An Ignorant, Profane, and Soul-flattering Clergy!

An Ignorant, Profane, and Soul-flattering Clergy!

"Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).

A preacher's life should be a commentary upon his doctrine; his practice should be the counterpart of his sermons. 

Heavenly doctrines should always be adorned with a heavenly life.

An ignorant, profane, and soul-flattering clergy, are the greatest pest, plague, affliction and judgment, which can befall a people! There is no rank nor order of men on earth, who have so enriched hell, who have been such benefactors to hell - as the ignorant and profane clergy! How many are there in these days, who are more ready and willing to make a sacrifice of the gospel for profit sake, and preferment sake, and prestige sake, and lust's sake!

Where there is no serious, sincere, faithful, and powerful preaching - there the people grow abominably wicked, and will certainly perish and go tumbling to hell!

Pastors! Either preach as the ministers of Jesus Christ ought to preach...plainly, spiritually, powerfully, feelingly, fervently, frequently; and live as the ministers of Jesus Christ ought to live...heavenly, graciously, holily, humbly, righteously, harmlessly, exemplary - or else lay down your names of being the ministers of Jesus Christ. Do not any longer put a cheat upon yourselves, nor upon the people - by making them believe that you are ministers of Jesus Christ, when you have nothing of the Spirit of Christ, nor of the anointings of Christ, nor of the grace of Christ, nor of the life of Christ in you.

"Watch your life and doctrine closely" (1 Timothy 4:16).

~Thomas Brooks~

satan's Apes!

satan's Apes!

Pride sets itself against the honor, being, and sovereignty of God. Other sins strike at the word of God, the people of God, and the creatures of God - but pride strikes directly at the very being of God. He bears a special hatred against pride.

It was pride which turned angels into devils. They would be above others in heaven - and therefore God cast them down to hell.

Pride is a sin which of all sins, makes a person most like satan. Pride is satan's disease. Pride is so base a disease, that God had rather see His dearest children to be buffeted by satan, than that in pride they should be like satan.

Humility makes a man like to angels - and pride makes an angel a devil. Pride is worse than the devil, for the devil cannot hurt you until pride has possessed you.

If you would see the devil portrayed to the life - look upon a proud soul; for as face answers to face, so does a proud soul answer to satan!

Proud souls are satan's apes, and none imitate him to the life like these. And oh that they were sensible of it, before it is too late, before the door of darkness be shut upon them!

"The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5).

~Thomas Brooks~

Painted Holiness

Painted Holiness

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers; therefore you shall receive the greater damnation." (Matthew 23:14).

Who had a greater name for holiness, and who made a greater show of holiness, and who did more despise ang insult other men for a lack of holiness - than the Scribes and Pharisees? And who so miserable now - as they?

Pretended holiness will double-damn souls at last!

None have so large a portion in hell as hypocrites have. No man at last will be found so miserable, as he who has the name of a saint upon him - but not the divine nature in him; who has a profession of holiness upon him - but no principles of holiness in him; who has a form of godliness - but not the power; who can cry up godliness - but in practice denies it; who is a professor outwardly - but an atheist, a pagan, a devil inwardly.

Artificial sanctity is double iniquity. He who professes piety without being pious, and godliness without being godly; he who makes counterfeit holiness a cloak to impiety, and a midwife to iniquity, he who is a Jacob without - and an Esau within, a David without - and a Saul within, a John without - and a Judas within, a saint without - and a satan within, an angel without - and a devil within, is ripened for the worst of torments!

Sirs, do not deceive your own souls! A painted sword shall as soon defend a man, and a painted mint shall as soon enrich a man, and a painted fire shall as soon warm a man, and a painted friend shall as soon counsel a man, and a painted horse shall as soon carry a man, and a painted feast shall as soon nourish a man, and a painted house shall as soon shelter a man - as a painted holiness shall save a man! He who now thinks to put off God with a painted holiness shall not fare so well at last - as to be put off with a painted happiness. The lowest, the hottest, and the darkest habitation in hell will be his portion, whose religion lies all in shows and shadows.

Well, spiritual counterfeits, remember this - it will not be long before Christ will unmask you; before He will un cloak you; before He will disrobe you; before He will take off your masks, your cloaks, and turn your rotten insides outward - to our eternal shame and reproach before all the world!

~Thomas Brooks~

All The Hell That You Shall Ever Have!

All The Hell That You Shall Ever Have!

Consider Christian, that all your trials and troubles, calamities and miseries, crosses and losses, which you meet with in this world - is all the hell that you shall ever have!

Here and now, you have your hell. Hereafter, you shall have your Heaven!

This life is the worst of your condition - the best is yet to come!

Lazarus had his hell first - and his heaven last. Dives had his heaven first - and his hell at last.

You have all your pangs, and pains, and throes here - that ever you shall have! Your ease, and rest, and pleasure - is yet to come.

Here you have your sorrows - your joys are yet to come. Here you have all your winter nights - your summer days are yet to come!

Here you have your evil things - your good things are yet to come.

Death will put an end to all your sins - and to all your sufferings.

Death will be an inlet to those joys, delights, and comforts - which shall never have an end!

