8 Favorite Quotes From the Book “Progress” by Adrian Reynolds

Are you carving some spiritual habits while quarantined at home? If you want to pursue to be a good reader, you need to find good materials that you can read on. I have articles about creating a digital library full of books and also setting up a rack of digital magazines. All of these resources are free.

Here’s some quotes from the book, Progress by Adrian Reynolds published by 10 of Those. If you like these quotes, please get the book by clicking here.

“Most of those going into ministry set themselves the goal of making early academic progress, predominantly measured through exams or supervision. Fewer apply the same rigor to their godliness, but even supposing some do, this desire to progress is quickly lost in the maelstrom of ministry.”

“The godliness of a gospel worker is therefore worked out in how he or she relates to others alongside relating to God himself. We must not ignore one at the expense of the other. This also means that active participation in the life of the church is implied.”

“It is not enough, then, to make some progress, although that is a really good start. Our aim is to grow more and more into the likeness of our Saviour, so – depending on his grace and strengthening – we want to keep progressing in those areas where we are weak.”

“The man or woman who hides himself away, investing everything in loving God but giving nothing to love others is, ultimately, a fraud (as is, so it happens, the pastor who claims to love others but is cold towards the Lord).”

“The stakes could not be higher. Gospel ministry is a high calling which demands much. But it is also a glorious calling with the great privilege of seeing men and women bow the knee before Christ Jesus.”

“Our identity as gospel workers is very often wrapped up in our teaching ministry. An admission that we need to keep making progress, therefore, seems remarkably close to an admission of failure.”

“supernatural appointment and human endeavour are natural companions. In fact, they are both necessary if progress is going to happen.”

“Progress also means cultivating and seeking opportunities to demonstrate love to others and doing so more and more. “

Disruptions From the Old Normal

As my Facebook feed fills with news, memes, and rants about the COVID19, I quickly turn to check my e-mails. It also has tons of e-mails pertaining to the pandemic, but there are some exemptions. One of which is reminding me of something that is so important we might miss it out?

What might we miss in the midst of a global crisis?

Lent! We might forgot it’s still Lent. We are in the Passion Week. Also don’t forget, Easter. Easter pointing to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian message.  Will we miss this out in the midst of fear and anxiety? Will we miss it out because it belongs to the ‘old normal”?

As the so called “new normal” takes over because of the virus, we might temporary forget the “old normal” along with its holy disruptions like Lent. Let add also Sunday worship, prayer meetings, devotions and Bible study as disruptors of the “old normal”. But aren’t we already neglecting, forgetting or down playing these “disruptions” of the “old normal” even before this “new normal” came in?  Did the fire of these holy disruptions became cold as we progress in our Christian life?

I praise churches and pteachers that make much of these troubled times to go to technology to continue their services and Bible study. Some even had a digital communion. I’m glad believers are still pushing these holy disruptors of the “old normal” to the “new normal”. Truly it’s a fascinating time we are in. Of course, the “new normal” brought up by the pandemic drives people to seek God and it is a good thing. But what if after this ordeal and a new “new normal” sets in, will we further push the old “old normal” holy disruptions? How will the the holy disruptors thrive in the new enviroment?

Some of us are following the church liturgical calendar. Our church is not big on Lent but we do have a tradition of gathering for Lord’s Supper during Good Friday and a sunrise service on Easter. It’s a good thing to have these kinds of events that sort of nudging us to remember God in the “old normal” aside from the weekly Sunday service and Lord’s Table.

We might miss out Lent. We might miss Easter. We might miss out other things because of the pandemic.  Including His second coming. Impossible? Go check Luke 18:8.

So what should we do? What can we accomplish on both the “new normal” and “old normal” and supercedes these and everything that will come our way? I have a suggestion. Make these disruptions intentional! In reality, everything that distracts us whether it’s a holy pursuit or indulging in sin, for better or for worse, didn’t come to us unexpectedly. Nor does it came as an accident. We want to be distracted. We intent to be distracted.

