PJ ‘meets’ a false Apostle…

Maybe not face to face. When reading this below, I thought of Derek’s meeting with the false apostle in the clip posted. No kidding! This reads like the words could have straight from Mr. “false apostles” computerized lips!

**

In this year of digging new wells, do not miss this international gathering to gain focus for the year ahead!  I hope that many of you will be able to join us here in Denton, Texas on September 17-20 for HEAD OF THE YEAR 5770: A Season of AYIN (His eye will guide). The hand extended upward causes the sword to be released!  Receive power to war to break through into the new ground and find new wells of life.

As we prepare to cross over into the “head” of the Hebraic Year, this gathering allows us to get focused apostolically and prophetically for the season ahead. Head of the Year 5770 is one of the key meetings of the year, and is always a prophetic blowout with an open Heaven. This year we will actually be meeting out on the land in a TENT!  Joining us will be Dutch Sheets, Paul Wilbur, Judy Jacobs, Paul Keith Davis, Tudor Bismark (from Zimbabwe), Norma Sarvis (from Israel), Jim Hodges, Robert Heidler and others.

Frances Hunter goes home..

May not mean much to you unless like many over the years, you’ve read their books. Within certain circles they were both, Frances and Charles, well known.

Story here: Frances Hunter Dies

Darby Brethrenism by C.H. Spurgeon

What a find! Especially if you’re a fan of Spurgeon’s writings.

In this he writes concerning what he refers to as ‘Darbyism‘ and the influence which the teachings and doctrines of John Nelson Darby were having upon the Church. Its very interesting.

From; The Nicene Council: Darby Brethrenism (Plymouth)

Author: Charles Haddon Spurgeon (June 1869 Sword and Trowel)

quote..

MR. GRANT HAS with very great diligence collected much valuable information as to that section of Plymouth Brethren who follow Mr. Darby.

As on all hands, with a diligence never exceeded, and a subtlety never equaled, they are laboring to seduce the members of our churches to the subversion of the truth and the overthrow of the needful order and discipline of our Zion, it may be well to disseminate information concerning their sentiments and tactics. There is nothing which they have so much to dread as being thoroughly unearthed and exposed; for their grosser errors are not generally made known to their dupes until they are fairly in their meshes. Mr. Grant has done real service to the churches by his treatise on “The heresies of the Plymouth Brethren,” which we trust he will publish in a separate form.

Chuck Norris Bible

AHA! This is too funny, though it won’t surprise me if it ends up becoming fact.

See the full ad at The Sacred Sandwich

(HT)

Conservative Free Republic blog in free speech flap

When I saw this story on TV tonight my immediate thought was; “This is why I no longer refer to myself as a conservative”. The term just doesn’t mean what it use to…

From The Vancouver Sun;

“A typical street whore.” “A bunch of ghetto thugs.” “Ghetto street trash.” “Wonder when she will get her first abortion.”

These are a small selection of some of the racially-charged comments posted to the conservative ‘Free Republic’ blog Thursday, aimed at U.S. President Barack Obama’s 11-year-old daughter Malia after she was photographed wearing a t-shirt with a peace sign on the front.

The thread was accompanied by a photo of Michelle Obama speaking to Malia that featured the caption, “To entertain her daughter, Michelle Obama loves to make monkey sounds.”

Though this may sound like the sort of thing one might read on an Aryan Nation or white power website, they actually appeared on what is commonly considered one of the prime online locations for U.S. Conservative grassroots political discussion and organizing. (more here)

“Gee Brain, what do you want to do tonight?”

There’s been a number of posts and references to the NAR, the 7 Mountain mandate, and the doctrine of “manifest destiny” posted over the last year: (here, here,  here, here) As well as a huge amount of info on dominionism or dominionist theology.

There was also a recent post on Washington DC’s ‘The Family”, which included some very pertinent information, links and video clip. The comment was made that “The Family”  appears to base its beliefs in dominionism and the doctrine of manifest destiny.