Who can seriously meditate upon this, and not be silent under God's most smarting rod?

~Thomas Brooks~

The Presence of A Loving God!

The Presence of A Loving God!

"You were precious in My sight, and I have loved you" (Isaiah 43:4).

God loves His people with a first love! (1 John 4:19), "We love Him because He first loved us."

By nature we were without God, and afar off from God; we were strangers to God, and enemies to God, yes, haters of God! Therefore if God had not loved us first - we would have been everlastingly undone!

God loves His people with a free love! (Hosea 14:4), "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.

I know they are back-slidden - but I will heal their backslidings. I know there is nothing at all in them, which is excellent or eminent, which is honorable or acceptable, which is laudable or lovely - yet "I will love them freely" - of My own, free, rich, absolute and sovereign grace!

God loves His people with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3), "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving-kindness have I drawn you."

That is, "I love you with the love of perpetuity, or with the love of eternity. My love and My affections to you shall continue forever!"

God loves His people with an unchangeable love! (Malachi 3:6), "I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed."

Men change, and counsels change, and occurrences change, and friends change, and relations change, and kingdoms change; but God never changes! "He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that He should change His mind." (1 Samuel 15:29).

God is immutable in His nature, in His essence, in His counsels, in His attributes, in His decrees, in His promises, etc. He is Omnina immutabillis, "Altogether immutable!"

God loves His people with a special love, with a peculiar love, with a distinguishing love, with a superiative love!

God loves His people with the greatest love, with a matchless love! (John 3:16), "God so loved." This signifies the greatness of God's love, the vehemence of His love, and the admirableness of His love.

What an unspeakable comfort must this be to God's people - to have the presence of a loving God, to have the presence of such a loving God with them in all their troubles and deep distresses! If the presence of a loving friend, a loving relation in our troubles and distresses, is such a mercy - oh, what then is the presence of a loving God!

~Thomas Brooks~

A Heaven Unto Me!

A Heaven Unto Me!

That knowledge which accompanies salvation, is a heart-affecting knowledge. It affects the heart with Christ, and all spiritual things. Oh, it does wonderfully endear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul.

"Oh, feed me with Your love - Your raisens and Your apples - for I am utterly lovesick!" (Song 2:5). "Oh," says the spouse, "my heart is taken with Christ, it is ravished with His love; my soul is burning, my soul is beating towards Christ. Oh, none but Christ, none but Christ! I cannot live in myself, I cannot live in my duties, I cannot live in external privileges, I cannot live in outward mercies; I can live only in Christ, who is my life, my love, my joy, my crown, my all in all. Oh, the more I come to know Him in His natures, in His names, in His offices, in His discoveries, in His visits, in His beauties, the more I find my heart and affections to prize Christ, to run after Christ, to be affected with Christ, and to be wonderfully endeared to Christ!

Oh, God forbid that my heart should be affected or taken with anything in comparison with Christ. The more I know Him, the more I love Him; the more I know Him, the more I desire Him; the more I know Him, the more my heart is knit unto Him. His beauty is captivating, His love is ravishing, His goodness is attracting, His manifestations are enticing, His person is enamoring, His lovely looks please me, His pleasant voice delights me, His precious Spirit comforts me, His holy word rules me; All these things make Christ to be a heaven unto me!

Oh, but all that mere notional knowledge, that speculative knowledge, which leaves a man short of salvation - never affects the heart; it never draws it, it never endears the heart to Christ, or to the precious things of Christ. Hence it is that such men, under all their notions, under all their light and knowledge, have no affection to Christ, no delight in Christ, no workings of heart after Christ.

"If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed." (1 Corinthians 16:22).

~Thomas Brooks~

Has God Forgotten To Be Gracious?

Has God Forgotten To Be Gracious?

The variations in the Christian experience are often very perplexing, especially to the young Christian. Both in providence and grace, things occur the very opposite to what he expected. He forgets that he is to walk by faith - and not by sight; and therefore he falls to reasoning. This misleads him, and increases the gloom around him, so that he falls to questioning all that God has wrought within him, or spoken to him in his holy word. At times he sinks as low as Asaph did, and asks, "Has God forgotten to be gracious?" (Psalm 77:9).

Let us notice What the Question Supposes. It supposes at least, that God was known to be gracious, and had been gracious to the soul aforetime. His grace had once been seen and enjoyed. But a change had taken place, and the party was now sorely tried either in providence or grace, or both. The hand of God was not seen, the love of God was not felt, the work of God did not appear. satan takes advantage of this, and plies the soul with temptations, while unbelief works powerfully within. The aspect of everything is now changed - and the soul walks in darkness having no light. Wrong views of God are taken, portions of Scripture are misapplied, the design of providence is mistaken - and the soul is cast down and troubled!

This leads to The Interrogation itself. "Has God forgotten tobe gracious?" Strange question this, for a believer to ask. What - the Lord forget His child? Impossible! "Yet, I will never forget you." What - forget His covenant, in which he pledges His word, that He will not turn away from you from doing of you good? What, forget His promise? No, He still says, "O Israel, you shall not be forgotten by Me!"

