“We habitually forget grace. We unwrap so many gifts every moment that we forget it’s Christmas morning….”

“What do you have that you did not receive?” ~ 1 Corinthians 4:7

What right do I have to come tumbling down the stairs at a thousand gifts? Small gifts. Beautiful gifts. Things I tear open and receive without a whisper of recognition. …They are the possessions of a God richer and nobler than a million kings of a million countries.

…We swim in gifts, in things given freely by a God so prodigal that his spending spills well beyond thought.

You don’t feel this way very often though, do you? Neither do I. The greatest irony of being alive is that we treat gifts as possessions, generosity as commonplace, grace as summer grass – something to be stepped on and forgotten with every lifting muscle.

This is a book that assaults that habit. You will need to revisit it again and again…because we have spiritual amnesia. We habitually forget grace. We unwrap so many gifts every moment that we forget it’s Christmas morning, that God is watching every opening, every spark of joy, and every shrug of the shoulders.

He knows we can’t thank him every second. And somehow it’s okay. Somehow he keeps giving.

But we know also that being ungrateful darkens our lives, that it removes the color of the photo of each day. We want to say thank you. And we want to give, too. That’s why you’re holding this book. This is The Book of Giving.

Such a book can only be about God. It’s God who gives constantly, prodigally, incessantly. It’s in his nature, coursing through his divine Spirit-blood with a golden glow.

…God is the grand Giver. All of life, in a sense, is turning us to this truth and conforming us to it. Everything we experience draws us closer to God’s giving circle, where Giver, Gift, and Recipient dance and exchange, constantly giving, constantly receiving, constantly being a gift.

Taken from The Book of Giving: How the God Who Gives Can Make Us Givers by Pierce T. Hibbs (PTH, 2021), “Introduction, pp.1-3).

A Devotional on the Excellency of Christ Seen in Christmas by Jonathan Edwards | Crossway Articles

This post is drawn from a Crossway article adapted from Journey to Bethlehem: A Treasury of Classic Christian Devotionals by Leland Ryken and consist primarily of an anthology of Jonathan Edwards on the humility and exaltation of Jesus Christ.  In a footnote Ryken notes that “all but the last paragraph of the meditation by Jonathan Edwards was excerpted from his sermon “The Excellency of Christ,” preached in 1736, published in 1738, and widely available in public domain web and print sources. The final paragraph comes from Edwards’s treatise A History of Redemption, as printed in The Works of President Edwards (New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1861), 1:398–99.”

The first two paragraphs below are Ryken’s introduction to and notations on Edwards’ sermon, which follows. I trust you will be edified by his comments and especially by Edwards’ meditation on Christ’s coming in the flesh for the salvation of us sinners.

“Jonathan Edwards was one of the most important religious figures in the history of American Christianity. He was a theologian, preacher, and prolific writer. The particular contribution of the passage printed here is its balance between contrasting aspects of Christ’s incarnation.

“The context that best enables us to see this balance is the way in which most of the selections in this anthology emphasize either the humility seen in Christ’s birth and life, or the exaltation of it, as seen in such miracles as a virgin birth and the appearance of an angelic host and the supernatural guidance of the wise men. Edwards brings both of these together, and seeing how he works this out is the key to our assimilation of the passage. As the template for this balanced picture of the incarnation, Edwards has in mind two biblical metaphors for Jesus—the lamb and the lion.”

His infinite condescension marvelously appeared in the manner of his birth. He was brought forth in a stable because there was no room for them in the inn. The inn was taken up by others who were looked upon as persons of greater account. The Blessed Virgin, being poor and despised, was turned or shut out. Though she was in such extreme circumstances, yet those that counted themselves her betters would not give place to her; and therefore, in the time of her travail, she was forced to betake herself to a stable; and when the child was born, it was wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. There Christ lay a little infant, and there he eminently appeared as a lamb.

