Christmas in Dark Places

[HT: Challies]

Book Summary: The Practice of Godliness

Jerry Bridges has been one of the most influential writers on the topic of sanctification in this last generation. Here is a summary of one of his most-read books, The Practice of Godliness: CHAPTER 1 — VALUE FOR ALL THINGS (1 Tim. 4:8) • Devotion in Action: Enoch (Gen. 5:21-24) • Focused on God — […]

Daniel’s 70 weeks

As a young man, Daniel was taken captive by Babylon in 605 B.C. There he served under several rulers and two empires (the Babylonian and the Medo-Persian). Near the end of his life, while reading the book of Jeremiah (9:2; cf. Jer. 25:11-12), Daniel realized that the promise of 70 years of judgment under the […]

Daniel’s visions

In Daniel’s prophecy, he received a number of visions relating to future empires and their relationship with Israel. Here is a simple chart to overview and explain these visions:

Some lessons in God’s story of Nebuchadnezzar

The story about Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4) is remarkable — not only for the bizarre events that Nebuchadnezzar endured, but also the interpretation of his dream by Danie and the response of Nebuchadnezzar after the dream (vv. 34-37). Yet whatever else we learn about Nebuchadnezzar in this story, the story is not ultimately about him. The […]

The difference between Christians and non-Christians

Mark Dever, at the 2009 Desiring God Pastor’s Conference: The difference between a Christian and non-Christian: When a non-Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with his sin. When a Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with God, against himself.

Believing in Jesus means…

John Piper, “Preaching as Worship:” Believing in Jesus means coming to Him for the quenching of our souls’ thirst. Faith in Jesus is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus. When we experience that, we magnify the preciousness and worth of God, because God is most glorified in us when we […]

What I would have said in Sunday School today

I was scheduled to teach an adult Sunday School class this morning. This is what I was going to teach: There have always been people — they existed in Christ’s day and they exist in ours — who say “I’m a follower of Christ — I believe in Jesus,” yet their lives seem to indicate […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles: “Rescuing the Rupps: A Christmas Parable” (Clint Archer) One balmy Summer day in 1997 Rita Rupp (57) from Tulsa Oklahoma, was on a lengthy road trip with her husband Floyd (67). For no reason in particular, she began to sense that they may be in danger. She started thinking, ‘What if someone […]

The magnificent mandate

Dan DeWitt, in A Guide to Evangelism: Many Christians, according to Russell D. Moore, think about evangelism like they think about flossing. They know they should do it more often – and they even feel guilty when they’re reminded of it – but they think of it as an optional discipline. Such a laissez-faire approach […]

Are we not sinners?

John Newton: Are we not sinners? Were we not rebels and enemies before we knew the gospel? And have we not been unfaithful, backsliding, and unprofitable ever since? Are we not redeemed by the blood of Jesus? And can we stand a single moment except he upholds us? Have we anything that we have not […]

Grab bag

“When Your World Caves In” (Paul Levy) — a sober reminder of the cost of sin in general and the cost (and protection against) sexual sin in particular: “Recently I’ve spent some time with two friends who were in ministry but have fallen morally and so now find themselves out of a job that they loved, […]

Our sins sink as lead in the mighty waters of the Redeemer’s blood

Thomas Boston, Human Nature in Its Fourfold State: God the Father takes the pen, dips it in the blood of his Son, crosses off the sinner’s accounts, and blots them out of his debt-book. The sinner outside of Christ is bound over to the wrath of God; he is under an obligation in law to […]

50 years ago today

You are well aware that 50 years ago today, President Kennedy was assassinated and entered eternity. It is fitting to reflect on the life of a President (aside: I highly commend the book Character Above All, edited by Robert Wilson as an examination of the 10 presidents from FDR to George H. W. Bush; it’s […]

Reading Ezekiel

Like many of the prophets, the theme of this book is quite simple. It is essential to remember that this book was written while Ezekiel himself was in captivity in Babylon, and he was writing to the Jews to get them to repent. Thus, it is also noted that it encompasses the fact that “the […]