One year later: An interview with Matt Chandler

Justin Taylor asks Matt Chandler a few questions about the last year since he was diagnosed with cancer with the aim for readers to "pray for our dear brother."

Here's a list of the questions:

• If you could go back and have a conversation with yourself on the evening of November 24, 2009, what would you have said to prepare Matt Chandler for the year ahead?
• What role has your theology played in sustaining you throughout this year?
• It sounds like the Lord not only prepared you personally for suffering, but also enabled you to prepare the people at your church by teaching them about the theology of suffering?
• What about the role of your friends in helping you during this painful time?
• For those who are walking with others who are suffering, what are some of the dumb things to avoid doing and saying?
• What do you wish people understood more about how to relate to those who suffer?
• How can we be praying for you and your family?

Read Chandler's answers and learn how he would like God's people to pray for him.

How members can serve the church on Sunday morning

Colin Marshall on ways "ordinary church members can serve the church on Sunday mornings":

Before the Service

• Read the passage in advance
• Pray for the gathering
• Greet newcomers (act like you are the host)
• Think strategically about who you should sit with
• Arrive Early

During the Service

• Sing with gusto (even if you can’t sing)
• Help with logistics (if there’s a problem, help fix it)
• Don’t be distracted
• Listen carefully
• Be aware of your facial expressions (you may affect others and discourage preachers)

After the Service

• Connect newcomers with others
• Get newcomers information
• Start a conversation about the sermon
• Ask someone how they became a Christian
• Stay late

(HT: The 9Marks.org Blog)

The doctrine of the Trinity in a nutshell

Michael Patton:

The doctrine of Trinity is a foundational cardinal truth in Christianity. All three major Christian traditions, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, throughout the history of the Church have been united on this doctrine. A denial of it constitutes a serious departure from the Christian faith and a rejection of the clear biblical witness to God as he has introduced himself to us. Sadly, many have gone astray from the faith because of their refusal to accept these truths.

Basic Definition: Christians worship one God who eternally exists in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all of whom are fully God, all of whom are equal.

For a "breakdown" of the basic definition, read the rest of Patton's article.

The nature of saving faith

“The nature of saving faith demands more than facts as a ground — not less, but more. . . . [S]aving faith is not mere receiving of facts. It is the receiving of Christ as the one who died for us and rose again, and is infinitely glorious, and wondrously beautiful, and supremely valuable. Therefore, the ground of such faith must be the spiritual sight of such glory and beauty and value.” - John Piper, Think: The life of the Mind and the Love of God (Wheaton, Ill.; Crossway, 2010), 73

(HT: Of First Importance)

Treasuring him in and above all things

“The main reason God has given us minds is that we might seek out and find all the reasons that exist for treasuring him in all things and above all things. He created the world so that through it and above it we might treasure him.” - John Piper, Think: The life of the Mind and the Love of God (Wheaton, Ill.; Crossway, 2010), 15.

(HT: Of First Importance)

Why you should organize your personal theological library and a way how

Andy Naselli has a helpful article titled "Why you should organize your personal theological library and a way how."

Although he states the obvious when he says "organizing your personal theological library enables you to function more efficiently and productively" and "few people would disagree that it's prudent to organize your library," he points out that "personal libraries today can be more complex than they were a few decades ago because we may have print books and articles, electronic books in platforms like Logos Bible Software or Accordance, PDFs, Word docs, audiobooks, MP3s, videos, blog posts, and more."

Before he shares in the article how he organizes his library, he acknowledges that his "isn't the only way to do it, and it's probably not the best way. But the system works well for me given my personality, training, and goals, and it may stimulate you to develop or tweak your own system in a way that serves you well."

His conclusion: It's wise to organize your library so that you can research efficiently, and this article suggests one way to do that today by using Zotero. The organizational method we use is merely a tool--a means to an end. And the end is to glorify God as good stewards of his varied grace.

Love to Jesus

Here's a prayer titled "Love to Jesus" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 46-47):

LORD JESUS,

If I love thee my soul shall seek thee,
but can I seek thee unless my love to thee
is kept alive to this end?

Do I love thee because thou art good,
and canst alone do me good?

It is fitting thou shouldest not regard me,
for I am vile and selfish;
yet I seek thee,
and when I find thee there is no wrath
to devour me,
but only sweet love.

Thou dost stand as a rock between the scorching sun
and my soul,
and I live under the cool lee-side as one elect.

When my mind acts without thee
it spins nothing but deceit and delusion;
When my affections act without thee
nothing is seen but dead works.

O how I need thee to abide in me,
for I have no natural eyes to see thee,
but I live by faith in one whose face to me
is brighter than a thousand suns!

When I see that all sin is in me, all shame
belongs to me;
let me know that all good is in thee,
all glory is thine.

Keep me from the error of thinking thou dost
appear gloriously
when some strange light fills my heart,
as if that were the glorious activity of grace,
but let me see that the truest revelation of thyself
is when thou dost eclipse all my personal glory
and all the honour, pleasure and good
of this world.

The Son breaks out in glory
when he shows himself as one who outshines
all creation,
makes men poor in spirit,
and helps them to find their good in him.

Grant that I may distrust myself, to see
my all in thee.

Do I have to have sex with my spouse?

In an "Ask the Counselor" video, CCEF faculty member Winston Smith responds to the question, "Am I obligated to have sex whenever my spouse asks?"



For more information, visit the CCEF Web site at http://www.CCEF.org.

Gospel tweets

Tullian Tchividjian, the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, said he reluctantly starting tweeting on Twitter but has realized how blessed he has been to think and communicate concise (140 characters) but clear gospel truth.

Follow him on Twitter here.

Read the rest of his thoughts concerning tweeting here.

Here's a sample of tweets he recently shared on his blog:

•The gospel doesn’t simply ignite the Christian life; it’s the fuel that keeps Christian’s going and growing every day.
•The gospel reminds us that we become more mature when we focus less on what we need to do for God and more on all God has already done for us.
•The gospel tells me my identity and security is in Christ–this frees me to give everything I have because in Christ I have everything I need
•Christian growth doesn’t happen first by behaving better, but believing better–believing in deeper ways what Christ has already secured for you
•The gospel tells us we don’t need to spend our lives earning the approval of others because Jesus has already earned God’s approval for us
•When you understand that your significance and identity is anchored in Christ, you don’t have to win—you’re free to lose
•Christian growth doesn’t happen by working hard to get something you don’t have. It happens by working hard to live in light of what you do have
•The world says that the bigger we become, the freer we will be. But the gospel tells us that the smaller we become, the freer we will be.
•When you are united to Christ, then all that is Christ’s becomes yours: Access to God and affection from God can never be lost
•The gospel explains success in terms of giving, not taking; self-sacrifice, not self-indulgence; going to the back, not getting to the front
•The gospel empowers us to live for what’s timeless, not trendy–to follow Jesus even when it means going against what’s fashionable
•Because of Christ’s finished work, sinners can have the approval, acceptance, security, freedom, love, righteousness, & rescue they long for
•The only antidote there has ever been to sin is the gospel—and since we never leave off sinning, we can never leave the gospel.
•Because of Christ’s propitiatory work on my behalf I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, praise or popularity.
•The gospel never starts with what we need to do; it always begins with what God has already done; to get it backwards is to miss the gospel
•The vertical indicative (what God’s done for me) always precedes horizontal imperative (how I’m to live in light of what God’s done for me)
•What we need practically can only be experienced as we come to deeper understanding of what we are positionally—whats already ours in Christ
•When you are united to Christ, no amount of good work can earn God’s favor and no amount of bad work can forfeit God’s favor
•Jesus came not to angrily strip away our freedom but to affectionately strip away our slavery to lesser things so we might become truly free
•The irony of the gospel is that we truly perform better when we focus less on our performance for Jesus & more on Jesus’ performance for us
•The gospel tells us that what God has done for us in Christ is infinitely more important than anything we do for him.
•The world says the more independent you become, the freer you’ll be; the gospel says the more dependent you become, the freer you’ll be
•The Gospel frees us from trying to impress people, prove ourselves to people, and make people think we’re something that we’re not.
•Isn’t it ironic that while God’s treatment of us depends on Christ’s performance, our treatment of others depends on their performance?
•We need God’s gospel rescue every day and in every way because we are, in the words of John Calvin, “partly unbelievers until we die.”
•Believing fully the truth that “salvation belongs to the Lord” means that you place ultimate trust in Christ’s efforts, not your own.
•Daily sin requires a daily distribution of God’s grace
•The hard work of sanctification is the hard work of constantly reorienting ourselves back to our justification.
•Grace can be defined as unconditional acceptance granted to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.
•The law tells us what God demands from us; the gospel tells us what God in Christ has done for us because we could not meet his demands.
•Being justified by God and made acceptable on the basis of Christ’s righteousness not only pardons us for the past but empowers us for the present
•Paul never uses the law as a way to motivate obedience; He always uses the gospel.
•The gospel teaches us that being a slave to Christ is the essence of freedom, while being free to myself is the essence of slavery.
•When you understand God’s grace, pain leads to freedom because deep suffering leads to deep surrender!
•When we depend on things smaller than Jesus to provide us with the security and meaning we long for, God will love us enough to take them away.
•The gospel is the good news that God rescues sinners. And since both non-Christians & Christians are sinners, we both need the gospel.
•The gospel grants Christians one strength over non-Christians: the strength to admit they’re weak.
•The gospel frees us to realize that while we matter, we’re not the point.
•The Gospel alone can turn us into people who give everything we have because we understand that in Christ we already have everything we need
•The gospel isn’t just the power of God to save us, it’s the power of God to grow us once we’re saved.
•When we transfer trust from ourselves to Christ, we experience the abundant freedoms that come from not having to measure up.
•The gospel makes wise those who know they’re foolish and makes fools out of those who think they’re wise.
•It never ceases to amaze me that God’s love to those who are in Christ isn’t conditioned on how we behave but on how Christ behaved for us.
•Sin turns you inward; the gospel turns you outward. Sin enslaves you by making you big. The gospel frees you by making you small.
•In the gospel, God comes after us because we need him not because he needs us. Only the gospel can free us to revel in our insignificance.
•Mt. Sinai says, “You must do.” Mt. Calvary says, “Because you couldn’t, Jesus did.” Don’t run to the wrong mountain for your hiding place.

The love of Jesus

Here's a prayer titled "The love of Jesus" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 44-45):

O FATHER OF JESUS,

Help me to approach thee with deepest reverence,
not with presumption,
not with servile fear, but with holy boldness.
Thou art beyond the grasp of my understanding,
but not beyond that of my love.
Thou knowest that I love thee supremely,
for thou art supremely adorable, good, perfect.

My heart melts at the love of Jesus,
my brother, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh,
married to me, dead for me, risen for me;
He is mine and I am his,
given to me as well as for me;
I am never so much mine as when I am his,
or so much lost to myself until lost in him;
then I find my true manhood.

But my love is frost and cold, ice and snow;
Let his love warm me,
lighten my burden,
be my heaven;
May it be more revealed to me in all its influences
that my love to him may be more fervent
and glowing;
Let the mighty tide of his everlasting love
cover the rocks of my sin and care;
Then let my spirit float above those things
which had else wrecked my life.

Make me fruitful by living to that love,
my character becoming more beautiful every day.
If traces of Christ's love-artistry be upon me,
may he work on with his divine brush
until the complete image be obtained
and I be made a perfect copy of him,
my Master.

O Lord Jesus, come to me,
O Divine Spirit, rest upon me,
O Holy Father, look on me in mercy
for the sake of the well-beloved.

When should parents talk to their children about sex?

When should parents talk to their children about sex? Julie Lowe answers this question in CCEF's "Ask the Counselor." Her answer, in short: talk often, talk freely, and talk soon. See the video below for her complete answer.



(HT: Tim Challies)

What should Christians do about Halloween?

Below are two articles that take the position that Christians should view Halloween as an opportunity to give glory to God by intentionally loving their neighbors who come to their houses on this one night of the year.

Halloween: A Missed Opportunity for Evangelicals

Why All Good Christians Should Celebrate Halloween

"... I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel ..." (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 ESV)

The Gadarene graphic novel

John Piper wrote an "extended, imaginary" story based on Mark 5 about the Gadarene demoniac, and Desiring God published that story as a 144-page graphic novel titled "The Gadarene." It seems like a good tool to share with other people who are into graphic novels or for those who want to see the story in a fresh way. Below is a video about it.



(HT: Tim Challies)

The grace of God in the Bible

Dane Ortlund through short sentences or paragraphs traces the message of God's grace in each book of the Bible.

Does Christianity have a vision for society?

A Muslim friend to Mark Dever: "That's the problem with Christianity: you have no vision for the state or for society as a whole."

Mark Dever's concluding words in his 19 Sept. 2010 sermon titled "Jesus Paid Taxes" (Mark 12:13-17):

"Does Christianity have a vision for the state or the society as a whole, or is Christianity—as my Muslim friend implied—so heavenly minded that it's of no earthly good?

"I think visions like the one my friend had for the state are way too shallow. They're about swords and external conformity to laws. Jesus Christ comes to do something much deeper than any social revolutionary has ever been able to do. He's come to actually change our hearts, to change our natures. The Bible shows us that God has a wonderful vision for his world. We’ve all rejected that vision. And yet even after that rejection, God, in his amazing mercy and love, continues to pursue us. Jesus Christ, his own son, stood there teaching the very people that would in a few days' time seek his life, arrest him, beat him, have him put to death.

"I know there are Marxist and Muslim utopian visions for our world. There are secular visions, too. But none of these visions sufficiently take into account the things the Bible teaches about the sinfulness of humans, about our being made in God's image, about God's goodness, his love, his holiness. Utopian visions of politics or nations or the state always lead to tragedy. They always lead to tyranny and despotism and terrible distortions of God's will.

