What Do You Feed Your Mind?

Socialism vs. True Harmony

 

Socialism is not the key to harmony in a society it is the ruin of it. If it weren't for men like Alexander Graham Bell, Orville and Wilber Wright, Booker T. Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Christopher Columbus, etc. we would have never become a nation of new discovery, a nation of hope, a nation for the people, by the people, of the people. But despite all this John Dewey wanted the Christian religion gone from 'The Collective Society'. The thing that was the very foundation of America from the start. He saw it a threat to the harmony and growth of society. But without Christ there can't ever be true peace, true joy, true love. Only with the Bible as THE guide can anyone ever have a strong society. We're all sinners born into a sin filled world. There's no Utopia to have on this earth, but we can have hope in Christ, joy in His grace, and show love to others because He first loved us. Not a "Peace, Love, and Rock'n'roll" kind of thing, but a law abiding, level headed, care for others around you. That's the true "Harmony of the Collective Society".

Another Interesting Book...

I found a book that's so interesting, thought provoking, and well written that I wonder it hasn't been republished in recent years. Here's the opening paragraph... 

"There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." 

~ Galatians 3:28 ~

"Woman was the finishing grace of creation. Woman was the completeness of man's bliss in Paradise. Woman was the cause of sin and death to our world. Woman was the means of our redemption. Woman is the mother of the human race; our companion, counselor, and comforter in the pilgrimage of life; or our tempter, our scourge, and our destroyer. Our sweetest cup of earthly happiness, or our bitterest draught of sorrow, is mixed and administered by her hand. She not only renders smooth or rough our path to the grave, but helps or hinders our progress to immortality. In heaven we shall bless God for her aid in assisting us to reach that blissful state, or amid the torments of unutterable woe in another region, we shall deplore the fatality of her influence."

God's Work On The Human Soul...

Many today in the Christian Church have fallen into the world's destructive and distorted view of Easter or Resurrection Sunday. People look at little pastel colored candies, egg hunts, and cute little bunnies and chicks instead of the history of the amazing grace of God. From Christ's birth on earth to His ministry on earth, then His humiliating death on the cross, resurrection from the dead, and then Christ's ascension to heaven!

What could be more amazing and wonderful than that?

God incarnate - The One who created the earth became a human, Mortal just to suffer and die for our sins! 
How wondrous is His love for us that He'd died so we should live! And not only that but that He arose victorious from the grave! Hallelujah! 

Christ is Risen! 

 The Condescending Grace of Christ
Matt. 20:28
By Phillip Doddridge

'Saviour of men, and Lord of love,
How sweet thy gracious name!
With joy that errand we review
On which thy mercy came.

While all thy own angelic bans
Soot waiting on the wing,
Charm'd with the honour to obey
Their great eternal King;

For us, mean, wretched, sinful men,
Thou laid'st that glory by;-
First, in our mortal flesh, tho serve;
Then, in that flesh, to die.

Bought with thy service and thy blood,
We doubly, Lord, are thine;
To thee our lives we would devote,
To thee our death resign.'




Here are some songs that I hope will encourage you in your walk with Christ or if you have yet to put your faith in Christ may these songs point you to the only One who can give you peace and hope.

~Behold the Man~
John 19:5
By Charles Wesley

'Ye that pass by, be hold the man;
The man of grief condemn'd for you,
The Lamb of God for sinners slain!-
Weeping to Calvary pursue.

His sacred limbs they stretch, they tear,
With nails they fasten to the wood-
His sacred limbs-expos'd and bare,
Or only cover'd with his blood.

See there! his temples crown'd with thorns,
His bleeding hands extended wide,
His streaming feet transfix'd and torn,
The fountain gushing from his side.

Thou dear, thou suffering Son of God,
How doeth thy heart to sinners move!
Sprinkle on us they precious blood,
and melt us with thy dying love.

The earth could to her centre quake,
Convuls'd, when her Creator died;
Oh, may our inmost nature shake,
And bow with Jesus crucified!

At thy last gasp, the graves display'd 
Their horrors to the upper skies;
O that our souls might burst the shade,
And , quicken'd by thy death, arise!

The rocks could feel thy powerful death,
And tremble, and asunder part;
Oh, rend, with thy expiring breath,
The harder marble of our heart!'

The Redeemer's Message

Luke 4:18-19

Phillip Doddridge

'Hark, the glad sound, the Saviour comes,

The saviour promis'd long!

Let every heart prepare a throne,

And every voice a song.

On him, the Spirit, largely pour'd,

Exerts his sacred fire;

Wisdom and might, and zeal and love,

His holy breast inspire.

He comes, the prisoners to release,

In Satan's bondage held;

The gates of brass before him burst,

The iron fetters yield.

He comes, from thickest films of vice

To clear the mental ray;

And, on the eyes oppress'd with night,

To pour celestial day.

He comes, the broken heart to bind,

The bleeding soul to cure;

And, with the treasures of his grace,

T' enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,

Thy welcome shall proclaim;

And heaven's eternal arches ring

With thy beloved name.'

What Shall I Do To Be Saved?

"And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."

~ Acts 16:29 ~

"Whatever you may gain, life will be a lost adventure, if you do not gain salvation. The condition of the poorest creature that ever yet obtained, though he had but a mere glimmering of intellect, just enough of understanding to apprehend the nature of repentance; although he lived out his days amidst the squalid poverty and repulsive scenes of a hovel or a workhouse; although he was unknown even among the poor; and although when he died he was buried in the pauper's grave on which no tear was ever shed - the condition of even this poor outcast of society is infinitely to be preferred to that of the most successful merchant, the greatest conqueror, the profoundest philosopher, or the sublimest poet that ever existed, if he lived and died without salvation. 

