Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Lord gives us callus knees and broken hearts!


Revival doesn't cost a red cent, except broken hearts.

We Christians are debtors to all men at all times in all places, but we are so smug to the lostness of men. We've been "living in Laodicea", lax, loose, lustful, and lazy. Why is there this criminal indifference to the lostness of men? Our condemnation is that we know how to live better than we are living. The Bible parable says that while men slept, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat. A boy who rises at 4:30 to deliver papers is considered a go-getter, but to urge our young people to rise at 5:30 to pray is considered fanaticism. We must once again wear the hardness of discipline. There is no other way.

A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God.

To be much for God, we must be much with God. Jesus, that lone figure in the wilderness, knew strong crying, along with tears. Can one be moved with compassion and not know tears? Jeremiah was a sobbing saint. Jesus wept! So did Paul. So did John...Though there are some tearful intercessors behind the scenes, I grant you that to our modern Christianity, praying is foreign.

No man - I don't care how colossal his intellect - No man is greater than his prayer life.

In revival God is not concerned about filling empty churches, He is concerned about filling empty hearts.

Just to give a man a license to preach because he has so much academic ability is like giving a blind man a driving license. If he doesn't know God, why is he in this business?!

Leonard Ravenhill

Monday, April 26, 2010

Limited Atonement.

The doctrine of Limited Atonement (or Particular Redemption) is probably the most controversial of the doctrines of grace and most difficult to accept by many believers. Limited Atonement states that Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only, and actually secured salvation for them. His death was the substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation; including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.

- Aaron

"In short, limited atonement affirms that Jesus Christ in dying bore the sins of his people, enduring all the punishment that was due to them by becoming the curse that the law demanded. It pleased the Lord to bruise him for this purpose, for in so doing he gained - by his meritorious death - forgiveness, righteousness, sanctification, and eternal glory for a large and definite number of people, all of whom he knew and to whom he was joined before the foundation of the world."

- Thomas J. Nettles

"[If Jesus died for all men]...why then, are not all freed from the punishment of all their sins? You will say, "Because of their unbelief; they will not believe." But his unbelief, is it sin, or not? If not, why should they be punished for it? If it be sin, then Christ underwent the punishment due to it; If this is so, then why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which he died from partaking of the fruit of his death? If he did not, then he did not die for all their sins."

- John Owen

"We are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ, because we say that Christ has not made satisfaction for all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our reply to this is, that, on the other hand, our opponents limit it: we do not. The Arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men. They say, "No, certainly not." We ask them the next question--Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer, "No." They are obliged to admit this, if they are consistent. They say, "No, Christ has died that any man may be saved if..." --and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon, when you say that we limits Christ's death; we say, "no my dear sir, it is you that do it." We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ's death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it."

- Charles Spurgeon

When witnessing remember there NO ONE who is GOOD.


What was wrong with him?

(Arthur Pink) Arthur Walkington Pink (1 April 1886 – 15 July 1952) was an English Christian evangelist and Biblical scholar known for his staunchly Calvinist and Puritan-like teachings.

"One thing you lack" Mark 10:21

Those words addressed by our Lord to the rich young ruler who had approached Him with such apparent eagerness and earnestness, and in whom there were some admirable qualities which are rarely found in young men, especially those of affluence.

Yet there was a fatal defect, for the sequel informs us that he turned from Christ, and "went away sad" (Mark 10:22). What was wrong with him? "'One thing you lack--Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.' At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth." (Mark 10:21-22).

There was a struggle between his convictions and his corruptions; he desired to serve two masters--God and mammon; and when Christ told him that was impossible, he was chagrined.

His fatal deficiency may be described in a variety of ways. He had no conviction that he was a ruined, lost and Hell-deserving sinner, no consciousness that he was a spiritual leper in the sight of God, no realization of his utter helplessness to better his condition. Though religious, he was still in nature's darkness, and therefore, his affections were not raised above the vanities of this world. There was no love for God within him; and consequently, he was unwilling to deny himself, abandon his idols, and give God His rightful place in his life--serving, pleasing, and enjoying Him. He lacked a real and unreserved surrender of his heart to God.

