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Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:13:27 -0700

Matthew 20:17-28
(Mark 10:35-45; Luke 18:31-34)
Suggested further reading: 1 John 1:5 - 2:6
There May be pride, jealousy and love of pre-eminence even amongst true disciples of Christ (v. 24). Pride is one of the oldest and most mischievous of sins. By it the angels fell (Jude 6). Through pride Adam and Eve were seduced into eating forbidden fruit. They were not content and thought they would be as `gods' (Gen. 3:5). From pride the saints of God receive their greatest injuries after conversion.
A life of self-denying kindness to others is the true secret of greatness in the kingdom of Christ (v. 26). The standard of the world and the standard of the Lord Jesus are indeed widely different. They are more than different. They are flatly contradictory one to the other. Amongst the children of this world he is thought the most great who has most land, most money, most servants, most rank and most earthly power. Amongst the children of God he is reckoned greatest who does most to promote the spiritual and temporal happiness of his fellow creatures. True greatness consists not in receiving, but giving; not in selfish absorption of good things, but in imparting good to others; not in being served, but in serving; not in sitting still and being ministered to, but in going about and ministering to others. The angels of God see far more beauty in the work of the missionary than in the victories of generals, the political speeches of statesmen or the council chambers of kings. Let us seek true greatness (Acts 20:35).
The Lord Jesus is the true Christian's example (v. 28). Not only has the Lord God provided those who follow after holiness with the clearest of precepts, the best of motives and the most encouraging of promises, but he has supplied them with the most perfect pattern and example in the life of his Son. By that life he bids us walk
(1 Peter 2:21). He is the model after which we must strive to mould our tempers, our words and our works in this evil world. How he would have spoken and behaved is the key to how we should speak and behave. How humbling this truth is! (1 John 2:6).
JC RYLE
For meditation: We are only to imitate others in so far as they imitate Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).
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Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:10:20 -0700

When a natural man denies his lust, and lives a strict religious life, and seems humble, painful, and earnest in religion, it is not natural; it is all a force against nature; as when a stone is violently thrown upwards; but that force will be gradually spent; yet nature will remain in its full strength; and so prevails again, and the stone returns downward. As long as corrupt nature is not mortified, but the principle left whole in a man, it is a vain thing to think that it should not govern. But if the old nature be indeed mortified, and a new and heavenly nature infused, then may it well be expected that men will walk in newness of life, and continue to do so to the end of their days.

Jonathan Edwards

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Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:59:20 -0700

"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."Luke 18:30

Matthew 19:23-30
(Mark 10:23-31; Luke 18:24-30)
Suggested further reading: Matthew 10:37-42

What immense encouragement the gospel offers to those who give up everything for Christ's sake! We are told that Peter asked our Lord what he and the other apostles, who had forsaken all for his sake, should receive in return . He obtained a most gracious reply. A full return shall be given to those who have made sacrifices for Christ's sake.

There is something very cheering in this promise. Few in the present day in this land are ever required to forsake homes, relations and lands on account of their religion. Yet there are few true Christians who have not much to go through in one way or another if they are really faithful to the Lord. The offence of the cross is not yet ceased. There can be laughter, ridicule, mockery and family persecution. The favour of the world is often forfeited, places and situations are often imperilled by a conscientious adherence to the demands of the gospel of Christ. All who are exposed to trials of this kind may take comfort in the promise of these verses. Jesus foresaw their need and intended these words to be their consolation.

We may rest assured that no man shall ever be a real loser by following Christ. The believer may seem to suffer a loss for a while when he first begins the life of a devoted Christian. He May be much cast down by the afflictions that are cast upon him on account of his religion. But let him rest assured that he will never find himself a loser in the long run. Christ can raise up friends for us who shall more than compensate for those we lose. Christ can open hearts and homes to us far more warm and hospitable than those that are closed against us. Above all, Christ can give us peace of conscience, inward joy, bright hopes and happy feelings which shall far outweigh every pleasant earthly thing that we have cast away for his sake. He has pledged his royal word that it shall be so. None ever found that word fail. Let us trust it and not be afraid.

JC RYLE

For meditation: God does not always make up our loss immediately. Sometimes we must wait for eternity to receive good from his hand, but ultimately we shall receive it.

