doulos-sgbcladysmith

Modern Martyrs

2010-05-13T08:45:00.001-05:00

When Pastor Al Meredith entered the pulpit of Wedgwood Baptist Church September 19, he addressed the question nearly everyone was asking: “Where is God in all this?” And the “all this” was almost too horrible to remember.

Just four days before, the church’s sanctuary had been a place of horror and carnage as Larry Gene Ashbrook opened fire on a youth evangelism rally, killing seven participants and wounding others. He then calmly sat down in a pew and shot himself to death. In an instant, a place of worship had been reduced to a crime scene.

Once again, young people lay dead and wounded from an act of inexplicable violence. But this time the scene wasn’t a high school, but a church building. What the youth first thought was a dramatic skit turned out to be a matter of life and death. Larry Ashbrook entered the sanctuary, shouted anti-Christian curses at the young people, and then shot with cold-blooded accuracy.

The youth had met that morning around school flagpoles as a part of the national “See You at the Pole” prayer and evangelism movement. Little did they know that their witness would soon reach around the world.

How could God have let this happen? How do we explain this evil? A tragedy like this sets loose a torrent of theological questions. The response to these questions is a true test of any theology—and any Christian.

read the rest of this post here.

posted by jrd.

Silence of the Lambs

2010-05-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

The following was posted by Pastor Mark Dever and can be viewed at http://www.9marks.org/blog/by-author/mark-dever.

One of the most frequently commented upon aspects of the morning Lord's Day service here at Capitol Hill Baptist Church is nothing we do. Or rather, it is the nothing we do. It is our moments of silence.

There's silence between various aspects of the service. I encourage service leaders to NOT do the "no-dead-airspace" TV standard of busy-ness. We LIKE "dead air space." "Dead air space" gives us time to reflect. To collect our thoughts. To consider what we've just heard or read or sung. The silence amplifies the words or music we've just heard. It allows us time to take it all in, and to pray. We have silence to prepare ourselves. We have silence between the announcements and the scriptural call to worship. We even have a moment of silence AFTER the service! I pronounce the benediction from the end of II Corinthians, invite the congregation to be seated. And then, after about a minute of silence, the pianist begins quietly playing the last hymn that we had just sung. During those few moments, we reflect and prepare to speak to others and depart. We do business with God. We prepare ourselves for the week ahead.

I'm a sound addict. Even as I write about silence now, I've got Paganini blasting in my study! But yesterday morning in church during one of our silences, I became aware of how corporate a labor such public silence is. Everyone works to be quiet. People stop moving their bulletins or looking for something in their purse. There's no movement. We, together, hear the silence. It engulfs us. It enhances our unity. It is something we all do together. Together we consider what we've just heard. Together we contribute to each other's space to think.

Why has the church forgotten this? Our culture knows it. At the most solemn moments, we have a minute of silence. And everyone listens to the silence. And thinks about why we're being silent. Why don't we do this in the church.

In the last century, E. M. Forster, in A Passage to India, referred to "poor little talkative Christianity". Perhaps there was a day when all Christians did was gather to listen to the Bible read and preached, and to prayers. But that day is long gone in most evangelical churches. These days we gather more to watch than to listen. And to sing.

But in all the noise of our choirs, and drums, and electic guitars, and organs, and praise bands, where is the solemnity? Where is the dignity and majesty that is so often indicated in the Bible by a stupified silence, soaked in awe and covered with wonder?

Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent, but we seem to have forgotten today that there is a time for silence. God calls his people before Him in silence: "the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him," (Hab. 2:20).

Certainly as Christians we have much to rejoice over--loudly and joyfully and expectantly! But is no part of our regular assemblies to reflect the weightiness of our sinful selves before a holy God, the silence of conviction, even of sorrow? Furthermore, is no part of our regular assemblies to reflect the stunning weightiness of our forgiveness in Christ, the silence of marvel, and even the humility of some incomprehension?

We silence ourselves exactly because God has not kept silent. We silence ourselves in order to hear God speak in His Word (cf. Deut. 27:9) We silence ourselves to show our assent to God's charges against us (cf. Ps. 39:9). We silence ourselves to show respect and obedience and humility and restraint (cf. Zeph. 1:7; I Cor. 14:34; I Tim. 2:12). We silence ourselves to search our hearts (cf. Ps. 4:4).

We silence ourselves in our own times of prayer, reading and meditation on God's Word. And we should also silence ourselves in our periods of corporate worship. Making silence together builds and unifies the church, witnesses to the majesty of God and tacitly proclaims His greatness to all who hear.

posted by jrd

Death of An Atheist

2010-04-30T06:07:00.000-05:00

Does belief in "God" make you a Christian? Read Al Mohler's review of the "conversion" of an atheist.

http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/04/29/the-death-of-a-former-atheist-anthony-flew-1923-2010/

posted by jrd

As I said before....

2010-04-28T07:22:00.003-05:00

The Beginning of the Occupation.

2010-03-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

Frenchman Crying During Nazi Occupation of France

12/11/1941-Marseilles, France: Frenchman crying as the flags of fallen France were marched through the streets of Marseilles on their way to Africa.

3/21/2010. Democrats on their way to pass the "Health Care" bill.

posted by john d.

Preaching Pattern

2010-03-17T07:28:00.000-05:00

"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading." Nehemiah 8:8 (ESV)

In many churches, there is almost no public reading of the Word of God. Worship is filled with music, but congregations seem disinterested in listening to the reading of the Bible. We are called to sing in worship, but the congregation cannot live only on the portions of Scripture that are woven into songs and hymns. Christians need the ministry of the Word as the Bible is read before the congregation and God's people -- young and old, rich and poor, married and unmarried, sick and well -- hear it together. The sermon is to consist of the exposition of the Word of God, powerfully and faithfully read, explained, and applied. It is not enough that the sermon take a biblical text as its starting point.

excerpted from www.albertmohler.com

posted by john d.

When Sorrow Becomes Sinful

2010-03-07T07:19:00.006-06:00

The title is taken from the second chapter of a reprint of John Flavel's "A Token For Mourners" published in 1674 and reprinted by Banner of Truth Trust as "Facing Grief". The second chapter poses the question, 'when does sorrow become sinful and excessive'?

"It becomes excessive, when,...it causes us to slight and despise all our other mercies and enjoyments as small things, in comparison with what we have lost....

It is a sin springing from ignorance. Did we know the desert of our sins, we should rather wonder to see one mercy left than that twenty are cut off. They that know they have forfeited every mercy should be thankful that they enjoy any, and patient when they lose any of their comforts....

If you knew God, even that sovereign Lord at whose disposal our comforts come and go, who can the next moment blast all that remain, and turn you into hell afterwards, you would prize the mercies he yet indulges you with at a higher value.....

And yet, if you be out of Christ, you are in danger of a far sadder stroke than any, or all, yet mentioned. What if God should say, Do you not prize my mercy? have you no value for my goodness and forbearance towards you? Is it nothing that I have spared you thus long in your sins and rebellions? Well then, I will stretch out my hand upon your life, cut off that thread which has kept you so many years from dropping into hell."

posted by john d.

Good Listening

2010-02-16T08:58:00.004-06:00

In my morning rounds of blog-reading I came across a posting by Thabiti Anyabwile regarding the preaching and listening of the Word of God. I thought it worth sharing.

"The more I preach, the more convinced I am of two things. First, preaching is really, really difficult. Second, listening to preaching is really, really difficult. Even the best of listeners struggle with poor preaching. And the best preaching can't cure the worst listening. You want both. Great preaching and great listening. That combination best edifies preacher and people, strengthening the church in the most profound way. But even good preaching and good listening should result in good growth by the grace of God. So, the effort is well rewarded.

I'm convinced that how we listen to a sermon makes tremendous and profound difference in our encounter with the word of God and the God of the word. And that's no revelation I just sat here and thought up. It's what the Bible itself teaches. Ever wonder why the Bible so frequently exhorts us to listen, to pay attention, to heed? Ever wonder why Jesus so often begins His teaching with, "Have you not heard?" Or, take Solomon. Breeze through the opening chapters of Proverbs and count the number of times he writes, "Listen, my son." And then there are all the biblical rebukes for not listening, for being stiff-necked, slow to hear, and the like.

God is a speaking God. We must, then, be a listening people. In fact, the difference between an eternity of enjoying God and an eternity of wrath comes down to whether we listen to the message preached. "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God." So, this is an issue of extremely vital importance. Our spiritual health depends upon hearing God clearly, which depends upon knowing how to listen.

Likewise, listening to and benefiting from sermons requires good filters.

The first and most important filter for the listener is a "True or False" filter. The listener must ask themselves: "Is what I'm hearing true or false?" A true/false filter is a clean listening filter for those wanting to grow by the word of God.

The truth–the whole counsel of God–is good for us. Falsehood misleads and destroys us. So, we must first come to the word thinking and listening with the categories or filter of true and false. Is the preacher giving me the truth here? Reject everything that is false. But thankfully embrace the truth with both arms. Hold it close to your bosom and love it. Christians are truth people, and faithful servants of the word declare the truth."

Pastor Anyabwile further provides some thoughts on "True or False" filters. You can read the entire post at http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/thabitianyabwile/

posted by john d.

The Church of the Golden Age

2010-02-13T08:08:00.001-06:00

The local church is not in a golden age. It's probably not even in a plastic disposable age at this point. And as such, it often falls short of meeting our spiritual needs -- unlike the church of the Golden Age.

The church of the Golden Age would be full of the love of Christ, right? And full of people who have overcome sin. It would be lead by Christ and by men just like Him. And when I have a lousy day that lasts for weeks (or months), that church would be there for me all the time.

And wow: would the church of the Golden Age have good doctrine. The teaching there would be from like one who has authority -- not just lip service, not just translations from the Greek and Hebrew, not just lessons about how to live our lives. The doctrine of the church of the Golden Age would both humble us and lift us up so that we could be both servants of Christ and also his brothers and sisters all gaining the inheritance of the Father in eternal life.

…I want to remind all of you -- because I myself needed reminding -- that the church of the Golden Age is not past.

The church of the Golden Age is still coming. It has never yet been here, but in it our hope lies.

Hebrews 13:14 For here have we no continuing city,

but we seek one to come.

Adapted from “The Golden Age” by Frank Turk posted on February 10, 2010 at http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/02/golden-age.html

posted by john d.

The Church

2010-02-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

When will we stop "going to church" and
start "being the church"?

Matthew 25:31-46

posted by john d.

Wrong Reasons to Love the Church

2010-02-01T11:30:00.000-06:00

Do you love the church? Romans 12:10 tells Christians to "Love one another with brotherly affection."

The affection and love we're to have for fellow-Christians is to be based on the work of Jesus Christ for us. It's not about elitism, it's not because Christians are better than anyone else, it certainly isn't because Christians are necessarily more lovable. We love the church because we love the Savior who redeemed the church.

Acts 20:28 tells us that Jesus purchased the church with his own blood. Is this what your love for the church is based on? If it's anything less, it won't last long.

Don't love the church because of what it does for you. Because sooner or later it won't do enough.

Don't love the church because of a leader. Because human leaders are fallible and will let you down.

Don't love the church because of a program or a building or activities. Because all those things get old.

Don't love the church because of a certain group of friends. Because friendships change and people move.

Love the church because of who shed his blood to obtain the church. Love the church because of who the church belongs to. Love the church because of who the church worships. Love the church because you love Jesus Christ and his glory. Love the church because Jesus is worthy and faithful and true. Love the church because Jesus loves the church.

Excerpted from the sermon "We Are Here to Love the Church." - posted at www.joshharris.com

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" Eph. 5:25

Edited and posted by john d.

Irresistible Grace - Our Encouragement

2010-01-24T14:01:00.003-06:00

John Newton in a letter to Rev. Thomas Jones (October 20, 1767): “As to myself, if I were not a Calvinist, I think I should have no more hope of success in preaching to men, than to horses or cows.”

Posted by Kevin DeYoung – 1/23/10 - http://thegospelcoalition.org

re-posted by john d

For Your Consideration ....

2010-01-22T06:19:00.006-06:00

Are we becoming "theological eggheads"
ignoring the gospel needs of our community?

In other words,

Are we "educated" beyond our profession and practice?

" . . . .if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. "

posted by john d.

Signs - and Wonder

2010-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

No Parking? I can park here I've got important business and besides I'll only be a few minutes. Speed Limit 55? - means nothing, I'm in a hurry. No Passing Zone? I can pass as long as I can make it. No Smoking area....are you kidding, I have my rights.

I have noticed the inability of a lot of people to follow directions posted on signs.

It appears that those who ignore signs might feel that they apply to everyone else and not to them specifically. They must feel exempt, or special, or beyond the authority of the sign. In other words, they will be autonomous. I .... me.....my.....above everyone else.

"This sign must be for someone else, certainly it is not meant for me."

"Why should I have to obey this sign?"

"I don't agree with this sign, therefore I don't have to obey it."

This attitude is another indicator of sin exhibited by our self-love...our selfishness. Is it any different than Satan's challenge to Eve to question God's authority - and by extension all authority outside of ourselves?

We theoretically agree with Hebrews 13: 17 which requires us to "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves..." but tend to ignore 1 Peter 2:13,14 which commands us to "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors...."

Is this lack of respect for authority as evidenced by our disregarding signs and promoting "self" the result of our pagan culture affecting the Christian or does the Christian's attitude of self-love contribute to it's cause?

posted by john d.

Ten Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year

2010-01-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them.

Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It’s so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we’re going and where we should be going. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

The value of many of these questions is not in their profundity, but in the simple fact that they bring an issue or commitment into focus.

So let’s evaluate our lives, make plans and goals, and live this new year with biblical diligence, remembering that, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage” (Proverbs 21:5). But in all things let’s also remember our dependence on our King who said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

by Don S. Whitney

posted by john d.

