The Invisible Church: Indefectible

"What is in ruins? The invisible church,
composed of all Spirit-baptized persons, is
indefectible, it cannot be ruined;
against it "the gates of Hades shall not
prevail." The local assembly may indeed be
sadly ruined; but it can be restored,
as, by the grace of God, has been seen times
without number--at Corinth, for example.
The only other institution in question is
that agglomeration of sects that is called
"Christendom." But that is unrecognized by
the New Testament--it is not of God at
all: and that it is "in ruins" is no matter
for our regret.
... G. H. Lang (1874-1958

photo taken at Rockaway Beach, Oregon


"Rockaway Beach, Oregon
Oregon photography

Believing Impossible Things

There is no use trying, said Alice;
one can't believe impossible things.

I dare say you haven't had much practice,
said the Queen. When I was your age, I
always did it for half an hour a day.
Why, sometimes I've believed as many as
six impossible things before breakfast.

Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll

photo taken at Rockaway Beach, Oregon
"Beach Grass at Sunset"

Rockaway Beach, Oregon
Oregon photography

Really at Rest

No soul can be really at rest until it has
given up all dependence on everything else
and has been forced to depend on the Lord alone.
As long as our expectation is from other
things, nothing but disappointment awaits us.
Feelings may change, and will change with
our changing circumstances; doctrines and dogmas
may be upset; Christian work may come to naught;
prayers may seem to lose their fervency; promises
may seem to fail; everything that we have
believed in or depended upon may seem to be swept
away, and only God is left, just God, the bare God,
if I may be allowed the expression; simply and only God.
- Hannah Whitall Smith

photo taken at Rockaway Beach, Oregon

Oregon photography
Rockaway Beach, Oregon

Sunset, Twin Rocks, Oregon

You ask then how I knew He was present,
when His ways can in no way be traced?
He is life and power, and as soon as He
enters in, He awakens my slumbering soul;
He stirs and soothes and pierces my
heart, for before it was hard as stone,
and diseased. - Bernard of Clairvaux

photo taken at Twin Rocks, Rockaway Beach,
Oregon

Twin Rocks, Oregon
Oregon photography
Bernard of Clairvaux

Spurgeon on the Old Gospel

There will be no new God, nor a new devil,
and we shall never have a new Savior, nor
a new atonement: why should we then be
either attracted or alarmed by the error
and nonsense which everywhere plead for a
hearing because they are new? What is their
newness to us; we are not children, nor
frequenters of playhouses? Truly, to such a
new toy or a new play has immense attractions;
but men care less about the age of a thing
than about its intrinsic value.

To suppose that theology can be new is to
imagine that the Lord himself is of yesterday.
A doctrine which is said to have lately become
true must of necessity be a lie. Falsehood has
no beard, but truth is hoary with an age
immeasurable.

The old gospel is the only gospel. Pity is
our only feeling towards those young preachers
who cry, “See my new theology,” in just the
same spirit as little Mary says, “See my
pretty new frock.”

Charles Spurgeon

God Does Not Withdraw Himself

"It is not the distance of the earth from
the sun, nor the sun's withdrawing itself,
that makes a dark and gloomy day; but the
interposition of clouds and vaporous
exhalations. Neither is thy soul beyond
the reach of the promise, nor does God withdraw
Himself; but the vapours of thy carnal,
unbelieving heart do cloud thee.

-- John Owen (1616-1683), "Works of John Owen,"

photo taken at Twin Rocks, Rockaway Beach, Oregon

John Owen
Twin Rocks,Oregon
Oregon photography
Rockaway Beach, Oregon

The Stamina of Faith

"If you're faithful to Me, your faith can't
be lessened by the unfaithfulness of those
who want to do evil to you, nor can these
same people lessen your hope once you've
created it through love of Me. Your hope
will be strengthened then, and your love
will be proven in your affectionate kindnesses
towards your neighbors."
- Catherine of Siena, "Dialogue"