July 2010
1 post
FEEDBACK: "radical" christianity →
i’m getting tired of being interviewed for or asked to endorse books that are about “radical christianity.” especially when those books typically use that term to describe what should be garden variety, everyday christianity. it shouldn’t be the work of the “radical” to reach out to those who are…
Jul 26th
147 notes
June 2010
40 posts
4 tags
“Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a...”
– John Bunyan
Jun 30th
4 tags
definition: idolatry
idolatry: desiring something so much that you lose your contentment in God. Or: losing your contentment in God so that you start to seek it elsewhere. - John Piper
Jun 28th
3 tags
“The very highest worship of God is this, that we ascribe to him truthfulness,...”
– Martin Luther, Freedom of a Christian, in Dillenberger collection, p. 52.
Jun 27th
2 tags
joy
“So there was much rejoicing in that city.” (v8) Acts 8:6-8
Jun 26th
2 tags
waging battle
How are you putting to death the deeds of the body? Romans 8:13
Jun 25th
3 tags
“There are church-attending people who believe that they are saved because they...”
– John Piper from him sermon: Battling the Unbelief of Covetousness.
Jun 25th
1 note
3 tags
pursue
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
Jun 24th
1 tag
Jun 23rd
4 tags
pursue
A man of God pursues: Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11
Jun 23rd
1 tag
“In the United States eight out of every ten families are poverty stricken.”
– Teaching your children about poverty, Associated Press.
Jun 21st
5 tags
know when to run
flee from the love of money. Why?   Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:9-11
Jun 21st
1 tag
“Love is in Your arms sweet Jesus”
– Fortress, Ember Days
Jun 20th
3 tags
“The church would be one with itself if it were one with the truth.”
– C.H. Spurgeon
Jun 19th
3 tags
deserving full acceptance
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 1 Timothy 1:15
Jun 19th
2 tags
“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic...”
– C.S. Lewis (via mindfulcreation, whatifwegaveeverything)
Jun 18th
4 tags
Jun 17th
1 tag
Ascend the Hill
Jun 17th
5 tags
more about battling anxiety
People are so committed to worrying that, if they can’t find anything in the present to worry about, they think about possible problems in the future. So Jesus assures us, “Tomorrow will care for itself.” This is not the careless philosophy of the hedonist who lives only for his present enjoyment. It is the conviction of the child of God who knows tomorrow will care for itself because it is in...
Jun 16th
4 tags
“The gospel magnifies God and humbles man. And so to the world the gospel...”
– John Piper from his sermon: Battling the Unbelief of Misplaced Shame.
Jun 15th
3 tags
Jun 14th
6 tags
points back to that Passover event
This event also uses language similar to the Exodus of the Jews. It not only points forward to the final consummation but also points back to that Passover event. This passage actually lifts language from the Book of Exodus, interpreting its ultimate meaning. What actually took place on the evening of the first Passover? A lamb was slain and painted on the doorposts of every Jewish home. That was...
Jun 14th
“Michael’s main point is to call us back to Jesus and away from “churchianity”,...”
– Trevin Wax’s review of Michael Spencer’s book: Mere Churchianity.
Jun 14th
4 tags
“Much of our shame is not God-centered but self-centered.”
– John Piper, from his sermon: Battling the Unbelief of Misplaced Shame.
Jun 14th
2 tags
Jun 14th
2 tags
“We should not worship worship, as some people get infatuated with a certain...”
– This weeks Life Lesson from Lifeway.
Jun 13th
6 tags
the covenantal relationship
What is actually in view here? It is the final exodus and the ultimate, eternal establishment of a covenantal relationship between God and His people. It is what we see at the end of the Revelation. “Now I will be their God and they will be my people…” Revelation 5:9-10 (via: this T-Shirt @ Monergism.com, and Concepts from Art Azurdia and Dennis Johnson.)
Jun 13th
6 tags
the great and final exodus!
The great, ultimate, and final exodus is here being declared in song. Three reasons to define the lamb’s worthiness to open the scroll: 1) You were slain. 2) With your blood your purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (That is the meaning of the event.) 3) (v10.) You have made them to be a kingdom of priests and to reign on the earth. (That is the...
Jun 12th
6 tags
God's covenant to Abraham fulfilled
Here is the climax of God’s redemptive purpose, fulfilling God’s covenant to Abraham to bless the children of promise through his seed (Gen 12:2; Rom 9:6-13). This is why God has commanded the church to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:18, 19) that He might gather those he has set apart for Himself in every city and town (Acts 18:10; John 17:9, 20)  Revelation...
Jun 11th
5 tags
redemption
The scope of Christ’s work of redemption is both universal and particular: universal because it includes people of every ethnicity and nation; particular because Christ redeems a people for Himself from out of these nations, having had an eye for a remnant of mankind from every tribe. Revelation 5:9-10 (via: this T-Shirt @ Monergism.com, and Concepts from Art Azurdia and Dennis Johnson.)
Jun 10th
5 tags
Jun 9th
5 tags
when in trouble or great suffering occurs
Rejoice Exceedingly! We also exult in our tribulations knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5
Jun 9th
Jun 7th
3,396 notes
3 tags
do not fear
The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8
Jun 7th
3 tags
“Here’s their simple (yet clever) tactic: they start by saying Genesis...”
– Grace to you Blog, John MacArthur, Changing the Rules, June 6th, 2010.
Jun 6th
3 tags
eternity is set in my heart
He has made everything appropriate in its time.  He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Jun 5th
1 tag
prayer
I need to pray more.
Jun 4th
3 tags
sheer folly
I explored… I built…  I enlarged my works…  I planted…  I made…  I bought…  I possessed…  I collected…  I provided…  I became great…   behold!  all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Jun 4th
3 tags
definition: vanity
From wikipedia: the excessive belief in one’s own abilities or attractiveness to others. From dictionary.com: xcessive pride in one’s appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain; conceit I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 1:14
Jun 3rd
5 tags
In the Beginning...
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1 God God created God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
Jun 2nd
4 tags
“Our battle against evil in our heart is the battle against unbelief. Unbelief is...”
– John Piper from his sermon: Battling the unbelief of Anxiety
Jun 1st
May 2010
11 posts
3 tags
do you battle??
In Hebrews 3:12 it says we are doing battle with a heart of unbelief. This is war.  Take no prisoners.   What are you filling your mind with to help aid you in the battle?  Images of pornography?  Images from movies?  TV?  Music? Filth!  These will do nothing more than to keep you sedated.  A life filled of these will keep you paralyzed in fear, a feeling of inadequacy, and off the battle...
May 31st
5 tags
“The most basic battle of our life is the battle to believe in the living God,...”
– John Piper, from his sermon: Battling the Unbelief of Anxiety
May 30th
2 tags
do not waver
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” Hebrews 10:23
May 29th
4 tags
“The stresses and troubles and dangers are going to increase as history comes to...”
– John Piper, from his sermon: Battling Unbelief Together.  Here Pastor John exhorts us to continue to meet together and to do so more frequently.
May 28th
2 tags
The Battle!
Here Paul is looking back on his Christian life and recognizes he had to fight his whole life to keep the faith. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 2 Timothy 4:7
May 27th
5 tags
“The faith by which God justifies us, forgives all our sins, reckons us...”
– John Piper: from his sermon of battling unbelief at Bethlehem.
May 26th
2 tags
Live!
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
May 25th
5 tags
“You don’t get justified by believing that Jesus died for sinners and rose...”
– John Piper: from his sermon of battling unbelief at Bethlehem.
May 25th
3 tags
do not waver
yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, Romans 4:20
May 20th
2 notes