Guess who owns the “C Street House” where their private meetings take place? As Gomer Pyle use to say “Surprise, Surprise!” …

Its owned by the DC branch of Youth With a Mission (YWAM), who’s founder Loren Cunningham (along with Bill Bright) outlined the vision for Christian world-control, which gave birth to the 7 Mountain mandate we see being pushed today.

In 1975 Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade and Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With a Mission, had lunch together. God simultaneously gave each of them a message to give to the other: “The culture is shaped by seven mind-molders or mountains in society. If we can influence each of these areas for Christ, we will win the culture of our nation.”

Coincidence?

*See Bruce Wilson’s article and video, Ensign’s “C Street House” Owned By Group Touting Plans For Christian World Control

So, is NAR member Rick Joyner’s newest endeavor, an organization which seeks to affect everything from the “foundations that society is built upon” to “politics and government” a coincidence also? (see, Rick Joyner’s newest organization)

I don’t think so…

Think what you want, but there’s a group of people out there, some not even personally connected ‘yet’ that have the same goal. To infiltrate every part of society and government. And folks, its not for the sake of the Kingdom of God or Christ, its to attain power–personal power.

Something to think about…

(HT)

Explaining the Unexplainable

Beside the terrible tragedy surrounding this story, we are left with the question of why. Why things like this occur among God’s people.

I don’t have an answer.

I recall a similar account years ago,  shortly after joining Christian author Chip Bogden’s fellowship, The WayStation. A member had posted a prayer request for the family of a pastor’s wife who had committed suicide. At the time it lead to a discussion among us as to how this could happen to a child of God. I was reminded of that discussion when reading this.

From the Dallas News:

HENRIETTA, Texas – The train whistle blows several times a day in this North Texas community, the familiar soundtrack of life in small towns located along railroad lines.

But since late last month, the sound has become a haunting reminder of the evening when a beloved couple stepped onto the tracks and stood in embrace until a train ran them down.

The double suicide of the Rev. Eldon Earl Johnson, 69, and his wife, Linda Kay, 61, was particularly shocking because of the key role the Johnsons played in helping nearby Ringgold rise from the ashes after nearly being destroyed by wildfires three years ago.

Why the popular minister and his wife took their lives is a secret that they carried to their graves. But their deaths have left a community struggling to plumb the mysteries of the human heart.

The Price

Why do we hear of burned down churches and tortured pastors in parts of Asia and Africa, but not in the Westernized world? Why is it we hear of Christians in China being arrested, yet there are “State Churches”?

These terrifying events are a testimony of true faith in Jesus Christ, its price and effect.

The early church was no stranger to death and persecution. A read of the New Testament Epistles and secular history shows that suffering for Christ and tribulation, with death, were the main themes of the life of the Church.

The results of a seared conscience: abortion parties

A better title for this would be,  ‘Why we need to preach the Gospel”

“speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” I Timothy 4:2

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Titus 1

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10

…when the conscience is insensitive to sin, it is “seared” (1 Tim. 4:2). This means that the conscience is not able to distinguish between right and wrong. In other words, the person with a seared conscience sins and does not know they sin. Thus their sinful conscience is “defiled” (Titus 1:15) or “evil” (Heb. 10:22) – (Ken Walker, The Seared, Defiled or Weak Conscience.)

Abortion Parties? – When Abortion Becomes a Lark

quote..

Despite the fact that throughout the West abortions continue to take place by the tens of thousands, abortion is still generally portrayed as a grave issue, not to be taken lightly, a difficult decision.  Hilary Clinton herself has described abortion as a “sad, even tragic choice to many, many women.”

For some, however, it seems that abortion is just another reason to throw a party.

The Battle for Jerusalem

Ultra-Orthodox Jews Riot Over Parking Lot Being Opened On Sabbath

Check out photo’s HERE.

