Thursday, June 28, 2007

Matthew Henry on God's faithfulness

"God has made great and precious promises to believers, and he is a faithful God, true to his word; there is no falseness nor fickleness with him, and there should be none with us. His faithfulness should excite and encourage us to be faithful, and we must depend more upon his promises to us than upon our promises to him, and we must plead with him the promise of grace sufficient." Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry on communing with God

"They must draw near to God, and that in a right manner. They must draw near to God. Since such a way of access and return to God is opened, it would be the greatest ingratitude and contempt of God and Christ still to keep at a distance from him. They must draw near by conversion, and by taking hold of his covenant. They must draw near in all holy conversation, like Enoch walking with God. They must draw near in humble adorations, worshipping at his footstool." Matthew Henry

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Matthew Henry on the gospel

"The things of Christ and the gospel are good things; they are the best things; they are best in themselves, and the best for us: they are realities of an excellent nature. "Matthew Henry

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Matthew Henry on Jesus

"Christ’s sacrifice, though offered upon earth, was by himself carried up into heaven, and is there presented in a way of daily intercession; for he appears in the presence of God for us. He has gone to heaven, not only to enjoy the rest and receive the honour due to him, but to appear in the presence of God for us, to present our persons and our performances, to answer and rebuke our adversary and accuser, to secure our interest, to perfect all our affairs, and to prepare a place for us." Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry on Heaven

"This will be to the salvation of all who look for him; he will then perfect their holiness, their happiness; their number shall then be accomplished, and their salvation completed. Observe, It is the distinguishing character of true believers that they are looking for Christ; they look to him by faith; they look for him by hope and holy desires. They look for him in every duty, in every ordinance, in every providence now; and they expect his second coming, and are preparing for it; and though it will be sudden destruction to the rest of the world, who scoff at the report of it, it will be eternal salvation to those who look for it." Matthew Henry

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

F.F. Bruce on Christ righteousness

"Intensely zealous that God's honour should contract no stain, this ideal Mediator, having secured the supreme end, will with equal zeal seek the offender's rescue and reclamation." F.F. Bruce

Monday, June 18, 2007

A.W. Pink on prayer

"Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude— an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. Prayer is a confession of creature weakness, yea, of helplessness. Prayer is the acknowledgment of our need and the spreading of it before God...Because prayer is an attitude of dependency, the one who really prays is submissive, submissive to the Divine will; and submission to the Divine will means, that we are content for the Lord to supply our need according to the dictates of His own sovereign pleasure. And hence it is that we say, every prayer that is offered to God in this spirit is sure of meeting with an answer or response from Him."

Saturday, June 16, 2007

F.F. Bruce on the cross

"The Crucified One is the true king, the kingliest king of all; because it is He who is stretched on the cross, He turns an obscene instrument of torture into a throne of glory and reigns from the tree." F.F. Bruce

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

John Calvin on God's mercy

"The divine mercy is a better foundation of trust than any life fashioned out to ourselves, and than all other supports taken together. On this account the Lord's people, however severely they may suffer from poverty, or the violence of human wrongs, or the languor of desire, or hunger or thirst, or the many troubles and anxieties of life, may be happy notwithstanding; for it is well with them, in the best sense of the term, when God is their friend. Unbelievers, on the other hand, must be miserable, even when all the world smile upon them; for God is their enemy, and curse necessarily attaches to their lot." John Calvin

Monday, April 30, 2007

F.F. Bruce on the cross

"The cross is the complete revelation of the divine glory manifested in the Son...Jesus came into the world to reveal the Father, and He revealed Him most fully in His death on the cross." F.F. Bruce

John Stott on the Christian Life

"He called us to Christ and holiness, to freedom and peace, to suffering and glory. More simply, it was a call to an altogether new life in which we know, love, obey and serve Christ, enjoy fellowship with him and with each other, and look beyond our present suffering to the glory which one day will be revealed. This is the hope to which he has called you. Paul prays that our eyes may be opened to know it." John Stott

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

D.A. Carson on praying for grace

“We become fruitful by grace; we persevere by grace; we mature by grace; by grace we grow to love one another more, and by grace we cherish holiness and a deepening knowledge of God…The Savior cannot be glorified in our lives, nor can we be finally glorified, apart from the grace that He provides.” D.A. Carson

Watson on repentance

"Be as speedy in your repentance as you would have God speedy in His mercies." Thomas Watson

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

F.F. Bruce on the Fear of Death

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

The fear of death is a most potent fear. Through fear of death many will consent to do things that nothing else could compel them to do. Some braver souls, it is true, will accept death sooner than dishonor; but for the majority the fear of death can be a tyrannous instrument of coercion. And death is indeed the king of terrors to those who recognize in it the penalty of sin. But by the death of their Sanctifier, Christ’s brothers and sisters are sanctified; His death has transformed the meaning of death for them. To them his death means not judgment, but blessing; not bondage, but liberation. And their own death, when it comes, takes its character from His death. If, then, death itself cannot separate the people of Christ from God’s love which has been revealed in him, it can no longer be held over their heads by the devil or any other malign power as a means of intimidation.

-F.F. Bruce, Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews-

Monday, April 23, 2007

Boice on suffering

"Suffering allows the believer to show the supernatural strength of His master. If everything is going well with you and you rejoice, what makes you different from unbelievers? Nothing at all! They also (usually) rejoice when circumstances are favorable. If you are able to rejoice when things are not favorable, however, then Jesus Christ may be clearly seen in you and the supernatural power of the Christian faith is made manifest. Sufering is the dark background for the supernatural radicance of Christ's life."
-Boice

Owen on the glory of God

"So if we desire strong faith and powerful love, which gives us rest, peace and satisfaction, we must seek them by diligently beholding the glory of Christ by faith. In this duty I desire to live and to die. On Christ's glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more curcified to this world."
-John Owen

Boston on power of God in evangelism


"Acknowledge thine own weakness and uselessness without God's grace, and so cry incessantly for it, that the Lord may drive the fish into the net, when thou art spreading it out. Have an eye to this power, when thou art preaching; and think not thou to convert men by the force of reason: if thou do, thou wilt be beguiled." Thomas Boston

Thomas Boston on prayer

"Be busy with God in prayer, when thou art thinking on dealing with the souls of men." Thomas Boston

Boice on grief

""Grief is a blessed thing if it is used by God to bring us to where we can again worship Him and receive the fullness of His blessing."Boice

Boice on faithfulness of God

"We fail and disappoint God many times, in large ways and small. But God is not one to hold past sins against us. He remembers the victories and tell us this so we might press on joyously to serve Him." Boice