Woe To You, Church!

It is a pretty scathing commentary on visible churches, who are supposed to be salt and light to a lost and dying world, when they deny and reject the Word of God and accept and support the sin of homosexuality. Why not accept and support the sin of adultery, too? God's Word condemns it as well. It also condemns bestiality, child sacrifice, etc.

Homosexuality is a behaviour. It is an act. It is a choice. All it takes is one act of murder for someone to be a murderer; one act of rape for someone to be a rapist; one act of theft for someone to be a thief; one act of lying for someone to be a liar. Likewise, it takes one act of homosexuality for someone to be a homosexual. Homosexuality is not an identity. Otherwise adultery, murder, rape, theft, lying, bestiality, pedophilia, etc., would have to be an identity as well. The truth behind homosexuality is that these individuals have strong and/or frequent thoughts and temptations of homosexuality, but rather than fight them, they convince themselves that because of these strong and/or frequent thoughts and temptations, it must mean that they were born this way and that this is who they are. By that logic, then the person who has strong and/or frequent thoughts of adultery must have been born that way and that that is who they are and therefore they should just embrace it and shout it out loud and proud, "I'm an adulterer!" They could even start having Adultery Parades to celebrate it. The same goes for murder, rape, theft, lying, bestiality, pedophilia, etc., etc., etc.

The visible church starting to accept and support homosexuality is not a sign of "enlightenment"; it is a sign of judgment and condemnation; that the Spirit of God does not reside within that church. If you were to attend such a church, no doubt you could feel the cold emptiness, that the Spirit has left them a long time ago. Homosexuality is not a worse sin than any other sin, but it is a sin nonetheless. Visible churches that deny, put aside, or reject what God's Word has to say are no churches at all and will be judged by Christ Jesus on judgment day. They think themselves alive when in fact they are really dead.

Woe to you, Church, who has rejected the inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God, and embraced the open practice and acceptance of the sin of homosexuality and transgenderism! May God have mercy on you when Christ Jesus returns to judge the world in sin and in righteousness.

"Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?" (Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6)

"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." (Lev. 18:22)

"If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them." (Lev. 20:13)

"For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." (Rom. 1:26-27)

"We know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." (1 Tim. 1:8-11)

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 6:9-10)

Canonical vs. Apocryphal

John Lawton Jeffcoat III, the director of GreatSite.com, argues, "The Apocrypha was removed from Protestant and Anglican publications of the Bible in the 1880's due to the influence of textual critics Westcott and Hort, with the advent of the 'Revised Version' of 1881-1885... the first widely-accepted modern English Bible to be published after the King James Version. Are you going to base your theology upon the idea the NEW revelation about which books should be in the Bible came down from God in the 1800's?"

John's argument is completely fallacious, and when I challenged him to present an actual case that would strengthen his argument, he got all pouty and started throwing a temper tantrum. He argues that the Apocrypha was removed in the 1880s, arguing, "NOBODY had the God-given authority to remove it 125 years ago. No satisfying justification for its removal was ever given by anyone." But he fails to grasp the fact that nobody had the God-given authority to include it for 2,000 years either! In fact, everything he spews forth regarding the 1880s simply does not match up with historical evidence. The Belgic Confession, written in 1561 (over 300 years prior to the 1880s), had this to say in Article 6:

Article 6: The Difference Between Canonical and Apocryphal Books

We distinguish between these holy books and the apocryphal ones, which are the third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch; what was added to the Story of Esther; the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace; the Story of Susannah; the Story of Bel and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; and the two books of Maccabees.

The church may certainly read these books and learn from them as far as they agree with the canonical books. But they do not have such power and virtue that one could confirm from their testimony any point of faith or of the Christian religion. Much less can they detract from the authority of the other holy books.

