No Other Place

Michael E. Wood

August 20, 2017

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter 1:2-7


“… the transcendent excellency of this life of communion with God: it is the life of our life, the joy of our hearts; a heaven upon earth,”


“It is the instrument of mortification, and the most excellent and successful instrument for that purpose in all the world.”


“A temptation overcome this way is more effectually subdued than by all the vows, resolutions, and external means in the world.” John Flavel, The Works of John Flavel, Volume 4, pages 250, 253, 254

Lay hold of Him through promises made

Which do not change nor do they fade.

And more secure we cannot be

Than when we first by grace believe.

Oh, venture then in every place

To please Him who has shown His face

Of glory in the Christ, the Lord,

Jesus, who thus wields the sword

Of truth which renders such effect

To slay remaining sin subject

To death and must be laid to rest

As we draw near our Savior’s breast.

Commune with Him as He with you

Will show transforming power to,

And demonstrate to those around

No other place can grace be found.

In The Darkest Distress

Michael E. Wood

January 21, 2016

O Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you.  Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!  For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah Psalm 88:1-7

Spiritual depression is one of the most difficult realities for some to comprehend.  For believers who have never suffered in this manner, they are hard pressed to be of any use to those who suffer if they have never been brought to a place of understanding through personal experience or the pure revelation of God by His Spirit through the Psalmist as displayed in Psalm 88.  I would encourage you to read the Psalm in its entirety and consider the words of the “Prince of Preachers”, from his own personal experience.

 “…. God never placed a Joseph in a pit without drawing him up again to fill a throne: that He never caused a horror of great darkness to fall upon an Abraham without revealing His covenant to him; and never cast a Jonah into the deeps without preparing the means to land him safely on dry land.  Alas, when under deep depression the mind forgets all this, and is only conscious of its unutterable misery; the man sees the lion but not the honey in the carcass, he feels the thorns but he cannot smell the roses which adorn them. He who now feebly expounds these words knows within himself more than he would care or dare to tell of the abysses of inward anguish.  He has sailed round Cape of Storms, and has drifted along by the dreary headlands of despair. He has groaned out with one of old –“My bones are pierced in me in the night season; and my sinews take no rest I go mourning without sun.  Terrors are turned upon me; they pursue my soul as the wind.”  Those who know this bitterness by experience will sympathize, but from others it would be idle to expect pity, nor would their pity be worth the having if it could not be obtained.  It is an unspeakable consolation that our Lord Jesus knows this experience, right well, having, with the exception of sin of it, felt it all and more than all in Gethsemane when he was exceeding sorrowful even unto death.” 

C.H Spurgeon, The Treasury of David

No sensible sense of a comfort I feel

As my soul lies in torments by waves as they reel

Upward then plunging to depths never known

In the darkest distress of my spirit to groan.

Oh, when might I know Holy Father the gain

In the light of Your presence relief from this pain?

For when I look up I see only despair,

Then buried much deeper, I question Your care.

And yet I will call and will cry from my heart

While ignorance blinds me from knowing each part

You work with these trials as Your wisdom subdues

Every atom in place and the unseen reviews

Of soul searching time and again endless days

Awaiting the moment You break through the haze.

How long, with The Psalmist, Oh LORD, will I cry?

Yet to You I will to the day that I die!

Hear Ye Him! (New Song)

Michael E. Wood

October 24-28, 2015

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen Deuteronomy 18:15

Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. Acts 3:22

This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’  This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. Acts 7:37-38

“Here we are at the very heart and center of the Christian message. The purpose of Christian preaching is to call men and women to listen to the Lord Jesus Christ.” Martyn Lloyd Jones, p. 140, Studies in the Book of Acts, Volume Five, Triumphant Christianity

One principle that is found throughout the scriptures and given by the grace of God to all who have been brought to life through the merit of Christ alone is the desire that others hear Him! Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.

 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

Let us be faithful as those who are used to sow or those who are used to water to trust that He is not only able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, but that He will in His time. He can take that which has lain dormant for years and bring forth a plenteous harvest as He speaks! Hear Ye Him!

Have you heard the mighty chorus

Of the prophets gone before?

Can you hear our Father speaking,

Listen to the One adored?

