Just a few days ago I found out that a dear old friend died last week. Though we had not spoken to him for several years, he is a man who, along with his wife, left a deep impression on Aileen and me. When we were young and newly married we held up this man…
Stephen Nichols is quite the prolific author. A professor at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School and a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, Nichols has written several notable books in the past few years and it seems that he always has at least one title on the “Coming Soon” lists at Crossway or P&R Publishing.…
In his new book Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges writes about the important discipline of preaching the gospel to yourself every day. Realizing that many people have heard of this discipline but do not know how to practice it, he provides an overview of how he does so. I found it helpful and trust you will…
“Fight the good fight of faith.” Today those of us who are engaged in this project to read some great Christian classics together are going to be looking at the fourth chapter of J.C. Ryle’s Holiness. You can read more about this effort here: Reading the Classics Together. Even if you are not participating, please…
Thursday September 27, 2007 Reformation21The new edition of Reformation21 is now available. Live from MongoliaA local pastor is in Mongolia (of all places) teaching pastors there. At his blog you’ll find a fascinating journal of his travels. (HT:PM) What Piper SaidJohn Piper shares what he said at his granddaughter’s funeral yesterday. Continue to pray for…
Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Emasculated Theology… Those of us who have been keeping a wary eye on the Emerging Church know that to understand the movement we must understand Brian McLaren. Though it is not quite fair to label him the movement’s leader, he certainly functions as its elder statesman and his…
Wednesday September 26, 2007 Interview with Leland RykenAlex Chediak has begun a review with Dr. Leland Ryken concerning the Literary Study Bible which he edited along with his son Phil Ryken. Interview with Iain CampbellMeanwhile, Martin Downes interviews Iain Campbell and discusses “the importance of a preacher’s relationship to Christ, and a Word centred ministry,…
A couple of new titles from HarperOne showed up here last night. Both look excellent. As a reader and reviewer who focuses on Christian books, it’s easy to keep an eye on the Christian publishers and neglect to watch the mainstream ones. But Harper sometimes publishes notable volumes that I wouldn’t want to miss. The…
This blog passes a milestone… Today marks the fifth anniversary of the day I began this web site. In September of 2002, the first month this site was in operation–just a little blog dedicated to sharing pictures of my children with family members who had moved far away–it had two visitors, my mother and my…
Tuesday September 25, 2007 Cruel LogicBrian Godawa illustrates the importance of absolute values in an intense short film I stumbled across yesterday. Tullian’s Smaller List of BooksIn response to my post a few days ago, “A Small List of Good Books,” some have asked me to provide a smaller list of books geared more specifically…
Tim Begs Shamelessly… As of this very moment, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment (written by yours truly and with a Foreword by John MacArthur) is available for pre-sale through this site. As a bonus I’ll be signing all copies purchased in advance. This is the only place you’ll be able to order a signed copy.…
Monday September 24, 2007 Felicity Margaret PiperJohn Piper has requested prayer on behalf of his son, Abraham, who heads up content on the Desiring God blog, and on behalf of Abraham’s wife Molly. Felicity was due to be born this week but was stillborn on Saturday night. “This seems so preventable. By God and by…
A few days ago I provided some suggestions for reading more and reading better. I recently dug up this valuable advice from the Puritan Richard Baxter. Centuries ago he wrote some advice on reading that seems as appropriate for us to learn from today as it was for the men and women of the seventeenth…
Lessons on Earth Joy–From the Man who Spent 90 Minutes in Heaven Don Piper was relatively unknown for even a couple of years after writing 90 Minutes in Heaven. But something must have happened, because now it seems that the longer his book sits on the shelves, the more it picks up steam. It has…
Any time I set out to write a review of a book by R.C. Sproul I feel compelled to begin by lauding his accomplishments. But surely I can dispense with that formality this time. I am confident most of my readers know of Sproul and have benefited from his ministry and from his almost unparalleled…
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…
Friday September 21, 2007 Blog AppraisalsTimmy Brister has a good (if subjective) word to say about appraising blogs. The Qur’anThe Pulpit blog considers the Qur’an and its source. The Soaring LoonieJust five years ago a Canadian dollar was worth only 60% of a US dollar. Today they are at par. Is Canada’s dollar climbing…or is…
As you know, I am, along with a group of readers, attempting to work my way through some great Christian classics. Today we have arrived at the third chapter of J.C. Ryle’s Holiness. You can read more about this effort here: Reading the Classics Together. Even if you are not participating, please keep reading. I’m…
Thursday September 20, 2007 Paul Needs a New ChurchPaul, my pastor, says he needs a new church… Dying with DebtJim Elliff says, “I’ve been troubled by the debt load that many believers are currently experiencing. Things are not getting any better overall, and many are suffering from over-extension. Here is some simple advice I hope…
Yesterday I received a question from a reader of this site. The question was simple: “Is Scripture study required of Christians? Is it actually discussed in the Bible?” As I wrote an answer I felt that it might be valuable to think it through carefully and even to share the answer. I’ll be the first…