Archive by Author

Book of the Week – The Pilgrim’s Progress

16 Jan


John Bunyan’s: The Pilgrim’s Progress


“This classic has refreshed my spirit time and again when my soul has longed for Christ-centered guidance through a maze of modern detours and diversions.” – Joni Eareckson Tada

Here is a brief review of the book by Elise Fitzpatrick:

“The longer I journey through our dear Immanuel’s land, the more grateful I am for John Bunyan’s ‘dream’ and the cruel imprisonment that occasioned it. What a gift weary travelers have been given in this precious, timeless classic-and what beauty, insight, and encouragement was borne out of his suffering! Unafraid to challenge the outward trials of moralism, materialism, and persecution, humble enough to confess his own doubts and despair, Bunyan leads us on our way to the Celestial City we long to see.”

Here is what the publisher has to say:

“For more than three centuries both Christians and non-Christians, young and old, have been fascinated by the characters and story of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come-regarded as one of the most significant works of English literature. While keeping the dignity and beauty of Bunyan’s language, editor C. J. Lovik has updated words and phrases for today’s readers.

This deluxe edition of Pilgrim’s Progress, brought to life in forty all-new, full-page, color illustrations by award-winning illustrator Mike Wimmer, takes readers on a visually stunning journey with protagonist Christian as he seeks the Celestial City. Along the way, readers encounter Evangelist, Mr. Worldly Wisdom, the Interpreter, Hypocrisy, Watchful, Faithful, Talkative, Hopeful, Ignorance, and others. Through word and picture, readers will better understand the obstacles and encouragements they will face as they live out the Christian life this side of heaven.”


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Charles Hodge – The Source of All Good

16 Jan

[Commenting on Ephesians 1:2: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”]

Peace, according to how the corresponding Hebrew word is used, means well-being in general. It includes all blessings flowing from the goodness of God. The apostle prays to Christ and seeks from him blessings which only God can bestow. Christ therefore was to him the object of habitual worship. He lived in communion with Christ as a divine person – the ground of his confidence and the source of all good.

~Charles Hodge~


Crossway Classic Commentaries – Ephesians (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 1994)

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J.C. Ryle – The Sovereignty of God in Saving Sinners

7 Jan

We should observe, second, the sovereignty of God in saving sinners. We read that our Lord says to his Father, “You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (verse 21). The meaning here is clear. There are some from whom salvation is hidden. There are others to whom salvation is “revealed.”

The truth here is deep and mysterious. It is high as heaven: what can we do? It is deep as hell: what do we know? We can merely acknowledge that the words of our Lord Jesus Christ supply the only answer which mortal man should give: “Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure” (verse 21). Let us, however, never forget that God’s sovereignty does not destroy man’s responsibility. That same God who does all things according to the counsel of his own will always addresses us as accountable creatures, as beings whose blood will be on our own heads if we are lost

~J.C. Ryle~


Luke (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2003) Commenting on Luke 10:21-24.

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Charles Spurgeon – Pastors, We Have a Fixed Faith to Preach

6 Jan

We have a fixed faith to preach, my brethren, and we are sent forth with a definite message from God. We are not left to fabricate the message as we go along. We are not sent forth by our Master with a general commission arranged on this fashion — “As you shall think in your heart and invent in your head, so preach. . . .”

Verily, we read not so. There is something definite in the Bible. It is not quite a lump of wax to be shaped at our will, or a roll of cloth to be cut according to the prevailing fashion. . . .

Believing, therefore, that there is such a thing as truth, and such a thing as falsehood, that there are truths in the Bible, and that the gospel consists in something definite which is to be believed by men, it becomes to us decided as to what we teach, and to teach it in a decided manner. We have to deal with men who will be either lost or saved, and they certainly will not be saved by erroneous doctrine. We have to deal with God, whose servants we are, and he will not be honored by our delivering falsehoods. . .

