HISTORY, DESPAIR, HOPE---W.F.BELL

SCRIPTURE MEDITATIONS
  
 The historical monuments in America reveal our nation's past in a unique way.  In our nation's capital, for example, we have the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Capitol building itself.  These all reflect America's Christian history, no matter how loudly unbelievers object to it, or try to deny it.  Despite objections, these monuments and their inscriptions are testimonies to the gospel's influence on our country.  While these may be totally removed someday, at present they testify loudly in this land to "the faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3), through divine providence.

As a continual student of American history, I have recently read the lives of both Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman, and am currently reading the life of Abraham Lincoln.  To broaden our perspectives, we must read Scripture history (Psalm 78:1-8), as well as American and world history.  If we fail to do so, we become too narrow in our thinking and outlook.  Those who read objectively know that many of the politicians of our day are nothing but pseudo-educated revisionists.

Look briefly at Psalm 74, which depicts a very dark time in Israel's history, the fall of Jerusalem.  This melancholy psalm records this prayer: "Arise, O God, plead your own cause" (verse 22).  "Axes and hammers" had destroyed the "carved work" of the Temple, and "fire" had devastated the sanctuary, bringing general despair among the people.  Thus their questions were legitimate: "O God, how long will the adversary reproach?  Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?" (verse 10).  Though we today know not "how long" we must endure the blasphemy of our Lord Jesus Christ, we do know that it will not be "forever."  "For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth" (verse 12).  Note, God is not idle, but is definitely "working," and we rejoice that in reality "Jesus is Lord of all" (Acts 10:36).

Let us not despair or give up in this desolate hour in America.  Our trust must be firm in the God who is absolutely sovereign.  He shall never fail, neither shall any puny man defeat Him.  Our hope is not in politicians, their schemes, or their awful unbelief, but in Christ alone.  And we continue to pray, "Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.  Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies" (Psalm 108:12-13).  Note, "It is He."

WAIT UPON THE LORD--CHARLES WOODRUFF

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

WALKING WITH GOD---GEORGE WHITEFIELD (1714-1770)

                                              
“I do not need to tell you that walking with God is not only honorable, but is pleasant and profitable also. For by it you know happy experience and will find it so more and more every day. Only give me permission to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance and to beseech you, by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, to take heed to yourselves and walk closer with God than you have in days past.
For the nearer you walk with God, the more you will enjoy Him, whose presence is life and be better prepared for being placed at his right hand, where are pleasures forevermore. O do not follow Jesus afar off! Do not be ritualistic, dead and ignorant in your attendance of public worship. Do not shamefully forsake the assembling yourselves together or be so indifferent about the things of God. Remember what Jesus says of the church of Laodicea, ‘Because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ Think of the love of Jesus and let that love constrain you to keep near unto Him. Even if you die for Him, do not deny Him, do not keep at a distance from Him in any way.”

DON'T BE SURPRISED THE WORLD HATES YOU

J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Let it be a settled principle in our minds that the true Christian must always enter the kingdom of God “through much tribulation” (Acts 14:22). Their best things are yet to come. This world is not our home. If we are faithful and decided servants of Christ, the world will certainly hate us, as it hated our Master. In one way or another grace will always be persecuted. No consistency of conduct, however faultless, no kindness and amiability of character, however striking, will exempt a believer from the world’s dislike, so long as they live. It is foolish to be surprised at this. It is mere waste of time to murmur at it. It is a part of the cross, and we must bear it patiently. “Marvel not, my brethren,” says John, “if the world hates you.” “If you were of the world,” says our Lord, “the world would love his own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (1 John 3:13),(John 15:18,19).

"If we are faithful and decided servants of Christ, the world will certainly hate us, as it hated our Master. It is foolish to be surprised by this." ~ J.C. Ryle

(Expository Thoughts on the Gospels; Luke, Volume 2); [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth  1998]

FORGIVENESS-J.C RYLE (1816-1900)

We are all great sinners before God; sinners by nature and sinners by practice, and therefore, we are in desperate need of a radical change and divine forgiveness]. We ought all to cease from proud thoughts about ourselves. We ought to lay our hands upon our mouths, and say with Abraham, I am "dust and ashes"; and with Job, "I am vile"; and with [the apostle] John, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Where is the man or woman in the whole catalogue of the Book of Life that will ever be able to say more than this, "I obtained mercy"? What is the glorious company of the apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, the noble army of the martyrs: what are they all but pardoned sinners? Surely there is but one conclusion to be arrived at: we are all great sinners, and we all need a great forgiveness.

Sin is a burden, and must be taken off. Sin is a defilement, and must be cleansed away. Sin is a mighty debt, and must be paid. Sin is a mountain standing between us and heaven, and must be removed. The first step towards heaven is to see clearly that we deserve hell. There are but two alternatives before us: we must either be forgiven, or be miserable forever. ~ JC. Ryle

Read the entire booklet at the following link: http://www.chapellibrary.org/files/archive/pdf-english/forg.pdf

MERCY SWEETENS GOD'S ATTRIBUTES- THOMAS WATSON

                                                                                         (1620-1686)

Mercy sweetens all God’s other attributes. God’s holiness without mercy and his justice without mercy were terrible. When the water was bitter, and Israel could not drink, Moses cast a tree into the waters, and then they were made sweet. How bitter and dreadful were the other attributes of God, did not mercy sweeten them! Mercy sets God’s power on work to help us; it makes his justice become our friend; it shall avenge our quarrels. God’s mercy is one of the most orient pearls of his crown; it makes his Godhead appear amiable and lovely. When Moses said to God, ‘I beseech thee shew me thy glory;’ the Lord answered him, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will shew thee mercy.’ Exodus 33: I9. God’s mercy is his glory. His holiness makes him illustrious; his mercy makes him propitious. ~ “A Body of Divinity”

JACOB'S TROUBLE-J.C. PHILPOT (1802-1869)

(I find Philpot's view on Jacob's Trouble very interesting, don't you?)

"Alas!  for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:7).

THIS "day of trouble" is when sin is laid as a heavy burden upon a man's conscience; when guilt presses him down into the dust of death, when his iniquities stare him in the face, and seem more in number than the hairs of his head; when he fears he shall be cast for ever into the bottomless pit of hell, and have his portion with the hypocrites.   This "day of trouble" is not literally a day, a portion of time meted out by the rising or setting sun, a space of twenty-four hours.  The hands of a clock, or the shadow of a dial, cannot regulate spiritual troubles.  A day here means a season, be it long or short; be it a day, week, month or year.  And as the season cannot be measured in length, so the trouble cannot be measured in depth.

The only wise God deals out various measures of affliction to his people.  All do not sink to the same depth, as all do not rise to the same height.  All do not drink equally deep of the cup; yet all, each in their measure, pass through this day of trouble, wherein their fleshly religion is pulled to pieces, their self-righteousness marred, their presumptuous hopes crushed, and they brought into the state of the leper, to cry, "Unclean, unclean."   Until a man has passed through this day of trouble, until he has experienced more or less of these exercises of soul, and known guilt and condemnation in his conscience; until he has struggled in this narrow pass, and had his rags of creature righteousness torn away from him, he can know nothing experimentally of the efficacy of Jesus' atoning blood, nor feel the power of Christ's resurrection.