Keeping our Hearts unto Prayer, Part 8 (Praying with an Eye to Eternity)

Flavel's final exhortation to Christians regarding our duty to pray is to "consider what influence these have unto eternity."

He goes on to write:

These are your seed-times, and what you sow in your duties in this world, you must look to reap the fruit of it in another world, Ga. vi. 7, 8. If you sow to the flesh, of that you shall reap corruption; but if to the Spirit, life everlasting. O my soul, answer seriously, wouldst thou be willing to reap the fruit of vanity in the world to come? Darest thou say, when thy thoughts are roving to the ends of the earth in duty [prayer], when thou scarce mindset what thou sayest or hearest; now, Lord, I am sowing to the Spirit; now i am providing and laying up for eternity, now I am seeking for glory, honour and immortality; now I am striving to enter in at the straight gate; now I am taking the kingdom of heaven by an holy violence? O such consideration as this should make the multitudes of vain thoughts that press in upon thy heart in [prayer], fly seven ways before it.

It has been foolishly and erroneously preached from many a pulpit that there are Christians who are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. 

Flavel, and more importantly, the Bible, would strongly disagree. In fact, the opposite is true: many Christians are of no heavenly good because they are so earthly-minded.

Solomon himself says, "The discerning [person] sets his face towards wisdom, but the eye of a fool are on the ends of the earth" (Proverbs 17:24), and the apostle Paul exhorts those who "have been raised with Christ" to "keep seeking the things that are above" and "keep thinking about things above, not things of the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2, NET).

In the movie "Gladiator", there is an epic scene at the beginning of the movie where the Roman army is squaring off against the Barbarians. Maximus, the leading general of the army, concludes his exhortation to his troops with a truth that is repeated throughout Scripture: "What we do in life, echoes through eternity."

Dear believer, never forget eternity before you pray, when you pray, and after you pray! 

In Christ, and for His glory to the ends of the earth,
pastor ryan

Family Worship Book Radio Giveaway

Hey all, if you've got children (or grandchildren), check out these books that Family Worship Book Radio is giving away.

The author (Joel Beeke is the president of Reformation Heritage Seminary in Grand Rapids [HRC]) is theologically solid and evangelical. Moreover, I've heard from others that the stories are very readable and memorable for your children (and you).

You can either purchase them, or enter here to win a set of them.

Keeping our Hearts Unto Prayer, Pt. 7 (Crying out for Deliverance from Vain Distractions)

Flavel's next help for believers in seeking to improve their prayer duties is simply this: ask God to remove any and every distraction that keeps us from intimate and unhindered communion with God while in prayer:

Mourn over the matter to God, and call in assistance from heaven, when vain thoughts assault thy heart in [prayer].

When Paul was buffeted in his times of prayer by Satan's messenger, he immediately went to God to mourn the issue before Him (2 Cor. 12:8). So too, says Flavel, should the Christian immediate ask God for immediate assistance and deliverance.

As Solomon says, it only takes a fly or two to make sweet-smelling perfume reek (Ecclesiastes 10:1). In the same way, all it takes is an apparently innocuous distraction to ruin a sweet time of prayer with our triune God.

Solomon is saying that something that is seemingly insignificant has great potential in ruining something exceedingly valuable.

And so, says Flavel, "Never slight wandering thoughts in duty as small matters; follow every vain thought with a deep sigh."

In fact, Flavel gives us a model prayer for such times:

Lord, I came hither to speak with Thee, and here a busy devil and a vain heart conspiring together have set upon me. O God! what an heart have I! Shall I never wait upon Thee without distraction? when shall I enjoy an hour of free communion with Thee? Help me, my God, this once; do but display Thy glory before mine eyes, and my heart shall be quickly recovered: Thou knowest I came hither to enjoy Thee, and shall I go away without Thee? See how the heart of Thy poor child works towards Thee, strives to get near Thee, but cannot: my heart is aground; come thou north wind, blow south wind: O for a fresh gale now from Thy Spirit, to set my affections afloat!

"Couldst thou," concludes Flavel, "but thus affectionately bewail thy distractions to God, thou mightest obtain help and deliverance from them."

O how we must, in the wise words of Solomon, beg our Guardian God to "catch all those little foxes (those little foxes!) before they ruin the vineyard of love" (Song of Solomon 2:15).

