SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD--J. C. RYLE

“The subject is one that demands the best attention of all who profess and call themselves Christians.  In every age of the Church separation from the world has always been one of the grand evidences of a work of grace in the heart.  He that has been really born of the Spirit, and made a new creature in Christ Jesus, has always endeavoured to “come out from the world,” and live a separate life.  They who have only had the name of Christian without the reality, have always refused to ‘come out and be separate’ from the world.”

“The subject perhaps was never more important than it is, at the present day.  There is a widely-spread desire to make things pleasant in religion—to saw off the corners and edges of the cross, and to avoid, as far as possible, self-denial.  On every side we hear professing Christians declaring loudly that we must not be “narrow and exclusive,” and that there is no harm in many things which the holiest saints of old thought bad for their souls.  That we may go anywhere, and do anything, and spend our time in anything, and read anything, and keep any company, and plunge into anything, and all the while may be very good Christians—this, this is the maxim of thousands.  In a day like this I think it good to raise a warning voice, and invite attention to the teaching of God’s Word.  It is written in that Word, ‘Come out, and be separate.’”

J.C Ryle in Practical Religion, page 184; James Clarke, Cambridge, 1977 (original 1878).

TO THE AGED CHRISTIAN--C.H. SPURGEON

For my part, I think that the aged Christian is better employed in looking after the lambs of the flock and trying to carry them in their bosoms. Talk cheerily to the young and anxious enquirer. Lovingly try to remove stumbling blocks out of his way. When you find a spark of Divine Grace in the heart, kneel down and blow it into a flame. Leave the young Believer to discover the roughness of the road by degrees.Tell him of the strength which dwells in God, of the sureness of the promise, of the delightfulness of fellowship with Jesus, of the charms of communion with Christ.

Entice the young Christian on as good mothers teach their children to walk by holding out here a sweet, and
there some tempting thing,that they may put their trembling feet one after the other, and at last know how to walk.I would that every Church had many of these aged Brothers and Sisters, fathers and mothers in Israel, who take this for their motto whenever they see a young Christian—“Encourage him.”

I know of nothing more inspiriting than to hear the experience of a gray-headed Believer. I have found much spiritual comfort in sitting at the feet of my venerable grandfather, more than 80 years of age. The last time I saw him, I said to him, “I suppose you have had many trials, Grandfather?” He said,“I have not had too many, and the most of what I have had, I have made myself.” “And do you think that God will ever leave His people?” I asked. “No,” he said, “for if He would leave one of them, He would have left me. But He is a faithful God, and I have proved Him, for I have known His love more than 70 years, and yet He has been faithful to me. Not one good thing has failed of all that the Lord God has promised.”

Why, it comes home to the hearts of us young people, and makes us feel that we have found something which it is safe to depend upon when those who have gone through the valley can bear such a word of testimony as this! Do not let a word of peevishness come out of your mouth, my aged Brothers and Sisters! Let no syllable of complaining ever escape you! Let your mouth be filled with your Lord’s praises, and with His honor all the day, and so you will encourage others.—Adapted from The C. H. Spurgeon Collection, Version 1.0, Ages Software,—Sermon #537, Vol 9—Encourage Your Minister!—
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WALK IN THE SPIRIT--OSWALD CHAMBERS

"If we walk in the light as He is in the light . . . the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" —1 John 1:7

To mistake freedom from sin only on the conscious level of our lives for complete deliverance from sin by the atonement through the Cross of Christ is a great error. No one fully knows what sin is until he is born again. Sin is what Jesus Christ faced at Calvary. The evidence that I have been delivered from sin is that I know the real nature of sin in me. For a person to really know what sin is requires the full work and deep touch of the atonement of Jesus Christ, that is, the imparting of His absolute perfection.


The Holy Spirit applies or administers the work of the atonement to us in the deep unconscious realm as well as in the conscious realm. And it is not until we truly perceive the unrivaled power of the Spirit in us that we understand the meaning of 1 John 1:7 , which says, “. . . the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” This verse does not refer only to conscious sin, but also to the tremendously profound understanding of sin which only the Holy Spirit in me can accomplish.

