Some day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment, I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have only gone up higher, out of this old clay tenement into a house immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto His glorious body.
- D. L. Moody
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Deity of Christ
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: "I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say.
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice.
Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
- C. S. Lewis
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice.
Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
- C. S. Lewis
Monday, February 8, 2010
Love not the World
"Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" Genesis 19:17
This is still the gospel message. We are in danger of God's judgment and must escape from it if we would live. We must not stay anywhere in all the plain of sin, for there is no safe spot, no shelter anywhere, no place where the fires of judgment will not fall.
Some people would like to compromise; they are willing to flee from some sin, but not from others. There are some professed Christians who like to stay on the borders of their old life. They are continually asking whether they can do this or that, go here or there and still be Christians. They want to keep just as near to Sodom as possible, so as not to be burnt up in Sodom's destruction! The answer to all such questions is, "Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" Even the borders are unsafe! The only safe place is the mountain, the mountain where Christ's Cross stands!
Lot's wife looked back. There had been a specific command, "Do not look back!" Why she looked back is not explained. Was it curiosity to see the nature of the terrible destruction that she heard roaring behind her? Or was it her dismay as she thought of her beautiful home, with all its wealth of furnishing and decoration, and all her jewels and garments and other possessions, which were now being consumed in the great fire?
It would seem that she was appalled at the thought of leaving and losing all her beloved possessions, and paused in her flight and looked back, with the hope that possibly she might yet run back and snatch some of the ornaments or gems, something, at least, from the awful destruction. "But Lot's wife looked back--and she became a pillar of salt!"
"Remember Lot's wife!" (Luke 17:32). We should not miss the lesson which our Lord Himself teaches us from the tragic fate of this woman: we cannot have both worlds! Lot's wife could have escaped with her husband and her daughters, but she could escape only by resolutely and determinedly leaving everything she had in Sodom. Her love for her possessions, cost her her life!
Just so, there are thousands today to whom God's message comes, "Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" They somewhat desire to follow Christ, but their love for the world is so intense that they cannot give it up or renounce it. They must decide, however, which they will renounce--Christ or the world. They cannot keep both!
In Lot's wife, we have an example of one who was almost saved, and yet lost! She was lost because she loved the world. "Remember Lot's wife!"
- J. R. Miller
This is still the gospel message. We are in danger of God's judgment and must escape from it if we would live. We must not stay anywhere in all the plain of sin, for there is no safe spot, no shelter anywhere, no place where the fires of judgment will not fall.
Some people would like to compromise; they are willing to flee from some sin, but not from others. There are some professed Christians who like to stay on the borders of their old life. They are continually asking whether they can do this or that, go here or there and still be Christians. They want to keep just as near to Sodom as possible, so as not to be burnt up in Sodom's destruction! The answer to all such questions is, "Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" Even the borders are unsafe! The only safe place is the mountain, the mountain where Christ's Cross stands!
Lot's wife looked back. There had been a specific command, "Do not look back!" Why she looked back is not explained. Was it curiosity to see the nature of the terrible destruction that she heard roaring behind her? Or was it her dismay as she thought of her beautiful home, with all its wealth of furnishing and decoration, and all her jewels and garments and other possessions, which were now being consumed in the great fire?
It would seem that she was appalled at the thought of leaving and losing all her beloved possessions, and paused in her flight and looked back, with the hope that possibly she might yet run back and snatch some of the ornaments or gems, something, at least, from the awful destruction. "But Lot's wife looked back--and she became a pillar of salt!"
"Remember Lot's wife!" (Luke 17:32). We should not miss the lesson which our Lord Himself teaches us from the tragic fate of this woman: we cannot have both worlds! Lot's wife could have escaped with her husband and her daughters, but she could escape only by resolutely and determinedly leaving everything she had in Sodom. Her love for her possessions, cost her her life!
Just so, there are thousands today to whom God's message comes, "Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" They somewhat desire to follow Christ, but their love for the world is so intense that they cannot give it up or renounce it. They must decide, however, which they will renounce--Christ or the world. They cannot keep both!