And the Spirit now within you

Testifying to the fact,

It is Christ who sealed our pardon

And some day He’s coming back!

Hear ye Him!

Son of God and Son of Man.

Hear ye Him!

Doing what no other can,

Speaking life into the dead

To show there is no other way.

Hear ye Him! Hear ye Him!

In this world of fancy answers,

Tolerating every choice,

There is One above all others,

We do well to hear His voice.

In the midst of all our failures,

How compassionate our Friend,

As He promised to be with us

For His glory to the end.

Hear ye Him!

Living waters now He gives.

Hear ye Him!

All in all because He lives.

And He makes us more than conquerors

Through every test of life.

Hear ye Him! Hear ye Him!

Now if you have some questions

And are burdened in your mind

You must see what He reveals

By His own Word and you will find

He has answered your particulars

Before you even ask

And will strengthen you in spirit

With His presence in your task.

Hear ye Him!

Who moves mountains by His name.

Hear ye Him!

Who makes weaknesses our gain,

With a heart that’s filled with new desires

To seek His smiling face.

Hear ye Him! Hear ye Him!

So with this simple song

We have but one thing left to say.

Let us not exalt His servants

O’er the Master of the day.

Who Himself has made the sun to shine

In valleys and the peaks

Of the highest mountains

Glorifying Christ alone, who speaks.

Hear ye Him!

Reigning high above the stars.

Hear ye Him!

Who has proven with His scars,

There is nothing that can separate

From His eternal love.

Hear ye Him! Hear ye Him!

O God, You are worthy of Praise (New Chorus)

Michael E. Wood

September 1, 2015

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18

“As God does nothing but aims at His own glory thereby, Proverbs 16:4; so no act of God towards His people, wherein He intends not their good, and as such becomes the subject of their thanksgiving.  Hence we are bid ‘in everything give thanks’. O what a copious theme hath God given His people to enlarge their meditations upon – ‘in everything!’ The whole course and series of divine providence towards the saints is like a music-book, in every leaf whereof there is a song ready pricked for them to learn and sing to the praise of God.”

“It is not a library makes a scholar, but wisdom to observe and gather the choice notions out of his books. None want (lack) mercies to bless God for. Divine providence is a large volume, written thick and close with mercies from one end of our life to the other; but few, alas have a heart to read in it, and fewer have wisdom to collect the choice passages of it for such a holy purpose as this.”  William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, Volume 2, p 449, 463

Praise is an essential part of ‘all prayer’ for the child of God. As we learn from Him through His Word to see various nuances of His kindness toward us in every kind of providence, we are thereby strengthened by His Spirit to give thanks in everything and more readily render Him the praise He is due.

O God, You are worthy of praise,

For the least of the mercies You show us!

How great is the sum of them all,

All life You unfold as a chorus;

With measures which fit us each day

Promoting Your praise all the way.

O God, You are worthy of praise,

For the least of the mercies You show us!

Fill Mine Eyes

Michael E. Wood

August 25, 2015

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.  O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!   Psalm 84:11-12

“Temporal mercies are chiefly to be desired for the sake of spiritual, but spiritual mercies for themselves, and not for temporal advantages….. Temporal mercies are chiefly to be desired for the sake of spiritual blessings, and not their own…. The Christian, when praying for temporal things, should desire them for helps in his way and passage to heaven.  I do not say it is unlawful to desire life, health, and other comforts of this life, for the suitableness that these have to our natural affections, and to supply our outward necessities; but to desire them only for this is low and base, it is the mere cry of the creature.”  William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, Volume 2, p.428

The preceding quote may seem out of place in relation to the following prayer, as the heart of this poetic prayer is toward God Himself.  Yet, from past experience as well being in the process of growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it seems that we by nature can easily fall into expecting temporal blessings as a result of our pursuit of knowing God. Yes, He promises to His children that no good thing will He withhold from those that walk uprightly, but we all have need to allow and accept from Him what He defines as good, as He is our chief Good.

Fill mine eyes with Thine own glory

Through Thy Word, O Help me see

More of You for Thine own pleasure;

Draw me by Thy Spirit’s plea.

