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D.A. Carson on Biblical inerrancy — video after the jump…
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Here’s a quote from Spurgeon’s sermon Salvation by Knowing the Truth that is a noteworthy reminder of the power of God’s unbound Word, of which I preached a couple weeks ago from 2 Timothy 2:8-9. (Via: CBC Evangelism blog)

YOU WHO DESIRE TO SAVE SINNERS. You must, dear friends, bring the truth before them when you want to bring them to Jesus Christ. I believe that exciting meetings do good to some. Men are so dead and careless that almost anything is to be tolerated that wakes them up; but for real solid soul-work before God’ telling men the truth is the main thing. What truth? It is gospel truth, truth about Christ that they want. Tell it in a loving, earnest, affectionate manner, for God wills that they should be saved, not in any other way, but in this way—by a knowledge of the truth. He wills that all men should be saved in this way—not by keeping them in ignorance, but by bringing the truth before them. That is God’s way of saving them. Have your Bible handy when you are reasoning with a soul. Just say, “Let me call your attention to this passage.” It has a wonderful power over a poor staggering soul to point to the Book itself. Say, “Did you notice this promise, my dear friend? And have you seen that passage?” Have the Scriptures handy. There is a dear brother of mine here whom God blesses to many souls, and I have seen him talking to some, and turning to the texts very handily. I wondered how he did it so quickly, till I looked in his Bible, and found that he hind the choice texts printed on two leaves and inserted into the book, so that he could always open upon them. That is a capital plan, to get the cheering words ready to hand, the very ones that you know have comforted you and have comforted others. It sometimes happens that one single verse of God’s word will make the light to break into a soul, when fifty days of reasoning would not do it. I notice that when souls are saved it is by our texts rather than by our sermons. God the Holy Ghost loves to use his own sword. It is God’s word, not man’s comment on God’s word, that God usually blesses. Therefore, stick to the quotation of the Scripture itself, and rely upon the truth. If a man could be saved by a lie it would be a lying salvation. Truth alone can work results that are true. Therefore, keep on teaching the truth. God help you to proclaim the precious truth about the bleeding, dying, risen, exalted, coming Savior; and God will bless it.

It’s time to be thinking about reading through the Bible in 2009 — a great habit to start if you haven’t already.

The ESV.org site has several one-year Bible reading plans to choose from. Most of them can be downloaded as a PDF file and all of them can be subscribed to by Email, RSS, read online in your web browser or read on your mobile device.

My favorite plan is the M’Cheyne One-Year Reading Plan which will take you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice.

Monergism.com is giving away 5 of the new ESV Study Bibles – ESV Study Bible Giveaway.

The following is a summer challenge I issued to our church family by email this week.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been enjoying an early morning, fast paced walk with Carolyn on a pleasant trail in the woods near the house. It’s really all I can do to keep up — she’s been walking about an hour a day, almost every day, for a couple of years now. On our walk this morning I saw a tall pine tree lying beside the trail. The tree looked like it had been blown over recently.

What I found interesting about it was the fact that though the tree had been standing not long ago, probably about 20 feet tall or so, a young pine, and appeared to be healthy, I saw no tap root. From what I understand about pines they grow a deep tap root that gives them strength and stability. Evidently the tap root of this tree had been compromised or was simply insufficient to withstand the severity of the storm that hit it.

How’s your spiritual tap root? Two characteristics seen in 1 John of believers who are strong in their walk with Christ are that they are people in whom God’s Word abides (1 John 2:14) and they are people who abide in Christ (1 John 2:27) — that is they yield to the work the Holy Spirit is working in them.

Let me encourage and challenge you to give attention to strengthening and growing your spiritual “tap root” by reading God’s Word this summer. Summer will go by quickly and I know there are many things we’d like to do during these wonderful but few warm days in Northern Michigan. Take time to enjoy them, but don’t neglect God’s Word. Better yet, get outside, pull out your favorite lawn chair or Adirondack and enjoy God’s Word while you enjoy His creation. And then be certain that you approach God’s Word with reverent humility, ready to obey as God’s Spirit works in you. Grow your spiritual tap root deep this summer.

February 24, 2008 – AM Service
Read The Letter – Colossians 4:15-18
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:04 — 10.8MB)

Three great, and free, reasons to get a not-so-free iPod — of course, you could just listen to these on your PC too.

1. The recent Pastors Conference Audio from DesiringGod.org
2. J. Vernon MacGee’s Thru the Bible – MP3 Download’s of his 5-Year Program
3. The NIV Bible in MP3 – Listen and Download
   — not my translation of preference but free and worthwhile

Pulpit Magazine recently wrapped up a helpful series evaluating the arguments used to support the King James Only position. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

“The safest way to hear God speak is to read your Bible. And beware of every other notion about how you are going to hear from God.”

Allister Begg, Why Bother With the Bible – Part One B

eBible.com has gone live today. You could call eBible.com the Web 2.0 of online bibles.

Frank Turk takes on the TNIV debate–Who’s afraid of TNIV?

Pulpit Magazine’s blog has moved to my favorite blogging software, WordPress, and today posts an important piece on interpreting scripture. What Does This Verse Mean “to Me”?

The nucleus of all that is truly practical is sown up in the teaching of Scripture. We don’t make the Bible relevant; it is inherently so, simply because it is God’s Word. And after all, how can anything God says be irrelevant?

Crossway is offering the ESV New Testament for 50 cents a copy through March 31, 2007 in a bold move to get the Word out. I think this is a great opportunity for you or your church to get copies of the New Testament in one of the best translations out there into the hands of as many people as you can.

Check out the Spread the Word site for details.

NASB MacArthur Study Bible available soon…

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