Christian, these words stirred my heart this morning—"How long will you love vanity?" Psalm 4:2The Lord is often represented in His word as expostulating with us. He manifests the deepest interest, shows intense pity, and uses many means to draw us back from the vortex of ruin.But man, thoughtless man, silly man--rushes on his way, trifles with his soul, and plays on the brink of the most dreadful...
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Ps 78 — raise up the next generation.
I love how Asaph puts it into words:Psalm 78:1-8 Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. 4 We will not conceal them from...
China's new fast railway — this is cool!
FoxNews resported the following clip: China rolled out its fastest train yet on Tuesday, one of the engineering triumphs that signal the nation's growing ambitions as its economy booms. The successes demonstrate how, after decades of acquiring technology from the west, Beijing has begun to push...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Beware of fake & deceptive repentance.
Psalm 78:35-37 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. 36 But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue. 37 For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant....
Monday, October 25, 2010
Christian — hope in heaven.
Stirring words from Richard Baxter:“There is joy in receiving things in this life, but the fullness is in God’s own presence. Oh, Christians! You will then know the difference between the creature and the Creator, and the content that each of them affords. We shall then have light without a candle, and a perpetual day without the sun. We shall then have rest without sleep, for God will be our rest....
Thursday, October 21, 2010
perseverance obedience and preservation of the saints in Hebrews.
I agree with my brother FF Bruce (Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 94):“The conditional sentences of this epistle are worthy of special attention. Nowhere in the NT more than here do we find such repeated insistence on the fact that continuance in the Christian life is the test of reality. The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints has as its corollary the salutary teaching that the saints...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The new calvinism discussed.
I find myself gladly and wholeheartedly in this "next generation" of New Calvinists:DeYoung, Duncan, Mohler: What's New About the New Calvinism from The Gospel Coalition on Vim...
Gospel in Isaiah.
Note some deliverance passages and how it is God who solves the problem:Isaiah 59:2-4 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity;...
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
I wholeheartedly agree with this quote on PREACHING.
I couldn't agree more with what my professor said today:“The priority of the preacher is first to DISCOVER the author’s intended meaning and second to declare that meaning to his hearers in an effective way so that they can RESPOND to it correctl...
Hack sin in your life from its root—violently.
A fabulous reminder from Mr. Spurgeon:Sin has evermore a swelling tendency, and until the Holy Spirit has cut up the last root of sin, evil will grow up again in the heart, at the scent of water it will bud and put forth once again its shoots. Here is work for all time, enough to keep us busy till we land in eterni...
Monday, October 18, 2010
a sigh from hell...
From John Bunyan’s “A Few Sighs from Hell“: How many souls have blind priests been the means of destroying by their ignorance? Preaching that was no better for their souls than ratsbane to the body. Many of them, it is to be feared, have whole towns to answer for. Ah! friend, I tell thee, thou has taken in hand to preach to the people, it may be thou has taken in hand what thou canst not tell...
a few short and very disconnected thoughts.
Over at my other website I posted a writeup taking a shot at the structure of Hebrews. I divided the book into exhortational and expositional sections (with the warning passages thrown in as well at key junctures). Let me know what you think.Also, I found a great "chill" song that I really enjoy accompanying me as I read.As for an update, I finished my PhD module last week where I presented my dissertation...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
My savior was stricken, smitted, and afflicted so i may be forgiven — amazing!
Here is a portion from my reading in the prophet Isaiah this morning:Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.6 All of...
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Who have Jewish people replaced sacrifices with good deeds?
An early passage from a minor Talmudic tractate entitled Abot de Rabbi Nathan places in the mouth of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai the following declaration:"Be not grieved; we have another atonement as effective as this [=the Temple sacrificial ritual], and what is it? It is acts of loving kindness, as it is said: 'For I desire mercy and not sacrifice'" (Hos.6:6)."Elsewhere the Talmud writes:"Not to mourn...
Friday, October 15, 2010
A few sad quotes from the Talmud
Like the Apostle Paul, my heart goes out to my kindred according to the flesh:Jesus will be excluded from the World to Come (m. Sanh. 10:2),Jesus will be boiled in filth in Gehenna (b. Git. 56b-57a),There was a man, the son of a woman, who would rise up and seek to make himself God, and cause the entire world to err. . . . If he says that he is God, he lies; and in the future he will cause to err—that...
i love my family.
