The Master's Pottery Shop

A Puritan Prayer)

O Holy Spirit,
Move, I beg You, upon my disordered heart.
Take away my unruly desires and hateful lusts.
Lift the mists and darkness of unbelief. Brighten
my soul with the pure light of truth. Make it . . .
fragrant as the garden of paradise,
rich with every goodly fruit,
beautiful with heavenly grace,
radiant with rays of divine light.
Be my . . .
comforter,
light,
guide,
sanctifier.

Take of the things of Christ and show them to my
soul. Through You may I daily learn more of His . . .
love,
grace,
compassion,
faithfulness,
beauty.
Lead me to the cross and show me . . .
His wounds,
the hateful nature of evil,
the power of Satan.

May I there see my sins as . . .
the nails which transfixed Him,
the cords which bound Him,
the thorns which tore Him,
the sword which pierced Him.

Help me to find in His death–the
reality and immensity of His love.

Open for me the wondrous volumes of truth in His
death. Increase my faith in the clear knowledge of . . .
atonement achieved,
redemption completed,
guilt done away,
my debt paid,
my sins forgiven,
my soul saved,
hell vanquished,
heaven opened,
eternity made mine.

O Holy Spirit, deepen in me these saving lessons.
Write them upon my heart, that my walk be . . .
sin-loathing,
sin-fleeing,
Christ-loving.

With permission from Grace Gems - http://www.gracegems.org:80/

A dear friend asked me this question “Why am I burdened down so?” And I wrote him the following:

Dear Friend,
You asked the question “Why am I burdened down so?” or we could say “Why do all these things befall us?” I think the answer is clear, and that is the Chief End of Man = to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. We must understand, even though we don’t understand the reason behind it and that is God ordained all things to come to pass before the foundation of the world and if it happens, then it was ordained, down to the blink of an eye and the move of a toe. God has not left anything to chance and has not put it in orbit to evolve either. God is not surprised by anything because He predestinated it all to come to pass. We know that no matter how bad something seems, it will work to the good of God’s elect children. We are learning as we go, growing in His graces and in His love, causing us to draw nearer to Him by the moment.

I have a lot to learn but am trying to see with my understanding that all the tough and all the hard things, health issues and situations that befall me are really to make me grow closer to the Lord, Pastor asked us one day, “Where do or sins or the hard things take us?” I said to the Lord, and he said that is a sign of being His child. Praise the Lord! The lost don’t seek the Lord – they don’t cry out to Him for help – strength – encouragement etc. They are in a world of their own, they curse God and really even though on the surface they appear to seek Him it is not to glorify Him but to benefit themselves. God knows the heart of mankind. But His children seek Him.

So Dear Friend – the reason is the Chief End of Man and that is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. May we live a life to bring Him glory.

I hope that as you read this you will understand that your troubles will cause you to love the Lord more and more, as you seek Him in your daily walk, bringing Him glory along your way.
Lynn

By J. C. Ryle,
Secretly, quietly, insidiously, plausibly

“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” Matthew 16:6

“Watch out for false prophets! They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves!” Matthew 7:15

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light!” 2 Corinthians 11:13-14

False doctrine does not meet us face to face, and proclaim that it is false. It does not blow a trumpet before it, and endeavor openly to turn us away from the truth as it is in Jesus. It does not come before us in broad day, and summon us to surrender. It approaches us secretly, quietly, insidiously, plausibly, and in such a way as to disarm our suspicion, and throw us off our guard. It is the wolf in sheep’s clothing, and Satan in the garb of an angel of light–who have always proved the most dangerous foes of the church of Christ.

Let us be on our guard against the “insidiousness” of false doctrine. Like the fruit of which Eve and Adam ate–at first sight it looks pleasant and good, and a thing to be desired. “Poison” is not written upon it, and so people are not afraid. Like counterfeit coin, it is not stamped “bad.” It passes for the real thing, because of the very likeness it bears to the truth.

Let us be on our guard against the “very small beginnings” of false doctrine. Every heresy began at one time, with some little departure from the truth. There is only “a little seed of error” needed to create “a great tree of heresy!” It is the little stones, which make up the mighty building. It was the little pieces of lumber, which made the great ark that carried Noah and his family over a deluged world. It is the little leaven, which infiltrated the whole lump. It is the little flaw in one link of the chain cable, which wrecks the gallant ship, and drowns the crew. It is the omission or addition of one little item in the doctor’s prescription, which spoils the whole medicine, and turns it into poison!

