C.H. Spurgeon

Sinners, let me address you with words of life; Jesus wants nothing from you, nothing whatsoever, nothing done, nothing felt; he gives both work and feeling. Ragged, penniless, just as you are, lost, forsaken, desolate, with no good feelings, and no good hopes, still Jesus comes to you, and in these words of pity he addresses you, "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."

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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Twisted Inside, Heart Against Mind

Twisted inside, heart against mind
Emotional turmoil, where fear does dine
Knowledge and wisdom, right and wrong
The mind rejects, the heart’s love song
Struggling, do they yet fight
As choices and costs, come to the light

Tears in the shadows, cries in the night
Hidden from other, people’s sight
Pain grips the soul, smothering breath
With a worn body, that finds no rest
Fighting the will, a desire to hold on
Afraid to let go, of being alone

The eyes see no other, the senses die
The season changes, now winter resides
Where the warmth, of spring once dwelt
Now covered in snow, with no sun to melt
The heart quivers, alone in the cold
Rebuked by the mind, for being so bold

How may one, just let love go
Stand there still, and let it flow
From the veins, of your very heart
As it pulls and tares, your whole being apart
How do you stop love, and survive the woe
While a part of the heart dies, as you let go

Tomorrow will come, and so will the next
Day after day, though the spirit still vexed
Consumed by sickness, some claim is benign
Learn to go on, a moment at a time
Seal up the heart, for the wounds to heal
Hide away forever, never again to reveal

For the anguish torments, deep down inside
In the void of silence, where joy did reside
Knowledge it’s gone, yet denial remains
The heart holds to hope, while the mind refrains
Logic and reason, strap the heart in submission
As love fades away, vanishing into remission

July 27, 2008

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

A Call To Serve God More...

I pray this letter finds you all doing well serving the Lord. I pray that we will all be mindful of the opportunities the Spirit may lead us to, but also of our adversaries, namely the world, the flesh, and the devil, of whom we contend against.

Serving with fellow church members, of who are my brothers and sisters in Christ, in Mexico for a week stirs my senses to be more aware of the spiritual warfare that surrounds each and every one of us on a daily basis. Not only do we contend with a world system made of unsaved souls who desire not to serve the risen Saviour, we must rely on being obedient to the Spirit of God to make us mindful of Satan’s devices, not putting confidence in our sinful flesh which all too often leads us astray from the things of God.

Dear friends, we must be willing to place our faith in Christ and serve Him with our whole hearts. Too often I find myself wasting precious time that could be used getting to know my God and strengthening my faith. We cannot contend for the faith if we are unwilling to talk with our King (prayer), mediate upon his Word (Scripture), and put into action that which His Spirit shows us. We cannot allow temporal things to cloud our judgments, hindering us from receiving the wisdom of God that gives us strength and power in spiritual battles.

Our paying lip service to the things of God serves no purpose with man nor with God, for we are but one that neither believes nor cares for even that which we say. For, if we truly loved God, our family and friends, and desired not that one should taste the torments of eternal condemnation, would not our faith move us to witness that which we claim to believe?

You, my friend, may find yourselves doing just that, serving God to your fullest, and to that I say praise God, may you continue steadfast. But, for us (yes, me included) that are not completely using our time wisely, and all to often appear to get sidetracked by the woes and cares of this world, we need to repent (turn away from) those things which may not be sin, but yet hinder us from heading head strong into service for God, putting His will above our own.

Do you desire to know God? Do you desire to serve God? Do you desire to share His Word with others? These are questions that we all need to ask ourselves, being honest with ourselves and God with our answers. If yes, then we must then ask ourselves as to what are we presently doing for the cause of Christ. If no, we must purge ourselves of sin by repentance, seeking the forgiveness of Christ, then moving forth in obedience to the pressing of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Do we not know ‘every one of us shall give account of himself to God?’ [Romans 14:12] May we all live a testimony well pleasing in His sight!

God Bless,

Friday, July 18, 2008

A Little More Expounding on 1 Corinthians 3:1-15

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

According to verses 1-4, when we have not progressed in our spiritual walk, but continue with envy, strife, and divisions we are being carnally minded.

Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Ephesians 5 speaks of the relationship of the husband and the wife, as the relationship of Christ and the church. As the church, we are to submit ourselves to Christ because He loves us and gave Himself for us. His desire is to present us without blemish, cleansing us by ‘the washing of water by the word.’ Just as we are to grow closer to our spouse by taking time to intimately know them, so must we desire to ‘grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ to ‘beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.’ [2 Peter 3:17-18] A marital relationship can’t simply stay at the same stage as when two people first met, and neither can our relationship with Jesus Christ remain the same as the day we were saved. We must mature in our love and knowledge of the things of God through the study and meditation of His Word.

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

We have to guard ourselves from becoming –ites. It is okay to say ‘my pastor is Bro. Martin’ and that ‘I attend Fellowship Baptist Church’ but we must remember the gospel message of Jesus Christ is about His death, burial, and resurrection, not about our pastor and our church. When we witness, we are to share with persons the Word of God, not try to convert them to be Southern Baptist on their door step. We should support our pastor and our church, but we must guard against simply becoming a follower of a man (any man). We are to be followers of Christ, but testing all things against the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

As Christians we are to be about witnessing and spreading the gospel message to those around us. As the parable of the sewer (or the seed) [Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8] the seed may indeed fall upon various grounds, but how then shall the seed find the good ground unless we are willing to plant and water with the abilities God has given us? We shouldn’t choose by outward appearance to where or whom to plant and water, but obey the moving of the Holy Spirit.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

As Christians we must be conscious that we do not allow pride to have us see ourselves as higher than all other Christians and better than all sinners, for we will become self Pharisaical making ourselves of no profitable use to the cause of Christ. We must remember that by grace through faith we have been converted – by God – ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ [Titus 3:5-7] For it is Christ who is the ‘author and finisher of our faith’ knowing He which hath begun the a good work in us continues to work in us to do His good pleasure. We have not made ourselves saved, nor can we make someone else saved. We must present the gospel, pray, and trust the Spirit of God will move in the hearts of people.

This also does not mean our service to God means nothing, for Romans 10 shows God uses men to further the gospel in that it ask ‘how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?’ And here in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 13 it declares, ‘Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is,’ and so shall there be reward and loss based on our honest deeds toward God and the spreading of His gospel message. Honest deeds means our heart also, not just what we see each other do on the outside, for the Pharisees appear good on the outside but were corrupt within. [Matthew 23:27]

What this does mean is that we are not the focal point, nor is it us or our ideas which save the lost. God and His gospel of Jesus Christ is the focal point, and He is the one who saves sinners. I mean, what is it that we plant and water? We must choose to plant and water that which God has provided, for if not, we will sin in planting and watering with man-made ideas and quick ‘easy believism’ schemes which may show numbers, but not truly converted hearts.

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

The only way that we can be ‘labourers together with God’ is to preach and teach the same gospel message He has already declared through Jesus Christ. Paul declares unto us the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15, but also elsewhere throughout Scripture. Verse 11 states, ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ Paul says in Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Just as 2 Timothy 2:16 following telling us to study the Word in verse 15, says ‘shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.’ How are we to witness to others and avoid deceit unless we grow from being babes in Christ and keep ourselves from being carnally minded?

We must humbly submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to work through us, using that which He has given us through Scripture, so that we will grow as Christians, souls will be saved, lives changed, and God receives all of the glory. We do not glory in ourselves when a soul comes to Christ, but glory in the One who has opened our eyes to see and our ears to hear, the One who has given us the seed and the water and works in us to plant and water wherever His Spirit shall lead us, that others may come to know Him also.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

A Couple of Strikes, But Not Out!

"It's amazing over the past few years what God's done in my life, and how quickly He's done it," Hamilton told ESPN's Erin Andrews after his record-setting performance. "I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity."


Article

'our closest genetic relatives deserve rights'


Looks like our 'evolutionary comrades' are finally about to get the human rights they 'deserve'. ^o);

How interesting of a boast, 'Spain did not legalize divorce until the 1980s, but Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government has legalized gay marriage, reduced the influence of the Catholic Church in education and set up an Equality Ministry.'

