Christian! You do not need to borrow joy from the world!
O child of God, is not the joy of God enough for you?
Do you require . . .
-the pleasures of sin,
-the gaieties of the ballroom,
-the excitement of the theater,
-the music of the opera,
-the frivolities of the world's card-table,
-the stolen pleasures of the dance,
to make up for 'deficiencies' in what God has given you?
If He has not given enough joy, go tell Him, and He will give you more. But do not go to His enemies to borrow! Do not go to the world's haunts of vanity, where the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are cherished!
Christian, be separate! Do not seek the joys of the world! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God [James 4:4]? If you have any sympathies with that world--if it contains attractions for you--if God, and the things of God, are not enough for you--there is something wrong!
Do not love the world! Do not seek its friendship! Seek the things above [Col. 3:1-3]! Beware of the fascinations of worldly company, and the spells of worldly gaiety. Do not be whirled away into the tossing current of mirthful society!
Be separate [Phil. 3:20]! That is your security, your strength, your influence. Let the world see that you are not of it--and that you do not need it! Horatius Bonar 1808-1889
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...or do you?
O child of God, is not the joy of God enough for you?
Do you require . . .
-the pleasures of sin,
-the gaieties of the ballroom,
-the excitement of the theater,
-the music of the opera,
-the frivolities of the world's card-table,
-the stolen pleasures of the dance,
to make up for 'deficiencies' in what God has given you?
If He has not given enough joy, go tell Him, and He will give you more. But do not go to His enemies to borrow! Do not go to the world's haunts of vanity, where the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are cherished!
Christian, be separate! Do not seek the joys of the world! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God [James 4:4]? If you have any sympathies with that world--if it contains attractions for you--if God, and the things of God, are not enough for you--there is something wrong!
Do not love the world! Do not seek its friendship! Seek the things above [Col. 3:1-3]! Beware of the fascinations of worldly company, and the spells of worldly gaiety. Do not be whirled away into the tossing current of mirthful society!
Be separate [Phil. 3:20]! That is your security, your strength, your influence. Let the world see that you are not of it--and that you do not need it! Horatius Bonar 1808-1889
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...or do you?
Rev. 18:4
Absolutely. The more distance there is between us as Christians and the events of the day...the closer we are to Him in our moment to moment thought-life...and prayer-life....the more active we are encouraged to be by the Holy Spirit to teach the gospel...the more peace.
ReplyDeleteThink on these things....
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
ReplyDeleteFor the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.