Is that the case with you, dear reader?

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Witnessing Opportunity this weekend.

Please pray for me and a few other men for the ability, strength, and power of the Holy Spirit, to abide with us this weekend. Panoply is this weekend and we are hoping we will have the opportunity to pass out Gospel Tracts and witness as God leads us. Pray for me as I need a person to watch my Son. The Lord may just ask me to stay at home, but I am praying He will be pleased to let me go!

- Aaron

Panoply, “The South's Most All-Embracing ARTStravaganza,” is held the last full weekend of each April in downtown Huntsville, Alabama; this annual celebration of the arts attracts over 100,000 people to Big Spring International Park (with record-breaking attendances exceeding 100,000 during 2007 - 2009!).

Conviction of sin.


Conviction of Sin

Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-1843)


"He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment!" John 16:8

1. Conviction of sin, by the Holy Spirit, issuing in conversion—is not the mere smiting of the natural conscience. Although man is utterly fallen—yet God has left natural conscience behind in every heart to speak for Him. Some men, by continual sinning, sear even the conscience as with a hot iron, so that it becomes past feeling; but most men have so much natural conscience remaining that they cannot commit heinous sin, without their conscience smiting them. When a man commits murder or theft, no eye may have seen him, and yet conscience makes a coward of him. He trembles, fearing that God will take vengeance. Now that is a natural work which takes place in every heart—but conviction of sin is a supernatural work of the Spirit of God. If you have had nothing more than the ordinary smiting of conscience—then you have never been truly convicted of sin.

2. Conviction of sin, by the Holy Spirit, issuing in conversion—is not any impression upon the imagination. Sometimes, when men have committed great sin, they have awful impressions of God's vengeance made upon their imaginations. In the night-time, they almost imagine that they see the flames of Hell burning beneath them; or they seem to hear doleful cries in their ears telling of coming woe; or they have terrible dreams, when they sleep, of coming vengeance. Now this is not the conviction of sin which the Spirit gives: it is altogether a natural work upon the natural faculties.

3. Conviction of sin, by the Holy Spirit, issuing in conversion—is not a mere head knowledge of what the Bible says against sin. Many unconverted men read their Bibles, and have a clear knowledge that their case is laid down there. They know very well that they are in sin, and they know just as well that the wages of sin is death. One man lives a swearer, and he reads the words, and understands them perfectly: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless—who takes his name in vain" (Exodus 20:7; Deu 5:11). Another man lives in the lusts of the flesh, and he reads the Bible and understands those words perfectly: "No immoral person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Ephesians 5:5). Another man lives in habitual forgetfulness of God—never thinks of Him, and yet he reads: "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17). Now in this way, most men have a head knowledge of their sin and of its wages—yet this is far from true conviction of sin.

What—then, is this conviction of sin?

It is to feel the loathsomeness of sin. A child of God has seen the beauty and excellency of God; and therefore, sin is loathsome in his eyes. But no unconverted person has seen the beauty and excellency of God; and therefore, sin cannot appear dark and loathsome in his eyes.

It is a just sense of the dreadfulness of sin. It is not mere knowledge that we have many sins and that God's anger is revealed against them all; but it is a heart-feeling that we are under sin. It is a sense of the dishonor it does to God, and of the wrath to which it exposes the soul.

Conviction of sin is no slight natural work upon the heart. It is all in vain that you read your Bibles and hear us preach, unless the Spirit uses the words to give feeling to your dead hearts. If we could prove to you with the plainness of arithmetic, that the wrath of God is abiding on you—still, you would sit unmoved. The Spirit alone can impress your heart.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Does God attend your Sunday Service..


Why is the Church
Powerless?

