day no. 13,329: two rules and Rulers‏

John 2:10

 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

I remember leading a Connection Group through John 2 a long time ago and reading from Spurgeon with respect to this very verse referring to what he called "the Rule of Hell."

The Rule of Hell is this: lure them in with sweet and then drown them in the sour.

In other words, bait people with attractive things while concealing from them the ugly things that are to come further down that road.

That is how Satan tempts.

The Rule of Heaven is EXACTLY, not surprisingly, the opposite.

Endure the difficult, darkness of this world holding strong to the hope that Christ alone has overcome and in the end you will inherit beautiful blessing forever and ever amen!

Two ways of going about appealing to people.

Two paths.

A narrow one beginning in humility, ending in glory.

A wide one beginning in luxury, ending in hell.