Words are powerful and words are reality-defining. Therefore, as J. C. Ryle said, “Be wise in your youth. Write the word “poison” on all earthly pleasures” (Thoughts for Young Men, 29).

Peter Leithart’s recent musings on sola scriptura. His concluding thought:

To open the Bible is to gather the wisest council of advisors: Moses and Samuel, David and Solomon and the Chronicler, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, Ezekiel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Jesus, Paul, James and Jude and John. I’ll put that up against any list of theologians you’d care to compile.

“Contempt of holy things is the straight road to hell” (J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 36).

“Remember, again, if you cling to earthly pleasures, they will all be unsatisfying, empty, and pointless. . . . All that glitters is not gold. All that tastes sweet is not good. All that please for a while is not real pleasure” (J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 29).

“Redemptive-historical preaching aims at discerning God’s nature in terms of God’s action. God reveals who he is not chiefly by propositions but by reported action” (Michael Horton, A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God-Centered Worship, 88).

We worship and serve the living God. The God of action has chosen to self-disclose himself through divine revelation.

“Men will not consider, will not look ahead, will not look around them, will not reflect on the end of their present course, and the sure consequences of their present days, and wake up to find they are damned for a lack of thinking. . . . Believe me, this world is not a world in which we can do well without thinking, and least of all do well in the matter of our souls. “Don’t think,” whispers Satan; he knows that an unconverted heart is like a dishonest businessman’s financial records–they will not bear close inspection. “Consider your ways,” says the word of God–stop and think–consider and be wise. The Spanish proverb says it well, “Hurry comes from the devil.” Just as men marry in a rush and then are miserable with their mate, so they make mistakes about their souls in a minute, and then suffer for it for years” (J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 32-33).

“Young men, if you would be wise, if you would be happy, remember the warning I give you–Beware of pride” (J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 26).

Yellowstone Valley Christians for Life sponsored the local March for Life here in Billings on Sunday, January 19th. We gathered at Soup and Such and marched to the Court House, where Mike Rapkoch, member of YVCfL, provided a brief talk before keynote speaker Dr. R. C. Sproul, Jr. (RC Jr. also provided the opening prayer at the Court House.) I had the privilege of leading the crowd in a closing prayer.

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1:30 PM
Sunday, January 19, 2014
March for Life
Billings, MT

Our Father in Heaven, sanctify us through thy word; thy word is truth (John 17:17). We praise you for Jesus Christ, for having ransomed sinners like us from sin’s curse. We praise you for Jesus Christ, who prays for us and intercedes on our behalf right now at your right hand in Heaven. And we thank you for the gift of the Holy Ghost, who regenerated us—giving us new natures, making you our Heavenly Father.

O Lord, we are reminded of what Christ told his disciples: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Lord, we know that tribulations occur according to your all good and wise providence, and that they are the means by which you cultivate our faith and craft our souls to desire you, our Triune Lord, more and more and more. And Lord, we do not fear tribulations; for You are our strength and defense (Psalm 59:9).

And Lord, because you are our strength and defense, we pray and ask and beseech that you would teach us how to be both a strength and defense for the innocents—teach us how to be penitent defenders of the unborn and of the downtrodden. We also pray for our prayers: fill us with your Holy Ghost, and in filling us make us powerful and diligent, make us humble and submissive before you in prayers-of-repentance and prayers-of-intercession on the behalf of children in the womb. And we pray for the salvation of men: we pray that you would give the gift of saving faith to the fathers and mothers whose hearts have turned away from their children; we pray that you would give the gift of saving faith to the butchers who perform abortions, that they might confess their sin, repent, and find salvation in the Redeemer-Jesus.
 
And Father, we pray to you corporately:

Prayer to End Abortion

“Young men, take to heart the Scriptures just quoted [Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 8:2; Colossians 3:12; 1 Peter 5:5; John 13:15 (Christ is a young man’s great example.); 2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:7, 8; 1 Kings 3:8 (Regarding the wisest man that ever lived–King Solomon.); Proverbs 26:12]. Do not be too confident in your own judgment. Stop being so sure that you are always right, and others wrong. Don’t trust your own opinion when you find it contrary to that of older men and especially to that of your own parents. Age gives experience, and therefore deserves respect” (J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 25-26).

Regarding private prayer, Charles Spurgeon said: “The more you are on your knees alone the better.”