Tag Archives: Christianity

Quote of the Week – Challies on Fighting Fire with Fire

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 31 Comments

“Be very careful fighting fire with fire! Be careful fighting heresy with heresy, bad theology with bad theology, lack of love with lack of love. So easily the noble becomes ignoble. So often the controlled burn becomes the raging wildfire.”

-Tim Challies in Fighting Fire with Fire

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Posted in Quote of the Week, Quotes

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Who is a Man of the Book?

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 608 Comments

A man of the Book knows the Book. Being so, this man reads the Book. To Him the Book is a Food eternally more important than His morning meal. The Book refreshed His Soul and Sustains His Heart. This man cannot survive without the Book. He reads it and is intimately familiar with it.  He memorizes the Book.  He fills his head with as much of the Book as is possible.  He thinks about the Book and learns it front to back.   The man of the Book studies the Book. The man does not simply read the Book and forget its words. This man labors with the Book. Hard. He grapples with the meaning of the Book. He struggles with his own ignorance and goes to war against ideas he holds that run contrary to the Book. The man is sold out to the teachings of the Book and works with all his might to know and understand the Book. To this man, true teachings are not teachings of the Book unless they are lived according to the Book. Likewise, true living is not true living by the Book unless it is informed by the teachings of the Book. The man of the Book knows the Purpose of the Book and properly worships the Author and Object of the Book. The man of the Book knows Who ultimately wrote the Book. To this man, the words of the Book are breathed by Divinity and are worthy to be followed before Divinity. The man of the Book submits to this Divinely Authored Book and to the Book’s Teachings. He knows his need for the Message of the Book and is properly humbled and awed by it.

The man of the Book intimately knows and constantly lives the teachings of the Book. He strives to be more and more like the Object of the Book and ardently worships the Author of the Book. He understands the Gift of the Book and is eternally full of humility and thanksgiving to the Giver of the Book.

May God ever and always give us Grace to be men and women of the Book.

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Posted in Poetic Prose

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Al Mohler on “The ‘American Experience’ and the Death of Evangelicalism”

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 817 Comments

Al MohlerMohler came out with a great post today on the role that American politcal theory has played in our assumptions about God and the Bible and how that has affected Evangelicalism in the States.  Go check it out for yourself.

“Be warned:  God is not running for office, and heaven is not a democracy.”
-Al Mohler

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Posted in Politics, Reformation

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Who Am I?

Posted on December 21, 2008 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 60 Comments

Who am I?

I am a Christian.  I am not a Nicewander.  I am not a Texan.  I am not an American.  I am a Christian.

I am not a Baptist.  I am not a Calvinist.  I am not Reformed.  I am a Christian.

But, what defines me as Christian?  What makes me a Christian?  What causes me to do what I do, to speak what I speak, to live as I live?

When I speak, what do people hear?  When I do, what do people see?  When I act, what do men say that I believe?

Would they say that I am a follower of Christ?  Would they say that my love is for Him?  Would they see a heart that yearns for Christ, that aches for Christ, that would give up all just to have Christ?

Do I follow Christ?  Do I live for Christ?  Do I love Him and do I strive with all of my being to make Him known?  Am I so reliant upon Christ that I am worthless and as nothing without Him?

Oh, may God give me the grace to be thus!  When men see me, may they see a Christian, a follower of Christ, and one who Loves Him!

May I know that no one can take His place!  My wife may love me, support and encourage me, but she will someday die and leave me.  My family, as loyal as they might be, will fail me.  Christ is all I need!  Men will fail me, Christ will not.

Though doctrine is vitally important to my spiritual well-being, it is but a means to know Christ.  As comforting as the Doctrines of Grace are to my soul, they are merely telling me about the love of my Wonderful Savior.  May my love be for Christ!  May my hope be in Him!

