Matthew
Chapter 23

1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Sisters of the Snow Moon

(A Song for the Ones Who Walk Together)

We walk beneath the silver moon,
Three hearts, one silent tune.
The snow may fall, the wind may cry,
But never alone do we walk the sky.

Our braids are woven with whispered prayers,
Feathers gifted from midnight airs.
We carry the stories of women before,
Their footsteps echo on frozen shore.

When one of us falters, the others stand tall—
A circle unbroken, we rise through it all.
When sorrow weighs heavy, and words fall apart,
A sister will hold you, heart to heart.

Not born of blood, but born of soul,
We gather each other and make each one whole.
In laughter, in tears, in the stillness between,
We are the light that the cold cannot screen.

And when the long night asks who we are—
We answer in song, like the northern star.
“We are the ones who do not flee,
For love walks stronger when it walks in three

Art by Serin Alar

Senator Shelley Moore Capito Weighs in on Government Shutdown – “The Simple Vote Here is to Simply Open the Government” (VIDEO)
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/10/senator-shelley-moore-capito-weighs-government-shutdown-simple/

Carnivore diet for 2 1/2 weeks and I'm down 6 pounds and my husband's weight is down and his glucose this morning was down to 103! It's working!

Where the Water Remembers

She listens to the songs beneath the surface,
where time moves slower than breath.
Each ripple carries a story home,
each petal drifts with the weight of prayer.

The moon speaks in circles,
teaching her that endings are beginnings in disguise.
She does not ask for answers—
She becomes the stillness that holds them.

In the quiet between heartbeats,
the river knows her name,
and the night opens—
like memory returning to its source.

Feathers of the Moon

The night teaches silence,
and in that silence,
a thousand voices rise.

Feathers drift like prayers,
carrying the weight of remembrance,
yet falling as lightly as hope.

The moon gathers them all,
each a heartbeat of the ancestors,
each a promise that nothing is lost
when carried by spirit.

Between breath and stillness,
we learn the oldest truth:
that every step of the people
is lifted by wings unseen,
guiding us back to the circle of light.

Christian, Paul tells us of his Israelite brethren, “they did not stumble so as to fall” (Rom. 11:11). Do then you believe God would allow those He has chosen to fall? May it never be!

You belong to Him. He is your God, and He has promised to strengthen you, to help you, to uphold you with His righteous right hand (Isa. 41:10). Those He chooses will obtain the salvation He promised, as those He hardens will not (Rom. 11:7).

The road laid before us is rough; those who seek to walk with Him walk a path that is not easy. But He lights our way. He strengthens us (Phil. 4:13). He sustains us (Ps. 51:12).

We will face tribulations and adversity along the way. Our job is not to lean upon our own understanding, but to lean into Him and trust Him (Pr. 3:5). This may be the most difficult lesson of the Christian life, learning to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Yet this we must do. We must learn to see beyond our circumstances to the inheritance that awaits us.

Oh how wonderful it will be when we enter into glory! And He is able to keep us for that day, for that purpose, to keep us from falling, so that we may stand blameless before Him with great joy (Jud. 1:24). Hallelujah, Amen!

——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 9

"Able to keep you from falling." Jude 24

In some sense the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is no road so dangerous. It is beset with difficulties. One false step (and how easy it is to take that if grace be absent), and down we go. What a slippery path is that which some of us have to tread! How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, "My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped." If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are! In the best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us; we are mere children tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith, our heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from falling, how must we bless the patient power which watches over us day by day! Think, how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, "Glory be to Him, who is able to keep us from falling." We have many foes who try to push us down. The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and labour to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is faithful that hath promised, and He is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say, with joyful confidence,

Against me earth and hell combine,
But on my side is power divine;
Jesus is all, and He is mine!

The Bear and the Dragonfly

The bear does not envy the dragonfly’s wings,
And the dragonfly does not tremble before the bear’s strength.
They meet -
in the still pool of a summer dusk -
and know:
Power and gentleness can share the same breath.

