January 2011
33 posts
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“Did you know that on the night he was betrayed
Jerusalem was cold?
Did you...”
– by John Piper.
It’s been raining since Saturday evening here in Singapore and everyone’s been talking about the cold weather. Dare we forget that it was cold at Calvary?
Source: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/it-was-cold-at-calvary
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“What’s the point of being a Calvinist if you can’t relax?”
– Shijie, via gchat 29/1/11
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Meditations to end the day
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38 ESV)
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes,...
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What Christians should learn from the Osteen... →
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At the link bridge, Jan 2011.
New ground comes with new excitement, new fruit, and new people. New ground comes with new mission, new sowing, new adventure. New ground comes with new fear, new demons, and new sleeplessness. New ground comes with new questions, new uncertainties, new doubts. New ground comes with new failure, new weakness, and new wounds. New ground comes with new grace, mercies new every morning.
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http://www.fighterverses.com/ →
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Desiring God interview with Tim Keller (part one) →
Tim talks about his life and ministry, and his Gordon-Conwell influences Richard Lovelace on the dynamics of revival in the gospel, Meredith Kline and covenants, and Ed Clowney on Christ-centered preaching vs. synagogue sermon.
Also significant- Keller’s other influences: C S Lewis, Robert Alter, Derek Kidner, Jack Miller (New Life Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia), Dick Lucas and Lloyd...
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Theology in the movies: Season of the Witch
The goals of pilgrimage (Nicholas Cage as the world-weary, disillusioned servant of God but not the corrupt Catholic church) include the following:
1. Rescue the sick and dying world from the plague by bringing healing “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name...
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A prayer from Jesus' false accusation in Jn...
Dearest Lord Jesus,
in the last day of your suffering, you were unfairly tried, subject to false human judgment, and frail human government. The formed preconceived notions against you and victimized you by labeling you as a rebel when you were the most meek of all men, a blasphemer when you were the most God-fearing and pious of all Israel, and evil, when you were the most righteous of all men,...
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John Piper talks about seeing Jesus better than... →
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”
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Fingers aching, head spinning
Just got back from worship pract. The grandpiano in church is dying (like my body) and first it was the B4 key when we played in E major, and now it’s the A4 key when I’m playing in D major. And the sensitivity of the hammer is…20 years old. The body is aching and very uncomfortable- feeling sick. Even my 4Xsupervitamins don’t seem to be doing the trick. But I’ve...
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“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit...”
– 1 Peter 4:14-16 ESV
If you’ve read John 18:17-18, how do you read these words by Peter?
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“The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this...”
– John 18:17-18 ESV
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The Calling (from Romans)
The apostolic calling, set apart for the gospel (Rom 1:1) Paul was set aside for the unique calling of the apostolic office, which none of us are called to. However, echoed for us is the idea of being the messengers of the gospel, which is the root of ‘apostolos’ anyway. We are called to be set apart for both the benefits of as well as the ministry of declaring the gospel. This is the...
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“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find...”
– (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 ESV)
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As Iron Sharpens Iron: Leading Bible-Oriented... →
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WatchCharles Limb, MD, talking about the developments of the brain during musical improvisation.
Hopkins medicine records otolaryngologist Charles Limb, a self-professed music addict, believes his studies of the brain “on jazz” could ultimately lead to improved treatment for hearing loss.
Here, Charles Limb works on the ‘Bach project’ with musician John Bayless, again on...
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First Presbyterian's basic recommended list of...
1. John Stott, Basic Christianity (IVP). 2. R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God (Tyndale House). 3. John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life (Crossway) 4. Don Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation (Baker) 5. J.C. Ryle, Holiness (Evangelical Press) 6. J. I. Packer, Fundamentalism and the Word of God (Eerdmans). 7. John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Eerdmans). 8. J. Gresham Machen,...
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Liam Goligher nominated as new senior minister of... →
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Reflections on new things
One, a new thing is not an old thing. They are separate, and categorically, by definition, they have to be keenly differentiated for some reason or other. Most significantly, this difference must be observable and noticeable in different chronological points in order to be called ‘old’ and ‘new’ respectively.
Two, a new thing preserves some kind of semblance/continuity...
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WatchThe Pipebomb is back to public ministry! Here, he addresses a breakfast meeting at Lausanne III on the importance of the Bible, and how we can know this book is important.
In his blogpost and report of his leave, he writes the following:
“Eleven days after I return to ministry, I turn 65. One could look at this two ways: 1) it’s the age most people retire, or 2) it’s the age Winston...
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New year, new career
Day three of adventures in Boon Lay. The campus is pretty and serenely quiet. The hilly cascades of green are nice to overlook, especially when you see the bounded ‘forest’ in the distance, separated from the neat rows of buildings by carefully constructed canals which look almost like little rivers. When it rains, the water spills down the hills, and one feels almost like being abroad...
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WorshipGod Conference by Sovereign Grace
Sovereign Grace Ministries has done us all a huge favor by making their rich body of resources from their WorshipGod conferences available. They’ve run WorshipGod conferences in 2006, 2008 and 2009 with the next conference happening at Covenant Life in Gaithersburg, Maryland in 2011. The material here ranges from solo instruments in worship, to bass guitar foundations, to overcoming the fear...
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If one threads the prayers of Daniel together
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him…
To you, O God...
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...doors to discipleship.
I’ve written this piece as a way of helping people develop their way from loose, informal discipleship networks towards consolidated, disciplined mentoring.
These are some ideas and ways that one might approach discipleship, bearing in mind that the goal of this ministry is not just to fulfill the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20) but more importantly, to perform the Pauline instruction to...
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December 2010
20 posts
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Reflections on the sovereignty of God
What have I learnt from my retreat (29/1/10-31/1/10)? Two things.
The first, from Rom 1:1 - “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” (Romans 1:1 ESV). I learnt that Paul was “called [and] set apart for the gospel of God”, or literally, he was set apart for the good news. What good fortune, to be set apart for good news!
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