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Here is a sample:

(J.C. Ryle, "HAPPINESS" 1878)
It is an utter mistake to suppose that PLEASURE-SEEKING and AMUSEMENTS alone can give happiness. Of all roads that men can take in order to be happy, this is the one that is most completely wrong! Of all weary, flat, dull and unprofitable ways of spending life--this exceeds all! To think of a sinful, dying creature, with an immortal soul, expecting happiness . . .
  in feasting and reveling,
  in dancing and singing,
  in dressing and visiting,
  in ball-going and card-playing,
  in races and fairs,
  in hunting and shooting,
  in crowds, in laughter, in noise, in music, in wine!
Surely it is a sight that is enough to make the devil laugh and the angels weep!Even a child will not play with its toys all day long! But when grown up men and women think to find happiness in a constant round of amusement--they sink far below a child! 

*** I'm not affiliated in any way with Grace Gems, but I highly recommend the daily devotions. This is a free service that doesn't shy away from the truth and continually blesses and encourages me.

The Best Form of Government

Here is an excerpt from The Golden Age: A treatise on the One Thousand Year Reign of Christ on Earth by A.W Pink and Luther C. Peak. From the Tea Party to Occupy Wall Street, everyone knows that there is a problem with government and everyone has a way to "fix" it - but the only way to fix it is to take care of the root of the problem that ruins all systems of government, and that is sin. When Christ comes to rule, his reign will bring peace and joy.

The form of Christ's [millennial] government with be theocratic, not democratic. (Zec 14:9)  And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. Many have been the experiments of politicians and reformers for the establishing of a government that should be equitable, stable and pure; but all have been in vain. Ever since the Flood, 4,500 years ago, God has allowed man every opportunity to develop hi schemes, but ancient and modern, Oriental and Occidental, monarchies and republics all have served only to demonstrate that man is a colossal failure. The record of human government is tyranny and oppression, greed and discontentment, war and bloodshed. How all this serves to show the crying need for One who has all power and yet all compassion, One who is God and yet Man. Under the rule of Christ shall be solved every problem of capital and labor, wealth and poverty, war and peace.

Solomon, I have a question. What is the Purpose of Proverbs?

Reader - "Solomon, what is the purpose of Proverbs?"

Solomon - "Glad you asked! The purpose of the book of Proverbs is...

1. To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;   
2. To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;   
3. To give subtilty to the simple, 
4. to the young man knowledge and discretion.   
5. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:  
6. To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.  
7. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

(Pro 1:1-7)

Proverbs takes us to Christ. No one can live up to the book of Proverbs, not even Solomon. No one, but Christ Jesus, the greater than Solomon, who the world will not heed. 

The Power and Influence of the Holy Spirit

A.W. Pink in his book The Holy Spirit said

“The greatest lack of all Christendom today is the absence of the Holy Spirit’s power and blessing. Review the activities of the past 30 years. Millions of dollars have been freely devoted to the support of professed Christian enterprises. Bible institutes and schools have turned out “Trained workers” by the thousands. Bible conferences have sprung up on every side like mushrooms. Countless booklets and tracts have been printed and circulated. Time and labors have been given by an almost incalculable number of “personal workers.”  And with what results? Has the standard of personal piety advanced? Are the churches less worldly? Are their members more Christ-like in their daily walk? Is there more godliness in the home? Are the children more obedient and respectful? Is the Sabbath day being increasingly sanctified and kept holy? Has the standard of honest in business been raised?

Isn’t this the case? Assemblies grow in size and wealth but have no power – no influence. Even among the Lord’s churches:

·         an apathy towards truth,

·         a coldness towards service

·         an indifference towards of godly living

·         an scoffing of separation until there is no difference between us and the world, let alone churches of Christ and worldly churches 

On one side of the road is the ditch of Pentecostalism that wrongly attributes the works of Satan and the works of their own fleshly desires to the Holy Spirit.

On the other side of the road is the ditch of intellectualism that makes Christianity nothing more than a topic  of discussion and logic exercises. 

The Holy Spirit is not merely a force, or a power, or an influence. He is a person. He is God. He is a "He" not an it. He is God, and without His power or influence, all of our feeble efforts are worthless. 

 Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. (Zech. 4:6)