"Belonging to Jesus"

"Thou hast taught me that faith is nothing else than receiving thy kindness; that it is an adherence to Christ, a resting on him, love clinging to him as a branch to the tree, to seek life and vigor from him." -from "Belonging to Jesus" (page 57)

confidence in Scripture

"All believers have the experience that in the best moments of their life they are also most firm in their belief in Scripture. The believer's confidence in Christ increases along with their confidence in Scripture and, conversely, ignorance of the Scriptures is automatically and proportionately ignorance of Christ." (H. Bavinck, RD.2.440)

SHORTER CAT 100

Q. 100. What doth the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?
A. The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teaches us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.

I WILL HEAL THEIR APOSTASY

(Hos 14:4-8) 4 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.  5 ​I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;  6 his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon.  7 They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.  8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.

JEREMIAH 32:37-42

Jer 32:37-42  Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety.  (38)  And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.  (39)  I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.  (40)  I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.  (41)  I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.  (42)  "For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them.

Cast yourself into the arms of Christ

"Cast yourself into the arms of Christ, and if you perish, perish there." - Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed

PERSONAL REMINDER POST

Hint: From Shem to Abram. Genesis 11:10-32

 This is Genesis 3:15 being carried out to Genesis 12, 15, 17.

 See too, Matthew 1.

Acts 2, is Genesis 12, and is Romans 1:16.


Covenant isn't Co-extensive with Election, the Abrahamic Covenant isn't Co-extensive with Election, the New Covenant isn't co-extensive with election.

SCRIPTURE; BAVINCK'S INSIGHT

“Scripture resists all naturalistic and rationalistic explanations of its origins as revelation and attributes it solely to an extraordinary operative presence of God the Holy Spirit. Scripture does not give us data to interpret; it is itself the interpretation of reality, the shaper of a distinct world view, a worldview that is theistic and naturalistic” (p84) Here again we see Bavinck’s faithful commitment to Holy Scripture. Scripture is the sole authority, and it cannot be proven or interpreted by another means, other than scripture alone. Again this may seem circular, but only a word from God can authorize the word of God, and that is exactly what we have in the Bible. And this is the decisive point; Christianity is based upon a revelation that is received in faith. Not a revelation that can be authenticated, or proven by reason. 

http://onechurchonefaith.blogspot.com/

MERCY OF GOD

Some people imagine that in order to be a merciful Christian you must never present the Word of God, the Holiness of God, the Justice of God, or the Warnings of God; however, it is precisely the mercy of God which ensures that these very things will be presented to mankind. The most unmerciful thing we could do is to fail at presenting these very truths.

To be in His Kingdom

On the morning news a guy shares his experience of auditioning to play guitar on the road with Billy Joel. Billy pulled him aside in private during a session and asked, "So can I use you to go on the road for me?" The guitarists face beamed as he recounted the moment and he said with a smile, "Are you kidding me! Yea!!" The reporters all chuckled at this wonderful excitement of being asked to play for Billy Joel. Years went by and this guitarist was rehearsing in the stud...io and singing the lyrics. Billy walked in the back and asked, "Are you listening to me?" (Being sure that they were). They all said, No, that is the guitarist. And now the guitarist has a cover band for Billy Joel that even Billy thinks sounds like his own voice.

So #1. How excited and grateful and thankful we should be that Jesus called us to be in His kingdom. #2. What a compliment it would be for people to walk in the room and say, "that sounds like Jesus."...May we be transformed into His image in our voice, thoughts, desires, actions. In the interview you could tell this man was genuinely thrilled to be in the band and to be like the leader, what a faint example of how thrilled we should be to be called to His Kingdom and be made like our King.

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If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

SHOULD BE TERRIFIED

In many respects what passes for "the church" should be terrified that Christ is coming again. Dr. Bray

SET MY HEART ON CHRIST

Many times I am forced in my prayers first to beg God that He would take my heart, and set it on Himself in Christ, and when it is there, that He would keep it there.
—John Bunyan

PRESERVING ME

John Newton (of Amazing Grace note)...

"We are poor, weak, inconsistent creatures—if left but a little to ourselves.

When I think how cold, dull and heartless I have been; how often I have wandered, how often trifled upon the brink of temptation; when I consider what powerful, vigilant, and subtle enemies are combined against me; and how many professors have fallen on my right hand and my left—I am amazed at the greatness of His mercy in preserving me! I am a living commentary, that there is forgiveness with Him—and that He is able to save to the uttermost!"

"Hold me up—and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117

A SOLDIER WHO FIGHTS

"Disputations have been allowed from ancient times. Even concerning the Holy Trinity. What good is a soldier if he is not allowed to fight, a sheepdog if he may not bark, and a theologian if he may not debate? Better spend money to support old women who can knit than theologians who cannot discuss." --Martin Luther

THEY ARE FIXED

"So surely as the stars are fashioned by His hands, and their orbits fixed by Him, so surely are our trials allotted to us: He has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us." --C.H. Spurgeon

BOAST IN MY SAVIOR

I do not confess my sins in order to boast in my sins or my sinning, but I confess my sins in order to boast in my Savior and His saving.

DON'T WORRY, LIFE IS NOT ABOUT US

I'm convinced that most all the worrying we do in life occurs because we have forgotten that the Gospel frees us from the idolatry that life is all about us.

FROM AL HARTMAN.

APPROACH BY GRACE

How dare you approach the mercy-seat of God on the basis of what kind of day you had, as if that were the basis for our entrance into the presence of the sovereign and holy God?
No wonder we cannot beat the Devil. This is works theology. It has nothing to do with grace and the exclusive sufficiency of Christ. Nothing.

 ~~ D.A. Carson

GRACE IS AT AN END

"There can be no grace when there is no sovereignty. Deny God’s right to choose whom He will and you deny His right to save whom He will. Deny His right to save whom He will and you deny that salvation is of grace. If salvation is made to hinge upon any merit or fitness in man, seen or foreseen, grace is at an end." - Horatius Bonar

Apologetics to One Audience

I think I suffered from being drawn into apologetics without having the proper foundation of "why" we give an apologetic. Without a proper foundation it is easy to be focused on making points and better points to bring someone to see the "irrefutable" prove of a position, this leads to great frustration as this someone continues to reject the obvious, but this is because one began with the wrong foundation entirely. Our apologetics must begin with a focus on "one audience" ...only-- the Lord. Is the Lord being glorified, praised, honored, pleased in this apologetic. Am I humble, prayerful, meek, loving, diligent, serving, sacrificial, encouraging, friendly, forgiving, forbearing, patient, kind in the apologetic. If we provide an apologetic in faith, and with a single-eye upon providing it as an act of thanksgiving and worship to the Lord then our foundation will be proper; and frustration will not develop because we will not look to earthly results in our offering which is heaven-ward.