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Showing posts from 2007

Powerful Prayers: Is there a secret?

Let me encourage you to read the following blog on The Secret to a Better Prayer Life . I believe this to be an awesome example of the marriage between doctrine and application. Here are just a few morsels that hopefully will lead you to read his whole entry : The more we know God, the better equipped we are to praise him for who he is. Good theological meditation of both the glory of God and the heinousness of our corruption will be of great assistance in both knowing and mortifying your sins. Our thanksgiving will only be as weak as our theology....You should run out of time before you run out of reasons to thank God. Systematic theology is a great help here, because through it we can see much more of God’s giving, and our unworthiness. Good theology can change our stale list of requests into a more meaningful interaction with God. How? At the very least, good theology teaches us to what we may appeal in God when making our requests. [For example:] Because God is righteous, we can

Advent vs. Abortion

I know of three children that are in the womb, and we are waiting patiently for their arrival: Baby Abner Baby Billingsly Baby Davis We watch the wives’ tummies grow, witnessing the work of God in the lives of these children. It is marvelous. These babies belong to dear friends of mine who have taught me much about Christ. Their theologies have mingled the academic and the affectionate in enviable proportions. There are other children of families that have captured my heart, and I long to see them grow into God-honoring, Christ-exalting, Spirit-led men and women. That is why abortion is such a grief to me. I have heard so many arguments for the pro-choice agenda, but I have yet to hear one that grabs the discussion at the root. What does abortion say about the glory of God? Life is not expendable. Have you ever asked yourself why babies are so frail? Babies are fragile because Christ was to be born a baby. God has knit babies together so that the following could be said of Christ: “Hav

How Do You Know that You Believe?

We have lost the depth of Christianity in our age because we have failed to understand the work of Christ. We have minimized the holiness of the One True God. We have gripped tightly the notion that we are valuable, that we have an intrinsic worth, that we are noble. May God have mercy on us and correct our superstitions.

Is I Smart?

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Apparently, one can check the reading level of his/her blog: Cash Advance Loans

Retirement

Are you wasting your retirement? Are you planning on wasting your retirement? Maybe these short videos will help you decide what you should do with all that free time. For more information on how not to waste your life, here is a wonderful website.

The Deadly the American Dream: A Warm Retirement

If you are an American, then you have been sold a lie. You have been told from birth that your life should be one of accumulation of personal wealth, banking on portfolios and looking forward to the blessed hope of retirement. But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and cripple

John Piper's Response to N.T. Wright Due Out by Nov. 1

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John Piper’s response to N. T. Wright is due for release on November 1, 2007 ($5.00 + shipping if you pre-order here by Oct. 31). If you have no idea what N. T. Wright has said about justification and what all of this is about, then there are some resources available for you. First, Desiring God Ministries has a seven part Q&A with John Piper that they have been releasing on their blog . Here, Piper gives the background necessary to understand the controversy. The whole interview can be found here . However, you may want to select only those parts that you haven't heard. Interview with Piper on Wright, Pt.1 : Who is this book for? Interview with Piper on Wright, Pt.2 : Who is N. T. Wright? Interview with Piper on Wright, Pt.3 : What do you believe about justification? Interview with Piper on Wright, Pt.4 : How is Wright’s view of justification different than yours? Interview with Piper on Wright, Pt.5 : What’s the problem with Wright’s view of imputation? Interview with

A Dead Man’s Bones

Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” Genesis 50:25 How does our faith impact the “little” decisions of our lives? Does our attitude in seemingly inconsequential events testify to a deeply rooted faith in God? For all those who want to combat their post-modern tendencies: Do we live in such a way that the small narratives of our lives testify to the meta-narrative? Praying for Rain? There was a town that was suffering from a horrendous drought. The crops were suffering, and many families were in financial peril. The church decided to come together and pray for rain. The night of the prayer meeting came, and the pastor stood up and looked out over his congregation. He did not have encouraging words for his flock. Apparently they did not think God was going to answer any prayers. How did the pastor know that the congregation suffered from unbelief? No one brought an umbrella. The Suffering Saint It is an

For All the Bibliophiles!

