Quotes #37…John Maynard 1600-1665

February 23, 2026

Christ’s satisfaction and righteousness is the full, perfect, and only cause of justification and pardon of sin, and that no holiness, no duties of the persons justified, help anything at all towards their justification; it is the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them, which maketh up the whole matter of their Righteousness in the sight of God, and covereth all their sins.

John Maynard

(Click on John’s name to view a short biography. The page has ads from which I do not profit. – CR)

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“I have learned…to be content”

February 19, 2026

“I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Philippians 4:11

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. “Ill weeds grow apace.” Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener’s care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paul says, “I have learned … to be content;” as much as to say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” he was an old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave–a poor prisoner shut up in Nero’s dungeon at Rome. We might well be willing to endure Paul’s infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented without learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content.

From Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Quotes #36…Edmund Calamy 1600-1666

February 12, 2026

By the law we see our misery and by the Gospel we see our remedy.

Edmund Calamy

(Click on Edmund’s name to learn a bit about him. There are advertisements at the link that benefit me in no way. – CR)

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Dog Wants a Kitty

February 9, 2026

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Quotes #35…Richard Baxter 1615-1691 (6)

February 6, 2026

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 5

‘Remember that it is a universal law and doctrine, written for the most ignorant as well as for the curious; and therefore must be suited in plainness to the capacity of the simple, and yet have matter to exercise the most subtle wits; and that God would have the style, to savour more of the innocent weakness of the instruments, than the matter.’ Therefore be not offended or troubled when the style doth seem less polite than you might think beseemed the Holy Ghost; nor at the plainness of some parts, or the mysteriousness of others : but adore the wisdom and tender condescension of God to his poor creatures.
(…to be continued)

Richard Baxter (Click on Mr. Baxter’s name to learn more about him.)

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

“As a writer, few men have written more, or to better purpose. His books, for number and variety of matter, might form a library. They contain a treasure of controversial, casuistical, positive, and practical divinity. Such at least was the opinion of the judicious Dr. Bates; nor was he alone of this sentiment. The excellent bishop Wilkins did not hesitate to assert, ‘That he had cultivated every subject he had handled.'”

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Quotes #34…John Howe 1630-1705

February 2, 2026

It is most highly delightful to receive him, and give up ourselves to him as our full suitable good, so exactly answering all the exigencies of our distressed case ; when sensibly apprehending the true state of it, the soul cries out, ” None but Christ”, and finds him present, waiting only for consent, readily offering himself,” Here I am, take me, thy Jesus, thy help, thy life” How overcomingly pleasant is this to a soul that feels its distress, and perceives itself ready to perish ; yea and that daily sees itself perishing, were it not for him.

John Howe quote taken from “Of Delighting in God,” Chapter II

The word exigencies means an urgent need or demand.

(Click on John’s name above to learn a bit about him. There are advertisements at the link that benefit me in no way. – CR)

The whole works of the Rev. John Howe Volume II pdf (550 pages)

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Child Maltreatment Deaths Raise Questions

January 26, 2026

Over the past ten years I have focused on problems with Child Protective Services in certain places in the world. I wouldn’t even begin to try and guess how many children have been taken from parents who did little to warrant it.  Many of these children have been sent to foster homes where the caretakers don’t care for them nearly as much as their biological parents do. Some of these parents just needed a bit of assistance and they could have gotten along fine in the long run. The only assistance many needed was a bit of counseling, if anything. Instead, entire family lives have been fractured to the point of irreversible repair.

There is another side of the coin. There are times when parents or caretakers do abuse children. When it comes to cruelty, many of these cases are evil. Records for child deaths at the Wayne County Medical Examiner in Michigan show at least 52 children died due to abuse or neglect in the last 3 and 1/2 years.

Here are a few hopeful sentences from a recent article:

“The governor’s FY2026 budget recommendation further includes $27 million to provide ‘economic and concrete supports’ with the goal of reducing or avoiding involvement with Child Protective Services.”

“The leaders of RxKids imply on their website and other materials that their cash transfers can produce a large decline in child maltreatment and reduce the need for CPS intervention.”

It seems to many that if certain parents get the appropriate help that CPS interventions and child maltreatment might decrease.

In Michigan, a study was done to “determine if unconditional cash transfers decreased contact with child welfare and substantiated reports of maltreatment early in life.” (Link to Study)

The Results of this study were interesting:

“Estimates indicate no differences in overall referrals to child protection and no differences in substantiated reports of maltreatment. Results are consistent across abuse and neglect allegations.”

“Conclusions: There is no evidence that unconditional cash transfers totaling $1,500 at mid pregnancy and $500 per month affect contact with child protection or substantiated allegations of maltreatment within the first six months of life.”

Simply, the study found the money had no positive impact.

The article that peaked my interest in this subject can be found here.

The article says about the study findings that: “Such findings should come as little surprise when we take seriously the threats that children face. Neither drug addiction nor extreme violence seems likely to be ameliorated with short-term monthly checks.”

When it comes to protecting children, things have gotten very complex. On one hand you have CPS groups that take children for unwarranted reasons resulting in ruined family life. On the other hand, there is real abuse going on that needs intervention and it seems unclear, except for offenders getting the proper prison sentences, what is “best for the child.”

Ideally, there are loving family members who will take abused children in. A perfect example of this are relatives I know (a husband and wife) who took in a 2, a 4, and a 7-year-old after family problems arose. They raised the children, along with three of their own, until they were adults. All three became law abiding citizens. I know there are foster parents out there who really care for those they are aiding. I may be wrong but it seems that people like this are harder to find in our times or it could just be that caretaker demand is so much greater.

When I read articles like this I can’t help but think of this verse from Matthew 19:

14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

After working with different ages of children over the years, I can see why Jesus loves the little children. Let’s pray for children in difficult situations. May they wind up in the hands of someone who really cares.

Chris Reimers

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Quotes #33…Ezekiel Hopkins 1633-1690

January 22, 2026

 It is impossible for men by their own strength and natural ability to become Christians, but it is possible for God to make them Christians.

Ezekiel Hopkins (You can learn more about Ezekiel Hopkins by clicking on the name to the left.)

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Quotes #32…Isaac Ambrose (1604-1663)

January 19, 2026

Oh! how should all hearts be taken with this Christ? Christians! turn your eyes upon the Lord: ‘Look, and look again unto Jesus.’ Why stand ye gazing on the toys of this world, when such a Christ is offered to you in the gospel? Can the world die for you? Can the world reconcile you to the Father? Can the world advance you to the kingdom of heaven? As Christ is all in all, so let him be the full and complete subject of our desire, and hope, and faith, and love, and joy; let him be in your thoughts the first in the morning, and the last at night.

Isaac Ambrose (To learn more about Isaac Ambrose click on the link on the left)

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Quotes #31…Preacher Purl 1951

January 16, 2026

“And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen.”

From the movie Hoosiers (1986)



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