YOUR MANY DEFECTS

Your many defects and corruptions (Arthur Pink, "Christ our Exemplar")

"Leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1 Peter 2:21
 
Sincere believers are often cast down by the realization of how far, far short they come to measuring up to the standard which Christ has set before them. According to the yearnings of the new nature—you have sincerely endeavored to follow Christ's example, but being weak in grace and meeting with much opposition from the flesh and temptations from the Devil—you have been frequently turned aside from the holy purposes and designs of your honest hearts—to the great grief and discouragement of your souls. You can heartily say with David, "O that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!" (Psalm 119:5), and you have tried hard and long to follow after exact holiness, "if by any means you might attain unto it." But your efforts have been repeatedly thwarted, your aspirations dashed, and you have to cry out, "O wretched man that I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin!" (Romans 7:24)

First, let us assure the genuinely exercised soul, that such defects in obedience do not invalidate your justification, or in any way affect your acceptance with, and standing before God. Your justification is not built upon your obedience—but upon Christ's. However imperfect you are in yourself, you are "complete in Him" (Col. 2:10). Woe had it been to Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul—if their justification had depended upon their own holiness and good works. Let not, then, your sad failures dampen your joy in Christ—but rather be increasingly thankful for His robe of righteousness, which hides your filthy rags!

Second, your heart-anguish over your unlikeness to Christ, evidences that you have a sincere acquaintance with the evil of your heart, a deep loathing of sin, and truly love God. The most eminent saints have made the bitterest lamentation on this account, "My sins have flooded over my head; they are a burden too heavy for me to bear. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness!" (Psalm 38:4-5)

Third, the Holy Spirit makes an excellent use of your infirmities, and turns your failures unto spiritual advantages. By those very defects—He humbles you, subdues your self-righteousness, causes you to appreciate more deeply the riches of free grace, and to place a higher value upon the precious blood of the Lamb. By your many falls—He makes you to long more ardently for Heaven—and gradually reconciles you to the prospect of death. The more a holy soul is buffeted by sin and Satan—the more sincerely will he cry out, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest!" (Psalm 55:6). "O the blessed chemistry of Heaven, to extract such mercies—out of such miseries!" (John Flavel), to make sweet flowers—spring up out of such bitter roots! Fourth, your bewailed infirmities do not break the bond of the Everlasting Covenant! That holds firm, notwithstanding your many defects and corruptions. "Iniquities prevail against me" said David—yet in the same breath he added, "You shall purge them away!" (Psalm 65:3)

Fifth, though the defects of your obedience are grievous to God—yet your deep sorrows for them are well-pleasing in His sight, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit—a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise!" (Psalm 51:17)

Sixth, your very grief is a conformity to Christ—for when here, He was "the Man of sorrows." If He suffered because of our sins—shall we not be made to weep over them?

Seventh, "Though God has left many defects to humble you—yet He has given many things to comfort you. This is a comfort—that your sins are not your delight as once they were—but your shame and sorrow! This is a comfort—that your case is not singular, but more or less the same complaints and sorrows are found in all gracious souls in the world!" (John Flavel)

NO MOTIVE TO WITHDRAW

God was not induced to bestow His renewing grace in the first instance, by anything which He saw, meritorious or attractive, in the repenting sinner; and therefore the subsequent absence of everything good in him would be no new motive to God for withdrawing His grace.

--The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination 186

Waiter, not Chef

"A preacher is not a chef; he's a waiter.  God doesn't want you to make the meal.  He just wants you to deliver it to the table without messing it up.  That's all.  We are servants under divine commission."

-- John MacArthur. 

Thomas Brooks Meme

Great Luther Quote

LUTHER QUOTE

DOST THOU UNDERSTAND

CUP OF COLD WATER

Maybe this is a bad illustration, so feel free to critique it; but glean my aim behind it. When a young child draws a picture or painting for there parent. The parent loves the picture and the child, yet it is not because the picture has professional aspects found in Rembrandt, van Gogh, da Vinci, Monet, Michelangleo, etc. The parent loves the child even if the child had not drawn a picture, the parent loves the child because the child is his.

Christians are adopted by Father through the grace and love of Jesus whom He sent in grace and love. Christians belong to God, we are His children, we are made in His image, and now bear the aroma of Christ. Because He first loved us, we love Him; We enjoy "drawing pictures" for Him. He "accepts our pictures" through Christ despite how poor, simple, and worthless they are in themselves. We need not fear or be anxious that others have better pictures or better skills, God loves us.

