Archives for June 2026

Good morning,

This week Grace Gems is beginning the presentation of the book, Pilgrim’s Progress. This is a classic and a must read for all believers. However, we will be able to see it in video format.

The Pilgrim’s Progress

Chapter 2. Obstinate and Pliable (SermonAudio.com, 8 minute video)

Chapter 2. Obstinate and Pliable (YouTube, 8 minute video) 

The Puritan John Bunyan wrote his enduring allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, while imprisoned in England for preaching the gospel. First published in 1678, this beloved work has instructed, warned, and encouraged generations of Christians in virtually every aspect of the Christian life. In 2018, Grace Gems prepared a careful update of the original text, preserving Bunyan’s message while making it more accessible to modern readers. We are now freely presenting that edition in a high-quality video format. Above you will find links to the video of Chapter 1, “The City of Destruction.” Lord willing, we plan to publish a new chapter each month until the whole book is complete. Here is an overview of the book:

The Pilgrim’s Progress beautifully portrays the Christian life as a pilgrimage from the City of Destruction, to the Celestial City. It opens with the sobering truths that every person is born in sin, and under the wrath of God. When Christian is awakened by reading the Scriptures, he discovers what every sinner must learn: this fleeting world with all its gaudy trinkets, cannot soothe a wounded conscience or reconcile a soul to a holy God. His departure from the City of Destruction reflects the call to repentance–the summons to forsake false hopes, turn from sin, and seek life in Christ alone. As Bunyan’s story unfolds, the cross stands forth as the sinner’s only refuge, the blessed place where the burden of sin is atoned for, and grace triumphs over condemnation.

From that moment onward, the pilgrim’s path is marked by trials, temptations, fears, and sorrows, yet never by abandonment. The Lord faithfully sustains His people through every dark valley, using affliction not to destroy faith, but to refine it. Through companions, warnings, and providential mercies, Bunyan reveals the tender care of God for weary pilgrims on the dangerous and narrow way that leads to eternal life. He also warns that external religion and mere head knowledge are no substitute for a heart truly renewed by grace. In the end, The Pilgrim’s Progress lifts the reader’s eyes beyond the hardships of the present pilgrimage, to the everlasting joy that awaits all who persevere by faith in the presence of King Jesus in the Celestial City.

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13)

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

This week Grace Gems is beginning the presentation of the book, Pilgrim’s Progress. This is a classic and a must read for all believers. However, we will be able to see it in video format.

The Pilgrim’s Progress

Chapter 1. The City of Destruction (SermonAudio.com, 8 minute video)

Chapter 1. The City of Destruction (YouTube, 8 minute video)

The Puritan John Bunyan wrote his enduring allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, while imprisoned in England for preaching the gospel. First published in 1678, this beloved work has instructed, warned, and encouraged generations of Christians in virtually every aspect of the Christian life. In 2018, Grace Gems prepared a careful update of the original text, preserving Bunyan’s message while making it more accessible to modern readers. We are now freely presenting that edition in a high-quality video format. Above you will find links to the video of Chapter 1, “The City of Destruction.” Lord willing, we plan to publish a new chapter each month until the whole book is complete. Here is an overview of the book:

The Pilgrim’s Progress beautifully portrays the Christian life as a pilgrimage from the City of Destruction, to the Celestial City. It opens with the sobering truths that every person is born in sin, and under the wrath of God. When Christian is awakened by reading the Scriptures, he discovers what every sinner must learn: this fleeting world with all its gaudy trinkets, cannot soothe a wounded conscience or reconcile a soul to a holy God. His departure from the City of Destruction reflects the call to repentance–the summons to forsake false hopes, turn from sin, and seek life in Christ alone. As Bunyan’s story unfolds, the cross stands forth as the sinner’s only refuge, the blessed place where the burden of sin is atoned for, and grace triumphs over condemnation.

From that moment onward, the pilgrim’s path is marked by trials, temptations, fears, and sorrows, yet never by abandonment. The Lord faithfully sustains His people through every dark valley, using affliction not to destroy faith, but to refine it. Through companions, warnings, and providential mercies, Bunyan reveals the tender care of God for weary pilgrims on the dangerous and narrow way that leads to eternal life. He also warns that external religion and mere head knowledge are no substitute for a heart truly renewed by grace. In the end, The Pilgrim’s Progress lifts the reader’s eyes beyond the hardships of the present pilgrimage, to the everlasting joy that awaits all who persevere by faith in the presence of King Jesus in the Celestial City.

