The Words of Jesus. The Power of Prayer.

The Words of Jesus is a 31 day devotional I am attempting to read daily. It is based on John Macduff. Macduff was a Scottish preacher who lived from 1818-1895. Thanks to Grace Gems for making this available.

The Power of Prayer

"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said,"

"Whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do — that the Father may be glorified in the Son." — John 14:13

Blessed Jesus! it is You who has unlocked to Your people the gates of prayer. Without You, they must have been shut forever. It was Your atoning merit on earth that first opened them; it is Your intercessory work in Heaven that keeps them open still.

How unlimited the promise — "Whatever you shall ask!" It is the pledge of all that the needy sinner requires — all that an Omnipotent Savior can bestow! As the great Steward of the mysteries of grace, He seems to say to His faithful servants, "Take your request, and under this, My superscription, write what you please." And then, when the blank is filled up, He further endorses each petition with the words, "I WILL do it!"

He further encourages us to ask "in His name." In the case of an earthly petitioner there are some pleas more influential in obtaining a benefit than others. Jesus speaks of this as forming the key to the heart of God. As David loved the helpless cripple of Saul's house "for Jonathan's sake," so will the Father, by virtue of our covenant relationship to the true Jonathan (lit., "the gift of God"), delight in giving us even "exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think."

Reader, do you know the blessedness of confiding your every need and every care — your every sorrow and every cross — into the ear of the Savior? He is the "Wonderful Counselor." With an exquisitely tender sympathy, He can enter into the innermost depths of your need. That need may be great — but the everlasting arms are underneath it all. Think of Him now, at this moment — the great Angel of the Covenant, with the censer full of much incense, in which are placed your feeblest aspirations, your most burdened sighs — the odor-breathing cloud ascending with acceptance before the Father's throne. The answer may tarry — these your supplications may seem to be kept long on the wing, hovering around the mercy-seat. A gracious God sometimes sees it fitting thus to test the faith and patience of His people. He delights to hear the music of their importunate pleadings — to see them undeterred by difficulties — unrepelled by apparent forgetfulness and neglect. But He will come at last — the pent-up fountain of love and mercy will at length burst out — the soothing accents will in His own good time be heard, "Be it unto you according to your word!"

Soldier of Christ! with all your other armor, do not forget the weapon, "All-prayer." It is that which keeps bright and shining "the whole armor of God." While yet out in the night of a dark world — while still camping in an enemy's country — kindle your watch-fires at the altar of incense. You must be Moses — pleading on the Mount; if you would be Joshua — victorious in the world's daily battle. Confide your cause to this waiting Redeemer. You cannot weary Him with your importunity. He delights in hearing. He is glorified in giving. The memorable Bethany-utterance remains unaltered and unrepealed, "I know that You hear Me always." He is still the "Prince that has power with God and prevails" — He still promises and pleads — he still He lives and loves!

Intinction. Should We?

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is set to decide whether to ban the practice used by some churches known as intinction. Intinction is where the communicant dips the bread into the wine and then eats (thus not truly drinking). The PCA presbyteries will be voting,

"...on whether to amend BCO 58-5 by adding this sentence: “As Christ has instituted the Lord’s Supper in two sacramental actions, the communicants are to eat the bread and drink the cup in separate actions.”

If approved by 2/3 of the presbyteries, intinction will be banned. D. Clair Davis, a PCA Teaching Elder, former professor of church history at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia and now a Professor and Chaplain at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas, has written about this issue. Dr. Davis writes in part,

I appreciate this ‘decent and orderly’ process.  When all presbyteries consider changes to our Constitution, it is bound to bring more biblical wisdom to bear than when the GA alone with its limited time issues an opinion.  And as we consider to what extent GA ‘in thesi’ pronouncements are binding upon us, it can help to just avoid that issue and instead point to our Constitution, as amended.

Then, Dr. Davis concludes, 

A common identity is a wonderful thing, a true gift of the Holy Spirit.  It seems to me that supplementing PCA identity with a ban on intinction is disproportionate, divisive, and radically unwise.  I hope all our Presbyteries agree.

