Need A Little Humor? Enjoy... "I Think My Wife's a Calvinist"

from Puritan Fellowship

Sho Baraka - Higher Love

If you're not aware of the work God is doing in the hip-hop culture, behold...


Higher Love - Sho Baraka from Reach Records on Vimeo.

Jesus Christ Is Everything by Paul Washer

from Recover the Gospel

Little Known MacArthur Website Resource

Nothing fancy, just John MacArthur...

http://www.biblebb.com/

Honoring God with Your Myspace, Facebook, etc...

Does your MySpace and Facebook bring God Glory? from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

How Do I Know If I'm Saved?

by Paul Washer

Testimony? Here's a great example...

Thanks Gilbert

What's Wrong with the Gospel

Sorry for the sketchy audio...

by Keith Green

The Reliability of the NT in an Hour

by Dr. James White of Alpha & Omega Ministries

Struggles Modern Teenagers Face

Amen.

Who Am I

Ephesians 1:7-8
"7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

"Who am I" by Casting Crowns

What Do You Think About the State of Today's Church?

A Conversation with Paul Washer

BGCT Urban Tour Organic Church Planting (part 1)

Here is Lindsay Cofield giving an introduction of Organic Church and an overview of church planting at the first ever BGCT Urban Tour in San Antonio

ScriptureText.com - new favorite Bible study site

ScriptureText.com is part of Biblos.com and acts as a interlinear/parallel Bible with tons-o-translations, etc...

This one's a keeper.

EvangelismStuff.com - Some great gear...

Here are a few of my favorites from EvangelismStuff.com...

Sharing the Gospel at Texas Tech University

I'm posting this in the hope that it might be helpful to you guys. It's just a recording (with intro and outro) of a conversation I had with two students a few weeks ago that Dorothy recorded. I hope it will help you with sharing your faith.

Here's the Convo...

The Sermon on the Mount - Bill Mounce

As I continue reading about the idea of organic (non-traditional) church plants, I keep seeing people's recommendations to begin teaching on the more practical portions of scriptures (like the Sermon on the Mount). Thus, I wanted to find a good series on the passage in Matthew and here it is for you as well.

I know of Bill Mounce because he authored the Greek textbook that we used in Elemetary Greek. It's a great text and you should check it out.

Bill Mounce's Series on the Sermon on the Mount

I'm watching you Dad (for Parents)

Ravi Zacharias_2

He is a Christian apologist (defender of the faith) and a prolific writer. Better yet, he was born in India. "Let My People Think" is Ravi's radio broadcast. This is a link to the archives. Pick one that looks interesting and be enlightened.

Here are some videos:
Q&A #4


Q&A #5


Q&A #6

Keith Green - Devotions or Devotion

What a great classic teaching by one of recent history's most passionate Christians!

Alan Hirsch - FOCUS Lubbock

I was furtunate enough to make it to the BGCT FOCUS Lubbock Collegiate Conference this past Saturday, and I thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from Alan Hirsch's message. I found this interview with him done somewhere else, but it's all I could find to give you a taste.


Also, check out his website, personal blog, ministry blog, and books. The Shaping of Things to Come is on my "to read soon list".

"The Stranger"

*This is an illustration that I once read that I have been searching for over a period of months... enjoy... and lament*

A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. Mom taught me to love the Word of God. Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spellbound for hours each evening. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars.

The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind, but sometimes Mom would quietly get up - while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places - and go to her room read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt an obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house - not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four-letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted.

My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home - not even for cooking. But the stranger felt he needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, andgenerally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man/woman relationship were influenced by the stranger.

As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. But if I were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name? We always called him TV.

(Author unknown)

The Centrality of the Home

This is a powerful message from Pastor Voddie Baucham on the Centrality of the Home in multigenerational faithfullness and family discipleship. Also, he speaks in relation to Youth Ministry as well.

If the first link doesn't work, try this one instead.

The Old Rugged Cross and Preaching

A Wonderful First Day Back at TTU

Read about it

Listen to it

Pulpit Magazine

Here's a great resource!

OUR GOAL:

Pulpit Magazine began in 2003 as the online magazine of the Shepherds’ Fellowship, a ministry to church leaders who are committed to the purity of the Gospel, the inerrancy of Scripture, and a biblical philosophy of ministry. Initially Pulpit was only published six times a year. Each edition focused on key ministry issues and contemporary evangelical happenings, examining them through the grid of Scripture. The goal was to give pastors and church leaders the information they needed in a way that was both cutting edge and intensely biblical.

