Lessons from the Limpet

Saving Faith is simply clinging to Christ Jesus Himself for safety from the wrath to come on sin:  True Faith is helpless dependence on the bleeding Savior for His free, eternal Salvation.

Whenever you are down by the seaside, most of the time you will see limpets (mollusks) sticking to a rock or a pier. You can walk up softly to the rock and with a stick strike the limpet quickly, and off he will come. But if you try to hit the next limpet the same way, you have given him warning; he heard the blow with which you struck his neighbor, and he will cling with all his might to the rock. You will never get him off the rock without destroying him. You may strike and strike him again, but you will break the rock before you get him off.  Jesus is my Rock in this weary land, I will stick with Him, no matter what. *Deuteronomy 32:4; I Samuel 2:2; Luke 6:48; I Corinthians 10:4; I Peter 2:8*

The limpet does not know much, but he knows how to cling. He cannot tell you much about what he is clinging to.  He is not acquainted with the geological formation of the rock, but he clings to it with all he has. Human nature clings to worldly filth and self-righteousness; but the divine nature clings to Christ's Purity and Righteousness. Nothing but the Atoning Sacrifice of the Lamb of God will appease divine vengeance - this is called Propitiation. *I John 2:2* The guilty, needy sinner has found out that he needs to cling to Someone besides himself who has a true Righteousness. That is the troubled sinner's little bit of knowledge, and he uses that knowledge by clinging to the Rock of His Salvation, Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh.  It is the limpet’s life to cling, and it is our life to cling to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  *John 14:6*

Have no more faith than this - Just know enough to cling to Jesus with all your heart and soul, and this will suffice. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Jesus Christ is the sinner's Substitute and Savior, He is strong and mighty, He is a Great Rock in a weary land; cleave to Him for dear life, and He will save your defenseless soul immediately.  Cling to Jesus even now; Hold fast to the Crucified Incarnate God; never let Him go; for that is real Faith. Believe in His Precious Blood, trust to His Atoning Sacrifice, depend on His Forgiving Blood, cling to His Soul-Saving Blood alway. Sinners who trust in the Blood are saved, those who don't are lost. As a drowning man would cling to a plank cast into the water to save him, even so trust in nothing but the Blood of the Incarnate God to hold you up in time and Eternity.

The limpet by the sea-shore can do little, but he can cling, and very firmly too. That is the one simple thing you can do too, poor sinner.  May the Holy Spirit lead you to cling to the Cross (Christ's Blood Atonement) at once.  Only Jesus' Blood can rescue you from God's divine justice. Jesus answered all the demands of divine justice with His obedience, sufferings, and blood.

God help you at this moment to cling to Christ, and if you do, you are saved, yes, saved at once. Cling to Christ, and you shall find free, rich Mercy. Jesus didn't come to save the righteous, moral, or good, for there are none. Jesus died for sinners, and especially you. Come on now to Jesus, and He will give your soul the Rest you need. Are you truly clinging to Christ? Is He your only Hope of Heaven? If so, then He is yours for sure. Just stick to the old truth that Christ died for sinners, and that He is your Substitute here in time and right on out into Eternity, just stick to Him like the limpet to the rock.

Is your very soul actually knit to the person of Jesus Christ by Faith in His Blood? When the tide of carnal security ebbs out in your life, and you begin to sense your sinfulness, danger, hopelessness and start to dread death, if you have any sense, you will cling to Christ Jesus for your soul's safety? Is Jesus' Atoning Sacrifice all your trust and confidence? Do you rest only on His Precious Blood? If you trust to anything else whatsoever, you will perish in your sins. If you are clinging to Christ with all your heart, then Christ is yours. Turn all your confidence away from yourself, and trust only to Jesus. Cease to have any reliance in anything you've ever done, or ever hope to do. Personally cleave to the living Savior. Cling closely to Jesus under temptation and during trials.

He that believeth in Jesus hath everlasting life: there is where I cling, like the helpless limpet to the rock. Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” If Jesus is the only hope that you have, and you simply cling to Him as the limpet clings to a rock, then all will be well with your soul forever. *Acts 11:23; Romans 12:9*  Cling to Jesus (God manifest in the flesh); cleave to His Blood and Righteousness alone. It is your life to do it. Trust to the Innocent Substitute who bled for your sins. Clinging to the Cross kills your love for sins.