The bear holds the forest’s weight,
the dragonfly carries the light between raindrops.
Yet both shimmer
in the reflection of the same sun.

Neither commands.
Neither yields.
They simply exist -
each a prayer, the other completes.

We - humans -
measure too much.
We forget the language of balance.
But the bear and the dragonfly
still remember.
In their silence,
The wild is whole again.

(Art by Serin Alar)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tE15C0B1fM

One week in and I'm feeling more energetic, my weight is down, I'm working out 2 times a day, and in a much better mood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtQ7TXvZOPI

Between the movie Snake Eyes from 1998 and now this, it really makes you wonder what the heck is really going on. Was Kirk's death a hoax? Was there predictive programming? Erika Kirk is the girl in this video. Notice toward the end of the video where she is zip lining, she goes by a number 9:10. And the guy's first name in the pick up is Tyler, and he bears a striking resemblance to Tyler Robinson. This is getting weirder by the moment!

Echoes of the Earth

She dreams of lands untouched by time.
Where mountains rise like silent guardians,
And the winds carry whispers of her ancestors.
A place where the earth hums with life, untouched.

She feels the weight of this world.
It's noise and chaos, heavy on her heart.
But in the quiet, a longing stirs.
To let go, to be free, to return to where she belongs.

Back to the soil, to the sacred ground,
Where the rivers know her name,
Where the stars speak softly,
And her spirit is cradled by the hands of those before her.

In the dance of the firelight,
She sees their faces, their wisdom,
And in her soul, a quiet call—
To leave behind the present and vanish into the past.

Serin Alar

Footsteps of the Ancients

Upon the white path, beneath the burning sun,
Their shadows stretch where the rivers once run.
Wrapped in colors, in silence they move,
Each step a story, each scar a proof.

The earth remembers the weight they bore,
The hunger, the cold, the endless war.
Yet still they walked, with heads held high,
Carving their prayers into the sky.

O footsteps fading, yet never gone,
Your trials live on in the songs we’ve drawn.
Through dust and flame, through loss and pain,
Your courage flows in our veins again.

Serin Alar

Christian, do you celebrate both God's mercy and His judgement? So many see the verse "God is love" (1 Jn. 4:8), and then neglect to account for God's other attributes.

Our God is merciful. If He was not, none of us would be saved. For, "He did not save us on the basis of works we've done in righteousness, but according to His mercy" (Tit. 3:5). How blessed we are that, in our sinfulness, God would show us mercy and grant us the gift of eternal life!

Likewise, our God is just and righteous and rightly metes out just judgement against all unrighteousness. If God was not to judge, mercy would not be necessary. But God must judge because He is just. Is it not right that He should judge sin and those who commit it? And how would we know what mercy was if not for God's justice? Thus we should sing His praise for His judgement, because it reveals to us our need for salvation as well as revealing His mercy in granting us that very same salvation.

Let us therefore, brethren, sing God's praises for His mercy and judgement!

------------
Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, September 12

"I will sing of mercy and judgment." Psalm 101:1

Faith triumphs in trial. When reason is thrust into the inner prison, with her feet made fast in the stocks, faith makes the dungeon walls ring with her merry notes as she I cries, "I will sing of mercy and of judgment. Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing." Faith pulls the black mask from the face of trouble, and discovers the angel beneath. Faith looks up at the cloud, and sees that
"'Tis big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on her head."

There is a subject for song even in the judgments of God towards us. For, first, the trial is not so heavy as it might have been"; next, the trouble is not so severe as we deserved to have borne"; and our affliction is not so crushing as the burden which others have to carry. Faith sees that in her worst sorrow there is nothing penal; there is not a drop of God's wrath in it; it is all sent in love. Faith discerns love gleaming like a jewel on the breast of an angry God. Faith says of her grief, "This is a badge of honour, for the child must feel the rod"; and then she sings of the sweet result of her sorrows, because they work her spiritual good. Nay, more, says Faith, "These light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." So Faith rides forth on the black horse, conquering and to conquer, trampling down carnal reason and fleshly sense, and chanting notes of victory amid the thickest of the fray.

