Jesus Never Sought to Amuse Them

Jesus pitied sinners, pleaded with them, sighed over them, warned them, and wept over them; but He never sought to amuse them!

When many of His disciples turned away, because of the searching nature of His preaching--I do not find there was any attempt to bring them back, by resorting to something more pleasant to the flesh. I do not hear Him saying, "We must keep up the gatherings at any cost! So run after the people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow! Something very short and attractive, with little, if any, preaching. Today was a service for God--but tomorrow we will have a pleasant evening for the people! Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it, and have a pleasant time. Be quick, Peter! We must get the people somehow; if not by Gospel--then by entertainment!"

No, this was not how He argued. Gazing in sorrow on those who would not hear the Word--He simply turns to the twelve, and asks, "Will you go away also?"

-Archibald Brown-

You can read Brown's entire article here, "The Devil's Mission of Amusement".

How Many Scripture Refrences Can You Find?

Charles Spurgeon once said of John Bunyon "prick John Bunyan...he will bleed Bible." I am currently reading through Pilgrims Progress for my fourth time and as always I am amazed at how many Scripture references can be found on every page. So with that in mind here is the opening paragraph from when Christian meets faithful. How many scripture verses can you find alluded to in this passage?

"As Christian went on his way, he came to a hill which was cast up on purpose that pilgrims might see before them. Up Christian went; and looking forward, he saw Faithful before him upon his journey. Then said Christian aloud, “Ho, ho! So-ho! stay, and I will be your companion.” At that Faithful looked behind him, and Christian cried again, “Stay, stay, till I come up to you.” But Faithful answered “No, I am fleeing for my life, and the avenger of blood is behind me.”
At this Christian was somewhat moved; and putting forth all his strength, he quickly got up with Faithful, and outran him: so the last was first. Then did Christian boastfully smile, because he had gotten in front of his brother; but, not taking good heed to his feet, he suddenly stumbled and fell, and could not rise again until Faithful came up to help him."

Read the Bible in a Year (Calendar)

Follow this plan and you will complete the Bible in a year. The links are included so you can read the daily selection online if you would like.

