Spiritual food is like manna

 

 

 

it must be gathered TODAY.

 

– eab, 12/3/09

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Authorized Version – KJV

Today, Friday, July 22 marks the date James I, King of England announced (1604) that he had appointed fifty-four(54) men to translate the Bible into English.  (Imagine a US president, Democrat or Republican, authorizing and then appointing anyone to preserve God’s Words today.)  Some in attacking the genuineness of this Classic Text attack King James. History, no doubt, proves his humanness and perhaps worse, but sins (few or many) should not detract from his commissioning this proper project.

 

English, which seems old to us (& US) was a relatively new language. The widespread reading of God’s Holy Book helped to solidify a still somewhat plastic tongue. The Authorized Version (a.k.a. KJV) deserves a great deal of credit for the standardization of our native tongue.  The ships were soon sailing Englishmen to live permanently in the “new world” and among their few and precious possessions were copies of this great Text. Yes, English businessmen and soldiers helped spread our language.  But perhaps of equal or greater value were the travels of men, preaching in English, upon all the inhabited continents.  And from what were they preaching?  They read, memorized, and spoke from the incomparable, beautiful Authorized Bible. 

 

God, who has never muffed an opportunity, never missed an appointment, nor ever been a minute late, allowed the King of England to help the cause of Christ on July 22, 1604 by appointing men of scholastic ability and spiritual interest to give England, yea, the world, such a grand Book.

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Edwin Othello Excell – death, June 10, 1921

I have a song I love to sing,
Since I have been redeemed,
Of my Redeemer, Savior King,
Since I have been redeemed.

Refrain

Since I have been redeemed,
Since I have been redeemed,
I will glory in His Name,
Since I have been redeemed,
I will glory in the Savior’s Name.

I have a Christ Who satisfies
Since I have been redeemed,
To do His will my highest prize,
Since I have been redeemed.

I have a witness bright and clear,
Since I have been redeemed,
Dispelling every doubt and fear,
Since I have been redeemed.

I have a home prepared for me,
Since I have been redeemed,
Where I shall dwell eternally,
Since I have been redeemed.

I have a joy I can’t express,
Since I have been redeemed,
All through His blood and righteousness,
Since I have been redeemed.

Edwin Othello Excell died this date, 6/10/1921 at Chi­ca­go, Ill­i­nois.  He was born the son of a German Reformed pastor on 12/13/1851, in Stark Coun­ty, Ohio.  Although he labored as a plasterer and brick mason, he moved on to study music with George Root.  Later Excell used his music in connection with two famous evangelists: Sam Jones (about two decades) and Gyp­sy Smith; he was on an evan­gel­ism tour with the latter when he died.  Excell is credited with 2000 gospels songs, among which is the above.

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Charles Haddon Spurgeon – converted to Christ, 5/3/1850

“The Refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when His gold is in the fire.”

“Learn to say No.  It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, on this date, 5/3/1850 made a public confession of faith in Jesus Christ.  He was fifteen years of age.  The church was a Primitive Methodist Chapel.  The town was Colchester, England.  Thus began a life time of preaching (within a year) that ended only in death (1/31/1892).  Spurgeon was born 6/19/1834 at Essex, England.

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William Penn – arrived in America, Oct. 27, 1682

…He that covets can no more be a moral man than he that steals; since he does so in this mind.  Nor can he be one that robs his neighbor of his credit, or that craftily undermines him of his trade, or office.

                – William Penn, Fruits of Solitude in Reflections and Maxims (Philadelphia: Benjamin Johnson, 1792), 107. 

 William Penn on this date, 10/27/1682, arrived in America.  He was an English Quaker, a colonist, and the founder of Pennsylvania (which he named after his father).  He wrote “No Cross, no Crown; a Discourse showing the Nature & Discipline of the Holy Cross of Christ” (1688).

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Endure or ENJOY?

The foolish Endure religion today –

 

            Trying to miss hell “tomorrow.”

 

The wise Enjoy CHRIST today –

 

            and will Enjoy HIM forever ! ! !

 

– eab, 8/26/09

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John Fletcher – death, Aug. 14, 1785

Mr. Wesley I reverence as the greatest minister I know but would not follow Him one step farther than he follows Christ.

                – John Fletcher, Works (NY: Carlton & Porter, nd), 71.

 Faith is the hidden root, hope the rising stack, and love together with good works the nourishing corn…Christ takes neither faith nor hope into heaven; the former being gloriously absorbed in sight and the latter in enjoyment.

                – John Fletcher, Works (NY: Carlton & Porter, nd), 75.

…The word Belial in the original signifies “without yoke.”

                – John Fletcher, Works (NY: Carlton & Porter, nd), 81.

 …Predestinarians…Augustine their father.

                – John Fletcher, Works (NY: Carlton & Porter, nd), 153.

 …He works daily as a Prophet to enlighten you, as a Priest to make intercession for you, as a King to subdue your enemies, as a Redeemer to deliver you…and, as a Saviour to help you work out your own salvation…

                – John Fletcher, Works (NY: Carlton & Porter, nd), 200.

 …part of St. Paul’s triumphant song just before he received the crown of martyrdom was “I have kept the faith!”  What wonder was it that he should have kept what even the incestuous Corinthian could never lose!  [Last is said with sarcasm. –eab]      

                – John Fletcher, Works (NY: Carlton & Porter, nd), 256.

John Fletcher or John William De La Flechere (de la flā shâr’) died this date, 8/14/1785 at Madeley, England.  Fletcher wrote Five Checks to Antinomianism.  He was born, 9/12/1729 at Nyon, Switzerland.

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TIME – True Treasure

There are men of phenomenal wealth,

Some gained honestly, others by stealth.

Men who can buy and sell a whole town.

Their fortune seems to have never turned down.

If we don’t watch, we can envy such “blokes”

As more “lucky” than the rest of us folks.

 

Money is just a means to an end.

It can’t make a “home,” or a marriage mend.

We place too great an imagined high,

On money, gold, and what silver can buy,

Blinded by dollar $ign$ we fail to see,

In wealth, they’re no richer than you and me.

 

Time, dear friend, is the truest treasure;

The rich and poor receive the same measure.

Each start their day with a fresh supply

Of hours which drag or go flying by.

“Money Bags” has no more time in this day,

Than the poor: close or a continent away.

 

Each of us should value time, make it count;

No one has more – no one a less amount.

Time may yield you marriage, happiness, a wife,

Money can’t even buy a slight sliver of life.

God’s given “today” – use  it wisely, every hour.

Time, not money, has true-value power.  -eab, 11/3/06

 

Written when I pastored the Kingston Pilgrim Holiness Church, Ontario, Canada 

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Change – not

For I am the LORD, I change not… Mal 3.6

 

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever. Heb 13.8

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T. T. T.

Today, Tomorrow, To eternity,

In pause-less time and pace.

To get, to gain, to servility,

As the noted rodent race.

 

To gather, to garner, to glean;

As though life were all bread,

And men, as mice, were seen, 

And their hearts as heavy lead.  -eab, 10/67

 

(T.T.T. is borrowed from Piet Heim, Danish, WW II poet.)

 

Written at Hobe Sound Bible College,Florida.

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