Rebekah
I have not told anyone other than my parents and a couple of close friends...but I lost a baby when I was 21 years old. I miscarried. I had been with Tom for a while. We were engaged so we figured “Hey, we have waited 4 years”.
Me
That is a very sad confession, Rebekah.
How did your parents respond when you told them you were pregnant?
Rebekah
Well, my father was furious, but I didn’t tell them until after I lost the baby. I was only about 5 weeks.
Me
May I ask you a few questions?
Rebekah:
Yes
Me
Were you ashamed of your sexual sin? What about Tom?
Rebekah
I was...very much.
I am not sure about Tom.
I will be blunt and honest.
I didn’t feel like it was out of love.
It was out of lust,
and I felt like a whore.
It made me feel dirty and unforgivable
Me
That is very honest & I am thankful that you had a tender conscience.
Rebekah
My christian walk at that time was nonexistent.
Me
It is very sad & of course, common, for women to do what the guy they are with wants ... to keep them.
Rebekah
And he was not worth keeping.
I had fallen away...but I knew that God still had a hold on me because I felt horrible. I knew what I was doing was wrong.
Because I was told by God in His word it was Sin...
Me
What a blessing to have a healthy conscience, informed by the Word of God. So Tom has never asked you to forgive him for dishonoring you in that way?
Rebekah
Not at all. Even though I said I was sorry that we had entered into such a relationship and asked for his forgiveness...he had no remorse. It was a bad situation.
Me
That is very sad. How long did you sleep with Tom?
Rebekah
About 4 months
11:21am
Me
How soon after the first time you slept together did you become pregnant?
Rebekah
Not until the last month.
We split soon there after.
But God wanted me back.
and He showed me His wrath in every way. I finally sat in my yard in the middle of the night held up my hands and prayed to Him,
asking Him to please forgive me for my sin and that I NEEDED Him in my life again and WANTED Him in my life again.
Me
Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of repentance You granted to Rebekah.
Rebekah
I am sitting her in tears because I cant even begin to think of my life without Him. I lost everything...and as soon as I turned back to Him I was blessed
in so many ways. What happened really made my sin look undesirable when it stood next to the blessings that our Lord shed on me.
Me
I love the mercy & grace of Christ!
Rebekah:
Me too.
Without it...where would I be?!

Me
Amen, Rebekah. Amen.
Jesus is beautiful. His holiness & perfection are exactly what we are to be looking to & for instead of the vanities & pleasures & lusts of the world, our flesh & the devil.
Rebekah:
Well, it’s amazing but when we truly give our whole self to Him, He blesses us with the desires of our heart because we desire what He wants for us.
Our life is a little less hectic.
A little less scary.
I don’t mind being honest and speaking to a few about my past because it brought me BACK TO HIM!
My walk is so strong now. In fact, I have been very active in my church &
I am blessed with the best husband, who is a God-fearing child of Christ.
My testimony gives people hope.
Me
Your story is pretty glorious, Rebekah. Praise God for a godly husband! Sister, I believe that many girls & women need to hear your testimony. Please, with your permission, I would like to edit it post it as a note on my Facebook.
Rebekah
Patte, I wholeheartly give you permission. Maybe with my story someone will see and realize its not too late to turn back to the Lord.
Me
It would be an honor & a privilege.
Rebekah, do you have a scripture to share? Something that I could use along with the note?
Rebekah
Let me grab my Bible.
Rev 2:10 "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."
and ...
1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
There is much more to my story...
but, all I can tell you is the Lord is faithful, and LONGS for His children to come running to Him.
And when we do...He blesses us beyond our wildest dreams
Me
Rebekah, it is a sad reality, but not all people are His children. I am thankful to God that He worked in your soul to bring you to true repentance & faith. This only happens with a remnant of those who go to church. Not everyone who says; “Lord! Lord!” has been regenerated.
Saving you was His work. Salvation is of the Lord.
Do you understand that you may not have been a genuine believer (born-again) before that night?
Rebekah
Its true...
I had the seed in my heart, but it did not bloom until this all happened
Me
While you were taught from the scriptures & had a godly dad & step-mom, the Holy Spirit has to literally take out your heart of stone, deliver you from the kingdom of darkness (sin, Satan & the fallen world) & make you a new creation.
Rebekah
Yes. And I feel like that didn’t happen until all of this.
Me
I am so glad that you saw your sin as ugly & experienced the saving fear of the Lord & cried out to Him. I am rejoicing with you that God set His affection on you to make you a Bride for His Son.
Where would we be without Jesus?
Rebekah
There was one night a few weeks after the wedding was cancelled that I was praying for strength. I cried out to Jesus and told Him that His will was all I wanted and needed. I confessed that even if I didn’t like it in my flesh, I would do my best to obey Him with a follower’s heart.
And I swear it was like I had a huge weight lifted and I could breathe again.
A world of darkness and sin and the continuous torture of my soul was taken away.
My husband and I were talking about that the other day.
How forever is not a week long...it is eternity.
Me
Yes, the burden of sin is ENORMOUS! We are slaves of sin & Satan & our flesh. It's like the man in Pilgrim's Progress, who carried that weight on his back.
Rebekah:
Yes. That is exactly what I thought of
Me
Until we HATE our sin (which we love & cling to with all of our mind, emotions, soul & strength) we will not run to Christ, the Sin-Bearer.
Rebekah
Yes, I re-read that book shortly after that night. And I read Job.
That’s right ...and I RAN.
I RAN back to Him
and though I falter here and there...I am stronger than ever in my faith.
Me
That's why a lot of what I say when I am ministering to lost women is so HARD. I want to show sin in all of it's HORROR. I want people to hate it. I want women to understand how vulnerable they are to sexual compromise & degradation.
Rebekah
I am not perfect but I strive to be.
I am still young.
I am still learning.
Me
The righteousness of Christ is imputed to you at the new birth. He will be faithful to progressively sanctify you, Rebekah.
No matter how old we are or how long we follow Jesus, we are all still learning.

Rebekah
But the fact that I am learning means something.
The fact that I don’t make sin my way of life but learn to turn from it, by the grace of God.
When it came to my husband, he and I stayed pure.
There was that temptation, but to feel that shame again... I knew that
I didn’t want that.
Me
Amen, sister. Amen.
Rebekah
And I had grown so much. He too had fallen in his past, but had repented as well.
Me
Sin is such a LIE. It promises what it can never give. Lasting joy!
I am so thankful that you have a godly man to wash you with the Word & to prepare you to meet your eternal Husband.
Rebekah
Oh yes! The Lord blessed me with a man who lives by God. He understands what I have been through and he is a solid rock in my life.
My dear husband helps me live my life through Christ. Tom never did.
I was telling a friend of mine how amazing it is when you think love is true, and that happiness is real...but really its’s only when you have Christ as your CORE...in the CENTER of everything, that you finally get a taste of what true love and happiness really is.
Me
Happiness, real true eternal joy, is only possible through the new birth & the holiness that Jesus gives us the power to walk in.
Rebekah
Yes, but I THOUGHT I was happy with Tom. I really did. Then I grew. My eyes were opened. Now to see my husband and the godly man he is...his love for me is unconditional and I know I am truly blessed.
Me
The way of genuine, lasting joy is only found in the way of holiness through salvation in Jesus Christ.
Rebekah
The thing for me is that I wish I had not sinned, however, the Lord used this to bring me back to Him. I don't know where I would be without all that happened to bring me to my knees.
I know I would not be where I am spiritually.
I would be UNhappily married.
To a man that didn’t really love me.
And used me.
I would still be in darkness
Me
I know what you mean, but my prayer is always that the Holy Spirit would bring me to conviction BEFORE I sin & that my temptation & the shame of what I was THINKING of doing would be enough to bring me to repentance.
Rebekah
This is true and has become my mindset thereafter.
Me
Do you understand, Rebekah? We don't actually have to COMMIT the sin to be genuinely convicted & ashamed & struck by the guilt of being a liar, thief, fornicator, blasphemer AT HEART. We can repent for our inward sin even before we commit the sin outwardly.
Would you say that you were raised in a strong Christian home? Would you have identified yourself as a Christian at the time of your relationship with Tom?
Rebekah
Yes, I was raised in a Christian home (I lived with my dad & step-mom) and went to a decent Christian school. But, I also had the sinful influence of my birth mother. Constantly.
And through part of my life I used my mother as an excuse to rebel & to sin.
I don’t think I was a Christian at the time of my relationship with Tom.
I think I just knew what to say to SEEM like I was.
Me
Yes. Good for you to see and admit that you were justifying your sin, using your mom as an excuse. That's exactly what the Bible says that we all do in our sin nature. We like to think of ourselves as ‘good at heart’ & righteous. But, until we come to admit that while others may contribute to our sin, we ourselves are the guilty ones, then we are disqualified for the gospel. Jesus said that He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mark 2:17 & Luke 5:32) We have to know our personal need for personal forgiveness. We have to admit the crushing truth, that our sin is our responsibility & that all sin must be punished. So, either WE will be punished for our sin or we can cry out to the only One who can take our punishment for us if we will repent & believe the gospel.
Rebekah
I am just so glad that I learned and turned from my sinfulness...
I don’t ever want to have the uncertainty again. The fear of eternity in darkness.
My desire is to have my life filled with honoring and worshiping my Father.
Me
Amen, Rebekah! If you had to explain how your 'emotions' & 'needs' led you to be willing to give yourself away to Tom, what would you say? How did you 'feel' & what did you 'believe' at the time, as a false convert?
Rebekah
I felt because we were engaged and we were getting married, it didn’t really matter that much if we slept together.
