Posts by Jeremy Walker

Defending Eutychus

Apr 7, 2014

A recent book enjoys the witty title, Saving Eutychus . The book itself is intended to encourage and assist preachers to preach engaging sermons in the hopes of preventing their congregations tumbling out of windows to their death, or something along those lines. Please understand that I am all for...

"Taking God at His Word"

Apr 2, 2014

Kevin DeYoung's most recent book, Taking God at His Word , is now available at a discount of between 44% and 56% at Westminster Bookstore (also available at Amazon.com and - with a very ugly paperback cover only - at Amazon.co.uk ). I look forward to reading it with some confidence, because it's so...

The back end of a bus

Apr 2, 2014

The advertisement below (I apologise for the quality of the shot, but it was the best that could be managed under the circumstances), seen on the back of a bus in my region of the UK, was pointed out to me yesterday: Undoubtedly, next month there will an advertisement encouraging evangelical...

Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation (4 vols)

Mar 27, 2014

These fantastic four volumes from Reformation Heritage Books are now available at 50% off here .Get them while the deal lasts (one week only) at Westminster Bookstore .

Marijooarner

Mar 26, 2014

You may not usually listen to Mortification of Spin .That's fine. But just give the first minute of this latest one a listen to hear Carl give every letter of the word marijuana it's full weight and value. I think it's fair to say that they have carried him outside his comfort zone for this one. (...

Watts up?

Mar 25, 2014

Over at Particular Voices , we are reminded from Isaac Watts' Discourse of the Love of God and the Use and Abuse of the Passions that, in trying to navigate the Biblical route between dead orthodoxy (which ought always to be, and is at root, a contradiction in terms) and mindless enthusiasm, and...

And Molech laughed

Mar 25, 2014

Because he still has those who offer to him . May God have mercy upon us.

The encourager

Mar 22, 2014

Seen and heard at a conference: Seasoned saint: "Are you reading any of the older writers? Do you have any thoughts as to what you might read next?" Eager rookie: "Well, I just read John Owen on The Glory of Christ , and it was outstanding, and I thought I might just keep going and see if I can get...

More on the new Calvinism

Mar 20, 2014

I don't want to steal Rick Phillips' thunder , and I don't believe I will be trampling over his toes. However, I should also like to pick up on John Piper's lecture at Westminster, but from a different angle. Here are the twelve characteristics of the new Calvinism that Piper identified, as...

"The Pure Flame of Devotion"

Mar 15, 2014

Many readers of this blog will doubtless know the name of Michael Haykin. In November last year, Michael reached his 60th birthday, and was presented with a festschrift to mark the occasion, The Pure Flame of Devotion: The History of Christian Spirituality . It is a fine volume, and the hardback is...

Baptist gold: Logos community pricing offers

Mar 12, 2014

I have recently been looking into and using Logos a little more (review on its way, I hope) and I thought I might draw attention to a few bits and pieces. For those who don't know, the Logos reader is free and you then just tack on the substance you want. In addition, when looking for new material...

With the Lord

Mar 11, 2014

I doubt that many readers of this blog would know a brother by the name of Johnny Farese. Johnny was born with spinal muscular atrophy. By the time I had the privilege of meeting him in person, he had been unable to sit up for about ten years. He was paralysed in both arms and legs, his body...

A Lenten warning

Mar 7, 2014

Just in case someone thinks that the observance of Lent is not the start of a slippery slope, consider the following sad case of a man who thought it did not matter much . . .

Not relenting

Mar 7, 2014

I know I have been here before , but it is that time of year when we hear of those noble spirits who will be relinquishing chocolate (Book of Additions, chapter 1, verse 28), smartphones (Second Letter to the Accretions, chapter 5, verse 3) and new tattoos (Superstitions of St. Jeff, chapter 24,...

The road to joy

Mar 1, 2014

I have just returned from a very pleasant week of fellowship and ministry among the Reformed Presbyterians in Northern Ireland. It was my privilege to preach at the Knockbracken Bible Week, as well as at a men's meeting beforehand, and to the students at the Reformed Theological College during one...

Erase and rewind

Feb 19, 2014

The Emergent project has had a reboot. It's got a new name (the CANA Initiative), a new website, the same weary rhetoric, and the usual suspects (although, if you look carefully, I was a little surprised to find Dracula alongside Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, Brian Ballard, a liberal sprinkling of...

These Ammericuns!

Feb 14, 2014

Anyone else hoping that Todd's reference to "Great Brittan" is somehow ironic? Scholarship . . . alive and well at Reformation21.

