Happy Reformation Day!

Heaven Help Us?

Morning Prayer

Dear Lord,

So far today Lord, I've done alright. I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, nor over-indulgent. And I'm very thankful to you for that.


But..........In a few minutes, Lord, I'm probably going to need a lot more help because I'm going to get out of bed!!!!!

What Ought to be our Attitude toward the Sovereignty of God?

It has been well said that "true worship is based upon recognized greatness, and greatness is superlatively seen in Sovereignty, and at no other footstool will men really worship."

In the presence of the Divine King upon His throne even the seraphim 'veil their faces.' Divine sovereignty is not the sovereignty of a tyrannical Despot, but the exercised pleasure of One who is infinitely wise and good! Because God is infinitely wise He cannot err, and because He is infinitely righteous He will not do wrong.

Here then is the preciousness of this truth. The mere fact itself that God's will is irresistible and irreversible fills me with fear, but once I realize that God wills only that which is good. My heart is made to rejoice. Here then is the final answer to the question (concerning our attitude toward God's sovereignty)—What ought to be our attitude toward the sovereignty of God?

The becoming attitude for us to take is that of godly fear, implicit obedience, and unreserved resignation and submission. But not only so: the recognition of the sovereignty of God, and the realization that the Sovereign Himself is my Father, ought to overwhelm the heart and cause me to bow before Him in adoring worship.

At all times I must say, "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight."

--Arthur W. Pink

How To Spend the Day With God - Richard Baxter

A holy life is inclined to be made easier when we know the usual sequence and method of our duties - with everything falling into its proper place. Therefore, I shall give some brief directions for spending the day in a holy manner.

Sleep

Measure the time of your sleep appropriately so that you do not waste your precious morning hours sluggishly in your bed. Let the time of your sleep be matched to your health and labour, and not to slothful pleasure.

First Thoughts

Let God have your first awaking thoughts; lift up your hearts to Him reverently and thankfully for the rest enjoyed the night before and cast yourself upon Him for the day which follows. Familiarise yourself so consistently to this that your conscience may check you when common thoughts shall first intrude. Think of the mercy of a night's rest and of how many that have spent that night in Hell; how many in prison; how many in cold, hard lodgings; how many suffering from agonising pains and sickness, weary of their beds and of their lives.

Think of how many souls were that night called from their bodies terrifyingly to appear before God and think how quickly days and nights are rolling on! How speedily your last night and day will come! Observe that which is lacking in the preparedness of your soul for such a time and seek it without delay.

Prayer

Let prayer by yourself alone (or with your partner) take place before the collective prayer of the family. If possible let it be first, before any work of the day.

Family Worship

Let family worship be performed consistently and at a time when it is most likely for the family to be free of interruptions.

Ultimate Purpose

Remember your ultimate purpose, and when you set yourself to your day's work or approach any activity in the world, let HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon your hearts in all that you do.

Do no activity which you cannot entitle God to, and truly say that he set you about it, and do nothing in the world for any other ultimate purpose than to please, glorify and enjoy Him. "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Diligence in Your Calling

Follow the tasks of your calling carefully and diligently. Thus:

(a) You will show that you are not sluggish and servants to your flesh (as those that cannot deny it ease), and you will further the putting to death of all the fleshly lusts and desires that are fed by ease and idleness.

(b) You will keep out idle thoughts from your mind, that swarm in the minds of idle persons.

(c) You will not lose precious time, something that idle persons are daily guilty of.

(d) You will be in a way of obedience to God when the slothful are in constant sins of omission.

(e) You may have more time to spend in holy duties if you follow your occupation diligently. Idle persons have no time for praying and reading because they lose time by loitering at their work.

(f) You may expect God's blessing and comfortable provision for both yourself and your families.

(g) it may also encourage the health of your body which will increase its competence for the service of your soul.

Temptations and Things That Corrupt

Be thoroughly acquainted with your temptations and the things that may corrupt you - and watch against them all day long. You should watch especially the most dangerous of the things that corrupt, and those temptations that either your company or business will unavoidably lay before you.