When the limpet lives and feeds on a rock for a long time, he slowly begins to blend in and look exactly like the rock whereupon he lives. Stick to the Bible closely (Psalm 119:31). This is also what happens to the wise Christian who continually feeds and clings to the blessed Rock of Salvation. *II Samuel 22:2-3,47; Deut 4:4; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 62:2,6*

Savior, more than life to me,
I am clinging, clinging, close to Thee;
Let Thy precious blood applied,
Keep me ever, ever near Thy side.

Every day, every hour,
Let me feel Thy cleansing power;
May Thy tender love to me
Bind me closer, closer, Lord to Thee.

Through this changing world below,
Lead me gently, gently as I go;
Trusting Thee, I cannot stray,
I can never, never lose my way.

Let me love Thee more and more,
Till this fleeting, fleeting life is o’er;
Till my soul is lost in love,
In a brighter, brighter world above.

-Ms. Fanny Crosby

The Only True Love

The only true love this world has ever seen happened on a hill called Calvary just outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago, when the Son of God was crucified for the sins of the whole world. *I John 2:2* Christ Jesus' bleeding love is true, pure and everlasting.  When Jesus laid down His sinless life for your sake, He loved you with an everlasting love.  Jesus' love for sinners was selfless and sinless. The Prince of Peace came into this world to rescue lost sinners from the wrath to come on human sin.  If you are looking for someone that loved you in spite of your sins, even when you were His worst enemy, Jesus loved your guilty soul like that.  When Jesus was bleeding and dying on Calvary's Cross, He moved heaven and earth to save your soul - the sky went pitch black with darkness and the rocks were rent the day He died to pay the price for your transgressions against God's Law.  If you are looking for God's Love, you can only find it at the Cross where the Lamb of God died in agony and blood for His enemies.  Then said Jesus, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the Propitiation for our sins.  Jesus loved me, and gave Himself for me.  Jesus didn't hold anything back when He died for all my sins suffering the wrath of God on my behalf.  Jesus' love is unconditional and eternal.  Jesus gave this world His heart, but sinful man pierced His heart with a spear on the Cross.  If you need compassion, tenderness, mercy and free forgiveness, Jesus has that for you today.  Cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.

If you need someone who understands what you are going through in this life, Jesus can do that; for He lived here on Earth for 33 years as a Jewish man and suffered shame, loneliness, heartache, loss, cruelty, mocking, betrayal, and persecution.  You don't have to look very far, if you are looking for a Friend - simply look to the Cross today.  If you think you can help save yourself through your religion or human goodness, you are as lost as the day is long.  Open your eyes and heart now, please give Jesus a chance, stop avoiding Him, seek Him today through faith in His precious blood.  Jesus doesn't love sinners just now and then, His love is divine, His love is forever and ever, an everlasting love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through JESUS.  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.  We love JESUS, because He first loved us.  But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved). For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in JESUS should not perish, but have everlasting life.  When Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.  As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.  Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  I will love you freely.  Jesus loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

Wonderful Words of Life

The Bible says that our life here on earth is but a vapor (James 4:14). Don't let time slip away from you, and wind up in Eternity in your sins without the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin is deadly serious, Hell is very real, but Christ Jesus died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6).  That's means there's hope for all of us. God won't allow your sins in Heaven, and you can't get rid of your own sins. A special blood is needed to take away human sin. That's why God became a Jewish man, so He could pay for human sin with His own life and blood. Immanuel, God with us, was His name.  God's holy, sinless blood flowed through Jesus' veins.  This is the only blood type that can save a sinner.

Wake up! Pay attention for a few minutes!  If you reject Jesus Christ, your Crucified Creator, that will be the worst mistake you'll ever make. Prayer is spiritual begging (I Samuel 2:8), but human nature despises begging for anything, especially for Christ's free salvation, but the Poor in spirit will seek the unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:53). For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich (II Corinthians 8:9).