SPIRITUALLY WE ARE in a shocking condition.
The status of many local fellowships is bad news,
and deteriorating by the minute.
We have become more proud of the number of successful
businessmen in our churches than of the
number of men of God. The dollar has become our
master. The claims of the businessworld have been
given more place than the claims of Christ. The
corporation counts more with us than the Church.
Our condemnation is found in the words of Samuel
Johnson, “The lust of gold, unfeeling and remorseless,
is the last corruption of degenerate man.”
We have become a status-seeking people. We sacrifice
everything for prestige jobs, prestige homes and
prestige cars. And we have prestige ambitions for
our children. Truth is that in our mad desire to see
them successful and comfortable in the world, we
are causing many of them to pass through the fire in
this life and to suffer the pains of hell in the next.
Too often we are living double lives. Outwardly
there is an appearance of piety and respectability.
But in business there are bribery, shady deals, dishonesty
and numberless forms of compromise. And
in our personal lives there are coldness, bitterness,
strife gossip, back-biting and impurity. We are living
a lie.
We have become thoroughly worldly, living for the
love of passing things. We have been enraptured
victims of the idiot tube, and lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God. Most willingly have we
been poured into the mold of the world, its fashions,
amusements and ideals. The sin of prayerlessness
has been all too apparent. In our abounding wealth
and self-sufficiency, we have not had any strong
inward necessity driving us to prayer. Many of our
prayer meetings need closing down.


William MacDonald (1917-2007) - Prolific author
and teacher, was a mentor to many. William Mac-
Donald was involved in active service for the Lord for
over 70 years.


- This thought is not original with me, but a very Godly man once said that Sunday morning in the USA is the biggest sin of idolatry we have ever seen. -

- Aaron

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Truths to Meditate on....



Chapter 9: Of Free Will

1. God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice, that it is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good or evil.
( Matthew 17:12; James 1:14; Deuteronomy 30:19 )

2. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, but yet was unstable, so that he might fall from it.
( Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 3:6 )

3. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.
( Romans 5:6; Romans 8:7; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Titus 3:3-5; John 6:44 )

4. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he doth not perfectly, nor only will, that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.
( Colossians 1:13; John 8:36; Philippians 2:13; Romans 7:15, 18, 19, 21, 23 )

5. This will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory only.
( Ephesians 4:13 )

Chapter 10: Of Effectual Calling

1. Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.
( Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14; Ephesians 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 1:17, 18; Ezekiel 36:26; Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:19; Psalm 110:3; Canticles 1:4 )

2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.
( 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:5; John 5:25; Ephesians 1:19, 20 )

3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.
( John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8 )

4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.
( Matthew 22:14; Matthew 13:20, 21; Hebrews 6:4, 5; John 6:44, 45, 65; 1 John 2:24, 25; Acts 4:12; John 4:22; John 17:3 )

Chapter 14: Of Saving Faith

1. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.
( 2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:14, 17; Luke 17:5; 1 Peter 2:2; Acts 20:32 )

2. By this faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the authority of God himself, and also apprehendeth an excellency therein above all other writings and all things in the world, as it bears forth the glory of God in his attributes, the excellency of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his workings and operations: and so is enabled to cast his soul upon the truth thus believed; and also acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come; but the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.
( Acts 24:14; Psalms 27:7-10; Psalms 119:72; 2 Timothy 1:12; John 14:14; Isaiah 66:2; Hebrews 11:13; John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:20; Acts 15:11 )

3. This faith, although it be different in degrees, and may be weak or strong, yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of it, as is all other saving grace, from the faith and common grace of temporary believers; and therefore, though it may be many times assailed and weakened, yet it gets the victory, growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.
( Hebrews 5:13, 14; Matthew 6:30; Romans 4:19, 20; 2 Peter 1:1; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 5:4, 5; Hebrews 6:11, 12; Colossians 2:2; Hebrews 12:2 )

The Great Change - When you were Converted!