We need not worry that the world has zero interest in our labors and efforts, they certainly will not; but we are not "drawing pictures" for the world, we are drawing them for God. So I aim to encourage all Christians in this manner-- take today to draw pictures for your Heavenly Father.

This may mean witness to someone, visiting someone who is in the hospital, nursing home, or shut-in; it may mean making a blog entry, video devotional, or sending an encouraging email. It could be watching someone's kids for them while they are out of town or facing an emergency.

The world did not care what Noah was doing, but Noah did not care what the world thought. Noah was doing his labor to honor God, because He knew God was trustworthy. I need to remember how rejected Elijah, Elisha and all the prophets were; We know how God assured Ezekiel that men would reject him, but Ezekiel was not living to please men or gain their affirmation or feedback (in essence). The same is said by Paul in Galatians 1. There were assuredly wealthy kings, rulers, and men in Jesus' day, yet God does not involve them in the feeding of the 5,000; rather, He involved a little boy with just a basket of food. If God has given you a basket of food, and He has, don't despise it. Don't think you need to own 10 restaurants to "make an impact."

Wikipedia is saying McDonalds has over 36,000 locations world-wide, such stores like this and Walmart may donate millions to charitable endeavors, yet you look at your monthly budget and only have $20 to apply to Christian ministry (and I don't mean only giving money to a group, though that is one way to bless someone. I mean personal using that money in an endeavor which you are directly engaged in serving or witnessing etc.) -- even so God remembers the cup of cold water given to His disciples in His name. There is over 7 hours of daylight left today....go out and give a cup of cold water.

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REFER IT BACK TO GOD

But we are short-sighted creatures, not only unworthy--but unable to rightly choose for ourselves.

If the choice was left to us--it would be our wisdom to refer it back to God.

We may be sure that He does not willingly grieve or afflict us. He takes no pleasure in seeing us weep and mourn--rather, every day brings us ten thousand proofs that He delights in our prosperity.

Whenever we are in heaviness, therefore, there is a need-be for it--faithful are the wounds of such a Friend! Our trials are made no sooner, nor longer--than the necessity of the case requires. He who wounds--has promised likewise to heal. He is all sufficient, and can give more than He will ever take away from His redeemed people. I trust she will find power to commit herself, and her every concern, into His hands; and that she will have reason to acknowledge, from day to day, that He does all things well!

Whatever the outcome may be--our Lord is wise and good in all His dealings. His mercies to us are new every morning--and as numerous as the minutes of our lives!

One of the excerpts from John Newton's Letters.

WRITE ON WATER

Great Quote from C.H.Spurgeon ~ You write His mercies on the water, but your own trials you engrave on granite; these things ought not to be.

COMPLETE IN CHRIST

Oh desponding Christian, is not your grief caused by looking within yourself? Is not that miserable feeling of failure and disappointment, caused by your strange fixation upon your hollow heart of iniquity? You look within, hoping to find something good, something pure, something precious, something clean--but what do you see? Nothing but sin! To stare into one's self--is to stare into a bottomless pit of despair and hopelessness! "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked!" Jeremiah 17:9

Will we ever learn this? There is nothing within us to give us hope, rest, or peace. Have we ever found anything within us that gave us joy? Of course not! Then why do we continue to stare into the darkness? All that we see within is foul, ugly, and grim! One glance within ought to sicken us. We would sooner find diamonds in a dunghill or roses growing in a sewer--than find goodness dwelling within!

In ourselves we are sinful, guilty, and vile! But bless God forever! Our standing before God is not in ourselves; it's in Christ! He is . . .
our Salvation,
our Righteousness,
our Hope,
our Holiness, and
our Acceptance with God!

Change the direction of your gaze--and look up! Stop staring into the empty void of your heart--and fix your eyes upon Jesus your Lord, in whom all fullness dwells. Our hope is not within, but without, seated at the right hand of the Father! Lift up your head that is bowed down with guilt and shame! Behold Christ your Savior! Behold your glorious Redeemer! Bid sorrow goodbye and fear depart! Rejoice, for "You are complete in Him!"

