Personal Covenants (Part II)

Last week we made the decision not to have a Supporter Appreciation Episode because what we recorded was so good and helpful we felt it needed to be a podcast in its own right.

Last week’s podcast began a discussion on the practice of personal covenants. We defined what they are, appropriate and inappropriate approaches to them, and the dangers and blessings of using them. We also discussed the different points of William Grimshaw’s personal covenant.

There are many more personal covenants we could discuss. The personal covenant of Jonathan Edwards, with its 70 resolutions, is famous. Samuel Rutherford’s is not as well-known nor as intense as Edwards’, but is very warm. In this week’s podcast, we look at a modern covenant writer, John Snyder.

In a Supporter Appreciation Episode a few weeks ago, we discussed why John was in Wales, and what he did while there. For those who may not know, John spent three years working for his Ph.D. in the tiny country. While there, he sat under the preaching and leadership of Mr. Vernon Higham. (Links to the Vernon Higham Trust under Show Notes.)

During his time Wales, John was given a deep burden for the glory of God. He was concerned about his personal holiness and the honor (and dishonor) of God in local churches. That burden weighed on him for over six months and culminated in him taking time away from everything to wrestle with the Lord. The result was a personal covenant. John does not read all of his personal covenant, but he does share all the events the led to its writing and what he has done with it since.

0:00-2:00 Matt introduces this week’s discussion, John’s personal covenant before starting the work at Christ Church New Albany.

2:00-8:00 John recounts his time in Wales and how God began to do a work in his soul that gave him a deep concern for the glory of God in his life and in churches. During that season, God met with him in a very special way and it led to prayer times unlike any other in John’s life.

8:00-14:00 John made a short trip back to America to do some research in Richard Owen Robert’s personal library. During his brief time back, three things happened that led to an end of his crisis.

14:00-18:00 After the three heartbreaking events, John knew he had to spend time alone with the Lord. He thought he would meet with God during an entire day of fasting and prayer. He read through Psalm 81 and God applied that passage directly to his soul.

18:00-22:00 God met with John must faster than he anticipated. So he spent the rest of his time writing out a personal covenant. It is the only time in his life he has been moved to such an action. John reads the beginning of his covenant and explains why he is both encouraged and discouraged by reading it anew.

22:00-30:00 Matthew takes a second and reflects on how John’s crisis and burden for God’s glory have been answered by God. John discusses how every step, especially the work of Media Gratiae, has been guided by the desire to glorify God.

30:00- Matthew concludes this week’s podcast. We hope, after you watch or listen to it, you understand why we felt it necessary to release this as we did.

Supporters

This week's Supporter Appreciation Episode is a bit different than previous episodes. We step away from John's office and record in the Media Gratiae office. Teddy James joins Matthew. Teddy is usually behind the cameras during the podcast. But he comes to the other side to talk about Media Gratiae's upcoming calendar, projects that are in the works, and much more.

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