New Year Resolutions

2010-01-02T08:07:00.002-06:00

How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? No, I won’t let you forget. What? You forgot what they were? Did you write them down? See if you can find the paper. No don’t be discouraged. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life. Take 5 quiet minutes and make several resolutions. Then we’ll take stock at the end of June. Like Paul said: “Forgetting those (failures) that lie behind, and pressing ahead to the goal, I pursue…” Let’s be a pursuing people.

Joshua 7 is a chapter on how to deal with failures of the past. Achan disobeyed God and kept some booty he wasn’t supposed to. So Israel is defeated in their next battle. Joshua is crushed. He rips his shirt open, throws himself on the ground and wails before God. God comes in an amazingly matter-of-fact manner, and simply says: “Get up; why are you on the ground? Israel has sinned. That is why they got beat. Get up and get rid of the sin” (vv.10-13).

OK then, let’s not go around bemoaning all our failures. Get up. Repent. Get the sin out. And let’s be on our way to Ai: “Do not fear or be dismayed…I have given into your hand the King of Ai” (8:1). Renew the New Year’s covenant or make a new one. Write it down. Paste it on your bathroom mirror. Set a limit to it. And be sure to add this contingency clause: “If I fail, I will not mope around in despair. I will encourage my heart in God’s mercy, repent and start up again.” Future life is too precious. The possibilities of joyful service are too great to let yourself be paralyzed by the past.

Adapted from “New Year's Resolutions? Oops”, by John Piper, March 24, 1981

posted by john d.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

1922 New Year Card

from my family collection.

posted by john d.

And The Answer Is....

2009-12-30T07:31:00.003-06:00

Here is a question that begs to be answered by each of us as we prepare to leave our homes on Sunday. Why am I going to church today?

What would be your response?

posted by john d.

The Wolf As The Door?

2009-12-11T08:20:00.008-06:00

"For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach." (Titus 1:10-11 KJV)

For the less Elizabethan inclined the CEV - Contemporary English Version - states, "There are many who don't respect authority, and they fool others by talking nonsense. This is especially true of some Jewish followers. But you must make them be quiet. They are after money, and they upset whole families by teaching what they should not."

Paul sermon to the Ephesians included this warning, " I know that after I am gone, others will come like fierce wolves to attack you. Some of your own people will tell lies to win over the Lord's followers. Be on your guard!..." (Acts 20:29-31 CEV).

To place my posting of these biblical texts in the context of this blog you need to read Dr. John MacArthur's latest message titled 'Unholy Trinity' at the Shepherds Fellowship site which is available by clicking here .

Here are my thoughts concerning Dr. MacArthur's comments:

What can we do as orthodox, biblically sound Christians, to counter-act those heresies identified by Dr. MacArthur? Specifically what can we do as a church and as an individual believer in the Truth of the Word of God? Even when the pulpit preaches the Truth there are few that are paying attention and those outside can't hear it.

Even in our small community we have churches that are proclaiming the "health-and -wealth" gospel. There are locally available faith healers that can't heal; prophets who can't deliver on the message, etc. We have locally prosperity preachers who fleece the flock of Christ by offering everything now, contrary to Jesus' call to "taking up His cross". And there are those who preached a "works salvation" contrary to the Gospel of Grace and others who disdain the message of the gospel altogether by ordaining biblically unauthorized pastors. In our small town we even have a "Temple of Gaya" which worships the earth promoting hyper-environmentalism including it's twisted step-children such as the current climate change hysteria which is rapidly warping into population control.

So my question is, what can we, as individual biblical Christians, do to promote true Biblical Truth as evidenced in the Gospel of Christ? Can we do better than what we are doing now? How?

These are my thoughts, what are yours?

posted by john d.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2009-12-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

What profit has a man from all his labor

In which he toils under the sun?

One generation passes away, and another generation comes;

But the earth abides forever.

The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,

And hastens to the place where it arose.

The wind goes toward the south,

And turns around to the north;

The wind whirls about continually,

And comes again on its circuit.

All the rivers run into the sea,

Yet the sea is not full;

To the place from which the rivers come,

There they return again.

All things are full of labor;

Man cannot express it.

The eye is not satisfied with seeing,

Nor the ear filled with hearing.

That which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which it may be said,

“See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us.

There is no remembrance of former things,

Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come

By those who will come after.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

posted by john d.

SPURGEON’S PRACTICAL WISDOM - On More Spending

2009-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

I suppose we all find the money goes quite fast enough, but after all is was made to circulate, and there’s no use in hoarding it. It is bad to see our money become a runaway servant, and leave us, but it would be worse to have it stop with us and become our master. We should try, as our minister says, ‘to find the golden mean’, and neither be lavish nor stingy. He has his money best spent who has the best wife. The husband may earn money, but only the wife can save it. “A wise women buildeth her house, but the foolish plucketh it down with here hands’. The wife it seems, according to Solomon, is the builder or the real puller downer. A man cannot prosper till he gets his wife’s leave. A thrifty housewife is better than a great income. A good wife and health are a man’s best wealth. Bless their hearts, what should we do without them? It is said they like to have their own way, but then the proverb says, a wife ought to have her will during life, because she cannot make one when she dies. The weather is so melting that I cannot keep up this talk any longer, and therefore I shall close with an old-fashioned rhyme-

Heaven bless the wives, they fill our hives-

With little bees and honey!

They soothe life’s shocks, they mend our socks-

But don’t they spend the money!

posted by Delores D.

SPURGEON’S PRACTICAL WISDOM On Spending

2009-11-23T07:15:00.000-06:00

As soon as the spendthrift gets his estate it goes like a lump of butter in a greyhound’s mouth. All his days are the first of April; he would buy an elephant at a bargain, or thatch his house with pancakes, nothing is too foolish to tickle his fancy; his money burns holes in his pocket, and he must squander it, all the while boasting that his motto is, ‘Spend, and God will send.’ He will not stay till he has his sheep before he shears them; he forestalls his income, draws upon his capital, and so kills the goose which lays the golden eggs, and cries out, ‘Who would have thought it?’ He never spares at the brim, but he means, he says to save at the bottom. He borrows at high interest of Rob’em, Cheat’em, and Sell’em-up, and when gets cleaned out, he lays it all upon lawyers or else on the bad times.

posted by Delores D.

More MLJ

2009-11-13T07:04:00.005-06:00

Regarding trials in the Christian life:

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6,7

There is a superficial view of Christianity which would regard (trials and temptations) as quite impossible, the kind of view of the Christian life which simply says that all the problems have gone and now 'I am happy all the day'. Such people cannot accept Peter's description for a moment and would say of any Christian who is 'in heaviness' that it is doubtful whether he is a Christian at all. There is that teaching concerning the Christian life which gives the impression that once one has arrived at a decision, or once one has been converted, there are no more troubles, no ripples on the sea of life. Everything is perfect and there are no problems whatsoever. Now the simple answer to that view is that it is not New Testament Christianity. That is the kind of thing which the cults have always offered and which modern psychology is also offering.

...we must look at the Christian life in this way. We are walking through this world under the eye of our heavenly Father. That is the fundamental thing, the Christian must think of himself as in a peculiar relationship to God. This is not true of anyone who is not a Christian. There is a very definite plan and purpose for the whole of my life, God has looked upon me, God has adopted me and put me into His family. What for? In order that He may bring me to perfection. That is His objective - 'that you may be made (more and more) conformable to the image of His dear Son'. That is what He is doing. The Lord Jesus Christ is bringing many sons unto God, saying: 'Behold I and the children that Thou hast given me'. If we do not start with that fundamental conception of ourselves as Christians, we are bound to go astray, and we are certain to misunderstand these things.

The doctrine of the Scriptures is, at the very lowest, that God permits these things to happen to us. I go further, God at times orders these things to happen to us for our good. He may do it sometimes in order to chastise us. He chastises us for our slackness and for our failure. We were looking in the previous chapter at the failure of the Christian to discipline himself. Peter exhorts the Christians to discipline themselves, to add to their faith, to furnish out their faith, not merely to be content with a bare minimum but to let it be a full-orbed faith. We may not pay heed to that exhortation, we may persist in our slackness and in our indolence. Well, as I understand the New Testament doctrine, if we do that we must not be surprised if things begin to happen to us. We must not be surprised if God begins to chastise us. The argument in Hebrews 12 is as strong as this: 'Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth'. If you have not known chastisement I doubt whether you have ever been a Christian. If you can say that since you have believed you have never had any trouble at all, your experience is probably psychological and not spiritual. There is a realism about Christianity, as I said at the beginning and it goes so far as to teach that God, for our good, will chastise us if we pay no heed to the exhortations and the appeals of the Scripture. God has other methods also. He does not do these things to those who are outside the family, but if they are His children He will chastise them for their own good. So we may be experiencing manifold trials as part of our chastisement. I am not saying it is inevitable, I say it may be so.

From the book "Spiritual Depression, Its Causes and Cure" by Martin Lloyd-Jones. Published in Great Britain by Pickering Publishers, 1965 (pgs. 219-220 and 224-225).

posted by john d.

To Be "Missional"

2009-10-30T07:30:00.006-05:00

The following was gleaned from the Berean Missional Church located in St. Paul. I thought their concept of missions was good so I'll pass it along. I especially like their emphasis upon a "...call away from our personal interest and toward others."

The term "Missional" refers to a God-centered, holistic understanding of the Great Commission. This idea is also seen in Christ's charge to His disciples: ". . . As the Father has sent me, I also send you" (John 20:21b). The implications of the mission's mandate for us are derived directly from the Trinitarian nature of God - Jesus sends us just as the Father sent Him (John 20:21-22). This emphasis causes Missional church members to see the church corporately and each individual as the instrument to fulfill God's mission.

As an example, the "Missional" church will embrace an understanding of participating in the mission of God as a call for every individual Christian to leave their place of security, and to travel to the place where others are. Missions, then, is always in the direction of the other, and away from ourselves. Some may take the imperative "Go" (Matt. 28:19) as a call to go overseas. Others may see the full God-centered "Missional" implication in that it is a call to "Go" to those in their own societies and overseas. In any event, it is a call away from our personal interests and toward others. The leaders of Berean Missional Church understand that our purpose is not to rework programs, but to rediscover our mission as the body of Christ. In short, we must become "Missional."

From the BMC website located at : http://www.bemissional.org/index.html

posted by john d.

Self-Destruction and God's Love

2009-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

My regular routine in the morning includes reviewing some blogsites that have articles encouraging and/or informative. Among the best is the Pyromaniacs blogsite. I am often stimulated by their thoughtful biblical analysis of today's culture - Christian and otherwise. One such article was posted recently which questioned the "mass marketing" false teachers who recite the mantra of "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" which may not be the truth.

I've noted that speaking the truth in love is not always easy nor is it willingly received as it is often perceived as harse or unkind when it in reality is the ultimate kindness. (I know, I know, there is a way we can intend to speak the truth in love when we are really expressing a harsh opinion...but I'm speaking here of having a true concern for the soul of recipient.)

Anyway, I've linked to a recent post by Dan Phillips regarding God "accepting you just as you are". Mr. Phillips proposes perhaps God is NOT accepting you as you are but is instead judging you just as you are.

Here is a small quotation from the article:

"These men (and women) take on the mantel of authority, stand in the pulpit, and tell every last one of their hearers unconditionally and without qualification that God loves them, accepts them just as they are, approves of their hopes and dreams and aspirations, and wants nothing more than He wants for them to be happy and fulfill their desires. ..... In fact — I have to say it; truth and love for God and you constrains me — He may well not accept you, just as you are, right now."

Read the whole article HERE.

Then let me know what you think.

posted by john d.

My Church or the Kingdom?

2009-09-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

The following is from Ray Ortlund's blogsite (available here) where he responds to an interesting statement sometimes stated out loud but most often thought especially by those we call the "lone rangers" of Christianity who 'attend church' but never becomes committed enough to become a part of the local assembly of believers. (One often wonders if they are committed to anything.)

"My passion isn't to build up my church. My passion is for God's Kingdom."

Every heard someone say that? I have. It sounds large-hearted, but it's wrong. It can even be destructive.

Suppose I said, "My passion isn't to build up my marriage. My passion is for Marriage. I want the institution of marriage to be revered again. I'll work for that. I'll pray for that. I'll sacrifice for that. But don't expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani. I'm aiming at something grander."

If I said that, would you think, "Wow, Ray is so committed"? Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind?

If you care about the Kingdom, be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church. Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, participate in your church every Sunday with wholehearted passion.

We build great churches the same way we build great marriages -- real commitment that makes a positive difference very day.

posted by john d.

Faith, Hope, Love

2009-09-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Another exerpt from the "Reminiscences" regarding street preacher Robert Flockhart by James Robertson.

"As his end drew near, his thoughts appeared to dwell the more delightedly on 'the things that are above'. For instance, one afternoon when heaven was the theme of our conversation, he remarked that 'Faith, Hope, and Love will be our good company all the way up to the door of our Father's house. But there Faith will make her bow, and retire, saying, 'You'll not need me more, for you're now to see Him as he is, without a veil'. And Hope, too, will say, 'Farewell! I've been glad to get you guided this length. And now, when I've served your turn, I must see after other pilgrims coming the same road.' But Love will smile and say, 'You and I are not to part that way. No, no! I'm going in to stay with you to all eternity'.

Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"

(From Autobiography of Robert Flockhart - The Street Preacher, publ. Baker Book House, 1977)

posted by john d.

The Use of the Law in Conversion

2009-09-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

The following is taken from "Reminiscences" by James Robinson on the life of Robert Flockhart and dated December 1857. Mr. Robinson had been requested by Dr. Guthrie to contribute some record of Mr. Flockhart's last years of his life and kindly responded.

One of the first remarks Robert Flockhard made to Mr. Robinson when they first met was when they were speaking of how difficult it is to awaken reflection and produce conviction in the minds of the ungodly, when he (Flockhart) stated he had almost always found the most alarming subjects the most useful, and he added, " You never saw a woman sewing without a needle? She would come but poor speed if she only sewed with the thread. So, I think, when we're dealing with sinners, we must put in the needle of the law first; for the fact is, they're sleeping sound, and they need to be wakened up with something sharp. But when we've got the needle of the law fairly in; we may draw as long a thread as you like of Gospel consolation after it."