Let us never allow a little false doctrine to ruin us, by thinking it is “but a little one,” and can do us no harm.

There are three things which we never ought to trifle with:
a little poison,
a little sin, and
a little false doctrine.

Let us read the Bible regularly, daily, and with fervent prayer. Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing–which is not in the Bible. Let our rule of faith, our touchstone of all teaching–be the written Word of God. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20” By J. C. Ryle,

Dear Ones,
We need to read John 12:48 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken the same shall judge him or her in the last day.” So let us be so careful to receive the WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD, and not to follow after the wisdom of this world. We might not understand everything in God’s word, but if it is there we must not reject it, for if our Lord and Saviour said it – it is so..

One great sin of mankind is making God into what we want our God to be. Therefore we make a god of our own choosing and reject the One True God. In our day and age, people have received many false gospels and because they have been taught so, for so many years, they promptly think it is true, people buy into what tickles their ears and they turn from the truth and follow after lies, which in turn leads them to hell and total separation from God for eternity.

For they have rejected not only His Word but they reject Him in doing so. Oh souls be so careful with whom you follow – just because it comes from the pulpit doesn’t make it so. For there have come in amongst the church many false teachers, leading many of souls to destruction. If the Word of God says something it is so! It doesn’t matter if we totally understand now – as we grow in His Word and in Him, He opens our hearts and minds to understand it more clearly.

The Word of God makes us see God as He truly is, it doesn’t matter if we have to change our mind on what we have always thought of God, or been taught, it doesn’t matter if we have to not only see God as a God of love, but a God too who is a God of wrath.

We might not understand why He chose to do some things the way He did, has or will do, that is not in our picture of who we want Him to be. However, we still must accept the truth of His word no matter what. We do not know God’s purposes in why He created some things the way He did, but we none the less must accept the Word of God for what it teaches. Remember John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, had one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last days.

May you all accept the Word of God over what any person or preacher teaches, for the Word of God is life and the Truth will set you free. Not the following of some false doctrine.

Lynn

We have posted J. C. Ryle’s insightful article, “Pharisees and Sadducees”

http://www.gracegems.org/23/Ryle_pharisees_and_sadducees.htm
Posted with permission from Grace Gems.

By J. C. Ryle - Hebrews 12:2
If we would look rightly to Jesus—we must look daily to His life of intercession in heaven, as our principal provision of strength and help.

We surely feel that we need Almighty help every day we live. Even when started in the narrow way of life, with pardon, grace, and a new heart—we soon find that, left to ourselves, we would never get safely to our heavenly home. Every returning morning brings with it so much to be done and borne and suffered—that we are often tempted to despair. So weak and treacherous are our hearts, so busy the devil, so persecuting and ensnaring the world; and such poor, weak creatures are we—that we need Almighty help! What are we to do? Where are we to look?

The great Scriptural remedy for all who feel such helplessness as I have faintly described, is to look upward to Christ in heaven, and to keep steadily before our eyes, His intercession at the right hand of God. We must learn to look UPWARD, away from ourselves and our weakness—and upward to Christ in heaven. We must try to realize daily that Jesus not only died for us and rose again, but that He also lives as our Advocate and Intercessor in heaven for us.

This, surely, was the mind of Paul, when he said, “He is able also to save to the uttermost, those who come unto God by Him—seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25).

Now I venture boldly to express a doubt whether modern Christians “look to Jesus” in this point of view—and make as much as they ought of His life of intercession. It is too often a dropped link in our present-day Christianity. We are apt to think only of the atoning DEATH and the precious blood, and to forget the LIFE and priestly office of our great Redeemer! It ought not to be so. We miss much by this forgetfulness of the whole truth as it is in Jesus.

What a mine of daily comfort there is in the thought—that we have an Advocate with the Father, who never slumbers or sleeps, whose eye is always upon us, who is continually pleading our cause and obtaining fresh supplies of grace for us, who watches over us in every company and place; and never forgets us, though we, in going to and fro, and doing our daily business, cannot always think of Him.

