December 2012

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December 11: WSC Q. 98

11 December, 2012 in December 2012 by davidtmyers | No comments

Conversing with God in Prayer —

Finding little of meaningful conservative Presbyterian history on this day, December 11, we turn to the magnificent question and answer of Shorter Catechism 98 as it deals with prayer. It reads: “What is prayer? A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.”

It is interesting to this writer that the Larger Catechism on the same theme  has the unique phrase “by the help of his Spirit” which is not found in the Shorter Catechism.  The latter catechism  has the solo phrase “for things agreeable to his will” which is not found in the Larger Catechism.  Both are biblical, of course, and we will treat both in this devotional.

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God. The Psalmist exhorts in Psalm 62:8 to “pour out your heart before him.” (ESV)  As both His creatures and His children, we are dependent upon Him for everything.  So He invites us to offer us our desires unto both our Creator and Redeemer.

Yet we must be careful in that those desires are to be for things which are “only agreeable to His will.” It isn’t praying for anything our spirit wants. It is praying for things which conform to His Holy Word and submit to His will. Moses in Deuteronomy 29:29 specifically told us that “the secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (ESV)

Obviously, we need “the help of the Spirit” in these desires.  Paul in Romans 8 tells us in verse 26, 27, that “we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for  us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts know what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (ESV)  There will be no effective prayer without the Spirit coming alongside of us to aid us in this privilege.

And yes, it must be in “the name of Christ.”  This may be the bare mentioning of His name during and at the end of prayer.  But primarily it speaks of drawing our strength from the intercessory work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. It was Jesus Himself who put Himself down as an advocate when in John 16:23, he said “Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.”

Next, “confessing of our sins” must always be a part of our prayers. Why?  Because as the Psalmist said again, “if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18 ESV)  We must confess, or as the original says, “say the same things as” the Lord who convicts us of general and particular sins.  Then, we can claim the promise of 1 John 1:9 that “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Last, thanksgiving or a “thankful acknowledgement of his mercies,” or offering our gratitude for all His answers to our prayers, is in order.  “In everything give thanks,” Paul commands His people in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

We haven’t placed down prayer on these devotionals, believing simply that this was a “given” anytime we sit down to reflect on His providence in days  gone by as well as the present. But we need to be men and women of prayer, as we see the day of His coming approaching.

Words to live by:  There are countless books on the subject of prayer. We could spent out entire spiritual life reading them. What is important however is that we simply learn by praying. We can be in the spirit of prayer. We can pray generally. We can pray specifically. We can pray with ourselves or with others.  But above all, be men and women of prayer.

Through the Scriptures:  Hebrews 1 – 4

Through the Standards:  The importance of assemblies

WCF 31:1
“For the better government, and further edification of the Church, there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called Synods or Councils; and it belongs to the overseers and other rulers of the particular churches, by virtue of their office, and the power which Christ has given them for edification and not for destruction, to appoint such assemblies; and to convene together in them, as often as they shall judge it expedience for the good of the church.”

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December 10: Rev. Samuel Blair, Jr.

10 December, 2012 in December 2012 by davidtmyers | 4 comments

This Day in Presbyterian History:

The Second U.S. House Chaplain was a Presbyterian

As a matter of fact, the first three chaplains to the United States House of Representatives were all Presbyterian, with the Rev. Samuel Blair, Jr. being number two.

Samuel was born at Faggs Manor, Cochranville, Pennsylvania.  Immediately our readers should recognize the name of Samuel Blair as being related to the New Side pastor and evangelist of that famous church in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Now called Manor Presbyterians, its history goes back to 1730.  It is now a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. But Samuel Blair Sr. was one of the leaders of the First Great Awakening in the colonies.  This is his son.

Attending the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), Samuel Blair Jr. graduated with honor at age nineteen.  Staying in the town of Princeton, he tutored for several years.  licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Castle in 1764, he was called to Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766.

In one of those “hard providences” of history, on his way up to Boston, he suffered a shipwreck, being actually cast into the Atlantic Ocean. His lost all of his clothes in that tragedy and all of his sermon manuscripts. This incident greatly depressed him and brought some major health problems to him.

