In this quote, John Piper explains the nature of the calmness exuded by a meek person, even as they might well be accomplishing much for the Lord: “. . . Meek people are quiet or still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. First, they discover that God can be trusted. Then, second, they commit their way to him. And then, third, they wait patiently in stillness for the work of God in their lives. This doesn’t mean they... Read more
I think I will let these words from Spurgeon stand without further comment from me. I’m probably already in enough hot water just for repeating them. Why, there are those who pretend to save souls by curious tricks, intricate manoeuvres, and dexterous posture-making! A basin of water, half-a-dozen drops, certain syllables—heigh, presto—the infant is made a child of God, a member of Christ, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven! This aqueous regeneration surpasses my belief; it is a... Read more
One little known fact about Doctor Martyn Lloyd-Jones is his opposition to the concept of theological degrees for Christians. The following quote is probably the best one I have found which explains his reasoning for this position. It is also notable for the disappointment he clearly feels with those who are not interested in understanding more about God, but also his similar despair over those who stop at mere knowledge about God without pressing in to truly know him and... Read more
I have been posting links to the churches being planted by Newfrontiers in the top 100 cities of America. Coming in at 34 is the city of Atlanta, with a church plant being led by Carl Herrington. The Atlanta church plant is called Jubilee Church Atlanta, and mp3s are available to download on their website. This church is already generating some interest in its regional area, so I expect we may see some more plants in the vicinity in the... Read more
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has now stated the obvious by finally agreeing with bankers that the world seems to be heading into a recession. It is worthwhile spending a few moments reviewing the reason we seem to be heading for the financial rocks. The answer is quite simple — as nations we owe too much. We are even seeing whole nations in danger of bankruptcy, as individual bankruptcy is becoming big business. Centuries ago, the Bible understood that debt is... Read more
It has become something of a habit for me to watch a Piper sermon as part of the preparation of my heart to preach. I don’t mean the preparation of my sermon material; rather I mean the preparation of my heart. Getting my heart into the right place to preach is a bigger challenge for me than writing a good set of notes. Piper stirs my heart in ways no one else I listen to does—in order that I should... Read more
According to J. I. Packer, Calvinism’s five points really boil down to one significant claim that underlies all the others. My friend, Scott Thomas, shared this on the Acts 29 blog: “God saves sinners—and the force of this confession may not be weakened by disrupting the unity of the work of the Trinity, or by dividing the achievement of salvation between God and man and making the decisive part man’s own, or by soft-pedaling the sinner’s inability so as to... Read more
My buddy Mike shared this video of his new ESV Study Bible. Enjoy. Brand Spanking New ESV Study Bible from Mike Anderson on Vimeo. You can purchase an ESV Study Bible online. Read more
Lex Loizides tells us more in a post whose title provocatively states: “From cessationism to joy — how a healing increased Augustine’s understanding of God’s grace.” Now somebody somewhere is possibly going to try to explain to me how healing doesn’t have to be a gift of the Holy Spirit, and that not all cessationists deny the possibility of God healing today. It’s just possible that I might understand that distinction this time round, but I must confess, I struggled... Read more
As Christians we must constantly remind ourselves both of the complexities and the glorious depths of the mysterious gospel of Christ, and of its ability to be summarized in a gloriously simple statement. We must keep checking ourselves! Do we actually believe what the Bible says? This is, to me, a fantastic summary of the message all Christians are meant to proclaim: [Jesus] deliberately went to the cross and suffered the shame and the spitting and the indignity of it... Read more
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