Jan 1: Gen 1-3

Jan 2: Gen 4-7

Jan 3: Gen 8-11

Jan 4: Gen 12-15

Jan 5: Gen 16-18

Jan 6: Gen 19-21

Jan 7: Gen 22-24

Jan 8: Gen 25-26

Jan 9: Gen 27-29

Jan 10: Gen 30-31

Jan 11: Gen 32-34

Jan 12: Gen 35-37

Jan 13: Gen 38-40

Jan 14: Gen 41-42

Jan 15: Gen 43-45

Jan 16: Gen 46-47

Jan 17: Gen 48-50

Jan 18: Ex 1-3

Jan 19: Ex 4-6

Jan 20: Ex 7-9

Jan 21: Ex 10-12

Jan 22: Ex 13-15

Jan 23: Ex 16-18

Jan 24: Ex 19-21

Jan 25: Ex 22-24

Jan 26: Ex 25-27

Jan 27: Ex 28-29

Jan 28: Ex 30-32

Jan 29: Ex 33-35

Jan 30: Ex 36-38

Jan 31: Ex 39-40
Feb 1: Lev 1-4

Feb 2: Lev 5-7
Feb 3: Lev 8-10

Feb 4: Lev 11-13

Feb 5: Lev 14-15
Feb 6: Lev 16-18

Feb 7: Lev 19-21

Feb 8: Lev 22-23

Feb 9: Lev 24-25

Feb 10: Lev 26-27
Feb 11: Num 1-2

Feb 12: Num 3-4
Feb 13: Num 5-6

Feb 14: Num 7

Feb 15: Num 8-10
Feb 16: Num 11-13

Feb 17: Num 14-15

Feb 18: Num 16-17

Feb 19: Num 18-20

Feb 20: Num 21-22

Feb 21: Num 23-25

Feb 22: Num 26-27

Feb 23: Num 28-30

Feb 24: Num 31-32

Feb 25: Num 33-34

Feb 26: Num 35-36

Feb 27: Deut 1-2

Feb 28/29: Deut 3-4

Mar 1: Deut 5-7

Mar 2: Deut 8-10

Mar 3: Deut 11-13

Mar 4: Deut 14-16

Mar 5: Deut 17-20

Mar 6: Deut 21-23

Mar 7: Deut 24-27

Mar 8: Deut 28-29

Mar 9: Deut 30-31

Mar 10: Deut 32-34

Mar 11: Josh 1-4

Mar 12: Josh 5-8

Mar 13: Josh 9-11

Mar 14: Josh 12-15
Mar 15: Josh 16-18

Mar 16: Josh 19-21

Mar 17: Josh 22-24

Mar 18: Jud 1-2

Mar 19: Jud 3-5

Mar 20: Jud 6-7

Mar 21: Jud 8-9

Mar 22: Jud 10-12

Mar 23: Jud 13-15

Mar 24: Jud 16-18

Mar 25: Jud 19-21

Mar 26: 1Sam 1-3

Mar 27: 1Sam 4-8

Mar 28: 1Sam 9-12

Mar 29: 1Sam 13-14

Mar 30: 1Sam 15-17

Mar 31: 1Sam 18-20

Apr 1: 1Sam 21-24

Apr 2: 1Sam 25-27

Apr 3: 1Sam 28-31

Apr 4: 2Sam 1-3

Apr 5: 2Sam 4-6

Apr 6: 2Sam 7-10

Apr 7: 2Sam 11-13

Apr 8: 2Sam 14-15

Apr 9: 2Sam 16-18

Apr 10: 2Sam 19-21

Apr 11: 2Sam 22-24

Apr 12: 1King 1-2

Apr 13: 1King 3-5

Apr 14: 1King 6-7

Apr 15: 1King 8-9

Apr 16: 1King 10-11

Apr 17: 1King 12-14

Apr 18: 1King 15-17

Apr 19: 1King 18-20

Apr 20: 1King 21-22

Apr 21: 2King 1-4

Apr 22: 2King 5-8

Apr 23: 2King 9-11

Apr 24: 2King 12-14

Apr 25: 2King 15-17

Apr 26: 2King 18-19

Apr 27: 2King 20-22

Apr 28: 2King 23-25

Apr 29: Is 1-4

Apr 30: Is 5-8

May 1: Is 9-12

May 2: Is 13-17

May 3: Is 18-22

May 4: Is 23-27

May 5: Is 28-30

May 6: Is 31-35

May 7: Is 36-41

May 8: Is 42-44

May 9: Is 45-48

May 10: Is 49-53

May 11: Is 54-58

May 12: Is 59-63
May 13: Is 64-66

May 14: Jer 1-3

May 15: Jer 4-6

May 16: Jer 7-9

May 17: Jer 10-13

May 18: Jer 14-17

May 19: Jer 18-22

May 20: Jer 23-25

May 21: Jer 26-29

May 22: Jer 30-31

May 23: Jer 32-34

May 24: Jer 35-37

May 25: Jer 38-41

May 26: Jer 42-45
May 27: Jer 46-48

May 28: Jer 49-50

May 29: Jer 51-52

May 30: Ezek 1-3

May 31: Ezek 4-7

Jun 1: Ezek 8-10

Jun 2: Ezek 11-12

Jun 3: Ezek 13-15

Jun 4: Ezek 16-17

Jun 5: Ezek 18-20

Jun 6: Ezek 21-23

Jun 7: Ezek 24-27

Jun 8: Ezek 28-31

Jun 9: Ezek 32-34

Jun 10: Ezek 35-38

Jun 11: Ezek 39-41

Jun 12: Ezek 42-43

Jun 13: Ezek 44-45

Jun 14: Ezek 46-48

Jun 15: Hosea 1-7

Jun 16: Hosea 8-14

Jun 17: Joel

Jun 18: Amos 1-5

Jun 19: Amos 6-9

Jun 20: Obadiah; Jonah

Jun 21: Micah

Jun 22: Nahum; Habakkuk

Jun 23: Zephaniah; Haggai

Jun 24: Zech 1-7

Jun 25: Zech 8-14

Jun 26: Malachi

Jun 27: Ps 1-8

Jun 28: Ps 9-16

Jun 29: Ps 17-20

Jun 30: Ps 21-25

Jul 1: Ps 26-31

Jul 2: Ps 32-35

Jul 3: Ps 36-39

Jul 4: Ps 40-45

Jul 5: Ps 46-50

Jul 6: Ps 51-57

Jul 7: Ps 58-65