Not for comfort or for temporal

Gains that profit not, or last:

In beholding more Thy beauty

Of Your image, darkly cast;

Help me run the race with patience,

Joyfully, till home with You,

With Your splendor thus transcending

All redeemed in every hue.

Holiness in Which to View

Michael E. Wood

October 10, 2014

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

“Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment – hating what He hates – loving what He loves – and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word.” (p. 64, Holiness, J.C. Ryle)

“… true holiness is a great reality. It is something in a man that can be seen, and known, and marked, and felt by all around him. It is light: if it exists, it will show itself. It is salt: if it exists, its savour will be perceived. It is precious ointment: if it exists, its presence can not be hid.” (p. 69, Holiness, J.C. Ryle)

“Habitual lively faith in Christ’s presence and readiness to help is the secret of the Christian soldier fighting successfully.

  It must never be forgotten that faith admits of degrees. All men do not believe alike, and even the same person has his ebbs and flows of faith, and believes more heartily at one time than another.” (p. 91, Holiness, J.C. Ryle)

I am often amazed at the provision of God in meeting us as His children right in the place of our need. Recently I had the privilege of attending one session of a men’s conference focusing on “godliness” at Grace Bible Church in Fair Oaks, California. I was given the choice of four books to take with me. If you have never read “Holiness” by J.C. Ryle, I would highly recommend it. You can find it here http://www.epbooks.org/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=9781783970162

Oh, help me now, as I pursue

The holiness in which to view

The face of Him who took my place

And died to save me by Your grace.

So freely now I come to You

Who raised me up to walk anew

And ask that You would make me know

Each step that You would have me go.

For as I think and contemplate

Of all You’ve spoken here of late,

It seems I have so far to go

To honor You by how I grow.

And though I know it makes You smile

When I just sit with You awhile

And listen to all You have said.

Oh, Christ, my living, worthy head

Help me show forth by righteous deeds

That others see that grace proceeds

To change us for Your glory now

By each degree until we bow

Before Your throne and give the praise

For all You’ve done through all our days

And see in perfect love, Your face,

Oh God of glory; God of grace.

The Sure Foundation

Michael E. Wood

May 12, 2014

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:1-2

“Now this is surely a message for us at the present time. The first thing we have to do is make certain of the foundations. We need not to labour this point. We all must be ready to agree that the main effect of the various movements in the realm of thought and in the realm of religion (alas!) during the last hundred years has been to query and to question the foundation. The trouble still in the church is a matter of foundations.” October 6, 1946, from a message preached by DM Lloyd Jones in Westminster Chapel, London.

While contemplating thoughts that came to mind upon beginning a new book of expository sermons on 2 Peter I was reminded that we need to preach the gospel to ourselves every day.

The gospel call is what I know

And need to hear most, every day.

For Jesus set His love within

My heart, to speak along the way.

The narrow gate, He brought me in

By blessed holy union

And through His blood I now enjoy

The Father’s sweet communion.

The Holy Spirit leadeth me

And shows to me my teachers,

Confirming truth by scriptures

As they’re taught by His own preachers

Appointed and anointed

To instruct by wisdom given

To live each day by faith in Him

Who in me is now livin’.

How subtly our enemy

Attacks the sure foundation

On which we have been built

Upon in each new generation.

But Christ who has accomplished

Our salvation to the end

Will glorify Himself

In each new battle that we win.

So courage take, by righteousness

Through Christ within the veil

As we as bones and flesh of His

Are strengthened to prevail

O’er all that is now present

In this worldly evil haze

Till all the glory of His light

Shines through all of our days.

Imputed and Imparted

Michael E. Wood

April 22, 2014

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Ephesians 6:10-14

“Before I can stand in the presence of God I must be positively holy, I must be positively righteous. God is just and holy. ‘God is light and in Him is no darkness at all’. To stand in His presence I need to be positively righteous. And this is how it happens. As I believe on God’s Son and His perfect work for me, He ‘imputes’ His righteousness, His perfect observance of the law to me. I have not kept the law; Christ has kept it perfectly and He is righteous before the law. God puts that to my account, imputes to me, the righteousness of His own Son. He clothes me with it. So, as I stand in the presence of God, God does not see me, He sees the righteousness of His Son covering me completely.”

