Thoughts and Meditations

Personal comments made by David F. Reagan unless otherwise stated

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April 27, 2006

More Light to Come – While the Pilgrims were still in the Netherlands and before they came to America in 1620, John Robinson was their pastor. He was not able to come with them to America. What follows is part of his departing exhortation to them: “We are now quickly to part from one another, and whether I may ever live to see your faces upon earth any more, the God of heaven only knows; but whether the Lord has appointed that or no, I charge you before God and his blessed angels, that you follow me no farther than you have seen me follow the Lord Jesus Christ. If God reveal any thing to you by any other instrument of his, be as ready to receive it as ever you was to receive any truth by my ministry; for I am verily persuaded, the Lord has more truth yet to break forth out of his holy word… I beseech you remember, it is an article of your church covenant, that you be ready to receive whatever truth shall be made known to you from the written word of God… But I must herewithal exhort you to take heed what you receive as truth; examine it, consider it, and compare it with other scriptures of truth, before you receive it; for it is not possible the Christian world should come so lately out of such thick anti-christian darkness, and that perfection of knowledge should break forth at once.” –quoted from The History and Antiquities of the Dissenting Churches: Volume One by Walter Wilson (p.33-34). See Daniel 12:8-9.

Topics: Pilgrims, John Robinson, Truth

Precepts and Promises – “A promise may be described as a testimony which God has given of Himself through Christ, to secure our faith in whatever we may expect from Him. As a precept testifies what God expects from us, so a promise testifies what we may expect from Him. The glory of the New Covenant is that what we expect from God enables us to perform what He expects from us. It is in the strength of the promise that we are enabled to obey the precept… The same apostle who complains (2Corinthians 3:5) of an insufficiency to think anything of himself, can yet boast that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13). Nothing in himself, but all things in Christ. The command creates our duty, but the promise affords strength for obedience.” –from Practical Godliness: The Ornament of All Religion by Vincent Alsop (p.50).

Topics: Promise, Precept, Enabling

April 26, 2006

Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God – “Wisdom is the emphatic title of Christ in Scripture (Proverbs 8:12, 13, 31), where wisdom is brought in speaking as a distinct person; ascribing counsel, and understanding, and the knowledge of witty inventions to itself. He is called also the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1Corinthians 1:24). And the ancients generally understood that place (Colossians 2:3), ‘In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,’ as an assertion of the Godhead of Christ, in regard of the infiniteness of his knowledge; referring wisdom to his knowledge of divine things; and knowledge to his understanding of all human things.” –from The Existence and Attributes of God: Volume One by Stephen Charnock (p.580).

Topics: Wisdom, Deity of Christ

In the Middle of the Field – E. M. Bounds (1835-1913) was a prayer-warrior known for his books on prayer. About 1902, he received an invitation to speak at the first Atlanta Baptist Tabernacle Conference. He went to the meeting with his son Osborne. “Bags in hand, they boarded a train headed west. As the conductor approached the pair, he inquired of their destination. Bounds said, ‘My son and I are going to Atlanta.’ With that he withdrew from his pocket a handful of change and said, ‘I know this is not enough to get us all the way to our destination, but you can put us off at the point where this fare runs out.’

“The conductor quickly counted the coins and said, ‘Brother Bounds, this is not nearly enough to get you and the boy there. I would have to put you off in the middle of a field somewhere.’ Bounds replied, ‘Well, if we are put out in the middle of a field, it will be precisely where God wants us to be.’

“As a young man, Osborne was impressed by his father’s trust and faith in God. When the conductor walked away, a well-groomed businessman approached the pair and said, ‘I understand you are Reverend Bounds, and that you and the boy don’t have quite enough to get you to your destination.’ ‘So we are told,’ Bounds answered. The businessman quickly enjoined, ‘Well, your fare is covered, Brother Bounds. Have a blessed meeting in Atlanta.’ ” –from E. M. Bounds by Darrel D. King (p.134-135). See Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24.

Topics: Prayer, E. M. Bounds, Faith in God

April 25, 2006

Does God Hear You Breathing – Matthew Henry is well-known as a Bible-commentator. But in his book, Experiencing God’s Presence (p.23), he admonishes the believer “to let God frequently hear from you. Let Him hear your voice, even if it is only the voice of your breathing, which is a sign of life. “Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry” (Lamentations 3:56). Let Him hear you, even if it is only the voice of your groanings, and those so weak that they cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). Speak to Him, even if it is in a broken language, as Hezekiah did: “Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter” (Isaiah 38:14). Speak often to Him; He is always within hearing. Hear Him speaking to you, and be mindful of His voice in everything you say to Him.”

Topics: Prayer, Breath

Sensing the Majesty of God – “The modern Christian has lost a sense of worship along with the concept of majesty [1Chronicles 29:11], and of course, reverence as well [Psalm 89:7]. He has lost his ability to withdraw inwardly and commune in the secret place with God in the shrine of his own hidden spirit [Psalm 91:1]. It is this that makes Christianity, and we have all but lost it. Added numbers, yes, but lost fear. Multiplied schools, yes, but lost awareness of the invisible. Tons of literature being poured out, of course, but no consciousness of the divine Presence. Better communication, certainly, but nothing to communicate. Evangelistic organizations, yes, but the concept of majesty and worship and reverence has almost left us.” --from The Attributes of God: Volume One by A. W. Tozer (p.181).

Topics: Worship, Fear of God, Communion with God

April 24, 2006

Spiritual Dry Rot – “There is an evil under the sun which is as terrible as an open catastrophe,--indeed, it works greater ill to the church in the long run [than public sin],--and that is, when a man’s ministry is eaten through and through with spiritual dry rot. I heard an old Indian describe the way in which furniture may be devoured by the white ants. The ants will come into the house, and eat up everything; and yet, to all appearance, nothing is touched. The bookcases stand just where they did, and the trunks and everything else remain exactly as they were; at least, it is so to the eye; but directly they are touched, they all crumble to pieces, for the ants have eaten the substance out of them. In the same way, some men still remain in the ministry, and yet the soul of their ministry has gone. They have a name to live, yet they are dead [Revelation 3:1]: what can be worse than this condition?” –from An All-Round Ministry by C. H. Spurgeon (p.137-138).

Topics: Dangers to Ministers, Backsliding

What We Are Able – “You have a passage to this purpose in Isaiah, showing that when you are weak and young converts, the Lord will stay His rough winds and will proportion the temptations according to your strength. Isaiah 28:27: “For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.” As the smaller seeds, fitches and cumin, must not be beaten out with great weights but with a rod and a staff, so weak Christians shall not be exposed to great afflictions and temptations but such as are proportionate to their strength, and strong believers shall have temptations answerable to their strength. God will lay upon His children no more than they are able to bear [1Corinthians 10:13].” –from The Mortified Christian by Christopher Love (p.42).

Topics: New Converts, Promises Concerning Afflictions, Threshing

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