Believers are perfect in Christ. To be complete in Christ is to be perfect in Christ. Perfect is not something that we will be, or strive to be--but something that we are right now, by virtue of our eternal union with God's darling Son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are, by the free grace of God, complete in Christ our Savior!
We lack nothing!
All that He is--we are in Him!
All that He has--we have in Him!
All that He has done--we've done in Him!
We possess the infinite fullness of eternal life and everlasting salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord!

We are completely righteous in Him!
We are completely holy in Him!
We are completely forgiven in Him!
We are completely accepted in Him!
We are completely, everlastingly, perfectly sinless in Him!

"Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith" Hebrews 12:2

~Frank Hall

IT IS THE DUTY

"It is the duty of God’s servants to warn men of their danger, to point out that the way of rebellion against God leads to certain destruction and to call upon them to throw down the weapons of their revolt and flee from the wrath to come. It is their duty to teach men that they must turn from their idols and serve the living God, otherwise they will eternally perish. It is their duty to rebuke wickedness wherever it be found and to declare that the wages of sin is death.

This will not make for their popularity, for it will condemn and irritate the wicked, and such plain speaking will seriously annoy them. Those who expose hypocrites, resist tyrants, oppose the wicked, are ever viewed by them as troublemakers. But as Christ declared, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” ( Matthew 5:11,12)."

~ Arthur Pink, "The Life of Elijah"

CHRIST WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH

Christ Will Build His Church

Forever let us thank God that the building of the one true Church is laid on the shoulders of One who is mighty. Let us bless God that it does not rest upon man. Let us bless God that it does not depend on missionaries, ministers, or committees.

Christ is the almighty Builder. He will carry on His work, though nations and visible Churches do not know their duty. Christ will never fail. That which He has undertaken He will certainly accomplish! ~ J.C. Ryle

Merciful High Priest

"Let us take comfort in the thought that the Lord Jesus does not cast off His believing people because of failures and imperfections. He knows what they are. He takes them, as the husband takes the wife--with all their blemishes and defects; and once joined to Him by faith, He will never leave them. He is a merciful and compassionate High-priest. It is His glory to pass over the transgressions of His people, and to cover their many sins.

He knew what... they were before conversion--wicked, guilty, and defiled; yet He loved them.

He knows what they will be after conversion--weak, erring, and frail; yet He loves them.

He has undertaken to save them, notwithstanding all their shortcomings--and what He has undertaken, He will perform.

Let us learn to pass a charitable judgment on the conduct of professing believers. Let us not set them down in a low place, and say they have no grace--because we see much weakness and corruption in them. Let us remember that our Master in Heaven bears with their infirmities--and let us try to bear with them too.

The Church is little better than a great hospital. We ourselves are all, more or less, weak and infirm--and all daily need the skillful treatment of the heavenly Physician. There will be no complete cures until the resurrection day!"

J.C. Ryle

Glory in Nothing but Christ

"Do not glory in your own faith, your own feelings, your own knowledge, or your own diligence. Glory in nothing but Christ." ~ J.C. Ryle

Mrs. Prest, Foxes Book of Martyrs

This is about "Mrs. Prest" from Foxes Book of Martyrs. I am focusing on : the joy and cheer of her face as though preparing for a wedding, despite facing death at the stake.

To the disgrace of Mr. Blackston, treasurer of the church, he would often send for this poor martyr from prison, to make sport for him and a woman whom he kept; putting religious questions to her, and turning her answers into ridicule. This done, he sent her back to her wretched dungeon, while he battened upon the good things of this world.

There was perhaps something simply ludicrous in the form of Mrs. Prest, as she was of a very short stature, thick set, and about fifty-four years of age; but her countenance was cheerful and lively, as if prepared for the day of her marriage with the Lamb.

To mock at her form was an indirect accusation of her Creator, who framed her after the fashion he liked best, and gave her a mind that far excelled the transient endowments of perishable flesh. When she was offered money, she rejected it, "because (said she) I am going to a city where money bears no mastery, and while I am here God has promised to feed me."

When sentence was read, condemning her to the flames, she lifted up her voice and praised God, adding, "This day have I found that which I have long sought." When they tempted her to recant,—"That will I not, (said she) God forbid that I should lose the life eternal, for this carnal and short life. I will never turn from my heavenly husband to my earthly husband; from the fellowship of angels to mortal children; and if my husband and children be faithful, then am I theirs. God is my father, God is my mother, God is my sister, my brother, my kinsman; God is my friend, most faithful."

