Here are some of the quotes from the book “Tactics” by Christian apologist Greg Koukl. If you enjoy this quotes, please feel free to share this post over your social media. God bless you and enjoy your week!
“Without the work of the Spirit, no argument — no matter how persuasive — will be effective. But neither will any act of love nor any simple presentation of the gospel. Add the Spirit, though, and the equation changes dramatically.”– Gregory Koukl, Tactics #apologetics #christianconviction #defendingthetruth
“Here’s the key principle: Without God’s work, nothing else works; but with God’s work, many things work. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, love persuades. By the power of God, the gospel transforms. And with Jesus at work, arguments convince. God is happy to use each of these methods.”– Gregory Koukl, Tactics #apologetics #christianconviction #defendingthetruth
“Our job is to communicate the gospel as clearly, graciously, and persuasively as possible. God’s job is to take it from there. We may plant the seeds or water the saplings, but God causes whatever increase comes from our efforts.”– Gregory Koukl, Tactics #apologetics #christianconviction #defendingthetruth
“Understanding God’s central role in the process removes a tremendous burden. We can focus on our job — being clear, gracious, and persuasive — and then leave the results to God (what I called “100% God and 100% man”).”– Gregory Koukl, Tactics #apologetics #christianconviction #defendingthetruth
“Sometimes the little things have the greatest impact. Using simple leading questions is an almost effortless way to introduce spiritual topics to a conversation without seeming abrupt, rude, or pushy.”– Gregory Koukl, Tactics #apologetics #christianconviction #defendingthetruth
Tag: fellowship
The Quotable Round-Up #39
Jolly good day guys! It’s this time of the week that we collect some of the best quotes. The book we are now featuring Donald S. Whitney’s “Praying the Bible”. Grab this book because I highly recommend it.
“You will never go through anything in life in which you cannot find the root emotions reflected in the Psalms. Exhilaration, frustration, discouragement, guilt, forgiveness, joy, gratitude, dealing with enemies, contentment, discontentment—you name it: they are all found in the book of Psalms.”
“As we pray the Psalms, therefore, we are returning to God words that he expressly inspired for us to speak and sing to him.”
“With what I’m advocating, our primary activity is prayer, not Bible intake. Bible reading is secondary in this process. Our focus is on God through prayer; our glance is at the Bible. And we turn Godward and pray about every matter that occurs to us as we read.”
“Once the Spirit of God brings people to spiritual life, he preserves them in that life, granting them the grace to persevere in the evidences of that life, such as prayer.”
“When God brings someone into a relationship with himself through Jesus Christ, he begins to live within that person by means of his Holy Spirit.”
The Quotable Round-Up #38
Jolly good day guys! Its this time of the week that we collect some of the best quotes. The book we are now featuring is Donald S. Whitney’s “Praying the Bible”. Grab this book because I highly recommend it.
“God’s mind and God’s Word are so much broader than our own perspective, and he will prompt you through the Bible to pray with an awareness for things far beyond the same old things.”
“Prayer is talking with a person, the person of God himself. So prayer shouldn’t be considered a one-way conversation. And yet, somehow, many people assume that when they meet with God, they must do all the talking.”
“The good news is that you don’t have to come up with new ways to adore the Lord. The Lord has given us 150 chapters of divinely inspired praises (that is, the Psalms) for us to use in adoration.”
“Virtually every line in a New Testament letter suggests something to pray about. In fact, as we’ve already noted, many of these letters include actual prayers.”
“Your confidence that the Lord will indeed answer grows as you ask him to answer you, not because of the earnestness of your pleading but because of the reality that he has set you securely on high in Christ.”
The Quotable Round-Up #33
Hello guys! Here’s your weekly dose of quotes featuring the book “God’s Word, Our Story” published by Crossway. Enjoy and God bless!