Trained

Feb 7, 2014

It was an article about a European film director, usually hymned to the skies as a master craftsman and genuine visionary. It led me to an extended synopsis of one of his more recent films. I will not go into details, but it was a blow-by-blow account of the plot, complete with spoilers. The film...

Finders and keepers

Feb 1, 2014

I have just seen two profoundly moving videos at Justin Taylor's blog . The second I have seen before: the Kimyal tribe of West Papua, Indonesia, receiving New Testaments in their own language for the first time. The first, equally telling, is much briefer, showing believers in China rushing to...

Wrestling with Fuller

Jan 29, 2014

For those who might be in the vicinity of Bulkington in the UK (not far from Coventry and Leicester), I hope to be at Bulkington Congregational Church this coming Monday (Mon 03 Feb) at 7.30pm for the first of this year's church history lectures . My subject is "Wrestling: The Life of Andrew Fuller...

Concessions and contentions

Jan 24, 2014

I may have fallen victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is, "Never get involved in a land war in Asia," but only slightly less well known is this: "Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" Then further down the pecking order comes this one: "Never quote Owen in...

Not so unlikely?

Jan 21, 2014

Though Carl reports that the arrival of a formal liturgy at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs is considered a surprise , if I remember John Owen correctly, he would probably be expecting it. I cannot recall the precise place (I may try to track it down, or someone might recall it - I vaguely...

Confessors and confessions

Jan 21, 2014

I wonder if I might draw your attention to a series of volumes that ought to be known to church historians and historical theologians, and those who are interested in the same? The series is published by Reformation Heritage Books, and each volume so far has been compiled and introduced by James T...

Ministering to the middle classes

Jan 16, 2014

A little while ago, a friend wrote an article entitled " My Ministry is Harder Than Yours (and Other Lies We Tell) ." The author, Mez McConnell, is a pastor in Edinburgh and one of the architects of 20schemes , a ministry seeking to establish gospel churches in some of the poorest communities in...

Spurgeon's standards for conversion and membership

Jan 9, 2014

I hope that I will be able at some point to provide a review of Tom Nettles' excellent volume, Living for Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (pastors and preachers, you need this book, and can get it at Amazon.com , Amazon.co.uk , Westminster ). In the...

Helps for prayer

Jan 7, 2014

You may have heard Apple-adorers testifying of the usefulness of an application called PrayerMate. Now Google-gogglers can join in the fun, because PrayerMate has been made available for Android. Some warnings: PrayerMate will not give you a heart for prayer; it will not fight your battles against...

Psalm 107: "Oh give thanks to God our Saviour"

Dec 31, 2013

8 7. 8 7. D (Hyfrydol) Psalm 107 Oh give thanks to God our Saviour For his mercy rich and free; Sing his praise who find his favour, Rescued from the enemy. Every land gives up his chosen, Gathered up from east and west; North and south send forth his people, Each redeemed and fully blessed...

'Tis the season for procrastination

Dec 30, 2013

It happens a fair amount in December, and probably reaches its peak in the week between Christmas and the new year: we assure ourselves of all the things we will do once January begins - reverse the Christmas excesses, revive last year's undertakings, restore the things that are broken. We will...

The unbearable heaviness of being Levy

Dec 20, 2013

I am always - well, sometimes - grieved to grieve Mr Levy. Clearly I have burdened an already burdened man, and in ways that I have not (on this occasion) intended. And so a little comeback on his pushback : I agree that evangelising can become just another stick to beat people with. In some...

"Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End"

Dec 19, 2013

11 11. 11 11 ( To God be the glory [ without refrain]) Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End; My Saviour, my Shepherd, my Lord, and my Friend; The Righteous, the Holy, to you we will bring Our prayers and our praises, a sweet offering. A Prophet revealing by Spirit and Word; A King all-triumphant with...

'Twas the Sunday pre-Christmas: a cautionary tale

Dec 16, 2013

I do not often sympathise with Anglican vicars, but I did feel a mite of solidarity with the Reverend Simon Tatton-Brown of St Andrew's Church, Chippenham, Wilts., when I heard his unfortunate story . Caught short by the demands of a nativity address, he decided to regale his infant congregation...

Asking the right questions

Dec 5, 2013

At the risk of being trampled by the ireful in the latest slanging match over rap and hip-hop, I wonder if I might interject? It seems to me, watching from a distance and not trying to read every contribution, that the debate quickly escalates into absolute and swingeing declarations that fail to...

Book bites

Nov 28, 2013

A couple of bits and pieces to recommend, either of which you might already have sampled, I hope to your edification. First, Antinomianism by Mark Jones ( Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk / Westminster ). We are not lacking expressions of the blunter forms of antinomianism in our day, but the phenomenon...

