Do not permit your children to argue and quarrel with one another and call one another names and grumble at one another. Neither must they give one another negative nicknames but sincerely love, tolerate, help, and be friendly to one another. This is also how they must behave toward others. Teach them the following texts: “The works of the flesh are hatred, quarrels, jealousy, wrath, strife, seditions” (Gal. 5:19-20). “Anyone who says to his brother, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matt. 5:22). “A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). “Behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! . . . For there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Ps. 133:1, 3). Talk with them about the bad examples of Cain, Ishmael, Esau, and Absalom in relation to their brothers (Jacobus Koelman, The Duties of Parents, 77).

One of the most prominent characteristics of the Psalter is that it is incurably optimistic about the progress of the Kingdom of God in the world. There will be a final judgment (9:7, 8, 17; 96:13) but in the end, “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will worship before Thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’S, and He rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:27-28; 46:10; 47:8; 66:7; 67:4; 72:11; 86:9). It has been said with justification that the Psalter itself is the strongest argument for a postmillennial view of history. The seeds of robust evangelism are in the Psalter as nowhere else in Scripture. The Great Commission is in fact just the rebirth of a theme that runs throughout the Book of Psalms. What greater incentive can we possibly have for evangelism than the fact that God promises success to the endeavor, that one day all the nations of the world will worship our God? The Psalter is full to overflowing with such promises. There is much talk these days about the need for evangelism. If the church wants a word from the LORD on this subject, it need only turn to the Book of Psalms (Michael Bushell, Songs of Zion, 36)

Presbyterianism does not condemn Anglicanism in toto. It protests against its errors, without ceasing to respect it as a branch of the church of God. . . . The piety of individuals is not in question. I refer only to the systems (J. A. Waddell, Letters to a Young Presbyterian, 24-25).

No honest reader of the New Testament can fail to see that the Jewish temple and priesthood, with all the splendid and attractive institutions of the ceremonial law, gave place, after the ascension of Christ, to a system marked by simplicity, and adapted to popular use. It requires a strange perverseness, in a people blessed with an open Bible, to abandon the simplicity which the Holy Ghost himself substituted, on purpose, for the elaborate symbolism of the ancient ritual, and endeavor to return again to the showy usages of the priesthood and the temple. Romanism is a revolt against the studied simplicity of the gospel. It proclaims to the world that the simple organization under the lowly apostles, and the plain worship and service of the New Testament church, are unsatisfactory and insufficient. It aims to undo the revolution accomplished by the cross, and to establish a splendid hierarchy and a seductive worship rivaling that of the Jews. The English court and priesthood, in opposition to all other Protestants, insisted that the papacy was to a great extent right in this design, and condemned our fathers [e.g., Presbyterians, Puritans] for too strict an adherence to the Scriptures.

I beg leave to maintain that the sons of the Reformers have no right to go back upon the New Testament. There is a principle at stake which a Christian ought not to ignore. And yet we see it trampled under foot by young people every day (J. A. Waddell, Letters to a Young Presbyterian, 12-13).

Yesterday the Yellowstone Valley Christians for Life sponsored the 12th annual March for Life at Billings, Montana. We met and marched together to the Court House for prayer and singing. I was one of the three speakers: Dick Pence spoke on supporting and voting for pro-life candidates, Teresa Hagestad spoke on adoption, and I had the privilege of speaking on prayer. Below are my notes.

Sunday, January 20, 2019
March for Life
Billings, MT

Consider Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. We are told explicitly that Jesus told this parable that men ought always to pray. This parable impresses upon disciples to not grow weary in approaching God in persistent prayer.

If you aren’t familiar with the parable, a widow goes to an unjust judge seeking justice (because that is what judges are supposed to do—administer justice). She asks, Avenge me my adversary. She is asking for deliverance and justice.  But the unjust judge doesn’t care about her afflictions at the hands of her adversary. Accordingly, the judge delays justice. However, he eventually decides to execute justice on the behalf the widow, but we’re told it is for selfish reasons. He doesn’t want this widow to continue to inconvenience him by continually coming to him. The widow, we observe, was persistent in crying out for justice even to an unjust judge.

The point of the parable is this: the unjust judge, in the final analysis, did a good and just thing, albeit, he did not do what was just because he was good or for good reasons. The contrast between this unjust judge and God absolutely compels disciples of Jesus to be diligent and persistent in prayer. Why? Because God not only does what is good, but God is good. God is perfectly just and does all according to his perfect and holy will. Psalm 119: 68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. Psalm 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

So, think about this parable which exhorts disciples to pray with persistence, and let’s relate the privilege of persistent prayer to this issue at hand – legalized abortion in our nation – and consider this question: Does God ordinarily preserve life by the appointed means of persistent prayer?

