Whitefield on Imputed Righteousness

"And first, if we deny this doctrine, we turn the truth, I mean the word of God, as much as we can, into a lie, and utterly subvert all those places of scripture which say that we are saved by grace; that it is not of works, lest any man should boast; that salvation is God's free gift; and that he who glorieth must glory only in the Lord. For, if the whole personal righteousness of Jesus Christ be not the sole cause of my acceptance with God, if any work done by or foreseen in me, was in the least to be joined with it, or looked upon by God as an inducing, impulsive cause of acquitting my soul from guilt, then I have somewhat whereof I may glory in myself. Now, boasting is excluded in the great work of our redemption; but that cannot be, if we are enemies to the doctrine of imputed righteousness."

George Whitefield



Concerning imputed righteousness, ol' George nails it! George Whitefield (1714-1770) has always been one of my favorite figures of the past. He was a contemporary of John Wesley, and the two enjoyed a friendship, though very strained at times due to theological differences. Whitefield was first and foremost a preacher. In writing about Whitefield, biographer J.C. Ryle observes, "He wrote no book for the million, of world-wide fame...He headed no crusade against an apostate church...He founded no religious denomination, which pinned its faith on his writings and carefully embalmed his best acts and words...No! The great evangelist..was a simple, guileless man, who lived for one thing only, and that was to preach Christ." While grateful for men like Whitefield, I pray that God will raise up others of this generation with the same single mindedness and the boldness to express that mind! Be watching for more from our friend George.

Mayberry Monday with ETB

The wisdom of Solomon? No. Earnest T. Bass? Yes.

EARNEST T. BASS: "If a duck stood still, you could catch him by the bill."

Praying for Sunday!

Sunday is coming soon to a church near you! Have you remembered to pray for your pastor and church staff? Have you asked God to give your pastor insight and understanding concerning the scriptures? Have you asked Him to give your pastor the right thoughts and words as he preaches the truth of the Bible? Have you asked for the miraculous, praying that the Word would penetrate the hardened hearts of sinners to bring them to salvation? Have you prayed for those in Christ, that they would be hungry for the Word and anxious to receive it into their lives? Have you prayed that God would be glorified by His people exercising faith in Him? Have you prayed about yourself, asking God to prepare your ears and heart for worship? Have you prayed that worship would be sacrificial and spiritual, rather than self-centered and fake? Have you prayed for obedience to the Word in the lives of people long after they leave the building? Simply said, please pray!

A Thought from Sir Isaac

"Sometimes I come into my study and in my absentmindedness I attempt to light my candle when my extinguisher is over it. And I fumble about trying to light it but cannot. But when I remove the extinguisher, then I am able to light the candle. I am afraid the extinguisher in your case is your love of your sins. It is deliberate unbelief that is in you. Turn to God in repentance, be prepared to let the Spirit of God reveal His truth to you, and it will be His joy to show the glory of the grace of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ."

Sir Isaac Newton

Mayberry Monday with Barney

BARNEY FIFE: "Nip it in the bud! First sign of youngsters going wrong, you've got to nip it in the bud...Nip it. You go read any book you want on the subject of child discipline and you'll find every one of them is in favor of bud-nipping."

Our Future!

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' "

Revelation 21:1-4


Our response? We join with John in saying, "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"

The Power of the Word

"There is a divine agreement within the Godhead-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are working together in and through the Word. The Spirit does not divorce himself from the Word. Many want to be led by the Spirit without the Word, but they cannot distinguish between the leading of God and indigestion, because they have nothing concrete against which to check their inclinations and hunches. The Holy Spirit leads and teaches in the Word and through the Word, but never against the Word. 'So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God' (Romans 10:17). Have you heard God through his Word? When the Bible is expounded, does it tickle your ears or inflame your soul? Does the Spirit of God take this Word and bother you with it? Does he pierce, comfort, strengthen, and encourage you with it?...Revival would come to our country if every church member in America would say, 'I am never again going to ask the minister to administrate the church or be responsible for its finances. I want somebody to feed me the Word of God.' If every church member in America would ask that the Word of God be preached in an expository manner every Sunday, it would blow the lid off this country, because that is where the power is. It is not in our programs, buildings, or parking lots. It is in the Word."

R.C. Sproul

Another Mayberry Monday

ANDY TAYLOR: "Floyd!"

FLOYD LAWSON: "What's the matter?"

ANDY TAYLOR: "My sideburns!"

FLOYD LAWSON: "Your sideburns? What's the matter with your sideburns?"

ANDY TAYLOR: "Why, they're both even."

FLOYD LAWSON: "Well, I'll be dogged. How'd that happen?"

ANDY TAYLOR: "I declare Floyd, I believe you're getting the hang of it. And look there-they're the right length and everything."