The lowest place in heaven is infinitely to be preferred to the highest place on earth.

Go on then to urge the question, "What shall I do to be saved?" Let no one turn your attention from this matter. As long as you covet this, your eye and heart and hope are fixed on the sublimest object in the universe; and when officious but ignorant friends would persuade you that you are too anxious, point them to the bottomless pit, and ask them if any one can be too anxious to escape its torments.

Point them to heaven, and ask them if any one can be too anxious to obtain its glories.

Point them to the cross of Christ, and ask them if any one can be too anxious to secure the object for which he died." 

~ John Angell James, Exerpt from 'The Anxious Inquirer After Salvation' ~ 

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

~ Romans 5:8 ~

The Effects of Listening to 'In Freedom's Cause'

If you have never listened to this amazing rendition of In Freedom's Cause you really should. They have done an amazing job with their productions so far. Here is a video we made for a contest they put together. Please vote for our video at the link below! The voting ends on August 7th, 2015. I hope you all enjoy it. We had fun putting it together. http://www.ifcvideocontest.com/watch.php?vid=bedef6a69

If you want to check out In Freedom's Cause or other audio dramas that Heirloom audio has put together click HERE to check them out. With Lee in Virginia is the newest one and I hear that they will be doing The Dragon and The Raven next.... I know I can't wait to hear them! Let me know what you think of our little video and maybe if you've listened to some of their dramas you could share what you thought of them!

The Effects of Listening to "In Freedom's Cause" by Leanne Bryan

A New Documentary Coming Soon!

Colin Gunn is creating a new documentary about the Modern Healthcare and how Obamacare is changing it. The question is, is it for the better or for the worst?

Please watch the trailer, leave a comment, and visit KickStarter  to help donate to the completion of this eye opening documentary - Wait Till It's Free!
We only have 12 days left to reach $25,000. They must reach that amount before November 30th to keep the money for the use of the documentary. So please pass this along and help support this godly endeavor!

The Fingerprint of God Throughout Nature

The Fingerprint of God - Fibonacci numbers from theremix on GodTube.

Different Types of Investments

What is an investment? Well when you look in the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language we see this, "The laying out of money in the purchase of some species of property, literally, the clothing of money with something." 

But we also know that beyond the physical realm of investments there are also the spiritual investments. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21.Then there is, I think, another investment, "Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction." Proverbs 10:14. "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinners is stored up for the righteous." Proverbs 13:22. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. Do you see it? The third investment is in your children and their spiritual life.So let's review the three investments we can make...

1 ~ Investing in stocks, bonds, property, or other alternatives to hard cash. 

2 ~ Investing all aspects of your life into Christ's eternal "trust fund".

3 ~ Investing your time, wisdom, knowledge, and God's Word into your children and your children's children.

So what made me think on the differing investments of life? Well, as I was working on reorganizing all my hope chest stuff, I realized that all my cookware and other home making necessities were really investments. They were things that would later save me and my future husband money, thus allowing us to use that money we saved for other expenses. In the same way, all the studies and research we do in our Bibles are another kind of investment. As we study and search the Scriptures God gives us wisdom, knowledge, and a deeper love for Him. Same goes for our children. The investment of all you've learned from God should be poured out on your children. Teaching them from the Scriptures and other godly books.That got me thinking. How could I better invest in my children, before I'm even married? Then I had, one way was getting books! But not just any genre. Rather good, godly books that would encourage my future children to grow in Christ. With some of the money I've made on yard work and selling flower bouquets this month I spent on some amazing books! At least I think they are are a wonderful additions to my library! 

Dragons: Legends &  Lore of Dinosaurs

Taking Back Astronomy
By Jason Lisle

The Wonder of it All: The Creation Account According to the Book of Job
By Steve Terrill

God's Thoughts After Him: Great Science Who Honored the Creator
By Christine Dao

John Calvin: Man of the Millennium
By Philip Vollmer

The Fossil Record: Unearthing Nature's History of Life
By John D. Morris & Frank J. Sherwin

The Life and Times of Archbishop James Ussher
By J. A. Carr

Start your own collection of good foundational books for your future family's library!

Here are some links to places with good Christian books: Vision Forum ,  Institute for Creation Research and Answers in Genesis

I'd love to hear from you and what books you've found through the years!

The Masterful Design of Spider Webs

Yes, I who hate spiders is doing a short slide show on spider webs. Whether you are a spider loving fan or the exact opposite I hope you enjoy seeing just how intricate the spider's web truly is!

The Inadequacy of Man and the Sufficency of God

Once in a while I thought I'd post some Bible study notes on here for all of you to "mull" over. So read, research, study, and of course leave a comment!

Mark 7:32-37 is the story of a man who was deaf and dumb and was healed by Christ. But the part that I fixated on was verses 34-35. "Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him "Eph'phatha," that is, "Be open." Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly."

Those verses started me thinking. Without Christ what do we truly have?
What wisdom do we have? Save by the mercy of God.
What joy do we have? Save through Christ's sacrifice and grace.
What mercy can we truly show? Without first receiving mercy for our unforgivable wrong toward our Creator.
What love can we have for others? Without the example of Christ for the unlovable.