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Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:30:30 -0700

"The Sinfulness of Sin"

"Nothing is so evil as sin; nothing is evil but sin. As the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, so neither the sufferings of this life nor of that to come are worthy to be compared as evil with the evil of sin. No evil is displeasing to God or destructive to man but the evil of sin. Sin is worse than affliction, than death, than Devil, than Hell. Affliction is not so afflictive, death is not so deadly, the Devil not so devilish, Hell not so hellish as sin is. This will help to fill up the charge against its sinfulness, especially as it is contrary to and against the good of man. The four evils I have just named are truly terrible, and from all of them everyone is ready to say, Good Lord, deliver us! Yet none of these, nor all of them together, are as bad as sin. Therefore our prayers should be more to be delivered from sin, and if God hear no prayer else, yet as to this we should say, We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord!"

Indeed, we beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord! Deliver us from sin.

Ralph Venning's, "The Sinfulness of Sin"

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Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:59:03 -0700

Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, July 30

"And when he thought thereon, he wept."

-- Mark 14:72

It has been thought by some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so, (for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work. This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone. We, like Peter, remember our boastful promise: "Though all men shall forsake thee, yet will not I." We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance. When we think of what we vowed we would be, and of what we have been, we may weep whole showers of grief. He thought on his denying his Lord. The place in which he did it, the little cause which led him into such heinous sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his falsehood, and the dreadful hardness of heart which drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we, when we are reminded of our sins, and their exceeding sinfulness, remain stolid and stubborn? Will we not make our house a Bochim, and cry unto the Lord for renewed assurances of pardoning love? May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin, lest ere long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell. Peter also thought upon his Master's look of love. The Lord followed up the cock's warning voice with an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never out of Peter's mind so long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would be sure to weep when he recollected the Saviour's full forgiveness, which restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so kind and good a Lord is more than sufficient reason for being constant weepers. Lord, smite our rocky hearts, and make the waters flow.

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Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:55:07 -0700

Charles Spurgeon, Morning, July 16

"They gathered manna every morning."

-- Exodus 16:21

Labour to maintain a sense of thine entire dependence upon the Lord's good will and pleasure for the continuance of thy richest enjoyments. Never try to live on the old manna, nor seek to find help in Egypt. All must come from Jesus, or thou art undone for ever. Old anointings will not suffice to impart unction to thy spirit; thine head must have fresh oil poured upon it from the golden horn of the sanctuary, or it will cease from its glory. To-day thou mayest be upon the summit of the mount of God, but he who has put thee there must keep thee there, or thou wilt sink far more speedily than thou dreamest. Thy mountain only stands firm when he settles it in its place; if he hide his face, thou wilt soon be troubled. If the Saviour should see fit, there is not a window through which thou seest the light of heaven which he could not darken in an instant. Joshua bade the sun stand still, but Jesus can shroud it in total darkness. He can withdraw the joy of thine heart, the light of thine eyes, and the strength of thy life; in his hand thy comforts lie, and at his will they can depart from thee. This hourly dependence our Lord is determined that we shall feel and recognize, for he only permits us to pray for "daily bread," and only promises that "as our days our strength shall be." Is it not best for us that it should be so, that we may often repair to his throne, and constantly be reminded of his love? Oh! how rich the grace which supplies us so continually, and doth not refrain itself because of our ingratitude! The golden shower never ceases, the cloud of blessing tarries evermore above our habitation. O Lord Jesus, we would bow at thy feet, conscious of our utter inability to do anything without thee, and in every favour which we are privileged to receive, we would adore thy blessed name and acknowledge thine unexhausted love.

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Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:42:59 -0700

From my Senator, Barak Obama....

--mskee

**********
Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting us and sharing your strong feelings about this important issue. Please find a statement from Senator Obama below.

We appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Obama for America,

---
Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists before they strike, while respecting the rule of law and the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. There is also little doubt that the Bush Administration, with the cooperation of major telecommunications companies, has abused that authority and undermined the Constitution by intercepting the communications of innocent Americans without their knowledge or the required court orders.

That is why last year I opposed the so-called Protect America Act, which expanded the surveillance powers of the government without sufficient independent oversight to protect the privacy and civil liberties of innocent Americans. I have also opposed the granting of retroactive immunity to those who were allegedly complicit in acts of illegal spying in the past.

