47 Years Ago Today

I am too young to remember but on this day 47 years ago (November 22, 1964) three famous people died. 

This is from Justin Taylor's blog, Between Two Worlds:

C. S. Lewis—one week shy of his 65th birthday—collapsed and died at 5:30 PM (GMT) at his residence at The Kilns, outside Oxford, England.

Two hours later, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX, pronounced dead at 1:21 PM (CST). He was only 46 years old.

Exactly six hours later, Aldous Huxley, the English writer and author of Brave New World, died at 5:21 PM (PST) in Los Angeles. He was 69.

William Cowper: The Troubled and Talented Saint

The English poet and hymn writer William Cowper (1731-1800, pronounced Cooper) was afflicted with severe bouts of depression and haunting despair for virtually all of his life. While he was a contemporary of George Whitefield and John Wesley, and Rev. John Newton served as a mentor, many have not heard.

His friends then intervened, and he was sent to an insane asylum run by a poet and committed Christian, Dr. Nathaniel Cotton. Under the guidance of Cotton he read Scripture and withdrew for a time from the misery inside his mind. Cowper read a passage from Romans 3:25: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Cowper declared:

Immediately I received the strength to believe it, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement He had made, my pardon sealed in His blood, and all the fullness and completeness of His justification. In a moment I believed, and received the gospel. Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy. My eyes filled with tears, and my voice choked with transport; I could only look up to heaven in silent fear, overwhelmed with love and wonder.

KEEP READING

Grace Gem, "You are walking in the midst of snares and traps!", by Thomas Sherman

Here is another excellent Grace Gem from May 6th by James Smith.

You are walking in the midst of snares and traps!

(James Smith, "The Pastor's Morning Visit")

"Be very careful, then, how you walk!" Ephesians 5:15 To honor Jesus in your thoughts, words, and every action--should be your constant aim.

You are in an enemy's land; surrounded by temptations; and have a heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked!

This present world is not your home! Satan's family are not to be your intimate friends. Riches, honors, or pleasure--are not to be your objects of pursuit. You are walking in the midst of snares and traps! Be watchful, prayerful, depending upon Jesus, and cultivating fellowship with Him.

O keep your eye on Jesus, as your example! Walk by His Word--as your rule. Do not be venturesome or presumptuous, but avoid the very appearance of evil. Never leave the Lord's ways--to join the world's vanities or to please a carnal lust. Keep close to Jesus--and follow on to know the Lord. Walk as a beloved child, who going home to his loving Father's house! "Be very careful, then, how you walk!"

Grace Gem, The bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure' by Samuel Davies

Here is the Grace Gem from April 25th and it is an excellent one. This is a message we all need to hear and embrace.

The bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure'

from Samuel Davies, "Unseen Things to Be Preferred to Seen Things"

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen--but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary--but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

VISIBLE things are perishable--and may soon leave us. When we think that they are ours--they often fly from our embrace!

Riches may vanish into smoke and ashes--by an accidental fire!

We may be thrown down from the pinnacle of honor--and sink into utter disgrace!

Sensual pleasures often end in excess and disgust--or in sickness and death!

Our friends are torn from our bleeding hearts by the inexorable hand of death!

Our liberty and property may be wrested from us by the hand of tyranny, oppression, or fraud!

In a word, there is nothing which we now enjoy--but we may quickly lose!

On the other hand, our miseries here on earth are temporary. The heart receives many a wound--but it heals again. Poverty may end in riches. A blemished character may be cleared up; and from disgrace--we may rise to honor. We may recover from sickness. And if we lose one comfort--we may obtain another.

But in ETERNITY--everything is everlasting and unchangeable! Happiness and misery are both without end--and the subjects of both well know that this is the case.

It is this eternality and perpetuity, which completes the happiness of the inhabitants of heaven; the least suspicion of an end--would intermingle itself with all their enjoyments, and embitter them; for the greater the happiness, the greater the anxiety at the expectation of losing it. But oh, how transporting for the saints on high, to look forward through the succession of eternal ages, with an assurance that they shall be happy through them all, and that they shall feel no change--but from glory unto glory!

