MLJ on The Non-use of an Altar Call

"That is why I never try to frighten people into the kingdom of God. I do not even call people forward at the end of a service. I know that when the Spirit of God has dealt with them, has changed them, and has given them new minds and hearts, they will come and tell me or tell somebody else. I do not want an immediate decision because I know that even I can produce decisions. A man’s eloquence or the use of lights or music can produce decisions. But I do not do that. I simply put the truth before people, and it is the Spirit of the living God alone who can apply that truth, and He does."

- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Courageous Christianity, 299.

Toronto Pastors Fellowship - Getting Ready for Dr. Haykin on Monday!

It seems like more than one month has passed since our last meeting which makes me all the more eager to see you on Monday at the Toronto Pastors Fellowship.

Dr. Michael Haykin has prepared an excellent paper examining the lives of some of our forebears in the ministry. In his study he has sought to pull out the spiritual disciplines practiced by these men with an aim to fortifying our own personal godliness. I am confident you will be deeply blessed and encouraged by the fruit of his work.

We were pleased to receive some very helpful suggestions from several brothers on how to improve our time together and hope to implement many of these next week. And, like last month, we have some nice things to give you and a little Starbucks ready to brew.

As I mentioned at our first gathering, one of our intentions for this meeting is to get brothers in the Lord in southern Ontario relationally connected. We think it is vital we know each other, pray for each other and support one another as much as possible. So, perhaps today would be a good day to invite a pastor-friend to join with you on Monday. Just be sure to have them register on the website in advance so we can have a really nice name tag for them!

Looking forward to seeing you!

Spurgeon on the Need to Preach Jesus

“If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
- Spurgeon At His Best, compiled by Tom Carter, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1991 reprinted edition, first published 1988), 67.

Sermon Quotes: Matthew Henry on Eden

Matthew Henry describes man’s condition in Eden before sin:

“We may well suppose [it] to have been the most accomplished place for pleasure and delight that ever the sun saw, when the all-sufficient God himself designed it to be the present happiness of his beloved creature, man... No delights can be agreeable nor satisfying to a soul but those that God himself has provided and appointed for it; no true paradise, but of God's planting. The situation of this garden was extremely sweet. It was in Eden, which signifies delight and pleasure.

It was beautiful and adorned with every tree that, for its height or breadth, its make or colour, its leaf or flower, was pleasant to the sight and charmed the eye; it was replenished and enriched with every tree that yielded fruit grateful to the taste and useful to the body, and so good for food. God, as a tender Father, consulted not only Adam's profit, but his pleasure; for there is a pleasure consistent with innocency, nay, there is a true and transcendent pleasure in innocency. God delights in the prosperity of his servants...”