The Lamb of God was slain for lost sinners, He paid for all your sins with His own life (John 1:29). Christ's sinless blood has satisfied the holiness and justice of God. For Jesus' sake alone, Salvation is offered freely to bankrupt sinners like you.  You've spent many years loving sin and avoiding Christ Jesus, looking for some other way to save your soul, but listen, there is no other way but through faith in the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ (God manifest in the flesh) for you to get to Heaven safely.  There is Now pardon Free for all and a perfect Salvation through the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24). Trust to Jesus' Blood with all your heart, soul and mind - that's all.  If your Salvation involves any of your doings, you are doomed.  Stop trying to save your own soul - you can't do it.  Genuinely fix your Faith in the Atoning Blood of the Lamb of God.  He was bruised, wounded, and crowned with thorns for you that dark day. The weight of all your sin and guilt was laid on the Crucified Creator (Isaiah 53:6).

Christ Jesus was made to be Sin for you, and suffered agony, wrath, and death on your behalf (II Corinthians 5:19-21).  Was ever love like this? The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus, because He bore your sins in His own body on the tree of Calvary long, long ago (I Peter 2:24). If you continue to reject God's call of grace, one day all hope for you will be gone, and doom you'll surely face. Come to the Cross today, and rest your soul under the sin-pardoning blood of your Creator. Much more then, being now justified by Jesus' blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:9). Come now and cast your filthy soul into the fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins; O plunge your guilty soul into the Precious Blood and lose all your deadly sin stains.

Jesus is the only way out of sin and into Heaven. Self-righteousness is a very deadly thing - flee it at once - trust only to Christ's Righteousness - what He did for you. Renounce and reject your own righteousness and human goodness, trust only in the sinner's Substitute, rely simply on the bleeding Redeemer. Rejecting Christ is a fatal error and a damning sin. All you have to do is take and trust what Christ has already done for you - His perfect Righteousness and atoning Blood. No man has ever trusted Christ, until he loathed himself. Bring Jesus your guilt, failures, and sin, and He will save you from the love of sin and the wrath to come. Christ Himself is all your lost, undone soul needs today.  Look to Him now and live eternally.

Christ, the blessed One, gives to all, wonderful words of Life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of Life;
All so freely given, wooing us to Heaven.

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of Life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of Life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Some Divine Assistance

If you ever get into a sure enough bind, and you need some Divine Assistance, remember this short three-word prayer found in Luke 23 - "Lord, remember me." This little prayer worked for the sinful, dying thief on Golgotha when he was between THE ROCK and a hot place, and it will work for me and you as well. A "certain beggar" will always gets God's attention. Whosoever shall call upon the name of Lord shall be saved. When it comes right down to it, you're going to need GOD to remember you and come to your aid in time of need. Just like a crying baby lying helpless in a crib, his cry moves the compassion of his mother's heart, and the loving mother comes to his aid. Ah, Lord God! I need some Heavenly Help for Jesus' sake, have Mercy upon me, according to Thy Lovingkindness! Remember me, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy Mercy. According to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness' sake, O Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Timeless Truths

Incarnation - The Almighty Creator God became a sinless Jewish man; Jesus of Nazareth was His name.  Substitution - God Incarnate bore our sins in His own body on the tree, He became Sin for us, and then He laid down His life, and shed His Precious Blood, taking the place and suffering what was due to every sinner, even me, so they could be freely forgiven of all their transgressions.

Every man is a sinner, and all sins must be punished, every one of them. All of your past sins are either on your soul right now, or they are on the the Lamb of God. Man wants self-rule and self-law; he is on a quest for self-power and total autonomy and independence from God.  He wants to play god, and redefine what is truth and falsehood, so he can continue on in his sin-loving ways.  Satan seeks power over your thoughts; he wants to control and define everything when it comes to truth, so he can deceive you and steal, kill and destroy your soul.  The world wants to drag the Lord Jesus Christ down to make Him look like you and me, because Christ's claim of deity, sinless life and sacrificial bloody death haunts their guilty conscience.

Your ultimate problem is that you are separated from God, and no amount of human morality can make you acceptable to God and gain you access to the presence of God. A salvation that involves any of your doing is a damnable falsehood.  Your spirit is dead in sins and dead to God.  As long as you're not born again and remain in your natural state, you are as lost as can be.  Jesus didn't come into the world to make bad people good; He came to make dead people alive.