And, also because of his sin of pornography, I wanted to be the one he was thinking of. I wanted to be the object of his affection. So I reduced myself to become his "whore".
That is honestly how I feel.
I felt dirty and like I said before...it was out of lust, not love.
And I wanted to "hold" on to him.
With the porn, I felt like I was losing him to someone or something else.
Me
Wow. That is so tragically common for girls & women. What was it about Tom that made you 'feel' like you loved him & wanted to marry him? And, can you explain how you & Tom had the determination NOT to sleep together over all of those 4 years?
Rebekah
Well, I think at one point Tom really did love me.
At the beginning of our relationship, we had Christ in the middle
But, as time went on our focus turned to the flesh. It wasn’t on Christ.
We both knew in our hearts it was wrong, but I think when we were so close to the wedding, we just gave in.
Plus, another reason I resisted sleeping with Tom for so long is that I didn’t want to disappoint my father,
both earthly and heavenly.
With having such a messed up past, it was wonderful to have the sense that someone love me. But i feel like it was all a lie.
Looking back on it, there were so many signs the Lord kept trying to give me.
Me
Like what?
Rebekah
Well, from the very beginning his parents did not like me.
Right up to the day he left.
And the porn thing.
He was obsessed
and poisoned by it.
Me
How did you find out about the porn?
Rebekah
The history on his computer.
I confronted him.
It wasn’t until after he left me that he confessed he never stopped,
though he told me all the time that he had stopped.
And then, the main big flashing red light. When a friend of ours slept with a girl that Tom knew from school (and mind you this was AFTER I had a ring on my finger, but we had not slept together) Qhen I told Tom about it his reaction was,...and I am going to be blunt and quote him....
"But I wanted to be the one to F*%& her."
Those words broke my heart.
I didn’t talk to him for about 2 weeks.
And I thought about calling off the wedding.
But, in my stupidity and immaturity I forgave him. Within the next few months is when we started sleeping with each other.
Wow. That was really hard to relive that. Remembering him saying those words to me...still stings.
Me
I can imagine ... It is a painful betrayal ... but also, a blessed revelation of who Tom really was. And, of course, how sad that you wanted to hold onto him. We are so naive, foolish & our sin nature prompts us to do degrading things 'for love'.
Rebekah
It’s true.
And what was harder was looking at myself and seeing that I had NO self worth at all anymore. And, honestly, I am still struggling with that.
The feeling of not being confident in what I do.
Me
It's interesting, Rebekah, that you are speaking of self-worth. If we understand the length that Christ went to save wicked UN-WORTHY sinners like you & me, we can see that it is not really a matter of our worth, but Christ's.
This gives us freedom IN HIM to see ourselves in truth & release our all to Him.
Rebekah
Yes. You know, I realized something while I was on a trip recently.
I came upon this incredible scene of rugged beauty, with a road in the middle of it. I looked at it and thought:
“God chose to create me.
He took the time and made everything perfect in His eyes
and He chose me...our CREATOR.”
That makes me worth so much more than I can even fathom.
I have to remember that He gave His Son’s life so that I can be clean.
So that I can be forgiven
What wonderous love!
Me
That is very true & worth weeping for joy over.
Rebekah, have you ever read Ezekiel 16? It is the story of God's looking at His people & taking pity on them. Not because they were special, or beautiful or deserving or worthy, but because of His own goodness & love.
Listen to God’s Word beginning at verse 5:
“On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”
It is God's own pleasure that He looks upon us & by His grace, He speaks LIFE into us & then He beautifies us with holiness.
Rebekah
Wow.
I wrote a song to the Lord. It’s called,
Breath of Life
Lord you make me stronger. Lord for You I hunger.
Without you I don't know if I can breathe, just breathe.
Because You are the breath that allows me to live. The breath of life.
And all that I am or will ever be, is because You were by my side.
You are the breath of life, in me.
You are the breath of life, to set me free.
Lord, I know I'm imperfect. A sinner I will ever be.
But, by Your blood I am set free and washed clean, just washed clean.
Because Yours is the blood that allows me to live, the Blood of Christ.
And all that I am or will ever be, is because You were by my side.
You are the flame, that consumes all of me.
You are the flame, of the fire so deep.
Mold me. Make me thirst for You.
Mold me, into what You want me for you.
I surrender all my heart. I surrender all of my life.
Because You are the breath that allows me to live, the breath of life.
And all that I am or will ever be, is because You were by my side.
Because You are the blood that allows me to live, the Blood of Christ.
And all that I am or will ever be, is because You were by my side.
You are the breath of life, in me.
You are the breath of life, to set me free.
You are the flame, that consumes all of me.
You are the flame, of the fire so deep.
Friday, July 30, 2010
No one can plead ignorance of abortion
Who's having abortions?
Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".
An estimated 43% of all women will have at least 1 abortion by the time they are 45 years old. 47% of all abortions are performed on women who have had at least one previous abortion. *
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse... since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind...They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are ...God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil.. they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:18-20, 28-32
All, more or less, do what they know to be wrong, and omit what they know to be right, so that the plea of ignorance cannot be allowed from any... **
Here is enough to humble us all, in the sense of our original corruption; for every heart by nature has in it the seed and spawn of all these sins. *** In the close he mentions the aggravations of the sins, v. 32.
1. They knew the judgment of God; that is,
(1.) They knew the law. The judgment of God is that which his justice requires, which, because he is just, he judgeth meet to be done.
(2.) They knew the penalty; so it is explained here: They knew that those who commit such things were worthy of death, eternal death; their own consciences could not but suggest this to them, and yet they ventured upon it. It is a great aggravation of sin when it is committed against knowledge (James 4:17), especially against the knowledge of the judgment of God. It is daring presumption to run upon the sword's point...
They do not only commit sin, but they defend and justify it, and encourage others to do the like. Our own sins are much aggravated by our concurrence with, and complacency in, the sins of others.
~ Matthew Henry
*http://www.abortionno.org/
**This is the biblical doctrine of general revelation: http://www.monergism.com/t
*** This is the biblical doctrine of human depravity/original sin:
http://www.monergism.com/t
Are all sins equal in God's eyes? What about ABORTION?
While it is commonly held & taught in modern Christendom that all sins are equal, this Scripture & many more, clearly hold forth that there is difference in the degree of sin & that, indeed. some sins are greater (worse, more evil) than others. There are some grievous sins, such the shedding of innocent blood & the sin of Sodom & Gomorrah, which are recorded by the Holy Spirit as 'crying sins' unto God (Gen 4:10; 18: 20-21). Some sins are identified as 'mighty sins', as in Amos 5:12.
Transgressions against the human body are great evils in the sight of God.
'Every sin has a voice to speak, but some sins cry. As some diseases are worse than others, and some poisons more venomous, so some sins are more heinous.' ~ Thomas Watson
As the blood of Abel cried out from the ground to God for vengeance & justice, so must the blood of little children, murdered by their own mothers & fathers, howl into the ear of their Creator.
The idea that all sins are the same is defended by those who make the point that any sin has the power to keep us out of heaven. Indeed, we are conceived in iniquity, having been born guilty, inheriting our sin nature (original sin) from Adam. We commit sin out of an evil, depraved heart. We are not sinners BECAUSE we sin, we sin BECAUSE we are sinners. Without God providing the remedy for sin in the finished work of Jesus Christ, no one could be saved. There is no argument that, without repentance & faith in the Savior, every sin will bar us from heaven. Jesus raised the bar of what sin was when He taught that if a man looks with lust he is an adulterer at heart. If we hate our neighbor, we are guilty of murder of the heart. The Lord was not making all sin the same, He was increasing the guilt of our sins of the heart. (Matthew 5:28, I Jo 3:15) The Bible, however, does not teach that sins are equal in the sight of God.
The other reason people like this the false notion of every sin being the same as another is, of course, to soothe the guilty conscience. When one desires to commit a more serious sin one can simply dismiss their responsibility for obeying by making light of the sin they fancy. The devil did this in the garden, making sure to direct Eve to question the fact that God had promised death to them if they sinned. Hath God said? It's really all simply the same-old, same-old, 'suppressing the truth in unrighteousness' at work. "
The biblical doctrine of general revelation (http://www.monergism.com/t
Romans 1:18-19
Nothing new under the sun, that's for sure.
This false doctrine of 'all sin is the same' has taken a firm hold today. We hear it every time we are out at the abortuary. How comforting for sexually immoral church-going ladies who are killing their children to believe that fornicating & murdering their baby is the same as telling a little white lie. How tragic for their children, who have to watch their mother whore herself out to men who never marry her & how fatal for the poor little infants she consigns to the abortionist's knife!
If the aborting women who make this foolish pronouncement "All sin is the same to God anyway" were honest with themselves, they would never say such a thing. I always challenge the people who repeat this dying doctrine. No one really believes such a thing. No wife would believes that it is not more evil for her husband to SLEEP with another woman than to LUST after another woman. Come on!
While planning to murder her baby makes every abortion-bound mother guilty before God of being a murderer-at-heart, she adds the crimson stain of her child's innocent blood when she actually procures the diabolical dismemberment of her baby. God did not order capital punishment for THINKING of murdering a person. Stoning to death was commanded for those who actually SHED innocent blood.
Surely, the murder of a baby by abortion is one of the most heinous of all sins, for it involves a mother plotting & taking violent, willful, predatory actions against her own innocent flesh & blood child. A mother is certainly one in whom we expect tender affection & even a fiercely protective, maternal instinct for her baby. Her relationship to the infant & the absolute innocence of her baby are what deepen & aggravate the degree of her sin & the the degree of her punishment.
For further study, I highly recommend Thomas Watson's biblical treatise on the Ten Commandments & Degrees of Sin: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
DEGREES OF SIN
Are you a silly woman?
"... weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth."
II Timothy 3:6-7 (ESV)
What kind of woman are you? There is a common type of woman who is described in the Bible. These are the ones who are easily led astray. They have all sorts of empty-headed notions and feelings that lead them into the arms of men who worm their way into their hearts. The King James calls them silly women. Another version calls this woman foolish. She lives in search of wanton pleasure. Always searching for a fantasy lover and willing to give herself, her life, her body and all too often, she is willing to sacrifice her pre-born children in order to gain what she desires. Yet, it is a mirage. He is a phantom. He does not exist. He is an illusion. Scripture describes this kind of woman as one who is dead even while she lives. (1 Timothy 5:6)
This kind of women are also easy to fool spiritually as well. Alford explained that this sort of woman's downfall includes: "divers lusts-not only animal lusts, but passion for change in doctrine and manner of teaching; the running after fashionable men and fashionable tenets, drawing them in the most opposite directions." They are easily duped by false religious leaders and a ready prey to them because they promise ease of conscience if they will follow them.
Matthew Henry's comments on this phenomenon should be read and heeded:
Men love to gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and do their duty...We abuse God's gifts, if we make them the food and fuel of our lusts. Times are perilous ... when parents are without natural affection to their children
... God is to be loved above all; but a carnal mind, full of enmity against him, prefers any thing before him, especially carnal pleasure. A form of godliness is very different from the power; from such as are found to be hypocrites, real Christians must withdraw. Such persons have been found within the outward church, in every place, and at all times. There ever have been artful men, who, by pretences and flatteries, creep into the favour and confidence of those who are too easy of belief, ignorant, and fanciful. All must be ever learning to know the Lord; but these follow every new notion, yet never seek the truth as it is in Jesus.
...Self-love will make the times perilous. Who is there who does not love himself? But this is meant of an irregular sinful self-love. Men love their carnal selves better than their spiritual selves. Men love to gratify their own lusts, and make provision for them, more than to please God and do their duty. Instead of Christian charity, which takes care for the good of others, they will mind themselves only, and prefer their own gratification before the church's edification...Observe, Self-love brings in a long train of sins and mischiefs. When men are lovers of themselves, no good can be expected from them, as all good may be expected from those who love God with all their hearts...
...And see what sort of people those were that they gained, and made proselytes of; they were such as were weak, silly women; and such as were wicked, laden with sins, and led away with divers lusts. A foolish head and a filthy heart make persons, especially women, an easy prey to seducers. He shows how far they were from coming to the knowledge of the truth, though they pretended to be ever learning. In one sense we must all be ever learning, that is, growing in knowledge, following on to know the Lord, pressing forward; but these were sceptics, giddy and unstable...
They attack those who are the least able to defend themselves, silly and wicked women. Seducers in all ages are much alike. Their characters are the same-namely, Men of corrupt minds, etc.; their conduct is much the same-they resist the truth...Those who resist the truth are guilty of folly, yea, of egregious folly; for...Great is the truth, and shall prevail.
Though the spirit of error may be let loose for a time, God has it in a chain. Satan can deceive the nations and the churches no further and no longer than God will permit him: Their folly shall be manifest, it shall appear that they are imposters, and every man shall abandon them.
---
Ladies, examine yourself to see whether you be a vain, foolish, weak, silly, frivolous, shallow woman. Be on guard for anything and anyone who would take advantage of your sin-influenced emotions and man-desiring tendencies. Ask the Lord to help you avoid being among the hordes who hang onto every Twilight book and film. Be careful not to make idols of the imaginary characters. Idealized romance is a woman's porn. Run to Jesus for the love that is pure and true. The Savior is the only One in whom you can perfectly trust with your heart and your life. Christ is the primary One to whom you want to appear beautiful. He is the only One who has given His life that you might be forgiven and redeemed. If you call yourself a Christian, Jesus Christ is your Husband and you are His Bride. Do not commit adultery. Don't make a whore of yourself with any man, real or imaginary. You are only fooling yourself, putting a gold ring in your snout will never make you beautiful. A pig is still a pig even with glittering jewelry.
"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." (Proverbs 31:30) Be humble. Fear the Lord. Run to Jesus... and live.
"The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life."
Proverbs 22:4
Dennis Green: Mother & child saved from abortion
July 13, 2010
Dennis Green (of Life & Liberty Ministries http://www.lifeandlibertym
_______
Today a baby was saved at RMCW! I was joined on the sidewalk by my daughter Naomi, Fred Neal, Mary Magnusen and Don Karns. I spoke to a woman as she walked across
the grass toward the mill and she nervously stopped to listen. She had
been dropped off by a man who was forcing her to kill her baby. He was
married w/ 4 children and was trying to cover up his adulterous
behavior. She was very scared and tearful.
She told me that she was being forced and didn't want to kill the child. I let her know that I would help her and could get her away from there before he returned from parking his truck. She said, "Let's go". We walked quickly to the car and she laid down in the back seat as we prepared to pull away. She repeatedly was saying, "I'm so scared, I'm so scared, I'm so scared." Mary came along also and we took her to the Pregnancy Resource Center. As we were driving away, we passed the man as he was walking back toward the mill. After a visit to the Center, we took the lady home. She has a safe place to go and feels that she will be okay. Mary shared the Gospel at length with her and we will be following up as she progresses through her pregnancy. Please keep her in prayer. Her name is Felicia. All glory to YHWH!
Dennis Green (of Life & Liberty Ministries http://www.lifeandlibertym
_______
Today a baby was saved at RMCW! I was joined on the sidewalk by my daughter Naomi, Fred Neal, Mary Magnusen and Don Karns. I spoke to a woman as she walked across
the grass toward the mill and she nervously stopped to listen. She had
been dropped off by a man who was forcing her to kill her baby. He was
married w/ 4 children and was trying to cover up his adulterous
behavior. She was very scared and tearful.
She told me that she was being forced and didn't want to kill the child. I let her know that I would help her and could get her away from there before he returned from parking his truck. She said, "Let's go". We walked quickly to the car and she laid down in the back seat as we prepared to pull away. She repeatedly was saying, "I'm so scared, I'm so scared, I'm so scared." Mary came along also and we took her to the Pregnancy Resource Center. As we were driving away, we passed the man as he was walking back toward the mill. After a visit to the Center, we took the lady home. She has a safe place to go and feels that she will be okay. Mary shared the Gospel at length with her and we will be following up as she progresses through her pregnancy. Please keep her in prayer. Her name is Felicia. All glory to YHWH!
Laura's hands: A day in the life of an abortion clinic missionary
My friend Laura is a widow. She and her 16 year old son Amos try to make the hour long journey to abortion clinics twice a week. There they lift up their voices, offering help and hope to the mothers who are murdering their young. Laura often gets to speak face-to-face with the abortionist as well. I hope this will help you to get a vision for how it is to visit the abortion-imperiled orphans at an abortuary. Laura wrote this report yesterday. Please pray for her, for Amos, for Denise and for all of those who face their fears and rescue the perishing, in Jesus' Name.
***********************
Denise, and Amos & I went to the abortion clinic today. We got there about an hour before the doctor/murderer arrived and the parking lot was full. There were people there who had an 18 year old friend from Austria named Alana, a foreign exchange student, who just turned 18. She was already pregnant when she came to Americaand decided to have an abortion. Her friends, a pastor and his wife and their friend Marge begged her to let them adopt her baby but she and a girlfriend had planned a cross country trip across America and her pregnancy didn't fit into her plans. The friends had taken Alana to a pregnancy center for counseling. They did an ultrasound so she could see her child. After Alana saw her 7 week old baby on ultrasound she was still determined to kill the child. Her friends were tormented, shocked and so grieved by what she was about to do. They couldn't believe it was happening.
When the abortionist, Ulrich 'George' Klopfer, got there I quoted him Proverbs 6:16-18 "There are six things theLORDhates,seven that are detestable to him:haughty eyes,a lying tongue,hands that shed innocent blood,a heart that devises wicked schemes,feet that are quick to rush into evil ..."As usual when I quote that he comes over to spew. He used the same justification this time that he used last time. He said, we (America) had killed 150,000 people in the German war that killed his people. Marge told George that Alana was from Austria & the baby's father was German, just like him. She told George "This means that you will be murdering your own people!" He waved his hand in disgust and walked away. Marge had struck a chord. Sadly, though, that German doctor killed Alana's little German baby for her. Now, we have more to say to George if he ever uses that sick justification of his again. He has become the killer of the same people he thought he was defending.
Tragically, even with all of the offers of help and adoption and even seeing her baby on ultrasoun, Alana came out a few hours later, smiling. She had killed her baby.
The parking lot became full. A new abortion-bound couple arrived and had to park down the road. What a wonderful blessing that was. We walked over to speak to them. The 6 week pregnant mom, Nancy, and the father stood and talked with us for at least 30 minutes. We asked Nancy about why she felt she needed to kill her baby, and were able to give her the God’s honest truth in love. We offered to give Nancy the money she already put down for the abortion. She refused our help, saying she and lover had big problems and she already had 4 children. It was a sad situation. We offered all kinds of help and resources, to no avail. Nancy said she was going to go in and try to get a refund, but we knew that she had already taken a pill and refused our money, so we were assuming she was getting an abortion since she was so set on it. Nancy still hadn't come out by the time we left an hour later. She gave me her cell phone number and I gave mine to her. I have tried calling Nancy, but she didn’t answer. I will try her again later and tomorrow. I am still praying for her.
I have to stay focused on God, and remember that He is the one who changes hearts, not me. I am but a servant, there to do His will. I cannot focus on my efforts, because then I begin to feel tempted to feel that it is I who has failed. I must stay focused on God and His Word. I am but an obedient slave and this is where I find my contentment. Being faithful, by His grace.
