Recent Posts
God? Who Needs Him?May 31, 2013
Self-sufficient humanism. Paul saw it coming – “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
Imago Dei
September 12, 2012
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Why Can't I Pray?
August 18, 2012
The bible gives us several reasons, but according to Jeremy Taylor, a deceitful heart is at the root of prayerlessness.
It's Not Rocket Science
July 23, 2012
To keep in step with the Spirit should be our daily quest. And if we are successful at that, all of life falls into place.
Theological Steak
April 10, 2012
These words by P. T. Forsythe on the magnificence of Christ's work are to theology what Ruth's Chris is to a good steak.
Describing the Indescribable
February 11, 2012
What we have in Christ will take all eternity to describe. But for one segment of one sermon, a great preacher made a mighty attempt.
Making Sense Of It All
January 30, 2012
Where are things headed? Is there rhyme and reason to the endless cycle of summer, fall, winter and spring? Is there a plan in place, or is randomness the explanation?
Happy, Happy, Happy
January 4, 2012
The declaration of independence holds up the pursuit of happiness as a right. Did you ever consider the reading the bible might be the one source that will never let you down?It's unfortunate that George Mueller is not a household name, considering all the good he did for thousands of parentless children on the streets of London in the middle of the 19th century.
The orphanages that God raised up through Mueller's faith were started with only two shillings (50 cents) but as he prayed - believe it or not without making his needs known - slowly but surely the buildings were built to feed and house orphans for sixty years.
How did this happen, you ask? Curiously, Mueller credits his habit of scripture reading.
I believe that the one chief reason that I have been kept in happy useful service is that I have been a lover of Holy Scripture.
It has been my habit to read the Bible through four times a year; in a prayerful spirit, to apply it to my heart, and practice what I find there. I have been for sixty-nine years a happy man; happy, happy, happy."
Forget four times. Try once in 2012. Baby steps. Here are some questions to keep you focused and to increase your understanding of what you are reading.
1. What do these words actually mean?
2. What light do other scriptures through on this text? Where and how does it fit in the total biblical revelation?
3. What truths does it teach about God, and about man in relation to God?
4. How are these truths related to the saving work of Christ, and what light does the gospel of Christ throw on them?
5. What experiences do these truths delineate, or explain, or seek to create or cure? For what practical purpose do they stand in Scripture?
6. How do they apply to myself and others in our own actual situation? To what present human condition do they speak, and what are they telling us to believe and do?
From A QUEST FOR GODLINESS by J. I. Packer, page 105
The Twelve Signs Of Grace
December 22, 2011
Self-examination is not easy to do. The tendency is to let ourselves off easy. But examine we must, for eternity is at stake.Self-examination takes courage and honesty. And since it concerns our eternal destination, we need to be all the more diligent to estimate how our soul is doing.
Jeremy Taylor, (15 August 1613 – 13 August 1667) was a cleric in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author Oliver Cromwell rose to power, and he spent a considerable amount of time thinking on this matter of holiness and integrity of heart.
The person certainly belongs to God,
1) who believes and is baptized into all the articles of the Christian faith,
2) and studies to improve their knowledge in the matters of God, so as may best make them live a holy life.
3) Out of obedience to Christ they worship God diligently, frequently, and constantly, with natural religion, that is of prayer, praises and thanksgiving.
4) They take all opportunities to remember Christ's death by a frequent sacrament, as it can be had, or else by inward acts of understanding, will, and memory (which is the spiritual communion) when the external rite is not possible.
5) They live chastely,
6) and are merciful.
7) They despise the world, using it, but never engrossed in it.
8) They are just in their dealings and diligent in their calling.
9) They are humble in spirit,
10) obedient to government,
11) content in their fortune and employment.
12) They do their duty out of love God; and if after all this they are afflicted, they are patient, ready to suffer affliction for the cause of God.
The person who has these twelve signs of grace and predestination does as certainly belong to God, and is His child as surely, as he is His creature.
Well? How'd you do?
