Book Review: Why We Love the Church

Title: Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion Authors: Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck Publisher: Moody Publishers, 2009; 234 pp. $14.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): Well-written books are becoming a trend for Kevin DeYoung. Just three years ago, he published his first book, and just 18 months ago he published […]

Germany trip wrap-up — the countries

Our ten-day trip to Germany also included a two-day trip to Poland. Prior to the second world war, the area of what is now northern Poland was part of Germany and it included an area where our ancestors had lived. Actually, the paternal side of our family began in Enns, Austria some 500 years ago. […]

Today’s Quote – Holiness (Calvin)

John Calvin, quoted in John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology: I call “piety” that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces. For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their […]

Germany trip wrap-up — Wittenberg

When our trip to Germany was planned, we intentionally inserted an extra day at the beginning of the trip prior to beginning the teaching to give us a little more time to acclimate to the time change. When thinking about what to do on that day, Dad asked on one occasion, “Would you like […]

Today’s Quote – Majesty (Pascal)

Blaise Pascal, Pensees: Do little things as though they were great, because of the majesty of Jesus Christ who does them in us, and who lives our life: and do the greatest things as though they were little and easy, because of His omnipotence. (HT: CQOD)

Salvation by grace alone

How important is salvation by grace — grace alone? God rescued us from His just wrath against our sins because He is by nature gracious! This quality permeates the being of God and causes Him to delight in doing good to those who deserve instead His wrath, His anger, His fury. It was that quality—and […]

Germany trip wrap-up — teaching

Twenty-seven years ago I went on my first mission trip and preached my first sermon. It was an experience the Lord used in a profound way to shape the future and direction of my life. Two days ago I returned from another overseas trip to minister the Word of God in a cross-cultural setting. And […]

Additions coming next week

My schedule while preparing to teach and teaching has been quite full, allowing little blogging time. The teaching has now concluded, and we made it through the book of Matthew in four days! (And only went about five minutes over at the end, too!) I will have some reflections on the teaching and the impact […]

Teaching in Germany

Yesterday and today (Tuesday and Wednesday), we’ve been teaching through the book of Matthew. We have about four hours each morning (9:30 – 1:30) and have made it through the introductory material and chapters 1-13. That gives us Thursday and Friday to complete the book — I think we’ll make it! The students (about 15-16) […]

Today’s Quote – Scripture (Luther)

Martin Luther: It is a sin and shame not to know our own book or to understand the speech and words of our God; it is a still greater sin and loss that we do not study languages, especially in these days when God is offering and giving us men and books and every facility […]

Visit to Wittenberg

Yesterday we traveled to Wittenberg. It was an extra day built into the schedule to allow us to acclimate to the time change associated with traveling across the ocean before starting to teach today. I have to confess, that the anticipation of going to Wittenberg was a big attraction of this trip for me. It […]

Yesterday in Wittenberg

Yesterday we traveled to Wittenberg — the site where Luther nailed his 95 theses on the church door and also maintained a long-term ministry. We toured his home and the two churches of interest — where he pastored and where he posted his theses. I took many pictures. It was a wonderful day. And then […]

Today’s Quote – Sovereignty (Packer)

J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God: There is abroad today a widespread suspicion that a robust faith in the absolute sovereignty of God is bound to undermine any adequate sense of human responsibility. Such a faith is thought to be dangerous to spiritual health because it breeds a habit of complacent inertia. In particular, it is […]

Arrived in Germany

Dad and I arrived today in Berlin — flight was quite early and enabled us to get a nice German meal for lunch (sauerbraten for me) and then go on to a worship service at Crossway International Baptist Church in Berlin. It is an English-speaking church designed to minister to ex-pats living in Berlin along with nationals […]

Today’s Quote – Priorities (Tozer)

A. W. Tozer, The Radical Cross: We Christians do so many things that are not really bad, they are just trivial. They are unworthy of us — much as if we discovered Albert Einstein cutting out paper dolls. Our minds may not be among the six greatest of the ages, but like Einstein’s, our minds […]