Christians, Members of the Body of Christ

"Since Christ is the head of the body of which Christians are members, he has a right to expect the same services from them, which we expect from our members. Now what we expect from our members is, that everyone, in its proper place, should perform the services allotted it; executing the purposes, and obeying the commands of the head. We do not expect that each member should have a separate will, or pursue a separate interest, or act in any respect as if it were independent. If any part of our bodies does not fulfill these expectations, and yield prompt and implicit obedience to our will, we conclude it to be diseased; and if the acts of the will produce no effect upon it, we conclude it to be dead, and remove it, if possible, as a useless encumbrance. We further expect that our members, instead of attempting to provide, each one, for its own wants, will depend upon the wisdom and foresight of the head, for all necessary supplies. In a word, we know that it is the part of the head to plan, direct and provide, and the part of the members to obey and execute. Precisely similar are the duties of Christians, considered as the members of Christ. No Christian must have a separate will, or a separate interest of his own, or act, in any respect, as if he were an insulated, independent individual. As there is but one head, so there must be but one governing, guiding will, and that must be the will of Christ. If any neglect to execute his will, they are spiritually dead. and were never really united to Christ, for his real members never die. It is also their duty to depend on him for everything, for the supply of all their temporal and spiritual necessities; and never to attempt any thing but in reliance on his wisdom, grace and strength. As well may our feet walk safely, or our hands work skillfully, without assistance and guidance from the head, as Christians can perform any service without the grace of Christ their head, in whom are laid up all the treasures of wisdom, and knowledge, and grace."

Legacy of a Legend, Christians, Members of the Body of Christ. by Edward Payson

Need a Friend?

"...All that you love and admire, and wish for, in creatures, and indeed infinitely more, they find in him [Christ]. 

Do you wish for a friend possessed of power to protect you? Our Friend possesses all power in heaven and earth, and is able to save even to the uttermost. 

Do you wish for a wise and experienced friend? In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Do you wish for a tender, compassionate friend? Christ is tenderness and compassion itself. 

Do you wish for a faithful, unchangeable friend? With Christ there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning; but he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

His unchangeable love will ever prompt him to make his people happy; his unerring wisdom will point out the best means to promote their happiness; and his infinite power will enable him to employ those means. 

In all these respects, our Beloved is more than another beloved; for creatures are not always disposed to render us happy: when they are disposed to do it, they do not always know how; and when they know how, they are often unable. Better is it, therefore, to trust in Christ, than to put confidence in princes."

By Edward Payson. From Legacy of a Legend: Christ, the Beloved Friend

Is it just me....

As I mentioned before, I'm currently enrolled in one of Answers in Genesis's online courses.
I'm doing the Creation Apologetics and Geology course. I have taken the other 4 courses. And excited to have accomplished all 5, shortly!

The previous one I did was on Astronomy. And as one of the lessons talked about the Distant Starlight issue, being, in a nutshell, stars that are billions of light-years away are visible on earth, but the earth is only 6,000+/- years old there hasn't been enough time for light to travel that far yet. But we see the stars.
There currently is no answer to this problem yet, however, creation scientists continue to research and study looking for an explanation.

As I studied this particular weeks lesson on Distant Starlight, I was bothered.
To me, if God has not explained or revealed something to us, that information is not important. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness 2 Peter 1:3.
My problem with trying to figure it out, is that we are human, we are tainted with sin. While we can use the Bible to guide us, if the Bible is silent on that issue, we will use our own speculations, which will be tainted with our deceptive sin nature (Jer. 17:9), and we will probably conclude something false. Even though we study and research under the best of intentions.

Something similar came up today as I began this weeks lesson on the Ice Age. And about the "Vapor Canopy" theory pre-Flood. The man giving the lecture stated that there are serious problems with this theory, however, since it provides answers to most of the pre-Flood conditions, and is very attractive in that way. So they still hold to this view, in spite of the cons, and continue to research a solution to these cons.

I struggle with speculating on things we don't know, and probably can't know. While I understand the reason behind the research, and the good intentions, it still bothers me a little.
Is it just me, or do others see this as a dangerous thing to "dabble" in? Especially considering our thoughts are very deceptive.

The book I've been slowly reading through said it very well,


"The Bible tells us that an enemy came and sowed tares. Now, if any man chooses to go farther than this, and inquire where the enemy got the tares, he is welcome to do so; but I choose to leave it where the Bible leaves it. I do not wish to be wise beyond what is written." Edward Payson, in Legend of a Legacy; Natural Religion.

