REFLECTIONS

“OF THE UNCTION OF THE SPIRIT

Believers are said to be anointed, 2 Cor. i. 21; or to have an unction from the Holy One, 1 John ii. 20, and it is added, ver. 27, “The anointing which ye have received, abidith in you. And the same anointing teaches you all things.”

To understand this we may observe, that all persons and things which were dedicated to God under the Old Testament, were anointed with material oil. Kings, priests, and prophets; the sanctuary, the altar, and all the utensils of divine worship were anointed. And all these were typical of what was to come; and had their first, proper, and full accomplishment in the person of Jesus Christ. And because He was to be Most Holy, the spring and cause of all holiness in others, He had His name from hence: for Messiah in the Old Testament, and Christ in the New, are as much as the anointed One. The unction of Christ consisted principally in the full communication of the Spirit unto Him, not by measure, in all His graces and gifts.

Believers have their unction immediately from Christ: “Ye have an unction form the Holy One,” as He is called, Acts iii. 14; Rev, iii. 7; Dan. Ix. 24; and it consists in the communication of the Holy Spirit unto them. It is not the Spirit who anoints us; but He is the unction wherewith we are anointed by the Holy One. And there are two effects ascribed to it. The first is teaching, with a saving, permanent knowledge of the truth thereby produced in our minds.-“Ye have an unction-and ye know all things:”-all the fundamental, essential truths of the gospel; all you need to know, that you may obey God truly, and be saved infallibly. Hence it is called, “the anointing of our eyes with eye-salve that we may see,” Rev. iii. 18; and so it answers to that unction of Christ by the Spirit, which made Him “of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord,” Isa. Xi. 3.

To this also may be referred what is said of believers being made kings and priests, Rev. i. 5: for it is an allusion to anointing such persons of old. Whatever was typical therein, was fully accomplished in the unction of Christ to His office, as the sovereign King, Priest, and Prophet of the Church. Wherefore, by a participation in His unction, they are said to be made kings and priests, or a royal priesthood; for they partake of the same Spirit wherewith He was anointed. Whereas therefore these titles denote the dignity of believers in their special relation to God, by this unction they are particularly dedicated and consecrated to Him.

On this unction depends the stability of all believers. It is said to abide in them, which respects their permanency and establishment in truth against all seducers: nor will anything else be sufficient for this purpose. Temptations may come as a storm, which will quickly drive men from their greatest fleshly confidences. Hence oftentimes those who are forwardest to say, though all men should forsake the truth, yet will not they; are the forwardest upon trials to do so. Neither will men’s skill, or disputing abilities, secure them from being inveigled with fair pretences, or entangled with the cunning sleights of them who lie in wait to deceive. Nor will the best defences of flesh and blood, stand firmly unshaken against powerful allurements on the one hand, and fierce persecution on the other; but this unction the apostle assures believers will not fail, neither shall they fail because of it.”

-From  The Holy Spirit  His Gifts  and Power by John Owen (1616-1683)  Published by Kregel Publications  Grand Rapids, MI  1954  Pages  341-343.

REFLECTIONS

“The Faithful Minister Of The New Covenant”

  

“Of all men, the minister of Christ is especially called to walk with God. Everything depends on this—his own peace and joy; his own future reward at the coming of the Lord. But especially does our text point to this as the true and sure way of securing the blessing. This is the grand secret of ministerial success. One who walks with God reflects the light of His countenance upon a benighted world; and the closer he walks the more of this light does he reflect. One who walks with God carries in his very air and countenance a sweet serenity and holy joy that diffuses tranquility around. One who walks with God receives and imparts life whithersoever he goes; as it is written, ‘Out of him shall flow rivers of living water.’ He is not merely the world’s light but the world’s fountain—dispensing the water of life on every side, and making barren wastes to blossom as the rose. He waters the world’s wilderness as he moves along his peaceful course. His life is blest; his intercourse is blest; his words are blest; his ministry is blest! Souls are saved—sinners are converted, and many are turned from their iniquity!