The Great Change -
Conversion

CAN YOU NOT remember, dearly-beloved, that
day of days, that best and brightest of hours, when
first you saw the Lord, lost your burden, received
the roll of promise, rejoiced in full salvation, and
went on your way in peace?
When I was in the hand of the Holy Spirit, under
conviction of sin, I had a clear and sharp sense of
the justice of God. Sin, whatever it might be to other
people, became to me an intolerable burden. It was
not so much that I feared hell, as that I feared sin;
and all the while, I had upon my mind a deep concern
for the honour of God's name, and the integrity
of His moral government. I felt that it would not
satisfy my conscience if I could be forgiven unjustly.
But then there came the question,—"How could
God be just, and yet justify me who had been so
guilty?" I was worried and wearied with this question;
neither could I see any answer to it. Certainly, I
could never have invented an answer which would
have satisfied my conscience. The doctrine of the
atonement is to my mind one of the surest proofs of
the Divine inspiration of Holy Scripture. Who
would or could have thought of the just Ruler dying
for the unjust rebel? This method of expiation is
only known among men because it is a fact: fiction
could not have devised it. God Himself ordained it;
it is not a matter which could have been imagined.
When I was anxious about the possibility of a just
God pardoning me, I understood and saw by faith
that He who is the Son of God became man, and in
His own blessed person bore my sin in His own
body on the tree. I saw that the chastisement of my
peace was laid on Him, and that with His stripes I
was healed. It was because the Son of God, supremely
glorious in His matchless person, undertook
to vindicate the law by bearing the sentence
due to me, that therefore God was able to pass by
my sin.

C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) - British Baptist
preacher known as the “prince of preachers.” He
wrote volumes of works that are still reprinted in our
day. Used to bring many souls to Christ in England.

- My heart still cries "O How can it be that thou my God dist die for me!"
- Aaron

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

True Repentance is to do so NO more!


The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson


COUNTERFEIT REPENTANCE


To discover what true repentance is, I shall first show what it is not. There are several deceits of repentance which might occasion that saying of Augustine that `repentance damns many'. He meant a false repentance; a person may delude himself with counterfeit repentance.

1. The first deceit of repentance is legal terror
A man has gone on long in sin. At last God arrests him, shows him what desperate hazard he has run, and he is filled with anguish. Within a while the tempest of conscience is blown over, and he is quiet. Then he concludes that he is a true penitent because he has felt some bitterness in sin. Do not be deceived: this is not repentance. Ahab and Judas had some trouble of mind. It is one thing to be a terrified sinner and another to be a repenting sinner. Sense of guilt is enough to breed terror. Infusion of grace breeds repentance. If pain and trouble were sufficient to repentance, then the damned in hell should be most penitent, for they are most in anguish. Repentance depends upon a change of heart. There may be terror, yet with no change of heart.

2. Another deceit about repentance is resolution against sin
A person may purpose and make vows, yet be no penitent. `Thou saidst, I will not transgress' (Jer. 2.20). Here was a resolution; but see what follows: `under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot'. Notwithstanding her solemn engagements, she played fast and loose with God and ran after her idols. We see by experience what protestations a person will make when he is on his sick-bed, if God should recover him again; yet he is as bad as ever. He shows his old heart in a new temptation.

Resolutions against sin may arise:
(1) From present extremity; not because sin is sinful, but because it is painful. This resolution will vanish.
(2) From fear of future evil, an apprehension of death and hell: `I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him' (Rev. 6.8). What will not a sinner do, what vows will he not make, when he knows he must die and stand before the judgment-seat? Self-love raises a sick-bed vow, and love of sin will prevail against it. Trust not to a passionate resolution; it is raised in a storm and will die in a calm.

