Jeffrey Johnson: The Beauty of Affliction

Costi Hinn: Do Not Fear Them

Virgil Walker: Christ in Culture: The Five Things Every Christian Needs to Know

This sermon was preached on the weekend following the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Redeemer Bible Church in Gilbert, AZ:  

What Good Comes Out of Suffering?

We all know Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Many people quote or read that verse to one who is going through suffering which may seem innocent at first, yet we tend to leave them wondering what good this hard time will bring about.

As I mentioned in a previous post that the good that Romans 8:28 speaks of is conformity to the likeness of Christ as mentions in Romans 8:29-30. In the beginning of the book of James, the Bible says:

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

Trials comes in many forms, and they will assist us in becoming more maturing believers in Christ. Yes, it is painful, but it is necessary for us as we walk with the Lord in this life. 

Our suffering is not just for our benefit, but it is also for the church. In 2 Corinthians 1, we see that God is the God of all comfort. God comforts us through His Word and He also comforts us through the church. The Bible says:

For just as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is working in your perseverance in the same sufferings which we also suffer. And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even to live.

Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not have confidence in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who rescued us from so great a peril of death, and will rescue us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet rescue us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers on our behalf, so that thanks may be given on our behalf by many persons for the gracious gift bestowed on us through the prayers of many (2 Corinthians 1:5-11).

Romans 12:15 says "weep with those who weep." When a fellow believer goes through suffering, the whole church suffers with them. We comfort them as best we can and one way we can do it is to pray for them. The church comes together when suffering occurs whether in an individual believer or the whole corporate body of believers. 

The good that comes out of suffering is believer conform to the likeness of Christ, and the church come together to comfort those who are suffering. 

Wicked World Good God

With everything that has happened over the past week with the murders of Iryna Zarutska and Charlie Kirk, I highly recommend this video from Justin Peters:

Costi Hinn and Jeff Durbin Discuss Eschatology

It seems these days people cannot seem to have conversations regarding different opinions. Some have gone into thinking that if anyone disagrees with them, they are hated. Social media is not different especially in the area of eschatology.

Seems everyone has an opinion about the return of Christ and will even say you are wrong if you do not hold a particular eschatology, which leads to this video with Costi Hinn and Jeff Durbin as they discuss eschatology. Both of these men have come to different conclusions when it comes to the end times. Costi is a Premillennial Dispensationalist while Jeff is a Postmillennialist. 

I really appreciated this conversation, and I hope you as well: 

Doing Small Things is Service to God

Too many times, Christians seemed to be getting a message that God only wants us to do big things such as being a missionary, a preacher, or serving as an elder. There are times we do not think about the small things that God will have us to. 

I appreciate this video from Reformed Baptist Network encouraging their listeners that believers can serve God in the small things.

Todd Friel and Justin Peters Discuss Deliverance Ministries

Book Review: By Faith: Twenty-Five Selected Sermons on Faith

Over the years, there has been a resurgence of books, sermons, and even lectures from Charles Spurgeon that have been published for the church today. Many of his books are available for free on Kindle. His lectures can be found in bookstores. His sermons have been written for the church to read.

In this book, By Faith: Twenty-Five Selected Sermons on Faith, edited by Kerry James Allen, has become one of the latest collection of sermons from Spurgeon to edify and equip the church today. As you can imagine, this books deals with subject of faith. These sermons have been collected and edited from the New Park Street Pulpit and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit series.

In these sermons, Spurgeon tackles how the Christian is to live by faith in the world. He also addresses the faith of people in the Bible as an example for us in the modern world. Spurgeon exhorts the believer to life by faith and not by sight and in full obedience to God which is a result of saving faith.

Spurgeon has become one of my favorite preachers from church history. I have benefitted from many of his writings over the years. I know many have as well and many preachers have used Spurgeon's sermons for sermon preparation. I am thankful that we have these 25 sermons on faith for the church whether to be used for sermon or for one's own personal growth.

I am delighted to recommend this collection of sermons from Charles Spurgeon

I received this book from G3 Press in exchange for an honest review. 

God is Always Watching

Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord - Jeremiah 23:24, KJV

However hard it is to comprehend this doctrine, it is one that is most useful and wholesome for our souls. To keep continually in mind that God is always present with us; to live always as in God's sight; to act and speak and think as always under His eye—all this is eminently calculated to have a good effect upon our souls. Here are three thoughts:

1. The thought of God's presence is a loud call to humility. How much that is evil and defective must the all-seeing eye see in every one of us! How small a part of our character is really known by man! "For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). Man does not always see us, but the Lord is always looking at us, morning, noon, and night!

2. The thought of God's presence is a check and curb on the inclination to sin. The recollection that there is One who is always near us and observing us, who will one day have a reckoning with all mankind, may well keep us back from evil! Happy are those sons and daughters, who, when they leave the family home and launch forth into the world, carry with them the abiding remembrance of God's eye.

3. The thought of God's presence is a spur to the pursuit of true holiness. The highest standard of sanctification is to walk with God as Enoch did, and to walk before God as Abraham did. Where is the man who would not strive to live to please God if he realized that God was always standing at his elbow! To get away from God is the secret aim of the sinner. To get nearer to God is the longing desire of the saint. The real servants of the Lord are "a people near unto him' (Ps. 148:14)!

Adapted from Our Great Redeemer: 365 Days with J. C. Ryle

John MacArthur: How to Test the Spirits

 This video is audio only:

Brad Klassen on God's Omniscience

Book Review: The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today by Wayne Grudem

The topic of spiritual gifts has been a heated debate for some time especially in the last few years. There have been articles, books, podcasts, debates, and even documentaries addressing if certain spiritual gifts have ceased or are they still continuing in the church today. 