Excuses of the Sinner Answered

Numerous as are the excuses which sinners make when urged to embrace the gospel, they may all be reduced to three; the first is, that they have no time to attend to religion; the second is, that they do not know how to become religious; and the third, that they are not able to become so. Want of time, want of knowledge, or want or power, is pleaded by all. Foreseeing that they would make these excuses, God determinded that they should have no reason to make them. By giving them the Sabbath, he has allowed them time for religion. By giving them his word, and messengers to explain it, he has taken away the excuse of ignorance; and by offering them the assistance of his Holy Spirit, he has deprived them of the pretense that they are unable to obey him. Thus he has obviated all their excues; and therefore, at the last day, every mouth will be stopped, and the whole impenitent world will stand guilty and self-condemned before God.

The convinced sinner wishes to be saved; but then he would be his own savior. He will not consent to be saved by Christ. He cannot bear to come as a poor, miserable, self-condemned sinner, and throw himself on the mere mercy of Christ; but he wants to purchase heaven; to give so many good deeds, as he calls them, for so much happiness hereafter. He goes on to multiply his religious duties, and, with great diligence, makes a robe of his own righteousness, with which he hopes to cover his moral nakedness, and render himself acceptable in the sight of God. In vain is he told that all his righteousness is as filthy rags; that he is daily growing worse, rather than better; that eternal life can never be purchased. He will stop here, as thousands have done before, resting on this foundation, having the form of Godliness, but denying the power, unless the Spirit of God continue to strive with him, and complete the work by showing him his own heart.

--Edward Payson, Legacy of a Legend

A delusion??

"Surely, if Christianity be a delusion, it is a blessed delusion indeed; and he who attempts to destroy it is an enemy to mankind. It is a delusion which teaches us to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Mic. 6:8); and delusion which teaches us to love our Maker supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves; a delusion which bids us love, forgive, and pray for our enemies, render good for evil, and promote the glory of God and the happiness of our fellow creatures, by every means in our power; a delusion, which, wherever it is received, produces a humble, meek, charitable and peaceful tempter, and which did it universally prevail, would banish wars, vice and misery from the world. It is a delusion which not only supports and comforts its believers in their wearisome progress through this vale of tears, but attends them in death, when all other consolations fail, and enables them to triumph over sorrows, sickness, anguish and the grave. If delusion can do this, in delusion let me live and die; for what could the most blessed reality do more?"       --Edward Payson.

Taken from Legacy of a Legend,
"Objections of Sinners Answered"

Man's Utter Dependence

I've been reading through "Legend of a Legacy; Spiritual Treasure from the Heart of Edward Payson"
Each section being only a page or so long, reading only one a day (or trying to), as there is soo much to consider and meditate on just in a single page.

The section I read today is titled Man's Utter Dependence. Was a good reminder of our daily, hourly, need of God just for a basic necesities of life. Yet we often take Him for granted, and believe ourselves to be independent and capable of anything.

I hope you are blessed by this reminder of our dependance on our Creator. And it causes you to be in awe of Him and thankful He has given you life!

Man's Utter Dependence

" If men are truly independent of God, it may, with safety, be asserted, that he is almost the only being or object in the universe, on whom they are not dependent. From the cradle to the grave, their lives exhibit little else than a continued course of dependence. They are dependent on the earth, on the water, on the air, on each other, on irrational animals, on vegetables, on unorganized substances. Let the sun withhold his beams, and the clouds their showers for a single year, and the whole race of these might, independent beings expires. Let but a pestilential blast sweep over them, and they are gone. Let but some imperceptible derangement take place in their frail but complicated frame, and all their boasted intellectual powers sink to the level of an idiot's mind. Let a small portion of that food, on which they daily depend for nourishment, pass but the breadth of a line from its proper course, and they expire in agony. An insect, a needle, a thorn, has often proved sufficient to subject them to the same fate. And while they are dependent on so many objects for the continuance of their lives, they are dependent on a still greater number for happiness, and for the success of their enterprises. Let but a single spark fall unheeded, or be wafted by a breath of air, and a city, which it has cost thousands the labors of many years to erect, may be turned to ashes. Let the wind but blow from one point rather than from another, and the hopes of the merchant are dashed against a rock. Let but a little more, or a little less, than the usual quantity of rain descend, and in the latter case the prospects of the husbandman are blasted, while, in the other, his anticipated harvest perishes beneath the clods, or is swept away by an inundation. But in vain do we attempt to describe the extent of man's dependence, or enumerate all the objects and events on which he depends. Yet all these objects and events are under the control of Jehovah. Without His notice and appointment, not a hair falls from our heads, nor a sparrow to the ground. O how far is it, then, from being true, that man is not dependent on God! "