I meant to announce this sooner, but the Lord has graciously provided me a place to live! Praise be His name! Just days after publishing my entry about looking for a place to live, a friend of mine at work, Jennifer, called me about a rooming opportunity. She knew a guy whose roommate left unexpectedly just days prior without any notice. The Lord absolutely amazed me by such a timely request. When it looked as if there was no hope of me finding a place, the Lord opened an opportunity for me.
Truly, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!" This answer had nothing to do with my efforts. The truth is that someone called me about an opportunity. It was not an answer that came about because of my ingenuity or apartment-finding skills. The Lord truly plopped this one in my lap. I still stand amazed in all of this, and I'm extremely grateful for God's faithfulness, even when I am not always faithful to Him.
I encourage you to keep trusting in God even in the midst of personal difficulties. Just weeks ago, I was despairing, and now I am experiencing the joy of answered prayers! I pray that my testimony will be a benediction to your faith in the Savior!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The Pulpit Live Blog Has Moved
Pulpit Live, the blog of the Shepherds' Fellowship, has moved to this a new location, so click here to visit the new & improved site!
HT: Nathan Busenitz of Faith & Practice
HT: Nathan Busenitz of Faith & Practice
Monday, September 04, 2006
In Search of a Home...
I was just praying about my housing situation, and it struck me that I should bring my petition before other Christians who read my blog.
To make a long story very short, I'm in need of a place to live. The fire department of Jeffersonville, IN is buying our property, and our landlord has agreed to sell it. We only have a few weeks to find a place to live. This process started in February, and although we kept hearing new information every month, it seemed, things have now been finalized. The nail is in the coffin, so to speak, and I found out a few days ago that we will be forced to find a place to live before the end of this month (quite possibly, in less than a couple of weeks).
Even in the midst of all of this anxious mess, I fully believe in the goodness of God! I know that He has a place picked out for me, even if I do not know what that is.
I must admit that I've been reluctant to publicly write something like this...To be honest, I don't like to be seen as "needy." However, I'm in dire need of a place to live, and I need the prayers of other saints. As I was praying just now even, I just had to be honest before the Lord and say that I'm scared that I don't know where I'll be living by the end of this month.
After I prayed about the situation, I was reminded of the lyrics to an old hymn by Samuel Rodigast entitled, "Whate'er My God Ordains is Right." I'm particularly struck by the lines of the 4th verse:
The hymnist confirms that he has made a choice and confirms his belief that whatever God ordains is right. In the same way, I think that we, as believers, must decide ahead of time to take the bold stance of recognizing that those things that God causes to happen in our lives are good and right. This is most definitely a bold position, and we must determine to believe it before the troubles come or else we will be prone to view God as somehow unfaithful toward us.
I'm scrambling for a place to live, yet I know that God has ordained this for His glory and my good. It is right. And though worries and anxieties attempt to rob the joy and peace that is rightfully mine as a child of the Sovereign Lord of the universe who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, I know that I am in the caring hands of a loving Father who causes these things to happen to me and already has a provision in place to supply my need. Truly, I know...
To make a long story very short, I'm in need of a place to live. The fire department of Jeffersonville, IN is buying our property, and our landlord has agreed to sell it. We only have a few weeks to find a place to live. This process started in February, and although we kept hearing new information every month, it seemed, things have now been finalized. The nail is in the coffin, so to speak, and I found out a few days ago that we will be forced to find a place to live before the end of this month (quite possibly, in less than a couple of weeks).
Even in the midst of all of this anxious mess, I fully believe in the goodness of God! I know that He has a place picked out for me, even if I do not know what that is.
I must admit that I've been reluctant to publicly write something like this...To be honest, I don't like to be seen as "needy." However, I'm in dire need of a place to live, and I need the prayers of other saints. As I was praying just now even, I just had to be honest before the Lord and say that I'm scared that I don't know where I'll be living by the end of this month.
After I prayed about the situation, I was reminded of the lyrics to an old hymn by Samuel Rodigast entitled, "Whate'er My God Ordains is Right." I'm particularly struck by the lines of the 4th verse:
Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care
Is round me there
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care
Is round me there
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all
The hymnist confirms that he has made a choice and confirms his belief that whatever God ordains is right. In the same way, I think that we, as believers, must decide ahead of time to take the bold stance of recognizing that those things that God causes to happen in our lives are good and right. This is most definitely a bold position, and we must determine to believe it before the troubles come or else we will be prone to view God as somehow unfaithful toward us.
