By PastorJohn on 1/4/2012 10:52 AM

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Having been raised in the church by parents who required my faithful attendance, I have been subjected to well over 2,000 sermons and 1,000 Sunday School lessons in my roughly 40 years of consciousness. This does not even include the thousands of hours of preaching I’ve seen and heard on TV, radio, audio tape (that was before CD’s) and the internet.  And yet, after having been flooded by a veritable tsunami of instruction, I’m having a hard time recalling much. Even the most well crafted and convicting of messages have grown a bit foggy over the years.

Though it is good to listen and indeed it is absolutely necessary for me to hear the Gospel again and again (for faith comes by hea Read More »

By PastorJohn on 10/28/2011 2:57 PM

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

In a barren desert in Bahrain stands one tree. The locals call it the “Tree of Life” and believe that it is being miraculously sustained by Enki, the god of water.  Indeed, this is a remarkable sight, but there is no mystery to its vitality in this wasteland. You see, this particular species of Mesquite tree has a root system that descends more than 150 feet.  And thus, it has no need for favorable conditions, for it survives, and even thrives, on the secre Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/29/2011 9:07 PM

 “If God spare my life, before very long I shall cause a plow boy to know the scriptures better than you do!”

So said William Tyndale to a fellow clergyman in 1521. He began to make good on this promise in 1526 when he was the first to translate the New Testament into English from the original Greek. Until that time, the Scriptures were only available in Latin and only studied by priests.   Thanks to these brand (and banned) new versions, the average layman finally had direct access to God’s Word. He was no longer at the mercy of his minister.  Thus began the Reformation of the Church in England.

The Reformation transformed society precisely because it took root in the pews not in the pulpits. As Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4, the Body of Christ grows as each member serves one another in love. The pastors and teachers are there to equip believers, but only the “non-professionals” can do the re Read More »

By PastorJohn on 7/11/2011 9:41 PM

Over the years, I have wrestled with the whole concept of short-term mission trips, especially to faraway lands. Why are we doing this? Why do we raise and spend so much money (mostly on airfare)? What are we trying to accomplish? Is this just a very expensive way for us to feel better about ourselves…to relieve some of our middle class guilt? Wouldn’t it be better to just give the money to ministries and missionaries that are already at work in these countries?

If the purpose of these trips was about our doing something for the poor people in Africa or feeling good about ourselves, then indeed this is a horrible waste of resources. But that’s not why we go. Paul gives us a better perspective in Romans 1:11-12: 

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's f

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By PastorJohn on 6/10/2011 10:55 AM

My apologies for not writing sooner and more often. It turns out internet access was a problem this trip.

It's 5:30 pm on Friday, June 10th and I'm writing to you from the Zulu Nyala Game lodge in South Africa. I am here with Christine, Daniel and Pastor Jacob. We just finished up with our week in Swaziland. (Christine and Daniel came along). This was the very first week of the Lobombo School of Missions (an extension of the Bethany Mission School). I was one of three teachers who instructed 14 students (several of them were local pastors here in Swaziland who have never had any formal training). My course was on OT Survey - Part II (Joshua - Song of Songs), and it was far more enjoyable than I had anticipated. You will never see folks more hungry to know God's Word and so thankful for such an opportunity to study. Pastor Mandla translated for all the professors (which was an exhausting feat).

Meanwhile, Christine and Daniel worked and played Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/25/2011 12:33 PM

We have arrived safe and exhausted in Durban. Pastor Jacob and Rena picked us up at the airport at 11:30 am (Africa time). Our plan is to rest tomorrow and get oriented and then head up for a weekend retreat with the Moses family in Drankensburg on Friday. Other than that, not much to report just yet.

Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/24/2011 4:06 AM

It's 5:00 am, Tuesday (May 24) morning and our family is about to leave for Logan Airport. We expect to arrive in Durban, South Africa at 11:15 am Wednesday (May 25)...that would be 5:15 am our time.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Below is a rough outline of our time in Africa, which of course is subject to change:

Tuesday, May 24- Wed., May 25    TRAVEL: Fly out of Boson in early morning Tuesday and arrive in Durban late afternoon Wednesday.

Thursday, May 26    DURBAN: Recover from trip

Friday, May 27 – Sunday, May 29     DRAKENSBERG: Connect with the Moses Family (Pastor Jacob, Rena, Jarene and Janelle).  

Monday, May 30-Friday, June 3     TON Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/3/2011 12:57 PM

If God is love, how can He send people to Hell?

This is one of the classic challenges to the Christian faith.  At first glance, “love and hell” seems an embarrassing contradiction. The Bible states that God loves the world (John 3:16) and yet on Judgment Day, He will be sending most of the people in this world into eternal conscious torment. (Matthew 7:13; 25:46; Rev. 21:8…)  This is love?

Indeed, the biblical doctrine of Hell does not fit with the conventional  understanding of love. We tend to think of love as something warm and never-threatening. Consider the many movies, TV specials and novels that have attempted to personify a “loving” God. How is He portrayed? Behold, your loving God: the doting Grandfather, the Eternal Mr. Rogers, who doesn’t take himself too seriously … and let’s not forget Jesus, His free-spirited, sandal-wearing Son. Isn’t love lovely! W Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/9/2011 6:33 PM

I was recently thumbing through one of my wife’s Christian Ladies magazines and noticed a few articles on “developing intimacy with God.” Though I prefer more masculine phrases like “finding union with Christ” or “experiencing the power of the Spirit,” I absolutely commend this quest. After all, God made us not to accomplish great things, but to enjoy Him forever. And anyone who has no interest in knowing and enjoying Christ is simply not a Christian according to 1 Corinthians 16:22. (No matter how many times you’ve been “saved.”) 

The question remains: “How do we get closer to God?” The typical answers are through prayer, bible reading, retreats, or other such spiritual exercises. All good things, but something is missing in this approach.

