Fri.-Sabbath, 11/1-3/24 Devotion

Bless God—Sunday is almost here. In order to help us get ready for the church worship services, here are good words from Jonathan Edwards' ser-mon, entitled, “The Holy Spirit Forever To Be Communicated To The Saints In The Grace of Charity, Or Divine Love.” . . .

“The Spirit of Christ is given to His church and people everlastingly to influ-ence and dwell in them. The Holy Spirit is the great purchase, or purchased gift, of Christ. The chief and sum of all the good things in this life and in the life to come that are purchased for the church is the Holy Spirit. And as He is the great purchase, so He is the great promise, or the great thing promised by God and Christ to the church. So said the Apostle Peter on the day of Pente-cost (Acts 2:32-33): ‘This Jesus . . . being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.’ This great purchase and promise of Christ is forever to be given to His church. He has promised that His church shall continue, and expressly declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And that it may be preserved, He has given His Holy Spirit to every true member of it, and promised the continuance of that Spirit for-ever. . . . "

Thurs., 10/31/24 Devotion (2 Tim. 3:14)

Happy Reformation Day!

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Timothy 3:14, where we read these words:

"But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assur-ed of, knowing from whom you have learned them . . . "

As we come to a clearer and more glorious understanding of the gospel of Jesus—we must "continue" in it (that greater light). The blessed truth that re-generated Christians are *fully* righteous in God's sight—not because of our own alleged goodness—but because of the legally-imputed perfect right-eousness of Christ (received by us through faith in Jesus alone), becomes for us a great comfort.

Let us never move away from our lifeline, our happiness, and our power sup-ply—Who *is* our Lord Jesus Himself. Let us "continue" in His gospel, know-ing that we received it (ultimately) by divine revelation from God Himself.

[Puritan quote of the day: "For want of hearts full of love for God, men have heads full of error.” —Thomas Watson, in, "All Things For Good"]

Wed., 10/30/24 Devotion (2 Tim. 2:1)

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

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

This is a precious verse. What are we to be "strong" in? The "grace that is in Christ Jesus." What is this grace? It is sufficient grace—that is more than able to meet our specific, everyday and eternal needs. How are we "strong" in this grace? By faith. When we believe God, that He will answer our prayers, and help us in our needs—it greatly honors Him.

The thing to avoid, is the idea that we need to "get our acts together" *before* we can be strong in Christ's grace. The truth is, that this simple faith, whereby we appropriate to our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, *causes* us, in a legitimate, humble, and God-honoring way, to sort of "get our acts together.” All our strength is in Christ. We possess none of it in ourselves.

[Puritan quote of the day: "For from our neglect of prayer comes that dead-ness of spirit, that worldly-mindedness and unaptness to pray, to hear the Word, and to keep the Sabbath.” —John Preston, in his sermon entitled, "The Saint's Daily Exercise"]

Tues., 10/29/24 Devotion (2 Tim. 1:7)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Timothy, chapter 1. There, in v. 7, the Apostle wrote this, to the sometimes-timid Timothy:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

People in the world, who are outside of Christ and His church, *ought* to be plagued with a constant spirit of fear. In their cases, they have plenty about which to be terrified. But the regenerate church member need not fear any-thing or anyone but God Himself. And our fear of God is a familial one, that is perfectly mingled with love. Our Heavenly Father has already expended all His righteous wrath against us and our sin on His Own dear Son Jesus. Be-cause of this, we Christian believers have nothing to fear.

But because we still bear in ourselves our old flesh nature, we still (regrettab-ly) experience unnecessary fear from time to time. Still, let us who love Christ totally own our birthrights, and live in full confidence—all in Jesus.

[Puritan quote of the day: "By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil, that is, in their judgment, will, mind, and affections.” —John Bunyan, in, "The Fear of God"]

Mon., 10/28/24 Devotion (1 Tim. 6:17b)

Today's encouragement comes from 1 Timothy 6:17b, where we read these words:

" . . . But [let us trust] in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy."

I appreciate this text (above). Not only does the Lord give us, His churched children, enough to live on—He also provides us "*All* things to enjoy." In oth-er words, *everything* God has created is to be employed for and subsumed under the welfare and happiness of the faithful members of Christ's church.

Our Heavenly Father is not "stingy," as some misguided people would imag-ine Him. Instead, He is extraordinarily generous (with those who are His, in Christ). As a matter of fact, God is more than kind to *all* creatures: even to those who hate Him, and will experience His eternal wrath, (cf. Ps. 145:9). In Jesus Christ, let us more fervently love our benevolent God, who "gives us *richly* all things to enjoy."

[Puritan quote of the day: "A true Christian grows in beauty. Grace is the best complexion of the soul. It is, at the first planting, like Rachel: fair to look upon; but, the more it lives, the more it sends forth its rays of beauty.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Art of Divine Contentment"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 10/25-27/24 Devotion

Praise God—Sunday is almost here! In order to help us get ready for the Lord's Day church services, here is Thomas Watson, from, "A Body of Divin-ity.” . . .

"You that are Christians, believe that all God’s providence shall conspire for your good at last. The providences of God are sometimes dark, and our eyes dim, and we can hardly tell what to make of them; but when we cannot unrid-dle providence, let us believe that it will work together for the good of the elect, (Rom 8:28).

"The wheels in a clock seem to move contrary to one other, but they help for-ward the motion of the clock, and make the labrum [noise-maker] strike: so the providences of God seem to be at cross purposes; but for all that, they shall carry on the good of the elect. . . . Therefore, Christians, believe that God loves you, and that He will make the most cross providences to promote His glory and your good."

Thurs., 10/24/24 Devotion (Dan. 9:18b)

Today's encouragement comes from Daniel 9:18b, where Daniel prays these words:

" . . . For we do not present our supplications before You because of our righ-teous deeds, but because of Your great mercies."

If we had to approach God, and present our petitions to Him based on our righteous deeds, we would never arrive at our destination, ever. Besides that, we would have no basis for our prayers, because we do not *have* any sav-ingly righteous deeds. In other words, we have to be in a state of absolute moral and spiritual perfection to be heard by God.

This is why we may only come to God on the basis of Christ's righteousness alone, which is imputed to the saints in the true church, by sovereign grace. This is the ground on which we may and do rightly approach God. He will hear the prayers of those who come to Him through Jesus’ perfect atonement for sin. He disregards all other petitions and petitioners.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Hell did not know what it did when it crucified Christ; death, with all its armies, was put to death with Him.” —Richard Al-leine, in, "Heaven Opened"]