Wednesday, December 21, 2016

HAPPINESS FROM GOD

While all men seek after happiness, scarcely one in a hundred looks for it from God.
John Calvin

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

INVETERATE HOSTILITY

"When the Gospel is presented to the sinner, not only is his understanding completely ignorant of its glorious contents, but the will is utterly perverse against it. Not only is there no desire for Christ, but there is inveterate hostility against Him. Nothing but the almighty power of God can overcome the enmity of the carnal mind."

~ Arthur Pink, "Spiritual Union and Communion"

NO CAUSE TO BOAST

Christian, though you do not break forth into a flame of scandal, yet you have no cause to boast, for there is much sin raked up in the embers of your nature. You have the root of bitterness in you, and would bear as hellish fruit as any, if God did not either curb you by His power, or change you by His grace.
--Thomas Watson--

Thursday, November 24, 2016

SECULAR AFFAIRS

A true saint intermeddles with secular affairs, more out of necessity than choice.

-Thomas Watson-

HE LOVES TO LOVE US

The great God not only loves His saints, but He loves to love them.

Jerry Bridges.

HE LOVES US

O saints, do but let your thoughts dwell upon the love of Christ, who passed by angels and thought of you; who was wounded that, out of his wounds, the balm of Gilead might come to heal you; who leaped into the sea of his Father's wrath, to save you from drowning in the lake of fire! Think of this unparalleled love, which sets the angels wondering—and see if it will not affect your hearts and cause tears to flow forth!

-Thomas Watson-

DO WE THINK OF GOD

  1. God thinks on us every morning; his mercies are "new every morning" (Lam. 3:23). He gives us night-mercies, he rocks us asleep every night: "So he gives his beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:2). And if we awaken, he gives "songs in the night" (Job 35:10). If God is thinking of us day and night, shall not we think of his Name? How can we forget a friend who is ever mindful of us? Though God is out of our sight, we are not out of his thoughts!
    -Thomas Watson-

TEN LOOKS AT CHRIST

For every look at your self, take ten looks at Christ.

-- Robert Murray McCheyne

Monday, November 21, 2016

PASSION AND JOY FOR HIS GLORY

God’s purpose for my life was that I have a passion for God’s glory and that I have a passion for my joy in that glory, and that these two are one passion."

— Jonathan Edwards  


Now what is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory He has displayed?

--Jonathan Edwards.

(Most likely this has already been posted on my blog months or years ago, but it bears repeating). 

IT IS ENOUGH FOR ME

“Thou, O Lord, thou bruises me, it is enough for me to know it is thy hand.” -- John Calvin

Saturday, November 19, 2016

GOD BRINGS IT TO THE HEART

There could be potential frustration for a pastor to tell of God's glory and grace, only to have souls nod their head in an intellectual agreement which is tottering on boredom for "old news"; yet we preach by faith (not frustration), knowing God will bring the truth deeper than the mind all the way to the heart.  Because this is the work of God, we are free to rest in His power, and so we proclaim His goodness with freedom and joy.

Monday, October 31, 2016

REMEMBER THE VANDALS

Remember the Vandals

From the February 1810 edition of the Baptist Magazine:

At a meeting held at Wittenburg by the leading parties of the reformation with a view to promote the harmony of the whole; it was agreed that Albert, Bucer and Luther should be the preachers. At the close of the services Luther requested Bucer to be his guest, to which Bucer readily acceded. In the course of the evening Luther found an opportunity to make his remarks on the sermon delivered by his sage friend. He spoke highly in its praise, but added “Bucer, I can preach better than you.” Such an observation sounded oddly to the ears of his friend, who however took it in good part, and readily replied “Every person of course will agree that Luther should bear the palm.” Luther immediately changed the tone of his voice, and with indescribable seriousness addressed his friend to this effect. “Do not mistake me, my brother; as though I spake merely in the praise of myself; I am fully aware of my weakness, and am conscious of my inability to deliver a sermon so learned and judicious, as the one I have heard from your lips this afternoon. But my method is, when I enter the pulpit to look at the people that sit in the aisle; because they are principally Vandals–[By this term he meant the ignorant common people, and alluded to the circumstance of those parts having been formerly overrun by hordes of ignorant Vandals]–I keep my eye, says he, on the Vandals, and endeavour to preach what they can comprehend. But you shot over their heads; your sermon was adapted for learned hearers, but my Vandals could not understand you. I compare them to a crying babe who is sooner satisfied with the breast of its mother, than with the richest confectionaries; so my people are more nourished by the simple word of the Gospel, than by the deepest erudition though accompanied with all the embellishments of Eloquence.”–The contributor of this article wishes that himself and his brethren may always imitate Luther, and remember the Vandals.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