So often we only seek the Lord's assistance against visibly large foes. May He give us the grace to see that we need just as much for our Warrior King just to fell the little ones as well!

In Christ, and for the glory of His Name,
pastor ryan

Keeping our Hearts unto Prayer, Pt. 6 - Stoking our Affections

Emotions and affections are a powerful weapon in our lives - whether for good or for ill. This has been proven scientifically by sociologists, and experimentally by every day life experience. 

For example, if you want to deliver a memorable, life-changing message, make sure you have tugged at your audience's heart.

Sadly, it is true that many a false teacher has manipulated the hearts of their listeners with ear-tickling, heart-moving stories, narratives and illustrations that have nothing to do with either Christ or the Word of God (trust me, ask any friend who attends a slappy, happy church what the message is about, and they'll likely rehearse a funny joke or moving story instead of a biblical truth).

However, many of us in the evangelical world, in trying to disassociate and distance ourselves from such homiletical chicanery, intentionally try to bypass the emotions and affections of our hearers altogether. We want to cold, hard facts. No stories. No emotions. Definitely no passion.

This (apparently pious) bypassing of the heart is often just as true for us when it comes to prayer. 

I confess that I have been greatly turned off by so many of phony prayers filled with many tears and loud wailing that I experienced in my early Pentecostal days. The Puritans called this kind of "show" in prayer "affectation." 

However, though the Puritans were strongly opposed to affectation in prayer, they were entirely supportive of strong affections in prayer (anyone who has ever read Jonathan Edwards' "Religious Affections" will recall his thesis that the ultimate "fruit" of conversion is a kindled affection for the Triune God).

This is precisely what John Flavel lists as his sixth help for those seeking assistance in prayer:

"Endeavor to engage thy affections to God in duty, if thou wouldst have thy distractions cured."

What Flavel is simply saying is that the things that usually distract us will do so no longer if we have a greater affection for the One we are praying to.

This can be simply illustrated by the husband, who, engrossed in a football game, is impervious to the repeated summons of his patient wife telling him it is supper time. Of course, such a 'distraction' would undoubtedly occupy his attention were he watching baseball or golf, or needed to be cutting the lawn or fixing the gutters.

The difference: he is passionate for football. He cheers when the Colts score, and has to watch himself when Luck tries to force a ball, only to be intercepted (again).

His heart is in the event. Therefore, there is no need to cajole or trick him into spending more time in front of the TV if the game providentially goes into overtime.

Again, Flavel's words are helpful:

When the soul is intent upon any work, it gathers in its strength, and bends all the thoughts about it; and when it is deeply affected, it will be intent, the affections command the thoughts to go after them. Deadness causes distraction, and distraction increases deadness.

It is with the heart in prayer, as it is with those that dig for gold; they try here and finding none, try there; and so go from place to place, till at last they hit upon the rich vein, and there they sit down. If thy heart could but once hit the rich vein in prayer it would dwell and abide there with delight and constancy. "Oh how I love Thy law, it is my meditation day and night!" (Psa. 119:97) The soul could dwell day and night upon its knees, when once its delights, loves, and desires are engaged.

What is the reason your hearts are so shuffling, especially in secret prayer? Why are yoiu ready to be gone almost as soon as you are come into the presence of God, but because your affections are not engaged?

Flavel doesn't immediately show us HOW to have our affections engrossed and engaged when in prayer. 

The answer is simply this: we need to be more mesmerized by God's face in prayer than by a silly football game on Sunday (or whatever it is that has captured our heart). 

When Christina and I were courting before we got married, there were few (if any!) "distractions" that could come between us. Spending time in her presence and talking with her was no chore because I was absolutely consumed with her.

May it be so with our Christ. May God by His Spirit afresh shed abroad in our hearts His great love for us in Christ as demonstrated in the gospel (cf. Eph. 3:14-19).

Oh that with the Psalmist, we would adore God as revealed in His Law and Gospel, and irresistibly meditate upon Him all the day!

Help us in this Father,
In Jesus' Name.

For Christ and His glory to the ends of the earth,
pastor ryan

Keeping our Hearts unto Prayer, Pt. 5 (Praying without Ceasing)

Last time, we looked at how having a high view of God's dreadful holiness helps stimulate true and humble prayer.

Today, we consider Flavel's suggestion of "maintaining a prayerful frame of heart in the intervals of duty." Specifically, he says,

What reason can be assigned why our hearts are so dull, so careless, so wandering, when we hear or pray, but that there have been long intermissions in our communion with God?"

Perhaps a personal illustration will help illuminate what Flavel is driving at...

Two years ago, I blew my knee out playing soccer, tearing my ACL, MCL, and meniscus (the terrible triad, as my doctor so fondly put it). Unfortunately, I will likely be [increasingly] plagued with the residual effects of this injury. It hurts to walk almost every day. Whereas I used to love walking to work, I sometimes cringe at the very thought of the venture, knowing how painful my next day will be. However, I have learned that by stretching my knee throughout the day, it actually makes it easier to do the long distance walking trips. If I don't take a few seconds here and there, my knee seizes up, making it much, much more difficult to do long distances. My knee, as it were, rusts up, and it takes a lot more effort to get it working if I am not diligently 'unrusting' it, if even for a 10 second stretch, throughout the day.

This is how we are to see prayer.

As D.A. Carson once said, it is more useful to pray short prayers throughout the day than to 'lump' all of our time with God into one extended session.

But I would go one step further.

For me, at least, those "long sessions" with God are incredibly difficult if I haven't been communing and communicating with the Lord throughout the day.

It's the same with any relationship. I don't ignore my wife all week, and then give her a couple hours of my time for 'catching up.' It's great to spend a couple hours with Christina. But it will be incredibly difficult to "last" that long if we haven't been communicating all week. Even a short little text can be greatly used to keep us "wired."

This is what Paul means when he exhorts the believers in Thessalonica to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17). It doesn't mean that I have to pray every second of every minute of every hour of every day. It just means keeping an "open line" of communication to God throughout the day, that we wouldn't limit our time in prayer to those moments before we close our eyes in sleep.

In Joel Beeke's excellent book on prayer ("Developing a Healthy Prayer Life"), he illustrates this principle well by telling of the story of some pastors who regularly gathered to discuss theological and pastoral issues. One meeting, they were trying to figure out what it meant to "pray without ceasing." At a loss, they were interrupted by their servant girl who just happened to be in the room. Humbly, she said she knew what the text meant, and how she herself had employed it.

She said that for her, praying without ceasing was as simple as remembering who God was in every circumstance of her life, and turning those things into petitions before Him. For example, she said, when she would wake up, she thanked God for the gift of rest, and asked Him to help her rest in Christ purchased for her. When she began planning her day, she would ask God to provide guidance for her in her decisions. When she would get dressed, she asked God to clothe her in the righteousness of Christ. When she needed to sweep the house, she would ask God to remove the sin that still resided in her heart. When it was time to eat, she would pray that Christ would be her true meat and sustenance in life. When she found herself thirsty, she simply asked Christ to satisfy the true spiritual thirst of her soul. The point was well made, and hopefully well taken.

How differently would our lives be if we employed this simple principle. How differently would we "see" changing dirty diapers or disciplining our children, making meals or making money, taking showers or weeding gardens.


At the root of this, I know, that I need more love for Christ. I will not find prayer a delight if I don't love Him as I ought (read and pray Ephesians 3:15-19 here). The more I love Christina, the more I will seek time with her. How much more true when it comes to loving Christ and spending time in prayer with our glorious triune God!

Lord Jesus, help Your humble servant to understand what it means to pray without ceasing. Help me to "redeem" every circumstance the You sovereignly place me in, and give me the grace to turn it into a time of communion and prayer with Your Father and mine.

pastor ryan

Keeping our hearts unto Prayer, pt. 4 - Remembering God's Awful Presence

John Newton once told the story of a pauper who was graciously granted access to the king of England's throne, where he was given access to ask the king for whatever he wanted.

As the king began to address this poor, yet now extremely privileged man, a butterfly came flitting into the room, and made its way between the two men.

What happened next is breathtaking: though kneeling before the presence of the mightiest potentate on earth, the beggar, completely mesmerized with this inconsequential insect, gets up and begins chasing it, despite the fact that the king is in the act of addressing the very request the beggar had so importunately fought to bring before him.

This, says Newton - though on an infinitely lesser scale - is precisely what we do when we are in prayer and begin daydreaming, or making our plans, or worse. We have come into the very throne room of grace and have gained the ear of God Almighty. We have brought our prayers and petitions to Him through Christ.

Amazingly, the King opens His mouth and begins to answer our request.

Even more amazing than this is how often we cut Him off as it were mid sentence and begin thinking about our plans for the day, a YouTube clip, something nasty someone said to us, something we want to buy, our kids, our jobs, our recreation.

It seems we think about almost anything and everything but the very fact that we - as lowly beggars - have been granted access to the King of kings.

Newton's puritan predecessor, John Flavel, gives us another important strategy for keeping our hearts in a prayerful frame: the awful presence of God:

If you would keep your heart from vain excursions when engaged in duties [i.e. prayer], realize to yourself, by faith, the holy and awful presence of God. If the presence of a grave man would compose you to seriousness, how much more should the presence of a holy God? Do you think that you would dare to be gay and light if you realized the presence and inspection of the Divine Being? Remember where you are when engaged in religious duty [prayer], and act as if you believed in the omniscience of God. 'All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do' [Heb. 4:13]. Realize His infinite holiness, His purity, His spirituality.

One of the greatest travesties of the seeker sensitive movement in evangelicalism is how it has 'neutered' God. Since the concept of a God who is infinitely holy, infinitely hates sin, is infinitely jealous for His glory, and infinitely powerful to judge sin is distasteful to the modern man, the church, in her desire to fill her pews more than honor her King, has jettisoned the biblical notion of the God who is "a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29).

And, whether we realize it or not, our theology - for good or for ill - always impacts and affects how we live. If we have a low, trifling view of God, we will have a low, trifling view of prayer. If Jesus is merely my 'homeboy', then I will treat Him as such. But if I see Him as He really is, "holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens" (Heb. 7:26), I will come into His presence more like Isaiah did: with fearful humility and reverential awe (see Isa. 6:1-7).

The remedy? Says Flavel,

Strive to obtain such apprehensions of the greatness of God as shall suitably affect your heart; and remember His jealousy over His worship. 'This is that the LORD spake, saying, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified"' [Lev. 10:3]. A man that is praying should behave himself as if he were entering the court of heaven, where he sees the Lord upon His throne, surrounded with ten thousand of His angels and saints ministering to Him.

When you come from an exercise in which your heart has been wandering and listless, what can you say? Should your tongue utter all the thoughts when you are attending the worship of God, would not men abhor you? Yet your thoughts are perfectly known to God. O think upon this Scripture: 'God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of His saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about Him' [Psa. 89:7]. Why did the mountains smoke under Him, and the people quake and tremble about Him, but to teach the people that their God was a consuming fire? Such apprehensions of the character and presence of God will quickly reduce a heart inclined to vanity to a more serious frame.

All I can do is pray, "Lord, help me to see You as You really are. And in seeing You, may all my vain thoughts be burned up in Your holy presence. Lord, help me to pray as I ought."

In Christ, our great High Priest who has purchased for us a confident access to the throne of God's grace, where we might receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Pastor Ryan

P.S. some great resources to foster a biblical reverence for God in His holiness are the following:

Arthur Pink: The Holiness of God (from his book, "The Attributes of God")

R.C. Sproul: The Holiness of God (video series from Ligonier ministries)

Keeping our Hearts unto Prayer, Pt. 3 (Putting away Distractions)

Last time, we considered the first and essential step to a fruitful prayer life: planning to pray.

Today, we will look at Flavel's second word of advice to Christians who are seeking to guard their hearts unto prayer: putting away distractions.

If we really think about it, this could really be seen as a subset, or even a logical application, of what it looks like to plan for prayer. 

Not only must we plan to pray. We must also plan to make sure our times of prayer are as distraction-free as possible. 

If we set aside half hour to pray, but are constantly distracted by incoming text messages or emails or kids who want to play or music playing in the adjacent room, we will probably not really spend half an hour in true prayer.

One of my pet peeves in our day and age is trying to talk with people who incessantly fondle their phone throughout the conversation. Though they're "umm-hmmming" and nodding their heads here and there, we're not really having a conversation (and especially not an intimate one). 

The truth is, we can convey more in 2 minutes of distraction-free talk than in 10 minutes of us trying to talk to them while they're texting, responding to an email, or checking their Facebook.

The same is just as true for us when it comes to prayer: we will get more "accomplished" in 10 minutes of uninterrupted prayer than we will in an hour of mind-wandering pseudo-prayer.

Here are a couple of [obvious] distractions we can plan to remove during our times of planned prayer:

1. Put your cell phone in a different room. It's not enough to put it on vibrate: once it buzzes, your mind will likely begin to wonder who it is that just texted you or updated their FB status. At that moment, you have lost your train of thought, and will likely have to spend the next 10 minutes trying to get back to where you were.
2. Pray somewhere where you have no technology. My mind never stops. And so, in prayer, I may remember I need to email someone, or update the church's website. Sometimes I will tell myself that I need to send the email or update the site. At best, this inevitably causes my mind to wander even more (I start planning my day, etc.). At worst, I may be tempted to check Twitter or YouTube (even to watch something godly), which basically terminates any further prayer at that time.
3. Pray somewhere quiet. I have four young kids. It's hard to pray once they're up and running. They knock on the door, talk under the door, loudly ask me to come and play with them through the door. My most effective times of prayer are before they wake up, or when I go on a long walk outside.
4. Avoid reading or watching material that "gets you going." After watching football highlights is not a good time for me to pray, as my mind will inevitably begin replaying some of the more memorable ones. Pray before you watch that movie with your spouse. Pray before you have that difficult conversation with a family member or friend. This is why it is often wisest to plan to pray first thing in the morning. 

I am sure there are many more distractions we can remove. I simply list these as a sample collection to be built upon.

1 Peter 4:7 says, "The end of all things is near; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers" (ESV).

Being self-controlled and sober-minded "unto prayers" means removing distractions that seek to high-jack our devoted times of prayer.

Jesus' words are as true today for us as believers as they were when He first uttered them to His disciples 2000 years ago: "The spirit is willing [to pray], but the flesh is weak."

May God therefore give us the grace to plan not only to pray, but also to intentionally plan to remove any and all distractions. Let us never forget that self-control is an essential fruit that the Spirit of Christ gives His people to live in a manner worthy of the gospel!

In Christ, and for His glory to the ends of the earth,
pastor ryan

Guarding our Hearts unto Prayer (part 2)

John Flavel's little book "Keeping the Heart" is a true Puritanical gem.

As a faithful under-shepherd, Flavel guides the Christian through the variegated "seasons" he or she will experience in this life, and how they are to specifically "guard their hearts" (cf. Proverbs 4:23) in each of these seasons.

The sixth "season" he walks us through is what he calls the "season of duty." For us today, we might simply call it the season of prayer.

As we saw in the last blog post, prayer is the most important weapon the Christian has in these last days (cf. 1 Peter 4:7).

And so Flavel asks the question, "How may the heart be kept from distractions by vain thoughts in time of duty [i.e. prayer]?"

He then goes on to give 10 (extremely) practical ways the Christian ought to keep their hearts unto prayer, some of which I will either omit or conflate together, as there is often much overlap.

His first prescription is almost so obvious it doesn't need to be mentioned.

And yet as a Christian, as well as a pastor, I know all too well how often we as Christians fail to do this very thing, which is simply this: plan to pray. He writes,

[First], sequester yourself from all earthly employments, and set apart some time for solemn preparation to meet God in duty. You cannot come directly from the world into God's presence without finding a savour of the world in your duties. It is with the heart (a few minutes since plunged in the world, now in the presence of God) as it is with the sea after a storm, which still continues working, muddy and disquiet, though the wind be laid and the storm be over. Your heart must have time to settle.

In other words, says Flavel, we can't expect to have profitable, intimate times of prayer in God's presence if we don't set apart substantial blocks of intentional time to meet with God.

Anyone who is married knows that the deepest times of relational growth come when a husband and wife "get away" to be alone without distractions (especially if you have kids). I need to communicate with my wife throughout the day. But the times we really grow in our knowledge of each other comes when we put the kids to bed, put our phones away, make sure the computer is not on, and just talk.

It's the same with our relation with God.

In a world that bombards us with trivial distractions (I literally just checked to make sure my phone was in my back pocket), we as Christians need to guard our hearts by guarding our time, especially our prayer time.

So this morning, before I even decided to "pen" this blog (thanks Todoist for reminding me!), I determined to go to bed earlier, that I may get up earlier, so that I may spend time on my knees (literally) crying out to God first thing in the morning. Wifey and the kids won't mind (they're still sleeping), and I have a sneaking suspicion God will honor this desire to draw near to Him (cf. James 4:8).

Ironically, one of my favorite verses in the Bible is one I regularly fail to implement in my own life (I confess, I do spend time praying in my head immediately when I wake up, but I don't have a specific amount of time allocated to active prayer):

O LORD, in the morning You hear my voice; in the morning I set [my sacrifice of prayer] before You and wait expectantly." (Psalm 5:4, my translation)

Reader, I don't know your schedule. But I do know mine, and how little time I intentionally (in the words of Flavel) "sequester" for intentional prayer.

Flavel goes on to write,

Few musicians can take an instrument and play upon it without some time and labour to tune it. When you go to God in duty, take your heart aside and say, 'Oh my soul, I am now engaged in the greatest work that a creature was ever employed about; I am going into the awful presence of God upon business of everlasting moment. Oh my soul, leave trifling now; be composed, be watchful, be serious; this is no common work, it is soul work; it is work for eternity; it is work that will bring forth fruit to life or death in the world to come.' Pause awhile and consider your sins, your wants, your troubles. David first mused, and then spake with his tongue.

May God help us not only to make resolutions to set apart time for prayer, but to also keep our deceitful hearts in check, that we may be able to keep our "appointments" with God.

Maybe take some time right now to ask God to help you guard your heart unto prayer by intentionally setting apart time for prayer and communion with God. As D.A. Carson says, we rarely fall into holiness, and so we must be diligent in our pursuit of God in Christ.

In Christ, and for His great glory to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan

Guarding our Hearts for Prayer (part 1)

"The consummation of all things has drawn near. Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the purpose of prayer." - 1 Peter 4:7

Every one who has been born again by the Spirit of God desires to have a more robust, intimate, and consistent prayer life.

When I read this text, I am reminded not only of the purpose and power of prayer, but also the preeminence and priority it ought to have in my life.

The end has come. Peter's admonition? Pray.

As simple as this may seem, we as Christ's sheep must never forget that we have an adversary who also understands just how powerful prayer is to the believer. And since he hates Christ and His people, our ancient foe "prowls to and fro" seeking ways to thwart and hinder our prayers.

The book of Revelation portrays Satan as a defeated foe who, unlike many Christians, understands that his "time is short." Though he has been definitively defeated by our strong Warrior (Col. 2:14), we must never forget that he is still - at this moment - thrashing around in his death throes.

This thrashing is much more cunning and subtle than can be seen by the naked eye.

With his dying breaths, his strategy to destroy and dismantle Christianity - at least in the affluent West - primarily consists of distracting the church from using her greatest weapon: prayer.

Think about it: if you were battling someone who had an unstoppable weapon, wouldn't it be in your best interest to find a way to prevent them from using that weapon?

This is precisely what the great liar and deceiver does to Christ's church. Whatever it takes - distraction, lukewarmness, love of the world, moralistic busyness, social justice, sin - Satan seeks to keep Christ's people from praying.

And so Peter, himself not ignorant of Satan's schemes, reminds us of our great need to be "self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of our prayers" (ESV).

The first word comes from two Greek words, "save" and "mind", and literally means "safeguard your mind."

The best way to safeguard our mind is to be continually renewing it by the Word of God (cf. Eph. 4:20-24; Col. 3:16; Phil. 4:8; Rom. 12:1-2; Psa. 119).

The second word literally means "to be sober." Again, we see the importance of having temperance in our thinking, which of course comes from immersion in the Word of God.

Just as I used to do foolish things when I was not "sober" as an unbeliever, so also do we as Christians act foolishly (e.g. with our time, talents, treasures) when we fail to act soberly in the spiritual realm by not guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Dear believer, the consummation of all things has drawn near. We are living in the last days. Oh that we might heed the Spirit's call in this text to be self-controlled and sober-minded, especially with regards to our prayer life.

When we read the Bible, we see just how important prayer is. When we are not in the Word, we quickly forget this, and begin drifting away from a vital, powerful, Spirit-enabled walk with Christ.

For the next couple of weeks, I will be working through a short section from John Flavel's gem "Keeping the Heart", focusing on 8 ways he gives for the believer to "guard their hearts" with regards to prayer.

But for now, it might be beneficial for you simply to memorize 1 Peter 4:7. It has been a great reminder to me these last few weeks of just how desperately I need to be a man of prayer, and how desperately I need to "safeguard my mind" and "be sobered" by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Christ, and for His great glory,
Pastor Ryan

Using God's Gifts for God's Glory

"As each has used a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks the oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and dominion forever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:10-11)

Peter's point couldn't be any clearer or simpler: our gifts are meant to further God's dominion and glory in Christ.

Dear reader, what gifts has God entrusted to you?

Are you using them to make a name for yourself, or are you using them to glorify the name of Jesus?

Let us pray that the Spirit would help us to use 'our' good gifts to carry out God's good works (Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:14; 3:8, 14; Gal. 6:10) for the good of all people, but ultimately for the glory of God in Christ.

Let us not be like those in Genesis 11, who, though endowed with amazing and diverse giftings, sinfully and selfishly sought to build their own empire and dominion.

Let us rather, in the words of Paul, do everything - which includes the faithful use and stewardship of all our gifts "for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31), that the saints might be "built up", and the lost might be "brought in."

May God, in answer to Peter's prayer, give us all the strength to do so.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ryan

P.S. - if you are not sure what "gifts" you have, the best way to find out is to regularly get into a gospel community. As you do life with other Christ followers, it will become clear both to them and to you what your gifts (whether natural or supernatural) are. 

How Gossip Destroys Community

"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." (Mark 3:24-25)

Though originally spoken by Jesus in response to the blasphemous accusations the Pharisees were leveling against Him, this well-known and time-tested aphorism can be applied by us today who have entered into God's kingdom by repentance and faith in Christ.

Jesus makes it clear (v.26) that even Satan understands this principle, which is why we should not be surprised that his most cunning attacks against Christ's church are calculated to undermine and erode the unity and peace of Christ's people who comprise it.

One of the fiercest agents in the disintegration of the blood-bought unity and community of the saints is gossip. Which is why we as Christ's people must do everything we can to not only avoid it, but ultimately to "put it to death" by the Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:13) as we seek to "make every effort to maintain the unity and bonds of peace that the Spirit has wrought among us" (Eph. 4:3, my paraphrase).

As OT scholar Tremper Longman says, "As is typical of foolish speech, spreading rumors destroys relationships and thus community."

This is precisely what the OT sage Solomon says in Proverbs 16:28:

         "The perverse produce conflict,
              and gossips separate intimate friends."

When gossip is removed from the situation, community is enhanced:

         "For lack of wood the fire goes out,
              and where there is no whisperer,
                     quarreling ceases."  (26:20)

Gossiping spreads information behind people's backs, not to help but rather to damage their reputations. It does not matter whether or not what is said is true: it is the intention and timing of the speech that is so damaging and reprehensible.

Until the gospel becomes a more delicious "morsel" to us (see Proverbs 18:8), we will never be able to say "no" to it (see Titus 2:15, NIV). And so the only way to slay gossip is by faith in the gospel.

Which is the very remedy Paul gives us in the book of Ephesians:

        "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,
             but only such as is good for building up,
          as fits the occasion,
             that it may give grace to those who hear." (4:29)

How they communicated to - and about - one another in community was but one of the many ways the believers in Ephesus were to communally "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they had been called" (4:1) in a response of gratitude to how Christ has "walked" for them (chapters 1-3).

One of the most crucial ways we are to be "imitators of God" (5:1) is how we use our tongues towards others. When we use our tongues to tear down instead of build up, Paul says that we "grieve the Holy Spirit of God" (4:30).

Rather, with our lives as well as our lips, and in view of God's mercies towards us in Christ (Rom. 12:1), we are called to continually strive to be kind to one another and tenderhearted (Eph. 4:31). "Walking in love" (5:2) means "speaking in love" (4:15), which says Paul, reflects Christ's "fragrant offering when He sacrificed Himself to God."