Oh, would that my love for Christ would overflow!  In Christ I can be the son to my parents that I ought to be.  In Christ I can seek their council, and enjoy their support, because I know that it is ultimately in Christ that I am truly comforted.  In Christ I can be the brother I should be, loyal and kind, for I know that as I do good to others I am really showing my love for Christ.  In Him I can be what I should be for my sweet wife, in Christ I can know how to lead and to care.  How cruel it would be to make her my hope!  How hateful it would be to put such a pressure on her, a pressure that only Christ can handle!  How spiteful I would be to her in trusting my heart and emotions to her!  Oh, but as my hope and trust is in Christ, I can truly be for her what I should!

Oh, would that in respect for Christ, and desire for Him, I would know doctrine!  Oh, would that I would study Him, and seek after His truth!  Would that His love would drive me to know the Word of God, and fight for the Truth within its pages!  Oh, that I would have a sound worldview, a proper metaphysics, and a sound systematic theology!  Without Christ these things mean nothing.  They are worthless to save me, and powerless to love.  Oh, but in Christ I have a basis for belief, and a foundation for life!

And I pray with all that is within me, with tears and groans that Christ would enable me to glorify Him.  What an indictment if I dishonor Him!  What an indictment if I am a source and encouragement for others to curse and deride Him!  Oh, I plead with Him to do whatever it takes, however it takes, whenever it takes to glorify Him!  As He is my all in all, my hope, and the only one I ever need, I am His to use as He sees fit.  His Will is good.  His Love is eternal.  His Grace is Astounding.  And He is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

If you read this, and don’t know Christ, I have one word for you:

Believe.

Believe in Christ.  Trust Him for your soul.  There is a Holy God who rules and reigns over all.  And you are a sinner.  The Righteous God will not and cannot permit sin and rebellion.  A price must and will be paid.  Would you like to pay it yourself?  You can try running from Him, you can try hiding from Him, but sooner or later your time will come, and the price WILL be paid.

What can be done?

Believe.

Believe in the One who has paid the price.  Believe in the One who has satisfied Justice.  Believe in the One who has provided Salvation in all righteousness and holiness.  Believe, and you will be saved.  Believe, and you will know the depths and the breadth of the love of God.  He does not promise an easy life.  He does not promise physical safety and well-being.  He does promise His Grace, He does promise His Love.  He does promise Himself, and that’s all you’ll ever need.

Come know the cool sweetness of the everlasting flow of the River of Christ’s love!  Come see the majestic might of the towering peaks of Christ’s grace!  Come rest in the arms of the King of Kings, sink into His sovereign mercy and cling to His eternal grace!  Again, I say: believe!  Trust not in yourself, trust not in your philosophy, metaphysics, or systematic theology!  Trust in Christ!  Believe in Him!  Flee from your sin, flee unto Christ, and find in Him the Love you seek, the Grace you Need, and the Hope that never fails nor fades!

Believe!

Who am I?

I am Christ’s, and He is all I need.

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Posted in Essays

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Calvinist? Arminian? Neither? Be ye admonished.

Posted on November 10, 2008 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 817 Comments

THE Son of God sustains to us the relation of the Elder Brother. He is emphatically the “Firstborn.” In another place we read, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same.” He is the “Brother born for adversity.” Our relation to Him as our Brother is evidenced by our conformity to Him as our model. We have no valid claim to relationship which springs not from a resemblance to His image. The features may be indistinctly visible, yet one line of holiness, one true lineament, drawn upon the heart by the Holy Spirit, proves our fraternal relationship to Him the “Firstborn.”

And how large the brotherhood!-”many brethren.” What the relative proportion of the Church is to the world-how many will be saved-is a question speculative and profitless. But this we know-the number will be vast, countless. The one family of God is composed of “many brethren.” They are not all of the same judgment in all matters, but they are all of the same spirit. The unity of the family of God is not ecclesiastical or geographical, it is spiritual and essential. It is the “unity of the Spirit.” Begotten of one Father, in the nature of the Elder Brother, and through the regenerating grace of the one Spirit, all the saints of God constitute one church, one family, one brotherhood-essentially and indivisibly one.

