May I ask a straight-forward question? Why do you do what you do? That is, what is the motive for your actions? What drives you and compels you? Specifically, when you think about how you serve God, can you also determine why you serve God? Some serve God from a sense of “holy ought.” He […]
Read More Controlled by God’s loveChristianity Today recently published a brief article debunking a number of myths about missions and missionaries — “Missionary Myths.” Among the myths the article countered were: “There are pressing needs right here.” “Short-termers can do it.” “Let the nationals do it.” “The task has been completed.” “Maybe there are other ways to God.” “Missionaries have […]
Read More Missionary MythsAl Mohler, “Preaching With the Culture in View” in Preaching the Cross: “Most Americans believe that their major problem is something that has happened to them, and that their solution is to be found within. In other words, they believe that they have an alien problem that is to be resolved with an inner solution. […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/4/08)Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students: “It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed; we are to spend and to be spent, not to lay ourselves up in lavender, […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/3/08)Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students: Dwell in God, brethren; do not occasionally visit Him, but abide in Him. They say in Italy that where the sun does not enter the physician must. Where Jesus does not shine the soul is sick. Bask in His beams and you shall be vigorous in the service of […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/2/08)C. J. Mahaney, “The Idol Factory,” Pt. 2 Husband and wife — you desire to have a spouse that relates to you with respect, etc. Is that a wrong desire? No. But it’s not a need. And it can become a lust, if when your spouse doesn’t respond as you desire, you in craving and […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/1/08)At the recent Desiring God National Conference, Sinclair Ferguson offered these resolutions to controlling the tongue, based on the book of James. For all of us who speak, these are good words to hear before we speak: I resolve to ask God for wisdom to speak out of a single-minded devotion to him. (1:5) I […]
Read More 20 resolutions on taming the tongueJohn MacArthur, The Love of God: God loves because He is love; love is essential to who He is. Rather than viewing His love as proof of something worthy in us, we ought to be humbled by it. God’s love for the reprobate is not the love of value; it is the love of pity […]
Read More Today’s Quote (9/30/08)Stephen Nichols, The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World: Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. I did not love, yes I hated the righteous […]
Read More Today’s Quote (9/29/08)I admit it — I don’t understand all the issues surrounding the economic bail-out plan, nor all the factors that led to this crisis (my college economics class was at 7:30 in the morning — not conducive to remembering economic philosophy — and more than 25 years ago!). I have an opinion — like every […]
Read More America’s economyHenry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man: …preaching is an exercise of which many are ambitious, and none more so than those that are the least qualified for it; but it is not so easy a matter to perform this task aright. To stand in the presence of God, and to […]
Read More Today’s Quote (9/28/08)Stephen Nichols, The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World: Luther and the other Reformers cast their vote for unity, but not for unity at all costs. The ecumenical spirit of our age neglects the caution of the Reformers, establishing a Christian unity that is built on the flimsiest theological foundations. Against […]
Read More Today’s Quote (9/27/08)Yesterday evening I was telling Elizabeth that I’d read John Piper’s latest book, Spectacular Sins, on the plane trip to visit my Dad and brother this weekend. “Spectacular sins?” she queried in response. “Is John Piper still okay?” So I explained the title — it is not that he is inferring that the sins in […]
Read More Book Review: Spectacular SinsJohn Piper, Spectacular Sins: All that came into being exists for Christ — that is, everything exists to display the greatness of Christ. Nothing — nothing! — in the universe exists for its own sake, Everything — from the bottom of the oceans to the top of the mountains, from that smallest particle to the […]
Read More Today’s Quote (9/26/08)John Piper, Spectacular Sins: If God ever forsook his supreme allegiance to himself, there would be no grace for us. If he based his kindness to us on our worth, there would be no kindness to us. We are stiff-necked, rebellious, and ungrateful. Free, inmerited grace is our only hope to be otherwise.
Read More Today’s Quote (9/25/08)