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The much-anticipated release of Monergism Books' updated website has now occurred! I love this website. On more than one occasion, its related website Monergism.com has been found open in my browser while I study a particular topic.

The End Does Not Justify the Means

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20 Many people are of the opinion that what they do is morally upright if it brings about something good. If people are benefited by an action, does that mean that the action was good? Suppose a person endeavors to satiate his own desires by an action. As a byproduct of his actions, people are aided—lives are even saved. Does this mean that the action was good? Is God pleased with the person’s actions? No, not necessarily! As we read in this account of Joseph and his brothers, we notice that this particular paradigm is highlighted. What makes an action good is not the outcome. What makes an action morally upright is rooted in something that exists even before the action takes place: the motive. There are two wills involved within this action: Joseph’s brothers’ and God’s. God had purposed this event to glorify Himself by the saving of

Why We Believe the Bible, Free Audio

Desiring God Ministries has provided the audio for several of the seminars free of charge . In addition to great sermons, articles, books, and videos that are free online, these seminars will help the person wanting a doctrine centered on Christ. Of particular interest, Why We Believe the Bible is a seminar that addresses the following topics: Why are we concerned with the Bible? Which books make up the Bible and why? The New Testament Canon Do we have the very words written by the biblical authors? Does it matter whether we affirm the verbal inerrancy of the original manuscripts? What does the Bible claim for itself? The Old Testament claims for itself The Truth and Authority of the Apostles How can we justify the claim that the Bible is God's word? The Meaning of the Bible's inerrancy The notes to the seminar are provided with part 1 of the seminar. I hope you find this particular seminar a valuable resource! Why We Believe the Bible, Part 1 Why We Believe the Bible, Part

The Weeping Saint: A Meditation on Psalms 40 and 42

Behold him there, the weeping saint, Weary from life and ‘bout to faint. He waits in hope for Him to hear The tired words of his trembling prayer. Behold the Sovereign Ear of Him Who drawing close when all seems dim: He lifts the face and wipes the tears, Assuages all pain and calms all fears. Oh Lord, be soon, for night draws nigh, For tears with each deepening sigh Are weights upon each reddened eye. Oh Lord, be soon, for night draws nigh. Feel the strong arm of God’s own Son, Who long ago the vict’ry won. His blood and tears poured out in prayer, Releasing men from evil’s snare. You will again praise Him in song, Accompanied in joyous throng! Oh weary saint you will delight And sing with joy and ceaseless might.

A Great Little Book on the Gospel

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R. C. Sproul has said that the American Church is in Pelagian Captivity. Basically, this means that we have misunderstood the doctrines of that surround God's grace with regard to saving sinners. Our understanding of God's grace has such an influence over how we view the world, ourselves, and God. How do we become a holy people? Can we lose our salvation? These things must be understand, but they cannot be discussued without a proper biblical foundation. In addressing these questions, we find ourselves quickly at the point where we wonder, "How are we saved to begin with?" James Montgomery Boice (now deceased) and Philip Graham Ryken wrote a wonderful book that addresses the work of God in salvation! This is an extremely readable book that will be encouraging to the believer. Hard passages from the Bible about these things are not ignored, and the the believer will be challenged to be biblical in their doctrine in spite of the worldly philosophies propagate

Is Your Reading List Unruly?

Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has a voracious appetite for books. He reads books from a variety of genres, and he reads almost incessantly. Therefore, when he wrote an article for Together for the Gospel on the reading of books, it was bound to be reprinted. Well, here it is . It is an encouraging article for the struggling bibliophile .