Being delivered to the sheriff, she was led by the officer to the place of execution, without the walls of Exeter, called Sothenhey, where again the superstitious priests assaulted her.

While they were tying her to the stake, she continued earnestly to exclaim "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" Patiently enduring the devouring conflagration, she was consumed to ashes, and thus ended a life which in unshaken fidelity to the cause of Christ, was not surpassed by that of any preceding martyr.

GOD IS AWARE OF MANY MORE

"Even if we were carefully to examine just one minute of our lives, we would find ourselves worthy of eternal death. Indeed, each one of us would discover ourselves to be sinners, not in just one area but a hundred thousand; not due to some one fault but to countless millions. Now if even we ourselves acknowledge that we are full of so many blemishes, surely God is aware of many more than we could ever perceive, because he sees more deeply than we can, as John writes in his epistle (l John 3:20). Thus, the case is settled. The verdict is that no one can be justified by the law; justification is through faith alone."... Calvin

He will hear His people.

The way my mind works, on one level...it is a very audacious thing to pray.  God is holy, we are sinful, who am I to approach God and think that I will be heard.  On the other hand, it is a very audacious thing not to pray.  Jesus is full of grace, Jesus is my righteousness, how can I possibly think that God will not hear me considering what Christ has done to forgive me, cleanse me, restore me, make me a new creation, and knowing my life is hid in Christ.  Isn't the resurrection of Jesus proof that the Father accepts the life, death, and work of Christ on my behalf, and isn't the resurrection and ascension of Christ proof that the Father will thus hear me when I pray.  Surely God will not resurrect Christ then turn away the very person that he purchased, pardoned, and cleansed.  I will be heard because I have an Holy and Perfect Advocate, I will be heard because I have a High Priest seated in power and glory. 

HOW HIS HEART IS CONSTITUTED

“Those speak foolishly who ascribe their anger or their impatience to such as offend them or to tribulation. Tribulation does not make people impatient, but proves that they are impatient. So everyone may learn from tribulation how his heart is constituted.” - Martin Luther

I am going to add here, not only anger or impatience, but possibly even "ongoing" sorrow and depression.  Yes we should be grieved for a short season at things;  but we should not have "ongoing" sorrow and depression.  Tribulation once again is displaying how our heart is constituted.  It shows we are not finding our Joy in Christ: His grace and His glory that He has accomplished.

DOCTRINE OF PRAYER

If your knowledge of doctrine does not make you a great man of prayer, you had better examine yourself again.
~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

LOVE NOT THE WORLD

(Horatius Bonar) 

"Do not love the world or anything in the world." 1 John 2:15

WHY?

1. Because the gain of it, is the loss of the soul--Matthew 16:25-26.
 
2. Because its friendship is enmity to God--James 4:4.
 
3. Because it did not know Christ--John 1:10; 17:25.
 
4. Because it hates Christ--John 7:7; 15:18.
 
5. Because the Holy Spirit has forbidden us--1 John 2:15.
 
6. Because Christ did not pray for it--John 17:9.
 
7. Because Christ's people do not belong to it--John 17:16.
 
8. Because its Prince is Satan--John 13:31; 16:11.
 
9. Because Christ's kingdom is not of it--John 18:36.
 
10. Because its wisdom is foolishness--1 Corinthians 1:20.
 
11. Because Christ does not belong to it--John 8:23.
 
12. Because it is condemned--1 Corinthians 11:32.
 
13. Because it is passing away--1 Corinthians 7:31.
 
14. Because it slew Christ--James 5:6; Matthew 21:39.
 
15. Because it is crucified to us--Galatians 6:14.
 
16. Because we are crucified to it--Galatians 6:14.
 
17. Because it is the seat of wickedness--2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:19.
 
18. Because its god is the evil one--2 Corinthians 4:4.
 

HAPPINESS FROM GOD

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

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--

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

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

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.

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.

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

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)

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

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

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.”

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

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)

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.

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

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."

WORRIED OR BITTER

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

Happiness in Thee

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

ADOPTION IS A GREATER MERCY

Adoption is a greater mercy than Adam had in paradise.

