Archive for the 'Other Blog' Category

Other Blogs: General Thoughts on Translations

These are a little old and many of you have seen them but I thought I would point them out for those who haven’t.

Who Translated the New Living Translation? (And More Thoughts on Advocating English Translations) - Internet Monk (good comments too)

Speaking of the NLT, here is a feature on their web site where you can easily look up popular verses/passages. There are so many familiar passages making it easy to get a good feel for it. There are also three in-depth comparisons.

Update: And a newer post on the NLT.

One “Best” Translation? - living the crucified life (ironically, most of the comments may be contrary to what the post is about)

Download the Introduction to Psalms from the ESV Study Bible

Introduction to the Psalms, along with the notes for Psalm 1 - PDF File

From: ESV Bible Blog

Dependence Day

Dependence Day - The Blazing Center

Declaration of Dependence - Irish Calvinist

Calvinism and Arminianism

Here are some posts related to a passage that doesn’t usually come up in comparisons.
Luke slips in predestination… - He Is Sufficient
Acts 13:48 - “Appointed” or “Disposed?” - I follow Christ
Acts 13:48: Arminian? Calvinistic? - Connecting
Acts 13:48 An Exegetical Study - Love Acceptance Forgiveness

For books related to this subject:
Arminianism and Calvinism Books: A Starter List

Arminianism:
Arminian Perspectives
Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Arminian - Roger E. Olson

Psalm 139:16 TNIV
your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Acts 13:48 HCSB
When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the message of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Romans 8:29 HCSB
For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 9:14-16 HCSB
What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! For He tells Moses: I will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy.
and also:
Romans 10:9-10 HCSB
if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

Ephesians 1:11 HCSB
In Him we were also made His inheritance, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will,

2 Timothy 1:9 HCSB
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

How these two sides of God’s truth—His sovereignty in choosing us (Rom. 9) and our responsibility to confess and believe (Rom. 10)—reconcile is impossible for us to understand fully. But Scripture declares both perspectives of salvation to be true (John 1:12-13). It’s our duty to acknowledge both and joyfully accept them by faith.

–John MacArthur

1 Timothy 2:4 HCSB
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 3:9 HCSB
The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

Ezekiel 33:11 HCSB
Tell them: As I live”-the declaration of the Lord God-”I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?

What Is Revival?

A revival is a time of quickening or impartation of life. As God alone can give life, a revival is a time when when God visits His people and by the power of His Spirit imparts new life to them, and through them imparts life to sinners dead in trespasses and sins. We have religious excitements gotten up by the cunning methods and hypnotic influence of the mere professional evangelist; but these are not revivals and are not needed. They are the devil’s imitations of a revival. New life from God–that is a revival. A general revival is a time when this new life from God is not confined to scattered localities, but is general throughout Christendom and the earth.

…revivals also have a decided influence on the unsaved world.

First of all, they bring deep conviction of sin. Jesus said that when the Spirit was come He would convince the world of sin (John 16:7-8). Now we have seen that a revival is a coming of the Holy Spirit, and therefore there must be new conviction of sin, and there always is. If you see something men call a revival, and there is no conviction of sin, you may know at once that it is bogus. It is a sure mark.

–R.A. Torrey, How To Pray

Marks of Revival - J. I. Packer
Revival-and Renewal - A.W. Tozer
Revival Conditions - A.W. Tozer
What Is a Revival? by C. H. Spurgeon

Update 7/25:
The Spirit of Revival (pt. 1) - R.C. Sproul
The Spirit of Revival (pt. 2) - R.C. Sproul

MARJOE GORTNER-HOW FALSE PROPHET WORKS - YouTube

Psalm 19:7a HCSB
The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;

Sites To Browse

Theologer - a theology forum
A bunch of famous biblio bloggers (there’s an oxymoron) got together and formed a forum. Come and check it out.

Suffering Christians offers prayers, quotes, Scripture, personal writings and links to articles related to suffering.

Messages on Philemon by John MacArthur
There’s more to this little book than one might think.

A 12 Point Cure for Complaining

A 12 Point Cure for Complaining

See other good articles at this site.

HT: CAMPONTHIS

In case you would like a list of Scripture mentioned:
Philippians 2:14
1 Thessalonians 5:18
James 1:2
Luke 13:2-3
2 Corinthians 4:19
1 Peter 2:23
Genesis 18:25
Psalm 34:4
Romans 8:28
Hebrews 11:35-39
2 Corinthians 12:9
Romans 8:35-39

Can Christians Become Demon-Possessed? What Is True Conversion?

