An Unusual Encounter...

Along with many others who attended the Together for the Gospel conference...I too was floored after John Piper's message(audio)! That evening, God was gracious to grant me several requests I made of Him by way of some God-given goals for the conference. One was for repentance. That came through his message(text). One was to meet one new friend...the brother I sat next to that evening named Lee from Canada. That came before his message. One was to meet John Piper...which incredibly happened in the restroom, upstairs somewhere after we left the ballroom rush up the escalator to find a quick way out. That came after his message. After the usual bathroom business, I went to throw my towels in the trash, turning to my left, who stood there…yep, Pastor John Piper…just he and I!

I was able to thank him for what he, under God, has done for my soul...and to ask a question about Calvin's definition of faith (Institutes: Book 3, ch 2, end of point 7) and it's heartbeat relationship to "Christian Hedonism"! As we stood outside the facilities, his affirmation to my inquiry about Calvin’s definition of faith as “passive” and “assuring” affirmed my inkling on the subject. As well was his take on the Reformer’s insight on “knowledge” as “notitia”(knowledge), “assensus”(assent), “fiducia”(confidence) including the inherent element of “felicity” (happiness)… being essentially Edwardsian and thus the very heartbeat of the driving pulse of his ministry known as “Christian Hedonism”. This paradigm is oh so rare in our day and well worth heeding!
What a treat from God, which typified the entire conference.

All thanks, praise and exultation be unto you, Oh Lord!

A Timely Word...

Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your Presence...

Isaiah 64.1

At age 24, in 1739, evangelist George Whitefield records the following in his journal:

"Sunday, June 17. Preached at Bexley Church, and helped to administer the sacrament to nearly 300 communicants, most of whom came from London. Baptized a person, twenty-eight years of age, whom God had worked upon by my ministry. Dined at Blendon and took sweet counsel with many Christian friends. Preached to above 20, 000 people at Blackheath; and afterwards supped again at the Green Man. There were nearly 300 in the room. I continued in exhortation and prayer till eleven o’clock, and then retired to bed, much pleased to think that religion, which had long been sulking in corners, and almost laughed out of the world, should now begin to appear abroad, and openly shew herself at noonday. Let them count us vainglorious for thus confessing Christ before men. It is a small thing with us to be judged with the judgment of men – to our own Master we stand or fall."

Have mercy on us, O Lord!

Here is a link to essential Whitefield! (check out sermon #1 & 58!)