Now as I write all these things, I have a confession to make. One very young woman came to find out about killing her baby. She couldn't speak English very well, but praise God, she did come and take one of our pre-born packets in Spanish. Then as she turned to go to the clinic, which has about 3 outside doors about 15 feet apart from each other, she couldn't find the right door. It was so bizarre. I was immediately reminded of the story of Lot and how the angels of the Lord had blinded the eyes of the men that were trying to break into Lot's house. Now even as God brought that section of the Bible to my memory, my flesh felt sorry for her and my heart went out to her. I wanted to protect her, and I cry as I sit and type this when I think about what I did.
She tried 2 of the doors, which I know are always locked. And she didn't see the 3rd door which does open. Instead she goes next door to a construction office. I am continuing to plead with her to let me talk to her and also trying to talk about what God says about abortion. She acts afraid to let me get to close to her, so I keep my distance. Through the office window of the next building, I see the employee trying to explain to her how to get into the clinic. When the young woman comes out, I pick up where I left off and I also try to tell her where the door is. Dumb me!!!
One of the women who prays the rosary there, (whom we had befriended) comes running over to me and says, "Why did you tell her where the door is?" All I could think of was, "I felt so sorry for her." Oh, I felt so bad about that, and I still do. So for all of you who think I am so faithful for being out there, think again. I make such foolish mistakes. I kept thinking, "If I help her, maybe she will listen to me.' My only consolation is that, for whatever reason, she didn't stay in there too long and she did have a pre-born packet. I am thankful and am praying for her.
Some people say that I have a gift and that is why I go to these murder places. But I do not have a gift. I just obey the Bible and I try to love my neighbor, and I just try to warn them of what they are doing. We who go to these places are just so human, saved by God's grace alone, willing to proclaim the truth of the Bible. Soli Deo Gloria!
Now, my last comment, to help get all this off my shoulders is this. As I have a tiny bit of experience under my belt now with going to this murder mill I have learned when to leave. We had been there for about 31/2 hours or so and it was hot and I was getting tired and I new Amos and Denise were hot and tired too, but we were waiting for Nancy and her friend to come out. We just didn't want to believe she was killing her baby, but she probably did, though I haven't talked to her to verify that. I wanted to wait with my friend, because we were going to put our money together and give it to Nancy if the clinic didn't give her a refund. Then about 10-12 people showed up to walk back and forth of the murder mill driveway saying their rosary in military marching chanting style.
In the past I have open air preached to the women inside, but because I have to compete with the chanting, I have to really raise my voice. And today, I realized that first, I was very tired from the heat. I was really ready to leave. And second, now that my friend had company, I felt we could leave.
It was a sad day for all of us. Even knowing one baby is being murdered is horrible, and today about 10 babies were murdered.
Soli Deo Gloria
Laura Caudill
Who is CURSED by abortion?
"Cursed is the one that takes a reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen." Deuteronomy 27:25
While we know that abortionists & clinic workers receive a pay check for murdering innocent children, the mothers & fathers & companions of aborting women also receive a 'reward'. Whatever 'motive' they have for killing or helping to kill a baby is their 'reward'
When we speak to the mothers as they arrive to have their living infants delivered into the toilet or dismembered, we always ask: "What is the biggest reason that you feel like you just cannot raise this baby?" Here are some of the answers the aborting women give us:
"I already have two kids"
"I don't want any more"
"It's just not a good time"
"I can't afford to raise another one."
"I'm too young"
"I am in school"
"I just can't tell my parents"
"I had an affair and I don't want my husband to find out"
Looking at the justifications aborting women provide for us, we can draw some conclusions about the 'rewards' they are looking to get out of killing their babies. Let's take each one and draw a corresponding reward.
"I already have two kids" - Reward for aborting: Won't have to raise another child.
"I don't a this baby" - Reward: Will be free to go on with her life without having to sacrifice.
"It's just not a good time" Reward: Can have more time without the responsibility of a baby.
"I can't afford to raise another one." Reward: Financial benefit, no expense for pre-natal & delivery, child care, food, clothing, shelter, education, etc.
"I'm too young" Reward: Can continue having fun, freedom & sowing wild oats.
"I am in school" Reward: Won't have to figure out way to continue education with a child in tow.
"I just can't tell my parents" Reward: Can hide her sexual immorality and pregnancy.
"I am having an affair and I don't want my husband to find out" Reward: Can continue to commit adultery.
Let's face it, having children involves a enormous investment of time, emotional and physical energy and a GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. According to this website: http://moneycentral.msn.co
So, in conclusion, when a pregnant woman pays to have an abortionist murder her child (or performs a do-it-yourself abortion at home which more & more mothers are opting for, with RU-486 & the help of websites like: http://www.sisterzeus.com/
The Lord has declared in Deuteronomy 27:25: "Cursed is the one that takes a reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen."
If God's people are to pronounce a curse upon all who shed innocent blood, let us discover what the word 'curse' means. Here is the dictionary definition.
Curse:
1. (v. t.) To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
2. (v. t.) To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
3. (v. i.) To utter imprecations or curses; to affirm or deny with imprecations; to swear.
4. (n.) An invocation of, or prayer for, harm or injury; malediction.
5. (v. t.) Evil pronounced or invoked upon another, solemnly, or in passion; subjection to, or sentence of, divine condemnation.
6. (n.) The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
In Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage of scripture he explains:
----
Ministers should apply to themselves the blessing and curse they preach to others, and by faith set their own Amen to it. And they must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them with the threatenings of a curse, by declaring that a curse would be upon those who do such things. To each of the curses the people were to say, Amen. It professed their faith, that these, and the like curses, were real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one jot of which shall fall to the ground. It was acknowledging the equity of these curses. Those who do such things deserve to fall, and lie under the curse. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not here mentioned, should think themselves safe from the curse, the last reaches all. Not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those also who omit the good which the law requires. Without the atoning blood of Christ, sinners can neither have communion with a holy God, nor do any thing acceptable to him; his righteous law condemns every one who, at any time, or in any thing, transgresses it. Under its awful curse we remain as transgressors, until the redemption of Christ is applied to our hearts. Wherever the grace of God brings salvation, it teaches the believer to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, consenting to, and delighting in the words of God's law, after the inward man. In this holy walk, true peace and solid joy are to be found.
...Ministers must preach the terrors of the law as well as the comforts of the gospel; must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them to it with the threatenings of a curse.
...But how could they say Amen to the curses?
(1.) It was a profession of their faith in the truth of them..curses [are].. the real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one iota of which shall fall to the ground.
(2.) It was an acknowledgment of the equity of these curses; when they said Amen, they did in effect say, not only, It is certain it shall be so, but, It is just it should be so. Those who do such things deserve to fall and lie under the curse.
(3.) It was such an imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged them to have nothing to do with those evil practices upon which the curse is here entailed.
"Let God's wrath fall upon us if ever we do such things."
"All the people, by saying this Amen, became bound for one another, that they would observe God's laws, by which every man was obliged, as far as he could, to prevent his neighbour from breaking these laws, and to reprove those that had offended, lest they should bear sin and the curse for them."
Let us now observe what are the particular sins against which the curses are here denounced... Against the sixth commandment ['You shall not murder']. Two of the worst kinds of murder are here specified:
(1.) Murder unseen, when a man does not set upon his neighbour as a fair adversary, giving him an opportunity to defend himself, but smites him secretly (v. 24), as by poison or otherwise, when he sees not who hurts him. See Ps. 10:8, 9. Though such secret murders may go undiscovered and unpunished, yet the curse of God will follow them.
(2.) Murder under colour of law, which is the greatest affront to God, for it makes an ordinance of his to patronise the worst of villains, and the greatest wrong to our neighbour, for it ruins his honour as well as his life: cursed therefore is he that will be hired, or bribed, to accuse, or to convict, or to condemn, and so to slay, an innocent person, v. 25. See Ps. 15:5.
----
This, my friends, is why we pray and fast and go to the abortuaries. We are there to offer help to the mothers who are arriving to murder their young. We have no desire that they should invoke additional curse of God. We love them and their children and seek to help them obey the reasonable commandments of God regarding sexual purity and the sanctity of human life. We tell the women that they were designed, created, sustained and ruled over by God. We explain that just as they were gifts to their momma and daddy, their infant is a personal gift from the Lord to them. We educate the women about adoption (showing them couples who are waiting to adopt: www.parentprofiles.com) and we offer to help them, by the grace and provision of Christ, through pregnancy. As ambassadors of the Lord Jesus, we command our aborting neighbors to repent and believe the gospel, to be free from the abomination of the curse.
Do-it-yourself abortion: http://www.wnd.com/news/ar
While we know that abortionists & clinic workers receive a pay check for murdering innocent children, the mothers & fathers & companions of aborting women also receive a 'reward'. Whatever 'motive' they have for killing or helping to kill a baby is their 'reward'
When we speak to the mothers as they arrive to have their living infants delivered into the toilet or dismembered, we always ask: "What is the biggest reason that you feel like you just cannot raise this baby?" Here are some of the answers the aborting women give us:
"I already have two kids"
"I don't want any more"
"It's just not a good time"
"I can't afford to raise another one."
"I'm too young"
"I am in school"
"I just can't tell my parents"
"I had an affair and I don't want my husband to find out"
Looking at the justifications aborting women provide for us, we can draw some conclusions about the 'rewards' they are looking to get out of killing their babies. Let's take each one and draw a corresponding reward.
"I already have two kids" - Reward for aborting: Won't have to raise another child.
"I don't a this baby" - Reward: Will be free to go on with her life without having to sacrifice.