Only by the divine mercy, grace and forgiveness of the Cross can God make you alive to Him and reconcile you to Himself.  Forgiveness is only for those who don't deserve it.  In every other earthy religion you must earn your right before God, but in Christianity Christ earned our right before God and we trust to His finished work. Are you in need of God's free forgiveness, or has it been one of those perfect weeks for you?  Have you thought, said or done anything that you would be embarrassed about?

You have a desperately wicked, evil seeking, self-centered sinful nature deep within that leads you to love the evil and hate the right.  What matters at the end of the day is the Truth. *John 14:6* The only way to get rid of your sins is simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. God with us, Christ for us. God manifest in the flesh bleeding and dying to save sinners. Immanuel, God with us; Christ Jesus the Lamb of God died for us.

Incarnation, Substitution, Redemption, Propitiation, and Salvation are the all-important truths. Christ IS the Gospel, the Gospel is Christ Himself. Where Christ is precious, sin is heinous. If you feel, confess, and own your guilt, then Christ is the Savior you need. As a sinner, look to Jesus for everything you need. Quit your hold on sin, and lay hold on Christ by simple faith in His precious blood.  What are you relying on to keep you out of the Lake of Fire?

Trust Christ personally for everlasting salvation. Quit your dirty ways and wicked thoughts, and turn to Jesus Christ. Quit your false righteousness. Christ is the only Savior, it is His chief business to save the ungodly. The King of Heaven stooped to rescue His enemies from the wrath to come. Incarnate Deity, Bleeding Omnipotence, Immortal Love Crucified for my sins on Calvary's Cross. Christ's bleeding love is all you'll ever need. Cut your sinful connections, quit your evil companions. Renounce your secret sins. Jesus is the sinner's Friend.

Think of what you are, and despair; then think of the who the Savior is, and take heart. The Great Substitution of Christ is the sinner's only hope. Quit your love and life of sin, trust Christ, love Him. The bleeding Savior is the substance of the Gospel. Jesus Christ was God and man mysteriously united in one Person. God Almighty Incarnate died for your sins especially. Quit your sinning: leave it, and loathe it. If you try to be something, you shall be nothing. Just be nothing, and let Jesus Christ be everything - that's it in a nutshell. Give up your trust in Darwin, or you will die in your sins.

Salvation is only given away freely, it can't be earned. The Great Physician has none but "gratis" patients. Ask Christ for grace to overcome your vile habits. Come to the Cross, and receive "Everything" for nothing. If you die with your face toward Darwin, you will surely perish. The Substitution of Christ for sinners is the center of the Gospel. Take Christ for your Substitute. Trust in what Jesus did, and your sins are no more. Whosoever believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life.

Ponder the pierced One, meditate on the Mediator. Only the Holy Ghost can convince a man of his sinfulness. Think much of the spitting, scourging, bleeding, nailing, and piercing. Jesus made a perfect Atonement with His own blood for human sin. His life of doing good, working miracles of mercy, caring for the fallen, suffering poverty and shame, weariness and hunger, Gethsemane and the bloody sweat, Calvary and the gory death of the cross. He lived a life of service and suffering; He came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. God Himself covered His infinite glory with a shell of human flesh, and in mercy dwelt here on earth among the sons of men. Divine Justice is no respecter of persons. Only Christ's bloody death paid the full penalty to Divine Justice for you.

The marrow of the Gospel is Jesus suffering for our sins. He His own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree. On the Cross Jesus bore the whole weight of divine justice in your place.Meditate earnestly upon Jesus' sinless life, His full blood Atonement, and His resurrection. The Precious Blood is the only satisfaction to Divine Justice. A sinner is freely justified in the sight of God by faith in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Read the Bible, believe the Bible, obey the Bible. Keep Christ always at the front, think much upon Him.

Religion believes that all paths lead to God, but the Bible teaches that Christ Jesus and His Blood is the only path to God.  Religion is all about thinking, feeling and doing; Christianity is all about understanding, trusting and knowing.  The carnal mind is hankering after a religious experience that define life for it.  Words are revealed thoughts.  The words of the Bible are God's thoughts.  You can remove any other founder from a religion and it can continue, but if you remove Christ from Christianity, then it can longer exist. It is only through Christ's bloody death and bodily resurrection through which we are saved from the wrath to come.

