The Psalm writer wrote:  Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received.   This is the word of God.  It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  

Proverbs 29:1-10  A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan. A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth. The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it. A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps. By transgression an evil man is ensnared, But the righteous sings and rejoices. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern. Scorners set a city aflame, But wise men turn away anger. When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest. Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life.

Judas Iscariot traveled with Christ. He heard the sermons, the parables, and saw the miracles. He was given responsibility among the twelve to tend the money box. Judas was a disciple, heard all the commands uttered by our Lord, yet in the end he wound up betraying Jesus. As a result he fell headlong, bursting open in horrible fashion. We repeatedly see in scripture tales of men confronted with the Word of God responding to it not in repentance, not in obedience, not delighting in the Law of God, but rather, by hardening their hearts, stiffening their necks, and gnashing their teeth.

This is the juxtaposition: one either views the Word of God as a delight which is sweeter than the honeycomb, or as a burden which necessitates a hardening of one's neck. There is no middle road with God. There is no lukewarm, indifferent path upon which we may walk. There is only trust and obey, or be broken upon the rock.

The Proverb today warns us:
A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Brothers and sisters, how long have you been a Christian? How many sermons have you heard? How many good, solid theological books have you consumed? How much of God's grace have you enjoyed? How many Lord's suppers have you eaten? How many psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs have you sung? How many times have faithful preachers of God's Word pleaded with you to repent, to forsake your sinful ways, to flee from the broad way and strive to enter through the narrow gate?

Do not harden your neck.

Have you forgotten that a good father, which our Heavenly Father is, disciplines the son whom He loves? At the time this discipline seems sorrowful, yet afterward bears the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Rather than hardening your neck because of the discipline which comes to you through the application of God's Word to your conscience, humble yourselves before God. Just prior to being stoned to death, Stephen the deacon was preaching God's word to a crowd of angry Jews. He referred to them as being stiff necked, uncircumcised in heart, and having ears which always resisted the Holy Spirit. In response they gnashed their teeth, rushed at him, and murdered him with stones.

Is this how you have come to respond to the gospel, young person?

Perhaps you don't outwardly gnash your teeth and bum rush your parents or the preacher with stones.  Maybe for you, the rebellion is on the inside, where only God can see. You have plugged your ears, stiffened your neck, and seeth in anger because mommy and daddy make you come to church. Older Christian, what says you? You've gone to church so long, you've heard hundreds, if not thousands of sermons. Time, the cares of the world, a weary body, and your desire to cling to some pet sin has left you stiff necked, resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit. Friend, your longevity in the house of God will not save you on the day of judgement. Repent of your sins and forsake your sinful ways before you are broken beyond remedy.

Christian parents, the yoke which our Lord Jesus tells us to take upon us, is easy, and His burden is light. For the Christian, it is a pleasant, joyful thing to obey the Lord. Do your children delight to obey you? Is the yoke which you lay upon your child one that they delight in, or is it one which always leaves them exasperated? Are your children stiffening their necks against God because they see your Christianity and have reasoned that if the way you parent is how God disciplines His children, they want nothing to do with it?

In Psalm 2 it talks about the nations being in an uproar, and the people devising vain things, casting off God's Law and being governed instead by their own passions. It is the cry of freedom uttered by every single person who ever rebelled against our Holy, Holy, Holy God.

Listen to their end from the Psalm:
 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.
Psalm 2:9

Dear friends that is what awaits those who harden their necks against God. Repent today.
If you are able, please kneel and join me in prayer.
O GOD,
May thy Spirit speak in us that we may speak to thee. We have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for us. We are undeserving, but look to thy tender mercy. We are full of infirmities, wants, sin; thou art full of grace. We confess our sin, our frequent sin, our wilful sin; All the powers of body and soul are defiled: A fountain of pollution is deep within our natures. There are chambers of foul images within our being; We have gone from one odious room to another, walked in a no-man’s-land of dangerous imaginations, pried into the secrets of our fallen nature.

We are utterly ashamed that we are what we are in ourselves; We have no green shoot in us nor fruit, but thorns and thistles; We are a fading leaf that the wind drives away; We live bare and barren as a winter tree, unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt. Lord, dost thou have mercy on us? Thou hast struck a heavy blow at our pride, at the false god of self, and we lie in pieces before thee. But thou hast given us another Master and Lord, thy Son, Jesus, and now our hearts are turned towards holiness, our lives speed as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to thee. Help us in all our doings to put down sin and to humble pride.

Save us from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ’s nature be seen in us day by day. Grant us grace to bear thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where we have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where we may be built in Christ for ever.

