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?
When Fear Is Good
January 7, 2012
NO FEAR, we are told. And the point is well taken. But fear can be healthy, at least when it comes to eternal matters.I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Luke 12:4,5
Referring to Jeremiah in his book RUN WITH THE HORSES, Eugene Peterson says that Jeremiah was undeterred by the hostility around him and his message, for "the most important thing in his life was God - not comfort, not applause, not security, but the living God."
"What he did fear was worship without astonishment, religion without commitment. He feared getting what he wanted, and missing what God wanted. It is the only thing worthy of our fear."
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.
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.
2010 and Eternity
December 31, 2009
As Paul said, the hour has come for us to wake up from our slumber. Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Henry Vaughn the poet had some specific ways to put "feet" on that suggestion, living each day with eternity in mind.
Ring In The New
December 30, 2009
A new year, a fresh start, resolutions, you've done it all before. But Paul did say, "forgetting what lies behind, I press on..." Here's how a great saint from several centuries ago determined to live out a new year.
Of Whom This World Was Not Worthy
July 20, 2009
In Hebrews 11, the reader is overwhelmed with a heritage of the faithful. They are many and varied. And history testifies that this glorious train of believers is ongoing, and magnificent. It will take all of history to tell the full story.
The Best And Worst Of Times
May 11, 2009
In the opening sentences of A TALE OF TWO CITIES, the reader is immediately thrust into the turmoil. For Madame Elizabeth of France, that turmoil meant death by guillotine. She was faithful to the end, and went magnificently.
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.
Advent - A Time For Taking Stock
December 2, 2008
Inventory isn't fun, but it is a necessary part of good business practice. And for the believer, this time of year gives us several weeks in a row when we can evaluate and re-evaluate our lives, and what we are giving ourselves away to.
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?
Keeping The Main Thing The Main Thing
November 9, 2008
When the advice "don't put all your eggs in one basket" seeps into ministry, danger lies ahead. "Keeping your options open" is a recipe for disaster for the minister of God, making whole-hearted devotion to Christ an even greater mountain to climb.
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.
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?
Nothing Is Impossible With God
October 5, 2008
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:19
Examine Yourself
October 4, 2008
Man is so prone to sinful ways, that without maintaining a constant strict watch over himself, no other can be expected than, that he will walk in some way of sin. Jonathan Edwards
Why Pray?
September 26, 2008
"Prayer," says Vinet, "is like the air of certain ocean isles, which is so pure that there vermin cannot live. We should surround ourselves with this atmosphere, as the diver shuts himself into his bell ere he descends into the deep."
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.
When Personal Piety Is Problematic
July 9, 2008
In chapter one of Acts, we are told that the Church "joined constantly in prayer." Where did that kind of zeal go, and how might we get it back?
Rend The Heavens And Come Down
July 8, 2008
God can withdraw His presence, and if He does, things just become normal and blah. Who wants that? What happens if we call on God to come near?
Getting Serious About Revival
July 8, 2008
I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known. Habakkuk 3:2
The Light That Surprised William Cowper
July 8, 2008
The Lord said to Moses, "Who gave man his mouth?...is it not I, the Lord?" William Cowper stuggled with mental illness all his life, yet even so his "thorn in the flesh" enriched the Church. Just how did this happen?
Life's Wear And Tear
July 8, 2008
"I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:16
