tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178865602025-11-10T09:41:56.429-05:00rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.comBlogger5595125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-14427727533623090112014-10-13T19:27:00.004-04:002014-10-13T19:27:52.965-04:00

I'm done blogging ... again. Since I normally do not create content but simply repost with a brief comment, I'll sink to Facebook for that ... sigh ...

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-12135887029846450232014-10-06T07:38:00.000-04:002014-10-06T07:38:45.039-04:00

A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God: Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than a doctrine to be held, it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day. (via)

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-32385637427832416872014-09-29T07:07:00.002-04:002014-09-29T07:07:58.864-04:00

Our competency comes from God. He begins and will complete His good work in us. Here is Richard Phillips on God's faithfulness to preserve His own. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) Philippians 1:6 develops the theme of God’s preserving grace—which ensures the perseverance of His own—

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-65696961741889332372014-09-29T07:01:00.003-04:002014-09-29T07:01:50.717-04:00

J.I. Packer in Truth and Power: Bowing to the living Lord, then, entails submitting mind and heart to the written Word. Disciples individually and churches corporately stand under the authority of Scripture because they stand under the lordship of Christ who rules by Scripture. This is not bibliolatry but Christianity in its most authentic form. (via)

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-84950763479182540562014-09-28T17:57:00.000-04:002014-09-28T17:57:37.298-04:00

I'll admit it, I'm a John Piper fan-boy; and while it's rare, I find I have disagreed with him. Adrian Warnock just posted on one of those. The below is Warnock's post with a lot of great links worth following. The three sessions in Romans with John Piper yesterday were food for the soul. They were enjoyable, engaging, and illuminating. In fact they were life-changing. Nothing I am going

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-82298314276564738432014-09-28T17:47:00.002-04:002014-09-28T17:47:50.827-04:00

Jonathan Edwards"Christians a Chosen Generation" in Sermons and Discourses, 1730-1733: Make God the peculiar object of your praises. The doctrine of electing grace shows what great reason you have to do so. If God so values you, set so much by you, has bestowed greater mercies upon you than on all the ungodly in the world, is it too little a requital for you to make God the peculiar

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-78522066245831064022014-09-27T07:00:00.000-04:002014-09-27T07:00:22.027-04:00

Good post by Russell Moore: This week my denomination, through its executive committee, voted to “disfellowship” a congregation in California that has acted to affirm same-sex sexual relationships. This sad but necessary move is hardly surprising, since this network of churches shares a Christian sexual ethic with all orthodox Christians of every denomination for 2,000 years. One of

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-27293435499586228672014-09-27T06:51:00.000-04:002014-09-27T06:51:23.343-04:00

J.I. Packer in Truth and Power: When Christians affirm the authority of the bible, meaning that biblical teaching reveals God's will and is the instrument of his rule over our lives, part of what they are claiming is that Scripture sets before us the factual and moral nature of things. God's law corresponds to created human nature, so that in fulfilling his requirements, we fulfill

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-38565102968685764892014-09-27T06:36:00.000-04:002014-09-27T06:36:05.417-04:00

David Platt wrote the following list of seven activities that should be done by the Church: The church evangelizes: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . .” (Matt 28:19) The church baptizes: “ . . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:19) The church teaches: “ . . . teaching them to observe all that I have

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-9675339250929508592014-09-15T13:26:00.004-04:002014-09-15T13:26:47.524-04:00

Many are either criticizing or defending Gloria Osteen for saying, "I ... want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we're not doing it for God ... we're doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we're happy. That's the thing that gives Him the greatest joy. So, I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-10664375383964518612014-09-13T06:59:00.000-04:002014-09-13T06:59:19.596-04:00

Christians being called intolerant haters - there's nothing new under the son. The following is a great enjoinder from Amy Hall: Christians: Intolerant Haters Since AD 33 Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor of Bithynia who, as Michael Kruger wrote in a recent post, thought that “intolerance of the Roman gods was enough of a reason to kill Christians, despite their [as noted by

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-62027513559319918002014-09-09T15:36:00.000-04:002014-09-09T15:36:14.743-04:00

Wolfhart Pannenberg died last week. In 1996, Markus Bockuehl wrote the following of him: When mainline denominations debate whether to ordain practicing homosexuals or to sanction same-sex marriages, one wonders: Where are the persons of Christian stature and theological wisdom who will stand up for the biblical truth about human sexuality? In Germany there is such a person: Wolfhart

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-26646590169791411762014-09-08T20:58:00.000-04:002014-09-08T20:58:30.541-04:00

We're beginning a series on 1 Corintians. This past week we looked at the unity of the cross (1 Cor 1.1-9). It was noted that the early church had all of the same internal and external tensions and pressure toward ungodliness - and yet many today want to return to the early church. They failed as many ways as we do - and yet many today want to return to the early church. And they failed

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-54304859108927901992014-09-08T18:58:00.003-04:002014-09-08T18:59:20.781-04:00