Opinion of Readability

I came across this site (http://www.criticsrant.com/bb/reading_level.aspx) which is apparently 'The Blog Readability Test'. I actually found its opinion of my blog rather interesting, since one most 'faithful' reader of my posts is bound to disagree.

blog readability test

Monday, July 14, 2008

Plant, Water, God Gives the Increase (as given in La Ciudad, Mexico)

1 Corinthians 3: 1-15

According to verses 1-4, when we have envy, strife, and divisions we are being carnally minded.

As in verse 4, ‘one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos,’ we must remember we have not come to convert the people of La Ciudad to Baptist or even Southern Baptist, but are here to present to them the ‘good news’, praying the Spirit of God will convict them of sin, grant them repentance, and regenerate them to become followers of Christ. To think otherwise is to be carnally minded.

Verse 6 says, ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.’

As Christians we are to be about witnessing and spreading the gospel message to those around us. As the parable of the sewer (or the seed) the seed may indeed fall upon various grounds, but how then shall the seed find the good ground unless we are willing to plant and water with the abilities God has given us? We shouldn’t choose by outward appearance to where or whom to plant and water, but obey the moving of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 9 says, ‘For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.’

As Christians we must remember that by grace through faith we have been converted – by God – ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ For it is Christ who is the ‘author and finisher of our faith’ knowing He which hath begun the a good work in us continues to work in us to do His good pleasure.

For this cause, we see in verse 7, ‘So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.’ This does not mean our service to God means nothing, for Romans 10 shows God uses men to further the gospel in that it ask ‘how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?’ And here in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 13 it declares, ‘Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is,’ and so shall there be reward and loss based on our honest deeds toward God and the spreading of His gospel message. Honest deeds means our heart also, not just what we see each other do on the outside, for the Pharisees appear good on the outside but were corrupt within.

What this does mean is that we are not the focal point, nor is it us or our ideas which save the lost. God and His gospel of Jesus Christ is the focal point, and He is the one who saves sinners. I mean, what is it that we plant and water? We must choose to plant and water that which God has provided, for if not, we will sin in planting and watering with man-made ideas and quick ‘easy believism’ schemes which may show numbers, but not truly converted hearts. Verse 11 states, ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’

The only way that we can be ‘labourers together with God’ is to preach and teach the same gospel message He has already declared through Jesus Christ. We must humbly submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to work through us, using that which He has given us through Scripture, so that souls will be saved, lives changed, and He receives all of the glory. We do not glory in ourselves when a soul comes to Christ, but glory in the One who has opened our eyes to see and our ears to hear, the One who has given us the seed and the water and works in us to plant and water wherever His Spirit shall lead us, that others may come to know Him also.

Man Sues Church for Getting What He Asked God For

A very short article here reads:

‘A man says he was so consumed by the spirit of God that he fell and hit his head while worshipping. Now he wants Lakewind Church to pay $2.5 million for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.’

So, let me get this straight. Mr. Lincoln goes to church, prays that God would allow him to have ‘a real experience’, gets knocked down ‘from the force of the spirit’, which has happened previous times, and now wants to sue the church for injuries he claims to have been given not by the church, but by the very Holy Spirit of God - and at his own request?

Have you ever heard the saying, ‘be careful what you ask for?’ I think one must realize if you tell God to give you an experience, you better be ready to live with the consequences of your own request.

Don’t temp the Lord thy God!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Self Proclaimed Homosexual Confronts Publishers Not God


'Bradley LaShawn Fowler, 39, of Canton, Mich., is seeking $60 million from Zondervan and another $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing in lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Grand Rapids Press reported.'

Ah yes, blame a publishing company for feeling as though one is an 'outcast from his family and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment."'

Can we actually count all of the books published in any given year, not to mention over a lifetime, that covers topics of homosexuality, yet he chooses merely two Bible publishing companies to sue?

You may check out the article here, but I just don't believe Mr. Fowler has thought this thing through. Sure the versions quoted mention 'homosexuals' but so does most Bible verisons even it if doesn't use the exact word.