We should thank God that He uses days, weeks, people, places and even virus outbreaks to remind of His grace and mercy. These gifts allows us to strengthen our Christian life. Whether its Lent or COVID19, we should be thankful for that reminder.  God is the God of the “old normal” and the “new normal”. His holy disruptions will go on with Him. The only question is: will we pay attention to these distractions?

8 Favorite Quotes From the Book “Pray Big” by Alistair Begg

In these troubled times, we need God’s sovereign hand. Nothing in this world can be more comforting than seeking God who holds and sustains everything. Whether it’s the pandemic or as personal as asking for provision, God will surely listen to our petitions.

Here’s some quotes from the book, Pray Big by Alistair Begg published by The Good Book Company. If you like these quotes, please get the book by clicking here.

“Our conversation with others declares what is on our minds. But our conversation with God in private reveals what is in our hearts. Listen to someone pray—or listen to yourself pray—and you gain a window into the very center of the being.”

“The Christian knows that the Creator of everything is not a father; he’s their Father. That’s not a metaphor—that’s a reality.”

“A self-assured person is not going to pray prayers of petition; there’s no need to pray if you think you have got it all covered. A self-righteous person is not going to pray prayers of confession; there’s no need to pray if you think you’re good enough to earn God’s blessing. But the person who knows their heart before God—the person who knows the depth of their need of forgiveness and help from God.”

“If Jesus Christ, the greatest teacher in the world, followed up his instruction by prayer, what of us? If Jesus Christ, who was set on a mission that changed not just world history but all of eternity, took time to pray, what of us? If Jesus Christ, the Son of God, knew that he needed to pray, what of us?”

“Christ has gone ahead, and Christ has prepared your place. It’s hard to see day by day. Even when we understand intellectually, we may give in to fear emotionally. That’s why you need to ask God to make your hope real to you, and ask God to make it real to those around you. Pray for a focus on your hope. “

“Our knowledge of the love of Christ, in our heads and our hearts, is an experiential knowledge, but it can never be an exhaustive knowledge. We cannot exhaust the knowledge of the love of Christ. There are dimensions to his love that will always remain beyond us, even as we come to appreciate more and more how vast it is.”

“My prayers—whether I pray, how much I pray, about what I pray—reveal my priorities. And they reveal how much I really think I need God, or whether I am, deep down, in fact self-assured and self-righteous. “

“Prayer reminds us who we are, and who our Father is. Prayer expresses our dependence and it reinforces our dependence.”

Truth in the World Full of “Mema”

Mema means “just to say something” in Filipino. It came from an actual Tagalog phrase “may masabi lang” (may or me and masabi or ma) condensed in one word. Often it is used to people who are obviously just throwing words in a conversations, talks or from their statements that sometimes doesn’t have bearings or just for the sake that they are saying something. It’s assuming that they are  contributing something but in reality they don’t.

Looking for examples of these mema, you don’t have to look far and wide. Log on to Facebook or any social media, scroll a bit and you’ll see what I mean. Sometimes we see it from words of some politicians. Look at our political landscape. Never has there been a time like this that mema were disiminated online. They could be as tactless as they wanted to be. They don’t need to have content in their statements. They just open their mouths and let their tongue loose. They don’t need optimistic speeches to be liked. Mema are employed for it’s shock value and not for substantive content. Some of these memas are in the form of personal attacks or threats. They know that some folks will get offended,  however they know they will have minions that will clap and cheer and even become defend to whatever they spew out of their mouths.

Some will disagree with me if I dismiss words from some politicians as mema. Some will argue that it’s a personal opinion or we should not take it literally. Then again, personal opinions should be kept to one self and not for public. Coming from a public servant who should put the public interest first rather their personal or political affiliation. Arguing that its mere metaphoric language on the other hand, makes you wonder if we really need of these in some serious talk. Why put people in a mystery hunt when we can say it bluntly and avoid being misquoted?  It’s not a secret to all of us once we put out our words on social media or it goes to the evening news, it will bring ripple effects to our nation whether for good or for worse. If it’s not mema, then what is it?