In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.
(Prayer adapted from the Valley of Vision prayer titled "Heart Corruptions")

 
Please join me in standing and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

Psalm 128 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

 To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!

(From the 02/15/2021 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)

The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.

Proverbs 28:21-28 To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. 22 A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him. 23 He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue. 24 He who robs his father or his mother And says, “It is not a transgression,” Is the companion of a man who destroys. 25 An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. 26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered. 27 He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. 28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.
This is the Word of the LORD.
Follow your heart.
The heart wants what it wants. “I’m here to spread a message of hope. Follow your heart. Don’t follow what you’ve been told you’re supposed to do.”
We’ve all heard these trite little quotes before. In a world currently dominated by the fruit of humanism run amok, the notion that someone ought to simply “follow their heart” has led to very real, destructive consequences for western culture all around the world. Nations once dominated by Christian philosophy, that of law, reason, and rational thought, all built upon a foundation of the truths of scripture coupled with faith in the triune God, watch as the foundations are eroded by people who have rejected God, codified their rebellion into law, and are encouraged to do what is right in their own eyes.
The scriptures tell us that “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.” This notion that we are to trust in our hearts is utter foolishness. In case you missed the case study done in 2020 on the ramifications of a people succumbing to the desires of their hearts, listen to what scripture says of this heart we are frequently told we ought to follow and trust: Apart from the grace of God we have
an “unbelieving heart” Hebrews 3:12
A “hard heart” Hebrews 3:8
A “heart of stone” Ezekiel 36:26
Genesis 6:5 says “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”
Jesus said in Matthew 15 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man;”
For the believer, these verses ought to sound as the death knell in the notion that our hearts can be trusted to guide us, tell us right from wrong, or give us a clear picture of our true standing before God.
As reformed, evangelical Christians, who in many cases subscribe to the doctrine of total depravity, we know all too well that what we see around us in the world today results directly from people following after the desires of their hearts, rather than trusting in the LORD.
So, how have we succumbed to this vain philosophy?
How might you be trusting in your heart this morning, rather than in God?
This very day as a Church we will be presented with a proposal to change our meeting place from one location to another. As with any decision, there are pros, and cons. The downside of staying here at Carr township is abundantly clear every time we walk in the building. When contrasted with the alternate location, it seems like a no brainer. In this decision, whatever is decided upon by the heads of household, one thing is certain: this decision must be one in which we are trusting in the LORD with all our hearts, going where the facts may lead us, and cannot be a decision which is driven merely by the desires of our hearts.
As brothers and sisters, when we sit down to debate, question, and attempt to determine a course of action in a time such as this, with our Church outgrowing our meeting place, we need to remember that we all subscribe to one faith, one baptism, and one Lord. In the discussion of budgets, meeting places, and growth, let us remember that we are merely stewards of God’s house, that the Church belongs to Christ because He purchased her with His blood. Let us have faith, trusting in the Lord rather than our hearts, knowing that as we do so, He will use even our wrong turns for His glory.
If you came today with any notions of promoting the desires of your heart, apart from filtering those desires through God’s Word, let us repent and trust in Him instead.
If you are able, please join me in kneeling as we confess our sins to God Who is Holy, Holy, Holy.
Heavenly Father,
Apart from Your grace we are as unreasoning animals biting and devouring one another. Apart from the truths of Your Word, we go astray, and in our straying we sin against You.
Father, please help us to delight in Your Word this morning, to keep is as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Please help us to apply Your Word to every area of our lives, decisions both big and small. Please forgive us for when we stray from Your narrow path and wind up led solely by our hearts, which are deceitful and wicked. Forgive us for not loving our brethren as we ought. Please be merciful towards us sinners. In Jesus’s Name we pray, amen.
Please join me in standing and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church:
Psalm 37:1-6 Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.
To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!

A reporter reached out to me to ask a few questions about the abortion ministry.  It appears that the City Council of Louisville is trying for a third time to push through a buffer zone.  Here are my responses to the reporter.  Pray for her and for the city of Louisville.

Dear ___________

Greetings in the name of the Lord. I hope this email finds you well. This is Pastor Joseph Spurgeon and I would be happy to give some answers to your questions. Here are my responses:

1. Why do protesters continue to gather downtown in front of EMW, and what message are they hoping to send? We believe that children are gifts from God and that they like all people are created in the image of God. Preborn children have value and human dignity and therefore they should not be slaughtered and discarded like trash. We also believe that God has called his people to protect the weak and needy and to stand up for these children. We come down to EMW to speak up for children who are scheduled for destruction. We also believe that God is good and for those who cry out to him in the name of Jesus, they will be saved from their sin and be empowered to do what is good while turning their backs on what is evil. We go down to EMW to proclaim this good news to the women coming in in the hope that they will turn from their decision to murder their baby and instead choose life. Out of love for both mothers and children, we offer them financial assistance, adoption, and other resources. So to summarize the message we want to send, it is twofold: 1. There is hope found in Jesus. 2. Children should be protected and not murdered.

