“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure. Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”
-Matthew 5:8; Titus 1:15; Philippians 4:8

Why meet the Puritans? As one modern critic said, “Puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” I must admit, that was my perspective in my early years of ministry. Puritans were a small group of people that seemed so strict, so out of sync with the rest of the world. I placed them in the Amish category only in an earlier era. But then I discovered “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.” I repented of my ignorance. They became spiritual giants in my life as I read of the persecution that they suffered many separating from the Church of England and willing to die horrifying deaths simply because they believed in Sola Scriptura – “by Scripture alone!” [Read more…]

“And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.” John 17:10

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Gloria Patri – Charles Meineke (1782-1850)

Wherever God the Father and God the Son in Scripture are interconnected, “glory” is involved! In John 17:1, it is the Father glorifying the Son, and the Son glorifying the Father. In John 17:4, it is the Son glorifying the Father in doing His will on earth, and in John 17:5, it is a request by the Son for the Father to glorify Him while on earth with the same glory He had with the Father before the world began. I think it was Warren Wiersbe who said, “To glorify God is to make Him look good.” Well, there is no question that while on earth Jesus the Son and God the Father made each other not only look good but perfect! They had a right to display their divine attributes and in many ways they did, but always for each other’s glory. [Read more…]

“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'” Matthew 26:39

Am I the only one who has placed his head on the pillow at night and sighed, “Lord, I just don’t think that I can go any farther.” According to Scripture I think not. Moses, I am convinced, prayed this prayer more than once -“Why…have you laid the burden of all these people on me….the burden is too heavy for me….if You treat me like this, please kill me here and now.” (Numbers 11:10-17). Elijah, after that great victory on Mt. Carmel is soon found under the broom tree and asks God to take his life saying, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (I Kings 19:1-18). Jonah, when discovered that he was the cause of the storm said to the mariners, “Pick me up and throw me into the seas; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me” (Jonah 1:1-2:2). Jonah would rather die than go on for God. [Read more…]

First published in 1967 and reprinted in 1992, Bishop J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) published a work that should be read by every pastor and member of a Bible-believing local church. Entitled “Warnings to the Churches,” Ryle’s burden was to encourage strong and serious Christian living. Ryle lamented in his day that, “I fear much for many professing Christians. I see no sign of fighting in them, much less of victory. They never strike one stroke on the side of Christ. They are at peace with His enemies. They have no quarrel with sin. I often fear much for those who hear the Gospel regularly. I fear lest you become so familiar with the sound of its doctrines, that insensibly you become dead to its power. I fear lest your religion should sink down into vague talk about your own weakness and corruption, and a few sentimental expressions about Christ, while real, practical fighting on Christ’s side is altogether neglected. Oh! Beware of this state of mind. This is not Christianity. This is not the way to heaven.” [Read more…]

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?'” Mark 8:34-36

When you read this familiar text from Scripture, among those who may have responded over the years, who comes to mind first? Do we not usually think first of those who may have been called into missionary service, pastoral ministry, or some other means of full time vocational ministry? Is it not usually the known disciples that stand in our pulpits, fly across the seas to foreign lands, lead our Christian organizations, rather than the unknown faces that often sit in the pews of our churches? [Read more…]