Some might conclude it as conspiratorial and dismiss it as a diversionary tactics or “test balloons”.  According to them, the government is hiding its incompetency by being mema. By sending out these words out, hoping that people lose focus on the real issue. This will give time for people to forget the things that matters most. After all, we all know we have a short term memory and our society is easily duped to this scheme.

However, mema is not a mere distraction to the real issues nor exercise of one’s personal opinion , but a sin of distorting of truth. It’s not just throwing empty words but wasting a God given communication that will benefit others and glorify God. We are given by God opportunity to express something that provide meaningful and helpful words that maybe in the form of encouragement or vital information. Mema undermines that opportunity and deprives the speaker to be wise in the sight of God.

In this mema filled world, believers should keep these things in mind:

First, we should put some value on the things we say.

Scripture is not short in telling us on what we should say.

In Proverbs 10: 20-21 we read:

“The tongue of the righteous is pure silver; the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.” 

Second, is that every idle word will be judged by God.

In the New Testament, we’re given stern warning for every idle words we speak out. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 12:36-37:

“I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 

So we should heed to these passages and make our words count always in every conversations we engage with. Don’t be a mema. Use these opportunities to built people and stir up the gift God has given you.

The Freebie Round-Up #66

The corona virus is now a pandemic and people are getting scared. However we should fight fear with take care of ourselves and pray for this infectious virus. So we should stay home for the moment and consider doing productive even at home. And there’s no better way to stay at home and download some great Christian stuff.

So here’s a list of great freebies that are waiting to be downloaded. And if you’re new here to this post or you missed out other freebie round-ups, check the links to those post at the end of this article.

Also since I’m not 24/7 monitoring the latest freebies, some publishing companies regular freebies, I’m posting their e-mail sign up page, so you’ll be in the loop whenever they give out freebies. You can find it at the of this round-up.

FREE 3 Volume Collateral Bible- If you think the 20th and 21st centuries produce great chunks of Bible based resources, think again! Download these massive (100 plus MB) free 3 Volume of the Collateral Bible for that will aid you as you study God’s Word.

FREE “Tiberian Pronunciation Tradition of Biblical Hebrew” – Our next massive freebie is this highly scholarly level resource on the Biblical Hebrew. Download it here for free.

FREE “The Sermons of Charles Spurgeon” Vol. 1-4- The last massive freebie on this round up is this 4 volume collection of 800 sermons by the Prince of Preachers. Mongerism is dishing out something that are biblical as well as monumental like this one.

FREE “Lexham Research Commentary of Genesis 1-11” – This month’s free ebook from Logos Software. Get this important title by clicking here.

FREE “The Life of Christ” course – In case you missed this one, its now back in the list. Study the life of Christ through Luke’s gospel and once signed up you’ll immediately receive lesson one. 

FREE e-book “If You Can Ask God One Question” by Paul Williams and Barry Cooper– The Good Book Company is bringing the good stuff (no pun intended). This is the March free book offeron their website.

FREE course download “Is God A Moral Monster?” by Paul Copan– This is great question answered by a great apologist, Credo courses is offering this course for free. This digital pack includes slides, PDF workbook, audio and video of the presentation.

 

Now for some e-mail list from these publisher:

10 of Those free ebook weekly

Wipf and Stock e-mail subscription

Mytrelfield House

By the way, to my Pinoy friends do you want to learn how to self-publish your book? Here’s a step by step video from Loida Bauto an AVM survivor and a PWD vlogger:

Do you want more freebies? Check out these past blog post:

Freebie Round-Up #65

Freebie Round-Up #64

Freebie Round-Up #63

Freebie Round-Up #62

Freebie Round-Up #61

Freebie Round-Up #60

 

Book Review: Thank God for Bedtime by Geoff Robson

A theology book about sleep?

Really now?!

Are you serious?!

And if there is such, why should I care or even pick up that book?

We just don’t think much about sleep because we just do it.

But if you think about it, sleeping is something we all do. And does the Bible said whatever you do do it for the Lord. That certainly includes sleep.

