As believers in the gospel of the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ Jesus, we should every time we pray, pray with expectancy. We are God’s children by eternal election and faith in Christ, so why WOULDN’T our Heavenly Father hear and answer our prayers? When we are seeking His will, and the conversion of sinners to Christ, and for the church here to grow in grace, faith and love, and for God to glorify Himself by adding to the church, why shouldn’t we EXPECT it? Is our Lord’s hand shortened that He cannot save, or His ear heavy that He cannot hear? (Isaiah 55:1).

When the gospel is preached here week after week, why shouldn’t we expect sinners to believe it? It is the truth, it is the gospel that we believe and preach. Men are lost, and only the gospel is the means God uses to save sinners. So why, every time the gospel is preached here, should we not expect sinners to believe and God to honor His Son and His Word?

The hour we are called to live and witness in is urgent! May our prayers and faith be full of expectancy, for our God is gracious and omnipotent and if he would save us and teach us of His grace, we should EXPECT He would do it for other sinners, for Christ’s sake. Let us honor our Lord by EXPECTANTLY BELIEVING He will answer our prayers!

- Pastor

~~~ O ~~~

In election the Lord set us apart to be His children.

In adoption He gave us the relationship of children.

In regeneration He gave us the privilege of being His children.

In justification He gave us the perfect standing of children.

In glorification He will give us the inheritance of children

One of the most dreadful things I have ever witnessed was talking to an ungodly man just a few hours before he died. I ask him if he was afraid. His answer to me was, "Y’ no". He died a few hours later with a calm conscience. This poor soul was on the very verge of eternity without one ounce of a God given hope and yet his conscience was calm.

What God refuses to do for some men here, that is, to awaken the conscience out of it’s gross ignorance, He will suffer the torments of hell to do yonder. The rich man fared sumptuously every day and may well have lived with a calm conscience - and died with one too. But as soon as the flame of hell touched him he knew he was in trouble. That poor man I was talking to, I fear, suffered the same fate.

There is but one sure ground for peace and calmness of conscience and that is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood is there, there is no sin there. If there is no sin there, there is no wrath of God there; there is no hell waiting.

I may not be in Christ and yet have a peace, but it is a false peace. My heart may say, "I am not afraid", but it wouldn’t be the first time my heart has lied to me.

God, give me no rest or peace of conscience until you give me the peace that Christ has made through the blood of His cross.

~~~ O ~~~

I will not show you rest, nor merely tell you of rest, but I will GIVE you rest.

I am faithfulness itself and cannot lie - I will give you rest. I that have the greatest power to give it, the greatest will to give it, the greatest right to give it. Come laden sinners and I will give you rest.

Rest is the most desirable good, the most suitable good and the greatest good.

Come, says Christ; that is, believe in me, and I will give you rest; I will give you peace with conscience. I will turn your storm into an everlasting calm. I will give you such rest that the world can neither give you nor take away from you.