God, Be Merciful to Me

This is my prayer tonight-

1. 'God, be merciful to me;
On Thy grace I rest my plea
Plenteous in compassion Thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within;
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.

2. My transgressions I confess;
Grief and guilt my soul oppress.
I have sinned against Thy grace,
And provoked Thee to Thy face.
I confess Thy judgement just;
Speechless, I Thy mercy trust.

3. I am evil, born in sin;
Thou desirest truth within.
Thou alone my Savior art,
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart;
Make me pure, Thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.

4. Broken, humbled to the dust
By Thy wrath and judgment just,
Let my contrite heart rejoice,
And in gladness hear Thy voice;
From my sins O hide Thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.

5. Gracious God, my heart renew,
Make my spirit right and true.
Cast me not away from Thee,
Let Thy Spirit dwell in me;
Thy salvation's joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.

6. Sinners then shall learn from me,
And return, O God, to Thee
Savior all my guilt remove,
And my tongue shall sing Thy love
Touch my silent lips, O Lord,
And my mouth shall praise accord'

If you click on the title of this post it will take you to a page where you can listen to a demo of this song.

Powerful message!

Here is a link to a sermon by Derek Thomas, that was given yesterday at the Basics 2007 conference. Just click on the title of this post and it will take you to the page:) Very, very powerful!
His is the one called 'preaching as warfare.'

Thoughts from Titus

Let me quote a portion from Titus 2:6-3:8-

"Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;

7in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

8sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

9Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

10not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

12instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

13looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

14who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

15These things speak and (exhort and (reprove with all authority Let no one disregard you.

Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,
2to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

3For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

6whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men."

The first thing that I have seen from these verses that really stuck out at me, was Paul's emphasis on 'good deeds.' He mentions good deeds four times in these few verses. He says to be an 'example of good deeds' (2:7), then he says-'zealous for good deeds' (2:14), then in 3:1-'to be ready for every good deed' and finally in 3:8-'be careful to engage in good deeds.' I guess it is just another reminder to be doers of the Word and not hearers only!

The other powerful part of these verses come at then end of the 2nd chapter. These verses-11"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

12instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

13looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,.."

Let me just leave a few thought from John Calvin on these verses-

"But the manifestation of the grace of God unavoidably carries along with it exhortations to a holy life.”

"By worldly desires he means all the affections of the flesh; because we look at nothing but the world, till the Lord has drawn us to himself. Meditation on the heavenly life begins with regeneration. Before we have been regenerated, our desires lean towards the world, and rest on the world.”

"Looking for that blessed hope From the hope of future immortality he draws an exhortation, and indeed, if that hope be deeply seated in our mind, it is impossible that it should not lead us to devote ourselves wholly to God. On the contrary, they who do not cease to live to the world and to the flesh never have actually tasted what is the worth of the promise of eternal life; for the Lord, by calling us to heaven, withdraws us from the earth.”

The picture on the left is Jonathan Edwards' Bible. I put it up, to remember his faithfullness in his mediation on Scripture, and to encourage me to do the same.

More from Jim Elliot

Here is another entry from Jim Elliot's journals-

"What He has shown me seems to be that the world is fading away. All that I have seen and heard, all that my heart has been set upon to know I have found as the Preacher said, "Behold, it is vanity" (Eccles. 12:8). We won second place at the tourney in Cleveland, and we took individual runner-up positions, too-but-what is that? Nothing abides. Behold, the Son of God comes! One flash of His burning eye will melt all our polished marble and burnished gold to nothing. One word from His righteous lips will speak destruction to the vast rebellion we call "the human race." One peal of His vengeful laughter will rock the libraries of our wise and bring them crashing to a rubble heap. The wise shall be taken in their own craftiness; mountains shall be brought low. What shall abide that day? Lo, "he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1 John 2:17). Church of God, awake to our Bridegroom! Think not to say in your heart, America, "we have upheld the common man; we have the godly for our heritage; we have respect for the religious." I say to you, God is able to raise up righteousness from your pavement stones. you have nothing but awful show before Him who comes. "Oh, that thou wouldst bow the heavens and come down!" (Pss. 144:5). Laodicea, when will you learn that fullness without Him is vacuum? Oh, the awful emptiness of a full life when Christ stands yet without."

