Live So As to Be Missed: The Life and Impact of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

Noticed that the audio for my TPC talk on M'Cheyne is now posted, as well as a pdf of the paper so you can read along.  All yours free for the taking (or downloading, as the case may be)!

Hope it is a blessing to you.


“It is not great talents that God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”

God Saves Whom He Wants

“He would stop at Rotherham, however, because the insults he had formerly received there, had tempted him to return no more. Then, he thought no good was done. Now, he found the chief family of his " bitter persecutors" converted to God, and ready to welcome him under their roof. He became their guest. Rotherham had signalized itself by hostility to Whitefield. Both his person and character had been assailed there; and by none more than the late Thorpe of Masborough, then a young man. He was in the habit of meeting his boon companions in the alehouse, to mimic Whitefield, and turn religion into mockery. One evening Thorpe and three others laid a wager, which of them could imitate him in the highest style, at an off-hand sermon, from the first text which should turn up on opening the Bible. The buffoonery of the three soon failed, and Thorpe sprung on the table, saying," I shall beat you all hollow." The Bible was handed to him. He opened it at random. His eye fell on the words, " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." He uttered them without fear or hesitation. But that moment his conscience smote him. It burst into flames. It compelled him to preach repentance to himself and all the club. He went on in spite of himself, until his own hair stood on end with horror, and all the bacchanals (drunks) were blanched with terror. Not a word was said of the wager when he came down. He walked out in awful silence. Soon after this he joined the Wesleyans, and was sent out by Wesley himself as a preacher, who wisely stationed him at Rotherham. He afterwards became an independent.”

From Robert Philip’s Life and Times of George Whitefield (1838).

Keeping Christ Central: Toronto Pastor's Conference 2010. . .Audio Downloads

Keeping Christ Central: Toronto Pastor's Conference 2010

Pastor Ian Vaillancourt posts some reflections on his time at TPC 2010. This was my favorite part:

- The Serving Team - Simply put, Grace Fellowship Church excels at serving. During the sessions, teams of people were preparing the next snack, or the next meal, or cleaning to make the next break more comfortable. In the men's washroom I bumped into a man in rubber gloves with a spray bottle in one hand and a paper towel in the other. When I met him a few years ago he was an unbeliver who had just started attending GFC through the witness of a co-worker. Now he is a Christ-like servant who was cleaning the bathroom on his day off to make my conference all the more enjoyable. This is one story of many!

Praise the Lord!

Interviewing Mike Bullmore - How keep Gospel-centred from becoming mere jargon?

Bullmore on Marriage

Another great interview with Mike Bullmore on how the Gospel connects to your marriage.

Why I Can’t Wait to Learn from Mike Bullmore « Julian Freeman

Why I Can’t Wait to Learn from Mike Bullmore « Julian Freeman

Julian posts some reflections on why he is looking forward to sitting under Mike Bullmore's ministry next week.

M'Cheyne on Personal Reformation

Robert Murray M'Cheyne died at 29 years of age, but not before he had done much for the cause of Christ in his short eight year ministry.  One of the documents he likely never intended to see published was given to the press shortly after his transfer to heaven.  It was entitled, Reformation.  I have been so blessed reading through these statements that I thought, in honour of my talk at Toronto Pastors Conference next week, I would post them in their entirety here over the next few days.  Here is the first section:

M’Cheyne on Personal Reformation

From Memoirs and Remains

" About this time he wrote down, for his own use, an examination into things that ought to be amended and changed. I subjoin it entire. How singularly close and impartial are these researches into his soul! How acute is he in discovering his variations from the holy law of God ! O that we all were taught by the same spirit thus to try our reins ! It is only when we are thus thoroughly experiencing our helplessness and discovering the thousand forms of indwelling sin, that we really sit as disciples at Christ's feet, and gladly receive him as all in all. And at each such moment, we feel, in the spirit of Ignatius,—' It is only now that I begin to be a disciple.'

" Mr. M’Cheyne entitles the examination of his heart and life, ' Reformation,' and it commences thus :—

" ' It is the duty of ministers, in this day, to begin the reformation of religion and manners with themselves, families, etc., with confession of past sin, earnest prayer for direction, grace, and full purpose of heart, Mai. 3:3. 'He shall purify the sons of Levi.' Ministers are probably laid aside for a time for this very purpose.

1. Personal Reformation.

"'I am persuaded that I shall obtain the highest amount of present happiness, I shall do most for God's glory and the good of man, and I shall have the fullest reward in eternity, by maintaining a conscience always washed in Christ's blood, by being filled with the Holy Spirit at all times, and by attaining the most entire likeness to Christ in mind, will and heart, that it is possible for a redeemed sinner to attain to in this world.

"I am persuaded that whenever any one from without, or my own heart from within, at any moment, or in any circumstances, contradicts this,—if any one shall insinuate that it is not for my present and eternal happiness, and for God's glory, and my usefulness, to maintain a blood washed conscience, to be entirely filled with the Spirit, and to be fully conformed to the image of Christ in all things—that is the voice of the devil, God's enemy, the enemy of my soul, and of all good—the most foolish, wicked and miserable of all the creatures. See Prov. 9 : 17. ' Stolen waters are sweet.'

"1. To maintain a conscience void of offence, I am persuaded that I ought to confess my sins more. I think I ought to confess sin the moment I see it to be sin ; whether I am in company, or in study, or even preaching, the soul ought to cast a glance of abhorrence at the sin. If I go on with the duty, leaving the sin unconfessed, I go on with a burdened conscience, and add sin to sin. I think I ought, at certain times of the day,—my best times—say after breakfast and after tea,— to confess solemnly the sins of the previous hours, and to seek their complete remission.

