INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
"Ver. 1. Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?"
"Scripture better than tradition." "Tradition unreliable." "Ver. 4. Honour thy father & mother. - The duty of children to honour their parents" "To act on all occasions so as not to make their parents ashamed of their conduct." "Vers. 7 - 9. This people draweth near to Me with their mouth. - Lip profession" "Will not merely a feigned allegiance be disowned by Him? Shall we not wish at last that we had been sincere & upright? (Pulpit Studies.)" "True sanctity is a reigning, constantly active, disposition & bent of the soul, manifesting itself in the several parts of our inward & outward conduct, & making us always willing & ready to do what, & nothing else but what, is agreeable to God, & correspondent to His will." "...though the heart be far off, the Good Shepherd seeks it." "Go to God & wait for the power of His grace. Meditate on the greatness of Him before whom we are. Mortify those lusts that are apt to withdraw our minds." "Let every experimental wandering make you more humble & careful. A constant heavenliness & holiness of heart." "God asks for the heart in worship." "Mere outward worship offensive to God." "God is to be worshipped with the whole man, with our bodies & spirits which are His. God is to be worshipped by the assistance of His spirit." "God is to be worshipped with an eye to His glory, as our ultimate end. God is to be worshipped in the name of Christ as our only Mediator." "Ver. 13. Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." "Every doctrine; Every practice; Every person." "Some plants God never planted." "Plants that prove utterly barren, are rooted up or cut down." "The plants which God Himself has planted shall stand & never be rooted up." "Am I a plant of God's planting?" "God's plants grow everywhere" "Uprooted plants: - That system of philosophy which ignores Divine Truth, or contradicts the plain statements of God's Word, cannot endure." "Consider some of the plants which the Father hath planted: 1. Every disciple of Christ. 2. The Church. 3. The Bible. 4. In the garden there are also many tender little plants which, though not conspicuous, are equally the object of the Father's solicitude. 5. God is pledged to establish the good & to eradicate the evil. The rose will not always have its thorn. (J. T. Lamont.)" "Ver. 14. They be blind leaders of the blind." "...the matter of cleansing away your sins. So long as you seek it from man, you seek it where it cannot be found. (Bishop Ryle.)" "Vers. 17 - 20. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts." "Though evil thoughts may be involuntary at the first starting of them, being occasioned by what we could not avoid hearing & seeing, or coming upon us unawares, or proceeding from the temper & habit of our bodies, or the accidental impulses & motions of the animal spirits in our brains, which are the most immediate instruments the soul uses in her operations; though thus the first rise of evil thoughts may be involuntary, yet if we with pleasure entertain & cherish them, if our fancies are tickled by them, if they are delightful & grateful to us, this implies the consent of our wills. They then become greatly sinful to us." "Evil thoughts. - I. DEFINE THE CLASSES OF THOUGHT WHICH MAY BE REGARDED AS EVIL. 1. Vain thoughts... 3. Intensely selfish & worldly thoughts. 4. Thoughts of deliberate wickedness." "So is it with man; he sins as naturally as the young lion seeks for blood, or the young serpent stores up venom." "Vers. 21, 28. Then Jesus went thence & departed into the coasts of Tyre & Sidon." "...humility furnishes the roots by which faith holds on." "She looked beyond appearances, & fixed her gaze on things unseen & eternal. It is this which keeps men right, amid adverse surroundings." "Prayer is a NECESSITY." "It is also a spiritual power." "Knowledge of our sinfulness drives us to God." "1. We must seek Jesus. No rest till we come to Him. No other can help us, or rid us of our sin. 2. We must not let Jesus go. If He goes away, follow Him; if He seems to be stern, become more urgent; if He hides His face, cry the louder; if He will not listen, assail His heart." "It is true we deserve none of the things we pray for; but He has enough & to spare for all; & after the children are filled, He can afford to cast the crumbs to the dogs." "He who thus sins God's heart, wins everything." "Delays are not denials." "...SINCERE SUPPLICANTS ARE ALWAYS PERSEVERING." "...THE PRAYER OF FAITH MUST ULTIMATELY PREVAIL." "The prayer of faith is always crowned with success. (C. Bradley.)" "The elements of prevailing prayer: - I. Sincerity. II. Humility. III. Importunity. IV. Faith." "She could not be defeated because she would not doubt. She triumphs." "The triumph of faith: - I. FAITH'S APPROACH. 1. She came to the right person. 2. In a right spirit. 3. With a right plea." "This gospel assures us where our help is." "Great is the faith that prays without ceasing." "Her faith was great because - (1) it would stand trial. (2) It was a wrestling faith. She heard the repulse, yet is neither daunted nor disheartened. She will not take His No." "(3) It was victorious." "'Christ's love is wise. There is an art in His strange delays, which make us love-sick.'" "He wishes to make our faith stronger, & His trials are for the triumph of our faith." "Great thoughts of your sin alone will drive you to despair; but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into the haven of peace. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "This woman was most desperately resolved." "The Lord Jesus was charmed with the fair jewel of this woman's faith." "Faith strengthened by importunate prayer: - Wrestling addeth strength to arms & body; praying, & praying again, strengtheneth faith; customary running lengtheneth the breath." "The woman would have no denial." "She came to Him & worshipped Him, & said, 'Lord, help me.'" "Vers. 32, 39. - And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye?" "THE LESSONS WHICH THIS MIRACLE ENFORCES. 1. Reliance. 2. Gratitude. 3. Charity. 4. Economy. (Expository Outlines.)" "The necessities of man & the all-sufficiency of Christ" "Life-long dependence should teach life-long humility." "Man needs pardon, purity, freedom, peace." The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 312 - 332.
