Probably would deserve it

“If our forefathers who were godly and holy and maintained a strict walk with God were alive again, they would spit in the faces of many who think themselves eminent professors of religion, because of the looseness of their conversations [carelessness of their conduct]. And this is the worst, that they can all put it upon Christ and the doctrine of Christ.” Jeremiah Burroughs, Gospel Conversation copied from Jeremy Walker's book Passing Through

Wedding Hymn

By Sidney Lanier

Thou God, whose high, eternal Love
Is the only blue sky of our life,
Clear all the Heaven that bends above
The life-road of this man and wife.
May these two lives be but one note
In the world’s strange-sounding harmony,
Whose sacred music e’er shall float
Through every discord up to Thee.

As when from separate stars two beams
Unite to form one tender ray:
As when two sweet but shadowy dreams
Explain each other in the day:
So may these two dear hearts one light
Emit, and each interpret each.

Let an angel come and dwell tonight
In this dear double-heart, and teach.

A Properly Framed Life

Be Content 

"The last thing to be observed is, that the Lord enjoins every one of us, in all the actions of life, to have respect to our own calling. He knows the boiling restlessness of the human mind, the fickleness with which it is borne hither and thither, its eagerness to hold opposites at one time in its grasp, its ambition. Therefore, lest all things should be thrown into confusion by our folly and rashness, he has assigned distinct duties to each in the different modes of life. And that no one may presume to overstep his proper limits, he has distinguished the different modes of life by the name of callings. Every man’s mode of life, therefore, is a kind of station assigned him by the Lord, that he may not be always driven about at random. ...in every thing the call of the Lord is the foundation and beginning of right action. He who does not act with reference to it will never, in the discharge of duty, keep the right path. He will sometimes be able, perhaps, to give the semblance of something laudable, but whatever it may be in the sight of man, it will be rejected before the throne of God; and besides, there will be no harmony in the different parts of his life. Hence, he only who directs his life to this end will have it properly framed; because free from the impulse of rashness, he will not attempt more than his calling justifies, knowing that it is unlawful to overleap the prescribed bounds. He who is obscure will not decline to cultivate a private life, that he may not desert the post at which God has placed him. Again, in all our cares, toils, annoyances, and other burdens, it will be no small alleviation to know that all these are under the superintendence of God. The magistrate will more willingly perform his office, and the father of a family confine himself to his proper sphere. Every one in his particular mode of life will, without repining, suffer its inconveniences, cares, uneasiness, and anxiety, persuaded that God has laid on the burden. This, too, will afford admirable consolation, that in following your proper calling, no work will be so mean and sordid as not to have a splendour and value in the eye of God."

John Calvin, On the Christian Life

HT: Tim Bayly 

The Owl-Critic

By: James Thomas Fields

"Who stuffed that white owl?"

No one spoke in the shop,
The barber was busy, and he couldn't stop;
The customers, waiting their turns, were all reading
The "Daily," the "Herald," the "Post," little heeding
The young man who blurted out such a blunt question;
Not one raised a head, or even made a suggestion;
And the barber kept on shaving.

"Don't you see, Mr. Brown,"
Cried the youth, with a frown,
"How wrong the whole thing is,
How preposterous each wing is,
How flattened the head is, how jammed down the neck is --
In short, the whole owl, what an ignorant wreck 't is!
I make no apology;
I've learned owl-eology.

I've passed days and nights in a hundred collections,
And cannot be blinded to any deflections
Arising from unskilful fingers that fail
To stuff a bird right, from his beak to his tail.
Mister Brown! Mr. Brown!
Do take that bird down,
Or you'll soon be the laughingstock all over town!"
And the barber kept on shaving.

"I've studied owls,
And other night-fowls,
And I tell you
What I know to be true;
An owl cannot roost
With his limbs so unloosed;
No owl in this world
Ever had his claws curled,
Ever had his legs slanted,
Ever had his bill canted,
Ever had his neck screwed
Into that attitude.
He cant do it, because
'Tis against all bird-laws.

Anatomy teaches,
Ornithology preaches,
An owl has a toe
That can't turn out so!
I've made the white owl my study for years,
And to see such a job almost moves me to tears!
Mr. Brown, I'm amazed
You should be so gone crazed
As to put up a bird
In that posture absurd!
To look at that owl really brings on a dizziness;
The man who stuffed him don't half know his business!"
And the barber kept shaving.

"Examine those eyes
I'm filled with surprise
Taxidermists should pass
Off on you such poor glass;
So unnatural they seem
They'd make Audubon scream,
And John Burroughs laugh
To encounter such chaff.
Do take that bird down;
Have him stuffed again, Brown!"
And the barber kept on shaving!

"With some sawdust and bark
I could stuff in the dark
An owl better than that.
I could make an old hat
Look more like an owl
Than that horrid fowl,
Stuck up there so stiff like a side of coarse leather.
In fact, about him there's not one natural feather."

Just then, with a wink and a sly normal lurch,

The owl, very gravely, got down from his perch,
Walked around, and regarded his fault-finding critic
(Who thought he was stuffed) with a glance analytic,
And then fairly hooted, as if he should say:
"Your learning's at fault this time, anyway:
Don't waste it again on a live bird, I pray.
I'm an owl; you're another. Sir Critic, good day!"
And the barber kept on shaving.

Christ-Haunted

“Whenever I'm asked why Southern writers particularly have a penchant for writing about freaks, I say it is because we are still able to recognize one. To be able to recognize a freak, you have to have some conception of the whole man, and in the South the general conception of man is still, in the main, theological. That is a large statement, and it is dangerous to make it, for almost anything you say about Southern belief can be denied in the next breath with equal propriety. But approaching the subject from the standpoint of the writer, I think it is safe to say that while the South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted. The Southerner, who isn't convinced of it, is very much afraid that he may have been formed in the image and likeness of God. Ghosts can be very fierce and instructive. They cast strange shadows, particularly in our literature. In any case, it is when the freak can be sensed as a figure for our essential displacement that he attains some depth in literature.”

 Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners

The second half is as true as the first

Tuesday with Timothy # 18

I Timothy 2:11-12  Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

The church is not to be segregated but we also see that the church is not without order. Nothing could be as clear as to what this passage is saying, except perhaps I Corinthians 14:33-35. Only those with an agenda or those who care little for what Paul has to say on the subject can offer an objection to the clear teaching found in these passages. It is an authority issue, and not the kind you are probably thinking. It is authority of the Word of God and whether or not we will we listen and obey. B.B Warfield said "We may like what Paul says, or we may not like it. We may be willing to do what he commands, or we may not be willing to do it. But there is no room for doubt of what he says."

As we saw last time, the first half said women are to learn, the second half of the verse is as true as the first.

There are two negative commands, i.e., prohibitions.
There are three positive commands, something to be done. All five deal with the same topic at hand, the woman's place in the church.

First, let's look at the positive commands.

• Woman are to learn.
• Women are to be silent (commanded twice, once in each verse).
• Women are to be in subjection.

The negative prohibitions are:

• The woman is not to teach.
• The woman is not to usurp authority over the man.

That is the plain facts of the text. You can have a Greek study until you are making Moussaka all night or at the very least, μέχρι τις αγελάδες έρχονται σπίτι... but there is no place for a woman preacher in God's House, nor is there any place for a woman to usurp men in God's house, not in any language. There is a kind of study that seeks to understand what the author was saying, which is good. There is also a kind of study that seeks to muddy the waters so much that who knows what anyone is saying anymore.

Since blogging is a hobby of mine, not a job, I'll come back again and look a little closer at the text and go ahead and answer some of the objections that I anticipate.

A Confession

By - CS Lewis

I am so coarse, the things the poets see
Are obstinately invisible to me.
For twenty years I’ve stared my level best
To see if evening -- any evening - would suggest
A patient etherized upon a table;
In vain. I simply wasn't able.
To me each evening looked far more
Like the departure from a silent, yet a crowded, shore
of a ship whose freight was everything, leaving behind
Gracefully, finally, without farewells, marooned mankind.

Red dawn behind a hedgerow in the east,
Never, for me, resembled in the least
A chilblain on the cocktail-shaker's nose;
Waterfalls don't remind me of torn underclothes,
Nor glaciers of tin-cans. I've never known
The moon look like a hump-backed crone--
Rather, a prodigy, even now
Not naturalized, a riddle glaring from the Cyclops’s brow
Of the cold world, reminding me on what a place
I crawl and cling, a planet with no bulwarks, out in space.

Never the white sun of the wintriest day
Struck me as un crachat d'estaminet.
I'm like that odd man Wordsworth knew, to whom
A primrose was a yellow primrose, one whose doom
Keeps him forever in the list of dunces,
Compelled to live on stock responses,
Making the poor best that I can
Of dull things...peacocks, honey, the Great Wall, Aldebaran,
Sliver weirs, new-cut grass, wave on the beach, hard gem,
The shapes of horse and woman, Athens, Troy, Jerusalem

The Fallen of WWII

From: Slate

So much for resolutions

In the book  John Adams by David McCullough, we have an interesting journal entry from a young John Adams. I think we can all identify with a willing spirit and a weak flesh.

"He vowed to read more seriously. He vowed to quit chewing tobacco. On July 21st 1756 he wrote' I am resolved to rise with the sun and study Scriptures on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings, and to study some Latin author the other three mornings. Noons and nights, I intend to read English authors. I will rouse up my mind and fix my attention. I will stand collected within myself and think upon what I read and what I see. I will strive with all my soul to be something more than persons who have had less advantages than myself.' 

But, the next morning he slept until 7, and a one line entry [in his journal] the following week read 'A very rainy day. Dreamed away the time.'

I think he turned out alright. You could do worse than being President of the United States.

Let the Women Learn

Tuesday with Timothy # 17

1 Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

The first part of the text is as neglected as the third stanza of a Baptist hymnal because of the attention the latter part of the verse receives. The passage begins with a divine commandment of action, not a prohibition. This imperative differs Christianity from the cultures throughout the ages. We have a command that women are to learn. As I have said before, Christianity is the greatest blessing to women the world has ever known. We have in the opening verses and divine command upon the house of God, that all of God's people are come to learn of Him. God's people are to hear and to learn God's Word through the proclamation of divine truth. All of God's people are to be in the house of God to learn the Word of God. 

The Bible does not give categories of theology that only certain people should learn certain subjects. Let everyone of God's people be learned in the doctrines of God's Word. Christian people should desire to learn of their God. Perhaps part of the problem is we have got to the place that the only reason there is to learn of God is to be have enough fodder to choke out a sermon for Sunday. We say that theology is for the preacher so he can craft his homilies while the church members come and be entertained and vote in business meetings. No, God would have all His people actively learning of Him. Theology is necessary for all of God’s people to live and walk in the Spirit.

Women are not to be regulated to the kitchen during the church service or off to do other duties while the Word of God is being preached - but they should be among the congregation learning of their God.  It is theology that will make a good wife and a good mother and a godly lady. How can you raise up a child in the fear of the Lord if you do not learn more of God and more of the truth of mankind? Only by being grounded in Biblical theology does a parent have the ability to know that Little Susie is not a spotless petal of perfection with a heart pure as the driven snow but has inherited a guilty and depraved sin nature. It is through theology that a woman can understand her children's true nature and to deal in a godly way. How can a woman understand her calling as a godly wife, except she know it from God's own word?  But even further, to understand and know the Word of God enables God's people, to live, to worship, to pray, to serve -- all to the glory of God. Is it only certain members of the body of Christ need to understand what it is to be in Christ? Is comfort only to be found in imputed righteousness equaled by testosterone levels? I think not. Let the women learn, and not just "women's issues" but theology. 