"All I meet I find assists me
In my path to heavenly joy:
Where, though trials now attend me,
Trials never more annoy.
"Blest there with a weight of glory,
Still the path I'll ne'er forget,
But, exulting, cry, it led me
To my blessed Saviour's seat."

Psalms
Chapter 56

1 (To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.) Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.

8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.

11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?


Psalms
Chapter 57

1 (To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.) Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.

10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.



Psalms
Chapter 58

1 (To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.) Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Christian, are you just in your dealings? In the Old Testament, God required Israel to use fair measures, not only in regard to commerce, but in regard to justice. In the New Testament, Jesus tells us, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you" (Mt. 7:1-2).

Do not judge hypocritically. We are called to judge rightly - we are not forbidden from judging. But our judgement must be just, and we should not judge when that judgement could easily be turned on ourselves. Jesus followed His statement about judging with, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye" (Mt. 7:3-5).

Notice He doesn't say not to judge. He says judge yourself first so that you will not judge in such a way as to bring judgement upon yourself. You can take the speck out of your brother's eye, after you take the plank out of your own.

Let us always deal justly and non-hypocritically with our brethren (and with all). For "by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you."
-----------

Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, September 4

"Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have." Leviticus 19:36

Weights, and scales, and measures were to be all according to the standard of justice. Surely no Christian man will need to be reminded of this in his business, for if righteousness were banished from all the world beside, it should find a shelter in believing hearts. There are, however, other balances which weigh moral and spiritual things, and these often need examining. We will call in the officer tonight.
The balances in which we weigh our own and other men's characters, are they quite accurate? Do we not turn our own ounces of goodness into pounds, and other persons' bushels of excellence into pecks? See to weights and measures here, Christian. The scales in which we measure our trials and troubles, are they according to standard? Paul, who had more to suffer than we have, called his afflictions light, and yet we often consider ours to be heavy- surely something must be amiss with the weights! We must see to this matter, lest we get reported to the court above for unjust dealing. Those weights with which we measure our doctrinal belief, are they quite fair? The doctrines of grace should have the same weight with us as the precepts of the word, no more and no less; but it is to be feared that with many one scale or the other is unfairly weighted. It is a grand matter to give just measure in truth. Christian, be careful here. Those measures in which we estimate our obligations and responsibilities look rather small. When a rich man gives no more to the cause of God than the poor contribute, is that a just ephah and a just hin? When ministers are half starved, is that honest dealing? When the poor are despised, while ungodly rich men are held in admiration, is that a just balance? Reader, we might lengthen the list, but we prefer to leave it as your evening's work to find out and destroy all unrighteous balances, weights, and measures.

The New Testament speaks a lot of riches, and riches in this world often become the focus of false teachers. The riches of which the Scriptures speak with regard to Christ and His followers, however, are not the silver and gold to which so many cling and in which too many put their hope.

God's patience, tolerance, and kindness toward us are considered "riches" (Rom. 2:4). He has made known the riches of His glory to and through those who have been called (Rom. 9:23). Paul calls salvation itself "riches" (Rom. 10:12-13).

So many passages speak of the riches bestowed upon believers by God:
- the wisdom and knowledge of God (Rom. 11:33)
- His grace (Eph. 1:7)
- we are the riches of His inheritance (Eph. 1:18)
- His grace in kindness (Eph. 2:7)
- being strengthened by the power through His Spirit (Eph. 3:16)
- from His riches, He supplies all our needs (not wants) (Phil. 4:19)
- Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27)

Christian, don't be deceived or derailed by the riches of this world. Do not fix your hope on them (1 Tim. 6:17), for you will "fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction" (1 Tim. 6:9).