WE HAVE NOTHING

''God knoweth we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requireth no more than he giveth, and giveth what he requireth, and accepteth what he giveth.'' Richard Sibbes from The Bruised Reed

WE CAN DO NOTHING

"Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless." - C. H. Spurgeon

Friday, September 30, 2016

SATISFACTION

SATISFACTION
“I am not satisfied with my faith,” says one. NO, of course you aren’t, nor will you ever be, at least I hope not! The Bible does not say, “Therefore being satisfied with our faith we have peace with God,” it says, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” “I am not satisfied with my repentance.” That is wonderful! What would you do with your repentance if you were satisfied with it? Would you bring it to God instead of the blood?

Oh, what pride and self-righteousness must be in any person who is satisfied with his repentance and faith! That person could never find true peace, for such a refuge of lies must fall.

“I am not satisfied with my love.” What? Did you expect, on this earth to be satisfied with any grace found in you? Was it your love for Christ or His love for you that gave you peace at first? Now then, there is but one thing with which Almighty God is satisfied – entirely satisfied – and that is THE PERSON AND WORK OF HIS SON! It is with Christ that we must be satisfied, not with ourselves, nor anything about us! When we cease from ALL our labors, and ALL our righteousness, and ENTER INTO HIS REST, pardon and peace will come without delay.

– Horatius Bonar (1809-1889)

SATISFACTION

SATISFACTION “I am not satisfied with my faith,” says one. NO, of course you aren’t, nor will you ever be, at least I hope not! The Bible does not say, “Therefore being satisfied with our faith we have peace with God,” it says, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” “I am not satisfied with my repentance.” That is wonderful! What would you do with your repentance if you were satisfied with it? Would you bring it to God instead of the blood? Oh, what pride and self-righteousness must be in any person who is satisfied with his repentance and faith! That person could never find true peace, for such a refuge of lies must fall. “I am not satisfied with my love.” What? Did you expect, on this earth to be satisfied with any grace found in you? Was it your love for Christ or His love for you that gave you peace at first? Now then, there is but one thing with which Almighty God is satisfied – entirely satisfied – and that is THE PERSON AND WORK OF HIS SON! It is with Christ that we must be satisfied, not with ourselves, nor anything about us! When we cease from ALL our labors, and ALL our righteousness, and ENTER INTO HIS REST, pardon and peace will come without delay. – Horatius Bonar (1809-1889)

Saturday, September 24, 2016

THE OLD MAN IN A BELIEVER

The Old Man in a Believer


God has left in all His children the old man, to remind us of our base origin, to hide pride from our eyes, to exclude boasting form our lips, and to keep us from putting any confidence in the flesh. It is to exercise our grace, especially patience; to make us watchful, to make us sensible of the depth of man’s fall, and finally, to exalt the grace of God; to make us sick of self, and sick of the world, sick of sin, and to teach us to prize Christ the Great Physician, and to make us long for that perfect rest which remaineth to the people of God. – William Huntington 1745-1813

Sunday, September 18, 2016

He Found Nothing

God creates faith in the human heart, the same way He created the world. He found nothing and created something. -- Martin Luther

He Found Nothing

God creates faith in the human heart, the same way He created the world. He found nothing and created something. -- Martin Luther