But yet this feeble infant, born thus in a stable, and laid in a manger, was born to conquer and triumph over Satan, that roaring lion. He came to subdue the mighty powers of darkness, and make a show of them openly, and so to restore peace on earth, and to manifest God’s good-will towards men, and to bring glory to God in the highest, according as the end of his birth was declared by the joyful songs of the glorious hosts of angels appearing to the shepherds at the same time that the infant lay in the manger; whereby his divine dignity was manifested. . . .

Though Christ dwelt in poor outward circumstances, whereby his condescension and humility especially appeared, and his majesty was veiled, yet his divine divinity and glory did in many of his acts shine through the veil, and it illustriously appeared, that he was not only the Son of man, but the great God.

Thus, in the circumstances of his infancy, his outward social lowness appeared; yet there was something then to show forth his divine dignity, in the wise men’s being stirred up to come from the east to give honor to him their being led by a miraculous star, and coming and falling down and worshipping him, and presenting him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. . . .

Christ’s incarnation was a greater and more wonderful thing than ever had yet come to pass. The creation of the world was a very great thing, but not so great as the incarnation of Christ. It was a great thing for God to make the creature, but not so great as for the Creator himself to become a creature. . . . God becoming man was greater than all [previous events in history]. Then the greatest person was born that ever was or ever will be.

Source: A Devotional on the Excellency of Christ Seen in Christmas by Jonathan Edwards | Crossway Articles

The Gospel Coalition 2023 Book Awards

As you know by now, this is one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Well, of course, I love the Christmas season and the beauty of fresh snow and glorious sacred music that surround it. But I also love this time of year because many of the “best books” of the year lists are published – and this year is no exception.

So, let’s begin to explore some of these lists together, focusing on books in the Christian publishing realm while also paying attention to some notable books in the secular realm. We begin in this post with The Gospel Coalition’s 2023 list of award books. Their list is by category, but I am going to simply post a few from several categories and let you explore the rest of the list (see link at the end). Note, that the descriptions posted here are TGC’s.

The idea, of course, is to give you some idea of things to read in the months ahead, and perhaps to give you some gift ideas for the Christmas season. Be informed – and keep looking for good books to read!

Paul E. Miller, A Praying Church: Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging World (Crossway)

It’s no secret that Christians struggle to pray. But churches are increasingly prayerless as well. Discouragement, distraction, and ministry demands all push prayer out of its proper place in our worship, leadership, and fellowship. Miller’s magnificent book stands as a compelling wake-up call. Addressing church leaders in a post-Christian culture filled with discouragement, cynicism, and unbelief, Miller challenges self-sufficiency and rallies leaders to their knees. He pleads with pastors and congregations to “go low, to descend into the hidden room of prayer, to slow down [their] entire ministry and learn how to pray together.”

A Praying Church begins with a gospel grounding for prayer—a theology of the church and the Spirit that clearly shows its readers why corporate prayer is essential. It closes with an abundantly practical section that will help ministry leaders structure both their personal prayer lives and the corporate prayer lives of their churches. Miller’s book will help congregations make prayer the nuclear core of all they do. It will inspire them to more fully depend on the Savior’s presence, not because of crushing guilt but out of grace-fueled desire.

Jim Davis and Michael Graham, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? (Zondervan)

The Great Dechurching provides profound insights into one of the most significant religious shifts in American history: the millions of people across the theological spectrum leaving churches. This comprehensive study delivers data-driven clarity on who exactly is “dechurching,” why they’re leaving, and how we might thoughtfully engage them. It’s a must-read for anyone hoping to understand the real people behind the statistics.

Far from a dry sociological analysis, The Great Dechurching brings the data to life through engaging stories that help readers develop a deeper understanding of the dechurched. Davis and Graham balance rigor with relatability, managing to be both academically sound and pastorally sensitive. Their insights on topics like social media algorithms, mental health, and marriage should spark reflection and conversations in local churches across the country.

Perhaps most importantly, while the scope of dechurching is sobering, this book offers multiple reasons for hope. With thoughtful exhortations for church leaders and practical ideas for reengagement, The Great Dechurching will inspire and equip Christians to faithfully embody the gospel in this cultural moment. The Lord doesn’t give up on bringing those he died for back to himself—and neither should we.

