Here is a real picture of a man who considers himself a real sinner, who’s identity is found in Jesus, and who has relied upon Him for decades. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "A compelling interview", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/09/06/a-compelling-interview/" });

Wrote an article on GoingtoSeminary.com titled, "Starting Seminary Year 4 of ? " My hope is to encourage those who must take longer-than-average in their studies, specifically as a reminder (to ourselves as well!) that God’s process on the journey is so vital. While I could perhaps envy those who are able to breeze through seminary without delays, no debt, employed by their church, and with relatively little hardship or disappointments, there is no way I’d change this work of God deep in the soul for another path. After all, isn’t it my own contention that all of life...

9 “Therefore I still contend with you, declares the Lord, and with your children’s children I will contend. 10 For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. 12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken...

As every day is His, these will work at all times too… Tozer on looking outside ourselves: “While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves – blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ, the very thing he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him .” - A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc., 1993), 85. [HT: Of First Importance ] Wesley on...

“The gospel shows us that our spiritual problem lies not only in failing to obey God, but also in relying on our obedience to make us fully acceptable to God, ourselves and others. Every kind of character flaw comes from this natural impulse to be our own savior through our performance and achievement. On the one hand, proud and disdainful personalities come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are succeeding. But on the other hand, discouraged and self-loathing personalities also come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are failing. Belief...

This week we had week two of our class, Enjoying the Bible for All Its Worth (see note on the first week, on erasing biblical aliteracy ). The three-week crash-course is meant to only whet one’s appetite for devouring God’s Word, so we can enjoy HIM for all He’s worth! A number of the attendees asked for a list of helps — how can I understand the Bible better? (If you are like me, you feel so far behind!) I had a stack with me and showed them a few of my most trusted ones. Here’s the list and a comment on each. Some are for beginning and intermediate readers, others...

My sweet bride has an insightful article on the subtle (but significant) difference between trust God for something and trusting Him with some circumstance. The former is more prevalent, the second aligns with the New Testament vision of trusting Christ. Period. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Trusting God FOR or WITH something?", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/07/30/trusting-god-for-or-with-something/" });

Humility. “Take every word as spoken to yourselves. When the word thunders against sin, think thus: ‘God means my sins;’ when it presseth any duty, ‘God intends me in this.’ Many put off Scripture from themselves, as if it only concerned those who lived in the time when it was written; but if you intend to profit by the word, bring it home to yourselves: a medicine will do no good, unless it be applied.” (From a sermon by Thomas Watson entitled “How We May Read the Scriptures with Most Spiritual Profit”) SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "The only appropriate posture for Bible reading...

Next to our kitchen sink we have a "slop bucket." It serves in the way a garbage disposal does for most Americans: all the food scraps go in it. At least once a week we take it out before the flies congregate too much. (I’m told it was the norm of previous generations to have slop buckets in their homes.) It seems that many Christians have a "slop bucket" when it comes to sin. We simply dump our little sins throughout the days and weeks with hardly any care at all, and then go to Jesus seeking forgiveness when things get really bad (or the slop bucket is full). We repent...

“Our only hope for living the radical demands of the Christian life is that God is totally for us now and forever. Therefore, God has not ordained that living the Christian life should be the basis of our hope that God is for us. That basis is the death and righteousness of Christ, counted as ours through faith alone. On the cross Christ endured for us all the punishment required of us because of our sin. And in order that God, as our Father, might be completely for us and not against us forever, Christ has performed for us, in his perfect obedience to God, all that God required of us...