Priorities? body vs. soul

"Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark 8:37

As the man is more noble than the house he dwells in, so is the soul more noble than the body. And yet, alas! with grief be it spoken, how common is it for men to spend all their care, all their time, all their strength, all their wit and parts for the body, and its honor and preferment, even as if the soul were some poor, pitiful, sorry, inconsiderable, and under thing, not worth the thinking of, or not worth the caring for.

excerpt from John Bunyan's book, The Greatness of the Soul

the soul of man, its worth

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mark 8:37

an excerpt from The Greatness of the Soul, written by John Bunyan (1628-1688)

..for all the world is not worth a soul, not worth a soul in the eye of God and the judgment of the law. And it is from this consideration that good Elihu cautions Job to take heed, "Because there is wrath," says he, "beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. Will He esteem thy riches? no not gold, nor all the forces of strength." Job 36:18-19

Riches and power, what is there more in the world? for money answers all things --that is, all but soul concerns. It can neither be a price for souls while here, nor can that, with all the forces of strength, recover one out of hell fire."

the Soul of man

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mark 8:37

Salvation Song

Salvation Song
by Angie Bell

No hope had I, without, within
You saved me from the depths of sin
When as a child I understood
You were my Savior, kind and good

When childhood began to slip away
I saw the world, I went astray
I praise you Lord, it was not long
You reined me in where I belonged

Yet while in sin, I found a man
Unknown to me, it was your plan
You drew him in, You saved his soul
We came together, as one, made whole

O'er all these years You've kept me safe
Through all my stumbling, gave me faith
Turned my head and heart above
When my hope dwindled, gave me love

Lord now in this dark hour I pray
Stay here with me all the way
When I don't trust Lord, please forgive
My life for you I want to live

I praise You Lord, I'm saved by grace
One day I'll look upon Your face
You'll see me Lord not as I am
But firmly held in Christ's own hand.

God's Faithfulness

The Faithfulness of God

God is faithful. He keeps His word, He keeps His promises. We can trust Him!

Believe Him!

He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He would give them the land. (Genesis 12, 13:15, 15:18, 26:3;28:4,13)

750 + years later He carried out His promise, He kept His word.

So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. Joshua 21:43-45

He promised a Child would be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. He laid upon Caesar Augustus' heart to call for a worldwide taxing, a worldwide registration. So Mary and Joseph went to his hometown, the city of David and there she gave birth to a Son, the Son, the Savior, Christ the Lord! Luke 20:1-20

He is the same God today, He does not change, He has not changed!

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

He has put all His eggs in one basket, He has invested all in His Son!

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us--by me, Silvanus, and Timothy--was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 1 Corinthians 1:19-20

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; Philippians 1:6

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33

God promises something and then He brings it about. By His great power He works all things out in order to fulfill and keep His word.

He is worthy of all our praise, honor, and worship!

Believe Him today, even in the midst of your circumstances, if you are His, He will keep you and will deliver you into His presence.

"To the praise of the glory of His grace!"

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.


I recently read that Martin Luther was moved by this psalm to write the hymn 'A Mighty Fortress is Our God'.

Monday

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. 1 Cor. 1:30-31


All that I need, and all that God requires is found in His beloved Son.

today

Scriptures that are pressing upon me this morning.

Acts 17:22-31

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.
- God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
- Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
- And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
- and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
- That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though he be not far from every one of us:
- For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
- Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.

Jeremiah 2:13

For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

John 12:32

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.

1 Corinthians 2:22

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

my questions

Do I (we) really believe the Lord Jesus Christ? Do I (we) really believe He is sufficient?


As a sinner may I trust Him? As a believer may I trust Him? As a husband may I trust Him? As a parent may I trust Him? As a gospel minister may I trust Him?

Do I believe He is sufficient to draw all people? Sufficient to give repentance? Sufficient to give faith? Sufficient to keep and maintain? Sufficient to bring us to glory?

I know He is worthy, I know He is able, I know He is sufficient. Yet, I find myself standing with the father at the bottom of the mount of transfiguration, crying out, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

Ministry

"Let each man find out what God wants him to do, and then let him do it, or die in the attempt. In what way can I bring my Lord most glory, and be of most service to His Church while I am here?"

"Solve that question, and pass into the practical."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1886, in An All Round Ministry