I'm scrambling for a place to live, yet I know that God has ordained this for His glory and my good. It is right. And though worries and anxieties attempt to rob the joy and peace that is rightfully mine as a child of the Sovereign Lord of the universe who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, I know that I am in the caring hands of a loving Father who causes these things to happen to me and already has a provision in place to supply my need. Truly, I know...
"He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all."
And so to Him I leave it all."
New ESV Outreach Bible Offer
Please check out this special offer to purchase English Standard Version bibles to be used for outreach for the price of $0.50 each. This is a great offer, and I plan on ordering some myself!
(HT: Justin Taylor)
(HT: Justin Taylor)
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Women Teaching Men
What does the Bible have to say about women teaching men? I realize that this is a divisive issue, but we do well to study it. In fact, we do well to study all that the Bible has to say, regardless of the uncomfortability (better yet, fear) factor associated with particular doctrines.
Nevertheless Jim Hamilton has written a helpful article entitled, "May Women Teach Men at Church?" on his blog, For His Renown. In fact, he gives one of the clearest explanations that I have read of 1 Timothy 2:15, which is a legitimately difficult passage to interpret. What exactly is Paul referring to when he writes of women being saved through childbearing? I leave you with Hamilton's understanding of the passage in order to whet your appetite to read the article:
Nevertheless Jim Hamilton has written a helpful article entitled, "May Women Teach Men at Church?" on his blog, For His Renown. In fact, he gives one of the clearest explanations that I have read of 1 Timothy 2:15, which is a legitimately difficult passage to interpret. What exactly is Paul referring to when he writes of women being saved through childbearing? I leave you with Hamilton's understanding of the passage in order to whet your appetite to read the article:
They are not saved through the meritorious work of childbearing, but when by faith they embrace their role as women they show that they are born again. The most prominent way in which women embrace their roles as females is through childbearing, which men cannot do. But lest anyone think Paul is talking about women accomplishing their own salvation through childbearing, he adds, “if they continue in faith. . .” I take this to mean that childbearing is evidence that a woman has embraced her role as a woman, which is evidence that she has genuine faith.
Prayer Request for a Friend
I apologize for not blogging about this sooner, but I would like to request prayer for the grandmother of a good friend of mine, Angela Starnes. Her grandmother went from thinking that she was in good health just mere weeks ago to finding out that she has lung cancer with cancerous cells all throughout her body.
Click here to read what Angela has written about her grandmother and Angela's relationship with her. Please read also because Angela explains in more detail her grandmother's condition as well as the plight of their family as they seek to cope.
Pray for them as they seek the Lord's comfort in such a trying time.
Great Audio Library
Monergism has a treasury of audio resources that I ran across today. It looks like a terrific resource, one that's worth bookmarking!
New and Improved Ligonier Site
Ligonier Ministries has a new and approved site! It definitely looks better than the old site, and has a good resources page that includes audio and video sermons and lessons from R.C. Sproul.
Check it out!
ht: Challies
Check it out!
ht: Challies
For the Sake of Christ
The Sacred Sandwich, a Christian satire e-zine, has come up with an ad for a new Foxe's Book of Martyrs (American Edition) for contemporary evangelicals in our wealthy, western context. While this made me chuckle, it also made me think...
How have I suffered reproach for bearing the name of Christ?
How have I suffered reproach for bearing the name of Christ?
Friday, September 01, 2006
Attack on the Word of God
The following attack on the Word of God is brought to you from the lips of Robert Schuller:
"Just because it's in the Bible doesn't mean you should preach it."
I heard these words on a CD from the White Horse Inn. Michael Horton had interviewed him for the White Horse Inn radio broadcast (click here to read highlights from that interview), and they included the clip from this interview on the highlights/promo CD that WHI produced. I was literally shocked to hear Robert Schuller say these words...
How sad that he would seek to suppress the truth of the Word of God. Even though I'm saddened by such remarks, I have to examine my own life. How often do I not address the whole counsel of the Word of God? I may have my pet sins that I wish to preach against. How often have I railed against the abortionist while harboring bitterness in my heart against those who have hurt me?