He stayed on as one of the two pastors of Old South until 1769, when due to ill-health, he resigned and moved to Germantown, Pennsylvania, where he planned to devote his remaining years to study. But God wasn’t through with him yet in active service. On December 10, 1770, he was appointed as the second Presbyterian chaplain to the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.  He would stay in that post for two years.

What a fitting close of ministry for a theologian, preacher of the Word, evangelist, and pastor.

Words to live by:  God always gives sufficient grace to those who need it in His work.  We may  have great weakness, but He is ever strong.  We may feel utterly inadequate, but He is all-sufficient.  Believer, trust in His strength always and then push out into His kingdom.  He will provide what you need for your effective ministry to the saints of God, and to say nothing for those who are in need of saving grace.

Through the Scriptures:  Colossians 1 – 4

Through the Standards:  Proof texts for church censures

1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13
“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.”  (KJV)

Hebrews 13:17
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”  (KJV)

1 Corinthians 5:1, 3, 5, 7
“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you . . . For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already . . . concerning him that has so done this deed . . . To deliver such as one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus . . . Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.”  (KJV)

 

 

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December 9: James Henley Thornwell

9 December, 2012 in December 2012 by archivist | No comments

This Day in Presbyterian History:

A Gracious God Gave Gifts 

The examination of the young candidate in the Presbytery north of the Mason-Dixon line was proceeding in church history. The questioner asked him to identify James Thornwell and his place in Presbyterian history.  The young man professed ignorance as to his identity, much less as to any place he had in our history.  This led the questioner to state that he doubted if the candidate could be ordained in any of our Southern presbyteries.

We have already looked at the life and ministry of James Thornwell on August 1.  That historical devotional looked at his life from his confession of Christ and committment to the Presbyterian faith until his demise at the beginning of the War Between the States.  For this devotional, we wish to see how the gracious God developed his life and ministry for the Lord.

Born on December 9, 1812 in South Carolina to a father who managed a Southern plantation in the area, just eight years later his father passed away. This brought a period of poverty to his mother and other members of the family. However, Martha Thornwell was no quitter and by a determined will and toilsome work, she kept the family from starving.

Around eleven years of age, James entered a country school taught by Peter McIntyre.  Obviously, with a name like that, he was Scottish in heritage.  It became obvious that there was a willing heart and mind in young James Thornwell. He became a real bookworm, reading volumes from the libraries of friends and neighbors, besides being faithful to do the assigned lessons each day. Noticing the mental gifts of the young man, a Mr. W. Robbins took the boy into his own home for three years of study.  Others of substantial means enabled him to attend the course of study at South Carolina College.

What occurred there was no less than amazing.  In spite of a weak constitution, the young man, now eighteen years of age in 1830, studied 14 hours per day.  He continued on in his reading taking up any and every book he could lay his hands on, even memorizing large portions of the Bible and other literature. Later in life, it was said that you could begin at any portion of a book, and he would finish it word for word.

He became the best debater at the College, a gift which would stand him in good grounds later on in his life and ministry.  But what was more important than all of these high points, was his profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  While he never could pinpoint when that happened, he knew that it did, and began to plan for the gospel ministry.

Words to live by:  There was really no excuse for the young candidate in not knowing who James Henley Thornwell  was.  He was a spiritual giant in the Southern Presbyterian church. Like Timothy of biblical days, no one could despise his youth, for he took the opportunities God had given  him to become the great defender of Christian truth in the South.  None should ever cite their poor background as a reason for not excelling in the church or world.  God can and has made great servants out of those who are impoverished by this old world. Believe that, and go and make a mark for Christ and Him crucified.

Through the Scriptures:  Philippians 1 – 4

Through the Standards:  Forms of church censures

WCF 30:4
For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the church are to proceed by admonition, suspension from the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for a season; and by excommunication from the Church, according to the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person.”

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December 8: Rev. John Blair

8 December, 2012 in December 2012 by davidtmyers | No comments

This Day in Presbyterian History:

Sinners Were Converted and Saints Were Edified Under His Ministry

Like his brother Samuel, John Blair was also born in Ireland.  Coming to the American colonies, he was ordained in 1742 as the pastor of two Presbyterian churches filled with Scot-Irish Presbyterians in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. During his ministry here, he made two evangelistic tours to Virginia where he preached with great power. Presbyterian congregations were organized as a result.