3. The third deceit about repentance is the leaving of many sinful ways It is a great matter, I confess, to leave sin. So dear is sin to a man that he will rather part with a child than with a lust: `Shall I give the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' (Mic. 6.7). Sin may be parted with, yet without repentance.
(1) A man may part with some sins and keep others, as Herod reformed many things that were amiss but could not leave his incest.
(2) An old sin may be left in order to entertain a new, as you put off an old servant to take another. This is to exchange a sin. Sin may be exchanged and the heart remained unchanged. He who was a prodigal in his youth turns usurer in his old age. A slave is sold to a Jew; the Jew sells him to a Turk. Here the master is changed, but he is a slave still. So a man moves from one vice to another but remains a sinner still.
(3) A sin may be left not so much from strength of grace as from reasons of prudence. A man sees that though such a sin be for his pleasure, yet it is not for his interest. It will eclipse his credit, prejudice his health, impair his estate. Therefore, for prudential reasons, he dismisses it. True leaving of sin is when the acts of sin cease from the infusion of a principle of grace, as the air ceases to be dark from the infusion of light.

Keeping the Focus..

As the leader in my home it is up to me to keep everyone focused on Christ and His glory. One of the ways I attempt to keep the focus is to prayerfully seek Gods direction on what verses He would have us cling to. About 2 months ago the Lord really impressed on me Matthew 16:24-26. The mission we are trying to focus on is; is our discipleship costing us or are we deceived? Would He say "depart from me I never knew you, or well done good and faithful servant." Since we are in a battle and as humans are prone to laziness, I find it very necessary to examine our walk with Christ intensely in contrast to Christ's harshest demands. Looking at Christ as only the lamb leads to an imbalanced view of Him. We must remember He is the Lion and Lamb. As one good preacher put it He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He will bolt out of Heaven on a white horse, His garments are dripped in blood and He is coming to dominate and to slaughter. This coming King has always upheld perfect forgiveness while upholding perfect righteousness. "YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS." The cost is very great, your life, not just the physical, but your idols, dreams, hopes, aspirations. We must put them out side the camp where they belong, and be like Christ and say for the JOY set before us we despise all and run to Him. And in the end our reward will be great we will get Him.

This is what I have posted on the Frig...

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

- Aaron

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Just a Christian that Loves the Doctrines of Grace


I was out a friends house this weekend who broke out an old copy of the Onley hymns. Just before he broke it out we were discussing the Doctrines of Grace. He like me believes that these truths only widen our understanding of the greatness of God revealed in the scriptures. He like me believes that all "GOOD" theology and doctrine leads the believer to worship Christ more rightly. When I told my friend that I cannot seem to live without these Doctrines, since they fill me with the awesomeness of God. He brought this little book out and told me to read an excerpt written by John Newton.

-Aaron


In the preface to the Olney hymns, John Newton wrote, "The views I have received of the doctrines of grace are essential to my peace; I could not live comfortably a day, or an hour, without them. I likewise believe . . . them to be friendly to holiness, and to have a direct influence in producing and maintaining a gospel conversation; and therefore I must not be ashamed of them."

Thursday, April 8, 2010

A little on Prayer, and such...

I was grateful again last night that I was able to attend prayer meeting at my local church. There aren't many who go but I praise God for those who are able to go. It seems as though lately all the attendees are beginning to be moved by the Power of God. I would like to think that I have learned a little in the area of prayer. I know that we have a God who hears and acts on the prayers of His people.
I thank God that He put me through the toughest time of my life so He could show Himself faithful and true. The cost was very very great but He is far greater. And the truth is what was lost is not lost but found by Christ and I will see them again; but for now they are hidden from eyes. I often pray that God will keep my focus and perspective on eternity, becasue this will all be over soon.
I am thankful that God never stops revealing His greatness and glory and my weakness and need for Him. I still see many things in this man that needs to be refined but I am sure of this He will do it. We who call on the great name of Christ must learn to die, die, die, and give all dominion and control over to Him. The trials are so tough but they fill me with a sense of the Glory of God, and they bring me in such sweet, true fellowship, I feel a life without these tests would be no life at all. God has designed testing and trials for all His children to make them conform into the image of Christ. We all should embrace them with open arms and hearts and get our fill of Jesus.
This has been a hard time for me but also very sweet too. I have learned that with the knowledge of God comes simplicity. I often pray "Gentle Jesus meek and mild come unto a little child. Lord pity my simplicity, suffer me to come to thee." In these few words I understand that I am not wise, powerful, or great; but I am a simple man from the dust who needs All Mighty God to rescue him daily.