On the other hand, this is the bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure' in the future state--that the misery is eternal! Oh, with what horror does that despairing cry, "Forever! Forever! Forever!" echo through the vaults of hell!

And now, need I offer anything further to convince you of the superior importance of invisible and eternal things--to visible and temporary things? Can you need any arguments to convince you that an eternity of the most perfect happiness--is rather to be chosen than a few years of sordid, unsatisfying sinful pleasures?

Do people of other faiths have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven?

Here is a very good blog post by Kevin DeYoung on how he would answer the question, "Do people of other faiths have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven?" This came up on the Larry King Show in 2005 and anyone whose been a Christian for long has had this question from a skeptic or pluralistic leaning non-believer.

Is Faith Necessary?

Do people of other faiths have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven? Earlier this morning I had a video up of Joel Osteen’s response to this question on Larry King Live. Resurgence had asked me to comment on Osteen’s answer. A couple hours after the post went up the folks at Resurgence contacted me saying they found out Osteen issued an apology several years ago for the statements made on Larry King. You can read about the apology here. It is a clear, humble apology for which Osteen should be commended. As I remarked in my original post at Resurgence, “It’s not easy to winsomely answer a question about the eternal fate of billions of people and do it on live television before the next commercial break.” I’m sorry the clip went up, even for a short time, because it does not accurately reflect what Osteen believes. Very little of my post at Resurgence actually focused on Osteen. Mostly I imagined what I would have said (if I were thinking clearly and quickly on national television, which is a big “if”!). Here’s my answer: “You know, Larry, that’s a huge question. On one level it’s hard to answer because it feels like a trap. ‘Will he or won’t he condemn everyone to hell?’ Well, it’s not my place to give the final evaluation for anyone. And I don’t want to sit here and say that I deserve to go to heaven more than someone else. “Because the fact of the matter is none of us can merit heaven. God is holy and we are not. No matter how sincere we are or how many good things we do, we can’t begin to approach the purity and perfection of God. So we need a Mediator, a go-between. “The Bible teaches that God sent his Son to be our Mediator. He lived the life we couldn’t and died the death meant for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says he was counted as sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. This great exchange is only possible by faith. Even Jesus said that those who don’t believe in him stand condemned already. “And not because they don’t believe. God doesn’t punish people for not hearing about Jesus. He punishes us for being sinful sinners, for twisting what he has revealed to us in creation and what our own consciences tell us we should do. Without Christ, there’s no bridge between God and man, there’s no hope for a personal relationship with God, there’s no chance of being forgiven. “Look, I realize that’s offensive to many people. But our desire is not to exclude anyone. That’s why Christians believe in sharing their faith and starting new churches. We want everyone to put their faith in Christ and be his disciples. That’s what Jesus told us to do before he ascended into heaven. But I can’t accept that good Buddhists or sincere Hindus are doing just fine, because I don’t believe Jesus is someone’s personal God. I believe he is God. He is more than a personal Lord. He is the Lord over everyone and everything whether they recognize it or not. I can’t fully honor Christ if I pretend he is just one option among many. To say what I think your viewers want me to say would be to deny all that I believe is glorious, precious, and unique about Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him. “See, the good news is Jesus is not just my personal Savior. He is the Savior of the world. That means he’s not my possession that I try to monopolize. No, he possesses everything and will gladly forgive all who turn to him in faith and repentance. Apart from Christ, no one can be right with God, no Hindus, no Buddhists, no Muslims, least of all this sinful pastor. There is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved. But in Christ, there is salvation, joy, and new life for all who believe.

Grace Gem, "O Stand Amazed at His Free Grace!" by Thomas Sherman

Here is another excellent Grace Gem from April 16 (I'm a little behind):

O stand amazed at His free grace!

