John Calvin, in Let Christ Be Magnified: The Word of God teaches so clearly, that it enlightens at the first glance. It must penetrate to the very bottom of your hearts. It is not enough to feel a few slight stings and pricks; you must be wounded, pierced through and through by the Word; and […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Scripture (Calvin)A few years ago, I began subscribing to Christian History & Biography magazine. Each issue of the quarterly journal (about 32-48 pp. per issue) dealt with one single topic — a prominent person in church history (e.g., Martin Luther, or C. S. Lewis), a movement (e.g., the Puritans), or an event (faith in the Middle […]
Read More Listen to some history?Many years ago, a friend loaned me a book and said, “I just picked this up — I think you would really appreciate it. Let me know what you think.” I was not long into the book, Henry Morris’s The Long War Against God, before I found myself fighting the urge to grab a highlighter […]
Read More What makes many atheists afraid of atheismTitle: Church History: A Crash Course for the Curious Author: Christopher Catherwood Publisher: Crossway, 2007; 224 pp. $12.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): I wanted to like this book — I really wanted to like it a lot. And it has its strengths. But in the end, its strengths are also its weaknesses. A book like […]
Read More Book Review: Church HistoryTheodore Cuyler, God’s Light on Dark Clouds: Never has [God] promised us an easy road or a smooth road, or such a road as our selfishness may select. He never consents that the flock shall decide as to the lot in which they shall be pastured, or over what deep hills he shall conduct them, […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Trials (Cuyler)Theodore Cuyler, God’s Light on Dark Clouds: Heaven will have no ‘moving day’. No longer shall we be pulled away from associations which we love, and sent off into strange and uncongenial places. When you and I, brother, have packed up at the tap of death’s signal-bell, we shall never be obliged to change our […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Heaven (Cuyler)Title: Love or Die: Christ’s Wake-Up Call to the Church Author: Alexander Strauch Publisher: Lewis & Roth, 2008; 99 pp. $9.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): A few weeks ago I preached a message on Revelation 2:1-7 — the Ephesian church’s loss of love for Christ. A couple days after the message, a friend said to […]
Read More Book Review: Love or DieJohn Piper, in Preaching the Cross: God did not ordain the cross of Christ or create the lake of fire in order to communicate the insignificance of belittling his glory. The death of the Son of God and the damnation of unrepentant human beings are the loudest shouts under heaven that God is infinitely holy, […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Cross (Piper)Michael Horton, We Believe: Recovering the Essentials of the Apostle’s Creed: Every time we worship, we should be self-consciously committed to the ministry of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Remarkably, even in heaven the majestically enthroned Son is the slain Lamb. We never outgrow the cross. We never get beyond the need […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Cross (Horton)Charles Spurgeon, The Power of the Cross: But herein is a wonderful thing. The Lord Jesus has lost no influence by having been hanged upon the tree. Rather, it is because of His shameful death that He is able to draw all men unto Himself. His glory rises from His humiliation; His adorable conquest from […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Cross (Spurgeon)J. N. D. Anderson: Jesus Christ: the Witness of History: All the references to the empty tomb come in the Gospels, which were written for Christians who wanted to know the facts. In the public preaching, to those who were not yet convinced, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, there was an insistent […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Resurrection (Anderson)John Piper, The Passion of Jesus Christ: We are not as Christ-centered and cross-cherishing as we should be, because we do not ponder the truth that everything good, and everything bad that God turns for the good, was purchased by the sufferings of Christ.
Read More Today’s Quote – Cross (Piper)The New Testament writers almost deal with the crucifixion of Christ itself as an afterthought. The details surrounding the crucifixion are explicit and lengthy; the details about the crucifixion itself are sparse: Matt. 27:35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. Mark 15:25 It was the […]
Read More The crucifixionC. J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life: I identify most with the angry mob screaming, “Crucify Him!” That’s who we should all identify with. Because apart from God’s grace, this is where we would all be standing, and we’re only flattering ourselves to think otherwise. Unless you see yourself standing there with the shrieking […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Good Friday (Mahaney)We do not know what Mary said at the cross. But we do know that she was there. And we do know other truths that had been spoken about Christ in the Old Testament, at His birth (anticipating His redeeming work) and during His life. One writer has compiled a number of these statements and […]
Read More What Mary might have said at the cross