Attributes of God

The following resources are exceptional tools in studying the attributes of God. The HeartCry Missionary Conference, 2005 ( mp3's are available for download ). The One True God by Paul Washer ( This is a workbook, and it is currently being revised; I will furnish a link once it is ready ) . Knowing God by J.I. Packer Desiring God by John Piper The Pleasures of God by John Piper The Existence and Attributes of God by Steven Charnock The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink Of course there is always this awesome link . But whatever you do, do NOT forget this resource . Always read prayerfully and humbly. The goal of knowledge of the holy is not to bludgeon someone with whom you disagree. The goal of your studies should be to grow in your enjoyment of Christ who makes the holiness of God accessible. We exist in order to spread a passion for Christ that accords with knowledge.

Good Blog Entries from 9 Marks

A good blog entry on false teachers can be found on the 9 Marks blog: Church Matters . On another note, there is a series of ten entries being written on Where'd All These Calvinists Come From? .

Renewed Life

All at once, I am set free. Now able to view rightly The Glory shining brightly: Forever with Christ, I'll be. Joy poured forth into my heart, Not a trickle but a flood Of hope, raining in the blood Of Christ, never to depart. Ever increasing love, He Has granted this hateful wretch. Replacing cold stone with flesh, His Holy Fire indwelt me. I wait for the bell's last toll, For eternal rest and peace, That vision that will ne'er cease: Christ's glory gazed upon whole. Now! Cast off death's damning chains! Forever, His Name be sung By every tribe and tongue! Death in subjection, Christ reigns!

IT'S ON THE WAY!! Piper's Response to N.T. Wright

John Piper's new book The Future of Justification: A Response to N.T. Wright will be published soon. Luther rightly stated that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is "the article by which the church stands or falls." The New Perspectives on Paul (NPP), made popular by N.T. Wright, has challenged this doctrine. Therefore, we thank those who have put pen to paper and responded to this doctrine. If you are interested, this book will be published by Crossway . It will be interesting to see how Piper has written this book. He can write about very academic subjects at an approachable and enjoyable level, e.g. The Pleasures of God . However, The Justification of God shows his ability to write at a (necessarily) high level in order to refute bad theology.

Sermons on John 17

Here are two sermons relevant to Christ as our high priest: The Supremacy of Christ and Joy in a Postmodern World by John Piper The Supremacy of Christ and Love in a Postmodern World by D. A. Carson

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament

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“…Luther does not wish to ignore the Old Testament in preaching. In fact, he vehemently opposes those who would reject the Old Testament. He scolds them: ‘What a fine lot of tender and pious children we are! In order that we might not have to study in the Scriptures and learn Christ there, we simply regard the entire Old Testament as of no account, as done for and no longer valid’” (Greidanus, 117-118). Is the Old Testament a valuable resource for the pulpit? Does the one who takes the pulpit to preach only use the Old Testament as a database of quotes and stories? Can a sermon be crafted from the Old Testament to represent Christ using a responsible hermeneutic? For those of us who have heard sermons from the Old Testament (if there are any of us), we have probably heard wonderful sermons from the Old Testament and sermons that lead us down a path of speculation and bad proof-texts. For many of us, the pulpit is bereft of a sermon from the Old Testament, leaving us in ignorance with

An Unpublished Essay on the Trinity by Jonathan Edwards

The doctrine of the Trinity is a difficult doctrine. In fact, it is so difficult that many of us have left it. If asked to explain the Trinity, a large portion of evangelicals would fall into heresy. A distinctive of Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity is a firm foundation for us. True, it is impossible to grasp the infinite nature of the Triune, but we should stretch ourselves. I encourage you to do so and read An Unpublished Essay on the Trinity by Jonathan Edwards.

The Glory of God Guards Against Apostasy, Part II

GOD HAS SPOKEN Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son. Hebrews 1:1-2a We hear much today about being in the last days. We hear preachers speak on the Middle East, neutron bombs, and countdowns to a late, great planet. They have large charts with illustrations that are to give us a time table for the end of time and how to understand the hidden meaning of certain biblical texts. It is PowerPoint Prophecy, and it is on every Sunday morning, urging us to hasten the return of the Lord by doing this or that. If they are not talking about the end-times prophecies, then they are urging you to do this and that to hear from God. Words-of-knowledge and individual prophecies are hot commodities in certain congregations. We want to hear something from God, and we will jump through all sorts of hoops to do so. What does Scripture say about this emphasis? Hearing from God For the early converts to Chri

The Supremacy of Christ

In the light of the last post, I thought that it would be a great thing to meditate on the supremacy of Christ. I found the following video that will hopefully be a springboard into the text of Hebrews.