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13)
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today the Daily Devotion will begin new content. Grace Gems will appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, will be my Bible study notes.

What are Grace Gems?

Our purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. 

Our desire is that the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Revealer and Interpreter of Christ and His truth, may impart to your hearts a sober, spiritual and sanctifying receptivity of His Word—abasing self, and exalting Christ!

Our intention is to unfold and illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ in the relation in which He stands to His people—to unveil His glory, beauty, and fullness—to define the close bond of union that unites all His people to Him, and to bring you into a more personal realization of what Christ is to you, and of what you are to Christ.” (Octavius Winslow)

Our objective is to set before the Christian pilgrim some reflections which may prove challenging, consolatory and encouraging—as he journeys up from this bleak, arid, wilderness world, leaning on his Beloved.

May God’s blessing attend our humble effort to minister comfort to the downcast, strength to the weak, and courage to those who have set their faces towards their glorious eternal home. (https://www.gracegems.org/)

Our sin–God’s grace

Charles Spurgeon, et al.

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Romans 5:20, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”

Sin is not merely the breaking of a rule–it is rebellion against the infinite majesty and holiness of God. It is treason against the sovereign King of Heaven. It is . . .
  a monstrous defilement of the soul,
  a willful choosing of darkness over light,
  a loathing of God’s commandments,
  and a love for what He hates.

Sin pollutes every part of our being:
  our minds are blinded,
our hearts are deceitful,
  our wills are enslaved.
Sin makes us loathsome in God’s sight, and fit only for eternal judgment. Scripture does not soften the description. We are . . .
  “dead in transgressions and sins,”
  “children of wrath,”
  “slaves to sin,”
  and “enemies of God.”

The horror of our sin is not measured by how we see it, but by how God sees it–as that which nailed His beloved Son to the cross!

And yet, into that blackness shines a light so glorious that no mind could have imagined it, and no heart could have hoped for it–the grace of God! His grace is unearned, undeserved, and unrepayable. It is His free favor poured out on the utterly . . .
  un-deserving,
  ill-deserving
  and Hell-deserving.

Grace finds us filthy, and makes us pure.
Grace finds us guilty, and declares us righteous.
Grace finds us enemies of God, and makes us His sons and daughters.

Nowhere are sin and grace manifested as clearly, as at Golgotha. There, the horror of our sin is exposed in full; for only the blood of the sinless Son of God could make atonement for it! His groans, His wounds, His forsakenness–all cry out against our guilt.

At Golgotha also, the wonder of grace shines brightest.
Jesus bore our sin, that we might bear His righteousness.
He was cursed, that we might be blessed.
He died, that we might live.

In the cross of Jesus, sin reached its vilest expression–and grace reached its highest triumph.

“Holy and merciful God, I bow before You in deep shame for the evil that is in me. My sin is great, but Your grace is greater still. I am in awe that Your Son would die for one so vile as myself. Break my pride, melt my heart, and lead me in paths of grateful obedience, until the day I see You face to face. Amen.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today the Daily Devotion will begin new content. Grace Gems will appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, will be my Bible study notes.

What are Grace Gems?

Our purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. 

Our desire is that the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Revealer and Interpreter of Christ and His truth, may impart to your hearts a sober, spiritual and sanctifying receptivity of His Word—abasing self, and exalting Christ!

Our intention is to unfold and illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ in the relation in which He stands to His people—to unveil His glory, beauty, and fullness—to define the close bond of union that unites all His people to Him, and to bring you into a more personal realization of what Christ is to you, and of what you are to Christ.” (Octavius Winslow)

Our objective is to set before the Christian pilgrim some reflections which may prove challenging, consolatory and encouraging—as he journeys up from this bleak, arid, wilderness world, leaning on his Beloved.

May God’s blessing attend our humble effort to minister comfort to the downcast, strength to the weak, and courage to those who have set their faces towards their glorious eternal home. (https://www.gracegems.org/)

She had been plucked from the burning fires of Sodom!

John MacDuff, “Sunsets on the Hebrew Mountains“

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Genesis 19:26, “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Luke 17:32, “Remember Lot’s wife!“

Beware of worldly entanglements! How many there are, who, like Lot’s wife have apparently set out to the Zoar of safety, yet who linger and perish in the plains of Sodom! They hear the terrors of the law; they are roused by the threat of the coming conflagration. They think of fleeing–they have actually set out.