Thomas Sherman, "Divine Breathings; Or, a Pious Soul Thirsting after Christ"

O precious saint! Three questions call for your answer:
1. What were you?
2. What are you?
3. What shall you be?

1. What were you?
Dead in your transgressions and sins,
a rebel to your God,
a prodigal to your Father,
a slave to your lust,
the devil's captive,
on the highway to hell.

2. What are you?
Redeemed by Christ,
a royal child of God,
the spouse of Christ,
the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the heir of a priceless eternal inheritance!

3. What shall you be?
A glorious saint,
a companion of angels,
a triumphant victor,
a crowned king,
an attendant on the Lamb,
a participant in those soul-ravishing and ineffable excellencies that are in God! You shall behold the King of Glory face to face--and enjoy immediate communion with Jesus Christ! Nay more, you are made one with Him:
clothed with His excellencies,
enthroned with His glories,
crowned with His eternity,
and filled with His felicity!

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard, and
no mind has imagined . . .
what God has prepared for those who love Him!"
1 Corinthians 2:9

O stand amazed at His free grace--and render all the glory to God!

What Is the Gospel? from R.C. Sproul

From the Ligonier Ministries Blog here is R.C. Sproul explaining one of the most important questions of life, "What is the Gospel?"

What Is the Gospel? from R.C. Sproul

There is no greater message to be heard than that which we call the Gospel. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications. People think they’re preaching the Gospel to you when they tell you, 'you can have a purpose to your life', or that 'you can have meaning to your life', or that 'you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.' All of those things are true, and they’re all important, but they don’t get to the heart of the Gospel. The Gospel is called the 'good news' because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I’m not. And at the end of my life, I’m going to stand before a just and holy God, and I’ll be judged. And I’ll be judged either on the basis of my own righteousness – or lack of it – or the righteousness of another. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus lived a life of perfect righteousness, of perfect obedience to God, not for His own well being but for His people. He has done for me what I couldn’t possibly do for myself. But not only has He lived that life of perfect obedience, He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and the righteousness of God. The great misconception in our day is this: that God isn’t concerned to protect His own integrity. He’s a kind of wishy-washy deity, who just waves a wand of forgiveness over everybody. No. For God to forgive you is a very costly matter. It cost the sacrifice of His own Son. So valuable was that sacrifice that God pronounced it valuable by raising Him from the dead – so that Christ died for us, He was raised for our justification. So the Gospel is something objective. It is the message of who Jesus is and what He did. And it also has a subjective dimension. How are the benefits of Jesus subjectively appropriated to us? How do I get it? The Bible makes it clear that we are justified not by our works, not by our efforts, not by our deeds, but by faith – and by faith alone. The only way you can receive the benefit of Christ’s life and death is by putting your trust in Him – and in Him alone. You do that, you’re declared just by God, you’re adopted into His family, you’re forgiven of all of your sins, and you have begun your pilgrimage for eternity.

Grace Gem, "A whole Christ must be received--with the whole heart " by Thomas Sherman

A whole Christ must be received--with the whole heart

(Thomas Sherman, "Aids to the Divine Life--A Series of Practical Christian Contemplations" 1680)

"Yet to all who received Him . . . He gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12

A whole Christ must be received--with the whole heart.

Some in their understanding, assent to the way of salvation--yet do not consent to it with their will. In judgment they are for Christ--but in affection they are for other things. There is only a part of their soul that is for Christ. Others would have the benefits that are from Christ--but have no love for the person of Christ.

Some would have Christ only as a Savior--but not as a Lord. They desire Him only as a Priest to offer a sacrifice for their sins--but not as a Prophet to instruct them, nor as a King to rule over them. So that it is but part of Christ, that they would receive.

But both of these courses are equally dangerous; for, if we would be saved, we must cleave to Christ with all the faculties of the soul--with will, judgment, affection, etc. And so, again, we must cleave to the whole of Christ--Christ in His natures, person, offices, etc. If, therefore, you would rightly receive Christ, see that your whole soul receives a whole Christ.

