In the light of God's precious truth, let us remember that men cannot wrong us unless He allows them to do so. But even then, they are culpable before God for what they do. For any man or woman to breach the divine protection of a saint of God and to harm that saint, is to do massive injustice to the man; but it is also to do despite to the God under whose protection he is. Woe is that man who dares to breach God's hedge of protection that He has placed around that saintly man.
Yet, sometimes in our experience, we find that God allows our enemies to come perilously close to us. But they cannot lay a finger upon us without His permission. He has issued a restraining order on them so that it is 'thus far and no further.' The wicked would devour us if they could, but they cannot do so. Even strangers must be made to respect the servants of God, yea, kings. But C. H. Spurgeon is correct: "the greatest kings are very second-rate persons with God in comparison with his chosen servants."
Monday, 19 December 2011
Divine Protection All The Way.
When the Patriarchs wandered about from country to country, they were singularly preserved by Almighty God. That little wandering family might have been cut off root and branch had not a special mandate from the Throne for their protection. It was not the gentleness of their neighbours that screened them; nor was it their own cunning and craftiness that enabled them to avoid hurt; they were, rather, hedged about by a mysterious guardianship of heaven. God was with them all the way. Whether they found themselves in Egypt, or in Philistia, or in Canaan, they were being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. These heirs of salvation, these inheritors of the promises, dwelling in their tents, were always secure.
And this was written for our learning! What God did for the covenant people long ago, He will do for them today. Wherever they go, whatever their circumstances, God is with them to protect and bless them. He will not leave us nor forsake us; He is faithful who promised, and who also will do it. He kept them long ago, and He will keep us too.
Immanuel - God is with us! Let us rejoice in this most glorious of messages. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus.
And this was written for our learning! What God did for the covenant people long ago, He will do for them today. Wherever they go, whatever their circumstances, God is with them to protect and bless them. He will not leave us nor forsake us; He is faithful who promised, and who also will do it. He kept them long ago, and He will keep us too.
Immanuel - God is with us! Let us rejoice in this most glorious of messages. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus.
Christmas - God's Declaration of War Against Satan!
The apostle John tells us that the reason the Son of God was manifested was "that he might destroy the works of the devil," (1 Jn.3:8). No, it's not just a nice little children's story about a Baby being born in poverty and in filth in a stable, though that is part of His humiliation. The birth of Jesus Christ was God's declaration of war against the devil and his angels. It was God putting Satan on final notice that his time was up.
Yes, He came to die for our sins, and to reconcile us to God. And in order to do that He had to defeat the devil and his hellish forces and powers that are at work in this sinful world. He came for that very purpose. It was no accident that He came. It was charged with heavenly purpose. God was up to something cosmic when He sent his Son into the world. And we have seen some of what He has in mind;but we must await another day to see fully what was involved in that majestic plan.
Are you excited by the prospect of seeing God's plan unfold before your very eyes? Are you glad that you are part of this great plan? Or are you afraid that this plan might be directed against you, because you still belong to the devil's kingdom and people?
Yes, He came to die for our sins, and to reconcile us to God. And in order to do that He had to defeat the devil and his hellish forces and powers that are at work in this sinful world. He came for that very purpose. It was no accident that He came. It was charged with heavenly purpose. God was up to something cosmic when He sent his Son into the world. And we have seen some of what He has in mind;but we must await another day to see fully what was involved in that majestic plan.
Are you excited by the prospect of seeing God's plan unfold before your very eyes? Are you glad that you are part of this great plan? Or are you afraid that this plan might be directed against you, because you still belong to the devil's kingdom and people?
Don't Blame the People!
Dr Francis A. Schaeffer denies that most of the blame for the current state of the church lies with the opposing powers outside of her, but with the religious leaders who have set about destroying her from the inside. This was true in OT times, and it is also true today. They knew the truth, but deliberately turned away from it into relativism and apostasy, and became a mere echo of modern secular thought.
True, the biblical diagnosis is not comfortable reading, especially for those charged with responsibility for feeding the sheep, and teaching the people. Jeremiah describes these unfaithful servants as "profane" and "wicked," (23;11). They have brought their wickedness into the very house of God. Imagine that! Profane prophets and priests have brought their filth, their worldly-mindedness into God's sanctuary! The very thought of it is appalling! They cannot blame the people for making them do it, as Aaron did at the bottom of Mount Sinai. No, they introduced their wickedness into the house of God. They polluted God's house with their evangelised secularism; they 'christened' the world, and brought it into the church; they baptised heathenism, and made it part of the worship of God. And on and on it goes.
Ministers cannot seem to get enough of the world - its popular applause, its riches, its plaudits, its recognition. What they forget, of course, is that the praise of man rules out the praise that comes from God, and is an abomination in His sight.
What gross wickedness it is for God's appointed servants to bring what is anti-God right into His house. How will they answer for their wickedness? And how will those who support them and turn a blind eye to what they are doing will be punished by the sovereign Lord.
