Monday, March 17, 2008

Austin news and an Inkling

We're very excited about having a dear friend with us the next couple days, Stephen Vance from Toronto. He'll be speaking in Austin this Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 pm, DV. If you're interested do come.

On Thursday we'll be taking Stephen up to Melfort, Saskatchewan for the annual Taylorside Youth Conference. Pray that the Lord will bless his Word to us young people.

In light of these events I undertook a major cleaning of the study tonight. What a blessing that I have Helen to prod me a little in things like this! I'm afraid that much more than my office would be in disarray without Helen. My whole life would be a mess without her.

I didn't need any prodding to read a little C.S. Lewis last night, though. The Weight of Glory, Learning in War-Time, and Transposition all proved to be exhilarating reads which could not be interrupted until finished. I don't have time now, but I know that in the future each of these addresses will reward thoughtful assimilation. After reading them I couldn't believe how long a time I had allowed to lapse since last reading Lewis. I can remember hanging on for dear life in Mere Christianity when I was in first-year college. It was good I hung on, too, because in second year a debate came up before class in which morality was deemed to be relative, and thus irrelevant. I tried, however feebly, to defend the Christian worldview. And shortly thereafter I lent Mere Christianity to the chief espouser of the relativistic view. A day or two later he handed the book back with a simple "Thank you". Lewis had persuasively defended the obvious, and the proud young man who days earlier had had so many words of "wisdom" to share, was reduced to two small words of humble admission. And my inward response was a "thank-you" too, directed heaven-ward, for giving the Church men with minds like Lewis had, so that the faith of an impressionable young man could be strengthened, and not squashed, in the anvil of secular scrutiny.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Ukraine, again

Last fall we were blogging up a storm in Ukraine, and so it's a pleasure to point you to a blog devoted to God's work in this land. Helene is there at the moment with Flo Kancir. In the near future they will be joined by Helene's husband (Gilles), Malcolm Stanley (click to see picture), and Avrell Bowden. We encourage those interested to follow the blog and its bloggers with prayer.

There's also a website devoted primarily to the assembly in Lutsk.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Passing the buck

I haven't had much time for blogging these days. Our lives have not been busier it seems, what with basement renovations, prenatal classes and preparations for Baby, preparing messages, trying to learn Greek, and some other studies thrown in. But I've been enjoying my friends' blogs immensely, so just in case you're not checking up on theirs, here are links to Brandon's and Steve's lastest posts on Philippians. You'll enjoy them.

Best ESV edition...ever

While I'm linking to JT, he's just alerted readers to a single-column ESV Bible with paragraphing and cross-references. Beautiful. See the links for page samples.

Piper on the prosperity "gospel"

I've been wanting to provide this video on our blog for a while now . Justin Taylor has just posted it, so head on down. It's powerful. And much needed.

******
Update: Overcoming: the Craving