First, there is an underlying assumption that God doesn’t move in this relationship. He is perfect and living in glory and light and it is our responsibility to find our way into His presence. Yet, the Sc Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/8/2011 6:39 PM

There is a video that has been floating around the internet over the last few years called “Battle at Kruger”. It is perhaps the most riveting, instructional and inspiring nature clip I’ve ever seen. It was taken by tourists on safari at Kruger National Park in South Africa. In the footage, we see a herd of cape buffalo ambushed by a pride of lions. The buffalo sense the danger and run, but one of their little ones falls behind. The lions tackle the calf into the river where he is greeted by two crocodiles looking for an easy meal. The lions wrestle him away from the crocodiles and drag him back on shore to commence their feast.

All hope seems lost for this wretched creature. That is, until the entire buffalo herd comes back to rescue their baby. These formerly skittish animals have suddenly found an untapped courage and strength and they turn the tables on their enemies. One of the larger bulls even charges the pride and tosses one of the lions several

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By PastorJohn on 1/28/2011 5:06 PM

“This year, things will be different. This year, I’m cleaning up my act. I’m joining the gym, cleaning my room, losing the weight, reading my Bible and praying every day…This year, I will finally become a better me!”

Of course, we all know how this ends – by mid-to-late January my life returns to its own miserable routines until late December when I decide that it’s finally time to turn over a new leaf. And so, with pen and paper in hand, I vow, with only slightly less vigor than the year before, that “this year things will be different…”

Why do I this to myself?  Why do I even bother with New Year Resolutions? Usually, I think that resolutions are at least a little bit helpful, even if I don’t keep them all. After all, a man needs goals in life, and a well-intentioned pledge to do better can’t hurt…or can it?  

The problem with most resolutions is that they are based entirely on my own effort and will. They begin Read More »

By PastorJohn on 12/2/2010 9:58 PM

Ah, Christmas…the most wonderful time of the year…when believers and unbelievers alike, gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This is the only time, when even the most godless among us greet their neighbors in Christ’s name (or at the very least with a nod to this “happy holy day”). And this is the only time of year, when churches are full, when stores and billboards boast the name of Christ and you can still hear young and old walking the streets singing His praises, proclaiming Good News of Salvation.

Now, of course, most of what is sung or said is meaningless at best, cynical at worst. And I will confess that there were many years when I despised this kind of seasonal religion – people filling the churches on Christmas Eve, then generally ignoring Christ the rest of the year…but not anymore. 

Now, I love to hear Christ’s praises sung even from the hardest of hearts and even if it’s only for a day. Why, we can even rejoi Read More »

By PastorJohn on 10/26/2010 11:01 AM

On September 30th, our elders met for our annual retreat to pray and plan for the coming year. To prepare for this time together, we collected prayer requests from the individual members and set an hour and a half just to pray for each member by name. As we looked over this prayer list, we were struck by the challenges facing our congregation. Here is just a sampling of our struggles:

• Caring for elderly parents
• Worries about grown children and grandchildren
• Unemployment and foreclosures
• Selling homes and moving (or hoping to move)
• Unbelieving family members
• All sorts of issues in the home (with spouses and/or kids)
• Chronic health concerns

Add to this the enormous cost of renovating an aging building… the desperate spiritual condition of our surrounding community…the pain Read More »

By PastorJohn on 9/13/2010 9:30 AM

In 1998, world-renowned author Anne Rice publicly renewed her faith in Christ after spending nearly 50 years in a spiritual wasteland. She returned to the church of her youth and began to write from a distinctively Christian perspective. That is, until recently when she posted the following message on her Facebook page:

For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.

If you’ve been paying any attention to recent trends, Rice’s revelation is not a surprising phenomenon. There seem to be an increasing number of believers who are leaving the Read More »

By PastorJohn on 9/13/2010 9:27 AM

In 1535, Peter Beskendorf, a barber and friend of Martin Luther’s asked Luther to help him with his prayer life. In response to this request, Luther wrote a little booklet entitled “A Simple Way to Pray”. Through the miracle of the internet, you can download this for free at http://www.hope-aurora.org/docs/ASimpleWaytoPray.pdf. 

Keep in mind, this is not the only way to pray; but I have found this format particularly helpful when I am at a loss for words. Below is Luther’s description of how he approached his prayer time.

I will tell you as best I can what I do personally when I pray. May our dear Lord grant to you and to everybody to do it better than I! Amen. First, when I feel that I have become cool and joyless in prayer  because of other tasks Read More »

By PastorJohn on 9/13/2010 9:24 AM

Pastor John’s uncle, Maurice Bernier, is the music director for a church in Orlando, FL and he has given us permission to reproduce his newsletter articles for your enjoyment.

God gave us the ability to make choices.  Some respond to life’s burdens with anger and despair while others choose to meet life’s difficulties with an attitude of contentment and joy.   Annie Johnson Flint is an example of the latter.

Annie Johnson was born on Christmas Eve, 1866, in Vineland, New Jersey.  Her mother died at age 23 giving birth to her younger sister before Annie was 3 years old.  Her father, unable to care for his two daughters due to a terminal illness, placed them with the widow of his friend from the Civil War. Annie’s father died within two years, so now both her parents were dead before she was 6 years old.  The widow found it very difficult to care for the girls, but a neighbor, Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/28/2010 1:38 PM

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…(James 1:27)

The term “religion” has fallen into disrepute of late, but it simply refers to our worship and service of God. That is, what God requires of us. The Gospel tells us what God has done for us (Sending His Son to save us and His Spirit to sanctify us). We may think of religion as our proper response to the Gospel. It certainly covers a wide array of behavior, but James insists that however wide we extend our arms, we must always include the widows and orphans in our midst. That is, those most vulnerable and in need of the protection and provision of the God’s church.

With James’ exhortation in mind, our elders met together last Fall and determined to focus our attention on two specific areas o Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/26/2010 9:46 AM

I was a junior in High School when my aging English teacher stood before my class and announced with no irony: “I feel sorry for you kids…I would never want to be your age again.”  We sat speechless, thinking all the while: “ Are you kidding? Look at you, you’re old and grey and we’re young and vibrant with the world at our finger tips! We should be feeling sorry for you.””

