Wilderness Communion

C. H. Spurgeon

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July 18
Wilderness Communion

I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. (Hosea 2:14)
The goodness of God sees us allured by sin, and it resolves to try upon us the more powerful allurements of love. Do we not remember when the Lover of our souls first cast a spell upon us and charmed us away from the fascinations of the world! He will do this again and again whenever He sees us likely to be ensnared by evil.

He promises to draw us apart, for there He can best deal with us, and this separated place is not to be a paradise, but a wilderness, since in such a place there will be nothing to take of our attention from our God. In the deserts of affliction the presence of the Lord becomes everything to us, and we prize His company beyond any value which we set upon it when we sat under our own vine and fig tree in the society of our fellows. Solitude and affliction bring more to themselves and to their heavenly Father than any other means.

When thus allured and secluded the Lord has choice things to say to us for our comfort. He "speaks to our heart," as the original has it. Oh, that at this we may have this promise explained in our experience! Allured by love, separated by trial, and comforted by the Spirit of truth, may we know the Lord and sing for joy!

From "Faith's Checkbook - C.H. Spurgeon

NO FEAR ? - FEAR GOD!

I saw these words on a bumper sticker the other day. According to some, the idea, "FEAR GOD", is not only old fashioned but landed in the dust bin of history years ago. However, let me remind you that the phrase is found throughout the Bible, both OT and NT. (check it out) It's not only good advice it is a command to be obeyed.

The saved standing before the throne of God sing,
"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the Ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?"
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."
Rev. 15:3,4

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools ------." Prov. 1:7

Now, "fear of the Lord" includes the concept of reverence, another word that we seldom hear today. God is referred to as "the old man" or "the man upstairs". The prophets fell on their faces when they "sensed" His presence. Today, men pick their nose while they say they're having a buddy-buddy chat with God (I doubt they even know what it is to come into His presence). I read of a man who said Jesus appeared to Him while he was shaving. He continued to shave and they enjoyed a nice little chat together. If the real Jesus appeared he, like the Apostle John, would fall flat on his face in reverential fear. Rev. 1:17

The latest obnoxious, irreverent, ungodly and foolish thing I have come across which demonstrates this lack of reverential fear is a referral to Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, as Jesus - "the toxic waste dump of the universe". That's not cute or creative - it's a sick reminder of how far we have departed from "THE FEAR OF THE LORD".

I'm Wrong - You're Right

We live in a curious age. I am a "black and white" sort of guy. It seems to me that there use to be a lot of "white" and a lot of "black" and a little bit of gray or grey in the middle. Today, as I look around, I wonder if, in the minds of many, there is any "white" and "black" or if everything now is grey.

Francis Schaeffer wrote this about 35 years ago. I think he addressed it to intellectuals but since then this kind of thinking has become commonplace.

“------ we should note this curious mark of our own age: the only absolute allowed is the absolute insistence that there is no absolute."


Now, when there is a difference, either:

I am wrong and you are right,
or
You are wrong and I am right,
or
We are both wrong,
but
We cannot both be right. (unless reason has died)

The Commercialized Mindset

John Piper, in his little book, "Jesus - The Only Way to God" spells one of the most dangerous corruptions of basic Christian beliefs which we are experiencing in American society. His introduction includes the idea of a "Commercialized Mindset". If people are not "buying" what we are presenting to them, we get the feeling that there must be something wrong with our "product" (message). Eventually, we "redefine" the truth so that it becomes more palatable. Example: If maintaining that Jesus is the only way to heaven becomes offensive, the "commercial mindset" will modify the message to something like, "Jesus is in some way or another the way to heaven even if you've never heard of Him." Or else just not make an issue about it anymore and quit talking about it.

There IS such a thing as "the offence of the cross." (Gal. 5:11 NIV) If the truth is offensive to some - then let it be. Who are we trying to please, anyway?

Blood Diamonds and Blood Gold

In the last few years a new expression has been added to our language - BLOOD DIAMONDS. A film and a TV Documentary by that name was produced in 2006.

"In relation to diamond trading, blood diamond (also called a converted diamond, conflict diamond, hot diamond, or a war diamond) refers to a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts, or a warlord's activity, usually in Africa." (wikopedia)

Now, there is also something called BLOOD GOLD. The gold we enjoy in our jewelry was produced at great cost which is reflected in the price - today $1209 per ounce.

BLOOD GOLD is made available for our enjoyment and security not by intensive labor but by blood, sweat, tears and death. The blood, sweat tears and death of our Lord Jesus Christ which purchased our redemption. He said, "I go to prepare a place for you --." And the streets of that city are paved with gold. BLOOD GOLD

The Image of God or an Idol

I heard a dialog between two ministers over the subject of pain and suffering and whether or not God causes some of it. One maintained that God sometimes causes suffering as punishment, discipline, chastisement, etc. The other said words to this effect, "That is not my image of God" and maintained that all pain and suffering is caused by Satan and his demons.

Now, the point I want to make is this: Due to our ignorance of God's revelation, we may "re-invent" God in our own image. In our minds, He thinks like I think, He likes what I like, He wants what I want, He does things the way I want things done, His idea of justice, holiness, purity, etc is exactly the same as mine.

This Is Idolatry. It is making God in the image of man. Not a bit different from making God in the image of a beast.

John Newton - His song, his text, his testimony, his epitaph.

He was a sailor on a slave ship and became the wretched slave of a slave woman.

John Newton wrote "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."

His favorite text was written on the wall of his study: "Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee."

His testimony on his death bed, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Saviour!"

His Epitaph:: John Newton, Clerk, Once an Infidel and Libertine, A Servant of Slaves in Africa, was by the Mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Preserved, Restored, Pardoned, And Appointed to Preach the Faith he had so long laboured to destroy.