Neither less nor more than God’s Word are we called to state, but that Word we are bound to declare in a spirit which convinces the sons of men that, whatever they may think of it, we believe God, and are not to be shaken in our confidence in him.

~Charles Spurgeon~


Lectures to My Students (Edinburgh, Scotland; The Banner of Truth Trust; 2008) p. 265.
(HT: DG)

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John Calvin – The Church as the Orchestra of God’s Goodness

5 Jan

The whole world is a theatre for the display of the divine goodness, wisdom, justice, and power, but the Church is the orchestra, as it were—the most conspicuous part of it; and the nearer the approaches are that God makes to us, the more intimate and condescending the communication of his benefits, the more attentively are we called to consider them.

~John Calvin~



Calvin’s Commentaries – Psalms (Spokane, WA; Olive Tree Bible Software; http://www.olivetree.com) Commentary on Psalm 135:13.

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Herman Bavinck – Believingly Deriving the Doctrine of Scripture from Scripture

31 Dec

It is incorrect to say that the teaching of inspiration, as it is maintained by the Christian church, forms a contrast to what Scripture says about itself. For inspiration is a fact taught by that very Holy Scripture. Jesus and the apostles have given us their witness concerning Scripture. Scripture contains teachings also about itself. Aside from all the dogmatic or scholastic development of this teaching, the question is simply whether or not Scripture deserves credence at the point of this self-testimony. There may be disagreement about whether Scripture teaches this divine inspiration of itself; but if it does, then it must also be believed at this point just as much as in its pronouncements about God, Christ, salvation, etc. The so-called phenomena of Scripture cannot undo this self-testimony of Scripture and may not be summoned against it as a party in the discussion. For those who make their doctrine of Scripture dependent on historical research into its origination and structure have already begun to reject Scripture’s self-testimony and therefore no longer believe that Scripture. They think it is better to build up the doctrine of Scripture on the foundation of their own research than by believingly deriving it from Scripture itself. In this way, they substitute their own thoughts for, or elevate them above those of Scripture.

~Herman Bavinck~




Reformed Dogmatics Vol. 1: Prolegomena (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Academic; 2003) p. 424.

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Martin Luther – Man’s Will

30 Dec

Man’s will is like a beast standing between two riders. If God rides, it wills and goes where God wills… If Satan rides, it wills and goes where Satan wills. Nor may it choose to which rider it will run, or which it will seek; but the riders themselves fight to decide who shall have and hold it.

~Martin Luther~






The Bondage of the Will (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Revell; 1957) p. 103-104

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Martyn Lloyd-Jones – The One Gospel for All Peoples

29 Dec

We have become such experts, as we think, in psychological understanding, and at dividing people up into groups–psychological, cultural, national, etc.–that we conclude as a result that what is all right for one is not right for another, and so eventually become guilty of denying the Gospel. ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free.’ This is the ONE Gospel–the ONLY Gospel. It is for the whole world, and the whole of humanity. Mankind is one. We have fallen into the grievous error of adopting modern psychological theories to such an extent that we evade the truth, sometimes to protect ourselves from the message, and certainly often to justify methods that are not consistent and consonant with the message which we are privileged to deliver.

~Martyn Lloyd-Jones~


Preaching & Preachers (Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan; 1972) p. 141-142

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John Newton – God Can Use Anyone

28 Dec

Though we can but lisp a little word about the Lord’s goodness, yet when He is pleased to be near us, his presence and blessing can work by the meanest instrument, and cause our hearts to burn within us.

~John Newton~





The Letters of John Newton – To Miss Medhurst (Edinburgh, Scotland; The Banner of Truth Trust; 2007) p. 46.

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Herman Bavinck – Why Read Scripture?

27 Dec

The all-perfect author, the Holy Spirit, could inspire nothing untrue, trivial, or degraded. Reading and studying Scripture is therefore an urgent necessity.

~Herman Bavinck~






Reformed Dogmatics Vol. 1: Prolegomena (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Academic; 2003) p. 406-407.

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