Category: Theology
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“Use the Means and Leave the Results to God”
One has written: “The language we have been accustomed to adopt is this; we must use the means, and leave the event to God; we can do no more than employ the means; this is our duty and having done this we must leave the rest to Him who is…
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For the Glory of God and Good of Men
[The experience of a barren ministry] was not so in other days. Our fathers really watched and preached for souls. They asked and they expected a blessing. Nor were they denied it. They were blessed in turning many to righteousness. Their lives record their successful labors. How refreshing the lives…
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A Barren Ministry
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… Fields plowed and sown, yet yielding no fruit! Machinery constantly in motion, yet all without one particle of produce! Nets cast into the sea, and spread wide, yet no fishes enclosed! All this for years—for a lifetime! How strange! Yet it…
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Ministerial Professionalism
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… To deliver sermons on each returning Lord’s Day, to administer the Lord’s Supper statedly, to pay an occasional visit to those who request it, to attend religious meetings—this, we fear, sums up the ministerial life of multitudes who are, by profession,…
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Be Faithful!
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… “The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity” (Malachi 2:6). Let us observe the connection here declared to…
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Walk with God
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… The biographer of the Rev. W.H. Hewitson begins his memoir thus: “‘To restore a commonplace truth,’ writes Mr. Coleridge, ‘to its first uncommon luster, you need only translate it into action.’ Walking with God is a very commonplace truth. Translate this…
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A Life of Holy Devotion to God
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… The true minister must be a true Christian. He must be called by God before he can call others to God. The Apostle Paul thus states the matter: “God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to…
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The Need is for the Truth of Jesus Christ
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… Let us, then, meet this “earnestness,” which is now the boast, but may ere long be the bane, of the age, with that which alone can bring down its feverish pulse, and soothe it into blessed calm, “the gospel of the…
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Our One Object: To Win Souls
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… We take for granted that the object of the Christian ministry is to convert sinners and to edify the body of Christ. No faithful minister can possibly rest short of this. Applause, fame, popularity, honor, wealth—all these are vain. If souls…
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Bold, Burning Sincerity
Continuing Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls (see here for book information)… “When he spoke of weighty soul concerns,” says one of his contemporaries of [Richard] Baxter, “you might find his very spirit drenched therein.” No wonder that he was blessed with such amazing success! Men felt that in listening…
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Words to Winners of Souls
About a year ago a good friend pointed me to Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls. It’s available for free both in print and mp3. My printed edition is 31 pages, so for several months I read a page a day. It’s a great challenge and blessing that I…
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The Act of the Death of Christ
William Ames (1576-1633), Puritan theologian, powerfully says that Christ’s death was an act of Christ and not a mere matter of enduring because he met and endured it purposely. John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep,” and 10:18, “No man…
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Knowing Little of God
In his work The Mortification of Sin Puritan John Owen outlines nine directions to help believers in their struggles with sin. The eighth involves meditating on those things that will always result in our humility and awareness of sin. This involves meditating not only on the excellencies and majesty of…
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Charles Hodge on the Perspicuity of the Scriptures
Following the Puritan William Ames’ excellent teaching concerning the doctrine of the Scriptures are some helpful words from Princeton theologian Charles Hodge that the central message of Scripture is clear and understandable (“perspicuous”)– The Bible is a plain book. It is intelligible by the people. And they have the right,…
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William Ames on the Doctrine of the Scriptures
During our Bible study tonight I will conclude our study of the doctrine of the Scriptures. Part of my preparation involved looking at key systematic theologies (primarily Bancroft, Berkhof, Enns, C. Hodge, McCune, Thiessen and sometimes Grudem and Strong). While looking over the theology books on my shelf today, I…
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The Coming Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Does his successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more. Behold the islands with their kings, And Europe her best tribute brings; From north to south the princes meet, To pay their homage at…
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The Unifying Theme of the Bible
While catching up on some reading (you will soon see from the date of the journal I’m reading how far I’m behind) I read a great paragraph briefly surveying how God is glorified in human history: What struck me about [Alva] McClain and [Rolland] McCune’s model (they are similar enough…
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O Blessed God! How Kind
O blessed God! how kind Are all Thy ways to me, Whose dark benighted mind Was enmity with Thee. Yet now, subdued by sov’reign grace, My spirit longs for Thine embrace. How precious are Thy thoughts That o’er my spirit roll! They swell beyond my faults, And captivate my soul:…
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Sanctification and The Great Commission
Excellent thoughts here: The Obedience of the Gospel. Too often acronyms cause more harm than good. Recognizing this, I have taught an acronym to the people I’ve been privileged to pastor over the last 14 years to help them with the basic points of the gospel message: Master-God is our…
Dan Greenfield 