Furthermore, The British Delegation and the Synod of Dort (1618-1619), edited by Anthony Milton, page 137, had this to say:

He added that the reasons urged to the contrary were of little force, & that there was no reason ut erranti antiguitati suffragentur posteri [antiquity going to favor the future]. Deodatus¹⁰⁹ who had required time of deliberation now answered that of those bookes a difference must be made. Some of them having allmost nothing but fables & errors with little or no profitable matter; such he thought all but lib. Sap. Eccles. Baruch: & 1 um Machab, which onely he wold have preserved, the rest rejected.
To conclude that sentence by plurality of voices was established that they should still be retained, but placed after the New Testament.<sup>110

109. Ward notes that in additon to Deodati, the Hessian delegate Georg Cruciger (1575-1637), professor in logic at Marburg, also favoured removing some of the Apocrypha (ibid.).
110. The Acta, p. 24, contain a reasonable full account of this final agreement. It was emphasized that, while it might have been preferred that the Apocrypha had never been joined to the canonical books, they were to be retained, but only on condition that they be distinguished from canonical books by a different title to show that they are of human origin; that they be preceded by a preface in which their authority and errors are explained to readers; that a further type be used for marginal annotations that would note all the points which the papists used from them to oppose the truth of the canonical books; that they be distinguished by different pagination; and that although historically they have been placed between the Old and New Testament, yet to ensure that the people can learn to distinguish them more effectively from the canonical scriptures, the Dutch churches had not decided to remove them to the end of the New Testament.</sup>

John claims, "We are not arguing that the Apocrypha is definitively the inspired Word of God. We are merely arguing that the Apocrypha has been part of 'The Bible' for TWO THOUSAND YEARS." And his point is... exactly? There was no God-given authority to include it in the first place, nor was there any God-given authority to remove it. If Christians want the Apocrypha as part of their Bible, that is up to them. If they want the Apocrypha in a separate book from the Bible, that is also up to them. If they do not want the Apocrypha at all, again, that is up to them. Some of the Apocryphal books are goofy and ridiculous, but some are historical, albeit not entirely accurate and definitely not inspired.

I would really like to know where John gets the idea of theology based on which books are or are not included or excluded: "Are you going to base your theology upon the idea the NEW revelation about which books should be in the Bible came down from God in the 1800's?" There is absolutely no theology connected to whether the Apocrypha are included in the Bible or excluded from the Bible. Apparently John has a poor understanding of precisely what theology is. The inclusion or exclusion of the Apocrypha has no barring on Christian theology whatsoever because it has nothing to offer in the way of theology. So why does John make such a huge fuss over whether or not the Apocrypha is included? Such insistence marks him as someone belonging to some kind of cult, like the KJV-Onlyists.

Transsexualism/Transgenderism

Another moral shift is taking place in our society, where people refuse to call things by their proper names (demonstrative of the fact they lack wisdom), bowing down to mental health issues rather than getting these people the psychological help they so desperately need. First it was homosexuality. Now it is transexualism/transgenderism (which is just a different form of homosexuality). If you follow the news at all, soon it will be bestiality/zoophilia and pedophilia. Where do we draw the line?

"Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?" (Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6)

There are only two genders, two sexes: male and female! Nothing more. Not 3. Not 4. Not 12. Not 50. Not 70, as appears on FaceBook. Two! Male and Female!

We must respect biological/inherent identity; not mental defects and sexual reconstructions! Identity is the sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing. If you were born with a penis, you are a boy, and your parents (if they love you) and society must treat you accordingly, correcting you if you start erroneously thinking that you are a female. If you were born with a vagina, you are a girl, and your parents (if they love you) and society must treat you accordingly, correcting you if you start erroneously thinking that you are a male. Society needs to quit attacking our children and attempting to confuse them from a young age.

Bruce Jenner is a male; he can have all the plastic surgery he wants in order to try and look like a woman but he will always remain a man; and he can desire to be called Caitlyn all he wants, but his name will still be Bruce. His identity is and will forever be that of a male. It does not matter what he "feels like" inside. Just because you feel like a balloon trapped in a man's/woman's body does not make you a balloon. Wanting to be identified as a balloon just demonstrates that you should be committed and receive proper psychological help. Identity is what you are; not what you want to be or what you think you are.

Lazy parents need to get off their derrières and start teaching their children right from wrong again, correcting their children with the truth. Our society has gotten so lazy that instead of taking a stand and doing something about it, we merely voice our opinions while sitting on the sidelines. The entire country of Peru had it right Saturday of last week. All over the country, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against gender ideology being introduced into their schools and corrupting their children. At least in some parts of the world, humanity still has some brains left. In North America and Europe, we have pretty much thrown intelligence out the window and bow before mental nonsense.

