Kaleo - College and Career Ministry for the Murrieta - Temecula Valley

Happy 175th Birthday Mr. Spurgeon!

He's my hero - my favorite historical person outside the Bible.  And I have the honor of sharing the same birthday with him, though 140 years apart.

C.H. Spurgeon was born June 19th, 1834.  I appreciate so many things about him.  He had a radical love for Jesus, a wonderful heart for those who did not yet know Christ, and a great sense of humor. (This picture of him is one of my favorites, because of his smile, which I believe was rare for men to do in pictures in that day.)

I would be stoked if God were to make me even half the man he was because it would mean being so much more like Jesus (Philippians 3:17).

Happy Birthday Mr. Spurgeon!  I'm looking forward to enjoying the presence of Jesus with you.

If you would like to get to know Spurgeon better check out Piper's free biography message (audio).  Dallimore's biography on him is excellent as well!

My Hero's Spiritual Birthday

Today is my hero's spiritual birthday.

Funny thing is we have the same physical birthday - June 19th.

Don't know who Spurgeon was?  Listen to this.

He had a life well lived and well worth imitating.

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith."  Hebrews 13:7

The Fascinating Story of Saint Nicholas

Mark Driscoll recounts the fascinating story of our Santa Claus legends.

Saint Augustine's Confessions

Saint Augustine (354-430) is not only one of the most theologians in all of church history, but he is   also recognized in secular circles as one of the most important philosophers of all time.

This month an audio version of his autobiographical book The Confessions is available as a free MP3 download.  The Confessions are written as a prayer to God, a format he never breaks through out the whole work.  Ever Christian should read The Confessions to understand better one of Christian histories most important men.  Now you can listen instead!

To learn more about him download Piper's excellent message on the life and work of Saint Augustine for free.

From The Confessions:

"How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose . . ! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place. . . . O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation."

The Passion of Whitefield

I have been reading the two volume Dallimore biography of George Whitefield for years now (a little here, a little there).  Check out the passion he had for his open-air evangelistic preaching ministry:

"Fear not your weak body; we are immortal till our work is done.  Christ's laborers must live by miracle; if not I must not live at all; for God only knows what I daily endure.  My continual vomitings almost kill me, yet the pulpit is my cure, so that friends begin to pity me less, and to leave off that ungrateful caution, "Spare thyself!""  (p. 285, vol 2)

"The more we do, the more we may do; every act strengthens the habit; the best preparation for preaching Sunday is to preach every day in the week" (p. 286, vol 2)

St. John Chrysostom on the Creation of Eve

"Let us remember that God did not take the woman from man's feet to be trampled upon and enslaved; nor from his head that she should dominate him; but from his side, to be his companion; from beneath his arm to receive his protection; and from near his heart to have his love and affection."  John Chrysostom, 5th Century A.D.

(It's no wonder why they called him "Golden Mouth")

Dates for Jesus' Birth and Death - 5BC-33AD?

Andreas Köstenberger on why he thinks Jesus was born in 5 BC and died in 33 AD (and of course raised from the dead shorty after!).

Found on Justin Taylor's Blog