Of course, she knew something that we would soon find out. Teenagers are clueless! Aside from the physical benefits (which are typically wasted on worthless pursuits) there really is no advantage to youth. Young people, as a rule, are immature, easily misguided and deluded to such an extent that when we are young, we perpetually set ourselves up for misery. This is precisely why our parents worry so much and pray and long for the day when we will finally grow up.

The Apostle Paul sounds an eerily familiar alarm:

& Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/5/2010 4:33 PM

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

It’s hard to believe, but my Son Daniel will be turning 7 this month, and Christine and I are finishing up our first year of homeschooling with him. Now, some have wondered if educating a child is a difficult endeavor: “Shouldn’t this be left to the ‘professionals’ with special degrees and training in education? And what about all the subject matter that you need to teach – science, math, reading, writing, history, foreign language…who alone is competent to teach them all?”  Indeed, when we started this year, we felt a bit overwhelmed, but, to our pleasant surprise, we’ve actually found that the teaching of content is actually one of the easier aspects of homeschooling.

I may not be an expert in many Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/5/2010 4:26 PM

This is a new feature to our newsletter. Pastor John’s uncle, Maurice Bernier, is the music director for a church in Orlando, FL and he has given us permission to reproduce his newsletter articles for your enjoyment.

Isaac Watts, called the Father of English Hymnody, once said,

“The singing of God’s praise is the part of worship most clearly related to Heaven; but it’s performance among us is the worst on earth.”

Imagine a time when hymns were not sung in church services.  Congregations in England in the early 1700’s generally followed a practice started by John Calvin, that of creating translations of the Psalms into the language of the day for congregational singing.  The result was that it was usually a crude, dull and dreary affair.

Enter Isaac Watts.  He was born in 1674 to a famil

Read More »

By PastorJohn on 1/28/2010 10:45 AM

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

There are countless, eternal benefits to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Indeed “every spiritual blessing” is mine in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) One of the blessings that I have grown to appreciate over the years is the blessing of a “happy return.” That is, after I have gone astray, wandering into all kinds of distractions and indulgences and feasting on worldly slop, I then come to my senses and long to return to God. The Gospel gives me the great assurance that I can get up quickly and return happily to my heavenly Father. I don’t even need to grovel or slink back under cover of night. No, I may…rather I must… approach Him with confidence for the grace and mercy that I need. (Heb. 4:16)

Read More »

By PastorJohn on 12/28/2009 9:48 AM

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Spiritual Depression, p. 35) haas some good counsel for dealing with our spiritual malaise and despondency:

    Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression?

    The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and forever to your past.

    Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ.

    Never look back at your sins again.

    Say: ‘It is finished, it is covered by the Blood of Christ’.

    That is your first step.

    Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Read More »

Comments (0)

By PastorJohn on 12/15/2009 10:15 AM

Just stumbled across a good and thoughtful post on what it means to serve Christ in our particular vocations. It's called Six Floors of Sunday School...to what end? This is especially helpful to those feeling a little burned out with church service.

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By PastorJohn on 12/3/2009 10:21 PM

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction…

The above statement is taken from the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message and is a good summary of what Christians throughout the ages have believed about the Bible. It also happens to be what we still believe about the Scriptures – these books really are God’s written word, a “perfect treasure of divine instruction.”  Now, if we believe this, then we ought to study, even immerse ourselves, in this Book. Right?

So, just how immersed are you? Take a moment and see if you can get these questions right. (Answers at the Bottom).

1)    What is the first book of the Bible?
2)    Name the four Gospels?
3)    Where in the bible is the Sermon on the Mount?
4) Read More »

By PastorJohn on 10/24/2009 1:03 PM

Here's a simple and profound post from Pastor Julian Freeman on the Apostle Paul's answer to every problem.

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By PastorJohn on 9/30/2009 3:09 PM

There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
 and are justified freely by his grace  through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
(Romans 3:23-24)

This was now the fourth year in a row that our church has traveled to Southern Africa to work with Pastor Jacob and the Bethany Mission School and these annual visits have proved to be mutually encouraging for Christians in both hemispheres. (Rom. 1:12) Our goal all along has been to develop a true and lasting partnership and we are so pleased to see this coming to fruition.

One of the blessings of an on-going relationship (as opposed to a one-time visit) is that we get to know people. No longer do we think fondly of the “good people of Africa”, but now we remember and pray for our dear friends Jacob and R Read More »

By PastorJohn on 9/18/2009 10:52 AM

I downloaded an e-book the other day entitled Fight Clubs: Gospel Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson. It's fairly short (about 50 pages), easy to read (I went through it in less than 2 hours), quite helpful for those looking for a truly biblical approach to fighting sin in our lives and it's FREE! Take a look and let me know what you think.

Read More »

By PastorJohn on 9/8/2009 9:55 PM

Just stumbled across an article in the Chicago Tribune entitled "What's His is Hers" about Christian couples who share e-mail addresses. And wouldn't you know it, our good friends Tom and Ronda Hodge are featured...NOTE: this isn't the Eagle Tribune, this is the Chicago Tribune!

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By PastorJohn on 9/5/2009 8:25 PM

Just finished the biography of Adoniram Judson (Courtney Anderson's  To the Golden Shore) which is a riveting account of this missionary's life. Judson gave up  just about every worldly comfort to bring the Gospel to Burma in the early 1800's and his story should have particular interest for our church since he was the first American Baptist Missionary, who also happened to be from Massachusetts.  He was born and raised in the North Shore (Wenham, Hamilton, Haverhill, Bradford, ...) and graduated from Brown University in Rhode Island before sailing from Salem, MA to Rangoon, Burma in 1812. 

