Links & Quotes

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“Are our ears ever open? Are we eager listeners? As ready to hear as God is to speak? Oh, how much we lose of happy wisdom, simply from not listening!” —Horatius Bonar

“It would be a great folly and a great tragedy if a man loved his wedding band more than he loved his bride. But that is what this passage [Romans 1:22-23] says has happened. Human beings have fallen in love with the echo of God’s excellency in creation and lost the ability to hear the incomparable, original shout of love [Psalm 19:1-2].” —John Piper

Charles Spurgeon was a Calvinist, which means he held to the doctrine of predestination, but read how he pulled together both predestination and freewill. “It is a wonderful thing how God effects His purpose while still the creature is free. They who think that predestination and the fulfillment of the divine purpose is contrary to the free-agency of man, know not what they say, nor whereof they affirm. It would be no miracle for God to effect His own purpose, if He were dealing with stocks and stones, with granite and with trees; but this is the miracle of miracles, that the creatures are free, absolutely free, and yet the divine purpose stands. Herein is wisdom. This is a deep unsearchable. Man walks without a fetter, yet treads in the very steps which God ordained him to tread in, as certainly as though manacles had bound him to the spot. Man chooses his own seat, selects his own position, guided by his will he chooses sin, or guided by divine grace he chooses the right, and yet in his choice, God sits as Sovereign on the throne; not disturbing, but still over-ruling, and proving Himself to be able to deal as well with free creatures as with creatures without freedom, as well able to effect His purpose when He has endowed men with thought, and reason, and judgment, as when He had only to deal with the solid rocks and the imbedded sea.” —Charles Spurgeon

Moral truth advocatesJ. Warner Wallace asks, “Are moral truths a product of culture? Can they be explained by purely naturalistic forces?”

[VIDEO] Are you on the wrong side of history? Check out Jonah Goldberg’s insightful commentary on this question—

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (book review)

Seeking Allah Finding JesusI have a family member who works in predominately Muslim areas of the world. I recently asked him how I could learn more about Muslims and the Islamic belief system, and he highly recommended Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Quereshi. I am so glad he did!

This book is told in the narrative style of an autobiography, as Nabeel walks us through his devout Muslim upbringing, and the conversations and confrontations that got him thinking about his religion in contrast to Christianity. The book has a “documentary” feel to it, as Nabeel takes us inside his home, school and mosque to let us see his life portrayed almost in real-time. Many of the conversations include Arabic phrases, which Nabeel footnotes at the beginning of the book, and then continues to use without the footnoted translation later, allowing the reader to become more immersed in his world.

Nabeel states his three main purposes for his book:

  1. To tear down walls by giving non-Muslim readers an insider’s perspective into a Muslim’s heart and mind. The mystical beauty of Islam that enchants billions cannot be grasped by merely sharing facts. But it is my prayer that by entering my world, you will come to understand your Muslim neighbor, so you can love him as yourself.
  2. To equip you with facts and knowledge, showing the strength of the case for the gospel in contrast with the case for Islam.
  3. To portray the immense inner struggle of Muslims grappling with the gospel, including sacrifices and doubts.

In my mind, he accomplished all three of these purposes beautifully. In addition, I discovered a whole new way to pray for my Muslim friends, as well as feeling like I may now carry on a more intelligent conversation with them about their cherished beliefs.

I too highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about what Muslims believe.

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