We Pray That The Seeds Of Truth Contained In This Blog Will Penetrate The Good Soil Of Your Heart And Bear Much Fruit.

Friday, June 30, 2017

There We Saw The Giants

Num 13:33  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Yes, the Israeli spies saw giants, but Joshua and Caleb saw God!

Those who doubt still say today, “We can’t attack...they are stronger than we are” 

Num 13:31  But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Yet those who believe say, “We should go up and take possession...or we can certainly do it”.

Num 13:30  And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Giants represent great difficulties, and they stalk us everywhere.

They are in our families, our churches, our social life, and even our own hearts.

We must overcome them or they will devour us, just as the ancient Israelites, fearing those in Canaan, said,“The land we explored devours those living in it. 

All the people we saw there are of great size” .

Num 13:32  And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

We should exhibit faith as did Joshua and Caleb, who said, “Do not be afraid because we will swallow them up”.

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

In effect, they told the others, “We will be stronger by overcoming them than if there had been no giants to defeat.”

In fact, unless we have overcoming faith, we will be swallowed up...consumed by the giants who block our path.

With that same spirit of faith that Joshua and Caleb had, let us look to God, and He will take care of the difficulties.

~Selected~

2Co 4:13  We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

We encounter giants only when we are serving God and following Him.

It was when Israel was going forward that the giants appeared, for when they turned back into the wilderness, they found none.

Many people believe that the power of God in a person’s life should keep him from all trials and conflicts.

However, the power of God actually brings conflict and struggles.

You would think that Paul, during his great missionary journey to Rome, would have been kept by God’s sovereignty from the power of violent storms and of his enemies.

Yet just the opposite was true. 

He endured one long, difficult struggle with the Jews who were
persecuting him.

He faced fierce winds, poisonous snakes, and all the powers of earth and of hell.

And finally, he narrowly escaped drowning, by swimming to shore at Malta after a shipwreck nearly sent him to a watery grave.

Does this sound like a God of infinite power? 

Yes, it is just like Him. 

And that is why Paul told us that once he took the Lord Jesus Christ as his life in his body, a severe conflict immediately arose. 

In fact, the conflict never ended.

The pressure on Paul was persistent, but from the conflict he always emerged victorious through the strength of Jesus Christ.

Paul described this in quite vivid language: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

What a ceaseless and strenuous struggle he related!

It is nearly impossible to express in English the impact of the original language. 

Paul gives us five different images in succession.

In the first, he has us picture enemies completely surrounding and pressuring but not crushing him, because the heavenly “police” have protected him and cleared a path just wide enough for him to escape.

The literal meaning is, “We are crowded from all sides, but not defeated.”

The second image is that of someone whose way is completely blocked or thwarted by the enemy. 

Yet he has persevered, for there is just enough light for him to see the next step. 

Paul said, “Perplexed, but not in despair,” or as one literal translation put it, “Without a road, but not without a ‘side road’ of escape.”

The third picture, “Persecuted, but not abandoned,” is one of the enemy in hot pursuit of him while the divine Defender stands nearby. 

He is pursued, but not left alone.

The fourth is even more vivid and dramatic.

The enemy has overtaken him, struck him, and knocked him down.

But it is not a fatal blow...he is able to rise again. 

He has been “struck down, but not destroyed,” or literally, “overthrown, but not overcome.”

In the fifth and final image, Paul advances the thought still further, giving us a picture that appears to be one of death itself: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus.”

Yet he does not die, for “the life of Jesus” comes to his aid, and he lives through Christ’s life until his lifework is complete.

The reason so many people fail to experience this divine principle is that they expect to receive it all without a struggle.

When conflict comes and the battle rages on, they become discouraged and surrender. 

God has nothing worth having that is easily gained, for there are no cheap goods on the heavenly market.

The cost of our redemption was everything God had to give, and anything worth having is expensive. 

Difficult times and places are our schools of faith and character.

If we are ever to rise above mere human strength, and experience the power of the life of Christ in our mortal bodies, it will be through the process of conflict that could very well be called the “labor pains” of the new life.

It is like the story of Moses, who “saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up”;

Exo 3:2  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 

Although Satan’s demons tried to extinguish the flame in Moses’ life by continually pouring water on his plans, they could not, because God’s angels were ever vigilant, pouring oil on the flame to keep it burning brightly.

Dear child of God, you may be suffering, but you cannot fail if you will only dare to believe, stand firm, and refuse to be overcome. 

Monday, June 26, 2017

Hold Your Hand In This Fire!


Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Take heed of what men call secret sins.

There are only too many who continue in wickedness, because as they think, no one knows how wicked they are. 

They are drunkards but it is in the night. 

They are immoral but it is in the dark. 

Their mystery of iniquity trades in the works of darkness and in the dark. 

Indeed, if men could sin and no eye see them...then they might sin securely; but this is a falsehood as well as a mistake.

Once a young maiden was tempted to be unchaste.

The person who solicited her, promised to do great things for her if she would yield.

I will, he said, "do anything for you!"

Will you? she said, "then hold your hand in this fire!"

Oh, that is unreasonable! he answered.

But, she replied, "it is much more unreasonable that I should burn forever in Hell for your sake!"