True, the biblical diagnosis is not comfortable reading, especially for those charged with responsibility for feeding the sheep, and teaching the people. Jeremiah describes these unfaithful servants as "profane" and "wicked," (23;11). They have brought their wickedness into the very house of God. Imagine that! Profane prophets and priests have brought their filth, their worldly-mindedness into God's sanctuary! The very thought of it is appalling! They cannot blame the people for making them do it, as Aaron did at the bottom of Mount Sinai. No, they introduced their wickedness into the house of God. They polluted God's house with their evangelised secularism; they 'christened' the world, and brought it into the church; they baptised heathenism, and made it part of the worship of God. And on and on it goes.
Ministers cannot seem to get enough of the world - its popular applause, its riches, its plaudits, its recognition. What they forget, of course, is that the praise of man rules out the praise that comes from God, and is an abomination in His sight.
What gross wickedness it is for God's appointed servants to bring what is anti-God right into His house. How will they answer for their wickedness? And how will those who support them and turn a blind eye to what they are doing will be punished by the sovereign Lord.
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Christ's First Coming.
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." That's the Christmas message in a nutshell. That's why He came. Forget about all the hype and the commercialisation, etc. Christ's coming into the world was a mercy mission that is directed towards YOU. He came because He needed to come if ever you were to be saved. Without His coming into the world as Man, indeed as God-Man, you could never be saved. But He came, willingly and in obedience to His Father's will, to save a wretch like you.
But it was not just His coming that saves; in act that by itself does not save anyone. His coming was to die on Calvary. But not just that. He came to die the cruel death of the Cross so that you might never taste the wrath of God towards sin. And the message of Christmas is God's offer of salvation to you.
Don't put this matter off. You might not even see Christmas this year, let alone 2012. Do it now. Get right with God NOW!
But it was not just His coming that saves; in act that by itself does not save anyone. His coming was to die on Calvary. But not just that. He came to die the cruel death of the Cross so that you might never taste the wrath of God towards sin. And the message of Christmas is God's offer of salvation to you.
Don't put this matter off. You might not even see Christmas this year, let alone 2012. Do it now. Get right with God NOW!
Christmas Resolves Life's Emptiness.
Dr John "Rabbi" Duncan was born in Aberdeen at the end of the eighteenth century, the son of a shoemaker. He was brought up in a Christian home by his parents, John and Ann, being the only remaining child of the marriage. His mum died when he was just 5 or 6. He was sent to grammar school, and then moved on to university where he engaged in a philosophical search. And the result? He discovered a godless humanity. Man without God is a godless spectacle that is to be pitied. He is lost, not knowing who or what he is, what purpose he is, or what the future holds for him.
This is true of mankind without Christ. He is heading for the rocks, for shipwreck, and is going to be dashed against the Rock, Christ Jesus, on the great and terrible Day of Judgement.
Man without Christ is like other beasts - living for himself, and for nothing higher than going through the degrading sameness of natural wants and daily supplies. He was born to eat and drink and digest, and then die.
If that is all you have to look forward to, then Christmas time will give you pause to reconsider your life and were it is heading to. Christ came into the world to save the human race, and that includes you. He came to give life, not destroy it. He came to fulfil, not to destroy. He came to give life more abundant and life that is real.
Do you know this life? Remember, Christmas is not a festival; it is an experience. To truly observe Christian, or the birth of Christ, then you must receive Him into your heart. He must be born in your heart spiritually, just as He was born in a stable long ago. He must come and live permanently within your soul, for you to experience the real meaning of Christmas.
This is true of mankind without Christ. He is heading for the rocks, for shipwreck, and is going to be dashed against the Rock, Christ Jesus, on the great and terrible Day of Judgement.
Man without Christ is like other beasts - living for himself, and for nothing higher than going through the degrading sameness of natural wants and daily supplies. He was born to eat and drink and digest, and then die.
If that is all you have to look forward to, then Christmas time will give you pause to reconsider your life and were it is heading to. Christ came into the world to save the human race, and that includes you. He came to give life, not destroy it. He came to fulfil, not to destroy. He came to give life more abundant and life that is real.
Do you know this life? Remember, Christmas is not a festival; it is an experience. To truly observe Christian, or the birth of Christ, then you must receive Him into your heart. He must be born in your heart spiritually, just as He was born in a stable long ago. He must come and live permanently within your soul, for you to experience the real meaning of Christmas.
Wheat and Arsenic?
Could it be said of the church today that what is being served up by preachers is a cocktail of "wheat and arsenic"? Whether a soul perishes in hell forever depends entirely on the proportions ("Rabbi" Duncan). Atheism has no redeeming grain of wheat, nor has any of its children - liberalism, relativism, secularism, pantheism or ecumenism.
Think about that!
Think about that!
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