"Friends, it is the truth of Christianity, about God being holy and loving, and our being made in God's image, and yet fallen, and God's provisions and promises for us in Christ—it is all of these truths together that lead us to sufficiently respect the fallen governments of the world, and yet give us hope to endure them, and to work and hope for something infinitely better. So God gives us the peace that comes with such hope and the strength to get up another day, to continue following Jesus until he brings us home."

(HT: Thabiti Anyabwile, Collin Hansen, and C.J. Mahaney)

If we can but teach Christ to our people, we shall teach them all

"Throughout the whole course of our ministry, we must insist chiefly upon the greatest, most certain, and most necessary truths, and be more seldom and sparing upon the rest. If we can but teach Christ to our people, we shall teach them all. Get them well to heaven, and they will have knowledge enough. The great and commonly acknowledged truths of religion are those that men must live upon, and which are the great instruments of destroying men’s sins, and raising the heart to God." (Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor)

Bad news and good news: A gospel presentation

What is the gospel? Watch the "Bad News/Good News" video below from Evan Tell, a ministry whose mission is to:

• Declare the gospel, clearly and simply.
• Activate believers around the world.
• Prepare upcoming generations to reach the lost.

Remember: It is not a prayer that saves you. It is by God's grace, because of Jesus Christ's work on the cross, through faith in Christ alone that saves you. Prayer is nothing less than coming to God as a beggar with empty hands asking for his mercy and telling him what we are doing in response to his glory and grace.

What is the Bad News/Good News approach?

The Bad News/Good News approach is an easy way to present the gospel. There are 4 points to remember and 4 Scripture verses to support them.

1. Bad News #1 – We are all sinners.* (Romans 3:23)
2. Bad News #2 – The penalty for sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
3. Good News #1 – Christ died for you. (Romans 5:8)
4. Good News #2 – You can be saved through faith in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

(Note: If you are experiencing problems viewing the video from this site, visit Evan Tell.)

Witnessing to Witnesses

A former Jehovah’s Witness, who left the Watchtower Organization four years ago and was subsequently "cut off from his former religious community–including family," posted a six-part series titled "Witnessing to Witnesses" on his blog, Pondering Christ.

Ian Clary summarizes the posts: These offer an insider’s take on how to approach the Jehovah’s Witnesses who come to our doors. Most work that I've read about the Watchtower Society have been from the outside looking in, so Matt’s perspective has been refreshing and unique. In them he deals with the history of the Society, their failed prophecies, their unique theological perspectives and their teachings about the gospel. Matt also gives some practical application for how to press home the truth-claims of the biblical gospel to the Jehovah’s Witnesses we encounter.

Here's links to the posts:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Is there a plan B for our lives?

In the video below, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation faculty member Winston Smith answers the question, "Is there a plan B for my life?"

For more information about CCEF, visit http://www.ccef.org/. To view more CCEF videos, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/CCEFTube.



(HT: Tim Challies)

Idolatry is like a pacifier

Justin Buzzard likened idolatry to a pacifier in a recent post. "We all have our pacifiers," Buzzard blogged, be they things like job security, relationships, success, reputation, money, planning, comfort, or anything else to which people are prone to give ultimate allegiance or center their lives upon. "We've come to love them too much. ... This is why the allure of idolatry is so strong in our lives. We attach our attention, affection, and assurance to created things rather than the Creator because of the sin in our own hearts and because of the many ways other people have sinned against us."

When God in love takes those "pacifiers" away from his children, he said that it's important for God's children to know something about their Sovereign Father: "he loves his kids. This never changes. All who repent of running their own life and trust Jesus as Savior have inherited an invincible love relationship with the Father. And the reason the Father has ripped the pacifier from your clenched mouth is the same reason he chose you before the foundation of the world, justified you at your conversion, and will one day glorify you in his presence: because he loves you! Don’t just read these words, believe these words.

"He loves you! He loves you! He loves you!

"Child of God, you had a problem and you didn’t know it. You’ve been sucking on a pacifier for years and it’s been damaging you and damaging others. You’ve refused to give it up. Now God has arranged the circumstances of your life to decisively pull the pacifier from your grip. You’re shaken up, but he has you right where he wants you. The only way forward is to trust your Father. Trust him! Let him love you. Trust his plan. Trust him and love him with all your heart. New territory will open up before you."

Read his entire post here.

Think to become a better lover

Think about getting John Piper's new book Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, which is currently available in Kindle format or at Desiring God, and then get it and read it. May the book encourage all who read it become better lovers of God and other people.

Here's the publisher's (Crossway) description:

John Piper’s newest book will help Christians think about thinking. Focusing on the life of the mind helps us to know God better, love him more, and care for the world. Along with an emphasis on emotions and the experience of God, we also need to practice careful thinking about God. Piper contends that “thinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God.” So how are we to maintain a healthy balance of mind and heart, thinking and feeling?

Piper urges us to think for the glory of God. He demonstrates from Scripture that glorifying God with our minds and hearts is not either-or, but both-and. Thinking carefully about God fuels passion and affections for God. Likewise, Christ-exalting emotion leads to disciplined thinking.

Readers will be reminded that “the mind serves to know the truth that fuels the fires of the heart.”

Download a PDF file that contains the contents page, foreword, introduction, and chapter 1.

Here's a trailer for the book:


Piper's aim for the book: I'm trying to raise the question for the average person in school, in the pew, or in life anywhere as to "Why do I have a mind? Why do I have a brain? How does my mind relate to my emotions? How does my mind relate to loving God and loving people? I don't think thinking is the end of life. I think loving, delighting, enjoying, relating to God, especially with others for his sake, is the end of life and that thinking serves that. So I really have a pretty holistic purpose for the book in all those avenues, and my end goal is that we would love God through thinking well about the world and about the Bible that he's given us. The whole aim is not to make us thinkers. The aim is to use thinking biblically to make us lovers.

Horton's, Zaspel's, Warfield's, and our theology

It was good for Michael Horton ... It was good for Fred Zaspel ... It was good for B.B. Warfield ... and it's good enough for me.

The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way

Dr. Michael Horton is interviewed about his forthcoming book The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way in the 8 Sept. 2010 edition of Westminster Seminary California's podcast "Office Hours." As much as a one-volume work can do, Horton said he spends time not only on the biblical-theological roots of a doctrine, but also on the historical-theological development.

Product Description: The most important systematic theology since Louis Berkhof's 1932 magum opus. Interacting with movements within the Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions, award-winning scholar Horton offers a brief synopsis of biblical passages that inform a particular doctrine; and surveys current and past works with contemporary emphasis on exegetical, philosophical, practical, and theological questions. Includes an extensive bibliography.

The Theology of B. B. Warfield: A Systematic Summary

Fred Zaspel answered some of Justin Taylor's questions about his new book The Theology of B.B. Warfield: A Systematic Summary.