The gift of prophecy has been one of those gifts that have been debated on. Some of the criticism of those who believe this gift has ceased is they have based it on false teachers who have given false prophecies. Those who believe that the gift of prophecy still continues have drawn their conclusions from Scripture and their personal experience. 

One theologian who believes the gift of prophecy is Wayne Grudem, known for his classic work on Systematic Theology, which has been read and studied by many Christians whether in seminary or small group studies. Grudem has written a book, which was revised in 2000, dealing with prophecy and how it was used in the New Testament era and the church today, titled, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today.

In this book, Grudem addresses the difference between prophecies in the Old Testament versus the New Testament. He also addressed the teaching of prophecy in 1 Corinthians which seems to be charismatics go-to when it comes to the continuing of Spiritual gifts such tongues and prophecy. Grudem writes on if all will have the gift of prophecy, which you do not have to be a cessationist to know that not everyone gets the gift of prophecy. He even makes suggestions that the gift of prophecy is a sign of God's blessing on the church and that having prophecy in the church will give people in worship a sense of awe knowing that God is in their midst. 

To be fair, Grudem does defend his positions with scripture which we should not expect anything less from someone who has written a massive theology book. Yet there are times it seemed some of his conclusions were a bit of a stretch when it came to applying his findings to the church today.

When I began reading this book, I knew about Grudem's stance when it came to prophecy so his teachings on this was no surprise. Yet, Grudem seems to be going against the Bible when it comes if a prophet misspeaks. Deuteronomy 18 is clear if a prophet speaks and it does not come to pass; it was not from Yahweh. Grudem would suggest that the New Testament, in particular 1 Corinthians 14, that a prophet can be wrong, he can speak wrongly about he claimed to hear from God, and that be challenged. This is not what prophecy in all of the Bible teaches nor do I see anything that a prophet can be wrong and put words in God's mouth he did not utter.

Grudem is a gifted theologian, and I have benefitted from many of his writings. However, this was not one of them. I am not saying this as a cessationist, I am saying this as one who loves the Bible and knows that God never studders when giving a message to His people.

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an honest review. 

Costi Hinn on the Four Views of Eschatology

In this video, Costi Hinn addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the four views of eschatology.

Chief Privilege of a True Christian

When the apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans, he used five words which the wisest of the heathen could never have used. Socrates and Plato and Aristotle and Cicero and Seneca were wise people. On many subjects they saw more clearly than most people in the present day. They were people of mighty minds and of a vast range of intellect. But nor one of them could have said as the apostle did, "I have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1).

When Paul used these words, he spoke not for himself only, but for all true Christians. Some of them no doubt have a greater sense of this privilege than others. All of them find an evil principle within, warring against their spiritual welfare day by day. All of them find their adversary, the devil, waging an endless battle with their souls. All of them find that they must endure the enmity of the world. But all, notwithstanding, to a greater or less extent "have peace with God. This peace with God is a calm, intelligent sense of friendship with the Lord of heaven and earth.

He who has it feels as if there was no barrier and separation between himself and his holy maker. He can think of himself as under the eye of an all-seeing being and yet not feel afraid. He can believe that this all-seeing being beholds him and yet is not displeased.

If you don't have this peace with God, you are truly poor. You have nothing that will last, nothing that will wear, nothing that you can carry with you when your turn comes to die. Naked you came into this world, and naked in every sense you will go forth. Your body may be carried to the grave with pomp and ceremony. A solemn service may be read over your coffin. A marble monument may be put up in your honor. But atter al it will be but a pauper's funeral if you die without peace with God.

Adapted from Our Great Redeemer: 365 Days with J. C. Ryle

Experimental Knowledge of Jesus Christ

If we want to grow in grace and have more hope, we must seek a more experimental knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. How little do we know of Him! Our cold affections toward Him are a witness against ourselves. If our eyes were more open to what He is and does for us, we would love Him more. There are some Christians whose minds seem ever running on the doctrine of sanctification to the exclusion of everything else. They can argue warmly about little points of practice; yet they are cold about Christ. They live by rule, they walk strictly, they do many things, they fancy in a short time they shall be very strong. But all this time they lose sight of this grand truth that nothing is so sanctifying as knowledge of the Lord Jesus and communion with Him. "Abide in me, He says Himself, "and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me" (John 15:4). Christ must be the spring of our holiness as well as the rock of our faith. Christ must be all in all.

I doubt not He is precious to you that believe. Precious He ought to be because of His offices, and precious because of His work. Precious He ought to be for what He has done already. He has called us, quickened us, washed us, justified us. Precious He ought to be for what He is doing even now: strengthening us, interceding for us, sympathizing with us.

Precious He ought to be for what He will do yet: He will keep us to the end, raise us, gather us at His coming› present us faultless before God's throne, give us rest with Him in His kingdom. But oh, reader, Christ ought to be far more precious to us than He ever has been yet!

Nothing else will either save, satisfy, or sanctity a sinful soul. We all need a more experimental knowledge of Christ!

Adapted from Our Great Redeemer: 365 Days with J. C. Ryle

Tom Hicks on Christian Nationalism

In this video, Tom Hicks gives a critique on Christian Nationalism especially the book written by Stephen Wolfe. Tom is co-author of Theonomy Old and New: A Reformed Baptist Assessment with Sam Waldron:

Tom Pennington: Putting Sin to Death

John MacArthur's Memorial Service

Scott Aniol Addressing the Use of Images of Christ