General News Archive
Personal news, general news and news related to this site.
A Family Prayer (05/11/08 - 6 Comments)
I went looking this morning for a prayer for Mother's Day. I guess the Puritans didn't celebrate Mother's Day (wasn't Hallmark around back then?) but I did find this prayer for the family in The Valley of Vision. It is called simply "Family." O SOVEREIGN LORD, Thou art the Creator-Father of all men, for thou hast made and dost support them; Thou art the special Father of those who know, love and honour thee, who...
Together for the Gospel (in Canada!) - A Reminder (03/29/08 - 4 Comments)
We are just a couple of weeks away from Together for the Gospel—undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated conferences of the year. I first mentioned a few weeks ago that at the conference there will be a small gathering geared specifically to Canadians and to people with an interest in ministry to Canada. This is a ministry of Grace Fellowship Church of Toronto and there are no expenses involved. It will be lead, at...
Together for the Gospel (in Canada!) (03/12/08 - 17 Comments)
Some time ago I was talking with a friend who pastors a church in this area and we discussed how much we enjoy what is being accomplished and modeled through Together for the Gospel. We talked about how we wish something like that could happen in Canada. And from there we realized that maybe, just maybe, it can happen. There are going to be plenty of Canadians attending Together for the Gospel and it seemed...
Interview Questions (02/23/08 - 17 Comments)
Next week I have the opportunity to offer both Chuck Colson and Iain Murray. I’d love to get some feedback from the readers here about what I might want to ask them. Read on… In a couple of months I’ll be attending and writing about the Banner of Truth Ministers’ Conference this May (it runs from the 27th to the 29th) down in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (can you believe I actually found a direct flight from...
Wisdom from John Adams (01/06/08 - 11 Comments)
For a long time now I’ve been reading David McCullough’s biography of John Adams. Because the book has collided a little bit with vacation and with some “necessary” reading, it has taken me a long time to get through it, even though it is a very enjoyable read. Within the book I’ve found a couple of great quotes from the pen of John Adams—quotes that have stuck with me. Adams is in some ways a...
Your Goodness Will Be with Me (01/01/08 - 6 Comments)
I love the dawning of a new year. I tend to view life in "chunks," in periods with a defined beginning and end. When driving home from Tennessee yesterday I inadvertently grouped the drive into pieces in my mind and felt relief and success with the completion of each portion--from Tennessee to Cincinnati, from Cincy to Detroit, and from Detroit to home. I do the same with periods of time, enjoying the beginning of one...
Book News (12/28/07 - 8 Comments)
I’ve got two quick book updates for you. And then I’m going to relax for the rest of the morning before heading into Chattanooga for the Reality Check Conference which begins later this evening. I’ll be bringing live updates from that event from this evening until Sunday morning. First off, my book is now in stock at Amazon. So if you’ve been waiting to buy The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment at Amazon, you can now...
The Best $4.03 You'll Ever Spend (Redux) (12/18/07 - 7 Comments)
Some time ago (July of this year) I posted a link to a book and said it is the best $4.03 you’ll ever spend. I don’t know that I ever told you what happened after that. Basically, and as I understand it, it went something like this: Within a couple of hours, the book had sold out at Westminster Books. A short time after that, the publisher sent all the available copies in the warehouse,...
"Culture Shift" by Dr. Albert Mohler (12/12/07 - 7 Comments)
Yesterday I received a long list of emails with announcements for books that will be published early next year. Most of these I had already heard of or found entirely uninspiring. There was one exception. I was absolutely thrilled (honestly—I’m that big of a book geek) to see that we are going to see the first book from the pen of Dr. Mohler. Yes, it is hard to believe, but this is his first “real”...
Saturday Miscellania (11/03/07 - 13 Comments)
It has been a busy weekend...and it's only Saturday afternoon. Yesterday evening I took my son and one of our young neighbors to a hobby show where an old friend was working. We had fun watching the planes, trains and automobiles on display. We got home late and then spent the morning preparing for my daughter's birthday party. We've just returned from building a craft and celebrating her birthday at a nearby store. Now the...