“The highest joy for the people of God was and is to be at home in God’s city. And that is God’s joy as well.” – Nancy Guthrie, God’s Word, Our Story
“God has always been and always will be about the work of bringing people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to himself.” – Nancy Guthrie, God’s Word, Our Story
“We can face disappointment and disaster, and ultimately we can face death strengthened in the knowledge that our lives cannot be ruined, they cannot be snuffed out. Our names will not be, cannot be, blotted out from God’s book.” – Nancy Guthrie, God’s Word, Our Story
“God speaks to us, revealing to us who he is and what he has done, helping us understand who we are in relationship to him, through his written Word.” – Nancy Guthrie, God’s Word, Our Story
“Oh, that God might raise up men and women in our day who are hungry for the book—hungrier for the book than we are for an inspirational or entertaining experience, hungrier for the book than we are for Pinterest-worthy aesthetics, hungrier for the book than for good advice to solve what we see as our most significant problems; hungry to hear God’s voice break through the busyness of raising children, the ding of another email message arriving, the draw of popular bloggers; willing to let God set the agenda of the conversation; open to what he says even if it doesn’t sit well; invested in growing in a right understanding; convinced that what he says is the truest truth, the most solid foundation, the most nourishing food; and certain that his promises are our surest expectation and that obeying his commands will generate our deepest joys.” – Nancy Guthrie, God’s Word, Our Story
“The deeper your understanding of God’s Word goes, the more his Word becomes interwoven into the fabric of your life and the more you experience his strength.” – Nancy Guthrie, God’s Word, Our Story
“Just as the man who built his house upon the rock by working the Word into his life was strengthened so that when the storm came, his house did not fall (Matt. 7:25), you will be strengthened to face the inevitable storms of life as you hear, understand, and live in light of God’s Word.” – Nancy Guthrie, God’s Word, Our Story
The Quotable Round-Up #29
Here are the quotes for the week featuring the book by R. C. Sproul “What Is Reformed Theology?: Understanding the Basics”. Enjoy and God bless!
“The agent of predestination is God. In his sovereignty he predestinates. Human beings are the object of his predestination. In short, predestination refers to God’s sovereign plan for human beings, decreed by him in eternity. We must add, however, that the concept of predestination includes more than the future destiny of humans. It also includes whatever comes to pass in time and space.”
“For a person to be able to come to Christ, it must first be granted or “given” to that person to come to Christ. God must do something for us to overcome our moral inability to come to Christ. We cannot embrace Christ in the flesh. Without the aid of the Holy Spirit, we cannot come to Christ.”
“The humanistic and pagan view of free will is that the will acts from a posture of indifference. By indifference we mean that the will is inclined to neither good nor evil but exists in a state of moral neutrality. The mind of fallen man has no bias, no predisposition to evil. This view of free will is on a collision course with the biblical view of sin.”
”If we still have a will, why are we unable to convert ourselves or even prepare ourselves for conversion? The simple answer is this: because we do not want to. We have no desire for the righteousness of God, and free choice, by definition, involves choosing what we desire.”
To say that mankind is radically corrupt is to say that sin penetrates to the root or core of our being. Sin is not tangential or peripheral, but arises from the center of our being. It flows from what the Bible calls the “heart,” which does not refer to the muscle that pumps blood throughout our bodies but to the “core” of our being. Even the word core derives from the Latin word for “heart.”
“The covenant of redemption demonstrates the harmony within the Trinity. Over against theories that pit one member of the Godhead against the other two, the covenant of redemption stresses the total agreement between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the plan of salvation. This covenant defines the roles of the persons of the Trinity in redemption. The Father sends the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son enters the arena of this world by incarnation voluntarily. He is no reluctant Redeemer. The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to us for our salvation. The Spirit does not chafe at doing the Father’s bidding. The Father is pleased to send the Son and the Spirit into the world, and they are pleased to carry out their respective missions.”
“Every written document has a structure or format by which it is organized. Paragraphs have subjects and chapters have focal points. Reformed theology sees the primary structure of biblical revelation as that of covenant. This is the structure by which the entire history of redemption is worked out.”
“Jesus is enthroned at God’s right hand, and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. It is a profound political reality that Christ now occupies the supreme seat of cosmic authority. The kings of this world and all secular governments may ignore this reality, but they cannot undo it. The universe is no democracy. It is a monarchy. God himself has appointed his beloved Son as the preeminent King. Jesus does not rule by referendum, but by divine right. In the future every knee will bow before him, either willingly or unwillingly. Those who refuse to do so will have their knees broken with a rod of iron.”