In Lot's wife, we have an example of one who was almost saved, and yet lost! She was lost because she loved the world. "Remember Lot's wife!"
- J. R. Miller
Denton Conference, March 5-7
I had sent an email a couple of weeks ago, announcing our church's weekend conference with David Miller, March 5-7, for those who are near north Texas or have Christian friends here;
Though the conference is still on, David Miller will not be coming; His family truly needs your prayers; their 26 year old son, Joshua, who is a paraplegic from an auto accident several years ago, has some severe infections in his legs, which could lead to amputation, if not arrested in their advance. David has stopped his preaching ministry for the coming weeks to be home with Joshua.
Please do pray for Joshua Miller and his parents, brother and Mrs. Miller, and ask your church to pray; it is a serious situation, where God's mercy is greatly needed.
Pastor Don Johnson from Batesville, Arkansas will be preaching instead and we are greatly looking forward to Don being with us; please join us if you are able, beginning Friday evening, March 5, at 6:30 pm.
In the love of Christ,
- Mack T.
Though the conference is still on, David Miller will not be coming; His family truly needs your prayers; their 26 year old son, Joshua, who is a paraplegic from an auto accident several years ago, has some severe infections in his legs, which could lead to amputation, if not arrested in their advance. David has stopped his preaching ministry for the coming weeks to be home with Joshua.
Please do pray for Joshua Miller and his parents, brother and Mrs. Miller, and ask your church to pray; it is a serious situation, where God's mercy is greatly needed.
Pastor Don Johnson from Batesville, Arkansas will be preaching instead and we are greatly looking forward to Don being with us; please join us if you are able, beginning Friday evening, March 5, at 6:30 pm.
In the love of Christ,
- Mack T.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
No Pet Sins
"Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast." Genesis 4:5
"Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him!" Genesis 4:8
See here, the fearful growth of the evil feeling in Cain's heart. It was only a thought at first, but it was admitted into the heart and cherished there. Then it grew until it caused a terrible crime! We learn here the danger of cherishing even the smallest beginning of bitterness; we do not know to what it will grow!
Some people think lightly of bad temper, laughing at it as a mere harmless weakness; but it is a perilous mood to indulge, and we do not know to what it may lead.
"Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you!" In His reproof of Cain, the Lord likens his sin to a wild beast lying in hiding by his door, ready to leap on him and devour him. This is true of all sin which is cherished in the heart. It may long lie quiet and seem harmless--but it is only a wild beast sleeping!
There is a story of a man who took a young tiger and resolved to make a pet of it. It moved about his house like a kitten and grew up fond and gentle. For a long time its savage, blood-thirsty nature seemed changed into gentleness, and the creature was quiet and harmless. But the man kept it too long and was later killed by the tiger.
So it is, with the passions and lusts of the old nature, which are only petted and tamed and allowed to reside in the heart. They will crouch at the door in treacherous lurking and in some unguarded hour, they will rise up in all their old ferocity!
It is never safe to make pets of tigers!
It is never safe to make pets of little sins!
We never know what sin may grow into if we let it abide in our heart!
"Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him!" That is what came of the passion of envy in Cain's heart! It was left unrebuked, unrepented of, uncrushed--and in time it grew to fearful strength. Then in an evil moment, its tiger nature asserted itself!
We never know to what dreadful stature a little sin may grow!
- J. R. Miller
"Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him!" Genesis 4:8
See here, the fearful growth of the evil feeling in Cain's heart. It was only a thought at first, but it was admitted into the heart and cherished there. Then it grew until it caused a terrible crime! We learn here the danger of cherishing even the smallest beginning of bitterness; we do not know to what it will grow!
Some people think lightly of bad temper, laughing at it as a mere harmless weakness; but it is a perilous mood to indulge, and we do not know to what it may lead.
"Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you!" In His reproof of Cain, the Lord likens his sin to a wild beast lying in hiding by his door, ready to leap on him and devour him. This is true of all sin which is cherished in the heart. It may long lie quiet and seem harmless--but it is only a wild beast sleeping!
