Without God “covenant” twists into “social contract” then “socialism

In 1534, England had officially established the Church of England. A revival movement to “purify” the Church of England was led by “Puritans.”

Other groups simply separated themselves, meeting in secret, being referred to as “Separatists.” Members of one such group were known as “Pilgrims.”

Like some states today that ban church meetings, Pilgrim separatists met in secret, often at the large home of William Brewster in Scrooby, England. This was the beginning of the Pilgrims forming a “covenant” congregation.

Pilgrim Governor William Bradford wrote of him:….

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Psalm 103: Learning How to Talk (to Yourself)

Do you talk to yourself?

I don’t mean when you’re wrestling through your taxes or walking through your to-do list. But do you talk yourself, really? When you are fearful, do you command your soul to trust in the Lord?  When your affections are low, do you command your heart to bless the Lord? As Paul Tripp is fond of saying, “no one is more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do.”

In the particularly difficult moments of the day, how do you talk to yourself? How do you specifically exhort yourself to hope in God?

Psalm 103 has been immensely helpful for me as a pattern for commanding my soul in seasons of low affection. The Psalm begins (Psalm 103:1–2) and ends (Psalm 103:20–22) with David’s exhortation to his own soul to bless the Lord. While there is much to draw out of this rich text, I’d like to highlight two observations:…

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