Jesus became Sin and a Curse for us, and then He paid for our sins with His own blood.  Ye must be born again.  Men wants identity; Who am I?  How am I to live?  What you are at the deepest level at the very core of your being is very scary.  Only Jesus can take you from darkness into light.  Ye must be born again, and receive eternal life as a free gift from Christ Jesus Himself.

Repentance means - you have offended God, and you are alienated from Him. But God is willing to forgive you freely.  You must acknowledge and admit your wrongdoing, and say, "I am wrong God, there is no excuse for what I have done, I am guilty."  Simply put your trust in God's promise and Christ's Precious Blood; Jesus paid for your sins, He is the Way, I put my trust completely in Him.

Be obedient to the Faith - believe that Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh, trust Him because He suffered in your place, trust to His bloody death that satisfied divine justice completely for you, rely upon the Blood Atonement which Christ has rendered, that's what it means to be saved - Be obedient to the Faith. Frequently think of Christ.

You naturally think of food often throughout the day, because your body lives upon it. Your appetite makes food impossible to forget. Likewise think of Christ continually, He is the Bread of Life that satisfies the hunger deep within your soul. Personally quit your sins, lay hold on Jesus Christ for eternal life. Count on Jesus, not on Darwin. Self-loathing and self-denial are some first signs of spiritual life.

As a cup hangs on a nail, likewise we must hang on Christ Jesus completely for all our Salvation from sin. Cheerfully consent to be nothing, and let Jesus be everything. God with us (I Timothy 3:16); Christ for us (Romans 5:8; Romans 8:32; I Corinthians 5:7; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; Titus 2:14; I John 3:16; Galatians 2:20).

Give Me Understanding

Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. *Psalm 119:34*

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments. *Psalm 119:73*

I am Thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies. *Psalm 119:125*

The righteousness of Thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live. *Psalm 119:144*

Let my cry come near before Thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to Thy word. *Psalm 119:169*

Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? *Job 38:26*

Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.  All men are sinners; no sinner can help save himself. Only Jesus can rescue lost men from the danger and damnation of their sins, and they are only saved by grace through faith in Jesus' atoning blood.  The Lord Jesus Christ saves a sinner the very moment the sinner trusts to Jesus' person and blood alone.

More Light 2

The very first fruit of wisdom is inward purity, character and righteous conduct.  *James 3:17* Religion never changed any man's heart; you will need the Holy Spirit to do that.  Through faith in the blood of Jesus the heart is made anew.  Seek wisdom from above.  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever.  Christ must be Preeminent in all things.  Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy, and of good report, think on them.  Dare to be pure.  Ask God for victory in your thought life.  True spiritual progress is only made through purity, humility and integrity.  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing.  Your Brain and Hands working in the Present, while your Affection is set on Eternity.  Sincere, honest faith in the Lamb of God. Entering into conflict with your sins will humble any man. What are you going to do with your life?  Learn and apply the Bible practically every day all for the glory of Jesus Christ and the benefit of lost mankind.  Think, Trust, Grow and Act.  Christ liveth in me.  Diligence leads to excellence and success.  My highest praise is to Jesus' name.  Simple Reliance, True Repentance, Real Conversion, Living Faith. A man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.  You need to count on Jesus, not yourself.  Let there be Light. God is the LORD; which hath showed us light.  Let us walk in the light of the LORD.  LORD lighten mine eyes.  Let light and understanding and excellent wisdom be found in thee.  In Thy light shall we see light. O send out Thy Light and Thy Truth.  But he that doeth truth cometh to the Light.  Holy Spirit, please lead me from darkness to light.  The LORD is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear?  Above all, put on charity and humility.  Live to the greater glory of God.  Creativity, Integrity, Priority, Generosity, Accountability, Aspiration, Adversity, Spirituality, Sincerity, Purity.  More Light, less darkness.  Look to the future, learn from the past.  Dare to do right.  The voice of truth is never silent.  Live for Jesus, Publish the Gospel, Overcome evil with good!   Not to be served but to serve.  Actions, not just words.  Without Christ, all is in vain.