Better Than Counting Sheep
December 13, 2010
When my head hits the pillow, it's lights out. But perhaps before nodding off, some more intentionality might be in order. Certainly Jeremy Taylor thought so.
Running To Win The Prize
September 16, 2010
The race of faith is a marathon. Some compete, some excell, some just plan on finishing, and others drop out. It is commendable to set the bar high, to finish well.
Man In The Mirror
January 4, 2010
The mirror doesn't lie. Like, "I need to get in shape," we conclude, or "I gotta' do something about my appearance?" Spiritually speaking, it's important to look in the mirror of God's word, and make the changes accordingly, with the Holy Sprit's help.
What Really Matters
July 11, 2009
On the surface, this world seems promising. But as wonderful as it is, it can't compare with knowing Christ, and the living water he supplies that quenches any and every thirst.
Say So
June 24, 2009
There are times when the saying "silence is golden" is appropriate. For the believer, though, the more we verbalize what God has done, the more our heart is enlarged, and God is glorified.
Saturday Night Ritual
June 22, 2009
No question, Saturday evening is traditionally a "night-on-the-town" opportunity. But if we are to be sitting in church just 12 hours later for worship, just what steps can be taken to make that time as significant as possible?
Now That's A Headstone!!
June 20, 2009
King Jehoram passed away at age 32 "to no one's regret." Ouch. The Puritan John Owen not only left thousands of pages of passionate theology behind, his life inspired one of the world's wordiest epitaphs on his grave marker. It is worth our attention.
Old Things Pass Away....
June 13, 2009
Transformation. Being born again, suddenly everything is turned upside down. Or is it right-side-up? Either way, we no longer see things the same way. We belong to another. And it's ok. Or if it's not.....
What Would Moses Think?
June 4, 2009
In sports, debate rages as to whether some great team from a certain era could defeat a powerful team from another decade. What if we applied the same test to faith matters? How would this generation fare, when compared to the faithful of the past?
Feeding On The Bone
May 13, 2009
Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) stated that the "reason why Christians are so loath to exchange this world for a better is because they have more sense than faith; they see what they enjoy; they do but hope for what is to come."
Keeping The Heart Tender
April 20, 2009
God has the power to change hearts. He can give us brand new ones. But just like what we eat can keeps us living longer, so we can live in a way that keeps our spiritual hearts beating for the living God.
Restless? Join The Club
April 7, 2009
Why do we sit with a remote and just click away mindlessly? Why do we flit from interest to interest? Why is remaking ourselves a popular cultural passtime? Do you think God might have had anything to do with it?
The Problem With Puddles
March 28, 2009
It rains, and they appear. Want-a-be lakes, they show up and are gone. Puddles are a nuisance more than anything - good for nothing, really. How do we keep our lives from being the equivalent?
Deserted, maybe. Forsaken, never!
February 24, 2009
Our walk with God has its high points, and its low ones. We have times when God seems intensely near, and other times when it seems our cry is ignored, and God is nowhere to be seen. Or so it seems. Bottom line - it is all for our good.
Thank God For Lancelot Andrewes
February 6, 2009
Who? In the 1500's in England, Lancelot Andrewes compiled for his own use "Private Prayers," which formed the structure he used to poured out his heart to God. Why reinvent the wheel? How might his "method" help us in the 21st Century?
Rise And Shine!
February 4, 2009
Getting out of bed in the morning can be difficult. And making the time to be with God before the day demands our full attention is a challenge many of us struggle with. But the dividends are immeasurable.
Saintly Resolutions: GEORGE BOWEN
January 1, 2009
Who? It was said of him,"He was all soul, and you can't photograph the soul nor describe it as you know it to exist." Missionary, scholar, mystic, saint. Quite a resume. So what advice does he give us at the turning of a new year?
Saintly Resolutions: HENRY MARTYN
December 29, 2008
Shaped by the pastoring of Charles Simeon at Cambridge, Henry Martyn burned bright for God in India until his early death at age 31. From an entry in his journal on the first day of 1807, we get a wonderful glimpse of his heart for God.
