The Gateway To The Kingdom

If you've read My Utmost For His Highest, the following will perhaps be familiar. If not, the following will demonstrate why it has been a classic for so many years! Please, read this slowly. Digest it. There's a truth enclosed in this treasury that will bless more than it informs. You can read a daily portion HERE. The book is offered as well. Just read this and see if Chambers doesn't open your eyes . . .

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5:3

Beware of placing Our Lord as a Teacher first. If Jesus Christ is a Teacher only, then all He can do is to tantalize me by erecting a standard I cannot attain. What is the use of presenting me with an ideal I cannot possibly come near? I am happier without knowing it. What is the good of telling me to be what I never can be—to be pure in heart, to do more than my duty, to be perfectly devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair. But when I am born again of the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come to teach only: He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives are based on that disposition.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man—the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out Our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. ‘Blessed are the paupers in spirit,’ that is the first principle in the kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility—‘I cannot begin to do it.’ Then Jesus says—‘Blessed are you.’ That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us on to the moral frontier where Jesus Christ works.

Chambers, O. (1993). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year (NIV edition.). Westwood, NJ: Barbour and Co.

When To Confront Someone About Their Sin?

One of the most misunderstood doctrines among practicing Christians is that of judging others. Most would simply assert that it is never right. Don't do it! Period. But that would be to deny Scriptural teaching categorically. Truly, Matthew 7:1 teaches that we must be careful about judging other's motives. But there are other kinds of judging which God calls on his church to perform. Please listen to the following video segment from an interview with John Piper for a brief but lucid answer to this oft-confused and much avoided subject.

If you prefer the written account, click HERE.

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How To Spend the Day With God - Part 3

Continued from yesterday . . . 

Richard Baxter wrote to his church urging them how to spend their time for Christ. Here is the third installment which continues from the last two days.  

One of Baxter's largest contributions to practical Christianity

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.

May the Spirit use these words to encourage us all in our pursuit of God.

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How To Spend the Day With God - Part 2

Continued from yesterday . . .

Puritan, Richard Baxter (1615-1691), wrote the following practical advice to his congregation in Kidderminster, England.

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. 

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)   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.

Part 3 (Final) - tomorrow

How To Spend the Day With God - R. Baxter

Richard Baxter (1615-1691), English Puritan is perhaps known best for "near" death-bed tome, The Saint's Everlasting Rest. I say, "near death-bed" because after writing this he recovered! You don't think God had his hand in that do you? ;-)  We ministers also love, and wince at his The Reformed Pastor (by reformed he means "changed, improved"). Very convicting, and therefore, very necessary! In his ministry, Baxter preached much for the practical benefit of his congregation (which at one time I believe numbered at about 800). Over the next few days I am going to publish his paper entitled, "How To Spend the Day With God." I only divide it to keep it somewhat brief for each day.

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. Familiarize 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 agonizing 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. 

Part 2 tomorrow 
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Spiritually Minded?

From: John Owen in Don Whitney's How Can I Be Sure I'm A Christian? These are the subheadings within the chapter, and are worthwhile in themselves. For more, get the book!

ONLY THOSE WHO ARE SPIRITUALLY MINDED ARE CHRISTIANS.

YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY MINDED WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE THINGS OF GOD SPONTANEOUSLY AND WITHOUT EXTERNAL CAUSES.

YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY MINDED WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE THINGS OF GOD MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. 

YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY MINDED IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE THINGS OF GOD WITH MORE DELIGHT AND ENJOYMENT THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

Conversely,

YOU ARE NOT SPIRITUALLY MINDED IF "GOD IS NOT IN ALL YOUR THOUGHTS."

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How Many Sins Were Involved in the Fall in the Garden?

We tend to reduce the sin in the garden to one sin, the sin of disobedience. Upon further consideration we may be intrigued to learn that this was but one of at least 10 sins according to the Puritan Thomas Watson. Read the following and see what you think.

1)     Incredulity. Our parents did not believe what God had spoken was truth. God had said that they would die on the day that they ate of the tree (Knowledge of Good and Evil). By their unbelief they made God a liar; and, even worse, put their trust in the devil over God!

2)    Unthankfulness. This is the epitome of all sin. Adam’s sin was committed in the midst of Paradise. After God had stamped his own image upon him and made him lord over all the world and given him all the trees of the garden to eat (one excepted), and then to take of THAT TREE! That was high ingratitude! Why shouldn’t Adam after he sinned go and try to hide himself in shame. How could he look his Creator in the face without blushing?

3)    Discontent. Had he not been discontent, he would not have attempted to change alter his condition. Would you not think that Adam should have had enough? He had the robe of innocence to clothe him, and the glory of Paradise to crown him; yet he was discontent, he wanted more; he would be above the ordinary rank of creatures. “How wide was Adam’s heart, that a whole world could not fill it!

4)    Pride. He would be like God! Newly formed dust now aspires to be his own Creator! How could Satan have tempted him had there not been some desire in him to usurp God’s place? “He supposed the tree of knowledge would have anointed his eyes, and made him omniscient. But, by climbing too high, he got a fall.”

5)    Disobedience. God had said, “You shall not eat of the tree” (2:17). But he would eat of it, though it cost him his life. “Disobedience against equity” (what is just and right). It is right that we should serve him from whom we gained our subsistence. God gave Adam his allowance, therefore it was but right he should give God his allegiance.” How is God to endure seeing his laws trampled on before his face? (Remember: if all God had done was very good, then so were his laws. Therefore, any trampling on his laws was a trampling on the good in favor of the bad) This made him place a flaming sword at the end of the garden.

6)    Curiosity. He meddled with that which was out of his sphere, and did not belong to him. God smote the men of Bethshemesh for looking into the ark (1 Sam. 6:19). So, Adam was prying into God’s secrets, and tasting what was forbidden. What? Did God, the Giver, have every right to withhold what he wanted from his creation?

7)    Wantonness. (Shameless, immoral, depravity) Though Adam had a choice of all the other trees, yet his palate grew wanton, and he must have this tree. Like Israel, God sent them manna, angel’s food, yes, but they had to have quail. So, it was not enough that God should supply their wants; now, they would have him satisfy their lusts! Adam had all that he needed and that he would delight in (2:9); yet his wantonness drove him to lust after the forbidden fruit!

8)    Sacrilege. The Tree of Knowledge was not Adam’s, yet he took of it, and thus robbed God of his due. It was a double theft—to take what belongs to God for use by himself.

9)    Murder. Adam was a public person, and all his posterity were involved and wrapped up in him; and he, by sinning, at once destroyed all his posterity, if free grace had not intervened. As Abel’s blood cried out from the ground for vengeance, so did Adam’s race cry out for God’s vengeance. "For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, ESV)

10)  Presumption. Adam presumed on God’s mercy. He blessed himself (in effect) saying, “I should, though I have sinned, still have peace.” “Yes, though I did transgress God’s word, I should not have to die.” He thought God should reverse his decree rather than punish him. This was a very great presumption. After all, who would know? There was no one but Eve and me. God must always do what is right for doing right lies within his heart, not in the eyes of those who witness it.