A blessing from Harry Ironside

I have heard of Dr. Harry Ironside from when I was in Bible College.  I have a healthy respect for his Bible Commentaries.  I listened to a series of messages on Isaiah from an actual live recording of his Bible class on sermonaudio.com.  What a blessing.  He was an even better speaker than what I had imagined.  I wanted to share a blessing that I got from his observation and experience.

He was traveling via train (I guess he really liked that) when a gypsy fortune teller woman grabbed his palm and was intending to tell him about his past, present, and future.  He took his New Testament and showed her about his past, present, and future.  He is just a good man.

My Past:
Ephesians 2:1-3  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;  (2)  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:  (3)  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

My Present:
Ephesians 2:4-6  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  (5)  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  (6)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

My Future:
Ephesians 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Matthew Henry on Gen. 11:1-4

Gen 11:1-4 "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. (2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. (3) And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. (4) And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

"What a difference there is between men's building and God's; when men build their Babel, brick and slime are their best materials; but when God builds His Jerusalem, He lays even the foundations of it with sapphires, and all its borders with pleasant stones.  Isa. 54:11, 12; Rev. 21:19."

MZBC Live Streaming

We (Mt. Zion Baptist Church) are scheduled to live stream our Sunday morning preaching ministry via sermonaudio.com.  I know a couple of years ago, when I was sick over the weekend, I really liked watching a few services which were "streamed" over the Internet.  How I wished my church would do something like this for the sake of the sick or shut in members.  Thankfully, Pastor and the Sight and Sound ministry men got behind this ministry project, and the rest is history.  Now, this is all new to us, and there maybe a few glitches here and there, but our target date to start is this Sunday, Jan. 23rd, Lord willing.

Post Christmas blessing - Our Lord Emmanuel

(Matthew 1:23)
"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

As God was literally with Mary and Joseph, and the rest of the New Testament Bible characters through the incarnate Son, so He truly is with us today.  He will always be with us.  As we serve Him, His presence will always be with us.  Matthew 28:20 says: "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Truly the Lord Jesus is Emmanuel.