Friday, September 9, 2016

PARTICULAR REDEMPTION

Tertullian (A.D. 200): “Christ died for the salvation of His people…for the church.” Cyprian (A.D. 250): “All the sheep which Christ hath sought up by His blood and sufferings are saved…Whosoever shall be found in the blood, and with the mark of Christ shall only escape…He redeemed the believers with the price of His own blood…Let him be afraid to die who is not reckoned to have any part in the cross and sufferings of Christ.” Lactantius (A.D. 320): “He was to suffer and be slain for the salvation of many people…who having suffered death for us, hath made us heirs of the everlasting kingdom, having abdicated and disinherited the people of the Jews…He stretched out His hands in the passion and measured the world, that He might at the very time show that a large people, gathered out of all languages and tribes, should come under His wings, and receive the most great and sublime sign.” Eusebius (A.D. 330): “To what ‘us’ does he refer, unless to them that believe in Him? For to them that do not believe in Him, He is the author of their fire and burning. The cause of Christ’s coming is the redemption of those that were to be saved by Him.” Julius (A.D. 350): “The Son of God, by the pouring out of His precious blood, redeemed His set apart ones; they are delivered by the blood of Christ.” Hilarion (A.D. 363): “He shall remain in the sight of God forever, having already taken all whom He hath redeemed to be kings of heaven, and co-heirs of eternity, delivering them as the kingdom of God to the Father.” Ambrose (A.D. 380): “Before the foundation of the world, it was God’s will that Christ should suffer for our salvation…Can He damn thee, whom He hath redeemed from death, for whom He offered Himself, whose life He knows is the reward of His own death?” Pacian (A.D. 380): “Much more, He will not allow him that is redeemed to be destroyed, nor will He cast away those whom He has redeemed with a great price.” Epiphanius (A.D. 390): “If you are redeemed…If therefore ye are bought with blood, thou are not the number of them who were bought with blood, O Manes, because thou deniest the blood…He gave His life for His own sheep.” Jerome (A.D. 390): “Christ is sacrificed for the salvation of believers…Not all are redeemed, for not all shall be saved, but the remnant…All those who are redeemed and delivered by Thy blood return to Zion, which Thou hast prepared for Thyself by Thine own blood…Christ came to redeem Zion [a metaphor for the church] with His blood. But lest we should think that all are Zion or every one in Zion is truly redeemed of the Lord, who are redeemed by the blood of Christ form the Church…He did not give His life for every man, but for many, that is, for those who would believe.” Anselm: “If you die in unbelief, Christ did not die for you.” Remigius (A.D. 850): “Since only the elect are saved, it may be accepted that Christ did not come to save all and did not die on the cross for all.” IRRESISTIBLE GRACE Ignatius: “Pray for them, if so be they may repent, which is very difficult; but Jesus Christ, our true life, has the power of this.” Justin Martyr (A.D. 150): “Having sometime before convinced us of the impossibility of our nature to obtain life, hath now shown us the Savior, who is able to save them which otherwise were impossible to be saved…Free will has destroyed us; we are sold into sin.” Barnabas (A.D. 70): “God gives repentance to us, introducing us into the incorruptible temple.” Irenaeus (A.D. 180): “Not of ourselves, but of God, is the blessing of our salvation…Man, who was before led captive, is taken out of the power of the possessor, according to the mercy of God the Father, and restoring it, gives salvation to it by the Word; that is, by Christ; that many may experimentally learn that not of himself, but by the gift of God, he receives immortality.” Tertullian (A.D. 200): “Do you think, O men, that we could ever have been able to have understood these things in the Scriptures unless by the will of Him that wills all things, we had received grace to understand them?…But by this it is plain, that it (faith) is not given to thee by God, because thou dost not ascribe it to Him alone.” Cyprian (A.D. 250): “Whatsoever is grateful is to be ascribed not to man’s power, but to God’s gift. It is God’s, I say, all is God’s that we can do. Yea, that in nothing must we glory, since nothing is ours.” Arnobius (A.D. 303): “You place the salvation of your souls in yourselves, and trust that you may be made gods by your inward endeavor, yet it is not our own power to reach things above.” Lactantius (A.D. 320): “The victory lies in the will of God, not in thine own. To overcome is not in our power.” Athanasius (A.D. 350): “To believe is not ours, or in our power, but the Spirit’s who is in us, and abides in us.”