Flowchart on drinkable water in the world

Here is an excellent post by FlowingData on the World's drinkable water in the world.

Grace Gem, A.W. Pink; You are a filthy pauper!

Here is an excellent Grace Gem for April 8th by A.W. Pink:

You are a filthy pauper!

Arthur Pink, "Identification of the Godly"

"For this is what the high and lofty One says--He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place--but also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit." Isaiah 57:15

A humble spirit or heart, is an infallible sign of regeneration; for the unregenerate are proud, self-satisfied, self-righteous.

Yet the very mention of the word "humility" seems to cut off many Christians. As they examine themselves, they discover so much pride at work within, that they are quite unable to persuade themselves that they have a humble heart. It seems to them--that humility is one thing they most evidently lack. Now it will no doubt be a startling statement--but we unhesitatingly affirm that the great majority of God's people are far more humble than they suppose!

FIRST, that the Christian reader possesses a humble heart, is plain from the fact that he confesses himself to be a Hell-deserving sinner. We do not have in mind what you say of yourself when in the company of your fellows--but rather what you feel and say of yourself when alone with God. Whatever pretenses you are guilty of before men--when in the presence of the Omniscient One--you are real, sincere, and genuine.

Now, dear reader, be honest with yourself: When on your knees before the Throne of Grace, do you freely and frankly acknowledge that if you received your lawful due, you would--even now--be suffering the dreadful fires of Hell? If so, a miracle of grace must have been wrought within you. No unregenerate person will or can honestly make such a confession to God--for he does not feel he has done anything deserving of eternal punishment.

SECOND, if you own that "all your righteous acts are like filthy rags," that is proof you possess a humble heart. Of course, we mean much more than your merely uttering those words as a parrot might, or even singing then during some religious service. We mean that when you are in the presence of the Lord--which is always the surest test--you personally realize that you have not a single meritorious deed of your own to commend you to His favorable regard.

We mean that, when bowed in His presence, in the calmness and quietness of your prayer-closet, you own without any qualification, that your best performances are defiled by sin--and that in yourself, you are a filthy pauper!

If that is indeed your language before God--it most certainly issues from a humble heart. The heart of the natural man thinks and feels the very opposite, and can no more loathe himself--than transform himself into a holy angel.

THIRD, if you receive everything in the Scriptures as a little child--that is another proof that a miracle of grace has been wrought within you and that you now possess a humble heart. By nature, all are "wise and prudent" in their own esteem.

The enmity of the proud carnal mind rises up against the sovereignty of God--making one vessel to honor and another to dishonor; against the spirituality and strictness of the Divine Law--which curses all who deviate the slightest from its holy demands; and against the endless punishment of all dying out of Christ. But the regenerate, though there is much they do not understand, accept without murmur or question--all that is revealed in the Word. If you do, that is proof that your pride has been abased before God.

How thankful we should be that Scripture does not say that God dwells only in those who have complete victory over sin, or those who enjoy unbroken and unclouded communion with Him. Had those been the distinguishing features named--then every one of us might well despair!

But every regenerate person has a humble heart. And if you, my reader, measuring yourself by what has been pointed out above, can discern such fruits and evidences of humility--then so far from its being presumptuous for you to look upon yourself as one saved and indwelt by God--it would be most wicked presumption for you to do otherwise.

The Preaching of John MacArthur

Here is a post by Phil Johnson on the Pyromaniacs blog which has an excerpt about the preaching of John MacArthur which appears in a new book by Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 7: Our Own Time.

What one hears from [John MacArthur's] pulpit is a very straight Christian message—conservative, to be sure, but free from the wrangling, the defensiveness, and the bitterness of the fundamentalism of a generation or two ago. If one were to call MacArthur a fundamentalist, a label that, I gather, he would not reject, one would have to admit that his is a very impressive sort of fundamentalism. His expository sermons are instructive and edifying. Twice a Sunday he draws a very large congregation that sits attentively for an hour-long sermon . . . .

