Quotable - Andrew Fuller

The following quotation is taken from a letter written by Andrew Fuller to his dear friend John Ryland.

"I am a poor guilty creature, but Christ is an almighty Saviour. I have preached and written much against the abuse of the doctrine of grace; but that doctrine is all my salvation and all my desire. I have no other hope than from salvation by mere sovereign, efficacious grace, through the atonement of my Lord and Saviour. With this hope, I can go into eternity with composure."

The letter was penned April 28, 1815. Fuller died May 7, 1815. Ryland preached his friend's funeral, as requested, using Romans 8:10 as his sermon text.

Source: The armies of the Lamb: The spirituality of Andrew Fuller, edited by Michael Haykin, pg. 269

Victory and Peace

We have just come through the celebration of Easter. One of the primary themes we celebrate around the cross and the empty tomb is that of victory. Jesus Christ's death and resurrection won the victory over sin and the grave. All of those who place their faith in him share this same victory. The picture to the right shows Winston Churchill during the time of WWII flashing the "V for Victory" sign. Maybe this picture was taken on an Easter Sunday. Just a thought.

In addition to victory, those who are in Christ have peace with God. We are no longer his enemies. Moreover, we experience the peace that comes to our hearts in knowing we are forgiven and have come into a right standing with our Creator. You might call this the peace of God. In the 1960's during the Vietnam war there were many who used the same sign as the "V for Victory" but they called it the "peace sign." It is really both for Christians. As followers of the Lord Jesus we have victory and peace.

Allow these truths to encourage you in your walk with Him today.

Glory of the Cross

All those who are trusting and following the Lord Jesus have come to see the glory of the cross. Painful as it was, there is beauty at the cross. Heart breaking as it was, there is joy at the cross. The perfect Son of God died for sinners. That still amazes me. I will boast only in the cross of Christ.

Getty and Townend have said it well in the final verse of "The Power of the Cross"

Oh, to see my name, Written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death; Life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.

When Christians Read

Christians ought to be readers. I have heard individuals say, "I'm not a reader." I sense that some Christians struggle with knowing what to read, so they don't read anything. Moreover, there is that group who will not read anything that does not line up with their entire theology and belief structure. Here is a list of insights found in Foundations for Soul Care by Dr. Eric Johnson. I think this information (which I have paraphrased) will be helpful especially for Christians who find it challenging to know what to read.


1. Regardless of the type of reading material, the goal is always the same for the Christian: growing in Christ likeness. So, what we read should get us closer to this goal.


2. As believers we have assistance, the Holy Spirit. This should be a great encouragement for us.


3. Seek wisdom in the wisdom of others. Reading can serve us well in this task.


4. We must prioritize what we read. Johnson suggests the following hierarchy: The Bible, which will guide us and sharpen us as we read other things; Christian Classics, helpful to expand our understanding of various doctrines. God has equipped many throughout church history, we would be foolish not to read these texts; Other valuable texts, this could encompass a range of genres. Of course we read them through our God-centered lens; Inferior texts, many of these are not helpful reading. Discernment is important here; Bad texts, usually not worth reading. Yet, someone with a solid Christian worldview needs to read these in order to respond to them and educate others; Banned texts, these would be harmful and should be avoided. However, care must be taken not to be over zealous and put everything in this category that is not Christian.

5. Any text we read, save the Bible, should be read with "both trust and suspicion." We read literature, science, non-fiction and all of it with confidence in what we know to be truth. Yet, we ask questions and use discernment realizing that there is good to be gleaned, taking it all captive to Christ.

6. Recognize the value and wisdom of non-Christian texts. Almost like looking at the other team's playbook. This type of reading will sharpen our understanding and maybe even reveal some of our own "blind spots."

The key for believers is to read with discernment. That is why the Bible is our first source. Everything else is read through the lens of Scripture. So, Christian, take up and read.

Pray for Missionaries in Ireland

Today is St. Patrick's day so I will spotlight my friends in Ireland. Scott and LeAnn Bandy are serving as missionaries in the town of Naas. They hail from the great state of West Virginia and have been on the field for about 2 years. Previously Scott served as youth pastor at Twin City Bible Church in Nitro, WV. God has blessed their efforts and the ministry at Naas Baptist Fellowship is growing. Please join me this week in prayer for the work God is doing in Ireland through this family.

I Don't Like Spam

Although I do enjoy the tasty ham-like canned meat, fried on a sandwich with mustard, I do not like computer spam.

Now my blog is the target of these idiots. Do these people really think anyone is reading their electronic junk mail? Just like the paper versions that arrive in my PO box, it goes straight to the trash unopened.

Message to Spammers: No one reads your messages. No one is buying what you are selling. Move on.

Honest Politics - Ouch!

New Book on Jesus, Dangerous

I'm not shocked or surprised to learn about the new book by Deepak Chopra. He is an MD who also serves as a new-age guru on issues regarding mind-body health, emotional freedom, yoga and the like. He also apparently makes a lot of money speaking, selling books and peddling "spirituality light" packaged for everyone. The sort of stuff that appeals to post-moderns who need to have their religious itch scratched, but not by anything that resembles biblical truth.

Chopra's newest release is entitled, "The Third Jesus: The Christ We Can't Ignore." I haven't read the book, but I did read this review. I suspect that many on the forefront of "engaging the culture" (read Dr. M) will read the book and speak very intelligently about it. My problem is that I can't seem to get through the books I want/need to read. So, I'll leave the heavy lifting to the experts.

I have a concern that there are well-meaning, immature, Christians who will pick this book up at Borders thinking it might be helpful. (I just had a flash in my mind of the robot from Lost in Space: "Danger, danger...") All the more reason for us to be alert to what is lurking in the "religious" shadows.

If you are looking for a good book I hear Tim Keller's newest release, The Reason For God, is excellent. It is written for skeptics and Christians, according to the author. Sounds like a great read to sharpen our apologetic.

Winter Wonderland

We ended up with about a foot of snow! Snowballs, snow forts, and snow shovelling. Fun for the whole family. The girls have enjoyed the snow immensely. The sun popped out today and now the melt begins. That's how it goes around here. Next week the flowers will bloom.

Snow Day

The glory of God is displayed in an awesome way during a snow storm. Today we are having such a storm here in "the Bluegrass." While it presents travel problems and covered sidewalks, it is amazing to see. When all the trees and grass are covered it looks so clean and pure. The beauty doesn't last long.

It is encouraging to know that all those in Christ are clean in God's eyes. We can call out to our gracious God in the words of the Psalmist, "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." The beauty of God's grace displayed in a redeemed sinner lasts for all eternity.