About

Dialectic devotional analysis is how I would sum up my approach to my writing. To seek to strip out the emotion from the arguments and the rhetoric from our reasonings and then understand the underlying strength of the logic on each side. But to also see the limitations of reason and logic, for these guides can only give us the glimpse of truth, they cannot bring us to it’s door. For this we need the mystery of faith, the faith that says:

I desire more than I can know, I feel more than I can touch, I understand more than I can see.

20 thoughts on “About”

  1. Martyn,

    Thanks for reaching out and saying hi! I enjoyed my visit to your blog, have subscribed to your RSS Feed, and look forward to hearing your insights.

    It appears that you are a bit ahead of me, in the Institutes, so you may find me poking around in your archives.

  2. Martyn,

    Good morning. I’m trusting that you’re well.

    It is spring break here and all of our children have been home from school. The three oldest went on a youth retreat for five days with the group from church. The youngest has just been hanging around. My wife keeps four babies and toddlers at the house each day so it has been anything but quiet. Needless to say, I’ve not had much opportunity to read any of the Institutes. I’m looking forward to being able to try and get back to it next week.

    I wanted to ask if the church you attend has a website. If it does, I’d like to visit it. I have a number of churches in Scotland bookmarked on my computer and am wanting to add some of them to the “churches” heading on the sidebar of my blog’s front page.

    Blessings to you, Brother,

    Scott

  4. Martyn,

    I admire you for your commitment to reading and posting on the Institutes. My time and energy to “run the race” ran out quite some time ago.

    I do continue to post on my blog, though, on books that I read, church planting, missions and miscellaneous subjects.

    ~ Blessings ~

    Scott

  5. Martyn,

    It’s been a long time since I’ve visited you at “faith of our fathers,” but I thought about you today when a friend told me about a Calvin resource he has found. It’s on Facebook and is called “Coffee with Calvin.” A man at Reformed Theological Seminary in the States is reading Calvin with his morning coffee and then posting on FB. I don’t know if you do FB, but I thought might like to check him out if you do. Just type ‘Coffee with Calvin” in your search box.

    Blessings,

    Scott

  6. Good afternoon. Martyn, and blessings to you.

    Just a note that I’ve recently placed Central Baptist Church, Dundee, on my blog under the “Churches” heading.

    Have started doing a lot more reading of the sermons of Scottish preachers of old – M’Cheyne, Boston, and others. My interest in the Scottish Reformation, Scottish pastors, and the Puritans continues to grow. Was wondering if you could suggest any websites, books, or Scottish churches there that I could go to for information/reading regarding these subjects.

    Finally, my niece and her husband now live in Aberdeen. He is a PhD student there.

    Scott

  7. Good evening. Thanks for your reply. I do not have any books about Scottisth preachers but do know of one that is entitled, The Scots Worthies. It was written and published many years ago by John Howie (1735-1793). Would love to read it. Let me know if you find one. Perhaps we pick one and then read and blog through it. Or, maybe sermons by particular preachers. Right now I am getting into Thomas Boston. BTY, have you ever read of any of Robert Traill’s sermons? If not, I would suggest his six sermon series on Galatians 2:21. If you go to my blog and search for him you’ll find posts I wrote on the sermons a couple of years ago. Poerful messages. Let me what you think about the idea of reading and blogging together. Blessings.

  8. Hi Martyn, Thanks for your blog, I find it encouraging and can sense gentleness and humility in your writing. For that, I have a question that I have been pondering, but cannot come to terms with. Please know that this is a genuine concern and I am in no way trying to ‘pin’ you down or back you into any corners- rather I’m looking for your insight…

    From a Reformed perspective (I am relatively new to this thinking in many ways), assuming the Doctrine of Election is true (I believe this to be true myself), what is the role of parenting? Knowing that there is no way to know whether or not your children are “elect”, how can a loving parent subject his children to Biblical teaching – assuming that teaching could some day be held against them on judgement day? (wouldn’t it be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than those who know the Gospel and don’t respond?). If they are elect anyway, perhaps telling them once and seeing how they respond is better than consistent training?

    Again, I am not being facetious or devious- but really struggling through this. I grew up in a church and always assumed I was a Christian. Lately, I have doubted that as I have not seen the Spirit’s activity in my life, nor fully reflect the fruit of the Spirit, nor am I sure that I have fully repented from my sin. You may say to just repent and believe, but I am finding it more difficult than that and wondering whether or not I could possibly not be “elect”. Having sat through countless sermons and podcasts and books, am I more accountable?

    Then, I take that to my children and wonder if I teach them the Gospel and they don’t respond, are they destined for a much more difficult eternity? Wouldn’t love for them wish for them to find Christ, yet not subject them to countless hours of instruction knowing that they may not choose that?

    I am really confused, discouraged and honestly disheartened. I feel like my efforts to find God or grow closer to Christ or even to repent are “works” of my own and can’t any longer separate the true work of the Spirit from my own efforts.

    I guess I am not looking for a counseling session, rather perhaps a perspective on what my responsibility is as a parent from the Reformed perspective. Thanks for your time and consideration on this (you can pray for me as well if you desire- I would not pass on that!).

    Blessings to you,

    Mark

  9. Hi Martyn,

    I just discovered your blog indirectly via twitter. I’m looking forward to more of your thoughts.

    Be blessed as you so things out

  10. Hi Martyn,
    I read from one of your tweets that youve been to kuala belait. any sound churches in the area that does not teach health and wealth magic? Im really hungry for the real gospel.

  11. Thanks for the prayers. What do you think of the anglican st james church? i dunno stuff about it. are they roman catholic? am i better off there than a joel osteenesque church?

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seeking a reasonable faith

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