So how can anyone have wisdom without God who is the fountain of wisdom?
How can anyone have joy that's not based on worldly possessions, without having Christ as their eternal joy?
How can anyone truly have mercy on others around them unless they first receiving mercy for their sin?
How can anyone show love toward others unless Christ, the God of the universe showed it first toward those who didn't deserve it?

We our sinful nature rebels against anything good or just. All our "good deeds" are as worthless as plastic coin. Our selfishness and pride are so deeply ingrained in our souls that nothing we do or say would be truly good or just without Providence and His word. Incapable we truly are without God first changing us to be more like Himself, who is the only One who can do all things right.

Here are some references that I found:

Wisdom ~ Colossians 2:2-3, 1 Corinthians 1:24-25, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Exodus 31:3, Ephesians 1:17.


       Joy ~ John 15:11, Job 20:4-5, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 35:9, Psalm 51:12, 1 Thess. 2:19-20, Isaiah 12:2-3, John 16:22, Rom. 15:13, Gal. 5:22-24.


  Mercy ~ Matt. 5:7, Psalm 31:7, Psalm 57:10, Psalm 103:8, Gen. 39:21, Psalm 100:5.


    Love ~ Gal. 5:22-24, Col. 3:14, John15:9,12, Isaiah 63:7-9, Jeremiah 9:24. 

I know there are many more verses that would apply as well so feel free to share what you find! I'd love to hear about it!

Making A 180...

A Parody of Our Modern Church Service...

      My mom found this video that I think shows a very accurate, yet disconcerting view of many churches in the States and Canada.
      No longer do we sing songs of praise and adoration with meaning to our Savior. No longer do we hear sound biblical doctrine preached from the pulpit. Our focus is no longer on what is being said and if it is consistent with the Bible, but rather we look at how fun and lively the music is or how engaging the preacher maybe. Not to mention the Sunday schools and youth groups. As long as our children might be enjoying them we don't seem to mind how little learning they're getting vs. play time. Does the pastor teach on the meat of the Word? Or does he continually talk about how "Christ loves everyone" and gives a very warm and cuddly evangelistic speech that has everyone in tears? Is the Christian church really growing stronger in Christ? Or are we making Christ a mockery by allowing watered down preaching in our churches? Producing young adults that are still babes in the Lord even at the age of 18 and 20 because they did more "fun" stuff then real study of their Bibles when in youth group and Sunday school. Could we give a confident answer on the doctrine of salvation or have conversations on biblical topics? How often do you hear young adults talk about the Bible? How often do you and your friends talk about God and His word? 
      Watch this little skit and let me know what you think:

The Irony of the World's Thinking

‎"Of course, much of the world would agree that being a housekeeper is acceptable as long as you are not caring for your own home; treating men with attentive devotion would also be right as long as the man is the boss in the office and not your husband; caring for children would even be deemed heroic service for which presidential awards could be given as long as the children are someone else's and not your own."

~Mrs. Dorthy Patterson~ 

Why I started this blog...

Some of you might wonder, "why did she name her blog 'The Opportunity"? Well, it all started with this poem and others like it.
Opportunity
By Edward R. Still
This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:-
There spread a cloud of dust along a plain;
And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields,
A prince’s banner wavered, then staggered backward hemmed by foes.
A craven hung along the battle’s edge,
And thought, “Had I a sword of keener steel –
That blue blade that the king’s son bears– but this
Blunt thing!”– he snapped and flung it from his hand.
And lowering crept away and left the field.
Then came the king’s son, wounded, sore bestead,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran and snatched it, and with battle-shout
Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.

After I had read this I thought about how much we have changed from the way in which the Reformers and Puritans lived. How we have strayed so far from having that straight line drawn between right and wrong, godly and sinful. We, as Christians, should stand up for our faith, not run when the battle gets hard or looks like we will loose! What kind of example are we to the world if we just shrug our shoulders and say "we'll just live and let live"? Did Christ do that when He spoke to the Pharisees? No, very much the opposite. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." Matthew 23:27

So what then should we do as His ambassadors? 

For myself I enjoy writing and talking about issues and at times a bit too much. So I chose to have a blog where I can share what God has put on my hear. I hope this blog is an encouragement and exhorts you in your God given roles. Please feel free to leave a note or thought. Is there something that you disagree with or something that you would like to hear my opinion on? I'd love to hear from you!

I hope you all enjoy my Opportunity. 

What a Godly Keeper at Home (Or Housewife) is Not

By Stacy McDonald
(An excerpt from Passionate Housewives Desperate For God)       

       A godly keeper at home is absolutely not a lesser human being, a mindless robot, or a placid doormat under submission to all men; rather, she is created in the very image of God and equal worth and value compared to man (Genesis 1:26-28). She is the crown of her husband (Proverbs12:4, a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18). Because she trusts God's wisdom in establishing perfect order for His creation, she willingly submits to her own husband as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-24).

      In God's economy, the godly housewife is no man's slave or piece of personal property; for her worth is “far above rubies” Proverbs 31:10. Nonetheless, she eagerly admits to being Christ's slave, which paradoxically makes her free indeed (1 Corinthians 7:22). She laughs when she hears rumors that she is an oppressed victim of a male-dominated dictatorship, because she knows that god's will is perfect and his Word timeless. Her place in society isn't ruled by the culture, but by God's unchanging and eternal Word. By His grace, she has no desire to question His ways (Isaiah 55:8); on the contrary, she rests in them.