Author: Thomas Watson

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

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"

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

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

MICHIGAN STADIUM

Roughly 7000 people die per day in America. At some level that is a low number considering there are over 300 million in America. But just think that every day 7000 people are finding out the reality of either eternal hell or eternal heaven. The number is higher when you consider those that die each day in other nations. According to wikipedia the number jumps to roughly 150,000 per day. The largest capacity football stadium in America holds 107,000. So if you ever see a broadcast of Michigan Stadium and it is packed in attendance, then that would still not convey the number of people who are either in Abraham's bosom or the flame's torment.

A PASSION FOR BEING USED

 Scripture says what motivates real men is a love for the truth; a contempt for error; and a passion for being used by God in the work of snatching people from the grip of the father of lies.
-- Phil Johnson.

RECEIVE SOMETHING AGAIN AND AGAIN

Before it is called to do anything, the church is called to receive something-and not only once, but again and again: namely the announcement that even in its weakness, suffering, half-heartedness, and a legacy of faith stained by unfaithfulness, Christ is King. ~Michael Horton (The Gospel-Driven Life)

NONE OF OUR OWN

"We have no power from God unless we live in the persuasion that we have none of our own." - John Owen

TITLE TO GLORY

“The heir of a great estate, while a child, thinks more of a few shillings in his pocket than of his inheritance. So a Christian is often more elated by some frame of heart than by his title to glory.” 

JOHN NEWTON

HIS DEAR REST

Throw yourself upon God's faithfulness as you do upon your bed, bringing all your weariness to His dear rest. -C.H. Spurgeon-

LOOK TO CHRIST

(George Everard, "Christian Living!" 1881)

I well remember the tenants of a humble cottage in a village in one of the eastern counties. The old couple who dwelt there had once known better days. But they were not left altogether without provision. They had an only son, who had risen to a position of competency, and he never neglected his aged parents. Very liberally did he contribute to their support, and spared nothing that would add to their comfort.

By-and-by the old man died, and the widow was left alone. She had one earthly comfort: she was able to rely with confidence on the kindness and affection of her son. Though she had little means of her own, she never feared that she should lack anything so long as he lived. Shortly after her husband's death, her son wrote her a letter full of filial affection. He told her how deeply he felt for her, and then he promised that he would pay the rent of her cottage, and send her amply enough for the supply of all her needs. If ever she had any special need or difficulty, he assured her that if she would only write and tell him, he would do all in his power to assist her. 

So the old lady lived upon her son, and was without anxiety. She had no care about the future. She had received many tokens of her son's affection, and knew that he loved her. She knew also that his means were sufficient, and that she could trust his promise. So she lived happily and peacefully, relying entirely upon the care which her son had for her.

The life of this aged woman seemed to me a sort of parable of the life which a Christian should lead. It seemed to me very clearly to illustrate the words of Paul: "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

The Christian, like this woman, has no resources in himself. 
He has no stock of grace.
He has no strength to meet temptation. 
He has no means of providing the supplies needful for the journey of life. 
He is poor and needy, frail, weak, and helpless. 
He has nothing to call his own, but sin and misery.

But the Christian has One upon whose faithful love he can ever depend. He can say in his heart, "Christ has given me a sure token of His love. He laid down His life for my sake, He gave Himself for me, and shed His precious blood to cleanse me from my guilt. He has brought me back after all my wanderings. He has taught me to love and serve Him. He has heard my prayers and helped me hitherto--and can I doubt that He will help me even to the end?"

The Christian knows that in Christ, there is abundance of all that he needs. This woman could rely upon her son's affection, and she knew also that he had the ability as well as the will to assist her. The Christian also is persuaded that in Christ are to be found inexhaustible supplies. He has unsearchable riches of mercy, grace, and consolation!

Reader, look unto Christ--and expect from Him all you need. 

Look unto Him for wisdom, to guide and direct you in the difficulties that beset your path.

Look unto Him for righteousness, that, in spite of all your unworthiness and many sins, you may ever have boldness and confidence before God.

Look unto Him for the continual power and grace of His blessed Spirit, the Comforter. You need to mortify sin, and grow in holiness--and this you can only do as the Spirit empowers in you. You need to have a clearer view of Jesus' love, and an increase of faith day by day--and this, too, is given to you by His Spirit. It is the Spirit who testifies of Him, and who can perfect you in His likeness. And He has promised that the Spirit shall dwell with you and lead you into all truth.

Look unto Christ, to assist you and stand by you in the smallest and in the greatest matters. Everything in earth and in Heaven is in the hand of Christ. He can help us in matters that affect our present comfort. He can help us in the hour of death, when friends and kindred must bid us farewell.

