Bear Vent

Pride is a deadly sin, and God must humble every one that He would save. If we are to be saved, we must be humbled. People do not think much of what they are doing when they nurture pride in children. Many of the common methods of education tend to feed this dangerous passion. The desire to be first is encouraged by multiple means, when these ought to be used to restrain the love of eminence in the young heart. Nothing can so effectually overcome it as the Gospel of Christ. There we learn that we are polluted beings, and that nothing but the blood of the crucified Savior can wash out our stains. Do you believe this humbling doctrine? Then remember the words of the apostle Paul, “I urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness.” ( Ephesians 4:1-2 )

Matthew 23:1-4 NLT       ¹  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ²  “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. ³  So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. ⁴  They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. ——————— We read here how the Lord warned the people against imitating the example of hypocritical religious teachers. When they read the Scriptures to the people, then they are to be regarded. Their wrong interpretations, however, must be rejected; for our Savior on one occasion reproved them for teaching as doctrines mere human rules. ( Matthew 15:9 ) Verse 3 must therefore mean, that all the instructions they give, which agreed with God's word, must be followed, however wicked these teachers might be.

Psalms 110:1 NKJV The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ——————— Part of this prophecy has already been fulfilled. Christ is now sitting at the right hand of God; but He has not yet come to put His enemies under His feet. They who once rejected Him, O with what dismay shall they behold the Son of God when He appears in His glory! “See, He is coming in the clouds and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him, and his coming will mean bitter sorrow to every tribe upon the earth. So let it be!” ( Revelation 1:7 ) Bitter sorrow to everyone who rejected Him! It was not only the Jews who said, “We do not want this man to reign over us;” it was not only the Romans who pierced Him with a spear; there are many in Christian lands who have crucified Him all over again and have trampled Him underfoot. ( Hebrews 6:6 ; 10:29 ) All who do not love Him are His enemies, and shall be put under His feet. It is a dreadful thing to fall into th...

Those who labor for your souls, whether they be ministers or friends — don't let them look in vain for fruit in your life. Be warned, God can say to a person, as He once did to a tree, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” Could anyone bear the prospect of never being a blessing throughout all the ages of eternity? Many who are now useless and hurting, hope that they shall one day be different. But opportunities are quickly passing away. The trees, that are now bearing the lovely fruits of praise and holiness in heaven above, began to produce such fruits for God when on earth. Even that criminal whose Christian course lasted only an hour or two, produced good fruit in his trustful request to Jesus, and in his faithful reproof of his fellow sufferer; while the aged apostle Paul was like a tree whose boughs are bent to the ground under the weight of a fragrant and delicious load. Have you begun to bear heavenly fruit? If not, when will you begin? Delay no more; you do not know...

Our Lord once noticed from afar a fig-tree full of leaves. Going over to find figs, He found none, and cursed it for its barrenness. There is a deep meaning in this action. He did it to teach a significant lesson. The leaves of a tree drink in air and moisture, and promote its strength and fruitfulness. The sacred privileges bestowed on a person may be compared to leaves. The Lord has a right to expect much from those to whom He had given much. And when He comes looking for fruit, and finds none — no repentance, no faith, no love, no holiness — a curse may be expected from Him. Let us continue to bear good fruit to the glory and praise of God.

“The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts — so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and have Me heal them.” ( John 12:40 ) ——————— These words have puzzled many a mind. Does a loving God blind the eyes of His creatures? Were we not told that it is He who takes away the stony, stubborn heart and gives the tender, responsive heart? It is so. Whatever is good comes from Him, and nothing but good. But it is good to inflict righteous judgment; and there is a sin for which blindness is a righteous judgment.  You know, when people prefer darkness to light, and persistently avoid the light, eventually God blinds their eyes. For what use is sight to those who choose to remain in darkness? Jesus, God's light, came into the world; but there were many whose deeds were evil. They refused to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. It was these whose eyes were blinded, and whose hearts were hardened, so that their eyes...