 The temptation is for women to learn to trust their feelings and emotions rather to learn solid truths. That is why Sarah Young's abominable book Jesus Calling is so popular.  It causes women to doubt that God's Word is enough or God's Word doesn't have a place for their lives and look for God within. Many times, books written for women's studies play upon the emotion and direct women to "hear from God" outside of God's Word. This is the same tactic that Satan used with Eve, to go outside of the revealed Word and look for something else, something you are missing, something...better. The greatest thing a church can do is to tear down the barriers of separation in the learning process of the congregation. Man or women, boy or girl, all should come to God's house to learn of God. God’s way is for the whole congregation to come together and hear God’s Word preached together and sit and learn together. We are a body, after all. 

Let the women learn.

Helps our Infirmities

On Sunday evenings, we have been working our way through the book of Ephesians. We are currently in chapter four, verse 29 and have, for the last several weeks used this verse to do a study on the person of the Holy Spirit. Tonight, we looked at the Holy Spirit and His ministry of intercession from Romans 8: 26-27. The first part of that verse says "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities." Help. Not take away. Help, not remove completely. But the Spirit helps. He comes along side to help us through the trial.

We have the infirmities of sin, to which Christ died for and we have the infirmities of suffering, to which the Spirit helps, so no matter our infirmity God has either already dealt with it or will help us through it.  God does not always deliver us from suffering in this life, but God will not forsake us in the fire. God may not remove all suffering, but God will not remove us from His love. The Spirit does not remove the trial, but the Spirit comes beside us in our infirmities to help us. The Spirit does not lift us above the infirmities, but helps us to push and persevere. Glorious, comforting truth.

       Octavius Winslow said     "Approaching, He takes hold of the burden. Constrained by a love which no thought can conceive, moved by a tenderness no tongue can describe, he advances, and places the power of his Godhead beneath the pressure -- and thus he helps our infirmity..Whether it be the groaning from a pressure of sin, or from a sense of desire, or from a conviction of want, or from the smiting hand of God himself, that groaning ascends to heaven, and bears to the throne of the Eternal, whose ear bends to the softest whisper, and hearkens to the gentlest sigh of his child, a confession, or a request, which shall not be unheard, unheeded, or forgotten."....."Himself took our infirmities and bare our sickness....That very infirmity, which now bows you to the earth, by reason of which you can in no wise lift up yourself, your Saviour bore. It bowed him to the dust, and brought the crimson drops to his brow. "

Modest Apparel

Tuesday with Timothy #16
No, I have not forgotten about the series....

1Timothy 2:9-10  In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 

 In like manner  referring back to the men of the church who are to lead in prayer, the women of the church have their own role to perform in public worship. It amazes me that Christianity is the favorite punching bag for women's groups. "Down with patriarchy" and so forth. It is Christianity that views women as made in the image of God. It is Christianity that has lifted women up through the centuries. It is Christianity that sees women as God's child in Christ, not as property. It is Christianity that sees dignity in all human beings, not just men and not just the powerful. It is absurd to even have to defend this proposition. Are there, I believe the technical term being kunckleheads, in Christianity who wrest the scripture to take advantage of women? Certainly. Does that destroy the truth of God's created order and what the text actually says? Absolutely not. In fact, it is the women's liberation movement that has done far more harm than good.  As G.K. Chesterton said “Ten thousand women marched through the streets shouting, 'We will not be dictated to,' and went off and became stenographers.” His point is not that women are not to labor, but that the heart of the issue of feminism is rebellion against God's order and rebellion against God's order will not put you in a better position in the end. The feminist movement is ultimately self destructive. The heart of the women's liberation movement was to liberate women from who God had made them to be, and when you leave God's created order, you will not find peace. Douglas Wilson well said " We started by employing feminism to turn first rate women into third rate men, and recently we have found ourselves turning third rate women into fifth rate men. And we are rapidly approaching the nadir, where a woman’s highest achievement will be considered as matching the worst behavior of male slobs everywhere."

Women are to adorn themselves in modest apparel. What is modest? Modest is that which is becoming a Christian lady. I love the Scripture, it is amazing to me how wonderful God's Word is in this general statement. The legalist in all of us would want Paul to say "Here is what you are supposed to wear, put it on." That would be easy. That is what you find in Islam and why you also see people stuck in a culture that ended hundreds of years ago. God's Word gives us the principle for godly dress and then the child of God must take these principles and apply them to the culture they live in and the day they live. Morality does not change, and the culture does not dictate right and wrong, but modesty is not stuck in a particular year and a particular culture. Every generation, every culture, has their standard of fashion, and in every culture, woman can dress in modest apparel without wearing a uniform. 

With shamefacedness and sobriety, or with a modest and serious minded heart, she is to dress herself for public worship. Not with broided hair, or decked with jewels but come with good works, which is becoming a godly woman. What is the principle? Is it wrong for a woman to fix her hair and to have jewelry?No - the prohibition is outlining modest apparel for us, not making a list. Being "Shamefaced and sober" is an attitude of the heart. It is the idea of bashfulness, or a regard for others. It is a self control that willingly does not want to be seen and it is with that attitude, the female members of the congregation should come to God's house. They are to come, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, and draw attention to their outward appearance, but to come in a manner of good works that Christ may be seen. It is the heart informing the closet. The attitude informs the dress.

One error is to dress in such a way as to bring attention to yourself, but the other error will have a rule for what is acceptable dress and as long as you meet that mark, there is no need to think about it anymore. Both errors are wrong because neither one gives any prayerful consideration to God's Word. If the heart does not inform the closet, then you will have women wearing modest apparel while acting immodestly. That is just as wrong as wearing immodest clothing. Women in the church are encouraged to have a meek and quiet spirit and dress accordingly. 

Only A Soldier's Grave

Happy Memorial day. Another tip of the hat to Barry Smith for sending this poem my way for another addition of Monday Verse.