Who would venture his soul to eternal torment to gratify his own or another's pleasure and lust? 

We cannot escape God's sight any more than we can escape His judgment.

He sees us, though like Adam and Eve we cover ourselves with fig-leaves.

And He will one day call to us, as He did to them, "Sinner...where are you?" 

You cannot flee from His presence.

You may more easily hide from yourselves...than from God.

I hope you will say, for I am sure you will see cause to do so, "How shall I do this wickedness and sin against God!"

~Ralph Venning~




Friday, June 16, 2017

Mistrust Grieves The LORD!

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The Christian should never think or speak lightly of unbelief.


For a child of God to mistrust his love, his truth, his faithfulness, must be greatly displeasing to him. 

How can we ever grieve him by doubting his upholding grace? 

Christian! it is contrary to every promise of God’s precious Word that thou shouldst ever be forgotten or left to perish.

If it could be so, how could he be true who has said, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? 

Yea, they may forget, yet will I never forget thee.

What were the value of that promise...“The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Where were the truth of Christ’s words...“I give unto my sheep eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Where were the doctrines of grace? They would be all disproved if one child of God should perish. 

Where were the veracity of God, his honour, his power, his grace, his covenant, his oath, if any of those for whom Christ has died, and who have put their trust in him, should nevertheless be cast away? 

Banish those unbelieving fears which so dishonour God. 

Arise, shake thyself from the dust, and put on thy beautiful garments. 

Remember it is sinful to doubt his Word wherein he has promised thee that thou shalt never perish. 

Let the eternal life within thee express itself in confident rejoicing.

The gospel bears my spirit up: A faithful and unchanging God Lays the foundation for my hope, In oaths, and promises, and blood.

~Charles Spurgeon~

Sunday, June 11, 2017

No Cause To Blush

Isa 54:4  Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

We shall not be ashamed of our faith. 


Carping critics may assail the Scriptures upon which we ground our belief, but every year the LORD will make it more and more clear that in His Book there is No Error, No Excess, and No Omission.

It is no discredit to be a simple believer; the faith which looks alone to Jesus is a crown of honor on any man's head and better than a star on his breast.

We shall not be ashamed of our hope. 


It shall be even as the LORD has said...

We shall be Fed, Led, Blest, and Rested. 

Our LORD will come, and then the days of our mourning shall be ended. 

How we shall glory in the LORD who first gave us lively hope and then gave us that which we hoped for!

We shall not be ashamed of our love.


Jesus is to us the altogether lovely, and never, never, shall we have to blush because we have yielded our hearts to Him. 

The sight of our glorious Well-beloved will justify the most enthusiastic attachment to Him. 

None will blame the martyrs for dying for Him. 

When the enemies of Christ are clothed with everlasting contempt, the lovers of Jesus shall find themselves honored by all holy beings, because they chose the reproach of Christ rather than the treasures of Egypt. 

~Charles Spurgeon~

Monday, June 5, 2017

Is There a Difference?

Exodus 11:7  But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

What! Has God power over the tongues of dogs!

Can he keep ours from barking?

Yes, it is even so. He can prevent an Egyptian dog from worrying one of the lambs of Israel's flock. 

Doth God silence dogs, and doggish ones among men, and the great dog at hell's gate?

Then let us move on our way without fear.

If He lets dogs move their tongues, yet He can stop their teeth. 


They may make a dreadful noise and still do us no real harm. 

Yet, how sweet is quiet!

How delightful to move about among enemies and perceive that God maketh them to be at peace with us!

Like Daniel in the den of lions we are unhurt amid destroyers.

Oh, that today this word of the LORD to Israel might be true to me! 


Does the dog worry me? I will tell my LORD about him. 

LORD, he does not care for my pleadings; do Thou speak the word of power, and he must lie down. 

Give me peace, O my God, and let me see Thy hand so distinctly in it that I may most clearly perceive the difference which Thy grace has made between me and the ungodly! 

~Charles Spurgeon~

Friday, June 2, 2017

Let The LORD Decide When "It Is Enough"

                                                 
It is a sweet and blessed event which will occur to all believers in God’s own time...the going home to be with Jesus.

In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting “the good fight of faith” will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their Lord. 

But although Christ prays that his people may eventually be with him where he is, he does not ask that they may be taken at once away from this world to heaven.

He wishes them to stay here. 

Yet how frequently does the wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest;”...

But Christ does not pray like that, he leaves us in his Father’s hands, until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered into our Master’s garner. 

Jesus does not plead for our instant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is needful for others if not profitable for ourselves.

He asks that we may be kept from evil, but he never asks for us to be admitted to the inheritance in glory till we are of full age.

Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. 

Ask them why, and they tell you, “Because we would be with the Lord.”

We fear it is not so much because they are longing to be with the Lord, as because they desire to get rid of their troubles; else they would feel the same wish to die at other times when not under the pressure of trial.
 

They want to go home, not so much for the Saviors company, as to be at rest.

Now it is quite right to desire to depart if we can do it in the same spirit that Paul did, because to be with Christ is far better, but the wish to escape from trouble is a selfish one. 

Rather let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life here as long as he pleases, even though it be in the midst of toil, and conflict, and suffering...

And leave him to say when “it is enough.”

~Charles Spurgeon~