“God has of late been teaching us this. He has of late been visiting many parishes of our land with showers of blessing, refreshing them with the outpouring of His Spirit. Our own eyes have seen, our own ears have heard that of which our fathers spake in other days. In this we are called upon greatly to rejoice, and for it to render praise to God. How often have we prayed that God would pour out His Spirit; yea, do we not make it matter of public prayer each Sabbath day that He would do so? And shall we be astonished when He answers us? Shall we be slow of heart to believe it? Shall we be reluctant to acknowledge the gift? When we see many turned from iniquity shall we presume to call that excitement or fanaticism, which, taking it even at the lowest count, bears at least the appearance of a Divine work, and may be hereafter displayed to the eye of the most incredulous, as in very deed a work of God?

“For the acknowledgment of what God has thus been doing in reviving His work, with reference to the difficulties in which we are at present involved; and with a desire to carry forward and extend the work of revival, the last General Assembly of our Church has sent forth an earnest recommendation to all her ministers to hold congregational prayer meetings, to implore the Divine blessing upon our church that her present difficulties may be removed, and ‘that by the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, the means of grace may still be more eminently blest than in the year that is past.’ Following out this recommendation, and stirring up ourselves and our people to fervent prayer and believing intercession, let us go forward to our ministerial and pastoral labors; not merely contented to discharge these with professional exactness, and to fulfill our round of necessary duty, but watching for souls as they must give an account—desiring success, laboring for success, expecting success. Let us give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word. Let us walk closely with God, maintaining peaceful and unbroken fellowship with Him as our own, our reconciled Father, and counting it our meat and drink to do His will, and to advance His glory! And as our success is sure, so is our eternal reward—the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge will give us at that day, and not to us only, but to all that love His appearing. He that winneth souls is wise—wiser and greater far than the learned and mighty of this world, and surer of what they are striving after—the riches of an incorruptible inheritance, the glory of an immortal name—for ‘they that be wise shall shine as the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.’”    

-From the Preaching of Horatius Bonar in 1840 in a sermon entitled “The Faithful Minister Of The New Covenant”.

REFLECTIONS

“The Faithful Minister Of The New Covenant”.

 

“My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared Me, and was afraid before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many from iniquity-Malachi 2:5-6”

“We have the success of a faithful minister, “he did turn many from iniquity.” This is the great end (result) of our ministerial work-the conversion of souls, and it is this that makes it such a solemn, such a perilous undertaking, as one of the fathers describes it-“A burden which even angels’ shoulders might shrink from.” Nevertheless, having entered upon it, we are sacredly bound to give ourselves wholly to it, and to make full proof of our ministry.

Our errand is the same as our Master’s, to seek and save the lost. Our mind and feeling must be the same as His-compassion for souls. Our great desire and aim must be the conversion of sinners. Less than this we dare not seek. With less than this we cannot be content. To be admired, to be applauded, to be followed, is nothing, so long as our ministry is unfruitful and our labors unsuccessful. Such were the apostle’s feelings, when he went about warning and entreating sinners day and night “with tears”: and when he said, “My little children of whom I travail in birth again till Christ be formed in you.” These surely ought to be the feelings and desires of everyone who has given himself to the ministry of the gospel, and bound himself by solemn vows to watch for souls. If we are really earnest, nothing will satisfy us but success. If we have truly “the desire of saving souls,” which we solemnly vowed at ordination, we can never be at rest unless we see some fruit of our labor. How sad, how criminal must be our condition, if we can go in and out among our people, and yet feel no anxiety about their souls, no concern whether many or few, or none, are turned from their iniquity? If souls are committed to us, and if souls are to be required of us, how can we be indifferent about their state. To those who treat the doctrines of regeneration and conversion as the dreams of fanaticism, indifference may seem a virtue, but to those who believe them to be solemn realities, it might appear a crime of fearful magnitude. Remissness in duty may be lightly spoken of, and lightly thought of now; unfaithfulness in preaching, or negligence in visiting, may press lightly upon the conscience now; but, oh, how different in the day of recompense, when the blood of souls shall be required at the watchman’s hands! Then, how overwhelming the anguish of the hireling shepherd that fed himself and not the flock! How agonizing the remorse that shall seize upon is guilty conscience, and wring from him the cry of the traitor Judas, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood”? And how bitter the response from the companions of his despair-the spirits that kept not their first estate-his seducers upon earth-“What is that to us, see thou to that?” The sad state of unconverted men may not disturb the easy quiet of his life; but oh, how dismal shall be the cry of lost souls resounding throughout eternity in the ears of the unfaithful shepherd; the cry of souls that were lost through his neglect, that perished because he never watched for them, never warned them, never prayed for them, never sought their conversion and salvation!