God is rich toward us in Christ, and these are the riches we should seek after and long for.
---------

Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, August 22

"The unsearchable riches of Christ." Ephesians 3:8

My Master has riches beyond the count of arithmetic, the measurement of reason, the dream of imagination, or the eloquence of words. They are unsearchable! You may look, and study, and weigh, but Jesus is a greater Saviour than you think Him to be when your thoughts are at the greatest. My Lord is more ready to pardon than you to sin, more able to forgive than you to transgress. My Master is more willing to supply your wants than you are to confess them. Never tolerate low thoughts of my Lord Jesus. When you put the crown on His head, you will only crown Him with silver when He deserves gold. My Master has riches of happiness to bestow upon you now. He can make you to lie down in green pastures, and lead you beside still waters. There is no music like the music of His pipe, when He is the Shepherd and you are the sheep, and you lie down at His feet. There is no love like His, neither earth nor heaven can match it. To know Christ and to be found in Him- oh! this is life, this is joy, this is marrow and fatness, wine on the lees well refined. My Master does not treat His servants churlishly; He gives to them as a king giveth to a king; He gives them two heavens- a heaven below in serving Him here, and a heaven above in delighting in Him for ever. His unsearchable riches will be best known in eternity. He will give you on the way to heaven all you need; your place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks, your bread shall be given you, and your waters shall be sure; but it is there, THERE, where you shall hear the song of them that triumph, the shout of them that feast, and shall have a face-to-face view of the glorious and beloved One. The unsearchable riches of Christ! This is the tune for the minstrels of earth, and the song for the harpers of heaven. Lord, teach us more and more of Jesus, and we will tell out the good news to others.

Unpopular opinion: I think Bill Cosby is the funniest comedian to ever hit the stage. I also think there was a sinister plan to take Bill Cosby down because of his pushback against the Hollyweird machine. Bill Cosby shot himself in the foot by some of the things he did that he should not have done, and Hollyweird, coupled with the judicial system, ruined his reputation and sent him to prison. He still has my respect as a comedian and voice for family friendly programming. I own several collections of his work on dvd, and I own most of his books. I pray for his salvation when I think of him.
https://youtu.be/lIyvxREShsg?si=MxzcvS56u9eqiUYW

Seeking God is never a vain pursuit. He told Israel, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Regarding our needs, food, drink, clothing, Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). God will not turn away those who seek Him wholeheartedly. If we truly seek Him, we will find Him, and He will change our hearts and meet our needs.
-----------

Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, August 21

"I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye Me in vain." Isaiah 45:19

We may gain much solace by considering what God has not said. What He has said is inexpressibly full of comfort and delight; what He has not said is scarcely less rich in consolation. It was one of these "said nots" which preserved the kingdom of Israel in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, for "the Lord said not that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven." 2 Kings 14:27. In our text we have an assurance that God will answer prayer, because He hath "not said unto the seed of Israel, Seek ye Me in vain." You who write bitter things against yourselves should remember that, let your doubts and fears say what they will, if God has not cut you off from mercy, there is no room for despair: even the voice of conscience is of little weight if it be not seconded by the voice of God. What God has said, tremble at! But suffer not your vain imaginings to overwhelm you with despondency and sinful despair. Many timid persons have been vexed by the suspicion that there may be something in God's decree which shuts them out from hope, but here is a complete refutation to that troublesome fear, for no true seeker can be decreed to wrath. "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I have not said," even in the secret of my unsearchable decree, "Seek ye Me in vain." God has clearly revealed that He will hear the prayer of those who call upon Him, and that declaration cannot be contravened. He has so firmly, so truthfully, so righteously spoken, that there can be no room for doubt. He does not reveal His mind in unintelligible words, but He speaks plainly and positively, "Ask, and ye shall receive." Believe, O trembler, this sure truth- that prayer must and shall be heard, and that never, even in the secrets of eternity, has the Lord said unto any living soul, "Seek ye Me in vain."