(From "Autobiography of Robert Flockhart - The Street Preacher" published by Baker Book House, 1977)

posted by john d.

Ecclesiastes 6:11

2009-09-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

The more the words, the less the meaning

and how does that profit anyone?

posted by john d.

Do We Chose Christ?

2009-09-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Is it permissable to encourage unbelievers to "choose" Christ? This was a question posed by Dan Phillips at the Pyromanicacs blogsite. Periodically he presents a question for the purpose of sparking a debate among readers and recently posted the question, "Are Calvinists obliged to snort, jeer and mock at every use of the verb choose (or decide) where God is not the subject?" In other words is the proclamation to the unregenerate to choose to follow Christ or other such verbage legitimate knowing that they are dead in sin, unable to choose, etc.

Three responses were offered and I thought I'd post them for your enlightenment.

The first response:

An anonymous hymnist in the late nineteenth century wrote, "I sought the Lord, and afterwards I knew he moved my heart to seek him." I believe that is the experience of most Christians - even most Calvinists. It is certainly mine. So why would I suddenly expect a new believer to know right away what I only knew “afterward”? The gospel message ends with “Come and believe,” and that involves choice. It is only through growth in grace that we come to perceive the sovereign action by which God led us to that choice. As with any of the finely balanced truths which surround the doctrine of conversion, the truth about decisions can easily be twisted. When an evangelist says, “The decision is now yours; God has done His part and you must do the rest,” he speaks an untruth about the God who saves, but if he says merely, “It’s time for you to decide to turn away from sin and to trust in Jesus,” is he really saying anything more than “Choose this day whom you will serve”?

Another response:

It's funny that it's OK to say that we are commanding people to obey the Gospel, and when they do we get offended that they would say so. If they are cut to the heart, and ask 'what shall I do?', tell them what they should do, and help them do it. If you're rather not call that a decision, well, don't let you semantics get in the way of their repentance.

And finally:

Upon first realizing I believed the doctrines of grace, I often made this mistake. Ive also tried to explain the doctrines of grace in a way that misses the point that: We do choose Him. He wants His elect to choose Him. Now, the fact that they are totally incapable of choosing Him without His divine calling does not change the fact that being elect means we WILL call upon the name of the Lord! The issue is not whether you chose, praise be to God He makes Himself lovely in our eyes and stirs us to WANT Him. the issue is why did you choose? And I think that conversation can be had in a way that does not discourage or minimize their "decision" but causes them to rejoice in the goodness of God all the more!

posted by john d.

Evaluating The Message

2009-09-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City (Pastored by Tim Keller) uses a form to evaluate a preachers message. While I think it may seem to be too formal it does have the ability for a preacher to gain a sense of his effectiveness (humanly speaking) in reaching his intended audience.

The form is divided into two main sections. First, Faithfulness to Scripture and to God - which is intended to determine the preachers theological accuracy; Second, Message Delivery and Communication - questions related to the preacher's communication abilities and connection with the intended audience - the congregation. The responses can vary from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.

My thoughts are in italics.

FAITHFULNESS TO SCRIPTURE AND GOD.

1. The preaching assertions (points) were clearly rooted in the text and squared with the whole teaching of scripture. [indicating the message adheres to the context of the text and the analogy of faith]

2. The central theme was an illustration of Christ - the message was clearly all about Jesus. [after all, the Scriptures are the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ to His people]

3. The speaker seemed aware of God, not just his sermon and the audience. [the Holy Spirit must accompany the message]

4. The speaker avoided moralizing or psychologizing, and distinguished these from the gospel.

5. The goal was to get people face-to-face with God, rather than merely instruct. [the priority is to know God]

6. Christ and His finished work were applied as the practical solution to any problem.

MESSAGE DELIVERY AND COMMUNICATION

7. It was clear where the preacher was driving - and the progression of points was traceable. [as opposed to rambling and overly repetitive]

8. The points were presented in a fresh, wise, and striking way (as opposed to boring & cliche). [if the first six questions are in the affirmative then the message will be anything but boring]

9. At the end of the preaching, the main point was both clear and persuasive. [not based only on the authority of the preacher]

10. It was clear the speaker understood the hearers’ hopes, fears, problems, concerns, etc.

11. The central metaphor or "hook" was gripping. [interesting might be a better description]

12. Jesus was made visible, not just taught about.

13. There was a balance of warmth, love and humility on the one hand and force, power and authority on the other. [the emphasis is upon balance]

14. The notes followed the message and enhanced comprehension. [not everyone provides notes or outlines to their sermons but I think it might be helpful to the hearer both during the message or afterwards for discussion]

For those more interested the form can be viewed in it's entirety here.

So, what do you think?

posted by john d.

Character Or Personality

2009-08-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

The following is an excerpt from a post from Guy Davies, a Reformed Welsh preacher in the southwest of England. You can read his entire post here.

These days you don't have to do anything special to be a celebrity. Some like the late, lamented Jade Goody are famous simply for being famous. What matters is "personality" rather than character. If someone has a charismatic personality, or even better an outrageous personality, then they are worthy candidates for fame and celebrity. But isn't character much more important then "personality"? Martin Luther King had a dream that one day a man would not be judged by the colour of his skin, but the content of his character. Character has to do with virtue - honesty, integrity, kindness and compassion. No amount of "personality" can compensate for a lack of moral substance. What would you rather a slick, charismatic politician who could work the media and play the crowds, or one who could be trusted to tell you the truth?

The Christian faith puts character before personality and decency before celebrity. God is in the business of changing people. By the power of the Spirit he works in believers to make them more like Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23). Having a Sprit-transformed character may not bring you fame and fortune, but only those who have been born again will see the kingdom of God.

posted by john d.

A Gospel Catechism

2009-08-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Our Sunday morning Bible study group has been going through a series of audio messages preached by Pastor William Downing titled "A Gospel Catechism". The series is currently out-of-print but my wife managed to obtain one of the last copies of the cassette tapes with an attendant booklet and painstakenly dubbed the messages to MP3 CD's and retyped the booklet which we have reproduced and are using in our Sunday morning Bible study.

The catechism lists twenty-nine essentials of the gospel in a question and answer format such as:

1. Q: What is the Gospel? A: The Gospel is the "Good News".
2. Q: To Understand the Gospel, where must be begin? A: We must begin with God.
3. Q: Where do we learn about God? A: We learn about God in creation and in the Bible.

etc.

Under each answer are subpoints and Biblical references which are further explained and expanded on in the audio message.

In short, the series is very Biblical and thorough....as is all of Dr. Downing's preaching.

Last Sunday we dealt with Question 14: When does salvation enter the experience of the sinner? Answer: At saving conviction of sin. A saving conviction of sin is the first awakening of conscience that one is a sinner before God. This implies several realities:

1. That the truth is preached to the extent that there is a true conviction of sin! The sinner under the preaching of truth is convinced that he is a sinner before God, i.e. that he begins to see sin as God sees it.

2. That the conviction of sin is saving conviction. There is a natural conviction of conscience and a religious conviction that derives from tradition or training. These are not necessarily saving conviction. There is also a conviction over certain sins that is not saving conviction of sin as the ruling or dominating power in the life.

(emphasis mine)

In explaining this topic Dr. Downing stated that "preaching the love of God produces sympathy not conviction of sin". The preaching of the Law brings conviction. He also reminded us that, "sin is defined by God in the Word of God" not by our definition or the definition provided by our church or denomination (i.e. don't smoke, drink, or chew, or go out with girls that do). Sin is a matter of the heart. And, finally, "conviction of conscience is not conviction of sin". I can be convicted of my bad habits or fear of hell but this is not necessarily the same as seeing my sin as God sees it...as an affront to His Holiness and Righteousness. I might be convicted over my particular sin but not of SIN as the ruling power in my life.

A clear message to those who would seek to share the Gospel . "Repentance" of particular sins or desire to change life-habits or experience a "reformation" is not the same as having a clear understanding of SIN as the "ruling or dominating power in the life"... we must come to understand our depraved nature as revealed in the Scriptures and our inability and helplessness and hopelessness to save ourselves apart from that redemptive, substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ ... this is conviction of SIN as required in presenting the Gospel as "good news".

Pastor Downing is senior pastor of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church of Silicon Valley, CA.

posted by john d.

A Question of Accountability

2009-08-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Professor Carl Trueman, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, gives some pointed advice to students pursuing PhD's. His advice is applicable to all of us who seek a greater understanding of the Word of God and want to be greater "theologians". I've extracted some of his message but the whole made an impression upon me, especially the part about..... but you can read the entire article here.

Professor Trueman writes, "The study of theology engages heart and mind; to put it in the idiom of Calvin, true knowledge of God and true piety are inseparable. In addition, the temptations of theological study are huge.

The simple way for theological students to resist both the temptation to pontificate beyond their pay grade and the temptation to pride and the moral and intellectual problems that inevitably come in its wake-fall is to find the proper context for accountability, to find their true home; and the good news is that this true home is easy to find—simply join an orthodox, gospel-believing and proclaiming church as member, submit to the elders, attend the corporate worship services, fellowship with the saints on a regular basis, get involved in the day to day work of the local body, even if it is “only” the cleaning rota (and, hey, worshipping in a dirty church quickly reveals how important that is), and pursue a disciplined life of private devotion."

Check out the article for it's a "good read". Trueman hits the nail on the head with clarity and wit.

posted by john d.

Filling Up The Afflictions Of Christ

2009-08-08T06:00:00.002-05:00

The following is an excerpt from John Piper's book, Filling Up The Afflictions Of Christ. I have only begun to read it and find in it an biblically intelligent and intriguing response to the question, why God permits the persecution of His people. We often respond, "To Glorify God". But how does persecution glorify God? The book is available in PDF form here.

Piper begins with a letter from John Calvin to five French Christians who are about to be martytred.

Now, at this present hour, necessity itself exhorts you more than ever to turn your whole mind heavenward. As yet, we know not what will be the event. But, since it appears as though God would use your blood to seal His truth, there is nothing better for you than to prepare yourselves for that end, beseeching Him so to subdue you to His good pleasure, that nothing may hinder you from following whithersoever He shall call. . . . Since it pleases Him to employ you to the death in maintaining His quarrel, He will strengthen your hands in the fight and will not suffer a single drop of your blood to be shed in vain.

Your humble brother, John Calvin

John Piper writes, "Afflictions are not merely the result of missionary fruitfulness, but also the means. God has appointed our pain to be part of his powerful display of the glory of Christ. The worth of Jesus in the world shines more brightly in the lives of those who say by their sacrificial lives, 'I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ' (Philippians 3:8) ".

posted by john d.

Let Your Light So Shine

2009-08-03T09:57:00.005-05:00

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Martyn-Lloyd Jones' book "Studies In The Sermon On The Mount". In Chapter Sixteen, "Let Your Light So Shine", MLJ ex posits the necessity of a Christian having a real influence and impact upon those around him. The Christian is to be "hot" for the Gospel of Christ: not vague or non-committed; as trying to please the world and Christ. MLJ has warm words for those who hold to a "formal" Christianity.

"According to our Lord's argument that is the truth concerning the Christian. As I understand it, and it seems to me to be an inevitable piece of logic and interpretation, there is nothing in God's universe that is so utterly useless as a merely formal Christian. I mean by that, one who has the name but not the quality of a Christian. The apostle Paul describes this when he speaks of certain people 'having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof'. They appear to be Christian but they are not. They want to appear as Christians, but they are not functioning as Christians. They are salt without savour, light without light, if you can imagine such a thing....
The formal Christian is a man who knows enough about Christianity to spoil the world for him; but he does not know enough about it for it to be of any positive value. He does not go with the world because he knows just enough about it to be afraid of certain things; and the people who live right in the world know that he is trying to be different and that he cannot be whole-heartedly with them. On the other hand he has no real fellowship with the Christian. He has enough 'Christianity' to spoil everything else, but not enough to give him real happiness, peace and joy and abundance of life. I think such people are the most pathetic people in the world. Our Lord certainly says they are the most useless people in the world. They do not function as worldlings or as Christians. They are nothing, neither salt nor light, neither one thing nor the other. And as a matter of actual fact, they are cast out; cast out as it were, by the world and cast out by the Church....

The true Christian cannot be hid, he cannot escape notice. A man truly living and functioning as a Christian will stand out. He will be like salt; he will be like a city set upon a hill, a candle set upon a candlestick....A man who truly realizes what it means to be a Christian, who realizes all that the grace of God has meant to him and done for him, and understands that, ultimately, God has done this in order that he may influence others, is a man who cannot conceal it."

posted by john d.

Church Membership

2009-07-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

The following article was published in Christianity Today and posted at Pure Church blogsite in response to the question of the necessity of formal membership in a local church. Enjoy.

An argument for the importance of formal membership by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile.

There's a new debate among today's Christians. Does the New Testament require, suggest, even hint at local church membership? Are Christians required to belong to a local church, or is it an option? And what does such belonging entail?

The New Testament knows nothing of a creature reborn through faith in Christ, baptized in identification with Christ, communing with Christ at His table, and not a member of a visible, local, identifiable congregation of other born-again baptized believers.

By "membership" I mean the way in which the individual is known to be intentionally committed to every other member of the congregation, and the congregation known to be committed to the individual. On nearly every page of the New Testament, local church membership is assumed.

For example, no one disputes that each Christian is a "member of the body of Christ." We all belong to the spiritual body of our Lord, united to Him inseparably as Head to torso. In that sense, "member" is a peculiarly Christian idea (Rom. 12:3–8; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:11–16)—not an idea lifted from Rotary, golf, or ski clubs. But the Bible shows that this spiritual union gets worked out in local church membership with other flesh-and-blood believers.

