Fri.-Sabbath, 7/30-8/1/21 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday! We get to go back to church! Here is Thom-as Watson, from his excellent work, "The Happiness of Drawing Near to God":

"How we are capable of drawing near to God.

"By nature we stand in opposition to God, (Col. 1:21). We are alienated, and enemies. How then can we approach near to God? Answer: It is through a Mediator. Jesus Christ is the Screen between us and divine justice. Christ as our High Priest assumes our flesh. Christ's flesh is called a ‘veil,’ (Heb. 10:20). As Moses put a veil over his face when it shone so exceedingly brightly, so as to allow Israel to approach near to him and look upon him—so Christ, having ‘veiled' Himself with our human nature, makes a way for us to now draw near to God and behold Him.

"And as Christ makes the way for us into the Holy of Holies by His incarna-tion, so also by His crucifixion. He died to make God and us friends. The di-vine law was infringed, God's justice was provoked, and satisfaction was de-manded, before we could approach God in an amicable way. Now here Christ as our Priest shed His blood for our sins, and so made the atonement—Col. 1:20: ‘Having made peace through the blood of His cross.’ As Joseph (of the OT) was so great at court, so as to make a way for all his brothers to draw near to the king's presence, (Gen. 47:2), so Jesus Christ is our Joseph, Who makes the way for us by His blood, that we may now come near into God's presence. Through Christ, God is pleased with us; He holds forth the golden scepter, that we may draw near, and touch the top of the scepter."

Thurs., 7/29/21 Devotion (Mk. 11:22)

Today's encouragement comes from Mark 11:22, where we read these words:

"So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have faith in God.' "

Of all the blessed utterances that ever fell from our Savior's lips, this one (above) is among the sweetest. We fail, we are continually imperfect; and if we were to be scored on a performance-basis, we would all flunk. But Christ says, "Have faith in God." Nothing else really matters to the Lord, if faith is missing.

. . . But its presence is much-pleasing to God; and it brings us enormous benefits. Whereas our works or efforts could *never* make God love us; our faith—which is a gift from God—fetches Jesus Himself to our soul. Once we have Christ, we have everything. Let us not look to ourselves, but the our Re-deemer today—and be encouraged.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The Church is to be increased by the powerful preaching of the gospel. This preaching by all means is to be encouraged, for 'faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,' (Rom. 10:17).”

—Nathaniel Vincent, in, "A Discourse concerning Love"]

Wed., 7/28/21 Devotion (Judges 11:24)

Today's encouragement comes from Judges 11:24, where we read these words:

"Will you not possess whatever Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the LORD our God takes possession of before us, we will possess."

These are the words of Jephthah (above), as he spoke to the king of Ammon. What Jephthah is basically saying is this: “Listen, if you insist on worshipping your false god—go ahead and do so—and receive from it whatever good you think you might. But let us play fair: on this same basis we (in the faithful church) will receive good things from the True God, the Lord (Yahweh)."

Of course, on these grounds, the unbelieving world is not only at a disadvan-tage—it is sure to be defeated (by The One God of the true religion). Even today, let all faithful Christian churchmen recognize that the "gates of Hell cannot prevail against" Christ's church, (Matt. 16:18).

[Puritan quote of the day: "One word of God can do more than ten thousand words of men to relieve a distressed soul.” —John Flavel, in, "The Mystery of Providence"]

Tues., 7/27/21 Devotion (Mk. 9:14-15)

Today's encouragement comes from Mark 9:14 & 15, which says this:

"And when [Jesus] came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him [Jesus], greeted Him."

These two verses well-illustrate a basic principle of life: where Jesus is not, people dispute and argue. Where Jesus is, people gather as one around Him. The disciples were pretty much helpless and punchless, as they tried to get something done (in Christ's absence).

And notice how suddenly the disciples lost their "star power," once the Messi-ah came on the scene. The church is God's only "colony" on earth—but we are only effective as Jesus is at the heart of everything we do.

[Puritan quote of the day: "God's will will be done upon us whether we do His will or not. There is no such thing as frustrating the Almighty.” —Jonathan Ed-wards, in his sermon entitled, "God Does What He Pleases"]

Mon., 7/26/21 Devotion (Mk. 8:34b, 35)

Today's encouragement comes from Mark 8:34b & 35, wherein the Lord Jesus said this:

"Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but who-ever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it."

Notice that the key here is the twice-repeated word, "desires." What do we desire? If we desire to follow Jesus, this is good—but it will cost us some-thing. It will cost us our sin, our autonomy, and our false sense of "freedom." We cannot live in Christ, until we die to ourselves. This is very difficult. In fact, aside from sovereign grace, it is impossible.

