THE SAINT'S JOY--W.F. BELL

Delight yourself also in the LORD" (Psalm 37:4). "And He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness" (Psalm 105:43).

We live in a world of awful sin and bad news. We are inundated today with news of illegal aliens, war with terrorism, senseless murders, high gasoline prices, political knavery, and religious hypocrisy. Why do we even listen to all of this horrible news? Only because depraved minds crave depraved man's latest bad happenings. But not so the joyful Christian. Those who are "delighting" themselves in the Lord Jesus Christ truly feed on better things than the vomit and stench of this world. God-fearing people don't find cause for joy in the cesspools of sin.

We rarely ever meet a truly joyful person. The ills of society have rubbed us all the wrong way. It is easy to complain and be bitter about things. But, let us "look again" at the wonderful Word of God, meditating therein for just a moment. Listen to the Psalmist: "I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD" (Psalm 104:33-34). How's that for true, holy, positive thinking? "I will sing." "Unto the LORD." "My meditation of Him." "Shall be sweet." "I will be glad." "In the LORD."

Charles Spurgeon comments on the above verses: "We never sing so well as when we know that we have an interest in the good things of which we sing, and a relationship to the God whom we praise....Meditation is the soul of religion. It is the tree of life in the midst of the garden of piety, and very refreshing is its fruit to the soul which feeds thereon." Beloved, have we lost our song? Even in our night of sin, God will give us "songs in the night" (Job 35:10; Psalm 42:8). Christ Jesus Himself, even though "a Man of Sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3), once "rejoiced in spirit" (Luke 10:21), praising His Father's sovereign good pleasure, stating "All things are delivered to me of my Father" (Luke 10:22). We too rejoice in the sovereignty of God, even when we do not understand God's mysterious providences.

Let us return to singing! Let us return to holy meditation! Let us return to rejoicing in this great truth: "The glory of the LORD shall endure forever: the LORD shall rejoice in His works" (Psalm 104:31). Let us return to clapping and shouting: "O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph" (Psalm 47:1). Why? Simply because we know who our God is -- we know Him as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Blesser and Provider of His people, the Redeemer and Savior of His elect. "For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding" (Psalm 47:7).

Our God is the Most High! Our God rules and reigns! "He is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet" (Psalm 47:2-3). Does this not bring us true joy? Can we forbear to sing His praises? Does this not loosen our tongues to praise our great King? No wonder the Psalms are filled with praises to our Sovereign Lord: "Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name" (Psalm 103:1), and "Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them REJOICE that seek the LORD" (Psalm 105:3). As true Christians, let us ever remember this admonition: "REJOICE EVERMORE" (I Thessalonians 5:16). Yes, despite a world of sin and "the world of spin," let us not become bitter, but better -- better at praising our Lord Jesus Christ, and better at remembering that a day is coming when "sinners shall be consumed out of the earth" (Psalm 104:35), "and the trail of the serpent is cleansed from the globe" (Spurgeon). Truly, LET US REJOICE! HALLELUJAH!

POTPOURRI EVANGELISM-JAMES A.STEWART

Dr. James A. Stewart and his wife, Ruth were greatly used of the Lord to spread the word of God in Europe around the World War Two era (both before and after the war). There were many reported conversions. Many testimonies have been given that this was a genuine revival. Brother Stewart was a Scotsman, and of the old evangelical school. He opposed neo-evangelical, and ecumenical evangelism, which he saw rapidly developing in his lifetime. He wrote against it and preached against it. He fought it every way he could. Today he would be regarding as "against everything" because he would not compromise. He warned about what became "Post-modernism" and "Emergent Church" (the two most deviant and unscriptural movements in our day). He called what was happening "Potpourri evangelism". A potpourri is like a "smorgasbord". One definition I found is a "collection containing a variety of sorts of things." Certainly it does; the good and the bad and the ugly. Here are some things Brother Stewart had to say regarding this ecumenical evangelism.

We must be more afraid of flattery from the camp of the enemy than persecution. Read the pages of Church history. Persecution never did the Church of God any harm, but compromise with the world has always robbed it of the power of its purity. ... Potpourri Evangelism consists of two features: mixed evangelistic campaigns and mixed Christianity. By mixed evangelistic campaigns I mean the alliance of Modernistic and Evangelical churches together in an evangelistic effort.

When religion gets up a revival, it must have from five to twenty churches of heterogeneous creeds and sectarian bodies to go into a great union effort; it must have a mammoth choir with great musical instruments, and many preachers and multiplied committees, and each committee headed by some banker, judge, mayor, or millionaire’s wife. It signs cards as a substitute for the broken-hearted cry of scriptural repentance. It must count its converts by the hundreds in a few days’ meeting. It must apologize for natural depravity.