Praise G...
Jesus died FOR me
I found tremendous encouragement this morning in these short but eternally-significant verses:Romans 5:6-11 — 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
are you suffering? if so, you're in good company.
From the marvelous note from grace gems today:In each season of affliction, to whom can we more appropriately look--than to Jesus? He was preeminently the man of sorrows--and acquainted with grief.If you would tell your grief to one who knew grief as none ever knew it;if you would weep upon the bosom of one who wept as none ever wept;if you would disclose your sorrow to one who sorrowed as none ever...
surprising stat — how many denominations are there?
Question: "How many denominations are there within Christianity at large?"You may be surprised to find out that Wikipedia (the theological factbook — haha) states:This is not a complete list, but aims to provide a comprehensible overview of the diversity among denominations of Christianity. As there...
A fabulous sermon worth every moment.
The Lamb Who Would Be King from Resolved on Vim...
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
the sovereignty of our God.
Isaiah 46:3-4 3 "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; 4 Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you.God is speaking to Israel (=the House of Jacob, v.3 and...
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
God's creating for the magnification of His glory
I love how Isaiah writes the words of God in these verses:Isaiah 43:20-21 20 "The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people. 21 "The people whom I formed for Myself...
Monday, October 11, 2010
safe in beautiful clarks summit, pa
Made it safe to Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit this morning after a red-eye flight from LA. I'm tired, but God sustained me through the day and especially through my presentation on global ministry principles gleaned from Paul's third journey. I think it went very well. I had a guest speaker...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
a great note on what 'repentance' is
The [OT] prophets repudiated perfunctory, ritual forms of repentance (Isa 1:11; 29:13; 58:5; Jer 14:12; Hos 7:14). True repentance consists of acknowledgment of personal guilt (Jer 3:13), remorse for sins (Jer 31:19; Ezek 36:31; Jon 3:8a), forsaing evil thoughts and deeds (Isa 55:7; Jer 18:11; Ezek...
Saturday, October 9, 2010
a must watch on deliberate and careful parenting.
Folks, this is a MUST watch for all paren...
Friday, October 8, 2010
My favorite hymn.
My favorite hymn always seem to change every month. So I guess it's accurate to say that this is my favorite hymn for this month! The words stir my heart to worship the sovereign King Jesus. I love verse...
morning prayer.
I love this excerpt from a Puritan prayer:The death of Christ has redeemed me;The Spirit of Christ fills me,The love of Christ animates me,The Word of Christ governs me.May we pray the same prayer with this Puritan expressing our gratitude, submission, and love for the Savi...
Thursday, October 7, 2010
God Redirects Plans According to His Sovereign and Ordained Will.
God Redirects Plans According to His Sovereign and Ordained Will.Proverbs 16:9 9 The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. לֵ֣ב אָ֭דָם יְחַשֵּׁ֣ב דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה יָכִ֥ין צַעֲדֹֽו׃This weekend I planned to surprise my bride by taking her to the beach for a two-day camping...
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Hebrews 5 structure
Hebrews 5 consists of a remarkable structure that fits within the larger discourse of Jesus as the high priest (Heb 5-10) that itself fits within the entire discourse/sermon. Check out my structural analysis of Hebrews 5 he...
Friday, October 1, 2010
Someone's dream come true.
So, if you've ever wondered whether you could own your own deserted island, here's your chance.The Wall Street Journal has the article here. ...
the importance of studying God's Word.
If, in fact, the Bible is what it claims to be, namely, wholly inspired, totally inerrant, supernaturally God-breathed, and powerfully able to accomplish change in the lives of regenerate believers, then it behooves us to study that Word and obey that Word. How foolish for the man of God to suppose...
what will we be like in heaven?
Preached last night on the topic: what will we be like in heaven? and had a marvelous time! God is so good to reveal so many details in His all-sufficient Word for us to learn.The sermon is here.I love this quote by Richard Baxter on what it will be like in heaven when we're perfected without any sinful temptation—ever!All our temptations from the world and the flesh shall also cease. Here we are...
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