Nor is this relationship difficult to recognize. Take an illustration. Two brethren in the Lord of widely different sections of the Church, and of much dissonance of sentiment on some points of truth, meet and converse together. Each wonders that, with the Word of God in his hand, the other should not read it as he reads it, and interpret it as he interprets it. But they drop the points of difference, and take up the points of agreement. They speak of Christ-the Christ who loves them both, and whom they both love. They talk of the one Master whom they serve; of their common labors and infirmities, trials and temptations, discouragements, failures, and success; they talk of the heaven where they are journeying; of their Father’s house, in which they will dwell together for ever; they kneel in prayer; they cast themselves before the cross; the oil of gladness anoints them; their hearts are broken, their spirits are humbled, their souls are blended; they rise, and feel more deeply and more strongly than ever, that they both belong to the same family, are both of the “many brethren,” of whom the Son of God is the “Firstborn,” the Elder Brother. Oh, blessed unity! What perfect harmony of creed, what strict conformity of ritual, what sameness of denominational relation, is for a moment to be compared with this? Have you, my reader, this evidence that you belong to the “many brethren”?

- Octavius Winslow

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Posted in Quotes

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The Rabbit Room

Posted on October 1, 2008 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 1,012 Comments

If you haven’t yet seen this, you need to check out The Rabbit Room.

Andrew Peterson is the Proprietor of the website, and by his own description:

The Rabbit Room is a place for stories. For artists who believe in the power of old tales, tales as old as the earth itself, who find hope in them and beauty in the shadows and in the light and in the source of the light.

It’s always so encouraging to see Christian Artists who are actually concerned about artistry and creativity for the Glory of God, rather than simply being popular or making money.

If you’re a podcast-lover Peterson has also recently started doing a Rabbit Room Podcast.  Good stuff.

The Rabbit Room on iTunes

The Rabbit Room RSS Feed

p.s. Peterson also has a new album coming out soon.  Should be good.

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Posted in Culture, Music

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Being on God’s Side, by Joe Carter

Posted on September 12, 2008 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 689 Comments

A quote:

Protecting the sanctity of innocent human life and defending the traditional definition of marriage are clearly essentials. Those matters are based on principles that can be clearly derived from our traditions and holy texts. Other issues, however, are often less opaque. For example, can someone be a part of the “religious right” and not support the war in Iraq? The fact that question can even be asked shows how we’ve muddied the waters. While I personally think that, on the whole, the war was morally justified and a necessary humanitarian intervention, I can respect those who disagree.  Indeed, the alternate opinion may be as rooted in Biblical and conservative principles as, I believe, is my own position to be. We must be careful and deliberate about where we draw the lines of political heresy. (emphasis added)

- Joe Carter

If you have time, go read this very thoughtful and helpful article.

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Posted in Culture, Quotes

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Quote of the Week – William Booth

Posted on August 21, 2008 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 567 Comments

Missions has been on my mind quite a bit, so for the next few weeks I’m going to have mission’s quotes for the QOTW.  Enjoy. 

“‘Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.”

- William Booth

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Posted in Missions, Quote of the Week, Quotes

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Quote of the Week – Tullian Tchividjian

Posted on July 31, 2008 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 139 Comments

The difference that people are longing for, in other words, is a difference in being, not doing.

So while many church “strategists” are locating reformation and revival in structural renovation, we must remember that the deepest needs of the Church today are spiritual, not structural. And yet, we are told that the Church’s cultural relevance depends ultimately on its ability to keep up with the changing structures, on its ability to do church differently.

I have good news for all of us who are becoming weary of this type of pressure: We don’t have to keep up the way we think we do; the world doesn’t want us to! So how do we compete? We don’t! We must come to see that God has established His Church as an “alternative society”, not to compete with this world, but rather to offer a home to those who realize the homelessness of life in this world without Him. It is the calling and the privilege of the Church to be “against the world for the world”. We should be encouraged and challenged by the historical reminder that the Church has always served the world best when it has been most counter cultural, most distinctively different from the world.
- Tullian Tchividjian

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Posted in Quote of the Week, Quotes

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