500 years ago, a German monk named Martin Luther started a protest that exploded into a worldwide movement. So what was the Protestant Reformation all about? Discover the answer in this short video narrated by Dr. R.C. Sproul. Learn more at http://Ligonier.org/reformation
On the Psalms ...
"We should understand the Psalter as a vital part of God's preparation for the coming of Christ. We should understand a particular psalm in its historical context and New Testament usage and ponder how that Psalm relates to Christ. Above all, we should understand the Psalter as divinely-inspired, Christ-centered songs worthy of joyful praise unto God."
(From '150 Questions about the Psalter' by Bradley Johnston; http://www.crownandcovenant.com/product_p/ds199.htm)
On Preaching - Martyn Lloyd Jones
Conclusions on 2 Thessalonians 2
Pagans of the first century viewed Christians as killjoys...
We're studying 1 Peter 4:1-6 in our Bible Study tonight and there's a brilliant piece of commentary by Karen Jobes on this passage that is worthwhile fodder for reflection:
“Pagans of the first century viewed Christians as killjoys who lived gloomy lives devoid of pleasure... The pleasures from which Christians of the first century typically abstained were the popular forms of Roman entertainment: the theater with its risqué performances, the chariot races, and the gladiatorial fights with their blood and gore. Christian lifestyle also condemned the ‘pleasures’ of an indulgent temper, sex outside marriage, drinking, slander, lying, covetousness, and theft. These attitudes toward contemporary Roman customs and morals, combined with the Christians’ refusal to burn incense to the emperor – a gesture of civic gratitude intended to assure the well-being of the empire – earned Christians the reputation of being haters of humanity and traitors to the Roman way of life.” ...
“Peter encourages his readers to continue to abstain from the things that society deems acceptable, even though by their abstinence they condemn such conduct and thereby possibly incur the anger of those who indulge in such things. As [Paul J.] Achtemeier points out, ‘It is a problem that will recur whenever Christians are forced by their faith to oppose cultural values widely held in the secular world within which they live.’” (Karen Jobes, 1 Peter, p. 262)
Do We Make Time to Incline Our Ear?
Like most of the book of Proverbs, there isn't a specific setting that the words we find in Proverbs 22:17 are addressing but they are rather touching on the reality that faces us as image bearers of the LORD our God who are fallen and broken by sin and being restored and renewed by the Holy Spirit.
For in our creation in the image of God, we have been given minds of discernment and understanding – with the ability to reason and to reflect in ways that make plain that we are not animals but are a distinct creation of God.
We are created to be revelation-receivers.
We incline our ears and hear the words of the wise.
If you have a pet at home, you'll know that they receive communication from you – they'll incline their ears, but they are not hearing and comprehending the words of the wise in the way that the Word calls us to.
They hear instructions and words of affection – but as animals they are not then applying those words to the recesses of their hearts or thinking to themselves, “I'm sure glad I have such a wise master".
But we're different.
And we apply the things we hear – we hear the words of the wise and God says, “apply your heart to my knowledge”.
Receive it and store it and reflect on it.
Do you have time for this?
It's not idleness to devote time to this type of reflection – whether in the middle of the night when you're unable to sleep or during the day in personal meditation on the Word.
Do you have time to incline your ear and apply your heart to the knowledge of God?
Eric Watkins: Singing the Psalms with the Psalmist
Why Do We Devote Time to Catechism?
Chad Van Dixhoorn: The Seven Marks of a Puritan Ministry
Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn, a scholar of the Westminster Assembly which resulted in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shorter and Larger Catechisms that we use in our churches, has written a very insightful post over at Reformation 21 on "The Seven Marks of a Puritan Ministry"
It's worthwhile reading if you have a few minutes!
http://www.reformation21.org/articles/seven-marks-of-a-puritan-pulpit-ministry.php