Consider also the "one another" passages of Scripture: "love one another" (John 13:34–35), "honor one another" (Rom. 12:10), "restore one another" (Gal. 6:1–2), etc. Many believe these commands can be carried out with their friends in a coffee shop. But all these commands are given to the entire church. And they mark out the entire community as separate from and witnessing to non-Christians (John 13:35). So, what the apostles have in view isn't the easy, cliquish love of friends, but the radical congregational love of the entire church. This radical vision calls for "no divisions in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other" (1 Cor. 12:25). Equal concern for every part requires the reciprocal commitment of self-conscious, intentional membership.

Finally, pastoral ministry requires local church membership. The apostle Peter exhorts the elders to "shepherd the flock of God that is in your care." The pastor isn't responsible for all the people of an area, but for the "flock of God." This doesn't include just any Christian he contacts, but that identifiable group or flock that is in his care. The sheep, then, must be known and committed to being "under" the care of the pastors. The command to obey your leaders requires local church membership (Heb. 13:7, 17).

Well, if the need for local church membership seems so obvious, why are some people breaking out in hives at the very idea? The reasons are legion, some good and some bad, some theological and some practical. But let me submit that every Christian—with the exception of the most renegade individualist—practices some form of membership. It's either a good practice or a weak one, but it's there.

Some Christians see their active involvement (regular attendance, perhaps serving in a ministry, giving, etc.) as sufficient evidence of their commitment to the church. Beyond that, they don't see the need. But what's critical for building strong, healthy spiritual community is that a few things be clearly in place and taught as part of what it means to be committed to the church.

First, you cannot practice meaningful membership or community where anonymity reigns. If people don't know each other, then it's impossible to knit the relationship fabric that is so central to biblical Christianity. So you need a practice that clearly reduces anonymity and increases interpersonal knowing.

Second, you cannot practice meaningful membership where gospel commitments and imperatives are not explicitly expected. Membership exists in large measure for the impartation of spiritual grace (1 Pet. 4:10–11), the exchange of love (John 13:34–35), correction (Gal. 6:1–2; Matt. 18:15–17), and so on. Membership means we are better together than we are apart. The membership process should make this clear, calling the members to "sign on the dotted line" of loving others across economic, social, linguistic, cultural, and other barriers.

Third, you need a practice that makes it clear that people are submitted to and desiring of pastoral oversight (1 Pet. 5:2). You cannot practice meaningful membership or community where anti-authority, anti-leadership, anti-accountability attitudes predominate. I'm afraid that these attitudes explain much of the resistance to membership; people don't want to be accountable. They imagine that their accountability to Jesus may be maintained without any accountability to His people. But it's among His people—through their love and care and commitment—that Jesus ordinarily establishes accountability with His sheep.

Finally, we need a membership process that maintains the Bible's temporal sequence of conversion, baptism, membership and communion. The observable pattern of the New Testament is: first, gospel preaching; second, hearing mixed with faith; and third, public profession of faith in baptism, which marks entrance into the covenant community, and consequently the privilege of communion at our Lord's Table.

Many have come to believe that membership is not essential because this pattern has been broken apart. It's possible to partake in all the benefits of membership (e.g., communion) without any of the commitments. It's the spiritual equivalent of "shacking up" with someone not your spouse. Until the conversion-baptism-membership-communion sequence is restored, the borders of the Christian life and church will remain fuzzy and membership neglected. Faithful pastors must repair the breakdown of this sequence.

The essence of biblical church membership is alive on every page of the New Testament: mutual love and commitment to all the other Christians in the assembly under the care of godly leadership as an expression of the kingdom and rule of God. That's not abstract. That's concrete, gritty, essential New Testament Christian living (Eph. 4:11-16) that brings discipleship and growth.

Thabiti Anyabwile is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman.

posted by john d.

The Beginning of the End?

2009-07-11T06:38:00.007-05:00

What happens when a society or a culture ignores or disregards God's Word? What are the consequences? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the outcome when children rebel and refuse to follow the command of Ephesians 6:1-3 [Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. ]

The summer 2009 issue of the Free Grace Broadcaster has an article by Dr. M.L.J. titled, "Children, Authority, and Society" (available from Chapel Library). In that article he makes a very astute observation of one of the reasons our country is in it's present state of anarchy.

"....this is one of those laws that, when neglected, leads to the collapse of society. Whether we like it or not, a breakdown in homelife will eventually lead to a breakdown everywhere. This is, surely, the most menacing and dangerous aspect of the state of society at this present time. Once a family idea, the family unit, the family life is broken up - once that goes, soon you will have no other allegiance. It is the most serious thing of all. And that is perhaps the reason why God attached this promise to it."

"...no other allegiance..."

No allegiance to the church, to marriage, to the Word of God. This has been the design of satan from the beginning when he spoke with Eve in the garden and said to her, "hath God said?".

posted by john d.

Sovereignty and Responsibility

2009-07-07T06:31:00.003-05:00

I don't normally do this but I thought the post was so good that it should be shared.

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/07/divine-sovereignty-and-human.html

posted by john d

Storms of Life

2009-06-28T06:37:00.004-05:00

I recently ran across the lyrics to the hymn "When Gathering Clouds Around I View" by Robert Grant (1806). Grant also wrote the words to "O Worship the King". The lyrics seem appropriate for some of my friends at this time.

When gathering clouds around I view,
And days are dark, and friends are few,
On Him I lean, who not in vain
Experienced every human pain;
He sees my wants, allays my fears,
And counts and treasures all my tears.

If aught should tempt my soul to stray
From heavenly wisdom’s narrow way,
To fly the good I would pursue,
Or do the sin I would not do,
Still He, who felt temptation’s power,
Shall guard me in that dangerous hour.

If wounded love my bosom swell,
Deceived by those I prized too well,
He shall His pitying aid bestow,
Who felt on earth severer woe,
At once betrayed, denied, or fled,
By those who shared His daily bread.

If vexing thoughts within me rise
And, sore dismayed, my spirit dies,
Still He, who once vouchsafed to bear
The sickening anguish of despair,
Shall sweetly soothe, shall gently dry,
The throbbing heart, the streaming eye.

When, sorrowing, o’er some stone I bend,
Which covers what was once a friend,
And from his voice, his hand, his smile,
Divides me for a little while,
Thou, Savior, mark’st the tears I shed,
For Thou didst weep o’er Lazarus dead.

And O, when I have safely past,
Through every conflict but the last;
Still, still unchanging, watch beside
My painful bed, for Thou hast died;
Then point to realms of cloudless day,
And wipe the latest tear way.

posted by john d.

History? We Don't Need No History....

2009-06-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

I often run across Christians who have little or no concern for church history. They delegate the study of history into the dustbin of the unimportant. Therefore, they know nothing of the Providence of God in dealing with men and women and empires and cultures of the past. They lose out on being able to relate to the experiences of those who went before us and perhaps experienced the same problems we face. News of the latest government fiasco, the tanking economy, the lack of zeal in the church, are looked at by them in despair not knowing or realizing that others have went through the same problems before and were not abandoned by God but strengthened and renewed.

Is our government racing towards a collapse? Perhaps, but is it worse than 400 AD Rome? Are our politicians seeking their best interest only? Certainly, but haven’t they always? Is our economy on the road to hyper-inflation? Ask the post-WWII Europeans. Is the True Church of Jesus Christ enduring persecution? The Waldensians wouldn’t think so. Anyway, you get my point – we are not the only ones to experience these current problems. We just arrogantly think so.

I read an interview this morning which makes a succinct point regarding a Christians interest in history, specifically church history, that I found interesting.

Guy Davies recently interviewed Professor R. Scott Clark who is a professor of church history and historical theology at Westminster Seminary California and maintains the blogsite “The Heidelblog”. Professor Scott was asked the question, “Why should today's Christians be interested in church history and historical theology?”

Professor Scott’s response was, “Christians are redeemed by Christ alone (sola gratia, sola fide) to be a part of the covenant community, i.e. the visible church. The church did not begin last week. It has a history and every Christian, by virtue of the fact of being a Christian, is a part of a historic tradition. Consider the very name "Christian." We are given the name of Christ in baptism. It is a historic name (given to us by others). It is the name of a historic person, God the Son who entered into history to be our Redeemer. Thus our faith itself is grounded in the history of salvation. The Christian faith is unavoidably historical. The way we worship, the way we read Scripture, the way we think of God, man, Christ, sin, salvation, the church, sacraments, last things, and the Christian life are all conditioned by history. Thus the question is not whether we are going think about history but whether we are going to do it well.”

So remember, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob never changes. As He rules over the universe cannot He overrule in our present situation? And if He does not, will He not give us the ability to endure – even to the end? History tells us He does and He will.

John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

posted by john d.

Caleb Michael Velie

2009-06-21T06:41:00.007-05:00

We interrupt our posting to welcome into our world Caleb Michael Velie, born at 8:30 p.m. on June 19, 2009. He rang the bell at 7 lb. 4 oz. and 19 inches in length. We congratulate the parents Jeremy and Deanna. May the Lord Jesus Christ direct them in raising Caleb for His honor and glory.

posted by john d.

Irrelevance vs Persecution

2009-06-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as expressed in the Bible seems, to be relegated to a place of irrelevance in American culture. It is viewed by most to no longer apply to our "modern" needs, therefore we don't need to pay any attention to it - it has become irrelevant - even in the "church".

I think persecution would be preferable to irrelevance. Those who persecute don't desire the truth but through their actions they cause the truth to be known and the true Church is tested and grows - indeed spiritually, and often numerically (as history has revealed time and again).

Irrelevance, however, causes death by starvation and neglect.

posted by john d.

.....there are times!!!!.....

2009-06-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

Prayer Requests

2009-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

1Thessalonians 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.

I hope that our readers have a daily habit of prolonged prayer before God's Throne. I often catch myself in a routine that lacks fervency and unction and seem to weekly and often daily confess my lack thereof. Knowing the Holy Spirit gives me the ability and power my first thoughts are for His help before I plunge into the substance of my prayers. I've recently began using a systematic method during my prayer time and find it most helpful. Part of this system is to use a printed list to help my dwindling memory.

The church received a number of prayer requests over the past week and I thought it would be helpful to post them as a reminder to our church members who visit this blog.

Pastor David Butler (Yellville, AR) has taken an indefinite sabbatical due to serious health problems. In addition to his physical needs his wife, Kathy, requests prayer for wisdom in decision making during this time.

Kim Downing (husband Pastor Jimmy Downing, Pontchatoula, LA,) has a severe vertigo and ear infection problem and needs our intercession. (We met and heard Pastor Jimmy Downing speak at the 2008 Conference at Bible Baptist Church in St. Louis and were impressed by his heart and soul for Christ.)

George and Margaret McGuinness need traveling mercy as they attend the funeral of George's brother John in Scotland.

Missionaries Trevor and Teresa Johnson are on state-side furlough and need traveling mercy and rest during their busy time.

John and Kathy Hunter are back in the states after their stint in Guyana filling in for brother Almond Katryan. They will be visiting with us in June. They continue to seek God's will in their future endeavors.

And remember always to pray for our pastor, his family, and our church siblings - as we will remember you all.

posted by john d.

Interesting !

2009-06-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

As a certain television comic might have said, "Very interesting,..... but useless".

posted by john d.

The Church Prayer Meeting, Its Decline and Revival - Conclusion

2009-05-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

The following is the conclusion of the message by G. Chewter on church prayer meetings....

2. IMPROVING THE PRAYER MEETING.

1. First and foremost we must recognise our continual need of the gracious influence and utter dependence upon the Holy Spirit. To quote again Rom. 8.5, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities. How much we need that help! The Apostle Paul says: What is it then? I will pray, with the Spirit and with the understanding also, 1 Cor.14.15. In Eph. 6.18 Paul exhorts us to praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Again and again we need to be anointed with fresh oil (Psalm 92.10).

2. From time to time we must emphasize to our people the importance of meeting together to pray. It may be a rather hackneyed expression but there is truth in it: 'Those who pray together, stay together'. Spurgeon called the prayer meeting: 'the powerhouse of the church'. If the engine room is out of action then the whole mill will grind to a halt. We cannot expect blessing if we do not ask. It may seem a rather simple diagnosis but it may apply in some cases: Ye have not, because ye ask not, James 4.2.

3. The need for unity - After the resurrection we read of the disciples in the upper room: These all continued with one accord in prayer and in supplication, with the women, Acts 1.14. The words of John Newton's hymn are appropriate here: 'The force of their united cries, no power could long withstand, for Jesus helps them from the skies with his almighty hand'. Some of the best prayer meetings are those where there is one heart and one desire for the blessing of God to accompany the preaching of the Gospel and for the extension of the kingdom of Christ. It is an abuse of the prayer meeting for a member to deliberately contradict or try to 'correct' another's prayer when they themselves are called on to pray.

4. The need for focus - In Acts 1.14 they were not only united in prayer but their meetings had a focal point - the fulfillment of the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. That focus can also be ours. We urgently need the Lord to come again in power to His people in a way of revival and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 4 the disciples under threat from the authorities gathered to pray, v23 states that they lifted up their voice with one accord. And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together, v31, the focal point being a desire for strength not to buckle under the pressure, but, Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, v29. Acts 12 records for us that the central purpose of the prayer meeting in the home of Mary at Jerusalem was for the well-being and deliverance of Peter. I believe it is far better, if possible, to pray for people by name in their particular circumstances rather than petitions couched in vague and general terms such as: 'we pray for the afflicted', 'we pray for the aged', 'we pray for the missionaries'. Who have we actually prayed for? While we need to be sensitive to people's feelings especially relating to personal problems, yet I believe the more specific we can be the better.