As one caption read:

“Evidently parking your car on a Saturday is a bigger offence than hurling used diapers at the police.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Mark 7

“…The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” Mark 2

Jackson’s music

This is nuts. Now we have a pastor seeing a message to the Church in Michael Jackson’s music. -Here

Rick Joyner’s newest organization

Someone (sorry, can’t recall who) mentioned in another thread Joyner’s interest in politics recently. I agreed its been evident he has been skirting the idea of becoming more actively involved for some time. Frankly, I don’t think its just Joyner, but others within the NAR movement, as was shown during the last election season when so many of them sent out prophetic words and letters concerning Sarah Palin.

Anyway, I came across this today at Elijah List and thought it was interesting: Rick Joyner Calls Christian Leaders Together for Unity, Strategy and Prayer

It appears he recently hosted a summit at MorningStar Ministries in which a new organization was ‘born’.

quote..

Almost two months ago we held a summit of Christian leaders at Heritage to address the major crises facing America, and the Church in America. It was an extraordinary gathering that has already been called historic and possibly gathered hundreds of leaders from the most diverse movements and denominations ever.

Christian businessmen and Christian politicians who want to learn about what we are doing and be a part of it. Obviously, we have stirred up something that has created a great deal of interest.

The desire for the Body of Christ in the U.S. to unite may be unprecedented, and it seems to be growing. This is a general brief on the organization that was born at this summit. This is being circulated for informational purposes, as well as to receive input from others who feel called to be a part of this.

At the summit, I was given a mandate to work with Mat Staver to form an umbrella organization for the sake of addressing the major crises that we came together to address at Heritage. In discussing this with Mat, we both felt that unifying what he was doing and what we came together for at Heritage was a bit premature, but felt we should pursue a close association.

(*Mat Staver: lawyer, academic, professor, and former Seventh Day Adventist pastor. Founding member and Chairman of Liberty Counsel since 1989 and dean of Liberty University School of Law since 2006.–  see: What Pastors can and cannot do politically)

…We began our own organizational meeting on June 4 that included Anna Jane Joyner, Mark Nuttle, Nicholas Papanicalau, Gordon Pennington, Samuel Rodriguez, Lou Sheldon and myself (Samuel and Nicholas participated by conference call). We met for nine hours and accomplished a great deal in laying the foundation for an organization that could truly have a historic impact in our times.

…the Articles of Incorporation will be more specific, but this is just to give you an idea of what we feel called to organize. As one of the incorporators expressed, we are called to emphasize the vertical aspect of the Cross first—seeking God’s will and favor; and emphasize the horizontal aspect of the Cross second—which is influence with men.

Even so, because the horizontal aspect is on the table as part of our mandate, we concluded that we need to incorporate both a 501(c)(3) organization and a 501(c)(4)  for mobilizing political action.

more here

Though I have some thoughts on where this may be heading, and that’s all they are, thoughts, I’ll keep them to myself for now.

DEREK MEETS A FALSE APOSTLE

this is good!

“O foolish Galatians..”- From Christianity to Judaism

(HT) This story reminded me of Barbara Richmond. For those who are not acquainted with her and her story, Barbara was a well know Christian author and lecturer who also ran a ministry in which she sent out letters titled The Jerusalem Report, a few times a week. She was respected by many other well known ministry’s.

Imagine the shock and disbelief when she suddenly denounced Christianity, denied Jesus was the Messiah, and embraced Orthodox Judaism!

I still recall the shock-waves which traveled across the ‘Christian’ Internet as the story broke. Many Christians were angry, upset, etc…but for the most part they were just devastated, wondering ‘how could this happen’?

Since then, I’ve found it does happen, and like in Barbara Richmond’s case it occurs due to becoming involved with The Hebrew Roots and/or Messianic movement(s). (see: The Hebew Roots Movement,-  To Embrace Hebrew Roots: Part I, – Messianic Cults: Former “Christians” Say Name of Jesus is “Pagan”)

Read of another case below…

A Christian’s journey to Judaism

quote..

At an East Galveston beach, Mari Barkhausen is waist-deep in the cool, brown water. After repeating Hebrew blessings, she is immersed once, twice. When she emerges from the water a third time, she is a Jew.

She hugs her rabbi, looking to the shoreline at her husband and two sons who are waiting for their mikveh, the ritual immersion for Jewish converts.

Barkhausen, 42, grew up on Presbyterian doctrine in South Texas. By her 30s, she and husband David were attending a Baptist church in College Station. In a class about the Old Testament—in Leviticus and Deuteronomy—she learned about Hebrew festivals.

In 2002, Barkhausen took a teaching job in League City. A fellow teacher invited her to the conservative Jewish synagogue Shaar Hashalom in Clear Lake.

“I was a Baptist; I wanted to witness to her,” she laughed. “I did, I really did.”

Harps and the Apostolic Movement

Two interesting items from tonight’s Elijah List.

Yep, buy them a harp, this will bring them to the saving knowledge of Christ…sigh…

1) – Help Fight Israel’s “Battle of Sounds” — Your gift can change the spirit of worship in Israel

Harps for Israel distributes free harps throughout Israel to those who long to sing to the Lord with a harp.  Help us raise up an army of psalmists to stir Israel to proclaim once again, like David: “…the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel”…

A war of powers and principalities is raging over Israel, heralded by a battle of sounds…The spirits of many Israelis—especially young people—are plagued by uncertainty, anxiety and confusion.  Israel needs to be equipped for this battle of sounds just as in Biblical times….All donations are welcome and are tax deductible.   Donors of $200 or more receive a special gift of appreciation. more here

Get ready, the apostolic movement is coming…again

(2) - Paul Keith Davis: “The Coming Apostolic Movement”

Over the course of several weeks the Holy Spirit has once again given several prophetic experiences pointing to the coming apostolic movement. Although the Western Church has several ministries that are functioning in apostolic ways, we have yet to see the true demonstration of New Testament apostolic ministry the way it will be revealed before the end comes. It is crucial at this point in history that we as a generation not settle for anything less than the fullness of our Biblically defined heritage.

Church’s Anti-Islam Sign Sparks Protest

If this quote from the pastor wasn’t so ignorant I’d laugh.

(The sign is a) “message of awareness, of opportunity to talk and to rethink.” -

Yep, posting signs on your church lawn stating Islam is of the devil, will really present an opportunity for you to have a conversation with Muslims.

God gives us wisdom folks, if we’ll only listen and be led by the Spirit. I can tell you right now, ‘wisdom’ (or plain ole common sense) tells me this is not a productive way in which to present Christ and the Gospel..

CHRISTIAN PIMPS

“Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.” -Sam Pascoe

“An enterprise. That’s a business.” After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha’s raised hand, “Yes, Martha.” She asked such a simple question, “A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?” I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think of was, “Yes.” She continued, “But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?” as told by David Ryser

I’ve been fighting for a long time the prompting of my inner man to take on this subject. I have been a sellout. A pimp, if you will. Not on purpose.

It is easy to justify our lack of courage when confronted with difficult issues.

You see, I have pulled my punches. I have softened the blow. I have spanked with a newspaper when they deserved a belt. I have sold out on the Truth. I have not called a spade a spade. I have nibbled at the crust when I should have been hammering the pie. I have taken the be-nice approach and have listened to the “touch not God’s anointed” mentality. I have prostituted the Truth. For that I am sorry.

Oh, my intentions were good. I had hoped that as I exposed the “unfruitful works of darkness” that the churches would eventually awaken and begin to push back against the enemy. After ten years of trying to awaken “The Church” to the problem I have finally mustered the courage to say what I have known all along. “The Church” IS the problem.

It has become a pimp, selling the works of “the body” for personal satisfaction.

Is Hell a Myth?

“If there is no Hell, is not Calvary, with all its suffering and sacrifice and finished atoning work, a blunder and all the voices thereof a babel of incoherence?  By every contemptuous mouthful of spit that befouled His face, by every hair of His beard which cruel fingers tore from His cheeks, by every bruise of His face, by every mark of the scourge upon His back, by every thorn that punctured His brow, by every nail that held Him to the tree, by every breath He drew which was a pang of death, by every beat of His heart which was a throb of agony -by all the shadows that covered the earth when black midnight came at noon-day, we say that if Calvary be not the way of escape from an eternal Hell, then Calvary is a mistake!”

“…if there is no Hell, is not the Bible a bundle of blunders, a myth, a book of fairy tales?  Are not the prophets, who spoke of God’s mercy, liars?  If there is no Hell, does not Jesus Himself deserve to wear the label of the impostor?”

“Though some today in the theological and educational world are “fond of a mist that rises from the ground” and rebel against the concrete, the definite, the actual —still there is a Hell.  Though many vaporize every great fact and doctrine of the Christian faith and talk as though they believed that only when these great facts and weighty doctrines have been “sublimated  into the mythical and poetic” are they worthy of the intellectual–still there is a Hell.”

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared, for the devil and his angels.”—Matt. 25:41.

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” —II Thess. 1:7-9

Hell is a terrible actuality.

• None of the scholars in Noah’s day believed  a flood would come.  But it did.

• No scholars, except for Abraham and Lot, believed that fire would fall on Sodom and Gomorrah.  But it did.

• No scholars, except Jeremiah and Baruch, believed Jerusalem would be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.  But it was.

• Four leading schools of thought in Jesus’ day scoffed at Jesus’ prediction concerning the coming judgment of God on Jerusalem.  But secular history tells us that in spite of the dissent of all the scholars, it came true just as Jesus predicted.

Some say: “I hate hell.”  So do I.  But nobody can hate Hell out of existence.

I hate snakes, but my hatred does not exterminate them.  I hate rats, but rats still live.  If we are Christians, we hate hypocrisy.  But hypocrisy continues.  Christians hate all manner of sins, but that hatred does not alleviate the sins.  The hatred of Hell does not alter the fact that THERE IS A HELL!

*Excerpts  from the sermon, Is Hell a Myth by Robert G. Lee (1886-1974)

**

Charles Spurgeon: “Our joy is that if any one of us are made, in God’s hands, the means of converting a man from the error of his way, we shall have saved a soul from this eternal death. That dreadful Hell the saved one will not know, that wrath he will not feel, that being banished from the presence of God will never happen to him.”

Billy Sunday: “You will not be in Hell five minutes until you believe that there is one.”

A Call To Anguish

Washington DC’s ‘The Family’

A year or so ago I came across information concerning this group located in Washington DC while researching something else, and found it fascinating;  Mainly because I’d never heard or read anything about it before. Its considered to be more-or-less a secretive organization, in as far as those outside its fellowship, know little about it–that was until a book titled, The Family, written by Jeff Sharlet came out in 2008.  (see, Browse Inside The Family)

The author made an appearance tonight on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow show, and what he had to share was both fascinating and to me, spooky.

Below is a clip from that segment of the program, along with info you may find of interest. (his segment begins at around the 2 minute mark)

Prayer request

Church, I’d like to ask you to lift up Ken Silva (at Christian Research Network) and his family in prayer in the coming days. They have experienced a tragedy in their family. (see, For Those Who May Feel Led To Pray…)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles..

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart..

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it..

Heart of Jenin

I missed this on PBS last night, but the entire segment can be watched today here:

Video: Full Episode

Intro: When a 12-year-old Palestinian boy was killed in the West Bank city of Jenin by Israeli soldiers who mistook his toy gun for the real thing, it could have been just one more blip on the news: one more war, one more child, one more human tragedy that ripped the heart out of a family and a community, but rippled no further into the world’s consciousness.

