God's Most Stubborn Enemy

 God's Most Stubborn Enemy

"I hate pride and arrogance!" (Proverbs 8:13).

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

Pride is a person having too high an opinion of himself.

Pride is the first sin that ever entered into the universe, and  the last sin that is rooted out.

Pride is the worst sin. It is the most secret of all sins. There is no other matter in which the heart is more deceitful and unsearchable. Alas, how much pride the best have in their hearts!

Pride is God's most stubborn enemy. There is no sin so much like the devil as pride. It is a secret and subtle sin, and appears in a great many shapes which are undetected and unsuspected.

"I hate pride and arrogance!" (Proverbs 8:13).

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

~Jonathan Edwards~

When the Holy Spirit's Influence is Put Forth Within Us

When the Holy Spirit's Influence is Put Forth Within Us

All that the Holy Spirit does for us, and all that He works within us - is of grace. He graciously quickens the dead, instructs the ignorant, liberates the captives, restores the wanderers, comforts the dejected, strengthens the weak, and sanctifies the impure. His work is His delight - and to see us holy and happy is His pleasure!

The Holy Spirit produces all our graces within us. He is the root - and our graces are His fruits; hence we read, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

When His influence is put forth within us - then we believe God's Word, hope in His mercy, rejoice in His goodness, cleave to His cause, walk in His ways, love His truth, His people, and Himself, holiness is then happiness, duties are then pleasant, and even the cross lays light upon our shoulders.

But if the Spirit hides Himself, withdraws His influences, and leaves us to ourselves - then we doubt and fear, fret and pine, kick and rebel, rove from thing to thing, and nothing will either please or satisfy us. We often then question the past, are wretched at present and dread the future.

But when He puts forth His power in us again our graces shootforth like bulbous roots in the spring, our sighs are exchanged for songs, our fears are exchanged for fortitude, our doubts are exchanged for confidence, and our murmurings are exchanged for gratitude and love. 

We then sink into the dust of self-abatement, admire the forbearance and patience of God, condemn our own conduct, and wonder that we are out of hell.

Then we take down our harps from the willows, and with a melting heart, a weeping eye, and a tremendous voice we sing, "The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance." Our wilderness is now turned into an Eden - and our desert into the garden of the Lord!

Come, Holy Spirit come, and produce a spring season in our souls!

Brethren, we need the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of grace - to make us gracious and graceful Christians. Without the Spirit of grace we cannot live up to our profession; we cannot copy the example of our beloved Master; we cannot keep His commandments; we cannot love one another as He has loved us; we cannot sympathize with lost sinners as we should; we cannot keep God's glory in view in all that we do; we cannot walk in high and holy fellowship with God; we cannot meet death with peace and joy!

~James Smith~

Tied To Their Minister's Apron Strings

Tied To Their Minister's Apron Strings

It is lamentable when a boy in his teens is still tied to his mother's apron strings. Yet is it not equally deplorable for those who have Christians many years - to be tied to their minister's apron strings? Yet how often we witness this very thing. There is a certain class who seem to be afraid, or at any rate unwilling, to t hink for themselves - to search the Scriptures for themselves, and act accordingly - and we suspect that in many cases the preacher is as much to blame as they are. It is true that he is their teacher, and as  such he should possess a wider and deeper knowledge of spiritual things than they have. Yet it is his duty to instruct them - to familiarize themselves with God's Word, and thus become qualified to "test all things - and hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In other words, the preacher is not to be a nurse unto them all their lives!

It has long been our conviction that the preacher who is really of greatest service to his people - is the one who makes them most independent of human help, and casts them back directly upon God Himself. For souls to run to their pastor every time they are in trouble, or look to him to solve all their spiritual problems - is virtually to give him the same place in their lives, as the deluded Papists accord their "priests." This is not only to rob God of His glory - but also retards their spiritual progress. It is with God Himself, that I most need to deal, and any man who comes between me and the Lord is really a hindrance, no matter how good his intention may be. Moreover, the preacher is human, and therefore liable to err - but God is omniscient and never misdirects. "If any of you lacks wisdom - let him ask of God" (James 1:5).

