Author: GinoCascieri

Jeremiah felt keenly the disaster which had come upon his people. As he gazed upon a desolate Jerusalem, he said, “For these things I weep…because the enemy prevailed” (Lamentations 1: 16). This terrible loss – the fall of Jerusalem – was the result of disobedience. The people had hardened their hearts against God and His Word and were now suffering the consequences.

We cannot compare ourselves with the great prophet Jeremiah, but we sometimes weep as we consider our present situation. While false cults and counterfeit religious systems forge ahead, Christians drag their feet. Then enemy is prevailing in many areas today because of the sad spiritual state of believers.

“For these things I weep…”

SHALLOWNESS: In the early days we really knew the Lord and sought after the deep things of God. We served Him with sacrificial devotion. Now there is much superficiality among us. We fritter away our energies on the passing things of time, neglect our Bible reading and prayer time, and complain about “appeals” for the Lord’s work. How painfully our footsteps drag in His ways! Wholehearted service is the only kind that counts with God.

COMPROMISE: Everyone knows that there has been a profound theological shift in our generation. Compromise is the order of the day. What havoc is being wrought in the churches! The ecumenical movement is on the march. Full attention is being directed toward union with Rome. The state of things in the religious world today makes it imperative that we do more to give out the Word of God. If we fail – who can tell what forces will dominate the world spiritually during the years to come?

UNBELIEF: We know why it was that Israel failed God so miserably. They did not believe. They shut God out. And there is much skepticism, indifference, and apathy in our day. Unbelief is not only a blind and senseless reasoner, but a dark and gloomy murmurer. It neither gets to the right side of things, nor to the bright side of things. It is always in the dark, always in the wrong, simply because it shuts out God and looks only at circumstances. But God never fails a trusting heart. We can never go too far in counting on Him and trusting in His infinite resources.

“For these things I weep…” Do I weep alone or do others feel as I do? Together we can turn our tears into prayers that God may revive us again.

Pray that God will put upon many -who up to this time have been living a shallow Christian life – a burden of personal responsibility. The Gospel will avail nothing unless those for whom Christ died have the opportunity to hear and believe the message. Our part is to see that the message is heard.

Pray that God will enlighten His people concerning the dangers of the ecumenical movement. We can hardly imagine the harm that is being done to others because of the pressures this movement is bringing to bear upon them.

Pray that God will deal with the wicked sin of unbelief so prevalent in the hearts of His people today. God’s promise to our hearts at all times is, ” … Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36). Unbelief robs us of the blessing of proving this promise and of proving the all sufficiency of God.

This is a great day of opportunity. Let us take stock of ourselves and present to God a broken and contrite heart. Let us stand fast for the faith once delivered unto the saints. May God keep us believing!

“Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou has wrought for us” (Psalm 68 :28).

The Lord imparts unto us that primary strength of character which makes everything in life work with intensity and decision. We are “…strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3: 16). And the strength is continuous; reserves of power come to us which we cannot exhaust.

“The Lord is my strength” to go on. He gives us power to tread the dead level, to walk the long lane that seems never to have a turning, to go through those long reaches of life which afford no pleasant surprise, and which depress the spirits in the sameness of a terrible drudgery.

“The Lord is my strength” to go up. He is to me the power by which I can climb the difficult hill and not be afraid.

“The Lord is my strength” to go down. It is when we leave the bracing heights, where the wind and the sun have been about us, and when we begin to come down the hill into closer and more sultry spheres, that the heart is apt to grow faint.

“The Lord is my strength” to sit still. And how difficult is the attainment! Do we not often say to one another, in seasons when we are compelled to be quiet, “If only I could do something!” To do nothing, just to sit still and wait, requires tremendous strength.

“The Lord is my Strength!”

FIRE: The Bible is a fire that bums up the dross of sin within us. “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD…” (Jeremiah 23:29).

LAMP: The Bible is a light for our understanding. It guides our footsteps even in the darkest night. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

MIRROR: The Bible is a mirror for our self-examination. It reveals the stains of sin that need cleansing. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:23-24).

SWORD: The Bible is a sword for our conflict. Our enemy, Satan, and all his evil hosts will flee before it when it is properly used. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

HONEY: The promises and precepts of the Bible are for our delight. “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).