Just before leaving, Adoniram met and fell in love with Nancy Hasseltine. To give you a feel for the man, here is what Judson wrote to her father when h Read More »

By PastorJohn on 9/2/2009 9:04 PM

If you have 10 minutes, check out this video entitled: Choosing Thomas. It is a powerful and moving look at one couple's decision to "let their son live, if only for a brief time." It is well worth your time.

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By PastorJohn on 8/30/2009 4:44 PM

Last week, I finally had the chance to watch "Babette's Feast". This is a classic and truly beautiful foreign language film from the 80's which features two elderly sisters whose late father was the founder of a strict Christian sect. Their lives (and those of the few remaining members of the church) have been marked by denial of all earthly pleasures, including all culinary pleasures, their diet consisting primarily of codfish and ale bread.

There is so much to the story, but the life-changing moment happens when Babette (a refugee that these sisters has taken in) is allowed to prepare a real French meal for the church members. Little do the sisters know that Babette is a premier chef whose lavish banquet will overwhelm their neglected taste buds. It is a funny and powerful scene when this beaten down congregation begin to enjoy the graciousness of their host.

My favorite moment is when the General speaks. To understand the full context of this, you Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/26/2009 11:50 AM

Just read a terrific post by Kevin DeYoung entitled: On Mission, Changing the World, and Not Being Able to Do It All. It's a great word to those of us overwhelmed by all the needs in the world and those of us feeling guilty because we're not doing enough for God.

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By PastorJohn on 8/20/2009 9:40 AM

Here are five more compelling reasons for cancelling your cable from a Shaun Groves' blog entitled: "The Smallest Change that's made the Biggest Difference."

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By PastorJohn on 8/17/2009 7:23 PM

After a 33 hour day of travel, our team arrived safe and sound at Logan airport at 11:30 am this morning. It's great to be home and it's been a long time since I've been this tired...so I don't have much else to say right now, except "Good Night...thank you for your prayers and God bless you in His service!" Sometime in the next week, I'll try to put together some reflections from the trip and we'll certainly be thinking about next steps in the coming months.

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By PastorJohn on 8/13/2009 7:38 PM

Pastor Mike (the African Pastor Mike!) and Pastor Mandla were finally able to join the team again after having their car break down on the terrible roads of Swaziland. They were all glad to be together again.

After listening to many of the locals, it sure does seem like the struggles -- and joys -- of ministry life are universal! God uses imperfect people to do His work here on earth. So many similarities to life in the States, simply because all ministry deals with us fallen humans!

One additional struggle the church over there faces is that many churches are syncretistic, i.e., they take the beliefs of Christianity and simply add it to their other tribal rituals, including the incorporation of witch doctors! Please pray for the people of Mozambique and these other African nations that they would clearly hear and believe the simple Gospel -- that it is only through the < Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/12/2009 8:57 PM

Another brief talk with Michael earlier today. They had a fabulous meeting with the Samaritan's Purse missionary they met on the plane going over there  (Craig Whitcomb) and the IMB missionary located in Maputo (Charlie Lechner). Great connections made for the local pastors there. Exciting to see how God will use all this. The Samaritans Purse missionary is planning on going to see Pastor Jacob in December while visiting Durban with his family. (A very curious thing, by the way, is that the man who introduced Michael to this gentleman didn't even know him -- he was just a businessman who knows the value of networking and thought they should meet!)

The retreat center mentioned yesterday is called VIDA. Apparently, it was built by the UN. It is an incredible facility and just miles from their location in Jabula. They are getting more and more excited about arranging a missions school there.

Didn't have time to say much more but appreciates all your praye Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/11/2009 1:11 PM

Michael sends warm greetings from Jabula! They had another great day. They met with the principal of the local school who had become a Christian two years ago at their first meeting. He is attending church in Maputo, growing in his faith, and very excited to learn as much as he can about the Bible.

They also made a connection with a retreat center not far from there where they might be able to set up some future missions schools. They'll only charge them $200 rent for a whole week! So there is great promise for some real growth . . . we are blessed!

Pastor Alex will be preaching at the service this evening. I didn't get to speak with Michael directly, but he really sounded upbeat and excited on his message -- sounds like he may finally have caught up on some sleep?

Sol Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/10/2009 9:16 AM

Michael was able to get through on the phone this morning. They arrived safely in Jabula yesterday. Lou gave a slide show to the locals of photographs of THEM from previous years and they were absolutely thrilled! They met with some of the teachers they'd met in previous years (who'd become Christians) and they asked for 3 more of the "Proclaimers" that the team brought last year. ("Proclaimers" are the solar-powered machines that play an audio version of the Bible in the local languages.) 

Today was a sight-seeing day (traveling over 2 hours on the worst roads you've ever seen doesn't really qualify as "a day of rest", does it?! ha!). They drove to the Southeast corner of Mozambique, called Punto de Aura (sp? I couldn't quickly find it on a map --sorry!). He said it was the MOST beautiful beach he'd ever seen -- huge and with towering bluffs.

Tonite they return to Jabula and will have an evening service with the locals a Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/8/2009 12:55 AM

 

Hi folks! This is Christine. Just talked briefly to Michael. They've arrived safely in Swaziland after a long ride. They'll be there for the night and head out to Mozambique in the morning. Things are going smoothly with the "ACTS" driver they hired. He even gave Michael a $250,000,000 bill  . . . . unfortunately, it's from Zimbabwe, so it is not even worth the paper it is printed on, though! They all had a good laugh at that.

They'll be dropping off all the clothing (thank you, everyone!) at the orphanage. It doesn't look like they'll be able to worship with Pastor Mandla in the morning because they have to make it to the border by 11:00am and then continue to their next spot early enough to set up camp for the night.

Though tired, every one is healthy Read More »

Comments (1)

By PastorJohn on 8/7/2009 3:35 PM

Just got back from our last supper with Pastor Jacob's family. We've had such a wonderful time and have been completely spoiled by their hospitality. So our team treated them to some fine steaks at the Butcher's Block Grille (an amazingly tasty and affordable steak house...imagine a perfect 14 oz Filet Mignon for $9...awesome!)

