O Thou who hast our sorrows borne, Help us to look on Thee and mourn, On Thee whom we have slain, Have pierced a thousand thousand times, And by reiterated crimes Renewed Thy mortal pain. Vouchsafe us eyes of faith to see The Man transfixed on Calvary, To know Thee, who Thou art, The one […]
“You Are My God, My Life, My Holy Delight”
“You, my God, are supreme, utmost in goodness, mightiest and all-powerful, most merciful and most just. You are the most hidden from us and yet the most present amongst us, the most beautiful and yet the most strong, ever enduring and yet we cannot comprehend You. You are unchangeable and yet You change all things. […]
Elisabeth Elliot on Discipleship
Elisabeth Elliot explains that the word “disciple” simply means learner. And learning to understand the way of the Cross is difficult. It requires self-abandonment, sacrifice, and trust in the One worth learning from. As a child of twelve, she recalls reading a prayer written by Betty Scott Stam, a missionary to China. It was at […]
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
The most famous sermon in American history Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. It’s the most famous sermon in American history. Just ask your high school student. The sermon is included in most English or History curriculum. In this famous homily, Jonathan Edwards sought to eradicate all false views of hell and leave […]
Our "humble theology"
I love this first paragraph in Michael Horton’s new systematic theology titled, The Christian Faith: In 1949, the English playwright and novelist Dorthy Sayers observed the common antipathy in her day toward doctrine: “‘Dull dogma,’ they call it.” According to Sayers, however Christianity is the most interesting story ever told. “And the dogma is the […]
“The gospel calls us back again and again”
Lesslie Newbigin, a Church of Scotland missionary to India, tells us what gospel mission is all about: “The logic of mission is this: the true meaning of the human story has been disclosed. Because it is the truth, it must be shared universally. It cannot be private opinion. When we share it will all peoples, […]
The Great Humility of God
Augustine of Hippo: “The pride of man, which is the chief hindrance against his cleaving to God, can be confuted and healed through the great humility of God. Man learns how far he has gone away from God and what it is worth to Him as a pain to cure him, when he returns through […]
“Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor”
“Unto you therefore which believe He is precious.”—1 Peter 2:7, KJV Charles H. Spurgeon reminds us that every single believer, in some form or fashion, is called to the mission field: “If Jesus is precious to you, you will not be able to keep your good news to yourself. You will be whispering it into […]
Two Cities
Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430): Mankind is divided into two sorts: such as live according to man, and such as live according to God. These we call the two cities…. The Heavenly City outshines Rome. There, instead of victory, is truth. From St. Augustine’s classic work, The City of God What about you? What […]
Desiring a Real Union with Christ
From an old classic titled, The Women in the Word: There are many who follow Christ and work for Him, but have more of the spirit of service, more of the Spirit of bondmen, than that of real union with Him; many who work because they feel they ought, or because it is expected of […]