Fri.-Sabbath, 6/28-30/24 Devotion

 Thank God—the Sabbath Day is only two days away. Let us bless the Lord for Sunday, the Resurrection Day. As we prepare ourselves for the church’s worship of our Triune God, here are some good words from Jonathan Ed-wards’ great book, “The Religious Affections.” . . .

“ . . . the holy Scriptures do abundantly place sincerity and soundness in reli-gion in making a full choice of God as our only Lord and portion, forsaking all for Him, and, in a full determination of the will for God and Christ, on counting the cost; in our heart’s closing and complying with the religion of Jesus Christ, with all that belongs to it, embracing it with all its difficulties, as it were hating our dearest earthly enjoyments and even our own lives, for Christ; giving up ourselves, with all that we have, wholly and forever, unto Christ, without keep-ing back anything, or making any reserve; or, in one word, in the great duty of self-denial for Christ; or in denying, i.e., as it were, disowning and renouncing ourselves for Him, making ourselves nothing that He may be all. . . . Now, surely, having a heart to forsake all for Christ, tends to actually forsaking all for Him, so far as there is occasion, and we have the trial. A having a heart to deny ourselves for Christ tends to a denying ourselves indeed, when Christ and self-interest stand in competition."

Thurs., 6/27/24 Devotion (Matt. 7:29)

Today's encouragement comes from Matthew 7:29, where we read these words:

" . . . for He [Jesus] taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

All truly-called church ministers of the gospel are commanded by God Himself to preach and teach "with all authority," as per this verse above, and Titus 2:15. Christ and His pastors (elders) are the only ones on the earth uniquely vested with divine authority to teach the world the truth about the most impor-tant things—particularly those things that relate to the gospel of grace.

The scribes were weak, vacillating, and tentative. Jesus was strong, certain, and sure. True Christians actually long for loving, honest, authoritative preaching; but false Christians cannot stand it. In truth, it is to the advantage of *all* people everywhere that the gospel of Jesus’ grace goes forth clearly and boldly.

[Puritan quote of the day: "But yet the greater instruments the Lord raises up for His glory, the greater service He calls them unto, the greater things may we hope He intends for His church.” —Jeremiah Burroughs, in, "The Excel-lency of a Gracious Spirit"]

Wed., 6/26/24 Devotion (Matt. 6:33)

Today's encouragement comes from Matthew 6:33, where we read these words:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

All worry is a result of misplaced priorities. The entire fallen world misses out on the best (Christ), by seeking inferior (even good) things. In the end, every-thing is lost. Our Messiah promises us that, if we seek Him and His kingdom, everything we need will also be added to us.

God is not stingy with us—He is magnanimous with us. Our Father knows what we need; but He loves us too much to allow us to find true and real sat-isfaction in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ.

[Puritan quote of the day: "We should not look at our services to God only as duties enjoined, but as high privileges, as dignities put upon us that we should glory in His service.” —Jeremiah Burroughs, in, "The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit"

Tues., 6/25/24 Devotion (Isa. 57:15)

Today's encouragement comes from Isaiah 57:15, where we read these won-derful words:

"For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ “
 
Essentially, God “dwells” in two places: in heaven; and in the souls of human beings who are entirely given over to Jesus Christ. God is “present” every-where else, even in hell—but His covenantal “home” is always with the Mem-bers of the Holy Trinity, and the members of the elect and redeemed church (in heaven and on earth).

Where God is, there is “revival,” inevitable life. Anything separate from Christ is death; everything directly connected to Christ is alive.

[Puritan quote of the day: "And if you look into your experience, who has more kisses and embraces of love from God our Father, than the weak Chris-tian has?” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up For The Downcast"]

Mon., 6/24/24 Devotion (Isa. 56:6b-7a)

Today's encouragement comes from Isaiah 56:6b & 7a, where we read these words:

" . . . Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My cove-nant—even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. . . . "

Here (above) is a sweet promise to all faithful churchmen. Do we love the Lord? Do we love Him enough to value His Sabbath (Sunday), His church, and His worship? If so, then there are real solid blessings that are ours. We will know "mountain" experiences of praise (even in this world); and we will be joyful in God's house, His church.