Publisher's Description: Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (1851–1921) was undoubtedly one of the greatest Reformed theologians in the history of America. As professor of didactic and polemic theology at Princeton University, he wrote extensively in defense of fundamental Christian doctrines. While his writing touched on the full spectrum of theological topics, it was spread over hundreds of periodicals, books, and pamphlets, and a significant portion has never been published in an accessible form. Warfield stands as a dominant figure on the theological landscape, but few have a comprehensive grasp of his theology, largely because of the difficulty of tracing his ideas through numerous sources.

The table of contents, chapter 1, and the appendices and indices may be read online for free.

Listen to an episode of Reformed Forum featuring Fred Zaspel entitled The Theology of B. B. Warfield.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Church disciplines 575 members

Jonathan Leeman interviewed David King, a pastor in Tennessee, about his "church’s recent work of cleaning up their membership roles." Read the interview here: Church disciplines 575 members.

Failing to love and hate what God loves and hates is at the root of sin

"Loving and hating differently than God loves and hates is near the heart of sin. ... You can always trace the sins of the hands and feet back to the head and heart. Our bodies sin when our heads and hearts are not set on God. The core of sin is to love what is not God as if it were God. ... Failing to love and hate what God loves and hates, respectively, is at the root of sin. What do you fail to hate that God hates? What do you fail to love that God loves?" (Mark Dever, The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made, pages 374, 384)

What I am, what I ought to be, what I wish to be

By the grace of God I am what I am

Two or three years before the death of that eminent servant of Christ, John Newton, when his sight was become so dim that he was no longer able to read, an aged brother in the ministry called on him to breakfast. Family prayer followed, and the portion of scripture for the day was read to him. In it occurred the verse, "By the grace of God I am what I am." It was Mr. Newton's custom on these occasions to make a short familiar exposition on some passage read. After the reading he paused for some moments, and then said, "I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to be. Soon, very soon, shall I put off mortality, and with it all sin and imperfection. Yet though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was — a slave to sin and satan; and I can heartily join with the Apostle, and acknowledge, 'By the grace of God I am what I am.' Let us pray." (The Christian Pioneer Volume XI (1857), edited by Joseph Foulkes Winks, page 84)

The most horrible religion

"Of all horrible religions the most horrible is the worship of the god within. Any one who knows any body knows how it would work; any one who knows any one from the Higher Thought Centre knows how it does work. That Jones shall worship the god within him turns out ultimately to mean that Jones shall worship Jones. Let Jones worship the sun or moon, anything rather than the Inner Light; let Jones worship cats or crocodiles, if he can find any in his street, but not the god within. Christianity came into the world firstly in order to assert with violence that a man had not only to look inwards, but to look outwards, to behold with astonishment and enthusiasm a divine company and a divine captain. The only fun of being a Christian was that a man was not left alone with the Inner Light, but definitely recognized an outer light, fair as the sun, clear as the moon, terrible as an army with banners." (G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, page 66)

Americolatry

Paul Ireland:

In the whole discussion about Mormonism, I think we’re missing a big part of what is going on with Glenn Beck. The problem is not simply Mormonism. The problem is idolatry.

People who follow Glenn Beck may not become Mormon and reject the Trinity, but they will likely follow his Americolatry—his worship of our nation. His view of life rises and falls on the state of our country. Christians I know who follow Beck quickly get pulled into his idolatrous fervor that declares that our nation can be our savior.

Both the left and the right subscribe to this Americolatry. If our government does X, Y, and Z, then we will be joyful, satisfied, safe, and complete. Then we will live in heaven. But if the other guys get their way, it’ll be hell. In that equation, God is no longer our joy, our comfort, our satisfaction, our all. If God is brought into the conversation at all, it is to use God as a means for our own idolatrous ends. This kind of idolatry is very alluring and dangerous for Christians.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Praying God's promises

Tim Kerr, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Toronto, wrote a prayer manual called Take Words With You, which contains more than 1,600 "scripture promises and prayers meant to help God’s people pray more effectively. The promises are arranged around the cross—its purposes and rewards."

Read more about it here.

(HT: Tim Challies)

Advice for theological students and young pastors

Twenty things Kevin DeYoung wish he knew when he began the ministry (and is still learning now): Advice for theological students and young pastors.

A list of important sermons and articles that are worth reading

I like lists of recommended reading, especially when they concern writings that feed the mind and heart with truth about God and his ways in the world. Justin Taylor posted his "list of important sermons and articles that are worth reading," as well as lists by pastors and theologians of "what they would recommend as sermons or essays that have had a special impact on them, or that they would seriously urge students and pastors to consider reading."

The contributors include:

• Bryan Chapell
• Graham Cole
• Mark Dever
• Kevin DeYoung
• Stephen J. Nichols
• Ray Ortlund
• John Piper
• David Powlison
• Fred Sanders
• R.C. Sproul
• Carl R. Trueman
• Bruce Ware
• Donald Whitney

Check out the lists here.

Jesus My Glory

Here's a prayer titled "Jesus My Glory" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 42-43):

O LORD GOD,

Thou hast commanded me to believe in Jesus;
and I would flee to no other refuge,
wash in no other fountain,
build on no other foundation,
receive from no other fullness,
rest in no other relief.

His water and blood were not severed
in their flow at the cross,
may they never be separated in my creed
and experiences;
May I be equally convinced of the guilt
and pollution of sin,
feel my need of a prince and saviour,
implore of him repentance as well as forgiveness,
love holiness, and be pure in heart,
have the mind of Jesus, and tread in his steps.

Let me not be at my own disposal,
but rejoice that I am under the care of one
who is too wise to err,
too kind to injure,
too tender to crush.

May I scandalize none by my temper and conduct,
but recommend and endear Christ to all around,
bestow good on every one as circumstances
permit,
and decline no opportunity of usefulness.

Grant that I may value my substance,
not as the medium of pride and luxury,
but as the means of my support and stewardship.

Help me to guide my affections with discretion,
to owe no man anything,
to be able to give to him that needeth,
to feel it my duty and pleasure to be merciful
and forgiving,
to show to the world the likeness of Jesus.

Life is hard, but God is good

Quotes from R.C. Sproul's 2002 book When Worlds Collide, which is a response to the events of 9/11 that wrestles with questions related to God’s sovereignty and human suffering:

The events of 9/11 were a mortal blow to relativism, because the response of
Americans and the response of people the world over, after looking at this
heinous attack on human life, was the very “unrelativistic” declaration that
“This is evil.” … One cannot have such a shocking encounter with pure evil and
walk away, saying, “Well, it’s a relative thing.”

*****

If we look carefully at the biblical understanding of God and construct our worldview
on this basis, we see that God in His providence is a sovereign God, who not
only governs nature and the laws of nature but who raises nations up and brings
nations low. Within His providence come both blessing and calamity.

*****

If God did not ordain all things, He would not be sovereign over all things. And if He is not sovereign over all things, then He is not God at all.

*****

God’s ordination of all things does not annihilate human decisions or the forces of nature. Yet at the same time the sovereignty of God stands over every human event.

