A post on Prayer by J.A.M.

Scripture calls us to pray all the time. We all know this. We all know we should pray, but we don’t always pray. If we are honest with ourselves we don’t always want to pray. We cannot always focus in prayer. There are times when we just do not want to pray, it is the last thing we would want to do. Most of us probably wouldn’t admit this. John Bunyan, however, was willing to admit this. I came across this quote while I was preparing last week to teach on the Holy Spirit’s ministry of intercession and supplication. I think we’d all do well to share in Bunyan’s honesty and reliance on the Holy Spirit in those times where we loathe prayer. May I but speak my own experience, and from that tell you the difficulty to praying to God as I ought; it is enough to make you poor, blind, carnal men, to entertain strange thoughts of me, for, as my heart, when I go to pray, I find it so loathe to go to God, and when it is with him, so loathe to stay with him, that many times I am force in my prayers; first to beg God that he would take mine heart, and set it on himself in Christ, and when it is there, that he would keep it there (Psalm 86:11). Nay, many times I know not what to pray for, I am so blind, nor how to pray I am so ignorant; only (blessed be Grace) that the Spirit helps our infirmities [Romans 8:26]. Oh the starting-holes that the heart hath in time of prayer! None knows how many by-ways the heart hath, and back-lanes, to slip away from the presence of God. How much pride also, if enabled with expressions. How much hypocrisy, if before others? And how little conscience is there made of prayer between God and the soul in secret, unless there Spirit of supplication [Zech. 12:10] be there to help. – as quoted in, A Puritan Theology by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones. p. 426. May we pray with Bunyan for the Lord to constantly set our affections and set it on himself in Christ, and once our hearts rest there that He might keep our hearts there. May we pray with the disciples, “teach us how to pray.”

A Wonderful Prayer

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. BCP (Contemporary Collects); Thanks Lee.

Our labors are not intended

What is God's remedy for dejection at apparent failure in our labours? This - the assurance that God's purpose cannot fail, that God's plans cannot miscarry, that God's will must be done. Our labours are not intended to bring about that which God has not decreed. A.W. Pink

THE MEEK SUBMIT

The meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to His Word and to His rod, who follow His directions, and comply with His designs, and are gentle toward all men. Matthew Henry

THE END OF ANXIETY

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George Muller

ETERNITY

Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise. Author: Thomas Watson

PRAISE THEE AS I OUGHT

When I see Thee as Thou art, I’ll praise Thee as I ought. Author: John Newton

Affliction Sanctified

Affliction Sanctified Whatsoever is good for God's children they shall have it, for all is theirs to further them to heaven; therefore, if poverty be good, they shall have it; if disgrace be good, they shall have it; if crosses be good, they shall have them; if misery be good, they shall have it; for all is ours, to serve for our greatest good. Richard Sibbs

A DUNGEON WITH CHRIST

"A dungeon with Christ is a throne, and a throne without Christ is a hell." ~ Martin Luther

O PRIZE CHRIST

O prize Christ, who, to redeem lost man, did hang upon a tree, and drink the cup of wrath as the bitter fruits of sin, and was buried in a garden. The first Adam ate of the forbidden tree, and Christ hung on the cursed tree. Adam’s preposterous love to his wife made him sin, and Christ’s love to his spouse made him suffer. Our first parents pleased their sensual appetite with the taste of the pleasant fruit of the forbidden tree; and therefore Christ got vinegar mixed with gall to drink upon the cross tree. Adam sinned in a garden, and in a garden was Christ buried. By eating the forbidden fruit, death came upon all men to condemnation; and by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ, life is brought to the soul. O then, sinners, flee unto the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath restored that which the first Adam took away; and ye shall be reinstated in all that happiness and favour with God, which he forfeited by eating the forbidden fruit. -Thomas Boston-