Saintly Resolutions: MATTHEW HENRY
December 29, 2008
Making New Year resolutions is a venerable tradition. But they do tend to be a bit trivial, as in weight goals. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) left us an example of how to set our hopes and dreams and expectations before the Lord, with eternity in mind.
Stay On The Main Road
November 25, 2008
Jesus said that he and he alone is the way, truth and the life. No one could get to the Father except through him. But many try alternate routes. It is only an exercise in futility.
Feeling Our Way Through Life
November 24, 2008
Feelings have become the new end all, the criteria that governs our actions. At the same time, self-discipline is frowned upon as inauthentic and artificial. Worship often loses out, when it is our means to health and wholeness.
Out With A Blaze Of Glory
November 19, 2008
Our culture sets 65 as the ideal time to quit working and just enjoy life. For the Christian, an eternal perspective places a different set of demands on us. The Lord's work is never done. What keeps us going?
Making A Difference
November 13, 2008
We all want our lives to matter, to count for something. How can we be sure we are not throwing our life away? What will count for eternity? This much we know. Giving ourselves to Kingdom of God work is never wasted effort.
Self-examination
November 12, 2008
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself a break." Welcome to our cultural mantra. The gravitational pull of the world can be devastating, so Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13: 5: "Examine yourselves." Just what does that look like, and how do we do it?
Redeeming Time
November 12, 2008
Jesus may have participated in small talk ("Wow, it's way hot!) but given the nature of his mission and his short stay, he seems to have made every minute count for eternity. Every encounter seems to be in dead earnest. So what is our take away?
The Best Sermon of the Last 200 Years
November 11, 2008
What if someone preached a sermon so powerful that it launched Protestant missions, and initiated the modern mission movement? What in the world did William Carey say that had such an impact?
Satisfaction Guaranteed
November 6, 2008
The mere presence of these two words on the packaging admits that the product may not deliver. With God, there is no risk. We are offered a relationship of the most magnificent possibility, with the absolute certainty that He will never disappoint.
Cheaper Chicken
October 29, 2008
What are you shooting for? Is your life being lived myopically, with self-interest as the bottom line? Or do you have the grand purposes of God propel you? Choose carefully. Each of us gets one go-around.
Detecting Slippage
October 21, 2008
This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:2
What's Your News Source?
October 19, 2008
Newspapers are myopic. Who, where, when, how. The why is not so easy. Yes, online news is faster, but scripture alone gives us the big picture, giving us a framework of God's plan that calms our souls, reassuring us that the end is in God's hands.
Prepping The Heart For Worship
October 14, 2008
How many of us slide into church on Sunday morning, and the first song is like a cold shower. What might we do to prepare the heart for worship? A Puritan has a few valuable suggestions.
The Company We Keep
October 10, 2008
You've heard the phrase "in the world, but not of the world." How do we associate with unbelievers, without being molded by their perspective on life, and losing our zeal and spiritual fervor?
Why Worship?
September 28, 2008
“If you don’t worship, you’ll shrink.” Words of wisdom from the psychologist in Peter Shaffer’s play "Equus."
Physician, Heal Thyself
September 3, 2008
Pride causes us to "tisk, tisk" everyone else, and to never turn the eye inward. To stay in that state is misery and death. Just how can pride be "put in its place?"
Pride
September 3, 2008
Thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought provides the fertile soil for all sorts of mayhem.
Walt's Worldview
September 1, 2008
Knowing where history will end up gives us the perspective to persevere, to not stress, and to have the assurance that though all does not seem to be going well, it will be well in the end.
Comfort and the Plan of God
July 11, 2008
The kingdom of this world is becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. But that battle is "no holds barred" - it's nasty, and believers can get caught up in some pretty uncomfortable moments in the process.
Wikipedia and Deadly Sin #7
July 8, 2008
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:8
Life's Wear And Tear
July 8, 2008
"I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:16
The World Was Not Worthy Of Him
July 7, 2008
Heaven will be filled of saints who lived here on earth as if there was a home elsewhere waiting for them - an eternal home. George Bowen of Bombay was such a follower of Christ.
