Redesigned improved websites

New Crossway Site: www.crossway.org

New ESV Site: www.esv.org

Check them out.

 

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Double your listening, double your learning

Stephen teaches us how you can listen to sermons twice as fast. He begins by saying:

Generally I don’t think it’s a great idea to do spiritual things exceedingly fast or in high volumes. I’m a big fan of slow, deliberate meditation upon the word of God. I think it’s important to pay close attention to preaching, and not to multi-task while listening to sermons.

But there are times when it’s valuable to quickly read large chunks of the Bible, or read a spiritual book quickly, or listen to a large number of sermons.

But how can you listen to a sermon quickly? It’s actually pretty easy.

I’m still thinking about this one but if you are interested in learning how, click here.

 

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Doing more than just preaching the gospel to yourself

Jerry Bridges has taught us so much about preaching the gospel to ourselves as Christians.  Nathan urges us to do more than that. He explains why we need to pray the gospel as well. Read his brief argument here.

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What we celebrate, they died for

This Sunday we will be observing the Lord’s Supper during worship.  We will do freely, almost taking for granted the biblical-rooted view of the Lord’s Supper.  We understand that the elements we share do not become the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ as Roman Catholicism teaches.  We do not celebrate the mass.  And no one will arrest us for our position on the Lord’s Supper.

True believers have not always enjoyed such freedom.  Some of the Reformers died because they refused to endorse one cardinal doctrine–the doctrine of transubstantiation.  That’s the theological word for what the RC Church believes happens during the Mass–which is in essence a re-crucifixion of Jesus every time the Mass is observed.

Read the well-documented post by Terry Enns on this story. Remember this as you freely participate in the Lord’s Table the next time.

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The 2010 Election: What’s it all mean?

Dr. Albert Mohler writes:

The meaning of the 2010 election is destined now to be the Great Debate of the next political season. While this is true after most election days, it is especially true this year, given the scale and scope of the political change this election will bring about. The scale is seismic, and the scope is vast. In terms of national politics, this election amounts to a megashift.

What does it all mean?

His answer is in the form of six observation which help us think from a Christian worldview about where we go from here–after election day 2010. Read it here.

 

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The devil’s power and theology

From the story of the demoniac near Gadara:

“And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” ” (Mark 5:7, ESV)

Basically, these verses give us two insights into demons: their theology is impeccable and their power is incredible. As the demonized man falls down, the demon-controlled voice correctly identifies Jesus as “Son of the Most High God!” Their theology is impeccable.  “The Most High God” is “an ancient title  used throughout the OT to identify the one true and living God of Israel.  Moses used it in Genesis, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  The psalmists identify God with this title as do the prophets Isaiah and Daniel.  Gabriel in his great annunciation to Mary of the Christ-child to be born through her declares,  “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. ”(Luke 1:32) When asked how this would happen, “The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy―the Son of God. ” (Luke 1:35).

Here, the demons calls “Jesus, the Son of the Most High God” signifying correctly both the uniqueness of Jesus’ position in relation to God Almighty and the universality of his power. His Christology is orthodox.

And so is his eschatology!  When he says, “What have you to do with me?. . . . I adjure you [swear to me], do not torment me,” the demon spokesman is essentially saying, “Wait a minute!  What are you going to do with us now!  You aren’t going to send us to the pit are you? You aren’t going to put us in eternal torment or bind us right now, are you?  You aren’t sending us to the abyss before our time?”  In other words, they also had their eschatology right!

Oh, they knew what was going to happen.  They knew that eventually they would end up in a bottomless pit (Revelation 20) and then ultimately in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20). They knew that some of their cohorts were already there (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6-7) but they didn’t want to go there yet. They understood that Jesus had to die first before that happened later on.  These demons had enjoyed free reign in this one man’s life, wreaking havoc in the region, doing bodily harm, doing what they could to destroy the image of God in this life and likely killing others in the process. So, they just wondered what Jesus was going to do with them now!  Why was he there now?

You see, even though demons are behind much of the liberal theology that deceives people, they themselves are orthodox. Not that they have  genuine belief or repentance―that’s impossible for them―but they know their stuff. They have who Christ is and how this is all going to end down pat.  Remember that!

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