Picking this book to read and review is out of curiosity. Sure there is also a book about sleep and I have a audiobook on rest by David Murray, but being specific with the topic about sleep will be a walk in a park for me. However, Thank God for Betime  isn’t just about putting your head on a pillow at night. It’s making most of God by sleeping and beyond it.

In this accessible volume, Geoff Robson shows us how important sleep not for us but for God. If you think there is nothing to talk about sleep biblically then you got it wrong. Finding rest through sleep is more than being unconscious for a few hours but it’s deeper implications of it in how to view God.  The Christian life is surprisingly plenty things to do but we shouldn’t take sleep out of the equation. Robson address sleeping, our lack of it and oversleeping that affects us believers in dealing with God and our neighbors’ that we should love.  It also has it takes on social media, productivity and laziness to name a few, which are integral in understanding why we or we don’t push the snooze button.  However, Geoff Robson is also cautious to what this book is not addressing which might be sensitive to others who would pick up this book.

Thank God for Bedtime is an engagingly precise and clear message of how this God given gift should be viewed and gives utmost importance. Robson wrote a book the unfolds to the reader like flowing water. Easily reach out and take a drink. You’ll easily be immerse by the topic and be refreshed by giving you a new perspective on sleep. You won’t be disappointed with this book. Highly recommended!

My verdict:

5 out of 5

(Review copy of this book was provided by Matthias Media)

8 Favorite Quotes From the Book “Thank God for Bedtime” by Geoff Robson

Lifeway.PH is underway and as of now I’m inviting friends to contribute articles. Please uphold us as we write for local pastors and ministry leaders for this website.

Anyways, here’s some quotes from the book, Thank God for Bedtime by Geoff Robson published by Matthias Media. If you like these quotes please get the book by clicking here.

“God has been alert, fully functioning, and perfectly attentive for every single nanosecond of history. What’s more, not
sleeping has never caused him to become anything less than perfect for even a moment. I get grumpy and irritable when I have to wake up half an hour early; God has never slept, yet
remains utterly flawless.Stop and ponder that for just a moment longer: God. Never. Sleep.”

“God never disregards his people—not for a second—and our ways are never hidden from him. Why? Because he simply never gets tired. He never sleeps.”

“If you wake up tomorrow morning still trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, it’s because God has given you the gift of ongoing faith in Jesus.”

“Declaring that God is good, even in a seemingly chaotic world, is more than wishful thinking; it’s a historically-based, cross-centred trust in God’s character. The only thing better than knowing all the answers is knowing that God knows all the answers and that, somehow, through it all, he’s working for good. “

“Every day, God gives us the gift of being able to climb into bed and leave everything in his hands. Sleep is incredibly humbling—and therefore incredibly glorifying to the God who never sleeps. God does not expect us to be super-human. He expects us to work hard, and he graciously gives us responsibilities to meet”

“We were never meant to eat the toxic bread of anxious toil. So God invites us to rest, to trust him to provide for us, and to receive the delightful gift of sleep.”

“God cares much more about our character than about our competencies. He cares much more about our works being good works—works done in holiness, in love for others—than about the sheer volume of works we accomplish.”

“Because we are whole beings, our sleep is complex and multifaceted. The more we understand the physicality of the good things that happen when we sleep, the more we’ll be driven to seek it, and to praise God when we find it.”

The Freebie Round-Up #65

Guys, you have 1 day before we pick the winner for the Spurgeon Giveaway. If you haven’t join the contest, enter by clicking this link. Open to ALL PHILIPPINE RESIDENTS ONLY. Prize for this giveaway is sponsored by Lifeway US.

Anyways, here’s a list of great freebies that are waiting to be downloaded. I have a bunch of live events you can watch for free. And if you’re new here to this post or you missed out other freebie round-ups, check the links to those post at the end of this article.

FREE research paper “The Rise of Religious Freedom and How It Shaped the Political Theology of the United States” – This is an interesting free 14 pages research workthat deals with the development of both history and theology of the church on religious freedom.

FREE “Preaching and Teaching” bundle- Wordsearch Bible is giving away a free 80 volume digital library so you can jump start preaching and teaching God’s Word.

