Tried With Fire

I started a new book by church historian, Justo Gonzalez,  A Brief History of Sunday .  The author traces the practice of the Lord's Day from the early church up to the present. It is a very, very interesting read. Early Jewish Christians celebrated the Sabbath and the Lord's Day separately because these two events were not considered one and the same. The Jewish believers would attend the synagogue as long as they were allowed and then meet for the Lord's Day after sundown on Saturday. The Jewish "day" was still in use, being sunset to sunset. The gentile Christians would only celebrate the Lord's day beginning on Saturday night. They would have the Lord's table before dawn on Sunday morning because they were not given a day of rest unlike the Jews - "who through the passing of generations had found ways to observe the Sabbath, either by working at trades where they could determine their own schedules - such as the tent-making that Paul and ...

Heaven comes by grace, by Christ's blood, and not by works; works are not your title to glory. 'No law music', says Rutherford, 'in heaven'; no, 'worthy is the Lamb.' Look not to what you have done, but to what Christ has done; you neither share in whole nor in part with Christ: good works are mentioned, not to buy or purchase glory by, but to evidence an interest in Christ and sincerity of grace; if there be as much as will evidence sincerity. there is enough. The least gold is gold as well as the greatest piece. Am I a Christian? , James Fraser, Banner of Truth Trust, 2009, pp. 60-61.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:16 The Spirit of holiness in us is God's seal upon us signifying that we are his. He is the earnest of the glory to come. Great care must now be taken to make him the principle of all our operations and to obey him and follow his movements, as he leads you into communion with God. Be sure you do not mistake the movings of the Holy Spirit with those of Satan or your own passions, pride or fleshly wisdom. The Spirit of God is only for heavenly wisdom, and not for foolish or treacherous craftiness. He is the Spirit of love, unity, meekness, patience, and holiness. He moves us to be conformed to Christ. This is the sure test of his identity. He works in us to perfect our sanctification and obedience. Unprofitable trifles, despair, painful distractions and disturbances of mind make us unfit for duty, and drive us from God. These are not the influences of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God dra...

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God. Romans 6:22 If you have sincerely given yourself up to God, and consented to his covenant, show it, by turning the face of your endeavors and conversation quite another way; seek heaven more fervently and diligently than you ever sought the world or fleshly pleasures. Holiness consists not in a mere forbearance of a sensual life, but principally in living unto God. The principle or heart of holiness is within, and consists in the love of God, his Word, his ways, his servants, his honour, and his interest in the world. It consists in the soul's delight in God, and the ways of God. It is inclined towards him, and seeks after him to please him. It hates to offend him. The expression of it in our lives consists in a constant, diligent exercise of the internal life, according to the directions of the Word of God. If you are a believer, and have subjected yourself to God as your absolute Sovereign, King, and Judge, it wil...

Therefore, brothers... we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.  Hebrews 10:19 Jesus appears before God for us - representing us continually before his Father - and mark: not only has Jesus this liberty to enter into heaven, but unto all the saints, and that not only at death but in their life time. All of us, not only when we die, but now we have boldness to enter. The veil is rent, and now we have the privilege to come freely to converse with God. O, what a great privilege is this that we have a Father in heaven! Though we do not have personal access till death, yet by the blood of Jesus we may come with boldness presenting ourselves before the Lord with all our needs and desires. The great distance between heaven and earth shall not hinder our communion with God, since we have a friend above. Therefore it is very comfortable now to say: 'Our Father in heaven', that is, our gracious and reconciled Father, in and by Christ. Since we have a Father...

Oh, I can remember those happy Sabbath evenings; no blinds down, and shutters up, to keep out the sun from us, as some scandalously affirm; but a holy, happy, entirely human day, for a Christian father, mother, and children to spend. How my father would parade across and across our flag-floor, telling over the substance of the day's sermons to our dear mother, who, because of the great distance [4 miles by foot] and because of her many living "encumbrances" got very seldom indeed to the church, but gladly embraced every chance, when there was prospect or promise of a "lift" either way from some friendly gig!  How he would entice us to help him to recall some idea or other, praising us when we got the length of "taking notes" and reading them over on our return; how he would turn the talk ever so naturally to some Bible story or some Martyr reminiscence, or some happy allusion to the "Pilgrim's Progress"! And then it was quite a contest, ...

"The Gospel is the end of all human ability to validate ourselves.  The Gospel pulls the rug out from the attempt to make ourselves righteous.  The Gospel is the only thing that can bring an end to ourselves being ruled by our success and dominated by our failures." From today's sermon on Hebrews 4:1-11 by Dr. Dan Kerley

The only way to prevent the spirit of entitlement is to recognize where we came from, our own wickedness, our own depravity, and our own helplessness apart from the grace of God. From today's sermon by David Gouge on Jonah.  We were blessed to have our brother preach today since Pastor Ryan was en route to Uganda.

For   the grace of God   has appeared, bringing salvation   for all people,   training us to renounce ungodliness and   worldly passions, and   to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in   the present age,   waiting for our blessed   hope, the   appearing of the glory of our great   God and Savior Jesus Christ,   who gave himself for us to   redeem us from all lawlessness and   to purify for himself   a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.  Titus 2:11-14

I was very encouraged by today's sermon in the continuing series The Gospel and the Home . The title was Christ First . The title alone sums up what life should be about let alone our view of the Christian home. It's easy to hear a word like this and say, "Amen!" and quite another thing to live it out tomorrow morning. I need to chew on this some more and will post on it this week, God willing. I am feeling (I don't like using that word but I'm too tired to think of a better one because it isn't really a feeling ) a greater connection with my brothers and sisters at Grace. What a contrast to the seven years when my family didn't meet anywhere. It wasn't that we didn't have contact with Christians, but we weren't in fellowship in a local church. Looking back, I don't know how we survived. It will be one year this month since my daughter and I became members at Grace. I praise God for bringing us to this church and knitting us together wi...