After months of negotiation, the House passed a compromise that, while far from perfect, is a marked improvement over last year's Protect America Act. Under this compromise legislation, an important tool in the fight against terrorism will continue, but the President's illegal program of warrantless surveillance will be over. It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance - making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law and disregard the civil liberties of the American people. It also firmly re-establishes basic judicial oversight over all domestic surveillance in the future.

It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I voted in the Senate three times to remove this provision so that we could seek full accountability for past offenses. Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. By demanding oversight and accountability, a grassroots movement of Americans has helped yield a bill that is far better than the Protect America Act.

It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives - and the liberty - of the American people.

----------------------
Paid for by Obama for America

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Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:17:54 -0700

A Christian will not do even common things but first he sanctifies
them, he dedicates himself, his person and his actions to God, and so
sees God in all things, whereas a carnal man sees reason only in all
that he himself does. But a Christian sees God in crosses to humble
him, and everything he makes spiritual; yet because there is a double
principle in him, there will be some stirring of the flesh in his
actions, and sometimes evil will appear most; but here is the
excellency of a Christian's state, that the Spirit will work it out at
the last; He will never let his heart and conscience alone till it be
wrought out by little and little.

- Richard Sibbes

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Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:06:50 -0700

Charles Spurgeon

"And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them."

-- John 17:22

Behold the superlative liberality of the Lord Jesus, for he hath given us his all. Although a tithe of his possessions would have made a universe of angels rich beyond all thought, yet was he not content until he had given us all that he had. It would have been surprising grace if he had allowed us to eat the crumbs of his bounty beneath the table of his mercy; but he will do nothing by halves, he makes us sit with him and share the feast. Had he given us some small pension from his royal coffers, we should have had cause to love him eternally; but no, he will have his bride as rich as himself, and he will not have a glory or a grace in which she shall not share. He has not been content with less than making us joint-heirs with himself, so that we might have equal possessions. He has emptied all his estate into the coffers of the Church, and hath all things common with his redeemed. There is not one room in his house the key of which he will withhold from his people. He gives them full liberty to take all that he hath to be their own; he loves them to make free with his treasure, and appropriate as much as they can possibly carry. The boundless fulness of his all-sufficiency is as free to the believer as the air he breathes. Christ hath put the flagon of his love and grace to the believer's lip, and bidden him drink on for ever; for could he drain it, he is welcome to do so, and as he cannot exhaust it, he is bidden to drink abundantly, for it is all his own. What truer proof of fellowship can heaven or earth afford?

"When I stand before the throne

Dressed in beauty not my own;

When I see thee as thou art,

Love thee with unsinning heart;

Then, Lord, shall I fully know--

Not till then--how much I owe."

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Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:10:39 -0700

Spare us from hypocrisy O' Lord

"Art thou become like unto us?" - Isaiah 14:10

What must be the apostate professor’s doom when his naked soul appears before God? How will he bear that voice, "Depart, ye cursed; thou hast rejected me, and I reject thee; thou hast played the harlot, and departed from me: I also have banished thee for ever from my presence, and will not have mercy upon thee." What will be this wretch’s shame at the last great day when, before assembled multitudes, the apostate shall be unmasked? See the profane, and sinners who never professed religion, lifting themselves up from their beds of fire to point at him. "There he is," says one, "will he preach the gospel in hell?" "There he is," says another, "he rebuked me for cursing, and was a hypocrite himself!" "Aha!" says another, "here comes a psalm-singing Reformed Baptist--one who was always at his meeting; he is the man who boasted of his being sure of everlasting life; and here he is!" No greater eagerness will ever be seen among Satanic tormentors, than in that day when devils drag the hypocrite’s soul down to perdition. Bunyan pictures this with massive but awful grandeur of poetry when he speaks of the back-way to hell. Seven devils bound the wretch with nine cords, and dragged him from the road to heaven, in which he had professed to walk, and thrust him through the back-door into hell. Mind that back-way to hell, professors! "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." Look well to your state; see whether you be in Christ or not. It is the easiest thing in the world to give a lenient verdict when oneself is to be tried; but O, be just and true here. Be just to all, but be rigorous to yourself. Remember if it be not a rock on which you build, when the house shall fall, great will be the fall of it. O may the Lord give you sincerity, constancy, and firmness; and in no day, however evil, may you be led to turn aside.

Charles H. Spurgeon