A Voltmeter - is it a voltage generator, or a voltage indicator

indicator |ˈindiˌkātər| - noun, a device providing specific information 

on the state or condition of something. 

generator |ˈjenəˌrātər| - noun, a thing that generates something.

Vellis
Hi Sing,
I was reading this today and it sounds like what you have been saying... forgive me for being a little slow :) Do let me know if I am reading it correctly.

"If God's decree be eternal and unchangeable, then God does not elect upon our faith foreseen, as the Arminians maintain. 'The children being not yet born, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, it was said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated' (Rom. 9:11). We are not elected for holiness, but to holiness (Eph. 1:4). If we are not justified for our faith, much less are we elected for our faith; but we are not justified for it. We are said to be justified through faith as an instrument in Eph. 2:8, but not for faith as a cause; and, if not justified for faith, then much less elected. God's decree of election is eternal and unchangeable, and therefore depends not upon faith foreseen. 'As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed' (Acts 13:48). They were not elected because they believed, but they believed because they were elected. ~ Thomas Watson
September 24, 2010

Sing F Lau
Brother Vellis, I have read your message.
I will reply later.

Vellis
Thanks Bro Sing... I look forward to it.

Sing F Lau
Brother Vellis, I am not exactly sure what Thomas Watson is saying, and whether I have understood him correctly. He is not around for me to inquire and ascertain a bit more.

I will leave a few comments and may be a few questions.

The first sentence - "If God's decree be eternal and unchangeable, then God does not elect upon our faith foreseen, as the Arminians maintain" - is quite straight forward, and if I understand correctly, I completely agree with him. The decree of election is "according to the good pleasure of God's will... according to the riches of God's grace... according to God's good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself... according to the purpose of God who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will... according to the working of God mighty power..." Eph 1 --- it is as if God knew the lie that would be embraced by the Arminians would arise!

Thomas' logic for the first statement is questionable, however. Just because the decree of election was eternal and unchangeable DOES NOT logically preclude that decree from being based upon foreseen faith. However, the Scriptures simply repudiated foreseen faith as the ground of election... the FIVE 'accordings' in Eph 1 referenced above attribute every aspect of election to God ALONE and nothing of/in those elected.

"We are not elected for holiness, but to holiness (Eph. 1:4)."
- If he meant we are not elected because of our holiness, then he is correct and true.
- We are elected to holiness: I don't know what he meant by this. But this is how I understand it. We are elected to the holiness that is in Christ Jesus, and EVERY elect without exception is elected to the same STATE OF HOLINESS, and that is in Christ Jesus. This has nothing to do with a life of holiness. This is obvious because not all the elect grow up to live a normal life, much less a life of holiness. Please don't misunderstand: a child of God ought to live holy life... but that is not what is mentioned in Eph 1:4. Many misguided people conclude from Eph 1:4 that every child of God will live holy live, because they have been elected to live holy life! If that be true, I conclude that God's election to holy life failed miserable!

"We are said to be justified through faith as an instrument in Eph. 2:8..."
I say Thomas is muddled about the faith in Eph 2:8-9. I wrote this in answer to a certain Larry Sibley who wrote, "I think it is quite plain that man is justified by faith. Period. So how do we know when this faith is authentic? Why, when someone is saved by grace through faith."

My reply. Consider carefully and may the Lord bless you to recover the LOST truth.
=========
"Salvation is by grace through faith - every one is familiar with the SOUND of those words. Few understand their SENSE. Salvation is indeed by grace -  this declares the manner that salvation is free bestowed to those who are under the just condemnation of their sins. But salvation is through WHOSE faith? Through man's act of believing? Why are people so easily carried away by their faith... a grace that the indwelling Spirit worked in them.

Through whose faith? Nearly everyone assume and insist that it is through thier act of believing... yes, they piously attribute their faith to the gift of God... how misguided! Please note these declaration carefully:

Romans 3:
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

v21 - declares the righteousness of God, i.e righteousness of God's provision, righteousness needed for our eternal salvation.

v22 - informs how the righteousness of God is provided... it is through the faith OF Jesus Christ... this righteousness is provided through the FAITHFULNESS of Jesus Christ rendering perfect obedience to the law of God. All modern translations translated that in "it is through the faith IN - IN -IN Jesus Christ."

Righteousness is through the obedience to the law.
Sin is the transgression of the law, and brings condemnation and death.
Justification unto life demands righteousness.
That righteousness is EITHER by a man's own faithful obedience to the law, or by Christ's obedience to the law.