We finished up at the Mission School this morning and then spent the afternoon shopping for supplies for our trip to Swaziland and Mozambique. We'll be leaving around 9:00 am for Swaziland. Pastor Jacob will be joining us and we'll be meeting up with Pastor Mandla at his church and orphanage in Big Bend (That's where we'll be dropping off the clothes). The trip will be about 6 hours by car. This is the part of the trip that I won't have much access to computers or cell coverage, but I'll try to have Christine post some updates as we go along.

In other news, we heard back from Craig (the missionary for Samaritan's Purse that just moved to Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/6/2009 12:52 PM

Well, I got to listen and grade 19 sermons this morning and I must say it was a wonderful experience. Everyone did a super job. They preached with sincerity and passion and many shared their personal stories. It was quite a moving experience, especially since most of the students had experienced deep personal sufferings and losses of many kinds and were willing to share them.

In other news, Lou and Vern arrived safely this afternoon and we'll be spending most of the day tomorrow preparing for Mozambique.

Please keep Pastor Jacob and Rena in your prayers. This has been a very busy week for them and I can see the exhaustion on them. Pray for strength and especially rest.

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By PastorJohn on 8/5/2009 3:53 PM

Finished up my lecturing for my preaching class today at the Mission School. Now it's time for the students to show their stuff. Tomorrow I'll be listening and grading 20 sermons! (Yikes, I'm getting a taste of my own medicine:-) Anyway, it should be fun. Dan will be going first. Alex will be giving his final exam on Ephesians as well tomorrow, so the pressure is officially on. You can pray for the students as quite a few of them are a bit nervous about having to give a devotional in front of the class.

All in all, it has been a great week for us. The mission school has been a lot of fun to teach. Everyone is so attentive in taking notes and asking good questions. These are some quality folks and will be a great blessing to the churches down here.

In other news, Lou and Vern will be arriving tomorrow afternoon (please pray for safe landing), and then we'll be preparing for our Swaziland-Mozambique portion of the trip. And Dan & Alex got to dip Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/4/2009 3:11 PM

 Just finished my late evening lamb curry with Rena and Jacob (our diet starts on Saturday :-)...and am feeling quite tuckered out. We had a great day at the mission school and then went to a joint service with several of our pastor friends and their churches this evening. (To Ray and Lou, Pastor Chris and Pastor Leslie send their fondest regards) After a full day of lecturing and an evening of preaching, singing (and rapping), we agreed that it felt like Friday after a full week of work...only to realize that it's just Tuesday! So, looks like we'll be needing a second wind for tomorrow.

Dan has been a great blessing to the team and is so comfortable on the mission field. Right now he's telling Pastor Jacob about his experience with the Compass Program at Gordon-Conwell. Pastor Jacob is thinking seriously about starting a ministry to develop the young leaders in the church. Compass could be a good resource toward that end. Please pra

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By PastorJohn on 8/3/2009 2:55 PM

Thanks to all who have been praying for us, especially for God's strength. Alex and I thought we were over jetlag, but were sadly mistaken. I think we slept a combined 5 hours last night and were wiped out going into the day. But God was gracious and the classes went very well. We had 18 students at the Mission School with an expected 5 more coming from Swaziland and Mozambique tomorrow. Pastor Jacob is very encouraged by the turn out (this is about twice as large a group as usual). And they are some good folks. We've had some great interaction with them during and after classes. I'm hoping for rest tonight as I'll be doing a double session on the preaching class tomorrow (4 hours)...and then we'll be meeting with a group of local pastors in the evening.

In other news, we had a wonderful opportunity to pray with a Hindu family tonight. George and Raksha are friends and neighbors of Pastor Jacob and are practicing Hindus. However, lately, Raksha has been distressed over an evil pre Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/2/2009 1:35 PM

Recovering a bit from the jetlag and heading to church in Tongaat with Pastor Jacob at the Bethany Mission Church. Alex preached the service for the church that meets in a local school. His text was Ephesians 2:11-20 which focussed on our unity in Christ through the Gospel. I preached the service at the Bethany Mission Church from 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and focused on our need to build our life and faith solely upon the historic Gospel account of Christ' death and resurrection and not on philosophies, theories or even morality. This service was followed by communion (which Alex led). Meanwhile Dan rapped at both services with a couple of his originals...these went over very well and we're hoping that Pastor Jacob will join the hip-hop scene before we leave :-)

After church we grabbed lunch and a nap and then did a little shopping at the mall. Tomorrow we begin mission school for the week. Please pray for strength and clarity as we teach and also for Dan who will be meeting Read More »

By PastorJohn on 8/1/2009 10:28 AM

Alex, Daniel and I just arrived safely in Durban, South Africa where we were greeted and soon thereafter fed by our wonderful hosts (Pastor Jacob and his family). It was the smoothest and quickest flight we've ever had. (I guess it pays to start your day at 4:30 in the morning). We are all pretty wiped out but very content and looking forward to a shower and a good night's rest.

Just one interesting story to share from the flight. When we arrived in Johannesburg and were prepared to deboard the plan, the man sitting directly in front of me turned around and started asking me about our mission in Africa. He some how had ascertained that I was a pastor and/or missionary of some sort (I still have no idea since I did not speak to him at all during the flight...nor did I say a whole lot about the matter to anyone). In any case, he is a native of Durban and a member of an evangelical church. He then said, "you need to meet Carl over there (pointing across the aisle). He is going t Read More »

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 »
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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.

 

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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.

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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:

1. 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.
2. Increased Faith and Love toward our Lord Jesus Christ: The man whose soul is “growin Read More »
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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.

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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."