By S.A. Jones

Only a soldier's grave! Pass by,
For soldiers, like other mortals, die.
Parents had he -- they are far away;
No sister weeps o'er the soldier's clay;
No brother comes, with tearful eye;
It's only a soldier's grave -- pass by.
True, he was loving, and young, and brave,
Though no glowing epitaph honors his grave;
No proud recital of virtues known,
Of griefs endured, or triumphs won;
No tablet of marble, or obelisk high;
-- Only a soldier's grave: -- pass by.
Yet bravely he wielded his sword in fight,
And he gave his life in the cause of right!
When his hope was high, and his youthful dream
As warm as the sunlight on yonder stream;
His heart unvexed by sorrow or sigh;
-- Yet, 'tis only a soldier's grave: - pass by.
Yet, we should mark it -- the soldier's grave,
Some one may seek him in hope to save!
Some of the dear ones, far away,

The heavens declare the glory of God

Long weekend? Have a few minutes?

Check out this link because it is pretty spectacular. 

It is worship inspiring to see the universe from this perspective.

Consider how awesome God is to create and sustain this universe.
Consider how wise God is to plan this universe.
We are really, really small.
Christ died for us? So small, so insignificant.
Human pride is really disgusting.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

19: 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Psalm 8:1-4  O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

A Sign it is Close

"O what a warm desire was there in the heart for free liberty to preach the gospel! And what a strong persuasion of it was there in the mind. And it was but about three quarters of a year after that we had it. If God doth incline thy heart to pray and believe for a deliverance, or any mercy, it is a sign it is not far off."

Hercules Collins

Miscellanies

• This is very interesting. I spent over a year combined of my teenage years rehabbing a torn ACL. I tore my ACL, had surgery, rehabed for 6 months, and then tore it again and started the whole process over. 
• What I found fascinating about this article was how it all came about. A young lady just thought that the current settled science seemed absurd and decided there had to be a better way. Sometimes it just takes a person from the outside to look at something to bring in fresh perspective and having the courage to go for it.
• Speaking of speaking, I was going to link to a very good article I found on freedom of speech and some almost prophetic words from George Orwell. But, it's gone from the interwebs. Maybe the website crashed. Maybe, it was a conspiracy....
• One thing that wasn't scubbed from the public record is Jeff Short's book review. If the book is half as good as the review, then I say buy it. Well done sir. Well done
• Speaking of good writing, check out the new YouTube channel of Jonathan Rogers. Preachers, watch this before writing your next article or illustration.

Grace, 'tis a charming sound

Thanks to Barry Smith for directing me to this hymn. Wonderful words. Wonderful Grace

Grace, ’tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to mine ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.

Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.

Grace first inscribed my name
In God’s eternal book;
’Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.

Grace led my roving feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.

Grace taught my soul to pray
And made mine eyes o’erflow;
’Twas grace which kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.

Grace all the work shall crown,
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.

O let Thy grace inspire
My soul with strength divine
My all my powers to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.

Words: Verses 1, 2, 4 & 6, Philip Dodd­ridge, 1740; vers­es 3 & 5, Au­gus­tus M. Top­la­dy, 1776, alt.

Anxiety and the Christian's Cure

I've posted this article before, but in case you missed it, here is a link to the pdf:

Anxiety and the Christian's Cure


Lord bless,

DPN

He Will Do What is Best

"The language of ..meekness is that of Eli, "it is the Lord" and that of David to the same purport, ,"Here am I; let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. No only, He can do what he will, subscribing to His power, for who can stay His hand? or, He may do what He will, subscribing to His sovereignty, for He gives not account of any of His matters; or He will do what he will, subscribing to His unchangeableness', for He is of one mind, and who can turn Him? but, Let Him do what he will, subscribing to His wisdom and goodness, as Hezekiah, "Good is the word of the Lord, which thou hast spoken." Let Him do what he will, for He will do what is best; and therefore if God should refer the matter to me, says the meek and quiet soul, being well assured that He knows what is good for me better than I do for myself, I would refer it to him again: "He shall choose our inheritance for us."

Matthew Henry - Meekness and Quietness of Spirit 

I couldn't help it, he just landed here.

"You may not be able to keep a bird from landing on your head, but you can keep him from building a nest in your hair. You may not be able to keep the Devil from knocking at your door, but you are able to refrain from asking him to spend the night." BH Carroll

Grace & Peace.

I will heartily lay me a-hold on the greatness of God

As the marsh-hen secretly builds on the watery sod,
Behold I will build me a nest on the greatness of God:
I will fly in the greatness of God as the marsh-hen flies
In the freedom that fills all the space ’twixt the marsh and the skies:

By so many roots as the marsh-grass sends in the sod
I will heartily lay me a-hold on the greatness of God:
Oh, like to the greatness of God is the greatness within
The range of the marshes, the liberal marshes of Glynn.


Excerpt from The Marshes of Glynn, Sidney Lanier

Thanks to Barry Smith for passing this along!

Conference on the Psalms

The audio and video are available from our Bible conference this year. This year, the theme was on the Psalms and I thought the preaching was very, very good.

You can download or listen to the audio HERE or if you prefer, you can watch the messages HERE. 

New Life

"Salvation is not a matter of improvement or perfection of what has previously existed. It is total transformation. The New Testament speaks of believers having a new mind, a new will, a new heart, a new inheritance, a new relationship, new power, new knowledge, new wisdom, new perception, new understanding, new righteousness, new love, new desire, new citizenship, and many other new things -- all of which are summed up in newness of life." 

John MacArthur - Ephesians commentary

Book Review - God’s Battle Plan for the Mind

God’s Battle Plan for the Mind:
The Puritan Practice of Biblical Meditation
 by David W. Saxton
Reformation Heritage Books

The Puritan authors were big on the practice of  Biblical meditation and David Saxton has provided a well ordered view of their thoughts on this spiritual discipline in his book God's Battle Plan for the Mind. Far from being a new age mysticism that empties the mind, Biblical meditation is a filling and directing the mind to pondering God's Word. Teeming with quotations from the old masters, Saxton gives us the Puritan's thoughts on guiding their people through this necessary discipline in the Christian life.