      Hardly childish or unintelligent, a godly keeper at home opens her mouth with wisdom (Proverbs 31:26) and her husband and children praise her (Proverbs 31:28. She has opinions and ideas, and uses them for god's glory—not her own. She takes joy in being a helpmate to her husband so that her “husband is known in the gates” Proverbs 31:23 and so that his heart “safely trusts in her” and he “has no lack of gain” Proverbs 31:11.

       Though the counterfeit lure and charm of the seductress seeks to deceive and entice the housewife's husband, the godly woman's garden is filled with fragrant spices and delicious fruits (Song of Solomon 4;16). As she ravishes her husband's heart he sings of how her love is better than wine and her scent finer than expensive perfume (Song of Solomon 4:9-10). She is a “fruitful vine” at her husband's table Psalm 128:3, and the fruit of her body is blessed (Deuteronomy 28:4).

        Far from being a household drudge chained to her stove, the godly keeper at home is “like a merchant ship; she brings her food from afar” Psalm 31:14. Proverbs 31 reveals to us how a godly housewife impacts her community in various ways—feeding the poor, making purchases for the proper running of her household, dealing in wisdom with employees, and selling her homemade hoods. She is known in the community and honors her husband by representing him well while in public, yet her hub of productivity and her primary focus is the place she most loves to be—her home.

         The godly keeper at home wisely governs the household that God places in her care so that prudence ad sound judgment rule her decisions rather than covetousness or folly. Though she may wear pearls and high heels, she realizes that “charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” Proverbs 31:30.

Dispelling the Myth

Stacy McDonald

(Excerpt from Passionate Housewives, Desperate For God)

'Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is price is far above rubies'

Proverbs 31:10

       In the 1970s, the pro-feminist bestseller Stepford Wives turned the traditional housewife into a mindless, husband-pleasing, yes-woman who was literally heartless—because, come to find out, she was actually a robot. The message was clear: a woman who faithfully serves her family, loves pleasing her husband, and joyfully takes care of her home (from home) is not a “real person,” but a contrived fantasy of her overbearing and selfish husband.

       Instead of treasuring women and properly utilizing their gifts, our culture has attempted to discard the beauty and uniqueness of biblical womanhood and create an emotionally androgynous power-woman whose worth is measured only by the degree of her ambition, the shape of her body, and her money-making potential. Rather than women renouncing this affront to their dignity, amazingly, the slaves are demanding their slavery!

       In place of the glorious picture painted for us in Scripture of the passionate keeper at home, a hollow counterfeit has emerged—a desperate image concocted and promoted by Hollywood stereotypes, magazine models, and women's self-help books.

      The rise of the Internet has only added to the confusion. As women have gravitated to the web en masse, they have met a flood of men and women of all backgrounds and persuasions propounding conflicting notions of what it means to be a woman. The cacophony of ideas and teachings that today's Christian women must wade through as they contemplate their rightful place in God's created order can be simply overwhelming.

      Of course, the challenge of determining the meaning of true biblical womanhood is not unique to our time. While today's women may be bombarded with more media steams than their counterparts of previous generations, biblical femininity has always been an unusual quality. This is what led king Lemuel's mother to observe, “who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10. Virtuous women have always been rare, and oh, how precious they are!

The Wicked Always Despise the Godly

'The wicked hate the godly; there is enmity between the seed of the woman and the serpent Gen. 3:15. As in nature there is an antipathy between the vine and the bay tree, the elephant and the dragon. Vultures have an antipathy against sweet smells: so in the wicked there is an antipathy against the people of God; they hate the sweet perfumes of their graces. It is true the saints have their infirmities; but the wicked do not hate them for these, but for their holiness; and from this hatred ariseth open violence: the thief hates the light, therefore would blow it out.’
Thomas Watson

The Presentation of The Gospel and The Doctrine of Grace

Iain Murray

    “Preach Christ and leave doctrines alone,” has been the popular outcry. As though it were possible to declare who Jesus is, and the necessity and nature of conversion, without teaching doctrine! Beneath such a statement there lies the common delusion that it matters not what a man believes so long as he rests on Christ in some vague way. We are here concerned to assert that not only doctrine in general, but the doctrines of grace in particular are necessary for a correct presentation of the Gospel. We mean such doctrines as fallen man's total inability, the sovereign mercy of God in election and the almighty work of the Holy Ghost in conversion. Now the objection which confronts us is one which is widely accepted by evangelicals, namely that whatever be the truth of these doctrines, they have no essential place in the preaching of the Gospel, they are not necessary for Scriptural evangelism. There can be no question that this commonly accepted view has governed the presentation of the Gospel fro many years, yet when we stand aside for a moment from the opinions of our times and look back across the centuries, we are met with the plain fact that this view is in reality a radical departure from the evangelical witness of former generations. We are not therefore raising this matter in a controversial spirit byt out of the conviction that the spiritual barrenness of our days, the withdrawal of the powerful operations of the Holy Ghost, the widespread absence of the fear of God among the people, may well be related to this variance in our presentation of the Gospel.

      Now of course the only way to ascertain whether such variance does in fact exist is to examine some church history. Let us then direct our attention to periods when the Spirit of God was mightily poured out upon people under the ministry of the Word. How was the Gospel presented in such times? Under what kind of doctrines were multitudes savingly converted? We will look at three perio9ds during the last 300 years when the operations of the Spirit in great power have been in evidence.