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By PastorJohn on 6/26/2009 8:48 AM

As some of you know, Christine and I don't have cable and only watch videos on our television. Given my natural propensity for watching mindless shows in large doses, this has been a very important decision for our family. And when I'm away on vacation and suddenly have access to TV, I'm reminded over again why we have forsaken the Tube, and why many believers should seriously consider doing the same. (NOTE: I would never say must since there is nothing inherently evil about television...and TV is not a stumbling block for everyone....though it most certainly is for me). Still, how wonderful it would be to pull the plug and use our time and money in much more profitable ways. To help further this case, may I recommend two articles that I came across the other day:

John Piper: Why I dont' have a television and r Read More »

By PastorJohn on 6/25/2009 9:14 PM

You may not even have been aware of this, but our Southern Baptist Convention just finished up their annual meeting down in Louisville, Kentucky. The most significant and potentially transformative measure was the adoption of the Great Commission Resurgence. This is a Ten-article document that challenges SBC churches and agencies to make the following commitments:

1. A Commitment to Christ’s Lordship. We call upon all Southern Baptists to submit to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ in all things at the personal, local church, and denominational levels. (Col. 1:18; 3:16-17, 23-24)
2. A Commitment to Gospel-Centeredness. We call upon all Southern Baptists to make the gospel of Jesus Christ central in our lives, our churches, and our convention ministries. (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:17-21)
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By PastorJohn on 6/19/2009 8:33 PM

Bob Kauflin, one of my favorite songwriters, gives three answers in this video. To sum up:

1. Singing helps us remember important truths about God.
2. Singing stirs up our affections for God.
3. Singing on earth anticipates the singing in Heaven.

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By PastorJohn on 6/18/2009 3:22 PM

Just finished listening to a very insightful and helpful broadcast on the great difference between sharing the Gospel with people and sharing our personal testimonies. If you get a chance, take a listen over at the White Horse Inn.

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By PastorJohn on 6/16/2009 10:00 PM

As Christians, we talk much about faith...or at least, we ought to talk much about faith. But sometimes, we are not always clear about what we mean by "faith". This is where the Saints of old can help us greatly. One of my favorite descriptions is from Martin Luther in his preface to the Romans. In fact, this is a text I have quoted several times from the pulpit:

Faith is not that human illusion and dream that some people think it is. When they hear and talk a lot about faith and yet see that no moral improvement and no good works result from it, they fall into error and say, "Faith is not enough. You must do works if you want to be virtuous and get to heaven." The result is that, when they hear the Gospel, they stumble and make for themselves with their own powers a concept in their hearts which says, "I believe." This concept they hold to be true faith. But since it is a human fabrication and thought a Read More »

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By PastorJohn on 6/11/2009 10:38 AM

 I’ve been hearing (and at times feeling) a lot of concern lately about the many internal and external threats to Western Civilization and Christianity. According to some reports, Muslims have a birthrate that is four times as high as Westerners and they are flooding into Europe and North America. The homosexual movement is gaining traction across the country and influencing large segments of our population (especially our young people).   Add to this, a few extremely vocal and well-publicized atheists like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins and throw in politicians and a secular media for good measure, and it feels like a full scale attack on the Church.  It’s at this moment that I’m so thankful for Saint Augustine.

In 410 AD,  the Great City of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths (an East Germanic tribe). Fear swept across the Empire. The security of every Roman citizen was shaken, and Christians began to wonder what would become o Read More »

By PastorJohn on 6/8/2009 6:01 PM

Congratulations to our Associate Pastor Doug Dobbins, who after nearly two hours of questioning from our congregation, emerged unscathed and officially ordained for Gospel Ministry! Doug handled himself with grace and a keen understanding of the Scriptures, answering questions on the role and worth of women, the meaning of "tongues" as a spiritual gift, the eternal security of believers, the method and meaning of baptism and even the place of "dark matter" in the universe...Though he feared being too "convoluted", Doug was actually quite clear and helpful in his answers.

About 8:00 pm, we dismissed the candidate and the members of MSBC were finally ready to cast their ballots.  There was no controversy and the final tally was 27 Yea and 0 Nay. What remains is an official presentation of the good  Reverend Dobbins on Father's Day (June 21st) during the morning worship. Doug's parents will be flying in from Texas to join in the celeb Read More »

By PastorJohn on 6/6/2009 8:30 PM

 I had a chance to take Christine and Daniel to see "Up" the other day. This is the latest Disney Pixar film and like its predecessers it is a great movie. But not for the reasons you might expect.

The movie was funny and had some exciting sequences, but not nearly as many as other Disney classics. What made "Up" so memorable was the relationship that developed between Carl (an 80-year-old widower) and Russell (a child from a broken home). It is a moving depiction of the difference a man (of any age) can make in the life of a boy. And this theme comes through loud and clear even amongst the talking dogs, flying houses and fight-scenes involving walkers and false teeth!

So, let me just say that this movie is definitely worth your time and money (though don't bother spending extra on 3-D). Kids will enjoy it, but I think this should be required viewing for every retired man in the church, especially for those tryi

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By PastorJohn on 6/4/2009 7:00 PM

For anyone interested in the great works of the Puritan writers, check out puritanlibrary.com. This site contains many free downloadable books. Nourish your soul and save some cash... truly, the best of both worlds!

Two of my all-time favorite works are available:  The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes and The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall. Take a look and please let us know your favorites.

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By PastorJohn on 6/3/2009 12:35 PM

For those of you keeping track (or trying to keep up) with the Book of the Month Challenge, we should have finished Pleasures of God, The Cross of Christ, Turning Points, and City of God. Unfortunately, I find myself one month behind schedule. As it stands, I just opened Augustine’s City of God yesterday and I have a feeling (given that it’s 1100 pages long!) that I won’t be able to catch up this month. What will make the reading that much slower is that Augustine’s insight are brilliant and worthy of reflection.

