Let Them Go (by Alistair Begg and Truth for Life)

Let them Go

Jesus answered . . . 'So, if you seek me, let these men go.'
John 18:8

Mark, my soul, the care that Jesus displayed even in His hour of trial toward his precious sheep! The ruling passion is strong in death. He resigns Himself to the enemy, but He interposes a word of power to set His disciples free. As to Himself, like a sheep before her shearers He is dumb and opens not His mouth, but for His disciples' sake He speaks with almighty energy. Herein is love--constant, self-forgetting, faithful love. But is there not far more here than is immediately apparent? Do we not have the very soul and spirit of the atonement in these words?

The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep and pleads that they must therefore go free. The Surety is bound, and justice demands that those for whom He stands as substitute should go free. In the middle of Egypt's bondage, the voice rang out with power, "Let these men go." Out of slavery of sin and Satan the redeemed must come. In every cell of the dungeons of Despair, the sound is echoed, "Let these men go," and out come Despondency and Fearful. Satan hears the well-known voice and lifts his foot from the neck of the fallen; and Death hears it, and the grave opens her gates to let the dead arise.

These men go the way of progress, holiness, triumph, glory, and none shall dare to keep them from it. No lion shall hinder their progress, and no fierce opponent shall prevent them. The Lord Jesus has drawn the cruel hunters upon Himself, making the most timid of His followers to discover perfect peace in His unbounded love. The thundercloud has burst over the cross of Calvary, and the pilgrims of Zion shall never be smitten by the bolts of vengeance. Come, my heart, rejoice in the immunity that your Redeemer has secured for you, and bless His name all day and every day.

written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg


Many men in Christian and Secular Leadership forget the passion of what made them Great... Our Churches, Companies and Washington DC, have all lost sight of the Big Picture... We have learned nothing, history repeats itself, for the hearts of men are both self reliant and self centered, rendering them both Godless and Hopeless. So went the Roman empire, as too those little harlots that follow after her lusts... We threw God and Christ out of our Government, our Schools, our Companies and now our Churches, and now wonder why the world looks so dark. The world and this country are a reflection of the darkened hearts of men... When all we see is ourselves and lust to aquire all the world has to offer, self deceit devours our capacity to Love... I learned these things through the Discipleship of a Godly man, and the Mentorship of kind and gracious business man that I once knew.

Pursue the ways of the world, and your heart will belong to the world and all it has to offer today, perishing eternally. Pursue the ways of God our Creator, then through His Son's finished work, your heart will belong to Him and all He has for eternity. Yield & Submit. Simply - Bend the knee and bow the head now voluntarily, or do so on the day of Judgment by force, the choice is yours... However; don't tell me your belongs to the King, and not show His Love and Compassion for your neighbor... We are to love & care for all people of the world, period, then hate the sin that separates those dear people from God... Christ said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Read His Word, Pray, Meditate, Share, Act, Disciple and Lead, it's really simple once the priorities are Right!

God Bless

Never Forget To Be Thankful...

I am another year older, and find myself reflecting more over the passing of time, than in my younger years. I am reminded that we should never be forgetful of the many Blessings that our Dear Father showers us with each day. As Dear Children of the Heavenly Father, we must have a Thankful Heart!

Remembering those Godly showers of Blessings is a small step in this walk of Faith, in the Light of HIS Dear Son and the sacrificial gift He brought for us. Never Forget, the sacrifice He made to purchase our sin laden souls. Humility in Spirit is born of a heart that is aware of our position in Christ, and the transaction that took place at the Cross. A thankful heart remembers that we cannot achieve anything outside the will of God.

THIS past year I have been made aware all the more of HIS Mercy through the Holy Scriptures shinning a sharp and bright light on my sinful soul. Making me all the more knowledgeable of just how short we fall of HIS Glory and Righteousness on our own. That it is only through the redemptive work on that old Tree that we can be made right and whole before the throne of GOD.

Thank YOU Dear Father for the gift of Eternal life, continue to cleanse this old human heart of all unrighteousness, please forgive any un-confessed or unrealized sin in my life. Never let me lose sight of YOUR Deity and Sovereignty, give me the strength and will to yield and submit to YOUR authority in my life.

