Article

A FORGOTTEN PRACTICE!

“‭I am crucified‭‭ with Christ‭: nevertheless‭ I live‭‭; yet not‭ I‭, but‭ Christ‭ liveth‭‭ in‭ me‭: and‭ the life which‭ I‭‭ now‭ live‭‭ in‭ the flesh‭ I live‭‭ by‭ the faith‭ of the Son‭ of God‭, who‭ loved‭‭ me‭, and‭ gave‭‭ himself‭ for‭ me‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Galatians 2:20.

I can recall back in 1968, just after Ann and I were married and we had moved, for a short time, to a house in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, bowing in prayer before this text and asking the Lord for understanding of it.

I. Spiritual understanding once granted, must be retained and sustained by a constant supply of God’ grace.

As we must repeatedly and regularly partake of food and water and sleep, in order to maintain physical life, even so it is with our soul’s strength and vigour.

If we are to remain ALIVE to God and His mind and will for our lives, there must be this constant partaking of His grace by the appointed means — prayer and the reading and musing upon His Word. As David said: “‭My heart‭ was hot‭‭ within‭ me, while I was musing‭ the fire‭ burned‭‭: ‭then‭ spake‭‭ I with my tongue‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Psalm 39:3. The word ‘musing’ carries the meaning of ‘whispering or muttering’. Those who read the Bible to themselves in this manner are seeking to savour and digest every word and its meaning.

Acts 8:30 says, regarding the meeting between Philip and the man‭ of Ethiopia‬ in the desert: “‭And‭ Philip‭ ran‭‭ thither to ‭him‭, and heard‭‭ him‭ read‭‭ the prophet‭ Esaias‭, and‭ said‭‭, Understandest thou‭‭‭‭ what‭ thou readest‭‭?‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

We should note how this man was reading, it was out loud. He was musing and seeking the meaning of what it was he read.

It must be recognised that few Christians so read their Bibles. For many it is an exercise similar to the counting of the beads of the rosary by the Roman Catholic! In other words, a ritual that must be performed!

We can never remain ALIVE to God by insincere observance of a vital means of grace and life to our souls. How often have Christian confessed to themselves and even to others that they feel so ‘dead’!

That is NOT an admission that spiritual life has ceased within them. No, that cannot happen to the child of God, for to them has been imparted ‘eternal life’!

No, it is the acknowledgement that the level of spiritual energy within them has dropped away because of their neglect of their soul and its requirements. They have become ‘cast down’. (more…)

“‭In the sweat‭ of thy face‭ shalt thou eat‭‭ bread‭, till‭ thou return‭‭ unto the ground‭; for out of it wast thou taken‭‭: for dust‭ thou‭ ‭art‭, and unto dust‭ shalt thou return‭‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Genesis 3:19.

Advertising of cremation as a ‘handy’, ‘cheaper’ and much more ‘pleasant’ way to dispose of the dead, has become a very regular feature in the media of late.

The adverts treat death in a most unseemly and distasteful way. Death is to be an occasion for a party and songs and celebration. That has been seen on some recent occasions when a ‘celebrity’ left instructions that bright and garish clothing was to be worn by those attending their funeral and worldly songs, signifying worldly joy, were to be sung. This all is the result of the darkness that has descended upon the general public regarding eternity and what lies beyond death for the unconverted sinner.

Death, for ever so many today, is but the end of a life of godlessness and Christ-rejection and the beginning of an eternal sentence of God’s judgment upon such.

If only the Bible were more widely known and believed, then people would understand that far from being a matter of frivolity and catchy advertising, death for the sinner is an entering into an indescribable cauldron of eternal sufferings.

Heed these words.

“‭And‭ as‭‭ it is appointed‭‭ unto men‭ once‭ to die‭‭, but‭ after‭ this‭ the judgment‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Hebrews 9:27.

“‭The wicked‭ shall be turned‭‭ into hell‭, ‭and‭ all the nations‭ that forget‭ God‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Psalm 9:17.

“‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭Who among us shall dwell‭‭ with the devouring‭‭ fire‭? who among us shall dwell‭‭ with everlasting‭ burnings‭?‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Isaiah 33:14.

“‭But‭ the fearful‭, and‭ unbelieving‭, and‭ the abominable‭‭, and‭ murderers‭, and‭ whoremongers‭, and‭ sorcerers‭, and‭ idolaters‭, and‭ all‭ liars‭, shall have their‭ part‭ in‭ the lake‭ which‭ burneth‭‭ with fire‭ and‭ brimstone‭: which is‭‭ the second‭ death‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Revelation 21:8. (more…)

On this day, when I wrote my answer to Mr Roberts of Logos Ministries International and his deceitful attempt to deny what I wrote about LMI, I providentially read, as part of my daily Bible reading, 1 Samuel chapter 4.

As I read it, I noted truths which I am sure God would have Free Presbyterians take note of.

It was time when a perplexing question was on many lips. It is a question that needs to be asked by us all in this day when the enemy prevails.

“WHEREFORE HATH THE LORD SMITTEN US TO DAY BEFORE THE PHILISTINES?” verse 3.

Christian, do you have any sense of that which is taking place amongst us today?

Please note these following observations:

1. They were smitten of the Lord because they had followed the leadership of ungodly frauds and imposters.

“Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,” 1 Samuel 2:22.

2. Being thus led, the people placed their hope in vain notions.

“Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies,” 4:3.

3. Belief in such vain notions filled them with false hope.

“And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again,” 1Samuel 4:5.

4. The dreadful price the people paid for their folly.

“And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain,” 1 Samuel 4:10-11. (more…)