Thursday, May 28, 2009

We Have No Right to Anything at All


I found this to be a helpful quote from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book Spiritual Depression:
Do not think in terms of bargains and rights in the Kingdom of God. That is absolutely fatal. There is nothing so wrong as the spirit which argues that because I do this, or because I have done that, I have a right to expect something else in return. This is met with frequently. I know very good evangelical Christian people, who seem to be thinking like that. 'Now,' they say, 'if we pray for certain things, we are bound to have them, for instance if we pray all night for revival we must have revival.' I have sometimes described this as the 'penny in the slot' idea o f Christianity. You put in your coin and you draw out a bar of chocolate or whatever else you want. Now this is that same attitude. Because men in the past have prayed all night that revival might come and revival has come, therefore let us have an all-night prayer meeting and revival will come. But that surely is to deny the whole principle which our Lord is teaching. I do not care what it is, whether prayer or anything else, in no respect must I ever argue that because I do something I am entitled to get something-never. And of course the principle can be seen to be true in practice. Think of the many such prayer meetings that have been held. And yet the revival has not come, and I am going to venture to say that I thank God that it has not. What would the position be if we could command these things at will? But we cannot. Let us get rid of this bargaining spirit, that if I do this then that will happen. You cannot have revival whenever you want it and as a result of doing certain things. The Holy Spirit is Lord, and He is a Sovereign Lord. He sends these things in His own time and in His own way. In other words we must realize that we have no right to anything at all.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn Spiritual Depression Its Causes and Cure (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965), 129.

Let us labor in faithfulness and as we trust in God's promises knowing that they find their yes and amen in Christ!

Jesus is Alive

Check out this video with music by the rapper Shai Linne.


(HT: Feeding on Christ)

Monday, May 11, 2009

Poolesville Baptist Church in Poolesville, MD

This is a picture of Poolesville Baptist Church in Poolesville, Maryland.

For those who are interested I preached on Psalm 3 "Trusting in the Lord" on the Lord's Day yesterday. Click here if you would like to hear the sermon. If you have any critical comments or encouragements I would be interested to hear them. I am always trying to learn and grow in my preaching!

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Foundations of the Christian Religion


I found this to be a helpful quote from E. J. Young in My Servants the Prophets: An Authoritative Interpretation of the Institution of the Prophets. And it was written in 1952!
"The climate of the theological and philosophical opinion is more and more to remove the Christian Religion from its foundations in history and to place it in a supra-temporal and supra-historical realm. This procedure is based upon a philosophical position which is essentially anti-metaphysical and hence destroys once and for all true Christianity. For true Christianity is rooted and grounded upon something that God did for man in history. It is a religion that is historical throughout, and if this historical basis goes Christianity goes with it."

Young, Edward J. My Servants the Prophets: An Authoritative Interpretation of the Institution of the Prophets (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979), 191.

Friday, May 01, 2009

Muslim Christian Dialogue: Zawadi & Anyabwile (Parts 17-22)

Part 17-20: Audience questions and panel answers








Part 21: One last question and Bassam’s closing remarks


Part 22: Thabiti’s closing remarks

Muslim Christian Dialogue: Zawadi & Anyabwile (Parts 9-16)

Part 9-10: Bassam questioning Thabiti




Part 11-12: Thabiti questioning Bassam




Part 13-16: Audience questions and panel answers