Head-dibs

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I picked up my neon-green plastic carabiner flashlight this Sunday, and if that don’t want to make you ask me about my personal testimony, I don’t know what will. It even says, “Share Jesus” on the side, the only two words I need to know. A certain individual (who shall go unnamed) in my immediate ministerial vicinity has unleashed a church-wide campaign that will make my obedience to the Great Commission successful—if only I wear this and produce it from time to time. People who see it will just “want to know” my testimony, so I can invite them to Sunday School to hear the gospel. Any other way is just unbiblical, you know. I put it to the test. I’ve been wearing it proudly on my key-ring (and for those who know me, already know I carry the jailor’s share), and so far, nobody has stopped me and asked me for my testimony. I’m not so sure I can invite anyone to church, if they don’t stop me to ask. I wondered if my WWJD bracelet and my colored “wordless beads” were confusing them . . . ...

Friday night I had the wonderful and exciting privilege of joining 16 undergraduates (and one alum) in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ in evangelism. We met about 6:45 for some introductions, encouragements, Prayer and Worship. By 8:45 or so, we piled into cars and caravanned our way to 5-Points here in Columbia. 5-Points is a cross-roads near downtown Columbia, just off the USC Campus. Here College students (and partiers in general) meet, eat, drink and commit lewd debaucheries in public. A beautiful fountain forms the central meeting place, surrounded by restaurants, bars, coffee shops and stores peddling wares I am not brilliant enough to think of. We parked in a grocery store lot, paired off experienced evangelizers with new-comers and hit the streets. The coordinator of the event and myself tried to equip everyone with as much literature as we possibly could. I took two students with me, and we made our way down the sidewalk. The first guy we met was Clarence, a Rastafarian . W...

Yesterday evening I had an incredible desire to pray about evangelism, so I began, "Lord, because you have given me so many people to talk to . . ." and I had to stop. Then (because we are a home-schooling family), I had a parent-teacher conference (read: "I said to myself") that went something like this: "Didn't you mean to pray, 'Lord, please give me someone to share the gospel with?'" "No," I said to myself, "I meant what I said. God has put so many people across my path that I have not shared the gospel with, I should pray for boldness and clarity to speak." "But that is so profound," I answered myself in amazement. "Who ever heard of praying that way?" God apparently has. I was caused to remember that obedience to the Great Commission is about "Going" to those who are already there and either do not know there is a Jesus who has made salvation possible, or do not know they need to repen...

Romans 1:18-20 tells us that everyone knows and is therefore without excuse: " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse ." What is this knowledge everyone has? Every person knows "God is" and because everyone knows He "is", they are without an excuse. One cannot help but think of Moses asking God to identify Himself, to which He replies, "I am." God reminds Moses what is already known about Him: He is and He is always contemporary. God has made Himself so evidently known though creation, we can say with assurance that the athiest does not exist! Also, the ...

Taking my cue from The Pilgrim , here are some choice goodies for ya': A great book on Apologetics ; An awesome resource for Biblical Counseling ; I love this book ! The first chapter of this one really says it all. I know the guys who wrote this one !

I’ve been enjoying Michael Horton’s excellent book, “ Putting Amazing Back Into Grace ” and am pleasantly surprised to reflect on lessons God has been teaching me and am encouraged (as I’m sure you, too, are) to find others who have arrived at the same conclusions. In short, I will simply say that throughout my life I’ve been through Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches, Non-denominational “Bible” Churches, Interdenominational Bible Churches (I think non- and inter- are the same), a sprinkling of Four-Square and Church of God, the Conservative Baptists, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and more shades of Southern Baptist Churches than most people need to know about. The journey through Bible College was a life-changing experience in and of itself and Seminary was certainly fantastic jolt to the system (as much as I wanted to attend, Satan was not all that excited and made this plain to me and my family); but, this last year-and-a-half has been used by God to bring more pra...

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“Think of the privilege, my friends of saving a soul, if we are going to work for good we must be up and about it. Men say, "I have not the time." Take it. Ten minutes every day for Christ will give you good wages. There is many a man who is working for you - Take them by the hand. Some of you with silver locks, I think I hear you saying, I wish I was young, how I would rush into the battle." Well, if you cannot be a fighter, you can pray and lead on the others. There are two kinds of old people in the world. One grows chilled and sour, and there are others who light up every meeting with their genial presence, and cheer on the workers. Draw near, old age, and cheer on the others, and take them by the hand and encourage them. There was a building on fire. The flames leaped around the stair case, and from a three story window a little child was seen who cried for help. The only way to reach it was by a ladder. One was obtained and a fireman ascended, but when he had...

F.W. Boreham’s first chapter of Silver Shadows (see previous post) is titled, “Dominoes” where he shows the simplicity of practical Christianity with the illustration of a common playtime pastime. Dominoes. You know, a game played with rectangular marked by small dots. The premise of the game is simple: get rid of your tiles, making each move matching the opponent’s piece. If your opponent plays a tile with a six, you play a tile with six. If he plays a four, you must match his with a four; or, miss a turn. Whoever gets rid of all tiles first, wins. What a beautiful picture true Christianity—where one finds himself living for the other person, giving himself away and not accumulating for himself. Dominoes are biblical. Watch how Paul played: “ For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, ...

I’ve discovered the greatest irony of all time: withdrawn books from a library. To me, this makes no sense, withdrawing books from a library, especially old books. Yes, I know: libraries are not exhaustive repositories, but dispensers of circulated material; but, if books are withdrawn (even the old ones), how can they be circulated? Of course, the rationale is that if they are not circulating, they are taking up shelf space . . . which really speaks more about the libraries than the readers, who are both losing their sense of wonder in literary discovery. When I go to the library, I try to check what’s on sale . . . usually they are withdrawn books. A few years ago a missionary and academic giant went to be with the Lord. At the request of his wife, his library was left mostly intact and faculty were allowed to go in and take what they pleased (first come, first served). Staff were later allowed to come in and take what remained, the rest was donated. Out of the pickings I found a set...

"Oh, you preachers make me sick!" a fellow said to a witnessing Christian on the train one day. The Christian assured him he was not a preacher. "I don't care what you are. You Christians are always talking about a man going to hell because Adam sinned." "No," the Christian said, "you need not go to hell because Adam sinned. You will go to hell because you refuse the remedy provided for Adam's sin. Don't keep complaining about something that has absolutely been taken care of. If you go to hell, you will go over the broken body of Jesus Christ, who died to keep you out!"

"At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a mile from the bridge. There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth anniversary of the bridge." Read the rest here , noting Piper’s comment on why the word “bridge” does not appear in the Bible.

“IT was in 1904. All Wales was aflame. The nation had drifted far from God. The spiritual conditions were low indeed. Church attendance was poor. And sin abounded on every side. Suddenly, like an unexpected tornado, the Spirit of God swept over the land. The Churches were crowded so that multitudes were unable to get in. Meetings lasted from ten in the morning until twelve at night. Three definite services were held each day. Evan Roberts was the human instrument, but there was very little preaching. Singing, testimony, and prayer, were the chief features. There were no hymn books; they had learnt the hymns in childhood. No choir, for everybody sang. No collection; and no advertising. Nothing had ever come over Wales with such far-reaching results. Infidels were converted, drunkards, thieves, and gamblers saved; and thousands reclaimed to respectability. Confessions of awful sins were heard on every side. Old debts were paid. The theatre had to leave for want of patronage. Mules in th...