THE SPiRiT AS OUR COMFORTER

John Owen's book "Communion with God" discusses the nature of the Christian's fellowship with each member of the Trinity. Of course it was written in the mid-1600s. Nobody writes books like that any more.

Owen says that "the foundation of all our communion with the Holy Spirit lies in His being sent by Jesus Christ to be our Comforter or Helper." See John 16.1-7.

Jesus told his disciples, "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you" [16.7].

Owen writes:

So the Lord Christ would have us know this great truth, that the presence of the Holy Spirit with believers as Comforter and Helper, sent by him as promised, is better and more profitable than his bodily presence can ever be.

Owen then writes about the essence of the Spirit's comforting presence.

The Comforter may always abide with us, though not always comfort us.

The Comforter often brings comfort to us when we do not receive it. The oasis is near, though we do not always see it.

The Comforter actually never leaves the believing soul with no comfort at all.

The Comforter, being sent and given, abides with the souls of believers and does not leave them. He reveals Himself in various ways and by various works.

He works effectively [1 Cor 12.11]. All that the Holy Spirit purposes to work in us, He fully accomplishes by His almighty power.

He works sovereignly [1 Cor 12.11]. The Holy Spirit distributes to everyone as He wills. He gives one gift to one person and another to another person. This He does of His own freedom of will, ruled by His own judgment and choice. So the saints are kept in constant dependence on Him and His sovereignty. If the Holy Spirit gives to us as He wills, then we should be content with that which He gives us.

a ministerial kick in the teeth

Maybe these are a few reasons why "not many of you should become teachers, my brothers" [Js 3.1]. I convictingly perused through these this morning in a Puritan book of quotes I have. Both Richard Baxter and Charles Spurgeon also have poignant considerations about pastoral ministry. This book is at the most $7. Tis worth every penny and would probably look good beside your bed or on your toilet.

• He that is more frequent in his pulpit to his people than he is in his closet for his people, is but a sorry watchman [John Owen].
  
• The doctrine of a minister must credit his life and his life must adorn his doctrine [Jean Daille].
  
• Ministers are not cooks, but physicians and therefore should not study to delight the palate, but to recover the patient [Jean Daille].
  
• Brethren, it is easier to declaim against 1000 sins of others than to mortify one sin in ourselves [John Flavel].
  
• Three things make a preacher - reading, prayer, and temptation [John Trapp].
  
• Unholiness in a preacher's life will either stop his mouth from reproving or the people's ears from receiving [William Gurnall].
  

we got to pray just to make it today

These are means I have either witnessed, experienced, or heard through the grape vine that the Spirit uses to strengthen His children in prayer. Feel free to add your own because I'd love to know. Gracias.

1. Read D. A. Carson's book on the prayers of Paul. The intro and Ch 1 were worth the book to me.
   
2. Use Operation World to pray more intentionally for the nations and God's global mission. I like using the book.
   
3. Tie your prayers to the Scriptures.
   
4. Pray out loud. It helps you focus.
   
5. Pray with other believers.
   
6. Buy a house.
   
7. Have a baby.
   
8. Get married.
   
9. Maybe, possibly, occasionally write it out in a journal or something. Sometimes this helps me focus.
   
10. Realize that as believers, we get to fellowship with each member of the Godhead. I know that sounds weird. So, read John Owen's book about communing with God.
    
11. Set aside specific time to pray. Distractions will dominate your puny motivation if you don't deliberately set aside time for it.

johnny o

John Owen lived from 1616-1683. He entered Oxford at the age of 12 where he was thoroughly trained in mathematics, philosophy, Hebrew, and more. As a teenager, Owen was known to study 12 hours a day. When he later married Mary Rooke, they had 11 children and only one lived to adulthood. Thousands of people would come to hear him preach every week. He wrote hundreds of sermons, doctrinal treatises, and theological volumes. However, his greatest work is his commentary on Hebrews.

When Owen’s exposition of Hebrews was published, it was 7 volumes thick and 4,000 pages long. As you can imagine, this took him some time. One can see how sweet the epistle was to his soul by some of his final words. But first, we must recall that Hebrews closes with a reminder that our God will never leave us or forsake us [Heb 13.5]. In Greek, this is a triple negative [“He will no not never ever….”]. The force of this clearly gripped Owen. The day before his death, he wrote to a friend:

I am going to Him whom my soul has loved, or rather who has loved me with an everlasting love – which is the whole ground of my consolation…. I am leaving the ship of the church in a storm; but whilst the Great Pilot is in it the loss of a poor under-rower will be inconsiderable. Live, and pray, and hope, and wait patiently, and do not despond; the promise stands invincible, that He will never leave us or forsake us.