I don't have a strong opinion on intinction. I've been in churches where it is practiced. Seemed fine for me. We shall see what the PCA decides.

The Words of Jesus. The Comforting Assurance.

The Words of Jesus is a 31 day devotional I am attempting to read daily. It is based on John Macduff. Macduff was a Scottish preacher who lived from 1818-1895. Thanks to Grace Gems for making this available.

The Comforting Assurance 

Acts 20:35, "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said,"

"Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." — Matthew 6:32

Though spoken originally by Jesus regarding temporal things, this may be taken as a motto for the child of God amid all the changing vicissitudes of his changing history. How it should lull all misgivings; silence all murmurings; lead to lowly, unquestioning submissiveness, "My Heavenly Father knows that I have need of all these things!" 

Where can a child be safer or better — than in a father's hand? Where can the believer be better — than in the hands of his God? We are poor judges of what is best for us. We are under safe guidance with infallible wisdom. If we are tempted in a moment of rash presumption to say, "All these things are against me!" let this "word" rebuke the hasty and unworthy surmise. Unerring wisdom and Fatherly love, have pronounced all to be "needful." 

My soul, is there anything that is disturbing your peace? Are providences dark, or crosses heavy? Are spiritual props removed, creature comforts curtailed, gourds smitten and withered like grass? Write on each, "Your Father knows that you have need of all these things!" It was He who increased your burden. Why? "It was needed." It was He who crossed your worldly schemes, marred your cherished hopes. Why? "It was needed." A pleasant flower in the coveted path — it was supplanting Himself — He had to remove it! There was some higher spiritual blessing in communion with God. 

Seek to cherish a spirit of more childlike confidence in your Heavenly Father's will. You are not left unfriended and alone to buffet the storms of the wilderness. Your Marahs as well as your Elims are appointed by Him. A gracious pillar-cloud is before you. Follow it through sunshine and storm. He may "lead you about," but He will not lead you wrong. Unutterable tenderness is the characteristic of all His dealings. "Blessed be His name," says a tried believer, "He makes my feet like hinds' feet" (literally,"equals" them), "He equals them for every precipice, every ascent, every leap." 

And who is it that speaks this quieting word? It is He who Himself felt the preciousness of the assurance during His own awful sufferings, that all were needed, and all appointed; that from Bethlehem's cradle to Calvary's Cross — there was not an unnecessary thorn in the crown of sorrow which He, the Man of Sorrows, bore. Every drop in His bitter cup was mingled by His Father: "This cup which You give Me to drink, shall I not drink it?" Oh, if He could extract comfort in this hour of inconceivable agony, in the thought that a Father's hand lighted the fearful furnace-fires — what strong consolation is there is the same truth to all His suffering people! 

What! one superfluous drop! one unessential pang! one unneeded cross! Hush the secret atheism! He gave His Son for you! He calls Himself "your Father!" Whatever be the trial under which you are now smarting, let the word of a gracious Savior be "like oil thrown on the fretful sea;" let it dry every rebellious tear-drop. "He, your unerring Parent, knows that you have need of this as well as all these things."

These comments serve to remind me in life's storms, raging all around me, that there is no better place for me than in His providential care. Things that I see as obstacles and hardships are but His tender care, seeking to "some higher spiritual blessing in communion with God."


May I learn!

The Words of Jesus. The Gracious Invitation.

The Words of Jesus, a 31 day devotional I am beginning today. It is based on John Macduff. Macduff was a Scottish preacher who lived from 1818-1895. Thanks to Grace Gems for making this available.