Sooner or later there comes a time in the lives of most real Christians, when those words, "Stop trusting in man!" (Isaiah 2:22) are applied to their hearts in Divine power. This will not mean that they now refuse to hear God's servants or read their writings - but that they will no longer place the same blind confidence in their teachers as the Papists do in their priests. Instead, they will emulate the Bereans, who did not mechanically accept what they heard, even from the lips of the Apostle Paul - but "examined the Scriptures every day - to see if what Paul said was True." (Acts 17:11).

~A. W. Pink~

The Sea Of Damnation

 The Sea Of Damnation

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:4-5).

Oh, who will pity you who would not pity yourselves - when you are damned, when you are howling and roaring in hell?

If the day of mercy leaves you graceless - the day of judgment will find you speechless.

There is no standing before Christ - but by standing IN Christ.

Ungodly men fear no wrath - because they presently feel no wrath.

Because their sin is now unpunished - they think there is no punishment for their sins.

Because God continues to spare them - they go on to provoke Him.

Because He adds to their lives - they add to their lusts.

Because He is very merciful - they will be verysinful.

Because He is very good to them - they will be very bad to Him.

Because His justice now winks - men think He is blind.

Because He does not reprove them for their sins - therefore they think He approves them in their sins.

But JUSTICE will soon avenge the quarrel of abused mercy.

Oh, sinners, though the patience of God is lasting - it is not everlasting.

If by the warnings of God, you are not alarmed - you shall be consumed by His wrath.

The longer God is in raising His omnipotent arm - the heavier will be the blow when it comes.

The day that begins in mercy - may end in judgment.

God is silent for only so long; but know, that God has vials of wrath filled with indignation - for vessels of wrath fitted for destruction.

If God's mercy does not draw you to repentance - God's judgments will drive you to destruction.

The sea of damnation - shall NOT be sweetened with one drop of compassion.

"How will we escape - if we neglect such a great salvation." (Hebrews 2:3). If you neglect the great salvation - you cannot escape the great damnation.

Oh, sinners, think of this - before the bottomless pit has shut its mouth upon you.

~William Dyer~

Will We Recognize and Be Reunited With Our Loved Ones in Heaven?

Will We Recognize and Be Reunited With Our Loved Ones in Heaven?

Yes! In the Old Testament, when a person died, the biblical writers said he was "gathered to his people" (Genesis 25:8; 49:29; Numbers 20:24; Judges 2:10. In 2 Samuel 12, when David's infant child died, David confidently said, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (verse 23). David evidently expected to see the child again - not just a nameless, faceless soul without an identity, but that very child!

The New Testament indicates even more clearly that our identities will remain unchanged. While sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, Christ said, "Take this cup and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Luke 22:17-18). Christ was promising that He and His disciples would drink the fruit of the vine together again - in Heaven. Elsewhere Jesus makes a similar, but even more definite, promise: "Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).

Furthermore, Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Even though it had been centuries since Moses died, and Elijah was taken to heaven, they still maintained a clear identity (Matthew 17:3) - Peter, James and John evidently recognized them (v. 4), which implies that we will somehow be able to recognize people we've never even seen before.

All the redeemed will maintain their identity forever, but in a perfected form. We will be able to have fellowship with Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, Moses, Joshua, Esther, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, David, Peter, Barnabas, Paul, or any of the saints we choose. For that to be possible, we must all retain our individual identities, not turn into some sort of generic beings!

Describing the Lord's appearing and the resurrection of the saints who have died, Paul writes, "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" ( 1 Thessalonians. 4:17).

Paul's purpose in writing was to comfort some of the Thessalonians who evidently thought their dying loved ones would miss the return of Christ. He says in verse 18, "Comfort one another with these words." The comfort comes from the prospect of reunion. Little comfort this would be if in the reunion we could not even recognize one another. But Paul's promise that we will all be "together" forever implies that we shall renew fellowship with all whom we have known.

We will be reunited not only with our own families and loved ones, but also with the people of God from all ages. In heaven we will all be one loving family. The immense size of the family will not matter in the infinite perfection of heaven. There will be ample opportunity for close relationships with everyone, and our eternity will be spent in just that kind of rich, unending fellowship.