*****

I do not know why God ordained 9/11, but I know that He did ordain it because if He did not ordain it, it would not have happened. Since it happened, I know for certain
that God ordained it in some sense. That is one of the most difficult concepts even for devout Christians to deal with. Yet the concept is found on almost every page of sacred Scripture. It is at the very heart of the Christian faith.

*****

The word “tragedy” presupposes some kind of order or purpose in the world. If the world has purpose and order, then all that occurs in it is meaningful in some respect. The idea of a “senseless tragedy” represents a worldview that is completely incompatible with Christian thought. It assumes that something happens without purpose or without meaning.

*****

Christians do not allow for meaningless events to take place, because at the heart of the Christian worldview is the idea that everything in history has a purpose in the mind of Almighty God. God is a purposive God; He is not chaotic.

*****

In the final analysis, that which defines the Christian worldview is the glory of the cross. The cross remains the symbol for all that is loved and embraced in the Christian worldview. It is also the symbol for all that the pagan worldview despises. The cross is the symbol that causes worlds to collide. It provokes a war that will not end until the consummation of the Kingdom of God.

(HT: Tim Challies)

God is a mighty fortress for all who trust in him

Kevin DeYoung: Let (Sept. 11) be a day where Americans give thanks for liberty and pray for their country. Let it also be a day where we remember that while God has not promised America will last forever, he has promised his people an everlasting kingdom. Our God is a mighty fortress for all who trust in him.

Below is a good video of Steve Green singing Martin Luther's famous hymn "A Mighty Fortress."



Lyrics:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Hymn story from Center for Church Music - Songs and Hymns:

The one hymn that most symbolizes the Protestant Reformation is "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." In it, Martin Luther proclaims his confidence in God and rallies all Christians to war against evil. Basing his words on Psalm 46, he victoriously states "We will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us." Those persecuted and martyred for their convictions during the Reformation sang these words.

Luther understood the power of evil: After he posted his ninety-five theses on the door of Wittenberg's Castle in 1517, he faced years of trials and persecution, he was excommunicated from the Roman church, and he continually faced threats against his life and his freedom. Other reformers had been persecuted and burned at the stake.

But he also knew "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in danger" (Psalm 46:1) and so he wrote "A Mighty Fortress is our God," proclaiming boldly that "the prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him . . . one little word shall fell him."

Since he wrote it in 1529, Luther's hymn has been translated into nearly every language. There are said to be over eighty English translations alone to this hymn, but the version most used in the United States is the translation by Frederic Henry Hedge in 1852.

The first line of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" is inscribed on the tomb of Martin Luther at Wittenberg. And its powerful words and tune continue to live. The hymn was sung at the funeral of President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, March 1969. And it was also included in the National Service of Prayer and Remembrance, held shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks against America.

Who was Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (20 Dec. 1899 – 1 March 1981) is regarded by some evangelical Christians as the greatest preacher of the 20th Century. Below is a short but good introductory video of his life and ministry. He was a herald of God, and his greatness is rooted in the great God whom he loved and obeyed.

For access to more than 1,500 of his sermons, visit The Martyn Lloyd-Jones Recordings Trust Web site. To listen to Living Grace, a podcast featuring his sermons, visit here.

The best biography on the "Doctor" is Iain Murray's two-volume work:

1. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones the First Forty Years 1899-1939 (v. 1)
   
2. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (v. 2)

(HT: Reformation Theology)

Grudem's "Politics According to the Bible"

Wayne Grudem’s “Politics According to the Bible” seems like a good book to read for anybody interested in politics or what the Bible teaches. Grudem is a careful, systematic thinker who uses the Bible to shine the light of truth upon all aspects of life.

Read the first 54 pages of the 664-page book as a free PDF file, which includes the table of contents, preface, and first chapter (on the five wrong views).

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Instead of burning the Quran, read and obey God's Word

There has been much debate about the announcement of a Florida pastor's plan to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11. Whereas he should reconsider his position based on feedback received from local and world religious and government leaders, he should primarily consider his idea in light of God's Word.

The pastor has the attention of the world but also a tremendous opportunity to proclaim the most important news story the world can ever hear, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ. The most important story that can be told is not one man or a group of people burning books in response to a worldview contrary to his or theirs, but God's activity in the world to bring people into a right relationship with himself (Read Romans chapters 1 through 11.) and other people (Read Romans chapters 12 through 16.).

Our response to God's work should be repentance (i.e., a change of mind that leads to changed behavior) and faith (trust in God's promises and counsels in Christ). It is God's mercy that reveals how we should live in a proper relationship with God and other people. It is God's grace that enables us to live a life of "faith working through love."

Rev. Terry Jones, his Gainesville congregation, and we all would do well to remember who God is as our creator and sustainer, how we all have fallen short of loving and honoring God as he deserves, what God has done in Christ to remove the barrier of our sin that has created a chasm between us and God, and live in a manner that testifies to God's greatness and grace. We will remember, by God's grace, if we spend more time prayerfully reading and heeding God's word than speaking and acting in a manner that distracts the watching world from the most important news that's not being reported on.

What Bible should you own? One that you read and heed.

Daniel B. Wallace asks and answers "What Bible should I own?" at Parchment and Pen. Actually, he attempts to briefly answer the previous and following questions, and provide guidelines for English-speaking readers of the Bible:

1. What’s the most literal translation out there?
2. What’s a good study Bible?
3. Which Bible is the most accurate?
4. What’s a good Bible for a new Christian to get?

Although he admits there's no simple answer to such questions, he states every English-speaking Christian should own Bibles within the following categories:

1. King James Bible. "It has been hailed as one of the greatest literary monuments to the English language, and the greatest literary monument every produced by a committee. Regardless of what you think of the KJV’s accuracy, it is a must for all English-speaking Christians. I would add that I think it’s a must for all English-speaking people, regardless of their faith commitments.

2. A good study Bible. "It should be accurate and readable, and have plenty of helpful notes. There are several excellent study Bibles available, but the one I like the best is the NET Bible (available at http://www.bible.org/). ... But there are other good study Bibles, too. The ESV is an excellent, literary translation with understated elegance, in keeping with the KJV and RSV. And its study Bible, with articles and notes, is excellent. The NIV Study Bible has very good notes and a very readable translation, but it interprets a bit too much for my tastes. The NRSV is a very good translation, though its stance on gender inclusivism sometimes mars the beauty of the translation and is even, at times, misleading (cf. Matt 18.15; 1 Tim 3.2). The REB is a gender-inclusive translation but it has sidestepped the problems of the NRSV by giving literary power a higher priority.

3. A "Bible that is readable, lively, and captures the ‘feel’ of the original. The more accurate Bibles usually don’t do this (including the NET and ESV). The NIV comes close, but Eugene Peterson’s The Message, the Living Bible, and J. B. Phillips’ The New Testament in Modern English do well in this regard. These are Bibles that are meant to be read one chapter (or passage) at a time, not verse by verse."