      Between the years 1625-1630, there was a widespread revival of serious religion in Scotland, wrought through preaching attended by the authority of the Holy Ghost. Five hundred persons traced their conversion to one sermon preached by John Livingstone in 1630 at Kirk of Shotts. At Irvine, multitudes under deep concern for their souls attended the preaching of David Dickson. “Few,” says Howie “were more instrumental in this work than he.” On Monday evenings (being market day) Dickson preached to large congregations, many coming in from the countryside. This was accompanied by such distressing, then saving effects, that a revival known as the “Stewarton sickness” broke out in the area. Listen then to something of Dickson's preaching; from his text 2 Timothy 2:19, he concludes: “that the doctrine of election and reprobation is a doctrine which may be safely taught and propounded unto people, albeit men say it should not be meddled with, because (say they) “it makes some men despair, and others become careless what they do.” I answer, let God make an answer for His own doctrine, who has commanded us to teach it... The apostle says boldly, the election obtained it and the rest were blinded. Would Christ have propounded this doctrine if it had been dangerous? Therefore we oppose to such canal men, secure sleepers in sin, this doctrine of Christ and His apostles, clearly set down in scripture. Let non take offense at this doctrine, for Christ's sheep will hear His voice and if any will startle away, let them go... This doctrine is a strong attractive to draw back those who are fallen in error or vice, that they lie not in it; for this doctrine forces such men to turn to God, or else, to take on the name of reprobates... It is a doctrine meant for this age, wherein God is mocked and blaspheme by the lewd lives of those who are called Christians, to tell them that they must either turn to God, or take home with them those black tidings, that they are vessels of dishonour, fitted for destruction. This doctrine is very needful to put men to their decisions; and yet it condemns not a man to hell presently, who is lying in sin; but it tells him that there are some elect who will come home; and some reprobate, who will not come home. Therefore, if a man be elect, albeit for the time he be a deboshed villain, this doctrine will serve him for the third and last summons: for when he hears that he must either quit his sinful courses, or have no portion with God, presently he must resolve, I will renounce my old lovers, my uncleanness, worldliness, and turn in to God, and seek a covering to hide my vileness, and a garment to make me beautiful in the eyes of God. This effect will this doctrine work in the elect.”

      Such was the preaching which accompanied the great Scottish awakening of the seventeenth century.

      The next period when the soul-saving effects of the Gospel were so gloriously displayed was t the time of the New England revival. Jonathan Edwards, the foremost instrument in this movement has left us a full account of it, and of the sermons which he preached at that time, in his works. New England had flourished in the seventeenth century under the Gospel ministries of several eminent Puritans, but early in the eighteenth a marked decay in piety and seriousness became evident. “Mirth and jollity” and vain amusements began to engage the young. Concerning the year 1734, Edwards wrote, “Arminianism seemed to appear with a very threatening aspect upon the interest of religion here. The friends of vital piety trembled for fear of the issue. Many who looked on themselves as in a Christ-less condition seemed to be awaked by it, with fear that God was about to withdraw from the land, and that we should be given up to heterodoxy and corrupt principles; and that their opportunity for obtaining salvation would be past.”

     Yet, as Edwards says,this event led to wonderful consequences. Despite the censure of some he began to oppose these errors in his preaching, and it was attended with a very remarkable blessing of heaven to the souls of the people. “In the latter part of December” (1734, Edwards' narrative continues) “the Spirit of God began extraordinarily to set in, and wonderfully to work amongst us... a great and earnest concern about the great things of religion, and the eternal world, became universal in all parts of the town, and amongst all persons of all degrees, and all ages...religion was with all sorts the great concern, and the world was a thing only by the bye. The only thing in their view was to get the kingdom of heaven. It was ten a dreadful thing amongst us to lie out of Christ...the number of true saints multiplied; the town seemed to be full of the presence of God: it never was so full of love, nor of joy, and yet so full of distress, as it was then... This remarkable pouring out of the Spirit of God extended from one end to the other of this country.” This is but a brief extract of the amazing account Edward gives, we are chiefly concerned with the doctrine preached at this time. “The drift of the Spirit of God in His legal strivings,” writes Edwards, “seemed most evidently to be to bring persons to a conviction of their absolute dependence on His sovereign power and grace... I think I have found that no discourses have been more remarkably blessed, than those in which the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty, with regard to the salvation of sinners, and His just liberty, with regard to answering prayers of natural men have been insisted on... As to those in whom awakenings seem to have a saving issue, commonly the first thing that appears is a conviction of the justice of God in their condemnation. In giving an account of this, they expressed themselves very variously; some that they saw God was sovereign and might receive others and reject them; some, that they were convinced, God might justly bestow mercy on every person in the town, in the world, and damn themselves to all eternity; some that if they should seek, and take the utmost pains all their lives, God might justly cast them into hell at last, because all their labours, prayers and tears cannot make atonement for the least sin...some have declared themselves to be in the hands of God, that He may dispose of them just as He pleases.

     Whatever Minister has a like occasion to deal with souls under such circumstances, I cannot but think he will soon find himself under a necessity, greatly to insist upon it with them, that God is under no manner of obligation to show mercy to any natural man... It appears to me, that if I had taught those who came to me under trouble, any other doctrine I should have taken a most direct course to undo them. I should have directly crossed what was plainly the drift of the Spirit of God in His influences upon them, and blocked up their way to that humiliation before the Sovereign Disposer of life, and death, whereby God is wont to prepare them for His consolations.”

