Three Questions

John Piper, Desiring God, p.60 | “When every human being stands before God on the Day of judgment, God would not have to use one sentence of Scripture to show us our guilt and the appropriateness of our condemnation. He would only need to ask three questions:

1. Was it not plain in nature that everything you had was a gift and that you were dependent on your Maker for life and breath and everything?

2. Did not the judicial sentiment in your own heart always hold other people guilty when they lacked gratitude they should have had in response to a kindness you performed?

3. Has your life been filled with gratitude and trust towards Me in proportion to My generosity and authority?

Case closed.”

(HT: Symphony of Scripture)

Interesting Reads – 11/6/09

Here are a few articles and/or blogs of others that were pretty interesting to read. Enjoy.

9 Ways to Know the Gospel of Christ Is True – John Piper, Desiring God

Rising from the Valley of Death – Interview of Steven Curtis Chapman, following the releasing of his new album.

Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes? – The “prosperity” gospel preached in Africa (Global Conversation. There is also a video on the right side of the screen.)

To Love Him Is To Know Him – Tim Challies

Prayerlessness is Unbelief – Kevin DeYoung, blogger at the Gospel Coalition

Christians and Halloween

This article originally appeared here.

Halloween. It’s a time of year when the air gets crisper, the days get shorter, and for many young Americans the excitement grows in anticipation of the darkest, spookiest holiday of the year. Retailers also rejoice as they warm up their cash registers to receive an average of $41.77 per household in decorations, costumes, candy, and greeting cards. Halloween will bring in approximately $3.3 billion this year.

It’s a good bet retailers won’t entertain high expectations of getting $41.77 per household from the Christian market. Many Christians refuse to participate in Halloween. Some are wary of its pagan origins; others of its dark, ghoulish imagery; still others are concerned for the safety of their children. But other Christians choose to partake of the festivities, whether participating in school activities, neighborhood trick-or-treating, or a Halloween alternative at their church.

Holy God (Brian Doerksen)

It’s been a while since I have posted a worship song on here. I am always on the lookout for little known Christian musicians. Brian Doerksen is definitely one that you should listen to. He has just released a new album and his music is available from his website.

This song is called “Holy God”. The lyrics are below the video. Enjoy, and worship God.

Who Is This Blog For?

As a new follower of Christ what should our goal be? We should be longing to be taught. We should have a hunger for the Word of God. Of course, we have to have a starting point. A new believer should not, in my opinion, delve right in to the book of Revelation. We should, possibly, start at the gospel in John, or maybe Philippians, or possibly Romans.

Now, for someone who has been following Christ for a while, what should our goal be? The goal should be the same as a new believer! We should be longing to be taught. We should have a hunger for the Word of God. However, does that mean that we should continuously read John, or Philippians, or Romans? Yes, of course! But we must move

5 Days of MacArthur – Is God Responsible For Evil?

By John MacArthur

This article originally appeared here.

If God is sovereign, is He responsible for evil?

No. Scripture says that when God finished His creation, He saw everything and declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Many Scriptures affirm that God is not the author of evil: “God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone” (James 1:13). “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33)-and if that is true, He cannot in any way be the author of evil.

Occasionally someone will quote Isaiah 45:7 (KJV) and claim it proves God made evil as a part of His creation: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (emphasis added).

5 Days of MacArthur – Does Doctrine Really Matter?

By John MacArthur

This article originally appeared here.

Is it enough to “believe in Jesus” in some amorphous sense that divorces “faith” from any particular doctrine about Him, or is doctrine–and the content of our faith–really important after all?

Scripture plainly teaches that we must be sound in the faith–which is to say that doctrine does matter (1 Tim. 4:6; 2 Tim. 4:2-3; Tit. 1:9; 2:1). It matters a lot.

“If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing” (1 Tim. 6:3-4, emphasis added).

5 Days of MacArthur – Justification By Faith

By John MacArthur

This article originally appeared here.

The Reformation doctrine of justification by faith is, and has always been, the number one target of the enemy’s attack. It provides the foundation of the bridge that reconciles God and man–without that key doctrine, Christianity falls. But the doctrine that the Reformers so painstakingly clarified, even spilled blood over, has become so muddled today that many Protestants barely recognize it. Sadly, there are some who react against a clear presentation of justification, calling it nothing more than useless hair-splitting.

5 Days of MacArthur – What Is Truth?

By John MacArthur

This article originally appeared here.

Ask anyone today, What is truth?, and you’re sure to start an interesting conversation. Try it on a university campus and you’re likely to receive laughter, scorn, and derision. The concept of truth has clearly fallen on hard times, and the consequences of rejecting it are ravaging human society. So let’s go back to the starting point and answer the question: What is truth?

One of the most profound and eternally significant questions in the Bible was posed by an unbeliever. Pilate—the man who handed Jesus over to be crucified—turned to Jesus in His final hour, and asked, “What is truth?” It was a rhetorical question, a cynical response to what Jesus had just revealed: “I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”

5 Days of MacArthur – The Rationality of Faith

By John MacArthur

This article originally appeared here.

Faith is not the abandonment of reason. People who think faith needs to be divorced from our intellectual faculties have in effect abandoned the very possibility of discernment.

The notion that logic and sound reason are hostile to faith actually substitutes irrationality for genuine faith. Irrationality and discernment are polar opposites.

What Does It Mean To Love?

What does it mean to love? Does it mean giving someone what they want? Does it mean never getting angry? One definition of love by dictionary.com is “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.”

I am going to say that love first came from God. Without love from God, I would say that we wouldn’t know how to love at all. Think of it in this way: You have a cup – even better – you are a cup. God’s love goes into you, and then that love flows out to other people.

Facing Your Giants

Have you ever seen the movie, Facing The Giants? If you haven’t, I would recommend you watch it. That is where I got the title for this blog, but this isn’t about the movie. This is about facing the giants in your own life.

I am going to define “giant” as something that is unusually great in size, power or influence; something that is daunting and oppressing.

So what are examples of a giant in one’s life? It could be anything like