OUR LADY OF LOURDES APPARITION: IS IT FROM GOD OR THE DEVIL?

REMEMBERING MY MOM

My mom, Jennie ❤️

Today is the anniversary of my mother’s death. On March 12, 2007 my mother went home to be with the Lord. You can read about her journey to salvation here.

BORN AGAIN, A RADICAL CHANGE …

Have you experienced the radical change of the new birth?

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Barnes:

Learn, that regeneration is not a trifling change.

It is not a mere change of relations, or of the outward condition.

It is not merely being brought from the world into the church, and being baptized, though by the most holy hands; it is much more.

None of these things would make proper the declaration, “he is a new man.”

Regeneration by the Spirit of God does.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Barnes:

The affirmation here is universal, “if any man be in Christ;” that is, all who become true Christians – undergo such a change in their views and feelings as to make it proper to say of them that they are new creatures.

No matter what they have been before, whether moral or immoral; whether infidels or speculative believers; whether amiable, or debased, sensual and polluted yet if they become Christians they all experience such a change as to make it proper to say they are a new creation.

A new creature – The idea evidently is, not that he ought to be a new creature, but that he is in fact; not that he ought to live as becomes a new creature – which is true enough – but that he will in fact live in that way, and manifest the characteristics of the new creation.

(1) That there is an exertion of divine power in the conversion of the sinner as really as in the act of creating the world out of nothing, and that this is as indispensable in the one case as in the other.

(2) that a change is produced so great as to make it proper to say that he is a new man. He has new views, new motives, new principles, new objects and plans of life. He seeks new purposes, and he lives for new ends.

If a drunkard becomes reformed, there is no impropriety in saying that he is a new man. If a man who was licentious becomes pure, there is no impropriety in saying that he is not the same man that he was before.

There is a change so deep, so clear, so entire, and so abiding, that it is proper to say, here is a new creation of God – a work of the divine power as decided and as glorious as when God created all things out of nothing.

There is no other moral change that takes place on earth so deep, and radical, and thorough as the change at conversion. And there is no other where there is so much propriety in ascribing it to the mighty power of God.

Old things are passed away – The old views in regard to the Messiah, and in regard to people in general, 2 Corinthians 5:16. But Paul also gives this a general form of expression, and says that old things in general have passed away – referring to everything. It was true of all who were converted that old things had passed away. And it may include the following things:

(1) In regard to the Jews – that their former prejudices against Christianity, their natural pride, and spirit of seducing others; their attachment to their rites and ceremonies, and dependence on them for salvation had all passed away. They now renounced that independence, relied on the merits of the Saviour, and embraced all as brethren who were of the family of Christ.

(2) in regard to the Gentiles – their attachment to idols, their love of sin and degradation, their dependence on their own works, had passed away, and they had renounced all these things, and had come to mingle their hopes with those of the converted Jews, and with all who were the friends of the Redeemer.

(3) in regard to all, it is also true that old things pass away. Their former prejudices, opinions, habits, attachments pass away.

Their supreme love of self passes away.

Their love of sins passes away.

Their love of the world passes away.

Their supreme attachment to their earthly friends rather than God passes away.

Their love of sin, their sensuality, pride, vanity, levity, ambition, passes away.

There is a deep and radical change on all these subjects – a change which commences at the new birth; which is carried on by progressive sanctification; and which is consummated at death and in heaven.

CONSIDER THE LILIES

CONSIDER THE LILIES
(Originally Posted on May 31, 2007)

Matthew 6:28-30 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

When winter comes all the lovely flowers of the garden are gone. Certain plants and bushes are cut down to the ground, while others shed all their beautiful leaves and flowers and look like wooden skeletons throughout the entire winter. They look dead and gone forever.

But then Spring comes and this incredible miracle happens!

The lilies that seemed to be gone forever sprout again and we behold their beauty for yet another season. And that bush that we were ready to cut down, because we thought it had died during the winter, because it was slow to bloom, suddenly becomes the most beautiful shrub in the whole garden.

Sometimes certain situations in our lives look like that bush we thought was dead. But our God, who is the God of triumphant resurrection life, gives us hope in those situations that we thought were beyond hope. And while we patiently wait in faith for Him to work in our lives, we come to know Him as the God of all comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

Psalm 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Isaiah 4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

Isaiah 25:4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

Isaiah 32:2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

BUT WHERE ARE THE NINE?

Luke 17:17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

Clarke

“Where are the nine?” – Where are the numbers that from time to time have been converted to God? Are they still found praising him, with their faces on the dust, as they did at first? Alas! how many are turned back to perdition! and how many are again mingled with the world! Reader! art thou of this number?

Barnes

“Where are the nine?” And what a striking illustration is this of human nature, and of the ingratitude of man! One had come back to give thanks for the favor bestowed on him; the others were heard of no more. So now …

When people are restored from dangerous sickness, here and there one comes to give thanks to God; but “where are the nine?”

Few, few of all who have been rescued from “threatening graves” feel their obligation to God, or ever express it. They forget their Great Benefactor; perhaps the mention of his name is unpleasant, and they scorn the idea that they are under any obligations to him. Such, alas! is man, ungrateful man!

Gill

And Jesus answering, said,…. After the Samaritan had paid his respects to him, and made his acknowledgments in this grateful way:

were there not ten cleansed? so many applied for a cure, and so many had it:

but where are the nine? or nine of them; here was one, but where were the rest? they went and showed themselves to the priests, and then returned to their several places of abode, and took no notice of their physician and Saviour, to make any returns to him.

Christ’s flock, which is separated from the world, and walks in Gospel order, within the inclosures of it, is but a little flock; they are but a few names in Sardis, who have not defiled themselves, with corruptions in doctrine and discipline; and these few are often such, who have been the worst of men, the vilest of sinners, from whom it has been least expected, they should glorify Christ:

Luke 17:18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Clarke

This stranger – Often God receives more praise and affectionate obedience from those who had long lived without his knowledge and fear, than from those who were bred up among his people, and who profess to be called by his name. The simple reason is, Those who have Much forgiven will love much, Luke 7:47.