The world they have left, has too many attractions and fascinations! Like Demas, they give the preference to these. They look back to Sodom and perish eternally! Beware of yielding to temptation!
Lot’s wife had gotten out of reach of the summonings and jeers of her evil companions. She had reached the brow of the hill, and was apparently completely safe. She had been rescued from the idolatries of Chaldea, and the superstitions of Egypt. She had been plucked from the burning fires of Sodom–and yet she perished notwithstanding!

How sad it is, to see a soul . . .
  that had set out on the way to Heaven,
  that had escaped the temptations of youth,
  that got rid of worldly entanglements,
  that got out of Sodom, and was on its way to Zoar,
yet perishing with salvation in sight!

“But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26

“Remember Lot’s wife!” Luke 17:32

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

PSALM 51

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (10)

2 Samuel 11-12:13  David’s Sin with Bathsheba

David tarries (1)

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

David’s adultery (3-5)

² And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.³ And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?⁴ And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.⁵ And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

David’s Coverup (6-13)

⁶ And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.⁷ And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.⁸ And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.¹⁰ And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?¹¹ And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.¹² And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.       ¹³ And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

Death of Uriah (14-17)

¹⁴ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.¹⁷ And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Bathsheba mourns Uriah’s death (26)

²⁶ And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

God is displeased with David (27)

²⁷ And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

2 Samuel 12:1-13 David repents

Story of the rich man (1-6)

And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.² The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:³ But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.⁴ And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.⁵ And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:⁶ And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

David’s punishment (7-13)

⁷ And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;⁸ And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.⁹ Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.¹⁰ Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.¹¹ Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.¹² For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.¹³ And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

God’s Bio

Omniscience, all knowing

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” (Psalm 139:1-4)

Omnipresent, He is everywhere 

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139:7-10)

Omnipotent, all powerful

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” (Revelation 19:6)

Holy

“Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2)

Love

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Mercy

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3)

Grace

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8)

Peace

“Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Longsuffering

“The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” (Psalms 145:8)

David interacts with God (Psalm 51)

David’s repentance (1-12)

David’s repentance and request for mercy (1-4)

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. ⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

David acknowledges he was shapen in iniquity (5-6)

⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. ⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

David’s request for God to make him clean, to hear joy and gladness, create in him a clean heart, God’s presence, the Holy Spirit, joy of salvation (7-12)

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. ⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. ¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

CHALLENGE

Unconfessed sin will cause you to wither away. We must deal with unconfessed sin in the same way David did. REPENT and sincerely, humbly, come to the foot of the cross and allow Jesus to deal with our sin. First John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

David’s prayer in Psalm 51 helps us to see what it means to repent and humble ourselves before God.

David gets right with God (13-19)

Results of getting right with God (13-19)

¹³ Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. ¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. ¹⁵ O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. ¹⁶ For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.¹⁸ Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.¹⁹ Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

CONCLUSION

David’s interaction with God was a prayer of repentance. Then a prayer of action. Whenever we sin and repent, there should be a desire to serve God. Not works because we have to, but out of love for our Savior.

Had David:

Been at his appointed place

Been careful what he  looked at

Not allowed temptation to become sin

Not tried to cover up his sin. Cover ups are always exposed by God

David would not have had to:

Suffer the punishment of sin which is always greater than the enjoyment of the sin

Repent

Seek God’s mercy

David’s desire after his repentance:

Continue to minister for God

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today the Daily Devotion will begin new content. Grace Gems will appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, will be my Bible study notes.

What are Grace Gems?

Our purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. 

Our desire is that the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Revealer and Interpreter of Christ and His truth, may impart to your hearts a sober, spiritual and sanctifying receptivity of His Word—abasing self, and exalting Christ!

Our intention is to unfold and illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ in the relation in which He stands to His people—to unveil His glory, beauty, and fullness—to define the close bond of union that unites all His people to Him, and to bring you into a more personal realization of what Christ is to you, and of what you are to Christ.” (Octavius Winslow)

Our objective is to set before the Christian pilgrim some reflections which may prove challenging, consolatory and encouraging—as he journeys up from this bleak, arid, wilderness world, leaning on his Beloved.

