By PastorJohn on
3/30/2009 3:55 PM
John Piper has a free (and not-too-lengthy at 29 pages) e-book for you to download entitled "Rethinking Retirement: Finishing Life for the Glory of Christ." Here are the first few paragraphs to get you started:
"Finishing life to the glory of Christ means finishing life in a way that makes Christ look glorious. It means living and dying in a way that shows Christ to be the all-satisfying Treasure that he is. So it would include, for example, not living in ways that make this world look like your treasure. Which means that most of the suggestions that this world offers us for our retirement years are bad ideas. They call us to live in a way that would make this world look like our treasure. And when that happens, Jesus is belittled.
Resolutely Resisting Retirement
Finishing life to the glory of Christ means resolutely resis
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By PastorJohn on
3/28/2009 9:05 PM
A couple of weeks ago, Illinois pastor Fred Winters was shot and killed while preaching during a Sunday morning worship service. In this interview, his widow Cindy Winters gives a powerful testimony of forgiveness and the hope we find in Christ.
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By PastorJohn on
3/26/2009 10:10 PM
Kudos to ABC's Nightline for holding this fascinating debate on the Existence of Satan. I've only had the chance to watch a couple of the clips but it looks great. Here is a quick summary from the website on the speakers:
In this third installment, philosopher Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson will face-off against Pastor Mark Driscoll of the Mars Hill Church and Annie Lobert, founder of the Christian ministry "Hookers for Jesus" about the existence of the Devil.
Click here to watch. (NOTE: you may get a bit frustrated with all the ads, but one viewer suggested that you switch to Mozilla Firefox and download ad-block plus for a more enjoyable experience.)
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By PastorJohn on
3/26/2009 7:10 PM
How should a Christian think about work? Believe it or not, the Bible has quite a bit to say about our activity in the secular world, and Gene Edward Veith has a terrific article in TableTalk magazine outlining a thoroughly biblical and potentially life-transforming understanding of the Christian in the workplace. Here is one portion that I found particularly helpful.
The doctrine of vocation, a term that is just the Latin word for "calling," deals with how God works through human beings to bestow His gifts. God gives us this day our daily bread by means of the farmer, the baker, the cooks, and the lady at the check-out counter. He creates new life -- the most amazing miracle of all -- by means of mothers and fathers. He protects us by means of police officers, firemen, and our military. He creates beauty through artists. He heals by w
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By PastorJohn on
3/24/2009 9:36 PM
If you love a good debate, keep your eye out for a new movie called "Collision". This is a documentary featuring the debates between renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens (author of God Is Not Great) and pastor and theologian Doug Wilson. Both of these men have a keen intellect and sharp wit. Check out this brief review and trailer.
Another documentary that Christine and I recently enjoyed was "Expelled" by Ben Stein. This was a very informative and enjoyable take on the Creation-Evolution controversy.
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By PastorJohn on
3/23/2009 9:30 PM
Below is a helpful summary of Seven Conterfeit Gospels that continually find their way into our churches and our thinking. These are cited in How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp. (HT: Justin Taylor). I've found them to be very helpful and convicting as I am prone to wander from the Cross of Christ.
1. Formalism: “I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do n
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By PastorJohn on
3/18/2009 10:09 PM
This article appeared in our April 2007 Newsletter.
