I heard about this a few days ago, but apparently Mr. Colson is still not out of the woods and needs prayer. Here’s the report from World magazine: Four days after emergency surgery to remove a pool of clotted blood from the surface of his brain, Prison Fellowship founder, author, and radio commentator Chuck Colson was in critical condition at a Washington, D.C., area hospital.
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Lord, help us to be men of war.
Commenting on 1 Timothy 6:12, J. C. Ryle wrote this: He who would understand the nature of true holiness must know that the Christian is ‘a man of war.’ If we would be holy, we must fight. J. C. Ryle, Holiness, p. 58
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Modesty Heart Check
I have been teaching through 1 Timothy 2 the last couple of weeks at my church. This past Sunday, we made it to verses 9-10 where Paul writes: 9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; 10 but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness. In preparing my message, my wife reminded me of a resource from Carolyn Mahaney that helps women to think and to dress modestly. It’s called the “Modesty Heart Check,” and you can download the PDF here. It focuses not merely on…
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Don’t Do Seminary without the Church
If you want to stay Christian while in seminary, you must have a vital connection to a local church. Let’s face it. The church is God’s plan “A” for the great commission. There is no plan “B.” God is calling to Himself people from every tribe, tongue, and nation (Rev. 5:9). He’s assembling them into local churches. And He’s commissioned them to make disciples of every nation (Matt. 28:19-20). He has left an order and a discipline for their local assemblies (1 Tim. 3:15), and He intends to make His glory known to the nations as these little outposts for the kingdom listen to the word of Christ and proclaim…
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Republicans Retreat from Same-sex Marriage Issue
From Politico.com: It’s been one of the swiftest shifts in ideology and strategy for Republicans, as they’ve come nearly full circle on same-sex politics. What was once a front-and-center issue for rank-and-file Republicans — the subject of many hotly worded House and Senate floor speeches — is virtually a dead issue, as Republicans in Congress don’t care to have gay marriage litigated in the Capitol. Even more than that, Republican leadership has evolved, too. It has quietly worked behind the scenes to kill amendments that reaffirm opposition to same-sex unions, several sources told POLITICO. It’s not like the GOP has become a bastion of progressiveness on gay rights, but there…
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On Harry Potter
At the behest of my good friend Jim Hamilton and after seeing a recommendation from Andrew Peterson, I decided to make my way through the seven books of the Harry Potter series. I just finished the final book today, and I have to say that it was more than worth it. The stories are moving, filled with pathos and triumph. Very few books move me to tears, but these did. I would rate the series right up there with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I know that many Christians have expressed concerns over the years about the magical elements in the Potter series. Nevertheless, I don’t see the magic…
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Kevin DeYoung talks about blog comments
Kevin DeYoung has a helpful post today about commenting on blogs. You should also check out his previous post “The Ten Commandments for Commenting on Blogs.” Wootini!
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Are Your Sermons Too Long?
Here’s a bit of wisdom from the Prince of Preachers on sermon length: Brethren, weigh your sermons. Do not retail them by the yard, but deal them out by the pound. Set no store by the quantity of words which you utter, but strive to be esteemed for the quality of your matter. It is foolish to be lavish in words and niggardly in truth. –C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 71 There is no intrinsic value in an overlong sermon. Nor is there anything to boast about that a congregation has become conditioned to endure them. What constitutes a long sermon is a relative term anyway, isn’t it?…
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Jason Meyer Selected as Candidate to Succeed John Piper
The elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church have selected Jason Meyer as the candidate to succeed John Piper as the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Justin Taylor has the whole story here, as well as a good deal of background information on Jason. Jason is a fantastic preacher and a godly man. This is great news for a great church.
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A New Book on Jeremy Lin
Ted Kluck has a new e-book out on Jeremy Lin titled, Jeremy Lin: Faith, Joy, and Basketball. Kluck says, “among other things the book is an analysis of Lin’s ascension, a celebration of the gospel, and a love letter (albeit a very short love letter) to the NBA.” Here’s the table of contents: Introduction: An Open Letter to the Reader: What Does All of This Say About Us? Chapter 1: A Cultural Oddity: Lin and Shifting Racial Paradigms (or What Kind of NBA Superstar will Jeremy Lin Be?) Chapter 2: New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks – Sunday, February 19, 2012 Chapter 3: Jeremy Lin in the Context of Tim…