Notes on Joy

As Christians we Garner our Joy from the Lord.

This is done so in 2 ways:

We get Joy in

1. Taking on the suffering of Christ
- as we suffer through this Life we can identify, in a small
way, with the suffering that Christ experienced.

2. God had a sovereign will for our Lives, and in it He is Glorified
a. Through our sanctification - II Peter 1:3-25

b. Through the shaping of our Lives- as Jars of Clay II
Corinthians 4:7-18

c. Joy in his correction of us, discipline, and suffering
Hebrews 12, James 1

The entire world is based around relational interactions. By nature
we are relational beings. God by, definition, is relational as he is
a triune God. Three in ONE. He is One Yet each part is in relation
to each other the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God sacrificing his
son was the ultimate sacrifice as he cleaved himself-separated
himself from the Son. An ultimate Break in relationship with his
Son. He Broke himself for us as sinners. As we experience
brokenness in our lives, this is a shadow of what the Father and Son
experienced.

We can boast in the Lord and his promises. In times of indecision,
confusion, pain, we are to look to the Lord for our Joy. Our Joy is
in him being glorified by what he is doing in our and others Lives.
However uncomfortable that may be to us, we are to gain Joy by his
will being done. Our Joy is in our Hope, our believed in future that
lies with him. We get Joy from rejoicing in our believed in hope-his
will being done in our Lives. His plan is greater than anything we
could dream of and his plan for our lives will save and sanctify us.
He drags us ever closer to him every day.

Encouragement from 9/23 B-fast

Over Breakfast we discussed a Jonathan Edwards Sermon

THE WARNINGS OF SCRIPTURE ARE IN THE BEST MANNER ADAPTED TO THE
AWAKENING AND CONVERSION OF SINNERS

http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/14463.htm or http://www.jonathan-
edwards.org/Warnings.html

This sermon was chosen as it related to our discussion last week on
the 'Word of God' - Gruden Chapter 2

The basic thesis of the entire sermon was that we are saved by the
Word of God, not by the word or words of others. Edwards uses the
example of someone coming back from hell and testifying of its foul
and nasty nature, and how it wouldn't be enough to convince us that
hell is a bad place. Instead it is the Word of God that awakens
sinners and draws them to repentance.

Once again, I particularly found comfort in the truth that God has a
plan for our lives and that his plan is best for us. Clearly stated:

"But God, who knows our nature and circumstances, knows what is most
adapted to them. He who made the faculties of our souls, knows what
will have the greatest tendency to move them, and to work upon them.
He who is striving with us, to bring us to repentance and salvation,
uses the fittest and best means. In contriving and appointing the
means of our salvation, he chooses better for us than we should for
ourselves."

Our God is a Just God. His Justice makes Grace sweet. The ultimate sacrifice of his Son, for us. Christ placing himself on the mercy
seat as my atoning sacrifice wipes my sin away. All that done in the
presence of a Just God, who now sees me as blameless, makes his Grace
transforming in my Life.

Thoughts from 9/20

Hebrews 2:17-18

" 17. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every
respect, so that he might become merciful and faithful high preist in
the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to
help those who are being tempted."

I am thankfully reminded today of our Lords sacrifice for us and
encouraged that he will give me strength as I am tempted by evil
through out my day today. He has empowered me by coming before me.
He is my strength and my salvation.

My inspiration from sundays sermon

From the Lord comes our strength! That is where I am looking for
it. I rejoice because I am forgiven and the Lord has given me
renewed strength. He is healing my heart and creating in me
something new. He is using this experience to root out the sin in my
life. He is to be my eternal focus, my daily focus, and that which I
gain my self worth. Yes I desire to be married and in a
relationship. But that needs to be secondary to me seeking him first
and foremost. He is my rock and my salvation, he is gives me renewed
strength every day, Grace every day, Love and forgiveness beyond
anything I ever deserve. For from him and to him and through him are
all things. he takes evil and turns it inside out for his glory
alone. One message that hit home and encouraged me last night was II
Cor. 1:10-11. God is glorified in the answering of our prayers.
Paul is encouraged and has faith in the answers of prayers that have
not yet been said. What untapped power we have in the Glory of the
Lord! Elijah called fire down, cleansing fire that burned up flesh,
wood, stone, and water... a symbol of redemption... all mediated by a
prayer by a man who believed. He believed in a promise that God
made. We have so many promises in the Bible that we can pray with
confidence. AMAZING!

I am realizing more and more every day how important it is to rub and
work the message of the Gospel into your life. As humans we
naturally reject it. But we absolutely crave it, without knowing
it. Our sin, is just a manifestation of us replacing the gospel
message with something else.