Watch against the master sins of unbelief: hypocrisy, selfishness, pride, flesh pleasing and the excessive love of earthly things. Take care against being drawn into earthly mindedness and excessive cares, or covetous designs for rising in the world, under the pretence of diligence in your calling.

If you are to trade or deal with others, be vigilant against selfishness and all that smacks of injustice or uncharitableness. In all your dealings with others, watch against the temptation of empty and idle talking. Watch also against those persons who would tempt you to anger. Maintain that modesty and cleanness of speech that the laws of purity require. If you converse with flatterers, be on your guard against swelling pride.

If you converse with those that despise and injure you, strengthen yourself against impatient, revengeful pride.

At first these things will be very difficult, while sin has any strength in you, but once you have grasped a continual awareness of the poisonous danger of any one of these sins, your heart will readily and easily avoid them.

Meditation

When alone in your occupations, improve the time in practical and beneficial meditations. Meditate upon the infinite goodness and perfections of God; Christ and redemption; Heaven and how unworthy you are of going there and how you deserve eternal misery in Hell.

The Only Motive

Whatever you are doing, in company or alone, do it all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Otherwise, it is unacceptable to God.

Redeeming The Time

Place a high value upon your time, be more careful of not losing it than you would of losing your money. Do not let worthless recreations, television, idle talk, unprofitable company, or sleep rob you of your precious time.

Be more careful to escape that person, action or course of life that would rob you of your time than you would be to escape thieves and robbers.

Make sure that you are not merely never idle, but rather that you are using your time in the most profitable way that you can and do not prefer a less profitable way before one of greater profit.

Eating and Drinking

Eat and drink with moderation and thankfulness for health, not for unprofitable pleasure. Never please your appetite in food or drink when it is prone to be detrimental to your health. Remember the sin of Sodom: "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food and abundance of idleness" - Ezekiel 16:49.

The Apostle Paul wept when he mentioned those "whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame -- who set their minds on earthly things, being enemies to the cross of Christ" - Philippians 3:18-19. O then do not live according to the flesh lest you die (Romans 8:13).

Prevailing Sins

If any temptation prevails against you and you fall into any sins in addition to habitual failures, immediately lament it and confess it to God; repent quickly whatever the cost. It will certainly cost you more if you continue in sin and remain unrepentant.

Do not make light of your habitual failures, but confess them and daily strive against them, taking care not to aggravate them by unrepentance and contempt.

Relationships

Remember every day the special duties of various relationships: whether as husbands, wives, children, masters, servants, pastors, people, magistrates, subjects.

Remember every relationship has its special duty and its advantage for the doing of some good. God requires your faithfulness in this matter as well as in any other duty. Closing the Day

Before returning to sleep, it is wise and necessary to review the actions and mercies of the day past, so that you may be thankful for all the special mercies and humbled for all your sins.

This is necessary in order that you might renew your repentance as well as your resolve for obedience, and in order that you may examine yourself to see whether your soul grew better or worse, whether sin goes down and grace goes up and whether you are better prepared for suffering, death and eternity.

May these directions be engraven upon your mind and be made the daily practice of your life. If sincerely adhered to, these will be conducive to the holiness, fruitfulness and quietness of your life and add to you a comfortable and peaceful death.

God Moves in Mysterious Ways

Yesterday was the Lord's day and as many of you know, due to the fact that I asked for your prayer support, I had the opportunity of not only teaching the Sojourners Adult Bible Class, I preached the morning and evening services in the absence of our pastor. First, I thank you for your prayer support. The morning and evening went absolutely fantastic - to the ultimate glory of our marvelous God.

However, I would to share a hymn from William Cowper, circa 1774 and then share will you why I think it was such a blessing to us.

