Saturday, April 30, 2011

the gospel — part 1

Today I embark on a multi-part series on the gospel.God Justifies the Ungodly…By Geoffrey R. KirklandGreek Text:τῷ δὲ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην·Geoff’s Translation:But to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.Discourse:This verse encapsulates the core of...

Friday, April 29, 2011

a few thoughts...

Here are a few random thoughts:1. I preached on biblical integrity this week from Psalm 101 and preached to my own heart and soul. God convicted me greatly this week through the study of His Word.2. I found an awesome online jazz station—jazz24/7.org. Live-stream here.3. I get to work through Hebrews 3-4 today with my accountability/discipleship group. What an amazing exposition of Psalm 95 that auctor...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

integrity -- holiness & faith...

JC Ryle writes:"Whitefield, Wesley, and Rowlands taught constantly the inseparable connectionb etween true faith and personal holiness. They never allowed for a moment that any church membership or religious profession was teh proof of a man's being a true Christian if he lived an ungodly life. A true Christian, they maintained, must always be known by his fruits; and those fruits must be plainly...

Monday, April 25, 2011

integrity -- do you have it?

Preaching on Psalm 101 has both convicted and consecrated my heart before the LORD.Psalm 101:2 — I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.(אַשְׂכִּ֤ילָה׀ בְּדֶ֬רֶךְ תָּמִ֗ים מָ֭תַי תָּב֣וֹא אֵלָ֑י אֶתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּתָם־לְ֜בָבִ֗י בְּקֶ֣רֶב בֵּיתִֽי׃)Chuck Swindoll gives 7 questions for you to take inventory of your spiritual...

Sunday, April 24, 2011

thankful this resurrection day.

A few reasons why I am thankful today consist of the following:1. I serve a Risen Savior who is alive and who has conquered death, hell, Satan, and sin—my sin.2. God gave me the strength and boldness to go street-preaching in downtown Santa Monica last night with a friend.3. I baptized two men in our college group today who testified boldly, clearly, and persuasively the power of the gospel that penetrates...

Thursday, April 21, 2011

ever wondered how the NT manuscripts spread in the early days?

No, Paul didn't have Fed-Ex at his disposal. But here's a great quote from a commendable source:"The circulation of a document began either from the place (or church province) of its origin, whether the author wrote it, or from the place to which it was addressed (if it was a genuine letter — formal...

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

martin luther on bible interpretation

He declared:"The Christian reader should make it his first task to seek out the literal sense, as they call it. For it alone is the whole substance of faith and Christian theology; it alone holds its ground in trouble and trial."Elsewhere Luther stated:"The literal sense does it -- in it there is life, comfort, power, instruction and skill. The other is tomfoolery."Quoted from Thiselton, New Horizons...

Monday, April 18, 2011

psalm 100.3

Rarely do I post a text-critical note on the biblical text but I think this is important. So here's my take on Psalm 100:3.ESV Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; NIV Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;NAU Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;Read the article...

who — or what — is a CHRISTIAN?

Why is it that so many of us are often quick to associate who is and who is not a Christian by whether they: (1) go to church and (2) read their Bible?Sadly, I'm even guilty of doing this myself. But, this amazes me. First of all let's establish the reality that going to church and reading the Bible...

Thursday, April 14, 2011

a brilliant plea from John Bunyan — don't love your sins.

From John Bunyan...Lost sinner, I beg you to consider the state of those who die outside of Christ Jesus. Yes, I say, consider their miserable state, and think thus with yourself: "What, shall I lose an eternal Heaven--for short pleasure? Shall I buy the pleasures of this world at so dear a rate--as...

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

revelation in a paragraph

Here is an excellent summary of the book of Revelation:"The book of Revelation emphasizes the sovereign control of God over all reality. Not only does G0d, through the person and work of Jesus Christ, govern all human history, but he also gathers up all the apparently loose threads of reality in the glorious consummation of his purposes. The focus of Revelation is the gospel of the Lamb of God. The...

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

God does what he wants, when he wants, where he wants, with whom he wants, all the time.

And that's God's sovereignty simplified.Spurgeon put it this way:"Opposition to divine sovereignty is essentially atheism. Men have no objection to a god who is really no god, a god who shall be the subject of caprice, who shall be a servile follower of their will, who shall be under their control. But a God who speaks and it is done, who commands and it stands fast, a God who does as he will among...

Monday, April 11, 2011

a quote that hangs over me as i work...

I love this quote by Edward Payson (1783-1827) that hangs over me in my office as I prepare sermons:"If you should this moment be called to the bar of God, what sentence have you reason to suppose He would pass on you? Pause and reflect, and let conscience answer ... Will you dare offer to your Judge those vain and frivolous excuses with which you now quiet your conscience and deceive yourself? Will...

how do you pray?

Read my latest article on one way that we can “improve” as we pray to God. I’ve called it: Are your prayers theologically accurate?*note: I do not intend to criticize in any sense of the term; rather, I simply intend for us to think about how we pray and contemplate if there is a way that we can pray...

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

a clear statement of sovereign election

I love God's Word. It is so clear.Acts 13:48 Ἀκούοντα δὲ τὰ ἔθνη ἔχαιρον καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον·Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard these things they rejoiced and glorified the Word of the LORD and as many who were appointed (τεταγμένοι) unto eternal life believed.God's Word is so clear. God had already appointed (τεταγμένοι) and...

interesting story at our church Sunday morning...

I've never before had a man in our own church shake the dust off his feet as a sign of contempt at me. We were praying in a side room before the morning worship service.A man walks up and asks if we can give him a Bible so he can go perform a music concert. We eagerly offered him a Bible—but he demanded...

Sunday, April 3, 2011

sobering reminder — God is the Judge.

The Judge!(by James Smith, 1856)"God is the Judge!" Psalm 75:7There is one supreme judge of what is right and wrong--and that judge is Jesus. He is qualified to judge, and He is appointed to sit in judgment on all the actions of men, and to reward every one according to his works.But it is not to God's final judgment we are about to refer--but to the present. Many professors talk, or seem to feel,...

RESOLVED 2011

Join us for RESOLVED. June 24-27, 2011 @ Palm Springs, CA.Watch the promo video here.Email me to receive more in...

Saturday, April 2, 2011

what is your greatest sin?

What is your greatest sin?Could it be that you can echo the prayer of a Puritan:My sin is not so much this or that particular evil, But my continual separation, disunion, distance from thee, And having a loose spirit towards thee.Oh that we would be sensitive to our sin. Sin it not always the sheer act of committing sin but it can also include the omission of what we should be doing. When...
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)