     In 1745 similar effects followed David Brainerd's evangelistic ministry among the Indians, resulting in a widespread revival. Scores of instances similar to the following could be quoted from Brainerd's narrative—“Those whom I have reason to think in a Christless state, were almost universally seized with concern for their souls. It was an amazing season of power among them, and seemed as if God had 'bowed the heavens and come down.' So astonishingly prevalent was the operation upon old as well as young, that it seemed as if non would be left in a secure and natural state...numbers of men and women, old and young, might be seen in tears, some in anguish of spirit...so that there seemed here a lively emblem of the solemn days of accounts; a mixture of heaven and hell, of joy and anguish inexpressible.” concerning his presentation of the Gospel Brainerd writes, “Those doctrines, which had the most direct tendency to humble the fallen creature, to show him the misery of his natural state, to bring him down to the foot of Sovereign Mercy, and to exalt the great Redeemer— discover His transcendent excellency—were the subject matter of what was delivered.” Brainerd records the effect of these doctrines upon numerous individuals; he is assured of conversion of one man for “his heart echoes to the soul humbling doctrines of grace, and he never appears better pleased than when he hears of the absolute sovereignty of God.” A woman who had long quarreled against God “because He would, if he pleased, send her to hell...was brought to a comfortable calm, and seemed to be bowed and reconciled to divine sovereignty; and told me 'she now saw and felt it was right God should do with her as He pleased.' Others,” continues Brainerd “were refreshed to find that love to God in themselves, which was an evidence of His electing love to them.”

        Finally let us look briefly at the revival which began at Kilsyth in Scotland in 1839, and which spread to other parts of the land. The occasion of the outbreak of this awakening was the preaching of William Burns on the text Psalm 110:3, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power.” Burns tells us that the heads of his sermon were these “I. The person spoken of—they are God's elect—those given to Christ of the Father. II. The promise of the Father to Emmanuel regarding those persons— 'they shall be willing.' III. The time of the promise—the day of Emmanuel's power.” In opening his discourse Burns insisted on man's inability to will what was pleasing to God, “it is the crowning part of man's depravity that his will is opposed to the will of God... this is the state of the fallen soul by nature; and therefore, my friends, when God brings back in His infinite love the souls of His elect people, He makes them willing.” At the end of this sermon while he was pleading with the unconverted to close with God's offers of mercy, the Spirit of God descended upon the people. “During the whole of the time that I was speaking, the people listened with the most riveted and solemn attention; but at the last their feelings became too strong for all ordinary restraints and broke forth simultaneously in weeping and wailing, intermingled with shouts of joy and praise from some of the people of God. The appearance of a great part of the people from the pulpit gave me an awfully vivid picture of the state of the ungodly in the day of Christ's coming to judgment. Some were screaming out in agony; others, and among these strong men, fell to the ground as if they had been dead...”

         Now what do all these quotations prove? They demonstrate that these doctrines have been predominant in times when God mightily honoured the preaching of the Gospel.

        It remains for us to briefly summarize some reasons why these doctrines are essential to Scriptural presentation of the Gospel. The natural man is content to live “without God in the world” Eph.2:12 until he sees the dreadfulness of his condition and the desirableness of conversion. This discovery comes to him by the apprehension that he is a creature of God, could to obey His Law in every point, yet because of his sin unable to do so. His duty to meet God's righteous claims is the same as when God created him perfect and holy; his inability is a proof of the fall and of his sin. He is still a creature and has not lost his responsibility, but as a sinner he is now “not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” Rom. 8:7. He has lost his ability to obey God. Guilt and helplessness are the causes of the sinner's misery, and only when he comes to self-despair does he start to “fear God which is the beginning of wisdom” Psa. 111:10. Pride is the grand obstacle to conversion, and nothing more humbles man than to realize that he depends upon the sovereign mercy of God, and that Christ alone is able to save him.

       Man's sinful inability applies equally to the commands of the Gospel. Faith and repentance are his duty, God has commanded them just as He has commanded the Law; but he can no more believe and love Christ than he can believe and love God—which is the first commandment. The natural man is no mere able to decide for Christ than he is able to decide to keep the Law. Therefore while the preacher is to exhort men to believe on Christ, he is at the same time to plainly declare that conversion is a work of Divine power. Saving faith is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8) and not to teach this leads to the fatal error of accepting a mere profession of assent to the Gospel as a sign of salvation. There is a 'temporary faith' Matt. 4:16-17, and there is the faith of devils who believe and tremble (James 2:19). “The faith of God' s elect” Titus 1:1 is of an entirely different nature and origin; it involves a renewal of the whole person; God makes a new creature, implants new principles in the soul—hatred of sin, love of holiness, desires for heaven. To teach that a soul has a saving faith before these marks of his “calling and election” (2 Peter 1:10) by God are evident, leads to Antinomianism, carelessness, and the eternal delusion of multitudes. Unless these truths of God's Sovereignty in conversion are taught, Luther rightly says, 'every man will bolster himself up with a delusive home pf a share in that salvation which is supposed to lie open to all; and thus genuine humility and fear of God would be kicked out of doors.” In conclusion we would assert that unless the doctrines of Grace underlie the presentation of the Gospel, a true view of the glorious nature of conversion is impossible. Edwards tells us that prior to the revival in New England there had been “a great deal of talk about conversion and spiritual experiences,” but when persons became the subjects of conversion they declared their former idea of it was “brought to nothing... they have seen themselves brought down, and become nothing, that free grace and divine power may be exalted in them.”

Search The Scriptures

John 5:39

By Iain Murray

The attitude of a man to the Scriptures is indicative of the state of his soul before God. The language of a Christian is, “O how I love Thy Law.” He desires to Treasure the Word of God more “than thousands of gold and silver” Psalm 119, whereas the ungodly are marked out as those who have no delight in the Law of the Lord, and such “shall not stand in the judgment.” Psalm 1. Believers, like Joshua, are commanded to search and meditate in this Book day and night Joshua 1:8, but those who fail to tremble at the authority of this Word Isaiah 66:2, and carelessly despise its divine origin, “shall be destroyed.” Proverb 13:13. Judge the state of your soul by whether you have learned this fear of God, and His Word, “which is the beginning of wisdom.”

But not only may the temporal and eternal condition of individuals be judged from their regard of Scripture, there is also no surer test of the state of the visible church than the prevailing attitude towards of the Bible. The prosperity of the church is invariable in proportion to her valuation of God's Word. The Reformation in the sixteenth century is clear proof that the church flourishes when the Word is exalted. Consider the Reformers' view of Scripture. Luther affirmed “That he would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible.” And Luther proved his regard for God's Word by his knowledge of it. During his early ministry, he tells us, there was not verse in Scripture which if quoted to him he could not instantly place! Ridley knew by heart the whole of Paul's Epistles. Beza, when over 80 years of age, could relate exactly all the Psalms and the Epistles in their original. Such a hunger to know Scripture was not confined to ministers. During the reign of Henry VIII (while the possession of any portion of the Bible was punished by burning at the stake) an English farmer gave a whole cartload of hay for only one page of James' Epistle! Many of the English martyrs, though only laymen, were able at their trials mightily to use the Scripture they had memorized in answering their adversaries. How greatly did the cause of God prosper when this attitude to The Word of God prevailed!

On the other hand, when the church is in a declining, and powerless condition, the cause will always be found to be connected with an absence of true and deep knowledge of a true and deep knowledge of Gods Word . Never for four hundred years in England , perhaps, has the Bible been so little known in the church—even in evangelical church— as to-day. The direct result is that the visible church is in a desperately low condition. But as few will be prepared to accept that ignorance of Scripture is the characteristic mark of the religion of our times, let us confirm the statement by some proofs. When a low view of Scripture prevails it will always betray itself by certain definite marks. Three of these marks we will consider.

1. Error is regarded as comparatively harmless, and the importance of purity of doctrine is minimized.
   This is sure mark of ignorance. Error, heresy, and ignorance of Scripture are soul-destroying things. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6. “That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.” Proverbs 19:2. It is a fearful threatening, “they shall die without Knowledge.” Job 36:12. Ignorance makes a man the object of Divine wrath. Christ shall come “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,” 1 Thessalonians 1:8. Eusebius records that the aged Apostle John so feared heresy, that he refused to enter a building when he learnt that the heretic Cerinthus was inside, saying “Let us depart lest the house wherein the Lord's enemy is should fall on our heads.”
   Where shall we go to-day to find men who have such a view of the importance of sound doctrine? Is the doctrine of men who are allowed to join in on evangelistic campaigns examined? Are converts told not to go to certain churches? Do not young men preparing for the ministry attend Colleges where the Word is not purely taught? What is all this but a disregarding of God's displeasure over error, and a failure to recognize that where error prevails there God's judicial blindness reigns. Errors are God's bullets with which He destroys gainsayers— “O stand not where God's bullets fly,” Says Gurnall. “Take heed what ye hear!” Mark 4:24, Proverbs 19:27.

2. Lack of desire or concern to grow in knowledge becomes evident.

Man was made a rational creature, and endowed with noble faculty of understanding in order to know God. The result of the Fall was to remove from his mind any saving knowledge of God— “There is none that understandeth.” Romans 3:11. The great purpose of redemption is nothing less than to restore men to a knowledge of God, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee” John 17:3, and only by this means is a man able to glorify and enjoy God forever.

While all regenerate persons, all believers, have a desire to know God, they have it in varying degrees of strength. We can unmistakably test the measure of our desire by our diligence in studying Scripture—for by this Book alone can we increase in a true knowledge of God. Who can doubt that the seventeenth century Puritans were the greatest searchers, expositors, and preachers of God's Word our land has ever seen? The great power and force of their ministry lay in the tremendous emphasis they put on a profound understanding, of the Scripture. The biographer of the mighty Puritan Oliver Heywood (whose ministry affected much of the north of England) says, “He spent much of his time in his study. It was his custom to rise at an early hour.... he was assiduous in the pursuit of knowledge.” Heywood himself recorded in his diary, “I prize learning above all sublunary excellencies, and I might have been more useful had I improved my time better therein—Proverbs 10:14, 'Wise men lay up knowledge.'”

John Cotton, the great leader of the New England Puritans , lived under conviction of that sacred precept, “Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” “He rose early, and commonly studied twelve hours a day, accounting that a scholar's day.” (Brook's Lives of the Puritans).

Likewise of Thomas Manton it was written, “His great delight was in his study.” The prolocutor the Westminster Assembly, William Twisse, when dying cried with his departing breath, “Now at length I shall have leisure to follow studies to all eternity!” The consuming passion of the Puritans was to know God. “To know Him,” records the historian Macaulay, “was with them the great end of existence.” They therefore unceasingly searched the Scriptures, and advanced far beyond any other generation of Englishmen in their ability to unfold their contents.