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

and rides upon the storm

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up his brightest designs,

and works his sovereign will

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

the clouds ye so much dread

are big with mercy, and shall break

in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense

But trust him for his grace

behind a frowning providence

he hides a smiling face

His purpose will ripen fast,

unfolding every hour;

the bud may have a bitter taste

but sweet will be the flower

Blind unbelief is sure to err

and scan his work in vain

God is his own interpreter

and he will make it plain

Taken from the Trinity Hymnal, (Suwanee: Great Commission Publications), # 21

I had just begun the morning message by completing the introduction and had just announced the first point, when a member stood up and said "we are having a medical emergency." The woman behind her had gone into an epileptic episode and needed immediate attention. A couple of members immediate went to her assistance and 911 was called. Naturally the service stopped and several of us began to pray for her and for the wisdom of the responding ambulance crew.

By the time the ambulance arrived she had come out of the episode. They made sure she was stabilized and then she was taken for treatment.

Now, how does this song and this situation blend? Marvelously, darling, someone once said! God did move in a mysterious way and he performed a wonder worthy of praise. Even though Hell and all its minions would have done anything to stop anyone that morning from preaching the Word that the Son of God had died willingly and voluntarily to satisfy his father and that "It was truly finished!'; and some would have judged by feeble senses, God's purpose did ripen fast.

You see, this woman lived alone with two small children and had no telephone. God arranged to allow her to experience this episode amongst his people to render immediate care. Had she been at home, she would have been without a phone for help and her children to figure out a way to deal with her situation. Praise God for his thoughtfulness!

We experienced a some 40 minute delay. When I asked the congregation what was their pleasure, end the service or continue the message - they overwhelmingly wanted to hear Gods' word. So talk about going "overtime."

What a marvelous God we have. He finished the work of redemption; he arranged a woman's medical emergency to take place where she would receive the loving help of her brothers and sisters in Christ, and I still was infinitely privileged to teach the precious word of God.

So thank you to those who lifted me up to the Lord in prayer!

Are You Deceived?

“I had a variety of concerns and exercises about my soul from childhood; but I had two more remarkable seasons of awakening, before I met with that change by which I was brought to those new dispositions, and the new sense of things, that I have since had. The first time was when I was a boy, some years before I went to college, at a time of remarkable awakening in my father’s congregation. I was then very much affected for many months, and concerned about the things of religion, and my soul’s salvation; and was abundant in religious duties. I used to pray five times a day in secret, and to spend much time in religious conversation with other boys; and used to meet with them to pray together. I experienced I know not what kind of delight in religion. My mind was much engaged in it, and had much self righteous pleasure, and it was my delight to abound in religious duties. I, with some of my school-mates, joined together and built a booth in a swamp, in a very retired spot for a place of prayer. And besides, I had particular secret places of my own in the woods, where I used to retire by myself; and was from time to time much affected. My affections seemed to be lively and easily moved and I seemed to be in my element when I engaged in religious duties. And I am ready to think, many are deceived with such affections, and such kind of delight as I then had in religion, and mistake it for grace. But, in process of time, my convictions and affections wore off, and I entirely lost all those affections and delights, and left off secret prayer, at least as to any constant preference of it; and returned like a dog to his vomit and went on in the ways of sin.”

Taken from The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol 1, (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers), p. liv (Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards)

What is Your Business?

The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin. So the apostle, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. (Col 3:5). To whom does he speak? Such as were “risen with Christ (v. 1); such as were “dead” with him (v.3); such as whose life Christ was and who should “appear with him in glory” (v.4). Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it while you live; Cease not a day from this work; Be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work. And our Savior tells us how his Father deals with every branch in him that bears fruit, every true and living branch. “He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2). He prunes it, and that not for a day or two, but while it is a branch in this world. And the apostle tells you what was his practice; “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (I Cor 9:27). I do it, says he, “daily; it is the work of my life. I omit it not; this is my business.” And if this were the work and business of Paul, who was so incomparably exalted in grace, revelations, enjoyments, privileges, consolations, above the ordinary measure of believers, where may we possible bottom (find a basis for) an exemption from this work and duty while we are in this world? From Overcoming Sin & Temptation, John Owen, edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor, (Wheaton: Crossway Books), p. 50