This is the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5): to esteem others as more important than ourselves (2:3). When we have this mind, we - like Jesus - will seek to build others up for their good, rather than tear them down for our 'glory.'

How we speak to one another reflects the condition of our own hearts (Mark 7:21-23).

Do you gossip much? It's because your heart has not comprehended "the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love for you" (Eph. 3:15-19).

So go back to the gossip and let Christ's death on the cross for your sins, and His resurrection for your justification (see Rom. 4:25), recapture your affections afresh.

Let us, in the words of wise Solomon,

     "Above all else guard our hearts,
           for our heart determines the course of our lives" (Prov. 4:23, NLT)

Why? Because Jesus said that our communal love for one another is not merely a fruit of the gospel, but an actual expression of it (see John 13:34-35; 17:20-23).

Father, help us to guard our hearts by the gospel. And help us put gossip to death by the gospel. May the love of Christ captivate and control our lips as well as our lives. May the love of Your Son be clearly evidenced and effused in our lives, that the world may see and savor our Savior. Be glorified "in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations" (Eph. 3:21). Amen.

In Christ's Name, and for His glory to the ends of the earth,
pastor ryan

Slaying Gossip with the Gospel

"The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body." - Proverbs 18:8

Proverbs has much to teach us about one's speech.

The book simply divides our speech into one of two categories: wise speech or foolish speech.

As OT scholar Tremper Longman says, "the gossip is the classic example of a foolish speaker."

Which led me to ask, "Why is gossip so foolish?"

The simple answer, which we will see, is because gossip is idolatrous: it exalts self by tearing down others.

According to Proverbs 18:8, the reason I gossip and listen to others gossip is because it is so delicious in my "inward parts", that is, my heart.

But why is this destructive perversity so delicious?

The simple and biblical answer is this: even though I am a born-again Christian, I am still a recovering idolater.

Before Christ made me a new creation by the sovereign intervention of His vivifying Spirit, I worshiped myself and anyone else who worshiped me. The idol I sacrificed to was not a silly piece of wood or metal. No. I was my own god. I sat upon the throne of my own heart.

And I was willing to sacrifice anything - and anyone - to this god, that his name might be made great among the nations.

If it meant cutting down others to exalt myself, then so be it. This tyrant allows no rivals.

Which means this: gossip is not an issue of the tongue; it's an issue of the heart.

And so petty programs and silly solutions will not root out this ferocious foe who is not easily exiled from my "inward parts."

Only the gospel can evict this terrible tyrant from my heart:

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." - Proverbs 18:21

What I say is determined by what I deem delicious: if I love the fleeting 'fruit' of self-worship, I will slander and cut down others made in the image of God (cf. James 3:9); but, if I love the forever fruit of God-worship, I will "edify and encourage" my fellow image bearers, even if it means saying hard things and speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15, 29).

Is this not how our Lord Jesus dealt with us?

This is precisely what Paul says in Ephesians 5, right after his commands of how Christians are to use their tongues:

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 5:1-2

This is almost identical to his exhortation in 4:20-24:

"But that (see vv.17-19) is not how you learned Christ! - assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old man, which belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupted through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the image of God in righteousness and holiness of truth."

We put off our old "man" with all his or her "deceitful" desires, as well as put on this new self, by "renewing our minds." The "Spirit" does this as we gaze upon Christ in the gospel. As we do so, our desires (i.e. what we love) are changed. We will bless not only God with our lips, but others also, just as Jesus did.

Our old "man" deceives us into thinking that we are gods. It makes us think that evil is good and bitter is sweet. The new man, as he (or she) is renewed into the new-creation image of the God-man by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18), will not take the life and vitality of others to exalt himself (by gossip and slander), but will like Jesus give up his (or her) life and vitality for the good of others and the glory of God. This is God-wrought love, the very that enables us to fulfill Christ's new covenant law (see 1 Cor. 9:21; Rom. 13:9-10; Gal. 5:6, 13-14; James 2:8).

So, let us endeavor to slay slander and mortify gossip this year by looking to Jesus, learning from Jesus, and then longing to "walk even as He walked", that is, "in love."

God help us to honor You with both our lips and our hearts. Make the gospel of Your Son sweeter to us than the worship of ourselves.

For Jesus' sake, Amen.