The profitability of prayer

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion: Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable. Surely with good reason the Heavenly Father affirms that the only stronghold of safety is in calling upon his name (Joel 2:32). By so doing we invoke the presence […]

Heaven is better

Jonathan Edwards, in “The Christian Pilgrim” (Works, vol. 2): God is the highest good of the reasonable creature; and the enjoyment of him is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied.—To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Christ and your sin

John Owen, Communion with the Triune God: Sin being removed, and righteousness bestowed, we have peace with God—are continually accepted before him. There is not any thing to charge us with: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his cross—made fast there; yea, publicly and legally cancelled, that […]

The mortified man

Christopher Love, The Mortified Christian: A truly mortified man is like a warrior: he will either kill or be killed. He will kill his sins or else his sins will kill him. Now examine yourselves in this: are you only fencers, to sport and play with your lusts, or are you warriors who fight with […]

What is your true happiness?

Richard Baxter, The Saint’s Everlasting Rest: He that makes not God his chief good and ultimate end, is in heart a pagan and a vile idolater. Let me ask, then, dost thou truly account it thy chief happiness to enjoy the Lord in glory, or dost thou not? Canst thou say, ‘The Lord is my […]

Fearful?

What do you offer a man who is discouraged and hopeless? What do you offer someone whose world is shattered? What do you offer someone who has captured a glimpse into the future, and the fear of it is not startling, but terrifying in its deadliness? What did Jesus offer the disciples? On Thursday night […]