But let us observe the connection here declared to subsist between faithfulness and success in the work of the ministry; between a godly life, and the “turning away of many from iniquity.” The end for which we first took office as we declared at ordination was the saving of souls; the end for which we still live and labor is the same; the means to this end are a holy life and a faithful fulfillment of our ministry. The connection between these two things is close and sure. We are entitled to calculate upon it. We are called upon to pray and labor with confident expectation of it being realized; and where it is not, to examine ourselves with all diligence lest the cause of failure be found in ourselves; in our want (lack) of faith-our want of love-our want of prayer-our want of zeal and warmth-our want of spirituality and holiness of life, for it is by these that the Holy Spirit is grieved away. Success is attainable; success is desirable; success is promised by God, and nothing on earth can be bitterer to the soul of a faithful minister than the want of it. To walk with God, and to be faithful to our trust is declared to be the certain way of attaining it. Oh, how much depends on the holiness of our life-the consistency of our character-the heavenliness of our walk and conversation. Our position is such that we cannot remain neutral. Our life cannot be one of harmless obscurity. We must either repel or attract-save or ruin souls! How loud then the call, how strong the motive, to spirituality of soul and circumspectness (carefulness) of life! How solemn the warning against worldly-mindedness and vanity, against levity and frivolity, against negligence and sloth, and cold formality!”

-From the Preaching of Horatius Bonar in 1840 in a sermon entitled “The Faithful Minister Of The New Covenant”.

REFLECTIONS

Love Leads Us To Pray For Others 

“Confess your faults one to another, that ye may be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much-James 5:16”

“Let our last article touch once more the key of love wherein the article preceding that of prayer was set. To speak of the Spirit’s work in our prayers, omitting the intercession of the saints, betrays a lack of understanding concerning the Spirit of grace.

Prayer for others is quite different from prayer for ourselves. The latter indeed is lawful; God even commands us “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known unto God.” Yet it may contain refined egoism even though it be followed by thanksgiving; hence to prayer is added intercession, that in prayer the breath of love may quench gently, yet effectually, remaining egoism, and leads us to the still holier prayer for the heavenly King and His Kingdom.

Christ prays for us, but the Bride must also pray for her heavenly Bridegroom. David’s prayer for Solomon points beyond Solomon to the Messiah: “Give the King Thy judgments, O God” (Ps. 72:1). In the twentieth and sixty-first Psalm s the same thought is expressed. However, this is not a prayer for His Person (for as such He is glorified already), but for the coming of His Kingdom, for the extending of His Name to the ends of the earth, for the gathering in of the souls of His elect.

In the Lord’s Prayer, this most holy petition stands even in the foreground; for when we pray, “Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,” we are inspired, not by love of self or for others, but by love for Him who is in heaven. It is true, we realize that the fulfilling of that prayer is most desirable for others and ourselves; still it is the love of God that stands here in the foreground. It is the summary of prayer eminently fitting the summary of the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God.” This is the first and great commandment. Then, “Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.” And so in our prayer: first, for the cause of God, this is the first and great petition; then, prayer for the neighbor as for ourselves. Our prayer is the test of our relation to the first and great commandment.

And what is the work of the Holy Spirit in the prayer of intercession?

It is necessary here, for a clear understanding, to distinguish between a twofold intercession: (1) there is a prayer for the things that pertain to the body of Christ; and (2) another for the things that do not belong to that body, according to our impression and conception of the matter.

Prayer for kings, and for all that are in authority, does not concern the things that pertain to the body of Christ; neither does the prayer for our enemies, nor that for the place of our habitation, for country, army, and navy, for a bountiful harvest, for deliverance from pestilence, for trade and commerce, etc. All these pertain to the natural life, and to persons, whether saints or sinners, in their relation to the life of creation, and not to the Kingdom of Grace. But our prayer does concern the body of Christ, when we pray for the coming of the Lord, for a fresh anointing of the priests of God, for their being clothed upon with salvation, for success in the work of missions, for a baptism of the Holy Spirit, for strength in conflict, for forgiveness of sins, for the salvation of our loved ones… The first intercession has reference to the realm of nature, the second to the Kingdom of Grace. Hence in each of these two we must look for the bond of fellowship from which springs our prayer of intercession.

