from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Christian conversing with Pliable about the things in the Book as it relates to their journey to the Celestial city:

I can better conceive of them with my mind, than speak of them with my tongue.



Mr Good-Will instructing Christian regarding the narrow way:

But you may distinguish the right from the wrong, the right only being straight and narrow.

from a pastor's heart to one of his flock

Samuel Rutherford (Scotland) was removed from his pastorate in July 1636 for not conforming to the state religion. He was banished to Aberdeen, he was their 9 years.  These are excerpts from a letter to one of the men in his congregation, - a John Henderson


Loving friend, - Continue in the love of Christ, and the the doctrine which I taught you faithfully and painfully, according to my measure. I am free of your blood. Fear the dreadful name of God. Keep in mind the examinations which I taught you, and love the truth of God..........Let salvation be your care, night and day, and set aside hours and times of the day for prayer........This dirt and god of clay (I mean the vain world) is not worth the seeking......What I write to you, I write to your wife. Commend me heartily to her. The grace of God be with you.
Your loving Friend and Pastor,
S.R.                      Aberdeen, March 14, 1637


Good 'advice' for us all!

Psalm 148

Psalm 148

Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.

Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapor; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.

a word from the psalmist

He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.  Psalm 147:10-11


Do you fear man or do you fear Him? Where is your hope today?

From the pen of Mr. Spurgeon

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.”
- Phi_1:27

The word “conversation” does not merely mean our talk and converse with one another, but the whole course of our life and behaviour in the world. The Greek word signifies the actions and the privileges of citizenship: and thus we are commanded to let our actions, as citizens of the New Jerusalem, be such as becometh the gospel of Christ. What sort of conversation is this? In the first place, the gospel is very simple. So Christians should be simple and plain in their habits. There should be about our manner, our speech, our dress, our whole behaviour, that simplicity which is the very soul of beauty. The gospel is pre-eminently true, it is gold without dross; and the Christian’s life will be lustreless and valueless without the jewel of truth. The gospel is a very fearless gospel, it boldly proclaims the truth, whether men like it or not: we must be equally faithful and unflinching. But the gospel is also very gentle. Mark this spirit in its Founder: “a bruised reed he will not break.” Some professors are sharper than a thorn-hedge; such men are not like Jesus. Let us seek to win others by the gentleness of our words and acts. The gospel is very loving. It is the message of the God of love to a lost and fallen race. Christ’s last command to his disciples was, “Love one another.” O for more real, hearty union and love to all the saints; for more tender compassion towards the souls of the worst and vilest of men! We must not forget that the gospel of Christ is holy. It never excuses sin: it pardons it, but only through an atonement. If our life is to resemble the gospel, we must shun, not merely the grosser vices, but everything that would hinder our perfect conformity to Christ. For his sake, for our own sakes, and for the sakes of others, we must strive day by day to let our conversation be more in accordance with his gospel.

Christ Alone

From the pen of Pastor Gene Breed of Grace Baptist Church, Jonesboro, GA.

CHRIST ALONE

Zechariah 10:4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.

This is a verse that I welcome into both my heart and mind, to aid me in removing all dependence on religious and social idols! I need to seek first, both the King and his kingdom, as he has commanded his true church. (Matt. 6:33). I need to assure myself that Christ is my only everything! To do less is to tolerate already intrenched idolatries, and also to provide fertile ground in which other subtle distractions may take root!
Christ alone is to be our justification. We cannot rest in the deception of having faith in our faith! We must have faith in Christ alone, by his faith working in us! For that verse that we let fall so freely from our religiously trained lips does say, the faith OF, and not the faith IN the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20).

This Zechariah verse gives us four, “Out of him,” statements. Therefore to have Christ is to have the sustaining and defining of “the corner stone!” Christ in our hearts, acting himself out in our attitudes, motives and actions, is THE only thing that identifies us as even being within the holy habitation of God. (Eph. 2:20-22). Christ is the rule of measure that identifies just who is within the measure of that organism, called the Church! 
 Revelation 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
 
And to have Christ is to have “the nail,” fastened by the Father in a sure place. Therefore that which we lost in the first Adam, which plunged us into God-separating trespasses and sin, shall only be recovered in the last Adam – Christ! That sin is defined by the apostle in another often quoted verse. Our sin was, that we have all come short of the glory! And that really puts us in a very bad position! Because none of our race has any ability to get it back! But listen at the characteristics of our wonderful Nail! 
Isaiah 22:23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, … 
Zechariah 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne:
Out of Christ alone can mankind recover the ability we lost to glorify God! 2 Corin. 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
 
And out of Christ alone is our “battle bow!” He is our only agent and energy to defeat the remaining corruptions, still dwelling within. For again, the only hope of man’s recovery from his ruined state, and fall into the hands of the dreadful enemy, is the conquering Christ! 
Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
And he instructed us that the warfare would not be by carnal weapons. Zechariah 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
But his bow and his arrows would be his church bringing all nations into submission to him by his gospel warfare through them! Zechariah 9:13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. 14 And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
2 Corin. 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
His gospel ministers are truly called his soldiers. 2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Psalm 45:3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. 4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. 5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. 6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
The sword of the old economy is seen to be upon his thigh. But that of the New Covenant is seen to be within his mouth, showing it to be his word! Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The heads of the other four world wide kingdoms (Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Alexander, & Caesar), conquered by natural, brute force. But our King of all kings conquers by the effectual power of the gospel! Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
 