Transexualism/transgenderism is only a part of a greater disease plaguing our society. Yes, we need to love these people and show them grace, but we do not accept their behaviour under any circumstances, just as we do not accept the behaviour of homosexuals under any circumstances. These people need help. Stop being brainwashed and emotionally manipulated, people! These situations have nothing to do with "love." The argument that "they should be able to love whomever they want" is erroneous, fallacious, and flawed. That same argument is now being peddled by pedophiles, and people are starting to do with them as they have done with homosexuals. There is no truth to that statement, otherwise polygamy would be legal, as would incest of every variety. "Love" has nothing to do with it. They want to lust after whomever they want.

Our society quickly needs a reform, because we are headed down a dangerous road from which there is no return. Justice will be meted out one way or another. If not by another country conquering us, as has repeated been the case throughout history, then by the swift return of the Lord Jesus to judge the world in sin and righteousness. We need God back in our countries again. We need a foundation of morality again; of right and wrong again. Everything we see taking place in our society right now is just a small sample of God's judgment being poured out upon us.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." (Romans 1:18-32)

5 Ways Christians Should Judge

by Julie Roys

It happened when I posted something to social media lamenting author Jen Hatmaker’s disastrous decision to affirm gay unions. It happened again when I criticized a Saturday Night Live writer for attacking Barron Trump, the 10-year-old son of the president. Truth is, it happens anytime I make a judgment about anything or anyone.

“Christians are not to pass judgments, only state the truths,” one person commented.

“Christ taught us to LOVE EVERYONE. Judgments are for our father in heaven, not us,” said another.

And ironically, someone even stated, “You obviously are not a Christian because Jesus told us not to judge.”

In some ways, these statements reflect the ethic of our culture. Judging is wrong – except when it’s not. (Apparently, it’s wrong to judge someone’s sexual behavior, for example, but perfectly legitimate to judge someone for wearing fur or emitting too much carbon.) Yet, we judge all the time. (How could anyone hire a babysitter without judging?)

As David S. Oderberg, professor of philosophy at University of Reading, wrote, “We in the liberal, democratic West live in a society with a split personality, deriving from our own individual dissociative traits. . . . We do not want to appear (or even to be) judgmental, but we also know that we do judge our fellows continuously, and believe this is often justified.”

As Christians, we take our cues from Scripture, not culture. But even Scripture appears to give conflicting messages about judging. In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Do not judge,” but in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, the apostle Paul says, “(T)he Lord’s people will judge the world. . . How much more the things of this life!”

So what gives? Are Christians supposed to judge or not judge? And just what is the Christian standard?

Continue reading...

Same Love (A Response) [Song]

a single from Bizzle

[Intro]
But understand this, that in the last days
There will come times of difficulty
For people will be lovers of self
Lovers of money, proud, arrogant
Abusive, disobedient to their parents
Ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable
Slanderous, without self-control, brutal
Not loving good, treacherous, reckless
Swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
Having the appearance of godliness
But denying its power
Woe to he who calls evil good and good evil