May God’s blessing attend our humble effort to minister comfort to the downcast, strength to the weak, and courage to those who have set their faces towards their glorious eternal home. (https://www.gracegems.org/)

A perpetual barrier against temptation

Charles Spurgeon

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Genesis 39:9, “How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Joseph lived under the influence of the divine presence. Take him, especially when under temptation–Oh, what a mercy it was for him, that he was a God-fearing man!

Does he say, “How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against Potiphar?” No, yet he would have sinned against Potiphar, who had been a kindly master to him. Does he say, “How shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against Potiphar’s wife?” No, but just as David said, “Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight;” thus making the main point and consideration to be sin against God Himself.

Oh, if we always felt that God was near, looking steadily upon us, then we would not dare to sin. The presence of a superior, or even a child, often checks a man from doing a sinful thing. In the same way the presence of God, if it were realized, would be a perpetual barrier against temptation, and would keep us walking in holiness.

Men are strangely foolish when they imagine that they can conceal sin. The thief hides from the policeman, and the adulterer hides from society; yet they cannot hide from God. The darkness is as bright as the day to Him. The walls of a room are no concealment from the Almighty. Every hidden imagination, every whispered corruption, every unclean thought; lies naked before His eyes.

One of the greatest preservatives against sin, is the constant recollection that God is present. When a man realizes, “You are the God who sees all that I think and do;” then pride is humbled, lust is restrained, and sin is checked. The Christian sins most, when he forgets the presence of the Lord. But when the heart lives consciously beneath the eye of Jesus, then sin loses much of its seductive power.

The world only sees outward acts, but God reads the inward desires. Human courts can only try visible crimes; the court of Heaven weighs thoughts, intentions, motives, and secret affections. The first motion of lust, the hidden root of envy, the silent swelling of pride–all are fully known to God before they ever blossom into outward conduct. This truth should make us tremble at sin in its earliest stages. It is difficult to indulge in sin, while consciously standing before the throne of the all-seeing God!

There is no escaping the eye of God.
If one climbs the highest mountain, God is there.
If one descends into the darkest cavern, God is there also.
The deepest sea cannot veil us from His presence;
  nor can midnight darkness hide us from His sight.
Every place is near to God, because He fills Heaven and earth.

A religious hypocrite may deceive ministers, churches, friends, and even themselves; but no mask can survive the gaze of God. He sees beneath pious speech and religious activity, into the true condition of the soul. Hypocrisy can only flourish, where divine omniscience is forgotten. If people truly believed that God searches the heart, then hypocritical religion would quickly wither!

Many sins are committed in solitude, because people imagine that no one will find them out. But the empty room is filled with God. The silent hour is observed by God. The closed door does not exclude Him. If people remembered this truth in moments of temptation, many temptations would be abandoned in horror.
It is an alarming thought for the ungodly, that their every sin is recorded by God!
Forgotten sins, are not forgotten by Him.
Excused sins, are not excused before Him.
Hidden sins, are not hidden from Him.
The conscience may grow dull, and memory may fail, but the Judge of all the earth sees all, and He has an iron memory.

To the child of God, divine omniscience is both solemn and sweet. It is solemn because the Lord sees every wandering affection, and every sinful inclination. Yet it is sweet because He also sees every secret prayer, every inward battle against temptation, and every sincere desire for holiness.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today the Daily Devotion will begin new content. Grace Gems will appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, will be my Bible study notes.

What are Grace Gems?

Our purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. 

Our desire is that the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Revealer and Interpreter of Christ and His truth, may impart to your hearts a sober, spiritual and sanctifying receptivity of His Word—abasing self, and exalting Christ!

Our intention is to unfold and illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ in the relation in which He stands to His people—to unveil His glory, beauty, and fullness—to define the close bond of union that unites all His people to Him, and to bring you into a more personal realization of what Christ is to you, and of what you are to Christ.” (Octavius Winslow)

Our objective is to set before the Christian pilgrim some reflections which may prove challenging, consolatory and encouraging—as he journeys up from this bleak, arid, wilderness world, leaning on his Beloved.

May God’s blessing attend our humble effort to minister comfort to the downcast, strength to the weak, and courage to those who have set their faces towards their glorious eternal home. (https://www.gracegems.org/)

Gods view of sin

Charles Spurgeon, et al.

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Habakkuk 1:13, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil; You cannot look on wickedness.”

Psalm 5:4–5, “You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with You the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all who do wrong.”