I loved the Vineyard and I miss being part of it. The following summary statement on the issues related to LGBT reminds me why. Note the Kingdom, the authority of Scripture, and the command for compassion and holiness all side-by-side. This summary along with some great reference material may be found here. First, we must be committed to both mission and holiness. The message of

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-49636198812504431642014-09-06T07:42:00.000-04:002014-09-06T07:42:27.696-04:00

A year ago Mike Riccardi wrote this excellent piece in response to Kevin Rudd. I post it here for posterity. A video of Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has gone viral, as a Christian pastor asks the Prime Minister, who supports homosexual “marriage” and also identifies as a “devout Christian,” why he doesn’t believe what the Bible says about the sinfulness of homosexuality.  You

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-47183261183124785072014-09-05T11:53:00.000-04:002014-09-05T11:53:01.512-04:00

John Stott in The Message of Ephesians: Let no one say that the doctrine of election by the sovereign will and mercy of God, mysterious as it is, makes either evangelism or faith unnecessary. The opposite is the case. It is only because of God’s gracious will to save that evangelism has any hope of success and faith becomes possible. The preaching of the gospel is the very means that

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-76325947910981964112014-09-04T21:26:00.001-04:002014-09-04T21:26:58.424-04:00

Sinclair Ferguson in Children of the Living God: We are adopted into God’s family through the resurrection of Christ from the dead in which he paid all our obligations to sin, the law, and the devil, in whose family we once lived. Our old status lies in his tomb. A new status is ours through his resurrection.  (via)

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-2053159140077938642014-08-24T14:07:00.001-04:002014-08-24T14:07:41.707-04:00

Luke Geraty continues his series (this is part 5) dealing with Ken Wilson's, A Letter to my Congregation. The following is Geraty's writing. If you are as impressed as I, you will follow his blog here. In this post, I want to review and interact with Ken Wilson’s work in ALTMC on the Apostle Paul. In addition to several posts covering Ken’s introductory work (here, here, and here), I’ve

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-45387131069721935362014-08-24T13:13:00.000-04:002014-08-24T13:13:24.956-04:00

Os Guinness quotes a Japanese businessman who said, "Whenever I meet a Buddhist leader, I meet a holy man. Whenever I meet a Christian leader, I meet a manager." Today's message was from 1 Co 4.14-21 ... What fathers do for those they father ... Lead to Christ (as opposed to simply point) Take responsibility for growth (as opposed to simply guide) Live worthy of imitation, i.e.,

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-42287277798668617732014-08-24T13:07:00.001-04:002014-08-24T13:07:27.165-04:00

Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Spiritual Depression: Do you want to know supreme joy, do you want to experience a happiness that eludes description? There is only one thing to do, really seek Him, seek Him Himself, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. If you find that your feelings are depressed do not sit down and commiserate with yourself, do not try to work something up but go

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-54255653129058968352014-08-23T07:51:00.000-04:002014-08-23T07:51:53.393-04:00

J. C. Ryle (1816 – 1900), Principles for Churchmen (London: William Hunt), 97–98: Dislike of Bible doctrine is an epidemic which is just now doing great harm, and especially among young people. It produces what I must venture to call a “jelly-fish” Christianity in the land; that is a Christianity without bone, or muscle, or power. A jelly-fish is a pretty and graceful object when it floats in

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-60836162733416015612014-08-22T16:49:00.000-04:002014-08-22T16:49:13.040-04:00

Doug Wilson on goo-rot: It has now started. The ubiquitous goo-rot of modern thought has advanced far enough that folks are now openly calling for a new sexual ethic among evangelicals. These new advances promise to be entirely exegesis-free, which in some quarters is quite a plus. For example, see Tony Jones here. And Rachel Held Evans sobs out the “you go, girl” approach to these

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-6783544934925378132014-08-21T15:12:00.001-04:002014-08-21T15:12:44.165-04:00

The EFCA has published a clear and good statement on Human Sexuality. Read it here. The Affirmations: Our views of this issue flow from our commitment to God (Dt. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-38) and to His Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17; cf. Dt.32:45-47; Matt. 4:4), as expressed in the first two articles of our Statement of Faith.  God created human beings as male and female (Gen. 1:27). The

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-78120862407935187752014-08-21T14:58:00.000-04:002014-08-21T14:58:01.346-04:00

Martin Luther on never tiring of the gospel of God’s grace: People don’t earn God’s approval or receive life and salvation because of anything they’ve done. Rather, the only reason they receive life and salvation is because of God’s kindness through Christ. There is no other way. Many Christians are tired of hearing this teaching over and over. They think that they learned it all long

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17886560.post-90235671968762941102014-08-21T14:54:00.001-04:002014-08-21T14:54:34.692-04:00

Martin Luther on Hebrews 3:13: It is rightly called the deceitfulness of sin because it deceives under the appearance of the good. This phrase ‘the deceitfulness of sin’ ought to be understood in a much wider sense, so that the term includes even one’s own righteousness and wisdom. For more than anything else one’s own righteousness and wisdom deceive one and work against faith in

rickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08761115460598252675noreply@blogger.com0