Kevin DeYoung, Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time (Crossway)

Given the dizzying array of expectations about what it means to be a faithful Christian, it’s easy to feel like a constant spiritual failure. We’re bombarded with messages about what we must be doing and must be concerned about. The implication is that if you aren’t doing X or concerned about Y—and demonstrating so publicly—you’re a hypocrite. But the Bible doesn’t call every Christian to radical involvement in every good cause.

This isn’t a hall pass to apathy—it’s an acknowledgment that we’re finite. With characteristic clarity and verve, DeYoung writes to liberate true believers from burdensome yokes so we might be freed to enjoy the One whose yoke is easy and burden is light (Matt. 11:30). Believe it or not, obeying your Master is possible. Pleasing him is possible. Will you do it perfectly? No. Will you need grace upon grace? Of course. Will it require effort? Yes. But is it possible? Absolutely. Jesus didn’t die and rise so his people would feel like failures all the time. Repenting sinners can live under his smile. In an age of extrabiblical burdens and stifling demands, Impossible Christianity is a breath of fresh air.

Andrew Wilson, Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West (Crossway)

“The past is never dead,” William Faulkner opined. “It’s not even past.” Andrew Wilson’s Remaking the World is a remarkable undertaking, weaving together historical and social analysis across centuries to diagnose and explain how the West became post-Christian, starting at 1776. His explanation of the causes of the contemporary situation in the Western world is varied, nuanced, and persuasive.

Most striking is Wilson’s insistence that as Western societies have rejected Christianity, they haven’t offered anything to replace it, and their anti-Christian alternatives all have a distinctly Christian basis. This enables him to conclude on a hopeful note—the Christian gospel offers a more profound freedom than what the post-Christian West offers, an antidote to self-righteousness and works-righteousness in the form of a genuine gospel of grace, and an ultimate standard of truth in contrast to the meaningless Western attempts to see truth as entirely individual and self-constructed.

Remaking the World is an imaginative work of cultural apologetics that every church leader should grapple with. In what feels like a strange breaking point of Western culture, Wilson’s work helps us make sense of how we arrived at this moment and how we can move forward in faithfulness.

Source: The Gospel Coalition 2023 Book Awards

Bringing “brief darts of prayer” to our heavenly Father, like Nehemiah

“Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.” (Nehemiah 2:4,5)

The prayer of Nehemiah 2:4 is clearly ejaculatory. First, it is spontaneous. After Artaxerxes asks, “For what dost thou make request?” Nehemiah tells us, “So I prayed to the God of heaven” (4). Second, it is silent. The Medo-Persian emperor did not hear Nehemiah say anything out loud to God (for that would have been weird). Nor did he see any movement of his cupbearer’s lips, unlike Eli who saw Hannah’s lips move in silent prayer (I Sam. 1:12-13). Third, Nehemiah’s prayer was short. Evidently King Artaxerxes did not even notice any pause before Nehemiah responded to his question.

I take it that you, beloved, are not strangers to ejaculatory prayer, that you too speed off brief darts of prayers to your heavenly Father amidst your many daily activities and that you do it often!

Let us consider some very basic points regarding this ejaculatory prayer of Nehemiah, including, first, when he made it. Nehemiah was working, engaged in his gainful employment as an imperial cupbearer. Ejaculatory prayer, unlike closet prayer, is possible while at our jobs, whether we are teaching a class or driving a car, serving customers or trading shares, engaged in computer programming or metalworking, etc.

Second, where was Nehemiah when he offered this ejaculatory prayer? In an imperial palace! If he can dart a prayer to Jehovah from there, so can we, by God’s grace, whether we are at school, in a hospital, at the office, in an aeroplane or at home.