Most religious people are seeking their fulfillment in other places, and in other ways. They may receive some false "highs" from time-to-time; but only the faithful get to enjoy the real goods (in Christ).  Let us stay the course of faith. We will not regret it (on the last day).

[Puritan quote of the day: "Prayer is the pouring out of the soul to God; not the pouring out of words, nor the pouring out of expressions; but the pouring out of the soul to God.” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up For The Downcast"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 6/21-23/24 Devotion

Praise God—Sunday is almost here. In order to get ready for church, here are some great words from Jonathan Edwards’, “The Religious Affections” book. . . .

“Spiritual understanding primarily consists in this sense or taste of the moral beauty of divine things; so that no knowledge can be called spiritual, any fur-ther than it arises from this and has this in it. . . .

“When the true beauty and amiableness of the holiness, or true moral good, that is in divine things is discovered to the soul, it, as it were, opens a new world to its view. This shows the glory of all the perfections of God and of every thing appertaining to the divine Being. . . . It is by seeing the excellence of Christ’s Person that the saints are made sensible of the preciousness of His blood, and its sufficiency to atone for sin; for therein consists the pre-ciousness of Christ’s blood, that it is the blood of so excellent and amiable a Person."

Thurs., 6/20/24 Devotion (Isa. 52:7)

Today's encouragement comes from Isaiah 52:7, where we find these great words:

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' "

When messengers from battlefields brought news of their nation's victory, they were a welcome sight, indeed. When God's pastors bring to His church tidings of Jesus' victory over sin, Satan, the world, and our old flesh—it is cause for great celebration. The cross and resurrection of our Savior Jesus is the sure sign that our "God reigns."

Let the church both enjoy the benefits of, and proclaim the truth of the Gospel of grace. As we do so, our lives, and even our "feet," will be very comely vis-ages.

[Edwards quote of the day: "If you do not have a spirit to love God above your dearest earthly friends, and your most pleasant earthly enjoyments, the Scrip-tures are very plain and full that you are not true Christians.” —Jonathan Ed-wards, in his sermon, entitled, "Hypocrites Deficient In the Duty of Prayer"]

Wed., 6/19/24 Devotion (Isa. 51:12a)

Today's encouragement comes from Isaiah 51:12a, where we read these words:

"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be

afraid . . . ?"

When God comforts His church, He always does so through the atonement He gives us in Christ. Because of this supernal grace, we now have no ground for fleshly fear (especially of man). And the reason for this is because of *Who* it is that consoles and strengthens our hearts: it is not another fel-low-sinner, nor an angel, nor anyone (or anything) else—but God Himself.

When we rest, by faith, in Jesus' righteousness alone (as our own), then, how can we possibly justify fearing man or anything else? After all, if God is satisfi-ed with us, in Christ, who cares what anyone else thinks?

[Puritan quote of the day: "If God delivers you from any of your sins, He must do such  work as is greater than the making of heaven and earth.” —Jeremi-ah Burroughs, in, "Gospel Remission"]

Tues., 6/18/24 Devotion (Ps. 111:2)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 111:2, where we read these words:

"The works of the LORD are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them."

God's works are remarkable indeed. Consider the far-flung universe. Who created all those galaxies and stars, etc.? God. But the creation of one hu-man being is more significant than *all* the non-rational creation put together. Still greater, is the re-creation of a sinner, into a saint, via the application of Jesus’ atonement to the soul by the Holy Spirit.

. . . The work of Christ on the cross, and in His glorious resurrection is the "magnum opus," and masterpiece of all that God has ever done. We sinners contribute *nothing* to our salvation—God does it all, even "against the grain" of our natural rebellion and hatred for Him. Creation is the work of the Lord's "fingers"; redemption is the work of His "arm.”

[Edwards quote of the day: "God, in the sentence of justification, pronounces a man perfectly righteous, or else he would need a further justification after he is justified.” —Jonathan Edwards, in, "Justification By Faith Alone"]

Mon., 6/17/24 Devotion (Deut. 22:3c)

Today's encouragement comes from Deuteronomy 22:3c, where we read these words:

" . . . You must not hide yourself."

