Today I have a post on the Desiring God Blog celebrating the birthday, the Bible, and the God of Charles Spurgeon.

Psalms 119:91 By your appointment they [heavens and earth] stand this day, for all things are your servants.
All things… the Middlemist Red Flower, 11688 San Ysidro Drive, wasps, clouds, fortune cookies, eBay, Johnny Cash, the billiard hall down the street, public radio, 3M, green olive pizza, stars, thermometers, MTV, my 3rd grade science text book, [...]

One reason the Christian should have peace: God does all their works for them. “O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works” – Isaiah 26:12. Do you believe it?

John Piper’s latest Taste and See article is a meditation on 1 Corinthians 12, and it really moved me.  I will share an excerpt of the article below, then some further observations.  You can read the whole article here.
Here is an excerpt:
God may intend to give us the blessing… through the spiritual gifting of another believer. [...]

Passover was the day in which the Jews celebrated their release from slavery in Egypt, and it was customary for the Romans to release and pardon one Jewish prisoner every year at this time. The Jews themselves chose which prisoner the Romans were to pardon. Jesus had been imprisoned during Passover, without charge, [...]

I love to listen to good live music.  The energy of a tight band and a poetic singer who becomes a part of their music.  It is a beautiful experience.  There is something in the air that elicits a response from me, especially if there is a groove.  My heart rises up into my throat [...]

Propositions are important, but they depend on the stories out of which they arise for their power, meaning, and application.  Imagine having all the propositions of faith but none of the stories.  They would be true, but we wouldn’t know what to do with them.
Propositions are shorthand for story.  They stand in for stories that [...]

I was reading through the first few verses of Titus in Greek today when I noticed this.
Titus 1:2-3a
…ἐλπίδι ζωης  αἰωνίου ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ ἀψευδὴς  θεὸς πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων ἐφανέρωσεν δὲ καιροις ἰδίοις τὸν λόγον αὐτου ἐν κηρύγματι ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγὼ κατ’ ἐπιταγὴν του σωτηρος ἡμων θεου…
My Translation
…hope of eternal life, which the lie-less God promised [...]

Ezekiel 13:2-3, 22-23:
“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!… Because you have disheartened the righteous [...]

What does the bible say about the eternal destiny of those who never have an opportunity to hear the gospel?  Recent confusion over how to answer this question has effectively decentralized missions and evangelism from the evangelical church.  Pre-order Piper’s newest book, Jesus: the only way to God – Must you hear the gospel to [...]