"It's just not a good time" Reward: Can have more time without the responsibility of a baby.
"I can't afford to raise another one." Reward: Financial benefit, no expense for pre-natal & delivery, child care, food, clothing, shelter, education, etc.
"I'm too young" Reward: Can continue having fun, freedom & sowing wild oats.
"I am in school" Reward: Won't have to figure out way to continue education with a child in tow.
"I just can't tell my parents" Reward: Can hide her sexual immorality and pregnancy.
"I am having an affair and I don't want my husband to find out" Reward: Can continue to commit adultery.
Let's face it, having children involves a enormous investment of time, emotional and physical energy and a GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. According to this website: http://moneycentral.msn.co
So, in conclusion, when a pregnant woman pays to have an abortionist murder her child (or performs a do-it-yourself abortion at home which more & more mothers are opting for, with RU-486 & the help of websites like: http://www.sisterzeus.com/
The Lord has declared in Deuteronomy 27:25: "Cursed is the one that takes a reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen."
If God's people are to pronounce a curse upon all who shed innocent blood, let us discover what the word 'curse' means. Here is the dictionary definition.
Curse:
1. (v. t.) To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
2. (v. t.) To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
3. (v. i.) To utter imprecations or curses; to affirm or deny with imprecations; to swear.
4. (n.) An invocation of, or prayer for, harm or injury; malediction.
5. (v. t.) Evil pronounced or invoked upon another, solemnly, or in passion; subjection to, or sentence of, divine condemnation.
6. (n.) The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
In Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage of scripture he explains:
----
Ministers should apply to themselves the blessing and curse they preach to others, and by faith set their own Amen to it. And they must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them with the threatenings of a curse, by declaring that a curse would be upon those who do such things. To each of the curses the people were to say, Amen. It professed their faith, that these, and the like curses, were real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one jot of which shall fall to the ground. It was acknowledging the equity of these curses. Those who do such things deserve to fall, and lie under the curse. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not here mentioned, should think themselves safe from the curse, the last reaches all. Not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those also who omit the good which the law requires. Without the atoning blood of Christ, sinners can neither have communion with a holy God, nor do any thing acceptable to him; his righteous law condemns every one who, at any time, or in any thing, transgresses it. Under its awful curse we remain as transgressors, until the redemption of Christ is applied to our hearts. Wherever the grace of God brings salvation, it teaches the believer to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, consenting to, and delighting in the words of God's law, after the inward man. In this holy walk, true peace and solid joy are to be found.
...Ministers must preach the terrors of the law as well as the comforts of the gospel; must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them to it with the threatenings of a curse.
...But how could they say Amen to the curses?
(1.) It was a profession of their faith in the truth of them..curses [are].. the real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one iota of which shall fall to the ground.
(2.) It was an acknowledgment of the equity of these curses; when they said Amen, they did in effect say, not only, It is certain it shall be so, but, It is just it should be so. Those who do such things deserve to fall and lie under the curse.
(3.) It was such an imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged them to have nothing to do with those evil practices upon which the curse is here entailed.
"Let God's wrath fall upon us if ever we do such things."
"All the people, by saying this Amen, became bound for one another, that they would observe God's laws, by which every man was obliged, as far as he could, to prevent his neighbour from breaking these laws, and to reprove those that had offended, lest they should bear sin and the curse for them."
Let us now observe what are the particular sins against which the curses are here denounced... Against the sixth commandment ['You shall not murder']. Two of the worst kinds of murder are here specified:
(1.) Murder unseen, when a man does not set upon his neighbour as a fair adversary, giving him an opportunity to defend himself, but smites him secretly (v. 24), as by poison or otherwise, when he sees not who hurts him. See Ps. 10:8, 9. Though such secret murders may go undiscovered and unpunished, yet the curse of God will follow them.
(2.) Murder under colour of law, which is the greatest affront to God, for it makes an ordinance of his to patronise the worst of villains, and the greatest wrong to our neighbour, for it ruins his honour as well as his life: cursed therefore is he that will be hired, or bribed, to accuse, or to convict, or to condemn, and so to slay, an innocent person, v. 25. See Ps. 15:5.
----
This, my friends, is why we pray and fast and go to the abortuaries. We are there to offer help to the mothers who are arriving to murder their young. We have no desire that they should invoke additional curse of God. We love them and their children and seek to help them obey the reasonable commandments of God regarding sexual purity and the sanctity of human life. We tell the women that they were designed, created, sustained and ruled over by God. We explain that just as they were gifts to their momma and daddy, their infant is a personal gift from the Lord to them. We educate the women about adoption (showing them couples who are waiting to adopt: www.parentprofiles.com) and we offer to help them, by the grace and provision of Christ, through pregnancy. As ambassadors of the Lord Jesus, we command our aborting neighbors to repent and believe the gospel, to be free from the abomination of the curse.
Do-it-yourself abortion: http://www.wnd.com/news/ar
What is the one thing Jesus said we NEED to bring when we go out witnessing?
"The seed is the Word of God."
~ Jesus in Luke 8:11
~ Jesus in Luke 8:11
"For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12
"Is not My Word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?" Jeremiah 23:29
"...for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God."
I Peter 1:23
I have to continually remind myself of how Jesus trained His disciples to preach the gospel. When He sent them out to evangelize the Savior said; "Take nothing with you." (See Mark 6, Luke 9 & 10) We love to have visual aids (signs, crosses, scripture banners, etc) but if it hinders our labors & decreases our missionary outreaches, we have to be reminded of Jesus' admonition to keep it simple.
If you would like to come & witness with us, we would love to have you. Anything you bring would be a blessing. But, truly, we know this for certain, the Law & the Gospel of Christ are sufficient to do the work of an evangelist.
Jesus made certain that His disciples were trained to share the pure, unadulterated call to repentance toward God & faith toward Himself. The apostle Paul understood this when he described how he went about "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21) This truly represents a summation of the sum of Christian doctrine regarding the way of salvation. Matthew Henry's comments on this section of scriptures is a beautiful portrait of Paul, the faithful evangelist when he wrote of the apostle:
He was a plain preacher, one that spoke his message so as to be understood.
He was a powerful preacher; he preached the gospel as a testimony to them if they received it; but as a testimony against them if they rejected it.
He was a profitable preacher; one that aimed to inform their judgments, and reform their hearts and lives. He was a painful preacher, very industrious in his work.
He was a faithful preacher; he did not keep back reproofs when necessary, nor keep back the preaching of the cross.
He was a truly Christian, evangelical preacher; he did not preach notions or doubtful matters; nor affairs of state or the civil government; but he preached faith and repentance. A better summary of these things, without which there is no salvation, cannot be given: even repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, with their fruits and effects. Without these no sinner can escape, and with these none will come short of eternal life.
The truth as it is in Jesus is the plain way to eternal life. John Wesley noted that 'The very first motion of the soul toward God is a kind of repentance.' The Law is perfect for preparing the heart by defining sin, " since through the Law comes knowledge of sin." (Rom 3:20)
According to the Master, we need no gimmicks, no acts of kindness are necessary (though not forbidden) to pave the way, no 'friendship' or 'pre-evangelism' is required to prepare the sinner. We have no need of concerts & movie night, basketball & pizza, art shows or baked goods or some elaborate 'outreach'. Why put off what is ordained & commanded & do the non-mandated? Do we believe that people can't hear what God has to say without our human orchestrations? Are we ashamed of the Word? "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) After all, the power to save is not in the one who sows the seed, or in some creative 'event' planned, the power, according to the Lord of salvation, is in the SEED. The Word of God is alive & powerful, able to save to the uttermost those who hear & believe it. According to Hebrews 4:12 the scriptures are LIVING. The Law & the Gospel as literally contained in the Bible are full of power, sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, exposing our innermost sins, thoughts and desires.
The Geneva Study Bible notes on that passage explains:
The nature of the Word of God is '... so powerful that it enters even to the deepest and most inward and secret parts of the heart, fatally wounding the stubborn, and openly reviving the believers.' This Word of God is ' The doctrine of God which is preached both in the Law and in the gospel.' Paul 'calls the word of God LIVING, because of the effect it has on those to whom it is preached ... He calls the seat of emotions 'soul'. By 'spirit' he means the 'mind.'
Jesus charged His disciples to GO & "And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no money, no bread, no money in their purse". The Savior had already taught them, by precept & by example, how to evangelize. He had discipled them, teaching them by HIs very own active going forth & preaching, how to fish for men. Christ is called the Word made flesh. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld Gis glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) By being with the Messiah, loving Him, listening to Him, praying with Him & following Him out to the field of souls, they had learned first-hand, the power of the Word of God & its sufficiency to save wicked men & women.
Let us say, with faith unto our sin-bearing, sin-slave saving God, 'Thy Word is enough.' Let us take Him at His Word. If the Lord Jesus has instructed us that we need nothing else, what worldly, extra-biblical preparations must we make before we go out to sow gospel seeds? The Geneva Study Bible warns of how the carnal mind (even of shepherds) can set up false necessities, which prove hindrances, for fulfilling our duty to obey the Great Commission: 'Faithful pastors should not have their minds set even on things that are necessary for this life, if they might be a hindrance unto them, even if it is just a small hindrance.' John Wesley, who helped to lead many men out to preach, noted that Christ's instruction served to teach: "That they might be always unincumbered, free, ready for motion."