Father, give me the boldness and wisdom to speak YOUR Word when YOU call upon me to share with a soul searching for Truth. Thank YOU Father, for the Spiritual Heritage, and the shoulders of family Saints that have gone on before that I now stand on. Thank YOU Father for their earnest and unending prayers for me; that only now are being realized to the depths they were offered and answered Dear Lord. Thank YOU for all the Saints of our Church Lord that have paved the way and provided testimony for us to follow. Thank YOU for the Pastor, HIS Family, the Church and the folks that serve therein. Thank YOU for Godly Church Leadership, that wants YOUR Will, and believe in and strive for Spiritual unity in the Local Body of Christ.

Thank YOU for a Godly, Loving, Sacrificial Wife that honors YOU with her life and testimony. Thank YOU Father for Christian Parents, the blessing they provide in our visits and the encouragement they are to me. Thank YOU for Christian Friends, that seek the Face of God, help us be an encouragement to each other, and accountable to each other. Thank YOU Father, for a Family that wants to follow YOU, but Father, give them the strength and desire to Yield and Submit to YOUR Will! Those family members that are not walking with YOU Father give no peace or rest until they repent and lay their lives down and take up YOUR Cross. Thank YOU for providing a work place where quiet time with YOU at lunch time is not deterred. Please continue to Bless this company and help them maintain a moral integrity that is above all others in the area.

Thank YOU Father for the Mercy that I in no way deserve, for the Grace and Light of YOUR Word that Lights the path on which YOU have place me. May I never, ever forget my sinful past, the condition of the un-generate heart that YOU found me, nor the consequences of sin and the bond thusly broken by YOUR Son’s Sacrifice. Never let me forget what I am outside YOUR Mercy and Grace, that it is YOU and YOU alone that provides redemption, that there is NOTHING I can do or provide to work my way to YOU, that the gate is closed and sealed. Never let me forget that the only way to YOU Father is through YOUR Son’s Shed Blood and Redemptive Work on the Cross. That even then, our Faith comes of YOU, that the regenerated Heart is of YOU and our Works in the Spirit are of YOU – lest any man boast. May I always crave for, and have a burning in my heart the desire of learning more, while growing closer to YOU through Christ. Father, create in my mind and heart the habit and desire to start and end my day with YOU… Place in me that same heart that David had, to always seek YOUR Face.

These prayers and petitions of Love and Thankfulness, I boldly bring to YOUR Throne, while wrapped in YOUR Son’s Righteousness. May all that I say and do bring Honor, Glory and Praise to YOU Dear Father, In Christ’s Name I Pray… Amen…

Life Lessons in God's Authority...

Tonight I had my eyes open to God's authority through a real life lesson...

The Lord God has provided many Blessings and Opportunities for me over the last few years. I have been teaching a Teen / College Age Class, as well as Bible Study Wednesday nights with the senior adults in our Church. Through that ministry, I have had the most awesome opportunity to deliver an accelerated expositional study through the book of Joshua, the Old Testament Book and Hero by which my eldest Son is named.

The book of Joshua lays out for us the Power, Might, Sovereignty, Righteousness, Mercy, Grace and yes His Ultimate Authority over all things in and of creation. Tonight through a few innocent acts, The Holy Spirit opened my eyes so that I could connect some points of learning. He showed me a critical point in unconditional love, and how that character attribute in our heart is a building block for submission and yielding to authority. Trust and Faith don’t come easy for many in this culture, because so many of us have abused and tarnished it. God never fails, He never lies, He never breaks promises, His Word is True and Eternal, and He has modeled True Leadership for us.

God had shown Love, Mercy and Grace numerous times to the Israelites, yet they continually murmured and complained. Thusly; He purged their ranks by allowing them to wonder in the Wilderness to 40 years. While Moses was on Mount Sinai, and the Israelites proceeded to sin greatly against their Lord and God, Moses' plea and prayer to Almighty God appealed to His Heart, and He showed Mercy and held His Hand of Judgment from destroying Israel.

The point being made, is both one of the prayer and submission of a Righteous and Godly man, is heard and has moved the heart of Almighty God... But to get to that point, Moses had to have a relationship with the Father! There was a healthy fear, respect, submission to His Authority and an understanding of position and relationship. Because Moses had seen firsthand the Might and Power of the Lord God, there was also a constant state of reverence and acknowledgment of His Holiness.

The family was originally designed to be a model of God's union of the Trinity, as well as a model of His Authority and our submission. However; today's culture has watered down the intended family design to where most families today are Biblically dysfunctional at most levels... The media has portrayed Men as bumbling fools, afraid of their own shadows, indecisive, indifferent and spineless to take their God given place in the marriage and in the home.