Jul 8: Ps 66-69

Jul 9: Ps 70-73

Jul 10: Ps 74-77

Jul 11: Ps 78-79

Jul 12: Ps 80-85

Jul 13: Ps 86-89

Jul 14: Ps 90-95

Jul 15: Ps 96-102

Jul 16: Ps 103-105

Jul 17: Ps 106-107

Jul 18: Ps 108-114

Jul 19: Ps 115-118

Jul 20: Ps 119:1-88

Jul 21: Ps 119:89-176

Jul 22: Ps 120-132

Jul 23: Ps 133-139

Jul 24: Ps 140-145

Jul 25: Ps 146-150

Jul 26: Prov 1-3

Jul 27: Prov 4-6

Jul 28: Prov 7-9

Jul 29: Prov 10-12

Jul 30: Prov 13-15

Jul 31: Prov 16-18

Aug 1: Prov 19-21

Aug 2: Prov 22-23

Aug 3: Prov 24-26

Aug 4: Prov 27-29

Aug 5: Prov 30-31

Aug 6: Job 1-5

Aug 7: Job 6-9
Aug 8: Job 10-13

Aug 9: Job 14-16

Aug 10: Job 17-20

Aug 11: Job 21-23

Aug 12: Job 24-28

Aug 13: Job 29-31

Aug 14: Job 32-34

Aug 15: Job 35-37

Aug 16: Job 38-39

Aug 17: Job 40-42

Aug 18: Solomon

Aug 19: Ruth

Aug 20: Lam 1-3:36

Aug 21: Lam 3:37-5:22

Aug 22: Ecc 1-4

Aug 23: Ecc 5-8

Aug 24: Ecc 9-12

Aug 25: Est 1-3

Aug 26: Est 4-6

Aug 27: Est 7-10

Aug 28: Dan 1-2

Aug 29: Dan 3-4

Aug 30: Dan 5-6

Aug 31: Dan 7-8

Sep 1: Dan 9-10

Sep 2: Dan 11-12

Sep 3: Ezra 1-2

Sep 4: Ezra 3-5

Sep 5: Ezra 6-7

Sep 6: Ezra 8-10

Sep 7: Neh 1-3

Sep 8: Neh 4-6

Sep 9: Neh 7-8

Sep 10: Neh 9-11

Sep 11: Neh 12-13

Sep 12: 1Chron 1-2

Sep 13: 1Chron 3-5

Sep 14: 1Chron 6

Sep 15: 1Chron 7-8

Sep 16: 1Chron 9-10

Sep 17: 1Chron 11-12

Sep 18: 1Chron 13-15

Sep 19: 1Chron 16-17

Sep 20: 1Chron 18-20

Sep 21: 1Chron 21-23

Sep 22: 1Chron 24-25

Sep 23: 1Chron 26-27

Sep 24: 1Chron 28-29

Sep 25: 2Chron 1-4

Sep 26: 2Chron 5-7

Sep 27: 2Chron 8-10

Sep 28: 2Chron 11-14

Sep 29: 2Chron 15-18

Sep 30: 2Chron 19-21

Oct 1: 2Chron 22-24

Oct 2: 2Chron 25-27

Oct 3: 2Chron 28-29

Oct 4: 2Chron 30-32

Oct 5: 2Chron 33-34

Oct 6: 2Chron 35-36

Oct 7: James

Oct 8: Gal 1-3

Oct 9: Gal 4-6

Oct 10: 1Thess

Oct 11: 2Thess

Oct 12: 1Cor 1-4

Oct 13: 1Cor 5-8

Oct 14: 1Cor 9-11

Oct 15: 1Cor 12-14

Oct 16: 1Cor 15-16

Oct 17: 2Cor 1-4

Oct 18: 2Cor 5-9

Oct 19: 2Cor 10-13
Oct 20: Rom 1-3

Oct 21: Rom 4-7

Oct 22: Rom 8-10

Oct 23: Rom 11-13

Oct 24: Rom 14-16

Oct 25: Matt 1-4

Oct 26: Matt 5-7

Oct 27: Matt 8-9

Oct 28: Matt 10-12

Oct 29: Matt 13-14

Oct 30: Matt 15-17

Oct 31: Matt 18-20

Nov 1: Matt 21-22

Nov 2: Matt 23-24

Nov 3: Matt 25-26

Nov 4: Matt 27-28

Nov 5: Mark 1-3

Nov 6: Mark 4-5

Nov 7: Mark 6-7

Nov 8: Mark 8-9

Nov 9: Mark 10-11

Nov 10: Mark 12-13

Nov 11: Mark 14

Nov 12: Mark 15-16

Nov 13: Luke 1

Nov 14: Luke 2-3

Nov 15: Luke 4-5

Nov 16: Luke 6-7

Nov 17: Luke 8-9

Nov 18: Luke 10-11

Nov 19: Luke 12-13

Nov 20: Luke 14-16

Nov 21: Luke 17-18

Nov 22: Luke 19-20

Nov 23: Luke 21-22

Nov 24: Luke 23-24

Nov 25: Eph 1-3

Nov 26: Eph 4-6

Nov 27: Col; Philemon

Nov 28: Philippians

Nov 29: Acts 1-3

Nov 30: Acts 4-6

Dec 1: Acts 7-8

Dec 2: Acts 9-10

Dec 3: Acts 11-13

Dec 4: Acts 14-16

Dec 5: Acts 17-19

Dec 6: Acts 20-22

Dec 7: Acts 23-25

Dec 8: Acts 26-28

Dec 9: 1Timothy

Dec 10: Titus

Dec 11: 1Peter

Dec 12: Heb 1-6

Dec 13: Heb 7-10

Dec 14: Heb 11-13

Dec 15: 2Timothy

Dec 16: 2Peter; Jude

Dec 17: John 1-2

Dec 18: John 3-4

Dec 19: John 5-6

Dec 20: John 7-8

Dec 21: John 9-10

Dec 22: John 11-12

Dec 23: John 13-15

Dec 24: John 16-18

Dec 25: John 19-21

Dec 26: 1John

Dec 27: 2John; 3John

Dec 28: Rev 1-5

Dec 29: Rev 6-11

Dec 30: Rev 12-18

Dec 31: Rev 19-22

The Significance of Feet in Scripture

God Has Condescended to Win Our Hearts

It is he that sitteh upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. Isa. 40:22

