From NHL to NASCAR

Pilgrim in Progress: From NHL to NASCAR:
My pal Jason writes about sporting life in North Carolina. It is enough to make us all enjoy watching the Leafs lose again tonight... If I was in Jason's boots, I'd even watch the (spit) Habs with JLF81!

Historia ecclesiastica: EMINENT CHRISTIANS: 5. ANDREW FULLER

Historia ecclesiastica: EMINENT CHRISTIANS: 5. ANDREW FULLER:

Be sure to read this riveting account of one of England's great pastors.

Dear American Readers...

Canada Wins Stunning Upset Over USA in World Baseball Classic:

Not that I am a patriot or anything... but things like this so often get played down by the US MSM that I thought I would perform a true blogging service and point out this sad (pathetic, really) defeat.

"The victory is Canada's biggest over the United States in international baseball and perhaps the national team's most significant win ever. Previous highlights included a 7-6, 11-inning win over the Americans at the 1999 Pan Am Games and an 8-7 triumph over the Yanks at the 1988 Olympics. But this one came against a collection of all-stars featuring at least four probable Hall of Famers.

'I'm still smiling, it was an amazing game,' said first baseman Justin Morneau. 'We kind of got a little bit of a scare there at the end, it was as excited as I've ever been on the field.'

The Americans beat Mexico 2-0 in their opener Tuesday and can be eliminated before they take the field for their finale against South Africa on Friday. "

Sincerely Yours,

kerux

Church Conceptual Drawings

The conceptual drawings are in for our new sign. Every (Baptist) church needs a sign... it is right there after Exodus.

This was my favorite!





(Thanks, Alicia!!)

P.S. If this makes no sense to you, then read this.

What Being Sick Taught Me About Sovereign Grace

Two days in to my recent sickness I found myself sitting at the kitchen table blankly staring toward the counter. It had taken about all the energy I could muster to get there. And there I sat. Content to sit. But for the first time in 48 hours, food actually smelled good. So, I sat there and enjoyed the aroma.

Last night I wolfed down a fantastic new chicken dish that Mrs. Martin prepared. When I stopped to breathe after my last swallow, my mind went back to that moment in the kitchen 4 days earlier. I couldn’t eat a thing back then... even if it smelled good. And even when I could eat again, it was only in small portions and with painful digestion. Yet here I was just days later eating and laughing and drinking with my family around the table.

It made me think of the Lord’s grace.

Sick and dying (dead!) in sin, there was no spiritual pleasure to be had. The monotony of sin was enough and I was so callous I was actually ready to die and enter a Christ-less eternity. Then He came and took me and saved me and made me His own! Grace! Intervention! Salvation! Joy! LIFE!

But how many days go by that I give that spiritual health no thought. I take it for granted that I will one day go to heaven and I think very little in the way of serious thoughts about my God.

Slowing down (read: “being slowed down”) by sickness taught me that I am far too presumptuous. Presumptuous about my health, to be sure. But of far worse consequence, presumptuous about His grace.

I hope this little trial was one of those life-changing events for me – that will result in more daily thoughts of praise for sovereign grace.

Haykin on the Nature of the Church

My dear brother Michael Haykin was gracious to come and preach for us this past Sunday due to my illness earlier in the week. Dr. Haykin preached a wonderful message on the nature of the church from the list of names in Romans 16 .
Of course we got all the engaging biographical pictures one would expect from Dr. Haykin, but even better than this was his urgent appeal to the lost to embrace the Saviour. Our Jesus, the Redeemer and Lord of these men and women from so long ago.
I love to hear men preach Christ. Like Lloyd-Jones once remarked, "When I hear the Gospel, it makes me want to get saved all over again!"
Friends, this is really a sermon worth listening to in order to savour Christ all the more. You can download it for free from our sermonaudio.com site. (Thanks to Dorin for always getting these sermons available for download so quickly!)