The fact is, men are to model Christ... They need to step up to the plate and show the Love and Compassion of Christ, willing to sacrifice it all, for the Spiritual lives of their families and their Churches. Sacrifice in its purest sense; is a word that is losing both meaning and visibility these days. When is the last time you knew a man that sacrificed a day's meals so that another could eat? When is the last time you saw a man give up something he truly loved for someone he didn't know? When is the last time you knew a man, to sell everything he had in the world, and went to serve the Lord, regardless of what his family and friends said? Chances are you don't know many - if any!

This brings me to a key point! Men, we don't submit ourselves to God's authority, nor do we sacrifice to serve Him... So, is it any wonder that our families can't get it right? Head of Household has to mean something to them, for them to Honor it and Submit and Yield to it. The "do as I say, not as I do" mentality has got to be thrown out. We must live out our Faith in Almighty God, every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year consistently throughout our lives. It must be on display in all of our routines, habits and lifestyle. They must see the Love, Grace, Meekness and Authority of Christ in us at every moment. We cannot serve God with a slothful Spiritual condition, it is all about choices! Those choices must be God centered, bathed in Prayer, with both Joy and Conviction of the Heart.

For those of you that have not taken your role in the home seriously, hit your knees, pray to Almighty God to give you the courage and strength to draw a line in the sand, and hold that line... Don't give an inch to Satan, he wants you to be a weak Leader, he wants you to be weak spiritually - he wants our families to be weak and dysfunctional.

Remember Brothers, God will not honor a heart that is not submitted to His Authority. Just as God withheld Blessing and Victory from Joshua and Israel at Ai, because of one man's sin and covetousness, He too withholds Spiritual Victory from us when we make the wrong choices!

When Israel remained focused on God, the Lord continued to provide Victory after Victory throughout Canaan. Time and time again, Israel physically saw God's Power and Might in their victories... Yet, they consistently had to be reminded. Joshua, was victorious because of his Faith in God, and because he understood the relationship.

Do you remember the passage in Joshua 7 verses 18 thru 26? When Joshua confronted Achan, this man made an interesting, intriguing, and in the end a damning statement. In Achan's confession to Joshua, he basically said "I saw these fine clothes and these precious metals, I wanted them, and so I took them"! Now as we well know, God said not to take anything... Achan chose not to Honor and Obey God's sovereign authority, and in the end it cost him, his life, the life of his wife, children and cattle. God takes His authority and Word seriously, yet most men calling themselves Christians today yield their God given authority to their wives and children. They coast, don't want any waves, just want to be happy and do what they want to do, when they want to do it without any thought to the Spiritual consequences.

There will be a Judgment in Heaven men! We Will Give an Account for how we submitted to God's Authority, and how we used the authority he gave us in our homes! So tell me men, are you working on your spiritual bank roll? Do you care? If you care, are you concerned about what you will have to defend? Are you honoring God in your homes, in your marriages, in your families?

Does your wife see your undying love for her; does she see your sacrifices for her, so that she may grow in Christ? Have you sacrificed time, or resources to give her opportunity to recharge her spiritual batteries? Do you encourage her, build her up, and talk her up in front of friends, co-workers and family. Do you rush to her aide when she is challenged, threatened, fearful or doubting? Do you know how to say I am sorry, and she knows it is coming from the core of your soul? Do you rush to offer forgiveness if she has offended you? Do you take time to communicate to her - engaged at the level she wants you to or needs you to? Your authority in the home is not negotiable, it is commanded by God, but it is to be throttled and controlled by and in His Love, Mercy, Grace, Meekness, Compassion and Sacrifice!

God's Word provides the only author you need to be the Head of Household... If you wield it as an offensive weapon to bruise and bully those which God has blessed you with to call your own, you will bear the burning - scorching fire of Christ's Bema Light at that Day of Judgment. But, if you tenderly exercise that authority, to teach, guide, nurture and a tool of Love and Provision, you will reap rewards both here and in Heaven.

