Archive for July, 2009
July 29, 2009 at 11:40 pm
· Filed under Spirituality, Vocation ·Tagged Spirituality, Thomas Merton, Vocation
Somehow, I have to give up this thing that I love above everything else on earth because the love of God is greater… to renounce the purest of all vocations simply because it is not the one God has chosen for me – to accept something in which it seems likely that my highest personal ideals will be altogether frustrated, purely because of His love, His will. He who loves me prefers it this way, and to accept His love is to send up to Him the incense of the purest prayer, the sweetest praise, without pleasure for myself – and yet in the end it is a supreme joy!
– Thomas Merton, The Sign of Jonas
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July 22, 2009 at 7:18 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized
“Changing the world sounds grand, until you consider how poorly we do even at changing our own little lives. On a daily basis we break our promises, indulge our addictions and rehearse old fantasies and grudges that even we know we’d be better off without. We have changed less about ourselves than we would like to admit. Who are we to charge off to change the world?”
– Andy Crouch, Culture Making
Posted with LifeCast
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July 14, 2009 at 9:10 pm
· Filed under Life and Living, Spirituality ·Tagged Alphonso Rodriguez, Spirituality
I found this post (over at Provocations) so inspiring I just had to link to it. At the age of 40 Alphonsuz Rodriguez’ life just unraveled: “His wife died in childbirth, followed shortly by the deaths of his mother and his other children, and the family business failed.” But did he turn his back on God? No!
Rather than shaking his fist at God for such multiple misfortune, Alphonsus decided to dedicate the rest of his life in service to God.
The lesson here is: overcome evil with good. When misfortune, affliction, failure, calamity and what-have-you strike, serve God all the more!
Click here to read the whole thing.
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July 10, 2009 at 10:31 pm
· Filed under Theology ·Tagged John Calvin, Theology
Today a group of Reformed theology-minded Christians gathered together at West Negros University, Bacolod City to celebrate John Calvin’s 500th birthday. Atty. Jerry Basiao talked on John Calvin and the Sovereignty of God; Atty. Juan Rubrico talked on Why Calvin Matters; and I talked on Calvin and Preaching. My talk was based on the 1st seven distinctives of Calvin’s preaching as found in Steve Lawson’s book, The Expository Genius of John Calvin, as follows:
1. Biblical Authority
2. Divine Presence
3. Pulpit Priority
4. Sequential Exposition
5. Diligent Mind
6. Devoted Heart
7. Relentless Will
We had a great time! It is only right to give honor to whom honor is due. We honor John Calvin because he honored God with his life and by his preaching. Benjamin Warfield said of Calvin,”No man ever had a profounder sense of God than he.” Calvin himself said,
The thing (O God) at which I chiefly aimed, and for which I most diligently labored, was that the glory of thy goodness and justice… might shine forth conspicuous, that the virtue and blessings of thy Christ…might be fully displayed.
(Source: John Piper’s Legacy of Sovereign Joy)
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July 9, 2009 at 11:21 am
· Filed under Theology ·Tagged John Calvin, R.C. Sproul
From R.C. Sproul’s Right Now Counts Forever:
Calvin in debate could draw on his encyclopedic knowledge of biblical passages, as well as the ability to quote at length from ancient thinkers such as Augustine and Cicero. But above all things, Calvin sought to be true to the Word of God. He was the biblical theologian par excellence who was at the same time a singularly gifted systematic theologian.
We owe a great debt to this man. He is God’s gift to the church, not only for the sixteenth century but for all time. We therefore join the multitudes who are celebrating the 500th birthday of John Calvin in the year 2009.
Read the whole thing: The Theologian | Ligonier Ministries
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July 8, 2009 at 9:06 pm
· Filed under Audio, My Sermons ·Tagged assurance, sermons
My sermon on “The Doctrine of Assurance” based on I John 3:18ff., which was preached at Massebah Christian Church, Bacolod City, last June 28, 2009 is now online. Manuscript to follow.
Doctrine of Assurance
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July 5, 2009 at 10:29 pm
· Filed under Music ·Tagged calvinism, Music, song
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July 3, 2009 at 4:43 pm
· Filed under Church, Ministry, Missions ·Tagged Church, Missions
Cultivating a Culture of Missions in a Small Church – 9Marks.
Tom Ascol:
Pastor, have you ever thought to yourself, “My church is so small, we cannot do much for missions, especially overseas missions”?
If so, I have news for you. Small churches are not exempt from the work of missions, nor should they want to be.
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July 3, 2009 at 12:08 pm
· Filed under Theology ·Tagged Calvin's Institutes, John Calvin, theologians, Theology
W. Robert Godfrey – Calvin: Why He Still Matters.
Calvin still matters because the church still needs truth communicated effectively so that we might be sure that we know the truth, that we have been set free by the truth, and that we will live forever in Jesus who is the truth. John Calvin still matters because while he has many spiritual children, he remains in my judgment one of the greatest teachers the church has ever known in his balance, as well as in his insight and his passion. Time spent with John Calvin is time still well spent, and still a blessing for the church today.
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