Posts by Jim Elliff (Page 29)
Knowing You’re In
There was a troubled look on the student’s face as I finished my talk. “I believe that Christ is who He says He is,” he stated, “but I just don’t know if I am really a Christian. What if I’m deceiving myself?” The question is a reasonable. After all, God put up a huge billboard in 1 Corinthians 6:9 that says, “DO NOT BE DECEIVED!” So, how do you know you’re a Christian? First be sure that you understand the…
The Imperative of Preaching: A Theology of Sacred Rhetoric
John Carrick commences with a declaration from Dr. J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism: “Christianity begins with a triumphant indicative” (7). The truth of this statement is a leading premise of this “theology of sacred rhetoric.” Carrick is Assistant Professor of Applied and Doctrinal Theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is also one of its preaching instructors. He graduated from Oxford University and has had pastorates in the U.K. and in Greenville, North Carolina. This is his first book.…
A Thief in the Night
A friend of mine slept through a robbery in his own home. His wife wasn’t so comatose. In fact, when the man entered their bedroom, she immediately began chasing him down the hall. With this lady on his tail, he didn’t steal much but trouble. Meanwhile, back in the sack, my friend snored away, totally oblivious to the whole ordeal. The day of the Lord will also come like a thief in the night. Are you ready? Now brothers, about…
Caught in Our Shame: Comments on the Recent Barna Report
The recent Barna report on evangelical beliefs in mainline churches is almost too excruciating to read. In the report, statistics concerning the 12 largest denominations are tallied. Barna polled 6,038 adults with random telephone interviews nationwide. Tim Ellsworth of the Baptist Press summarized the findings. I have included the pertinent data: The study’s findings identify an alarmingly high number of church members whose beliefs fall far short of orthodox Christianity. For example, 41 percent of all adults surveyed believed in…
The Island of Nis
James, the youth: Must Christians always be narrow? The wiser Mr. Brockton: Christians are both pluralists and exclusivists simultaneously. James: Do you mean that Christians accept other religions and faiths? Mr. Brockton: We permit them to be wrong. My story will explain. The island of Nis was considered a religion-free zone, and most of the younger inhabitants had not even as much as heard of formal religion. To be sure, some primitive ancestors had ventured that way in earlier days,…
Trying to Be a Christian
I was astounded. I had just explained to a group of nuclear scientists the difference between trying to earn salvation by our own works and trusting Christ for it. I thought that I had made myself exceptionally clear. As I left, however, one man thanked me and remarked, “I guess I just need to try harder to be a Christian.” He had missed it completely! Why couldn’t he see my point? He had as much hope of getting to God…
A Fly for Oscar
James, the youth: "There is no such thing as a trivial death." The poet and sage, the older Mr. Brockton: "No, but there are trivial men who die. I will illustrate this, though you will not like my illustration. The story goes this way: "Oscar Felton was dying. Everyone knew it. Oscar knew it better than anyone else. He would die and go to hell—that was unquestioned. It wasn’t that Oscar was such a bad fellow to be around, but…
Introduction to A Million and a half in answer to prayer by George Muller
The following article is an introduction written by Jim Elliff for the book Autobiography of George Muller, or, A Million and a Half in Answer to Prayer by George Muller Hardcover | 736 pages | Westminster Literature Resources ________________ On November 8, 1840, a slender, 35 year old man with wiry black hair held a diamond ring in his hand. His wife, a Brethren woman, would certainly not have worn it—much too audacious for a woman of God of her…
A New Lord’s Day Meeting Pattern Encouraged
Here are some suggestions to improve the meeting pattern for those churches that are basically traditional in their approach. ________________________ Our churches must regularly evaluate our meeting patterns. There is no guidance from the Word on what time of the day a church should meet on the Lord’s Day. A church is not more or less spiritual if its meetings begin at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. All the considerations for the times of meeting are strictly practical in nature.…
Why Read a Good Book?
As an old man Paul directed Timothy to “bring the books, but especially the parchments” on his return trip. Luther, who wrote a book or large tract every two weeks from 1519 until the end of his life, said “Printing is the highest and ultimate gift of God.” And d’Aubigné, the Reformation historian, expressed his appreciation for books this way: These epistles, these books, all these flying sheets were the means of regenerating the age. While dissipation came forth from…
Review of The Life and Labours of Asahel Nettleton
Book by Bennet Tyler and Andrew Bonar Tyler, Bennet, and Bonar, Andrew, The Life and Labours of Asahel Nettleton, Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, reprint 1975, 454 pp. ($18.00) The author, Bennet Tyler, was a pastor for many years at South Britain, Connecticut, where he knew Nettleton intimately. He eventually became the president of Dartmouth College. He is famous for his polemics against the liberal Nathaniel Taylor and the New Haven theology, a view which countered the Edwardsian…
Review of God Sent Revival by John Thornbury
Thornbury, J. F., God Sent Revival, The Story of Asahel Nettleton and the Second Great Awakening, Welwyn, Herts, England: Evangelical Press, 1977, 238 pp. ($15.00) John Thornbury was a pastor of a thriving church called Winfield Baptist in Winfield, Pennsylvania, but is now retired. He studied in Kentucky at the Lexington Baptist College with further studies at the University of Kentucky. He has authored several books, the latest of which is an excellent biography on David Brainerd. Thornbury was a…
Review of Great Preachers of Wales by Owen Jones
Jones, Owen, M.A., Great Preachers of Wales, Clonmel, Ireland: Tentmaker Publications, 1885, reprint 1995, 540 pp. (c/o Bethel Christian Bookshop, New Hall St., Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 5HQ, Staffs. England.) I found this reprint by Tentmaker Publications on a recent trip to Wales, along with several other reprints of good quality from this ministry. I contacted the director of the ministry and found out that several more items can be expected in the future. Other reprints by Tentmaker include the six…
The Care and Feeding of Flies
I just received this news about a Warren, Arkansas event, which took place 84 years ago. I’m sure that I’m the very latest one to receive this intelligence. Here it is: Mar. 3, 1914: Warren, Mar 2 – Yesterday closed the fly contest that has been carried on in Warren for the last month. The Democrat-News offered $10 to the boy who caught the greatest number of flies and the Warren Commercial Club $5 to the one who caught the…
Review of Scotland Saw His Glory edited by Richard Owen Roberts
Roberts, Richard Owen, editor, Scotland Saw His Glory. Wheaton, Illinois: International Awakening Press, 1995. 351 pages. Richard Owen Roberts, President of International Awakening Ministries, has taken out-of-print sources to compile this book. One source was issued in a limited edition of only thirteen copies; the earliest source is dated 1743. No information is given on the lives of the authors. He claims no originality; the works he uses are fully incorporated, with almost no quoting. He mixes and complements the…
Serious Preaching
I have been considering for some time the desperate condition of preaching in the West. I have even toyed with the idea of writing a booklet entitled Serious Preaching. Such preaching is out of vogue, but I still believe in it. Please know that I’m not talking about serious sweating. It used to be said that if a man didn’t fill his hanky with sweat, make himself hoarse with screaming and wind up walking on about two inches of his…