And, lastly, “out of him” shall come every “ruler,” or, every “Exactor.” (KJV reads, “oppressor.”) There is presently no rule over angels, demons, heaven, earth, or hell except from the Head of the fifth and final kingdom! Most think that Christ will only begin to reign in some fancied, future time, after his enemies have been subdued! But that is not what the scriptures state. Listen: 1 Cor. 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. For Christ must now reign in his mediatorial throne, while the gospel is being sent forth, until it has conquered all it is designed to conquer. Then he will continue his uninterrupted reign as God, all in all (1 Cor. 15:28) throughout all eternity!
Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
 
Pastor Gene Breed
March 30, 2011

the 93rd day of the year 2011

Psalm 93

The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.  

The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.  The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.  

Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.


If I might point out a few things from this powerful Psalm:

 The Lord reigns - that is, He is reigning now and not at some future date!


the world also is established that it cannot be moved - All the earth doomdayers (is that a word?) need to read the scriptures, the earth is going no where until God is finished (2 Pet 3:7) with it. Worship Him and not the earth!

Thou art from everlasting - So when the little child asks, "where did God come from?" We can say "from everlasting"! I cannot even wrap my head around this truth.


the floods lift up....the Lord on high is mightier - The nations lift their voices, they raise their fists at Him on the throne and yet, He is mightier. We should all just humbly bow down and submit ourselves to Him and kiss His Son (Ps. 2 & Phil 2:9-10).


Thy testimonies are very sure - Not just sure but very sure! Oh that we would believe His testimonies, Luke wrote, "nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?". Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief.


holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever - The Lord's house is adorned in holiness. I think of what John the apostle wrote in 1 John 1:5, "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." In essence, before John wrote, "God is love" , he declared that God is holy! How far short I fall of it and yet He makes us (unholy things) holy in the blood of His dear Son. May we be found in the number of them who "follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." After all isn't this why He elected us; "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, THAT we should be holy and without blame before him in love". Blessed be His holy name!

Psalm 75

Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.  

When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.  The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.
 
I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:  Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.  For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.   But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.  

But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.  All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.



In commenting on verse six, "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south." Charles Spurgeon wrote "Men forget that all things are ordained in heaven; they see but the human force, and the carnal passion but the unseen Lord is more real far than these. He is at work behind and within the cloud."

Marks of the Righteous

 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory. Psalm 64:10


In Psalm 64 the righteous are distinguished from the wicked by this one verse. The 'righteous', throughout the scriptures, are seen as those not trusting in their "own righteousness" or seeking "to establish their own righteousness". The 'righteous' see that all their "righteousnesses are as filthy rags" in the sight of a holy and righteous God. The righteous understand that unless their "righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees", they shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. The righteous are those who see that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness", they are those who have "the righteousness which is of God by faith".  The 'righteous' spoken of in our text are those who have been "made the righteousness of God in Him", that is in Jesus Christ!


So how do they know they are 'righteous'? What are some distinguishing marks of the righteous man or woman? These are questions that all professing believers should give serious consideration. It seems our text gives the answer in a very simple form, read it again;


The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

The righteous are identified as those who are glad in the Lord. Their happiness is in God. They are glad with the person of God, they love His holiness, His law. His purposes and His ways. They rejoice in the Son of His love, Christ Jesus. They rejoice in His life, sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension back to the Father. They love His appearing and look for it constantly, not so that they may escape the troubles of this world but in order to be like Him and enjoy Him forever. Their joy, happiness and gladness does not rise and fall according to the circumstances and events in this world.


How does one know that they are righteous? They know they are righteous because they trust in him. The righteous are identified by their faith in God. They have this mark, that they believe the One whom God sent into the world to save sinners!


In John 6, after some strong words by our Lord the scriptures tell us that "many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him". The Lord then asked "will ye also go away?" "Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." The righteous shall trust in Him! They will not trust in a religious system, not in church ordinances, not in their own actions and deeds. They will submit their hearts to no other gods. They shall trust Him and Him alone. 


How do they know they are righteous? They know they are righteous because "the upright in heart shall glory". From the heart, the very center of their beings, they will boast in the living God. There is no lip service here, people may walk around in this world saying, Lord, Lord, and talk about God, and give some semblance of glory but they have their reward. Paul wrote of them in Phil 3:18-19 when he penned these words, "for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things". But the righteous, the righteous will glory in Him from the very depths of their souls! 

The righteous, though they are beset by enemies on every side; Satan seeking to devour them, the world despising them, the flesh struggling hard within, and the final enemy death, in the midst of all this the righteous will glory in the Lord Jesus Christ. The righteous will say with Paul, "but God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world".

A righteous soul will enter into the words of the prophet Jeremiah when he said, "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."

I pray that we may be found in the company of these who are glad in the Lord, are trusting him and in their hearts glorying in him!

What is a true ministry?

From a message that E.W. Johnson preached from 2 Kings 2:19-25 in 1983 he made this statement;


--what is a true ministry? We serve! We serve! We serve God! According to His word. By the grace of His spirit. We serve not our lust, nor our pride, nor our covetousness, nor man and his world. We serve God.