Book Review: God’s Word, Our Story: Learning from the Book of Nehemiah by D. A. Carson and Kathleen B. Nelson (Editors)
I’ve just finished reading the Book of Nehemiah as a part of my devotional when I got this book. I have gone through it multiple times for weeks that I’m beginning to jump to Esther. I told myself “This will extend my knowledge on that book.” Little did I know that “God’s Word, Our Story” will give me a fresh, bold and exciting spiritual insight to Nehemiah. Aside from a leadership principles go-to book and all the skipping chapters because of the list of names, “God’s Word, Our Story” will inspire you to seek and worship God.
Kathy Keller opens the book with what should every Christian (and what Nehemiah did) should understand the Word of God and base his action plan to what has been reveled in the Bible.
In the next chapter, Tim Keller explains the need to understand the big picture that Nehemiah is projecting. For him it is shallow to look at God’s Word like reading stories and finding the moral lesson it brings. He points out that the ultimate story behind Nehemiah and basically every book in the Bible is the redemptive plan of God. Keller drew also from this book of the Bible on how God’s people should harness unity and to work for God who is the main goal of this building of the wall.
Paige Brown’s contribution to this book dwells on the premises of the fear of God. Using part of John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” she discuss the fear of God and how it gives us confidence in facing today’s challenges.
Nancy Guthrie examines the Nehemiah chapters 7 and 8 and shows how this gathering of the Jews represents a future event that will take place in the new heaven and new earth. She further discusses the joy of the people coming to God and God’s joy of having His chosen people come to Him.
Nehemiah 11-12 was discussed by Carrie Sadom, Jenny Salt and Kathleen Nelson. This 3 part talk was centered in different God centered joy.
Lastly, D. A. Carson contributes a rather dark ending to the conference or a book as he points out the failure of the reformed which Nehemiah had undertaken. We can see not only does it affects the people but to Nehemiah himself.
The most prolific writer among all the contributors, John Piper delivers that ultimate story of the Bible is that God make a name for Himself through the gospel and His mercy to His chosen.
From all of the contributors in this book, Tim Keller gets away with the cake. Although Piper, D. A. Carson and Nancy Guthrie gave awesome insights, for me Keller is the best.
Though all of the messages collected here the contributor’s points out 1.) Nehemiah is not just a leadership book and 2.) Nehemiah is part of the ultimate story in the Bible, that is God’s redemptive plan for mankind.
Aside from the usual reflection in the end of each chapter, the readers are taught think as an expositor as further explain in the “Introduction” which is a great help for us who wants a deeper understanding of the books of the Bible. And you may or may not know these a collection of talks in a women’s conference (turned into a book) which you might find odd considering the topic of each chapters are not just geared not just for women. I’m not here to stereotype what’s for men or women but knowing this is what TGC brings out; people attending the conferences will really get saturated with the Word of God.
“God’s Word, Our Story” is a highly recommended book for those who want to get more of Nehemiah. This book is also a call for Christians to be expositors. As Kathy Keller and D. A. Carson uses the movie to further illustrate some points in the book, “God’s Word, Our Story” is best describe as a blockbuster movie.
My verdict 5 out of 5.
Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through the Blog Review Program.
Please check my blog for more book reviews: https://delightinggrace.wordpress.com
7 Things We Miss Out If We Reject the Gospel (Part 4)
Before we go to the last point on our list, I would like to thank you for giving your time to read this article for the pass weeks. I hope and pray that you have been edified with the topic. If you haven’t accepted Christ as Lord and personal Savior, prayer goes out with you. If you have questions please free to ask me by posting it on the comment section or just simple sending a personal message. I will try to answer your questions. And now for #7 which is no surprise if we neglect the gospel. Heaven is last on the list because I want to show you that what you gain with salvation is not just heaven.
7. Heaven
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3: 19-20
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. in my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, i would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. and if i go and prepare a place for you, i will come again, And receive you unto myself; that where i am, there ye may be also” John 14: 2-3 (KJV)
Heaven is not a reward. Reward has to be worked out. Jesus already did it for us. The promise of heaven is included with the gift of salvation. It is based upon the grace of God. Rejecting the gospel forfeits us for receiving heaven. The soul has two destinations. Its either Heaven or Hell. And what you do with the gospel will determine where you will spend eternity. Will you accept the gospel today?
