Last May when Dr. Art Azurdia preached in our church and led us through a wonderful weekend of God-honoring exposition, he asked me if I would be willing to submit a book review for his on-line journal called the Spurgeon Fellowship. I wrote a review of Jerry Bridges “The Gospel for Real Life” and you can find it HERE

I have just recently seen this “preacher” Todd Bentley on the God channel and he has been showing up all over the blogosphere. He is claiming that revival is pouring out in Florida and that people are literally being raised from the dead. I must warn everyone about this man–HE IS DANGEROUS!!! He is clearly a false prophet and is leading thousands astray. He claims that one million people have been saved in his revival outpourings.

Watch these two Way of the Master Radio clips that deal with him and his dangerous theology.

I am curious to know what you think about Rick Warren’s comments about how a church truly grows. In light of our prayer meeting last Sunday night when we begged the sovereign Lord for His divine power in our lives, families, church, and community, how does a church “grow”.

This will make you angry and get your blood boiling. Especially if you value the preaching of God’s Word and the importance of crying out in desperation to Jesus through prayer.

Most everyone knows that I am a Calvinist. Not because I adhere to John Calvin or to a man-made system, but because I believe that the Bible clearly teaches God’s sovereignty in salvation, man’s total depravity, the substitutionary atonement, the effectual calling and grace of the Holy Spirit, and the perseverance of the saints. While I do not tend to wear my “Calvinism” on my sleeve or preach sermons on TULIP, these great doctrines do come out in my preaching and teaching.

John Piper teaches on TULIP at The Bethlehem Institute and in this he clearly articulates the main teachings of what the Bible says on the doctrines of grace. I pray that you have time to listen to these excellent teachings for they will encourage you in your spiritual growth.

TULIP Part One

TULIP Part Two: Irresistible Grace

TULIP Part Three: Irresistible Grace and Total Depravity

TULIP Part Four: Total Depravity

TULIP Part Five: Unconditional Election Part One

TULIP Part Six: Unconditional Election Part Two

TULIP Part Seven: Limited Atonement

TULIP Part Eight: Perseverance of the Saints

TULIP Part Nine: Ten Effects of Believing the Five Points of Calvinism

I found this funny bit on youtube from some British guys who are having fun with wacky televangelists. It made me laugh, so I hope it does something for you as well.

One of my Sunday “rituals” in unwinding after preaching two messages is to come home and sit in front of the computer and play Spider Solitaire and listen to the White Horse Inn. It’s a radio show with two Presbyterian/Reformed pastors, one Lutheran minister, and the token Southern Baptist. They are highly encouraging and insightful. This edition in where they evaluate American “spirituality” through the many book titles at Barnes and Noble sheds light on how we have taken Christ as the Mediator out of the equation and replaced it with “self”.

Enjoy it here

The doctrine of the Trinity can be one of the most mind-boggling truths to wrap our feeble minds around. Yet, a clear understanding of the Trinity helps us in our worship, prayer and personal devotion to the one true living God.

How does Scripture define the Trinity? Within the one Being that is God, there exists three distinct Persons, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are co-equal and co-eternal.

We worship one God, not a multiplicity of gods. Yet within the Godhead, there are three distinct Persons. The Father is distinct from the Son, yet the same in essence. The Son is distinct from the Spirit, but yet the same in essence. In other words, the Father is the Father, not the Son or the Holy Spirit. And yet all three as God have always been. They were not created. Jesus is not subordinate to the Father; nor is the Spirit less than Jesus. They are co-equal and co-eternal.

I challenge you to think and meditate upon this: Spend time praising and thanking each Person of the Trinity for their specific role in your salvation.

Spend time thanking and praising the Father for sovereignly electing you before the foundations of the world. Meditate upon His glories in sending Jesus and ruling from heaven in power and might as the Creator. Praise Him for setting His affection upon you before creation even when you did not deserve it.

Secondly, spend time glorifying Jesus as the one Mediator who came and died in your place as the sacrificial substitute. Thank Him for bearing God’s just wrath in your place and satisfying the Father’s demands of justice. Praise Jesus for reconciling you to the Father and buying you out of slavery to sin through His blood. Praise Jesus as the Lord of lord and King of kings for obtaining your eternal redemption. Thank Him for being the ONLY way to the Father.

Thirdly, spend time thanking the Holy Spirit for causing you to be born again. Thank Him for convicting you of sin and opening your eyes to your need for a Savior. Thank Him for replacing your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Praise Him for making you alive in Christ when you were dead in your trespasses.

As the one true and living God, who exists in three Persons:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

I encourage you to practice this “Trinitarian” praying in your personal quiet times. It will enhance your private worship and enlarge your view of the living God.

The next time you gather for corporate worship, pay close attention to the lyrics of the songs and see how they magnify each Person of the Trinity.

I pray that your vision of God will be enlarged and your eyes opened to His majesty!!

I love the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, most people hate them because they aren’t flashy, they play hard, they are disciplined and have won 4 NBA Championships. They have totally dominated the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. But, no one has the “goofy” skills of Manu Ginobili from Argentina. For all of us uncoordinated, goofy lay-up shooting, twisty turny kind of guys–Manu is our man!