Crossroads ChurchTodd's Blog

J.C. Ryle on Unbelief

Todd Johnson — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:57:51 +0000

“We see … how exceedingly sinful is the sin of unbelief. Two remarkable expressions are used in teaching this lesson. One is, that our Lord “could do no mighty work” at Nazareth, by reason of the hardness of the people’s hearts. The other is, that “He was amazed at their unbelief.” The one shows us that unbelief has a power to rob men of the highest blessings. The other shows that it is so suicidal and unreasonable a sin, that even the Son of God regards it with surprise.
We can never be too much on our guard against unbelief. It is the oldest sin in the world. It began in the garden of Eden, when Eve listened to the devil’s promises, instead of believing God’s words, “you shall die.” It is the most ruinous of all sins in its consequences. It brought death into the world. It kept Israel for forty years out of Canaan. It is the sin that especially fills hell. “He that believes not shall be damned.” It is the most foolish and inconsistent of all sins. It makes a man refuse the plainest evidence, shut his eyes against the clearest testimony, and yet believe lies. Worst of all, it is the commonest sin in the world. Thousands are guilty of it on every side. In profession they are Christians. They know nothing of Paine and Voltaire. But in practice they are really unbelievers. They do not implicitly believe the Bible, and receive Christ as their Savior.
Let us watch our own hearts carefully in the matter of unbelief. The heart, and not the head, is the seat of its mysterious power. It is neither the lack of evidence, nor the difficulties of Christian doctrine, that make men unbelievers. It is lack of will to believe. They love sin. They are wedded to the world. In this state of mind they never lack specious reasons to confirm their will. The humble, childlike heart is the heart that believes.
Let us go on watching our hearts, even after we have believed. The root of unbelief is never entirely destroyed. We have only to leave off watching and praying, and a noxious crop of unbelief will soon spring up. No prayer is so important as that of the disciples, “Lord, increase our faith.” ”

J.C. Ryle - Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark p.65-66

Brit Hume on Tiger Woods

Todd Johnson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:01:06 +0000

Here’s a follow up to the Brit Hume comments about Tiger, Buddhism & Jesus Christ. I think his observation about the name of Jesus Christ causing “all hell to break loose” is spot on. Good job Mr. Hume on having the heart and the guts to state your beliefs while still being professional and tactful in the face of opposition.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Read a good book lately?

Todd Johnson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:28:40 +0000

A new year for me means, among other things, a stack of books on my “to read” list. I try to keep my book diet more balanced than my food diet, sadly. I’ve got six books going right now that fall into various categories.

My current stack looks like this:

PASTORAL:
The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
A Christian’s guide to leadership for the whole church by Derek Prime

DEVOTIONAL:
Voices from the Past: Puritan Writings
Spurgeon’s practical wisdom (Plain advice for plain people)

BIOGRAPHY:
Contending for our all by John Piper (the lives of Athanasius, John Owen, and J. Gresham Machen)
James Henley Thornwell, His life and letters

So I was wondering if anyone else has read a good book or is planning to read something in the coming year that might inspire a few of us to read it as well.

Check out this video..

Todd Johnson — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:56:34 +0000

Our God is big.. and we are not! (yet He thinks of us?!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

When the “Mighty” fall

Todd Johnson — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:32:34 +0000

Most everyone has heard about the misadventures of Tiger Woods in the last couple of days. I read a great post and thoughtful perspective on the late developments which I highly commend to you. Click the continue reading command and then the link.

Click here

Praying for the men’s retreat

Todd Johnson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:28:51 +0000

I am regrettably & finally dealing with this sickness stuff that has been running through our family for the past couple of weeks. So I’m home for the weekend rather than up at the retreat with the men. I am committed to praying much over the next 36 hours for God to work in the lives of every man attending. Would you join with me in praying faithfully over the weekend?!

