Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

THIS & THAT: A Roundup of Favorite Articles and Quotes

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Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More interesting article links
  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

  • Should We Pray for Unbelievers or for Evangelists? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “Are we to pray for unbelievers? Or pray for evangelists? How does the Bible instruct our priority here?”
  • Did Jesus Tell Us to Give to Every Panhandler? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper addresses a question I often struggle with.
  • Did Jesus Disregard the Sacrificial System? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper addresses the question “My question concerns the act of forgiveness mentioned in the Bible. I have learned that without blood there is no forgiveness. Hence the sacrifices in the Old Testament and the dying of Jesus in the New Testament. I understand that. But what I don’t understand is the period between the two. When Jesus walked on earth, he often addressed people by simply telling them that their sins were forgiven. He didn’t prescribe an offering in the temple. And he had not shed his own blood yet. So how was that possible, under the assumption that blood is still needed for forgiveness?”
  • What Does It Mean to Pray “Your Kingdom Come?” Kevin DeYoung writes “The kingdom comes when and where the King is known. When Jesus is loved and worshiped and believed upon, there the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

  • The Good News of Limited Atonement. Kevin DeYoung writes “The doctrine of particular redemption is worth defining and defending because it gets to the heart of the gospel.”
  • Our Hope in the Ascension. Kevin DeYoung writes “Of all the aspects of Christ’s work in his state of exaltation, the Ascension is one of the most overlooked.”
  • Reading the Psalms with Luther. Stephen Nichols writes “Luther would say to us, when you read the Psalms, read them for yourself. They are your ”
  • Encountering God Should Make You Afraid. Michael Horton writes “The fear of God is a form of xenophobia—a fear of the stranger, or, in this case, the One who is utterly strange and altogether different.”

  • If Jesus didn’t think he could handle life without knowing the Scripture inside and out, what makes you think you can? Tim Keller
  • There is a difference between accountability and suspicion. Accountability happens between friends and is done in a spirit of love. Suspicion involves enemies and is done in a spirit of resentment. Daniel Darling
  • We tend to demonize the opposite group of people or thing of what we idolize. Tim Keller
  • If God, in Christ, took care of your past and guaranteed your future, you can rest assured he will take care of you right here, right now. Paul Tripp
  • Jesus didn’t die for us because we were lovely; He died to make us lovely. Tim Keller
  • I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer. Martin Luther
  • If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning of life, and identity then it is an idol. Tim Keller
  • When we behold the face of God, all memories of pain and suffering will vanish. Our souls will be totally healed. R.C. Sproul
  • There is ultimately no such thing as unanswered prayer. If the answer at first is “no” or “not yet,” it is because he gives us what we want in ways better than we asked. Tim Keller

Author: Bill Pence

I’m Bill Pence – married to my best friend Tammy, a graduate of Covenant Seminary, St. Louis Cardinals fan, formerly a manager at a Fortune 50 organization, and in leadership at my local church. I am a life-long learner and have a passion to help people develop, and to use their strengths to their fullest potential. I am an INTJ on Myers-Briggs, 3 on the Enneagram, my top five Strengthsfinder themes are: Belief, Responsibility, Learner, Harmony, and Achiever, and my two StandOut strength roles are Creator and Equalizer. My favorite book is the Bible, with Romans my favorite book of the Bible, and Colossians 3:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 being my favorite verses. Some of my other favorite books are The Holiness of God and Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul, and Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. I enjoy music in a variety of genres, including modern hymns, Christian hip-hop and classic rock. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace and Tammy’s book Study, Savor and Share Scripture: Becoming What We Behold are available in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon. amazon.com/author/billpence amazon.com/author/tammypence

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