Dear Christians, criticism comes quickly and easily, and though reproof and correction are necessary, criticism can be destructive to the soul. As Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

While it is easy to tear down, how often do we build up and encourage? More so, how often do we celebrate our brethren in living out the truth?

John, in his third letter, exclaimed to Gaius, “I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth” (3 Jn. 1:3). Do you rejoice over our brethren walking in truth?

After all, this is an aspect of love, it “rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6).

Therefore, while we rightly should exhort, reprove, correct one another with Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16), we also should be encouraging one another (Heb. 10:24-25), and rejoicing when we see our brethren walking in the light and in truth (1 Jn. 1:7; 3 Jn. 1:3).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 28

"For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth." 3 John 3

The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation. It is said that the food of certain worms colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon which a man's inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity- the natural product of those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man's conversation. Be it ours today, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by Thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.

My house was broken into recently; a neighbor saw the thief and police were near responded within 10 minutes. As Metro rolled up they caught the thief leaving with a bag, and carrying a camera case. Thief saw police dropped all and tried to make a getaway. Police gave chase through a busy neighborhood. As schools were getting out kids were crossing in crosswalks. Accirdingy thief tried to run over kids in two crosswalks hoping the police would be forced to stop to aid wounded ( or worse) elementary school kids. Thief realizing no escape stopped his car and ran to a house with a crawlspace and entered the crawl space. Behind in chase was a K-9 unit, officer stopped and opened the door for the nice doggy who chased the thief into the craw space and began tearing the thief to pieces. The neighbors in the not so good neighborhood asked police “please call off the dog the dog is mutilating the thief. Police say “Oh We forgot the dogs name”. The dogs carnage continued for another 30 minutes.

Video (from 1 year ago) Pastor Bryan Denlinger #kjv #kingjamesbible #bible #scriptures - #Gold to 100K An Ounce & #Silver To 7K An Ounce? Bryan --> There are many "wild" predictions going around on the internet, about the future price of #preciousmetals. So what is the truth? Nobody can really say for sure, because #America is being held hostage by a #CentralBank that will not hesitate to hyper-inflate the #currency in order to force people to accept a completely #digitalcurrency. What should a #Christian do in times like these? Should we even care? I will be discussing these things in my video. https://youtu.be/yOjYBkEH-BM?si=qXI7eNze6ivBm8WM

#UK
They KILLED My Daughter – I’m Coming For Them All: #KateShemirani Fights For Her Innocence & Justice (Video) https://thewashingtonstandard.com/they-killed-my-daughter-im-coming-for-them-all-kate-shemirani-fights-for-her-innocence-justice-video/

#JohnPodesta Plan Crash Course: Learn Everything About The Left’s Open Strategy To Ignite A Color #Revolution & Drive #DonaldTrump From Office https://www.infowars.com/posts/podesta-plan-crash-course-learn-everything-about-the-lefts-open-strategy-to-ignite-a-color-revolution-drive-trump-from-office

Revelation 19:5
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.
#HappyThanksgiving

May all of you out there have a very special Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time with family, friends, or even just alone if that is your choice.

"JUST IN: New video shows bystander begging police to STOP BEATING Jan 6 defendant Victoria White, "Please don't beat her! You're going to kill her!""

https://x.com/ChuckCallesto/status/1725984793681129694

I am so sick and tired of police and fire TV programs that are on TV. I am tired of investigations and police drama. Hey Hollywood get the westerns back on TV.

Whistleblower: US ALREADY A #PoliceState As #NSA Collects ALL (Video) https://libertysentinel.substack.com/p/us-already-a-police-state-as-nsa

Brethren, be thankful to the Lord, for He has chosen to show you mercy. Yes, showing you mercy is God’s choice, “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion’” (Rom. 9:15).

This is a difficult passage for many, but it reveals for us God’s sovereignty in all things. God is creator and upholder of all (Gen. 1; Heb. 1:3). All belongs to Him, as Scripture delcares, “The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it” (Psalm. 24:1). Does He then not have right to do with His possession as He pleases?

Therefore, again I say, be thankful! For God has dealt mercifully with us, even though His mercy is undeserved. If He were to deal justly with all, all would be condemned, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

We should neither decry nor dismiss God’s sovereignty; rather, we should be grateful for it. Left to ourselves, we would all stand condemned. Yet God, in His great mercy, according to His good pleasure, saves those who otherwise deserve it not.

Therefore, be humble in your salvation, because all you have contributed to it is the sin that makes it necessary. And show mercy to others (Mt. 5:7), because as Jesus instructed, freely we have received, therefore freely we should give (Mt.10:8).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 25

"For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." Romans 9:15

In these words the Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold His mercy according to His own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or condemn the guilty, as may seem best in His sight. Men by their sins have forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins- and if they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save any, He may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if He judges it best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign Him at their bar. Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the rights of men to be all placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound to save us; we do not murmur if He chooses to save others, as though He were doing us an injury, but feel that if He deigns to look upon us, it will be His own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall for ever bless His name.