- Aaron

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

RJ is getting Bigger and cuter.



RJ is just getting cuter and it is getting harder to discpline him. :)

- Aaron

Sunday, April 4, 2010


It is finished!

(J. C. Ryle)

"It is finished!" John 19:30

Let us turn from the story of the crucifixion, every time we read it--with hearts full of praise.

Let us praise God for the confidence it gives us, as to the ground of our hope of pardon. Our sins may be many and great--but the payment made by our Great Substitute far outweighs them all!

Let us praise God for the view it given us of the love of our Father in heaven. He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all--will surely with Him give us all things!

Not least, let us praise God for the view it gives us of the sympathy of Jesus with all His believing people. He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows what suffering is. Jesus is just the Savior that an infirm body, with a weak heart, in an evil world, requires!


-Aaron

Praise God. Jesus Died.



God has privledged me many times to sit under this mans preaching. The power of God is real, but will we submit to Christ ALL THE WAY. I have met Paul Washer many times and what he asks me everytime is to pray that he is a Godly husband and good father.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Oh Lord give us a hunger for you!


Psalms 24:3-6 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah


Have We No Tears for Revival?

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine edict. This is more than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This is more than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletic perfection. Such a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority of the Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with sorrow that men turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell in the process. Under this complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears.



The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry in their despair before a devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast him out?" (Matt. 17:19).



Many of us have no heart-sickness for the former glory of the Church because we have never known what true revival is. We stagnate in the status quo and sleep easy at night while our generation moves swiftly to the eternal night of hell. Shame, shame on us! Jesus whipped some money changers out of the temple; but before He whipped them, He wept over them. He knew how near their judgment was The Apostle Paul sent a tear-stained letter to the Philippian saints, writing: "I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). Notice that he does not say they are enemies of Christ; they are, rather, the enemies of the cross of Christ. They deny or diminish the redemptive values of the cross. There are many like this today. The church of Rome does not stand as an enemy of Christ; it traces heavily on His holy name. Yet it denies the cross by saying that the Blessed Virgin is co-redemptive. If this is so, why was she not also crucified? The Mormons use the name of Christ, yet they are astray on the atonement. Have we tears for them? Shall we face them without a blush when they accuse us of inertia at the Judgment Seat saying that they were our neighbors and an offense to us, but not a burden because they were lost?



The Salvationists can scarcely read their flaming evangelical history without tears. Has the glory of the evangelical revival under Wesley ever gripped the hearts of the Methodists of today? Have they read of the fire-baptized men in Wesley's team? Men like John Nelson, Thomas Walsh, and a host of others whose names are written in the Book of Life; men persecuted and kicked in the streets when they held street meetings? Yet as their blood flowed from their wounds, their tears flowed from their eyes. Have the Holiness people set a guard at the door of the beauty parlors lest any sister should enter to get her hair curled, while a block away there is a string of prostitutes trying to sell their sin-wracked bodies with none to tell them of eternal love? Do the Pentecostals look back with shame as they remember when they dwelt across the theological tracks, but with the glory of the Lord in their midst? When they had a normal church life, which meant nights of prayers, followed by signs and wonders, and diverse miracles, and genuine gifts of the Holy Ghost? When they were not clock watchers, and their meetings lasted for hours, saturated with holy power? Have we no tears for these memories, or shame that our children know nothing of such power? Other denominations had their Glory Days of revival. Think of the mighty visitations to the Presbyterians in Korea. Remember the earth-shaking revival in Shantung. Are those days gone forever? Have we no tears for revival?


Leonard Ravenhill