The Great October Giveaway (10/09/07 - 6 Comments)
Forty-one books to the winner... Last month's Great September Giveaway was a great success with three readers taking home some excellent prizes. Of course I extend my sympathies to the multitudes who didn't win; I can identify with your disappointment since I don't think I've ever won anything in my life! But I am confident that my time is coming. This month you've got another chance to win a great prize. Or forty-one of them...
Blogspotting (09/21/07 - 1 Comments)
Blogging is an interactive affair. Not only does it invite comments from readers but it also invites discussion on other blogs. An article posted at one site can generate discussion at many others. It's a unique and valuable benefit of blogging! I used to expend a bit of effort in drawing the attention of my readers to places where discussion that began here has continued elsewhere but, for some reason (which is probably simple complacency)...
I Love a Good Inventory Reduction Sale! (09/13/07 - 8 Comments)
At some point I need to write an article about how to build a library on the cheap. When I do it will mention inventory reduction sales. Speaking of which... Westminster Books is holding just such a sale right now. Since, like several good, Reformed online retailers they don't really stock any bad books, everything listed there is good. But I noticed at least one that really stands out. Not too long ago I reviewed...
A Conference for your Pastor (08/12/07 - 1 Comments)
I wanted to take some space on this blog to make mention of what looks like a really interesting conference. The Expositors' Conference (October 1-2) is hosted by Christ Fellowship Baptist Church (in Mobile, Alabama), the church pastored by Steve Lawson. The conference is targeted squarely at pastors, and especially those who value expository preaching and are attempting to learn how to do it or get better at it. There are only two speakers but...
The Best $4.03 You'll Ever Spend (07/30/07 - 20 Comments)
I was poking around a little bit today and found what I consider to be just a great deal. I'm posting for no other reason than to tell you that this represents what I'm sure you'll agree is the best $4.03 you'll ever spend. It's one of my all-time favorites and a book worth reading at least once per year. If you disagree and are absolutely convinced that another item worth $4.03 would have been...
Dr. Mohler on Larry King Tonight (02/26/07 - 10 Comments)
From the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: LOUISVILLE, Ky. - R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is scheduled to appear tonight on CNN's Larry King Live. Mohler will discuss the alleged discovery of the "tomb" of Jesus and his family by archaeologists and genetic scientists. A documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," which is said to present the evidence, is scheduled to air next week on the Discovery Channel. Scheduled to...
The New Monergism (02/26/07 - 17 Comments)
It is not often that I draw attention to work I've done, but I am going to make an exception today. Several months ago (more months ago than I care to remember, actually), John Hendryx, the gentleman who runs the site Monergism.com, approached me about helping him upgrade his site. At that time Monergism was a huge site and a hugely popular site. The site is a labor of love that, to that point,...
Ligonier Ministries - New Web Site (09/02/06 - 6 Comments)
Today, one one day after Desiring God upgraded their web site, Ligonier Ministries has done the same. What a strange coincidence that both of these projects, a long time in developing, would happen at nearly the same time. You can view the site at ligonier.org. The new site is beautiful. Their designers did an exceptional job crafting a site that looks beautiful and still functions well (though what's with the use of tables instead of...
Desiring God - Site & Conference News (09/01/06 - 3 Comments)
Desiring God has launched their new web site. While the site design has not changed drastically, it is a little bit cleaner and a tad more contemporary. The changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and this is often a good thing. But behind the design lurk some great new features. Rather than describe them myself, I will provide the brief summary supplied by the webmaster. We are pleased to announce the new desiringGod.org, which...
Liveblogging (08/19/06 - 18 Comments)
My first liveblogging opportunity happened just about a year ago when I was asked to blog the 2005 Desiring God National Conference. I knew nothing about the art of liveblogging (and neither did anyone else I knew) so I just sort of made it up as I went along. I was gratified to see that the response was good and than many people took the opportunity to visit my site to read about the conference...
