Tim Challies over at CHALLIES.COM has written an excellent resource for those wrestling with sexual purity – which in our day can be almost all of us.

What is exciting, is that Tim went on to produce this in e-book format, and then posted it – which means you can download it free of charge from his website.  You can click on the various links here or on the book image to the left.

If you are struggling in this area, or know someone who is – get this or recommend it to them.

If you are a parent, this ought to be on your own reading list, and made available to both your sons and daughters. Tim has produced something practical, Scriptural, helpful and sound. Everyone of us ought to go through it once. Know it or not, we ARE interacting with folks every day – even in our own homes for whom this is vital. Get it today.  TIM CHALLIES.COM

“Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” (Matthew 25:32-33, ESV)

One issue which has made its appearance of late in Calvinistic circles, is one raised by a friend of mine in a discussion a while back. The basic assertion (as he expressed it) was “I was ALWAYS a sheep, and never a GOAT.”

So I’d like to take some time to unpack that idea, and see what exegetical evidence (if any) there might be for either making or denying such a claim.

Lemme warn ya – its a little long.

Read on.

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“And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.” (Matthew 9:20-22, ESV)

” And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.” (Matthew 9:27-31, ESV)

Faith, is NOT a work. When this truth is lost, the preaching of a full and free offer of the Gospel, and the calling of men to faith and repentance gets lost with it. Fortunately, passages like these two give us tremendous help in untangling a knotty problem indeed.

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Proverbs 29:19 (ESV) By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.

Are you merely a servant of God, or are you also a child of God? The issue is an important one. How you think of yourself in these categories will impact how you respond to Him.

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Be back around Sept. 9th.

I “may” post once or twice while away.

Don’t count on it.

Hopefully I’ll get back rested up and ready to jump back in.

“Doing Church” is a big buzz-word topic these days. But to tell you the truth, it all seems like a buch of hub-bub to me. The nature of the Church as Christ’s Kingdom, founded, being built and approaching fulfillment – it seems to me captures the essence of “doing Church”. And if you’ll jump to the rest of this very short entry – I think you might agree that we need not complicate things so much. Instead, we need to be about the business Christ has given us to do. That way – we won’t have to “do” Church, Church will get done.

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