A Protestant Look at Catholic Rome
Tim Challies, in this video, tours Rome through the eye of a Protestant.
A Clarification on Gospel-Centered Preaching
I have become increasingly convinced that many people misunderstand the nature of Christ-centered preaching. Pastor John Piper articulates these concerns in a way much better than I ever could. What an excellent article.
The Man We Need Right Now, According to C. H. Spurgeon:
All great movements need the entire self-sacrifice of some one man who, careless of consequences, will throw himself upon the spears of the enemy. Providence has usually raised up such a one just when he was needed, and we may look for such a person to come suddenly to the front now. Meanwhile, is there not a man of the sort to be found in our churches? We believe there are many, and to aid in identifying them we will sketch the man required. He must be simple-minded, outspoken, bold and fearless of consequences. To him courage must be instead of prudence, and faith instead of policy. He must be prepared to be apparently despised and really hated, because intensely dreaded. He must reckon upon having every sentence he utters distorted, and every action misrepresented, but in this he must rejoice so long as his blows tell and his utterances win a hearing. Ease, reputation, comfort, he must renounce, and be content so long as he lives to dwell without the world’s camp. Standing at the point of the wedge he must be ambitious to bury as many spears as possible in his own bosom that others may win the victory. Now who is the man who should naturally take up this position? Who in our churches is most called to it? (Charles Spurgeon, “The Holy War of the Present Hour,” in The Sword and Trowel, vol. 1, August, 1866, p. 229-230)
The Need for Confessional Christian Schools, Also According to C. H. Spurgeon:
We have too much give up our children to the enemy, and if the clergy had possessed the skill to hold them, the mischief might have been terrible; as it is, our Sabbath schools have neutralized the evil to a large extent, but it ought not to be suffered to exist any longer; a great effort should be made to multiply our day schools, and to render them distinctly religious, by teaching the gospel in them, and by labouring to bring the children as children to the Lord Jesus. The silly cry of “Nonsectarian” is duping many into the establishment of schools in which the most important part of wisdom, namely, the fear of the Lord, is altogether ignored; we trust this folly will soon be given up, and that we shall see schools in which all that we believe and hold dear shall be aught to the children or our poorer adherents. (Charles Spurgeon, “The Holy War of the Present Hour,” in The Sword and Trowel, vol. 1, August, 1866, p. 231-232)
Julie Roys on the Mortification of Spin
For reasons that are likely obvious, I’ve been following the Harvest Bible Chapel / James MacDonald controversy closely. The journalist who has covered it in detail, Julie Roys, appeared on The Mortification of Spin podcast. If this interests you, it’s worth listening to.