Speaking of the beauty of the poetry found in the Book of Isaiah, J. Gresham Machen makes the following profound statement.

"Though the primary importance of the Bible is found in its recording of facts, the way in which the facts are recorded is by no means a matter of indifference. A bald, dry record of the history of redemption might possibly have convinced the mind – though even that, because of subtle moral factors involved may be doubtful – but it would at any rate never have touched the heart. As it is, God has been very good; He has spoken to us in gracious fashion; He has condescended to win our hearts by the variety and beauty of His Book. In the Bible there is that which meets every need of man, which answers to every mood, which speaks to every heart. No one who comes to this feast need go empty away; and there are time in every life when even the least considered of the things that the Bible contains are just what is needed by the soul. So there is a place in the nurture of the Christian life, among other things, for the majestic poetry of Isaiah."

J. Gresham Machen – God Transcendent

Do You Know the Time?

This is me preaching to the camera in my garage again for whatever it is worth. :-) This video is looking at Romans 13:11-12.

Thoughts on Soul Winning

“We do not regard it to be soul-winning to steal members out of churches already established, and train them to utter our peculiar Shibboleth: we aim rather at bringing souls to Christ than at making converts to our synagogue.”

"In the next place, we do not consider soul-winning to be accomplished by hurriedly inscribing more names upon our church-roll, in order to show a good increase at the end of the year. This is easily done, and there are brethren who use great pains, not to say arts, to effect it; but if it be regarded as the Alpha and Omega of a minister's efforts, the result will be deplorable."

"Teach gospel doctrines clearly, affectionately, simply, and plainly, and especially those truths which have a present and practical bearing upon man's condition and God's grace. Some enthusiasts would seem to have imbibed the notion that, as soon as a minister addresses the unconverted, he should deliberately contradict his usual doctrinal discourses, because it is supposed that there will be no conversions if he preaches the whole counsel of God. It just comes to this, brethren, it is supposed that we are to conceal truth, and utter a half-falsehood, in order to save souls. We are to speak the truth to God's people because they will not hear anything else; but we are to wheedle sinners into faith by exaggerating one part of truth, and hiding the rest until a more convenient season. This is a strange theory, and yet many endorse it.”

“To try to win a soul for Christ by keeping that soul in ignorance of any truth, is contrary to the mind of the Spirit; and to endeavour to save men by mere claptrap, or excitement, or oratorical display, is as foolish as to hope to hold an angel with bird-lime, or lure a star with music. The best attraction is the gospel in its purity. The weapon with which the Lord conquers men is the truth as it is in Jesus. The gospel will be found equal to every emergency; an arrow which can pierce the hardest heart, a balm which will heal the deadliest wound. Preach it, and preach nothing else.”

C.H. Spurgeon- The Soul Winner-

PS. I posted this a couple of years ago but thought it was worthy of a repost.