7 Things We Miss Out If We Reject the Gospel (Part 3)
This week’s installment of our lesson, we will take a look at “Heavenly Rewards” and “Victory”. We should expect these things because it is given to us by God. On behalf of Christ, He imparts these to us so that we will give our best for Him. Check the Bible verses and meditate on it. We can clearly see the goodness of our heavenly Father that will make us cling for Him daily. If you are not yet saved, think of these things and pray that God will give you faith to accept His gospel.
5. Heavenly Rewards
“And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”1 Peter 5:4
“Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10
Out of gratitude of His glorious gospel that saved us and also because God sets us in good works (Ephesians 2:10) after He grants us salvation, in heaven we will receive rewards because of our works for Christ. Our service to Him will be finally recognized and given rewards. We will face Christ not at Him juridical bench but an awarding ceremony for the works we did for Him. Will you be there at that event? What rewards will you receive from our gracious God?
6. Victory
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15: 56-58
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.” 1 John 5: 4
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Romans 8: 37
In this life we always strive for excellence. We do all we can to win in every area in our life. Sometimes we triumph in battles we face. Sometimes we have to surrender. God’s child also goes with this daily struggle. But the good news is that we are victorious through the goodness of God. He might not have that trophy or medal but we have God and His promises that make us a winner. We don’t want to be in the losing side here and in eternity. Come to Christ who won the victory for us.
(to be concluded next week…)
The Fiction Factor: Delighting Grace Interviews Author D. A. Chan
We are fan boys (and girls) of fiction books and we see that as we cheer as our favorite books came to life in movies. There are lots of book based movies recently, one of which is the highly acclaimed “Hunger Games” trilogy. We are clamoring for it ever since it was on its still in its book form. So it begs the question: why do we love fiction? We caught up with an up and coming author, David Anthony Chan to talk about fiction books, his favorite novels and his debut novel “The Kindred Chronicles: Between Two Worlds”.
Delighting Grace: Hi pastor! My first question is why should Christians read fiction?
David Anthony Chan: Well, I wouldn’t say “should.” I DO, however, encourage Christians to include fiction in their literary diet because it helps give them a good idea about the social and spiritual topography of their day. Of course, every reader should be discerning and vigilant in choosing books. There are some really good fiction books out there with wonderful values, and there are less-than-ideal books as well. Discernment is key.
Delighting Grace: All of us are fan of fiction books. So what is your favorite book?
David Anthony Chan: That is one of the hardest questions I’ve ever heard. Tolkien’s LOTR will always be in my fave-list. “This Present Darkness” and “Piercing The Darkness” by Frank Peretti are also very good. I thoroughly enjoyed “I Am Number Four” by Pittacus Lore, and still follow the series until now. There are so many good books that it’s really difficult to answer this question. There’s no one-good-book-to-rule-them-all, but if I were forced to choose, LOTR would take the cake.
Delighting Grace: For you what makes an unforgettable story?
David Anthony Chan: It must be out-of-this-world enough to tickle the imagination, while simultaneously addressing a human condition that everyone can relate to.
Delighting Grace: How about Christian fiction? Is the Pinoy reader ready for this kind of genre?
David Anthony Chan: Absolutely! Now more than ever. With the advent of Wattpad and so many reading devices, I think that Pinoys in general have become more appreciative of the written word, especially Christian fiction. In my opinion, Pinoys have become so influenced by so many different values and ideals that pull them toward opposing directions, that there is a kind of disconnect and anxiety that resides in the subconscious level. Christian fiction addresses this issue quite effectively because it promotes values that many people long for, even if they don’t admit it (initially).
Delighting Grace: What fiction books do you recommend to be read by Christians?
David Anthony Chan: “Lord of the Rings” by Tolkien! I would also recommend “This Present Darkness” and it’s sequel, “Piercing the Darkness” by Frank Peretti. I think that LOTR should be read at least once by every person who claims to be a fiction lover.