Third, before whom did Nehemiah make this ejaculatory prayer? In the presence of an idolater who was probably the most powerful man on the planet! Yet, even then, who was this earthly monarch compared to the sovereign ruler over all! “Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven” (Neh. 2:4). We too can shoot our prayers to our covenant God in Jesus Christ our Redeemer before our bank manager, teacher, mother-in-law, employer or persecutor.

Quoted from “Nehemiah’s Ejaculatory Prayer in the Palace,” in Rev. A. Stewart’s latest “Covenant Reformed News” (November 2023)

“It is unthinkable that God would go forth for the salvation of His people without His anointed.”~ Habakkuk 3:13a

We agree with the translation of the KJV and its use of the word “with,” taking His anointed to be Christ.  We read the verse: “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with Thy Christ, Thy Messiah.”  We agree with Robertson, who says: “A better interpretation is that the word means ‘with,’ and is presenting God’s “anointed” as having a different relation to salvation from the that of the people.  God’s salvation is for His people, but it is accomplished with His anointed.”[1]

            Why should it be thought strange that Habakkuk suddenly makes such an explicit reference to Christ?  This is the Word of God and even in the Old Testament God’s Word was plain enough concerning the coming and work of Messiah.  Faithful Israel spent its days waiting and hoping for the Lord’s Anointed.  Realizing, too, that men like David and Solomon often failed as the Lord’s anointed they expected someone greater than these kings (Luk. 11:31).

            Habakkuk, then, has Christ in view once again.  He is the reason why the Lord does not cast off or destroy His people.  He is the One by whom Zion is redeemed through judgment.  It is unthinkable that God would go forth for the salvation of His people without His anointed.  Jesus said in Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luk. 4:18, 19).

            Calvin says:

            “He adds, with thy Christ. This clause still more confirms what Habakkuk had in view – that God had been from the beginning the deliverer of his people in the person of the Mediator. When God, therefore, delivered his people from the hand of Pharaoh, when he made a way for them to pass through the Red Sea, when he redeemed them by doing wonders, when he subdued before them the most powerful nations, when he changed the laws of nature in their behalf – all these things he did through the Mediator. For God could never have been propitious either to Abraham himself or to his posterity, had it not been for the intervention of a Mediator.”[2]

            Habakkuk, then, thinking of the coming of Babylon, not only looks to the past for proof that in every way and in all circumstances God will work out the salvation of His people.  He also looks to the future and to the coming of Christ, the Anointed One, in whom all the promises of God would be fulfilled and His people saved with and everlasting salvation.  We must do the same.

---

[1]O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans: 1990), p. 237.

[2]Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, vol. 4, p. 163.

Taken from the November 15, 2023 issue (Vol.100, #4) of the Standard Bearer, part of Rev. Ron Hanko’s exposition of the Old Testament prophecy of Habakkuk (Chap.3:7-13), pp.82-84.

Blessings – A Thanksgiving Reflection

Blessings

THOU GREAT THREE-ONE,

Author of all blessings I enjoy,
of all I hope for,

Thou hast taught me
that neither the experience of present evils,
nor the remembrances of former sins,
nor the remonstrances of friends,
will or can affect a sinner’s heart,
except thou vouchsafe to reveal thy grace
and quicken the dead in sin
by the effectual working of thy Spirit’s power.

Thou hast shown me
that the sensible effusions of divine love
in the soul are superior to and distinct from
bodily health,
and that oft-times spiritual comforts are
at their highest when physical well-being is
at its lowest.

Thou hast given me the ordinance of song
as a means of grace;
Fit me to bear my part in that music ever new,
which elect angels and saints made perfect
now sing before thy throne and before the Lamb.

I bless thee for tempering every distress with joy;
too much of the former might weigh me down,
too much of the latter might puff me up;
Thou art wise to give me a taste of both.

I love thee
for giving me clusters of grapes
in the wilderness,
and drops of heavenly wine
that set me longing to have my fill.

Apart from thee I quickly die,
bereft of thee I starve,
far from thee I thirst and droop;
But thou art all I need.
Let me continually grasp the promise,
‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’

Source: Blessings – Banner of Truth USA

Bored with Worship No More

Worship is a supernatural event. Have you ever considered that?

It’s an obvious statement, really. An event in which we interact with a supernatural being must, by definition, be supernatural. Then why is it that we so often approach worship with a sense of boredom instead of astonishment, with yawns instead of awe, with resentment instead of reverence? Why is it that rather than seeing worship as a supernatural event, we clump it in with the other mundane things we have to get done during the week? Going to church gets the same checkmark on the to-do list as going to the grocery store or doing homework.

…Many people hold to a “spectator” approach to worship: church is somewhere you go to watch something. You might stand up here or there and recite a line or two printed in the bulletin or shown on the big screen; in that sense you are participating, but by and large the event is something to watch. This makes going to worship not much different from going to the movies or to a football game. Others hold to a “club” approach: church is somewhere you go to hang around with likeminded people and do projects together. From this perspective, what goes on in church is not different from what goes on at 4H, the Girl Scouts, or your local book club.

But what goes on in the church’s worship is different from these things! Going to worship is different from going to the cinema or the stadium, and it’s different from attending a meeting of a local social club because worship—real, true, faithful worship—is supernatural. The God of the universe appears and meets with His people, and by His sovereign and gracious power He changes them. It’s astounding!
It’s unlike anything this world could ever offer. And yet how easy it is to forget that something as spectacular as this is happening when we come to church.

…Some Christians think boredom in worship is a badge of honor. In an effort to ensure that the church remains distinct from the world, they have mistakenly presumed that God actually intends our services
to be insipid. They believe the monotony to be a sign of sincere worship. Anything that might stir the emotions must be from Satan. There are still others who, though they may not enjoy that church is boring, have errantly concluded that this must be the way it is. They have resigned themselves to slugging through the humdrum of Sunday out of obligation (whether to God, family, or friends) but are dreaming of something better that must be out there for them—think forlorn Belle from Beauty and the Beast singing, “There must be more than this provincial life!”

Let’s at least admit that at first glance the worship service can seem dull. There’s no point arguing that. There is a lot of sitting. There is a lot of listening. There is a lot of patience required. For an active culture
with a notoriously short attention span constantly inundated with images, videos, push notifications, and ringers, it is no wonder an hour of concerted stillness seems like a chore.

But just because it seems dull doesn’t mean it is dull. It simply means we are not aware of what is happening when we worship. This is why God is not pleased with those who wear the boredom badge
with honor or with those who dutifully suffer through the service while secretly wishing church wasn’t an obligation. God is not pleased with this because in both cases these people have completely missed out on the marvel of worship. God wants from us nothing less than hearts, souls, and minds that are fully enraptured with the wonder of biblical worship from beginning to end—which is to say, He wants us to be fully enraptured with Him. He wants us thrilled at the thought of coming to church to sing His praise, fellowship with His saints, lift up our prayers to His throne, hear His word, celebrate the sacraments of His covenant, and receive His blessing. Anything else would mean we fail at the great exhortation of Psalm 100:2: “Serve the LORD with gladness.”

Taken from What Happens When We Worship by Jonathan L. Cruse (Reformation Heritage Books, 2020), 1-3 (Chap.1, “What Happens When We Worship?”).

And for your listening edification and enjoyment this Sunday morning, here’s a powerful version of “King of Kings” by a Dutch choir I found on YouTube recently and by whose music I am thoroughly blessed – especially the Dutch psalm arrangements!

https://youtu.be/EnUfj7yxyhE?si=8FB38Yw9rvrkxrB1

Fall 2023 PRT Journal Now Available!

The Fall 2023 issue of the PR Theological Journal is now available in print and digital formats (pdf and epub). This newest issue features four main articles – three related to the Reformed controversies with the Remonstrants (Arminians) – plus a “classic” reprint of a Reformation study from an early PRTJ. And, of course, the issue includes a fine collection of book reviews on a wide variety of subjects. Use the link provided above to begin your reading.

If you are not currently on our mailing list (either for the print edition or the digital editions) and wish to be added, please contact the seminary secretary.

In his “editor’s notes,” Prof. Doug Kuiper gives the following thorough introduction to this issue:

The month of October is significant in reformation studies. Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. Twelve years later, on October 1-4, the Marburg Colloquy (a conference between the Lutheran and German-Swiss reformers) met. The reformation in Geneva dates to October 1532, when William Farel arrived in that city. And October marks the month in which Ulrich Zwingli died in battle; in which William Tyndale, Nicholas Ridley, and Hugh Latimer died of persecution; and in which Theodore Beza died of old age. All this, not to mention the death of Jacob Arminius in 1609, and the birth of several reformers in this month.

Partly for this reason, the article by Prof. Herman Hanko on the relation between the Lutheran and Calvin seemed appropriate. In addition to being appropriate, it is timely, though published originally in the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal in November 1969.

Continue reading by visiting the link below.

Source: Fall 2023 PRT Journal Now Available!

Gaining Wisdom | Tabletalk

Though this comes late (from the October issue of Tabletalk on “Wisdom and Foolishness”), it is still timely and relevant. We must all grow in wisdom and the articles in this issue help us do that, including this one by Dr. John F. Evans, “Gaining Wisdom.”

Read the portion below and find the rest at the link below.

SENSE YOUR NEED FOR WHAT IS OUTSIDE YOURSELF

Wisdom can in many respects be equated with spiritual maturity, a growing up into Christ, who is the wisdom of God. The New Testament certainly calls us to strenuous effort in the Christian life (1 Cor. 9:27; Col. 3:23; 2 Peter 1:5–10). And we must indeed apply ourselves with all seriousness to the goal of growing in knowledge and wisdom. As with the entire sanctification process, however, we must never lose sight of the truth that ultimately it is God who works in us to will and to do His good purpose (Phil. 2:13). We do not gain the wisdom of God—what this article is about—by dint of effort and study or by an unceasing determination to become like the Savior. Ultimately, we pray for God the Father to grant us wisdom. We are taught wisdom by Him. We receive His wisdom as God the Son, Jesus Christ, dwells in our hearts by faith. Just as the incarnate Son had the Spirit of God rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding (Isa. 11:2), so the Spirit must rest on us if we are to become wise. The gospel is not only about coming to know in Christ an “alien righteousness” (a righteousness outside ourselves, not our own), as Paul so wonderfully explains in Romans, Philippians, and elsewhere, but it is also about receiving what we might call an “alien wisdom.” There is a righteousness and there is a wisdom that we can never achieve on our own. We will never gain this wisdom without acknowledging our need and seeking the Giver of this good gift. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” to give you His wisdom (James 4:8).

I relate this point to the Bible’s teaching on union with Christ. How gloriously Jesus Himself is our salvation! We believers do not have life in ourselves, but we draw it continually from the Lord Jesus, in our faith-union with Him. We have no righteousness of our own, but we are counted righteous and begin to make progress in holiness as we are joined to Christ. He is our life, our righteousness, our sanctification. Likewise, Jesus Christ Himself is our wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24, 30; see also Col. 2:3).

DESIRE WISDOM AS AN INVALUABLE GIFT

To gain wisdom, we must seek it, and to seek it, we must first desire it. No wonder, then, that Scripture repeatedly prompts us to count wisdom as not only most desirable but priceless. “Wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her” (Prov. 8:11; see also 3:15). What is arguably the most eloquent poem in the Bible, Job 28, tells of the arduous, dangerous efforts of miners digging through mountains to find gold and precious stones. But wisdom is utterly inaccessible to man; “it is not found in the land of the living” (v. 13). “It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price” (v. 15). Those who seek and gain wisdom will always be those who “prize her highly” (Prov. 4:8).

ASK GOD FOR WISDOM

Those who prize and love wisdom will, like Solomon, pray for wisdom (2 Chron. 1:10–12). “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God” (James 1:5), with a strong faith that God delights to hear and answer such a prayer. (Recall how God was delighted that Solomon had made that request.) Any who gain wisdom have it in answer to prayer.

I suggest that Christians, including me, often fail to pray for wisdom as they should. Yes, there can be occasional earnest prayers for guidance and wisdom in decision-making. But do we implore God to give us a heart of wisdom when there aren’t crucial decisions to be made? Should we not be continually requesting divine wisdom and understanding so that He may answer our prayers and ready us for both the more mundane, everyday deliberations and the sudden crises that call for urgent, potentially life-altering decisions? Surely this is an area to which the Apostle Paul’s injunction applies: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Constant humble prayer, in which we lean hard on God, indicates that we are not foolishly leaning on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5).

Source: Gaining Wisdom | Tabletalk

Here I Stand – Luther at the Diet of Worms

What happened at Worms in April of 1521 was decisive in the history of the Reformation, yea, in the history of God’s church, the fruit of which reaches to the present and, by God’s grace, will reach to the end of the world.  Martin Luther risked his life and dared an appearance before the emperor that we might have the gospel that sets us free, the heavenly word that God kindled to light afresh through the labors of a monk who said, “Here I stand.” This sacred, precious, life-giving deposit has been passed down to us, and we revisit Worms, not as disinterested historians, but as children of the Reformation.

…The next day he was summoned to appear at the diet.  So great was the press of the crowd that the escort was compelled to take the back alleys. At last they arrived, and Luther stood before the council. “Never had man appeared before so imposing an assembly,” says one, at the head of which was the young emperor himself, whose eyes met those of the monk from Wittenberg.  The spokesman on behalf of the emperor, John von Eck, asked him two questions: first, whether these books stacked on a nearby table were his; second, whether he wished to retract them.

…Between his first and final appearing, an event of great moment occurred, overheard and scribbled down by someone in the right place at the right time: Martin Luther prayed to His God and Father at a time that one author says “was to him a little garden of Gethsemane.”  “This prayer,” says the same, “explains Luther and the Reformation.” And, “In our opinion, it is one of the most precious documents in all history.” In it, we see a Jacob wrestling with God—“I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Gen. 32:26); in it, we hear the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails much (James 5:16)—“O almighty and everlasting God, how terrible is this world! Behold, it openeth its mouth to swallow me up, and I have so little trust in thee.”  Further on: “O my God, where art thou?… Come, come; I am ready…I am ready to lay down my life for thy truth…. For it is the cause of justice—it is thine.”  And finally: “My soul belongs to thee. It shall abide for ever with thee…. Amen…. O God, help me!… Amen.”

And help him God did. When the time was up, Luther arrived at the appointed time for his second appearing.  It was April 18. After a long wait in the foyer, the evening drawing on and the candles flickering, he was admitted into the packed hall. The same spokesmen who had addressed him the day before got right down to business, and put the second question to him again: “Do you wish to defend all your acknowledged books, or to retract some?”

…The spokesman was not interested in an answer like this. All he wanted to hear was, “revoco.” Yes or no, Martin Luther? Do you, or do you not, retract? And then the monk, before emperor, electors, lords, princes, and bishops, a silence filling the hall, breathless anticipation, the eyes of all fixed upon him—then the monk spake those words that reverberated through that assembly, and have reverberated through the hundreds of years since:

“Since then your serene majesty and your lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner…. Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen.”

Again an attempt was made to get him to budge, but Luther remained firm. The diet recessed, and he returned to his lodging.

Scripture—that was the refrain that continued to be heard the days following, when various persons and delegations tried to negotiate with him. “Then began the attempt to break Luther down through a committee.” But he was resolute: he could only agree to submit his case to the judgment of another, including a council’s, if Scripture would be the standard of judgment and the final authority.

This history exemplifies that great Reformation principle—and one that grated upon the ears of Rome during Luther’s time at Worms—of sola Scriptura….

Source: Here I Stand – The Standard Bearer Magazine by Reformed Free Publishing Association | RFPA