Can God change His nature? He is naturally gracious. Can God break His engagement? His word is, "I will be very gracious unto you at the voice of your cry; when I shall hear - I will answer." Can God deny His name? It is, "Gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and in truth." But if not - then why ask such a question?

You say perhaps, "Needs pinch me. Men oppose me. Means fail me. No answers to prayer are given me. God appears to neglect me. Providence seems to have turned against me. The Comforter that should relieve my soul - is far from me. The work of God is at a stand-still, both within me and around me. Can it then be any wonder, that I ask, "Has God forgotten to be gracious?"

The Reply. No, God has not forgotten, grace is at the bottom of all that you complain of. His delays are gracious. The hiding of His face is in mercy. He intends to try - and then revive your grace; to quicken you in prayer - and then answer your petitions; to enhance the value of your mercies - and lead you to prize them more; to make you of use to others - and your experience a blessing to your fellow believers.

He will allow satan to pursue you for a time - and then He will signally confound him. He intends to stir you up to more energetic efforts in His cause, for the glory of His name, and the spread of His truth.

God is naturally and unchangeably, gracious!

He may act differently to what He did - but His heart remains unchangeably the same. Though it is dark now - it will be light soon. Darkness is but for the night - joy comes in the morning. Wait awhile, believe and pray, and soon, very soon - the light of joy and peace will shine upon you!

~James Smith~

A Beautiful Harlot Sitting In Her Chariot

A Beautiful Harlot Sitting In Her Chariot

"I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" (Ecclesiastes 2: 1-2).

Solomon's question bids a challenge to all the masters of mirth, to produce any one satisfactory fruit which it affords, if they could.

The hearts of young men usually are much given up to pleasure. Sensual pleasures are only seeming and apparent pleasures - but the pains which attend them are true and real. He who delights in sensual pleasures, shall find his greatest pleasures become his bitterest pains. Pleasures pass away as soon as they have wearied out the body, and leave it as a bunch of grapes whose juice has been pressed out.

Xerxes, being weary of all pleasures, promised rewards to the inventors of new pleasures, which being invented, he nevertheless remained unsatisfied.

Men given up to sensual pleasures go from one pleasure to another, but can find no contentment, no satisfaction in their pleasures. "Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content!" (Ecclesiastes 1:8).

There is a curse of unsatisfiableness, which lies upon the creature. Honors cannot satisfy the ambitious man, nor riches the covetous man, nor pleasures the voluptuous man. Man cannot take off the weariness of one pleasure, by engaging in another pleasure. 

Pleasures seem solid in their pursuit; but are mere clouds of enjoyment.

Pleasure is a beautiful harlot sitting in her chariot. The four wheels are pride, gluttony, lust and foolishness. The two horses are prosperity and abundance. The two drivers are idleness and security. Her attendants and followers are guilt, grief, shame, and often death and damnation!

Many great, strong, rich men, and many hopeful men - have come to their damnation by her; but never any enjoyed full satisfaction and contentment in her. Ah! Avoid this harlot - pleasure, and come not near the door of her house!

Augustine, before his conversion, could not live without those pleasures which he much delighted in. But after his nature was changed, and his heart graciously turned to the Lord, he said, "Oh! how sweet it is - to be without those sweet delights!"

There are no pleasures so delighting, so satisfying, so ravishing, so engaging, and so abiding - as those which spring from union and communion with God - as those which flow from a humble and holy walking with God!

~Thomas Brooks~

Rich In Spiritual Experiences of

Rich In Spiritual Experiences

The mature Christian is rich in spiritual experiences.

Oh! the experiences that he has of the ways of God, of the workings of God, of the word of God, of the love of God!

Oh! the divine stories that old Christians can tell of the power of the word, of the sweetness of the word - as a light to lead the soul, as a spur to quicken the soul, as an anchor to stay the soul, and as a cordial to comfort and strengthen the soul!

Oh! the stories that he can tell concerning the love of Christ, the blood of Christ, the offices of Christ, the merits of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, the graces of Christ, and the influence of Christ!

Oh! the stories that an old disciple can tell of the indwellings of the Spirit, of the operations of the Spirit, of the teachings of the Spirit, of the leadings of the Spirit, of the sealings of the Spirit, of the witnessings of the Spirit, and of the comforts and joys of the Spirit!

Oh! the stories that an old Christian can tell of the evil of sin, of the bitterness of sin, of the deceitfulness of sin, of the prevalence of sin, and of the happiness of conquest over sin!

Oh! the stories that he can tell you of the snares of satan, of the devices of satan, of the temptations of satan, of the rage of satan, of thee malice of satan, of the watchfulness of satan, and of the ways of triumphing over satan!

As an older soldier can tell you of many battles, many scars, many wounds, many losses, and many victories, even to admiration; so an old saint is able to tell you many divine stories, even to admiration.

Experimental religion is far beyond mere notions and impressions. A sanctified heart is better than a silver tongue. No man so rich, so honorable, so happy - as the old disciple, who is rich in spiritual experiences.

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green" (Psalm 92:12-14).

~Thomas Brooks~

The Dregs of Old Age!

The Dregs of Old Age!

"Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!" (Numbers 23:10).

Many desire to repent when old age comes - when their wits are cracked, their souls distracted, their senses stupefied, their hearts bewildered, their minds darkened, and their bodies diseased and distempered. Oh, then they think they will be able to leap into Heaven, with "Lord have mercy upon me" in their mouths. Even though they have lived like devils - yet they hope they shall die like saints!

Do you think, O vain man - that after you have spent your time, and wasted your strength, and exhausted your energies in the work of satan, and in the service of your lusts - that God will receive you to His grace and favor? If you do thus flatter yourself - it is ten thousand to one that you will deceive yourself! Though true repentance is never too late - yet late repentance is seldom true. Ah, how many millions are now in hell - who have thought, and resolved, and said that they would repent hereafter - but that hereafter never came!

You say, "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I will repent," when you know not what a tomorrow will bring forth. Alas! how many thousand ways may death surprise you before tomorrow comes! Though there is but one way to come into the world - yet there are a thousand ways to be sent out of the world. Oh, the hazards, the dangers, the accidents, the deaths - which daily, which hourly attend the life of man!

Ah friends! it is a dangerous thing to make repentance to be the task of old age. The longer any man defers his repentance, the more difficult it will be for him to repent: his heart will every day grow more and more hard, and his will more and more perverse, and his judgment more and more corrupted, and his affections more and more disordered, and his conscience more and more benumbed or enraged, and his whole life more and more defiled and debauched.

Friends, do not deceive yourselves! Old age is but a tottering and sinking foundation for you to build your eternal hopes and happiness upon - your eternal making or marring upon! Are the dog-days of old age - are the trembling hands, the wrinkled face, the failing eyes, the gasping lungs, the fainting heart, the feeble knees, and the broken down legs - are these a sacrifice worthy of a majestic God? Is a soul full of sin an offering worthy of a holy God? Surely not!

Oh, what madness, what wickedness is this: to serve satan, your lusts, and this world with full dishes - and to put off God with scraps! To serve satan, your lusts, and this world in the flower, in the prime and primrose of your days - and to put off God with the dregs of old age! Oh, do not let satan deceive you, do not let your own hearts delude you!

~Thomas Brooks~

Joseph Saw God in The Room!

Joseph Saw God in The Room!

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

The harboring of any known sin, either in heart of life, is a high contempt of the all-seeing eye of God - of the omnipresence of God.

It is well known that Abasuerus, that great monarch, said concerning Haman, when he found him cast upon the queen's couch on which she sat: "What!" says he, "Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes!" What! will he dare to commit such a vallainy - as I stand and look on?

O sirs! to do wickedly in the sight of God, is a thing which He looks upon as the greatest affront and indignity that can possibly be done unto Him. "What!" says He, "Will you be drunk before Me, and swear and blaspheme before Me, and be wanton and immoral before Me, and break My laws before My eyes!"

This, then, is the killing aggravation of all sin - that is done before the face of God - in the presence of God! The consideration of God's omnipresence - that He stands and looks on, should be as a bar, to stop the proceedings of all wicked intentions; and a great dissuasive from sin.

It was an excellent saying of Ambrose, "If you cannot hide yourself from the sun, which is God's minister of light - how impossible will it be to hide yourself from Him whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the sun!"

There is no drawing of a curtain between God and you. When you are in secret consider that God is present!

God is all eye. He sees all things in all places, at all times.

The godly are dissuaded from wickedness, upon the consideration of God's eye and omniscience. Joseph saw God in the room - and therefore dared not yield to lust. But Potiphar's wife saw none but Joseph - and so was impudently alluring and tempting him to sin.

Oh, why shall not the presence of that God who hates sin, and who is resolved to punish it with hell-flames, make us ashamed or afraid to sin, and dare Him to His face! Let your eye be ever on Him - whose eye is always on you!

~Thomas Brooks~

(The End)

The Life Of God In The Soul

The Life Of God In The Soul

True religion is not a religious form - but a LIFE. It is the life which God imparts the life which God communicates in regeneration, and nourishes by His word, ordinances, and communion with Himself. This inward principle of life develops itself in a life of faith in the Son of God; a life of love, so that we love God, and everything that is godlike; a life of holiness, so that we obey God - and in all we do, we seek to please Him.

Not only so - but it constantly aspires to God as its author and source. It makes us devout, and the life we live is a life of devotion. In all that we do - we consult the will of God, we seek grace for its performance from God, and we desire most heartily to honor God. Originating as it does in God's sovereign will, flowing as it does in devout exercises to God's gracious throne - it makes us godly, or godlike! It is this one thing which distinguishes God's family from the rest of mankind, and proves their election of God.

This life of God in the soul, is SPIRITUAL, manifesting itself in spiritual desires, and spiritual exercises. It gives us a taste for spiritual things, and requires to be sustained by spiritual provision - Christ, the bread of life - and the living water which He gives. It is energetic, and therefore it urges, and impels us - to perform spiritual duties, overcome all carnal customs and habits, and to seek conformity to Christ in all things.

