Week 48, 2022

Week Forty-eight of Cultivate Delight, where we are actively planning our spiritual endeavors this coming week with the goal of a consistent time spent engaging our hearts with Christ in his word, in prayer, in reflection, and in music. Below are some starting points for reflection, and I hope you find them helpful. The goal is to not just rush through these and then get on with your day. Take your time and reflect throughout the week on these items.

Wherever the Word of God is purely preached, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults. – John Calvin

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Come to the Banquet

Book Reflection // November 26, 2022 // View Series

The Parables of Jesus by James Montgomery Boice

Chapter 7 // Mathew 22:1-14

Of the parables we have looked at thus far, this is may be the most straightforward and clear. It speaks of the gracious gospel invitation that God gives to each and every person along with the arrogant and prideful response of the men and women who received this invitation. At the heart of this message is a picture of God’s wrath and the eternal punishment in hell of those who refuse to come into the king’s presence wearing only the righteousness of Christ. This parable is a stern warning against our self-righteous folly and arrogant attempts to be our own God.

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Week 47, 2022

Week Forty-seven of Cultivate Delight, where we are actively planning our spiritual endeavors this coming week with the goal of a consistent time spent engaging our hearts with Christ in his word, in prayer, in reflection, and in music. Below are some starting points for reflection, and I hope you find them helpful. The goal is to not just rush through these and then get on with your day. Take your time and reflect throughout the week on these items.

Every pardon a sinner has is written in Christ’s blood.
Thomas Watson – The Believer’s Privileges in the Covenant of Grace

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Week 46, 2022

Week Forty-six of Cultivate Delight, where we are actively planning our spiritual endeavors this coming week with the goal of a consistent time spent engaging our hearts with Christ in his word, in prayer, in reflection, and in music. Below are some starting points for reflection, and I hope you find them helpful. The goal is to not just rush through these and then get on with your day. Take your time and reflect throughout the week on these items.

Christian holiness is an art of doing more than knowing God’s will, remembering it, and temporarily purposing to do it. It is a continual obedience to God’s word and sacraments through repentant faith.
Daniel Burgess – A Biblical Guide to Hearing and Studying the Word of God

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Week 45, 2022

Week Forty-five of Cultivate Delight, where we are actively planning our spiritual endeavors this coming week with the goal of a consistent time spent engaging our hearts with Christ in his word, in prayer, in reflection, and in music. Below are some starting points for reflection, and I hope you find them helpful. The goal is to not just rush through these and then get on with your day. Take your time and reflect throughout the week on these items.

If Satan’s darts have wounded us, faith cools the scalding heat of sin by applying to us the precious balm of Christ’s blood.
Christopher Love – The Christian’s Combat Against the Devil

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Established and Firm

Journal Entry // November 05, 2022

When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. (ESV)

2 Chronicles 12:1

With my own eyes I can look around at all the many blessings that the Lord has graciously provided and given to me out of his generous heart and see only my own strength and understanding being the source. In my self-righteousness and pride, I take what has been freely given to me through the hand of God and convince myself and others that it is by my own hand that all these good things have come to pass. I slowly move from a heart filled with gratitude and thankfulness to the One who provides to a heart devoid of thanksgiving and replace it with only arrogance and self-adulation. And as my heart begins to turn inward and my world begins to center solely on myself, I end up in the same place as Rehoboam does. For once Rehoboam had received the kingdom and his rule had been established, he did not rejoice and bask in the mighty works of God. No, he abandoned the law of the Lord. Rehoboam walked away from the One who had given him the promise and fulfilled this same promise. Rehoboam moved from trusting God to trusting in himself.

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Week 44, 2022

Week Forty-four of Cultivate Delight, where we are actively planning our spiritual endeavors this coming week with the goal of a consistent time spent engaging our hearts with Christ in his word, in prayer, in reflection, and in music. Below are some starting points for reflection, and I hope you find them helpful. The goal is to not just rush through these and then get on with your day. Take your time and reflect throughout the week on these items.

As the devil would only dwell in a house that was swept from godliness (Luke 11:25), so the graces of God will not come into the heart that is not cleansed from wickedness, for God will only pour new wine into new vessels (Matt. 9:17).
Henry Smith – A Biblical Guide to Hearing and Studying the Word of God

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A Good Man

Journal Entry // May 22, 2021

When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, [24] for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.

Acts 11:23-24 ESV

Barnabas… This is what I want my life to demonstrate. This is how I want those around me to experience the love of Christ. I want to be characterized as a ‘good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.’

That is such a beautiful picture of what the grace of God does to change the heart of a man.

  • When Barnabas arrives he looks at the people and surely sees a group of new believers that are not Jews and were outside his normative understanding of how God works, but his reaction is to see the grace of God being displayed. He takes in the big picture of God’s grace working in the hearts of men and women.
  • And he was glad. Unlike Jonah, Barnabas saw God’s good hand saving the lost and it brought joy to his heart. He saw God working in mysterious ways and rejoiced.
  • He brought a word of encouragement to those around him. He saw God’s work, he let it warm his heart, then he shared this warmness with those around him.
  • For he was a good man… How was he able to do all this? Because he was full of the Holy Spirit and faith. This is the key.
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Week 43, 2022

Week Forty-three of Cultivate Delight, where we are actively planning our spiritual endeavors this coming week with the goal of a consistent time spent engaging our hearts with Christ in his word, in prayer, in reflection, and in music. Below are some starting points for reflection, and I hope you find them helpful. The goal is to not just rush through these and then get on with your day. Take your time and reflect throughout the week on these items.

“Men are elated when they speak with an earthly king, and are bid to his table to eat. Are we elated, when we go before the King of heaven and earth to speak to him by prayer and to hear him by preaching and by the sacraments to feast and feed with him?”
– Stephen Egerton (1555-1621)

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Come Rest with Jesus

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

“Come to me.”

The first thing we see in this passage is that Jesus is inviting us to come to Him. This is much more than a call from our master or our boss who is commanding and requiring us to obey his order. No, this is an invitation from a dear friend to come and spend quality intimate time with Him personally. It is a personal invitation from the Son of God to come and be with Him in a personal relationship.

The second thing we notice is that “we” need to come to Jesus. This is not something that will happen against our will or through passive/willful resistance. This is an act that requires us to admit our own dependence, weakness, and humility. We must drop our pretense of self-reliance and humbly come to Christ.

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