'Though the apostles were conscious to themselves of great weakness, and expected no wordly advantage, yet, in obedience to their Master, and in dependence upon His strength, they went out. They did not amuse people with curious matters, but told them they must repent of their sins, and turn to God. The servants of Christ may hope to turn many from darkness unto God, and to heal souls by the power of the Holy Ghost.' ~ Matthew Henry
By all means let us fast & pray & study the Bible & it's doctrines to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not be ashamed. Let us love & fellowship with the brethren & sit under faithful preaching of the Word from the mouths of godly, evangelistic pulpiteers. Let us partake of the Lord's supper. Let us take care of our bodies by eating healthily & getting a sufficient amount of rest & exercise. Let us work heartily to provide for the needs of our families. But then, let us GO, trusting that the God of the Word shall bring to pass that which He sends His Gospel to accomplish. For truly, we go out to sow seeds that those who are appointed to eternal life will believe for they will hear the voice of their Beloved & come to salvation through the Word Himself, Jesus Christ.
For Jesus has commanded us to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:15-16
"And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48
We have our marching, ploughing, sowing orders. Now, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1) & GO with the Gospel seeds of life & eternity.
"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" Romans 10:14
"...we should ... hold forth the Word of life, and to shine, giving light to all around."
Matthew Henry
Where do the prophets and evangelists fit into the Body of Christ?
"To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift ...He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ ..." Ephesians 4:7,11-12
As a person whose primary spiritual gift is as a prophet (the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy) and whose secondary gift is mercy, I have a desire to bring holy love of Christ into everything that I think, say and do. I want to be a blessing to Christians in the Body of Christ and be faithful to represent the Savior to sinners in the fallen world. As I studied the Bible on the subject of love yesterday, I noticed that the I Corinthians 13, the 'love' chapter, was preceded by a chapter of spiritual gifts. The notes in my Geneva Study Bible included the fact that scriptures make it abundantly clear that the essential condition for the proper exercise of any gift is LOVE. It is very interesting to ponder our great and mighty God, Who Himself IS love, Who also casts the wicked into hell in the day of judgment. I want to understand this perfect, just, holy God in all His beauty.
I began to ponder how a person with the gift of 'pastor' expresses love differently than how a person with the gift of 'prophet' expresses love. We think and act and speak love under the influence of the spiritual God has given us.
It has been my experience that it is a pretty serious challenge for people with the spiritual gifts of 'prophet' and 'evangelist' to find their place in the Body of Christ and in the local church. As we all know, when God sent prophets to His covenant people, they stoned them. And, most certainly, when God sent His Prophet, Priest and King to the covenant people, they beat Him, pulled out His beard and hung Him on a Cross.
The gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are all given by God to equip others to do the work of ministry. They, of course, minister themselves, but their gifts are mean to help those in the Body to learn to do the good works of ministry which God has prepared for them to do. These individuals should all work within and without of the local church to be effective in helping every believer to find their own way of benefitting the rest of the church. No one is given a gift for their own private benefit, but to benefit the Body and to advance the Kingdom of God in the world for the glory of Christ and the good of our neighbors.
According to Ephesians 4: 1-16 all Christians fulfill informal ministering roles, but some hold formal and official ministerial offices. Ideally the formal ministers (pastors, elders, deacons) should facilitate the informal ministers. The individuals that are evangelists and prophets are not usually 'formal' ministers in the church. They often remain 'informal'. While the informal ministers should not be unduly defiant or disruptive, the formal ministers should be serving to direct their ministries in ways that edifies (strengthens and upbuilds) the Body. The Body of Christ grows to maturity as every part does its share in serving and fulfilling it's particular gift as granted by God's grace.
Did you know that the word 'gift' literally means 'donation'? Christ bestows a role on every believer so that, by His grace, they may fulfill their ministry, both in the local church, the greater Body of Christ and in the world.
Here are a few definitions I found in the study notes in my Geneva Study Bible which help explain the meaning of 'gift' as it is found in the Word of God.
1) A spiritual gift is an ability to express, celebrate, display, and so communicate Christ in a way that builds up and strengthens the faith of other Christians and enlarges the Church.
2) Spiritual gifts may be broadly classified as either abilities of speech or of loving, practical helpfulness.
3) Every Christian has a gift of ministry (I Corinthians 12:7: Eph 4:7). It is every believer's responsibility to find, develop and fully use whatever capacities for service God has given them.
It is my sincere hope that those who have more easily accepted gifts, such as pastor, teacher, giving, helps, etc, would consider how they might integrate those with prophetic and evangelistic gifts into the life and ministry of their local church Body. While these women and men often are ambitious for the Lord's glory, the proclamation of a true gospel and for the saving of souls, they very much need the loving support of the local church. I believe that the local churches also very much need the witness of these spiritual gifts of God's grace to keep the church pure and Christ/gospel-centered instead of syncretistic and culture pandering.
What say you? What is your gift and how do you minister within and without of the local church Body?
What are the biblical adornments of a godly woman? Good deeds & virtues!
" ... women should adorn themselves...with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works." I Timothy 2:9,10
Girls & women who profess godliness should be rich in good works. Their lives should not be filled with frivolity & vain amusements. We must encourage them to be adorned by kindly, helpful deeds. "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised" Proverbs 31:30 The noble woman of Proverbs 31 is a person of great character. She is not known for her fanciful style of dress but rather for her VIRTUES, which will always include good deeds.
Women who profess the Christian religion, must be modest in apparel, not affecting gaudiness, gaiety, or costliness. Good works are the best ornament; these are, in the sight of God, of great price. Modesty and neatness are more to be consulted in garments than elegance and fashion. And it would be well if the professors of serious godliness were wholly free from vanity in dress. They should spend more time and money in relieving the sick and distressed, than in decorating themselves and their children. To do this in a manner unsuitable to their rank in life, and their profession of godliness, is sinful. These are not trifles, but Divine commands. The best ornaments for professors of godliness, are good works. ~ Matthew Henry
"Their adorning is to be effected by means of good works... Works...is their province (1Ti 2:8, 11, 12; 1Pe 3:1). Works are often mentioned... in order to oppose the loose living, combined with the loose doctrine..." ~ Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
What picture does the Bible paint of a virtuous woman? Here are some virtues of a godly woman gleaned from Proverbs 31. She is:
1. industrious (according to Pro 31:15 the godly woman rises early & works long & hard, til after dark, vs 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness)
2. eagerness to serve (Pro 31:13 'She...works with eager hands')
3. physical strength (Pro 31:17 'She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks)
4. desirous to help those less fortunate (vs 20: "She opens her arms to the poor & extends her hands to the needy")
5. places utmost confidence in God's sovereignty & provision (she is not fearful, but trusting, vs 21 'she has no fear for her household..are clothed in scarlet', vs 25 'She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.')
6. dignified (vs 25 'She is clothed with ...dignity')
7. wise (vs 26 'She speaks with wisdom, & faithful instruction is on her tongue')
8. faithful, vigorous homemaker (vs 27 'She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness')
9. if she is married, she is a good wife (vs 11-12: 'Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.)
10. a woman who fears the Lord (rather than being vain, flirtatious & seeking to be viewed as charming to men & others of the world, she fears & reverences the opinion of God rather than men. vs 30; 'Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.')
Proverbs 31:31 speaks of the joyful inheritance for the godly girl & woman. She will eventually be rewarded for her good works! 'Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.'
This is the description of a virtuous woman of those days, but the general outlines equally suit every age and nation. She is very careful to recommend herself to her husband's esteem and affection, to know his mind, and is willing that he rule over her.
1. She can be trusted, and he will leave such a wife to manage for him. He is happy in her. And she makes it her constant business to do him good.
2. She is one that takes pains in her duties, and takes pleasure in them. She is careful to fill up time, that none be lost. She rises early. She applies herself to the business proper for her, to women's business. She does what she does, with all her power, and trifles not.
3. She makes what she does turn to good account by prudent management. Many undo themselves by buying, without considering whether they can afford it. She provides well for her house. She lays up for hereafter.
4. She looks well to the ways of her household, that she may oblige all to do their duty to God and one another, as well as to her.
5. She is intent upon giving as upon getting, and does it freely and cheerfully.
6. She is discreet and obliging; every word she says, shows she governs herself by the rules of wisdom. She not only takes prudent measures herself, but gives prudent advice to others. The law of love and kindness is written in the heart, and shows itself in the tongue. Her heart is full of another world, even when her hands are most busy about this world.
7. Above all, she fears the Lord. Beauty recommends none to God, nor is it any proof of wisdom and goodness, but it has deceived many a man who made his choice of a wife by it. But the fear of God reigning in the heart, is the beauty of the soul; it lasts for ever.
8. She has firmness to bear up under crosses and disappointments. She shall reflect with comfort when she comes to be old, that she was not idle or useless when young. She shall rejoice in a world to come. She is a great blessing to her relations. If the fruit be good, the tree must have our good word. But she leaves it to her own works to praise her. Every one ought to desire this honour that cometh from God; and according to this standard we all ought to regulate our judgments. This description let all women daily study, who desire to be truly beloved and respected, useful and honourable. This passage is to be applied to individuals, but may it not also be applied to the church of God, which is described as a virtuous spouse? God by his grace has formed from among sinful men a church of true believers, to possess all the excellences here described. ~ Matthew Henry
May we seek the Lord's grace & help as we all strive to be the picture of a godly woman, adorning ourselves with good deeds and practicing virtue, to the glory of God & to good of our family & neighbors. For Christ's sake. Amen.
--
A gospel worth believing
is a gospel worth sharing.
