"Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
-- Psalm 124:8
Should any of us doubt whether our LORD is ever-present and working on behalf of those who love Him and who are faithful to Him, please talk to Karen about the events at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi earlier today. The Lord moved in the lives of everyone involved, including the Embassy agent who at first was unwilling to budge, and ultimately Koech was approved for a visa.
To say it was a remarkable story does not do justice to the details that God covered and the obstacles He removed.
Karen will be flying out of Nairobi tonight, and Koech will leave Kenya on Tuesday (his visa will not be ready until then) with Peter Kendagor accompanying him to St. Louis...I look forward to hearing more details from Karen. To all who have been praying, I thank you, and ask that you continue to keep Koech in your prayers in the days and weeks to come.
by Carl Trueman seemed to be quite a timely read. Lately, I’ve been noticing some of Trueman’s blog entries at Reformation 21 and have appreciated both his thoughtful approach as well as the sharp wit displayed in his writing. arguing for his political perspective. In this, I imagine that many (most?) political conservatives will find Trueman’s arguments unpersuasive, the occasional strawman sneaking into the mix. But I am quite sure he would make the point that his goal was not to argue for his view on issues, but rather to simply point out that we need to realize that whichever way we vote, there are certain trade-offs we are making. In light of this truth, Christians need to engage the political process in what is truly a counter-cultural way., Trueman has succeeded in writing a very thought-provoking book which I would heartily recommend to any Christian who takes their political views seriously. I do not agree with all of his positions; one could scarcely hold to an identical combinations of views. But then again, that is pretty much the point of the book; we should critically examine all of the issues and not simply default to what a certain political party tells us is the appropriate liberal position, the appropriate conservative position, or (most especially) the appropriate Christian position.
The World Series gets underway tonight. As a St. Louis Cardinal fan (and an old-time, traditionalist one at that), I normally root for the National League's entrant in the World Series. This year is different though. I am rooting for the Texas Rangers of the American League. It's not that I have anything in particular against the San Francisco Giants, it's just that I find the Rangers compelling for a number of reasons, some of which are admittedly better than others:Worship of God is enjoyment of God. We have no problem laughing at something funny, smiling at something pretty, "mmmm"-ing something delicious, humming something catchy, or cheering something exciting in the stadium, but when we get into church on Sunday mornings, we have trouble worshiping because we don't know and enjoy God the same way we know and enjoy jokes, pictures, food, songs, or sports.Click here to read the whole post.
Here’s the deal… there’s a young boy in Kenya whose name is Koech (James Koech Lokwakapel). He has been diagnosed with cranial sarcoma and the doctors after treating him for over 2 years (for malaria, tuberculosis, even removing his spleen) can do nothing else to help him.
Enter Dr. Rob Hanson and St. John’s Mercy Hospital… both are ready, willing and able to treat Koech and attempt to save his life. Awesome God, mighty servants!
The problem… the US Embassy in Nairobi is refusing to give him a medical visa because of “a spelling error of his mother’s name.” The error has been corrected, everything verified, but no one will respond. US Senators have attempted to help but without success.
So…I’ll be traveling to Nairobi on Monday, Oct 25th, to go personally to the US Embassy as Christ’s ambassador and to stand in the gap for Koech – my hope is to bring him back by Friday, Oct 29th.
What can you do? PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Pray for favor, pray for justice, pray for victory in Jesus’ Name! And you can help financially – we need to raise $3000 for plane tickets, and for expenses to bring him back for treatment.
As you know…all contributions are tax-deductible by IRS guidelines as we are a 501(c )[3] organization.
Thank you for your partnership - we work together against Satan’s plan to destroy and have the honor to bring help to a child and glory to God! He is MIGHTY TO SAVE!If you're interested in helping, here is their contact information:
Heck, Angelina Jolie has adopted, what?, 300 orphans? Isn't George Clooney saving the world? Matt Damon fights for social justice, and he does it without a splinter's notion of the gospel.Wilson goes on to point out that instead of being something we do, "the good news" is the message of what Christ has already done (living, dying and rising again to reconcile sinners to God) and what he is currently doing (empowering our conversion and obedience). Read the whole post here.
Are we supposed to be doing these things too? Yes. It is the command of God to love our neighbor. But social justice is not unique to Christianity, and in fact if social justice is the good news, we bear the same message as lots of people who are going to hell. Social justice, then, is salvifically neutral. And therefore, while it accompanies and may testify to the good news, it cannot be the good news itself.