The One in whom we trust, can never die. It is quite possible that the son might have died before the widow of whom I have been speaking--and then her prop and her stay would have been gone. But "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." He was dead--yet He is alive for evermore.

Though all earthly friends depart, though we are left alone without a human comforter near--yet Christ abides for evermore. If we trust in Him, we can never be left desolate.

Strive thus to live by faith on Christ continually.

HERE IS THE SACRIFICE

All other sacrifices were consumed by the fire of God’s altar.

Here is the Sacrifice that consumed the fire of God’s wrath.

-- Don Fortner. FROM HEBREWS 1 SERMON.  

CHRIST SHALL BE SATISFIED

"It is not possible that He should be robbed of the purchase of His blood. I tremble when I hear some people talk about the disappointed Christ—or about His having died at a chance to accomplish He knew not what—dying for something which the will of man might give Him if it would, but it might possibly be denied Him! I buy nothing on such terms as that! I expect to have what I purchase and Christ will have what He bought with His own blood—especially as He lives again to claim His purchase! He shall never be a defeated and disappointed Savior! “He loved the Church and gave Himself for it.” He has redeemed His loved ones from among men and He shall have all those whom He has purchased. “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.”

CH Spurgeon.

IF GOD LEFT US

If God left us!

(Thomas Watson, "Four Sad Evils" 1663)

The sins of the ungodly are looking-glasses in which we 
may see our own hearts. Do we see a heinous, impious
wretch? Behold a picture of our own hearts! Such would
we be--if God left us! What is in wicked men's practice
--is in our nature. Sin in the wicked--is like fire which
flames and blazes forth. Sin in the godly--is like fire hid
in the embers. Christian, though you do not break forth
into a flame of scandalous sin--yet you have no cause
to boast, for there is as much sin in the embers of your
nature! You have the root of all sin in you, and would
bear as hellish fruit as any ungodly wretch--if God did
not either curb you by His power, or change you by
His grace!

Why might not God have left you--to the same excess
of wickedness? Think with yourself, O Christian--why
should God be more merciful to you, than to another?
Why should He snatch you, as brand plucked out of
the fire--and not him? How should this make you to
adore free grace! What the Pharisee said boastingly,
we may say thankfully--"God, I thank you that I am
not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers, etc."

If we are not as wicked as others--we should adore the
riches of free-grace! Every time we see men hastening
on in sin--we are to thank God that we are not such!
If we see a crazy person--we thank God that it is not
so with us. When we see another infected with the
plague--how thankful are we, that God has preserved
us from it! Much more when we see others under the
power of Satan--how thankful we should be, that this
is no longer our condition!

"For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived,
captives of various passions and pleasures, living in
malice and envy, hateful . . . ." Titus 3:3

COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF CHRIST

This a close quote and paraphrase of wise words from a distant friend,

 =================
"THE GRAVE ERROR AND TRAGEDY IS THAT:
 1. PEOPLE WANT COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF CHRIST
 2. PEOPLE COME FOR COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF CHRIST
 3. CHURCHES SERVE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF CHRIST
 4. CHURCHES PROVIDE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF CHRIST" =======================

THE BEST OF SAINTS

Even the best of saints, being left to themselves, will quickly appear to be less than men--to be nothing. All our own strength is weakness, and all our wisdom folly. John Owen, Of Temptation, ch. 1.

DEAR TO US

"I say, who can hear Jesus Christ speaking thus, and his heart not fall in love and league with Christ, and his soul not unite to Christ and resign to Christ, and cleave to Christ, and for ever be one with Christ, except it be such that are for ever left by Christ? Well, remember this, the more vile Christ made himself for us, the more dear he ought to be unto us."

THOMAS BROOKS

ENJOY COMMUNION

"Believer, closet prayer will be found to be but a lifeless, comfortless thing, if you do not enjoy communion with God in it. That should be the very soul of all your closet duties, therefore press after it, as for life; when you go into your closet banish every thing that can hinder your enjoyment of Christ."