Take for example, his description of the sufferings of the good and the wicked. In this first section of City of God, he’s trying to explain that the sack of Rome by the barbarians in 410 a.d. was not because the Roman Empire had turned away from their pagan roots and embraced Christianity (as some of the leaders in Rome were declaring).   In fact, suffering c Read More »

By PastorJohn on 6/1/2009 10:23 PM

Grover just sent me this link to what looks like a very helpful 5-part series on doing short-term missions. Here are the titles to the blogposts from Desiring God:

• Rethinking Short-Term Missions
• The Effect of Short-Term Missions on Poverty
• We Need Them at Least as Much as They Need Us
• Teaching as a Short-Term Missions Strategy< Read More »
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By PastorJohn on 5/28/2009 7:11 PM

As a child, my parents were gracious enough to give me a choice when it came to attending church. I could go willingly or unwillingly! And I must regrettably report that more often than not I chose the latter.  Even so, I am thankful for the opportunity to learn patient endurance at such a young age…especially when it came to the sermon. This was in the days before “junior church” so there was no escape from the prolonged musings of our preacher.

Of course, now I am on the other side of the pulpit, and while it may be tempting to project similar suffering on my listeners as retribution for my lost Sunday mornings, I’d rather not go there. Certainly, most pastors have no desire to torment their congregations either, and this may explain why so many of today’s sermons have incorporated all sorts of technology, are smattered with humorous anecdotes (many of which have nothing to do with the topic) and – if all else fails – are abbreviated to fit our ever decreasing attention Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/26/2009 12:21 PM

If you are a young single man...or know a young single man...check out this free booklet from Focus on the Family entitled "A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well." Below is from the Introduction:

Marrying Well Is Becoming a Lost Art

Most men hope to marry some day, but there’s no guarantee they will. Increasingly, young men are—as one writer put it—“stumbling on to the altar as if by accident.”

Too many guys make their way into their twenties and thirties without the marriage modeling and insights that were once easy to find from dads, coaches, teachers, mentors and Christian leaders. When they do find advice about relationships, it’s often spec Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/24/2009 8:53 PM

I mentioned in a previous post, my whole-hearted recommendation of Bruce Ware's book Big Truths for Young Hearts. And I do this for kids of all ages and even for adults who would like an easy to read summary of the Christian faith. Check out Albert Mohler's interview with Bruce Ware if you'd like to learn more about this great resource.

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By PastorJohn on 5/21/2009 10:37 PM

Have you heard this line attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words."? Well, according to this article in Christianity Today, he never said it and he certainly didn't live it. It turns out, Francis was quite a preacher in his day, and he knew (along with Saint Paul), that "faith comes from hearing the Gospel."

Mark Galli ends his article with a better suggestion: "Preach the gospel - use actions when necessary, use words always."

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By PastorJohn on 5/18/2009 7:44 PM

HT: Challies

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By PastorJohn on 5/16/2009 7:39 PM

John Piper has a particularly poignant message for our new president.  This video arrangement came from a sermon he delivered on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It's only 3 minutes and well worth your time.

 

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By PastorJohn on 5/6/2009 8:08 PM

To all you Moms and (especially) Dads out there who are having a hard time passing on your faith to your kids. You want to...and you know you need to, but still the time just flits away and bible reading and any kind of discussion about God never materialize. This is truly a battle, especially if we don't know where to begin. So for those of you out there looking for a good resource to help train your children in the faith, may I highly recommend to you a new book that I've just begun using with my son. It's called Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware. (I mentioned this briefly in my last post).

Here is a link to an interview the author and you can buy the book here. The book is perfect for just before bedt Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/4/2009 9:20 PM

Last night at our "Essentials of the Faith" class, we discussed the Trinity and the three summary statements the Scriptures call us to hold when thinking about God:

1. God is Three Distinct Persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
2. Each Person is Fully God
3. There is Only One God

Each statement is easy to understand in itself, but how do we put them together. No analogy seems to work. So, the question came up on how best to explain the Trinity to our children in a way that is helpful and will not lead them into some form of heresy.

I didn't have much of an answer last night, but here is how Bruce Ware explains it in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts (which I highly recommend).

The closest thing I've imagined to the Trinity is drawing one circle using three colored markers (perha Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/2/2009 11:14 AM

Just came across a poem by E.H. Hamilton entitled "Afraid? of what?". It was written after he heard about the death of his friend Jack Vinson. Jack was a missionary in China. In 1931, he was told by a bandit, "I'm going to kill you. Aren't you afraid?" Jack Vinson replied, "No, if you shoot, I go straightto heaven." His decapitated body was found later.

"Afraid? Of what?"
To feel the spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
Afraid to see the Saviour's face,
To hear His welcome, and to trace,
The glory gleam from wounds of grace,
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
A flash - a crash - a pierced he& Read More »

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:

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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 »

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 Read More »

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 Read More »

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 Read More »

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 Read More »

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 Read More »

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 Read More »

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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 Read More »

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& Read More »

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 Read More »

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 Read More »

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By PastorJohn on 2/28/2009 3:55 PM

The Shack (a novel by William Young) is still making quite a stir out there. And to say that reviews have been mixed is truly an understatement. Eugene Peterson (writer of The Message) claims that this book “has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim Progress did for his. It's that good." Meanwhile, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary says, “This book includes undiluted heresy.” I have some good friends who love this book and others who think it is poorly written at best and might even be hazardous to our faith.

So what to do with this? It's been my policy to stay out this debate which is why I haven't read The Shack, and I have no intention to do so in the near future. If people are still talking about this book a year from now, I'll pick up a copy and give it a run.

Even so, for those that are wrestling wit Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/27/2009 9:32 PM

Here is a good link from dailychristianquote.com filled with 15 pages of quotes on prayer. Some of my favorites:

"Prayer does not mean asking God for all kinds of things we want, it is rather the desire for God Himself, the only Giver of Life."    (Sadhu Sundar Singh)

"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray."  (Samuel Chadwick)

"Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to the body. How a person can live and not breathe is past my comprehension, and how a person can believe and not pray is past my comprehension too."& Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/27/2009 9:51 AM

The following article appeared in our September 2000 Newsletter. It is part 3 of a 3-part series on the impossible work of evangelism. Click here to read part 1 and here to read part 2. Also,let it be known that my nephews Erik and Keith Andersen (ages 10 and 11 at the time) contributed quite a bit  to this final installment. 