That goal remains the same today, even though our format has changed.

Instead of just limiting Pulpit Magazine to pastors, we now want to make the contents of Pulpit accessible to everyone. And, instead of posting a group of articles every eight weeks, we now plan to post one new article every weekday. We also hope that our readers (meaning you) will interact with the articles, and that profitable discussions will result from what is written.

The goal of fellowship is mutual encouragement for the glory of Christ. To that end, through our articles, we seek to “proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also [we] labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within [all who are truly His]” (Col. 1:28-29).

Batman Theology

Is it just me, or are comic books taking over our lives? Anybody feel me on this one? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good ol “hero vs nemesis, good vs evil, fate of the world hanging in the balance,” kind of story just as much as the next guy, but don’t you think it’s getting to be a little much? To be honest, I was thrilled with the first X-Men movie and the first Spiderman for that matter, but come on. I’m thinking about the last five years or so, and it seems like Marvel movie remakes are being thrust upon us like bad reality tv shows. Think about it. Superman Returns, Batman Begins, Spiderman 1,2, and 3, three X-Mens, Ghost Rider, the Punisher, Fantastic Four…twice, Iron Man, and is it just me or didn’t they just make Incredible Hulk a few years ago? Is this new one a sequel or are they just trying to pretend like the first one didn’t happen? It’s out of control, and I’m fearful of what kind of effect they’ll begin to have if we’re not careful. I’m not saying they should be banned or anything crazy, but I think it’s fair to say that with the steady influx of these films infiltrating theatres, commercials, and the myspace login page, we’d be foolish to say that they aren’t having some effect on our thinking and on our society as a whole.

The new Batman is coming out soon, and admittedly, I am a bit of a Batman fan myself, so I’ve been thinking about the last five or six movies lately, with good reason, and during one such episode a scene from Batman Begins came on in the movie-quote center of my brain. It’s a really quick scene, and would probably go unnoticed and unnoted by most movie goers, but I am a bit of a theatre geek, especially when it comes to reciting cinema quotes, so of course, I picked up on it and just couldn’t let it go. And what was really strange was the more I thought about it, the more I realized that a single line from Bruce Wayne could actually sum up the philosophy that most of our culture embraces. For the sake of time I’d like to call it “Batman Syndrome.”

I don't know if you saw the Batman movie I'm referring to here, but if you haven’t, let me paint the scene for you. Batman has just finished a serious round of cronie pummeling (of course) when the lady interest of the movie (in this case Katie Holmes) comes to face to face with the winged crusader. He's standing on a precipice of some sort (what I remember to be an open window of a very high skyscraper) and is about to make a grand exit when Mrs. Cruise asks, "Who are you? and being a superhero He can’t resist the opportunity for an over-dramatic adieu, and doesn’t miss a beat here. Batman smugly responds, "It's not who I am, it's what I do that defines me." Cue drastic whooshing sound, enter symphony over a flying farewell, and that's the end of the scene. Now, this is where the nagging voice in my head comes in.

"Mike, that's not true."

“What?” I ask myself back.

“It isn’t true and you know it.”

I don't know if this happens to you, but it happens to me all the time. Now before you start worrying about my mental state let me just tell you that I couldn't get through Iron Man without some social commentary interrupting my movie going experience, so why should I think that Batman would be any different. Maybe I’m a schizophrenic? Well, we hope not. (there I go again….) In any case, the voice continued.

"Mike, that's not true anymore."

“What do you mean, self?”

“You’re not defined by what you do.”

“I’m not?”

“Of course not. That’s the good news that you say you believe. You’re no longer a sum of what you do.

You are a sum of what has been done for you. Isn’t that the gospel Mike? Isn’t that what you’ve been traveling around telling people? You’re no longer defined by your accomplishments or your mistakes,

you are defined by what Christ has done on the cross. You don’t have to be a superhero anymore,

you just need to let yourself be rescued.”

Hmmm. Let’s think about that for a bit shall we? This simple thought that came randomly into my head watching Batman has become THE question of my life lately. Do I really believe that I’m defined by what has been done for me, or am I still struggling to prove myself to people? Am I still under the pressure of being my own Savior? What defines me?

Am I a singer?

Am I a guitar player?

Am I a comic book character?

Am I a song-writer?

Am I a screw up?

Am I a hero?

No.