His conclusion: "So, what Bible should you own? At least three, and one of them needs to be the King James Bible. But whatever you get, make sure to read it!"

Have you read "The Story"?

"The Story" is an online and hard-copy tool for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Check out the introductory video below. Hard copies of the gospel presentation may be purchased here.

"The Story" Promotional Video from The Story (ViewTheStory.com) on Vimeo.

(HT: Trevin Wax)

Will you do "whatever it takes"?

Below is a music video of the song "Whatever it Takes" from an album titled "Christ the King" by Curtis Allen, also known as Voice. The song was inspired by Joshua Harris's book Dug Down Deep, an introduction to Christian doctrine. May God and we do whatever it takes to see the supremacy of God in all things and savor Jesus Christ more than anything he has made and through all he sustains.



Here are the lyrics to the song:

Verse 1
I’m on a mission with my shovel out cuz sin is deep so I’m glad that he has dug us out
And it's a fight everyday its like I’m in a bout, ding ding life is a ring the world shouts
And everything is speaking for allegiance, competing with the God I am complete in.
I need grace it's like my faith is depleting so I’m on my face asking Lord am I deep in
Uhnn most of my life has been a rumspringa, meology my introduction to theology
Was like whoa I was offering God apologies, I want the right opinion of him orthodoxy,
It takes Moxie nowadays to choose life,
we should be asking what are we choosing by choosing Christ
It's more than nice that theology matters,
bcuz what you believe determines who you are in the hereafter.

Hook/Chorus
I’m trying to figure out what this life is about,
I gotta see what I believe in a world full of doubt,
Cuz even though I know what’s true to not be confused by the fake,
I’ll do whatever it takes

Verse 2
If I’m honest sometimes I feel the pressure,
cuz digging deep is not an option, its doctrine
It is Luke 6 Christ’s words I adopt them building foundations on the sand
hope I’m not him
cuz its easy to fall a victim to and base confidence on what’s insecure that is sinking you
and be deceiving yourself if you don’t think it through, when the storm comes it’ll wash your foundation through
And I’m telling you it don’t stop hurting
unless you build what you building now as a rock person.
what I mean is you putting your faith in practice,
truth requires action you lay it down like a mattress.
so when they ask this “what’d you build your life on”
if Christ is the goal u should be headed for the Pylon
so when the storms and the waves come and pile on,
your foundations rock solid get your smile on.

Hook/Chorus
I’m trying to figure out what this life is about,
I gotta see what I believe in a world full of doubt,
Cuz even though I know what’s true to not be confused by the fake,
I’ll do whatever it takes

Verse 3
I wanna touch the heart of theology and when I do it Lord help me do it properly
and thinking true thoughts all the wrath that you caught,
is intensified by the purchases that you bought
the blood shed is the reason I wanna be with him this is no moralistic, therapeutic deism,
it's good news headline reads be digging,
no small thoughts all thoughts be that he’s risen
uhnn so now let's make this thing practical, since we are convinced
this is God’s word and factual
but not merely a list of facts and features they are truths that inform for all what belief is
so I’ll study the attributes of God and dig deep even when my arms are getting tired,
I won’t stop until I’ve dug on this spot as I learn you are far but you’re near
you’re the Rock.

Hook/Chorus
I’m trying to figure out what this life is about,
I gotta see what I believe in a world full of doubt,
Cuz even though I know what’s true to not be confused by the fake,
I’ll do whatever it takes

'Finally Alive' finally has study guide

Desiring God is offering a free 12-week study guide for John Pipers book Finally Alive, a book about what it means to be "born again."

Download a PDF copies of the study guide or the book.

Desiring God's introduction to John Piper's book Finally Alive states the following: What does the Bible teach about the miracle of rebirth? ... John Piper explores Jesus' peculiar command, "You must be born again." Spiritual rebirth is precious and crucial. When Jesus said, "You must be born again," he wasn't simply sharing interesting information; he was directing us toward eternal life. It is essential to know what God intends when he uses this language of being born again, so that we may experience new birth and help others do the same.

Piper answers the following questions in the book:

1. What is the new birth?
2. Why must we be born again?
3. How does the new birth Come about?
4. What are the effects of the new birth?
5. How can we help others be born again?

Desiring God's explanation of the study guide: In an effort to encourage discussion and deeper engagement with Finally Alive, we have developed this twelve-week study
guide. Each week consists of reading a chapter or two of the book, meditating upon concepts and Scripture passages, and answering questions. Each week’s study is divided into main two sections, “Reading and Reflection” and “Digging Deeper.”

Here's the study guide's table of contents:

Introduction
An Explanation of the Study Guide
For Leaders
Lesson 1: Introduction to Finally Alive
Lesson 2: What Is the New Birth?
Lesson 3: Why Must We Be Born Again? Part 1
Lesson 4: Why Must We Be Born Again? Part 2
Lesson 5: Born Again Through the Washing of Regeneration
Lesson 6: Born Again Through Faith in Jesus Christ
Lesson 7: Born Again Through Intelligible Good News
Lesson 8: The New Birth Overcomes the World
Lesson 9: Regeneration, Faith, Love
Lesson 10: Freedom from the Practice of Sinning
Lesson 11: Loving Others with the Love of God
Lesson 12: Helping Others Be Born Again
Appendix: Leading Productive Group Discussions

Christ Alone

Here's a prayer titled "Christ Alone" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 40-41):

O GOD,

Thy main plan, and the end of thy will
is to make Christ glorious and beloved
in heaven
where he is now ascended,
where one day all the elect will behold his glory
and love and glorify him for ever.

Though here I love him but little,
may this be my portion at last.
In this world thou has given me a beginning,
one day it will be perfected in the realm above.

Thou has helped me to see and know Christ,
though obscurely,
to take him, receive him,
to possess him, love him,
to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.

Let me study and stand for discipline,
and all the ways of worship,
out of love for Christ;
and to show my thankfulness;
to seek and know his will from love,
to hold it in love,
and daily to care for and keep this state of heart.

Thou hast led me to place all my nature
and happiness
in oneness with Christ,
in having heart and mind centred only on him,
in being like him in communicating good
to others;
This is my heaven on earth,
But I need the force, energy, impulses of thy Spirit
to carry me on the way to my Jerusalem.

Here, it is my duty
to be as Christ in this world,
to do what he would do,
to live as he would live,
to walk in love and meekness;
then would he be known,
then would I have peace in death.

Preaching Christ or preaching about Christ?

Ray Ortlund writes about the difference between preaching Christ and preaching about Christ.

His points:

1. Preaching Christ is presenting him so clearly and directly that the people experience the sermon this way: “It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified” (Galatians 3:1).

2. Preaching about Christ is presenting ideas related to him. It’s a good thing to do. But preaching Christ is more profound, more daring and more helpful.

How do you test whether someone is preaching Christ or preaching about Christ?

Orland states: What are the people who hear me preach walking away with? Have they seen Christ himself during this sermon, or have they only interacted with ideas about Christ? As a preacher, I cannot make people engage with him. I wouldn’t want to try. But I can and must preach in such a way that he stands forth as obvious and available to the people right then and there.