[Verse]
It's funny how the media portrays things
They really pushing hard for this gay thing
And it's so wicked how they manipulate things
Can't even disagree without them making it a hate thing
I say you wrong, and you holla "hate" instantly
But you say we the ones who don't tolerate differences
There's a whole lot of things I could say really
But, see your hypocrisy is something I could paint vividly
Saying it's the way you was born
And I'm sure, that you lust just like I do, just in a different form
But I'm married, so if I give into mine, I'm a cheater
If you give into yours, you just fight to make it legal
You rather fight God, then fight sin
The Bible is alright, until it calls what you like sin
And I feel so disrespected that you were so desperate
You would compare your sexual habits to my skin
Calling it the new black?
Tell me where they do that?
They hung us like tree ornaments, where were you at?
They burned us for entertainment, you go through that?
Mom's raped in front of they kids, while they shoot dad
Ever been murdered just for trying to learn how to read bro?
Show of hands?
I ain't think so
So quit comparing the two, it ain't the same fight
You can play straight, we can never play white
Using black people as pawns for yo' agenda
And these sell out rappers will do whatever you tell 'em
Skirts on stages, campaigning for that black vote
Afraid to be blackballed, so they play that role
You were never oppressed, the devil was a liar
The only thing oppressed was yo' sexual desire
Keeping yo' desires oppressed is so lame to you
But when you get married, that's what you expect yo' mate to do
It angers you if I compare you to a pedophile
Cause he sick, right?
And you're better how?
(Man, I ain't choose this)
You think he chose that?
(But I was born this)
Well prove he wasn't born that
But you were never a girl
He was once nine, so at one time in his life it was just fine
What makes your laws right?
I'm not buying it
So put 'em in that same trash can you threw that Bible in
See how that cycle is?
Nobody wants to repent of they evil
So we all try justifying it
And you say it's about rights, but you lying though
Domestic partnerships gave you rights a long time ago
God created marriage, when he did, he defined it though
So why is it you want what He created, but deny Him though?
It's not wicked enough, switching the definition?
You want it done by a Christian in a church he worships in?
And that rainbow you using as a gay pride symbol?
It represents a covenant with God, if you didn't know
Check Genesis 9:13 for the info
Homie, the war is spiritual, you don't know what you in for
I ain't sayin' yo' sin's worse, but it is sin though
The Lord took the punishment for it all on Him though
We just gotta repent though
The problem is if you don't call it sin
Then you walk as if there's nothing to repent for
Let's recap:
We all wicked and desire sin
But imagine a world where no one kept there desires in
If something was called right, simply cause we desired it
When yo' right goes against my right, who's right would win
As for being born that way
I should never see y'all
Ever see use a word like retard
To describe someone who was born a little differently than we are
I guess down syndrome really isn't a thing y'all
What do we call yo' syndrome?
Oh, that term is offensive now when it hits home?
So what gives you the right to call the way he was born a defect?
I call yours a defect, you feel it's disrespect
You don't believe in God?
Hey, the universe says if we all gay
We either die off or have to do it God's way
And God loves you no matter what you struggle with
At least struggle though, don't just give up and quit
Forget how you were born
We were all born in sin
But Christ died for your sin
You can be born again
We were all born in sin
But Christ died so that we can be born again

[Outro]
And I never want to act like
All gay people are the same because that's ignorant
But at the same time
What I won't allow you to do
Is paint this beautiful picture
Like we don't have people from the LGBT community out here
Running up in churches, disrupting services
Kissing on the pulpit
Out here attacking old ladies
Throwing crosses down and stomping em'
Violently assaulting people
So don't take my most aggressive lines that you know are to that group
And try to apply it to the friendliest
Lovingest gay person because that's not the case
And to that struggling Christian right now
Struggling with homosexuality
Fight the good fight soldier
No matter what anybody says
We all have different desires
We all are drawn toward different sin
And my desire might not be your desire
But I have a desire that's just as strong for another sin
And I have to fight it day in and day out
And sometimes I win and sometimes I lose
Sometimes I stand and sometimes I fall
But fight the good fight
God is worth it
God bless you
No hate about it
I love you

True Tolerance

What has happened to the world we live in? We used to talk about things as a society. We would debate and we would argue and we would disagree and we would still respect each other. That is what true tolerance is. Somewhere along the line, however, doing so became "rude." We used to be able to tell people when they were wrong and to correct people, even if they did not accept our correction. But then it became "rude" to tell someone they were wrong, and/or to correct them. Since when has correction been a harmful thing? When did we as a society lose our moral fibre and become thin-skinned wussified babies who find offence in the least offensive things? Our countries are the way they are today because of nonsense like this, headed up by stupid people voicing their ignorant unlearned opinions about stuff they know absolutely nothing about.

Foolishness is now applauded, while having brains and a level head is looked down upon. Bad is called good and quickly defended, while good is called bad and shunned. Try telling society today that you are a virgin and watch the disgusted looks they give you. Try telling society how you have never drank or gotten drunk, smoked, or done any drugs, and watch the looks they give you. Show society that you have a mind of your own and think for yourself rather than being a blind follower and watch how they ridicule you. Society's moral compass has gotten flipped upside down and turned around backwards. The fact is, there is no moral compass, there is no morality, apart from the Word of God.

Society continues to reject God and spit in His face, yet it never has the intelligence to observe the past and compare it to the present and ask the question "Why?", making objective conclusions of the evidence and facts. With the continued rejection of God and His Word, society continues to slip down the mud slide and subject itself to worse and worse wickedness. Society responds with "Different strokes for different folks, let's not judge." Yet they continue to judge rapists and murders and such because, at least for now, they are not among the accepted forms of wickedness that rot our society from the inside, such as homosexuality and transgenderism. How long before we are exactly like Greece and Rome at the end of their empires? How long before our time is up and God's patience runs out and the final judgment arrives? 