For every prayer of intercession presupposes fellowship with them for whom we pray; a fellowship which casts us into the same distress, and from which we look for deliverance, and that in such a way that the sorrow of one burdens us, and the joy of another causes us to give thanks. Where such vital fellowship does not exist, nor the love which springs from it, or where these are temporarily inactive, there may be formal intercession of words, but real intercession from the heart there cannot be.

With reference to the intercession in the realm of nature, the ground of this fellowship is naturally found in the fact that we are created of one blood. Humanity is one. The nations form an organic whole. It is a mighty truck with leafy crown; the nations and peoples are the branches thereof, successive generations the boughs, and each of us is a fluttering leaf. Belonging  together, living together upon the same root of our human nature, it is one flesh and blood, which from Adam to the last-born child covers every skeleton and runs through every man’s veins. Hence the desire for universal philanthropy; the claim that nothing be alien to us that is human; the necessity of loving our enemy and of praying for him, for he also is of our flesh and of our bones.

If we were like grains in a heap of sand, each grain might possibly send forth a sigh, but the mutual prayer of intercession would be out of the question. Being leaves, however, of the same tree of life, there is, apart from the groaning of every leaf, also a prayer for one another, a mutual prayer of the entire human life; “the whole creation groaneth.”

But in the Kingdom of Grace the fellowship of love is much stronger, firmer, and more intimate. There is here also an organic whole, even the body of Christ under Him the Head. It is not one converted person independent of another, and the two united by a mere outward tie of sympathy; nay, but a multitude of branches all springing form the root of Jesse; growing from the one vine; all organically one; saved and redeemed by the same ransom of His blood; proceeding from the one act of election; born again by the self-same regeneration; brought nigh by the same faith; breaking one bread and drinking from one cup.

And let us notice it well, this unity is doubly strong; for it is not independent of the fellowship of nature, but added to it. They who become members of the body of Christ are with us created from the one blood of Adam, and with us they are redeemed by the one blood of Christ. Hence there is here double root of fellowship. Flesh of our flesh, bones of our bones. Moreover, born from one decree; sealed by one baptism; joined together in one body; included in one promise; by and by sharers with us of the same inheritance.

In this double fellowship of life is rooted the love which mutually unites the children of God, especially in their prayers of intercession, a union which appears sometimes in their mutual prayer. Vital fellowship does not spring from our love for the people of God, but that love springs from the fellowship of the life of grace, common to all His saints. That which grows not from one root, and, therefore, shares not the same life, cannot attain to love in higher sense. Prayer for one another is born of the love to one another; and the love which unites us ascends from the one root of life upon which we are all grafted through grace, upon which by virtue of our creation from Adam we all were set. And thus the work of the Holy Spirit in the prayer of intercession will appear in clearest light.”

-From Abraham Kuyper’s The Work Of The Holy Spirit  Published by AMG Publishers  Chattanooga, TN  1995  Originally Published in 1900  Pages 676-679

REFLECTIONS

Enduring The Devil’s Attacks And Slander

“And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.” Isaiah 36:10

“Rabshakeh warns Hezekiah, King of Judah, that it is useless to assemble his forces and to make other warlike preparations against the attack of Assyria. For Hezekiah is not contending with a mortal man, but with God Himself, at whose suggestion (not his own) the King of Assyria is attacking Judah. Therefore those who oppose the King of Assyria will fight against God, and all their efforts will be useless.

For this we ought to learn that, however earnestly we may be devoted to godliness, and however faithfully we may labor to advance the kingdom of Christ, we cannot expect to be free from every annoyance. Rather, we ought to be prepared to endure very heavy afflictions.

The Lord does not always recompense our piety with earthly rewards. Indeed, it would be exceedingly unsuitable for us to possess abundant wealth and enjoy outward peace and see that everything proceeds according to our wishes. For the world reckons even wicked men to be happy on the ground that they do not endure bad health or adversity, are free from the pressures of poverty, and have nothing to disturb them. In this respect, our condition would not differ at all from that of the reprobate.