2. How would a safety zone infringe on that ability?
We support making that whole area a safety zone for preborn children. Children should not be murdered. If the city council was concerned with safety they would shut down EMW and Planned Parenthood, arrest those who work putting babies to death, and speak truthfully about pregnancy so that no woman would ever be tempted to believe the lie that abortion is healthcare. As far as the attempt to infringe on religious and political speech under the guise of safety, we oppose it. These buffer zones are unconstitutional but worse than that they are ungodly and unjust attempts to protect murder.

3. Do protesters regularly wear masks and social-distance? If not, why not?
Some wear masks and some don't. You would have to ask individuals why they do or do not.

4. We’ve heard concerns from some folks, including council members, about the risks of COVID created by unmasked, non-distanced protests – is that a concern that Sovereign King shares? If not, why not?
The abortion clinic and its suppoters have been pushing for a buffer zone long before COVID, so we see through their efforts to politicize Covid and use it to impose something that Louisville has rightfully rejected twice already. Furthermore, where was this concern when our city was burning last year during riots? Let's be honest and stop playing games, abortion is murder. The lesson we ought to be learning from Covid is that God is sovereign, and He can and will judge this nation and our city for its continued rebellion against him. We butcher 3-4 thousand children in downtown Louisville every year. We promote sexual immorality up and down our streets.. We have gone so far off the rails that we don't even know the difference between a man and a woman anymore. And yet we think we can give the middle finger to God even after Covid has taught us that He is in control. May we all repent of our sins. May the City Council of Louisville stop playing God and humbly and sincerely lead the city to cry out for the mercy of God through Christ Jesus. There will be no true justice, no true peace, no true safety, and no true health until we do so.

5. Some escort volunteers said local protesters seem emboldened in recent weeks by the presidential election and Jan. 6 Capitol rally/riot. Would you agree with that?
Liberals always accuse others of what they themselves do. They murder babies and accuse those opposed to it of violence. They burn down businesses and assault police officers all summer long, and then accuse prolife Christians, who had nothing to do with January 6th and who have condemned both it and the BLM riots, of being rioters. When it is liberals that took control of both chamber of Congress and the Presidency, and when it is liberals using these things to shut down and cancel dissenting voices which are opposed to them, it is a bit disingenuous to accuse simple Christians who love their country and their city of being emboldened by a stupid rally at the Capitol that accomplished nothing but bringing shame on those involved. To answer your question then, it is the left that has been emboldened by these things. Any boldness we have comes from the Lord Jesus who taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves and who promises to be with us till the end of the Age. Christ Jesus died for our sins so that we not be condemned but have eternal life. And because we have eternal life, we can lay aside the cares of this world to rescue children from death and preach good news to sinners. The God who judges nations is a Father to the fatherless. He is a refuge in times of trouble. Because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, those who trust in Him have access to God. Mothers considering abortion can entrust to Him their futures. They can trust Him when He says children are a blessing. They can believe Him when He says He will never leave or forsake them. They can hold fast to His promises. They can turn away from a place that makes money killing children. They don't have to cut off their own posterity and do grave harm to their own souls. They can fulfill their calling as mothers, as live-giving nurturers. They can know the joy of having their own son or daughter say I love you. And they can have the unspeakable hope that no matter what happens in this life, they have a life full of the richest and choicest blessings ahead of them in eternity. They can do all this with the added benefit of having other Christians gladly walk with them through it all. Again, may Louisville turn from its foolish and wicked rebellion to the most kind and almighty God. May we humbly bow before King Jesus and know the joy of life.

Thank you ______ for the opportunity to share these things with you and your readers. I hope you will fairly and accurately report on this story. May the Lord Jesus richly bless you.
In Christ,

The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.

Proverbs 28:11-20 The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him. When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves. He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him. He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once. He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.


If you were to open your bible to 1 Chronicles 12:32, you would read that the men of the tribe of Issachar were men who understood the times in which they lived. Could this be said of you? Can you look at the signs of the times and discern that, at least for the moment, the wicked have risen to power in our land? Using the power of observation and personal experience, coupled with God’s word revealing to you what lies in man’s heart, can you see that the winds of change have blown in a new season? Can you see that in 2021 it is not only not fashionable to be someone who holds to the bible as being eternally true and applicable for all of life, but also that those who subscribe to the rock solid truths of scripture have become enemies of those who want a society free from all moral and ethical restraints?