But, once we do this, we are truly liberated. God will be no man's debtor. If we give Him what we are, in love—He will give us far more than we could ever imagine.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Consider that God's mercy and Christ's merits in pardoning the guilt of the sin you have committed are far greater than the greatness of your own guilt.” —Christopher Love, in, "The Dejected Soul's Cure"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 7/23-25/21 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday! We *get* to go back to church! Here is the great Thomas Watson, from his "A Body of Divinity" book. His teaching on Justification is lovely. . . .

“[Believers] are not justified by their duties or graces, but by the righteous-ness of Christ. Their duties are mixed with sin, but that righteousness which justifies them is a perfect righteousness.

“ . . . The world censures the people of God as proud and hypocritical, and [thinks that we are] the 'troublers of Israel'; but even though men censure and condemn the godly, yet God has justified them, and as He has now justified them, so on the Day of Judgment He will openly justify them, and pronounce them righteous before men and angels.

"God is so just and holy a judge, that having once justified His people He will never condemn them. Pilate justified Christ, saying, 'I find no fault in Him'; yet after this he condemned Him—but God having publicly justified His saints, will never condemn them; for 'whom He justified, them He also glorified.' "

Thurs., 7/22/21 Devotion (Judges 5:31a, b)

Today's encouragement comes from Judges 5:31a & b, where we read these words:

"Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength."

Deborah sang these words at the end of her victory song. With regard to the True God, everybody falls (ultimately) into one of two polar-opposite catego-ries: either that of utter destruction (at His hands), or that of grace and full-ness (in His Son). There is one all-telling characteristic that settles the issue: do we love God in Jesus Christ (by faith), or not?

. . . If we do love God, then we are abundantly blessed, despite all the trou-bles and hardships that we must face. If we do not love God, then we remain His enemies—and it is never a good idea to be at enmity with the God who is powerful enough to save sinners, and create the entire universe.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Acts of sin may be restrained out of fear or design; but a true penitent turns from sin out of a religious principle, namely, love to God.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]

Wed., 7/21/21 Devotion (Judges 4:14a)

Today's encouragement comes from Judges 4:14a, where we read these words:

"Then Deborah said to Barak, 'Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?' "

When God goes before His saints, it is imperative that we come after Him, fighting in His strength, and collecting the spoils of victory. There can be no glory where there is no engagement in the battle. Here, the woman judge De-borah has to nudge the captain Barak to do what should have come naturally.

As Christ goes before His church today, as the Good Shepherd, let us be sure to follow Him—tenderly caring for His lambs, and persistently defeating His enemies. As we do so, we will reap all the encouragement we need.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Maintain your hopes against all discouragements either of fear or temptation. Christians, do not let the devil argue you out of your hopes.” —Thomas Watson, in his sermon, "The Sacred Anchor"]

Tues., 7/20/21 Devotion (Jer. 16:19)

Today's encouragement comes from Jeremiah 16:19, where we read these words:

"O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, 'Surely our fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things.' "

In the chapter quoted above, things were not going particularly well for Jere-miah, and certainly not for his countrymen. Still, the prophet found comfort and courage in his God. On top of this, he drew strength from the fact that though his generation was certainly not at all stellar—there would indeed be a people arising in God's time who would cling to The Christ of the gospel of grace.

Let all God's sincere churchmen—be they clergy or laity—trust in the Lord, and persevere; knowing that nothing done from genuine faith in Jesus is in-significant or vain, (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58).

[Puritan quote of the day: "But now Christ does that which we could not do, that is, fulfill the law for us. And He also does that which the law could not do, which was justify us.” —Obadiah Grew, in, "The Lord our Righteousness"]

Mon., 7/19/21 Devotion (Mk. 1:21-22)

Today's encouragement comes from Mark 1:21 & 22—verses which describe Christ's ministry:

"Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teach-ing, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

Jesus, being a faithful covenanted churchman, is found here (above) in the synagogue on the old Sabbath Day. He is teaching. What makes Christ's message unique is the authority He demonstrated. The Messiah actually be-lieved what He was saying, knew it was from God, and was willing to proclaim the gospel boldly and unashamedly.

Most people (either openly or secretly) hate this kind of preaching and teach-ing. Many will simply not tolerate it. Let us be different; and sincerely *desire* what Christ and His true messengers bring to us—whether it makes us feel good, or bad.