I love and respect those lost and unbelieving individuals whom I encounter that I can still talk with like in the days of old when we could debate and argue and disagree with each other and yet still respect each other. Most people today cannot do such. They turn on you immediately and direct their hatred of God against you. True tolerance means I have the right to tell someone when they are wrong, but to let them go on believing whatever they want to believe in the face of the overwhelming evidence stacked against them. It is not my place to change their mind. It is only my place to give them honest and truthful answers, whether they like or agree with those answer or not. It is God's place to change people's hearts and minds. I have no such power to do so, no matter how much I might know or how well I might speak.

Society no longer wishes us to be able to discourse together. The exchange of ideas is now considered a bad thing. Universities have created "safe spaces" for such people. It is a heinous act to have friendly debates, arguments, and disagreements, and yet to still respect one another and still be willing to be friends despite our differences. It is even sadder when this attitude is held by so-called professing Christians. I will readily tell my non-believing co-workers, acquaintances, and friends that they are wrong, but will accept them for who they are and respect them despite the things they choose to believe. One co-worker of mine is the complete opposite of me in every way imaginable, yet we get along great. We discuss religion, we disagree, we respect each other's position, regardless of how wrong each of us believes the other to be.

It angers me to see society's lack of grip on reality, willingly and willfully telling themselves lies and trying to convince themselves of such lies despite their conscience informing them otherwise. They will argue that abortion is fine and that homosexuality is fine, and they will even argue that religion is fine, as long as that religion is not Christianity: the only religion that is not based on scales; the only religion that offers salvation as a free gift; the only religion with any true power in it to change lives. With the rampant wickedness that I see around us, all I can say is, "Come, Lord Jesus, come."

False Biblical Quote: Life Or Light?

"I am the way, the light, and the truth."

I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I have seen this over the years. Most of the time they have the correct order, but still the wrong word: "I am the way, the truth, and the light." I have even heard it in lyrics to Christian songs; one of which appears in a children's cartoon (VeggieTales: An Easter Carol - Hope's Song by Rebecca St. James [see below]).

 

This quote is evidence that these people do not know, if they even read, their Bibles. If they did, they would know that what Jesus said was, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Life! Not light! It is akin to this verse: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).

The only time Jesus said He was the light is when He said, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12), followed by, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). What Jesus said was that He is the "light of the world."

Life, eternal life, is only found in Christ Jesus. While He was on this Earth, He was the light of the world. Now that He is gone, we, God's adopted sons and daughters, are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). Whether here or in Heaven, Jesus remains the only way, the only truth, and the only life. He is the only way to eternal life, and He is the only truth of eternal life. He gives eternal life to His own, those who trust and believe in Him with their whole heart and being.

"Whoever believes in [Jesus] should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:15

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." John 10:27-28

"Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:1-3

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." 1 John 5:11

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." —Jesus

Eternity

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. You turn men back to dust, saying, 'Return to dust, O sons of men.' For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning—though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away!" Psalm 90:1-6, 10

A thousand years! This is a long stretch of time. How much may be crowded into it—the rise and fall of empires, the glory and obliteration of dynasties, the beginning and the end of elaborate systems of human philosophy, and countless events—all important to individuals, which elude the pens of historians. Yet this period is to the Lord as nothing, even as time already gone. If a thousand years are to God as a single night-watch, then what must be the life-time of the Eternal God! —Charles Spurgeon

Before the Eternal God, all the age of frail man is less than one ticking of a clock! —Charles Spurgeon

O think a little, how inconsiderable a thing is the longest life of man on earth compared with an everlasting duration! The psalmist tells us, "You have made my days as an handbreadth, and my age—my life, my time on earth—is as nothing to You"—nothing, as compared with God's duration, which is without beginning or end!  —John Shower

This life, upon which everything depends, is very brief.

How solemn this is! In Scripture, time is compared to . . .

     a flower of the field;

     a watch in the night;

     a dream;

     a vapor.

—William Jay

How little a while we are to abide here on earth. After death we must abide forever in eternal bliss, or in eternal torments. We will either be with God in endless glory, or in everlasting fire with the devil and his demons! —John Shower

Eternity to the godly, is a day that has no sunset.

Eternity to the godless, is a night that has no sunrise. —Thomas Watson

O God, stamp eternity on my eyeballs! —Jonathan Edwards

ETERNITY! O that the sinner would study this word; methinks it would startle him out of his dead sleep!