Can Christians Become Demon-Possessed? (<– link) by John MacArthur

What does God’s Word, the touchstone of truth, say? Can demons inhabit or spatially indwell a true believer? Can they walk through an open door and become a squatter? Proponents of today’s spiritual warfare movement say yes, but they base their answer on subjective experience, not on God’s Word. The Bible makes it clear that such a claim has no justifiable basis.

–John MacArthur

if there is no real and lasting change in people who think they are converted, their religion is worthless, whatever their experiences may be.

–Jonathon Edwards

The Death of the Death in the Death of Christ

The Irish Calvinist reviews a book called In My Place Condemned He Stood. In it he says, “The introduction into John Owen’s The Death of Death [in the Death of Christ] is worth the book.” I did some looking around and found this to be available at various web sites:
http://www.all-of-grace.org/pub/others/deathofdeath.html
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath.html

Introduction and the book by Owen:
http://www.lgmarshall.org/Owen/owen_deathtable.htm

In My Place Condemned He Stood is a new book and I look forward to reading that one someday.

Passionate About God’s Word

Bible

Sometimes we get a little cerebral and it’s nice to see some passion out there.

Don’t Waste Your Pulpit on Irish Calvinist’s blog (not just for pastors)

In Awe of What I Hold in my Hands on the blog I’ll call iFollowChrist

This blog’s name expresses how I feel about getting to hear from God through Scripture but it’s often difficult for me to put into words so I thought I would post a couple of links that I like a lot.

Psalms 19:7-11 HCSB
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
making the heart glad;
the commandment of the Lord is radiant,
making the eyes light up.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable
and altogether righteous.
10 They are more desirable than gold-
than an abundance of pure gold;
and sweeter than honey-
than honey dripping from the comb.
11 In addition, Your servant is warned by them;
there is great reward in keeping them.

Photo © Scripture Zealot

Never Be Wise In Your Own Sight

Never Be Wise In Your Own Sight by John Piper

Proverbs 9:10 NRSV
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble.

Matthew 23:12
All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Duty Calls

Biblical eSources

Biblical eSources

Just a few of the names in the articles section:

  • Silva, Moisés (the infallible)
  • Ladd, George
  • Garland, David
  • Bruce, F. F.
  • Bock, Darrell
  • Blomberg, Craig

HT: Pyromaniacs

While we’re at it, also see:
My Bible Translation Resources at Better Bibles Blog with links to more resources

Wine

I was sick this week and didn’t post yet (whine?). Today I’ll just mention an interesting post on another blog on the subject of wine:
Does God Drink Wine?

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not two-faced, not given to excessive drinking,
1 Timothy 3:8 NET

“Christian” Counseling

This is bound to offend many but I thought I would throw it out there.

Certainly, Scripture does not claim to be a thorough textbook on medicine, or physics, or any of the sciences. But psychology differs from these in two important regards. First, psychology is not a true science…. Second, and most significant, psychology, unlike medicine and physics, deals with matters that are fundamentally spiritual. In fact, the word psychology literally means, “study of the soul.” What are the deep psychological needs if they are not the spiritual issues the gospel is concerned with? And Scripture certainly does claim absolute sufficiency in addressing those needs: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17, emphasis added). “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” (Ps. 19:7). Scripture itself promises believers the most comprehensive spiritual resources: “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).

–John MacArthur

In other words, while the Bible was never intended to be a textbook for disciplines such as math or physics, it does claim to be an all-sufficient guide for godly living. Therefore, if the goal of Christian counseling is godliness in the life of the counselee, the counselor need not look beyond the wisdom found in the pages of Scripture to be equipped for his task. For if the counselee’s problem is spiritual in nature, Scripture is sufficient to meet the demand. On the other hand, if the problem is the inability to bake tasty muffins, a cookbook might be a better place to look.

–Matt Waymeyer

From:
2+2=4 and the Sufficiency of Scripture

Jay Adams is an author of books that deal with true Christian counseling. If you look at the table of contents (PDF file) of his book A Theology of Christian Counseling among others you’ll find that it’s about spritual maturity through Biblical principles.

Ligonier Ministries - New Blog

Ligonier Ministries has a new blog. Of particular interest is an interview with Sinclair Ferguson which has some insight into Calvin, who Jesus is, doctrine, salvation etc.

HT: Challies.com