HAMMER: The Bible is a hammer in that it breaks up the heart that is hardened by unbelief. “Is not my word…like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23 :29).

MEAT: The Bible is meat for our spiritual strengthening. “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

MILK: The Bible is milk for our nourishment. It helps us to grow in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).

SEED: The Bible is seed for our sowing. “A sower went out to sow his seed…Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:5,11).

GOLD: The Bible is gold for our enrichment. “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Psalm 119:72).

A colporteur of the Bible Society in a European country came to an orchard bearing nice ripe fruit. Seeing the owner, he asked him, at a very low price, to buy a copy of God’s precious Word, and at the same time commending it for its great worth. The owner of the orchard said, “You tell me that your Book is the Word of God, but you do not prove it so.” To this the man of God made no direct reply, but stood admiring the fruit trees loaded with their luscious fruit, then said, “What fine looking pears! But what a pity they are of such poor quality.” “What!” exclaimed the orchardist, “Of poor quality! It is quite plain that you have never tasted them. Pick one or two and try them!” The colporteur did as he was bidden, and after eating one, said “Yes, you are right,” smacking his lips at the same time. “The pears are excellent; but, sir, you must deal with my Book as I have dealt with your pears. Taste and you will see that the Word of God is good.”

Many millions have in the past, and millions now have not only taken a sample taste of the precious Word of Life, but they continue to delight in the precious truths revealed therein and will do so forever; and they are so abundantly satisfied with them that they are continually recommending one and all, saying, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8).

The Word of God contains invaluable truth. Few seem to really believe it is God’s Word; but it most assuredly is such! Disproof is impossible! God is speaking in and by it today to sinners as well as to His people, and by the redeeming work of His Son is proclaiming a free, full, and eternal salvation to one and all, and absolutely free for

one and all who will repent of their sins and by faith take it. There is nothing deceptive about it, as millions can testify; but they are deceiving themselves who imagine for a moment that God’s Word can be slighted with impurity. “… he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6: 14-18).

FIRST, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE EXISTS AN ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE BORN OF GOD AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT.

The difference between the sons of God and the children of wrath is both great and conspicuous. It is the difference between light and darkness, pure religion and paganism.

SECOND, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE DANGERS OF CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE MORALLY OR DOCTRINALLY IMPURE.

Unequal yoking- intimate associations between the people of God and the world ought not to exist.

There should be a separation in religious fellowship. The Apostle Paul cautioned the Corinthian church against fellowship with the doctrinally impure. The only sound basis of religious fellowship is truth.

There should be a separation in marriage. The question of religious equality ought ever to be the prime question. Among many professors of Christianity today the question hardly arises, and in direct disobedience to Holy Scripture, ministers unite such unequally yoked couples in marriage.

Reading material, the use of the media, time, energy, and pursuits are all matters about which the Christian believer needs to have great concern. “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

There should be a separation in friendships. The power of friendship is great for good or for evil. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27: 17). A wise man will choose his friends with care. Believers need friendships that will help and not hinder them.

There should be a separation in business.Business partners are closely yoked, their actions need to largely agree. Such partnerships between a Christian and non-Christian will always ultimately hit trouble. Stress and strain will build up in the relationship until both partners discover the wisdom of the question, “…what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Corinthians 6:15).

THIRD, WE NEED TO REFLECT UPON THE FACT THAT IT IS THE DUTY OF THE GODLY TO EXTRICATE THEMSELVES FROM ALL UNEQUAL YOKINGS.

The Christian must sever unscriptural ties and break away from all unprofitable bindings. Such separation is to be entire. “…touch not the unclean thing…“(2 Corinthians 6: 17). We are to have no contact with moral or doctrinal impurity.

The Christian is in the world. Christ did not pray that His people should be taken out of the world, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17: 15). There may be relations that we find difficult to sever or are truly impossible to break, but in these situations the believer must be most careful and diligent in maintaining his independence as an individual carefully rendering to God the things that are God’s.

The Christian is not of the world. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). Although the child of God is in the world, he does not adopt the principles, practices, or maxims of the worldly.

