HOPE IN YOUR WORKS?

If God announces the gift of righteousness apart from works, why do you keep mourning over your bad works, your failures? Do you not see that it is because you still have hopes in these works of yours that you are depressed and discouraged by their failure? If you truly saw and believed that God is reckoning righteous the ungodly who believe on Him, you would fairly hate your struggles to be "better"; for you would see that your dreams of good works have not at all commended you to God, and that your bad works do not at all hinder you from believing on Him, - that justifieth the ungodly!

Therefore, on seeing your failures, you should say, I am nothing but a failure; but God is dealing with me on another principle altogether than my works, good or bad - a principle not involving my works, but based only on the work of Christ for me ... God, in justifying me, acted wholly and only on Christ's blood-shedding on my behalf.


--William R. Newell (1868-1956), pastor, assistant superintendent of Moody Bible Institute, and writer of the beloved hymn "At Calvary."

Amen, amen! - Linda

Ann Barnhardt: The Boston Speech.. .

“Sir, you are deeply confused. I killed Jesus. The Jews are merely the historical proxy for me.”

Ann Barnhardt: The Boston Speech. @ AMERICAN DIGEST

Reading with thought. . .

Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought. -Arthur Helps, writer (1813-1875)

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go. -William Shakespeare, playwright and poet (1564-1616)

My kids were avid readers from the time they could put some words together. I should be delighted, and am, that they love the story, but reading with thought is what would be best. I know that I cannot enjoy the reading of the Bible on tape etc. as the reader does not stop for thought! You too?

Are Angels and Demons Reality or Myth?

I think Satan is a self-deluded egomaniac who probably to this day thinks he’s going to win. After all what does he offer? He offers people all that their selfish ambitions would want. Self as god and instead of taking that, who is going to follow this lowly man of Nazareth who all he promises you is take up your cross and follow me? You’ll be hated by the world and so forth, and Satan promises you the world. So rationally, you would think he would have the biggest following and in fact he does. I often say to young people especially, if Satan has more to offer than God, if what Satan is offering you is better and your conscience can go with it and in the long run it’s going to prove to be better than what God offers, by all means follow Satan. God is not trying to trick anyone, but he is up front with what he’s offering. Satan is a deceiver and a liar—

Are Angels and Demons Reality or Myth? | thebereancall.org

A good read from Dave Hunt. - L

"O What A Savior" (Marvin P. Dalton)

Once I was straying in sin’s dark valley
No hope within could I see
They searched through Heaven
And found a Savior
To save a poor lost soul like me.

Chorus
O what a Savior, O hallelujah
His heart was broken on Calvary
His hands were nail scarred
His side was riven
He gave His life-blood for even me.

Death’s chilly water I’ll soon be crossing
His hand will lead me safe o're
I’ll join the chorus in that great city
And sing up there for evermore.

YouTube - "O What A Savior" By Squire Parsons/Larry Ford

Today, not judgment but grace and peace. . .

"Thy word is true from the beginning...," "Thy word is truth" (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).

"As even the limited evidence we've presented suggests, this winter's extreme weather, animal deaths, and even earthquakes are not the beginnings of divine judgment...but rather these events appear to be the consequences of entropy, in conjunction with the wickedness of men" and Satan's power.

You mention God's chastenings in men's lives, to either bless them or call them to repentance. It is true that the Lord chastens those whom He loves (Heb 12:6). This principle applies to God's children--those who have been made joint heirs through faith in Christ(Rom 8:17). Scripture tells us that it is not God's wrath but His kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4)

With the professing church, it's important to note that in the New Testament we see God's judgment of unrepentant believers: "deliver[ing] such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh" (1 Cor 5:5). This may occur in a sudden, catastrophic manner, or perhaps in a slow but obvious deterioration of health. God simply allows Satan to do what comes naturally as the thief and destroyer and sworn enemy of God's people. This method of justice seems consistent with what we see in regard to peoples and nations today.

There is no scriptural or physical evidence to suggest that our Creator is presently doing the "thundering" or "shaking" that results in catastrophic death and devastation. Instead of a biblical view of love, grace, and mercy, this paints the Lord as a spiteful, vengeful being, who indiscriminately hurls lightning and waves upon the continents. Such a picture is largely indistinguishable from that of a mythological or pagan perspective.

Today in the age of grace, God "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Mt 5:45)--not for judgment, but for blessing.
(From The Berean Call Newsletter, May 2011.)