Quiz on the Book of Acts

Okay, I know for some of you theologically minded bloggers this will be a cake walk, but here is a short quiz I gave the youth this morning on some of the main themes in the book of Acts.

1. Who wrote the book of Acts?

2. Why is it called the book of Acts?

3. What was the event called when the Holy Spirit came in Chapter two?

4. The First half of the book of Acts follows which major Apostle?

5. The Second half of the book of Acts follows which Major Apostle?

6. How many people where saved at Peter’s first sermon?

7. What did Peter’s vision of the clean and unclean animals mean?

7. Why was Saul on the Road to Damascus?

8. What did Ananias and Saphira do that they were stuck dead?

9. The first major Christian council met in Jerusalem, what did they get together to discuss?

10. When Paul was preachin in Ephesus, why were some of the men upset with Paul, which caused them to start a riot shouting "Great is Diana of the Ephesians"?

11. How did Paul end up on the Island of Malta where he was bitten by a snake?

12. What was something that made an impression on you while reading Acts?

Outline for the Book of Acts

The College and Career class at our church just finished reading through the books of acts. Here is the outline we will be covering tomorrow for review. I thought I would post it in case any of you might find it helpful.

Introduction (1:1-26)

I. The Birth of the Church Through the Ministry of Peter. (2:1-12:25)

A. The Spread of the Gospel in Jeruslem.

1. Pentecost (2:1-47)


2. The Roots of the Gospel in Jerusalem (3:1-5:16).


3. Aggressive Opposition (5:17-42)


4. The Appointment of the Seven and Stephen’s Martyrdom (6:1-8:4).

B. The Spread of the Gospel in all Judea and Samaria (8:5-12:25)

1. Philip the Evangelist: The Gospel Goes to Samaria (8:5 – 12:25)


2. The Conversion and Baptism of the Ethiopian Enuch (8:5 – 25)


3. The Conversion of Saul (9:1-31)


4. The Continuation of Peter’s Work in Judea: the Gospel Goes to the Gentiles (9:32-10:48)


5. The Contention in Jerusalem Regarding Christianity for the Gentiles (11:1-18)


6. The Penetration of the Gospel to Areas Adjacent to Palestine (11:19-12:25).

II. The Missionary Expansion of the Church Through the Ministry of Paul (13:1-28:31)

A. The Ministry of Saul and Barnabas; The First Missionary Journey (13:1-14:28)

B. The Jerusalem Conference: The Church’s Formal Extension of the Gospel (15:1-35)

C. The Confirmation of New Churches (15:1-35)

D. The Ministry of Paul and Silas: the Second Missionary Journey (16:1-18:22)

E. The Ministry of Paul and Silas Continues: The Third Misssionary Journey (18:23-21:16)

F. Paul Takes the Gospel to Rome (21:17-28:31)

1. Paul is Arrested in Jerusalem (21:17-36)


2. Paul Speaks to His Countrymen (21:37-22:29)


3. Paul Speaks to the Sanhedrin (22:30-23:11)


4. Paul Goes to Caesarea (23:12-35)


5. Paul Speaks to Felix and is Imprisoned at Caesarea for two years (24:1-27)


6. Paul Speaks to Festus (25:1-12).


7. Paul Speaks to Festus Agrippa, and Bernice (25:13-26:32)


8. Paul Sails for Rome (27:1-28:10)


9. Paul Arrives in Rome; Under House Arrest for two years (28:11-31)

-From the "Believer’s Study Bible"- W. A Criswell

Maintaining Your Faith While Attending a Secular University - Greg L. Bahnsen

A busy academic and social schedule in college can easily pull the Christian away from God’s Word. But remember: you cannot defend God and His Word if you are not sanctified (set apart) for Him by means of contact with His Word. Too many Christian Students drift away from the faith in college because they have not been prepared for the spiritual and apologetic battles they will face. Dr. Gary North once wrote an article advertising a Christian college. The article showed a dejected father who had sent his son off to a secular college. It stated: “I spent $40,000 to send my son to hell.”

Seven Practices Christians Must Do in College.

1. Frequently remind yourself of the nature of spiritual warfare. In order to prepare yourself for your college classes, at the beginning of each semester you should re-read the biblical passages that demonstrate the active antagonism of the unbelieving world against your Christian faith. You must not forget the nature of the unbeliever’s challenge to your holistic (all encompassing) faith.

