Author Archives: JP Arceno

“Struggling With Faith” A Reflection on Richard Sibbes’ The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax

The Christian life is a journey of a life-long struggle. Struggling with your faith; you know what is good, yet you choose the wrong one, or perplexed with your assurance of salvation, and even battling to overcome sin in your life. Many people think struggling is a negative state of being a Christian. But forContinue reading ““Struggling With Faith” A Reflection on Richard Sibbes’ The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax”

Thomas Manton on the Lord’s Prayer

Thomas Manton (1620-1677) emphasized the necessity of private prayer.[1] Manton said, “God requires secret and closet-prayer; for God’s command to pray, first fall upon single persons before it falls upon families and churches, which are made up of single persons (Complete Works of Thomas Manton, 1:10).” This is of course grounded in the word andContinue reading “Thomas Manton on the Lord’s Prayer”

A Biography of Charles Simeon (1759–1836)

Charles Simeon, the youngest son of Richard and Elizabeth Hutton, was born on September 24, 1759, in Reading, Berkshire.[1] Simeon’s father was a practicing attorney, while his mother, however, died soon after his birth. Simeon studied with his brothers, John and Edward, at Eton, who later became prominent in their fields respectively in the legalContinue reading “A Biography of Charles Simeon (1759–1836)”

The Kingdom of God: Jesus is King

The theme of the kingdom of God permeates the entire Scripture. It traces back in the book of Genesis, where God created the world as the sovereign Creator and put humanity in the garden of Eden (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7-8). Though there is no explicit text that points to the kingship of God in this passage,Continue reading “The Kingdom of God: Jesus is King”

A Biography of Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

Richard Baxter was born on November 12, 1615, in Rowton, Shropshire, England.[1] His parents were Richard and Beatrice. Baxter’s life as a kid was not that decent. His basic education was a disappointment; he had four different schoolmasters who were oblivious, two of whom were immoral.[2] Still, Baxter’s spirituality was not left out. Richard, hisContinue reading “A Biography of Richard Baxter (1615-1691)”

Samuel Pearce on Friendship

Samuel Pearce’s (1766-1799) life and works can still influence one’s life even after more than two centuries. Indeed, I started reading Michael Haykin’s compilation of Pearce’s letters and works during the start of Fall in 2020. Since I am inclined to reading biographies, I read another biography of Pearce written by Tom Wells that supplementedContinue reading “Samuel Pearce on Friendship”

Ten Things Andrew Fuller noted on Being a Pastor: A Reflection

When I studied under Dr. Michael Haykin’s class in Baptist History, one of his super-many requirements was to read a book about a Baptist minister during the eighteenth century plus to write a reflection about it. There were options either to choose Samuel Pearce or Andrew Fuller’s work. I chose Samuel Pearce’s works:* letters toContinue reading “Ten Things Andrew Fuller noted on Being a Pastor: A Reflection”

The Church Defined: A Loving Community

The church is not just the building where we gather to corporately worship God. The church is the people, the followers of Christ. We are the church—the body of Christ. Mark Dever, Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, noted what the Bible says about the church’s identity. Dever said, “Christ founded theContinue reading “The Church Defined: A Loving Community”

Made to Rest

Rest. Rest seems luxurious nowadays. During this pandemic season, anxiety, depression, and stress are rapidly creeping into our minds. Due to these inevitable emotions, most of us are experiencing: sleeplessness, exhaustion, and restlessness. Truly, we are in need of rest. But what does the Bible tells us about resting? Lay Pioneer Minister in the DioceseContinue reading “Made to Rest”