How shall those who are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The Lord's will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.

Watch #JamesComey Brag About Weaponizing The #Justice System Against #DonaldTrump Supporters After A #Democrat Controlled Federal Judge Threw Out His Criminal Case https://www.infowars.com/posts/breaking-exclusive-watch-james-comey-brag-about-weaponizing-the-justice-system-against-trump-supporters-after-a-democrat-controlled-federal-judge-threw-out-his-criminal-case

Giving Thanks For Our Blessings Means Saying ‘No Thanks’ To #PoliceState Fascist Nazi Communist #Tyranny https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/giving_thanks_for_our_blessings_means_saying_no_thanks_to_police_state_tyranny

#GodDamnAmerica for this injustice and fake crimes and pretend legislation to brow beat Americans to Fascist Nazi Communist Tyranny!!
#CBP Admits ‘It’s Not A Crime to Carry $10k’ But Then Robs Innocent Man and Brags About It https://sonsoflibertymedia.com/cbp-admits-its-not-a-crime-to-carry-10k-but-then-robs-innocent-man-and-brags-about-it/

Repost. Ice makes arrests!

SOUTHCOM Cancels #Christmas Leave and Airlines Flee #Venezuela as White House Quietly Preps First Strike https://thepeoplesvoice.tv/southcom-cancels-christmas-leave-airlines-flee-venezuela/

#IlhanOmar Did Not Flee From Oppression As A #Refugee – She Was Fleeing #Justice & Has Been Installed To Attack – This Video Speaks Loud & Clear - she was not a refugee fleeing oppression, but rather she was fleeing justice for the crimes that her family was responsible for committing against #Somalians - #Somalia - https://sonsoflibertymedia.com/ilhan-omar-did-not-flee-from-oppression-as-a-refugee-she-was-fleeing-justice-has-been-installed-to-attack-this-video-speaks-loud-clear/

Aside from His predetermined primary purpose of giving Himself a ransom for many (Mk. 10:45), Jesus many times over stated His reason for coming was to preach (Mk. 1:38; Lk. 4:18, 43). Preaching the kingdom was Jesus focus prior to His sacrifice.

As He quoted of OT prophecy regarding Himself, “And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ‘The spirit of the lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the lord.’
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’” (Lk. 4:17-21).

There is much in those few verses, one bit of which stands out. You may ask, in what way were captives released? Oh, praise be to God for Jesus coming! He taught elsewhere, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32). Free from what? To what are (or were) we captive? Jesus clarifies: ““Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:34-36).

Prior to salvation, all men are slaves to sin. But Jesus, who Himself is “the Truth” (Jn. 14:6), set us free from that enslavement. No longer are we slaves to sin, but now are, as Paul explains, “having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:18). Therefore, as Paul exhorts, “just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19). This is echoed in Rom. 12:1 and 2, where Paul penned “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Let us therefore, as Paul urges, present ourselves no longer to sin for it to be our master, since we have been set free. No, let us present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice to God, that He may be glorified through us and that Christ may live through us (Gal. 2:20).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 25

"To preach deliverance to the captives." Luke 4.18

None but Jesus can give deliverance to captives. Real liberty cometh from Him only. It is a liberty righteously bestowed"; for the Son, who is Heir of all things, has a right to make men free. The saints honour the justice of God, which now secures their salvation. It is a liberty which has been dearly purchased. Christ speaks it by His power, but He bought it by His blood. He makes thee free, but it is by His own bonds. Thou goest clear, because He bare thy burden for thee: thou art set at liberty, because He has suffered in thy stead. But, though dearly purchased, He freely gives it. Jesus asks nothing of us as a preparation for this liberty. He finds us sitting in sackcloth and ashes, and bids us put on the beautiful array of freedom; He saves us just as we are, and all without our help or merit. When Jesus sets free, the liberty is perpetually entailed"; no chains can bind again. Let the Master say to me, "Captive, I have delivered thee," and it is done for ever. Satan may plot to enslave us, but if the Lord be on our side, whom shall we fear? The world, with its temptations, may seek to ensnare us, but mightier is He who is for us than all they who be against us. The machinations of our own deceitful hearts may harass and annoy us, but He who hath begun the good work in us will carry it on and perfect it to the end. The foes of God and the enemies of man may gather their hosts together, and come with concentrated fury against us, but if God acquitteth, who is he that condemneth? Not more free is the eagle which mounts to his rocky eyrie, and afterwards outsoars the clouds, than the soul which Christ hath delivered. If we are no more under the law, but free from its curse, let our liberty be practically exhibited in our serving God with gratitude and delight. "I am Thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: Thou hast loosed my bonds." "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"