We are commanded to give thanks:

IN everything  : 1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  as well as  FOR everything :  Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Thanksgiving flows from a grateful and humble heart.  As we join others in setting out aside a day to give thanks, I would like to share with some quotes on thanksgiving from two of my favorite teachers of old – Thomas Watson and JC Ryle.

Thanksgiving is a more noble part of God’s worship. Our needs may send us to prayer, but it takes a truly honest heart to praise God.

 

In petition we act like men; in thanksgiving we act like angels.

 

Thanksgiving is a God-exalting work “Whoever offers praise glorifies me” (Psalm 50:23). Though nothing can add the least mite to God’s essential glory—yet praise exalts him in the eyes of others.

 

Praise is a setting forth of God’s honor, a lifting up of his name, a displaying of the trophy of his goodness, a proclaiming of his excellence, a spreading of his renown, a breaking open of the box of ointment, whereby the sweet fragrance of God’s name is sent abroad into the world.  

– Thomas Watson

The wide-spread thanklessness of Christians is the disgrace of our day.  It is a plain proof of our little humility. Let us pray for a daily thankful spirit. It is the spirit which God loves and delights to honor. David and Paul were eminently thankful men.

 

It is the spirit which has marked all the brightest saints in every age of the church. McCheyne, and Bickersteth, and Haldane Stewart, were always full of praise.  It is the spirit which is the very atmosphere of heaven. Angels and “just men made perfect” are always blessing God. It is the spirit which is the source of happiness on earth.

 

If we would be anxious for nothing, we must make our requests known to God not only with prayer and supplication, but with thanksgiving. (Phil. 4:6.)  Above all, let us pray for a deeper sense of our own sinfulness, guilt, and undeserving. This, after all, is the true secret of a thankful spirit.  It is the man who daily feels his debt to grace, and daily remembers that in reality he deserves nothing but hell — this is the man who will be daily blessing and praising God.

 

Thankfulness is a flower which will never bloom well excepting upon a root of deep humility!

– JC Ryle

Psalms 107:1
 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all

Once more I repeat, if men would only study with attention the Bible and the History of the Reformation, I should have little fear of their “minds being led astray from their sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 

Last week, I began a two part series on what the reformation is and why we should care.  I mentioned that the reformation came about because men like Luther, Zwingli and others wanted to address some of the false teaching within the Roman catholic church.  It should be noted that Luther did not want to break away from the Catholic Church, he just wanted to reform it.  He later found out that reforming the church was impossible, so he and others eventually broke away. 

After the break up, the reformers saw the need to distinguish their teachings and beliefs from that of the Catholic Church. To put it in simples terms, they came up with what is known as the “Five Solas”:

1. Sola scriptura: “Scripture alone”
2. Sola fide: “faith alone”
3. Sola gratia: “grace alone”
4. Solo Christo: “Christ alone”
5. Soli Deo gloria: “to the glory of God alone”

Sola is a latin word that means “alone”. Latin was the language of their day. More on the “Five Solas” here

Last week, I shared the first of a two part series by Dr. RC Sproul on the reformation. This week, we will listen to part of the message.

False doctrine has plagued the Church since it’s inception. The NT books of Galatians and Colossians were written to address false doctrines within the Church. It is no different in our day. How do we arm ourselves against false doctrine?  JC Ryle explains:

Making of the Protestant Reformation(Part 2)

by RC Sproul

For more teachings and lectures on the Reformation by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Click here

JC Ryle in his book “Warnings to the Churches” suggested two ways to arm ourselves against false teaching: First, study the Bible and second, learn the history of the reformation. He put it this way:

(1) Let us read our Bibles from beginning to end with daily diligence, and constant prayer for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and so strive to become thoroughly familiar with their contents. Ignorance of the Bible is the root of all error, and a superficial acquaintance with it accounts for many of the sad perversions and defections of the present day. 

In a hurrying age of travel and communication, I am firmly persuaded that many Christians do not give time enough to private reading of the Scriptures. I believe seriously that English people knew their Bibles better two hundred years ago than they do now. The consequence is, that they are “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching,” and fall an easy prey to the first clever teacher of error who tries to influence their minds.