A plea to prospective university students

Nov 21, 2013

From time to time, in the weeks leading up to the beginning of the new school year, I receive enquiries about churches in particular places. They usually go something like this: "So-and-so has got a place to study this-or-that at such-and-such university in such-and-such a city. Do you know of any...

Effective personal evangelism: summary

Nov 15, 2013

Thank you for following through this series on effective personal evangelism. For ease of reference, here are the links and topics: Introduction Love Tenacity Boldness Consistency Understanding Prayer Faith Experience Encouragement Summary This is not an exhaustive list, by any means, but I am...

Effective personal evangelism: encouragement

Nov 15, 2013

Nearly there! So far we have surveyed the following marks of effective personal evangelism: love , tenacity , boldness , consistency , understanding , prayer , faith and experience . The ninth mark of the effective personal evangelist is encouragement . The personal evangelist needs support. Do you...

The Westminster Conference 2013

Nov 15, 2013

The Westminster Conference is taking place on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th December at Regent Hall on Oxford Street. This year, the topics are, I hope, particularly timely, speaking to current issues and pressing needs in the church of Christ, and bringing the wisdom and experience of the past to...

Your spiritual appetite

Nov 12, 2013

This day was the best that I have seen since I came to England. . . . After Dr. Twisse had begun with a brief prayer, Mr. Marshall prayed largely two hours, most divinely, confessing the sins of the members of the Assembly, in a wonderful, passionate, and prudent way. Afterwards, Mr. Arrowsmith...

Effective personal evangelism: experience

Nov 11, 2013

As we move toward the end of this series, the marks of effective personal evangelism we have surveyed so far are love , tenacity , boldness , consistency , understanding , prayer and faith . The eighth mark of the effective personal evangelist is experience . If we engage in this kind of gospel...

Dangerous ideas

Nov 7, 2013

A friend drew my attention to an Australian programme called Q&A in which four figures engage in a moderated discussion responding to audience questions (for British readers, think Question Time ; not sure what the American equivalent would be, if there is one). The panelists on this occasion...

Effective personal evangelism: faith

Nov 5, 2013

The marks of effective personal evangelism we have surveyed so far are love , tenacity , boldness , consistency , understanding and prayer . The seventh mark of the effective personal evangelist is faith . With prayer is allied faith. Think of how the apostle speaks at the beginning of the letter...

Lawson on Spurgeon free

Nov 2, 2013

In case you have not already picked it up, Steven Lawson's "Long Line of Godly Men" treatment of The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon is free on Kindle at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk .

The Christian traveller

Oct 31, 2013

While immensely thankful for the benefits of modern travel, there are elements of it that are not in the first rank of Walker enjoyments. I tend toward dislike of the experience of being herded and managed, with even the temperature of the environment sometimes being adjusted in order to prompt...

Effective personal evangelism: prayer

Oct 30, 2013

The marks of effective personal evangelism we have surveyed so far are love , tenacity , boldness , consistency and understanding . The sixth mark of the effective personal evangelist is prayer . The place of prayer in this list is not a marker of its relative insignificance. Could it be that one...

Effective personal evangelism: understanding

Oct 24, 2013

To date, we have looked briefly at love , tenacity , boldness and consistency as particular features of the effective personal evangelist. The fifth mark of the effective personal evangelist is understanding . We have said that we do not need special training - a degree course, or formal, academic...

Effective personal evangelism: consistency

Oct 21, 2013

So far we have considered love , tenacity and boldness as some particular features of the effective personal evangelist. The fourth mark of the effective personal evangelist is consistency . If tenacity is an unwillingness to let go in the face of pressure and opposition, consistency is the simple...

Effective personal evangelism: boldness

Oct 18, 2013

In looking at some of the features of the effective personal evangelist, taking for granted (as it were) the genuine conversion and growing holiness of such a person, so far we have considered love and tenacity . The third mark of the effective personal evangelist is boldness . We often struggle...

Effective personal evangelism: tenacity

Oct 17, 2013

So far in this series we have set out our stall and considered love as the first mark of the effective personal evangelist. The second mark of the effective personal evangelist is tenacity . This is the spirit of a dog with its bone, fiercely attached to it to the extent that you could probably...

Effective personal evangelism: love

Oct 16, 2013

In the introductory article to this brief series, we marked out the limits of our study, namely that we are considering how individual believers, in their various spheres, might faithfully communicate the saving truth to those around them still lost in darkness, and what are the features of...

Gurnall on celebrity pastors

Oct 15, 2013

Whether we are prepared to admit it or not, most of us have 'celebrity pastors,' or at least men to whom we offer a measure of unqualified and uncritical appreciation or even adulation. We go beyond that properly Berean spirit that receives the word with all readiness and searches the Scriptures to...

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