[Puritan quote of the day: "When a people play fast and loose with God, breaking their solemn vows and obligations—whether sacramental or any other—this is a God-provoking sin.” —Thomas Watson, in his sermon, "Com-fort for the Church"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 7/16-18/21 Devotion

Praise God—Sunday is almost here! In order to help get us ready for church worship, here is Thomas Watson, from his, "A Body of Divinity" book.  (He is dealing with Justification here.) . . .

"By justification we enjoy peace in our conscience—a richer jewel than any prince wears in his crown. 'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God,' (Rom 5:1). Peace can sweeten all our afflictions; it turns our water into wine. How happy is a justified person who has the power of God to guard him, and the peace of God to comfort him!

"Peace flowing from justification is an antidote against the fear of death and hell. 'It is God that justifies, who is he that condemns?' (Rom 8:33-34). There-fore seek this justification by Christ. This privilege is obtained by believing in Christ. 'By Him [Christ] all that believe are justified,' (Acts 13:39). 'Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in [Christ’s] blood,' (Rom 3:25). Faith unites us to Christ; and having union with His person we partake of His merits, and the glorious salvation which comes by Him."

Thurs., 7/15/21 Devotion (Acts 2:11b)

Today's encouragement comes from Acts 2:11b, where we read these words:

" . . . We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

One of the great miracles of the New Covenant is that the church would be spread worldwide; and people from everywhere would be part of it, and would worship God in their own languages. At Pentecost, the apostles saw this hap-pen, and they heard these words of praise.

What were "the wonderful works of God" that the Jews and Gentiles extolled? The perfect salvation wrought in Jesus' blood atonement; and its application to elect souls who would make up the universal church. This is still what God is doing in the world today—and it ought to elicit our praise and wonder as well.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Divine hope cuts a way through rock; it wrestles with difficulties; it despises dangers; it marches in the face of death.” —Thom-as Watson, in his sermon, "The Sacred Anchor"]

Wed., 7/14/21 Devotion (Josh. 21:45)

Today's encouragement comes from Joshua 21:45, where we read these wonderful words:

"Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass."

God's scripture's track record is 100%. When the Lord makes a promise to His people, He keeps it. In Jesus, the church has the complete fulfillment of all the promises of God, (see 2 Cor. 1:20). Everything that we supremely need and/or want is to be found in Christ (alone). Just as God delivered the Israelites into the promised land, and gave it to them—so He has translated His church from sin, and placed us into Christ.

What do we need today? Let us go ahead and ask God for it. So long as we belong to the Savior, our Father is more than pleased to show us His faithful-ness.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Shall man be proud after God has been humble?” —Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]

Tues., 7/13/21 Devotion (Jer. 9:23-24)

Today's encouragement comes from Jeremiah 9:23 & 24, where these great words are found:

"Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the LORD."

In what (or Whom) do *we* "glory"? God created us to enjoy and revel in a Reality so great, wonderful, and worthy, that there would be no danger of it (actually, Him) leading us into pride or idolatry. That Reality, of course, is the Triune God of Glory. There is nothing wrong with delighting in subordinate blessings—like wisdom, might, or even riches—so long as our #1 pleasure is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do we "understand and know" the true God? If so, then we have good cause to "glory."

[Puritan quote of the day: "Unless your restraint of sin extends to inward and heart-beloved sins as well as to open and notorious crimes, you cannot con-clude that the power of mortifying grace is upon your heart.” —Christopher Love, in, "The Mortified Christian"]

Mon., 7/12/21 Devotion (Matt. 22:29)

Today's encouragement comes from Matthew 22:29, where we read these words:

"Jesus answered and said to them, 'You are mistaken, not knowing the Scrip-tures nor the power of God.' "

One sure way for us to be in error, or to be mistaken, is by not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. The greatest truths are all too wonderful, to be apprehended by the exercise of the fallen human mind on its own. Also, how would we know that God powerfully saves sinners by the atonement achieved by His Son; or how would we know that the True God is Trinity—were it not for the special revelation of the Scriptures?

. . . Ignorance is *not* bliss—instead, it is a sure road to perdition and misery. Let us who know and love Christ, seek to become more acquainted with Him: in His church, through the doctrines preached in His Word.

[Puritan quote of the day: "A man may think himself into hell. What were the apostate angels damned for? Was it for anything more than proud thoughts?” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Great Gain of Godliness"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 7/9-11/21 Devotion

Thank God—we get to go back to church very soon! In order to help prepare us to worship God in church on Sunday—here are some good words from Thomas Watson's book, "All Things for Good.” . . .

