31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not… Continue reading ‘My Sinful Self My Only Shame; My Glory All the Cross’
The book of Proverbs is replete with instructions and exhortations, many specifically to young men, so it is unsurprising that the book includes many a pointed word addressing a virtue so needed in men today––self-control. This fruit of the spirit is lifted high above success, reputation, physical strength, wealth, expertise etc. and gilded with the… Continue reading Self-Control Is the Greatest Virility
"We want more men who are not afraid to stand alone. It is truth, not numbers, which shall always in the end prevail. We have the truth, and we need not be ashamed to say so. The judgment day will prove who is right, and to that day we boldy appeal". This quote occupies the… Continue reading Not Afraid to Stand Alone
Early in the the fourth chapter of J.C. Ryle's Holiness, the author unequivocally shows from Scripture that the true Christian is called to fight, to be 'a man of war'. Indeed, Ryle rhetorically asks, what inspired scripture can mean when we read statements and commands in it such as 'Mortify your members which are upon… Continue reading The Christian is ‘A Man of War’
Writing to the suffering, persecuted Jewish Christians, the author of Hebrews quotes a Messianic passage in the Book of Habakuk (2:3) in order to encourage and admonish his readers to persevere. Hebrews 10:35-37 reads, "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when… Continue reading Yet A Little While
A Different Preaching––such is the title of chapter seven in Iain Murray's biography of Martyn Lloyd-Jones (volume 1). If anyone today reckons the biblically weak, entertainment focused and cultural catering of the pulpit in present day America is merely a modern, 21st century infamy, Lloyd-Jones’s conviction and courage to stand against such foolishness nearly one-hundred… Continue reading A Different Preaching
Jan 4 I'm on a walk at lunch time. There's no doubt the birds are down to the 'winter crew'. That is to say, the bare bows and branches are graced with Black Capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Red-Bellied, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Cardinals, White-Breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Dark-Eyed Juncos, American Goldfinches, American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds,… Continue reading Corduroy Kid: January
A few weeks ago I was reminded of the marvelous truth totally central and indivisible to christianity. In John's gospel the apostle writes the stark and beautiful words 'Christ is the way' (John 14:6). I was reading a sermon of Robert Murray M'Cheyne's on the passage and was struck afresh by the wonder and the… Continue reading Christ Is the Way
Recently I've been taking Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray M'Cheyne by Andrew A. Bonar down from my bookshelf. I've been sipping tea and turning pages for several weeks and can whole-heartedly say it is a book that has changed and blessed me. To be sure, the only reason it's been a blessing and a… Continue reading How God Works by Providences
In "The Glory of Christ" John Owen wrote of a wonderful truth made possible by Christ's atoning work. He said, "The glory of Christ is also seen in the stability and security that is given to the whole new creation...
