Chris R. Quinlan

I was having a pleasant conversation the other day with someone who I haven't seen in a while. The subject of Calvinism came up. Without knowing my personal position, this person began to express disdain for people who embrace any form of Calvinism. To which I politely replied, "Well, I'm a Calvinist." After squirming a bit from my unexpected statement, I was smugly asked the following (I assume, rhetorical) question: "So, which one of your children did God create to go to hell?" I guess that's supposed to be the ultimate gotcha question from the anti-Calvinist.  I, without hesitation, politely answered, "God does not reveal to us who is elect and who isn't, so I have no idea." My aquaintence squirmed a bit more and replied, "I just know that God does NOT create people just to send them to hell." At this point, to debate further would have made the situation terribly uncomfortable, so I wrapped things up by saying something t...

(Excerpt from a letter of Legh Richmond to his dying teenage son, 1824) “Be much in prayer and self-examination. The more we see of ourselves --the more we see our sin . And the more we see our sin --the more we flee to the death and righteousness of Christ--for pardon, deliverance, and hope! Let nothing interrupt you in this continual work of self-examination; and let self-examination lead you to earnest and ardent prayer. Let no pursuits of literature, no delights of sense, no passing occurrences, no debility of body, no inferior subjects of recreation, prevent you from keeping your thoughts close to God and to eternity!” Click here to read this entire letter.

The prayerless soul--is a fruitless soul. The waters of life are sweet--and it is blessed to bring the vessels of prayer to these wells. It matters not, how often you carry your empty pitcher--to so full a river! *(I thought this was a great word picture of praying when you don’t feel worthy to approach the “river” of God’s abundance.) Christians will never lack a praying time--if they possess a praying frame * (state of mind) . In the morning, prayer is a golden key to open the heart for God's service; and in the evening, prayer is an iron lock--to guard the heart against sin. From " The Consistent Christian " 1660 * added by me.