By PastorJohn on 4/22/2009 10:19 PM

I just finished reading The Cross of Christ by John Stott.  (The March assignment in the Book of the Month Challenge). OK, OK, I’m a little behind, but not to worry… I’m on vacation and hoping to use the leisure time to make up the difference.

It turns out that this book was a much slower read than expected – not because it was academically nuanced or boring, but rather because it was so rich and thoughtful. There is a reason it takes hours to dine at a fine Steak House and only minutes to scarf down a burger at McDonalds. John Stott is a master chef for those interested in real food for the soul and The Cross of Christ  is a five-star Restaurant. But if I were to read it again, I would prefer to do it in a small group taking a chapter a week.

To give you a taste, here are portions of a section entitled “The Pain of God” from Chapter 13: Suffering and Glory. In this chapter, Stott explains how the Cross he Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/19/2009 10:28 PM

R.C. Sproul recently aired a series on abortion. Topics included:

1. What Are the Key Issues? Is abortion murder? Is a fetus a person? What about women's rights? Learn the fundamental issues of abortion.
2. How Sacred Is Human Life? Does human life have sacred value worthy of protection by the law? Is the sanctity of human life a truth that you hold as self-evident?
3. When Does Life Begin? What qualifies you to be human? Who gives you the right to call yourself a living human person? God? The Church? Or should it be the State?
4. What is the Relationship of Church and State? Should today's abortions decisions be made exclusively by politicians and judges? Should the church have any say Read More »
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By PastorJohn on 4/16/2009 1:50 PM

For those of you interested in learning more about the Essential Teachings of our Faith, but are  not able to attend our Sunday evening or Wednesday morning classes, you may want to check out this link. Wayne Grudem (who wrote the book that we are following) has been teaching this as a Sunday School for the past 5 years and his outlines and audio are made available for free at his website: www.christianessentialssbc.com. christianessentialssbc.com.

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By PastorJohn on 4/11/2009 8:33 PM

As many of you know, John Piper is one of my favorite authors and his devotional books have been a great help to me especially his thoroughly biblical meditations upon the glory of Jesus Christ. May I recommend another resource from DesiringGod ministries entitled "50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die". You can download the entire book for free here. Below are the 50 reasons listed in the Table of Contents:

1. To Absorb the Wrath of God
2. To Please His Heavenly Father
3. To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected
4. To Achieve His Own Resurrection from the Dead
5. To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace for Sinners
6. To Show His Own Love for Us
7. To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us
8. To Read More »
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By PastorJohn on 4/10/2009 10:28 AM

Sometimes, I'm at a loss for words and even thoughts, especially about such profound mysteries as the Death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It's at these moments that I have found great friends and mentors in the Puritan writers of old. So many times I have turned to my copy of the The Valley of Vision (a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions) and found refreshment for my soul. Here is just such a prayer for today (Good Friday) entitled, "Calvary's Anthem."

Heavenly Father,
You have led me singing to the cross
where I fling down all my burdens and see them vanish,
where my mountains of guilt are levelled to a plain,
where my sins disappear, though they are the greatest that exist,
and are more in number than the grains of fine sand;

For there is power in the blood of Calvary Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/7/2009 8:25 PM

 This article appeared in our March 2005 newsletter.

I have a confession to make. Even with all this talk of the goodness of humility and the sin of pride, I don’t like being humbled. Actually, I hate it! There is something in me (maybe even all of me) that recoils at the idea of being humiliated. I want to be respected and honored. I want to be appreciated and valued for all that I am. I want others to speak of me with glad admiration. How about you? Well if you’re anything like me, the Bible has good news for us. Though pride is a sin and is outright condemned, our desire to be valued, even exalted, is not sinful in itself. In fact, God appeals to these desires as the primary reason we should strive for humility.  Huh? Well, take a look for yourself:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

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By PastorJohn on 4/3/2009 12:16 PM

I have a good friend whose elderly mother is just moments away from leaving this world to be with her heavenly Father. These are sad times, but as believers, we need never grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and my friend shared the comfort he received from an old hymn written by Henri Malan (1787-1864) entitled "It Is Not Death to Die"

It is not death to die
To leave this weary road
And join the saints who dwell on high
Who’ve found their home with God
It is not death to close
The eyes long dimmed by tears
And wake in joy before Your throne
Delivered from our fears

O Jesus, conquering the grave
Your precious blood has power to save
Those who trust in You
Will in Your mercy find
That it is not death to die

It is not Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/2/2009 8:22 PM

Just received this e-mail from one of our members recommending a website/ministry called "Setting Captives Free":

John Piper has endorsed this site and I wanted to share it with you as a resource. It deals with addictions but focuses on Biblical encouragement, reflection with an emphasis on transformation to glorifying God more. I have signed up to work on my weight issues and the first day's work which takes about 1/2 hour to an hour really hit home. Prayer and mentors are included in this free resource and I was contacted soon after I signed up with specific references to my message I sent. So there is a live person reading this.

I have briefly perused the site, and it looks like it could be very helpful for folks struggling with all sorts of addictions and habitual sins. Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/1/2009 8:33 PM

I'm not a big fan of most  of what passes for counseling and therapy  these days. But I have found the work and books from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) to be excellent. These include the likes of Ed Welch (Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave) and David Powlison who are thoroughly Christ-centered and grounded in the Scriptures.

For those of you who may not have the time or desire to read lengthy counseling books, check out the selection of mini books from CCEF here. Each book costs about $4 and the topics include:

Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/1/2009 4:13 PM

Revelation 4:10 says the elders laid their crowns before the throne, what are these crowns and did they bring them into eternity?  Is this something only reserved for elders? 

Before getting to the specifics of this question, I think it is helpful to remember the rules of interpretation, particularly for the book of Revelation. This book is an “apocalypse” which is a peculiar kind of literature that we don’t use much today. One of its distinguishing marks is that it is full of fantastic imagery. (Take for example, the four living creatures that circle the throne in Rev. 4:6-8). Now these images are not to be taken in a literal sense, they are highly symbolic. Likewise, the 24 elders with crowns, though not as psychedelic as the creatures, are also symbolic.

First, note that they are elders sitting on thrones, which means they are intended to represent those in authority in God’s Church. And tha Read More »