The duty of giving all diligence to add knowledge to faith, is laid by God upon all believers. 2 Peter 1:5. Listen to Jonathan Edwards exhorting his hearers—“We should make growing in knowledge a great part of the business of our lives...There is no doctrine of divinity whatever, which doth not some way or other concern the eternal interest of every christian. The Scriptures were written that they might be understood: otherwise they are not instructions... we can receive benefit by no more of the Scriptures than we understand... You all have by you a large treasure of Divine knowledge, in that you have the Bible in your hands; therefore be not content in possessing but little of this treasure. God hath spoken much to you in Scripture: labor to understand as much of what he saith as you can.”

A concern such as this to grow in knowledge is markedly absent amongst the generality of professing believers to-day. Superficiality abounds in every direction. Shallowness is excused as simplicity. Sermons that require no diligent preparation suit the taste of congregations that are not accustomed to girding up the loins of congregations that are not accustomed to girding up the lions of their minds. It is presumed that the contents of Scripture concerning God, His simple, the whole revelation of Scripture concerning God, His Being, Attributes, and Purposes, is a subject that the minds of prophets and angels can only “search” and “look into,” 1 Peter 1:11-13; a subject that staggered the understanding of the Apostle Paul so that he could only cry out, “O the depth” Romans 11:33, and call the Gospel a “great mystery” 1 Timothy 3:16. This attitude towards Scripture always prevails amongst those who are no longer babes in the truth. “Religion itself is a deep mystery,” says Richard Sibbes, “it requires a great deal of learning.” Listen again to one of the greatest Puritans, John Owen—“ Do not suppose that you have leaned anything of God in Christ, of the mystery of His grace, unless you see therein such evidence of infinite wisdom, goodness, holiness, love, in all things so suited unto the eternal glory of God and advantage of your own souls, as that you may admire, adore, delight in them, and cleave unto them with a holy, prevalent, unconquerable love. When you do so, then will you be established in the truth.”

3. The Lack of praise and spiritual joy becomes apparent.

When believers are little acquainted with Scripture this mark is always manifested. The Word of God is the ground and foundation of true joy and praise— “These things write we unto you that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:4. The Word was written for a purpose. There is no such thing as joy in the Holy Ghost apart from the knowledge and belief of God's Word— “Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8. The only way for a believer to be established in a joyful assurance is to know his privileges and exalted position to which God as raised him in Jesus Christ. Satan's constant work is to keep us ignorant, or make us forget the dignity and strength that we have. Truly, Sibbes says, “A Christian is a more excellent creature than he thinks.” “Unacquaintedness with our mercies, and our privileges, is our sin as well as our trouble,” writes John Owen. “We hearken not to the voice of the Spirit which is given to us 'that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God.' 1 Corinthians 2:12. This makes us go heavily, when we might rejoice.”

Let us then ask how much spiritual joy is to be seen to-day and we shall immediately be able to judge how much or little the Scriptures are known. Oh, who is not aware that in most evangelical circles, carnal mirth, frivolity, “foolish talking and jesting” Ephesians 5:4, are accepted as signs of a healthy Christian life, and have replaced joy in the Holy Ghost! We read recently in a well known Christian newspaper the report of a campaign meeting o a man who is now being acclaimed as a leading evangelist— “He pummeled the audience into warmth and enthusiasm. He cracked jokes about the Cup ties. More singing....more jokes about the Cup ties. Everybody singing and laughing...” How could such 'evangelism' as this flourish except amongst people who are grossly ignorant of Scripture! True spiritual joy is accompanied by deep seriousness. The soul is overpowered by eternal realities and walks in the fear of God. That this work of the Spirit is rarely to be seen is a sure mark of the neglect of Scripture.

We have thus far been largely considering some evidences of the ignorance of Scripture that abounds in our times. We could summarize the conclusion to be drawn in such words as these— “Not one in a hundred read their Bibles to be called reading.” The subject could be much enlarged, but what we have said is sufficient to establish in our minds that the first requisite to a diligent study of the Bible is this:— We must be convinced of the necessity of searching the Scriptures. And this conviction will not be impressed upon us until we seethe perils of ignorance, and the desirability of knowledge— “Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.” Proverbs 3:13-14. We must aroused to walk contrary to the spirit of our times and fear to be infected by the prevailing attitude to the Scriptures. It is hard to live in the midst of a plague and be kept unaffected.

A brief application remains. We can draw from the solemnity of our days arguments to increase our diligence in the Scriptures. Just as Egypt was made to know the worth of light by the want of it Exodus 10:21-24, and just as a sick man learns the value of health by the absence of it, so God makes men value His word by sending a famine for it. Contempt of the Word is punished by judicial blindness, so that though men may still possess the Scriptures and read them (as the Pharisees and Sadducees did at the time of Christ), they are given over to blindness and a true understanding is removed from them. John 12:39-40. The famine is a famine “of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11, that is God removes those who truly expound it. Unless God in mercy reverses His present sentence against us, there are surely awful judgments ahead. “How guilty (in neglect of Scripture) our English nation is, is too manifest to write, and what we have cause to expect for it, I tremble to write.” Three centuries of God's longsuffering have passed over the land since Elnathan Parr wrote those words. It may be that now our guilt has reach its limit. “I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing...Now will He remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.” Hosea 8:12-13.

But the children of God need not fear the future, “For wisdom is a defense.” Ecclesiastes 7:12. They who have let the Word of Christ dwell in them richly in all wisdom Colossians 3:16 will be like Joseph who while there was time and opportunity laid up stores for the time of need. Believers shall overcome the world and the devil, “By the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.”