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Archives for February 2008

by on 2.29.08

lunar peaks and valleys

“We now know the south pole has peaks as high as Mt. McKinley and crater floors four times deeper than the Grand Canyon,” says Doug Cooke, deputy associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

The NASA site today has an animation of a ‘lunar day’ as seen on the moon’s south pole. Yet more fascinating info concerning our Lord’s marvellous creation.

With all the stark beauty seen on lifeless planets and moons, it seems to me that the earth is unique in God’s creation. In some ways, the earth is the center of the universe.

But … there is a funny line later on in the article…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Space
by on 2.27.08

another voice of sanity

I’d like to call your attention to a blog called ‘Mind if I Say Something’. The subject of Marty Colburn’s 2/24/08 blog is You Say You Want a Revolution?

Marty appears to be arguing for the same things I do when it comes to fundamentalism and personal discipleship. I recommend it to you. Here is a taste…

There is also the trend to throw out much of what fundamentalism has been known for. While I am not necessarily speaking out for the movement itself, such an attitude exemplifies a revolutionary spirit that calls all that is old “wrong”, and all that is new “right”.

Read the whole thing! (HT: Ellis Murphree)

The piece reminded me of something I saw over at the 9marks blog today…

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Filed Under: Fundamentalism
by on 2.26.08

not ashamed of the gospel – 2.24.08 sermons

Our theme for this Sunday came to us from Rm 1.16a, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel . . .” On a day when almost half of our congregation was out with illness, I found myself praying, being very dismayed. It is one thing to preach the gospel before a larger appreciative audience. It is one thing to preach before a hostile audience. It is still another to preach before a weak, shrinking congregation. This was a time when I knew When to Pray.

And still, we are Not Ashamed, and God gives grace to enable us in our extremities and time of need. I believe the Lord gave his grace for the messages on this day and those who were out profited from them.

The summaries and links are below:

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Filed Under: Sermon Summaries
by on 2.25.08

any day with books is a good day

Any day with FREE books is an even better day!

Our local newspaper holds an annual book sale with books donated by the citizens of our fair city. They do it for some charity or other. The day after the sale, they have local non-profit organizations in to pick through the leftovers for free!

This was the first year I have had the time to go by and check the leftovers. I found myself standing in a line of 100 or so others at 9am. I saw one fellow with one of those rolling trash bins, apparently to take his haul home with him. Others arrived with many boxes. A whole team of scavengers was just ahead of me with five people and boxes.

Inside, there were literally thousands of books left. I can’t imagine what they will do with all of them, I am sure the non-profits couldn’t carry them all away. I ended up with 13 books – I am picky, and our city doesn’t tend to give away books that are of real interest to someone as conservative as me.

Nevertheless, here is my list of treasures…

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Filed Under: Book Review, Fun and games
by on 2.24.08

fastest growing ‘church’

Several news outlets have picked up on a document published by the liberal National Council of Churches, the 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches.

If you haven’t seen the reports, which church do you think increased the most in 2006 according to self-reported statistics?

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Filed Under: Church
by on 2.23.08

another little Lloyd-Jones gem

“The gospel of Jesus Christ is not popular with the natural man. He is against it. So that if you find the natural, unregenerate man praising either the preacher or his message then, I say, you had better examine that preaching and that preacher very carefully.”[1]

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[1] D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Romans: The Gospel of God, p. 264.

Filed Under: Lloyd-Jones, Preaching, Quotables
by on 2.22.08

a sad, sad, story

Christianity Today linked to An Atheist in the Pulpit from Psychology Today. It is lengthy, depressing, sad, and hopeless. It isn’t unfamiliar – many people, raised in Christian homes, or involved in Christian ministries of various kinds, make utter shipwrecks of their lives.

I can’t really say much about the article, but I think you should read it. This is the last paragraph:

When you’ve lost God, how do you fill the void?

“That’s what I’m wrestling with now,” says James McAllister. “I don’t have anyone to talk to in my heart. The prayers I used to say, I simply don’t bother anymore. I obviously regard prayer to be silly, even. But it was a comforting place that I could go. I’ve let that go. And there is a void. And hopefully it can be replaced just by appreciating being alive.”

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Filed Under: Article Review
by on 2.22.08

are we in a slow earthquake?

An Associated Baptist Press article discusses the question “Will ‘evangelical center’ emerge to rival waning Christian Right?” The article notices the waning political effectiveness of the so-called Christian Right. A few quotes:

“The younger generation is definitely turned off to the culture-war mentality and all the anger,” he said. “They believe it violates the Spirit of Christ.”

 

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Filed Under: Fundamentalism, Politics
by on 2.19.08

a little something on the Psalms

Do you study the Psalms? There is rich treasure here to lift your spirit in worship to God. We are studying the Psalms in our Wednesday evening service. We started this a couple of months ago. Each Sunday, I read the upcoming Psalm as our scripture reading in the AM service. I encourage our people to read ahead and think of the theme and the divisions (or outline) of the Psalm before they get there on Wednesday night.

On Wednesday’s, we begin with 15 minutes of favourites, then we launch into a guided discussion. I come away from these sessions extremely uplifted. Our people are showing good insight and I am deepening my understanding of ‘David’s hymn book’.

Tonight’s Psalm is Psalm 8.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Devotions
by on 2.19.08

a conversation on fundamentalism, Presbyterians, and other stuff

The Bayly brothers, David and Tim, are long-time ‘on-line friends’ of mine. I have been corresponding with them for so many years I can’t remember how long its been. Though we have some theological differences (of course) and some philosophical differences, I find their courage and straight talk to be very refreshing in our mealy mouthed age.

Over the last few days, an interesting discussion has been going on in response to a post of Tim’s regarding the question: Is the PCA fundamentalist? I have had a couple of comments in the thread, but much more prominent names have also. The comments are drifting in a couple of different directions, as comments are wont to do, but I think the thread is worth reading for a number of reasons.

One of the comments comes from Rick Philips, a PCA pastor in Greenville who blogs over at a site called Reformation 21. Don’t miss his analysis of fundamentalism at about comment 35 or 36.

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Filed Under: Blogosphere, Fundamentalism
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