Human religion’s enterprises have an atmosphere of earthiness about them. It despises the day of small things and scorns little humble people and lonely ways. It is eager to jump to the height of prosperity. Its music has no pathos in it, its laughter lacks divine cheerfulness, its worship lacks supernatural love, its prayers bring down no huge answers, it works no miracles, calls forth no criticism from the world, and has no light of eternity in its eyes. It is a poor, sickly thing, born of the union of the heart of the world with the head of Christian theology--a mongrel, bastard thing with a backslidden church for its mother and the world for its father. Oh, my dear brother and sister, never forget that this unnatural monster will be destroyed at the coming-again of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

(From Evangelism, James A. Stewart, Asheville, NC: Revival Literature, pp. 25-28).

WORLDLY EVANGELISM--A.T. PIERSON

Dr. Arthur T. Pierson was a renowned Presbyterian preacher of the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is said in his world travels that he preached over 13,000 sermons. He was author of over 50 books. He succeeded Charles Spurgeon at Metropolitan Tabernacle, London for the two years of 1891-92. He was a consulting editor of the Scofield Reference Bible. He was an organizer of missions, and is credited with spurring missionary work to a greater level in the early 1900s. He is called by some "the father of fundamentalism", having worked with R. A. Torrey, B.B. Warfield, and others on the five volume answer to liberalism titled The Fundamentals, originally published in 1910, and still in print 100 years later in 2010. One of the greatest short pieces I have read by Pierson is this one, which is so relevant, I believe, to today's post-modernism.

“Adopting worldly maxims, catering to worldly tastes, corrupted by worldly leaven, there has been a gradual letting down of the severe standard of New Testament piety, and a constant effort to robe the gospel in worldly charms, in order to attract worldly men to the church.”

“These worldly expedients have proved very successful in secularizing the Church, but have sadly failed in evangelizing the world. They do not even draw the people except so far and so long as their novelty attracts curiosity seekers, or feeds the morbid appetite for excitement. It is time all such measures were abandoned as helps to the work of evangelization. They are rather hindrances; for they destroy the peculiar character of God's people as a separate people, they divert attention from eternal things, and they grieve the Spirit of God, on whose presence all power depends.”

“The fact is, Zion's attractions are unique ; like her Lord, they are not of the world; they belong to another order of beauty, "the beauty of holiness." When the Church robes herself in the charms of worldly attire and adornment, she not only fails to draw the world to herself and to Christ, but she actually takes the infection of the " Spirit of the Age," which, however disguised, is hostile to God.”

From Evangelistic Work, A.T Pierson, p 92, 94, New York; Baker and Taylor, 1887

THINK--IS THIS 1984?

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

1984! Such a ring to the very words! Orwell's famous novel of futuristic totalitarianism, written in 1948, set forth some frightening predictions. Some of them, at least, have come true. All of them will never come true. George Orwell was not a prophet of God, but a British Socialist, howbeit somewhat moderate when measured against today's average socialist. Orwell hated Communism, yet saw its program as the future 36 years ahead. He chose 1984 by simply turning around the year 1948 in which he was writing.

Many of us wondered what would happen in 1984. Maybe we were a little nervous. We asked “Will it be nuclear war in '84?” “Will our government take over everything in our lives?” “Will the Lord Jesus return this year?” He didn’t return then, and I do not know, nor do you, just when He will return, but we know He will, but we must be careful regarding predictions, for "no man knows the day and hour" (Matt. 24:36). 1984 came and went; at least the real time 1984 came and went.

But, whatever your eschatology, you have to be blind not to see that right now in 2010 our world is a powder keg ready to explode in many sore spots. We might say there are many fuses. Iran, North Korea, Central America, the Philippines, etc…any one, or all, at any moment ready to ignite world war and chaos.

In our own land, literally thousands of churches and pastors are experiencing unprecedented government encroachment.

In China, a country reported to have over 60 million Christians, persecution is being stepped up at the present time, as it once was in the former Soviet Union, and its satellites. So, 1984ish things are happening. How far have we come toward Orwell's 1984? Do we Christians really care? Are we hiding our heads in the sand hoping the issues of our day will go away? Are we claiming to be too super-spiritual to be interested in things happening in this life? Do we even speak against government encroachments on our freedoms? A warped conception of “health care”, hurting more than can ever be helped, was attempted to be slammed through the liberal congress. For now maybe that has failed, since Republican Scott Brown won the U.S. senate seat formerly held by the late Senator Ted Kennedy. The government also attempted to take over the auto makers. For now, that too has failed. We get a lot of “double speak” from our liberal politicians. The plan Barack Obama has now is to get the banks and financial institutions under control. All of this is what has happened in the socialist countries of the world, and is very 1984ish.

My friends, Christ must have preeminence in all we do. I do not advocate any other solution! There must be a spiritual revival for our nation's survival — even for world survival. Our heritage is the Word of God and includes religious liberty. It is worth preserving. God must help us to preserve it. Can we not, at least, "Cry aloud and spare not"? If we remain silent while our world is overrun by evil forces, what will we tell our children and grandchildren about why we did not stand?