Borrowed Prayer

John Piper quoted this in one of his sermons, and I want to quote it here-

"Search me, O God, and know my heart today; I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin; Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. Fulfill thy Word and make me pure within. See if there be some wicked way in me; Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame; Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free. Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;"

Jim Elliot

I have been reading Jim Elliot's journals this week, and have really enjoyed them so far. I just wanted to put up one of his entries. This is my prayer also- "Father, le me be weak that I might lose my clutch on everything temporal. My life, my reputation, my possessions, Lord, let me loose the tension of a grasping hand. Even, Father, would I lose the love of the fondling touch. Rather, open my hand to receive the nail of Calvary-as Christ's was opened-that I, releasing all, might be released, unleashed from all that binds me here."

Ephesians 5:1

I was just looking up something in my James Boice commentary on Ephesians, and I came across this part on Ephesians 5:1. Here is Ephesians 5:1-"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.." Here is what Boice says-"Be imitators of God.' It is the only place in the Bible where these words occur, and what makes them so startling is that they point to a standard beyond which there is no other. William Barclay calls this 'the highest standard in the world.' Alexander Maclaren calls it 'the sum of all duty.' To Martyn Lloyd-Jones it was 'Paul's supreme agrument...the highest level of all doctrine and in practice...the ultimate ideal." What a high calling we have as Christians!

Late post of this week's verse

"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."-Galatins 6:10

Verse 6

13"But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."-Matthew 9:13

D.L. Moody

I just bought a biography of D.L. Moody, and I could not put it down last night. John Piper said in one of his messages that we should always be reading at least one biography of the saints of old. So, I read Marsden on Edward's and now am on to this Moody book. Here is a portion of the book. This first part is about Moody's Sunday school teacher.

"On Saturday, April 21, 1855, he was bent over his Bible, preparing a lesson for the next day. Suddenly he felt constrained to go call on Dwight Moody and inquire about the condition of his soul. The Sunday school teacher immediately arose and obediently headed for the Holton Shoe Store. On the way he had second thoughts. Perhaps a foolish impulse rather than the Spirit had sent him on this errand. What if he disturbed the young worker during a busy time? What if the other workers overheard their conversation and would make fun of Moody because his teacher was trying to make "a good boy out of him"? Kimball was so absorbed with the pros and cons of the issue that he walked right past the store. "Then when I found I had gone by the door, I determined to make a dash for it and have it over at once." He found Moody in the back of the store wrapping and shelving shoes. "I went up to him and put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over...I made my plea, and I feel that it was really a weak one. I don't know just what words I used...I simply told him of Christ's love for him and the love Christ wanted in return." Here is Moody's account of that event-

"When I was in Boston I used to attend Sunday school class, and one day I recollect my teacher came around behind the counter of the shop I was at work in, and put his hand upon my shoulder, and talked to me about Christ and my soul. I had not felt that I had a soul till then. I said to myself: "this is a very strange thing. Here is a man who never saw me till lately, and he is weeping over my sins, and I never shed a tear about them." But I understand now, and know what it is to have a passion for men's souls and weep over their sins. I don't remember what he said, but I can feel the power of that man's hand on my shoulder to-night. It was not long after that I was brought into the Kingdom of God."

Verse 5

"and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."-2nd Corinthians 5:15

2nd Corinthians 6:10

"...as sorrowful yet always rejoicing,..." I find myself thinking about this verse a good bit. I have many people in my life who are not Christians, and I care deeply about them. After spending time with them I often leave feeling grieved for them. I pray more earnestly for them the more I am with them. Many times I also feel grieved over my lack of boldness with them. Every time we are around others we are called to let our lights shine. What a high calling we have as Christians. O that the 'love of Christ (would) control' us as Paul says. Or as the King James says the 'love of Christ constraineth us.' I read this verse the other day in my devotions, and it is one of the most powerful verses in the Bible to me. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." That is truly AMAZING! Sin is the most odious thing in God's eyes, and Christ Jesus who 'knew no sin' was made sin. In Hebrews 12:1&2 are some amazing verses that many are familar with. Let me quote them and point out something that seems to get overlooked. "1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Those two verses are packed with amazing statements. The line that I think gets overlooked is the 'despising the shame' line. If you contemplate that verse long enough it will probably bring you to tears. I remember James Boice said in one of his sermons that even in eternity we won't know how much Christ suffered for us. O that we would live for Christ. As paul says-"..and he died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." Matthew Henry says this about that verse-"Note, We should not make ourselves, but Christ, the end of our living and actions: and it was one end of Christ's death to cure us of this self-love, and to excite us always to act under the commanding influence of his love. A Christian's life should be consecrated to Christ; and then do we live as we ought to live when we live to Christ, who died for us." -Amen.