Consider the example of Hezekiah, who labored with all his might to restore religion and the true worship of God, yet endured calamities so heavy and violent that he was not far from despair. We ought to constantly place this example before our eyes so that, even when we think we have discharged our duty, we may nevertheless be prepared to endure conflicts and troubles of every kind. We should then not be disturbed if enemies gain an advantage at the onset, as if all at once they would swallow us up.”

“FOR MEDITATION: The example of Hezekiah is a powerful corrective to the “health and wealth” gospel that is common today. Such a gospel can only bring disillusionment when troubles and trials come, as they almost always do. Our assurance e of God’s favor must rest in something other than external blessings-it must rest in Christ.”

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“Rabshekeh, the field commander of the Assyrians, boasts of the greatness and power of his king in order to terrify Hezekiah. Such is the manner in which wicked men act toward us. They attack us with threatening words and try our patience with various terrors. Satan is at work in such labors, for we plainly see him speaking through the mouth of a person like Rabshakeh.

We ought, therefore, to distinguish between God’s words and the words of those who falsely assume His name, for Satan resorts to various artifices to make himself to appear to be like God. Rabshakeh unjustly brings many reproaches against Hezekiah. But the good king does not place his hope in his own strength and does not vaunt himself through reliance on the Egyptians. Godly men, even when they do well, must be exposed to evil reports. By these strategies Satan attacks our faith and unjustly slanders us among men.

The temptation to be terrified by such reports is highly dangerous, for we want our integrity to be well known. When we are well disposed, we take it ill if other men put a different interpretation on our conduct. Satan tries by slander to overturn all that we have done out of a good conscience. Or he accuses us of something that we are not guilty of. Or he loads us with unfounded slanders or contrives what never came into our minds. An upright conscience ought to be like a brazen wall to us so that we might follow the example of Hezekiah to stand unshaken against the accusations and slanders of wicked men.”

“FOR MEDITATION: When have you been unjustly accused of doing wrong? Did you stand unshaken in your integrity before God, or did you cower and fall before slanderous reports? How can we be more like Hezekiah when others question our character, reputation, or actions when we are sincerely following God’s will?”

-From 365 Days With Calvin  Selected and Edited by Joel Beeke  Published by Day One Publications Grand Rapids, MI  2008  April 12 and 13 Devotions

REFLECTIONS

Crucifixion And Resurrection

 “The crucifixion of Christ was the crowning sin of our race. In His death we shall find all the sins of mankind uniting in foul conspiracy. Envy and pride and hate are there, with covetousness, falsehood, and blasphemy, eager to rush on to cruelty, revenge, and murder. As all the rivers run into the sea, and as all the clouds empty themselves upon the earth, so did all the crimes of man gather to the slaying of the Son of God. It seemed as if hell held an assembly, and all the various forms of sin came flocking to the rendezvous. Army upon army, they hastened to the battle. As the vultures hasten to the body, so came the flocks of sins to make the Lord their prey.”

“Leave out the cross, and you have killed the religion of Jesus. Atonement by the blood of Jesus is not an arm of Christian truth; it is the heart of it.”

“Christ’s five wounds kill my suspicions and fears. A crucified Savior is the life of faith and the death of unbelief. Can you view the flowing of the Savior’s precious blood upon the tree of doom and not trust Him? What more can He do to prove His sincerity than to die for us? His life is the mirror of love, but in His death the sun shines on it with a blaze of glory.”

“The resurrection is a fact better attested than any event recorded in any history, whether ancient or modern.”

“The resurrection of our divine Lord from the dead is the cornerstone of Christian doctrine. Perhaps I might more accurately call it the keystone of the arch of Christianity, for if that fact could be disproved, the whole fabric of the gospel would fall to the ground.”

“The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection (Rom. 1:4). Christ’s sovereignty also depends on His resurrection (Rom. 14:9). Again, our justification hangs on Christ’s resurrection (Rom. 4:25). Our very regeneration depends on His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here (Rom. 8:11). The silver thread of resurrection runs through all the blessings, from regeneration onward to our eternal glory, and binds them together.”