Sports and Sportsmanship (07/22/06 - 13 Comments)
Yesterday my son and I made our annual or semi-annual trip to the Rogers Center to take in a Bluejays game. We chose a good night. The Jays were playing against their arch-rivals the Yankees, and were playing before one of the biggest crowds in recent memory. The last time I was part of a crowd of over 40,000 people must have been during the Bluejays' glory days of 1992 to 1993. It was the...
Dr. Mohler To Be On Larry King Tonight (06/15/06 - 2 Comments)
Dr. Mohler just posted on his blog to say that he will be a guest on the Larry King Show tonight at 9 PM EST. "I am scheduled to discuss the issue of homosexuals and the Christian ministry on tonight's "Larry King Live" show, on CNN at 9:00 e.d.t. Other guests are to include Andrew Sullivan, Bishop Frank Griswold, Bishop Gene Robinson (the first openly-homosexual bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA), and the head of...
A Great Deal (05/31/06 - 22 Comments)
Christian Books Distributors is offering an incredible pre-order price on a classic series of books: Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church, an 8-volume set examining the history of the church from the time of Christ all the way until after the time of the Reformation. The series usually sells for approximately $250, but for a limited time CBD is selling it for $49.99. I am assuming that they are being straight with us when...
We're Back... (04/05/06 - 13 Comments)
Ah, the joys of blogging. I was far from thrilled to find an email in my inbox shortly after nine o'clock this morning telling me that my site was enduring a massive spam attack. My site faces vast quantities of spam, often even hundreds of them an hour, thousands of them a day. The more the site grows, the greater the number of attacks. This particular deluge was apparently big enough that it was dragging...
When Play Becomes Work (03/18/06 - 7 Comments)
A few years ago my wife and I decided that we would invest in sets of toys, rather than buying seemingly random pieces of various sets. We learned this lesson the hard way, actually, as when my son was young, we would buy him toys based on criteria little more advanced than simply purchasing what caught our eyes in the toy story as we shopped a day or two before his birthday. But as he...
Ligonier Ministries National Conference (03/09/06 - 56 Comments)
Today marks the opening day of the Ligonier Ministries National Conference. It kicks off this morning with several pre-conference sessions dealing with "The Intimate Marriage." This morning's epeakers are Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. and Dr. Kenneth Jones. Joni Eareckson Tada was expected to speak but apparently was advised by her doctor to cancel her committment due to health concerns. The conference proper begins this evening with sessions by Dr. John MacArthur (speaking on "Jesus, the...
A Piece of Internet History (03/07/06 - 16 Comments)
You can own a piece of Internet history by bidding on this bona fide, genuine, Phil Johnson (a.k.a. PyroManiac) bumper sticker, autographed by Phil himself! These bumper stickers were part of a very limited run and are no longer available. Phil was gracious enough to give me one of the very last of these stickers and was kind enough to autograph it. I'm heartless enough to now sell it. Phil thinks it will sell for...
A Saturday Afternoon in L.A. (02/23/06 - 61 Comments)
As you may know, I am heading to sunny California next week in order to liveblog The Shepherd's Conference. I am anticipating that it will be a time of great growth for me, as I learn from the teaching of such men as R.C. Sproul, Al Mohler, Ligon Duncan, Steven Lawson and Mark Dever. And of course John MacArthur will be giving a couple of addresses. I consider it a great privilege to be able...
Codex (02/21/06 - 4 Comments)
As you may have noticed, I am now offering a small amount of advertising space on this site. It may or may not be coincidence that I began offering advertising at the same time as I bought my first house and began facing mortgage payments for the first time. I am handling all advertising requests personally and attempting to ensure that I only run advertising that might benefit the readers of this site. I have...
The Funding Behind The Evangelical Climate Initiative (02/18/06 - 41 Comments)
My friend Justin Taylor sent me an article this morning discussing the Evangelical Climate Initiative. Concerned Women for America has done the legwork and found something quite surprising and disturbing. "A new effort to mobilize evangelical Christians on the problem of global warming received $475,000 from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, one of the top funders of abortion programs in the United States and abroad." Sure enough, a couple of Google searches turn up...
