Deus Misereatur

God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-love of God Reorients Our World David F. Wells Crossway 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187  www.crossway.org ISBN: 978-1-4335-3131-6; $24.99; 2014 Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Michael Philliber for Deus Misereatur . Diagnostic Delivery - 5 stars out of 5 Something is ailing the Christian Church in North America, especially among Evangelicals. One can sense it, feel the “wrongness” vibrating in the chord progressions, and smell it in the faux happiness oozing through the pores of smiling audiences. Since the early 1990s David Wells, Distinguished Senior Research Professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has been tackling the trouble in book after book. But now he has decidedly brought forth a prescription that is remedial and refreshing in his new 272 page hardback, “God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-love of God Reorients Our World.” If the reader has delved into Wells’ previous writings, some of the material w...

{ You can click here to listen to the audio file } --- Heaven Pt 1: Where and What is Heaven? 2 Chronicles 6:12-21 ( 2 Timothy 4:6-18 ) O God, high and lifted up, whose dwelling is in unapproachable light, heaven is your throne and earth is your footstool: raise our sights and give us durable glimpses of heaven beginning with this sermon and throughout this series, that we might become so heavenly minded we finally become some earthly good; through your Son Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. Just about everyone under the sun assumes that they’re going to go to heaven. But what does “heaven” mean to them? If you ask folks, some will only say it’s just a better place ; others, the great golf course or hunting camp in the sky. That most folks believe in heaven shouldn’t surprise us, for God, we are told, has “put eternity into man's heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Almost every culture and society, throughout the millennia, has believed in a Life after Death . What’s sadly humorou...

Deficiencies in the Justification of the Ungodly: A Look at N. T. Wright’s View of the Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness Manny Alaniz Wipf and Stock Publishers 199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3 Eugene, OR 97401-2960 www.wipfandstock.com Copyright: 2013 ISBN:  978-1-62032-888-0; $15.00 Reviewed for Deus Misereatur by: Rev. Dr. Michael Philliber Deficient Discussions – 1 ½ of 5 stars In Evangelical Circles, especially among the Reformed rivulet, New Testament scholar N.T. Wright is either adored or abhorred. Manny Alaniz has entered the fray with his recent 106 page paperback, “Deficiencies in the Justification of the Ungodly: A Look at N. T. Wright’s View of the Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness.” This lengthy booklet promises to unpack Wright’s teaching on the doctrine of justification, and persuade the reader to hold to the Classic Protestant position. “Deficiencies in the Justification of the Ungodly” breaks down into four basic chapters, surrounded by...

This link will take you to a podcast of a short sermon by Haddon Robinson, preached on 28 January 2014 at Beeson Divinity School. It is titled: " Preaching with Moral Courage ." I highly recommend it! Mike

[I hope you will find this helpful. I post these for two primary reasons: (1) To help fellow ministers in their attempt at leading their congregations in prayer week-by-week; (2) to help fellow believers looking for ways to form and shape their praying throughout the week. Mike] --- Adoration and Intercession: (pondering Isaiah 43.10-13). You and you alone are Yahweh God, and besides you there is no savior: you have declared, and saved and proclaimed; there is none who can deliver from your hand, you work, and no one can turn it back. As you have called us to be your witnesses, your servants whom you have chosen, make us thriving, courageous witnesses joyfully testifying about your amazing grace and steadfast love in Christ Jesus. And, O God, vivify this season of prayer and fasting, that we may be able to detect the course you want us to pursue, and that we might be refreshed with you and your support. O Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, who can open the eyes of the blind, unstop th...

{ Here is the Audio File : Below is the manuscript. Mike} --- The Use of Hell: Matthew 18:1-9 Lord Jesus Christ, at your death you descended into the hellish wrath of the Father for our transgressions, and you were raised from the dead on the 3 rd day for our justification: Show us clearly why this subject of hell, which you revealed in detail profits us; so that we may gain deep, unending advantage. Amen. The truth about Hell, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures – and most often from the lips of Jesus – is intended to be enduringly advantageous for Christians and to advance our growth. Now you might be asking “Mike, how can that be? It’s such a frightening subject. How can it be for my maturation?” Good question and one that we should ask about most everything Scripture teaches. The answer to that question will be obvious with some topics, and not so obvious with others. This topic may be one where it’s not so clear. That’s the reason for this particular sermon. The truth ...

{Here is the second installment. You can go here to get the audio file . Mike} Hell Pt 2: What is Hell? Luke 16:19-31 We stand at the edge, Lord God, and we tremble! Dare we look into this subject? Should we risk it, and glance over the brink? O God, O our God! Have mercy on us, and show us the things we need to know, and make even clearer to us how deep is your love for us in Christ. Amen. Os Guinness once wrote: “Hell is nothing less than the truth known too late” (“The Dust of Death,” 358). On one hand, I would disagree. Jesus talked about hell more often than he talked about heaven so that we would know now and turn to him now. On the other hand, Guinness was right – the truth about hell will become personally real for many and truthfully experienced by many – but it will then be too late. This evening we will take a serious look into this terrifying truth to see what we can, for four reasons: (1) Because Jesus mentions hell more than any other person in the Scriptures...