Pyromaniacs: You Can’t Have True Unity in Christ Without a Fight.  A good post.  Especially helpful to my mind as I study Galatians and read Paul’s approach therein.  Paul had to put down a false gospel and false teachers for the sake of the church.  We too have to oppose something in order to teach the right things.  So, check out the aforementioned post, blessings.

Excerpt from Spurgeon’s devotion on Truth for Life:

How happy are tested Christians, later. There is no deeper calm than that which follows the storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain?

Victorious banquets are for well-accomplished soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty,1 we sit down in the arbor to rest; after traversing the Valley of Humiliation, after fighting with Apollyon, the shining one appears, with the healing branch from the tree of life. Our sorrows, like the passing hulls of the ships upon the sea, leave a silver line of holy light behind them “later.” It is peace, sweet, deep peace, that follows the horrible turmoil that once reigned in our tormented, guilty souls.

Consider, then, the happy condition of a Christian! He has his best things last, and therefore in this world he receives his worst things first. But even his worst things are “later” good things, hard plowings yielding joyful harvests. Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives by dying, and he becomes full by being emptied; if, then, his grievous afflictions yield him so much peaceable fruit in this life, what will be the full vintage of joy “later” in heaven? If his dark nights are as bright as the world’s days, what shall his days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the sun, what must his sunlight be? If he can sing in a dungeon, how sweetly will he sing in heaven! If he can praise the Lord in the fires, how will he extol Him before the eternal throne! If evil be good to him now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then?

Oh, blessed “later”! Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown that comes afterwards? But here is work for patience, for the rest is not for today, nor the triumph for the present, but “later.” Wait, my soul, and let patience have her perfect work.

via Resource Center – Truth For Life.

No sin startles less—or damns surer! | Radford Fellowship.

The Hidden Life of Prayer by David MacIntyre (1913) PDF

A very controversial issue in Missions at the present time.  Two articles to read to be informed:

1. Petrus’ account via Heartcry
2. John Piper’s Response to the Insider Movement with Video (be sure to watch the whole video before drawing assumptions)

Lastly, I think the message of the Book of Hebrews (Read all 13 chapters) would be a good place to go to find application to the issues in what is called the Insider Movement.  Just a suggestion.  Blessings.

Letter to a 12-Year-Old Girl About the Eternal Destiny of Those Who Have Not Heard the Gospel – Desiring God.

I was struck by this statement in Psalm 53 this morning:

Psalm 53:2 God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

This is also repeated in Psalm 14

Psalm 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

It interests me that God is actually looking down from heaven to see if I am seeking Him.  He looks.  I am grateful that He does look for this.  More importantly, that He brings about that which He seeks.  For how else could depraved mankind who are said to have none who seek after God, truly seek Him?  Only God can bring about what the real Seeker desires; and as He does, men begin to desire and find Him and love Him.  O, let us seek after God!

Here are some others Scriptures highlighting seeking after God as well as issues with the heart and with the Word of God being vital in the matter:

Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

 
1 Chronicles 28:8 Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.

 
2 Chronicles 11:16 And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.