Head-dibs

Wow. It feels like a hundred years since I last made a meaningful post—I am not going to look in the archives to see when I posted anything other than a quote. I’ve actually been very busy this summer, with the University mostly, and besides teaching Sunday School and some evangelism (not as much as I would like), I’ve not really had the time to sit down and write. School is keeping me busy: June Intensives are over and we are on our way to the Online courses now. In the meantime, we’ve been working hard on accreditation in the background. I am spending my days accumulating documentation and preparing them for the accreditation visit—I actually enjoy the research, the organization and publishing. Certain faculty have declared me “sick.” I like to think of it as “gifted in other areas they are not.” Anyhoo, the work is demanding, but I love it—though it leaves me drained. For the first time since I can’t remember when, I actually sat down and read an entire book in one weekend. And it w...

"IT WAS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN to preach to other prisoners, as it is in captive nations today. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms. It was a deal: we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us - so everyone was happy." --Richard Wurmbrand

" I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done ." --Hudson Taylor

"Our Heavenly Father, we pray that thy blessing may rest on each one of us who profess to be Christians. O Lord, help us to love Christ more than we love ourselves: help us to be more like him in our way of life. Help us, O Lord, to walk humbly, prayerfully, consistently on, in the dust of our pilgrimage so that men may not stumble over us and say, "They profess only; they never do anything." o God, help us to live up to what we profess, through thee, in Christ Jesus, and may it be shown in each one of us. We pray for any that may have backslidden in this assembly, who may have wandered from God. This day fill them with regret that they ever turned their backs on thee. We pray that thou, O Lord, may meet them this day in this Tabernacle, and turn their faces to thee again. O God, they have wandered from thee; but do thou grant that this day they may meet the Lord of eternal life. We pray for those also without God and without hope. We pray for the unsaved in this assembl...

"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 h...

Click on the image to go to WTS Books, "Preaching the Cross" by Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan III, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, John Piper and R.C. Sproul.

“A buoy off the Mumbles in South Wales bears a bell which is meant to warn mariners of a dangerous rock. This bell is quiet enough in ordinary weather, but when the winds are out and the great waves rush in towards the shore, its solemn tones are heard for miles around as it swings to and fro in the hands of the sea. I believe there are true men who are silent when everything is calm, who will be forced to speak when the wild winds are out. Permit me to assure you that a storm is raging right now and it is growing worse and worse. If I rightly read the signs of the times, it is meet that every bell should ring out its warning note lest souls be lost upon the rocks of error. You that have fallen behind because the fight did not seem to require you, must quit your positions of ease. I summon you in the Master’s name to the war! The Lord has need of you! If you come not to His help against the mighty, a curse will light upon you. You must either be written across the back as cowards, or e...

“ Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest .” (Matthew 11:28) There is no question here as, “do you want to come?” or “will you come?” or “would you like to.” He gives an imperative, “Come,” communicating the necessity for movement from one point to another. There is no vagueness when He commands, as if we would hear a distant sound and in some adventurous meander attempt to discover from whence it came. He is very specific, so let there be no mistake when He is understood to say, “Come unto Me.” What Jesus says is, “Come here, to this place. Leave where you are and come to where I am.” The Lord Jesus Christ does no begging, He chases after no one. God almighty has already emptied Himself into the form of this bondservant in order to become obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. He will not move from His place to go chasing after those who need to move. That we may move, we must be broken away from that to which we cling. We mu...

Why is there a one-way street?

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA, Associated Press Writer Tue Jul 3, 4:26 PM ETKATMANDU, Nepal - A 10-year-old Nepalese girl was stripped of her title as a living goddess because she traveled overseas to promote a documentary about the centuries-old tradition, an official said Tuesday. Sajani Shakya had her status revoked because she broke with tradition by leaving the country, said Jaiprasad Regmi, chief of the government trust that manages the affairs of the living goddesses. Read the rest here. This is sad.

"A man's free will cannot cure him even of a toothache or a sore finger, and yet he madly thinks it is in his power to cure his soul of sin. Actually, the greatest judgment which God Himself can in this present life inflict upon a man is to leave that man in the hand of his own boasted free will." -- Augustus Toplady (1749-1778)

Note: Below is an anonymous article given to the women of our church from one of our newer members. It is anonymous due to the fact that she wishes to protect her former church. I believe that what this member is saying should be heard by many. Please feel free to distribute this to those who might benefit the most from it. (Jim Elliff, of Christian Worldview Network ). ******** My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low. This passage is from Psalm 38, which is subtitled, “Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.” Ladies, have you ever felt as David did when he wrote these words? Have you ever had a burden of guilt too heavy to bear? Remember now a time when you were brought very low by your sin, so low that you went about as if in mourning all day long. Do you have that time or place in mind? Good. Now, praise God for it! Thank Him that you were able to feel the real gr...

By Steve Cornell When natural disasters strike, some lose their lives; others lose all but their lives; still others are (as we say) miraculously spared. But how does God’s protection relate to natural disaster? When hurricanes pound islands and mainlands–churning out devastating tornadoes and floods, is God in control? Does God control the weather? Who sends the wind and rain? Why does one part of the world endure unbearable drought while another is devastated by floods? Why do some people get all the so-called “nice” weather? Is this simply “Mother Nature” randomly unleashing her powers? Or, is the Creator himself even in charge of the bad weather? Read the rest here .

"The old gospel was about an offended God; the new gospel is about a wounded us. The old gospel was about sin; the new gospel is about needs. The old gospel was about our need for righteousness; the new gospel is about our need for fulfillment. The old gospel is offensive to those who are perishing; the new gospel is attractive." --Gary Gilley, Southern View Chapel (see video below) “In this new gospel, the great "evils" to be redressed do not call for any fundamental change of direction in the human heart. Instead, the problem lies in my sense of rejection from others; in my corrosive experience of life’s vanity; in my nervous sense of self-condemnation and diffidence; in the imminent threat of boredom if my music is turned off; in my fussy complaints when a long, hard road lies ahead. These are today’s significant felt needs that the gospel is bent to serve. Jesus and the church exist to make you feel loved, significant, validated, entertained, and charged up. T...

Read about this handwritten labor of love . Wow.