Delighting Grace: Do you believe that books, fiction or nonfiction; carry some sort of yearning for something spiritual? No matter how secular it is does it have this “search for God mode”?
David Anthony Chan: Yes I do. Books are simply words printed on paper. These words come from every author’s heart, and out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. In the heart of every person, every man, woman, and child, there is a brokenness. Deep down, we know that we are all broken vessels. No parents teaches his child to lie, steal, or cheat, because it is natural; but we constantly encourage each other to fight the uphill battle against evil, greed, deceit, and a host of other forms of wickedness. And this is the one common theme that you will find in every book: the longing for redemption from this broken state that we’re all in.
Delighting Grace: You wrote a book. Tell us what it is all about.
David Anthony Chan: At the heart of the story is Chris Sayther, revived from the dead multiple times thanks to his affiliation with Tironius, a member of a noble house of a race known as the Kindred. Complicating this relationship is the fact that Chris harbors a steadily growing love for Elline, Tironius’ daughter, who is obliged to be with another. The conflicts inherent in this odd triangle are only intensified by a looming war between man and kindred. As an epic conflict between two species and two worlds ramps up, the bonds between Chris and Elline run into potentially disastrous challenges.
Delighting Grace: Wow that is a great story. Can you share with us the process of writing and publishing your book?
David Anthony Chan: Writing and publishing are two different animals. For writers, the writing part is the easy part because it’s natural for them. Writers love to write. They love words, thoughts, and the process of transferring thoughts on paper. Each writer has a different process. Personally, I am a plotter, which means I think of an idea first, then build on it while taking notes. Then, I write everything, then I polish everything. Others prefer to write a few chapters, polish the chapters, then continue writing new chapters. Others prefer not to plot at all, and just sit in front of a keyboard and let the story “just happen.”
Publishing, on the other hand, is a completely different world. This had more to do with talking to publishers, checking out prices, and figuring out different marketing routes. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the process of publishing Between Two Worlds; considering the fact that I dreaded the thought to begin with.
Delighting Grace: What advice or tips can you give a budding writer who wants to write his own novel?
David Anthony Chan: I have three pieces of advice:
FIRST: Read “Writing Fiction for Dummies” by Ingermanson and Economy.
SECOND: Fall in love with what you plan to write. It can be a character, a concept, a story world, a scene… it doesn’t matter which one, as long as you fall in love with one. It is this love that will propel you to finish an entire novel.
THREE: Get it written before getting it right. In other words, accept that your first draft will be terrible. That is the point of the first draft.
Delighting Grace: Thank you for this opportunity to interview you, pastor . Please do invite our readers to check your book and also how do they get in touch with you.
David Anthony Chan: Thank you also for this opportunity to spread the word about my debut novel.
My book is available on Amazon under the title “The Kindred Chronicles: Between Two Worlds” and it has received good reviews (please take the time to go through them). It will also be available in National Bookstore by the end of this year. At the moment, you can order your copies by sending an email to dachanchronicles@gmail.com
Delighting Grace: Again thank you pastor. We hope and pray that you’ll be successful in your career.
5 Confidence Boosters for 2016 (and 4 Ways To Thank God For It) Part 4
It’s almost a month and have you seen how God is moving in your life this 2016? Maybe you’re still going in rough times and not sure where is God in all of this. Good or bad it might be, God is still there for us. That’s not just some empty encouragement but that’s stating the reality. And its still worthy of your praise. Here’s the last two ways to thank God for His confidence boosters.
- Acknowledge His limitless power
“Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness”. Isaiah 40: 21-23
His power is not just something that is epic in proportions. We might not see a big miracle like a sea parting or raining food everyday but to see God as all powerful. After all He created everything. He saved you from sin. He lets you breath. That enough to consider Him powerful and sovereign. Therefore He can work His power in you.
- Keep in mind He doesn’t withhold his promise to strengthen us.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” Isaiah 40: 29-30
If you’re a child of God never entertain the thought that He will withdraw His promise to us. Thank Him for those promises and depend on Him always. Spiritually He can and He will sustain us. We might not be an apostle or a disciple of Jesus Christ in Bible times, but our God and their God is the same. He strengthen them through trials, crisis and in the brink of death. He will also do that to us.
Delighting Grace 