Friday, December 14, 2012

THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORD


“There is no other way for us to reach heaven without traveling through the enemies' territory.
The devil cannot think of anything he had rather glory in than to wound God's name with His own sword. He coaxes men to sin and then brags that God made him do it. If God ever singles out a man on the face of the earth for His utmost wrath, it will surely be the person who shelters his sin under the wing of holy Scripture.
Instead of letting Satan wrest Scripture from us by his wily stratagems, let us be excited to bless God for the sword He has furnished us with out of His grace. If a man possesses a kingdom but has no sword to keep his crown he cannot expect to enjoy it very long. We live in a world where our lives are not safe unless we are fully armed. There is no other way for us to reach heaven without traveling through the enemies' territory. What are the hopes, then, of an unarmed soul ever reaching heaven at last?
When Israel marched out of Egypt toward the promised land, few or none would trust them to travel through their country without rising up in arms against them. And the Christian will find his march to heaven even more dangerous, for Satan has not become more meek than he used ot be, nor the wicked world kinder to the people of God. What mercy God showed when He gave us a sword to take us out of danger of them all! This weapon is in your hand right now, Christian, as the rod Moses'. Even if an army of devils is behind you and a sea of sins before you, with this sword, wielded by your faith, you can cut your way through them. Truly Scripture is a mercy incomparably greater than the sun in the heavens. In fact, we can more easily spare the sun's warm beams of light than give up God's Word for the church. If the sun were gone we would lose our physical life, but if Scripture were eclipsed our souls would stumble into hell.”
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617

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