Read his entire post here.

What's the key to healthy Christian growth in godliness?

Dane Ortlund recently asked some Christian men, "What's the key to healthy Christian growth in godliness?"

He prefaces the responses as follows: I explicitly asked our brothers to keep it to a single, short sentence. Of course, whole volumes could be (and have been!) written addressing this question. [His favorite book on the subject is G.C. Berkouwer's Studies in Dogmatics: Faith and Sanctification] ... So we gladly receive these wise statements remembering that sanctification is not a math problem. There is no formula. Every answer below needs a hundred footnotes. Point taken. The purpose of this exercise is not to provide an opportunity to nit-pick but to re-center, refresh, encourage, spur on, help one another.

Check out his post for the responses.

Learning the Greek alphabet can be easy

Justin Taylor posted an mp3 for learning the Greek alphabet from Michael Graening, a Southeastern Seminary student. Listen to it here.

The song is good, but I think Richard Belcher has a much easier method to memorize the Greek alphabet. Here's his suggestion from A Practical Approach to the Greek New Testament:

Use the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers" with the Greek alphabet as the lyrics.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma,
Delta, Epsilon,
Zeta, Eta, Theta,
Iota, Kappa, Lambda,
Mu, Nu, Xi, and Omnicron,
Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau,
Upsilon, and Phi, Chi, Psi,
and last Omega.

Onward Christian scholars,
Learn the alphabet.
Then when test day cometh,
You'll have no regret.

It’s OK to admit that you’re weak

“Contrary to cultural opinion, it’s okay to admit that you’re weak, God’s grace is sufficient, but it’s not okay to fake strength!”

- Paul David Tripp, Twitter post

(HT: Of First Importance)

By faith in Jesus

“We become Christians by faith in Jesus, we stay Christians by faith in Jesus, and we grow as Christians by faith in Jesus.”

- Tim Chester, You Can Change (Wheaton, Ill.; Crossway, 2010), 43-44.

(HT: Of First Importance)

Nothing is better than God

Ultimately, nothing is better than anything else if it's just another substitute for God, who alone can eternally satisfy.

G. K. Chesterton on belief

G. K. Chesterton: The danger when men stop believing in God is not that they'll believe in nothing; but that they will believe in anything.

What was a church service like in the second century?

In the first century, "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42 ESV), but "what was a church service like in the second century?" What should a church service look like today?

What are we apart from Christ?

In a post titled "What are we apart from Christ?" Justin Taylor considers what everybody is apart from Christ in light of Romans chapter 1 and provides a good example of active reading, which is nothing less than asking questions about a text and attempting to answer them within the context of that text.

The Name of Jesus

Here's a prayer titled "The Name of Jesus" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 38-39):

ALL-SEARCHING GOD,

Thou readest the heart,
viewest principles and motives of actions,
seest more defilement in my duties
than I ever saw in any of my sins.

The heavens are not clean in thy sight,
and thou chargest the angels with folly;
I am ready to flee from myself because of
my abominations;
Yet thou dost not abhor me
but hast devised means for my return to thee,
and that, by thy Son who died to give me life.

Thine honour is secured and displayed even in
my escape from thy threats,
and that, by means of Jesus
in whom mercy and truth meet together,
and righteousness and peace kiss each other.
In him the enslaved find redemption,
the guilty pardon,
the unholy renovation;
In him are everlasting strength for the weak,
unsearchable riches for the needy,
treasures of wisdom and knowledge for
the ignorant,
fullness for the empty.
At thy gracious call I hear, take, come, apply,
receive his grace,
not only submit to his mercy but acquiesce in it,
not only glory in the cross but in him crucified
and slain,
not only joy in forgiveness but in the one through whom atonement comes.

Thy blessings are as secure as they are glorious;
Thou hast provided for my safety and my prosperity,
and hast promised that I shall stand firm and
grow stronger.
O Lord God, without the pardon of my sin I cannot
rest satisfied
without the renovation of my nature by grace
I can never rest easy,
without the hopes of heaven I can never be
at peace.
All this I have in thy Son Jesus; blessed be his name.

Biblia.com = Bible study online

From Andy Naselli:

The president and CEO of Logos Bible Software explains:

•Biblia.com is “a super-simple Bible for the web that’s backed up by the incredible technology (and massive library!) of Logos Bible Software.”
•“Logos 4 users can access their library online, complete with synchronization of ‘last read’ position between Logos 4, the iPhone/iPad, and Biblia.com!”
•“With shared licenses between Logos Bible Software 4 for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Mobile Web, and Biblia.com, your content is available wherever you are.”

More about Biblia.com:

Biblia.com is your place for Bible study online. Part of a family of services from Logos Bible Software, it offers free access to a collection of Bibles and Bible reference works, with an easy user interface and powerful search engine.

More Content
Everyone gets free access to a number of Bibles and a few other resources. Log into Biblia.com (with your Logos.com account, or by making a free account here) for access to dozens of free Bible study resources.

Biblia.com uses exactly the same e-books and account management as Logos Bible Software, whether you download software or not. That means that Biblia.com already offers thousands of high quality resources for Bible study. You can purchase content for use with Logos Bible Software for Windows or Macintosh, or simply unlock it online at Logos.com, and you’ll have access to it online at Biblia.com.*

Anywhere Access
Logos Bible Software works on the Macintosh, for Windows, on the iPhone, iPad, and even supports mobile web browsers at http://library.logos.com. Your single user account works with all of these platforms, as well as here at Biblia.com. Purchase an e-book in one place and you can use it everywhere!* Future releases will even synchronize your notes across all the platforms.

Powerful Platform
Biblia.com is designed to make it easy to use a Bible side-by-side with helps and reference books. But underneath it is built on the same powerful platform as Logos Bible Software 4, the world’s leading Bible software. Logos has been developing Bible software for nearly two decades. Today it is a team of more than 170 people offering more than 10,000 titles for Bible study; Biblia.com is our way of delivering all that experience and content to users who prefer a web interface.

Open APIs
Biblia.com is designed as a service for everyone who wants to study the Bible. The site features a rich Application Programming Interface (API) at http://api.biblia.com. It’s possible to integrate Bible content from Biblia.com into your own projects. In the coming months we’ll be exposing even more of the powerful technology underneath the site.

Just the Beginning
Biblia.com is in beta release now; this release represents just a fraction of the features we have planned! Please share your ideas by joining the conversation on our forums.

Jesus: The Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved?

John Piper asks and answers the question "Is Jesus the only way of salvation" in his book "Jesus: The Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved?"

Here's a description of the book:

If the evangelical church at large was ever too confrontational in its evangelism, those days are gone. In our shrinking, pluralistic world, the belief that Jesus is the only way of salvation is increasingly called arrogant and even hateful. In the face of this criticism, many shrink back from affirming the global necessity of knowing and believing in Jesus.