Wives, do you Love Christ enough, to honor Him through yielding your will to Him, giving yourself and your will to your husband as Christ gave himself to the Church. Christ yielded to the authority of the Father just by coming to the earth in the first place. It took all the more submission and discipline to give Himself to be brutally beaten, bruised, cursed, mocked, humiliated and then sacrificed for His Church - the Bride of Christ. Do you look for signs of Christ in your husband’s? Do you offer support and encouragement to him in his Spiritual endeavors? Do you show him Unconditional Love before your children, family and friends? Do you come to his aide when he is tired, down and beaten by the world? Does he see Christ's eyes when he looks into yours? Do you reinforce his authority in your home, do your children see a biblical submission in your heart, or is your submission that of obligation and requirement? There is a difference, and that difference is a matter of the Heart.

Joshua Loved the Lord his God and yielded to HIS Authority! Joshua loved Israel! Joshua's authority was not questioned, and all of Israel honored, respected and yielded to Joshua's authority. Joshua's Faith and Trust in God, was the anchor that held all of Israel in the storms. He was loving, just, and compassionate and his life was accounted unto Righteousness before the Lord. Joshua lead all of Israel to many victories, through his leadership and God's Providence and Promise, Israel in a very real way got to see and inhabit their "Promised Land".

Men of God, are you leading your wives, children, neighbors, co-workers and Churches to the new Promised Land (Heaven)? Do those around you see Christ in you and your actions and deeds? Do they want to follow your lead? Are you praying for them, for God to work in their hearts and yours? Men, God gave you the very best he had, how can you dare to give any less - than the best you have - giving of yourself until it hurts! See men, if there is no pain, there is no sacrifice... I have seen my dear wife give until it hurt, she give of herself to her family, to friends and to coworkers while enduring physical, emotional and financial pain. God has shown me in a very real way, how to live a sacrificial life – by reading His Word and watching my wife.

Men, Be the Leader He wants you to be and God will provide the hearts to follow. His Word and Work will not return void. If you place God in His rightful place in your life, He will honor your submission. Those around you will respond to your Godly attitude, the respect and honor you are wired for will occur through a Spiritual bond that can only be explained through Christ.

Yes, God provided me a little practical illustration tonight concerning a man's authority in his home. God requires our submission to his authority in our lives. That is achieved through tracing His hand and Knowing His Heart, which is converted into Faith and Trust.

As we learn more about our God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that Faith and Trust in God's Character, Ability, and Love for us, will grow and spread to those we love. In the times when we know and understand His direction through His Word the walk is easy. However; in the times that we don't quite understand the purpose or reason, it is then that our Love for Him, our Experience with Him tells our hearts to continue to obey his authority! It is then that we see our Faith and Trust in Him is real and genuine! He has proven Himself to us, and we can trust His judgment and deliverance through our yielding and submitting to His will and authority.

Men, Husbands, Fathers, it is the same principal, through your undying love for your family, through your Godly living and teaching, your family will honor your Authority... Even in the times when they don't totally understand or see your logic, they will exercise Faith and Trust in your Authority. If they don't, examine your own heart and practices, if God gives you peace, continue to pray for unity in the Family, and for God to work in the hearts of those struggling. While raising children, we discipline them to teach obedience. As they grow, right thru the teen years, we look for that obedience out of Love and Respect of our authority. Where they learn to yield and submit to the authority God has placed over them, just as Israel submitted to Joshua. Men, if your family is struggling to Honor God in their own hearts and lives, chances are they will struggle and be challenged to follow your leadership.

Sanctification is a process that occurs in the heart of a Spirit filled, God seeking individual. It is a process that may have some hills and valleys, but the trend will be, and must be, constantly upward. Until we learn to fill our minds and hearts with Spiritual things on a consistent basis, the devil will still have a foot in the door. The old timers understood that principal, and were faithful and devoted to seeking God's Face at every opportunity. Read your Bibles and Pray to get closer to Him and get to know Him. If “your devotions” are only a mechanical reading and prayer to do your God thing, then you will never really get to where He wants you to be.

God loves you, He sent Christ to show you that, and Christ sent the Holy Spirit to minister to you and reveal Himself to you through His Word. If you truly have a "Saving Knowledge" of Christ, use that knowledge to gain more, dive into His Word and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. If you are truly seeking Him, He will rejoice in opening His Word to you, growing you and as you yield to His Will & Authority, he will make all things new, and sanctify you unto Himself.

The Joy in Christ is real, His Yoke is easy, and when you engage in the spiritual battle, it is exciting and rewarding. So, get in the race, and then run to win... Anything less & you are fooling yourself!

God Bless and I hope to see you at the finish line!