If you are worried about feeling out of place in heaven, don't! Heaven will seem more like home than the dearest spot on earth to you. It is uniquely designed by a tender, loving Saviour to be the place where we will live together for all eternity and enjoy Him forever - in the fullness of our glorified humanity.

Is it any wonder that the psalmist said, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalm 116:15)?

~John MacArther~ The Glory of Heaven

Holy Spirit - The Fruits and Effects He Produces

Holy Spirit - The Fruits and Effects He Produces

"When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment" (John 16:8).

Where the Holy Spirit is , there will always be deep conviction of sin - and true repentance for it. It is His special office to convict of sin.

He shows the exceeding holiness of God.

He teaches the exceeding corruption and infirmity of our nature.

He stripes us of our blind self-righteousness.

He opens our eyes to our awful guilt, folly and danger.

He fills the heart with sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence for sin - as the abominable thing which God hates.

He who knows nothing of all this, and saunters carelessly through life, thoughtless about sin, and indifferent and unconcerned about his soul - is a dead man before God! He has not the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in a man's heart can only be known by the fruits and effects He produces. Mysterious and invisible to mortal eye as His operations are - they always lead to certain visible and tangible results.

Just as you know there is life in a tree by its sap, buds, leaves and fruits - just so you may know the Spirit to be in a man's heart by the influence He exercises over his thoughts, affections, opinions, habits and life. I lay this down broadly and unhesitatingly. I see it clearly marked out in our Lord Jesus Christ's words, "Every tree is known by his own fruit" (Luke 6:44).

~J. C. Ryle~

Hell Would Be the Place of Greatest Pleasure!

Hell Would Be the Place of Greatest Pleasure!

"They delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil" (Proverbs 2:14).

Worldly people take pleasure in unrighteousness, rejoice to do evil, make a sport of sin, delight to dishonor God, and damn their own immortal souls.

Holiness only debars men from the sinful joys, delights, and pleasures of life.

What a mercy it is, to be taken off from that carnal mirth which ends in mourning, and from those vain delights which end in unspeakable torments, and from that foolish jollity which leads to everlasting misery!

Ah, what folly and madness it is, for men to run the hazard of losing the kingdom of Heaven, and the eternal pleasures which are at God's right hand - for those short-lived pleasures which are like the early dew which soon passes away! Ah, who would endure an ocean of torture - for a drop of sensual pleasure!

All sensual pleasures defile the soul, debase the soul, debauch the soul, and deaden the heart towards God.

Sensual pleasures and delights cannot satisfy the soul of man; they ae but frothy and flashy. They only wet the mouth - they never warm the heart. Sensual pleasures seem substantial in the pursuit - but are mere clouds to the enjoyment.

There is nothing in carnal delights, but imagination and expectation, for they an neither fill the heart, nor satisfy the heart.

O, there is no real pleasure in sin! All the pleasures of sin are counterfeit pleasures; they are but the shapes and shadows of pleasure. They are the seeds of future grief; they ae but a pladge laid up for sorrow or ruin. Certainly if there were the least real delight in sin - hell could never be hell! Yes, then it would follow that hell would be the place of greatest pleasure - for doubtless hell is the place of greatest sin.

Oh, don't deceive your own souls! There can be no real joy in sensual pleasures. What real delight or pleasure can there be in fooling and staggering to the tavern;  in carding; in partying, and whoring; in pursuing after lying vanities? Surely none! As for those seeming pleasures which attend the ways of sin - ah, how soon do they vanish and lead a sting behind them!

Look! All the pleasures which mankind takes a person off from - are babyish and toyish pleasures; such as from delighting in a rattle, a doll, a feather; a hobby-horse, a wooden sword. Just so, all the pleasures and delights which holiness takes a man off from - they ae babyish and foolish; yes, they are vile, dangerous, and devilish!

Holiness is only an exchange of sinful delights - for those which are holy; of carnal delights - for those which are spiritual; of earthly delights - for those which are heavenly.

He who delights in sensual pleasures shall find at last - that his greatest pleasures will become his bitterest pains!

~Thomas Brooks~