God: Loving vs. Just

For those of you who have heard the commonly used atheist argument for why the Bible can't be trusted, or why the God of the Bible is either make-believe or schizophrenic; you'll probably appreciate the video below. James White makes a very compelling argument for why God would demand immediate justice for entire tribes of people. And why this TRUTH about God should not make Christians question if God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

It Was the Preached Word that Saved Me

April 27, 2009 By: John Piper - www.desiringgod.org

It seems that God has indeed designed that the inspired Word of the Bible become uniquely powerful by passing through a Spirit-filled person on the way to make a dead heart live.
Since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

One reason for this is that the saving Word is gospel, that is, news. News is to be heralded. The news-quality is captured in the kind of speaking that announces, declares, proclaims, heralds, exults over the truth of what God has done in Christ.

Here is Spurgeon’s tribute to the power of “the preached Word.”

Personally, I have to bless God for many good books…but my gratitude most of all is due to God, not for books, but for the preached Word—and that too addressed to me by a poor, uneducated man, a man who had never received any training for the ministry, and probably will never be heard of in this life, a man engaged in business, no doubt of a humble kind, during the week, but who had just enough of grace to say on the Sabbath, “Look unto Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”

The books were good, but the man was better. The revealed Word awakened me, but it was the preached Word that saved me; and I must ever attach peculiar value to the hearing of the truth, for by it I received the joy and peace in which my soul delights.

What's the Beef?

I was at Walmart last year (and yes, I have repented of this sin) purchasing a pepperoni pizza and some lunch meat, to include ham, among other things.

The woman ringing up my groceries scanned almost all of my goods and then pressed a button which setup the light at her station. I assumed she needed a price check or something? About 30 seconds later another woman showed up (who appeared to be a supervisor) and scanned my pizza and lunch meat and then walked away. I was immediately brought to the realization that the woman ringing up my groceries was a Muslim and was obviously unwilling/unable to touch any of my groceries which contained the contaminated substance called “swine”.

How did I feel at that moment? Umm, well to be honest a bit uneasy. I felt as if somehow I was degenerate simply because I am a connoisseur of pork. But on the other hand, I guess the tolerant-pluralistic-hand (must be my left hand) I thought to myself, if this woman has a moral reason not to touch some of my groceries, then I guess regardless of how it makes me feel, I should honor that. My thought process was that if the roles were reversed, I would want the same courtesy as well. So we both moved on and she remained “clean” and I ate a ham sandwich when I got home.

So then you take what we have in the wonderful state of Iowa. Where recently their rogue-government took it upon themselves to speak for the people of this great state and legalize same-sex marriage. And, as if this wasn’t bad enough, as some of the clerks with consciences are trying to be conscientious objectors to this moral corruption by declining to hand out marriage certificates...[Queue the Outcry] instead of finding a clerk that will grant them their godless marriage license, the offended parties instead cry foul (aka HATE) and we have a full-fledged controversy of discrimination.

The war against Christians wages on….

MY having been His murderer!

(Charles Spurgeon)

"A great multitude of the people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him." Luke 23:27

Amid the rabble crowd which hounded the Redeemer to His doom, there were some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamentations--fit music to accompany that march of woe!

When my soul can, in imagination, see the Savior bearing His cross to Calvary--she joins the godly women, and weeps with them. They bewailed . . . innocence--maltreated, goodness--persecuted, love--bleeding, meekness--dying!

But my heart has a deeper and more bitter cause to mourn:
MY SINS were the scourges which lacerated those blessed shoulders! MY SINS were the thorns which crowned that bleeding brow!
MY SINS cried, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" and laid the cruel cross upon His gracious shoulders! His being led forth to die, is sorrow enough for one eternity--but MY having been His murderer--is more, infinitely more grief, than one poor fountain of tears can express! Those women who loved and wept--could not have had greater reasons for love and grief--than my heart has!

The widow of Nain saw her son restored--but I myself have been raised to newness of life!
Peter's mother-in-law was cured of the fever--but I myself have been cured of the plague of sin!
Mary Magdalene had seven devils cast out of her--but a whole legion of devils were cast out of me!

Mary and Martha were favored with visits from Jesus--but He dwells with me!
I am not behind these holy women in debt to Jesus--let me not be behind them, in gratitude or sorrow.

"Love and grief my heart dividing, With my tears His feet I'll lave; Constant still in heart abiding, Weep for Him who died to save!"

Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)