Posts by Philip Ryken

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Mount Hood Video

Philip Ryken
Dec 18, 2006
Frank James is a good friend from my Oxford days and I grieve for the loss he has suffered. Lisa's family lost a beloved husband, father, brother, and son in a climbing accident a couple of years ago, so we know something of what they are going through right now. A video of Frank's statement to the...

Quote of the Day

Philip Ryken
Dec 18, 2006
"Monotheistic religions that lay claim to the one and only possible truth are doomed by their very nature to end up in conflict. The only way out is to free ourselves from these ancient divisive creeds and thus extinguish their fires of righteousness" (Carolyn D. Lewis, Ocean View, Delaware, in a...

The Man from George Street, Part 5

Philip Ryken
Dec 18, 2006
"Now this London preacher flew back to the UK and was speaking at the Keswick Convention in the Lake District. And he threw in these three testimonies. At the close of his teaching session, four elderly pastors came up and said, “We got saved between 25 and 35 years ago, respectively, through that...

Try This at Home

Philip Ryken
Dec 14, 2006
So that's what I've been suffering from all these years: Irritable Clergy Syndrome! I wonder if that diagnosis may prove useful with all the people who have to put up with me on a daily basis. "I'm sorry, honey -- it's just that my Irritable Clergy Syndrome seems to be acting up again today. . . "

Further Correction

Philip Ryken
Dec 14, 2006
The story about "The Man from George Street" is not from a New Zealander at all, but from David Smethurst of Australia. A friend from Tenth Church says the clip is available at the following address: http://www.wayofthemaster.com/audiolessons.shtml .

Faith, Works, and the Church

Philip Ryken
Dec 14, 2006
My colleage Aaron Messner concluded his sermon series on Titus on Sunday night, and his comments on Paul's closing appeal to do good works are well worth sharing: "If God saves us by grace alone, through faith alone, in the finished work of Christ alone, then what is the point of good works?...

The Man from George Street, Part 4

Philip Ryken
Dec 14, 2006
"Now this London pastor was now very puzzled. Twice within a fortnight he had heard the same testimony. He then flew to preach in the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Perth. And when his teaching series was over, the senior elder of that church took him out for a meal. And he said, “Mate, how’d you...

Correction

Philip Ryken
Dec 13, 2006
I have been kindly and I hope reliably informed that Ray Comfort (see "The Man from George Street, Part 1") is from New Zealand, actually.

Incarnation Poem

Philip Ryken
Dec 13, 2006
The following poem by Joe Bayly recently appeared in the bulletin of College Church in Wheaton: Praise God for Christmas Praise Him for the Incarnation for Word made flesh. I will not sing of shepherds watching flocks on frosty night or angel choristers. I will not sing of stable bare in Bethlehem...

Of Monday Mornings

Philip Ryken
Dec 12, 2006
I resonate with what Derek says about Mondays, and suppose that many preachers do. I find a full day of preaching and ancillary ministry to be very draining. This summer a homiletics professor cited research indicating that preaching a one-hour sermon is the physical equivalent of four hours of...

The Man from George Street, Part 3

Philip Ryken
Dec 12, 2006
"That Baptist pastor flew to Adelaide in Australia the next week. And ten days later, in the middle of a three day series in a Baptist church in Adelaide, a woman came to him for counseling. He wanted to establish where she stood with Christ. And she said, “I used to live in Sydney. And just a...

A Good Reminder

Philip Ryken
Dec 11, 2006
First thing Monday morning is my main time of prayer for our missionaries. In reading and praying over recent missionary correspondence this morning I came across a good reminder from Robert Speer: "In this supernatural cause (world missions), which rests on a supernatural charter and is led by an...

The Man from George Street, Part 2

Philip Ryken
Dec 8, 2006
A number of years ago in a Baptist church in Crystal Palace in southern London, the Sunday morning service was closing and a stranger stood up in the back, raised his hand; he said, “Excuse me, pastor; can I share a little testimony?” The pastor looked at his watch. He said, “You’ve got three...

The Man from George Street, Part 1

Philip Ryken
Dec 8, 2006
A member of Tenth Presbyterian Church recently gave me a sermon CD from the British evangelist Ray Comfort, with a marvelous real-life story of God's work through the ministry of a man from Sydney Australia. My assistant Anne Davies has kindly typed a transcript, which I will share in subsequent...

23 and 24

Philip Ryken
Dec 8, 2006
At the risk of doubling Derek's envy, Eschenbach played Mozart piano concertos 23 and 24 to rapturous applause. Our seats are on the back side of the orchestra, in the third tier -- perfect for this concert because we could watch Eschenbach conduct with nods of the head, raised eyebrows, and other...

On Preaching One's Own Sermons

Philip Ryken
Dec 5, 2006
In a November 24 letter to the editor of The Wall Street Journal , Dan Heneghan of Monkton, Maryland, decries the defense of plagiarized sermons: "The Rev. Steve Sjogren preaches that 'attribution is a waster of time,' a perspective not embraced by Christ as he was preoccupied with referencing the...