The gospel says I’m a new creation. I’m not the sum of my choices, and I’m not the result of my performance. I’m a royal priesthood. A holy nation. A child of God, holy and dearly loved. John the disciple called himself, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” So what does that make me?(Oh yeah, check it out for yourself. The only place he’s called that is in the book he wrote! The one disciple who out performs them all chooses to be known by what had been done for Him, not by what He did.) And so, I’ve got to remind myself that I am loved. That I am new. That in spite of all my failures and all my accomplishments, I am accepted and known based upon what has already been done for me, not on how much of a hero I can be.

What about you? Are you trying to be a hero? A rock star? A lover of God? Why don’t you let all that go, and let yourself be loved. It’s a much easier identity to keep up with, and you don’t even have to wear a cape. Wear his love, and let that be your alter ego.

From http://www.tenthavenuenorth.com/index.php/journal_mike/

by Mike from Tenth Avenue North

Links Updated

Check out the whole right column for updates and new links (reorganized)

Two Types of Women

The Virtuous Woman
Described in Proverbs chapter 31
SHE IS LOYAL (Proverbs 31:11).
SHE IS A HOME MAKER (Proverbs 31).
SHE IS HARD TO FIND (a rare gem) (Proverbs 31:10).
SHE IS PRECIOUS (Proverbs 31:10).
SHE HAS INNER BEAUTY (Heart attraction) (Proverbs 31:30;1 Peter 3:4).
SHE WORKS WITH HER HANDS (a lovely life producing loving words) (Proverbs 31, many verses).
SHE IS RIGHT WITH GOD (Proverbs 31:30).
SHE ABIDES IN THE HOME (Proverbs 31:27).
SHE DOES HER HUSBAND GOOD (Proverbs 31:12).
SHE IS RESTING AT NIGHT SO SHE CAN AWAKE EARLY (Proverbs 31:15).
SHE BLESSES HER FAMILY (Proverbs 31:28).
SHE LIVES BY LOVE (Proverbs 31:20).

The Voluptuous Woman
Described in the first 9 chapters of Proverbs
SHE IS LEWD (Proverbs 6:24; 2:17).
SHE IS A HOME BREAKER (Proverbs 7).
SHE IS EASY TO FIND (Proverbs 7:10-12).
SHE IS CHEAP (Proverbs 30:20).
SHE HAS OUTER BEAUTY Surface attraction (Proverbs 6:25).
SHE WORKS WITH HER MOUTH (lively lips but no life)
(Proverbs 21:9,19; 25:24 etc.).
SHE IS RELIGIOUS (Proverbs 7:14).
SHE IS OUTSIDE THE HOME (Proverbs 7:11-12).
SHE DOES HER HUSBAND NOTHING BUT HARM (Proverbs 2:17).
SHE IS ON THE LOOSE AT NIGHT (Proverbs 7:9,18).
SHE KILLS HER VICTIMS (Proverbs 7:23).
SHE LIVES BY LUST (Proverbs 7:10).

from RecovertheGospel.com

Paul Washer & Voddie Baucham - Question & Answer

Wow, one of the best Q&A's you'll ever find...

Part 1


Part 2

BGCT Youth Ministry Conclave

Click for more info

New Blog Link: Reformata

New Blog Link: Reformata - Click for more info
[from ReformedVoices.com]

Dr. Hovind's error on KJV Only topic

I appreciate Dr. Hovind's ministry and have learned a lot from the Creation Science Evangelism ministry, but I felt obligated to post these video by Dr. James White discussing the different versions of the Bible and Dr. Hovind's claims. Unfortunately, Hovind is wrong on the topic. Nobody's perfect, huh? Just goes to show that you must be very discerning ANYTIME you are sitting under teaching from ANYONE. We must favor the truth, not declare our favorites to be truth.

(Caution: They use pretty scholarly lingo/jargon)

Pt 1


Pt 2


Pt 3

Conrad Mbewe

The pastor's name is Conrad Mbewe, known by many as the African Spurgeon. Give it a listen, it's a powerful message.

We Know Not the Gospel

Paul Washer - Evangelism

This is what I worship to...

Announcement: New Blog!

BenReader

Here's the new blog about what I'm reading... check it out!

Pilgrim's Progress - A Journey To Heaven (Movie)

Wow, how cool! Check out the trailer...

"Talkin' Football" is NOT Christian Fellowship (Mark Kielar)

from PuritainFellowship.com

Only One Way

Refiner's Fire

Psychological Manipulation of the "Invitation" - Paul Washer

To watch the full sermon video click (wmv): Paul Washer-A Message for Reformed Christian Rappers (and the Hip-Hop Culture) at the 2007 Legacy Conference-55 min
care of PuritanFellowship.com

Did You Know: Amazing Grace

Imagine You're a Caterpillar

by Francis Chan

Mark Driscoll on American Idolatry

Read Philippians 3.