The Christian is to be above the world. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind …” (Romans 12:2). He is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Therefore through divine grace and gracious enablement he masters worldly principles and resists worldly influences. The children of God are not only to be separated from the world and theworldly by the careful watching of their actions and habits, but by an attribute of mind which brings a natural nonconformity. Having renewed minds, believers are enabled to discern the “… good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Only a blast of ram’s horns and a shout – and God made the walls of proud Jericho crumble to their foundations, and the key of all Canaan was in the hand of lsrael (Joshua 6).

Only two women: one, Deborah, who inspired courage in the fainting hearts of lsrael’s men; the other, Jael, who with a hammer and nail laid Israel’s master low; thus the end came of twenty years of mighty oppression (Judges 4-5).

Only an ox-goad, but with it six hundred Philistines were slain, and Israel was delivered by Shamgar’s God (Judges 3:31).

Only a trumpet blast, the smash of lighted pitchers, and a shout, but by these, and Gideon, God delivered Israel from the seven-year yoke of the Midianites (Judges 6-8).

Only the jawbone of an ass, yet heaps upon heaps of Philistines fell before it, because God strengthened Samson’s arm that wielded it (Judges 15).

Only a sling and a stone, but with unerring precision, directed by Almighty God; and that day Philistine’s mighty men were put to shame, the Philistine giant licked the dust, and God’s honour was vindicated (1 Samuel 17).

Only a few ignorant, unlettered, yet whole-hearted and consecrated men and women, but by the power of God they taught men the way of salvation, which transforms its possessors into the likeness of the Son of God Himself and brings them into eternal glory (Acts 1-2).

As children of the Lord, we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return in person for us. What should be our attitude to Him and to His second advent? Knowing that that glorious day is drawing nearer, our lives should be consistent with such a blessed hope. We should be:

LOOKING FOR HIM

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The glorious appearing of our Saviour should not be simply a doctrine to us. We should be looking forward to His return with eager expectancy.

It is not to be regarded only as a truth to which we give our assent. It should also be a glorious prospect. Looking forward to meeting a dear friend can give great pleasure; but with what intense joy we anticipate meeting the One who has died for us, and who has planned so glorious a future for us!

LIVING FOR HIM

“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14). Our lives should be very different because we believe our Lord is returning for us. Everything should be done in the light of that day. How different some of our lives would be if we commenced each day with the thought that “perhaps today” the Lord will come. It would have a purifying effect on our conduct.

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Of course, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us: that is our standing; but God expects us to seek to live purified lives, and by His grace to bring our state up to our standing. The truth of the Lord’s coming surely should make us “… strangers and pilgrims …” (Hebrews 11:13). on this earth. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that “…your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23).

LABOURING FOR HIM

We should work for our coming Saviour because it is His command. In His parable of the pounds, the Lord Jesus says, “… Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). Therefore, if we are not serving the Lord according to the talents He has given us, we are disobedient. Our Lord has given us a job to do. Let us do it faithfully and in love.

In his daily thanks to God, Paul remembered the “…labour of love …” (1 Thessalonians 1:3) of the Thessalonians. The Lord tells us, “I know thy works, and thy labour …” (Revelation 2:2). Let us not labour for Him merely as a duty, but because we love Him – doing whatever task He has entrusted to us gladly and patiently. Service that is undertaken in love will bear fruit. It will also receive rich rewards.

We should labour for Him because many fields “… are white already to harvest”(John 4:35). There is much to do before our Lord comes, and there are many indications that He is coming quickly. Hands to the plough, therefore, and no looking back! What a joy it will be to share in the harvest.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

LEARNING OF HIM

The Lord Jesus said, “…learn of me …” (Matthew 11 :29). During this time of sojourning here, we should be learning of Him. We ought to be learning of Him through the Scriptures. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). In the Scriptures, the Lord Jesus Christ makes Himself known, and He reveals Himself to any seeking soul.

We also learn of Him through prayer. What sweet fellowship we can have with our Saviour in this way. It is only as we spend time with our Lord that we get to know Him and learn of Him. Prayer is vital to the Christian, yet how difficult many of us find it to spend unhurried time with God.

Because our Saviour is coming, let us give ourselves to prayer and Bible study. What a joy it will be to anticipate meeting the One with whom we have blessed fellowship now!

LEANING ON HIM

We should put our “Trust in the LORD… and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3: 5). He has promised to return for us, that “… where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).

