Mon., 4/11/11 Devotion (2 Thess. 3:3)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Thessalonians 3:3, where we read these words:

"But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one."

It is wonderful that God protects His churchmen from "the evil one." The old snake comes slithering around in all kinds of guises. He is a restless, sullen, and driven foe. Sometimes he lands a "punch" on some of the Lord's children--but he is never able to fell us.

Let all Christ's believing people be thankful that our Lord is "faithful"; and that this kind grace expresses itself in both the "establishment" of our souls, and the safety and security of them. This is no small bles-
sing--as the world of fallen sinners is not a "walk in the park."

[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ gives to those who come to Him such comfort and pleasure as are enough to make them forget all their former labor and travail." --Jonathan Edwards, in the book, "On Knowing Christ"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 4/8-10/11 Devotion

Hip, hip, hooray--it's almost Sunday!! We actually GET to go back to church, to hear the gospel, and be fed by God's means of grace in Jesus! In order to help get us ready, here is Thomas Watson, from his
"The Ten Commandments" book. . . .

"If a man has no power to keep the whole moral law, why does God require it of him? Is this justice?

"Though man has lost his power of obeying, God has not lost His right of commanding. If a master entrusts a servant with money to lay out, and the servant spends it dissolutely, may not the master justly de-
mand it? God gave us power to keep the moral law, which by tamper-
ing with sin, we lost; but may not God still call for perfect obedience, or, in case of default, justly punish us?

"Why does God permit such an inability in man to keep the law?

"He does it: (1) To humble us. Man is a self-exalting creature; and if he has but anything of worth, he is ready to be puffed up; but when he comes to see his deficiencies and failings, and how far short he comes of the holiness and perfection which God's law requires, it pulls down the plumes of his pride, and lays them in the dust; he weeps over his inability; he blushes over his leprous spots; he says with Job, 'I abhor myself in dust and ashes.' (2) God lets this inability be upon us, that we may have recourse to Christ to obtain pardon for our defects, and to sprinkle our best duties with His blood. When a man sees that he owes perfect obedience to the law, but has nothing to pay, it makes him flee to Christ to be his friend, and answer for him all the demands of the law, and set him free in the court of justice."

Thurs., 4/7/11 Devotion (1 Thess. 4:1a)

Today's encouragement comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:1a, where we read these words:

"Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more . . . "

Sometimes churchmen are tempted to think, "I'm doing pretty well in my walk with the Lord. Now I can just coast." But this is not an option for a sincere believer. Instead, we are exhorted to bear even *more* fruit, and to increase our influence "more and more," (cf. v. 10b).

The reason for this is because Christ is an inexhaustible supply of bles-
sing and provision. Because we can never plumb the depths of His love and grace, there can be no limit (or end) to the effectiveness church-
men are to have in His world. Therefore, today, let us "abound more and more" in Jesus.

[Puritan quote of the day: "God has a greater delight in the sincere worship and love of one poor, obscure Christian than in all that is done throughout the globe by irreligious kings and princes." --Jona-
than Edwards, in his sermon, "Christians a Chosen Generation"]

Wed., 4/6/11 Devotion (Lev. 9:4b)

Today's encouragement comes from Leviticus 9:4b, where we read these few words:

" . . . For today the LORD will appear to you."

Every Lord's Day, in the proper worship of the church, God "appears" to His people, and visits them, with His grace and mercy (in Christ). In Lev. 9, God came to the people in their worship, (see vv. 23-24). But the Lord may also "appear" to His saints throughout the week--subor-
dinate to Sabbath worship, but nonetheless every bit as really.

Are our hearts broken? Are we contrite before God? Do we mourn our sins; and cry out for Jesus, and His grace? Then, God is certainly near to us, visiting us, (cf. Ps. 34:18).

[Puritan quote of the day: "He who has God to be his God is so well contented with His condition that he does not much care whether he has anything else." --Thomas Watson, in, "The Art of Divine Content-
ment"]

Tues., 4/5/11 Devotion (1 Thess. 2:2b)

Today's encouragement comes from 1 Thessalonians 2:2b, where we read these words:

" . . . we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict."

Sometimes we are able to do the greatest things, when we are under the most intense pressure. Here, Paul had been under enormous stress, but he was still able to preach the gospel to the Thessalon-
ians--and to do it "boldly" "in [his] God." If we think we have to wait for everything in our lives to "calm down" before we think we can do anything of value for the ministry of the church--then we will never act at all.

Indeed, conflict or hardship (pressure) either totally stymies our effec-
tiveness, or it motivates us on in more fruitfulness. Let all the faithful church today recognize that life is not always "easy"--but let us not use this as an excuse to rob ourselves, our Savior, our church, and our world of the benefits God may bring through us.

[Puritan quote of the day: "God cannot be pacified by any other means than by the infinite price of the death and blood of His own Son, one drop of which is more precious than all the creatures of heaven and earth." --Jeremiah Burroughs, in, "Gospel Remission"]

Mon., 4/4/11 Devotion (1 Thess. 1:8)

Today's encouragement comes from 1 Thessalonians 1:8, which says this:

"For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything."

How could a little church in Thessalonica, in the days before Al Gore invented the internet, have its gospel message of faith broadcast all over the world? By the grace of God. Whenever and wherever a faith-
ful church worships Christ on His Day (Sunday)--the Lord makes sure that His glory, His gospel, and His word gets spread about.

Do we understand (completely) how this happens? No; but it is true, nonetheless. Let us recognize that our greatest evangelistic witness happens in the church's worship services; and let us thank God that His praise does indeed go out from there to all the earth.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Those whose hearts follow hard after the
Lord have the right hand of God upholding them." --Jeremiah Bur-
roughs, in, "Gospel Worship"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 4/1-3/11 Devotion

Yippee--it's almost Sunday! We get to go back to church again! In or-
der to get us ready, here is Thomas Watson, from his book, "The Ten Commandments." TW is dealing with love to God here. . . .

"What is love?

"It is a holy fire kindled in the affections, whereby a Christian is car-
ried out strongly after God as the supreme good. What is the antece-
dent of love to God?

"The antecedent of love is knowledge. The Spirit shines upon the un-
derstanding, and discovers the beauties of wisdom, holiness, and mercy in God; and these are the loadstone [magnet] to entice and draw out love to God; 'Ignoti nulla cupido': such as know not God can-
not love Him. If the sun be set in the understanding, there must needs be night in the affections.

"Wherein does the formal nature of love consist?

"The nature of love consists in delighting in an object. 'Complacentia amantis in amato': [The lover's delight in his beloved], Aquinas. This is loving God, to take delight in Him. 'Delight yourself also in the Lord,' (Psa 37:4), as a bride delights herself in her jewels. Grace
changes a Christian's aims and delights.

"How must our love to God be qualified?

"(1) If it be a sincere love, we love God with all our heart. 'You shall love the Lord your God with all thy heart.' God will have the whole heart. We must not divide our love between him and sin. The true mother would not have the child divided, nor will God have the heart divided; it must be the whole heart.

"(2) We must love God 'propter se,' for Himself, for His own intrinsic excellencies. We must love Him for His loveliness. 'Meretricius est amor plus annulum quam sponsum amare': 'It is a harlot's love to love the portion more than the person.' Hypocrites love God because He gives them corn and wine: we must love God for Himself; for those shining perfections which are in Him."