On a practical note, a regular church prayer meeting consisting of members only can prove to be a useful opportunity for individuals to share in confidence their concerns, enabling those who pray to do so in an intelligent and informed way. This brings the added benefit of mutual understanding, sympathy and support. A very moving account of a prayer meeting at Tyre is given in Acts 21 where after seven days' fellowship, men with their wives and children knelt down on the shore and prayed, the central focus being concern for Paul's welfare and safety, as he was determined to preach at Jerusalem. The previous chapter records a similarly moving account of Paul praying with the elders of Ephesus at Miletus, resulting in the people being moved to tears at the thought of his departure. By the way, though emotion should not be deliberately encouraged, yet I do not think tears should be despised or discouraged. Prayer meetings are moving where there is a longing desire and yearning for answers from heaven. So, in all these cases the meetings for prayer had a focal point. To this end it may be helpful to regularly bring to the meeting items of particular concern, which need to be prayed for.

5. Careful thought as to the location - If the prayer meeting attendance is usually small it may be helpful to meet in a vestry or some other suitable room where a sense of 'togetherness' will be created, enabling those more hard of hearing to follow, rather than six or seven people dotted about in a chapel designed to seat 150 or more people.

6. Brevity (again!) - If there are few who publicly participate it may be argued that if each prayed for only 3-4 minutes then the prayer meeting would soon be over! To this I would reply by suggesting that each are encouraged to be brief and given the opportunity to pray more than once during the meeting. This concept may sound rather foreign to some, but it can work well.

7. Take it home! - Maybe we have all been at fault at times, in praying for certain matters publicly and neglecting to do so privately. How good if the members of the church take up the burden of the church, continuing to carry the church affairs to the Lord when alone on their knees. A truly praying church will be made up of members who pray much at home. C. H. Spurgeon claimed that: 'Neglect of private prayer is the locust that devours the strength of the church'.

CONCLUSION

We have a powerful adversary who would love to exploit all our weaknesses and infirmities in prayer, but we have an almighty and merciful God, who waits to be gracious and has promised for the sake of His Son to hear the cries of His people.

'The one concern of the devil is to keep the saint from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray' (Samuel Chadwick).

Whether as churches or individuals we need to hear again the exhortation of the Apostle that we might be encouraged afresh: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4.16.

posted by john d.

The Church Prayer Meeting, Its Decline and Revival

2009-05-26T07:29:00.004-05:00

[These are notes of an address at a meeting for ministers by G. Chewter and printed in the splendid Gospel Tidings edited by P.M. Rowell, Chapel House, Forest Fold, Crowborough, TN16 1TD.]

1. PRAYER MEETINGS CAN EASILY DEGENERATE.

Some of the reasons for this are:

1. Wrong attitude - Many may be happy to come and join in regular worship services but in regard to meeting for prayer the thought may be, 'It's only a prayer meeting'. In many churches the prayer meeting is left to the 'faithful few'. Bill Hughes, one time pastor in Glasgow had a rule that if a member did not attend the prayer meeting they were not permitted to come to the business meeting of the church. If they were not prepared to pray with the church why should they have the privilege of participating in its decisions? When things are at a low ebb in a church the prayer meeting is often first to be dropped. The story is told of a certain chapel where many years ago the people, having lost heart in public prayer meetings, decided to give them up. But one old lady strongly disagreed. So on the usual prayer meeting night, dressed in her weatherproofs, she braved the storm, unlocked the chapel and taking her usual place, sat down to pray. On the way home she decided to call at one of the members' homes. 'Where have you been on a night like this?' was the inquiry. 'I've been to the prayer meeting.' 'O, I thought they had been discontinued; were any others there?' 'Yes,' said the faithful old lady, 'there were four of us - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and me, and it was a special time.' Through the old sister's perseverance the church was shamed into gathering again at the time of prayer.

2. Excessive length of each prayer - This is an old, old problem. The spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak. Long prayers often become a weariness to the flesh, making it hard for those listening to spiritually participate and keep up concentration, especially if it is an evening meeting. This problem often has to be addressed and pastors down the years have had their own ways of dealing with persistent 'offenders'. It is reported of the late Henry Popham of Eastbourne that he would sometimes say before calling any of the brethren to the front, 'If you're too long in prayer, I will pull your coat tails!' Alternatively, he would deliberately drop a hymnbook!
Short prayers help to retain freshness. Besides, most prayers in the Scriptures are brief and to the point. 'Some pray me into the spirit and others pray me out of it by undue length,' Spurgeon complained. It has been said: 'Short prayers sink deep'. 'It is strength, not length,' said Spurgeon. 'The worth of a prayer is not gauged by its dimensions,' - M'Cheyne. Thomas Boston said: 'Lay no weight on the quantity of your prayers; that is to say, how long or how many they are. These things avail nothing with God, by whom prayers are not measured, but weighed.' To quote Spurgeon again: 'It is necessary to draw near unto God, but it is not required of you to prolong your speech till everyone is longing to hear the word "Amen"'. The only exception I believe is if a spirit of prayer and supplication is poured out upon one member in a special way. They will know, and every spiritually-minded person will know, and will lose sight of the time. J. C. Philpot's advice was that on such occasions we should make the most of it and spread the sails, as it were, to catch those heavenly breezes.

3. Formality - We are creatures of habit and routine. We all tend to have our own phrases and manner of approach to the Lord. It is therefore easy for prayer to become so predictable. Interestingly, John Newton used this observation as an argument in favour of the use of written prayers in public worship. In most extemporaneous prayers, he maintained, you recognised the beginning, could discern the middle and you knew when it was coming to an end, so why not use written ones, was his conclusion. The problem of excessive length and formality was dealt with very succinctly by D. L. Moody when he said: 'Some people's prayers need to be cut off at both ends and set on fire in the middle.'

4. Vagueness or being unspecific - Although prayer involves communion with the Lord and a worshipping frame of mind yet we are to make requests. The story is told of a prayer meeting where one brother seemed to be preaching rather than praying. One sister felt especially troubled by this, so she interrupted by calling out: 'Ask for something!'

5. Prayers that are unduly personal - very little prayer or desire may be expressed for the conversion of sinners and the furtherance of the gospel: instead, the time is spent in an introspective rehearsing of numerous personal doubts and fears. One preacher described it as 'hanging out the dirty washing for all to see'.

6. Pride - a desire to be seen and heard. The heart being uplifted at the thought of an opportunity to show others one's 'gift in prayer'. This was the downfall of the Pharisees: they wished to be seen of men. To quote the theologian, Robert Reymond: 'When you pray, remember whose attention you wish to gain.'

In these and other ways prayer meetings can easily degenerate. So what can be done?

(to be continued...)

posted by john d.

Released from Amish Bondage

2009-05-20T06:05:00.005-05:00

Are we concerned for the souls of the men, women, and children trapped in the wretchedness of the false religion of the Amish? Outwardly it appears to be a simple, family oriented, uncompromising lifestyle based upon their understanding of the bible. Inwardly it is a slavish life lacking true joy; of disconnected tradition, superstition, and prejudice - and an ignorance of the Scriptures. We rejoice when we hear of those who discover the Biblical truth of the Gospel and are converted from such legalistic bondage to freedom in Christ.

While we disparage any false religion we love the souls of those who ignorantly worship at the altar of the "plain people" and desire their conversion to Christ. With that in mind, I give you the true story of God's Providence in the salvation of one Amish man and his family.

When first visiting this area our Pastor came in contact with a former Amish family that had been converted to Christ. As a result, and some years later, that family, and another former Amish family, visited our church. During the post-worship fellowship meal the father of one of the families related events that lead to his leaving the Amish.

He stated that a few years ago he and his family resided on a small farm in another county about fifty miles from where his Amish parents live. As he began studying the Scriptures he came to the conclusion that what he had been taught was not according to the Bible but was based upon good works and tradition. He became aware of feeling trapped in a system of bondage but was unclear as to the remedy. In reading the Scriptures and speaking with others he began to question his Amish religion. His seeking and questions were discovered by some in his Amish group and believing he was being influenced by non-Amish in the area he was instructed to move his family back to his fathers area (where he suspected he could be watched more closely). Being immersed in the traditions, he complied.

Meanwhile, God had prepared for his reception in his home area.

When he moved "back home" he came in contact with an former Amish family. During subsequent conversations and Bible study he came to the conclusion that he must embrace the truth of God's Word and leave his Amish religion. He related how he fled his fathers area and the Amish religion by hurriedly leaving his home by night to escape detection (but that's another story).

What an experience to talk with this brother in Christ. He related also how that many of the Amish don't know the Scriptures and don't understand them as they are read in church in the German language. He related how the Scriptures are misapplied and used out of context by the Amish bishops. How thankful he now is to be released from bondage to freedom in Christ. This man studies the Bible and sincerely desires to walk with Christ and prays for his parents and siblings who remain in the Amish religion. May he be the means God will use in bringing others into the light of the Gospel.

Please remember to pray for not only this family but others who have yet to discover the liberty of the Gospel of Christ as revealed in the Word of God.

posted by john d.

How Was There Salvation During the Old Testament Period?

2009-05-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

A response from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones To Mr R. C. Sellers, 24 May 1962.

With regard to your question, the answer is this. It is made clear in Romans 3:25, 26 that God’s forgiving and passing over the sins of people in the Old Testament was in the light of our Lord’s death. Then there is a parallel statement of this in Hebrews 9:5–15, and especially verse 15. You have the same point, of course, in verses 39 and 40 of Hebrews 11. Then there is the crucial statement in John 8:56: ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.’ When you take that in connection with Romans 4:17–24 and Galatians 3:6–29, it is clear that there is only one way of salvation, and that it is always in and through Christ and His work. Acceptance of and submission to the sacrificial teaching under the old dispensation was an acceptance of God's way of salvation. They realised that these were but types of something that was to come. The fact that their understanding and apprehension were incomplete makes no difference.

God announced from the very beginning that there was but this one way of salvation. That is why everything in the Old Testament points forward to this.

posted by john d

Dr. Lloyd-Jones on Secondary Truths.

2009-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

In Dr. Lloyd-Jones' lectures to the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students he outlined several general characteristics of the definition of an evangelical. The following is the last of excerpts regarding foundational and secondary truths necessary in an Evangelical.

SECONDARY TRUTHS NOT ESSENTIAL TO UNITY

That brings me to my next heading. I have been dealing so far with the essentials. I am still left with what I have called the non-essentials.

What do we mean by non-essentials? We are clear about these matters with which we have been dealing. We have been defining our evangelical position. But I have left unmentioned many other things outside our basis. What about them? I put them in the category of non-essentials. When I say that they are not essential, I do not say that they are not important. They are very important, and they must be discussed by evangelical people, but we must discuss them as brethren. As Calvin said, on such matters we ought not to divide but to try to help one another. We recognize our limits, our defects, our ignorance. We believe that promise of Paul's in Philippians 3 that even in these other matters, light will be given to us if we are patient and if we seek it together.

But we call them non-essential because they are not essential to salvation. This seems to be the test. Another reason I give for calling them non-essential is that they cannot be proved one way or the other. I do not say the Scriptures are equivocal, but there are matters upon which the Scriptures are not so clear that you can say this must be believed.

Then there is another reason for calling some of these things non-essential. Sometimes it is a question of understanding or lack of understanding, and we must always remember that we are not saved by our understanding. This is a most important point. Our danger as evangelicals is to fall into the trap of thinking that we are saved by our understanding; but we are not. Thank God, we are saved in spite of ourselves, in spite of our ignorance and everything else that is true of us. And sometimes the difference between evangelical people is entirely due to a difference of understanding. I will give you an illustration of it in a moment.

There is also a difference between a defective understanding and a positive denial of truth by able people. What I mean is this. You may have certain simple Christian people, not over-gifted with intelligence, who find it very difficult to understand some matters, but there are other men, able men, gifted men, highly intelligent men, who deliberately reject the same truths which the first group finds difficult to accept and understand. Those two positions are very different. While we are patient, sympathetic, and lenient with the first, we must condemn and separate ourselves from the second.

Our object in all this, as I say, is to safeguard the gospel, to keep the evangel clear, to be concerned about the salvation of men and women and the spread of the Christian church. Let that be our only motive. Let us have a single eye to the glory of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us realize always that we are all of us saved in spite of ourselves, that none of us is perfect in understanding or in any other respect, that not to be in fellowship with those who are born again is to be guilty of schism, which is sinful, that we are therefore called upon, as the apostle exhorted the Philippians, to stand in rank together, whatever the cost, whatever suffering may be involved, but always with this one idea that God may be over all, that God may be glorified, and that the name of Jesus Christ our Lord may be magnified among the peoples of the earth.

From the book, "What Is An Evangelical" by D.M. Lloyd-Jones, publ by Banner of Truth Trust, 1971.

posted by john d.

Interrupting With An Important Message

2009-04-22T06:00:00.003-05:00

I'm interupting my Lloyd-Jones articles to bring you an important and timely message from Dan Phillips who posts regularly at TeamPyro. I have followed his postings for a couple of years and aside from some secondary issues I may have with him biblically he is usually on target and especially so with this post.

The post is titled, "Porn and Paper Pastors"....now that ought to get your interest. (It's not what you think.)

Click here to view.

Please take the time to view it.....and let me know what you think.

Thanks,

john d.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones on Foundational Truths - Part 3

2009-04-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

In Dr. Lloyd-Jones' lectures to the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students he outlined several general characteristics of the definition of an evangelical. The following are excerpts regarding foundational and secondary truths necessary in an Evangelical.

Then we must go on to assert that man is spiritually dead, and that he is totally incapable of any spiritual good, `dead in trespasses and sins' not merely slightly defective and that it is not true to say that he has it in him, if he only applies himself, to believe in God and to arrive at God. We must assert, as the Scriptures do, that man is totally dead, that the advances of science make no difference whatsoever to the fact that all men are `by nature the children of wrath, even as others' (Eph. 2:3 ),that `all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God' (Rom. 3:23).