This life of God in the soul, is USEFUL, not only to its possessor, as qualifying him for spiritual duties and privileges, and making him fit for heaven; but it always makes those in whom it dwells - useful to others, both saints and sinners. A useless man cannot have the life of God within him, for wherever it is, it makes him feel that he must be useful, must do good to others to some extent.

This life of God in the soul, is ETERNAL, it can never die - and never be destroyed. The soul is not more immortal, than is this life which God gives. Yes, outside of God Himself, we know of nothing that is more certain of endless duration, than this life of God in the soul. It is the source of all that is holy, useful, happy, and glorious. He who has this life - can never perish, nor can anyone wrest him from the Saviour's omnipotent hands!

This life of God in the soul, is for GOD'S GLORY. As it originated in His sovereign good pleasure - so it is communicated and is maintained for His honor. And as it is maintained for His honor - so it is designed and intended to advance His glory.

This life of God in the soul, will ultimately be therefore a life WITH GOD. We believe that we shall live with Him. It brings us into His spiritual presence now.

O what a prospect! What glory, what grandeur, what blessedness awaits us! The life of God, which now pants within us, and has to strive and do battle with the direful corruptions of the heart - the life which generates every good desire and every holy aspiration - the life which will not let us rest in forms, or live in sin - that life will soon burst forth in power, splendor, and immortal glory - and then we shall be satisfied, for we shall awake from death in our Savour's likeness!

~James Smith~

(The End)

The Book of Life

The Book of Life

"And another book was opened, which is the book of life" (Revelation 20:12).

The names of the elect are written in the book of life. They do not obtain salvation by chance, but were elected by God to eternal life and happiness before the foundation of the world. Now their names being once written in the book of life, they shall never, never be blotted out of that book! In the book of predestination there is not one blot to be found; the salvation of the elect is most sure and certain!

"I will never blot out his name from the book of life." (Revelation 3:5).

The book of life is the book of all those who were elected and redeemed to life, through Jesus Christ. This book of life contains a register of such particular persons in whose salvation, God from all eternity determined to have His mercy glorified; and for whom Christ merited faith, repentance, and perseverance - that they should repent, believe, and be finally saved.

"The book of life shall be opened;" that is to say, the decrees of God will be then published and made known, which now are sealed up in His bosom and locked up in His archives. Then it  will be seen whom are appointed to eternal life - for the glorifying of God's free, rich, and sovereign grace; and whom He purposed to leave in their sins, and to perish forever - for the exaltation of His justice.

"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27).

The book of life shall be opened in the great day, because then it shall be shown who were elect - and who were reprobates; who truly believed in Christ - and who did not; who worshiped God in spirit and in truth - and who did not; who walked with God as Noah did - and who did not; who truly reverenced God - and who did not; who followed the Lamb wherever He went - and who did not; who were sincere - and who were not; who are sheep - and who are goats; who are sons of God - and who are slaves to satan; who have mourned for their sins - and who have made a sport of sin; who preferred Christ above ten thousand worlds - and who did not; who preferred their farms, and  their oxen, and their swine; yes, their very lusts - before a Saviour, a Redeemer!

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire!" (Revelation 20:15).

~Thomas Brooks~

An Extremely Difficult Question to Answer

An Extremely Difficult Question to Answer

As Christians we are sometimes dealt with questions that are extremely difficult to answer. The following is one such question:

If I had to choose between accepting a false position in life to save my job or, not accepting the false position and staying true to the Word of God - how would you respond?

I am not interested in Bible verses to prove my position. I have read them all, time and time again. There are many verses which tell me that it is okay to accept false positions because your boss told you to do it. There are other verses that say "no, it is not acceptable, and i won't do it!"

I want to know, by your love of Christ, your gift of a holy and just  God in your life who, though we don't understand, is in complete control of His creation, your guidance by the indwelling Holy Spirit - just what would be your decision??

I don't want to know only a yes, I accept the false position, or no I don't accept. I want to know from your heart just how you would treat this question.

The question: "You might loose your job, if you don't lie to your employees about certain things going on. Extremely important things happening, important things that could effect the employees in a very bad way? Do you lie and keep secret what is going on? Or do you risk loosing your job simply because it is the easiest way out?"

With God Nothing Is Impossible

With God Nothing Is Impossible

With God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. (Luke 1:37 AMP)

It seems that when the Lord Jesus chose His twelve disciples there was, at the back of the choice and back of the purpose of having a company of men always with Him – the intention of showing and expressing what the character of the Firstborn is so far as relationship to other members of the Family is concerned. To put that in another way: if we study the characteristics of the Lord Jesus in relation to His own when He was here on the earth, we have a good example of what family characteristics are in the thought of the Father. For instance, take the imperfections, the shortcomings, the weaknesses of the twelve and see what the attitude of the Lord Jesus was toward them. The Holy Spirit takes no pains to cover up those faults and those flaws. There is no attempt made whatever to present those men as an ideal group. Their picture is painted true to life and all the difficult lines are there – the bad and the good – and nothing unpleasant is hidden from view. None of the lines are taken out of their faces. They are all clearly seen. The Lord Jesus was not dealing with an easy company, but a company which might often have provoked despair. But one thing was characteristic of Him in relation to a difficult handful, and that was His faith for them.