STRANGER IN THE NIGHT

It was a dark and

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By PastorJohn on 2/26/2009 11:08 AM

The following article appeared in our August 2000 Newsletter. It is part 2 of a 3-part series on the impossible work of evangelism. Click here to read part 1.

THE MYSTERIOUS MR. X

I had been given my orders from Headquarters (HQ), and now it was time to go Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/25/2009 8:13 PM

For those of you interested in learning a lot more about church history, theology, biblical studies, missions, worship, leadership or other similar courses, check out Biblical Training on-line. This is an amazing website with free lectures from some of the top professors around the country. In their own words:

Biblical Training offers the finest in Christian evangelical teaching
to the world, for free, forever.
Training for transformation you can trust.

But don't take my word for it, go see for yourself.

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By PastorJohn on 2/25/2009 12:41 PM

This is the most important question we must answer in this life and in the life to come. Below are a few great resources to help us understand the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ and then explain this message to others.

Two Ways to Live

What is the Gospel? - by Mark Dever (Video)

The Gospel in 6 Minutes - by John Piper (Video)

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By PastorJohn on 2/25/2009 12:25 PM

NOTE: The following article appeared in our July 2000 Newsletter. A little Action-Packed fiction to help us reflect upon the great work of evangelism...Enjoy!

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

The sun beat heavily on my trim, yet muscular body glistening with odorless perspiration. "Now this is the life!" I thought to myself as I looked out from my rocky perch. "There's nothing quite as relaxing as free climbing the Grand Canyon!"

A bell rang out in the distance. . . or was it my cell phone? I reached down to take the incoming call when suddenly, in that brief moment of distraction, the ledge beneath me gave way. Before I realized what was happening, i was falling in midair with nothing but the Colorado Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/24/2009 4:25 PM

I just finished a great book on evangelism called Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman which basically calls us to use good questions to engage people in spiritual conversations. The beauty of questions is that they take the pressure off of you and help the person actually think through spiritual reality instead of politely ignoring your gospel presentation.

Another book that takes a similar approach is called Tactics by Gregory Koukl. I'm about half-way through this one and it's a pretty easy read and well-worth your time. The main tactic is called the "Columbo Tactic" which is modeled after Peter Falk's famous detective who would use strategic questions to confound and convict criminals. Two great questions to use when engaging someone who is opposed to your convictions are:

1. What do you mean ...

 

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 5:52 PM

Breaking News...Sean and Sara Graham have just become the proud parents of a baby boy, Ryan Nickerson Graham, weighing in at 9 pounds 11 ounces. Mom and baby are both doing well and heading home.

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 4:14 PM

February is just about over, which means that those of us taking the "Book of the Month" challenge should just be finishing up The Pleasures of God by John Piper. So let the conversation begin!

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Piper and I've read most of his books. While this was by no means his easiest to read, it has become my favorite. He has a gift for taking me out of myself and forcing me to give God my full attention. Given all the things to be anxious about today (failing economy, threats of terrorism, corruption in politics...), it was a transcendent encouragement to meditate upon the absolute greatness and perfect sovereignty of God...just to peek at his eternal happiness in Himself was all it took to lift my spirits.

Here is one quote from C.S. Lewis mentioned in chapter 2 that helped me put things in perspective:

"To be sovereign of the universe is no gr& Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 1:09 PM

Just received this recommendation from Les Anderson on a place to read the bible on-line. It's called biblegateway.  I'd also recommend the esv study bible website. If you have a copy of the ESV Study Bible (or know someone who does) you can use the study notes by entering a special code. Personally, I think this is the best study bible out there. If anyone else has any favorite bible sites, please mention them in the comments section.

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 12:49 PM

In case you missed it, there was a recent article on our very own Ron Fuller in the Newburyport Daily News. You can also read about  Dianne Cole's research on anti-slavery or  Ruth Kerr and her "heart-felt" mission in the Amesbury News. (Click on their names to link to their stories.)

If you know of any others out there, please add them in the comment section.

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 12:03 PM

Easter Sunday is seven weeks away and to help prepare ourselves for this great celebration, we will be having a special focus on corporate and personal prayer. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the early church devoted themselves to constant corporate prayer (Acts 1:14), and God answered and expanded His Kingdom on earth in response. This is our great privilege today that we can pray with the same kind of boldness and fervency. Toward that end, we have a 3-fold approach to this:

Private Prayer: in the bulletins on February 22 and March 1 and availble in the church office or by request are cards that contain the names of 10 families from our church. Please take this home and put it in your bible and pray for these families. Pray for…

• Increasing measures of faith to trust Christ and believe the Gospel in spite of circumstances and love for others (Ephesians 3:17-19; Philippians 1:9-11)&l
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By PastorJohn on 2/20/2009 4:23 AM

If you've spent anytime at all on the internet, you know what kind of filth is out there - stuff that wages war against your own soul. (1 Peter 2:11) But even amongst all the swine, there are quite a few pearls. Below are some of my all-time favorite websites and blogs that have blessed and encouraged me over the years. Check them out when you get a chance, and feel free to add your own favorites in the Comment section.

• www.theologica.blogspot.com - This is typically the first site I visit whenever I go on-line. Great running commentary and helpful links to the latest articles on the culture, church and faith.
• www.challies.com - My favorite place for book reviews. This was voted the best Christian blog.
• www.internetmonk.com - Very th Read More »
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By PastorJohn on 2/15/2009 12:17 PM

 Welcome!

This is the first entry for our MSBC blog! Hope this site will be a blessing and our conversations encouraging. Check back regularly for updates on things happening, thoughts for the day and especially reflections on what I've been reading lately. To get us started, here is a list of the books I'll be working through during the year. Please feel free to comment! God bless you all!

BOOK OF THE MONTH (February 2009 – January 2010)

Below are listed the 12 books to be read over the next 12 months. These include brief descriptions taken from...

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