JOHN BUNYAN, THOUGH LONG GONE, STILL SPEAKS

The lists below are from John Bunyan (1628-1688), in his authobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, which journals his spiritual journey from unbelief to belief in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 6. I find to this day seven abominations in my heart:

(1) Tendencies toward unbelief.

(2) Suddenly to forget the love and mercy that Christ manifests.

(3) A leaning to the works of the law.

(4) Wanderings and coldness in prayer.

(5) To forget to watch for that which I pray for.

(6) Apt to murmur because I have no more, and yet ready to abuse what I

     have.

(7) I can do none of those things which God commands me, but my

     corruptions will thrust themselves in, ‘When I would do good, evil is 

     present with me.’

7. These things (mentioned above) I continually see and feel, and am afflicted and oppressed with; yet the wisdom of God orders them for my good.

(1) They make me abhor myself.

(2) They keep me from trusting my heart.

(3) They convince me of the insufficiency of all inherent righteousness.

(4) They show me the necessity of fleeing to Jesus.

(5) They press me to pray unto God.

(6) They show me the need I have to watch and be sober.

(7) And provoke me to look to God, through Christ, to help me, and carry me

     through this world. Amen

AudioFile audiobook review: A PLACE OF HEALING By Joni Eareckson Tada, Read by Joni Eareckson Tada

I have had a unique opportunity to start doing some reviews for Audio File Magazine. It is unique to me in that I am not reviewing the book and its contents. I am reviewing the readers of the books and even though comments about the book may appear, they are secondary to the main focus.

The following is my first audio reader review:

AudioFile audiobook review: A PLACE OF HEALING By Joni Eareckson Tada, Read by Joni Eareckson Tada

A review of the book will coming soon.

HAVEN'T READ D.A. CARSON'S NEW BOOK - SCANDALOUS!

SCANDALOUS: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus   by D.A.  Carson

Doesn’t the title of this book grab your attention? It grabbed mine.

If someone had asked about the scandal of the cross, before listening to this, I believe that I could give a sufficient answer as to its scandal. How the resurrection was a scandal I was not so sure about. Author D.A. Carson opened my mind to far more than I could even think about for both the cross and the resurrection.

Each of the main five chapters had been taken from five different messages given at a conference. Each could stand alone, but there were two ties, the theme of the scandalous and scriptural eyewitness accounts.

The scriptural exposition of eye witness accounts bring out each of the scandals. The accounts stretch from before the cross to the resurrection. In each of the five accounts, Carson, in a unique way presents what appears, at times, to be an unrelated idea (sometimes from Scripture, sometimes from modern accounts). These unrelated ideas are actually introductions for the specifics of the scandal within each passage in question.

The reader, John Haag, did a fine job capturing the essence with his excellent and well executed phrasing.  Your mind will be engaged and fascinated.

As a part of the christianaudio Reviewers Program, I have no problem recommending this book. I listened to it twice. The second brought out so much more.

 You can find this book as well as other great books at: http://christianaudio.com/.

FAITH'S CHECKBOOK - CHARLES SPURGEON

If you want a daily dose of Spurgeon follow this link http://www.spurgeon.org/fcb/fcb.cgi

It is well worth it. The one below will encourage any Christian who doubts the Lord's love.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Faith's Check Book, Daily Entry

C. H. Spurgeon

---

September 25

The Sacrifice Has Been Accepted

If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these thing. (Judges 13:23)

This is a sort of promise deduced by logic. It is an inference fairly drawn from ascertained facts. It was not likely that the Lord had revealed to Manoah and his wife that a son would be born to them and yet had it in His heart to destroy them. The wife reasoned well, and we shall do well if we follow her line of argument.
The Father has accepted the great sacrifice of Calvary and has declared Himself well pleased therewith; how can He now be pleased to kill us! Why a substitute if the sinner must still perish? The accepted sacrifice of Jesus puts an end to fear.
The Lord has shown us our election, our adoption, our union to Christ, our marriage to the Well-beloved: how can He now destroy us? The promises are loaded with blessings, which necessitate our being preserved unto eternal life. It is not possible for the Lord to cast us away and yet fulfill His covenant. The past assures us, and the future reassures us. We shall not die but live, for we have seen Jesus, and in Him we have seen the Father by the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Because of this life-giving sight we must live forever.

FROM SPURGEON'S "FAITH'S CHECKBOOK"

September 13



The Dew of Heaven

"His heavens shall drop down dew" (Deuteronomy 33:28).

