"One of the most popular beliefs of the day is that God loves everybody, and the very fact that it is so popular with all classes ought to be enough to arouse the suspicions of those who are subject to the Word of Truth. God's love towards all His creatures is the favorite tenet of those who do not know His Word. So widely has this dogma been proclaimed, and so comforting it is to the heart which is at enmity with God, we have little hope of convincing many of there error, for it is God and God alone that can change the heart of man.

To tell the rejector of Truth that God loves him is to cauterize his conscience as well as to afford him a sense of security in his sins. The fact is, the love of God is a truth for the saints only, and to present it to the enemies of God is to take the children's bread and to cast it to the dogs."  [A.W. Pink]

As 2011 draws to a close and 2012 begins with the promise of wars and rumors of war, economic downturns, growing apostasy within the church, civil unrest... let us bow before our Saviour and give thanks for all that He has given to us that are called by His Name.

Determine in 2012 to pray for those whom God has placed in your path - pray for those who know Him to walk more closely with Him, to increase in knowledge and faith.  Pray for those who do not know Him that hearts would be softened to receive the Good News and repent for ~

time is short, we must bow our knee and pray.

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2

Kjos Ministries asks:

'Were the wise men surprised when no one could answer their question? Did they wonder why the people in Jerusalem were so ignorant of this long-expected event? Why would such a King not be honored in His own homeland?

So well might similar questions be asked about America. Why do so few delight in God's Word? Why has our government banned the Ten Commandments and other vital truths from our schools and public places? Why does it promote immorality and censor Christianity? Why do people despise His moral guidelines and malign His name?

Like the faithful Magi, all true believers share a common desire to worship His majesty, obey His Word, follow His guidance, spread His Truth and share His love with all He puts in our path.'

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

'Those pleasures may not be the delights the world seeks these days. Like the pagan world that surrounded the Magi and the distracted world of old Jerusalem, so the world that surrounds us is blind to the far greater joy that God gives His people.'

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment [as seen from God's eternity], is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. " 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

How blessed are those who belong to Him for such a time as this.

A song for the season, or have we missed something? I submit for your consideration, perhaps...

Read the words again, carefully - slowly.

"Joy To The World"
by Isaac Watts - 1719

Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns; Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove, The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Did the things spoken of in this song happen when Jesus the Messiah was born as a babe and placed in a manger? Does He now rule the world with truth and grace? Are there still sins and sorrows, do thorns still infest the ground? Do the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and see the wonders of His love? Is our Saviour reigning or does satan still have dominion over this world?

If NOT - when will they.?.   perhaps...

Only when our LORD returns in the millennium. Only then will He rule in the hearts and minds of man. Only then will all the things spoken of in this song be fulfilled.

When you sing this song, or hear these words, look ahead and share the gospel with those who are lost,

...time is short.

Our sovereign King -- born into time as Man and risen in eternity as Saviour -- doesn't do things our way. His more excellent ways confound the world's most noble dreams and heart-felt sympathies. They always have! Contrary to our feel-good presumption about God and whatever "new thing" we attribute to Him, His narrow way rarely matches our wide gateways to "success."

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:1-3

'One of the greatest dangers to Christianity today is the deliberate suppression of biblical truth for the sake of unity.

Amazingly, we seldom hear warnings against apostasy from our pulpits. Rarely are false teachers, who seductively lead people away from the true faith, exposed. Few Christians are warning the church of these ferocious wolves dressed in sheep's clothing.

Tragically, the evangelical community continues to move away from sound doctrine for the cause of unity. This only fuels the fires of ecumenism. When church leaders are willing to suppress doctrinal truth they are allowing the walls that separate the church from the world to come down. Doctrine is what divides believers from unbelievers. While unity and brotherhood sound wonderful to a hostile world, the Bible condemns any unity that is not founded in God's truth.

Biblical unity is not man-made, but man is exhorted to keep it. Biblical unity is impossible apart from the one true and settled faith taught by the Apostles. God's people are called upon to "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). There is no spiritual unity between those who believe the Gospel and those who do not. True Christian unity is modeled when believers are united together in mind, faith and purpose to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, while submitting to the authority of His Word.

The Bible exhorts us to test all teachers and spirits and expose false teachings and the evil deeds of darkness, not to embrace our differences for the sake of unity.'  [portions from an article by Mike Gendron - the entire article can be found at:   http://www.pro-gospel.org/ ]

"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." Proverbs 30:5-6

In the dim light of human nature, our Sovereign King doesn’t fit man's vision of interfaith unity. His Way is too narrow, His Word far too offensive!

He warned us about spiritual war and persecution;

"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." 1 John 3:13

Never mind that He created the universe and has each day, from beginning to end, written in His Book. Never mind that He alone can fulfill our longing for genuine peace and lasting joy. His guidelines still enrage the world, including many who call themselves Christians. His call for holiness disturbing their comfort zone.

Watching our complacency, our Lord may be sad, but He is never surprised. Long ago, He stood in Jerusalem watching a world too blinded by sin and Satan, too distracted by their wants and ambitions to see the Saviour in their midst.

"If you had known the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:42

Human nature doesn’t change with time, nor does the spiritual war raging against Jesus Christ, His Word, and His followers. The world will tolerate pretty stars, angels, Christmas trees, in rare cases a peaceful baby sleeping in a manger, and Santa Claus;

But there is still no room in the inn for the King.

Kjos Ministries
Where is Christ in Christmas

With a humble heart, I come before the LORD, asking for nothing, just to say

THANK YOU

...while the words of this song ring in my ear:

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me, Things so undeserved - yet You give to prove Your love for me -The voices of a million angels cannot express my gratitude.  All that I am or ever hope to be ~ I owe it all to Thee.

To God be the glory, To God be the glory, To God be the glory,  For the things he has done...

I recognize I am but dust, and as tears well up in my eyes, I gratefully acknowledge ~ I am but a sinner ~ saved by His Amazing Grace.

He is Risen, I'm forgiven - Hallelujah.!!.

Pause for a moment - Join me - as together we say

THANK YOU and PRAISE THE LORD.!.

As we look around at churches in America, as we listen to pastors, seldom are we repulsed by their lukewarm, tolerant messages nor shaken by their reluctance to stand for truth. As we sit in our comfort zones unaffected by their support of unbiblical, ungodly behaviour;  as Joel Osteen, 'America's pastor', announces he has partnered with Survivor producer Mark Burnett to create a reality TV show Osteen likens to Extreme Home Makeover, saying, "It's another way to take our message of hope and inspiring others to another venue … we wanted to do something that inspires people and makes them better,"  many never blink an eye, fewer still take the time to pray against this evil slithering across the pews and pulpits of American churches today.

We must not ignore the words of Paul to Timothy:

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4

nor the writings of Jude, half brother of our LORD:

"...In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit."

But most importantly, we cannot,  we must not ignore the Words of our LORD:

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38

'Chrislam, which purports to join Islam and Christianity into one harmonious, synthesized religion, is fast becoming a rallying point in some American church circles.

But, understand this:

* Allah is NOT Jehovah
* The Jesus of Islam is NOT the Jesus of the Bible
* The Bible does NOT harmonize with the Qur'an
* Salvation by faith is NOT available through Islam
* Chrislam is neither Christian nor Muslim

Movements like these only gain ground because Christians either do not know their Bibles or because they are unwilling to resist heresy for fear of being ridiculed and labeled as politically incorrect, hate mongers, narrow or bigoted.' [Take A Stand Ministries]

"Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things..." 2 Timothy 4:2-5