What faith the Lord Jesus had for those men! It was not that He had faith in them, neither was it that He had faith for them because of what He saw in them; but He had infinite faith in the Father for them. His attitude was: "Well, nothing is impossible with God. Here are these men; they are difficult and they could easily be My despair; they never seem to understand what I say! They always seem to get the wrong interpretation; they always seem to miss the point. When I say a thing they get it from an altogether wrong angle; they are utterly materialistic in their outlook, in their expectation and in their desires. They never see far beyond this world and their own personal interests. They seem totally incapable of getting a spiritual conception. And yet the Father can do wonders with a handful of men like that; nothing is impossible."

~T. Austin-Sparks~

The Lord's Gentle Usher

The Lord's Gentle Usher

Our life in this world is made up of troubles and trials, of calamities and miseries, of crosses and losses, of reproaches and disgraces.

Death frees the Christian from all these things. It wipes away all tears from his eyes, it turns his miseries into mercies, his crosses into crowns, and his earthly hell into a glorious heaven!

When a godly man dies - he shall never more be haunted, tempted and buffeted by satan!

"Death," says one, "which was before the devil's sergeant to drag us to hell; has now become the Lord's gentle usher to conduct us to heaven!"

For a saint to die, it for a saint to be eternally happy. Death is but the entrance into glorious life. That is not death but life - which joins the dying man to Christ! Death will blow the bud of grace into the flower of glory!

Death is not the death of man - but the death of his sin! When a believer dies - his sin dies with him. As death came in by sin - so sin goes out by death. Death kills sin - which bred it. Then he shall never again be proud, nor passionate, nor unbelieving, nor worldly, nor neglected of duty, nor grieve the Holy Spirit, nor wound his conscience, nor break peace with God!

When death takes away a godly man, it takes him away from his sins! And as death rids the believer of all his sins - so it will rid him of all his sorrow. Death cures all diseases, the aching head and the unbelieving heart.

Death does for a godly person, that which all ordinances could never do, and which all their duties could never do, and which all their graces could never do. It immediately frees them from all their sins, all their sorrows, all their tears, all their temptations, all their oppressions, all their oppositions, all their vexations!

~Thomas Brooks~

Essential Truths of the Faith

Essential Truths of the Faith

Ephesians 4:11-16

It’s fairly easy to coast through the Christian life without thinking too deeply about the essentials of our faith. Every child of God knows the basics of the gospel, since they are necessary for salvation. But once we are saved, we need to grow in our understanding of the doctrines that are foundational for Christianity.

We must believe that the Bible is true. Scripture is the heavenly Father’s self-revelation about His nature, plan of salvation, and dealings with mankind. It’s the final authority on life, faith, salvation, and conduct (2 Peter 1:3), and we can trust that it’s without error because God inspired its writers and protected its transmission throughout history (2 Timothy 3:16).

There is only one God who expresses Himself in three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit. The concept of the Trinity is supported in numerous Scriptures, including Jesus’ baptism when all three were present and the Great Commission in which we are told to make disciples and baptize them in one name—that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19).

The Lord is the Creator of all things. As His creatures, we exist for Him and through Him, and He has authority and power over us (1 Corinthians 8:6). God is not simply a greater version of us; He is in a totally different category because He is self-existent and the source of life. We, on the other hand, are dependent upon Him for our next breath.

These three essentials keep us grounded in the truth. If we doubt them, we will find ourselves deceived by other doctrines (Eph. 4:14).

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

I Fear

I Fear

I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

Deception is not something out there that is put upon us willy-nilly, or in spite of ourselves. All deception has its own ground in man. What is that ground? It is the fact that man is now a psychical being. Now if you can get to the bottom of that, if you can apprehend that, you will understand the whole thing. The ground of all this is in the fact that man is a psychical being, and when Satan interfered with man at the beginning and man consented along the line of his own soul-life, Satan made man suitable to his own government. It was not that he came and set himself up as man’s ruler and subjected man by sheer force to his own government. How did he do it? By breaking into that realm in man’s being where man was linked with God, and that was in the realm of man’s spirit. “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit,” and man was in fellowship and communion with God by means of his spirit, not his soul, not his body. These two were under the government of his spirit. The enemy, the Deceiver came to man’s soul, and instead of man reacting by his spirit-fellowship with, and knowledge of, God, he dropped down on to his soul, came out of his spirit and reacted in his soul.

What is soul? It is reason, emotion, feeling, desire, and then, of course, choice, or will. And the enemy reasoned through the desires and captured the will by deception. You see what happened when man violated the very organ of his union with God, his spirit.... So the enemy governs man, and the whole of the race now through the nature of the soul-life. What is the basis of deception? It is just that! How do you get a counterfeit Holy Ghost operating? By reason of your psychical nature. You can become mediumistic in your very psychical nature and open all the avenues of your being to supernatural guidance and come under the power, the sway, dominion, of deceiving spirits operating in a multitude of ways. You can so suspend your soul and come into a state of utter passivity that you are open to everything to play upon you. You can have your quiet hour in your soul, which is the most perilous hour of your life. That happens by suspending all spiritual activity and becoming utterly passive and opening your psychical being, which is a most dangerous thing. God never asks you to become spiritually passive. Waiting upon God is not being spiritually passive. God wants us active in spirit even when waiting on Him in silence.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

What Is On Your Bucket List?