What the dew in the East is to the world of nature, that is the influence of the Spirit in the realm of grace. How greatly do I need it! Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered thing. I droop, I fade, I die. How sweetly does this dew refresh me! When once favored with it I feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want nothing more. The Holy Spirit brings me life and all that life requires. All else without the dew of the Spirit is less than nothing to me: I hear, I read, I pray, I sing, I go to the table of Communion, and I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits me. But when He bedews me, every means of grace is sweet and profitable. What a promise is this for me! "His heavens shall drop down dew." I shall be visited with grace. I shall not be left to my natural drought, or to the world's burning heat, or to the sirocco of satanic temptation. Oh, that l may at this very hour feel the gentle, silent, saturating dew of the LORD! Why should I not! He who has made me to live as the grass lives in the meadow will treat me as He treats the grass; He will refresh me from above. Grass cannot call for dew as I do. Surely, the LORD who visits the unpraying plant will answer to His pleading child.

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY WITH A SHEPHERD'S TOUCH - IS IT POSSIBLE?

If you have a hard time reading, even excellent, books presenting  the fundamental essential doctrines of the faith (and I could recommend some very good ones), then this book is for you.

Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe is an unabridged recording by Authors Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears. I found it to be very pastoral in its delivery. I do not know whose decision it was to use Sean Runnette to read, but it strongly added to the pastoral delivery of this book.

The pastoral expression of this came out in the tone in which it was read. In addition to this, the content is accessible (understandable) to all, helpful clarifications were given, and warnings (as needed) were given. I had the impression as I was listening to this that I was being shepherded.

This having been said, I am not taking everything at face value. There are some individual statements within the doctrines presented that I will be researching in more detail. These statements did not affect the fundamental truths being taught but, I would be a poor example of a Berean if I did not search for myself to see if even those things are to be found in Scripture. Overall, these various doctrines are "What Every Christian Should Believe".

I have no problem with recommending this book. If you are interested in it you can purchase it at http://christianaudio.com/.



I am a volunteer member of the christianaudio Reviewers Program. I am not required to give a positive review.

PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT AND EVERYONE ELSE?

It has been a while since I last posted something, but this I thought was worth posting. May this be a used as a proding to:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
(1 Timothy 2:1-6)

Check out this,

MichaelYoussef.com

Blog Update

Islam's So-called Friends

I often find it amusing, enlightening and equally frustrating to read some of the Arabic/Islamic press. They have a knack for turning truth on its head. And when that happens, one gets a unique perspective. The brouhaha over some Islamists' take on Obama being Muslim or not Muslim is absolutely fascinating.

One writer who lives in the United States writes in an Islamic website explained to Arabs, in Arabic, her perspective on the questions over whether Obama is a Muslim or not.

She emphatically declared that he is not a Muslim in the truer sense of the word. Then she proceeded to explain to her Arabic readers about the Unitarian Church and many "other Christian denominations," referring mainly to mainline denominations, and why Muslims should be supportive of them.

She said they are not like those "traditional Christians" who believe in the divinity of Christ. They, like us "Muslims," believe that Jesus was just a good prophet: 'To be sure, they do not believe in Mohammad as the true prophet of Allah, but we can get along with them."

This concept reminds me of an Arabic saying, "Me and my brother against our cousins; but my brother and I and my cousins against our enemies."

Isn't it a true shame that Islamists feel affinity with the Unitarians and the liberal mainline denominations simply because they share one thing in common with Islam? Namely, they all reject Biblical truth.

When Jesus claimed that He is the only way, the only truth, and the only giver of eternal life (John 14:6), He drew a line in the sand. You either believe Me and my claims or reject Me. And wanting it or not, by rejecting Me, you would be joining forces with all My enemies.

One good thing about this entire buzz about religion, it is giving the true disciples of Jesus Christ an opportunity to take a stand. Lovingly, thoughtfully and wisely ... but the church is taking a stand none the less. The days of placing one foot in the boat and one foot on the pier are gone. The boat has left the pier! You are either for the full claims of Christ, or you are not. There is no smorgasbord in true Christianity.

Obama may not be a Muslim. But until he comes out and says, "Jesus is the only way to the Father and heaven," he is not a true Christian either.

So what is the response of all those who belong to Jesus Christ and live in obedience to His claim? Pray. Pray for our president daily. He is our president and the Bible commands us to pray for those in authority and leave the rest up to God.

Remember the prayers of a righteous man avails much. God is listening and He wants to hear our prayers. Remember Paul is just the means of the message. It is God who is urging us to offer  supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone, including kings, or for us, presidents and others in authority.

This is an awesome responsibility. Are you carrying it. I confess I have failed miserably.
Lord, grant me and all of us grace to obediently step up to our responsibility.