If you are like me, sometimes you probably feel like you would like to be invis-ible, or anonymous. You would like to have your own private (and “uninter-rupted”) life, separated from the pedestrian problems of the masses of hu-manity. But God would not have us churchmen live like that. Instead, He would have us be involved in the troubles, trials, and misfortunes of other fel-low fallen sinners—some of whom are regenerated believers in Jesus, and others of whom are not.

The Deut. 22 passage (above) is in a context of the believer not ignoring the lost possessions of one's neighbor. Instead of "looking the other way," or thinking these things below us, we are to get actively involved. Christ did this for us, His church; and we are to follow His pattern in God's (sovereignly-gov-erned) world today.

[Puritan quote of the day: "If you look into the scripture, you will observe that when the people of God fall, usually they fail in that grace wherein they most excel.” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up For The Downcast"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 6/7-9/24 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday again. We GET to go back to church! Here is Thomas Watson, from his, "The Lord's Prayer" book. . . .

"What do we pray for in these words, 'Thy will be done'?

"We pray for two things; 1) For active obedience; that we may do God's will actively in what He commands. 2) For passive obedience; that we may sub-mit to God's will patiently in what He inflicts.

"We pray that we may do God's will actively, subscribe to all His commands, believe in Jesus, which is the cardinal grace, and lead holy lives. So Augus-tine, upon this petition: 'We pray that we may actively obey God's will.' This is the sum of all religion, the two tables epitomized, the doing God's will.

“ 'Thy will be done.' We must know God's will before we can do it. Knowledge is the eye which must direct the foot of obedience. At Athens there was an al-tar set up, 'To the unknown God,' (Acts 17:23). It is as bad to offer the blind to God as the dead. Knowledge is the pillar of fire to give light to practice; but though knowledge is requisite, yet the knowledge of God's will is not enough without doing it.

"If one had a system of divinity in his head; if he had 'all knowledge,' yet, if obedience were wanting, his knowledge were lame, and would not carry him to heaven, (1 Cor. 13:2). Knowing God's will may make a man admired, but it is doing it that makes him blessed. Knowing God's will without doing it, will not crown us with happiness."

Thurs., 6/6/24 Devotion (Deut. 8:16b)

Today's encouragement comes from Deuteronomy 8:16b, where we read these words:

" . . . That He [God] might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— . . . “

None of us like humbling, or testing; but all of us like the good result. The hard facts are that we churchmen are not made to be like Christ *except* through difficult struggles—that drive us to Jesus and His Gospel. If every-thing came to us easily, we would never grow to value the fact that *God* pro-vided it for us, (and we would think that we ourselves earned or merited it).

Therefore, let us believers in Jesus take the initiative, and humble ourselves before the Lord (as per 1 Pet. 5:6). When we do this, we are well on the way to victory and delight. The "end" or goal will be sweet in Christ; and we will not regret the process at all.

[Puritan quote of the day: "As the power of God's Spirit raised Christ up when He was at the lowest . . . so the Spirit in every Christian raises him up at the lowest . . . “ —Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]

Wed., 6/5/24 Devotion (Deut. 6:5)

Today's encouragement comes from Deuteronomy 6:5, where we read these words:

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

This (above) is one of the most important verses in all the Holy Book. In the final analysis, everything comes down to whether or not we love God—and that supremely, more than any other entity. From whence does this love come? It comes from God Himself. When He grants a sinner the gift of regen-eration, that soul, recognizing the immensity of what the Lord has done for it, now genuinely and deeply loves God—all in Jesus Christ.

. . . This, then, is the key to all the churchman's obedience and happiness. Do we love God in Christ? If so, we are willing and pleased to serve Him (in any and all respects). We can endure hardships and trials, because we know we are forgiven, and that the Almighty Himself loves us. Love is the most power-ful force in the world.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Are you accused by Satan, the world, or your own conscience? Christ is called your Advocate.” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up For the Downcast"]