What's on your Bucket List?

(Curtis Knapp)

A few years ago, a movie came out entitled, "The Bucket List." Since then, this has become a household term. The phrase refers to the list of things a person would like to do or experience or see before he dies. Though I have not seen the movie, I have heard several people use the expression. For most it seems, the bucket list consists of things such as go to the Grand Canyon; go to Niagara Falls; go to Hawaii; go to Alaska; go to Europe; go sky-diving; go bungee jumping; go to New England in the fall; etc. Such is the mind-set of worldly people who have minimal hopes for a glorious eternal life.

The Christian looks at life much differently. As he ponders his life, he sees many tokens of God's goodness to him and has a fond remembrance of much of his past. But he does not consider that his good times are coming to an end. He does not dread death and privately fear that it will bring an end to all pleasure. On the contrary, he expects death to bring him into the presence of his beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Death will bring about the fulfillment of his long cherished dreams.
Death will bring an end to his transgressions.
Death will bring perfect holiness.
Death will mean Paradise.

Consequently, the Christian feels no need to cram his retirement years with various trips and experiences before it's too late. With respect to the beauty of the earth, the Christian knows he will have all eternity to explore a new earth that will far exceed the current one in beauty and majesty. A Christian's bucket list does not consist of worldly pleasures, but on Scriptural imperatives such as:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God . . . Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:1-2

"So we make it our goal to please Him!" 2 Corinthians 5:9

"One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things!" Colossians 3:1-2

What's on your Bucket List?

Praying In A Crisis

Praying In A Crisis

Praying in a Crisis

Psalm 86:1-13

When life is moving along smoothly, it’s easy to say, “God answers prayer.” But a crisis can bring doubt, especially if the Lord is not responding as quickly as we might like. That’s when we may be tempted to bargain with God as if He could be manipulated into acting on our behalf. However, the goal of prayer is not to get God to do what we want but to bring our concerns to Him, trusting that He will answer in His own way and time.

Waiting on the Lord is fairly easy when we’re not facing anything urgent. But difficulties and suffering tend to make us impatient. We may even begin to find fault with God, thinking that if He truly loved us, He would intervene and bring relief.

As we seek the Lord for help, David’s prayers in the Psalms provide wonderful patterns for us to follow. He faced many dire situations and continued to turn to God. Today’s passage from Psalm 86 starts with an urgent cry for help, followed by a reminder to the heavenly Father that David belongs to Him. Then he recounts God’s character—gracious, good, ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call on Him (vv. 3-5). These characteristics are the basis for trust.

Knowing who God is enables us to trust Him through the crises of life. Because He is faithful, we know that He will keep His promises. His holiness causes us to examine our life and repent of any sins that are hindering our prayers. And His mercy, grace, and love give us the comfort we need to endure hardship.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

Like Grapes In The Wine=press!

Like grapes in the wine-press!

(Charles Spurgeon)

"He has given us His exceeding great and precious promises!" 2 Peter 1:4

If you would experimentally know the preciousness of the promises, and enjoy them in your own heart, you must meditate much upon them. There are promises which are like grapes in the wine-press; if you will tread them--the juice will flow. While you are musing upon them, the blessing which you are seeking will insensibly come to you. Many a Christian who has thirsted for the promise--has found the favor which it ensured gently distilling into his soul, even while he has been considering the divine record; and he has rejoiced that ever he was led to lay the promise near his heart.

But besides meditating upon the promises, seek in your soul to receive them as being the very words of God. Speak to your soul thus, "If I were dealing with a man's promise, I would carefully consider the ability and the character of the man who had covenanted with me. So with the promise of God; my eye must not be so much fixed upon the greatness of the promise--that may stagger me; as upon the greatness of the Promiser--that will cheer me.

My soul, it is God, even your God, God who cannot lie--who speaks to you! This Word of His which you are now considering, is as true as His own existence!

He is an unchangeable God. He has not altered the thing which has gone out of His mouth, nor called back one single consolatory sentence.

Nor does He lack any power; it is the God who made the heavens and the earth--who has spoken thus.

Nor can He fail in wisdom as to the time and way in which He will bestow the favors, for He knows when it is best to give and when better to withhold.

Therefore, seeing that it is the Word of a God so true, so immutable, so powerful, so wise--I will and must believe the promise."

If we thus meditate upon the promises, and consider the Promiser, we shall experience their sweetness, and obtain their fulfillment.

Halifax Nuts

Halifax Nuts

A man may be visibly holy - who is not inwardly holy. A man may have an outward dress of holiness upon him - who has not the spirit and vitality of holiness in him.

They say of Halifax nuts, that they are all shells - with no kernels. Just so, there are many who make a glorious show before men - who are abominable in the sight of God who are gold in man's eyes - but dirt in God's sight.

"In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matthew 23:28).

