for holy tears, brethren! WEEP FOR THE SOULS OF MEN!!!