“The symptoms may vary tremendously from case to case, but the business of the preacher is not to medicate symptoms, it is to to treat the disease” (Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching, p. 134).
Can’t Even Find the Stump
One of the temptations that the righteous have to deal with is the temptation of envying the unrighteous. This is a psalm to set that temptation in its proper context, and so to help us deal with it. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they …
Tell Us What You Really Think, Martyn
“Lastly, and only lastly, Homiletics. This to me is almost an abomination. There are books bearing such titles as The Craft of Sermon Construction, and The Craft of Sermon Illustration. That is, to me, prostitution. Homiletics just comes in, but no more. What about preaching as such, the act of preaching of which I have …
The Christian Future of Great Britain
It is no secret to readers of this blog that I am postmill in my eschatological convictions. It is also no secret that I am something of a cultural critic — things all around us, at least according to me, seem to be falling apart. This apparent dichotomy used to bug me too — back …
Mercy and Faithfulness, Full of Stars
This next psalm is one that clearly contrasts the wicked with the righteous, but it is not a psalm of imprecation. An imprecatory prayer is when we ask God to deal with the wicked in a particular way. This is more of an “oracle” about the nature of transgression and righteousness; it is teaching, not …
Logic on Fire
“What is preaching? Logic on fire! Eloquent reason! Are these contradictions? Of course they are not. Reason concerning this Truth ought to be mightily eloquent, as you see it in the the case of the Apostle Paul and others. It is theology on fire. And a theology which does not take fire, I maintain, is …
Dried Out Sins in a Can
We come now to a psalm of imprecation. These psalms do not represent the entire psalter, but they are a significant part of it. Of particular note would Psalms 7, 69, and 109. What are we to do with them? Well, among other things, sing them. Our aversion to the psalms of imprecation has more …
Look Lively There
“I refer to the element of ‘liveliness’. This underlines the fact that seriousness does not mean solemnity, does not mean sadness, does not mean morbidity. These are all very important distinctions. The preacher must be lively; and you can be lively and serious at the same time” (Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching, p. 87).
Difficult Relationships
INTRODUCTION: For a number of years, we have been emphasizing community, life together, fellowship, communion, what the New Testament calls koinonia. The response to this emphasis has been significant—showing that there is a real spiritual hunger for this kind of thing. But there is a hitch—other people are involved. A number of months ago, Doug …
Not One Bone
Psalm 34 is an acrostic—what the Latin Fathers called psalmi abcedarii. There are nine of these psalms total, and it is a pity that we can’t figure out a way to bring this across in translation. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall …