Be Wise Of Heart

- Proverbs 10:8
The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

9 Reasons To Magnify God On Thanksgiving Day (And Every Day)

The prologue to the book of Hebrews gives us many things we can praise God for, thus magnifying who he is through our worship.  This prologue is a list of attributes and accomplishments that make much of Christ and show him as the supreme Son of God.

God spoke to our fathers.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets (Hebrews 1:1).  God is not an unknown God.  In time past God chose to reveal himself to us through his prophets so the we may know the God who created us.

God spoke by his Son.
But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:2).  Christ the ultimate prophet speaks the better and final word.

Christ is the legal recipient of all things.
Whom he appointed the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2).  All things are in subjection to Christ because…

Christ is the author of creation.
Through whom also he created the world (Hebrews 1:2).  Since Christ is the author of salvation he bears authority over all things.

Christ reflects the glory of God.
He is the radiance of the glory of God (Hebrews 1:3).  Christ perfectly reflects the greatness of the glory of God because…

Christ is God.
He is . . . the exact imprint of his nature (Hebrews 1:3).  Christ is the icon of God.

Christ underpins his creation.
He upholds the universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3).  Because Christ is the creator of all creation he wields the power to sustain it.

Christ’s work as the ultimate high priest is finished.
After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).  Christ’s priestly act of dying on the cross cleanses us to worship God.  His sitting shows that his work is forever done.

Christ is superior even to the highest heavenly beings.
Having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs (Hebrews 1:4).  Because Christ’s priestly work could only be accomplished by him and this exalts him above all, even all heavenly creatures.

The Best Way To Run The Goats Out Of The Church

D. J. Ward

“Feed My sheep.” John 21:17

“Feed the flock of God entrusted to you.” 1 Peter 5:2

The best way to purify the church and keep it pure–is to get rid of all the goats! And the best way to run the goats out of the church–is to feed them ’sheep food’. God’s sheep will grow in grace under the preaching of grace–but goats will go hungry because they choke on ’sheep food’. They will soon leave and go somewhere else. Preach sovereign grace!

“Now I commit you to God and to the message of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.” Acts 20:32

Hope For A Fool

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- Proverbs 26:12

Meditate on Heaven

William Dyer “Christ’s Famous Titles”

Meditate often on these four last things:
Death, which is most certain.
Judgment, which is most strict.
Hell, which is most doleful.
Heaven, which is most delightful.

Meditate on HEAVEN, which is most joyful.

“Then the King will say to those on His right–Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world!” Matthew 25:34

“Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord!” Matthew 25:21

Heaven is a place where all joy is enjoyed!
In Heaven, there will be:
mirth without sadness,
light without darkness,
sweetness without bitterness,
life without death,
rest without labor,
plenty without poverty!
Oh, what joy enters into the believer–when
the believer enters into the joy of his Lord!

Who would not . . .
work for glory with the greatest diligence, and
wait for glory with the greatest patience?

Oh, what glories are there in glory!
Thrones of glory,
crowns of glory,
vessels of glory,
a weight of glory,
a kingdom of glory!

Here on earth–Christ puts His grace upon His spouse!
There in Heaven–He puts His glory upon His spouse!

In heaven the crown is made for them, and
in Heaven the crown shall be worn by them!

In this life believers have some good things–but
the rest and best are reserved for the life to come!

Oh, sirs! meditate upon Heaven, for meditation on Heaven will make us heavenly!

Heaven is not only a possession promised by Christ–but a possession purchased by Christ!

When our contemplations and minds are in Heaven–then we enjoy Heaven upon earth!
To be IN Christ is Heaven below;
to be WITH Him is Heaven above!

There cannot be a better thing for us, than for us to be with the best of beings! “To me to live is Christ–and to die is gain!” Philippians 1:21

Let our condition now be ever so great–it is Hell without Christ!
let our condition now be ever so bad–it is Heaven with Christ!

“I had rather be in Hell with Christ–than in Heaven without Him!” said Luther.

Hell itself would be Heaven–if Christ was in it!
Heaven would be Hell–if Christ was out of it!

That which makes Heaven so full of joy–is that it is above all fear!
That which makes Hell so full of horror–is that it is beyond all hope!

The vessels of grace–shall swim in the ocean of glory!

We may talk of the greatness of our crowns–but we shall never know the weight of our crowns–until they are set on our heads!

Meditate Upon Hell

William Dyer, “Christ’s Famous Titles”

Meditate often on these four last things:
Death, which is most certain.
Judgment, which is most strict.
Hell, which is most doleful.
Heaven, which is most delightful.

Meditate upon hell, which is most doleful!

Heaven is a place where all is joyful;
and Hell is a place where all is doleful.

In Heaven–there is nothing but happiness;
but in Hell–there is nothing but heaviness!

“The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and
all the nations that forget God.” Psalm 9:17
Mark, sirs–the wicked shall be turned into hell.

Oh, dreadful place–where the devil is the jailer!

Hell is the prison,
damnation is the punishment,
eternity is the duration,
brimstone is the fire, and
men and devils are the fuel!

To endure this will be intolerable;
and to avoid it will be impossible!

This is the day of God’s long-suffering;
that will be the day of man’s long-suffering!
There they will suffer:
pain without ease,
torment without end,
sorrow without support,
and misery without mercy!

Sirs! Meditate upon Hell!

Oh, what hells are there in Hell!
Hell is:
the loss of God,
the loss of Christ,
the loss of all good!

Endless, ceaseless, and remediless torments must be their eternal portion!

Oh, that you would often think of Hell!

If once you drop into Hell–then after a thousand years:
you will be as far from coming out of Hell,
as you were at your first entrance into Hell!

There is only one way to KEEP a man out of Hell
–but there is no way to GET a man out of Hell!

In this world, the wheat and the chaff both grow
together, but they shall not always both lie together!

In Hell, there shall not be a saint among those who are terrified!
In Heaven, there shall not be a sinner among those who are glorified!

The sea of damnation–shall never be
sweetened with a drop of compassion!

Will you pity a person who is going to the gallows–and
will you not pity a person who is going to the bottomless pit?

What a dreadful visitation is that–where
the black horse of death goes before, and
the red horse of wrath follows after!

Oh, that must needs be sad–when one death comes upon the back of another; when the second death comes upon the back of the first death!

A man’s condition in this life may be honorable,
and yet his state in eternity may be damnable!

Poor Lazarus goes to Heaven–
when rich Dives goes to Hell.

It is far better to go to Heaven poorly
–than it is to go to Hell richly!

Oh, sirs! let us go to Hell by contemplation, that
we may never go to Hell by condemnation!

Oh sirs! Meditate upon Hell!

Meditate On Judgment

William Dyer, “Christ’s Famous Titles”

Meditate often on these four last things:
Death, which is most certain.
Judgment, which is most strict.
Hell, which is most doleful.
Heaven, which is most delightful.

 

Meditate upon judgment, which is most strict.

“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ!”

Those who will not come before His mercy-seat,
shall be forced to come before His judgment-seat!

Those who will not hear His Word–shall feel His Sword!

Those who are graceless in this day–will be speechless in that day!

At the world’s end–such will be at their wits’ end, to see:
the earth flaming,
the heavens melting,
the stars falling,
the graves opening,
the judgment hastening,
the sun and moon mourning,
Christ and His angels coming!

He who comes to raise the dead,
will also come to judge the dead.

Oh! sirs, the great day to great sinners will be a dreadful day–when they shall see Christ coming in the clouds:
with great power and glory,
crowned with dignity,
enraged with anger, and
attended with His angel reapers!

He will bring all kings and nobles, high and low, rich and poor, to His judgment bar! And there He will judge them, not by the whiteness of their faces–but by the blackness of their hearts!

“He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity!” Psalm 98:9

You who make no account of His coming–
how can you give an account at His coming?

Sirs! Meditation on judgment–may make you judgment proof!

Those who now judge themselves in their own private sessions–shall not be judged by Christ at His great white throne judgment!

Sovereign Over Sleep

- Psalm 127:2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Meditate On Death

William Dyer, “Christ’s Famous Titles”

Meditate often on these four last things:
Death, which is most certain.
Judgment, which is most strict.
Hell, which is most doleful.
Heaven, which is most delightful.

Meditate upon DEATH, which is most certain.
“It is appointed unto men once to die.” Hebrews 9:27

Out of the dust was man formed;
into the dust shall man be turned.

To think of death–is a death to some men!

Oh, sirs! Meditate upon death.

Meditation on death–will put sin to death!

Death to the wicked–is the end of all comfort, and the beginning of all misery!
Death to the godly–is the outlet to sin and sorrow, and the inlet to peace and happiness!

The saints’ enjoyment shall be incomparable,
when the sinners’ torments shall be intolerable!

When a believer’s soul goes out of his own bosom–it goes into Abraham’s bosom! When a saint dies–he leaves all his bad behind him, and carries his good with him! When a sinner dies–he carries his bad with him, and leaves his good behind him!

The godly man goes from evil–to all good.
The wicked man goes from good–to all evil.

When a saint leaves the world–his soul returns to happiness and rest!
When a sinner leaves this world–his body goes to worms to be consumed, and his soul goes to flames to be tormented!

The saint goes to Abraham’s bosom;
the sinner goes to Beelzebub’s bosom!

The wheat goes to the barn;
the chaff goes to the fire!

Oh, sirs! meditate upon death!

Four Objects Worthy Of Meditation

Over my next four posts I am going to be posting about some objects that are worthy of a Christian’s mediation:  Death, Judgement, Hell, and Heaven.  These come from William Dyer’s booklet “Christ’s Famous Titles“.  I have been keeping these snippets around for a while and thought you would benefit from them.  Keep your eyes peeled for the first post on meditating on death.