ONE WAY OF SALVATION

When we come to the doctrine of the atonement, we must underline in a very special way the substitutionary aspect and element of the atonement, the penal, piacular aspect. These are things that I find are most indicative of a man's position. An evangelical may say, Well, of course, I'm not a great theologian; I simply accept, I simply repeat the Scriptures' statements. And he does not want to tie himself down to the fact that there is this penal element in the atonement. He may say, All I know is that Christ's work, his sacrifice, puts me right with God. I suggest this is not enough. He is really excluding the whole of the Old Testament teaching with regard to sacrifice if he speaks in that way, let alone the particular and explicit statements made in the teaching of the apostle Paul. So we have to underline and emphasize this substitutionary element.

We must also assert in a very special way justification by faith alone, faith only. We have got to assert that justification is not the result of regeneration, nor does it depend upon our regeneration. That is the Roman Catholic teaching, that we are justified because we have been regenerated as a result of our baptism. This error can come in, and is coning in today in very subtle forms, but we must assert that God `justifieth the ungodly' (Rom. 4:5), that it is entirely a forensic action, a legal pronouncement by God, and that we play no part whatsoever in it. This is the traditional evangelical teaching which we must assert.

THE CHURCH: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

When we come to the church we must again make certain specific statements. I personally would assert that no evangelical can possibly believe in a state or territorial church. We know that these institutions came into being solely as the result of certain events in history. There is no suspicion of a suggestion of it in the New Testament, and how could there be? What is there about being born in a certain country which makes anybody a Christian? Why should the church be merely the spiritual aspect of the life of the state? It is remote from the teaching of Scripture and we know that of all elements in the history of the church, perhaps nothing has been productive of greater confusion than this whole notion of the state or territorial church. We believe in the communion of saints, and a church consists of saints; it is a communion of saints.

.... we must believe in discipline. There is no purpose in having a basis or a confession of faith unless it is applied. So we must assert the element of discipline as being essential to the true life of the church. And what calls itself a church which does not believe in discipline, and does not use it and apply it, is therefore not a true church.

There, as I see things, are the additions and the elaborations which we must make today in view of the situation in which we find ourselves. This present basis of faith, as it is, is not enough; neither is any other. We have got to ask these specific questions. We have got to make sure that we are clear about these particular matters.

From the book, "What Is An Evangelical" by D.M. Lloyd-Jones, publ by Banner of Truth Trust, 1971.

posted by john d.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones on Foundational Truths - Part 2

2009-04-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

In Dr. Lloyd-Jones' lectures to the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students he outlined several general characteristics of the definition of an evangelical. The following are excerpts regarding foundational and secondary truths necessary in an Evangelical.

SCRIPTURE: THE ONLY AND FULL AUTHORITY

The first is the doctrine of Scripture. The basis of faith says: `We believe in the divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness of holy Scripture as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.' I contend that it is not enough just to say that; we have got to go further.

....we have to say some specific things such as that the Scripture is our sole authority, not only the `supreme' authority, but our sole authority, our only authority. I say this to emphasize that we do not accept tradition as an authority in any sense of that term. We reject the Roman Catholic teaching with regard to tradition which is, as you know, that tradition is equal in authority with the Scriptures. Roman Catholics do not deny the authority of the Scriptures, but they give to tradition, the tradition elaborated in and by the church, an equal authority with the Scriptures. And in that tradition they would claim to have received revelation subsequent to the end of the New Testament canon.

Furthermore it seems to me that we have got to spell out much more clearly the whole notion of revelation. The basis speaks of `the divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness', but we must go beyond that. We have got to assert today this category of revelation. We have got to exclude the notion that men have arrived at the truth as a result of searching and thinking, or by means of philosophy. We must affirm that it is entirely given, that `holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost' (2 Pet. 1:2 I), or, as Paul is constantly reminding his readers, that his gospel is not his own, `For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ' (Gal. 1:12).

In the same way we have got to assert today that we believe that Scripture contains propositional truth. This has often been the dividing line between evangelicals and pseudo-evangelicals.

Likewise we have to assert particularly the supernatural element in the Scripture. What do I mean? Well, we have got to emphasize that we believe in prophecy in the sense of foretelling. The emphasis today is on `forthtelling'. We admit that we agree that prophecy is forthtelling but, over and above that, it is foretelling. To me one of the profoundest arguments for the unique inspiration of the Scriptures is the truth of prophecy, the fulfilment of prophecy. We have got to emphasize this extraordinary manifestation of the supernatural.

We have also to insist upon a belief in the literal truth and historicity of the miracles of the Old and the New Testament, because there are people who say that they can still subscribe to our general statement about the inspiration and the authority of the Scriptures, who increasingly are denying the historicity of many of the Old Testament miracles, and indeed are trying to explain away some of the New Testament miracles in terms of science or psychology. We must assert the historicity of these manifestations of the supernatural.

Then the next thing to be said under this heading of Scripture is that we must believe the whole Bible. We must believe the history of the Bible as well as its didactic teaching. Failure here is always an indication of a departure from the true evangelical position. Today there are men who say, Oh yes, we believe in the Bible and its supreme authority in matters of religion, but, of course, we don't go to the Bible for science; we go to it for help for our souls, for salvation and help and instruction in the way to live the Christian life. They are saying that there are, as it were, two great authorities and two means of revelation: one of them is Scripture and the other is nature. These, they say, are complementary, they are collateral, and so you go to the Scriptures for matters concerning your soul, but you do not go to them to seek God's other revelation of Himself in nature. For that, you go to science.

We accept the biblical teaching with regard to creation and do not base our position upon theories of evolution, whichever particular theory people may choose to advocate. We must assert that we believe in the being of one first man called Adam, and in one first woman called Eve. We reject any notion of a preAdamic man because it is contrary to the teaching of the Scripture.

We must therefore hold to the vital principle, to which I have referred earlier, of the wholeness and the close interrelationship of every part of the biblical message. The Bible does not merely make statements about salvation. It is a complete whole: it tells you about the origin of the world and of man; it tells you what has happened to him, how he fell and the need of salvation arose, and then it tells you how God provided this salvation and how He began to reveal it in parts and portions. Nothing is so amazing about the Bible as its wholeness, the perfect interrelationship of all the parts.

We go on to assert that we must underline the fact of the historical fall of the first man, and that it happened in the way described in the third chapter of Genesis. Whether we can understand it or not is not the question. That is what we are told, and the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians i I :3 reminds the Corinthians that `the serpent beguiled Eve'. You cannot play fast and loose with these facts without involving the inspiration of the apostles, and, ultimately, the person of our Lord. You will soon be saying that He was a child of His own age, that He was ignorant in certain respects, and that He had simply the scientific knowledge of His own times, and so on. You begin to query and to question His statements, and ultimately you will have no authority at all.

Not only must we accept the historicity of Genesis 3 and its account of the fall. If you do not accept that as history, you are going to exclude from your belief one of the most amazing and comforting facts in connection with our faith, the proto-evangel of Genesis 3:15, the glorious promise that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head, the first prophecy concerning the virgin birth of Christ and how He was going to bring us this great deliverance. There is the first glimpse of the work, of the blessed work of the cross, all concretely stated in the historical account.

General statements are no longer enough. We must insist upon knowing what people believe in detail. We must test their statement that they accept the supreme authority of the Scriptures, and their trustworthiness in all these matters of faith and conduct.

From the book, "What Is An Evangelical" by D.M. Lloyd-Jones, publ by Banner of Truth Trust, 1971.

posted by john d.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones on Foundational and Secondary Truths

2009-04-12T14:10:00.002-05:00

In Dr. Lloyd-Jones' lectures to the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students he outlined several general characteristics of the definition of an evangelical. The following are excerpts regarding foundational and secondary truths necessary in an Evangelical.

We clearly regard certain truths as being essential; there are others which, while we would say that they are important, and very important, we would not lay down as being essential. What we have to do, therefore, is to draw a basic distinction between truths and doctrines which we insist are essential or foundational, and others concerning which there can be a legitimate difference of opinion.

I am going to start with those truths which we regard as being essential; but my whole emphasis, and the case I am trying to present to you, is that it is not sufficient any longer merely to take these statements as they are. We have to elaborate them, we have to define them in greater detail, and we have to do this because of recent changes, and because we are confronted by the phenomenon of people subscribing to a basis of faith with what they call mental reservations.

Take any confession of faith that has ever been drawn up in the past. You will always find that in addition to making statements of the truth as believed by truly Christian people, they have in addition gone beyond that, and they have defined these truths in the light of certain problems and circumstances that obtained at that time, in their day and generation.

Now I suggest that we have got to do the same thing. That is why I have been asserting that we must not merely slavishly adopt, subscribe to, and continue to defend, the confessions and the creeds that have come down to us. We must go beyond that and show the relevance of these statements to our own day and generation.

The moment you state the basic and essential truths, you divide yourself off from people who are heterodox or who have virtually no belief at all, who merely say, perhaps, that they believe in God, while they do not even define what they mean by that. The moment you do this, you are confronted by a further problem. Having separated yourself from unbelievers, or from false professors of the Christian faith, you are now confronted by the problem of maintaining unity among yourselves. As I have tried to show, when people take doctrine seriously, a tendency develops in them, not perhaps to take it too seriously, but to become so particular and rigid that they demand too much, and put into the category of essential what should be regarded rather as non-essential. We have got to be careful that we do not fall into that error. While we must elaborate the meaning of essential truths even though it may cause division, it is also very right that we should establish this distinction between things which are essential and things which are not essential. If evangelicals do not do this, we shall be atomized and divided up in such a manner that we shall cease to count and cease to bear a corporate witness in this needy modern world.

In the light of the position in which we find ourselves I suggest that it would be a very good thing for us to state plainly and clearly that we are anti-ecumenical. Why do I start with a negative like this? For the reason that today we have to assert and defend the position that doctrine is really vital and essential. The ecumenical movement, while paying lip-service to a very minimum amount of credal statement, is merely based on doctrinal indifferentism.

You cannot have an ecumenical movement of the contemporary kind without such indifferentism. Even if ecumenists try to claim that they have a general subscription to a belief in Jesus Christ as God and Saviour, according to the witness of the Scriptures, we cannot regard this as sufficient, because they refuse to test subscription among themselves. In other words, they refuse any element of discipline, and this, it seems to me, is immediately something which proclaims indifferentism. There is no purpose in having a credal test unless you insist upon it, and unless you test people's subscription to it. We cannot admit this category of `mental reservation'. Indeed, we are driven to say this by the notorious fact that there are men in the ecumenical movement who, in their own books and articles and statements, clearly show that they deny what we would regard as many of the essentials of the Christian faith.

From the book, "What Is An Evangelical" by D.M. Lloyd-Jones, publ by Banner of Truth Trust, 1971.

posted by john d.

In Response......

2009-04-08T07:43:00.010-05:00

The following is my shorthand version of answering those who rail against the truth of the Scriptures and play on a one-stringed instrument disallowing God's Sovereignty in salvation. They often use the argument that God says in His Word that Christ came to save the "world" therefore everyone will be saved, and then they pull out the "John 3:16" clause, often out of context and unaware of it's real meaning. This ignorance from those professing to follow a Jesus of their own imagination has reaped the ineffective evangelism and ignorant "almost Christian" that populate America and should be repented of.

Another interesting tidbit to me is that people who deny the doctrines of grace and God's Sovereignty often try to own the writings or quotations of men who believed and taught the opposite of what our present day religious friends espouse. They quote from Spurgeon to Pink and many in between without realizing these men held to the view of the Biblical doctrines of grace often referred to as "calvinism". If they were honestly trying to understand God's Word they would abandon their personal agenda and seek diligently to find the Truth instead they sing the tune of 2 Timothy 2:15 without understanding the words....much as a child recites a poem without understanding it's meaning.

In response I offer the article below which was written as a short pamphlet by A.W. Pink and titled, "The Meaning of "KOSMOS" in John 3:16" and can be viewed on-line at www.pbministries.org.

THE MEANING OF "KOSMOS" IN JOHN 3:16

by A. W. Pink

It may appear to some of our readers that the exposition we have given of John 3:16 in the chapter on "Difficulties and Objections" is a forced and unnatural one, inasmuch as our definition of the term "world" seems to be out of harmony with the meaning and scope of this word in other passages, where, to supply the world of believers (God’s elect) as a definition of "world" would make no sense. Many have said to us, "Surely, ‘world’ means world, that is, you, me, and everybody." In reply we would say: We know from experience how difficult it is to set aside the "traditions of men" and come to a passage which we have heard explained in a certain way scores of times, and study it carefully for ourselves without bias Nevertheless, this is essential if we would learn the mind of God.

Many people suppose they already know the simple meaning of John 3:16, and therefore they conclude that no diligent study is required of them to discover the precise teaching of this verse. Needless to say, such an attitude shuts out any further light which they otherwise might obtain on the passage. Yet, if anyone will take a Concordance and read carefully the various passages in which the term "world" (as a translation of "kosmos") occurs, he will quickly perceive that to ascertain the precise meaning of, the word "world" in any given passage is not nearly so easy as is popularly supposed. The word "kosmos," and its English equivalent "world," is not used with a uniform significance in the New Testament. Very far from it. It is used in quite a number of different ways. Below we will refer to a few passages where this term occurs, suggesting a tentative definition in each case:

"Kosmos" is used of the Universe as a whole: Acts 17: 24 - "God that made the world and all things therein seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth." is used of the Universe as a whole: Acts 17: 24 - "God that made the world and all things therein seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth."

"Kosmos" is used of the earth: John 13:1; Eph. 1:4, etc., etc.- "When Jesus knew that his hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world He loved them unto the end." "Depart out of this world" signifies, leave this earth. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world." This expression signifies, before the earth was founded—compare Job 38:4 etc.

"Kosmos" is used of the world-system: John 12:31 etc. "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the Prince of this world be cast out"— compare Matt. 4:8 and I John 5:19, R. V.

"Kosmos" is used of the whole human race: Rom. 3: 19, etc.—"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

"Kosmos" is used of humanity minus believers: John 15:18; Rom. 3:6 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." Believers do not "hate" Christ, so that "the world" here must signify the world of unbelievers in contrast from believers who love Christ. "God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world." Here is another passage where "the world" cannot mean "you, me, and everybody," for believers will not be "judged" by God, see John 5:24. So that here, too, it must be the world of unbelievers which is in view.