Mark Driscoll has had a pretty rough road thus far, but videos like this show some promise. I've heard that John MacArthur has been pseudo-mentoring him...neat! Enjoy.

I witness to a Nez Percé Indian on TTU Campus

(Thanks Toby!)

The Nez Percé Indians are from Idaho and their most well known leader was Chief Joseph pictured here:

Click Here to listen to the interview (12 mins.)

Comic Relief: Church Bulletin misprints

(from LeAnne)

THE CHURCH BULLETIN

Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

Announcement in the church bulletin for a National PRAYER & FASTING Conference: "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals."

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Miss Charlene Mason sang, "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

"Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."

Next Sunday is the family hayride and bonfire at the Fowlers'. Bring your own hot dogs and guns. Friends are welcome! Everyone come for a fun time.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus"

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing "Break Forth into Joy."

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you - let the Church help.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

The Lutheran men's group will meet at 6 PM. Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered.

Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 P.M.-prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 P.M. there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double doors at the side entrance.

Mrs. Johnson will be entering the hospital this week for testes.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.

How Radio Ministries are destroying the Local Church: The Celebrated Orator Epidemic

Check out this blog entry from Black and Reformed Ministries

It's pretty right on.

The Cost of Anointing by David Wilkerson

Part 1


Part 2


Some Ideas to listen for:
- You know it when you hear it. There's a weightiness to it
- God doesn't give the anointing to lazy preachers (referred to as "Light Men")
- You've become too busy. There's no hunger brokenness, and no cry.
- You can get so involved in studying how to understand the Bible that you can get away from the Word of God.

Notes: This message has some Assemblies of God/Pentecostal terminology and themes (espescially at the very end of part 2), but the overall message definitely transcends denominational divides. I would highly recommend David Wilkerson's preaching. Also check out A Call to Anguish by David Wilkerson (on sermonindex.net)

New Favorite Website: Challies.com

About Tim Challies

The internet is unique in that a person can write every day and yet remain completely anonymous. People may read what another person writes on a daily basis, yet not know the first thing about him. I've never enjoyed that aspect of it, so allow me to introduce myself.

If you've gotten to this site you already know one thing about me, and that's my last name. Tack on the first name of Tim, and suddenly I'm not so anonymous anymore.

You still want to know more? How about this, my "official" biography from my forthcoming book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment: Tim Challies is a leading evangelical blogger and editor of Discerning Reader (www.discerningreader.com), a site dedicated to discerning reviews of books that are of interest to Christians. A self-employed web designer, Tim lives in the outskirts of Toronto, Ontario with his wife and three children.

Still looking for more? Try this then:

I am...

• Christian - I affirm that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour.
• Protestant - I affirm the five "solas" of the Reformation.
• Reformed - I affirm the doctrines of grace - principles known to some as Calvinism.
• Evangelical - I believe the gospel (which is the original and truest meaning of "evangelical").
• Conservative - I am generally traditional and restrained in my beliefs and cautious towards change, especially when it seems to be change merely for the sake of change.
• Unfinished - Though I find great beauty in traditional Protestantism, I realize that in some areas traditions may not be fully Scriptural. Where that is the case I am eager to change as the Spirit convicts me through the Word.

Other Questions:

• How Is "Challies" pronounced?

It's quite simple, I assure you. CHALL-eez. Just like that. There is no trick to it. It's not CHALL-is, it's not Charles and it sure isn't Chall-EES. Just pronounce it the way it looks like it should be pronounced and don't overthink it. CHALL-eez. It's that easy.

• How Do I Get In Touch With You?

All that info is here. If you write me I'll almost definitely write back.

• Why Challies.com?

This started as a site where I posted pictures of my children for the benefit of my family. Eventually I began to write articles and post them here, also for the benefit of my family. But then other people began showing up and reading them and before I knew it, I had a blog. The site has since evolved into what you see today. I have not gotten around to changing to a new domain name and at this point I suppose I never will.

• What Is a Challies?

Challies is a surname with a long and mysterious past. It seems that no one is really sure of the name's history. What we do know is that it is French in origin and at some point a group of Challies' left France for Scotland, presumably as Huguenots. They then, trying to blend in with the local population, changed the name to Mac A' Challies and became part of the MacDonald clan. I only wish I were making that up. There are now very few Challies left in the world. It seems the remaining concentrations are in Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The ones I am related to live almost entirely in Canada or in Georgia. My uncle also reports meeting an elderly Challies gentleman in a small town in France, though I do not believe he is a direct relation. As far as I know, my son is the sole male heir to the Challies name in this part of the world.