They were outwardly religious - but inwardly wicked; they had the semblance of sanctity - but inwardly very full of impurity; they were fair professors - but foul sinners; they were gracious without - but impious within. Look! as those are the worst of vices which are covered over with the show of virtue; so they are the worst of sinners, who cover over their inward filthiness with the disguises of outward holiness.

The Egyptian temples were fair on the outside - but foul and filthy within. Such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's days - and such are many professors in our days!

God will at last hate that man to hell, yes, cast him into the hottest place in hell - who has a form of godliness upon him; but nothing of the reality and power of holiness in him.

"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell!" (Matthew 23:33).

~Thomas Brooks~

Prayerful Inner-Searching

Prayerful Inner-Searching

"May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless..." (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Your whole spirit..." The great, mysterious work of the Holy Spirit is in the deep recesses of our being which we cannot reach. Read Psalm 139. The psalmist implies - "O Lord, You are the God of the early mornings, the God of the late nights, the God of the mountain peaks, and the God of the sea. But, my God, my soul has horizons further away than those of early mornings, deeper darkness than the nights of earth, higher peaks than any mountain peaks, greater depths than any sea in nature. You who are the God of all these, be my God. I cannot reach to the heights or to the depths; there are motives I cannot discover, dreams I cannot realize. My God, search me."

Do we believe that God can fortify and protect our thought processes far beyond where we can go? "...the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." If this verse means cleansing only on our conscious level, may God have mercy on us. The man who has been dulled by sin will say that he is not even conscious of it. But the cleansing from sin we experience will reach to the heights and depths of our spirit if we will "walk in the light as He is in the light.

The same Spirit that fed the life of Jesus Christ will feed the life of our spirit. It is only when we are protected by God with the miraculous sacredness of the Holy Spirit that our spirit, soul, and body can be preserved in pure uprightness until the coming of Jesus - no longer condemned in God's sight.

We should more frequently allow our minds to meditate on these great, massive truths of God.

~Oswald Chambers~

O Friends! Remember This Once For All

O Friends! Remember This Once For All

"Cleanse me from my hidden faults" (Psalm 19:12).

"I hate vain thoughts" (Psalm 119:113).

A gracious soul conflicts most with heart-sins, and is most affected with spiritual sins, and laments and mourns most over most secret sins - invisible sins - sins which lie most hidden and remote from the eyes of the world. He is most affected and afflicted by inward pollutions and defilements.

Grace will rise and conflict against the most inward and secret vanities of the soul, such as secret self-love; secret hardness of heart; secret unbelief; secret carnal confidence; secret hypocrisy; secret envy; secret malice; secret vain glory; secret fretting and murmuring; secret lustings; secret runnings out of the soul after worldly vanities; and secret pride.

True grace makes opposition as well against the being of sin in a man's nature - as against the breakings out of sin in a man's life!

True grace will make war against the corruptions of the heart - as well as against the excursions of the feet!

True grace is as willing and desirous to be rid of a polluted heart - as it is willing and desirous to be rid of a polluted hand.

True grace would gladly have, not only sinful acts - but also sinful dispositions; and not only irregular actions - but also inordinate affections - mortified and subdued.

O friends! heart sins are root sins! Certainly a proud heart has more of satan in it than a proud look! And a lustful heart is more vile than a lustful eye! Therefore true grace makes war against heart sins, against spiritual sins, against the most inward secret sins - against those very sins which do not lie within the reach of the piercing eye of the most knowing or observing man in the world - but are only obvious to an Omniscient eye!

O friends! Remember this once for all -that the main battle, the main warfare of a Christian lies not in the open field, it lies not in visible skirmishes. But his main quarrels and conflicts are most within, and his worst and greatest enemies are those of his own house - those of his own heart. A little grace may reform an evil life - but it must be a great deal of grace that reforms an evil heart! A little grace may make a man victorious over outward gross sins - but it must be a great deal of grace that makes a man victorious over inward sins, secret sins, spiritual sins, heart sins!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life" (Psalm 139:23-24).

~Thomas Brooks~

The Old Man Has Gone!

The Old Man Has Gone!

"If anyone is in Christ, the new  creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Word teaches us very clearly that Christ has been taken right out of this old creation and set at God's right hand in the heavenlies. On the other hand, it shows us that His being there, and our being in spiritual union with Him, means that for all spiritual purposes and resources, we also are in the heavenlies in Christ. Let us ask the Lord to give us a real, spiritual, quick, living apprehension of this great truth concerning our Lord Jesus, the great realm of the new creation into which we are brought, and let us apply it, practice it, put it into operation from day to day.

You may have to go into a place where there is not much spiritual wealth on the outside, not much upon which to feel. Remember you have Christ, the whole Land, lying before you. You may have to go into scenes where there is nothing but rest, spiritual rest; where all is fret, care, drive, strain. Remember that you are in the Land; you are in Christ; you have Him as your Rest. You may have to go into the conflict, into the battle, into the tremendous activities of the enemy to overthrow you. Remember you are in Christ, Who is Victory, complete, final victory. That remains true, whatever the enemy may say about it. Christ is all that we need for a life which is glorifying to Him. It is what Christ is, what we have in the new creation.

~T. Austin-Sparks~