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Which Resurrection did you observe on Easter? and "Which 'Jesus' do you worship?"

Here is an excellent post from Defending, Contending Blog asking “Which ‘Resurrection’ did you observe today?”

Previous to this one the question was asked "Which 'Jesus' do you worship?"

Both of these posts are absolutely priceless.

New Testament Reliabilty "Downright Miraculous" by Dr. James White

Here is a great quote from Dr. James White on the reliability of the New Testament (specific to the manuscript evidence) given at Rockdale Community Church back in February. These presentations are very good but somewhat difficult to follow on audio. I would pay good money to get the video version.

"1,500-2,000 meaningful and viable textual variants, over 1.3 million pages of handwritten copies, spanning approximately 1,500 years prior to the invention of printing is an amazingly small percentage of the text, reflecting an amazingly accurate history of transmission. One might say it is downright miraculous"

Here are the links to download the two files:
New Testament Reliability, Part 1
New Testament Reliability, Part 2

John MacArthur on the Purpose Driven Life

It is quite troubling that Rick Warren has been invited by John Piper to be a speaker at the 2010 Desiring God Conference. I really like John Piper's preaching and ministry but why he continues to invite the likes of Warren and Douglas Wilson (proponent of Federal Vision) to speak at conferences baffles my mind.
This is an excellent video where John MacArthur shows the flaw in the false gospel taught in Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life".

L'Abri Ideas Library -- Free Resources

The L'Abri Ideas Library has made available the mp3 files of the lectures and teaching of Dr. Francis Schaeffer.

Dr. Schaeffer was a Christian theologian and philosopher who, together with his wife Edith, founded the first L'Abri community in Switzerland in 1955. From the 1960’s, until his death in 1984, Dr Schaeffer’s lectures and discussions were recorded as a resource for future students.

Dr. Schaeffer Collection

3 Questions to Ask Before Committing Idolatry

Here is a very good article by Dustin Neely, 3 Questions to Ask Before Committing Idolatry as it relates to gadget purchases, specifically the new iPad.

"Do I get an iPad or not?" That is the question many are asking these days.

With the pending release of Apple's newest "magical and revolutionary device," April 3 has become the new December 25 for many. Adults everywhere, techies or not, are salivating for this new gadget like Ralphie for his Red Ryder BB gun.

In the process of determining whether or not I should take the plunge myself, I have begun asking some questions that might also help you in your process of prayerful evaluation. In fact, my hope is that they serve you well beyond this particular purchase but for others as well.

1. Is this a tool or a toy?

Is this an acute want or an actual need?

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The Sinkhole Syndrome by Donald Whitney, Tabletalk -- March 2010

Here is an excellent article which appeared in the March Tabletalk.

The Sinkhole Syndrome

by Donald Whitney

You know the story. A man has been a believer in Christ for decades. To all outward appearances he’s a man of Christian faithfulness and integrity. He has maintained a reputation as a fine example of public and private faithfulness to the things of God for decades. Then, without warning, it all collapses into a sinkhole of sin. Everyone wonders how it could have happened so quickly. In most cases, it soon becomes known that — like most sinkholes — the problem didn’t develop overnight.

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Five Consequences for a Nation that Rejects God

Here is an excellent post outlining from Romans chapter one the five consequences of a society (nation) that reject the God of the Bible.

The Roman Road to Wrath

Five Consequences for a Nation that Rejects God

By Brannon Howse

Ideas-and the actions they produce-have consequences, and the Bible is very specific about what a nation will reap when it rejects God. America is already experiencing the results of the ideological path it has been wandering. Lawlessness and disorder have their roots in our continually snubbing the God of the Bible.

Chapter 1 of Romans delineates five specific national consequences for denying God. To be sure, there are others outlined in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and elsewhere in the Old Testament, but in this article I will focus just on Paul's warnings because they are so explicit and frighteningly relevant to what is happening in America today.