“That is the beginning; that is what makes me a Christian; that is the foundation. But God does not stop at that, He now begins to work in me the righteousness of His own Son. He ‘imparts’ it to me, He makes it a part of me, He puts it into me. This happens of necessity as the result of the rebirth, regeneration, the new life. There is a seed of life ‘implanted’ in me.”  

Quotations from: “The Christian Soldier", D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, p. 229, 230

Imputed and imparted is the righteousness alone

Which comes by faith in Jesus Christ who did for us atone

To give us such a standing that we in the presence of

God the Father, know Him and are known as His Beloved!

And no inherent goodness or integrity of ours

Could ever stand the torments of the darkest cosmic powers

But grace so freely given helps us learn that we can stand,

Receiving strength by promise in obedience to command

Of God breathed words provided through the text of Holy writ,

Empowered by the Spirit, working in our inner wit

To grow us and sustain us for the purpose we were born

Anew and thus prepared as Christ’s own bride, He did adorn.

The One who Reconciled

Michael E. Wood

December 27, 2013

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

John Newton said it well when he penned the words, “Tis grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. “

The more we are given the privilege of seeing through the scriptures the condition of the heart and mind with which we were born into this world the more amazed we become that God would have looked upon any of us with pleasure. Sin permeated every aspect of our being and we were blinded to that fact by the god of this world. We followed the spirit of this fallen world without a thought of our lost condition, thinking only of things in light of our personal advantage.

Having been born of the Spirit and made new creations in Christ we have been given a new principle of life effectually working in us whereby we are enabled to glory in the cross of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Likewise we are enabled by the Spirit to glory in God as our Father, who has reconciled us to Himself through God the Son.

Though unworthy, yet we glory

In the One who reconciled

We the people of His pleasure

When through Christ He on us smiled.

As His blood upon the alter

Through His veil of flesh was laid

In the presence of the Father

Justice for our sins displayed

Such an awesome show of mercy

None can fully fathom here

Yet through faith we live to honor

Him who died and shall appear

To bring forth the full redemption

Raising from the dust of earth

Bodies new then in the likeness

Of the One who gave new birth.

By the Spirit, let us praise Him

Till the final hour come

When in fullness we adore Him,

Christ, our God and Father’s Son.

Spark - All These Things

Michael E. Wood
October 7, 2013

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 

2 Peter 1: 5-7

Since the passage from 2 Peter speaks of the process of our ongoing sanctification while we remain on earth, which is the effect of the gospel to the glory of God, I thought it would be appropriate to also include the following quote with the little spark of poetry that came to mind while reading the scripture passage.

“… we think of holiness in terms of deliverance from particular sins, but that is not its object. The object of holiness is to bring us into fellowship with God, that we may enjoy this fellowship; it is to prepare us for heaven. It must all be thought of always in terms of this fundamental relationship to God and not some feeling you are going to get. No, no; but to give you this deep knowledge, and to lead to a communion that goes on ever deepening so that eventually you shall have a vision of God: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ That is the object of holiness.” *

All these things we’re called unto
Reflect the glory found in You.
So help us show the full effect
Of grace You give to make perfect
The fruit that others may partake
Of Christ who suffered for our sake
The wrath of justice that was due
To show, O God, Your mercy too.

*From An Exposition of Romans 9, page 130, D. Martyn Lloyd Jones

Proclaiming Freedom

Michael E. Wood

August 20-21, 2013

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, Philippians 1:12

Though we in America for the most part know very little about being literally in bonds or chains for the sake of the gospel, we can learn from the experience of the apostle Paul that God continues to be Sovereign over our own opportunities and experience.

My normal Wednesday morning schedule includes a Bible study-worship time at a small assisted living facility called Abiding Care which houses six residents. What had begun with visiting with one resident, a former resident of Atria-El Camino Gardens whose name is Anne, developed into a regular time with as many as four of them meeting with me on a somewhat regular basis.

Today was different. As I entered the dining area where we meet, they had just finished breakfast, which was normal. One of the ladies moved to a nearby couch which is more comfortable for her and listens from there; still normal. But everyone else left. So there I am with the one at the table with which this study began with an employee within ear shot doing some cleaning in the kitchen. Not totally disheartened, we began by singing Amazing Grace, read from Philippians 1: 1-12, had a time of prayer and then entered the study focusing on verse 12. After about fifty minutes I noticed my one faithful lady, Anne, had dropped her head and fallen asleep. Upon looking back at the lady on the couch, she too had fallen asleep.

