True Love

Saturday, 11 February 2012 14:43

‘Love values the wrongdoer as a friend to be won, not as an enemy with whom to get even.’

Bruce Waltke.

Seeing God's Face

Tuesday, 31 January 2012 09:48

“For now treat the Scripture of God as the face of God. Melt in its presence.”

Augustine.

A Church Culture to Die For.

Monday, 30 January 2012 06:50

Outdo one another in showing honour.  Romans 12:10

I wonder if Romans 12:10 is one of the most under-obeyed commands in Scripture.  I wonder if we have lowered our standard to “Do no harm to one another,” which is passive, and if we are not destroying each other we must be doing okay.  But the gospel is all about the glory of God coming down on sinners (2 Thessalonians 2:14).  Honour to one another is an obvious next step.  But how many churches have you observed that made you say, “How they honour one another!”

Ray Ortlund.

On the Giving and Receiving of Criticism

Wednesday, 18 January 2012 10:51

Remember, brothers -- all of us, conservative or liberal, young or old, Reformed stalwarts or Charismatic fanboys -- a prophet to the church speaks from the inside. Let us not shrink back from calling each other to repentance, to speaking the truth in love, but let's remember we speak prophetically to us.

And let us not shrink back from our brother's reproof if it is offered in sincerity. He may be wrong, he may be overzealous, but his energy merits consideration. Seeing criticism as never necessary is just as wrong as seeing it as always necessary. Seeing criticism as always evil, always wrong, always hateful and therefore not necessary is just as dangerous as the problem of self-elevating and insulating one's self from criticism.

Jared Wilson