LESSONS FROM BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

SCRIPTURE MEDITATIONS BY W.F. BELL

Many of us in the modern church often feel like the Jews who were carried captive to Babylon (Psalm 137). There, under the divine chastisement, they hung their once-tuned harps upon the willows in that desolate land. Their anti-Jehovah captors mocked them (adding to their misery), requesting of them a song of mirth. But, note their sad reply: "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" It was impossible, since the once-favored nation was separated from their beloved Jerusalem. "Better to hang their harps on willows than profane them to the service of idols," said C. H. Spurgeon.

We too weep in the modern church and are in mourning as we remember our beloved Zion! How jealous we all should be for the honor and prosperity of Christ's church! We long, with those ancient Jews, for the restoration of songs of praise to the eternal Yahweh! We care nothing for fleshly praise and worldly applause in the "trendy" church of our day. And we too plead, as those ancient castaways, for God to truly arise in retribution, casting out our enemies. Anti-christs abound in our day, but not too many for our holy God to "cast out." But only real, heaven-sent revival will ever conquer our foes and brighten our days!

The world of the ungodly absolutely hates true religion (the gospel of Christ) -- and God's people must hate all false religion. There can be no compromise, and we must ever be praying, "Remember, O Lord." Our hearts may be heavy with the burlesque show in the modern church, but we must never stop crying out to God for Him to arise! When the prophets spoke to the nation, even in their darkest hours, the people were encouraged by the prospects of coming revival. In the very next Psalm, we are told that we must continue to be seekers and worshipers of our great God, no matter the difficulty of our circumstances: "I will praise Thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee. I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth; for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name" (Psalm 138:1-2). Those are strong, positive declarations, for in the Lord Jesus Christ alone do we have hope!

QUOTE FOR THE DAY
"We must rend our own clothes if we wear the garment of God." Vance Havner

IT IS CHRIST-- CHARLES SPURGEON

Remember, sinner, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ (though that is the instrument)—it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not to thy hope, but to Christ, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Christ, the Author and Finisher of thy faith. And if thou doest that, ten thousand devils cannot throw thee down. . .

There is one thing which all of us too much becloud in our preaching, though I believe we do it unintentionally--namely, the great truth that it is not prayer, it is not faith, it is not our doings, it is not our feelings upon which we must rest, but upon Christ and on Christ alone!

We are apt to think that we are not in a right state, that we do not feel enough instead of remembering that our business is not with self, but Christ. Let me beseech thee, look only to Christ; never expect deliverance from self, from ministers, nor from any means of any kind apart from Christ; keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His agonies, His groans, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession be fresh upon thy mind. When thou wakest in the morning, look to Him; when thou liest down at night, look to Him.

CHRIST OUR ALTAR-MATTHEW HENRY

I have used this one before over a year ago. I like it so well that I thought I would share it again, in case some missed it. Matthew Henry is always worth reading in my humble opinion.(cw)

This brazen altar was a type of Christ dying to make atonement for our sins. The wood had been consumed by the fire from heaven, if it had not been secured by the brass; nor could the human nature of Christ have borne the wrath of God, if it had not been supported by a divine power. Christ sanctified himself for his Church, as their altar, John 17:19; and by his mediation sanctifies the daily services of his people, who also have a right to eat of this altar, Hebrews 13:10; for they serve at it as spiritual priests. To the horns of this altar poor sinners fly for refuge when justice pursues them, and there they are safe in virtue of the sacrifice there offered.