By PastorJohn on
7/30/2009 10:30 AM
This is the first blog on this years Africa mission. Our team will be flying out of Logan airport bright and early tomorrow morning and will be arriving in Durban, South Africa on Saturday afternoon. Thanks to all for your prayers and support and I'll try to keep you updated on our progress with this blog. Our team consists of 3 from our church (Michael John, Lou Marini and Dan Rogers) along with Alex Burgess (pastor of Ward Hill Church of Christ the King) and Vern Walter (member of Providence Baptist in Raymond).
Below is the itinerary for our trip in case you’d like to follow along at home:
- Friday, July 31- Saturday, Aug. 1
Fly out of Boson in early morning Friday and arrive in Durban late afternoon Saturday.
- Sunday, Aug. 2
DURBAN: Rest and Preach in local churches
&a
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/30/2009 10:28 AM
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:38-39)
In a world full of uncertainties, these promises provide shelter through every storm. Given the perpetual troubles in the world and recent anxieties in our nation, it is good to continually hide ourselves in the love of God in Christ. We can know without doubt that God will work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28) and that He will graciously give us all things (Romans 8:32) because He has already given us Christ who has given His life for ours! The Gospel is always wonderful, but there are times when it is especially so. And dealing with chan
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/27/2009 9:10 PM
You can never meditate too much on the Gospel. The message of Christ's death for our sins and resurrection for our justification (Romans 4:25) is real food for our souls that needs to be consummed every day. And I find that I never get tired of hearing the Good News and I especially love hearing it from different people at different times and perspectives. Here are two articles that I came across today that I found particularly enjoyable.
The first is entitled "Gospel Gold from John Calvin" which is profoundly beautiful even 500 years later. The second is The Law/Gospel Rant by Michael Spencer which is an amusing and helpful distinction that every Christian needs to get.
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/14/2009 9:26 AM
J. Gresham Machen, founder of Westminster Seminary in the early 1900's, wrote a book entitled Christianity and Liberalism. For those wrestling with how to understand and answer the liberalism that is so rampant in many of our Protestant churches, this is a good and helpful read. In this particular section, Machen outlines the difference between a pagan understanding of man and the Christian understanding.
Paganism is that view of life which finds the highest goal of human existence in the healthy and harmonious and joyous development of existing human faculties. Very different is the Christian ideal. Paganism is optimistic with regard to unaided human nature' whereas Christianity is the religion of the broken heart.
In saying that Christianity is the religion of the broken heart, we do not mean th
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/11/2009 11:07 AM
Pastor John Piper gives a compelling description of how we ought to understand and meditate on the Gospel in this Q&A. To sum up...
"What makes a reformed understanding of the gospel is the desire and the passion that God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son receive the fullest measure of the glory they should receive in saving me."
His full answer is worth reading/listening to here.
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/9/2009 10:20 AM
I’ve been finding J.C. Ryle’s Holiness to be particularly helpful and surprisingly readable for a book over 130 years old. In chapter 6 (entitled “Growth”), he makes the case that Christians are expected to grow in grace and become mature (Colossians 1:10; 2 Peter 3:18). In fact, if there is no growth, we need to seriously question our salvation. (Matthew 7:13-27) To help us in this examination, Ryle then outlines the following six essential signs of spiritual growth:
- Increased Humility: The man whose soul is “growing” feels his own sinfulness and unworthiness more every year…The brighter and clearer is his light, the more he sees of the shortcomings and infirmities of his own heart. When first converted, he would tell you he saw but little of them compared to what he sees now.
- Increased Faith and Love toward our Lord Jesus Christ: The man whose soul is “growin
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/7/2009 11:47 AM
If you have the chance, please go and listen to Rachel Barkley's story at deathisnotdying.com. Rachel, a 37 year-old wife and mother, just died of cancer on July 2. She gave this talk in March this year when she had been given only a few months to live. Hers is not your typical "inspiring" story, but rather a powerful and helpful exposition of the Gospel.
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/3/2009 9:38 PM
In his classic book Holiness, J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) calls us to meditate on the distinction between justification and Sanctification. For those unfamiliar with these terms, here is a working definition taken from our Statement of Faith:
Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal (by the righteousness of Christ alone) of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.
Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.
For you sports fans out there, this analogy might help: Justification is the mo
Read More »
|
By PastorJohn on
7/1/2009 3:33 PM
Just got home from our 2nd Annual Kids Day in the Park and let me take this moment to thank all the workers who came out and made this another huge success! We had close to 30 helpers and everyone worked pretty much straight through to the end. Special thanks to the Hodges (and our friends at First United Methodist) who went out of there way to pay for, pick up and organize all the inflatables!
Thanks to God for holding off the rain until just before closing and giving us a spirit of love and cooperation! I was truly amazed at how smoothly everything flowed and how little direction people needed. It is such a joy to see folks looking for ways to bless and encourage others...that's what faith looks like. As Martin Luther wrote in his "Preface to the book of Romans":
"Faith doesn't ask whether good works are to be done, but, before it is asked, it has done them. It is always active."
Read More »
|