THOMAS BROOKS

JAMES WHITE ARTICLE

...and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10–12)

 So another "Planned Parenthood is Run by the Descendants of Himmler, Eicke, Göring, and Goebbels" video came out today. Didn't hear? Yeah, I know. Each one generates less and less interest, less and less outrage. We've all noticed it...well, maybe not. Some have just moved on. I mean, football season is back, school has started...September is a busy time you know! I too had hoped that maybe, just maybe, we could see some progress in light of the outrages these videos document. But it did not take too much reflection to realize that nothing was going to happen. The political parties in the United States represent the utter decay of the governmental system of that nation.

The Socialists (why bother with the term Democrat anymore? Let's just get honest, shall we?) are the party of abortion, the destruction of the family, and utter unfettered erotic license, so the last thing they are going to do is allow even the slightest examination of the abortion industry and its centrality to the culture of death. And the other party---well, the terms "gutless," "sold-out," and "compromised" come to my mind all too easily.

 Did you catch the section of The Briefing this week where Albert Mohler discussed George Will's adoption of a position favoring euthanasia? He discussed a "secular conservatism," and how that worldview has no meaningful foundation within it to resist the pull toward the culture of death. The same thing is true here: when you show these videos to a culture that has exchanged the truth of God (life) for the lie (the culture of death, human autonomy, the uncreated nature of man as an accident rather than a responsible creature of God), they may well react negatively (even secularism cannot utterly destroy the imago Dei) in the short term, but the fact is, they do not change the worldview of the viewers. Only the gospel can do that, and even then, only when God blesses that gospel with the Spirit's gracious moving.

If God's wrath has yet to be seen in its full strength upon this nation, you can provide all the evidence you want that our leaders are utterly sold out to corruption, that Planned Parenthood makes Himmler look like a novice, and that it will not be long before our enemies will take from us all of our freedoms and possessions, and it will fall upon judicially closed ears, hardened hearts, and blinded eyes. Yes, yes, I know---how depressing of me. Well, try reading a bit in Jeremiah if you want some kind of precedent. It is not that the prophets of God were not clear enough---it was that God had set the times and seasons for His dealing with Israel, Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, etc., and remember, "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps" (Psalm 135:6).

 No, I am not saying "give up" or "go into hiding." But I am saying that faithfulness in this dark and evil time must be totally, completely focused upon fulfilling one desire: "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." (2 Corinthians 5:9). εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι. In all our words and actions and thoughts. In functioning as salt and light. In being abused and decried and detested. One ambition, one goal, one all-ordering principle in our lives. To be pleasing to Him. No pragmatism. No, "Well, that didn't work! Looks, the pagans are still acting like pagans!" Yes, well, while the wrath of God falls, that is the world we will live in. Who will deny themselves and live for Christ? Who will seek to please Him? That's the question.

GOLDEN COFFIN

"A golden coffin, will be a poor compensation for a damned soul." Spurgeon.

GRACE FROM BEGINNING TO END

"The Christian life starts with grace, it must continue with grace, it ends with grace. Grace, wondrous grace." ~ Lloyd-Jones

Two things always go together

(Arthur Pink, "The Doctrine of Sanctification" 1937) Two things always go together in the experience of a genuine believer: a growing discovery of the vileness of self, and a deepening appreciation of the preciousness of Christ. "Behold, I am vile!" Job 40:4 "O wretched man that I am!" Romans 7:24 "Yes, He is altogether lovely!" Song of Songs 5:16 "To you who believe, He is precious!" 1 Peter 2:7

MERCIFUL GOD

"There is no such thing as a great man of God, only weak, pitiful, faithless men of a great and merciful God." (Paul Washer)

PREACHING CHRIST ALONE

"I do believe we slander Christ when we think we are to draw the people by something else but the preaching of Christ crucified." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

CONGREGATIONS THAT SLANDER CHRIST

CONGREGATIONS THAT SLANDER CHRIST

"I do believe we slander Christ when we think we are to draw the people by something else but the preaching of Christ...

Posted by Preach the Gospel on Wednesday, February 25, 2015

THE MORE HE MOURNS

“I believe the holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him” -C. H. Spurgeon

The more a man looks to Christ, the more he rejoices that his sins are forgiven;  Christ turns our mourning into joy;  We do mourn, being convicted by the Holy Spirit, but we are not condemned.  Todd Lambert

THE SAME COIN

[P]raying and living are two sides of the same coin. -Derek Thomas-

FEELINGS GO

“Feelings come and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God--
Naught else is worth believing.

Though all my heart should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken.

I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever,
For, though all things shall pass away,
HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!”