THE REASON FOR FAITH
One of the sure signs of Spring is the onslaught of TV specials challenging the historic Christian understanding of Jesus and the Resurrection. And of course, these always seem to appear just in time for Easter…as if to throw a wet blanket on our Lenten festivities. This year is no exception. Many of you have seen or at least heard of the recent ‘documentary’ on the Discovery Channel entitled: The Lost Tomb of Jesus. The basic premise of this film is that Jesus’ bones have been discovered in a tomb in Jerusalem and therefore, we can conclude that he did not rise from the dead. Furthermore, there is evidence that he married Mary Magdalene and sired a son with her. Sound familiar? It also happens to be the claim of last year’s Da Vinc&l
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By PastorJohn on
3/17/2009 2:25 PM
For those interested, here are a couple of short articles that will help you appreciate Saint Patrick a little more today...and who knows, he may even inspire you. Enjoy
What Evangelicals Can Learn from Saint Patrick by Russell Moore
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! by Amy Hall
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By PastorJohn on
3/16/2009 3:50 PM
Last night at our Sunday Night Study (Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith), we discussed the concept of God’s Immutability (i.e. that God does not change). Not only does God’s character and nature never change (Psalm 102:25-27), the Scriptures are clear that His plans and purposes are also unchanging: "The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." ( Psalm 33:11)
With this in mind, we pondered the paradox of prayer: If God is in control of all things and His purposes will be accomplished then why should we pray?
The first answer to this question is rather simple: Because God commands us to pray! (Matthew 6:5-13; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17, James 5:13-16, Jude 1:20) And not just some of the time, at all times and in all places. That alone should be sufficient motivation for a believer.
But now, let’s go a little deepe
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By PastorJohn on
3/13/2009 10:49 AM
These are anxious times for many in our nation and in our church. And in such a time as these, there are many "prophets" coming on the scene giving warnings of disaster. Sometimes, even good and faithful servants of God can get caught up in the fury of it all. We saw this 10 years ago during the Y2K "crisis".
Recently, David Wilkerson came out with a prediction of enormous calamity that is troubling to say the least. Whether you're aware of this or not, I recommend you check out John Piper's very even-handed and gracious response to him. It is a good lesson in how we should test the prophets of our day.
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By PastorJohn on
3/13/2009 9:16 AM
I've been receiving a few e-mails and phone calls recently with specific questions of doctrine that people are wrestling with. Questions that relate to topics like God's choosing whom He wants to save, what it means to be born again, what is the difference between justification and sanctification, how will God judge those who have never heard of Christ...as well as how we should understand some of the more difficult passages of the Bible. These are great questions and I love discussing them and trying to find a solid biblical answer for them.
So, if you're interested, I'd like to use this blog as a forum for this. Here's the proposal, as you are reading your bibles and having discussions and wrestling with issues, please feel free to e-mail me any question or topic that you'd like me to address and then I'll post my best answer...call it "Stump the Pastor" if you'd like. Just send any question to
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By PastorJohn on
3/9/2009 10:48 AM
The following article appeared in our March 2006 Newsletter. As we continue to intercede for one another and for this world, we would do well to remember how our enemy works.
Recently, Christine and I watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I don’t normally care for horror movies, but this one is fascinating and thought-provoking. It is loosely based on a true story and directed by a Christian man. In fact, the main point of the movie is to get the audience to wrestle with the reality of the spiritual world (both good and evil). And to that end, it does the trick. After watching this film, we stayed up an extra hour processing what we had just seen.
Even so, I have mixed feelings about this kind of portrayal of the devil. On the one hand, the Bible is very clear that demon possession is a reality in this world and Jesus and His disciples encountered many demons in their time. Likewise, we cannot deny th
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By PastorJohn on
3/7/2009 10:02 PM
As you may know, we are in the midst of our Seven Weeks of Prayer at MSBC. And perhaps the most eternally significant request we can bring before God is the salvation of those who are lost in their sins and have no knowledge of the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life that God has provided for us in Jesus Christ. If prayers for one lost person have eternal significance, how much more prayers for lost tribes and entire nations?
According to the Joshua Project, there are presently over 6,000 unreached people groups that include over 2.7 billion people. (Unreached means that fewer than 5% of the population is Christian). This may seem overwhelming at first, but when we consider Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations, we should be greatly
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By PastorJohn on
3/6/2009 12:16 PM
To all concerned parents out there:
If you have a child with any kind of access to a computer, I'd encourage you to check out the latest internet filtering software. Here is the link to reviews for the Top 10 filters. I was especially pleased to find out that the one that got the highest rating was also the least expensive (only $28.99). Watch this video for an explanation of all the latest features of Net Nanny.