"Spiritual mercies work for our good. The Word preached works for our good. It is a savor of life; it is a soul-transforming Word; it assimilates our hearts into Christ’s likeness; it produces assurance. 'Our gospel came to you not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance,' (1 Thess. 1:5). The preached Word is the chariot of salvation.

"Prayer works for our good. Prayer is the evidence of our affection; it encour-ages holy desires and fervor of soul. . . . Prayer keeps the heart open to God, and shut to sin. . . . It was Luther’s counsel to a friend, when the friend felt a temptation arising in the heart, to go to prayer. Prayer is the Christian’s gun, which he discharges against his enemies. Prayer is the sovereign medicine of the soul. Prayer sanctifies every mercy (1 Tim. 4:5). It is the dispeller of sor-row: by venting the grief it eases the heart. When Hannah had prayed, 'She went away, and was no more sad,' (I Sam. 1:18). And if prayer has these rare effects, then it works for good."

Thurs., 7/8/21 Devotion (Ps. 143:7a)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 143:7a, where we read these words:

"Answer me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails! . . . "

Because we are finite creatures, and cannot see all things at once, (as God can), we are sometimes moved to make prayers like this one (above), which David offered. God always knows the optimal time to answer any of our pray-ers—but we, His people who dwell on earth, and who find ourselves in such dire straits, cannot always see that.

Therefore, the Lord is gracious with us, and allows us not only to make urgent pleas; but He also often answers them (even according to what seems to be *our* timetable). Are any of us, God's children, feeling overwhelmed by any-thing today? Is our patience failing? If so, let us not hesitate to cry out to God, through our living faith in our all-sufficient Christ.

[Puritan quote of the day: "We borrow all our holiness from God. As the lights of the sanctuary were lighted from the middle lamp, so all the holiness of oth-ers is a lamp lighted from heaven.” —Thomas Watson, in, "A Body of Divin-ity"]

Wed., 7/7/21 Devotion (Matt. 17:8)

Today's encouragement comes from Matthew 17:8, where we read these words:

"When they [the three disciples] had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

This account (above) is in reference to Christ's transfiguration on the moun-tain—when Moses and Elijah joined the Savior and the three apostles (Peter, James, and John). After the encounter with the heroes of the Old Covenant church (Moses and Elijah), the three disciples saw "no one but Jesus only."

Why? Because everything Moses and Elijah did and wrote pointed directly and only to The Christ to come. And, in comparison with the Messiah, Moses and Elijah were "small potatoes." Let all faithful Christian churchmen look to Christ alone for their souls' help and salvation. No one else can do what He only is capable of doing.

[Puritan quote of the day: "In a word, as Christ's Person excels your person, so His obedience infinitely exceeds your disobedience.” —Christopher Love, in, "The Dejected Soul's Cure"]

Tues., 7/6/21 Devotion (Ps. 139:23b)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 139:23b, where we read these few words:

"Try me, and know my anxieties . . . "

Every normal person who lives in the fallen world has anxieties. This is true for the converted and the unconverted. Even our Lord Jesus Christ had them, (cf. Jn. 12:27a). When we—like David (above)—ask God to "know" our anxi-eties, we are desiring to place them out in the open, before Him.

The regenerate Christian churchman does have an antidote to anxiety, that the unbeliever does not possess—and that is a living faith in Christ, especially as it exercises itself in prayer. Philippians 4:6 tells us to nullify our anxieties by praying about them (with thanksgiving). Let us do this today, and enjoy the peaceful benefits that flow from Jesus' sacrifice of Himself for His church.

[Puritan quote of the day: "God values one true Christian more than all the wicked in the world. God puts a high value upon His saints; they are His jew-els.” —Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon entitled, "Christians a Chosen Gen-eration"]

Mon., 7/5/21 Devotion (Ps. 138:3)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 138:3, which finds David saying this:

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul."

Strength of soul is a lot more important than strength of body. Most people are more concerned about their bodies, which, though of great worth, are not nearly as valuable as their souls. The way to get healthy souls is by crying out to God, in prayer, in and through the merits of Jesus Christ. Boldness results. Now, instead of worshipping our bodies—we put them to use to the honor of God, through our union with Jesus.

Let us cry out to God today. He will not turn away any sincere soul, who comes to Him through Christ in faith and repentance.

[Puritan quote of the day: "As a thundering storm sours the beer in our cel-lars, so, when God thunders upon the conscience, it will sour and embitter sin to a man so that he has no desires after it for the present.” —Christopher Love, in, "The Mortified Christian"]