In the Tradition of Machen

Philip Ryken
Dec 1, 2006
This may be old news, but I first learned of it yesterday and thought it would be good to share: Our friend Michael Horton has been named the initial holder of the J. Gresham Machen Chair of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. It is good to see a serious chair in...

Senior Moment

Philip Ryken
Nov 29, 2006
I believe I am right in saying that Derek Thomas is now a grandfather, and for the first time. Derek, would you care to give us any personal reflections on this significant milestone in the Thomas family?

Star of Bethlehem

Philip Ryken
Nov 27, 2006
The star was so beautiful, large, and clear, That all the other stars of the sky Became a white mist in the atmosphere. And by this they knew that the coming was near Of the Prince foretold in prophecy. Thus wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow concerning the star of Bethlehem, which of all the signs...

Star of Bethlehem

Philip Ryken
Nov 27, 2006
The star was so beautiful, large, and clear, That all the other stars of the sky Became a white mist in the atmosphere. And by this they knew that the coming was near Of the Prince foretold in prophecy. Thus wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow concerning the star of Bethlehem, which of all the signs...

The Preacher as Rooster

Philip Ryken
Nov 27, 2006
From Charles Spurgeon's sermon on "Peter's Restoration" ("And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord"; Luke 22:60-61): "I like to think of the singular combination: the crowing of the cock,...

Grace upon Grace

Philip Ryken
Nov 21, 2006
My friend Chun Lai recently traveled home to Hong Kong and Australia to minister to his family after the death of his father. The invitation to participate in the funeral service posed some real challenges, as Chun explains: "The Lord gave me something to say when I was at a complete loss for words...

Blood Earnest

Philip Ryken
Nov 17, 2006
John Piper gave a rousing address on William Tyndale yesterday at the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theology Society (ETS). The address was sponsored by Crossway Books as part of its ongoing effort to promote the English Standard Version (ESV). Justin, please provide a link if and when the...

Hawking/Dawkins

Philip Ryken
Nov 17, 2006
For the sake of clarity, I believe Derek means Richard Dawkins, the high priest of evolution as a worldview. And I wonder if maybe the Stephen came from another eminent scientist: Dr. Hawking.

Split P's

Philip Ryken
Nov 15, 2006
A friend sent the following link to an article about two Ohio congregations that have voted to leave the Presbyterian Church USA: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/people/family/16007379.htm I was particularly struck by Pastor Weyrick's comments about investing time and energy in fighting...

The Dreaded Christian Table

Philip Ryken
Nov 13, 2006
Writing in relevantmagazine.com, Daniel Holland describes his traumatic experiences as a waiter in a small restaurant (location unknown), serving the "Christian table" on Sunday nights: "I'd heard from counteless others that the 'Church crowd' is hands down the worst group of people to wait on. I...

Reasons for Faith

Philip Ryken
Nov 9, 2006
Westminster Seminary's K. Scott Oliphint has just published a book with the very promising title Reasons for Faith: Philosophy in the Service of Theology . Bill Edgar writes: "This is a wonderful book. If given the attention it deserves, Reasons for Faith should change the discussion in matters...

Lost at Sea?

Philip Ryken
Nov 9, 2006
Last week a New Jersey fisherman found a plastic bag full of letters in the surf off Atlantic City. There were about 300 letters in the bag -- some dating back to the early 1970's -- all addressed to the Reverend Grady Cooper, now deceased. Many of the letters asked for prayer, and perhaps the most...

Is It Really a Setback?

Philip Ryken
Nov 5, 2006
A correspondent with much closer first-hand knowledge of missionary work in Kazakhstan has written to say that although he shares my frustration with Borat , he is not convinced that the film will prove to be much of a setback for gospel work there. In the interests of cultural understanding, I am...

The Latest Evangelical Scandal

Philip Ryken
Nov 3, 2006
Some readers may be aware that the President of the National Association of Evangelicals resigned yesterday over accusations of secret liaisons with a homosexual prostitute. Sadly, since Ted Haggard of New Life Church in Colorado Springs has been an outspoken critic of gay marriage, this scandal...

A Setback for Kazakh Missions

Philip Ryken
Nov 3, 2006
I have been loosely aware of the hype surrounding Borat , the mockumentary starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. However, it was only today that I learned the film's subtitle and cultural context. The full title is Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of...

A Good, Dutch Death

Philip Ryken
Nov 3, 2006
Reuters reported this week that a 65-year old Dutch widow died of a heart attack right next to the grave where she planned to be buried. She was carrying a bag that contained her will and the full details for her funeral, including her choice of music. The grave was already the resting place for...

Overcoming Sin and Temptation . . .

Philip Ryken
Nov 2, 2006
. . . is the title of a new book edited by Kelly Kapic of Covenant College and our own Justin Taylor. It is a fresh collection of three classic and practical works by John Owen on the doctrine of sin. Various books by Owen have been published through the years -- especially editions of The...