As we have His promise to come back for us, then we can surely trust in Him now. If we can trust Him for our future, we can trust Him for the present. All our circumstances are known to Him, and He controls everything. How inconsistent is worry and anxiety and fear in the light of the Lord’s coming. We can have His blessed leading day by day.

In His Word He has sought to encourage us during our time of sojourning on earth, and yet how many of us have a limited spiritual experience through lack of faith! May the fact of His glorious appearing quicken our faith.

LOVING HIM

“Whom having not seen, ye love…” (1 Peter 1:8). The Holy Spirit has revealed the wonderful things of Christ to us who“… he hath chosen…” (Ephesians 1 :4). What precious things He has shown us in the Word of God about our Saviour and Lover. As we wait to meet our Lord and be together with Him, how we should love Him and serve Him.

Choose your weapons! How shall we live? Each one of us has already made a choice. Perhaps we do not even realize we have made the choice, but we have. We are either living by force or by faith.

The Bible says in I Samuel 17:45, Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee In the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of lsrael, whom thou has defied.”

David summarized the battle that was about to take place. It was not really a battle between a shepherd by and a giant. It was not even a battle between the army of lsrael and the army of the Philistines, though it may have appeared at first glance to be a national conflict represented by two champions, one representing each nation. David

declared, “… Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts… “

Notice how carefully God states this for us. Again we read, “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me…” This is the way the giant was coming, “… with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield…” Then David said, ” … but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts…”

“…Thou comest to me …” and “…I come to thee…”; it is always one way or the other, but it is never both. We must decide whether we are going to face our problems with a spear, and with a word, and with a shield; or if we are going to face them in the name of the Lord. We are all going to live either by force for by faith.

It goes without saying that the world’s way is the force way. “I can overpower you. I can out-run you. I can out-scheme you. I can out-talk you. I can out-anger you. I can out-scream you. I can out-fight you. I can out-spend you. I can out-force you.” That is the world’s way. That is the only way those who do not know Christ operate, whether it is in business, at home, or in personal conflict. It may manifest itself in many different forms, but it is always the same. It is not the Lord’s way.

The Lord’s way is to trust in Him. That is the faith way. There is one open secret that reveals whether we are living by force or by faith -our secret, private prayer life. No matter what we say about how we are living, we are not living the faith way if we do not have a prayer life.

Do you know that once you come to the place where you trust God, everything else is settled? The fact that Goliath was a soldier, a giant, and a Philistine champion did not have anything to do with whether David would go down into the valley or not. It was all dependent on whether or not David would trust God. Once David placed his faith in God, everything else was settled. I think we fight many battles we do not need to fight, and get involved in many skirmishes we do not need to be involved in. The truth is that we have one great thing to decide; it is whether or not we are going to trust God.

How are you going to live? In your personal life, family life, and business life, are you going to live by faith or by force?

There is only one way to know Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? You may have grown up in a Christian home and have a Christian mom and dad, but this does not make you a Christian. There is only one way to God. That is to know Him by personally trusting Him by faith as your Saviour. Have you trusted Him?

This decision to live by faith cannot be made by anyone else. By faith, take every need in your life to the Lord. Many people are crushed under a weight God never intended for them to carry. I Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Cast all your care upon the Lord Jesus.

A Man and His Soul

“I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir” (Isaiah 13:12).

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

The Redeeming Blood of Christ

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1: 18-19).

The Inspired Word of God

“…the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:9-10).

Wisdom and Understanding

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold” (Proverbs 3:13-14).

The Knowledge of God

“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold” (Proverbs 8:10).

A Good Name

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1).

The Trial of Your Faith

“…ye greatly rejoice…That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

1. Happy is the man whose sins are forgiven.

“…Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:7-8).

2. Happy is the man who delights in God’s Word.

“I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word” (Psalm 119:14-16).

3. Happy is the man who keeps God’s commandments.

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him … “ (1 John 3:22-24).

4. Happy is the man who dwells in the house of the Lord.

“Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee” (Psalm 84:4).

5. Happy is the man who waits on the Lord.

“…blessed are all they that wait for him” (Isaiah 30: 18); “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength …” (Isaiah 40:31).

6. Happy is the man who puts his trust in the Lord.

“O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee” (Psalm 84:12).

7. Happy is the man who has grace to endure.

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12).