These are vital questions that cannot be answered with a simplistic "The Lord will rapture us away before things get too bad"! Things are already bad! Sodomy is being financed by American taxpayers! Gay “marriage” has been legalized in some states. The families of the nation are under attack! Divorce and living in fornication are out of control, and almost totally accepted. Over 50 million babies have been destroyed! The anniversary of the infamous Roe v.Wade decision was just last week.

We cannot hide behind God's Sovereignty either! He is absolutely sovereign, but He uses human instrumentality to accomplish many of His purposes. He used John Knox in Scotland, the Wesleys and Whitefield in England, Martin Luther in Germany, etc. Can He use you? Are you willing to be used of God no matter what He wants to do with you?

Join hands with us to turn the tide — by prayer! By evangelism! By speaking out on the issues! By publishing! We will be accountable for not doing good. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST--CHARLES WOODRUFF (short version)

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

Are these words of the Apostle Paul, stating his personal relationship with Jesus Christ, my words also? Are they yours? Paul was not stating these words to brag, nor was he confining their effect to only himself. These words should be heartfelt and part of every believer's life. It should be our "life verse". I have always said that my life verse is "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Even that one is hard to live day by day. Being creatures of flesh, all of us are more prone to live this in reality "To me to live is to be successful, and to die is having to reluctantly leave it all behind".

Of course, to the lost world, living in Christ, walking in Christ, witnessing for Christ are all things that a madman does. Christ is dead, don't you know? He has been for nearly 2000 years, or so these blinded rebels say. What they are not seeing is that, yes, He died, but He is risen!

What made Paul different is that he met the resurrected Christ on the Damascus road, and thereafter he was never the same as before. He was a persecutor of the church, but now is a proclaimer of the gospel of the Christ that he once persecuted.

We are not even looking at this time at the second part of this verse. That talks about dying. No one wants to do that. Understandably so, for God so designed us with survival instincts, yet Paul says for him, to die is gain. We will examine that later. For now, focus on the living part. Is Christ so in us and our lives that we can say with Paul "To me to live is Christ"? That is a tall order. We cannot do it. In ourselves, at least, we cannot do it. The Holy Spirit (who is the Spirit of Christ), must be so in control of us that we do not live our own lives, as such, but "Christ liveth in me".

Our verse is perhaps the key verse of Philippians, and one of the most important in the Bible. Am I, are you, living it in application? I confess that I am not fully, but I sincerely want to do so. I am striving against sin daily. I am looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. Yet, I still fall short of the glory of God. I am not giving up, and with God as my helper, I am going to reach that place where I can say with Paul "For to me to live is Christ". How about you?

By Charles Woodruff 1/12/2010

KISS THE SON- SHAWN DAVIS

“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Psalm 2:11-12

'No gold, nor purple swaddling bands,
Nor royal shining things;
A manger for his cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings.
Go, shepherds, where the Infant lies,
And see his humble throne;
With tears of joy in all your eyes,
Go, shepherds, kiss the Son.' Isaac Watts 1674-1748

Jesus Christ came to this earth to save sinners, to deliver sinners. The King of kings and Lord of lords was not born in a palace. He was not placed in a beautiful baby crib. The world didn’t want Him then and it doesn’t want Him now. There is no room for Him… there never has been. People are too full of the world and themselves to have room for Jesus Christ. I recognize this is the time of the year when many turn their thoughts towards peace and goodwill toward men. That’s a good thing. But it is not THE thing.

Jesus was not just a good man. He was not just a wise teacher. He did not come to this earth just to be a babe in a manger. He came to die. He came to give Himself a ransom for all. {I Timothy 2:6} He came to save His people from their sins. He “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” He had a definite purpose in coming to this world. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”

As Charles Wesley wrote many years ago;

“And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

“Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.”

JELLYFISH CHRISTIANITY- J. C. RYLE

The following has been for many years been one of my favorite quotes from godly Bishop J. C. Ryle. He continues to be one of my favorites. He showed us how to reflect Christ's light even in what was for the most part a cold, dead denomination. I thank http://jcrylequotes.com for reminding us of this good quote, though I am including the entire paragraph from the book.

“One plague of our age is the widespread dislike to what men are pleased to call dogmatic theology. In the place of it, the idol of the day is a kind of jellyfish Christianity – a Christianity without bone, or muscle, or sinew, – without any distinct teaching about the atonement or the work of the Spirit, or justification, or the way of peace with God – a vague, foggy, misty Christianity, of which the only watchwords seem to be, ‘You must be…liberal and kind. You must condemn no man’s doctrinal views. You must consider everybody is right and nobody is wrong’. And this creedless kind of religion, we are told, is to give us peace of conscience! And not to be satisfied with it in a sorrowful, dying world, is a proof that you are very narrow-minded! Satisfied, indeed! Sucha religion might possibly do for unfallen angels! But to tell sinful, dying men and women, with the blood of our father Adam in our veins, to be satisfied with it, is an insult to common sense and a mockery of our distress. We need something far better than this. We need the blood of Christ."

The Upper Room; chapter six, “One Blood”, page 99; Banner of Truth, London, 1977 reprint