Pastor John in 1981:

History has shown that God's way of stirring up his people to great acts of love and mission has often been to draw together a small praying band who lay themselves open to him and get a vision for service. Where will the new works of mission and charity come from in our church, if not from holy brain-storming in small groups of zealous people?

Not only does vision for love get stirred up by such fellowship, but also strength to see it through to reality. Love and good works are not easy to sustain over the long haul. There has to be much lifting up of the downcast. As Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. F…

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The theme of our 2012 Conference for Pastors is "God, Manhood and Ministry: Building Men for the Body of Christ" — being held in Minneapolis from January 30 to February 1. We encourage senior pastors in particular to take advantage of our group rate of just $100 (per person) as a great opportunity to build into your elders and lay leaders.

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Pastor John in 1981:

Since wisdom is found in the Word of God, we must apply ourselves in study and meditation to know the Word and do it. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." (Psalm 19:7). Therefore, we must devote ourselves to know and understand the testimonies of the Lord. And here I commend not only faithful Bible study, but also regular reading of great books on theology and biblical interpretation, books that distill the wisdom of the greatest students of the word over the past 1900 years.

Now, I know what you are thinking: I don't have the time or the ability to get anywhere in books like that. So I want t…

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Together for the Underestimated Gospel, April 10-12, 2012, in Louisville, KY.

Pastor John has thought in terms of two heart dispositions:

Gravity:

For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary. (Isaiah 8:11-14)

Gladness:

Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

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Here's a 12-minute interview on women's ministry with Pastor John from the Women's Katoomba Convention in Australia:

Time markers:

00:23 — How long have you been a Christian?

1:41 — Why are you still a Christian at 65 years old?

3:03 — What are the obstacles you see to living a worthy life?

5:39 — What advice would you give to women about a worthy life?

8:36 — On the ministry of mothers.

9:34 — What do you benefit so much from Christian biography?

Together for the Underestimated Gospel, April 10-12, 2012, in Louisville, KY.

From I Will Magnify God with Thanksgiving!, preached in 1980:

We are not called to be microscopes, but telescopes. Christians are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor's product is far superior. There is nothing and nobody superior to God. And so the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is.

Stream or download the message.

John Owen:

Do any of us find decays of grace prevailing in us; deadness, coldness, lukewarmness, a kind of spiritual stupidity and senselessness coming upon us? Do we find an unreadiness unto the exercise of grace in its proper season and the vigorous acting of it in duties of communion with God? And would we have our souls recovered from these dangerous diseases?

Let us assure ourselves there is no better way for our healing and deliverance, yea no other way but this alone, namely, the obtaining a fresh view of the glory of Christ by faith, and a steady abiding therein. Constant contemplation of Christ and his glory putting forth its transforming power unto revival of all grace, is the …

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Jeremiah Burroughs:

All good is in God, true, but how shall we come to partake of that good? There is such a distance between you and God that, were not Christ in the middle, you would never come together.

But Christ has come between and joined you together so that all is yours because you are Christ's and Christ is God's. Think of God as the Fountain of all good, and Christ, as it were, the Cistern, and from Him are pipes converged to every believer. Faith sucks at the mouth of every pipe and draws from God, but it comes from God through Christ.

The Father fills the Son with all good and so it comes from the Father, through the Son, by faith unto the soul of every believer.

Excerpt…

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