Everyone has knowledge of God & a guilty knowledge of their sin
he Biblical Doctrine of General Revelation: Mankind’s Guilty Knowledge of God
All people are naturally inclined to some form of religion, yet they fail to worship their Creator, whose general revelation makes him universally known. Sinful egoism and aversion to our Creator’s claims have driven humanity into idolatry, the error of giving worship and homage to any power or object other than God (Is. 44:9-20; Romans 1:21-23; Col 3:5). In their idolatry, apostate humans ‘suppress the truth’ and have ‘changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible man ...(Rom 1:18) They smother and quench, as far as they can, the awareness that general revelation provides of the transcendent Judge and Creator, and they transfer the ineradicable sense of deity to unworthy objects. This in turn leads to drastic moral decline and misery, as a first manifestation of God’s wrath against apostasy. (Rom 1:18,24-32). God will not allow human beings to suppress entirely their sense of God and of His judgment. Some sense of right and wrong, as well as of accountability to God, always remains...everyone is endowed with a conscience that ...condemns them, telling them that they ought to suffer for wrongs they have done. when conscience speaks in these terms it speaks with the voice of God.
In one sense, fallen humanity does not know God, since what people believe about the objects of their worship falsifies and distorts the truth about God. In another sense all human beings do know God, but in guilt, with uncomfortable inklings of the judgment they cannot avoid. Only the gospel of Christ can speak peace to this aspect of the human condition. ~ Geneva Study Bible
All people are naturally inclined to some form of religion, yet they fail to worship their Creator, whose general revelation makes him universally known. Sinful egoism and aversion to our Creator’s claims have driven humanity into idolatry, the error of giving worship and homage to any power or object other than God (Is. 44:9-20; Romans 1:21-23; Col 3:5). In their idolatry, apostate humans ‘suppress the truth’ and have ‘changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible man ...(Rom 1:18) They smother and quench, as far as they can, the awareness that general revelation provides of the transcendent Judge and Creator, and they transfer the ineradicable sense of deity to unworthy objects. This in turn leads to drastic moral decline and misery, as a first manifestation of God’s wrath against apostasy. (Rom 1:18,24-32). God will not allow human beings to suppress entirely their sense of God and of His judgment. Some sense of right and wrong, as well as of accountability to God, always remains...everyone is endowed with a conscience that ...condemns them, telling them that they ought to suffer for wrongs they have done. when conscience speaks in these terms it speaks with the voice of God.
In one sense, fallen humanity does not know God, since what people believe about the objects of their worship falsifies and distorts the truth about God. In another sense all human beings do know God, but in guilt, with uncomfortable inklings of the judgment they cannot avoid. Only the gospel of Christ can speak peace to this aspect of the human condition. ~ Geneva Study Bible
What the Bible says: Two or Three Witnesses against those who Intentionally Murder
Two or Three Witnesses
Intentional murder
Abortion is the intentional murder of an innocent child (or children if there are twins in the mother's womb.)
In Numbers 35:16-21, 29-31 the duty for “The murderer shall surely be put to death” is commanded NINE times.
In verse 19 it is given that “The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death ...” The Geneva Study Bible notes that the ‘avenger of blood’ is a member of the victim’s family customarily designated to avenge the victim’s death by killing the manslayer.
“Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.” Numbers 35:30
“Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, & afterwards the hands of all the people.” Deuteronomy 17:6-7
Two or three witnesses must agree and be sincerely convinced of the guilt of the bloodguilty because they must be there and willing to take part in the stoning.
This duty is part and parcel of fulfilling the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves and: “You shall not murder”. While shedding innocent blood is prohibited, the implicit duty of this commandment is to love and protect your neighbor and to prevent any harm from coming against an innocent person.
Since pure religion and undefiled is described as visiting the orphans in their affliction, we see a particular imperative to protect the little ones imperiled by abortion. These are the children who are orphaned by their mothers and fathers and family.
This duty is also related to love of justice and fulfills Jesus’ positive command to us to ‘judge righteous judgment’ (John 7:24)
“It is not good to show partiality in judgment. He who says to the wicked, ‘You are righteous,’ him the people will curse; nations will abhor him. But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.” Proverbs 24:23-25
Showing partiality or preference to the guilty mother over the innocent child is biblically understood as a sinful offense to God and man.
“You shall do not injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor ... You shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him.”
Lev 19:15,17
“You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s.”
Deut 1:17
We should consider the wee innocent children, who, being weak & helpless cannot speak for themselves. When witnessing for Christ & against the murder of babies we must guard against having & showing partiality to the 'greater' in might & power, which is the mother.
“You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. You shall follow what is altogether just...”
Deut 16:19,20
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
John 7:24
Let us ask the Lord to lead and direct us, praying with the psalmist, “O Lord, according to Your Word, teach me good judgment and knowledge ...” (Psalm 199:65,66)
“For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.” James 2:13
We must go forth humbly, knowing that out of the Lord’s grace for us we warn the wicked mothers & fathers & companions (& the abortionists & clinic workers as well), lest by their stubborn refusal to show mercy to their infants, God withholds mercy from them in the day of judgment. Thanks be to God for the friend who shared the moral Law and this Gospel warning with us, that we might repent to the saving of our souls through the truth as it is in Jesus Christ.
The Blessing of Self-Forgetfulness
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:5-7
True humility does not so much consist in thinking badly of ourselves, as in not thinking of ourselves at all...
It is better to think of what God is than of what we are. This looking at ourselves, at the bottom is really pride, a want of the thorough consciousness that we are good for nothing. Till we see this we never look quite away from self to God. In looking to Christ, it is our privilege to forget ourselves. True humility does not so much consist in thinking badly of ourselves, as in not thinking of ourselves at all. I am too bad to be worth thinking about. What I want is to forget myself and look to God, who is indeed worth all my thoughts. ~ John Nelson Darby
It is woven of the fine threads of the self-life, the hyphenated sins of the human spirit. They are not something we do, they are something we are, and therein lies their subtlety and their power...To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them. They dwell to deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins – egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion ... ~ AW Tozer
What does God's holiness LOOK like?
"Power is God’s hand or arm, omniscience His eye, mercy His bowels, eternity His duration, but holiness is His beauty" ~ Stephen Charnock
It is this, supremely, which renders Him lovely to those who are delivered from sin’s dominion...
God’s holiness is manifested in His works. "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" (Ps 145:17)
God’s holiness is manifested in His law. That law forbids sin in all of its modifications: in its most refined as well as its grossest forms, the intent of the mind as well as the pollution of the body, the secret desire as well as the overt act. Therefore do we read, The law is holy, and "the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7:12). Yes, "the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether" (Ps. 19:8, 9).
God’s holiness is manifested at THE CROSS. Wondrously and yet most solemnly does the Atonement display God’s infinite holiness and abhorrence of sin. How hateful must sin be to God for Him to punish it to its utmost deserts when it was imputed to His Son!
Because God is holy He hates all sin. He loves everything which is in conformity to His laws, and loathes everything which is contrary to it. His Word plainly declares, "The froward is an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 3:32). And again, "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 15:26). It follows, therefore, that He must necessarily punish sin. Sin can no more exist without demanding His punishment than without requiring His hatred of it. God has often forgiven sinners, but He never forgives sin; and the sinner is only forgiven on the ground of Another having borne his punishment; for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). Therefore we are told, "The Lord will, take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth Wrath for His enemies" (Nahum 1:2). For one sin God banished our first parents from Eden. For one sin all the posterity of Ham fell under a curse which remains over them to this day (Gen. 9:21). For one sin Moses was excluded from Canaan, Elisha’s servant smitten with leprosy, Ananias and Sapphira cut off out of the land of the living.
The "god" which the vast majority of professing Christians "love," is looked upon very much like an indulgent old man, who himself has no relish for folly, but leniently winks at the "indiscretions" of youth. But the Word says, "Thou hatest all workers of iniquity "(Ps. 5:5). And again, "God is angry with the wicked every day" (Ps. 7:11). But men refuse to believe in this God, and gnash their teeth when His hatred of sin is faithfully pressed upon their attention. No, sinful man was no more likely to devise a holy God than to create the Lake of fire in which he will be tormented for ever and ever.
Because God is holy, acceptance with Him on the ground of creature doings is utterly impossible. A fallen creature could sooner create a world than produce that which would meet the approval of infinite Purity. Can darkness dwell with Light? Can the Immaculate One take pleasure in "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6)? The best that sinful man brings forth is defiled. A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. God would deny Himself, vilify His perfections, were He to account as righteous and holy that which is not so in itself; and nothing is so which has the least stain upon it contrary to the nature of God. But blessed be His name, that which His holiness demanded His grace has provided in Christ Jesus our Lord. Every poor sinner who has fled to Him for refuge stands "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6). Hallelujah!
Because God is holy UTMOST REVERENCE BECOMES OUR APPROACHES UNTO HIM. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all about Him" (Ps. 89:7)...The more our hearts are awed by His ineffable holiness, the more acceptable will be our approaches unto Him.
Because God is holy we should desire to be conformed to Him. His command is, "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16). We are not bidden to be omnipotent or omniscient as God is, but we are to be holy, and that "in all manner of deportment" (1 Pet. 1:15).
This is the prime way of honoring God. We do not so glorify God by elevated admiration, or eloquent expressions, or pompous services of Him, as when we aspire to a conversing with Him with unstained spirits, end live to Him in living like Him (Stephen Charnock).
Then as God alone is the Source and Fount of holiness, LET US EARNESTLY SEEK HOLINESS FROM HIM; let our daily prayer be that He may "sanctify us wholly; and our whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23).
excerpted from:
THE HOLINESS OF GOD
by A.W. Pink
It is this, supremely, which renders Him lovely to those who are delivered from sin’s dominion...
God’s holiness is manifested in His works. "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" (Ps 145:17)
God’s holiness is manifested in His law. That law forbids sin in all of its modifications: in its most refined as well as its grossest forms, the intent of the mind as well as the pollution of the body, the secret desire as well as the overt act. Therefore do we read, The law is holy, and "the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7:12). Yes, "the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether" (Ps. 19:8, 9).