There is a story of a man who took a young tiger and resolved to make a pet of it. It moved about his house like a kitten and grew up fond and gentle. For a long time its savage, blood-thirsty nature seemed changed into gentleness, and the creature was quiet and harmless. But the man kept it too long and was later killed by the tiger.
So it is, with the passions and lusts of the old nature, which are only petted and tamed and allowed to reside in the heart. They will crouch at the door in treacherous lurking and in some unguarded hour, they will rise up in all their old ferocity!
It is never safe to make pets of tigers!
It is never safe to make pets of little sins!
We never know what sin may grow into if we let it abide in our heart!
"Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him!" That is what came of the passion of envy in Cain's heart! It was left unrebuked, unrepented of, uncrushed--and in time it grew to fearful strength. Then in an evil moment, its tiger nature asserted itself!
We never know to what dreadful stature a little sin may grow!
- J. R. Miller
Friday, February 5, 2010
Motives in Ministry
Woe to the man that preaches only because he is a minister, and not because he loves Christ! I am afraid that in many cases our motives get mixed. Pure and simple at first in our service, we may get at last to serve Christ only because it is our office to do so. Woe to the man that preaches only because he is a minister, and does not preach because he loves Christ! We may get also to be self-reliant. It is a great mercy for God's ministers when they tremble on going into the pulpit, even though they have been accustomed to preach for twenty years.
Martin Luther declares that he never feared the face of man; and all who knew him could bear witness that it was even so; yet he said he never went up the stairs of the pulpit at Wittenburg but he felt his knees knock together with fear, lest he should not be faithful to God and his truth. When we begin to rely upon ourselves' and think we can do it, and our experience and our practice will suffice to bear us safely through the next discourse without help from on high, then the sun has looked upon us and blackened our face indeed, and the time of our usefulness draws to a close.
- Charles Spurgeon
Martin Luther declares that he never feared the face of man; and all who knew him could bear witness that it was even so; yet he said he never went up the stairs of the pulpit at Wittenburg but he felt his knees knock together with fear, lest he should not be faithful to God and his truth. When we begin to rely upon ourselves' and think we can do it, and our experience and our practice will suffice to bear us safely through the next discourse without help from on high, then the sun has looked upon us and blackened our face indeed, and the time of our usefulness draws to a close.
- Charles Spurgeon
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Doers of the Word: Living the Truth
"If you know these things--happy are you if you do them." John 13:17
A great many people know plenty of Scripture truth, but do not live it out. Yet the real test of knowing Scripture is obedience. We really know
only so much truth as we get into our experience and conduct. The only part of the Bible we have really learned is what we have learned to
live. It is a beautiful thing when a person has been well-taught; it is still more beautiful when he abides in the things which he has been taught, living out the lessons in daily life.
- J. R. Miller
Many Christians should probably call a moratorium on learning more truth, and instead concentrate for the next 6 months to apply and live what we already know. For many of us, we don't need more knowledge at this point--we need to apply and walk in light that we already have. The danger of trafficking in un-lived truth is always there. Why concentrate mainly on gaining more knowledge, when the best path to knowing Jesus more intimately is to endeavor to live the truth He has already given us. "If you know these things," Jesus says, "happy are you if you do them."
"Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
- Mack Tomlinson
A great many people know plenty of Scripture truth, but do not live it out. Yet the real test of knowing Scripture is obedience. We really know
only so much truth as we get into our experience and conduct. The only part of the Bible we have really learned is what we have learned to
live. It is a beautiful thing when a person has been well-taught; it is still more beautiful when he abides in the things which he has been taught, living out the lessons in daily life.
- J. R. Miller
Many Christians should probably call a moratorium on learning more truth, and instead concentrate for the next 6 months to apply and live what we already know. For many of us, we don't need more knowledge at this point--we need to apply and walk in light that we already have. The danger of trafficking in un-lived truth is always there. Why concentrate mainly on gaining more knowledge, when the best path to knowing Jesus more intimately is to endeavor to live the truth He has already given us. "If you know these things," Jesus says, "happy are you if you do them."
"Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
- Mack Tomlinson
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