• Will You Review My Book?

Maybe. While I generally prefer to receive books from publishers, I do accept some books directly from authors. Feel free to contact me and I'll let you know if I am interested in reviewing your book.

• What Do You Do?

I am a Web designer by trade. Though I graduated from McMaster University with a degree in history I quickly found that there was not much work for an aspiring but not-very-motivated historian. I worked my way into the computer world and after being laid off one time too many I started Websonix. So now I spend my days sitting in a home office creating Web pages. And writing. I can hardly think of a better life.

Luther was into Graphic Design!

From Wikipedia:

The Luther seal or Luther rose is a widely-recognized symbol for Lutheranism. It was the seal that was designed for Martin Luther at the behest of Prince John Frederick, in 1530, while Luther was staying at the Coburg Fortress during the Diet of Augsburg. Lazarus Spengler, to whom Luther wrote his interpretation below, sent Luther a drawing of this seal. Luther saw it as a compendium or expression of his theology and faith, which he used to authorize his correspondence. Luther informed Philipp Melanchthon on September 15, 1530 that the Prince had personally visited him in the Coburg fortress and presented him with a signet ring, presumably displaying the seal.^[1]

Luther's interpretation of his seal

In a July 8, 1530 letter to Lazarus Spengler, Luther interprets his seal:

Grace and peace from the Lord. As you desire to know whether my painted seal, which you sent to me, has hit the mark, I shall answer most amiably and tell you my original thoughts and reason about why my seal is a symbol of my theology. The first should be a black cross in a heart, which retains its natural color, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified saves us. "For one who believes from the heart will be justified" (Rom. 10:10^[2]). Although it is indeed a black cross, which mortifies and which should also cause pain, it leaves the heart in its natural color. It does not corrupt nature, that is, it does not kill but keeps alive. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17^[3]) but by faith in the crucified. Such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose, to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. In other words, it places the believer into a white, joyous rose, for this faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27^[4]). That is why the rose should be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and the angels (cf. Matt. 28:3^[5]; John 20:12^[6]). Such a rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that such joy in spirit and faith is a beginning of the heavenly future joy, which begins already, but is grasped in hope, not yet revealed. And around this field is a golden ring, symbolizing that such blessedness in Heaven lasts forever and has no end. Such blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable, most precious and best metal.This is my compendium theoligae [summary of theology]. I have wanted to show it to you in good friendship, hoping for your appreciation. May Christ, our beloved Lord, be with your spirit until the life hereafter. Amen. blahbobby. ^[7][1]

CreativeMYK.com

Here's a great web resource for ministries...
It features loads of free images, files, etc. for graphic design. Enjoy.

Why Trust the Bible as God's Word?

Why Are We Students?

Read this doc on Scribd: Why Are We Students?

Saturday Cartoon!

Care of WOTM Radio.

Sin in the Camp

http://www.brookhills.org/

ZipSkinny... Get the 'skinny' on your Zip

This is a useful tool for ministry research; check it out

Creation Science Motherload!

This site hosts all of CSE's (Creation Science Evangelism) material, including DVD files, Power Point files, and the like... They do not copyright any material, and encourage duplication so that people can know the truth. I'd recommend checking out some of the debates too!

Reality Check

by Paul Washer

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

I'm thoroughly excited to see Ben Stein's documentary


ExpelledTheMovie.com

Some Evangelism Q & A with Paul Washer

Open Their Eyes

John Piper

The "Milky" Way - Jeff Noblit

Interviews with Lecrae

A Clarion Call to the Modern Church

Click to go to article.

Adapted from Ashamed of the Gospel, © 1993 by John MacArthur.

Your Love Oh Lord

by Third Day

From Psalm 36 (NIV)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.

1 An oracle is within my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.

2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin.

3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4 Even on his bed he plots evil;
he commits himself to a sinful course
and does not reject what is wrong.

5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

7 How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.

9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

10 Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise!

New Year's Resolutions per Jonathan Edwards

BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD’ S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST’ S SAKE.

——————————————————————————–

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’ s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. (Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’ s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6,‹A faithful man who can find?Š may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’ s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’ s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.

44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. January 12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere temper; and to do at all times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:‹knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.Š June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. January 14 and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those ‹groanings which cannot be utteredŠ (Romans 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those‹breakings of soul for the longing it hath,Š of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton’ s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. August 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. August 17, 1723.

(from RecoverTheGospel.com)