It is NOT - NOT - NOT by your faith!
Sins brings condemnation of death.
Righteousness ALONE brings justification of life, i.e. eternal salvation.
Faith, man's act of believing, DOES NOT brings justification of life, i.e. eternal salvation.

"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation [of death]; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

v23 - declares the fact that all have not faith, THAT IS - all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... all have transgressed against the law of God... none of Adam's race excluded... thereore ALL under the condemnation of death. ONLY Christ Jesus did not fall short of the glory of God - through His FAITHFULNESS in obeying perfectly all the laws of God.

v24 - 'the faith OF - OF - OF Jesus Christ' in verse 22 is the same as "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". Justification is by the free grace of God... bestowed upon the man in the state of condemnation and death WITHOUT him meeting any condition... and that free grace justification is based on the faith OF - OF - OF Christ Jesus, EVEN the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

How could faith, a fruit and effect of salvation bestowed freely by God's grace at the SAME TIME be the instrument to obtain that same salvation???
============

Faith is NOT an instrument to OBTAIN/RECEIVE justification.
Faith is an instrument to EVIDENCE justification that has taken place by God's free grace.
Faith is ALSO an instrument to EXPERIENCED the blessedness of the justified state by God's free grace.

Breath is an instrument to EVIDENCE that the resuscitation of the dead has taken place place. Breath cannot be an instrument to obtain resuscitation. Insane and misguide men may believe such non-sense. Even so in the matter of justification.

I wrote an article on Eph 2:8-9 here: http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2008/01/saved-by-grace-through-faith-whose.html

Let me continue: Thomas wrote:
'As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed' (Acts 13:48).
What does he mean? I don't know. Does he mean that every elect ordained to eternal life will hear the gospel and profess faith? If he does, that is OBVIOUSLY a plain error that needs no further refutation. Of course he can't possibly mean that... but many modern calvinists will insist believing on that... because of their perversion of this statement.

Acts 13:48 is not a general statement of truth, but a statement describing a particular situation where the gospel was preached. Context, context, and context. As many of the hearers - as many as were ordained to eternal life - there in that PARTICULAR context that heard the gospel did believe... that's all is said.

I have probably written more than you wish to read!
But I don't want to be misunderstood.
Thanks for asking. We are fellow students.
sing

Vellis
Bro. Sing – Thanks for the reply. Your detail is appreciated.
You have been consistently saying that man is justified by grace alone and it does not depend upon faith. Perhaps I misunderstood Watson, but it seems he was driving at the same point. “If we are not justified for our faith, much less are we elected for our faith; but we are not justified for it. We are said to be justified through faith as an instrument in Eph. 2:8, but not for faith as a cause; and, if not justified for faith, then much less elected.” His chief point was concerning the error of arminianism, however it seems he is saying the same thing concerning justification. Otherwise, what would “but not for faith as a cause” mean? It just seems to me that he is driving at the same point of what you are saying… which of course is radically different than what is commonly taught today.

Sing F Lau
Brother Vellis, I believe I appreciate a little more what you are getting at.

You are right, I have been consistently saying that an unjustified man, therefore in the state of condemnation and death, is justified by God freely, i.e. by grace. The UN-justified CANNOT possibly meet any condition, not even faith. A man in the state of condemnation and death can't possibly has faith. But a justified person is able to believe, and his believing is the INSTRUMENT to EVIDENCE his justified state.

This is the STANDARD understanding of the old school calvinists. They made clear distinction between the justification of the condemned that is by the free grace of God (therefore without faith at all), and the justification that is by the believing act of a child of God. They made clear distinction between forensic justification by God's free grace and evidential justification by faith, the believing act of man. [The new school calvinists, being ignorant of this distinction by the old school calvinists, so often misread and misunderstand their writings on justification. Their minds are obsessed with, and poisoned by "justification by faith alone"!]

Believing justifies, certifies, evidences, demonstrates a man that he is a man ALREADY justified freely by God's grace, have eternal life and is a child of God.

That is what he meant by "we are said to be justified through faith as a instrument." I believe, to Watson and the old school Calvinists, an instrument is to indicate or reveal or manifest something, even the JUSTIFIED STATE of a person. This is confirmed by the simple fact that Watson argued, "... we are not justified for our faith."

However, a very subtle and SATANIC perversion has taken place. An instrument which was supposed to indicate or reveal or manifest something is now PERVERTED into an instrument to obtain, secure and get something, even JUSTIFICATION before God.

Let me give an illustration: a volt-meter is an instrument to indicate or reveal or manifest the voltage in a circuit. That's common sense. The new school calvinists has perverted and turned a volt-meter into an instrument to obtain, secure and get voltage into the circuit.