The Glory of God Guards Against Apostasy, Part I

INTRODUCTION Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things and through whom also he created the world. Hebrews 1:1-2 In our culture of pragmatism and secular humanism, the shape of evangelicalism has morphed into a self-help, pop-psychology rather than standing strong for a passionate striving for holiness and reverencing of God. This has led to best-selling “Christian” books focused on the self, propagating the notion that faith is a means by which you can “name-and-claim” health, wealth, and prosperity or even speak things into existence. Is this new to the Church? Do we face a new dilemma? Will this super-market theology with its theme-park ecclesiology provide substance for a suffering a world? We can have thousands of purpose-driven, plastic smiles in our stadiums, but how would the Christians who were martyred in a stadium feel about our congregati

Justice and Amazing Grace

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:16-18 Several weeks ago, I asked a friend of mine to write about an issue close to her heart and one that should close to ours, that is, social justice. Dear friends, A few weeks ago, I went to see the movie Amazing Grace , a movie about a man named William Wilberforce who helped bring an end to the slave trade in Great Britain. Wilberforce’s life inspires me, not only because of his passion to abolish slavery but also because this zeal came from his deep faith in God. In one of his addresses to Parliament, he said “Sir, when we think of eternity and the future consequence of all hum

An Old Dead Guy Can Still Be Relevant

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Apparently, it does not take being pop-culturally savvy to be relevant to the perils of today. Three of John Owen’s works have been collected and edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor in Overcoming Sin and Temptation . They have made the texts more readable and have included some very useful appendices to aid your study. Reading Owen is never easy, but these two have made it more accessible. Our generation is indebted to them. Owen’s treatment of sin and temptation is challenging and an essential tool in understanding how to fight sin. The battle against sin must be waged. If we are to make any progress in holiness, we should prepare ourselves to walk “over the bellies of [our] lusts.” We need to “be killing sin or it will be killing [us].”

Great Book on Being a Man

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Pastor Hughes has shown us what it means to be a man in Christianity. Whereas some modern texts with their supermarket theologies have divorced manhood from Scripture, Disciplines of a Godly Man hugs the Word of God tightly. This is a refreshing text, and it is needed in this age of nominal Christianity. You may read more about this text at the publisher's website . For the women, a similar text, written by Barbara Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Woman is available as well. For families, Kent and Barbara Hughes have written Disciplines of a Godly Family . For those who are on the road, there are audio versions available.

Holy Speech: A Measure of Sanctification

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Ephesians 5:1-5 In the midst of our congregations, we have a cacophony drowning out the righteousness of Christ. Much to the relief of some readers (and this writer), I am not speaking of those who sing along in church poorly (and loudly). Instead, we have a tumor in our tongues. We are in great need of a spiritual biopsy of our tongues. We wonder why there are so many congregations splitting over the insignificant issues

Ignoring Sexual Sin Will Kill Us

I have found that even with the Christian men with whom I associate and in whom I confide, we do not talk about the problem of sexual sin. I think part of the reason that many of us do not discuss it is because many of us are just hoping that it will go away. As I study the idea of fighting sin, I realize that sin just does not go away. Instead, we must “by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body” if we want to live (Romans 8:13b). Our congregations have produced a weak breed of boys (not men) who think that we can “continue in sin that grace may abound” (Romans 6:1). This shows a misunderstanding of God’s grace and a lack of zeal for the things of God. “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:2). Since we have ignored the plague of sexual sin among us, we have become poor leaders, bad husbands, and disgusting brothers. We have devalued the grace of God, slandered the holiness of God, and mocked the cross of Christ. However, there is hope. “If we confes