“So much so-called ‘testimony’ today is really autobiography and even sometimes thinly disguised self-advertisement, that we need to regain a proper biblical perspective. All true testimony is testimony to Jesus Christ, as He stands on trial before the world” (John Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait, p. 64).
Our Name is Legion
In the course of His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus cast down many demons. But this incident is one of the more remarkable, as well as one of the most memorable. “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of …
The Witness
“The third word used in the New Testament for the Christian preacher is the word ‘witness’ . . . Christian preachers are privileged to testify to and for Jesus Christ, defending Him, commending Him, bringing before the court evidence which they must hear and consider before they return their verdict” (John Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait, …
We Don’t Need No Stinking Proof
Green Baggins is on to the next chapter of RINE, the one on heretics and heresy. He begins by acknowledging that individualism is a bad deal, but distinguished individualism from the obvious fact that we all go to heaven or hell, as I have noted elsewhere, by ones. Lane wonders if we in the FV …
By Their Fruit You Shall Know
Tim and David Bayly said some very nice things about their visit here over on their blog. That resulted in some interesting discussion in the comments thread, to which I simply want to add a couple of comments. It would obviously not be appropriate for me to add something like “yes, we really are wonderful, …
The Altars of Democracy
Whenever governments have a problem with God’s people worshipping the true God as they ought to do, the issue is always competition. Those who have made an idol out of the state do not want the presence of anyone who lives in a way that rebukes that idolatry. But we must make a distinction between …
The Lord’s Kindness is Here
We have been talking about the problem of the nagging conscience. A sin has been bothering you, a sin that you can’t seem to deal with. If you have a besetting sin, a sin that you keep committing—whether it is irritation with the kids, or attitudes of envy and lust, or discontent in your job—these …
Fear of Not Drowning
In this portion of our gospel we will consider the role of light in the world, and then two more examples of Christ’s teaching light. In the last part of the chapter, we see Christ command the wind and waves, and the disciples respond to this with the question that the gospel of Mark was …
A Grounded Appeal
“First, we must never issue an appeal without first making the proclamation. Much harm has been done to the souls of men, and much dishonour brought to the name of Christ, through neglect of this simple rule. Evangelistic preaching has too often consisted of a prolonged appeal for decision when the congregation has been given …
A Sower Went Out to Sow His Seed
The teaching of Jesus is characterized by the parable. He teaches with concrete images, not abstractions, common situations, not convoluted hypotheticals. The first extended parable in this gospel is that of the sower, and, as we shall see, it is the key to the subsequent parables. Again, the setting of His teaching is by the …