So you see, whenever a new school calvinists read something like that... "justified through faith as an instrument" - they see their faith as the instrument to obtain, secure and get justification before God... and not faith as the instrument to indicate or reveal or manifest the justified state by God's free grace. There is a VAST difference between the two. In the former, the voltmeter functions as the voltage generator in the circuit; in the latter the voltmeter function as a voltage indicator in the circuit.

This statement reflects the STANDARD belief of the OLD school calvinists:
"The reason why any are justified IS NOT because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith IS because they are justified." - in a Circular Letter issued by the old school Philadelphia Baptists Associate in October 4, 1785.

But every new school Calvinist rave and foam madly against this truth when I tell them this.

I was amongst the new school calvinists for 15 years... I know the system inside out! Until I read and studied the Bible for myself... driven to it because I saw too many contradictions and inconsistencies in the new school calvinism.

I have said too much.
May the Lord grant you understanding.

sing

Modern IvanHELLicals vs Ancient Evangelicals

"Modern Evangelicals preach the same Gospel that was proclaimed in the First Century. We preach that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and... rose bodily from the grave. We preach that man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation. We preach that God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone, and the moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again. That’s the Gospel they preached, and the Gospel we preach." - Steve Gaines, a mega SBC church pastor, in his Kindle book "Pray Like It Matters." [from Charles Page's Charles P]

Sing F Lau  
Mr Steve Gaines affirms that Modern IvanHELLicals preach these:
1. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave.
2. Man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation.
3. God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone
4. The moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again.

That’s the gospel that Mr Gaines and Modern IvanHELLicals preach.

Mr Steve Gaines claims that he preaches the SAME gospel preached by the apostolic evangelists of the first century. Does any one agree with that?
Thanks.

Sing F Lau
4. "The moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again.
=======
Is there one smallest shred of gospel / good news in this?
What good news is this smooth sounding promise to one who is not born again yet, i.e who is still dead in trespasses and sins?

This statement is actually a very cruel, wicked, and grievous mockery to any one who is not born again, i.e any one still dead in trespasses and sins. Such smooth words bring no good news, it leave the dead in their deadness.

It is like making the promise of the dead, "The moment any one smells his deadness, puts his trust in life, and calls upon life, that person is brought to life." It is cruel, wicked and grievous mockery. It is no good news.

Is anyone who is not born again, i.e. still dead in trespasses and sin, able to repent of his sins, able to put his faith in Jesus, or calls upon Christ?

What is the nature of any one who is in his native state of sin and death, i.e. not born again yet?

Do you actually believe Christ's own words which He REPEATEDLY declared,
"Except a man be born again, he CANNOT....... HE CANNOT......."

Christ repeatedly stated the ABSOLUTELY NECESSITY, and the PRIORITY of the new birth before the performance of any spiritual activity like believing, repenting and calling upon the name of Christ. Do you believe that life must be prior to the activities of that life?

VERY MANY are too MODERN for the ANCIENT truth from Christ Himself.

Steve C
3. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit ... so how a fruit can be turned into the cause of salvation is quite baffling.

4. The words "born again" certainly mean that someone must have been dead in the first place, else it is impossible to be born again because he was never dead to begin with. And hence, can a dead person do anything? (such as repent, put his faith ... in the first place, he hasn't got any faith, let alone put his faith). Surely, it has to take a living person to be able to repent, put his faith ...

"Does any one agree with that?" ... well, 9 out of 10 (it's probably closer to 10 out of 10) agree with that ..... and that makes me quite lonely *LOL* ..... but, just got to remember that the majority was outside Noah's ark ...

Sing F Lau
4. "The moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again.
=======
This statement is INIMICAL to the gospel of the grace of God.

inimical - adjective, harmful, injurious, detrimental, deleterious, prejudicial, damaging, hurtful, destructive, ruinous, pernicious; antagonistic, contrary, antipathetic, unfavorable, adverse, opposed; hostile, unkind, unsympathetic, unfriendly, ill-disposed, malevolent; unwelcoming, cold, frosty; literary malefic. See note at hostile . antonym friendly, favorable.

The statement declares that a man's new birth is CONDITIONED UPON his activities of repenting his sins, putting his faith in Jesus, calling upon the name of Jesus. It repudiates salvation by free and sovereign grace of God!

A man who IS dead in trespasses and sins must perform these activities in order to be born again of God. Stupid and deluded men insist this is good news! Right minded men believe such is insult and mockery of the dead!

Requiring a dead man to perform these duties in order to be born again is no gospel at all.

Charles P
I disagree with Gaines! his gospel is 168 years old!

