Topic Archives: Spiritual Growth

THE GOSPEL SPREADING IN SICILY, ITALY We were present in Santa Elisabetta for the dedication of their new premises and have seen many Christians and also a good attendance of non-Christians To write an article, especially in the summer season of 2001 in which the temperature reaches 35 degrees, is an enterprise, particularly if you […]

ALL WE WILL GET IN 2002 IS MERCY January 1, 2002 Let us make crystal clear at the beginning of 2002, all we will get from God this year as believers in Jesus is mercy. Whatever pleasures or pains come our way will all be mercy. This is why Christ came into the world – […]

It is evident that in the shallowness of modern English evangelicalism sin is not dealt with seriously in evangelism or in the battles of the Christian life and many feel that Owen is the man who can teach this generation much that is absent, to our lamentable weakness. At the Westminster Conference 2001, held at […]

What Jesus wants most for Christmas is that his elect be gathered in and then get what they want most to see his glory and then savor it with the very savoring of the Father for the Son. What does Jesus want this Christmas? We can see the answer in his prayers. What does he […]

A Commitment to Integrity Our calling is to know and do what is right in all situations and relationships in our lives Recently I heard a report about a young man’s situation which moved me deeply. I believe that his story is perhaps the most powerful testimony to Christian integrity I can recall in my […]

IN THE MIDDLE OF WONDERFUL, YET CONFUSING TIMES A total of 811 persons attended the XVII Annual FIEL Leadership conference in Brazil. Adhering to the theme “Grace, marvelous grace” pastor Jim Orrick from Kansas City and author and pastor Brian Edwards of London brought sixteen challenging messages directed to the hearts of hearers who had […]

PRIDE AND THE REFORMED CHURCHES Of all the dangers that can overtake a Reformed church pride is surely the worst and most serious. There is, of course, a right kind of pride, a thankfulness to God for our history or heritage. But the pride I am thinking of is that ugly, self-righteous, self-preening brute that […]

SPIRITUAL REVIVAL THE WANT OF THE CHURCH Charles Haddon Spurgeon “O Lord, revive thy work.”Hab., iii. 2 ALL true religion is the work of God: it is pre-eminently so. If he should select out of his works that which he esteems most of all, he would select true religion. He regards the work of grace […]

BOOK REVIEW WHAT’S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE? by Philip Yancey, (Zondervan, 1997) “Grace [is] ‘the last best word,’ the only unsullied theological word remaining in our language.” (p.232) So writes Philip Yancey in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace? Other words, like love and charity, for instance, have all but lost their original theological […]

THE CHURCH IN NORTHERN RUSSIA In a recent edition of the Spectator (28 July 2001) Anne Applebaum describes a visit to Vortuka, north of the Arctic Circle where roses do not grow. There are no daisies or lilies; no sunflowers or geraniums, just a few wild flowers which spring up in the very short, very […]

THE RICHES OF SPURGEON ONE While the true greatness of a preacher will only be revealed at Christ’s tribunal, I would join my opinion with those of many others who make the earthly judgment that Charles Spurgeon was the most effective and useful of preachers since the days of the Apostles. Yes, as highly as […]

THE GRACE AND DUTY OF BEING SPIRITUALLY MINDED DECLARED AND PRACTICALLY IMPROVED. by John Owen Found in Volume 7 of the Works, and published by the Banner of Truth Trust. To be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6 Set your affection on things above. Colossians 3:2. LONDON: 1681. Prefatory Note An Outline:- Preface […]

AN ARGUMENT FOR LEARNING By Pastor Jim Elliff Wise men store up knowledge…Proverbs 10:14a One of the immense edifices on the skyline of Christian history over the last hundred years was the eminent leader, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones (1899-1981). He is noteworthy not only because he was a great preacher and the pastor of Westminster […]

One of the most staggering verses in the Bible is surely Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are the called according to his purpose.” What is so breath-taking is the scope of Paul’s conviction, “in all things,” and the unbounded assurance […]

For years before the Second World War and for another 15 years afterwards the one shop in the United Kingdom which stocked and distributed Reformed literautre from the USA was the Evangelical Book Shop of Belfast. This was through the energy and vision of W.J.Grier, that holy happy pastor and one of the first trustees […]

In order for a Christian to live a life of God-glorifying worship, he or she must grow in the knowledge of God’s word. In other words, he or she must study doctrine. Let’s look at three reasons why sound doctrine is essential to true worship. 1] Doctrine provides a right understanding of God’s person and […]

Maybe you have no idea what daily worship involves. Maybe it’s never been part of your life, and no one has ever explained it to you or modeled it for you. Let me describe my own involvement in daily worship. When I was growing up, my parents led us in daily family worship. Before breakfast […]

It’s what mothers’ worst nightmares are made of – the last thing Jason and Trina Baker expected as they headed out into a blizzard in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on January 2, 1999. And because it was so unexpected, it was all the more horrifying when it happened. As they headed out into the gathering storm […]

I’m writing about the “worship” service we attended Sunday, Christmas Eve morning. I suppose I’m typing these words as much as a catharsis as to inform you. Early on I decided that if I had to endure such an experience, I might as well take notes and use the event as a reservoir of illustrations. […]

[This testimony of the new American President’s journey of faith been has widely circulated on the Internet. We long that his faith grow and he become a courageous and wise leader of the greatest nation in the world.] Actually, the seeds of my decision had been planted by the Reverend Billy Graham. He visited my […]

A report of the Banner of Truth Conferences held in April this year: What a great privilege it is to be able to attend the Banner of Truth Youth Conference each year! Although it is a busy time it is a wonderful opportunity to see a group of young people so evidently enjoying hearing the […]

SESSION 1 The Conference commenced with the 300 men singing the metrical version of Psalm 65, and with prayer. Iain Murray then explained to the Conference that the sickness of Dr Robert Godfrey of Westminster Seminary, California, had prevented his attendance, and that Dr Sinclair Ferguson would speak instead of him. John Marshall opened a […]

There was just one occasion on which my wife and I attended Westminster Chapel during the ministry of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones. It was on Whit Sunday in May 1965. Thus it was with the greatest interest that we noticed that in the newly published volume of sermons on the book of Acts the very sermon […]

This letter arrived from Paul Williams, the pastor of an Evangelical Church in Swindon, which triggered off a chain of thought. “Yesterday Ruth and I had some time off and went to Bristol. We were taken by friends to the George Muller museum there, and also saw for ourselves the vast orphanages. What a joy […]

Almost ten years ago J.I. Packer’s collection of articles and essays on the Puritans appeared, entitled in Great Britain, “Among God’s Giants” (Kingsway Publications, 447 pages). Many of the papers had been given at the Puritan Conference, and there were a number of other articles, not readily available to us before the appearance of this […]