Mr. Joseph Alleine

i've never heard of this guy before. but i'm reading "lectures to my students" by C. H. Spurgeon for my "Leadership" class. Spurgeon quotes Alleine's wife as saying of him, "At the time of his health, he did rise constantly at or before four of the clock, and would be much troubled if he heard smiths or other craftsmen at their trades before he was at communion with God; saying to me often, 'How this noise shames me. Does not my Master deserve more than theirs?' From four til eight he spent in prayer, holy contemplation, and singing psalms, in which he much delighted and did daily practise alone, as well as in the family. Sometimes he would suspend the routine of parochial engagements and devote whole days to these secret exercises, in order to which, he would contrive to be alone in some void house, or else in some sequestered spot in the open valley. Here there would be much prayer and meditation on God and Heaven."

quotes from "God Has Spoken" by J. I. Packer

I'm reading this book for my class "Bibliology" and it is arguing that the Bible truly is God's Word and, as such, it is clear, understandable, and sufficient.

Packer's words are (sad but) so true for our generation:

"...the Word of God is in a real sense lost. Why is this? For it is not as if the Bible were no longer read and studied in the churches. It is read and studied a great deal; but the trouble is that we no longer know what to make of it. Mesmerized by the problems of rationalistic criticism [and, may i add, post-modernism], we can no longer hear the Bible as the Word of God. Liberal theology, in its pride, has long insisted that we are wiser than our fathers about the Bible [can you say 'Rob Bell', 'Erwin McManus'?], and must not read it as they did, but must base our approach to it on the 'assured results' of criticism, making due allowance for the human imperfections and errors of its authors. This insistence has a threefold effect. It produces a new papalism--the infallibility of the scholars, from whom we learn what the 'assured results' are. It raises a doubt about every single biblical passage, as to whether it truly embodies revelation or not. And it destroys the reverent, receptive, self-distrusting attitude of approach to the Bible, without which it cannot be known to be 'God's Word written'." (page 25-26)

"...it appears that modern theology, for all its claim to stress the personal quality of God's revelation to us and our knowledge of Him, actually takes a sub-personal view of both. To maintain that we may know God without God actually speaking to us in words [which is what many are saying today when they propose that God's word cannot be taken at face value] is really to deny that God is personal..." (page 53)

questions

I ordered a number of my books for this quarter from Amazon. As I get them I am beginning to familiarize myself with them so I can be better prepared for when classes start. One book I just got earlier today is "Our Sufficiency in Christ" by John MacArthur. In the Preface of his book he quotes a letter from C. S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters." Here's a quote I found quite relevant to today's culture:
[Note: "the Enemy" in this quote is God since the one writing this letter is a demon, Screwtape.]

The Enemy loves platitudes. Of a proposed course of action He wants men, so far as I can see, to ask very simple questions; is it righteous? is it prudent? is it possible? Now if we can keep men asking "Is it in accordance with the general movement of our time? Is it progressive or reactionary? Is this the way that History is going?" they will neglect the relevant questions...As a result, while their minds are buzzing in this vacuum, we have the better chance to slip in and bend them to the action we have decided on."

How much this reflects the current attitude of what calls itself "the church"! How sad, yet how true.

may this not be true of us!

nobama

How can Americans cast their vote for a man to become the *leader* of their country when that man does not even salute the country's flag?

I will not vote for this man.

give me Jesus

Craig Shigyo and I did this song as special music at my Farewell Service which was also his Commissioning Service.





If you'd like to download it click here.