Martin Luther~

EVEN MY TEARS

"Even my tears of repentance have to be washed by the blood of the Lamb"  -- John Owen.

LET NO ONE FLATTER HIMSELF

'Let no one flatter himself. Each person is a devil, and the only good he has is what comes from God. For what do you have which is yours, except sin? If you would take what is yours, take sin, for righteousness is from God.' -Augustine

NOT PERMITTED

"I am not permitted to let my love be so merciful as to tolerate and endure false doctrine. When faith and doctrine are concerned and endangered, neither love nor patience are in order...when these are concerned, neither toleration nor mercy are in order, but only anger, dispute, and destruction - to be sure, only with the Word of God as our weapon."

- Martin Luther.

ONLY A CHOSEN FEW FRIENDS

“A student who does not want his labor wasted must so read and reread some good writer so that the author is changed, as it were, into his flesh and blood. For a great variety of reading confuses and does not teach. It makes the student like a man who dwells everywhere and, therefore, nowhere in particular. Just as we do not daily enjoy the society of every one of our friends but only that of a chosen few, so it should also be in our studying.”

 –Martin Luther, What Luther Says: An Anthology, comp. Ewald M. Plass (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959), entry no. 344, 112.

FEWER THAN MY SINS

MY TRIALS HAVE BEEN FEWER THAN MY SINS

FROM VALLEY OF VISION

WE ARE WEAK

“Like sheep, we are weak, destitute, defenceless, prone to wander, unable to return, and always surrounded with wolves.

But all is made up in the fulness, ability, wisdom, compassion, care, and faithfulness of our great Shepherd. He guides, protects, feeds, heals, and restores, and will be our guide and our God even until death.

Then He will meet us, receive us, and present us unto Himself, and we shall be near Him, and like Him, and with Him for ever.”

–John Newton, “Cardiphonia” in The Works of John Newton, Volume 1 (London: Hamilton, Adams & Co., 1824), 1: 495.

LOOKING TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS

“An hour should never pass without our looking up to God for forgiveness and peace. This is the noblest science: to know how to live in hourly communion with God in Christ.”

–Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne, Ed. Andrew A. Bonar (Edinburgh; London: Oliphant Anderson & Ferrier, 1894), 146.

HOUSE OF PRAYER

"If Christ lives in you then you have become the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19), and as the temple of God you are to be a house of prayer (Mat 21:13)" Larry Bray.

JOHN OWEN INTRODUCES HEBREWS

Working on Hebrews 1. This introduction by Owen is fabulous foundation to approaching every verse.

WE proceed now unto our principal intendment in all these discourses, which is, the consideration and discussion of those great principles, as of all religion in general, so of the Christian in particular, which the apostle supposeth as a foundation of his whole treaty [reasoning] with the Hebrews, and which are the basis that he stands upon in the management of his whole design.

For in all discourses that are parenetical, as this Epistle for the most part is, there are always some principles taken for granted, which give life and efficacy unto the exhortations in them, and where into they are resolved. For, as to persuade men unto particulars in faith, opinion, or practice, without a previous conviction of such general principles of truth as from which the persuasions used do naturally flow and arise, is a thing weak and inefficacious; so to be exercised in the demonstration of the principles themselves, when the especial end aimed at is to persuade, would bring confusion into all discourse.

Wherefore, although our apostle do assert and confirm those dogmata and articles of truth which he dealt with the Hebrews in a way of persuasion to embrace, yet he supposeth and takes for granted those more general first maxims, which are the foundation both of the doctrines and exhortations insisted on, as all skill in teaching doth require.

And these are those which now we aim to draw forth and consider, being these that follow:-

First, That there was a Messiah, or Savior of mankind from sin and punishment, promised upon, and from, the first entrance of sin into the world, in whom all acceptable worship of God was to be founded, and in whom all the religion of the sons of men was to center.

Secondly, That this Messiah, long before promised, was now actually exhibited in the world, and had finished the work committed unto him, when the apostle wrote this Epistle.

Thirdly, That Jesus of Nazareth was this Messiah, and that what he had done and suffered was the work and duty promised of old
concerning him.

There is not a line in the Epistle to the Hebrews that doth not virtually begin and end in these principles, — not an assertion, not a doctrine, not an exhortation, that is not built on this triple foundation.---- John Owen.

CLEAR THE CHURCH

Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods!
C.H.S.