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Pastimes : Ask God -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: O'Hara who wrote (26808)	9/12/1999 10:41:00 PM
From: O'Hara	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 39621

><>...Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness...><> because of mine enemies. Psalms 5:8 Very bitter is the enmity of the world against the people of Christ. Men will forgive a thousand faults in others, but they will magnify the most trivial offence in the followers of Jesus. Instead of vainly regretting this, let us turn it to account, and since so many are watching for our halting, let this be a special motive for walking very carefully before God. If we live carelessly, the lynx-eyed world will soon see it, and with its hundred tongues, it will spread the story, exaggerated and emblazoned by the zeal of slander. They will shout triumphantly. ?Aha! So would we have it! See how these Christians act! They are hypocrites to a man.? Thus will much damage be done to the cause of Christ, and much insult offered to his name. The cross of Christ is in itself an offence to the world; let us take heed that we add no offence of our own. It is ?to the Jews a stumblingblock?: let us mind that we put no stumblingblocks where there are enough already. ?To the Greeks it is foolishness?: let us not add our folly to give point to the scorn with which the worldly-wise deride the gospel. How jealous should we be of ourselves! How rigid with our consciences! In the presence of adversaries who will misrepresent our best deeds, and impugn our motives where they cannot censure our actions, how circumspect should we be! Pilgrims travel as suspected persons through Vanity Fair. Not only are we under surveillance, but there are more spies than we know of. The espionage is everywhere, at home and abroad. If we fall into the enemies? hands we may sooner expect generosity from a wolf, or mercy from a fiend, than anything like patience with our infirmities from men who spice their infidelity towards God with scandals against his people. O Lord, lead us ever, lest our enemies trip us up! Spurgeon, Charles

To: O'Hara who wrote (26808)	9/12/1999 10:51:00 PM
From: O'Hara	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39621

><>....Behold, what manner of LOVE.... the Father...><> hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God.? 1 John 3:1,2 ?Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.? Consider who we were, and what we feel ourselves to be even now when corruption is powerful in us, and you will wonder at our adoption. Yet we are called ?the sons of God.? What a high relationship is that of a son, and what privileges it brings! What care and tenderness the son expects from his father, and what love the father feels towards the son! But all that, and more than that, we now have through Christ. As for the temporary drawback of suffering with the elder brother, this we accept as an honour: ?Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.? We are content to be unknown with him in his humiliation, for we are to be exalted with him. ?Beloved, now are we the sons of God.? That is easy to read, but it is not so easy to feel. How is it with your heart this morning? Are you in the lowest depths of sorrow? Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled under foot? Does your faith almost fail you? Fear not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live: you must live simply by faith on Christ. With all these things against us, now?in the very depths of our sorrow, wherever we may be?now, as much in the valley as on the mountain, ?Beloved, now are we the sons of God.? ?Ah, but,? you say, ?see how I am arrayed! my graces are not bright; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory.? But read the next: ?It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him.? The Holy Spirit shall purify our minds, and divine power shall refine our bodies, then shall we see him as he is. Spurgeon, Charles