.
is a concise, practical book which is designed to be helpful for both those suffering from depression as well as those who are in some capacity caring for others who are fighting it. Murray is quite clear that he does not view depression as something which is inconsistent with Christianity. In fact, he points out, many heroes of the faith, including those in the Bible, have struggled with varying degrees of depression. 
The most popular TV pundit of the Right, who yet cannot define "socialism," versus the advocate for women's rights who does not regard the drugging, and forcible and perverted sexual violation of a thirteen year old girl as "rape." If ever we needed a microcosmic demonstration of all that is wrong with left and right, those two say it all: it is all about empty posturing, extreme slogans, and, above all, entertainment.Against this cultural backdrop, Trueman calls on Christians to raise the bar, both in what we expect and in what we exhibit. He points out that those who (like me) subscribe to the Westminster Standards are bound by such statements as the Larger Catechism's answer to Question 128, which reads as follows: "The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them; envying at, contempt of, and rebellion against, their persons and places, in their lawful counsels, commands, and corrections; cursing, mocking, and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonour to them." He goes on to make the following suggestions:
Christians, right and left, should model intelligent civic engagement, not help to destroy it by pandering to the moronic soundbites and posturing of the TV pundits. And anybody who holds office in a confessional presbyterian denomination and who calls the President a Marxist (or carries around a picture of him at a rally photoshopped to make him into Hitler or the Joker), or anyone, for that matter, who claims that the Republicans are all Fascists or racists -- anybody who does such, I say, should be charged in the courts of the church with breach of vows and, if unrepentant, dismissed from office. Criticism and dissent are vital in democracy; but how we express that criticism and dissent should be shaped by our Christian commitments and, for those of us who hold office, by our solemn vows.I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Please comment below. You can read Trueman's whole post here.
, can be better described as a "paraphrase" rather than a translation. 
is unsurpassed. The study notes are wonderful. Many colorful maps and illustrations (like this one of the Temple at right) are included, often alongside the text. These serve very well to help the reader understand what they are reading. There are over 100 pages of helpful articles at the back of the Bible on various theological and biblical issues, as well as a concordance, a daily Bible reading plan, and an overview of the history of salvation in the Old Testament.. has a cover price of $49.99. If you click here though, you will be directed to Amazon.com where it can be purchased for $31.49., watch the video below featuring Tullian Tchividjian.
)
The preacher must be a serious man; he must never give the impression that preaching is something light or superficial or trivial…What is happening is that he is speaking to them from God, he is speaking to them about God, he is speaking about their condition, the state of their souls. He is telling them that they are, by nature, under the wrath of God – 'the children of wrath even as others' – that the character of the life they’re living is offensive to God and under the judgment of God, and warning them of the dread eternal possibility that lies ahead of them. In any case the preacher, of all men, should realize the fleeting nature of life in this world. The men of the world are so immersed in its business and affairs, its pleasures and all is vain show, that the one thing they never stop to consider is the fleeting character of life. All this means that the preacher should create and convey the impression of the seriousness of what is happening the moment he even appears in the pulpit. You remember the famous lines of Richard Baxter: "I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men."
, pp. 85-86)
, which I was pleased to have the opportunity to read this week. has much to commend it. It deals with the deepest and most meaningful of truths, yet does so in a way that is eminently readable. Gilbert clearly loves the gospel and it comes through in his writing. A number of times I was forced to simply stop reading, ponder the great truths that he had expounded, and worship the God of whom they spoke. And just as he maintains that the life, death and resurrection of Christ is the heart of the gospel, he makes sure that the Bible is at the heart of his argument. As a quick perusal of the Scripture index will show, in just over 100 short pages of writing, Gilbert makes almost 175 distinct Scripture references. will help others to do the same.
"Stop It" Skit by Bob Newhart from Tim Tolosa on Vimeo.
"If mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13), are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign. It suffices that through God's glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins? Pray hard for you are quite a sinner."
is a study of what happens, as its subtitle tells us, when church and "cool" collide. While at times humorous, it is not a satire, and while at times critical, it is not an ivory tower lampooning. Rather it is a critique from the midst of hip, as McCracken is a young, cool Christian, in tune with what’s “in,” both in the church and in culture at large. is an interesting study. There were no doubt parts that would offend people on both ends of the spectrum, which I suppose is one indication that in this book, McCracken must have done something right.