We have a great High Priest in heaven, who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and who bids us pour out our hearts before Him, and come to Him for grace to help in time of need.
With permission from Grace Gems: We have published Ryle’s choice sermon, “Looking Unto Jesus!”
http://www.gracegems.org/23/Ryle_Looking_Unto_Jesus.htm

By: J. C. Ryle

“The Gospel of Matthew” 1856)

“You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13

“You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14

Surely, if words mean anything, we are meant to learn from these two figures, that there must
be something marked, distinct, and peculiar about our character, if we are true Christians.

It will never do to idle through life, thinking and living like others, if we mean to be owned
by Christ as His people.

Have we grace? Then it must be seen.

Have we the Spirit? Then there must be fruit.

Have we any saving religion? Then there must be a difference of habits, tastes, and
turn of mind, between us and those who think only of the world.

It is perfectly clear that true Christianity is something more, than being baptized
and going to church.

With permission from Grace Gems - http://www.gracegems.org:80/

(Thomas Watson, “Religion Our True Interest”)

“They will be Mine!” says the Lord Almighty, “in the day when I make up My jewels!” Malachi 3:17

God’s people are His jewels—His own special treasure!

Jewels are precious things; the Hebrew word for jewels signifies a treasure. A treasure is made up of costly things: gold, and diamonds, and rubies. Such a precious treasure, are the saints to God.

In what sense are the saints, God’s jewels?

They are jewels for their sparkling quality. Their holiness shines and sparkles in God’s eyes! (Song of Solomon 4:9), “You have ravished My heart, with one glance of your eyes!” That is, with one of your graces.

The godly are jewels for their scarcity. Diamonds are not common. Just so, the godly are scarce and rare. There are but few of these to be found. There are many false professors (as there are many paste diamonds) but few true Christians. Among the millions in Rome, there were but few senators. Just so, among the swarms of people in the world—there are but few true believers.

The godly are jewels for their price. Queen Cleopatra had two jewels which were worth half the price of a kingdom. Thus the saints are jewels, for their value. God esteems them at a high rate; He parted with His best jewel for them—Christ’s precious blood was shed to ransom these jewels!

The saints are jewels for their adorning quality. Jewels adorn those who wear them. The saints are jewels which adorn the world. Their piety mixed with prudence honors the gospel. Hypocrites eclipse true religion and make it badly spoken of. The saints as jewels, render it illustrious by their sanctity.

God the Father has chosen these jewels, and set them apart for Himself!

Christ has bought these jewels with His blood!

The Holy Spirit has sanctified them. When they were a lump of sin—He made them into His jewels! He will string these pearls together—and put them into His celestial cabinet!

Bless God who has wrought such a change in you! From lumps of dirt and sin—He has made you into His jewels!

We at Grace Gems have just published Thomas Watson’s choice 150 page book, “Religion Our True Interest” This is perhaps Watson’s best book!
http://www.gracegems.org/Watson/religion_our_true_interest.htm

(Thomas Watson, “Body of Divinity”)

“For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory!” 2 Corinthians 4:17

“The wisdom of God is seen in making the most desperate evils, work to the good of His children. As several poisonous ingredients, wisely tempered by the skill of the apothecary, make a sovereign medicine–so God makes the most deadly afflictions work together for the good of His children. He uses severe afflictions to purify them, and prepare them
for heaven.

These hard frosts hasten the spring flowers of glory! The wise God, by a divine chemistry, turns our afflictions into cordials. He makes His people gainers by losses; and turns their crosses into blessings!”

I remember hearing many years ago that God is loosening (releasing) our grip of things of this world and of the world itself, by the trails and situations that come into our lives. That in doing so, we will desire Him and the things of heaven more than the things of earth. We also will hold on tighter to Him.

We have the promises of God, that all things work together for good to those who love God and who are call according to His purpose,…(these God foreknows as His children and He predestinated them to be conformed to the image of His Son.) He not only predestinated them but He called them - justified and also glorifies them. Rom 8:28-30.

There are so many promises in the Word of God to His elect, adopted children.

