Seeing Bathsheba bathing led to David’s adultery with her (2 Samuel 11:2-3).

David was a man after God’s own heart. David was born again. David wrote divinely inspired scripture. David was blessed with wisdom and power. David enjoyed an everlasting covenant relationship with God.

So what chance do you think you have to escape the effect of looking at naked women?

You Aren’t Safe from Adultery :: Desiring God.

This month’s free audio book at Christianaudio.com is The Confessions of Saint Augustine. It is the unabridged version. If you have never read this book then now is a perfect time to resolve to “read” it. You can download it here. It is read by a gentleman with a humbleness in his voice that mirrors the pen of St. Augustine. The code will be AUG2008.

Audio Book: Confessions of St. Augustine | Said at Southern.

John 6:37

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (ESV)

But suppose the believer sins after coming? “If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” But suppose that believers backslide? “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.” But believers may fall under temptation! “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but he will “Purge them with hyssop, and they shall be clean; he will wash them and they shall be whiter than snow”; “From all their iniquities will I cleanse them.”

July 30 : Spurgeon’s Evening Devotional : HEARTLIGHT®.

I despised Catechism classes and almost always dreaded Sunday afternoon instruction with my father…But despite my best efforts I did learn the Catechisms and I did learn a great deal of theology. When I reflect on all that I might have learned in those occasions I am sorry and ashamed that I did not learn more. But when I reflect on all that I did learn, I am profoundly grateful that my parents, pastors and elders were far wiser than I was and persisted in this instruction. I am convinced that this instruction has played a very important role in my life and formed a theological foundation that is still firm today.

Catechetical Instruction :: christian living :: A Reformed, Christian Blog.

The four categories of gifted men include the foundational fits of apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20), evangelists, and pastor-teachers. The Greek syntax suggests (but doesn’t demand) that “shepherds [pastors] and teachers” indicates one category of gifted man: the pastor-and-teacher.

And what is he said to be? “The Minister”? Hardly. In fact, Paul expressly says that the purpose of the office is to equip the saints for the work of service — of ministry (diakonia)!

So the pastor is not the vicarious representative of the congregation, doing the work of ministry in their stead. He does not serve God, as they gaze on idly, perhaps holding up score-numbers, like judges at the Olympics. No, the pastor equips the saints, and they minister, they serve. The saints are the ministers.

Pyromaniacs: Things a pastor isn’t: The Minister.

Ballantine Books to Publish Book Inspired by the Webcomic Garfield Minus Garfield

Collection to be published simultaneously with Garfield 30th anniversary book

NEW YORK, NY – July 30, 2008 – Paws, Inc. and Ballantine Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group, announced last week at Comic-Con International that Ballantine will publish a book inspired by the popular webcomic Garfield Minus Garfield.

garfield minus garfield.

HT: Proof For My Southern Friends: I Do Talk Normal | Said at Southern.

The doctrine of total depravity (or total inability) says that all men, as a consequence of the Fall, are born morally corrupt, enslaved to sin, at enmity with God, and unable to please Him or even of themselves to turn to Christ for salvation. (Thus the necessity of a gracious, unconditional election.) Here is a sweeping survey of the biblical support for the doctrine.

Total Depravity Verse List @ Travis Carden .com.

HT: Irish Calvinist