Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Suggested Guidelines for New Missionaries



1. No Bible, no breakfast! Be serious about regular daily devotions.“O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)

2. Memorize the Word (the Bible). “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You…Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart…This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me” (Psalm 119:11, 34, 50).
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you…”  (Colossians 3:16).

3. Read! Read! Read! Read good books and read the Bible through at least once yearly!  “…but grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Someone said, “If you do not read, you will not grow.” To walk with the wise is to read good books. “He who walks with wise men will be wise…” (Proverbs 13:20).

Books by Catholics, mystics and “health and wealth,” and emergent church proponents are of no help. Authors such as: Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Henry Nouwen, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Brian McClaren and spiritual warfare books by Neil Anderson and others.

4. Preach the Gospel to yourself and others. “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The gospel needs to be proclaimed. Good works are not the gospel, but the results of the gospel.  

5. Live by faith. “But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38). Trust God. He is Sovereign and we can trust Him. Jesus is our Shepherd and He goes before His sheep. He leads and cares for us.

6. Love the Savior, love saints, and love sinners. “…You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).

7. Build friendships with local believers and fellow missionaries. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1).

8. Network for the glory of God. “…but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another…” (1 John 1:7).

9. Practice hospitality often whether you are single or married. “Be hospitable to one another without complaint” (1 Peter 4:9).

10. Dress modestly and neatly. Do not be sloppy in dress. “…for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” (2 Corinthians 8:21).“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly …”  
 (1 Timothy. 2:9). 

11. Put on humility daily. “… clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…” (1 Peter 5:5b).

12. Be a servant of Christ by serving others. Remember manners and serving others are the kindness of Christ in action.  “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God… whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

*All scripture NASB

Friday, December 11, 2015

Monergism Reading Guide 2015

If you are giving books as a gift to your friends and family this year, we have compiled a list of some of the best classic and contemporary books for beginner, intermediate and advanced readers. If you work through the books on this list you will be devotionally enriched and will be giving yourself a solid theological edification that you would not get at the vast majority of seminaries. Read more ...

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Should We Only Forgive Those Who Repent?

from Prince on Preaching

I preached a sermon on forgiveness from Luke 17:1-10 and received the following question afterward and thought the answer might be helpful to others.

Question:

I have heard it taught that if a person does not seek forgiveness (repent) that we are not required to forgive, do you agree with this? Can a person refuse to forgive and not harbor sinful bitterness? Does the picture of salvation requiring repentance before forgiveness apply or is it different and not applicable? Read more ...

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Necessity of Word & Spirit in Conversion by John Calvin

The following is an expression of the extraordinarily balanced understanding of John Calvin with regards to the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing persons to faith through the preaching of the gospel. Commenting on Acts, it shows the outworking of God's plan through the agency of men in casting forth the seed of the gospel, which, the Bible testifies, can only be responded to when germinated (so to speak) by the Holy Spirit. The Scripture testifies that that the word alone is not enough to enter and change the heart of natural man (who is hostile to God's word) but that the heart must be opened and the mind illumined by the concurrent work of the Spirit. An biblical example of this can be found in 1 Thes 1:4, 5. "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction... Read more ...