Blessings to you all,

Lynn

With permission from Grace Gem http://www.gracegems.org/

by Arthur W. Pink

“Thirdly, God is immutable in His counsel. His will never varies. Perhaps some are ready to object that we ought to read the following: “And it repented the Lord that He had made man” (Gen 6:6). Our first reply is, Then do the Scriptures contradict themselves? No, that cannot be. Numbers 23:19 is plain enough: “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent.” So also in I Samuel 15:29, “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent.” The explanation is very simple. When speaking of Himself, God frequently accommodates His language to our limited capacities. He describes Himself as clothed with bodily members, as eyes, ears, hands, etc. He speaks of Himself as “waking” (Psalm 78:65), as “rising up early” (Jer 7:13); yet He neither slumbers nor sleeps. When He institutes a change in His dealings with men, He describes His course of conduct as “repenting.

Yes, God is immutable in His counsel. “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom 11:29). It must be so, for “He is in one mind, and who can turn from Him? and what His soul desires, even that He does” (Job 23:13).

“Change and decay in all around we see,
May He who changes not abide with thee.”

God’s purpose never alters. One of two things causes a man to change his mind and reverse his plans: lack of foresight to anticipate everything, or lack of power to execute them. But as God is both omniscient and omnipotent there is never any need for Him to revise His decrees. No, “the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:11). Therefore do we read of “His unchangeable purpose” (Heb 6:17).”

Isn’t it great that we have a God we can always count on, for He is immutable in all His ways and He changes not as His Word changes not. His Word is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Lynn

With permission from Grace Gems - http://www.gracegems.org:80/

by Arthur W. Pink

“Secondly, God is immutable in His attributes. Whatever the attributes of God were before the universe was called into existence, they are precisely the same now, and will remain so forever. Necessarily so; for they are the very perfections, the essential qualities of His being. Semper idem (always the same) is written across everyone of them. His power is unabated, His wisdom undiminished, His holiness unsullied. The attributes of God can no more change than Deity can cease to be. His veracity is immutable, for His Word is “forever … settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). His love is eternal: “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer 31:3) and “Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1). His mercy ceases not, for it is “everlasting” (Psalm 100:5).”

God set before the foundation of the world a remnant which He adopted to be His own. Those He also predestined to be His, and He sent His son into the world to die for the ones the Father gave to the Son. Jesus did not die to make it possible for the others who were not elected to come to the son, He chose His own, he did not chose the others, He called His own, He did not call the others, He predestined His own, He did not predestine the others, He adopted His own, He did not adopt the others. He sealed His own by the Holy Spirit, He did not seal the others, He elected His own, He did not elect the others. He gave faith to those He elected; He did not give faith to those He did not elect.

The call was not an invitation to all mankind but a giving of life to the elect. This call was giving them a legal right to be called the children of God, it was qualifying them to be His, it was to give them the title as His children, and it was an entitlement to be called His own. God has never loved all mankind as some churches teach, Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated, this hate means – I never knew you in a Father Child relationship, it means He did not accept Esau, He detested, despised and loathed him. That there was no relationship with him, in the Greek it is HATE! Those who try to make it loved less are creating their own Bible which they will be judged for. What we need to realize is that this love for one and hate for the other was determined by God before the boys or humans were ever created, before any one ate the forbidden fruit, or before any human being did either good or evil. It was determined before the foundation of the world.

The grace of God is irresistible – For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8-9. A gift to the elect only. Search the Scriptures and you will see this is truth.

Lynn

With permission from Grace Gems - http://www.gracegems.org:80/

by Arthur W. Pink

“First, God is immutable in His essence. His nature and being are infinite, and so, subject to no mutations. There never was a time when He was not; there never will come a time when He shall cease to be. God has neither evolved, grown, nor improved. All that He is today, He has ever been, and ever will be. “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Mal 3:6) is His own unqualified affirmation. He cannot change for the better, for He is already perfect; and being perfect, He cannot change for the worse. Altogether unaffected by anything outside Himself, improvement or deterioration is impossible. He is perpetually the same. He only can say, “I AM THAT I AM” (Exo 3:14). He is altogether uninfluenced by the flight of time.

There is no wrinkle upon the brow of eternity. Therefore His power can never diminish nor His glory ever fade.”

What peace this should bring a child of God! Knowing that God is immutable in whom He is, so as to say, the very essence of Him is unchangeable. That there is no transformations taking place in Him, He is not evolving, He does not need to be reinforced or modified in any way. He is perfect as Mr. Pink said above.

We can rest assured that the God who made the universe is a non changing God and that He has all things in control.

What a pleasure it is to serve our Living God!

Lynn

With permission from Grace Gems - http://www.gracegems.org:80/