After providing the reason why we should meditate on the scriptures, Saxton defines the practice and shows us how to meditate on the Word of God, and then warns us against some common hindrances to the practice.  It is one thing to say "you need to meditate" and move on, but Saxton points out that the Puritans didn't leave it at the command, but also gave practical advice on how to practice mediation and exhorted their people to the good and godly work. Meditation is not the same as a daily reading program, nor is it a study on an unknown or unfamiliar topic, but a concentrated time devoted to thinking upon known Biblical truths and how these truths are to be applied to Christian walk. The section on topics for meditation and why the familiar doctrines are those that are best suited for mediation will prove, I believe, to be a helpful guide.

Saxton's style works well in a book that where quotations necessarily abound. His writing smoothly transitions from the Puritan quotations to his own observations. Using the KJV, there is a good flow stylistically throughout; quoting authors covering a 400 year period is a difficult task to carry out, but he did a good job making this book very accessible for the modern reader. In fact, books like these show how readable and delightful the Puritan works can be.

Interestingly, meditation on the scripture is not a problem that is isolated in smart phone societies. The Puritans bemoaned the fact that a lack of mediation was a serious problem in their day as well. I found the advice addressing this problem both stirring and practical. Exhorting their readers 300 years ago on how to keep their mind focused upon God during their busy workday is as relevant today as it was then. It is easy to blame our problems on our technology and think that if we could only go back to simpler times, we would be more spiritual, but sadly, it just is not the case. Our sin nature is the problem, not our apps.

Overall, this is a very good summary of what the Puritan teachers described and urged in the practice of Biblical meditation and an excellent resource for those who do not currently practice Scriptural meditation and excellent motivation to spur you on if you are already in the habit. Far from being a rigid and uptight practice, this book shows us that meditation is a way to increase our love for Jesus and not only benefits our soul, but becomes a lovely duty as we worship our our great God, with our hearts and minds.

My thanks to Cross Focused Media for the review copy.

Dear refuge of my weary soul

How about a Baptist poet for the first Monday in March?  Anne Steele draws our attention to a compassionate saviour in her poem Dear refuge of my weary soul.

Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On thee when sorrows rise;
On thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies.

While hope revives, though pressed with fears,
And I can say, "My God,"
Beneath thy feet I spread my cares,
And pour my woes abroad.

To thee I tell each rising grief,
For thou alone canst heal;
Thy word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel.

But oh! when gloomy doubts prevail
I fear to call thee mine;
The springs of comfort seem to fail
And all my hopes decline.

Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust;
And still my soul would cleave to thee,
Though prostrate in the dust.

Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace
Be deaf when I complain?

No, still the ear of sovereign grace
Attends the mourner's prayer;
O may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there.

Thy mercy-seat is open still;
Here let my soul retreat,
With humble hope attend thy will,
And wait beneath thy feet.

Forced into a Howling Wilderness

Writing from England, John Owen thinking of the pilgrims coming to the New World....

"I doubt not but that the great controversy God has had with this nation for so many years, and which He has pursued with so much anger and indignation, was upon this account: that, contrary to that glorious light of the gospel that shone among us, the wills and fancies of men, under the name of order, decency, and the authority of the church (a chimera that none knew what it was, nor wherein the power of it did consist, nor in whom reside), were imposed on men in the ways and worship of God. Neither was all that pretense of glory, beauty, comeliness, and conformity that then was pleaded anything more or less than what God does so describe in the church of Israel in Ezekiel 16:252 and forward. Hence was the Spirit of God in prayer derided; hence was the powerful preaching of the gospel despised; hence was the Sabbath decried; hence was holiness stigmatized and persecuted—to what end? That Jesus Christ might be deposed from the sole privilege and power of lawmaking in His church; that the true husband might be thrust aside, and adulterers of His spouse embraced; that taskmasters might be appointed in and over His house, which He never gave to His church (Eph. 4:11); that a ceremonious, pompous, outward show of worship, drawn from pagan, Judaical, and anti-Christian observations might be introduced—of all which there is not one word, tittle, or iota in the whole book of God. This, then, they who hold communion with Christ are careful of: they will admit of nothing, practice nothing, in the worship of God, private or public, but what they have His warrant for; unless it comes in His name with “Thus saith the Lord Jesus,” they will not hear an angel from heaven. They know the apostles themselves were to teach the saints only what Christ commanded them (Matt. 28:20). You know how many in this very nation, in the days not long since past, how many thousands left their native soil and went into a vast and howling wilderness in the utmost parts of the world to keep their souls undefiled and chaste to their dear Lord Jesus, as to this of His worship and institutions."

John Owen from Communion with God, in Works, 2:151.

My Thoughts Address your Throne

Monday morning brings its own unique challenges. Sometimes just getting started in the work week can be a tad discouraging. What a difference starting the day at the throne of grace makes. I've been thinking a lot about thinking lately and how easily the mind can be taken hither and yon, so to speak, worried about a great many things. But God will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him: because he trusts in God. When the mind takes hold on God and we meditate on Him and HIs persona and works, then He will give us peace. Hopefully your thoughts will address the throne, before they address the deary work week. Perhaps Issac Watts will help....

My thoughts address your throne
when morning brings the light;
I seek your blessing every noon,
and pay my vows at night,

for I, with all life's cares,
will lean upon you, Lord;
I'll cast my burdens on your arm,
and rest upon your word.

Your arm shall well sustain
all peoples with your love;
the base, on which our safety stands,
will never be removed.

Citrus Missionary Baptist Church 2015 Bible Conference Retrospective

This past weekend I had the privilege of being able to attend the annual Bible conference hosted by the Citrus Missionary Baptist Church in Inverness, FL. I always enjoy meeting with the saints of God there and had a great time. Troy Sheppard is the pastor there and during the meeting he announced to us that this year marks his 20th year as their pastor. That is a tremendous statement of God’s faithfulness, Troy’s faithfulness, and the churches faithfulness.

There was no stated theme of the meeting, but I rejoiced in how the messages fit together. On Friday night, brother John Pruitt, pastor of the Buffalo Valley Baptist Church in Clay, WV kicked things off by preaching on the “Love of God”.  In the message, we were reminded that God’s love is an everlasting love, a love that is longsuffering, a love that is sacrificial, and unconditional.