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By PastorJohn on
3/6/2009 10:47 AM
Here is another great website to add to your resource list: Eternal Perspectives by Randy Alcorn. This website includes a wealth of articles and audio/video teachings on a wide variety of topics that I think will be a great encouragement to you. I first heard Randy speak at a pastor's conference several years ago and was very impressed with his insights on money and ministry. His book the Treasure Principle is a one-sitting, easy-to-read classic that has radically changed the outlook of many Christians (myself included). Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book:
Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives. It doesn't come out of our altruism or philanthropy—it comes out
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By PastorJohn on
3/5/2009 8:48 PM
Last night I was putting my son Daniel to bed and had just finished reading "The Prince's Poison Cup" (a children's book by R.C. Sproul) with him when he asked me two profound questions: "Why did God make people who sin? And why did God make Satan?" Through our discussion, it was clear that he knew that God is in complete control of everything and can do whatever he wants; he knew that God could have made a world where Satan did not exist and people did not sin. Given that, then why did he create a world that could go bad?
My initial answer (which bought me a little time) was to say, "That's a good question...I'm not really sure, but God has His purposes for everything." But upon further reflection, a passage came to mind that shed some light on the issue. In the book of Exodus, God is explaining why He didn't just w
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By PastorJohn on
3/4/2009 8:30 PM
Here are two stories that I've recently read. The first is from the Epilogue of A Faith Worth Sharing by C. John Miller and the second from The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever. Both books I highly recommend. The one by John Miller was one of the most thoroughly enjoyable and readable books I have read in a long time.
THE SALVATION OF MR. YORK
One day when Jack (John Miller) was a young pastor in California, he received an unexpected call from the hospital. Jack had known the man's health wasn't good, but he wasn't prepared for this message: "Come to the hospital quickly. Mr. York is dying!"
At the hospital Jack received his second shock. the sound of Mr. York's breathing was horrible. This non-Christian man was dying from l&
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By PastorJohn on
3/4/2009 11:17 AM
This is an old blog from Together for the Gospel, but it contains some great and memorable quotes on the Gospel. Here are some of my favorites:
"There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin." (Oswald Chambers)
"The gospel is not 'God loves us,' but 'God loves us at the cost of his Son.'" (Derek Thomas)
“One is taken aback by the emphasis upon the Cross in Revelation. Heaven does not ‘get over’ the cross, as if there are better things to think about; heaven is not only Christ-centered, but cross-centered, and quite blaring about it.” (Jim Elliff)
And J.C. Ryle's warnings on ho
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By PastorJohn on
3/3/2009 8:12 PM
Just found out from Justin Taylor's blog that Crossway will be giving everyone everywhere free access to their on-line version of the ESV Study Bible for the month of March. This includes thousands of study notes, dozens of articles and maps, audio recordings of the Scriptures and more. Here is the link. Check it out when you get a chance. I've already mentioned that this has quickly become my favorite study bible of all time.
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By PastorJohn on
3/2/2009 5:44 PM
This may be the most common question/objection to Christianity: How can Jesus be the ONLY way to God? I've attempted to answer this question in a number of ways, but I have not found a better or more powerful response than the one RC Sproul gives in this video.
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By PastorJohn on
3/2/2009 1:24 PM
As of this writing, the Stock Market has just slipped under 7000 and unemployment is on the rise. I have several friends who have specifically requested prayer to find work and others who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat. There is a growing sense of fear and anxiety in our culture and whenever I turn on the radio or browse the internet, I get a case of the willies as well.
But then, I open the Scriptures and I'm reminded again that panic and anxiety are never befitting a Christian. We often have too great a tolerance of these sins, and are far too quick to excuse them. But while they may be universal in their affliction, they are no less evil and devastating to our faith. Along with arrogance and pride, these are some of the surest signs of the unbeliefand wickedness that still remains and must be destroyed in our hearts. Consider Proverbs 28:1:
"The wicked flee
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