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"Vers. 1 - 11. Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus."
"True love, which seeks the good of others, & not its own interest, consents to be forgotten, sacrificed." "Well, if to-day there is in the world a Christian Church, if there is a refuge accessible to all the sorrows of earth, an asylum where the soul escapes for ever from the oppressions of this world, a spiritual home where faith, hope, & love abide for ever; if we ourselves have been able to find there a place; it is certain that at its base there are acts of devotion without number, obscure deaths, unknown sufferings, silent sacrifices, which none can count." "The state of the wicked is a very restless one." "Herod, a man governed by fear: - I. HE IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW COWARDICE, SUPERSTITION, & CRUELTY NATURALLY GO TOGETHER." "If men will be bold in sin, ministers must be bold to reprove. (Gurnall.)" "...IF WE FAITHFULLY DO OUR DUTY, WE MUST BE PREPARED TO SUFFER FOR IT." "If we are really in earnest in serving God, Satan will be sure to stir up some opposition against us. These hindrances are the tests of our faithfulness." "GOD'S GRACE IS ALWAYS SUFFICIENT." "...DEATH MAY BE VIEWED NOT WITH HORROR BUT WITH JOY." "If only we are ready for death, can death come too soon? It is the door of release from storm & cloud, sorrow & sin. (S. W. Skeffington, M. A.)" "Ver. 12. And went & told Jesus." "A complaining Christian once said to a cheerful, happy Christian, 'Things always seem to go smoothly with you; I never hear you make any complaints.' To which he replied, 'I have found out an effectual way of guarding against that fault - telling Jesus all, & telling Him before I tell any one else; then, I find, I seldom need tell any one else, for in telling Him about my troubles, I often find the burden entirely removed.' (A. Tucker.)" "Vers. 13, 14. When Jesus heard of it He departed thence by ship." "Jesus hears of John's death, & thereupon seeks seclusion." "He desired to be alone. That He mighty pray." "He will not relinquish His work because of instances that might have shocked Him with fatal distress." "Vers. 15 - 21. They need not depart; give ye them to eat. - Christ feeding the multitude" "The all-sufficiency which He possessed in Himself." "However little you have bring it to Jesus, & He will will make it more." "The foolishness of preaching becomes the power of God." "The more we feed on Christ, the more always is there of Christ to feed on; He increases to us. (A. M. Stuart.)" "Joy & hope are social; they ask for companionship; they spread by contact & mutual encouragement." "Ver. 23. He went up into a mountain apart to pray." "...WE OUGHT TO SET APART SOME PORTIONS OF OUR TIME FOR PRIVATE AND SILENT... conversation with God & our own hearts." "If Jesus Christ found it needful & advantageous to engage in retired devotion, how much more so must it be for such weak & imperfect creatures as we are - not only ministers, but private Christians also." "There are some particular seasons in which Christians should be much in private prayer; such as times of affliction, public calamity, prevailing departure from the knowledge, experience, & practice of true... (Christianity); seasons of suspense & embarrassment; seasons of ease & prosperity." "Ver. 24. For the wind was contary." "THE WAY OF DUTY IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. Even when constrained by love of Christ to undertake any particular work, we are often beset by difficulties & obstacles: no plain sailing, always breakers ahead." "The contrary wind may prepare us for higher service in the cause of Christ." "No contrary wind can last for ever. By & by Christ will come to us, & then there will be peace. Yes, & after a time we shall reach the other shore; & when we touch that, we shall be done with difficulties." "Vers. 22, 27. And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, & to go before Him unto the other side." "He sometimes puts on the garments of trouble; & when we are calling upon Him as though He were yet in heaven, He is walking by our side" "Ver. 26. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled." "It is amazing what power the living voice, especially a long-known & much-loved voice, has to touch the heart, & to awaken confidence & peace, & emotions of all kinds, that may have been long dormant in the soul. (A. L. R. Foote.)" "Vers. 28, 33. - And Peter answered Him & said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water." "...it is not the power or word of Christ that gives way, but only the faith of Peter in this power or word. So long as he looks to Jesus this word supports him." "Peter in his extremity cries aloud to Jesus." "They who sit securely in their boats are not liable to sink." "He looked to the danger, & not to the Saviour." "He discovered his helplessness, & prayed for safety, 'Lord save me;'" "Here we are taught not to be unmindful of our dangers, but to keep our thoughts fixed on the greatness & faithfulness of Christ when we are surrounded by them." "Ver. 31. Wherefore didst thou doubt. - Doubting Christians: - 1. It perverts all they do by directing them to a wrong end. 2. It withdraws the mind from Christ. 3. It sours the temper. It breeds fears. 4. It gives Satan peculiar advantage against the soul. 5. The providence of God appears dark to such a soul. 6. It occasions false comfort. 7. It tarnishes the profession of such a person. (J. Cooke.)" "He who bought His people with His own Blood cannot lose his inheritance, & will not permit any enemy to wrest from His hand the satisfaction of His soul." "...the portion of the Redeemer cannot be wrenched from His grasp. 'Ye are His.' Christ is the safety of a Christian. (W. Arnot.)" "Ver. 36. As many as touched were made perfectly whole." The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 295 - 312. |
AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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