God’s holiness is manifested at THE CROSS. Wondrously and yet most solemnly does the Atonement display God’s infinite holiness and abhorrence of sin. How hateful must sin be to God for Him to punish it to its utmost deserts when it was imputed to His Son!
Because God is holy He hates all sin. He loves everything which is in conformity to His laws, and loathes everything which is contrary to it. His Word plainly declares, "The froward is an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 3:32). And again, "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 15:26). It follows, therefore, that He must necessarily punish sin. Sin can no more exist without demanding His punishment than without requiring His hatred of it. God has often forgiven sinners, but He never forgives sin; and the sinner is only forgiven on the ground of Another having borne his punishment; for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). Therefore we are told, "The Lord will, take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth Wrath for His enemies" (Nahum 1:2). For one sin God banished our first parents from Eden. For one sin all the posterity of Ham fell under a curse which remains over them to this day (Gen. 9:21). For one sin Moses was excluded from Canaan, Elisha’s servant smitten with leprosy, Ananias and Sapphira cut off out of the land of the living.
The "god" which the vast majority of professing Christians "love," is looked upon very much like an indulgent old man, who himself has no relish for folly, but leniently winks at the "indiscretions" of youth. But the Word says, "Thou hatest all workers of iniquity "(Ps. 5:5). And again, "God is angry with the wicked every day" (Ps. 7:11). But men refuse to believe in this God, and gnash their teeth when His hatred of sin is faithfully pressed upon their attention. No, sinful man was no more likely to devise a holy God than to create the Lake of fire in which he will be tormented for ever and ever.
Because God is holy, acceptance with Him on the ground of creature doings is utterly impossible. A fallen creature could sooner create a world than produce that which would meet the approval of infinite Purity. Can darkness dwell with Light? Can the Immaculate One take pleasure in "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6)? The best that sinful man brings forth is defiled. A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. God would deny Himself, vilify His perfections, were He to account as righteous and holy that which is not so in itself; and nothing is so which has the least stain upon it contrary to the nature of God. But blessed be His name, that which His holiness demanded His grace has provided in Christ Jesus our Lord. Every poor sinner who has fled to Him for refuge stands "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6). Hallelujah!
Because God is holy UTMOST REVERENCE BECOMES OUR APPROACHES UNTO HIM. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all about Him" (Ps. 89:7)...The more our hearts are awed by His ineffable holiness, the more acceptable will be our approaches unto Him.
Because God is holy we should desire to be conformed to Him. His command is, "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16). We are not bidden to be omnipotent or omniscient as God is, but we are to be holy, and that "in all manner of deportment" (1 Pet. 1:15).
This is the prime way of honoring God. We do not so glorify God by elevated admiration, or eloquent expressions, or pompous services of Him, as when we aspire to a conversing with Him with unstained spirits, end live to Him in living like Him (Stephen Charnock).
Then as God alone is the Source and Fount of holiness, LET US EARNESTLY SEEK HOLINESS FROM HIM; let our daily prayer be that He may "sanctify us wholly; and our whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23).
excerpted from:
THE HOLINESS OF GOD
by A.W. Pink
Why the judgment & eternal damnation of the wicked will not be grievous to the righteous
"Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets;
for God hath avenged you on her."--Revelation 18:20
At the day of judgment, the saints in glory at Christ's right hand, will see the wicked at the left hand in their amazement and horror, will hear the judge pronounce sentence upon them, saying, " Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;" and will see them go away into everlasting punishment. But the Scripture seems to hold forth to us, that the saints will not only see the misery of the wicked at the day of judgment, but the forementioned texts imply, that the state of the damned in hell will be in the view of the heavenly inhabitants; that the two worlds of happiness and misery will be in view of each other. Though we know not by what means, nor after what manner, it will be; yet the Scriptures certainly lead us to think, that they will some way or other have a direct and immediate apprehension of each other's state. The saints in glory will see how the damned are tormented; they will see God's threatenings fulfilled, and His wrath executed upon them.
When they shall see it, it will be no occasion of grief to them. The miseries of the damned in hell will be inconceivably great. When they shall come to bear the wrath of the Almighty poured out upon them without mixture, and executed upon them without pity or restraint, or any mitigation; it will doubtless cause anguish, and horror, and amazement vastly beyond all the sufferings and torments that ever any man endured in this world; yea, beyond all extent of our words or thoughts. For God in executing wrath upon ungodly men will act like an Almighty God. The Scripture calls this wrath, God's and the fierceness of His wrath; and we are told that this is to show God's wrath, and to make His power known; or to make known how dreadful His wrath is, and how great His power.
That the torments of the damned are no matter of grief, but of joy, to the inhabitants of heaven...The damned suffering divine vengeance will be no occasion of joy to the saints merely as it is the misery of others, or because it is pleasant to them to behold the misery of others merely for its own sake...It will be an occasion of their rejoicing, as the glory of God will appear in it. The glory of God appears in all his works: and therefore there is no work of God which the saints in glory shall behold and contemplate but what will be an occasion of rejoicing to them. God glorifies Himself in the eternal damnation of the ungodly men...
They will rejoice in seeing the justice of God glorified in the sufferings of the damned. The misery of the damned, dreadful as it is, is but what justice requires. They in heaven will see and know it much more clearly, than any of us do here. They will see how perfectly just and righteous their punishment is, and therefore how properly inflicted by the supreme Governor of the world. They will greatly rejoice to see justice take place, to see that all the sin and wickedness that have been committed in the world is remembered of God, and has its due punishment. The sight of this strict and immutable justice of God will render Him amiable and adorable in their eyes. They will rejoice when they see him who is their Father and eternal portion so glorious in his justice.
Then there will be no remaining difficulties about the justice of God, about the absolute decrees of God, or any thing pertaining to the dispensations of God towards men. But divine justice in the destruction of the wicked will then appear as light without darkness, and will shine as the sun without clouds, and on this account will they sing joyful songs of praise to God, as we see the saints and angels do, when God pours the vials of His wrath upon antichrist; Rev. 16:57 They sing joyfully to God on this account, that true and righteous are His judgments, Rev. 19:16. They seeing God so strictly just will make them value His love the more. Mercy and grace are more valuable on this account. The more they shall see of the justice of God the more will they prize and rejoice in His love.
The saints in glory will see this, and be far more sensible of it than now we can possibly be. They will be far more sensible how dreadful the wrath of God is, and will better understand how terrible the sufferings of the damned are; yet this will be no occasion of grief to them. They will not be sorry for the damned; it will cause no uneasiness or dissatisfaction to them; but on the contrary, when they have this sight, it will excite them to joyful praises...
This will give them a joyful sense of the grace and love of God to them; because hereby they will see how great a benefit they have by it. When they, shall see the dreadful miseries of the damned, and consider that they deserved, the same misery, and that it was sovereign grace, and nothing else, which made them so much to differ from the damned, that, if it had not been for that, they would have been in the same condition; but that God from all eternity was pleased to set His love upon them, that Christ hath laid down His life for them, and hath made them thus gloriously happy forever, O how will they admire that dying love of Christ, which has redeemed them from so great a misery, and purchased for them so great happiness, and has so distinguished them from others of their fellowcreatures! How joyfully will they sing to God and the Lamb, when they behold this!
Excerpted from:
The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous
or
The Torments of the Wicked in Hell, No Occasion of Grief to the Saints in Heaven.
by
Jonathan Edwards
(1703-1758)
True vs False Repentance
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. ~ 2 Corinthians 7:10
"For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter." verse 11
These verses speaks of two kinds of sorrow for sin, one that works repentance unto SALVATION and LIFE, the other working DEATH. It is high time Christians were taught to discriminate much more than they do in regard to the nature and character of repentance. Were it so, the church would not be so overrun with false and unprofitable professors. That multitudes suppose themselves to be saved, who are not so, unless the Bible is false--is notorious.
Why is it that so many are deceived? Why do so many, who are yet impenitent
sinners, get the idea that they have repented? The cause is doubtless a lack of
discriminating instruction respecting the foundational bible doctrines, and especially a
lack of discrimination respecting true and false repentance.
TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE
True repentance is:
1. A change of opinion in regard to the nature of sin.
2. A change of opinion of the character of sin as respects its relation to God.
3. A change of opinion in regard to the tendencies of sin.
4. A change of opinion in regard to the desert of sin.
a. It implies a change in the state of the mind including all this.
b. In true repentance there must be a corresponding change of feeling.
The works or effects of genuine repentance:
1. If your repentance is genuine, there is A CONSCIOUS CHANGE in the mind of
VIEWS and FEELING (opinion) in regard to sin.
2. Where repentance is genuine, the disposition to REPEAT sin is gone.
3. Genuine repentance works a REFORMATION OF CONDUCT.
4. Repentance, when true and genuine, leads to CONFESSION and RESTITUTION.
5. True repentance is a PERMANENT CHANGE OD CHARACTER & CONDUCT.
False repentance:
1. It is not founded on the change of opinion that belong to
true repentance.
2. False repentance is founded in SELFISHNESS.
How false or spurious repentance may be known:
1. It leaves the feelings unchanged.
2. It works DEATH.
3. False repentance produces only a PARTIAL REFORMATION OF CONDUCT.
4. Ordinarily, the reformation produced by false sorrow is TEMPORARY.
5. It is a forced reformation.
6. This spurious repentance leads to SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7. It leads to FALSE SECURITY.
8. It HARDENS THE HEART.
9. It SEARS THE CONSCIENCE.
10. It rejects Jesus Christ as the ground of hope.
11. It is TRANSCIENT AND TEMPORARY.
Based on Charles Wesley's writing on true & false conversion.
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