UNION WITH CHRIST

Union with Christ is not to be understood as a “moment” in the application of salvation to believers. Rather, it is a way of speaking about the way in which believers share in Christ in eternity (by election), in past history (by redemption), in the present (by effectual calling, justification, and sanctification), and in the future (by glorification). ‪#‎MichaelHorton‬

SPURGEON ON PREDESTINATION

I am persuaded that the doctrine of predestination is one of the 'softest pillows' upon which the Christian can lay his head, and one of the 'strongest staffs' upon which he may lean, in his pilgrimage along this rough road. ~CH Spurgeon

CURE A MUNDANE DAY

Maybe the cure for a mundane day has nothing to do with changing the events and circumstances of the day, but everything to do with the mindset and attitude in those events and circumstances.

CHEERFULLY ACQUIESCE

"It is our interest, as well as duty, cheerfully to acquiesce in the will of God, whatever befalls us. That we may not complain of what is, let us see God's hand in all events; and, that we may not be afraid of what shall be, let us see all events in God's hand." --Matthew Henry

COMPLETE IN HIM

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

HOW DO WE MEASURE GROWTH

Why do we have a perpetual tendency to major in minors? As Christians, we want to be recognized for our growth in sanctification and for our righteousness. Which is easier to achieve, maturity in showing mercy or in the paying of tithes? To pay my tithes certainly involves a financial sacrifice of sorts, but there is a real sense in which it is cheaper for me to drop my money into the plate than it is for me to invest my life in the pursuit of justice and mercy. We tend to give God the cheapest gifts. Which is easier, to develop the fruit of the Spirit, conquering pride, covetousness, greed, and impatience, or to avoid going to movie theaters or dancing? We also yearn for clearly observable measuring rods of growth. How do we measure our growth in patience or in compassion? It is much more difficult to measure the disposition of our hearts than it is to measure the number of movies we attend. R.C. Sproul

WHY BE REGENERATE AT ALL

"If we hold that we become regenerate because we have already believed, then we have to show why we need to be regenerated at all... The doctrine of regeneration has a great deal to say about election and this doctrine of divine choice... The natural man hates this doctrine more than any other."-Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Ephesians - God's Ultimate Purpose)

PEOPLE IN AWE OF GOD

The complaint that church is boring is never made by people in awe. 
~~ R. C. Sproul ~~

Questions about the Sabbath

a.  How many of the 10 commandments had ceremonial and moral elements woven into it's one command?

b.  How many of the 10 commandments (or any moral command) pointed to the "eternal rest"

c.  How many of the ceremonial laws pointed to the "eternal rest" but not to Christ.

d.  How many of the ceremonial laws were abrogated by Christ without vestige?

e.  Considering that all the ceremonial Sabbaths had their origin from either the 10, or the Creation, it seems hard to understand why they did not retain the moral elements of their very name and their very origin.

f.  What other ceremonial laws (or civil laws) are based in origin from the other 9 commands, but retained only ceremonial and civil features while abandoning it's moral features and origin.

g.  Are we saying that among the Creation Ordinances that Adam would not have had Civil laws before the fall.  Yes, Adam would have naturally kept the 10 commandments, but even so 7 Billion upright persons would still need a Civil structure of how things are shared and operate: who gets to live by the beach, will there be a speed limit for cars, will there be a hunting license to maintain deer populations,  can I chop your favorite tree down for my house.

h.  How many of the 10 commandments (or any moral command) were altered in observance upon the resurrection of Christ/entrance of the New Covenant.

d.  How many things in the creation ordinance had "ceremonial" and "moral" elements.

Thomas Boston Good Quote

Thomas Boston, Works, 2:73:

 The law is perfect, and requires a full conformity thereto. It requires the utmost perfection in every duty, and forbids the least degree of every sin. So that life and salvation are absolutely unattainable by it, since no man can perform such an obedience to it as it requires. Our salvation is suspended in obedience to the law; which since we cannot perform, let us be induced to betake ourselves to the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, by which the law is magnified and made honourable, and with which God is well pleased; and will be pleased with every sinner that takes the benefit thereof.