If we would know how God views sin, we must not measure it by how lightheartedly man treats it, nor by how common it appears in the world, nor even by how it wounds our own conscience. We must measure sin by the cross. Sin is not merely a mistake, a weakness, or an unfortunate choice. It is a direct offense against the holiness of the eternal God. Sin is . . .
  a daring defiance of His Word,
  a trampling upon His glory,
  and a mockery of His authority.

But if we would truly understand the infinite evil of sin, we must look to Calvary. There, on the accursed tree, God unveiled His view of sin. He did not even spare His own beloved Son, when He stood in the sinner’s place. What horror must belong to sin, when its payment required the abandonment of the sinless One by His own Father? What dreadful weight must sin carry, that it could crush the eternal Son of God into the dust of death? What must God think of sin, when He would lay upon Jesus the iniquity of His people, and exact from Him every drop of wrath which our guilt deserved? Behold . . .
  the bloodied brow,
the pierced hands,
  the parched lips,
    the darkened sky,
      the cry of dereliction:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!”
These are God’s thunderous declarations that sin is no trifle. Sin is not something He can simply overlook. Sin is a monster so vile, that it demanded nothing less than the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Here is a sight too deep for words: the infinitely holy One, bruised for the utterly unholy. Jesus, the Righteous, suffers for the unrighteous–because God is too pure to let sin go unpunished. The cross is not only the supreme display of divine love, but also the supreme revelation of divine justice. Never again can we doubt how God views sin. He hates it with a holy hatred. And yet, in that same moment, we see something else: God’s matchless grace. For He who spared not His own Son, has also made a way for sinners to be fully cleansed and forgiven.

“Holy and righteous God, open my eyes to see sin as You see it. May I never trifle with that sin which nailed my Savior to the cross. Let the horror of Golgotha humble me, and let the mercy found there, lead me to hate sin and cling to Jesus, who bore it all in my place. Amen.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

On 1 June 2026, the Daily Devotion will begin new content. Grace Gems will appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, will be my Bible study notes.

What are Grace Gems?

Our purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. 

Our desire is that the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Revealer and Interpreter of Christ and His truth, may impart to your hearts a sober, spiritual and sanctifying receptivity of His Word—abasing self, and exalting Christ!

Our intention is to unfold and illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ in the relation in which He stands to His people—to unveil His glory, beauty, and fullness—to define the close bond of union that unites all His people to Him, and to bring you into a more personal realization of what Christ is to you, and of what you are to Christ.” (Octavius Winslow)

Our objective is to set before the Christian pilgrim some reflections which may prove challenging, consolatory and encouraging—as he journeys up from this bleak, arid, wilderness world, leaning on his Beloved.

May God’s blessing attend our humble effort to minister comfort to the downcast, strength to the weak, and courage to those who have set their faces towards their glorious eternal home. (https://www.gracegems.org/)

The greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us

Charles Spurgeon, “David Encouraging Himself in God“

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

I bear witness that the worst days I have ever had, have turned out to be my best days. In the same way, when God has seemed to be the most unkind to me, He has then been the most kind. If there is anything in this world for which I would thank Him more than for all else, it is for pain and affliction. I am sure that in these things, His richest and tenderest love has been most manifested towards me. I am certain that I have never grown in grace, one-half so much anywhere else, as I have upon the bed of pain. I have learned to kiss the wave, that throws me against the Rock of Ages.

Affliction is the best piece of furniture in my house. It is the best book in a minister’s library. Those who dive in the sea of affliction, bring up rare pearls.

God’s love letters are often sent in black envelopes. The cloud that is black with horror, is big with mercy. We may not ask for trouble; but if we were wise, we would look upon affliction as the harbinger of an unusually great blessing.

Dread the calm: it is often treacherous; and the pestilence is often lurking beneath its wing. Fear not the storm: it brings healing in its wings, and when Jesus is with you in the vessel, then the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven.

God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken.
When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

I venture to say that the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness. The furnace of affliction is the most beneficial place for you, Christian.

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. Our earthly fathers disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Excerpted from Hebrews 12:5-12)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

On 1 June 2026, the Daily Devotion will begin new content. Grace Gems will appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, will be my Bible study notes.

What are Grace Gems?

Our purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. 

Our desire is that the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Revealer and Interpreter of Christ and His truth, may impart to your hearts a sober, spiritual and sanctifying receptivity of His Word—abasing self, and exalting Christ!

