Saturday, November 02, 2019

Owen: mixed motives

Saturday, November 2, 2019
    Feast of All Souls
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
    —Matthew 9:38 (NIV)
Quotation:
    To some men it is hard seeing a call of God through difficulties; when if it would but clothe itself with a few carnal advantages, how apparent it is to them! They can see it through a little cranny.
    ... John Owen (1616-1683), Works of John Owen, v. VIII, London: Johnson & Hunter, 1851, Serm. VII, p. 237 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 9:38; Jer. 3:15; Matt. 23:2-7; Luke 10:1-2; Rom. 16:17-18; 1 Cor. 3:3; Phil. 1:15-18; 2:3
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant me clarity in Your calling.
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Friday, November 01, 2019

Wesley: our work

Friday, November 1, 2019
    Feast of All Saints
Meditation:
    Now, Lord, [the disciples prayed] consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
    —Acts 4:29 (NIV)
Quotation:
    You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work.
    ... John Wesley (1703-1791), The Works of the Rev. John Wesley, v. IV, New York: J. & J. Harper, 1826, p. 377 (see the book)
    See also Acts 4:29,31; 9:27; 14:3; 19:8; 20:27; 28:31; Eph. 6:18-20; Phil. 1:14; 2:17; 2 Tim. 1:7-8
Quiet time reflection:
    May Your power, Lord, enable us to speak boldly.
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Thursday, October 31, 2019

Studd: Enlist!

Thursday, October 31, 2019
    Reformation Day
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
    —Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)
Quotation:
    We Christians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism... To your knees, man! and to your Bible! Decide at once! Don’t hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God, quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. Enlist!
    ... C. T. Studd (1860-1931) (see the book)
    See also Luke 6:43-49; Matt. 4:19; 12:34-37; Rom. 2:1
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I place my life at Your feet, to direct into the conflict.
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Luther: the priorities

Wednesday, October 30, 2019
    Commemoration of Martin Luther, Teacher, Reformer, 1546
Meditation:
But I cry to you for help, O LORD;
    in the morning my prayer comes before you.
    —Psalm 88:13 (NIV)
Quotation:
    I have so much to do (today) that I should spend the first three hours in prayer.
    ... Martin Luther (1483-1546), attributed (see the book)
    See also Ps. 88:13; 5:3; 55:16-17;Matt. 14:22-23; Luke 9:28-31
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I thank you for the privilege of prayer.
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Tuesday, October 29, 2019

MacDonald: ask to receive

Tuesday, October 29, 2019
    Commemoration of James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, Martyr in Uganda, 1885
Meditation:
    This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
    —1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)
Quotation:
    [Continued from yesterday]
    Hunger may drive the runaway child home, and he may or may not be fed at home; but he needs his mother more than his dinner. Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other need; prayer is the beginning of that communion, and some need is the motive of that prayer... So begins a communion, a talking with God, a coming-to-one with Him, which is the sole end of prayer, yea, of existence itself in its infinite phases. We must ask that we may receive; but that we should receive what we ask in respect of our lower needs, is not God’s end in making us pray, for He could give us everything without that: to bring His child to His knee, God withholds that man may ask.
    ... George MacDonald (1824-1905), “The Word of Jesus on Prayer”, in Unspoken Sermons, Second Series, London: Longmans, Green, 1886, p. 72-73 (see the book)
    See also 1 John 5:14-15; Ps. 73:28; Mark 11:24-25; John 4:32-34
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You show me that all good things come from You.
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Monday, October 28, 2019

MacDonald: why we need to pray

Monday, October 28, 2019
    Feast of Simon & Jude, Apostles
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] Do not be like [the pagans], for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
    —Matthew 6:8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    We know that the wind blows; why should we not know that God answers prayer?
    I reply, What if God does not care to have you know it at second hand? What if there would be no good in that? There is some testimony on record, and perhaps there might be much were it not that, having to do with things so immediately personal, and generally so delicate, answers to prayer would naturally not often be talked about; but no testimony concerning the thing can well be conclusive; for, like a reported miracle, there is always some way to daff it; and besides, the conviction to be got that way is of little value: it avails nothing to know the thing by the best of evidence... “But if God is so good as you represent Him, and if He knows all that we need, and better far than we do ourselves, why should it be necessary to ask Him for anything?”
    I answer, What if He knows prayer to be the thing we need first and most? What if the main object in God’s idea of prayer be the supplying of our great, our endless need—the need of Himself? [Continued tomorrow]
    ... George MacDonald (1824-1905), “The Word of Jesus on Prayer”, in Unspoken Sermons, Second Series, London: Longmans, Green, 1886, p. 66-67,72 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 6:8; Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4; 12:29-30; John 3:8; Heb. 13:5-6
Quiet time reflection:
    Above all, Lord, I need You in my prayer.
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Sunday, October 27, 2019

Phillips: the authentic Gospel

Sunday, October 27, 2019
Meditation:
    And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
    —Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)
Quotation:
    I would very earnestly ask you to check your conception of Christ, the image of Him which as a Christian you hold in your mind, with the actual revealed Person who can be seen and studied in action in the pages of the Gospels. It may be of some value to hold in our minds a bundle of assorted ideals to influence and control our conduct. But surely we need to be very careful before we give that “bundle” the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
    ... J. B. Phillips (1906-1982), When God was Man, London: Lutterworth Press:, 1954, p. 8 (see the book)
    See also Eph. 1:13-14; John 15:26; 20:29; 2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1; 1 John 1:1-3
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, reveal Yourself to Your church.
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