In Jesus: The Only Way to God, John Piper offers a timely plea for the evangelical church to consider what is at stake in surrendering the unique, universal place of Jesus in salvation. If you're concerned about the current state of evangelism--and the church--this book is a must-read.

Read an excerpt

Here is a list of the contents:

1. Is Jesus the Only Way of Salvation? Three Questions in One 17
2. Will Anyone Experience Eternal, Conscious Torment under God’s Wrath? 31
3. Is the Work of Jesus Necessary for Salvation? 53
4. Is Conscious Faith in Jesus Necessary for Salvation? Part One: The Mystery of Christ and the Times of Ignorance 61
5. Is Conscious Faith in Jesus Necessary for Salvation? Part Two: The Case of Cornelius 79
6. Is Conscious Faith in Jesus Necessary for Salvation? Part Three: No Other Name under Heaven 91
7. Is Conscious Faith in Jesus Necessary for Salvation? Part Four: The Missionary Task as Seen by Paul and John 106

The Gospel Song: An animation of the greatest news in all the world

Here's a video of "The Gospel Song" with an excerpt from a John Piper message.



(HT: Justin Taylor)

The Bible is not about you; it is about Jesus Christ

(HT: Justin Taylor)

God's grace triumphs over people's problems and sin, and God's Word trumps mere human advice

‎90 percent of the time I have an answer to people's problems, but the answer is usually mine, not God's. And when the answer is from God's Word, 90 percent of the time people don't want to hear it, including me. Thank God that 1 percent of his grace is greater than 100 percent of my and other people's sin.

Weeping and rejoicing

"See yourself and weep. See your God and rejoice.” - Paul David Tripp

(HT: Of First Importance)

Union with Christ

Here's a prayer titled "Union with Christ" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 36-37):

O FATHER,

Thou hast made man for the glory of thyself,
and when not an instrument of that glory,
he is a thing of nought;

No sin is greater than the sin of unbelief,
for if union with Christ is the greatest good,
unbelief is the greatest sin,
as being cross to thy command;
I see that whatever my sin is,
yet no sin is like disunion from Christ by unbelief.

Lord, keep me from committing the greatest sin
in departing from him,
for I can never in this life perfectly obey
and cleave to Christ.

When thou takest away my outward blessings,
it is for sin,
in not acknowledging that all that I have is of thee,
in not serving thee through what I have,
in making myself secure and hardened.

Lawful blessings are the secret idols, and
do most hurt;
the greatest injury is in the having,
the greatest good in the taking away.

In love divest me of blessings that I may glorify
thee more;
remove the fuel of my sin,
and may I prize the gain of a little holiness
as overbalancing all my losses.

The more I love thee with a truly gracious love
the more I desire to love thee,
and the more miserable I am at my want of love;
The more I hunger and thirst after thee,
the more I faint and fail in finding thee,
The more my heart is broken for sin,
the more I pray it may be far more broken.

My great evil is that I do not remember
the sins of my youth,
nay, the sins of one day I forget the next.
Keep me from all things that turn to unbelief
or lack of felt union with Christ.

The best book I've read for new and renewed followers of Jesus

Thabiti Anyabwile said Stephen Smallman’s "The Walk: Steps for New and Renewed Followers of Jesus" is "the best book I've read for new and renewed followers of Jesus." With high praise like that, it's certainly worth a look.

Here are seven reasons he found the book helpful:

1. It’s clear.


2. It’s gospel-centered, gospel-driven, gospel-motivated–choose your favorite “gospel + adjective” combination.


3. It’s clear about conversion.


4. It’s focused on discipleship.


5. It emphasizes the importance of the local church.


6. The Walk also keeps the reader in the Bible.


7. The Walk introduces people to history and biography.

For elaborating comments on his reasons, read his post. He also lists the book's table of contents.

Great servants but lousy masters

Phillip Jensen from the forthcoming book "The Archer and the Arrow": Commentaries, Bible dictionaries and the like are great servants but lousy masters.

Read a longer excerpt from the book at Challies.com.

The cost of discipleship: To give all that you have and are for all that Christ Jesus is

Considering all that God is and promises to be for us in Jesus Christ, the cost of discipleship seems hardly a sacrifice. The Christian life, however, should be a sorrowful-yet-always-rejoicing experience. Consider Steve Lawson's preaching on Luke 14.



Luke 14:25-33

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

(HT: Grant Castleberry)

No people ever rise higher than their idea of God

"No people ever rise higher than their idea of God, and conversely, a loss of the sense of God’s high and awesome character always involves a loss of a people’s moral values and even what we commonly call humanity. We are startled by the disregard for human life that has overtaken large segments of the western world, but what do we expect when countries like ours openly turn their back upon God? We deplore the breakdown of moral standards, but what do we expect when we have focused our worship services on ourselves and our own often trivial needs rather than on God? Our view of God affects what we are and do ..."

James Montgomery Boice, Psalms, Volume 3: Psalms 107–150 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1998), 912.

Fullness in Christ

Here's a prayer titled "Fullness in Christ" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 34-35):

O GOD,

Thou hast taught me
that Christ has all fullness and
so all plenitude of the Spirit,
that all fullness I lack in myself is in him,
for his people, not for himself alone,
he having perfect knowledge, grace,
righteousness,
to make me see,
to make me righteous,
to give me fullness;
that it is my duty, out of a sense of emptiness,
to go to Christ, possess, enjoy his fullness
as mine,
as if I had it in myself, because it is
for me in him;
that when I do this I am full of the Spirit,
as a fish that has got from the shore to the sea
and has all fullness of waters to move in,
for when faith fills me, then I am full;
that this is the way to be filled with the Spirit,
like Stephen, first faith, then fullness,
for this way makes me most empty,
and so most fit for the Spirit to fill.

Thou has taught me that the finding of
this treasure of all grace in the field of Christ
begets strength, joy, glory,
and renders all graces alive.

Help me to delight more in what I receive from Christ,
more in that fullness which is in him,
the fountain of all his glory.

Let me not think to receive the Spirit from him
as a 'thing'
apart from finding, drinking, being filled
with him.

To this end, O God,
do thou establish me in Christ,
settle me, give me a being there,
assure me with certainty that all this is mine,
for this only will fill my heart with joy
and peace.

'The God Who Is There' by D.A. Carson (book, audio and video, and study guide)

There are many good books that should be read for both personal and professional profit. If there's only one book you read, however, let it be the Bible, for it warns of eternal peril and promises eternal profit. After the Bible, ensure you read books that help you understand the Bible. "The God Who is There" by D.A. Carson is such a book. I could recommend so many more books that go deeper than Carson's book, which surveys the Bible and shares its main message in 14 chapters, but Carson is a good place to start. Check out the link below for more information about the book, audio and video messages upon which the book is based, and a study guide. If you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will not regret it.

"The God Who is There" by D.A. Carson (book, audio and video, and study guide)

You may also view previews at the link above. A preview for the first session is below.

The God Who Is There - Part 1. The God Who Made Everything (Preview) from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.