2. Diligently seek to evaluate everything you are being taught from a principled Christian perspective. After classes each day, jot down comments on the contradictions to the Christian faith which you encountered. Keep them in a notebook. Writing things down is the best secret to a good memory. Reflect on biblical answers to these supposed contradictions.

3. Develop small Bible study and accountability groups with other Christian students on campus. A part of defending the faith involves promoting its defense even among believers. As a Christian in fellowship with other Christians, you should urge fellow believers to realize their spiritual obligation to defend the faith before and unbelieving world.

4. Seek out any Christian campus ministries that are strongly committed to the Bible and are developing the Christian life. Attend their meetings and involve yourself in their ministries.

5. Find a good church in the area of your college. Commit yourself to attend church regularly. As Christians, we must not be “forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another” (Heb. 10:25).

6. Where possible use class assignments to present the Christian perspective on issues. We would recommend that you avoid narrow testimonial types of papers. You should rather discretely develop worldview oriented themes that work basic Christian principles into the picture. In-your-face testimonials might be an affront to your professor and may appear to be a challenge to him. But working out your biblical principles might alert him to the philosophical implications of Christianity and will certainly help you flesh out your own understanding. You must be about “making the most of your time” while in college . . . You will certainly not find your professors assigning papers that encourage your Christian faith. But you must seek the opportunities—when they are allowed.

7. As a well-rounded Christian seeking to glorify Christ, you must approach your academic studies in a mature and diligent fashion. Your are both paying hard-earned money for a college education and spending your God-given time in college; make the most of your investment. Do not cut corners in your studies or simply try to “get by.” Christ calls you to excellence. Some students are naturally lazy, others suffer from voluntary inertia. Do not allow your educational experience to inadvertently teach you to be intellectually lazy. Such laziness is disloyalty to Christ.

-Greg L. Bahnsen; Pushing the Antithesis-

Science, Philosophy, and the Word of God

"In the year 1861 the French Academy of Science published a list of fifty-one so-called scientific facts, each of which, it was alleged, disproved some statement in the Bible. Today the Bible remains as it was then, but not one of these fifty-one so called Facts is held by men of science.. . .. Does anyone really believe that science and Philosophy have yet reached, even approximately, their final form? May it not rather be contended that they are so far removed from their ultimate [true] form that if the teachings of the Bible were in complete harmony with present-day science and philosophy they would be out of harmony with the science and philosophy of the future."

Loraine Boettner, Studies in Theology

How firm is your foundation? The wise man will build his house upon the rock, which is the Word of God. (Matt. 7:24)



Science, Philosophy, and the Word of God

A Christian Inferiority Complex

Some churchmen have always had an inferiority complex about Christianity and have sought to reconcile Christ and the world of pagan thought. But as someone has said, the theology that weds itself to the philosophy of the present age will soon find itself a widow. Secular philosophies come and go, but the Word of God remains the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

-John W. Robbins-

The Church's Undoing - David Wells

"For it is certainly the case that the Word of God, read or preached, has the power to enter the innermost crevices of a person’s being, to shine light in unwanted places, to explode the myths and deceits by which fallen life sustains itself, and to bring that person face to face with the eternal God. It is this biblical Word which God uses to bring repentance, to excite faith, to give new life, to sustain that life once given, to correct, nurture, and guide the Church (Jer. 23:23; II Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:12; Jas. 1:18). The biblical Word is self-authenticating under the power of the Holy Spirit. This Word of God is the means by which God accomplishes his saving work in his people, and this is a work that no evangelist and no preacher can do. This is why the dearth of serious, sustained biblical preaching in the Church today is a serious matter. When the Church loses the Word of God it loses the very means by which God does his work. In its absence, therefore, a script is being written, however unwittingly, for the Church’s undoing, not in one cataclysmic moment, but in a slow, inexorable slide made up of piece by tiny piece of daily dereliction."

David F. Wells – Above all Earthly Pow’rs

Intimate Knowledge of God

…How few, even among believers, appreciate the privilege of access to the great Author of the universe through His word! Poor and rich, high and low, ignorant and learned, young and old, all alike are welcomed to the audience-chamber of the King of kings. The most intimate knowledge of God is possible on one condition—that we search His Holy Scriptures, prayerfully and habitually, and translate what we there find, into obedience. Of him who thus meditates on God’s law day and night, who look and continues looking into this perfect law of liberty, the promise is unique, and found in both Testaments: “whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”; “that man shall be blessed in his deed.” (Comp. Ps.1:3; Josh. 1:8; James 1:25.)

A.T. Pierson, George Muller: All Things are Possible.