But something extraordinary happened that turned Ahmed Khatib’s tragic 2005 death into a gift of hope for six Israelis whose lives were on the line: while overwhelmed with grief, Ahmed’s parents consented to donating their son’s organs. Suddenly, amid the violence and entrenched hatred surrounding an intractable conflict, a simple act of humanity rose above the clamor and captured worldwide attention.

Heart of Jenin tells the story of Ahmed’s tragic death and his father Ismael Khatib’s journey to visit three of the organ recipients two years later.

A short 3 minute excerpt:

The Leprous House

Years ago I heard a sermon on Leviticus 14: 33-46, connecting it with spiritual leprosy, and have never forgotten it. You could say my eyes were opened to the very real corruption which comes when Christians, once washed in the blood, dabble in sin.

In the message posted 2 nights ago, When will these things happen?, there was a link included to the message posted below. After reading it tonight I wanted to post it.

The accounts we read in the old Testament are not just stories, but are to be examples to us who now live under the new covenant:

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” 1 Cor. 10:11

Paul wrote: “The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual” 1Cor. 15:46

Though this primarily concerns the corruption (leprosy) which grew in the natural Temple[s] in Jerusalem, and the end results, I see spiritual lessons here which can apply to God’s Temple[s] today–for we are the Temple of God. Maybe you will too..

“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” 2 Cor. 6:16b

The Leprous House
by Kevin Daly

And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, When you come into the land of Canaan which I give you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession, and if he that owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, A plague is seen by me in the house; then the priest shall command that they empty the house before the priest goes to see the plague, so that all that is in the house may not become unclean. And afterwards the priest shall go in to see the house. And he shall look on the plague. And behold, if the plague is in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall, then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days. And the priest shall come again the seventh day and shall look.

Keeping up with the NAR

Mary Glazier and Dutch Sheets, top leaders in C. Peter Wagner’s New Apostolic Reformation, appear at Sarah Palin’s central church, the Wasilla Assembly of God.

Video here

The New Apostolic Reformation is coalescing from apostolic networks of the Third Wave movement which, according to World Christian Trends AD 30 To AD 2200 had by AD 2000, encompassed 295 million Christians worldwide.

“They have his brain!”

You know something folks, the world is crazy. But you most likely already knew that..

Last night before logging off I was checking headlines at Fox, CNN, etc and saw headlines concerning Michael Jackson’s brain being missing. Missing, in that it wasn’t with ‘the rest of him’ yet. I thought, what the heck is wrong with these people in the media, to ‘headline’ such a thing, you know?

Not all of Michael Jackson’s body was lying inside a gold casket at Tuesday’s memorial service in Los Angeles. The King of Pop’s brain was literally elsewhere. link

Its no wonder people today have no respect for life or even for each other, period.

I have a close family member, who thank God doesn’t do it anymore, but who use to talk so casually about the most morbid things. When a relative of ours died years ago this person wanted to give me details [prior to the funeral] of what had been done to his body…I recall telling them to ‘please shut up!’…

The world is sick, especially the media.

mini-rant over..

Without the Spirit…

When the Spirit of God is gone, even truth itself becomes an iceberg. How wretched is religion when it becomes frozen and lifeless! The Holy Spirit is gone, and all energy and enthusiasm have gone with him.

What the valleys would be without their brooks, or the cities without their wells; what the corn-fields would be without the sun, or the vintage without the summer- that would our churches be without the Spirit. As well think of day without light, or life without breath, or heaven without God, as of Christian service without the Holy Spirit.

Nothing can supply his place if he is absent: the pastures are a desert, the fruitful fields are a wilderness, Sharon languishes, and Carmel is burned with fire.

Blessed Spirit of the Lord, forgive us that we have done such despite to you, by our forgetfulness of you, by our proud self-sufficiency, by resisting your influences, and quenching your fire! Henceforth work in us according to your own excellence. Make our hearts tenderly impressible, and then turn us as wax to the seal, and stamp upon us the image of the Son of God.

Spurgeon- Grace Gems