1. The nation that continually rejects God becomes a nation of fools.

Continue reading

CSM Article: Calvinism Is Back

Here is an interesting article appearing in the Christian Science Monitor, (Christian faith: Calvinism is back) about the growth of Calvinistic churches in the U.S. and a profile of the church Mark Dever leads in Washington D.C., Capitol Hill Baptist Church. One quote I find encouraging is, "In the Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest Protestant body, at least 10 percent of its pastors identify as Calvinist, while more than one-third of recent seminary graduates do".

What Is Salvation? by Paul Washer

Here's a short yet awesome presentation of "what is salvation" preached by Paul Washer.

What is Salvation? (In 2 Minutes) - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

We Begin At the Lowest Grade, excellent Grace Gem for 3/9/2010

We begin at the lowest grade

by J.R. Miller, "Devotional Hours with the Bible"

"Learn from Me--for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

All of Christian life is a school. "Learn from Me," said the Master. We are only beginners when we first become Christians, and enter Christ's school. We begin at the lowest grade. We do not have to wait until we know a great deal before we begin to attend school. School is not for finished scholars--but for the most ignorant. We may come to Christ when we know almost nothing. He is the teacher--and all believers are learners.

"Learn from Me--for I am gentle." Gentleness is a lesson which we are to learn. It will probably take us a good long while to learn this lesson--but we must learn it because it is in Christ's curriculum for all His students.

Contentment is another lesson which we must learn. When he was well along in life, Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." It was a long and difficult lesson for him to learn.

Patience is a lesson that has to be learned. An impatient person is not a complete Christian.

Thoughtfulness is a necessary lesson. There are a great many thoughtless Christians. They are always blundering in their interactions with others. They say the wrong word, they do the wrong thing. They are always hurting other people's feelings, giving pain to gentle hearts. Yet it is all from thoughtlessness. "I didn't mean to offend him. I didn't mean to be unkind. I just never thought!" There are few lessons in Christian life that more people need to learn, than this of thoughtfulness.

We have to learn to trust. Worry is a sin. It is probably as great a sin as dishonesty or profanity or bad temper. Yet a good many Christian people worry--and one of the most important lessons in Christ's school, is to learn not to worry.

Kindness is a lesson we must learn. It takes many years to learn the one little lesson of kindness.

Joy is a lesson to be learned.

Peace is another.

Humility is another necessary lesson.

Praise is a great lesson.

All of life is a school, and it is in learning these lessons--that Jesus says we shall find rest for your souls. Christ Himself is our teacher, and with Him we should never fail to learn, though it be only slowly. Then as we learn our lessons, our lives will grow continually more and more into quietness, peace and Christlikeness.

Legalism definition by Jerry Bridges

"Legalism is when we build fences to keep ourselves from committing certain sins. Soon these fences -- instead of the sins they were designed to guard against -- become the issue. We elevate our rules to the level of God's commandments."

Jerry Bridges Transforming Grace, p.122

John Adams Quote

I saw this quote in an excellent article about whether government run health care is a good idea in the Summit Ministries Feb 15, 2010 Truth Or Consequences article.

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
— John Adams, U.S. Diplomat and Politician (1735–1826), "Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trial," December 1770

Exceprts from The Neo-Liberal Stealth Offensive by Phil Johnson

Excerpts from a Phil Johnson article in the Jan-Feb 9Marks eJournal:

With the advent of the seeker-sensitive movement, however, evangelicals began to be influenced by a new species of entrepreneurial leaders who marginalized those core doctrines by neglect. Most of them didn’t overtly deny essential biblical truths; but neither did they vigorously stress or defend anything other than their own methodology.

The results were predictable: Churches are now filled with formerly unchurched people who are still untaught and perhaps even unconverted. Multitudes of children raised on a treacly diet of seekersensitive religion have grown up to associate the label evangelical with superficiality. Most of them cannot tell you what the term originally meant, and they reject whatever vestigial evangelical boundaries or doctrinal distinctives their parents may have held onto. But they still call themselves evangelicals when it’s convenient, and many have remained at the fringes of the visible movement, decrying how out of step the church is with their generation. That, after all, is exactly what they learned from their parents.

iDisappointment from Challies.com

Tim Challies has a great blog post today about what he calls his iDisappointment with the new iPad and its lack of features. Tim is really, really smart.