O that the gracious soul would study it; methinks it would revive him in his deepest agony! —Richard Baxter

The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such an impression upon us as they do if we did but believe the things of eternity as we ought. —Matthew Henry

We must not forget that the issues of eternity, are settled in time. —Arthur Pink

The great weight of eternity, hangs upon the small wire of time! —Thomas Brooks

A mistake about your soul, is a mistake for eternity! —J. C. Ryle

"So teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

Woe To Those Who Find Truth

"Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it." —Voltaire

The world loves people who profess to be "Truth Seekers," but, oh, how they hate those who profess to have found it. As long as you are searching for the truth, the world cheers you on. But as soon as you claim to have found it, they chide and ridicule you. It is okay if you search for the truth, but it is never okay for you to find the truth. In this world where truth is usually in the minority, the world wants you to be a perpetual searcher finding nothing.

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). Jesus is the Truth. His Word is truth. Unless a man or a woman comes through Christ Jesus, they will never obtain salvation! Every single man and woman who does not believe in and on the Lord Jesus will die in their sins and perish in Hell for all eternity, separated from God the Father and His love. The only truth in this world is Jesus. If you believe anything else, you believe the lie. When you have found the Lord Jesus and He has become your precious Saviour, you have found the truth. "If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32).

"Truth Seekers" are slaves. They are slaves to the unknown. They are slaves to the imagination. They are slaves to the lie. They are slaves to their sin. But those who know the truth have been set free. They have been set free from the unknown. They have been set free from the imagination. They have been set free from the lie. They have been set free from their sins. They are free in Christ Jesus. They are free in life. While the rest of the world runs amuck like a chicken with its head cut off, the believer in Christ Jesus knows that God the Father is in complete control and that nothing happens outside of His will. The believer in Jesus rests in the fact that Jesus is in control. All things have been subjected to His authority. The believer in Jesus understands this world in a way the slave to his/her own unrighteousness will never understand it.

"Let us rejoice in the truth, wherever we find its lamp burning." —Albert Schweitzer

The Pearl of Great Price

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." Matthew 13:44

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

These two parables seem to give Christians the most difficulty in understanding. However, this need not be the case. There are two ways with which to understand these parables. The first way with which we might understand these parables concerns itself with counting the cost of entering the kingdom. In other words, all who would enter the kingdom ought to consider what it will cost them (Luke 14:27-33; 2 Tim. 3:12).

While there is truth to that understanding, is it the best way with which we might understand these parables? No, because it falls drastically short. First, we do not seek after God (Rom. 3:11). Our nature and our natural inclination is to hate God. Second, Jesus is not hidden. The parable does not say that Jesus is a treasure hidden in a field, it says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The parable is using a simile for comparison. Third, we have not even remotely come close to giving up all we have for the sake of Christ.

It is generally accepted that, like with prophecy, parables use the same imagery to represent the same things. In other words, in order to understand these parables, all we have to do is look to the other parables that Jesus has already explained. We need to pay attention to the context, to the surrounding passages. You see, in the parable of the sower and the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus already gives us all the information we need. So what interpretations did Jesus give his parables? The field always represents the world. The man always represents Jesus. The birds always represent the evil ones.

If the field is the world, as would be consistent in all of Jesus' parables, what Christian has ever sold all he/she possesses in order to purchase the world so that he/she might have Christ? None! Few Christians have ever given up everything for the sake of Jesus. The only one who ever purchased the world through redemption was the Lord Jesus. The only One who gave up everything He had was Jesus. He gave up everything He was and had in heaven when He took on human flesh and lived among us. He gave up His own life on a cross for His people, those given to Him from the Father from before the foundations of the world, which were His inheritance.

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:28

"Who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." Galatians 1:4

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20

"Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." Ephesians 5:2 

Remember, these two parables are telling us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Yes, Jesus and His grace are of infinite value, but that is not the truth that these two parables are conveying. These parables are giving us information about the kingdom of heaven. You know, the kingdom that consists of both genuine and false converts growing up together until the end of the age?

The first of these parables says that "from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." Remember, the field is the world. Luke 15:7 says, "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." Luke 15:10 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Jesus gave everything He had, even His own life, for the joy of one repentant sinner. If only one person ever came to Christ, Jesus considered it worth the cost to give up His own life in order to procure the salvation of that individual.

Is Jesus of such value to us that we would be willing to surrender everything we have in order to gain Him (Phil. 3:7-8)?