Day 1: The Gracious Invitation

"Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." —Matthew 11:28.
Gracious "word" of a gracious Savior, on which the soul may confidingly repose, and be at peace forever! It is a present rest—the rest of grace as well as the rest of glory. Not only are there signals of peace hung out from the walls of heaven—the lights of Home glimmering in the distance to cheer our footsteps; but we have the "shadow" of this "great Rock!" in a present "weary land." Before the Throne alone is there "the sea of glass," without one rippling wave; but there is a haven even on earth for the tempest-tossed—"We who have believed DO enter into rest."
Reader, have you found this blessed repose in the blood and work of Immanuel? Long going about "seeking rest and finding none," does this "word" sound like music in your ears—"Come unto Me"? All other peace is counterfeit, shadowy, unreal. The eagle spurns the gilded cage as a poor equivalent for his free-born soarings. The soul's immortal aspirations can be satisfied with nothing short of the possession of God's favor and love in Jesus.
How unqualified is the invitation! If there had been one condition in entering this covenant Ark, we must have been through eternity at the mercy of the storm. But all are alike warranted and welcome, and none more warranted than welcome. For the weak, the weary, the sin-burdened and sorrow-burdened, there is an open door of grace.
Return, then, unto your rest, O my soul! Let the sweet cadence of this "word of Jesus" steal on you amid the disquietudes of earth. Sheltered in Him, you are safe for time, safe for eternity! There may be, and will be, temporary tossings, fears, and misgivings—manifestations of inward corruption; but these will only be like the surface-heavings of the ocean, while underneath there is a deep, settled calm. "You will keep him in perfect peace" (lit. peace, peace) "whose mind is stayed on You." In the world it is care on care, trouble on trouble, sin on sin, but every wave that breaks on the believer's soul seems sweetly to murmur, "Peace, peace!"
And if the foretaste of this rest be precious, what must be the glorious consummation? Awaking in the morning of immortality, with the unquiet dream of earth over—faith lost in sight, and hope in fruition—no more any bias to sin—no more latent principles of evil—nothing to disturb the spirit's deep, everlasting tranquility—the trembling magnet of the heart reposing, where alone it can confidingly and permanently rest, in the enjoyment of the Infinite God. "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace."

I love this: "For the weak, the weary, the sin-burdened and sorrow-burdened, there is an open door of grace."

The Contraceptive-Abortifacient Mandate. FAQs

The Gospel Coalition has some very helpful information in the form of FAQs on the Obamacare's controversial contraceptive-abortifacient mandate which went into effect August 1.

Among the many FAQs they cover, this one is perhaps the most important one:

I don't oppose contraceptives, so why should I care about this issue? 

There are two reasons that all Christians, regardless of their view on contraceptives, should be concerned about this mandate. 

The first is because it forces Christians to pay for abortion-inducing drugs. The policy currently requires coverage of Ulipristal ("Ella"), which is chemically similar to the abortion drug RU-486 (mifepristone) and has the same effect (to prevent embryos from being implanted or, if already implanted, to die from lack of nutrition). Additionally, RU-486 is also being tested for possible use as an "emergency contraceptive." If the FDA approves it for that purpose, it will automatically be included under the mandate. 

The second is that it restricts religious liberty by forcing religious institutions to pay for contraceptives and abortifacients even if the employer has a religious or moral objection to such practices.

Click over and read the rest.

Your Good Things Are All Yet to Come!

I needed this today from J.C. Ryle.


"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God!" Hebrews 12:1-2 

We must run with perseverance--or we shall never obtain. There may be many things we cannot understand, much that the flesh could perhaps wish otherwise--but let us endure unto the end, and all shall be made clear, and God's arrangements shall be proved best. Think not to have your reward on earth--do not draw back, becauseyour good things are all yet to come. 
Today is the cross--but tomorrow is the crown. 
Today is the labor--but tomorrow are the wages. 
Today is the sowing--but tomorrow is the harvest. 
Today is the battle--but tomorrow is the rest. 
Today is the weeping--but tomorrow is the joy.

And what is today, when compared to tomorrow? 
Today is but seventy years--but tomorrow is eternity! 

"Run in such a way as to get the prize!" 1 Corinthians 9:24


From J.C. Ryle

'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee

Great hymn. Check out these words:

1. 'Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For, Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
But Thou hast chosen me;
Thou from the sin that stained me,
Hast cleansed and set me free,
Of old Thou hast ordained me,
That I should live to Thee.

2. 'Twas sov'reign mercy called me,
And taught my op'ning mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heav'nly glories blind;
My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have love me first.

Trinity Hymnal #471