I must “walk in the light as He is in the light . . .”— not in the light of my own conscience, but in God’s light. If I will walk there, with nothing held back or hidden, then this amazing truth is revealed to me: “. . . the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses [me] from all sin” so that God Almighty can see nothing to rebuke in me. On the conscious level it produces a keen, sorrowful knowledge of what sin really is. The love of God working in me causes me to hate, with the Holy Spirit’s hatred for sin, anything that is not in keeping with God’s holiness. To “walk in the light” means that everything that is of the darkness actually drives me closer to the center of the light.

Prepared for December 26, 2010

Has America Already Passed the Point of No Return?

The following article was written almost 11 years ago, but it's punch from September 26, 2000 is still fresh. Remarkably it was written about 1 year before 9/11. With the plans and compromises of our governing powers, we has better take a long fresh look at this article by Chuck Baldwin. I turn it your way. Since I, as a rule, only write to Christians, I honestly believe this to be a call from God. Reflect on it, add to it; and share with deep prayer that God will motivate us all. Thoughts you wish to share are welcome. Charles Woodruff

Many of my friends believe America has already passed the point of no return. They suggest that America has thoroughly and completely repudiated the fundamental principles upon which our country was founded and that it is now hopelessly doomed. They might be right.

Any nation that makes heroes out of people like Bill Clinton can't be expected to last long. Look, too, at our pop culture today: it's rotten Just plain rotten! The movies our children watch and the music they listen to are garbage! It's not fit for human consump­tion.

Also, consider this: in the name of "church-state separation," the courts of this country have become caverns of secular humanism, where they, like vam­pires, suck the life's blood of religion and faith from our veins. Pretty soon, the country will be bled dry.

Our schools and colleges are educating young people in the fine art of agnosticism. Paganism and Marx­ism are in; God and morality are out. We have the most learned and least inspired graduates that tax dollars can buy! They are completely familiar with every weird, ancient or eastern religion known to man, but have never read our Declaration of Inde­pendence or the Bible.

The environmentalist and animal rights movements have elevated insects and trees to a status that is more revered (and protected) than is human life. Farmers have gone to jail for killing Kangaroo Rats while disking their land. Property owners are held hostage by enviro-cops that protect Spotted Owls. Fishermen and hunters are regarded as enemies of the state, while abortionists are granted federal pro­tection and preference.

America's moral character has been corrupted to a point not seen before in Western Civilization. Adul­tery and fornication have become socially accept-able; sodomy has become vogue; cohabitation is common. I saw a T-shirt recently that said it all: "No rules-rules!" It won't be long before pedophilia will be as socially acceptable and politically protected as homosexuality is today.

It is obvious that neither the Republican nor Demo­crat parties are offering any solutions. In fact, they are part of the problem! Likewise, most churches are unwilling to stand against this tidal wave of he­donism and debauchery. Most business interests (especially the large ones) are intoxicated with the desire for a "global economy" to the point that they are incapable of providing any resistance.

So, what are we to do? I suppose we could choose to leave the country. That is what our Pilgrim fathers did when they left Europe and came to America. Or, we can choose to fight for our faith and free­dom. That is what Patrick Henry and the boys de­cided to do.

Humanly speaking, the only thing that is holding our freedom together is the private ownership and pos­session of firearms. And sooner or later (probably sooner) they will come for our guns. When that time comes, those who chose to stay will have to make another choice: to live free and fight, or surrender our right to resist and become slaves to the state. It may be that the choice has already been made; we may have already passed the point of no return.

An excellent article from Chuck Baldwin. More at the website http://www.newswithviews.com  I recommend you give some of them a good read (CW)

EXTOLLING GOD WITH OUR MOUTH

 BY CHARLES M. SPURGEON
  
Happy is he whose fingers are wedded to his harp.  He who praises God for mercies shall never want a mercy for which to praise....Our thankfulness is not to be a dumb thing; it should be one of the daughters of music. Our tongue is our glory, and it ought to reveal the glory of God. What a blessed mouthful is God’s praise!  How sweet, how purifying, how perfuming!  If men’s mouths were always thus filled, there would be no repining against God, or slander of neighbours.  If we continually rolled this dainty morsel under our tongue, the bitterness of daily affliction would be swallowed up in joy. God deserves blessing with the heart, and extolling with the mouth—good thoughts in the closet, and good words in the world.

