Posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Beginning of the Occupation.
Frenchman Crying During Nazi Occupation of France 
12/11/1941-Marseilles, France: Frenchman crying as the flags of fallen France were marched through the streets of Marseilles on their way to Africa.
3/21/2010. Democrats on their way to pass the "Health Care" bill.
posted by john d.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Preaching Pattern
"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading." Nehemiah 8:8 (ESV)
In many churches, there is almost no public reading of the Word of God. Worship is filled with music, but congregations seem disinterested in listening to the reading of the Bible. We are called to sing in worship, but the congregation cannot live only on the portions of Scripture that are woven into songs and hymns. Christians need the ministry of the Word as the Bible is read before the congregation and God's people -- young and old, rich and poor, married and unmarried, sick and well -- hear it together. The sermon is to consist of the exposition of the Word of God, powerfully and faithfully read, explained, and applied. It is not enough that the sermon take a biblical text as its starting point.
In many churches, there is almost no public reading of the Word of God. Worship is filled with music, but congregations seem disinterested in listening to the reading of the Bible. We are called to sing in worship, but the congregation cannot live only on the portions of Scripture that are woven into songs and hymns. Christians need the ministry of the Word as the Bible is read before the congregation and God's people -- young and old, rich and poor, married and unmarried, sick and well -- hear it together. The sermon is to consist of the exposition of the Word of God, powerfully and faithfully read, explained, and applied. It is not enough that the sermon take a biblical text as its starting point.excerpted from www.albertmohler.com
posted by john d.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
When Sorrow Becomes Sinful
The title is taken from the second chapter of a reprint of John Flavel's "A Token For Mourners" published in 1674 and reprinted by Banner of Truth Trust as "Facing Grief". The second chapter poses the question, 'when does sorrow become sinful and excessive'?
"It becomes excessive, when,...it causes us to slight and despise all our other mercies and enjoyments as small things, in comparison with what we have lost....
It is a sin springing from ignorance. Did we know the desert of our sins, we should rather wonder to see one mercy left than that twenty are cut off. They that know they have forfeited every mercy should be thankful that they enjoy any, and patient when they lose any of their comforts....
If you knew God, even that sovereign Lord at whose disposal our comforts come and go, who can the next moment blast all that remain, and turn you into hell afterwards, you would prize the mercies he yet indulges you with at a higher value.....
And yet, if you be out of Christ, you are in danger of a far sadder stroke than any, or all, yet mentioned. What if God should say, Do you not prize my mercy? have you no value for my goodness and forbearance towards you? Is it nothing that I have spared you thus long in your sins and rebellions? Well then, I will stretch out my hand upon your life, cut off that thread which has kept you so many years from dropping into hell."
"It becomes excessive, when,...it causes us to slight and despise all our other mercies and enjoyments as small things, in comparison with what we have lost....
It is a sin springing from ignorance. Did we know the desert of our sins, we should rather wonder to see one mercy left than that twenty are cut off. They that know they have forfeited every mercy should be thankful that they enjoy any, and patient when they lose any of their comforts....
If you knew God, even that sovereign Lord at whose disposal our comforts come and go, who can the next moment blast all that remain, and turn you into hell afterwards, you would prize the mercies he yet indulges you with at a higher value.....
And yet, if you be out of Christ, you are in danger of a far sadder stroke than any, or all, yet mentioned. What if God should say, Do you not prize my mercy? have you no value for my goodness and forbearance towards you? Is it nothing that I have spared you thus long in your sins and rebellions? Well then, I will stretch out my hand upon your life, cut off that thread which has kept you so many years from dropping into hell."
posted by john d.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Good Listening
In my morning rounds of blog-reading I came across a posting by Thabiti Anyabwile regarding the preaching and listening of the Word of God. I thought it worth sharing.
"The more I preach, the more convinced I am of two things. First, preaching is really, really difficult. Second, listening to preaching is really, really difficult. Even the best of listeners struggle with poor preaching. And the best preaching can't cure the worst listening. You want both. Great preaching and great listening. That combination best edifies preacher and people, strengthening the church in the most profound way. But even good preaching and good listening should result in good growth by the grace of God. So, the effort is well rewarded.