FREE live event “Enjoy Today, Own Tomorrow”- Nancy Alcorn will speak on this free online conference. If you missed it, you can view each speakers presentations till March 19.

FREE family tip sheets – Dwell at Home offers these free downloadable “5 Ways Series” to help the spiritual growth of your family.

FREE infographics from Christ the Cure  –If you enjoy their podcast, you’ll love these free infographics that they created. They gather it in one place and according to them they will upload more of it soon.

FREE e-book “The Keys to Spiritual Growth” with John MacArthur– Crossway presents this classic book for a limited time without any survey to signup for free.

FREE course download “The Resurrection of Jesus” by Gary Habermas– Just in time for Easter, Credo courses is offering this course for free. This digital pack includes slides, PDF workbook, audio and video of the presentation.

By the way, to my Pinoy friends do you want to learn how to self-publish your book? Here’s a step by step video from Loida Bauto an AVM survivor and a PWD vlogger:

Do you want more freebies? Check out these past blog post:

Freebie Round-Up #64

Freebie Round-Up #63

Freebie Round-Up #62

Freebie Round-Up #61

Freebie Round-Up #60

Freebie Round-Up #59

Freebie Round-Up #58

Freebie Round-Up #57

Freebie Round Up #56

 

Before You Bash Quiboloy, Ask Yourself These Questions First

Apollo Quiboloy is all over the place. This religious teacher, who hails from Davao is making the headlines because of the recent scandal his church had committed in the US. You might know him with his infamous proclamation as the appointed “Son of God” or his friendship with President Rodrigo Duterte. However he became a household name (and tons of memes) because of his claims of stopping an earthquake.

This popular leader have lots of questionable beliefs and practices that obviously raises questions. It’s easy for us believers to dismiss Quiboloy as a false teacher. We might not be a leading apologist but with a simple reading of the Scriptures we can easily detect what is wrong with Quiboloy. But how about these warning signs of unbiblical beliefs that we might find inside our churches and its leadership? How about blind spots that go unchecked? What if these are not grounded in biblical soils but on shaky man made traditions? What if these undermines what is a healthy church? What if your are trapped in a cult?

This article aims not to promote, side step or justify Quiboloy. Nor create a sort of hypocrite fallacy that will turn the spotlight to our very own flawed leaders. We ought to submit ourselves (including Quiboloy) over the Word of God. Also we ought to expose biblical errors from cults to the church that we belong to. That is the duty of every believer and to people who are seeking the truth. Our very aim as we search and submit to the authority of the Bible is, by the power of the Holy Spirit, convict us from our errors ,repent and do what is right.

Some of the questions here are obvious red flags and some are not. The point of these question is for us to go examine ourselves first and prayerfully ask our church leaders about it.  Before you call a church a cult or someone a false teacher,  through these questions, better do some research first. And I mean do lots of research. Calling a church a cult or it’s leadership false teachers is a very sensitive issue. There is no perfect church nor flawless church leaders.  However, if the Scripture says the opposite of what we deemed to believe as biblical specially on major doctrines then we should comply to what has been delivered once to the saints. If these questions gives you some hint, then its time to pray, examine and talk with your leaders.

If you did a quick scan of this article, you’ll find that it provides no apologetics to the beliefs of Apollo Quiboloy and his church,  Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name. If you need that kind of article, let me refer you to this post by Got Questions.

Sothe next time you bash Quiboloy, look at your own church and go through these questions:

Do they exalt themselves above or equal to Jesus?

How do they view the Bible?

Do they teach things that are unbiblical?

Do they claim titles that are not prescribed to church leaders?

Do they had claims or prophesies that didn’t came about?

When it comes to issues that are gray areas,do they show grace or are dogmatic about it? 

What are the determining factors they employ when dealing with gray matters in church and ministry?

Do they use the pulpit to attack personally  people in and out the church? 

Are they parroting teachings from questionable teachers and pastors?

What are the distinguishing factors between the leadership and lay members of the church?

Do they exhibit humbleness and servant like leadership through their positions?

How do they react when given special treatment because of their position?