Thursday, September 8, 2016

IF WE WOULD PERCEIVE

"If we would perceive the worthlessness of this fading life, we must be deeply affected by the view of the heaven life." (Syn. Gosp. II:305) "No man can meditate on the heavenly life, unless he be dead to the world, and to himself." (Is. IV:242) "If meditation on the heavenly life were the prevailing sentiment in our hearts, the world would have no influence in detaining us." (John II: 30) "We ought to apply our minds to meditation upon a future life, so that this world may become cheap to us." (Dan. I:226) "We look at nothing but the world, till the Lord has drawn us to Himself." (Past. Epp. 319) "The Lord, by calling us to heaven, withdraws us from the earth." (Past. Epp. 320) John Calvin

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

the sense of the excellency of Christ

"The notion that there is a Christ, and that Christ is holy and gracious, is conveyed to the mind by the Word of God, but the sense of the excellency of Christ by reason of that holiness and grace, is nevertheless immediately the work of the Holy Spirit." - Jonathan Edwards (Monergism Books)

Friday, June 3, 2016

ADDING SOMETHING

Charles Spurgeon: And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

GRATEFUL AND PEACEFUL HEARTS

"If it be plain that adversities are good for us, why should we not then endure them with grateful and peaceful hearts?" - John Calvin, On the Christian Life

"All the miseries which God sends in this world for sin are to put us in mind of our state and condition we are in, and therefore that we should thereby enter into an examining of our sins, to condemn ourselves before God, and after we are condemned, to ask him pardon and pray him to clothe us anew with those blessings which we lost through our thanklessness, and to reform us by his justice and repair us by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." - John Calvin, Sermons on 1 Timothy

Men and women are ...stuffed with all kinds of rebellion, of ignorance, of want of faith, of deceit, of hypocrisy, and such like. And now, what is he that dares boast of himself? So then our faults must put us in mind to run to God and confess that we are in his sight as castaways and without any hope. Ibid

Monday, May 30, 2016

PRAYER IN ALL

If Jesus is to save you, you must pray. If your sins are to be forgiven, you must pray. If the Spirit is to dwell in your heart, you must pray. If you are to have strength against sin, you must pray. If you are to dwell with God in heaven, your heart must talk with God upon earth by prayer. Oh! do not be a prayerless Christian, whatever others may think right. Begin to pray this day if you never prayed before. Remember if you and I are to meet each other with joy at Christ’s appearing, you must pray. -J.C. Ryle-

KIND AND DURATION

Thomas Watson "A contented Christian does not seek to choose his cross but leaves God to choose for him. He is content with both for the kind and the duration."

Friday, May 27, 2016

WORRIED OR BITTER

Worry is not believing God will get it right, and bitterness is believing God got it wrong. ~Tim Keller

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Happiness in Thee

Help me never to expect happiness from the world, but only in Thee. -- Valley of Vision

Monday, May 9, 2016

ADOPTION IS A GREATER MERCY

Adoption is a greater mercy than Adam had in paradise.
Author: Thomas Watson

Saturday, May 7, 2016

PROPER WORSHIP

"When we believe that we should be satisfied rather than God glorified in our worship, then we put God below ourselves as though He had been made for us rather than that we had been made for Him."

-Stephen Charnock

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Gate of the Year

I actually prefer Ravi's paraphrased version better, but I will post the original poem.
God Knows
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
So heart be still:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.
God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.
Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill
"The Gate of the Year" is the popular name given to a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins. The title given to it by the author was "God Knows"

Sunday, May 1, 2016

GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS

"...If we will pray to God aright, we must know what his will is, and to understand that, we must know what he has shown us in his word, we must frame ourselves to it, we must hear what he says to us and adjust all of our requests according to his will, resting ourselves upon his promises. And then let us not doubt but that when we call upon him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall feel that our prayers will not be in vain, nor unprofitable...."  -- John Calvin

Saturday, April 30, 2016

GOD REMEMBERS HIS CHILDREN

He who counts the stars and calls them by their names is in no danger of forgetting His children.

-- CHS

PRAYER AND LABOR

The praying disciple needs to be taught the necessity of labor and the laboring disciple needs to be taught the necessity of prayer. When our men of devotion become men of diligence and our men of diligence become men of devotion, when there is a union of humble hearts and busy hands, then shall the wonders of the Gospel be spread fruitfully abroad. -Thomas Chalmers-

PERSUADED OF GOD'S KINDNESS

"He who is persuaded of God's kindness towards him is able to stand firm in the heaviest afflictions." John Calvin

PRAYER IS UTTER DEPENDENCY

"Prayer is abandoning hope of independent capability and believing that in Christ you're given everything you need for life and godliness ...prayer decimates my independent self-surety; it puts my utter dependency before my eyes and calls me to cry out for the help that I am so often tempted to deny I need." - Paul David Tripp