A SOUND HEART

 

A SOUND HEART May my heart be fully committed to keeping your statutes, so that I might not be ashamed. Psalm 119:80 This prayer holds within it the assurance that those who stay close to God’s Word will never regret it. Notice that the prayer is for a sound heart. A solid understanding of the Bible is good, and having sound judgment about it is even better. But having a heart that loves the truth and lives by it is best of all. We must love, feel, and obey the truth. Otherwise, we aren’t truly sound in God’s ways. How many people in these difficult days are truly sound? Many will be ashamed on the final day when all disputes are settled before God. They’ll see the foolishness of their own ideas and feel deep regret for their pride and rejection of the Lord. But those who believed what God taught and lived by what He commanded will be vindicated. Those who were slandered and insulted will see their shame turned into glory. Let’s pray this prayer, trusting that God will fulfill its promise. If the Lord makes us sound in heart, He will keep us safe. By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

THE FINAL END OF BABYLON

 

THE FINAL END OF BABYLON REVELATION 18.20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her.” 18.21 A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all. -WEB Bible IMAGE DESCRIPTION: This remarkable image is from a 13th century manuscript. In the upper right, the Apostle John relates the vision that he sees. A mighty angel carries a millstone to the sea and cheerfully drops it into the depths with a flourish. The millstone is a symbol of Babylon, and how she is disposed of forever, never to rise again. The book of Revelation contains three long chapters detailing the sins of Babylon and the celebration that follows her destruction. Nothing else in Revelation gets such extensive coverage. Babylon is a human story: she is OUR story. She is a word-picture story of all human folly. Babylon is the end result of Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. Eve took the fruit because the serpent convinced her that God was withholding good things from her. In the same way, Babylon took all she desired and whatever gave her pleasure. Babylon is the ultimate fulfillment and the end result of Eve's sin. The whole earth has been corrupted by insatiable greed and vanity; and the corruption grows steadily worse in these days. If we can understand how pervasive the world's value systems are and how they touch everything we do, it will help us understand why Jesus deliberately detached himself from material things when he walked this earth. Jesus didn’t own anything but the clothes he wore. Jesus was the opposite of the greed, vanity and perversion of Babylon. Jesus taught his disciples to live the same way he did. We cannot comprehend what a relief it will be to have the false value systems of Babylon removed from our lives and influence. I JOHN 2.15 Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. 2.16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 2.17 The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever. -WEB Bible IMAGE CREDIT: The Douce Apocalypse is one of several richly illustrated manuscripts of the Apocalypse made in England in the thirteenth century. (Wikimedia Commons)

 

THAT I MIGHT GAIN CHRIST

 

THAT I MIGHT GAIN CHRIST In order that I may gain Christ and be found in him... That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, I press on to make it my own; because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Philippians 3:8-12 Recently a friend told me a story about her father and his faith. At the time, her parents were staff members at a Christian Retreat camp where they ran the kitchen. Since this was a faith ministry, the camp staff often had to "pray in" the food required to feed hundreds of people. Michelle was only 7 years old at the time. One morning she wandered into the big dining room and saw her Dad sitting in a booth. He had his Bible with him, and she could see that he was praying so she sat quietly with him until he was finished. She knew he was praying about the food situation. Then Michelle asked her Dad, "Wouldn't it be great if a millionaire came to camp and gave us all their money?" But her father stopped her and said, "No, if we had everything we need we would miss out on the opportunity to witness how God answers prayer." Michelle said this was typical of her father's life: he loved how God answers prayer. I knew her father a little bit back then; he was a quiet, unassuming man. Who knew that such spiritual strength was there? This is one of the most beautiful testimonies of faith that I have heard. Jim didn’t wish for earthly comfort and pleasures; he just wanted to know God more fully and deeply.

 

KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD

 

COFFEE THOUGHTS Gerald D Hochstetler Jr. Sip….coffee time! There it stood up on the hill dark and tall. Huge trees hung over the farm house. Going by you’d look up the drive and always had this weird sad feeling. They had been deceived and excommunicated. There was a story, a long story, but it didn’t matter. It was already settled, they were deceived. Early in life I left the Amish community and started my journey. Sometimes I drove by the haunted farm house and I often wondered. What did they actually believe? Why were they shunned in such a strict manner? Years and years rolled by. I have been affiliated with Amish, Mennonites, Pentecostals, Baptists, and non-denominational churches. I have studied about every major doctrine there is to study. The battle between arminianism and calvinism has been intense for me. All these years and all this study and I’m still not positive on some of these doctrines. However, in this journey Jesus as Saviour has become precious. That I do know. The other day I noticed the lady from the haunted house had passed. The obituary read she was a pleasant person who loved to share the good news of our wonderful Saviour. She had a lovely kind smile. Again I thought, I wonder what they believed. Why were they so viciously shunned? The other day I happened to meet up with my friend Jerry Eicher. They were neighbors to this farm. The house sat across the road, a little to the left. So I popped the question. Why, what happened, and what was their theological belief that caused this excommunication? Jerry answered the question in Jerry fashion. “Probably the same thing you believe, he said. ”It all started on a Sunday when he was asked for “zuegnis”. The Amish preacher who does the sermon will ask others for “zuegnis”. It’s supposed to be a short speech confirming that they agree with the sermon and all is good. Well my dear brother said the unthinkable in zuegnis. “I had no more to do with my second birth than I did with my first birth,” In other words he came to realize that salvation is of the Lord. And he was willing to express it. That was the end of his Amish career. I had never really thought of it that way, but yes, I agree. I totally agree. I had nothing to do with my first birth other than doing what came naturally. Momma pushed me out, and I breathed. My second birth? God showered me with grace, gifted me faith, and now keeps me as the big book says, “kept by the power of God”. 1 Peter 1:5. I hope when we get to heaven we will recognize people for who they were here on earth. Because when I get there I would sure love to meet the couple who loved to share the good news and lived up on the hill in the haunted house. That little “zuegnis” he shared on that fateful day causes me to feel like I already know them. Like we are family! Gerald D Hochstetler Jr. #coffeethoughts on Facebook Used with Permission

 

MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE

 

MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE There is some confusion surrounding the actual author of this hymn, but researchers believe that James Haynes Duffell is the most likely. James Duffell was born in West Bromwich, England in 1811 where he lived most of his life. He worked as an iron smelter. He was married with three children. James emigrated to Sydney, Australia, in 1881 and died there in 1883 at the age of 72. The life of James Duffell was mostly unremarkable; perhaps even forgettable, except for close family members. But he did one small thing that brings his name forward to our time: he wrote a poem and mailed it to his aunt. A friend of Mr. Duffell’s said the poem was written during a period of great difficulty in the man's life. The aunt had it published. Someone else set it to music, and that poem became one of the most beloved songs in church hymnbooks: My Jesus I Love Thee. MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE 1 My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine; for thee all the follies of sin I resign; my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou; if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 2 I love thee because thou hast first loved me and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree; I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow; if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 3 I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death, and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath, and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow: If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 4 In mansions of glory and endless delight, I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright; I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow: If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE HYMN ON YOUTUBE