From the monthly archives:

August 2007

I have spent a bit of time over the last few days rediscovering Theopedia. It is not quite so frenetic and unstructured as Wikkipedia. This is probably due to its requirement that you acknowledge a statement of faith and be registered before editing items. They are keen for more contributors and if you have good quality material you have blogged and are willing to adapt, they are happy for it to be included in their articles with the appropriate acknowledgments. Would be great to have a few more bloggers over there. Here are the articles for which I have made some contributions so far (some more significantly than others):

As regular readers will already know, this week I am swiftly working through the glorious doctrines of grace—the so-called “TULIP.” Today we reach the end of our short series with the doctrine of the persevernace of the saints, which teaches that God will insure that genuine believers in Christ remain faithful to the end. I give the last words to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

“. . . the eternal God knows us and is interested in us and has a plan for us. If that is not enough for you, then I despair! The astounding thing I find here is that the eternal and absolute God knows me, that he thought of me before the foundation of the world, not only before I was born, but before he even made the world; that this eternal, absolute Being is interested in me, even me, as an individual and as a person, and that I was in his mind when he conceived this amazing plan that includes the incarnation and the cross, and the resurrection and the ascension, and the reign of his Son at his side that is going on now. What a staggering, yes, but what a glorious thought!

. . . there is therefore nothing uncertain about my acceptance with God, nor about my forgiveness, nor about my sonship. When I realize that I have been brought into God’s plan I know that nothing can frustrate this . . . plan of God which cannot be broken and which cannot fail. It is as absolute as God, himself; he knows the end as well as the beginning. ‘Neither shall any man,’ said Christ, ‘pluck them out of my hand.’ It is unthinkable.

. . . Let me put it like this: God, who is sufficiently concerned about me to send his Son to die on the cross of Calvary for me, is not going to let me down when any difficulty or temptation faces me. My dear friends, there is nothing for you to fear! You belong to One of whom we are told that all power has been given to him over all flesh. You are in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ if you but knew and realised it, and he controls everything. He controls every human being, all the affairs of nature, he is even controlling the devil himself. All power is given unto him, thrones, dominions, principalities and powers are subject unto him, so you need never fear! You and I have but to realize that we are in those mighty hands, that that strong arm is engaged on our behalf, that all flesh under his power, and that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.”

Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn. The Assurance of Our Salvation: Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own: Studies in John 17. Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books, 2000, S. 65.

The Unstoppable Saviour – Irresistible Grace

August 29, 2007

As regular readers will realize, this week I am swiftly working through the glorious doctrines of grace—the so-called “TULIP.” Today we reach irresistible grace.
Today’s first quote comes once more from Charles Simeon:
“A river flowing with a rapid and majestic current to the sea would defy the efforts of the whole world to turn it back [...]

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Limited/Unlimited Atonement – Just Who Did Jesus Die For?

August 28, 2007

As regular readers will know, this week I am swiftly working through the glorious doctrines of grace—the so-called “TULIP.” Today we reach the Limited Atonement item which is, in my opinion, the most misunderstood, and the item with possibly the most nuances needed in our understanding of it. As such, it will get the largest [...]

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Credit God, Blame Man, Or Why Double Predestination is Error – Charles Simeon

August 27, 2007

Last week, as you may know, I preached on Jacob. During my preparation I was, not surprisingly, taken once more to the glorious doctrines of grace—the so-called “TULIP.” Jacob is used in Romans as a supreme example of God’s free grace.
This post is part of a mini-series highlighting quotes from others on each of these [...]

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Mrs. Challies Says, "I’m No Blog Widow!"

August 27, 2007

Few readers of Christian blogs will have failed to come across Tim Challies, the uberblogger who will shortly become a Crossway-published book author. In fact, I’m almost willing to bet that no one will first hear of Tim’s blog through this post. If I’m wrong, do leave a comment to that effect and/or drop me [...]

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Kim Riddlebarger Contradicts John MacArthur

August 26, 2007

UPDATEIn January 2008, the following post was identified as the 18th all-time most popular post with readers of this blog. The 19th most-read post was my interview with Justin Taylor.
At the Shepherd’s Conference earlier in the year, John MacArthur underestimated the likely fury of non-dispensational Calvinists at being told they weren’t “really reformed.” This post [...]

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Dr. D. James Kennedy Has Retired

August 26, 2007

Dr. James Kennedy, the well-known pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been unable to preach during 2007 due to poor health and has now formally retired. His daughter made the announcement this morning.
More information can be found at Assist News Service, and the full press release can be read here.
HT: [...]

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Facebook or Courtbook From the Man Who Kissed Facebook Goodbye

August 26, 2007

So, although Josh Harris has kissed Facebook goodbye, he has this to say to the rest of us, especially singles:
Enjoy Facebook. And if you’re a godly single man, receive it as a gift from God to assist you in nonchalantly building a friendship with a godly Christian woman. I’m serious, men! If you’re mature enough [...]

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How Total Depravity Helps Your Marriage

August 24, 2007

Last week, as you may know, I preached on Jacob. During my preparation, not surprisingly, I was taken once more to the glorious doctrines of grace—the so-called “TULIP.” Jacob is used in Romans as a supreme example of God’s free grace. This post is part of a mini-series highlighting quotes from others on each of [...]

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Why Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Church Membership Differences Exist

August 23, 2007

Lig Duncan has promised us he will write more on the reasons why this debate is not an easy one to resolve. His statement got me thinking, and while I’m still resisting the temptation to state who I agree with, it has rattled around in my brain long enough for me to want to have [...]

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Massive Collection of MP3 Messages Made Free

August 22, 2007

UPDATEIn January 2008, the following post was identified as the 15th all-time most popular post with readers of this blog. The 16th most-read post asked my readers to share a list of their favorite well-known living preachers.
In the post below I announced a major gift from Sovereign Grace Ministries to the global Church. Their vast [...]

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Lig Duncan On the Great Baptism, Church Membership, and Lord’s Supper Debate

August 21, 2007

Lig Duncan has responded resoundingly to both sides of the debate about whether he should be allowed to join a Baptist church. He argues that these differences are important and demonstrate a passion for truth that is critical. Here is just some of what he says:
“. . . let me say that this significant difference [...]

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"Lig Duncan Baptized as a Believer," Reveals Justin Taylor

August 21, 2007

In news that will shake the blogosphere, Justin Taylor has not only shown that he is with Sam Storms on these issues, he has exclusively revealed that Lig Duncan was not baptized as an infant! Anyone questioning his commitment to the Presbyterian cause would no doubt be told “It wasn’t my fault my parents didn’t [...]

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