Edwards

I had been neglecting my two volumes of Edwards for several weeks, but thankfully I got back into volume 2 a few days ago. Of course I came across wonderful things. Here is some of what struck me.-
"If there were a great treasure of gold and pearls accidentally found, and opened with such circumstances that all might have as much as they could gather; would not every one think it worth his while to make a business of gathering while it should last? But that treasure of divine knowledge, which is contained in the Scriptures, and is provided for every one to gather to himself as much of it as he can, is far more rich than any one of gold and pearls. How busy are all sorts of men, all over the world, in getting riches! But this knowledge is a far better kind of riches, than that after which they so diligently and laboriously pursue."
"Be assiduous in reading the Holy Scriptures. This is the fountain whence all knowledge in divinity must be derived. Therefore let not this treasure lie by you neglected."

Verse 4

"...Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies."-1st Corinthians 8:1

John Owen

I have been slowly reading an updated version of John Owen's classic works on sin and temptation. Here is a wonderful part in the means of mortification section.
"Let faith look on Christ in the gospel as he is set forth dying and crucified for us. Look on him under the weight of our sins, praying, bleeding, dying; bring him in that condition into your heart by faith; apply his blood so shed to your corruptions. Do this daily."

Verse 3

"For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."-1st Corinthians 6:20

Jonathan Edwards paragraph-

I was reading a sermon from Edwards called 'Christ's Agony', and I wanted to share a powerful part of that sermon.-

" From what has been said, we may see the wonderful strength of the love of Christ to sinners. What has been said shows the strength of Christ's love two ways.

1. That it was so strong as to carry him through that agony that he was then in. The suffering that he then was actually subject to, was dreadful and amazing, as has been shown; and how wonderful was his love that lasted and was upheld still! The love of any mere man or angel would doubtless have sunk under such a weight, and never would have endured such a conflict in such a bloody sweat as that of Jesus Christ. The anguish of Christ's soul at that time was so strong as to cause that wonderful effect on his body. But his love to his enemies, poor and unworthy as they were, was stronger still. The heart of Christ at that time was full of distress, but it was fuller of love to vile worms: his sorrows abounded, but his love did much more abound. Christ's soul was overwhelmed with a deluge of grief, but this was from a deluge of love to sinners in his heart sufficient to overflow the world, and overwhelm the highest mountains of its sins. Those great drops of blood that fell down to the ground were a manifestation of an ocean of love in Christ's heart."

Second Verse of the week

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life."-Proverbs 4:23

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

I have been reading an amazing book called studies in the sermon on the mount by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I just have to share one of the paragraphs that I read on Thursday night that blew me away.

"..;for we shall see him as he is.' This is surely the most amazing thing that has ever been said to man, that you and I, such as we are, pressed with all the problems and troubles of this modern world, are going to see Him face-to-face. If we but grasped this, it would revolutionize our lives. You and I are meant for the audience chamber of God; you and I are being prepared to enter into the presence of the King of kings. Do you believe it, do you know it as true of you? Do you realize that a day is coming when you are going to see the blessed God face-to-face? Not as in a glass, darkly; but face-to-face. Surely the moment we grasp this, everything else pales into insignificance. You and I are going to enjoy God, and to spend our eternity in His glorious and eternal presence...The blessedness is inconceivable, beyond our imagination." If I could keep this in the front of my mind it would change my life. Then he says this at the very end of the chapter-"Don't you feel ashamed at this moment that you are wasting your time on things that not only will be of no value to you on that great occasion, but of which you will then be ashamed."

Whitefield and Spurgeon on Henry

I just bought a book with 3000 quotes from Matthew Henry's commentary arranged by topic. I found it online for less than 3 dollars, which is crazy. At the start of the book the author who compiled the quotes said a couple of things that just blew me away. I knew Spurgeon was a big Matthew Henry fan, but here are the quotes that I hadn't read from him on Henry. This is Spurgeon's advice to his son concerning Matthew Henry's commentary-"Read it all before you get married." Then his advice to his students-"Read it in the first year of your ministry." Spurgeon may be referring to the abridged version of his commentary. I hope to finish the unabridged version in my lifetime, however I don't think I will finish it before I am married. George Whitefield read the unabridged version 4 times through in his lifetime. He read it on his knees. The thing I didn't know was the price Whitefield paid for the commentary. Here is what I found out-"In Whitefield's days the commentary cost about sixteen weeks of a working man's wages, but he bought it, and read it, and preached it." That just blew me away. Sixteen weeks of wages, and I paid less than 20 dollars for this amazing work from Henry. I felt convicted that I don't read his commentary near as much as I should.

Verse for the week

I just thought I would post one verse a week. This verse will be a verse that I will try and focus on during the week. Here is the verse for this week. "Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments,.."-1st Kings 8:61