 I entreat my readers to remember this counsel, and take heed to their ways. It is as true now as ever, that the person who is versed in, or adheres strictly to, the text of the Bible, is the only good theologian, and that a familiarity with great Scriptures, is, as our Lord proved in the temptation, one of the best safeguards against error.  Arm yourself then with the sword of the Spirit, and let your hand become used to it.

I am well aware that there is no royal road to Bible-knowledge.  Without diligence and pains no one ever becomes “mighty in the Scriptures.” “Justification,” said Charles Simeon, with his characteristic quaintness, “is by faith, but knowledge of the Bible comes by works,” But of one thing I am certain: there is no labor which will be so richly repaid as laborious regular daily study of God’s Word. 

(2) The second and last counsel which I venture to offer is this. “Let us make ourselves thoroughly acquainted with the history of the Reformation.” My reason for offering this counsel is my firm conviction that this highly important part of history has of late years been undeservedly neglected. 

Thousands of Christians nowadays have a most inadequate notion of the amount of our debt to our martyred Reformers. They have no distinct conception of the state of darkness and superstition in which our fathers lived, and of the light and liberty which the Reformation brought in. And the consequence is that they see no great harm in the Roman Catholic movement of the present day, and have very indistinct ideas of the real nature and work of Catholicism. It is high time that a better state of things should begin. 

Of one thing I am thoroughly convinced: a vast amount of the prevailing apathy about the Romanizing movement of the day may be traced up to gross ignorance, both of the true nature of Catholicism and of the Protestant Reformation. Ignorance, after all, is one of the best friends of false doctrine. More light is one of the great wants of the day, even in our century. Thousands are led astray by Catholicism or infidelity from sheer want of reading and information.

Once more I repeat, if men would only study with attention the Bible and the History of the Reformation, I should have little fear of their “minds being led astray from their sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 

Emphasis mine.

In 2017, the 500th anniversary of the reformation was celebrated by Christians all over the world. You can watch the celebration conference by ligonier ministries here :

Reformation 500 Celebration

Soli Deo Gloria!

The quote above is part of the famous speech given by Martin Luther in defense of his protest against the catholic church at the Imperial Diet of Worms (both are german words pronounced ‘deet of vorms’) on April 18, 1521.

Reformation day is celebrated on October 31, on the Church calendar.  If you are a Christian, you have probably heard of haloween, but have you heard of the protestant reformation? Did you know there was a connection between haloween and the reformation? Surprised?  

According to Wikipedia, “Reformation Day is a Protestant Christian religious holiday celebrated on 31 October, alongside All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) during the triduum of Allhallowtide, in remembrance of the onset of the Reformation.”

If you are like me, you probably never heard of the protestant reformation growing up, neither was it ever talked about nor celebrated in your church. This is really sad indeed  There are probably millions of Christians around the world who have never heard and know nothing about the reformation.  

Just at the same time the culture will be celebrating halloween, the  church will be celebrating the  reformation,. Both are celebrated on October the 31st. What exactly is the reformation and why should we care?

From gotquestions.org : “The Protestant Reformation was a widespread theological revolt in Europe against the abuses and totalitarian control of the Roman Catholic Church. Reformers such as Martin Luther in Germany, Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland, and John Calvin in France protested various unbiblical practices of the Catholic Church and promoted a return to sound biblical doctrine. The precipitating event of the Protestant Reformation is generally considered to be Luther’s posting of his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church on October 31, 1517.”

The men of the reformation were willing to die for their faith and indeed  many were killed, burned at the stake.  Outside of the God’s word itself –  the Bible, the reformation is one of most important event in Christian history.  

What was it that drove them to risk their lives in such a manner?  In order to learn how the reformation came about and what it is, I have decided to share the two part series by the late Dr. RC Sproul.  As always, he does a masterful job of explaining what the reformation is and it’s importance. I will share part 1 this week and Part 2 next week.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Making of the Protestant Reformation (Part 1) by RC Sproul

You may weep under preaching one day, and be lifted to the third heaven by joyous excitement another day, and yet be dead to God.

 

Your religion, if it is authentic, and given by the Holy Spirit,

must be in your heart.

It must hold the reins.

It must sway the affections.

It must lead the will.