Tom Horn, pastor of the Ella Grove Baptist Church in Glennville, GA preached on the Possible Impossibility from Hebrews 10. He was the first of a few preachers who announced that they were preaching messages at the conference from the book they were currently preaching through at their home church. That was encouraging to hear. Preaching on the first 19 verses of Hebrews 10, he brought out that in verses 1-4 we see the impossibility of perfection; verses 5-14 shows us the person of perfection; verses 15-18 as the proof of perfection; and verse 19 is the pathway to perfection. How tempting it is to fall into the trappings of religion, that can not save and forsake Christ, who can. A good way to end a Friday.

The cold wintry chill Saturday morning was a stark contrast to the warmth of the hospitality and hot  breakfast prepared by the dear ladies of the church. Well rested and well fed, we entered into the building for day two, which was packed with good preaching as well as attendees. Folding chairs filled the aisles between the pews making their way all the way back into the foyer of the building. It was encouraging to see so many people who had come to hear the Word of God preached. It was difficult to estimate the number that had gathered on Saturday morning, but if we had not reached standing room only, it could not have been far off.

Brother Al Lyons who is the pastor of the Grace Baptist Church in Fairmount, GA, preached to us from Genesis 32:1-2. His message brought out God’s grace in protecting and guarding his people. It is precious to hear such faith and encouraging Words from man of whom both he and his wife are facing health issues. Brother Lyons reminded us that we would be amazed if we could but see the angels of God among us and should be encouraged to remember that God cares for His own. He mentioned something as an aside, but it hit a chord with me; God will accomplish His will. No matter what happens in our life, God’s plan is being carried out, and being in Christ, we can rejoice in that truth.

Paul Sandelin traveled the furthest, making his way from Naples Idaho. He is the pastor of the Bible Believers Baptist Church. His message was on God’s Word and how it must be held up in a prominent place in the lives of the believers. Illustrating the point with the rod of God that Moses held in Exodus 17, that we too must hold the Word of the Lord in high esteem. The Word of God will bring correction, and must be used in combat, and held for comfort. He mentioned something that stuck with me, that if we have a heavy intake of media and a low intake of Bible, what will be doing the instruction and correction in our lives?

Sam Wilson, pastor of the Grace Baptist Church in Gladwin, MI finished up the morning session with message from Ephesians 2:8-9 on salvation by grace. Grace is the sinner’s confidence, and the Sovereign God’s cure, and spurs the a commitment to service of our great Savior. Pastor Wilson also informed us that the Grace Baptist Church is now is over the Landmark Baptist, a quarterly paper edited by Bob Belanger. I was unaware of the church taking oversight of the paper and I believe it will be a good fit.

After another delicious meal prepared by the church, and a time of fellowship on the grounds, we entered round two for the afternoon session. Andy Wilson preached to us from John 1 on the greatness, grace, and glory of Christ. A great subject and a great message.

Justin Meier, traveling from Mount Vernon, Ohio,  finished the session off preaching on More than Conquerors in Christ, taking his text from Romans 8:37. Ultimately, we will overcome the world, because Christ has overcome the world. By faith, we must remember that Christ will set all things right in the end and we have the assurance in Christ, that we have everlasting life and nothing can separate us from the love of God found in Christ Jesus.

This was the final session of the day, and following the preaching some stayed for some 'pickin and grinnin'. A few of us gathered together playing music and singing hymns. An eclectic mix of piano, mandolin, guitars, and yours truly on the resonator made for a good mix of musical styles. We were blessed throughout the meeting with special songs by the saints of God worshiping their King. The congregational singing was outstanding, hearing the many voices uplifting God's name in praise.   

Sunday, the temperature had warmed and the nice weather of a Florida winter was enjoyed for both an outdoor breakfast and lunch. One delightful blessings at these conferences is seeing the children play out in the church yard. It is good to see so many young children in the house of God. Parents running after little ones who are enjoying the thrill of being set free from sitting still in church, friendships being forged and made; a delightful sight to behold. As a preacher’s kid myself, who attended more than my fair share of meetings as a youth, I wonder what God has in store for these young ones?

Pastor Sheppard told us that we would be having three preachers and two speakers. The third speaker was a baptismal service. Believers baptism does indeed preach a powerful message and we were privileged to witness this ordinance Sunday morning. We only have two visible pictures in the New Covenant, that of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and it is always a joy to witness a believer following their Lord in the water.

Leroy Pack opened the morning service by preaching on The Church Militant, taking his text from Nehemiah 4:1-12. The Lord’s people must be ready to serve with a mind to work. It is always good to hear Brother Pack preach.

Next was the baptismal service and the candidate was the pastors daughter. Witnessing the ancient practice of believers baptism, a saved sinner following their Lord’s example and command by going into the water, picturing His death, burial, and resurrection is always a wonderful sight. To see a soul who has been saved by God’s grace, rise up out of the water to walk in newness of life is a powerful message. Added to the glories of the truth put on display, we also were witness to a joyful moment as a father had opportunity to administer this ordinance to his very own child. It was a tender and touching moment to see Pastor Sheppard hug his daughter in the baptismal pool.

The event had me overwhelmed. I was thankful that there were several songs sang after the baptism to allow me to gain my composure, because I was the last preacher of the day. I closed the meeting out on a message from Ephesians 3:8 on The Unsearchable Riches of Christ. I mentioned a book in the course of my preaching that I had used in my preparation, but I am almost certain I butchered then name of the book. It was Life in Christ by Jeremy Walker.

We dismissed the service having been fed spiritually, we were fed once more by the hard workers of the church and departed on our separate ways. It is always good to meet up with old friends and make new ones. I hate goodbyes. Makes me long for the day when there will be no more.

Holy Hands

Tuesday with Timothy #15

1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Paul wills that men pray everywhere and when Paul wills, it isn’t his personal preference, but apostolic authority. The male members of the church are to lead the church in prayer, which ruffles the feathers of those who rebel against the created order. The men of the Lord’s church ought to be thankful to have such a wonderful task such as leading in prayer and it should be looked upon as a privilege to serve the church in such a manner. If we go back for a moment and consider the “all men” argument and that “all” means every person without exception, what does “every where” mean? If we are consistent, it means that Paul wants men to go to every square inch of planet earth and pray. But I digress, the point is that men are to be men of prayer and the worship of God is to be done in prayer.

Men are to lead in the public prayer and it needs to be holy men to lead the people in prayer. Saved men, serving the Lord in His righteousness, are to lead God’s people to the throne of grace. Don't get sidetracked into putting the emphasis on the wrong word. Lifting up holy hands isn’t the point of the passage. The point is that holy men should lead in prayer. In the Old Testament, men prayed and as  they did, they stood and lifted their hands (Isa 1:15; 2 Chronicles 6:12; 1 Kings 8:22; Ex. 9:33), which I believe is a sign of intercessory prayer.They were praying for the congregation. Remember, that chapter two began with the command for the church to pray for others.

The prayer should be in light of the gospel truths that God saves all sorts of men. We should pray that God would save our enemies, not calling down fire from Heaven in wrath. Our prayers for our leaders (1 Tim 2:2)  shouldn’t be imprecatory prayers but that God would save them. These prayers should be done without doubting that possibility. With faith we should pray everywhere, for all men, that God would save them. We should pray everywhere with a gracious heart and not doubt that God hears our prayers. We should pray everywhere with a tender heart, not doubting that God will answer our prayers.

"THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (The watchword of the Reformers.)

by Robert Murray M'Chyene

I once was a stranger to grace and to God,
I knew not my danger, and felt not my load;
Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree,
Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.

I oft read with pleasure, to sooth or engage,
Isaiah's wild measure and John's simple page;
But e'en when they pictured the blood-sprinkled tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu seem'd nothing to me.

Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,
I wept when the waters went over His soul;
Yet thought not that my sins had nail'd to the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu - 'twas nothing to me.

When free grace awoke me, by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;
No refuge, no safety in self could I see, -
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Saviour must be.

My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;
My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came
To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free, -
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.

Jehovah Tsidkenu! my treasure and boast,
Jehovah Tsidkenu! I ne'er can be lost;
In thee I shall conquer by flood and by field,
My cable, my anchor, my breast-plate and shield!

Even treading the valley, the shadow of death,
This "watchword" shall rally my faltering breath;
For while from life's fever my God sets me free,
Jehovah Tsidkenu, my death song shall be.


November 18, 1834.

The Wood-Pile by Robert Frost

Out walking in the frozen swamp one gray day,
I paused and said, 'I will turn back from here.
No, I will go on farther—and we shall see.'
The hard snow held me, save where now and then
One foot went through. The view was all in lines
Straight up and down of tall slim trees
Too much alike to mark or name a place by
So as to say for certain I was here
Or somewhere else: I was just far from home.
A small bird flew before me. He was careful
To put a tree between us when he lighted,
And say no word to tell me who he was
Who was so foolish as to think what he thought.
He thought that I was after him for a feather—
The white one in his tail; like one who takes
Everything said as personal to himself.
One flight out sideways would have undeceived him.
And then there was a pile of wood for which
I forgot him and let his little fear
Carry him off the way I might have gone,
Without so much as wishing him good-night.
He went behind it to make his last stand.
It was a cord of maple, cut and split
And piled—and measured, four by four by eight.
And not another like it could I see.
No runner tracks in this year's snow looped near it.
And it was older sure than this year's cutting,
Or even last year's or the year's before.
The wood was gray and the bark warping off it
And the pile somewhat sunken. Clematis
Had wound strings round and round it like a bundle.
What held it though on one side was a tree
Still growing, and on one a stake and prop,
These latter about to fall. I thought that only
Someone who lived in turning to fresh tasks
Could so forget his handiwork on which
He spent himself, the labor of his ax,
And leave it there far from a useful fireplace
To warm the frozen swamp as best it could
With the slow smokeless burning of decay.



"Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." James 4:13-15

"O Christian, hast thou put thy confidence in the man Christ Jesus? Hast thou placed thy reliance solely on him? And art thou united with him? Then believe that thou art united unto the God of heaven; since to the man Christ Jesus thou art brother and holdest closest fellowship, thou art linked thereby with God the Eternal, and "the Ancient of days" is thy Father and thy friend. "He shall come forth unto me". Did you never see the depth of love there was in the heart of Jehovah, when God the Father equipped his Son for the great enterprise of mercy? There had been a sad day in Heaven once before, when Satan fell, and dragged with him a third of the stars of heaven, and when the Son of God launching from his great right hand the Omnipotent thunders, dashed the rebellious crew to the pit of perdition; but if we could conceive a grief in heaven, that must have been a sadder day, when the Son of the Most High left his Father's bosom, where he had lain from before all worlds. "Go," saith the Father, "and thy Father's blessing on thy head!" Then comes the unrobing. How do angels crowd around to see the Son of God take off his robes He laid aside his crown; he said, "My father, I am Lord over all, blessed for ever, but I will lay my crown aside, and be as mortal men are." He strips himself of his bright vest of glory; "Father," he says, "I will wear a robe of clay, just such as men wear." Then he takes off all those jewels wherewith he was glorified; he lays aside his starry mantles and robes of light, to dress himself in the simple garments of the peasant of Galilee. What a solemn disrobing that must have been! And next, can you picture the dismissal! The angels attend the Saviour through the streets, until they approach the doors: when an angel cries, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, and let the king of glory through!" Oh! methinks the angels must have wept when they lost the company of Jesus—when the Sun of Heaven bereaved them of all its light. But they went after him. They descended with him; and when his spirit entered into flesh and he became a babe, he was attended by that mighty host of angels, who after they had been with him to Bethlehem's manger, and seen him safely, laid on his mother's breast, in their journey upwards appeared to the shepherds and told them that he was born king of the Jews. The Father sent him! Contemplate that subject. Let your soul get hold of it, and in every period of his life think that he suffered what the Father willed; that every step of his life was marked with the approval of the great I AM. Let every thought that you have of Jesus be also connected with the eternal, ever-blessed God; for "he," saith Jehovah, "shall come forth unto me."

Charles Spurgeon - The Incarnation and Birth of Christ

Review of Discovering God's Will by Sinclair Ferguson

This book is a gem. Yogi Berra once quipped, "If you come to a fork in the road, take it." I think that some Christians view their decision making processes much in the same way. They make the choice and then think about their decision making process latter when the consequences come. What is a Christian to do when we come to a fork in the road of our life and multiple choices seem to be before us? Which way do we go? What path to we choose? Many people, when they want guidance just want someone to tell them exactly what to do. They want a sign, they want specific directions.

Sinclair Ferguson deals with the issue of guidance Biblically and gives the reader the foundation and principles needed to make wise decisions. The foundation of knowing what to do is God's Word. Will the Bible tell you which girl to marry? No, but it will tell you what you should be looking for in a wife. God wants us to think and that is not an unnatural exercise. This is the kind of book that I think should be required reading for young Christians. This would be a great tool for Christian teenagers to read and digest while still at home prior to making many choices that will set the course for the rest of their lives. It is better to know and have the principles before a big decision has to be made.

What I appreciate is the fact that the book is founded on the principles of the sufficiency of scripture, but does not deny the spiritual aspects of the Word. This book may be extremely helpful for those who tend to bend towards the Charismatic side in their idea of what the will of God is and what guidance actually entails. 

Good book.

Paul said to shut it...

Romans 3:19 ‭Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.‭

"How do you know whether a man is a Christian? The answer is that his mouth is ‘shut’. I like this forthrightness of the Gospel. People need to have their mouths shut, ‘stopped’. They are for ever talking about God, and criticizing God, and pontificating about what God should or should not do, and asking ‘Why does God allow this and that?’ You do not begin to be a Christian until your mouth is shut, is stopped, and you are speechless and have nothing to say."

Romans: Atonement and Justification, D.M. Lloyd Jones

When I consider thy heavens

Psalm 8 (To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

We are really, really small. Our God is really, really awesome. To Him be honor and glory forever.

Check out the article and the zoom feature HERE.

Pray for All

Tuesdays With Timothy  # 14

1 Timothy 1:1-8 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

One evening a grabbed a novel and sat with my boys and  I opened to a random page in the middle of the book and read the second half of a long sentence. I asked them “what does the character mean by that phrase?” They laughed at me because the request was absurd. “Daddy, how can we know what the person meant by half a sentence? We don’t even know what the book is about and who is talking!” It was a silly thing for me to request. It is also a silly thing for a person to build a theology that way. No, it isn’t silly it is dangerous. I Timothy 2:4 is the second half of a sentence that is part of a larger thought. To rip half a sentence out of its immediate context and then use it as a proof text for universal atonement is dangerous proposition.

In verse one, Paul exhorts Timothy and the church to prayer. In verse eight, Paul exhorts men to pray. Wonder what Paul has in mind? In verse two, Paul tells us who to pray for and why. In verse three, he tells us why prayer is a good thing, and verses 4-6 tell us why we can have confidence in our prayers for the salvation of men, and verse seven tells us that Paul is a missionary to the very people that he request prayer for. So, verse eight is men, pray. The overall message is for people to pray for others, not a discourse in soteriology. That is the context.

Why should we pray for all men? If we back up a little further to the end of chapter one, Paul told us how that God saved the chief of sinners. He was an example to the saving grace of God, that God is gracious and can save even the worst sinners. If God can save Paul, he can save anyone. So, pray for all men.

Verse three immediately takes the focus to different types of people groups. Paul tells Timothy to pray for everyone, including those in authority so that they would lead a peaceable life. The only way this makes sense is if we are talking about all types of men. It is not possible to pray for every single person. It isn't even possible to pray for every single leader and person in authority. Paul specifies that the prayer for all types of people include those in authority so that THEY would be able to live in peace. Praying for a king in Egypt or a tribal chieftain in Europe where the gospel had not yet been proclaimed, would not provide peaceful living for Paul and Timothy. The "all in authority" cannot mean pray for every single person in authority in the world, but for those in authority over them, that they might live in peace.

It is good to do so because "God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Who are the "all men"? The fact that Paul is speaking in general terms to all men being in groups of people in prayer, Paul is speaking that God wills that all types or all sorts of people will be saved. Paul was ordained a preacher and apostle to the Gentiles. Another class of people. Is Paul the preacher to every single Gentile on Earth? Or is his ministry to the people of group? He has the idea in mind of groups of people, not every single person on earth.

My Arminian friends may be up in arms at this point say “ALL MEANS ALL!” But only the Universalist believes that all men means all men. Is the rich man in Luke 16 a man? He lifted up his eyes in Hell, did he not? Does this verse apply to him? Will this man also come to the knowledge of the truth and should we pray for souls in Hell to be saved? No, of course not, unless, you are a Universalist. So the Arminian also restricts the usage of the word all to all LIVING men and himself doesn’t believe “all means all.”

 We see from other passages of scripture that Christ did not give his life a ransom for all people, but for many (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). But Paul’s point was we pray for all people because there is not group of people excluded from the gospel of salvation. Salvation is no longer predominantly to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but the gospel is to be proclaimed high and low throughout the world. Think about it this way, you may hear regularly people pray for our leaders in prayer meetings. We ask the Lord to give our leaders wisdom, or for God to protect us from our leaders. But how often do we pray that God would save them? How often do we pray that God would bring repentance to the halls of Congress? Maybe because we don’t think God will save them. Maybe because we think that group of people are beyond salvation because they are in power. Maybe we don’t pray for them because we don’t like their politics or their attitudes towards the gospel and towards Christianity. This goes to the heart of what Paul was saying. Pray for them, God wills that all people groups be saved, and that is why he goes and preaches to the Gentiles. This passage is about our Christian service, about Timothy as the man of God directing God’s people. Timothy, you pray for all men because God saves all sorts of men, the chief of sinners and the chiefs of nations. Pray for all men because Christ is the Saviour of the world.