In 1748, despite organized armed resistance against marauding Indians, he was forced for the safety of his family to depart back to the eastern section of Pennsylvania.  While there, he received a call as the second pastor of Faggs Manor Presbyterian Church in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, where his brother Samuel had both ministered and organized a classical Christian school.

When John Witherspoon hesitated to take the president’s office of the College of New Jersey, John Blair was appointed a Professor of Divinity and Moral Philosophy in 1767.  Indeed, as the Office of the President continued to be vacant, he stepped in as President of the college. But upon Witherspoon’s agreement to come to America and take the leadership of the College of New Jersey, Blair graciously stepped down.  Moving to New York, he died on December 8, 1771.

It was said of John Blair that as a result of his zealousness in the gospel, sinners were converted and the family of God edified. What more of a testimony could a Christian and a Christian minister desire than this?

Words to live by: It is frequently the case when you have a theologian, there is a lack of experiential witness to the world at large. His ministry is in his study or in the classroom, not out on the highways and byways of life. Or, by contrast, you might have an individual who is absolutely powerful in persuasion of the hearts and minds of those outside of Christ, but who would never get into the deep things of theology. John Blair had both abilities in his life and ministry.  As a theologian, he was not inferior to any of his day.  As a pastor, he addressed souls with that warmth and power which left a witness to the truth of the gospel. Each Christian is to seek his or her calling so as to be a witness in whatever place the Holy Spirit sends them.  And if it is to the intellectual as well as to common people, so much the more is God glorified.

Through the Scriptures:  Ephesians 4 – 6

Through the Standards:  The necessity and purposes of church censures

WCF 30:3
“Church censures are necessary, for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren, for deterring of others from like offenses, for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump, for vindicating the honor of Christ, and the holy profession of the Gospel, and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer His covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.”

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December 7: Concluding the First General Assembly

7 December, 2012 in December 2012 by archivist | No comments

This Day in Presbyterian History:

New Church Sends Communication to All Christian Churches

It was at the close of the First General Assembly of what was originally named the National Presbyterian Church (a year later, renamed the Presbyterian Church in America) that a message was sent to all churches of Jesus Christ throughout the world from this new denomination.  Adopted and then sent on December 7, 1973, the elders of this new Presbyterian Church wished everyone to know of their principles and convictions which occasioned this new Church.

Chief among them was the sole basis of the Bible being the Word of God written by inspired authors and carrying the authority of the divine Author.  They desired that all branches of the visible church would recognize their conviction that “the Bible is the very Word of God, so inspired in the whole and in all its parts, as in the original autographs, the inerrant Word of God.”  Further, it is the only infallible and all-sufficient rule of faith and practice.”  (Message to all Churches, p. 1)

They also declared that they believed the system of doctrine found in God’s Word to be the system known as the Reformed Faith, as set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. They wanted everyone to know that this Reformed Faith is an authentic and valid expression of Biblical Christianity.

A third conviction was expressed to renew and reaffirm their understanding of the nature and mission of the Church. To them, Christ is King and the only Law-giver, having established the Church as a spiritual reality.  It is composed of all the elect from all ages, manifested visibly upon the earth.

The chief end of man’s existence—our very reason for living—is to glorify God. That truth, reflected in the first answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism aim, also implies that we give top priority to the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ which speaks to going into all the world, preaching the gospel, and disciplining all nations, bringing them into the church.

Last, they sought a return to the historic Presbyterian view of Church government from the Session of the local church to the Assembly of all the local church representatives.

With a closing invitation to ecclesiastical fellowship with all who maintain their principles of faith and order, the address came to a close.

Words to live by:  Even though the name was changed from National Presbyterian Church to Presbyterian Church in America in the next year after the publication of this Address, the principles and convictions have remained the same in this now forty year old church.  If you are not in a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching Presbyterian and Reformed church, prayerfully consider the testimony and witness of the Presbyterian Church in America.

To read the entire “Message to All Churches of Jesus Christ throughout the World,” click here.

Through the Scriptures:  Ephesians 1 – 3

Through the Standards:  The necessity of church officers

WCF 30:2
“To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed; by virtue thereof, they have power, respectively, to retain, and remit sins; to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word, and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the Gospel; and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.”

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