BibleGateway Verse of the Day (KJV)

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Arise, O God, and Shine

William Hurn's 1813 hymn...hmm, don't recall ever singing this one at our congregational worship gatherings, even though it's in the Trinity Hymnal Baptist Edition (#386):

Arise, O God, and shine
In all thy saving might,
And prosper each design
To spread thy glorious light:
Let healing streams of mercy flow,
That all the earth thy truth may know,
That all the earth thy truth may know.

Bring distant nations near
To sing thy glorious praise;
Let ev'ry people hear
And learn thy holy ways:
Reign, mighty God, assert thy cause,
And govern by thy righteous laws,
And govern by thy righteous laws.

Send forth thy glorious pow'r,
That Gentiles all may see,
And earth present her store
In converts born to thee:
God, our own God, thy church O bless,
And fill the world with righteousness,
And fill the world with righteousness.

To God, the only wise,
The one immortal King,
Let hallelujahs rise
From ev'ry living thing:
Let all that breathe, on ev'ry coast,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
AMEN! And HALLELUJAH!  :-)

Lord Jesus, please forgive our lukewarm hearts, and make them burn for You and the glory of Your gospel.


The Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. (Isa. 60:2)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Do You Love the Faith and the Name of Jesus Too Well to See Them Trampled On?

"We admire a man who was firm in the faith, say four hundred years ago...but such a man today is a nuisance, and must be put down. Call him a narrow-minded bigot, or give him a worse name if you can think of one. Yet imagine that in those ages past, Luther, Zwingle, Calvin, and their compeers had said, 'The world is out of order; but if we try to set it right we shall only make a great row, and get ourselves into disgrace. Let us go to our chambers, put on our night-caps, and sleep over the bad times, and perhaps when we wake up things will have grown better.' Such conduct on their part would have entailed upon us a heritage of error. Age after age would have gone down into the infernal deeps, and the pestiferous bogs of error would have swallowed all. These men loved the faith and the name of Jesus too well to see them trampled on...

It is today as it was in the Reformers' days. Decision is needed. Here is the day for the man, where is the man for the day? We who have had the gospel passed to us by martyr hands dare not trifle with it, nor sit by and hear it denied by traitors, who pretend to love it, but inwardly abhor every line of it...Look you, sir, there are ages yet to come. If the Lord does not speedily appear, there will come another generation, and another, and all these generations will be tainted and injured if we are not faithful to God and to His truth today. We have come to a turning point in the road. If we turn to the right, mayhap our children and our children's children will go that way; but if we turn to the left, generations yet unborn will curse our names for having been unfaithful to God and to His Word."

-- Charles H. Spurgeon, Sermons, 1888, 83-84, cited in The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1986


Occupy till I Come

I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about this "Occupier Movement" or whatever it's called, even though I live in a city where Occupiers Occupied for some reason. You know how the Nazi Socialists hated the Communist Socialists and vice versa and they were always in conflict and were ever about the business of spreading chaos and destroying God's order and His law-rule in His kingdom?

That's what I think of Wall Street/Banks vs. the Occupiers. The members of both groups are so evil, that their only hope is for the sovereign God they all despise to have mercy on them and save them from their vile wretchedness; otherwise, they will surely be destroyed soon. I pray that some of these Wall Streeters and Occupiers would read this blog and be exposed to the Word of God, and that the Lord would save them, if He would be so gracious to them. As He was gracious to me who does not deserve the lovingkindness He has showered on me, calling me out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Or perhaps a Christian will read this post and dare to speak the Word into the lives of his neighbors.

As usual, I prefer to spend my time thinking on God's Scriptures. And as a Christian, I wonder, how I am to think about this Wall Street/National Socialist/mercantilist/corporate welfare people vs the Occupier/Communist Socialist/anarchist/welfare-welfare people?

So many Scriptures shed light for Christians on this current event, that I will have to content myself to list only a few passages that jumped out at me...

Thou shalt not steal. Ex. 20:15

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Ex. 20:17

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Lev. 19:15

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 1 Sam. 2:7

The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. Job 15:20-25

The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. Ps. 10:2-8

Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. Ps. 119:35-37

Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. Prov. 3:31

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Prov. 10:4

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. Prov. 11:24-28

Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. Prov. 13:11

Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good. In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly. Prov. 14:22-24

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. Prov. 15:17

He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich....
There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up...
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not...
A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. Prov. 21:17, 20, 25-26, 29-30

A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor. The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Prov. 22:1-19

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?
for riches certainly make themselves wings;
they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Prov. 23:1-5

Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. Prov. 23:17

As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. Eccl. 5:15-20

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. Ezek. 22:12

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19:12-13

And even as they ["wise" fools] did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Rom. 1:28-32

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:9-11

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Eph. 4:28

Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Tim. 6:5-12

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. 1 Thess. 4:11-12

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:15-17

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:12-17

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:1-3

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev. 22:17

Monday, November 14, 2011

Sermons to the Natural Man by William G.T. Shedd

As of the posting of this post, this Kindle e-book is FREE for download from Amazon.com: Sermons to the Natural Man by William G.T. Shedd.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; or, the Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul

The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; or, the Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul by John Bunyan

FREE Kindle e-book on Amazon.com (I am not an affiliate.), as of the posting of this post:

http://www.amazon.com/Shaddai-Diabolus-regaining-metropolis-ebook/dp/B000JQUJCY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1321168042&sr=8-2