 Sing F Lau
Let me see 2013-168 = 1845. I see!

Valluri
Gospel unchanged, only human kind stone heart.

Charles D
I agree with Sing. and Steve Some will say in the last day LORD, LORD and Jesus will say I never knew you. So there is more to salvation like fruit than just calling on the LORD.

Sing F Lau
3. God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone
=======

God offers salvation! To whom does He offer it? Surely to those without salvation! Offering salvation to those without salvation sounds really kind and benevolent and gracious, doesn't it?

Now, what is offered requires the acceptance of it by them who are without salvation. Surely that is common sense enough!

Think for a moment please. What is the spiritual condition of those to whom God offers salvation? Those without salvation are still in their native state of sin and condemnation, i.e. spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. Such has no desire nor capability to accept the offer, no matter how sincere and fantastic the offer may be! In fact, he is hostile and in enmity towards the good news of salvation.

What does that imply? Either the modern ivanHELLicals are very stupid themselves, or they foolishly make God to appear very stupid like themselves. For only a stupid dumb god will offer salvation to sinner who are dead in trespasses and sins, THAT IS, condemned and dead spiritually, and wholly unable to accept, but instead actively consider such salvation as foolishness.

No American is stupid enough to offer an American big-Mac to a dead American, but modern evangelicals believe in a stupid god who offers salvation to sinners dead in trespasses and sins.

Smart but superstitious Chinese do offer roast swine to their dead ancestors, and the swine ends up in their own bellies!

God DOES NOT offer salvation! Instead He sovereignly and unilaterally and actively APPLIES / BESTOWS the salvation to individual elect who are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins.

To say otherwise is to take the name of God in vain. It is to bear false witness of God. It is impugn His wisdom!

Jesus DID NOT offer life to Lazarus. He sovereignly and unilaterally SUMMONED Lazarus out of death to life! Supposing Jesus had offered life to Lazarus, what good would the offer have done to him? What good? Zilch!

stupid |ˈst(y)oōpid|
adjective ( -pider, -pidest)
lacking intelligence or common sense.

Such are modern ivanHELLicals!!!

Jorge
haha, what a sense smart words! it's a hard saying to the stupid ones,

Sing F Lau
3. God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone.
=======
God DOES NOT offer salvation, and waits for that salvation to be accepted! The all-wise God does not do such foolish and stupid thing!
He sovereignly and unilaterally bestows salvation, and EFFECTUALLY calls an elect out of his native state of sin and death into the state of righteousness and life. An elect is conceived in sin, born in sin, grew up under the dominion of sin... until God intervened sovereignly!!!)

He BESTOWS salvation... He bestows it freely without man meeting any condition. If there were any condition that a man must meet to be given salvation, that condition would never been met by man.

God BESTOWS salvation by His grace... without any condition, NOT even through faith. A man without salvation is death in trespasses and sins, and is in enmity against God, and is incapable of exercising faith, much less believing in Christ alone! Such show enmity and hostility, not faith!

God BESTOWS salvation freely, i.e. by grace alone. This describes the manner in which that salvation is bestowed. But the salvation that is bestowed freely is a salvation that is based solely on the faith OF-OF-OF Jesus Christ alone.

The salvation that is freely bestowed by God is the salvation accomplished and secured through the faithfulness of Christ in meeting all the conditions for the redemption of His people. His faithfulness secured the full and perfect righteousness needed by His people, and His faithfulness atoned for all the sins of all His people. Salvation is based solely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Faith in Jesus Christ is an effect, a fruit, a consequence of the salvation freely bestowed by God's free grace. An effect of salvation CANNOT possibly be the means to obtain the same salvation.

Breath is an effect of life. An effect of life can't possibly be the means or instrument to obtain that same life! A dead man cannot breathe in order to become alive! Only stupid people think otherwise.

Robert
Excellent!!

Sing F Lau
2. Man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation.
=======
At best this is a very deficient, and therefore misleading and deceptive statement on the STATE / condition of man in his state of sin. Such deficient understanding of the true state of man leads these MODERN ivanHELLicals to believe that sinners are able to perform spiritual acts in order to be saved!

Christ repeatedly said except a sinner be born again from above, they remain dead and cannot perform any spiritual activities! Let Christ be true but every modern ivanHELLicals a LIAR.

Man is not just a sinner; he is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. That is, in his native state, he is not only devoid of any ability to draw nigh unto God, he is positively hostile towards, and in enmity against God. He is utterly incapable to receive the things of the Spirit. He has no ability to discern spiritual things. The gospel is complete foolishness to him.

