I want to encourage you to read the following quote slooooowly and then to reflect upon the implications for when churches gather… “We love God because he has revealed the gospel to us, so it is natural that our expression of love would be framed by the contours of his redemptive work. Worship is our love response to his loving provision, so nothing is more … Continue reading Worship shaped by the contours of God’s redemptive work
Here are some startling words written by J.I. Packer in the forward to a reprint of John Owen’s book Death of Death. Read these words slowly and then gulp when the reality that they were first penned in 1959 (yep 1959!) hits you: There is no doubt that Evangelicalism today is in a state of perplexity and unsettlement. In such matters as the practice of … Continue reading A new (another) gospel and why it really matters
If you’ve not seen this excellent article on the Gospel Coalition website relating C.S. Lewisadvice to people facing the atomic bomb and coronavirus, then can I suggest you take a couple of minutes to read it. It is brilliant. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/cs-lewis-coronavirus/ Continue reading C.S. Lewis and Coronavirus
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV) Here, in these 3 verses, we see the central place of pleasure in spiritually healthy living. Verse … Continue reading Seek pleasure
In The (unadjusted) Gospel, R. Albert Mohler Jr. writes about the danger of anti-supernaturalism to the gospel. He writes: “Rudolf Bultmann wrote, “It is impossible to use electric lights and the wireless, and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament world of demons and spirits.” This is a quintessential statement of … Continue reading The danger of scraping away supernaturalism from the gospel
I want to tell you about one of the most remarkable moments in my life. It was a day where shame met mercy and mercy triumphed. It was a day where total failure met extravagant grace and I learnt that grace eats failure for breakfast! Do you want to hear about this wonderful moment of divine encounter? I’m guessing it would help you if I … Continue reading Hospitality that I will never forget
This is a brilliant quote by J. I. Packer “The traveler through the Bible landscape misses his way as soon as he loses sight of the hill called Calvary.” Continue reading Losing our way in life
“Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.” verses 1-2 The Psalms have an amazing ability to strip away any form of pretence … Continue reading The Mirror & the Cross (Psalm 26)
“It is this failure that accounts ultimately for all our troubles. We will persist in thinking of God as one of ourselves, as but a man, and we look at his actions as if they were the actions of a human being. We always start with ourselves, with our measures, with our judgements and assessments; and our most fatal error is that even when we … Continue reading Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Diagnosing Unbelief
“…which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” John Stott So the two chief characteristics of the false teachers are that they were troubling the church and changing the gospel. These two go together. To tamper with the gospel is always to trouble the church. You cannot touch … Continue reading Galatians 1:7 unpacked