Jonathan Edwards quote

This is a great Jonathan Edwards quote on the first page of James Spiegel's new book, The Making of an Atheist: How Immorality Leads to Unbelief.

There is no one thing whatsoever more plain and manifest,
and more demonstrable, than the being of God. It is manifest
in ourselves, in our bodies and souls, and in everything
about us wherever we turn our eye, whether to
heaven, or to the earth, the air, or the seas. And yet how
prone is the heart of man to call this into question! So
inclined is the heart of man to blindness and delusion, that
it is prone to even atheism itself.
Jonathan Edwards
Man’s Natural Blindness in Religion

Grace Gem, J.R. Miller " A Secret of Victorious Living"

Here is an excellent Grace Gem from Tuesday of this week.

A secret of victorious living

(J. R. Miller, "Thread for a Web Begun" 1894)

There is a secret of victorious living which, if people knew it, would make all of life easier for them. It may be stated thus: that as we take up any duty and go forward with it, we shall receive the strength we need to do it. There are several Divine promises that give this assurance.

One reads, "As your days--so shall your strength be." Deuteronomy 33:25. This seems to mean that the help which God gives, varies according to the necessity of the particular day. God fits His blessing--to our days.
When we are faint--He increases strength.
When we are sorrowful--He gives comfort.
When we are in danger--He grants protection.
When we are weary--He gives rest.
"As your days--so shall your strength be."

Another of Christ's promises reads, "My grace is sufficient for you." Every word of this assurance shines with radiant light.

"My grace is sufficient for you." It is Christ's grace that is sufficient. We know that He has all Divine fullness, and therefore we are sure that no human need can ever exhaust His power to give help!

"My grace is sufficient for you." It is Christ's grace that is sufficient. If it were anything else but grace, it might not give us such comfort. Grace is undeserved favor, goodness shown to the unworthy. We deserve nothing, for we are sinners. But it is Christ's grace which is sufficient, and so we can claim it.

"My grace is sufficient for you." It is present tense--IS sufficient. Christ is always speaking personally to the one who is in any need, and saying, "My grace IS sufficient for you."

"My grace is sufficient for you." The word "sufficient" is one whose meaning expands and amplifies with the measure of the need. No necessity is so small as not to be included; and none is so great as to go beyond the capacity of the blessing that is promised.

"My grace is sufficient for you." The grace is sufficient for each of His redeemed children--"for you" the promise runs.

Life lies before us, with . . .
its burdens,
its duties,
its responsibilities,
its struggles,
its perplexities.
It does not come to us all in one piece. God breaks our years--into months and weeks and days, and never gives us more than just a little at a time--never more than we can bear or do for the day.

If we take up the present duty or burden--we shall always have strength to do it. If we do not have strength of our own sufficient for the work or struggle, we need not falter--but should go on, just as if we had omnipotence in our arm; for as we obey God, though the task is impossible to our ability--He will sustain us by giving us all the help we need.

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John Calvin on "The Word of God as Holy Scripture"

Now in order that true religion may shine upon us, we ought to hold that it must take its beginning from heavenly doctrine and that no one can get even the slightest taste of right and sound doctrine unless he be a pupil of Scripture.

Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.6.2

Blindness & Pride from Heart of the Matter episode 177

Here is a link to an excellent exchange between Shawn McCraney from Heart of the Matter recapping the previous weeks show which included an exchange with an LDS man (Ed) who phoned the show. Ed typifies the Pharisaical pride that exists with some people who really believe they're earning their salvation.

Remembering two great Americans, Two great men of God

Contemporary Calvinist has a great blog post on the Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Here is Lee's definition of a gentleman:

The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman.

The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly -- the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light.

The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past.

A true man of Honor feels humble himself when he cannot help humbling others.