Modern ivanHELLicals diagnose sinners are spiritually SICK.

Apostolic evangelical diagnose sinners as spiritually DEAD!

Sick sinners are still capable of doing a few things to get themselves saved. That's why modern ivanHELLicals imagine that sick sinners CAN, and must perform a few things to get themselves saved!

Dead sinners are utterly helpless in and of themselves! They are completely dependent upon external power acting upon them if any of them are to be saved. Sinners are not even passive nor neutral. Sinners' neutrality is a lie from the pit of hell! They are positively and actively hostile and in enmity towards all things of the Spirit of God!!!

This basic and fundamental fact points to the absolute necessity of salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God! God freely and sovereignly bestows eternal salvation to sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins.

Charles D
You did not have to accept your physical life GOD gave you what makes u think u have to accept spiritual life when he gives it.

Sing F Lau .
1. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave.
=======
The truth stated here of WHO Jesus is, and WHAT He has done, are true enough. The big trouble is that the necessary implications of these truths, especially the latter, are neither noted nor understood! Let me explain.

Jesus lived a sinless life!
- He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to all the laws of God.
- He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to all the laws of God as a substitute, in the stead of His people, those whom God has given to Him.
- He did this to save His people. He did this to secure the perfect righteousness which is the absolute necessary for the justification of His people before God.
- Sins, the transgression of God's law, brings condemnation and death.
- Righteousness, the obedience to God's law, secures justification and life.

Rom 3
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

The righteousness of God's provision is through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Justification of condemned dead sinners is on the basis of that righteousness which God Himself has provided through His Son Jesus Christ!

Jesus lived a sinless life on behalf of His people, those whom the Father has given to Him before the foundation of the world, to secure the righteousness for their justification unto life.

Rom 5
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

It is by the perfect sinless life of Jesus that a sinner is justified and accepted before God. It is not by or because of the actions of the sinner at all. All the actions of a man towards God are the EFFECTS of his justification unto life by the free grace of God.

Justification unto life is through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus.
Justification unto life is NOT through your faith in Christ Jesus.
Justification unto life through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus is APPLIED to a sinner under the condemnation of death FREELY by God's grace, i.e. not by anything that sinner does!

Sing F Lau .
1. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave.
=======
Jesus died an atoning death!
- Jesus lived the life that His people, under the condemnation of death, are INCAPABLE of living to attain the justification unto life.
- Jesus died the dead that His people, under the condemnation of death, DESERVE to die.
- The death that Jesus died bore away the curse and condemnation that is due to all the sins of all His people.
- The wages of sin is death. All the sins of all His people were imputed to Him, and He bore and suffered for all the sins of all His people when He endured the hell of being forsaken by God... a hell every sinner deserves!
- Jesus died in the place of His people to bear away completely the full and righteous wrath of God that is due to His people.
- He paid the full and complete price for the redemption of His people. 'It is finished,' He declared.

- There is nothing else for His people to do to be saved. The redemption Jesus Christ has accomplished is APPLIED freely and sovereignly by the Spirit of God to each of Christ's people at their appointed time.
- Once that redemption is applied to each personally, they are made capable of responding to the gospel ministry of declaring to them the truth of their salvation by God's grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

His ATONING death DID ATONE (simple past tense, a done thing, completed and settled) for all the sins of all His people. The eternal condemnation due to their sins was once, and forever dealt with and SETTLED.

Heb 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

Having obtained! Having obtained what? ETERNAL REDEMPTION. For who? For us, i.e. everyone, as many as, whom God the Father has given to Jesus Christ.

Let modern ivanHELLicals deal with, and spell out the implications of what they claim that Jesus has done when they mutter that "Jesus lived a sinless life, died an atoning death." Otherwise it is just cheapskate religious shibboleths that mislead and deceive!

A Quarter Century Ago....

On Jun 11, 1988, I married the love of my youth!

The all wise Lord provided me a wife comparable to that of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31. The Lord knows His servant needs such a wife!

Pray for us... may the Lord grant us another quarter for His kingdom sake. Amen.

These were close brothers and sisters from a reformed baptist church.

This picture leaves me with a very mixed feeling.
After 25 years, only ONE man and his wife in this picture
 continue to fellowship with the new couple!
Look for the TALLEST man in the picture!!!

Apostle Paul implored,
"Am I therefore become your enemy,
because I tell you the truth...?" Gal 4:16.
I implore the same to the others!

I thank the Lord for leaving me with that precious link to the past! Bless the Lord, O my soul! He wisely comforts us with other saints as fellow pilgrims to our eternal home faraway.