REFLECTIONS

About Prayer…

“[The Lord’s Prayer] is undoubtedly a pattern prayer. The very way in which our Lord introduces it indicates that…it really covers everything in principle. There is a sense in which you can never really add to the Lord’s Prayer; nothing is left out. That does not mean, of course, that when we pray we are simply to repeat the Lord’s Prayer and stop at that, for that…was not true of the Lord Himself…He spent whole nights in prayer; many times He arose a great while before day and prayed for hours. You will always find in the lives of the saints that they have spent hours in prayer. John Wesley used to say that he had a very poor view of any Christian who did not pray for at least four hours every day…

[The Lord’s Prayer] really does contain all the principles…What we have is a kind of skeleton…The principles are all here and you cannot add to them. You can take the longest prayer that has ever been offered by a saint and you will find that it can reduced to these principles…Take our Lord’s High Priestly prayer [John 17]. If you analyze it in terms of principles, you will find that it can be reduced to the principles of this model prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer covers everything; and all we do is take these principles and employ and expand them and base our every petition upon them…I think you will agree with St Augustine and Martin Luther and many other saints who have said that there is nothing more wonderful in the entire Bible than the Lord’s Prayer. The economy, the way in which He summarizes it all, and has reduced everything to but a few sentences, is something that surely proclaims the fact that the speaker is none other than the very Son of God Himself.”

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“Do you know that the essence of true prayer is found in the two words in [Matthew 6] verse 9, ‘Our Father’?...If you can say from your heart, whatever the condition, ‘My Father’, in a sense your prayer is already answered…

There are people who believe it is a good thing to pray because it always does us good. They adduce various psychological reasons. That of course is not prayer as the Bible understands it.  Prayer means speaking to God, forgetting ourselves, and realizing His presence. Then again, there are others…who rather think that…one’s prayer should be very brief and pointed, and that one should just simply make a particular request. That is something which is not true of the teaching of the Bible concerning prayer. Take any of the great [Bible] prayers…None of them is simply what we might call this ‘business-like’ kind of prayer which simply makes a petition known to God and then ends. Every prayer recorded in the Bible starts with invocation…We have a great and wonderful example of this in the ninth chapter of Daniel. There the prophet, in terrible perplexity, prays to God. But he does not start immediately with is petition; he starts by praising God. A perplexed Jeremiah does the same thing…he does not rush into the presence of God for this one matter; he starts by worshipping God. And so you will find it in all the recorded prayers. Indeed, you even get it in the great High-Priestly prayer of our Lord Himself which is recorded in John 17. You remember also how Paul put it in writing to the Philippians. He says, ‘in nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God’ (Philippians 4:6 RV.). That is the order. We must always start with invocation.”

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“Our Lord says, ‘Our Father which art in heaven’; and Paul says, ‘The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’…It is vital when we pray to God, and call Him our Father, that we should remind ourselves…of His majesty and of His greatness and of His almighty power…remember that he knows all about you. The Scripture says, ‘all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’…It is not surprising that, when he wrote Psalm 51, David said in the anguish of his heart, ‘Thou desirest truth in the inward parts.’ If you ant to be blessed of God you have to be absolutely honest, you have to realize that he knows everything, and that there is nothing hidden from Him…as the wise man who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes put it, it is vital when we pray to god that we should remember that ‘He is in heaven and we are upon the earth.’

Then remember His holiness and His justice, His utter, absolute righteousness…whenever we approach Him we must do so ‘with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire’ [Hebrews 12:19].

That is the way to pray says Christ…never separate these two truths. Remember that you are approaching the almighty, eternal, ever-blessed holy God. But remember also that that God, in Christ, has become your Father, who not only knows all about you in the sense that he is omniscient, He knows all about you in the sense that a father knows all about his child…Put these two things together. God in His almightiness is looking at you with a holy love and knows your every need…He desires nothing so much as your blessing, your happiness, your joy and your prosperity. Then remember this, that He ‘is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think’. As your ‘Father which is in heaven’ He is much more anxious to bless you than you are to be blessed. There is no limit to His almighty power.”

-From Martyn Lloyd-Jones Works  Complied by Frank Cumbers  Eerdmans Publishing Company  Grand Rapids, MI  1970  Pages 76, 83 and 92