Scripture

“The heart {emotions} is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

~Jeremiah 17:9, NASB

Quote

Feeling are treacherous, they come and go; and what little control we have upon them.

~Martyn Lloyd Jones {Walking With God}

One of my old preacher friends, Larry Bullard, recommended I read some Martyn Lloyd Jones so I ordered his daily devotional WALKING WITH GOD. I was rather disappointed until lately; it seems that his thoughts are beginning to hit home. I really liked his February 7 entry which he entitled HISTORICAL EVENTS. What Jones says is the exact same thing I have been saying for years: you don’t get assurance from works or from your emotions. Your emotions are not trustworthy. Our assurance comes from the gospel which is a historical fact. It is a fact–Jesus died for you–and it is a done deal. We get our assurance from trusting what He did for us; not from doing things for Him. I have preached thousands of sermons but that doesn’t mean I am saved. I am saved by the atonement; by the blood of Jesus. Good works has nothing to do with my salvation. Jesus paid it all and all to HIM I owe. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and HIS righteousness–not mine. This is what lead Martin Luther to Jesus, he finally understood Romans one was talking about Jesus righteousness, not ours. We are saved by the righteousness of God.

You never rely on feelings, they are fickle. Jones mentioned something that hit home with me. I don’t think I have ever blogged or talked about it but some days I wake up feeling great. I get to the study and everything is glorious. Every scripture I read lights up before me. I am making notes right and left–I can feel the inspiration in my veins. When I look up it is 12:30 or 1:00 in the evening. Usually, I am interrupted by June’s call to see if I want lunch. I am thinking to myself, “what a day! I can’t wait until tomorrow.” The next morning I get up and I feel discouraged. I go to the study but my mind is dull. I read and reread the scripture but no juices are flowing, there is no inspiration. That is why I come back to the gospel truth. The cross is a historical fact: Jesus died for me. My feelings have absolutely nothing to do with those facts. So what if I am melancholy or even depressed; does that rob the blood of its power. No sir, I am saved, sealed and ready to be shipped. The gospel is real no matter how I feel. We are all going to have some bad days but these days do not define us. Jones last words were: “Thank God, my position is not determined by my feelings.”

Extra

Sam Cowart CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE today at 3:00 at the POINT. Visitation from 1:00-3:00. I could use some prayer support today.

Had breakfast with the Dream Team yesterday. When I came to Danville in 1979, John Harold was 21, Joe Fitz was 22 and Bradley 24. The four of us played basketball until Bradley moved to Florida. Yesterday Joe David ate breakfast with the four of us. If Joe David could have played with us, we would have won the league every year. Oh well, our playing days are over but we still enjoy a breakfast at CB.

Extra/Extra

Charles Dana Anderson {August 8, 1819–October 17, 1897} was the editor of the New York Tribune. He said in reference to the Bible…“Of all the books, the most indispensable and the most useful, the one whose knowledge is the most effective, is the Bible.” Can you imagine the New York Times editor saying such a thing today?

High School Drop Out

I think I alluded to this a few days ago but yesterday I heard a rerun of Paul Harvey’s and the REST OF THE STORY. It was about a kid named Al. He was applying for a job at the US patten office but in his interview, it became very apparent that he knew nothing about pattens. He did not pretend, he told the interviewer that he had no knowledge in this field. Normally, that would have ended the interview but the interviewer was impressed with this young man and talked with him for two more hours. He decided the young man was not retarded, as it stated on his record; nor was he a trouble maker. The wise man who hired him that day realized the kid was lacking in confidence but not intelligence. The kids full name, Albert Einstein. So now you know, the rest of the story. Albert never graduated high school. He was expelled twice and they refused to re-enroll him.