6 Considerations of the Evil of Sin

Matthew Henry’s A Way to Pray again has a wonderful section instructing us how to pray biblically-informed prayers, specifically, how to plead with the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin’s cancerous nature, and the constant havoc it works in our lives.

1. Consider the sinfulness of sin. Meditate on Romans 7:13; 1 John 3:4; Luke 19:14; Exod 5:2; Num 15:30; Neh 9:26.
2. Recognize the foolishness of sin. Meditate on Psalm 69:5; Titus 3:3;; 1 Tim 6:9; Prov 22:15; Job 11:12; 2 Sam 24:10; Psa 73:22.
3. Admit the unprofitableness of sin. Meditate on Matthew 16:26; Job 33:27; Romans 6:21.
4. Beware of the deceitfulness of sin. Meditate on Obadiah 3; Romans 7:11; Hebrews 3:13; James 1:14.
5. Recognize the offence sin has committed against a Holy God. Meditate on Romans 2:23; Isaiah 1:4; Hosea 12:14; 2 Samuel 11:27; Ezekiel 6:9; Psalm 95:9, 10; Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30.
6. Become fully aware of the damage sin has done to your own soul. Meditate on Isaiah 50:1; Proverbs 8:36; Isaiah 59:2; Titus 1:15; Jeremiah 2:19; Romans 1:24, 26, 28; Proverbs 14:9              HT: Paul Tautges

Matthew Henry – A Man Who Loved God and His Word

One of the most famous historical figures associated with Christendom has to be Matthew Henry. Many know of him because of his famous commentary that he did on the whole Bible. It is an exquisite work. My family have benefited immensely from this marvellous work which spans 6 volumes. It has to be a must for any serious Christian family. In fact, George Whitefield, is was said, read through the whole work 4 times and the 4^th time was done while on his knees. Charles Spurgeon said, “Every minister ought to read it entirely and carefully through once at least.”

However, for many Christians their knowledge of him stops there. They know of him as the author of the commentary but do not know anything of the man himself. To be honest, until recently I was in the very same boat. I knew nothing of him personally. When I started digging, I found some wonderful accounts of his life growing up, how he got saved, and how he went about his calling to serve the church through his writing and his pastoring – he was a pastor for much of his life. I also learned that he suffered a lot during his life which makes the work he produced and the service he rendered all the more remarkable and inspiring. He was a man who was extremely devoted to the Word and whose love for it influenced Christians for hundreds of years.

Henry was born prematurely on the 18^th October, 1662 to Philip and Katherine Henry in at a farm called Broad Oak, Iscoyd (Wales). He was the 2^nd son born in the family. Due to his premature birth, he was counted as a sickly child through much of his childhood but an avid learner.   Continue at Inerrant Word

The Arms of Divine Grace

The Puritan writer Matthew Henry must be one of the most quotable of all the Christian authors. He had an amazing ability to grab ahold of a great text or a great doctrine and to reduce it to a few sentences that beautifully sum it all up. Recently I went looking for what he said about suffering, and found a few powerful quotes. 

"He never intended this world for our rest, and therefore never appointed us to take our ease in it. This travail is given to us to make us weary of the world and desirous of the remaining rest. It is given to us that we may be kept in action, and may always have something to do; for we were none of us sent into the world to be idle. Every change cuts us out some new work, which we should be more solicitous about, than the event.

The calamities of the righteous are preparing them for their future blessedness, and the wicked, while their days are prolonged, are but ripening for ruin. There is a judgment to come, which will rectify this seeming irregularity, to the glory of God and the full satisfaction of all his people, and we must wait with patience till then."   Continue at Tim Challies

The true Calvinist

This post is a little “off the beaten path” but in view of recent observations and discussions, even with some of you, I am posting this excerpt from a chapter called, “The True Calvinist” in Boice and Ryken’s, The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel. If anyone is looking for a good overview on the topic, this book is an excellent resource.

I am not ashamed to say that Reformed Theology and The Doctrines of Grace (or Calvinism)  have put me on the most solid theological footing ever. The more I see the purity of these doctrines woven throughout the pages of my Bible, the more I proclaim with Paul, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). 

I have also come to see, now more than ever before, that the unadulterated Gospel message — that is, the preaching of “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2) will always be the object of great scorn and antagonism. The Gospel is always under attack and the Bride of Christ will always stand (but also prevail!) against tremendous opposition. This is every bit as true today as it was in the days of the early church. Keep Reading>>>

Extraordinary Spiritual Awareness and Commitment in the Young

I’ve been casually reading the short biographies of Christian men and women in Warren Wiersbe’s Fifty People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith.  Each of the biographical sketches are breezy reads rich with encouragement.  One of the encouraging bits in some of the biographies is the Lord’s gracious dealing with some while they are young.  We live in an age where youth is either despised or largely ignored.  We don’t take young people very seriously or challenge them very effectively.  Hence the appropriateness of the rebelution.

But these biographies remind us of the power of God’s word and Spirit to deep, meaningful, lasting work in the lives of the young.  Two examples: Continue Reading>>>

The Promises of God

It is the unspeakable privilege of all believers to have, as a certain possession, the precious promises of God. We have them as manifest tokens of God’s favour towards us; and every one of them is yea and amen, in Christ Jesus our Lord. We have them as fruits of Christ’s purchase. The Lord having purchased us with His own blood we have these promises produced by that, inestimable grace. They are plain and ample declarations of the goodwill of God towards man, and are therefore as God’s part of the covenant of grace. They are a foundation of our faith, and we have them as such; and also of our hope.

On these we are to build all our expectations from God; and in all temptations and trials we have them to rest our souls upon. We have them as the directions and encouragements of our desires in prayer. Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. They are the guide of our desires and the ground of our hope in prayer. Therefore, let us review some of these blessed promises of God. Check out the promises HERE