It must direct the tastes.

It must influence the choices and decisions.

It must fill the deepest, lowest, inmost seat in your soul.

Is this your religion?

– JC Ryle –  Practical Religion

In a day like this, when hearing and thinking without doing, is so common, no one can rightly wonder that I press upon men the absolute need of self-examination.  Once more, then, I ask my readers to consider the question of my text, “How is it with our souls?”

 

Let me ask, in the third place, whether we are trying to satisfy our consciences with a mere formal religion?

 

There are myriads at this moment who are making shipwreck on this rock. Like the Pharisees of old, they make much ado about the outward part of Christianity, while the inward and spiritual part is totally neglected.

 

– J.C. Ryle – Practical Religion

If you follow me on twitter, you will know that one of my all time favorite Christian author and theologian is JC Ryle. I call him my bishop. Every morning on my twitter account, I tweet the proverbs for the day, some other scripture verses and JC Ryle.  Bishop Ryle was a master theologian and a prolific writer.  Some of His famous works are:

• Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots
• Practical Religion
• Commentary on the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John)
• The Cross
• Knots Untied
• Repentance
• A Call to Prayer
• Thoughts for Young Men
• The Duties of Parents

All his works are truly a gift to the body of Christ. His work on holiness, practical religion and commentaries on the gospel are by far my favorites.  Honestly, I love all of his works, they are all my favorites.  A modern preacher that compares to JC Ryle today would be John MacArthur. Both are similar in their love for scripture, in-depth  knowledge of the word and boldness in proclaiming the gospel.

Over the next several weeks, I intend to share some quotes from his works on this blog. First let me introduce you to the man I call my bishop.

John Charles Ryle (1816-1900) was born in Macclesfield, England the son of a wealthy banker. He was headed for a career in politics before being called into the ministry. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford where he was an athlete who rowed and played Cricket. He was offered a teaching position, which he declined.

He was spiritually awakened in 1838 while hearing Ephesians 2 read in church. He was ordained by Bishop Sumner at Winchester in 1842. After holding a curacy at Exbury in Hampshire, he became rector of St Thomas’s, Winchester (1843), rector of Helmingham, Suffolk (1844), vicar of Stradbroke (1861), honorary canon of Norwich (1872), and dean of Salisbury (1880).

In 1880, at age 64, he became the first bishop of Liverpool, at the recommendation of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. In his diocese, he formed a clergy pension fund for his diocese and built over forty churches. Controversially, he emphasized raising clergy salaries ahead of building a cathedral for his new diocese. He retired in 1900 at age 83 and died later the same year. He is buried in the All Saints’ Church, Childwall, Liverpool.

Ryle was a strong supporter of the evangelical school and a critic of ritualism. J.C. Ryle was a prolific writer, vigorous preacher, faithful pastor, husband of three wives, [widowed three times: Matilda died in 1847, Jessie died in 1860, Henrietta died in 1889] and the father to five children [1 with Matilta and 4 with Jessie]. He was thoroughly evangelical in his doctrine and uncompromising in his Biblical principles.

But it does cost something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible.

 

There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run.

 

Conversion is not putting a man in an arm-chair and taking him easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Hence arises the unspeakable importance of “counting the cost.”…………….

 

Surely a Christian should be willing to give up anything which stands between him and heaven.

 

A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing! A cheap Christianity, without a cross, will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown.

 

– JC Ryle – Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots

Niceness is not Christian love and cannot be because niceness is self-focused and based on feelings. The Bible does not call us to be nice, but to be kind. Kindness is born out of the pursuit of holiness. Where the Holy Spirit is, Truth prevails.

Continue reading →

Unmask to me sin’s deformity,
that I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it.

The Valley of Vision is a gift and a treasure to the body of Christ. I will be forever grateful to Christins in days gone by who took the time to write down their heart felt prayers.

As Christians, we sometimes underestimate the power of sin over our lives. While we are victorious in Christ, we still have to contend with the world, the flesh and the devil daily.  Sin is deceitful and comes in very subtle ways. Until we understand the power and deceitfulness of sin, we will not be able to truly live victoriously.

This prayer “Yet I Sin” can be found on page 124. It is a prayer of confession, repentance, and a cry to be made more like Jesus.  

