Today's encouragement comes from Job 38:4a, where we read these words:
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? . . . "
Ouch. How would we like to have God say words like those (above) to us? To hear this would humble us right down to the dust. The reality is that the Lord *does* ask us this basic question every time we pretend that we know better than He does, or every time we complain about His providences (and the way they work) in our lives.
I know I did not exist when God "laid the foundations of the earth." Therefore, I have no right to counsel Him on how He ought to run His universe. This one thing is for sure: I could not do a better job than He can do. Let all of us faith-ful churchmen come to more implicitly trust our Heavenly Father, believing the best of Him always—especially given the love He has for us in Christ.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Are your sins high as heaven? The mercies of God are above the heavens.” —Isaac Ambrose, in, "The Christian Warrior"]
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Wed., 3/8/17 Devotion (Ex. 19:8b, 9b)
Today's encouragement comes from Exodus 19:8b & 9b, where we read these words:
" . . . So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. . . . So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD."
We might be thinking, "Why did God have Moses do this? The Lord could hear what the people said—nothing escapes Him; He knows all things." True, but The LORD is a covenant God. In other words, He operates with His peo-ple through a Mediator (ultimately Jesus). When God deals with the rest of the world, He does not employ a Mediator; but when He communes with His church, He does.
We have no access to God without Jesus. No one comes to God "directly.” The True Deity may *only* be approached through a Perfect Intercessor (Jesus). Moses (here in Ex. 19) is a "type" of Christ. Outside of our Lord Jesus Christ there is virtually no way to the Almighty God.
[Puritan quote of the day: "This [true] God is joy in sadness, light in darkness, life in death, heaven in hell.” —Thomas Shepard, in, "The Sincere Convert"]
" . . . So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. . . . So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD."
We might be thinking, "Why did God have Moses do this? The Lord could hear what the people said—nothing escapes Him; He knows all things." True, but The LORD is a covenant God. In other words, He operates with His peo-ple through a Mediator (ultimately Jesus). When God deals with the rest of the world, He does not employ a Mediator; but when He communes with His church, He does.
We have no access to God without Jesus. No one comes to God "directly.” The True Deity may *only* be approached through a Perfect Intercessor (Jesus). Moses (here in Ex. 19) is a "type" of Christ. Outside of our Lord Jesus Christ there is virtually no way to the Almighty God.
[Puritan quote of the day: "This [true] God is joy in sadness, light in darkness, life in death, heaven in hell.” —Thomas Shepard, in, "The Sincere Convert"]
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Tues., 3/7/17 Devotion (2 Cor. 6:1)
Today's encouragement comes from the words of Paul, as they are found in 2 Corinthians 6:1:
"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain."
How is the grace of God received "in vain”—even potentially by us, sincere Christians? It is "received in vain" when we forget that our justification before God is all wrapped up in Jesus. The previous verse, (2 Cor. 5:21), had taught us imputed righteousness and substitutionary atonement. But our flesh con-tinually recoils at such marvels, and seeks to regain its perverse "credibility" (even with God).
So, when we cease to look to Jesus alone for our redemption, (and we gaze upon ourselves or something else), we receive the grace of God "in vain." Is Christ our righteousness? Then let us look no further.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ is never really absent from such as love Him, but He may seem to be so sometimes.” —Thomas Vincent, in, "The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ"]
"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain."
How is the grace of God received "in vain”—even potentially by us, sincere Christians? It is "received in vain" when we forget that our justification before God is all wrapped up in Jesus. The previous verse, (2 Cor. 5:21), had taught us imputed righteousness and substitutionary atonement. But our flesh con-tinually recoils at such marvels, and seeks to regain its perverse "credibility" (even with God).
So, when we cease to look to Jesus alone for our redemption, (and we gaze upon ourselves or something else), we receive the grace of God "in vain." Is Christ our righteousness? Then let us look no further.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ is never really absent from such as love Him, but He may seem to be so sometimes.” —Thomas Vincent, in, "The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ"]
Monday, March 6, 2017
Mon., 3/6/17 Devotion (Lk. 20:38a)
Today's encouragement comes from Luke 20:38a, where we read these words, uttered by Christ:
"For He [God] is not the God of the dead but of the living . . . "
Most people we will meet, work with, or speak to today are walking dead souls. They have no life, because they do not possess the Author of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ. These people exist, they can breathe air—but they are not alive in the most real and profound sense. The Lord is not their God, because they are dead. The true God is *only* the God of the living.
If we are alive in Christ today as His church, then these three principal truths will guide us, (and they will be no burden to us): 1) we will continue to believe in Jesus; 2) we will love Him; and 3) we will witness (spread) His life every-where we can.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Oh, how empty and insignificant are all other things without God!” —Thomas Watson, in his sermon, "Drawing Near to God"]
"For He [God] is not the God of the dead but of the living . . . "
Most people we will meet, work with, or speak to today are walking dead souls. They have no life, because they do not possess the Author of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ. These people exist, they can breathe air—but they are not alive in the most real and profound sense. The Lord is not their God, because they are dead. The true God is *only* the God of the living.