One could argue I suppose that even if your favorite politicians who hold to all your pet positions were in power, the offices would still be held by people who were sinners in God’s eyes, thus not “good”. However, what we seem to have brewing in our nation today is unlike anything I can recall seeing in my lifetime, regarding the official position of those in power. Those sitting in the seats of power today, are sinister, wicked. By wicked I mean folks perfectly comfortable with the murder of children from conception till moments after birth. Wickedness of the type which believes it is an act of compassion to give confused eight year olds hormone blockers in a vain attempt to change them into something they are not. Wickedness which will unleash these confused hormone blocked sinners upon unsuspecting kids in bathrooms and showers in public schools, in the name of equality. The type of evil I speak of will lie, kill, steal, and destroy lives in order to gain and keep hold of power. It is clearly satanic. And unfortunately for Christians, we live in a land in which all three branches of government are now led by people who openly hate God.

We need to be able to understand the times in which we live.
The wicked have risen to power, what do we do?

A few weeks ago on a Saturday morning a few Dangerous Boys, their fathers and I sat in my living room and discussed the ability to blend in to any environment. We spoke of nature, and how God has created some of the most fearsome predators and the most vulnerable prey with the ability to conceal themselves with camouflage. One such animal we looked at specifically was the cuttlefish. This marvelous little creature has an uncanny skill which enables it to change shape and color to blend in to any underwater environment, protecting it from predators and allowing it to fall upon unsuspecting prey. I can already hear the reply of some who would say “I see where you are going with this example. Ain’t gonna happen! This is merica! I have rights. I’m a free man, and I am not gonna hide from the gubment!” I know this is the sentiment of many, because it is the position I am tempted to swing to. However, what does wisdom say?

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
Men hide themselves. Not cowards. Not pansies. Men. One specific, quick point of application of this principle which impacts all of us is how we conduct our online presence.

First off, Christians abandoning social media platforms en masse is not a proper response. We are to hide ourselves, not abandon our posts. Whether we like it or not, social media seems here to stay, and as has been seen in the last year, it is a powerful tool for social discourse. For some of you however, social media and engaging with the enemies of truth may be an idolatrous pastime. You may be spending time clicking the keyboard when loving your wife and disciplining your children ought to be the priority. You need to repent.

Maybe your balance on Facebook or twitter is even keeled, time wise, but your tendency is to be like a berserker on the field of battle, lobbing grenades here and there, swinging your sword at every snakes head which pops up, and you become the guy no one wants to have a conversation with, because rather than extending grace and charity to others, you are just looking to win. Maybe you are that person who feels they must tell everyone, every, single, minute detail of your life, down to the second in which events are taking place. TMI people.

Online, God’s enemies, the ones we spoke of earlier and a myriad of others who are themselves camouflaged, lurking in the shadows, are watching every single keystroke, like, and share you engage in on social media. And they will use it against you. People are losing their jobs because they tweet in support of Trump. Folks are getting cancelled for hate speech, saying things like “marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman”. Unless you enjoy the unemployment line, having the department of child services breathing down your neck, or the unnecessary added stress of death threats and Facebook pages created in your honor, as a Christian, you better learn quickly how to hide yourself in plain sight, not abandoning your post, but rather putting yourself in a position to strike a sure blow when the time is right.

I’ll close with Matthew Henry’s words on this passage: The advancement of the wicked is the eclipsing of the beauty of a nation: When the wicked rise and get head they make head against all that is sacred, and then a man is hidden, a good man is thrust into obscurity, is necessitated to abscond for his own safety; corruptions prevail so generally that, as in Elijah’s time, there seem to be no good men left, the wicked walk so thickly on every side.

If you are able, join me in kneeling as we confess the ways in which we fail to apply the wisdom of God’s word to our lives.

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for being the premiere example of righteous, kind, loving authority. We thank You that in the exercise of Your authority You are working all things together for our good.

Father, please forgive us when we rail against the authorities placed over us, forgetting that it is You who removes Kings and establishes them. Please forgive us when, in our sin, we recklessly engage the enemy without a consideration for who is observing, how the engagement may impact our family and the church, and with little regard for the long-term ramifications of our words.
Father, please forgive us when led by the flesh rather than Your Spirit. Please help us to have discernment to know when and where to engage. Help us to be humble enough to realize that Your Kingdom will advance just fine without our sinful contributions.

Father, may the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts, and the keystrokes of our fingers be pleasing in Your sight.
In Jesus’s Name we pray, amen.

Please join me in standing and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church:

And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. - 1 Peter 2:24-25

To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!