Let’s pray for:

1. Safe travel in this storm

2. Rich Chaffin and his teaching

3. Receptive and plyable hearts

4. Honesty and transparency in the men

5. A worshipful atmosphere

6. New Creations coming home to church and family

7. God to be honored above all

The Healing Ministry of Jesus

Todd Johnson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:26:38 +0000

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people”

Matt 4:23 ESV

The following is taken from John Stott and I hope will serve as a base for some healthy discussion on the topic of miraculous healing today.

“The Gospel writers describe Jesus’ ministry as threefold: teaching, preaching, and healing. Teaching and preaching are not hard to grasp or to imitate, but how are we to understand the ministry of healing?

Perhaps the place to begin is to affirm the goodness of God’s creation. That is to say, disease was no part of God’s original intention for the world, and it will be no part of his ultimate purpose either. In the new universe there will be neither sickness nor pain nor death nor tears (Rev. 21:4). Since, then, disease and death are alien intrusions into God’s good world, doctors and nurses are right to wage war against them. Moreover, all healing is divine healing, since God has put into the human body remarkable therapeutic processes. For example, no sooner has an infection appeared than antibodies are created to fight it. It is this conviction that led Ambroise Pare, the Huguenot physician, to say, “I dressed the wound, but God healed it.” The words are inscribed on a wall of the Ecole de Medicine in Paris.

The Gospels make it plain, however, that the healing ministry of Jesus belonged to a different order. Like changing water into wine, multiplying loaves and fishes, and walking on water, Jesus’ healings were supernatural demonstrations of the kingdom of God.

In trying to understand them, we will be wise to avoid opposite extremes. On the one hand, it would be absurd to put the Creator in a straightjacket and declare that miracles can’t and don’t happen. On the other hand, we have no liberty to say (as some do) that performing miracles is the normal Christian life. For however we define miracles, they certainly belong not to the normal but to the abnormal. If we claim to be able to heal the sick like Jesus, we need to remember that he healed without the use of medical or surgical means, without delay, degree, or remission, but immediately, completely, and permanently, and that even hostile witnesses said, “We cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16).”

THE PRODIGAL GOD CHAPTER SEVEN

Todd Johnson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:42:05 +0000

The Feast of the Father

OK folks. This is it. The final chapter and the feast. I know that most of you have long since finished the book but I’d love you to share your thoughts on this last chapter and your final thoughts on the book as a whole.

Thanks to all for your participation. Of the books that we’ve read together here, I’ve enjoyed the observations, insights & applications that have been made this time around the most.

So let’s finish by talking about food, music & dancing in the Kingdom!

THE PRODIGAL GOD CHAPTER SIX

Todd Johnson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:39:12 +0000

REDEFINING HOPE

Chapter Six is all about the Hope of Heaven. The longing for home.

I LOVE going home. Whether I’ve been away from home for an extended trip or just driving there after a day at work there is nothing like walking into your home, putting down your things, and resting. It has never mattered to me where that home was or what it was.. it’s always been the place I’m loved the most and cared for the best.

Keller suggests in this chapter that there’s Divine inspiration in this longing for home, and I think he’s right.

Here’s one quote from C.S. Lewis .. I’ll leave the rest for our discussion..

“Our life-long nostalgia, our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy, but the truest index of our real situation.” - C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

THE PRODIGAL GOD - CHAPTER FIVE

Todd Johnson — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:35:01 +0000

The True Elder Brother

It is time to move into chapter five which deals specifically with the parable’s elder brother. Self-righteousness is something that every Christian will contend with in himself, and the insidiousness of it is that is so doggedly difficult to detect and work out. We tend to think that the antidote to being bad is being good, but when it comes to righteousness the antidote to being bad is being “born”. We need a radical change, a new birth. We need the One that thrives on finding and saving “lost things”. We need Jesus (and His righteousness).

There are some great “aha!” moments in this chapter for me. I hope you enjoy it as much.

To see the Law by Christ fulfilled,

and hear his pardoning voice,

changes a slave into a child

and duty into choice