Yes. The Psalms of David confirm this. Again, and again, and again we see David crying out to God for deliverance and help when he is being pursued by murderous enemies. But we should also consider what the Spirit wrote in the New Testament in the Book of Acts. In Acts 12, the evil ruler Herod Agrippa had already arrested and executed the Apostle James, and it gave him a figurative bump in the political polls and increased his favor with his constituents who opposed the Christians. So Herod arrests the Apostle Peter with the intent of executing him, too. But in Acts 12:5 we’re told that while Peter was in prison the church made prayer without ceasing.  Again, we are told Peter is in prison and the verge of execution and the church made prayer without ceasing. And many of you know the rest of the story: the angel of the Lord appears to Peter in prison and there is a miraculous jail-break. Afterwards Peter goes to the house of Mary the mother of John, and in Acts 12:12, we’re told that when he goes to the house there were many gathered together praying. Surely, they were praying for Peter. Elsewhere Scripture teaches us that the prayers of the righteous availeth much (James 5:16). Indeed.

Circling back to the issue at hand—abortion. Has the church offered up persistent prayers for the preservation of innocent lives since 1973? Yes, and we have seen God answering our prayers.  According to one source, in the past 45+ years, ever since Roe v. Wade, now almost half of the States are extremely hostile to abortion, e.g., various State legislatures have put into effect hundreds and hundreds of laws to attenuate the abortion industrial complex legalized and sustained by Roe v. Wade. Additionally, abortion issues are coming to the courts again and again across many of the States. Our prayers have not been answered in full, that is, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but through both legislatures and courts we see the ability to legally murder children has, is, and, Lord willing! will continue to be diminished.

Also, think about the longevity of March for Life. Ever since Roe v. Wade there has been March for Life. Think about the longevity of that. Think about the longevity of March for Life in Billings—this is our 12^th year. And think about how the pro-life movement has grown both in numbers and vocal-witness over the past 45+ years. People standing up for truth, for justice, for the sanctity of life, it has now become a multi-generational concern. Indeed, God is answering our prayers.

I was born in 1983, ten years after Roe v Wade, and I grew up attending pro-life rallies. And looking at this crowd I think it is safe to bet that I’m not the only one who was raised that way. The fruits of persistent prayer aren’t only evident in the legislatures and courts across our country, but they are especially evident here, where parents have brought their children to stand united for life, and in bringing our children, we are catechizing them into the culture of life, into the holy habit of persistent prayer, which has become a spreading flame throughout the darkness of our nation’s culture of death.

We are called to persistent prayer.

May God give us grace to pray continually, looking forward to when God shall wipe away all tears, and there shall be no more death (Revelation 21:4).

If we believe that Presbyterianism is comparatively the more scriptural system, the duty is obvious, to promote its growth with all our might (J. A. Waddell, Letters to a Young Presbyterian, 6).

We do not imagine that our judgment is infallible. We do not claim perfection for the Presbyterian system. But some planets are nearer than others to the sun, and some churches are more closely conformed to the Bible than others. Comparative proximity is our claim, and not an exclusive right to the entire firmament (J. A. Waddell, Letters to a Young Presbyterian, 6).

Westminster Larger Catechism Question 40

Q. Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God and man in one person? A. It was requisite that the Mediator, who was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both God and man, and this in one person, that the proper works of each nature might be accepted of God for us, and relied on by us, as the works of the whole person.

Calvin made the same point discussing Romans 1:3.

Who was made, etc. — Two things must be found in Christ, in order that we may obtain salvation in him, even divinity and humanity. His divinity possesses power, righteousness, life, which by his humanity are conveyed to us. Hence the Apostle has expressly mentioned both in the Summary he gives of the gospel, that Christ was manifested in the flesh — and that in it he declared himself to be the Son of God. [source]

John Calvin’s comment on Romans 1:3.

This is a remarkable passage, by which we are taught that the whole gospel is included in Christ, so that if any removes one step from Christ, he withdraws himself from the gospel.

Notwithstanding the unambiguous manner in which Jesus commands that little children should be brought to Him and that no obstacle should be placed in their way on coming to Him, it still continues to be the great weakness of most Protestant churches that spiritual ministration to children is taken in hand far too superficially. Jesus said: “Suffer little children to come unto me” [Luke 18:16], but in the life of the church too often nearly ninety-nine per cent of its time, money and strength is devoted to ministration to adults, whereas to children is devoted only a fatally insignificant portion. Only those congregations which, by means of thorough training of Sunday-school teachers, regular and effective services for children, Sunday-school libraries, etc., take heed that the command of the Saviour is obeyed can hope to be flourishing congregations in the future (Norval Geldenhuys, NICNT: Gospel of Luke, 455).