Landmark Legal Decision

Philip Ryken
Oct 26, 2006
Yesterday New Jersey's highest court ruled that "the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our state constitution." While the court also said it "cannot find that a fundamental right to same-sex marriage exists in this state,"...

Atheism on the Charts

Philip Ryken
Oct 25, 2006
Writing for Reuters, Michael Conlon reports that a "fresh wave of atheistic books has hit the market this autumn, some climbing onto best-seller lists in what proponents see as a backlash against the way religion is entwined in politics." Among the books mentioned in the article are Letter to a...

Standing Firm in Christ

Philip Ryken
Oct 25, 2006
I just received Rick Phillips's new exposition of Hebrews -- a handsome volume in the Reformed Expository Commentary series that I am helping to edit. This is a substantial work and I am grateful to see it in print, not least because I am hoping to preach from Hebrews 11 on Thanksgiving this year...

The Latest Scandal in Washington

Philip Ryken
Oct 24, 2006
Up until a few weeks ago, Congressman Mark Foley served as the United States Representative from the 16 th District of Florida. In what is now a painful irony, Representative Foley formerly served as co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Now he has resigned in disgrace for...

The Latest Scandal in Washington

Philip Ryken
Oct 24, 2006
Up until a few weeks ago, Congressman Mark Foley served as the United States Representative from the 16 th District of Florida. In what is now a painful irony, Representative Foley formerly served as co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Now he has resigned in disgrace for...

A 30 Percent God

Philip Ryken
Oct 24, 2006
David Shiflett is the author of Exodus: Why Americans are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity . Shiflett draws on the work of Dean Kelley and others who have documented the sharp decline in membership of America's mainline Protestant churches. His approach is more journalistic,...

Preaching Today

Philip Ryken
Oct 20, 2006
The fall issue of Southern Seminary's magazine opens with a manifesto from Al Mohler on "The State of Preaching Today." In his indictment of contemporary trends, Mohler mentions five critical areas of concern: 1. A loss of confidence in the power of the Word. 2. An infatuation with technology. 3...

A Few More Books

Philip Ryken
Oct 20, 2006
Reading through some other people's lists has reminded me of a few books I should have included. Under the category of the books that were the most influential, both the Prayer of Jabez and Left Behind both deserve serious consideration. I left behind Left Behind because to me the series is really...

Whose Rejoinder Is It, Anyway?

Philip Ryken
Oct 19, 2006
Tell us, Lig -- enquiring minds want to know: who does your quote about the Word of God come from? I'll guess Charles Spurgeon, but not with a lot of confidence.

40

Philip Ryken
Oct 19, 2006
Special thanks to Rick Phillips for calling me middle-aged. In my view, middle age begins at 50, a milestone I feel confident Rick will reach before me. Typically I only comment on my age when my birthday falls on a Sunday, which it didn't this year. In any case, though, no matter how old (or young...

Boice on the Cries of the City

Philip Ryken
Oct 17, 2006
In preparing for this week's sermon I came across James Boice's memorable comments on Genesis 18:20-21, in which the Lord says, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that...

Gelernter on the Next Great Awakening

Philip Ryken
Oct 17, 2006
In doing a little research this week on illiteracy, biblical and otherwise, I came across a provocative statement from David Gelernter ("Bible Illiteracy in America," The Weekly Standard , May 23, 2005, Vol. 10, Issue 34): "My guess is that our next Great Awakening will begin among college students...

Divine Impassibility and the Passion of the Christ

Philip Ryken
Oct 16, 2006
I have been reading with profit an article by Kevin DeYoung in the Spring 2006 issue of Westminster Theological Journal entitled "Divine Impassibility and the Passion of Christ in the Book of Hebrews." DeYoung seeks to refute the argument that the sufferings of Jesus show the true suffering nature...

Handcuffing

Philip Ryken
Oct 12, 2006
Imagine a prison with such a positive atmosphere that the guards don't need to carry guns to protect themselves. Imagine a prison where inmates begin each day with Bible reading and prayer, leading some to faith in Christ. Imagine a prison where convicted felons open the door for you, look you...

Handcuffing

Philip Ryken
Oct 12, 2006
Imagine a prison with such a positive atmosphere that the guards don't need to carry guns to protect themselves. Imagine a prison where inmates begin each day with Bible reading and prayer, leading some to faith in Christ. Imagine a prison where convicted felons open the door for you, look you...

Christian Kitsch

Philip Ryken
Oct 11, 2006
Quentin Schultze is an astute commentator on issues in Christianity, technology, and the arts. In a recent issue of the PCA's ByFaith magazine he writes: "Young people witness some of the cheesy video and computer 'art' in worship and see it for what it is is: kitsch. Stock clip art. Old-fashioned...

Where, O Where Has Theology Gone?

Philip Ryken
Oct 10, 2006
In looking through Christianity Today 's list of the most influential evangelical books of the last half century, one can't help but notice the dearth of substantive theology. There are plenty of experiential biographies, lots of "practical" books for family life and church management, but almost...