If we are alive in Christ today as His church, then these three principal truths will guide us, (and they will be no burden to us): 1) we will continue to believe in Jesus; 2) we will love Him; and 3) we will witness (spread) His life every-where we can.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Oh, how empty and insignificant are all other things without God!” —Thomas Watson, in his sermon, "Drawing Near to God"]
Friday, March 3, 2017
Fri.-Sabbath, 3/3-5/17 Devotion
Yes! It is almost Sunday! In order to help get us ready for church, here is Thomas Watson, from his great book, "A Body of Divinity." . . .
"Justification is 'inamissibilis'; it is a fixed permanent thing. It can never be lost. The Arminians hold an apostasy from justification; today justified, tomor-row unjustified; today a Peter, tomorrow a Judas; today a member of Christ, tomorrow a limb of Satan. This is a most uncomfortable doctrine. Justified persons may fall from degrees of grace, they may leave their first love, they may lose God's favor for a time, but not lose their justification. If they are justified they are elected; and they can no more fall from their justification than from their election. If they are justified they have union with Christ; and can a member of Christ be broken off? If one justified person may fall away from Christ, all may; and so Christ would be a head without a body.
"See from hence, that there is nothing within us that could justify, but some-thing without us; not any righteousness inherent, but imputed. We may as well look for a star in the earth as for justification in our own righteousness. [Heretics] say we are justified by works; but the apostle confutes it, for he says, 'Not of works, lest any man should boast,' (Eph. 2:9)."
"Justification is 'inamissibilis'; it is a fixed permanent thing. It can never be lost. The Arminians hold an apostasy from justification; today justified, tomor-row unjustified; today a Peter, tomorrow a Judas; today a member of Christ, tomorrow a limb of Satan. This is a most uncomfortable doctrine. Justified persons may fall from degrees of grace, they may leave their first love, they may lose God's favor for a time, but not lose their justification. If they are justified they are elected; and they can no more fall from their justification than from their election. If they are justified they have union with Christ; and can a member of Christ be broken off? If one justified person may fall away from Christ, all may; and so Christ would be a head without a body.
"See from hence, that there is nothing within us that could justify, but some-thing without us; not any righteousness inherent, but imputed. We may as well look for a star in the earth as for justification in our own righteousness. [Heretics] say we are justified by works; but the apostle confutes it, for he says, 'Not of works, lest any man should boast,' (Eph. 2:9)."
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Thurs., 3/2/17 Devotion (2 Cor. 1:8)
Today's encouragement comes from 2 Corinthians 1:8, where we read these words:
"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life."
Sometimes the pressure and stress on the faithful churchman's life can reach fever-pitch levels. It is astounding what a believer can endure—as he or she goes through the furnaces of affliction and suffering for Christ. At the same time, the only cause of our strength and perseverance is the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Fully commensurate with our pain and suffering is the joy and freedom of our release and resurrection in our Savior. Are we in a very hard way today? If so, let us remember that God has delivered us in the past. He is also actively de-livering us in the present; and He will deliver us in the future, (cf. vv. 9 & 10). Let us not lose heart—but rather press on in and with faith in Jesus.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Consider the company Christians keep. It is with the Father of glory. So Christians are indeed the excellent in the earth (Ps. 16:3).” —John Owen, in, "Communion with God"]
"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life."
Sometimes the pressure and stress on the faithful churchman's life can reach fever-pitch levels. It is astounding what a believer can endure—as he or she goes through the furnaces of affliction and suffering for Christ. At the same time, the only cause of our strength and perseverance is the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Fully commensurate with our pain and suffering is the joy and freedom of our release and resurrection in our Savior. Are we in a very hard way today? If so, let us remember that God has delivered us in the past. He is also actively de-livering us in the present; and He will deliver us in the future, (cf. vv. 9 & 10). Let us not lose heart—but rather press on in and with faith in Jesus.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Consider the company Christians keep. It is with the Father of glory. So Christians are indeed the excellent in the earth (Ps. 16:3).” —John Owen, in, "Communion with God"]
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Wed., 3/1/17 Devotion (Lk. 15:32)
Today's encouragement comes from Luke 15:32, where we read these words:
"It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found."
There are some very appropriate times to rejoice, and celebrate. At the top of this list is the salvation of a soul. The older brother (in this "Prodigal Son" nar-rative) refused to party with his father, because he (the older son) could not accept the concept of grace and forgiveness. At heart, he was all about works, and self-righteousness.
May we be very glad when the Lord calls sinners to Himself and puts them in-to His church, through the grace-filled gospel of Christ; and may we renew our own love for and amazement at the God who does such wonderful things.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Love to Jesus Christ and believing in Jesus Christ fills the souls with joy and glory in this life.” —Christopher Love, in his sermon on Gal. 5:17]
"It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found."
There are some very appropriate times to rejoice, and celebrate. At the top of this list is the salvation of a soul. The older brother (in this "Prodigal Son" nar-rative) refused to party with his father, because he (the older son) could not accept the concept of grace and forgiveness. At heart, he was all about works, and self-righteousness.
May we be very glad when the Lord calls sinners to Himself and puts them in-to His church, through the grace-filled gospel of Christ; and may we renew our own love for and amazement at the God who does such wonderful things.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Love to Jesus Christ and believing in Jesus Christ fills the souls with joy and glory in this life.” —Christopher Love, in his sermon on Gal. 5:17]
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