What's Wrong With This Picture? (02/11/06 - 15 Comments)
Feeling a little housebound of late, Aileen and I decided we would head to the mall this morning to do some shopping and have lunch out with the kids. The mall is not my favorite place to be, of course, but sometimes it is a necessary evil. So we did our thing and then headed to the food court. Immediately in front of the entrance to the food court was a table advertising free samples...
C.J. Mahaney - He's Irritating and He's Not Humble (02/02/06 - 5 Comments)
C.J. Mahaney is not humble. It must be true because one of his close friends, Mark Dever, said so. Strangely, he said so in his endorsement of one of C.J.'s books. Here is the complete text which I have taken from just inside the cover of Humility: "C.J. Mahaney is not a humble man. At least, that's what he'll tell you. And that's one reason he's so well qualified to write this book. I've read...
Faux Pas? (01/29/06 - 51 Comments)
I'm going to give you an opportunity to end a friendly little marital dispute. Feel free to chime in through the comments section as we try to solve this one. Aileen believes it is rude to ask yourself over to another person's home. I disagree. I see nothing wrong with asking a person if we can come over either just to hang out or even for lunch. This may be as simple as saying, "So...
"I Think I've Said All I Want To Say" (01/27/06 - 6 Comments)
I read a lot of books last year. I didn't bother to count them but I know it was well over 100. It is inevitable that, having read that quantity of books, some of them made little impact on me. Some of them were read and slowly (or even quickly) drifted out of my mind. But there are a few that have stayed with me. There are a few that stand out above the rest....
Election Reflections (01/24/06 - 22 Comments)
We have a new Prime Minister here in the Great White North. After thirteen years of the Liberal Party reigning in Canada, the Conservatives have fought back. Thirteen years of corruption and mismanagement left Canadians angry and disillusioned with a party that seemed as intent on destroying Canada as they did on protecting it. Now it is the Conservative's turn to prove that they can do better. There is much reason for hope. For the...
ABC remaking 'The Ten Commandments' (01/23/06 - 7 Comments)
Veteran film producer Robert Halmi is remaking The Ten Commandments for ABC Television. The two-part film will be broadcast over the upcoming Easter weekend. ABC will not break with tradition by cancelling its traditional broadcast of the original version of the film (produced in 1956) which starred, of course, Charlton Heston. ABC President Stephen McPherson said, "Do viewers come in to watch the old one and then get enticed to watch a new one?" he...
Albert Mohler on Larry King Tonight (01/17/06 - 7 Comments)
First off, I'd like to take an opportunity to clarify something about the article I posted this morning. My friend Paul Martin posted a comment here and at his blog (and at Justin Taylor's blog, for that) where he warned against making the issue of watching the film The End of the Spear an issue of clear, biblical right or wrong. "In issues like this one, it our duty to think in the realm of...
And...We're Back (Again) (01/11/06 - 17 Comments)
After posting a hopeful note earlier in which I hoped (against hope, really) that everything on the site had been worked out, I ran into more trouble. I've now blown an entire day on this problem and have had little choice but to revert to the older Movabletype-based commenting system. You know, the same one every other blog has. So much for originality. Anyways, you should now be able to post comments and you'll no...
And...We're Back (For Now) (01/11/06 - 2 Comments)
I woke up this morning to find my site replaced by a little message saying "Your account has been suspended. We have sent you an email explaining why. This email should also contain information on how you can unsuspend your account." That was quite a rude awakening and managed to throw my entire day into a state of chaos. The message I received in my email said little more than "Hey, by the way, we...
Debate: Pagitt versus DeWaay (01/09/06 - 0 Comments)
For all the discussion created by and about the Emerging Church there has been precious little formal debate about the important issues at stake. I know of pastors or theologians who have attempted to debate the issues only to have their requests refused. Finally, though, we are about to see a significant debate. On January 20, 2006 Bob DeWaay and Doug Pagitt will debate "The Emergent Church and Postmodern Spirituality: Dangerous Trends or Necessary Changes...