ETERNAL FATHER,

Thou art good beyond all thought,
But I am vile, wretched, miserable, blind;
My lips are ready to confess,
but my heart is slow to feel,
and my ways reluctant to amend.

I bring my soul to thee;
break it, wound it, bend it, mould it.

My faculties have been a weapon of revolt
against thee;
as a rebel I have misused my strength,
and served the foul adversary of thy kingdom.
Give me grace to bewail my insensate folly,
Grant me to know that the way of transgressors
is hard,
that evil paths are wretched paths,
that to depart from thee is to lose all good.

I have seen the purity and beauty of thy perfect law,
the happiness of those in whose heart it reigns,
the calm dignity of the walk to which it calls,
yet I daily violate and contemn its precepts.
Thy loving Spirit strives within me,
brings me Scripture warnings,
speaks in startling providences,
allures by secret whispers,
yet I choose devices and desires to my own hurt,
impiously resent, grieve,
and provoke him to abandon me.

All these sins I mourn, lament, and for them
cry pardon.

Work in me more profound and abiding repentance;
Give me the fullness of a godly grief
that trembles and fears,
yet ever trusts and loves,
which is ever powerful, and ever confident;
Grant that through the tears of repentance
I may see more clearly the brightness
and glories of the saving cross.

Amen.

The book, The Valley of Vision is a collection of puritan prayers.  This book was my first introduction to the writings of the puritans, and it completely blew me away! I honestly had never heard (read) anyone pray with so much devotion, so much awareness of their personal sin and the holiness of God.

I am very thankful to the puritans for writing down their prayers, without which this book would not have been possible.  In my opinion, no Christian home should be without this book.  The puritans were mostly known for their deep prayer life and meditation on scripture. 

The prayers in this book caught my attention like no other.  My prayers can be sometimes selfish and self-centered,  all about me and what I want: my protection, my provision, my success, my family’s protection, etc. While there is nothing inherently wrong with asking God for those things, our personal needs can become idols when we don’t put them in their properly place.  When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, He started the prayer asking for God’s name to hallowed, for His kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as in heaven. Jesus taught us to pray with the glory of God in mind.  At the heart of the prayers of the puritans is the glory of God. This should be at the heart of our prayers as well.

I would love to share one of the prayers from “The Valley of Vision” titled “The Family”. This prayer can be found on page 208. The prayer seemed to have been written by a woman (I think). What caught my eye about this prayer is the way she dedicates her home & family to God.  She prays for her domestic duties and the raising of her children to be blessed and used for the glory of God, asking in her prayers for her home to be a nursery for heaven! 

Ladies, your duties as a wife and mother at home are sacred duties meant to bring glory to God. I pray this prayer will encourage you  to see your duties in raising your kids and being a keeper at home as a sacred service to God.

The Family

O Sovereign Lord,

You are the Creator-Father of all men,
for you have made and support them;

You are the special Father of those who know, love, and honour you,
who find your yoke easy, and your burden light,
your work honourable,
your commandments glorious.

But how little your undeserved goodness has affected me!
How imperfectly have I improved my religious privileges!
How negligent have I been in doing good to others!

I am before you in my trespass and sins,
have mercy on me,
and my your goodness bring me to repentance.

Help me hate and forsake every false way,
to be attentive to my condition and character,
to bridle my tongue,
to keep my heart with all diligence,
to watch and pray against temptation,
to kill sin,
to be concerned for the salvation of others.

O God, I cannot endure to see the destruction of my kindred.

Let those who are united to me in tender ties
be precious in your sight and devoted to your glory.

Sanctify and prosper my domestic devotion,
instruction, discipline, example,
that my house may be a nursery for heaven,
my church the garden of the Lord,
enriched with the trees of righteousness of your planting,
for your glory;

Let not those of my family who are amiable, moral, attractive,
fall short of heaven at last;

Grant that the promising appearances of a tender conscience,
soft heart, the alarms and delights of your Word,
be not finally blotted out, but bring forth judgement to victory
in all whom I love.

Amen…. (emphasis mine)

Ladies: I would love to hear your thoughts on this prayer in the comments. Thanks.