I'm convinced that how we listen to a sermon makes tremendous and profound difference in our encounter with the word of God and the God of the word. And that's no revelation I just sat here and thought up. It's what the Bible itself teaches. Ever wonder why the Bible so frequently exhorts us to listen, to pay attention, to heed? Ever wonder why Jesus so often begins His teaching with, "Have you not heard?" Or, take Solomon. Breeze through the opening chapters of Proverbs and count the number of times he writes, "Listen, my son." And then there are all the biblical rebukes for not listening, for being stiff-necked, slow to hear, and the like.
God is a speaking God. We must, then, be a listening people. In fact, the difference between an eternity of enjoying God and an eternity of wrath comes down to whether we listen to the message preached. "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God." So, this is an issue of extremely vital importance. Our spiritual health depends upon hearing God clearly, which depends upon knowing how to listen.
Likewise, listening to and benefiting from sermons requires good filters.
The first and most important filter for the listener is a "True or False" filter. The listener must ask themselves: "Is what I'm hearing true or false?" A true/false filter is a clean listening filter for those wanting to grow by the word of God.
The truth–the whole counsel of God–is good for us. Falsehood misleads and destroys us. So, we must first come to the word thinking and listening with the categories or filter of true and false. Is the preacher giving me the truth here? Reject everything that is false. But thankfully embrace the truth with both arms. Hold it close to your bosom and love it. Christians are truth people, and faithful servants of the word declare the truth."
I'm convinced that how we listen to a sermon makes tremendous and profound difference in our encounter with the word of God and the God of the word. And that's no revelation I just sat here and thought up. It's what the Bible itself teaches. Ever wonder why the Bible so frequently exhorts us to listen, to pay attention, to heed? Ever wonder why Jesus so often begins His teaching with, "Have you not heard?" Or, take Solomon. Breeze through the opening chapters of Proverbs and count the number of times he writes, "Listen, my son." And then there are all the biblical rebukes for not listening, for being stiff-necked, slow to hear, and the like.
God is a speaking God. We must, then, be a listening people. In fact, the difference between an eternity of enjoying God and an eternity of wrath comes down to whether we listen to the message preached. "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God." So, this is an issue of extremely vital importance. Our spiritual health depends upon hearing God clearly, which depends upon knowing how to listen.
Likewise, listening to and benefiting from sermons requires good filters.
The first and most important filter for the listener is a "True or False" filter. The listener must ask themselves: "Is what I'm hearing true or false?" A true/false filter is a clean listening filter for those wanting to grow by the word of God.
The truth–the whole counsel of God–is good for us. Falsehood misleads and destroys us. So, we must first come to the word thinking and listening with the categories or filter of true and false. Is the preacher giving me the truth here? Reject everything that is false. But thankfully embrace the truth with both arms. Hold it close to your bosom and love it. Christians are truth people, and faithful servants of the word declare the truth."
Pastor Anyabwile further provides some thoughts on "True or False" filters. You can read the entire post at http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/thabitianyabwile/
posted by john d.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Church of the Golden Age
The local church is not in a golden age. It's probably not even in a plastic disposable age at this point. And as such, it often falls short of meeting our spiritual needs -- unlike the church of the Golden Age.
The church of the Golden Age would be full of the love of Christ, right? And full of people who have overcome sin. It would be lead by Christ and by men just like Him. And when I have a lousy day that lasts for weeks (or months), that church would be there for me all the time.
And wow: would the church of the Golden Age have good doctrine. The teaching there would be from like one who has authority -- not just lip service, not just translations from the Greek and Hebrew, not just lessons about how to live our lives. The doctrine of the church of the Golden Age would both humble us and lift us up so that we could be both servants of Christ and also his brothers and sisters all gaining the inheritance of the Father in eternal life.
…I want to remind all of you -- because I myself needed reminding -- that the church of the Golden Age is not past.
The church of the Golden Age is still coming. It has never yet been here, but in it our hope lies.
Hebrews 13:14 For here have we no continuing city,
but we seek one to come.
Adapted from “The Golden Age” by Frank Turk posted on
posted by john d.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Church
When will we stop "going to church" and
start "being the church"?
Matthew 25:31-46
start "being the church"?
Matthew 25:31-46
posted by john d.
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