Every Which Way But Loose

Just a few thoughts about when life hits us with unexpected troubles.

Doug

P.S. Thanks dad for following the Lord and preaching the sermons He gave you. The "Every Which Way But Loose" one has never ceased to comfort me. Happy Fathers Day!

God's Plan To Prosper You Includes Your Death

For the Christian, God's plan to prosper and not to harm you includes your death. Often when we talk about trials and God doing his work in us, we think about Job, but what about the Christian who dies in the prime of life and didn't escape their trial? Did God fail to prosper them, or do we have to assume that they deserved it? The answer to both of these questions is, no. God's is doing a work that is bigger than us, and His ways are higher than ours.

God Bless,

Doug

When Deep Calls to Deep: Thoughts for Struggling Christians

This is a short video devotion which looks at the times of deep sorrow in the Christian life. It focuses primarily on Psalm 42 and 43.

Calvinism and Arminianism Debate mp3

Here is five hours of a debate on Calvinism and Arminianism with James White and Steve Gregg if your up for the task.

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5

God Bless,

Doug

HT: The Grey Coats

Not Every Christian is Always Happy

“Not every Christian is always happy. Perhaps the King of Saints gave you a season of great joy at first because you were a raw recruit and he would not put you into the roughest part of the battle when you had first enlisted. You were a tender plant, and he nursed you in the hot-house till you could stand severe weather. You were a young child, and therefore he wrapped you in furs and clothed you in the softest mantle. But now you have become strong and the case is different. Capuan holidays do not suit Roman soldiers; and they would not agree with Christians. We need clouds and darkness to exercise our faith, to cut off self dependence, and make us put more faith in Christ, and less in evidence, less in experience, less in frames and feelings. The best of God's children—I repeat it again for the comfort of those who are suffering depression of spirits—have their nights.”

-Charles Spurgeon-

On Affliction and Our Slavish Love of This World- John Calvin

Whatever be the kind of tribulation with which we are afflicted, we should always consider the end of it to be, that we may be trained to despise the present, and thereby stimulated to aspire to the future life. For since God well knows how strongly we are inclined by nature to a slavish love of this world, in order to prevent us from clinging too strongly to it, he employs the fittest reason for calling us back, and shaking off our lethargy.. . ..The heart also, engrossed with avarice, ambition, and lust, is weighed down and cannot rise above them. In short, the whole soul, ensnared by the allurements of the flesh, seeks its happiness on the earth. To meet this disease, the Lord makes his people sensible of the vanity of the present life, by a constant proof of its miseries.

-John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion-

God Will Destroy the Wicked

The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. Psa 145:20

"All the wicked will he destroy." God has so many different, unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world, and sending them to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man at any moment.

-Jonathan Edwards-

Apologetics.com Radio: The Thanksgiving Show

Below is a link to the latest radio show on which I was a guest. It deals with the nature of gratitude and thanksgiving in the life of the believer.

The Thanksgiving Show (MP3) (right click to save)

It can also be downloaded in itunes under podcasts. Search for apologetics.

God Bless,

Doug