Though there have been times when we have continued for an hour and a half, I realized it was time to come to a close for the day. Upon touching Anne on the arm, she was very apologetic of which I assured her that she was fine. I closed by reading a couple of quotes  I found written by commentator B. C. Caffin concerning the text, the poem recited below, and prayer.

“Example is better than precept. The sight of a suffering saint, patient, contented, happy, does more to win souls than hundreds of sermons. It is the visible proof of the power of Christ.”

“The gift of preaching is far inferior to the grace of charity. The eloquent preacher may be ambitious, worldly, actuated by party spirit, not by love of Christ.”

Nothing quite like this had ever happened in the year and a half that I have been going to this facility and it resulted in me leaving earlier than normal. While being a little baffled at what had taken place I continued to my next stop.

The Eskaton in Carmichael houses another former resident of Atria named Lucy of which we have had the pleasure of meeting with for nearly two years. She was one of the first people we met and the Lord has used her to open a number of gospel opportunities over the years and today was just one example. As I walked down the hall toward her room she was sitting outside in her wheel chair. Another lady named Doris was near by and asked who I was. Upon introducing myself and telling her about our relationship with Lucy and that I would be sharing some scripture and singing she accepted the invitation to join us. As I began to sing Amazing Grace, Doris joined in. Another lady named Lou who was sitting in her wheel chair not too far away joined in as well and rolled herself closer to us. While opening the scriptures and singing another song we found ourselves being joined by two men. So there we were in the hallway with an opportunity to share the gospel of Christ with five of the residents which may not have happened in the way that it did had I not been there at that exact time. Yes, God is still Sovereign over our opportunities and experiences when we trust and obey.

While driving back to our apartment I came to a stop at a light behind a truck with a decal on the back window which said “Going Fishing”. Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

He takes those things which seem distressing

To bring forth a richer blessing,

Turning all out for our good

Though far from us yet understood.

For though we may seem now deterred

By circumstance; His voice is heard

Proclaiming freedom through our bonds

To hearts He opens and responds

Unto the faithful gospel call

That Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

The Treasure Others See

Michael E. Wood

August 5, 2013

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

Are there passages of scripture that seem to captivate you, filled with depths which cannot be plumbed? Well, this has been one for me.

Commentators tell me within these three verses lie every aspect of insight of which the Apostle Paul will unfold through the course of the rest of the letter to the Philippians. While I believe that to be true, without going into too much detail, there are a number of things which have become obvious already.

This model of prayer is for all saints, regardless of what their position or giftedness may be in the church. Our love should be excessive in quantity, quality, or both; ever increasing without end, both for God and man. Through knowledge and discernment by the scriptures we learn to approve what is excellent. As we learn to test and appropriate what is excellent we become more Christ like in character, working out with fear and trembling what He has worked in by His Spirit with the assurance that our Father will bring His work to completion at the day of Christ.

“There are three faculties in our souls which are capable of receiving spiritual strength. They are the understanding, the desires and the will. So any spiritual ability we have must be because it has been imparted to these faculties.”

“We are utterly dependent on him for all our good actions and for that root and spring of holiness in us from which all spiritually good actions arise.”

“We are to behold Christ. We should be stirred by Christ's example to be like him. Since all he did was out of love for us.  All he did was for our good; imitating him will be the best thing we could do for our good.”  John Owen, "The Holy Spirit”, Puritan Paperbacks, The Banner of Truth Trust

Help me seek You as I serve You

In this course of study here,

So that I may live to please You

As I walk within Your fear,

And then prove that which is excellent

As now judged by Your light

Which gives weight to what You’re speaking

As we stand now in Your sight.

Oh permeate our hearts and minds

With Your unchanging Word,

Oh Father, to live out in truth

The things of which we've heard.

For nothing so compels us as

The love by which we’re bound,

Transforming every thought and deed

Till Christ alone is found,

To be the treasure others see

When come we face to face

And show the matchless wonder

Of Your own redeeming grace.