Our intention is to unfold and illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ in the relation in which He stands to His people—to unveil His glory, beauty, and fullness—to define the close bond of union that unites all His people to Him, and to bring you into a more personal realization of what Christ is to you, and of what you are to Christ.” (Octavius Winslow)

Our objective is to set before the Christian pilgrim some reflections which may prove challenging, consolatory and encouraging—as he journeys up from this bleak, arid, wilderness world, leaning on his Beloved.

May God’s blessing attend our humble effort to minister comfort to the downcast, strength to the weak, and courage to those who have set their faces towards their glorious eternal home. (https://www.gracegems.org/)

Yes Father

John MacDuff, “Memories of Gennesaret“

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.

Psalm 31:15, “My times are in Your hand!”

Here is the secret of strength in encountering our seasons of trial and difficulty: the conviction that our times are in the hand of God; thus leading to complete and entire subordination of our wills to His.

How it would disarm affliction and bereavement of their bitterest stings, if we were enabled to give as the history of our darkest times: “This is my heavenly Father’s will. This hour has come, as the hour appointed by His loving wisdom.”

The Christian, like his Lord, is able to view every circumstance as emanating from . . .
  a hand of infinite love,
  a mind of infinite wisdom,
  and a will of infinite faithfulness.
Every phase in his history; every step in his pilgrimage; its most trifling incidents and circumstances; are each Divinely appointed. Feeling that he is under this kind and gracious guardianship, the Christian resolves his own will, into the will of the Supreme One! All that concerns him, is a part of His Father’s vast harmonious plan.

The future (mazy, dark, and mysterious) is fully known to the One who causes all things to work for good to His redeemed people–bringing good out of apparent evil, and order out of apparent confusion.

Even when a cross looms gloomily on his path, he breathes with unmurmuring lips, “Yes Father, for this was Your good pleasure!” Matthew 11:26

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearms, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

On 1 June 2026, the Daily Devotion will begin new content. Grace Gems will appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, will be my Bible study notes.

What are Grace Gems?

Our purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. 

Our desire is that the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Revealer and Interpreter of Christ and His truth, may impart to your hearts a sober, spiritual and sanctifying receptivity of His Word—abasing self, and exalting Christ!

Our intention is to unfold and illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ in the relation in which He stands to His people—to unveil His glory, beauty, and fullness—to define the close bond of union that unites all His people to Him, and to bring you into a more personal realization of what Christ is to you, and of what you are to Christ.” (Octavius Winslow)

Our objective is to set before the Christian pilgrim some reflections which may prove challenging, consolatory and encouraging—as he journeys up from this bleak, arid, wilderness world, leaning on his Beloved.

May God’s blessing attend our humble effort to minister comfort to the downcast, strength to the weak, and courage to those who have set their faces towards their glorious eternal home. (https://www.gracegems.org/)

Complaining Christian

James Smith, “Bread from Heaven!” 1857

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

“Do you have a father?” Genesis 44:19

Standing at my window one day, while the cholera was raging in London, I saw two corpses carried by, followed by one little child, walking alone next to the coffins, with a few neighbors behind. That child was now an orphan. Both parents had been carried off by the pestilence. The sight of that child produced deep emotions, and awakened painful sympathy in my heart.

I was led to think of the sorrows and privations of orphanhood, and then of the happiness of the Lord’s people to whom Jesus has said, “I will not leave you as orphans” John 14:18. A believer can never be an orphan! He has an ever-living, ever-loving, ever-present Father! But many of the Lord’s people do not realize this, therefore they do not live and act under its influence.
There are believers who are always complaining of their circumstances:
  they are worked too hard,
  they are tried more than others,
  they have such a vexing family,
  they have such a demanding job,
  they have such financial losses,
  they have no end of things to vex, harass, and distress them!

Complaining Christian, “Do you have a father?”

If so, had your Father anything to do with fixing your lot?
Did He place you where you are?
Is He wise?
Is He good?
Has He ever told you, that all things shall work together for your good?
Does He know what is best for you?

Has He left things to ‘chance’–or has He arranged all in His own infinite mind, and does He work all by His unerring providence? If He does, then are you justified in complaining?

Have you any real cause to complain?

Will it better your circumstances?

Will it please your Father?

Will it any way help you?

If not, leave off complaining, and “having food and clothing, let us be content with these!”

Seek grace from God, that you may . . .
  do all that is required,
  bear all that is sent,
  and endure all that is to be suffered, to His glory!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4005 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com