Friday, March 27, 2015

33

Luke 22:63-65
Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.
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83.Q.What are the keys of the kingdom?
     A.  The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance.  Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.

84.Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven?
     A.  According to the command of Christ: the kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins.  The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God's judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony.

85.Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline?
      A. According to the command of Christ:Those who, though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and after repeated and loving counsel refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being reported to the church, that is, to its officers, fail to respond als to their admonition--such persons the officers exclude form the Christian fellowship by without holding the sacraments form them, and God himself excludes therm from the kingdom of Christ.  Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine reform, are received again as members of Christ and of His church.
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He endures the cold and the inconveniences of the night so that when the morning comes, He may have entrance.  Some time for a long season--while He is scorned in His person, persecuted in His saints, and reviled in His word-- He stands at the door in the word of His patience, with His heart full of love toward rebellious souls.

John Owen,  Sin and Temptation
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Pray that the families of prisoners would be encouraged and feel God's presence during time os sadness.
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"We must come before God in silence, as evildoers, in order to obtain grace for the offenses that we have committed. We come clothed in shame, confessing that we are lost, that God might save us through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. In short, we say that it is completely beyond our powers to acquit ourselves in the eyes of God. But he comes to our aid; he does not scrutinize us or enter into account with us. When we have offended him, there is no satisfaction for sin other than the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. The only way we can be cleansed is to wash ourselves in his blood." — John Calvin, "Freedom from the Bondage of the Law"


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