" I find that the devil often makes use of the confession of sin to stir up again the very sin confessed into new exercise, so that I am afraid to dwell upon the confession. I must ask experienced Christians about this. For the present, I think I should strive against this awful abuse of the confession, whereby the devil seeks to frighten me away from confession. I ought to take all methods for seeing the vileness of my sins. I ought to regard myself as a condemned branch of Adam, as partaker of a nature opposite to God from the womb, Ps. 51—as baring a heart, full of all wickedness, which pollutes every thought, word and action, during my whole life, from birth to death. I ought to confess often the sins of my youth, like David and Paul—my sins before conversion, my sins since conversion—sins against light and knowledge—against love and grace—against each person of the Godhead. I ought to look at my sins in the light of the holy law—in the light of God's countenance—in the light of the cross—in the light of the judgment-seat—in the light of hell—in the light of eternity. I ought to examine my dreams, my floating thoughts, my predilections, my often recurring actions, my habits of thought, feeling, speech and action— the slanders of my enemies, and the reproofs and even banterings of my friends—to find out traces of my prevailing sin—matter for confession. I ought to have a stated day of confession, with fasting—say, once a month. I ought to have a number of Scriptures marked to bring sin to remembrance. I ought to make use of all bodily affliction, domestic trial, frowns of Providence on myself, house, parish, church, or country, as calls from God to confess sin. The sins and afflictions of other men should call me to the same. ] ought, on Sabbath evenings, and on communion Sabbath evenings, to be especially careful to confess the sins of holy things. I ought to confess the sins of my confessions— their imperfections, sinful aims, self-righteous tendency, etc.—and to look to Christ, as having confessed my sins perfectly over his own sacrifice.

" I ought to go to Christ for the forgiveness of each sin. In washing my body, I go over every spot, and wash it out. Should ] be less careful in washing my soul? I ought to see the stripe that was made on the back of Jesus by each of my sins. I ought to see the infinite pang thrill through the soul of Jesus equal to an eternity of my hell for my sins, and for all of them. I ought to see that in Christ's bloodshedding, there is an infinite overpayment for all my sins. Although Christ did not suffer more than infinite justice demanded, yet he could not suffer at all without laying down an infinite ransom.

" I feel, when I have sinned, an immediate reluctance to go to Christ. I am ashamed to go. I feel as if it would do no good to go— as if it were making Christ a minister of sin, to go straight from the swine-trough to the best robe—and a thousand other excuses; but I am persuaded they are all lies, direct from hell. John argues the opposite way, ' If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father ; ' Jeremiah 3:1, and a thousand other scriptures are against it. I am sure there is neither peace nor safety from deeper sin, but in going directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God's way of peace and holiness. It is folly to the world and the beclouded heart, but it is the way.

" I must never think a sin too small to need immediate application to the blood of Christ. If I put away a good conscience, concerning faith, I make shipwreck. I must never think my sins too great, too N aggravated, too presumptuous, as when done on my knees, or in preaching, or by a dying bed, or during dangerous illness—to hinder me from fleeing to Christ. The weight of my sins should act like the weight of a clock; the heavier it is, it makes it go the faster.

" I must not only wash in Christ's blood, but clothe me in Christ's obedience. For every sin of omission in myself, I may find a divinely perfect obedience ready for me in Christ. For every sin of commission in self, I may find not only a stripe or a wound in Christ, but also a perfect rendering of the opposite obedience in my place, so that the law is magnified—its curse more than carried—its demand more than answered.

" Often the doctrine of Christ for me appears common, well-known, having nothing new in it; and I am tempted to pass it by, and go to some Scripture more taking. This is the devil again. Christ for us is ever new, ever glorious, ' Unsearchable riches of Christ,'—an infinite object, and the only one for a guilty soul. I ought to have a number of Scriptures ready, which lead my blind soul directly to Christ, such as Is. 45, Rom. 3.

Song for Those with Disabilities | Worship Matters

(Spontaneous) Song for Those with Disabilities | Worship Matters

In light of Greg's post below, I was really happy to find Bob's post here.

Thanks to John Knight for pointing it out to me as I missed a bunch of blog stuff while we were in Oregon.

You can listen to the song as he sang it and read the lyrics. Clearly the song's title needs to be, "In Me, You Have All That You Need."

Wrestling with an Angel: Where Disability Becomes Amazing Grace-Ability

Wrestling with an Angel: Where Disability Becomes Amazing Grace-Ability

My new friend Greg has a great post reflecting on our time at The Elisha Foundation Retreat last weekend in Oregon. I am dying to write some stuff myself, but so full with Toronto Pastors Conference prep work that it will have to wait a week. Please read and enjoy Greg's reflections and the great slideshow he put together.

To whet your appetite:

I saw adult volunteers go above and beyond to give respite to the families and grace-ability to the disabled. I observed the strong carry the weak and the weak change the lives of the strong. There were no tears of pity or self-centered sorrow, only weeping of joy and satisfaction in the One who will eventually wipe all our eyes with His healing garment of grace.

In great retrospect, I am glad I traveled across the country to attend this retreat. I am grateful for those who made it possible through their generosity and kindness. I am touched by the many new friends and life long relationships that were built in these few, but powerful days.

P.S. If you have not added Greg's blog to your reader, well, I just don't know what is the matter with you!

Interviewing Mike Bullmore - What happens to a church when the Gospel is not at the centre of everything?

Another interview with Mike.