Puritan Reading

Here is a list that I found somewhere online... Just wanted to stick
it someplace I wouldn't loose it.

A Body of Divinity, by Thomas Watson

A Sure Guide to Heaven, by Joseph Alliene
A Treatise of Earthlimindedness, by Jeremiah Burroughs

A Treatise on Effectual Calling and Election, by Christopher Love

Heaven Taken by Storm, by Thomas Watson

Michael and the Dragon, by Daniel Dyke
Pilgrim’s Progress, Parts I-II, by John Bunyan

Pilgrim's Progress Part III, by John Bunyan

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices, by Thomas Brooks

Remedies for Wandering Thoughts in Worship, by Richard Steele

The Almost Christian Discovered, by Matthew Mead

The Bible and the Closet, by Thomas Watson

The Doctrine of Repentance, by Thomas Watson

The Evil of Evils, by Jeremiah Burroughs
The Mortified Christian, by Christopher Love

The Practice of Piety, by Lewis Bayly

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs

The Ten Commandments, by Thomas Watson

The True Christian's Love for the Unseen Christ, by Thomas Vincent

A Beam of Divine Glory, by Edward Pearse

A Christian Directory, by Richard Baxter
A Narrative of Surprising Conversions, by Jonathan Edwards

Biblical Theology, by John Owen
Charity and Its Fruit, by Jonathan Edwards
Disputations on Holy Scripture, by William Whitaker

Gospel Fear, by Jeremiah Burroughs

Gospel Worship, by Jeremiah Burroughs

Humans Nature in It's Fourfold State, by Thomas Boston

Logic: the Right Use of Reason after the Inquiry of Truth, by Isaac
Watts

Logic: Continuing Discourse by Isaac Watts

Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, by Nathaniel Ranew
The Art of Prophesying, by William Perkins

The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, by Joseph Symonds

The Christian in Complete Armour, by William Gurnall

The Marrow of Theology, by William Ames

The Mind on Fire, Blaise Pascal, edited by Os Guiness

The Parable of the Ten Virgins, by Thomas Shepherd

The Reformed Pastor, by Richard Baxter

The Westminster Confession of Faith, w/ Directory of Publick Worship

The Works of John Owen, (16 Volumes)

The Works of Jonathan Edwards, (2 Volumes)

The Works of Augustus Toplady (1 Volume)

The Works of Christopher Love Volume 1

The Works of Thomas Manton (6 Volumes)

Theses Sabbaticae, by Thomas Shepherd

Treatise on the Lord’s Supper, by Thomas Doolittle

Post Puritan Writings

A Body of Practical Divinity, John Gill.

A Guide for Young Disciples, J.G. Pike

Consolation, J.W. Alexander

Earnest Ministry, John Angell James

Family Worship, J.W. Alexander

Fasting, Samuel Miller

God-Centered Evangelism, A.B. Kuiper

Interpretation of Prophecy, Patrick Fairbain

Primitive Theology, John Gerstner

Persuasions to Early Piety, J.G. Pike

Repent or Perish, John Gerstner

Sermons of William Cunningham

Select Sermons of George Whitefield

Spiritual Depression, Martin Lloyd Jones

The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges

The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, W.G.T. Shedd

The Everlasting Righteousness, Andrew Bonar

The Last Things, Herman Bavinck

The Life of M'Cheyne, Andrew Bonar

The Ruling Elder, Samuel Miller

Thoughts on Preaching, J.W. Alexander

Today's Evangelism, E. Reisinger

Warnings to the Churches, J.C. Ryle

Some books about or on the Puritans:

A Puritan Golden Treasury, I.E.D. Thomas

A Quest for Godliness, J.I. Packer

Lives of the Puritans, Benjamin Brook

John Owen on the Christian Life, Sinclair Fergusen

Jonathan Edwards Evangelist, John Gerstner

Jonathan Edwards a New Biography, Iain Murray

Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell, by John Gerstner

Puritan Papers, Volume 1, edited by D. Martin Lloyd Jones

Puritan Papers, Volume 2, edited by J.I. Packer

Puritan Profiles, William Baker

Revival and Revivalism, Ian Murray

Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, Iain Murray

The Genius of Puritanism, Peter Lewis

The Grace of Law, Earnest Kevan

The Puritans, Martin Lloyd Jones

The Puritan Hope, Iain Murray

The Protector, J.H. Merle D'Aubigne

The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards, John Gerstner 3
Volumes

The Valley of Vision, Puritan Devotional

The Worship of the English Puritans, Horton Davies

The Worship of the American Puritans, Horton Davies

Why Read the Puritans Today?, Don Kistler

Worldly Saints, Leland Ryken