Example: Romans 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Also, if he has a problem with the content of a book, shouldn't he contact the author? Take this one up with God Mr. Fowler, it is His truth that states homosexuality is a sin, not the words or printing presses of these publishers.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

La Ciudad 2008 - A Poem of Testimony

Months of preparation, of heart and soul and mind
Meeting after meeting, making plans for our time
Cutting here, gluing there, string up a pole with fish
Punch a hole, bag the crafts, thanks for all the help with this
A piano tuned for music, taught us how to sing
A heart made just for children, imagined gospel schooling
Three young minds of prayer, eager to obey
Joined the great commission, shared Jesus every day
Men of honor joined in, the gospel to present
Leaving jobs and family, a witnessing they went
Natural was the appearance, even some faces refused to shave
Kept in line by two mothers, to ensure we all behaved
The gift of tongues displayed, by one’s native birthright
Translation of English into Spanish, souls embraced the Light
Through Bible stories, songs of praise, memory verses too
Puppets, crafts, tracts and video, the light of Christ shined through
Repentance there was granted, as faith sprang forth from hearts
For eight or nine adults and children, a new beginning starts
But let us not forget that one, at home God chose to keep
Was yet a testimony still at work, and rewards still able to reap
Neither shall we overlook, those who gave that some may go
Financial support got us there, but the prayers kept us afloat
Each one of you may not have gone, yet still had a part
In a mission trip that saw souls saved, as the Spirit worked in hearts
When coming home from such a time, I doubt we stay the same
I pray we take what God has shown us, and press on in Jesus name

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

We Have Returned from 'The City' La Ciudad, Mexico

We returned from La Ciudad, Mexico around 9pm on Saturday, July 5. The trip was somewhat different than that of last year, but I supposed one cannot compare all mission trips to one another. We are to give testimonies with a presentation this coming Sunday night, but I am still pondering what thoughts I should express.

There were 10 persons from our church, and one lady from a church in New Orleans that helped us a great deal with translating that went this year. We were met at Laredo Stepping Stone, a location for traveling missionaries and groups to stay while crossing back and forth across the Mexican border, by two other ladies and a guy that would also help us with translating the gospel message of Jesus Christ into Spanish. It was also here in Laredo that we were met by the missionary to lead us into Durango, and further into the city of La Ciudad, Mexico. In Durango we were also joined by the missionary’s wife and another guy to help us translate.

The city was as I remembered it in some aspects, but I can’t get over the inner feeling that there was more spiritual warfare going on this year, and the town also seemed different at the same time (but I can’t yet seem to gather all of what I mean by this yet). I am not sure that I was as spiritually prepared as I thought I was or should have been for this trip, but God has shown me places I need improvement and how I must continually seek for wisdom and discernment.

We did have the pleasure of presenting the gospel message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins by putting ones faith in the work of Jesus Christ. We enjoyed singing songs, sharing Bible stories, making crafts, acting puppets, playing games, and simply interacting with the little boys and girls of La Ciudad. We also spent the evenings sharing a movie in Spanish which covered from creation to the resurrection of Jesus Christ with the adults and families, as we also enjoyed some fellowship as they often cooked for us and offered us something to drink (coke, coffee, hot chocolate) then.

We also had an exciting ‘Watermelon Party’ on the last day (Thursday) for the children in a neighborhood in Durango, Mexico (about 2 hours closer to the US from La Ciudad). We shared with them the gospel message ‘through fruit’ (of which God created), a devotional message, sang songs, played games, and all enjoyed the sweetness of watermelon.

Through it all, we were able to witness to over 200 children, a good many adults, and we were able to see the Spirit of God move in the hearts of at least 9 children and adults to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through the Bible Club, the Hope video, and even through a tract that was handed out in which a young boy returned to us the following day.

Thank God for His mercy and grace, and may He receive all the glory!

Tim

John Bunyan

To be saved is to be preserved in the faith to the end. 'He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.' (Mt. 24:13) Not that perseverance is an accident in Christianity, or a thing performed by human industry; they that are saved 'are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.' (1 Pet. 1: 3-6) But perseverance is absolutely necessary to the complete saving of the soul…. He that goeth to sea with a purpose to arrive at Spain, cannot arrive there if he be drowned by the way; wherefore perseverance is absolutely necessary to the saving of the soul.