Robert Schuller's words are detrimental to the Christian faith, and he will be held responsible before the tribunal of God one day.
Since I do believe that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable" (2 Tim. 3:16, NASB, emphasis mine), I must seek to live my life in a way that reflects that belief. I have witnessed a friend of mine who reflected a desire to bring a theological understanding to a particularly trying situation face verbal opposition. The other person told my friend that they have been around the seminary too long, with the implication that by seeking to bring a theological understanding to bear that my friend was being quite impractical.
However, I take the position that everything that we do as believers reflects a theological understanding. For instance, as some have noted, a church cannot remain neutral with regard to the issue of women in the pastorate. By their practice, they will inevitably take a position. Either they will have a man or a woman installed in the office of pastor. In the same way, everything from our methods of evangelism to the ways we worship reflect a theological understanding, whether we recognize and honor theology's place in the Christian faith or not. For that reason, we need to have a sound theological basis so that we may practice and live out the faith rightly.
In that way, may I and my fellow conservative evangelicals (and especially my fellow Southern Baptists) who have such a high regard for Scripture--as opposed to Robert Schuller--seek to live lives in agreeance with the revealed truth of God's Word.
"Just because it's in the Bible doesn't mean you should preach it."
I heard these words on a CD from the White Horse Inn. Michael Horton had interviewed him for the White Horse Inn radio broadcast (click here to read highlights from that interview), and they included the clip from this interview on the highlights/promo CD that WHI produced. I was literally shocked to hear Robert Schuller say these words...
How sad that he would seek to suppress the truth of the Word of God. Even though I'm saddened by such remarks, I have to examine my own life. How often do I not address the whole counsel of the Word of God? I may have my pet sins that I wish to preach against. How often have I railed against the abortionist while harboring bitterness in my heart against those who have hurt me?
Robert Schuller's words are detrimental to the Christian faith, and he will be held responsible before the tribunal of God one day.
Since I do believe that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable" (2 Tim. 3:16, NASB, emphasis mine), I must seek to live my life in a way that reflects that belief. I have witnessed a friend of mine who reflected a desire to bring a theological understanding to a particularly trying situation face verbal opposition. The other person told my friend that they have been around the seminary too long, with the implication that by seeking to bring a theological understanding to bear that my friend was being quite impractical.
However, I take the position that everything that we do as believers reflects a theological understanding. For instance, as some have noted, a church cannot remain neutral with regard to the issue of women in the pastorate. By their practice, they will inevitably take a position. Either they will have a man or a woman installed in the office of pastor. In the same way, everything from our methods of evangelism to the ways we worship reflect a theological understanding, whether we recognize and honor theology's place in the Christian faith or not. For that reason, we need to have a sound theological basis so that we may practice and live out the faith rightly.
In that way, may I and my fellow conservative evangelicals (and especially my fellow Southern Baptists) who have such a high regard for Scripture--as opposed to Robert Schuller--seek to live lives in agreeance with the revealed truth of God's Word.
God, forgive me for having such a high respect for Your Word while having a sloppy application and practice of what I find in it! I realize that believing in the inerrancy, infallibility, sufficiency, and authority of Your Word is not enough. Your desire is that we live by the book of Holy Scripture and not depart from it to the right or the left. Please continue conforming me to the image of your Son as You sanctify me by Your truth, for Your Word is truth. Forgive me for failing You, and help me live a life of grace in the glorious light of the gospel. Thank You for the Word, Father!
New and Improved DG
The Desiring God website is new and improved. Click here to see the page where they discuss these new changes. Also, click here to set up an account through.
They have added most of John Piper's sermons from the 25 years of his ministry at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Also, you can now access video clips of Piper's sermons. Let's just say that this beats watching television!
And, I'm quite excited that they have added many of his books to the website, available free of charge!
May the Lord add His blessings to you as you use these resource to listen to the preaching of the Word and become a more fervent follower of Jesus Christ.
They have added most of John Piper's sermons from the 25 years of his ministry at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Also, you can now access video clips of Piper's sermons. Let's just say that this beats watching television!
And, I'm quite excited that they have added many of his books to the website, available free of charge!
May the Lord add His blessings to you as you use these resource to listen to the preaching of the Word and become a more fervent follower of Jesus Christ.
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