The Hidden Smile of God
John Piper
Crossway
<span><p><b>WARNING:<br><br>Calvenism is a deceptive doctrine that can make many believers lose their salvation.</b></p><p><b><span>It goes directly against the word of God, as Paul proves many times in the new testament that a Christian can lose their salvation. I am not trying to convince anyone, as we have to decide for ourselves.</span></b></p><p><b>Luke 12:46 - The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. <br><br>Romans 11:20-22 - But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. <br><br>Hebrews 6:4-6 - It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. <br><br>Hebrews 10:26-31 - If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.</b></p><p><b>This book has been added for historical/research purposes. Not because Calvin's doctrine was correct.</b></p><p><b>I urge you only to read this book if you can say 'yes' to the entire list:</b></p><p></p><ul><li><span><b>Need to perform research</b></span></li><li><span><b>Have a sound doctrine</b></span></li><li><span><b>Completed bibleschool</b></span></li><li><span><b>Are mature in your faith</b></span></li><li><span><b>Have the go ahead from God</b></span></li></ul><p></p><p><b><br></b></p></span><p>Bunyan • Cowper • Brainerd</p><p>John Bunyan suffered long-term imprisonment, even when a simple promise to cease preaching would have freed him, and he was moved to rely on God even more… Despite month after month of debilitating depression, William Cowper's poetry reflected the sustaining character of God and led him to worship more deeply… David Brainerd so desired to honor God that through the loneliness of wilderness ministry and the agony of tuberculosis, he pressed on, transforming world missions forever.</p><p>When Augustine handed over the leadership of his church in A.D. 426, his successor was so overwhelmed by a sense of inadequacy that he declared, "The swan is silent," fearing the spiritual giant's voice would be lost in time. But for 1,600 years Augustine has not been silent-and neither have the men who faithfully trumpeted the cause of Christ after him. Their lives have inspired every generation of believers and should compel us to a greater passion for God.</p><p>In this noteworthy Swans Are Not Silent book, John Piper invites you into the lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd to discover how God takes the privilege of faith and strengthens it with trials so that we experience a greater hunger for him. The perseverance of these godly servants exemplifies the essential fruit that affliction can produce in your own life. Their enduring faith will fortify you in your suffering, reminding you that "behind a frowning providence, God hides a smiling face." And their stories and witness will inspire in you a similar passion for the supremacy of God in your life.</p>About the Author<p>John Piper is pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His many books include the others in The Swans Are Not Silent series: <em>Contending for Our All, The Legacy of Sovereign Joy,</em> and <em>The Roots of Endurance.</em></p>