—C. H. Spurgeon

Psalm 34:1

The Treasury of David

FREE WILL AND FREE GRACE--AUGUSTUS TOPLADY (1740-1778)

Augustus Toplady was an  Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his hymn writing, including Rock of Ages. He was originally an Arminian, but when light came he became a strong defender of the doctrines of grace. It caused problems with John Wesley who became a bitter opponent of Toplady because of Wesley's own Arminian beliefs. We will be pleased to allow him to tell in his own words how God taught him him free grace, and took away his allegiance to free will.

It pleased God to deliver me from the Arminian snare before I was quite eighteen.  Antecedently to that period, there was not (with the lowest self-abasement I confess it) a more haughty and violent free-willer within the compass of the four seas.  One instance of my warm and bitter zeal occurs just now to my memory.  About a twelvemonth before the Divine Goodness gave me eyes to discern, and a heart to embrace the truth, I was haranguing one day in company (for I believed myself able to cope with all the predestinarians in the world) on the universality of grace, and the powers of human free-agency. A good old gentleman (now with God) rose from his chair, and coming to mine, held me by one of my coat-buttons, while he mildly addressed me to this effect; 

“My dear Sir, there are some marks of spirituality in your conversation, though tinged with an unhappy mixture of pride and self-righteousness.  You have been speaking largely in favour of free-will; but from arguments, let us come to experience.  Do let me ask you one question.  How was it with you when the Lord laid hold on you in effectual calling?  Had you any hand in obtaining that grace?  Nay, would you not have resisted and baffled it if God’s own Spirit had left you in the hand of your own counsel?”

I felt the conclusiveness of these simple, but forcible interrogations more strongly than I was then willing to acknowledge. But, blessed be God, I have since been enabled to acknowledge the freeness and omnipotence of His grace, times without number; and to sing (what I trust will be my everlasting song when time shall be no more), “Not unto me, O Lord, not unto me, but unto Thy Name give all the glory.”

We never know so much of heaven in our own souls, nor stand so high upon the mount of communion with God, as when His Spirit, breathing on our hearts, makes us lie low at the footstool of sovereign grace, and inspires us with the cry, “O God, be mine, the comfort of salvation, but Thine be the entire praise of it.”

If you would like to more about Toplady, including more of his hymns, check out this Banner of Truth article:

http://www.banneroftruth.co.uk/pages/articles/article_detail.php?1916

SOME FATHERS IN THE BIBLE- CHARLES WOODRUFF

                                  Some Fathers in the Bible
                                                                         Adam
Adam is the first man, and therefore the father of the entire human race. He brought us misery by his fall into sin, thereby giving a sin nature to all his seed. Every human born since Adam is born in sin, and the only hope of salvation is in the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ
(1 Corinthians 15:45).

                                                                       Abraham
He is called the father of us all (Romans 4:16). This is spiritual truth for all the children of God through the ages, because Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.

                                                                    Israel/ Jacob

He was the father of God’s chosen nation in the Old Testament. He had twelve sons, each becoming a tribe. The only tribe we hear much about today is Judah. This is because God separated the tribes because of apostasy. In our day, all the Hebrew people are called Jews.
                                     
                                                                            Joseph

He is the earthly father of Jesus Christ. His seed did not produce the Christ child. Christ was, and is, the virgin born Son of God. Joseph raised Jesus and taught Him the carpenter’s trade.

                                                                    God the Father

He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the first Person of the Godhead, and Father to all who have been born again, and placed forever in Christ. This transaction required the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in time and eternity. We are His children ( John 1:11-13).
(perhaps we can examine all of these in depth at a future time).

Published by Charles Woodruff- email:  oursong2000@yahoo.com