How do members view and treat the immediate relatives of the church leaders? 

Do they emphasize more on being loyal rather than following what the Bible says?

Do they emphasize more on the well being of the leaders rather the welfare of the church members? 

Are they transparent in their ministry specifically in financial aspect of the church?

Do they fellowship with other churches that doesn’t belong to their group?

How do they react and treat members who disagree with their views?

How do fellow members treat you when you have disagreement or airing your opinions with your church leaders?

How do they view people who are in different churches, fellowships or denominations?

Do they encourage you to ask questions especially  uncomfortable ones?

Do you feel intimidated or loaded with inhibitions when asking questions pertaining the leaders of the church?

Are you discourage to read books or listen to sermons that are not from your group?

May these questions give us digilent to our spiritual well being and uphold the Word of God.

 

 

How To Create A Digital Rack Full of Christian Magazines on Zero Budget

You might think that this blog is all about books. With all of those book reviews, book quotes post and freebie round ups, you’ll conclude that it’s all books. But actually this blog is not all about books. If you ask me it’s all about reading. I love reading and writing about what I read. I’m not bound to books. I read  (and collect) comic books and children’s books. I read and follow blogs.  I advocate reading to people whenever I’m given an opportunity. So this blog is all about reading and not all about books.

Loving different reading format makes me think that not all will appreciate one format, specifically books.  I believe people will read something for sure but not my favorite format. For this I know some of you folks out there, books are not your turf. Maybe you just love to read something short, with attractive photos and lots of variety of topics covered. I think you might be into reading magazines. If you’re that kind of person then this post is for you.  And I know you don’t want to pay not a single dime for it, don’t you?  Well this post is really really for you lol.

I wrote already a post on how to create a digital library of free books, so this time I’ll share you on how to create a digital rack with free magazines. I hope this will help you appreciate reading and eventually appreciate reading books.

Like my post on creating an instant digital library free, you’ll need an e-book reader. I’ll post it again here my favorite e-reader apps that, like those digital magazines are also free.

Kindle – Some tablets and phone have this app on default but you can get one for free over the Apple Store or Google Play. After downloading, create an account over Amazon. This is useful not just in opening e-books but also when you stumble upon a free ebook over Amazon (or getting a free e-book alert in your e-mail that I’ll share later) .

UB Reader – Another free app that is so versatile because it reads almost all digital format of a book.

Moon Reader – Basically it’s like the UB Reader and  but if you go for the paid one, its a totally different story. I highly recommend you get the its premium app.

And now the magazines!

But before that, I have to tell you something. You can actually subscribe or request a sample some of the magazine on the list, free of charge. Yes free physical copy delivered in your mailbox! Isnt that awesome?

 So on with the list!

Eternal Perspectives – The ministry of author and Bible teacher, Randy Alcorn. Aside from it’s ministry updates, it also features encouraging articles that tackles doctrines and the Christian life. You can subscribe to physical copy of this quarterly magazine for free.

The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth – This periodical is published bi-monthly that provides solid biblical truth for every member of the family. You and your family will surely find something encouraging and enjoyable through its 48 page.

Christian History Magazine – Learn about Christianity and Church History through this magazine. Lot’s of well research articles and great photographs you’ll love learning by going back to this time machine of a resource.

9 Marks’ Journal – A quarterly magazine that focuses on church and ministry topics. Every issue contains relevant, insightful and helpful articles. You need an e-mail to receive the files.

The Gospel Magazine – This is probably the oldest and longest running Christian magazine in the planet. It’s been in circulation since 1766 and that’s so so old. Enjoy the latest issue or dive in with it’s massive past issues that will keep you occupied for 100 years or so.

Light Magazine – This magazine is part of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the roster’s article contributes are superb. You’ll find this magazine a worth while read.

Reformed Perspective – The magazine is a paid subscription but you can get all the contents by free download. The magazine aims to promote reformed theology in every area of the Christian life to help learn and think biblically.

Hope you like reading these magazine over your mobile or tablet. If you know other downloadable and free Christian magazine, please comment it on the section below.