"Kosmos" is used of Gentiles in contrast from Jews: Rom. 11:12 etc. "Now if the fall of them (Israel) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them (Israel) the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their (Israel’s) fulness." Note how the first clause in italics is defined by the latter clause placed in italics. Here, again, "the world" cannot signify all humanity for it excludes Israel!

"Kosmos" is used of believers only: John 1:29; 3:16, 17; 6:33; 12;47; I Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19. We leave our readers to turn to these passages, asking them to note, carefully, exactly what is said and predicated of "the world" in each place. is used of believers only: John 1:29; 3:16, 17; 6:33; 12;47; I Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19. We leave our readers to turn to these passages, asking them to note, carefully, exactly what is said and predicated of "the world" in each place.

Thus it will be seen that "kosmos" has at least seven clearly defined different meanings in the New Testament. It may be asked, Has then God used a word thus to confuse and confound those who read the Scriptures? We answer, No! nor has He written His Word for lazy people who are too dilatory, or too busy with the things of this world, or, like Martha, so much occupied with "serving," they have no time and no heart to "search" and "study" Holy Writ! Should it be asked further, But how is a searcher of the Scriptures to know which of the above meanings the term "world" has in any given passage? The answer is: This may be ascertained by a careful study of the context, by diligently noting what is predicated of "the world" in each passage, and by prayer fully consulting other parallel passages to the one being studied. The principal subject of John 3:16 is Christ as the Gift of God. The first clause tells us what moved God to "give" His only begotten Son, and that was His great "love;" the second clause informs us for whom God "gave" His Son, and that is for, "whosoever (or, better, ‘every one’) believeth;" while the last clause makes known why God "gave" His Son (His purpose), and that is, that everyone that believeth "should not perish but have everlasting life." That "the world" in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers (God’s elect), in contradistinction from "the world of the ungodly" (2 Pet. 2:5), is established, unequivocally established, by a comparison of the other passages which speak of God’s "love." "God commendeth His love toward US"—the saints, Rom. 5:8. "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth"—every son, Heb. 12:6. "We love Him, because He first loved US"—believers, I John 4:19. The wicked God "pities" (see Matt. 18:33). Unto the unthankful and evil God is "kind" (see Luke 6:35). The vessels of wrath He endures "with much long-suffering" (see Rom. 9:22). But "His own" God "loves"!!

posted by john d.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones on Evangelism and Philosophy

2009-04-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

In Dr. Lloyd-Jones' lectures to the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students he outlined several general characteristics of the definition of an evangelical. The following are excerpts from that lecture regarding especially human reason and philosophy:

"I am coming increasingly to the opinion that the way in which a man thinks tells you as much about him as what he actually says. His whole method of thinking is one which is of supreme importance. So I would call attention here to certain general characteristics of the evangelical person. First of all, the evangelical is one who is entirely subservient to the Bible.....He is a man of one book; he starts with it; he submits himself to it; this is his authority. He does not start from any extra-biblical authority.

The next thing about the evangelical is that he uses this term as a prefix and not as a suffix. What I mean by that is that the first thing about the man is that he is evangelical. The particular denomination to which he belongs is secondary; it is not primary. In other words, there is all the difference in the world between talking about an evangelical Baptist and a Baptist evangelical.

Another characteristic of this evangelical is that he is a man who is always watching. Now all these things have to be said very carefully because there is a right and a wrong way to watch, but the evangelical is a man who is always watchful, and he is always watchful, of course, because the Scripture teaches him to be so. John comforts the Christians, confronted as they were, even then, by antichrists and false teachers, that they 'have an unction from the Holy One' (1 John 2:20) and that they are to exercise this. They are to be discriminating; they are always to be examining; they are always to be watchful. And so when a man ceases to be watchful, he, to that extent, ceases to be an evangelical. The person who says, 'It is all right; you need not bother; we are all Christians and having a marvellous time together' - and is not watchful, is already departing from the biblical position.

Then I come to another characteristic. This may very well be a highly controversial one, but in my estimate it is extremely important. Is is, and I put is dogmatically and bluntly, that the evangelical distrusts reason and particularly reason in the form of philosophy.....I suggest to you that nothing is more important, in our present situation than just this one particular point. Philosophy has always been the cause of the church going astray, for philosophy means, ultimately, a trusting to human reason and human understanding.

The sum of all I am saying is that the evangelical distrusts scholarship and is watchful of it. That does not mean that he is anti-intellectual; it does not mean that he becomes obscurantist [opposition to the advancement of knowledge - ed.]; but it does mean that he keeps reason and scholarship in their place. They are servants and not masters. Reason must never determine what we believe. The business of reason is to teach us how to believe. it is an instrument....in other words, instead of submitting themselves to the Scripture, they turn to science, to philosophy, or to one of a number of other disciplines, and their position is determined by these things. They allow reason to determine what they believe instead of how they believe and how they think. Not what you think, but how you think.... My contention is that the evangelical, while he realizes the danger of reason and scholarship, is not afraid of them. He does not run and hide, and just turn in on himself and the enjoyment of his own feelings. It is not surprising that the so-called great philosophers are sceptics and infidels. We should expect them to be.....

...when the church has gone down into the trough, in her deadest periods, it has invariably been when she has become subservient to philosophy....the real damage to the life of the church in the last two centuries has been done mainly by theological seminaries....It has not arisen in the churches....Men who have felt called to the ministry and been recommended by churches for ministerial training have gone into the seminaries as evangelicals and true evangelists, and they have come out denying everything, sometimes even departing from the faith altogether. Therefore, if an evangelical is not distrustful of reason and of scholarship, he is not only failing to understand the teaching of Scripture; he is blind to this clear testimony of the history of the Christian church through the centuries. "

Taken from the book, "What Is An Evangelical" by D.M. Lloyd-Jones, publ by Banner of Truth Trust, 1971.

posted by john d.

Benjamin Franklin and His Religion

2009-04-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

In a letter to Reverend Ezra Stiles, dated March 9, 1790, Benjamin Franklin dismissed any doubt as to his firm adherence to Deism as he gives what he calls "my Creed". Franklin lived less than a month after writing the letter having died on April 17, 1790, at the age of eighty-four.

Franklin writes, "I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we render to him is doing so to his other Children. That the soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its Conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental Principles of all sound Religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever Sect I meet with them.

"As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting Changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some Doubts as to his Divinity; tho' it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an Opportunity of knowing the Truth and with less Trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that Belief has the good Consequence, as probably it has, of making his Doctrines more respected and better observed; especially as I do not perceive, that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the Unbelievers in his Government of the World with any peculiar Marks of his Displeasure."

This extract was from "Benjamin Franklin: the autobiography and other writings" by L. Jesse Lemisch, publ. in 1961 by Signet Classics. This particular letter to Reverend Stiles is from "The Writings of Benjamin Franklin: Collected and Edited with a Life and Introduction", 10 vols. by Albert Henry Smyth, publ. in New York: 1905-1907. (Reverend Stiles was a Congregationalist and president of Yale College.)

posted by john d.

Dr Lloyd-Jones on 'What Is An Evangelical?'

2009-04-01T07:58:00.012-05:00

I recently listened to a podcast of a Phil Johnson lecture at the Shepherd's Conference titled "What Is An Evangelical?". You can read part 1 of the transcript here: Shepherd's Conference. (It's in two 2 part postings.)

Reading through Phil's lecture stimulated me to re-read Dr. Lloyd-Jones' lectures at the 1971 Conference of the Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Those lectures were published in a small book titled "What Is An Evangelical", published by Banner of Truth Trust.

In the first chapter of the book Dr. Lloyd-Jones recognized that there has been a change in the term "evangelical". What the term used to mean is no longer true. We must be sure of what the term means before we can apply it to ourselves and others and then respond to how this change occurred.

Another observation he makes is that the life of the church is not static. There is always a process of change and development and it is generally one of degeneration because of sin. This process of change is usually subtle and begins on the periphery not at the center of church doctrine. He cites examples such as the change that ocurred at the beginning of the 19th century as a result of the "higher criticism" movement that led to the Downgrade controversy in Great Britain.

The change brought about in America is popularly called the "new" evangelicalism. A change of emphasis and belief in regard to certain fundamental truths. The term "evangelical" has become to mean everything and therefore nothing. It has to have some meaning. It has to be defined and to define the term is to limit it's meaning.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests there are two main dangers in defining the term. One is a too narrow definition which leads to schism in the body. In other words, dividing and separating over matters which are not essential to salvation. The other danger is that of being so broad and inclusive that in the end we have no definition.

He closes his first chapter with the following: "What has been said of the church in the past is true today. The church, though she has been reformed, must be constantly re-formed. The church is always to be under the Word. You must not assume that because the church started correctly, she will continue so. Every generation has got to examine this for itself. You cannot receive these things by tradition alone. So it behoves us in our day and generation to examine this term evangelical anew and afresh in the light of the Scripture and of history, and especially in the light of the dangerous tendencies that surround us at this present time."

posted by john d

Humor Anyone?

2009-03-20T07:45:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure where I found the following but it represents a little humor with some bite. Enjoy.

Dave Hunt was walking down the sidewalks of Dallas Theological Seminary when he spotted a boy with a wagon full of puppies. "What kind of puppies are those, son?", he inquired. "Why they're Dispensational Arminians, sir, the boy replied. "Wonderful!" said Hunt.

A few weeks later Dave Hunt is walking with Tim LaHaye on the same sidewalk when he sees the boy with the wagon. "Watch this", he says to Tim. "Hey, son what kind of puppies are those?", he hollars to the boy. "Why they're Postmillenial Calvinists, sir", responds the boy. Hunt is perplexed and says, "But you told me they were dispensational arminians a couple of weeks ago". The boy replies, "Well they were, but now their eyes are open".

You're welcome.

jd.

Bible Advertisement

2009-03-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

If your pastor sometimes quotes from this book in his sermon, don't you think it's time to buy your own copy and read it for yourself? No, we aren't talking about the latest book from Rick Warren; we're talking about the best kept secret in Christendom: the Holy Bible! That's right, that tired old tome the Puritans used to read.

With every page, you'll learn what a sinful worm you are in the sight of God, and how He has every right to throw you into hell. Seems bleak, doesn't it? But wait, there's more!

Learn the truth about sin, repentance, God's grace and justification by faith! Read how God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to save sinners, so that...

Ah, but we don't want to give the ending away, do we? Read it for yourself! Better yet, take it to church and confound your friends in the congregation. You never know when the pastor might need to borrow it after his Powerpoint presentation crashes!

We Wrestle Against.......

2009-03-07T06:00:00.001-06:00

THE FOLLOWING WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY MY WIFE. I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE SPORT AS MY GRANDSON IS A WRESTLER AND WILL BE CONFRONTED WITH THIS ISSUE. THANKS TO PASTOR PIPER FOR ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM AND SUBSEQUENT DANGER TO OUR SOCIETY....

"Over My Dead Body, Son"

Come on, dads, have some courage. Just say, “Over my dead body are you going to wrestle a girl.” Of course, they will call you prudish. But everything in you knows better.

Yes, I am talking to the boys’ fathers. If the girls’ fathers don’t care how boys manhandle their daughters, you will have to take the lead. Give your sons a bigger nobler vision of what it is to be a man. Men don’t fight against women. They fight for women.

They called it history-making here in Minneapolis. Yesterday, Elissa Reinsma became the first female to compete in the state high school wrestling tournament. It was not a step forward. Some cultures spend a thousand years unlearning the brutality of men toward women. This is an odd way to make history. Relive prehistory maybe.

One cheerleader said, “I’m sure it’s weird for other people, especially if they’ve never experienced having to wrestle a girl.” That’s hopeful. Because it is “weird.” Most people feel it. But who has the courage to trace this sense of weirdness back to the profound principles of mature manhood and womanhood?

It’s just too uncool. The worst curse that can fall on us is to be seen as one of those nutcases who hasn’t entered the modern world. This is not about courageous commitment to equality; it’s about wimpy fear of criticism for doing what our hearts know is right.

Wrestling obliges you to grab, squeeze, and pull with all your might. If a boy tries not to touch or grasp a wrestler around the chest, or not to let his legs entwine with the other wrestler, or not to slam his full body length on hers, he will wrestle with a handicap. Of course, he is being taught that handicap is not a virtue.

Get real, dads. You know exactly what almost every healthy boy is thinking. If a jock from Northern Minnesota encircles her around the breasts and twists his leg around her thighs, trust me, he will dream about that tonight. Only in his dream she won’t have clothes on. And if he doesn’t dream it, half the boys in the crowd will. Wake up dads. You know this.

Manly gentleness is not an epidemic in our culture. Rap videos, brutal movies, fatherless homes, and military madness have already made thousands of women the victim of man’s abuse. Now we would make the high school version of feministic nature-denial a partner in this undermining of masculine gentleness.

When the apostle of Jesus tells us to live with our wives “in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel” (1 Peter 3:7), he dumps a truckload of wisdom that fathers should build into their sons.

There is a way to honor a woman. That’s our job as men. This honor “understands” something. It understands that women are the “weaker vessel.” This has nothing to do with less personal worth and in many cases not even with physical stamina. It has to do with pervasive realities that shape the way healthy societies work.

It means that we should raise sons to think of themselves as protectors. Tell them they should lay their lives down to protect girls. Help them know that God designed them to grow up to be a picture of Jesus in their marriage. Nurture the instinct of a boy to fight for girls not against them.

I just watched a wrestling instructional video on line, illustrating some basic moves for the takedown and pin. These two guys are pressing and pulling on each other with unfettered and total contact. And it isn’t soft. It’s what we do not allow our sons to do to girls.

Okay, dads, here’s what you tell your son. You say, “There will be no belittling comments about her being 'a girl.' There will be no sexual slurs. If you get matched with her, you simply say to the judges, ‘Sir, I won’t wrestle a girl. My parents have taught me not to touch a girl that way. I think it would dishonor her. I hope you will match me with a guy. If not, I am willing to be disqualified. It’s that important.’”

Be a leader, dad. Your sons need you. The peer pressure is huge. They need manly restraints. They know this is wrong. But then they look around, and the groundswell of conformity seems irresistible. It will take a real man, a real father, to say to his son. “Not on my watch, son. We don’t fight women. I have not raised you that way.”

Posted at www.desiringgod.org on March 5, 2009 By: Pastor John Piper.

A Message to the Church?

2009-03-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

"I came to teach at Covenant because I felt constrained by the Lord to be of some service in helping men and women who are going into ministry to love non-Christians rather than to be afraid of them, to delight in building friendships with unbelievers rather than retreating from them, to find what is admirable in our secular society rather than merely being critical of its obvious weaknesses, to extend to people around us a little of the amazing grace that the Lord has shown to us."

Jerram Barrs, Covenant Seminary, St. Louis.

Posted by Ray Ortlund at www.christisdeeperstill.blogspot.com

SPECTATOR OR PLAYER?

2009-02-23T09:00:00.001-06:00

This may be a long post but I trust it will be of benefit to God's people.

We often speak about being committed to God and doing God's will, etc.

Our depth of commitment, however, is not evidenced by what we call ourselves or who we attach ourselves to....our depth of commitment is in what we DO.

We have heard the analogy regarding our love to our spouse by stating we can SAY we love them but if we don't demonstrate that love then what is it worth?

We say we have faith, but if that faith is not demonstrated in how we respond or what we do then what is that worth?

Similarly we could say that if we call ourselves a Christian but do not commit ourselves to follow Jesus Christ as Lord then what are we demonstrating to others?

I offer the following analogy:

An viewing professional sports on television or in person you may notice that there are many, often thousands, of spectators in the stands that are fans of a particular team.

The spectator is called a fan. Why? The word "fan" used in this context is a derivative of the word "fanatic". A fanatic is one who is a person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause. (The origin of the word is from the Latin "fanaticus" meaning to be inspired by the rites pertaining to a temple or a "fanum".)

What would you think of someone who called themselves a fan of a particular team but who never watched their team play? Who didn't know the rules to the game, who didn't know any of the players or the coaches or the history of the team? Who didn't care if the team won or lost, or anything associated with the team? One would suspect they were not a fan after all.

A fan, in the sporting sense, can be defined as one who is motivated to support and is enthusiastic for his team. And in that motivation he demonstrates his allegiance to the team by supporting the team, by attending the games, by wearing the team apparel, following the statistics, knowing the nuances of the game, and sometimes they even go to extreme lengths such as painting their face, wearing funny costumes, etc. The fan immerses himself in the team. But the fan is still merely a spectator. He is not part of the team and therefore does not benefit in the same way a member of the team benefits.

The spectator or fan cannot sit with the other members of the team. In fact, the fan must pay to watch the team play. The spectator cannot enjoy the clubhouse or team bus or team shower. The spectator, no matter how much a fan or supporter of the team, does not reap the benefits of a team member, no matter how minor that member may be on the team. In fact, the water-boy on the team enjoys benefits envied by the most ardent fan. The fan is still a spectator.

There are benefits to being a spectator. The spectator can leave at the end of the game and doesn't have to participate in training for the next game. Preparation to be a spectator is minimal. There is no hard, demanding physical or mental training necessary. There is no accountability, there is no effort...there is no pain. Coaches don't encourage, push, prepare, or train the spectator as he does the player. In effect, there is no effort and no risk required of the spectator. If the team doesn't play to his expectations he can quickly turn to another team. He does not need to make a commitment. And this, in itself, diminishes or negates the spectator as a committed fan of the team.

Now, what would you think of a player or member of a sports team who stated he was a member of the team but didn't participate in any team meetings, he didn't access the locker room or training rooms, he didn't associate with any of the coaches or other team members, he didn't show up for any of the practice sessions, he didn't learn any of the plays, he didn't know or care about the history of the team or the past or present players who made the team great, he didn't care if the team won or lost, but he would show up on game day expecting to be called a player and receive all the benefits of the team. Sounds ridiculous?

Might this apply in some small way to the church?

I may call myself a Christian, I may wear the apparel, I may be inspired by the sermons, the music, the fellowship...everything about the assembling of believers together but if I am not a member of the "team"(i.e. the church) I cannot fully enjoy the benefits. I am merely a spectator. I may be inspired by the "rites of the temple" but unless I am a part of the church membership I am still a spectator.

So why are there spectator's in the church? Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile, a converted Muslim who pastors the First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman Islands, writes in his book, "What Is A Healthy Church Member?";

"At root, all of these perspectives on the local church [i.e. reasons for not joining a church] stem from the same problems: a failure to understand or take seriously God's intent that the local church be central to the life of his people. People don't become committed church members - and therefore healthy Christians - because they don't understand that such a commitment is precisely how God intends his people to live out the faith and experience of Christian love." (pg. 64)

But you may object, "I don't see anywhere in the New Testament where we are commanded to ‘join a church' ". Pastor Anyabwile addresses this idea regarding the Biblical idea of local church membership in which he writes,

"Have you ever considered how many practices and commands given to the New Testament church lose all their meaning if membership is not practiced, visibly identifiable, and important? Here are a few essential things commanded in Scripture for the local church that would lose their meaning without an operational concept of membership." (pg. 65)

And he lists the following:

Church Leadership (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:17)
Church Discipline (1 Corinthians 5; Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13)
Keeping Lists and Voting (1 Timothy 5:9; 2 Corinthians 2:6)

He continues;

"The mark of Christian discipleship is love - love of the kind that Jesus exercised toward his followers, love visible enough that men will recognize it as belonging to those people who follow Jesus.

Not surprisingly, then, a healthy Christian is one who is committed to expressing this kind of love toward other Christians. And the best place for Christians to love this way is in the assembly of God's people called the local church." (Hebrews 10:24-25) (pg. 67)

And his conclusion?

"To fail to associate ourselves in a lasting and committed way with the Head of the church by joining his body is surely a sign of ingratitude, whether from an uninformed or a dull heart. We who have the privilege of living in countries where we may freely join a local church should keep this admonition from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in mind:

‘It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God's Word and sacrament. Not all Christians receive this blessing. The imprisoned, the sick, the scattered lonely, the proclaimers of the Gospel in heathen lands stand alone. They know that visible fellowship is a blessing. They remember, as the Psalmist did, how they went ‘with the multitude...to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (Psalm 42:4)... Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living in common Christian life with other Christians praise God's grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.'" (pg. 76)

Consider leaving the realm of the spectator or fan and becoming a player. One who goes with the multitude to the house of God.... where you can share in Christ's work to demonstrate His love among those He has called to the community where we live that the world may know Christ lives among His people.

Amen.

posted by jrd.

Nursing Homes and the Fifth Commandment

2009-02-21T08:45:00.000-06:00

While this might not be exciting it may be informative. I found this interesting article by Dr. John M. Frame at monergism.com. The site has many good articles that can be accessed here: http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/bio/johnframe.html

The fifth of the ten commandments says "honor your father and your mother." We teach our young children that honor here means obey, and that is, indeed, Paul's application in Eph. 6:1-3. Obedience is one form of honor, the honor that young children owe to their parents. But when children have grown to adulthood and parents have grown old, the emphasis of Scripture shifts from obedience to financial support. Jesus tells the Pharisees that they have violated the fifth commandment when, using a religious pretext, they have failed to support their parents (Mark 7:9-13). And the Apostle Paul, dealing with the needs of widows in the church, tells children and grandchildren to meet those needs (1 Tim. 5:4). He employs some of the strongest language of the Bible against those who refuse this responsibility:

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (verse 8)

Providing for our elders is love, but it is also justice. When we were young, we were helpless. Then our parents provided for all our needs. When our parents become helpless, the roles must be reversed. We must provide everything for them, to the extent of their needs.

Those needs are more than financial. Older people often find themselves alone, without friends or family. They need companionship, mental stimulation, compassionate understanding, indeed love. So often the ideal place for them, when they can no longer live independently, is in the home of an adult child. Such home care enables the child more easily to meet the needs of his parent, and it gives the parent a real home, with loved ones and the support that only families can give.

In a fallen world, however, no situation is perfectly ideal. Home care for elderly relatives is often a difficult situation, both for the older person and for the younger family. So the younger adults often seek alternatives; but they often feel a sense of guilt about the prospect of sending their parents to live somewhere other than their family home.

Nursing homes, particularly, have developed bad reputations over recent decades. Studies have revealed deplorable care in many such institutions, as well as the tendency for younger relatives to abandon the nursing home residents. Many of those residents experience extreme loneliness and neglect. So Christians sometimes ask, is it ever legitimate to put an aged relative in a nursing home? Is such a decision ever in keeping with the fifth commandment?

There are several principles that bear on this issue:

1. It is not wrong in itself for parents to live apart from their children. Indeed, the original ordinance of marriage in Gen. 2:24 describes a man "leaving" his father and mother in order to "hold fast to his wife." This principle does not rule out multi-generational living arrangements, but it does mean that marriage creates a new authority relationship that normally is expressed by the couple living apart from their parents. As long as a parent is able to live independently, such separation is desirable, though there are certainly advantages for parents and children living fairly close to one another.

2. Even when parents are ill or infirm, we should value their independence. If they can afford and obtain the care they need while living independently, and they prefer to do that, nobody ought to object. Children, of course, should monitor such situations closely, with a willingness to step in when needed.

3. There are some medical needs that preclude either independent living or living in a family home. These are becoming more common, as people live longer and medicine becomes more sophisticated. Sometimes these needs can best be met through a long-term nursing facility. We should be thankful to God that such institutions exist.

4. Of course, there are wide disparities in the quality and cost of nursing home care. One responsibility of children is to help their parents make wise decisions among alternatives.

5
. Children should never abandon parents who have been institutionalized, but should visit often, providing prayer and emotional support.

6. When a nursing home patient has recovered to the point that such care is no longer needed or advantageous, the children should take responsibility to make other arrangements for their parents.

In short, nursing homes can play an important role in the life of Christian families. But children must take responsibility for determining how to use them in an overall context of love and care. Nursing homes should never be dumpsters for people nobody wants to have around. Rather, they should serve to supplement, when needed, a broad relationship of family care, motivated by love and honor.

The Day of Judgment

2009-02-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

The following was gleaned from an article in Harper's Magazine from 1858 describing Charles Spurgeon, his person and his preaching. It was recently posted in the Pyromaniac's blogsite. Please read the entire article. This is, I think, a powerful testimony to every unsaved son or daughter as to the seriousness of fleeing the the Lord Jesus Christ while there is yet time.....may God give it wings.

""In the course of his sermon Mr. Spurgeon presented the following picture of the Day of Judgment: "I think I see the judgment seat and the resurrection-day, A mother with her children are standing there. Three or four of her little babes are saved for endless glory. Their little bodies have put on immortality and life; and where are you who have been permitted to live longer? The stars fire falling from heaven, the sun is changed to darkness, and the moon into blood. But, lo! there is silence in heaven, and a voice is heard, 'Gather my elect from the four winds of heaven! Your mother is about to be taken into the company of the blessed forever. 'Mother!' shrieks the son, 'lean not be separated from you forever, Save me! Oh, save me! make intercession to the judge for me. He will hear thy cry, though he will not hear mine!' 'My son,' she will reply, 'I directed thy feet to God when thou wast young. On my breast you lay when my prayers went up to God for your soul. I taught you to lisp the name of Jesus, and your lips to utter his precious name. Do you not remember how, when you grew older, I taught you the way to heaven? But the time came when you scorned a father's prayers and mocked a mother's tears. But now your mother says, now, my son, it is changed. I can weep no more now, for I am glorified. I can pray no more for you now, for prayers are useless here. You are justly lost. You are damned, and I must say Amen to your condemnation.'"

"Editor's Easy Chair" Harpers (December 1858, pg. 134)

Preach Christ!

2009-02-05T08:43:00.006-06:00

During the 1880s a group of American ministers visited England, prompted especially by a desire to hear some of the celebrated preachers of that land.

On a Sunday morning they attended the City Temple where Dr. Joseph Parker was the pastor. Some two thousand people filled the building, and Parker's forceful personality dominated the service. His voice was commanding, his language descriptive, his imagination lively; and his manner animated. The sermon was scriptural, the congregation hung upon his words, and the Americans came away saying, What a wonderful preacher is Joseph Parker!"

In the evening they went to hear Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The building was much larger than the City Temple, and the congregation was more than twice the size, Spurgeon's voice was much more expressive and moving and his oratory noticably superior. But they soon forgot all about the great building, the immense congregation, and the magnificent voice. They even overlooked their intention to compare the various features of the two preachers, and when the service was over they found themselves saying, "What a wonderful Savior is Jesus Christ!"

From the book, C.H. Spurgeon - The New Biography by Arnold Dallimore - Published by Moody Press - 1984 (pg. 216).

Extracts from The Almost Christian Discovered

2009-01-22T09:28:00.004-06:00

Regarding the reader or hearer of the message taking personal offense at the message or the messenger.

"It is a book of dissections, in which every department of the Christian character is skillfully divested of its covering, and laid open to impartial survey; and although it would be too much to say, that in the performance of a task, which exhibits such diversity, and requires such a nicety of spiritual discrimination, nothing has been done to disturb the peace of a saint; yet the instances in which its author is chargeable with this, we take to be very few; while perhaps there is not one of them in which the pain produced, if rightly improven, is not salutary in its tendency, or fails to lead on to more exalted enjoyment. But supposing that instances do occur, in which the peace of conscience is unduly disturbed, or that a sentiment, here and there, has dropped from the pen of the author, which tends to a false or injurious alarm, still it is better that a reparable injury should be suffered, than that a delusion which is irreparable should remain undetected. It is the lot of the messenger, who either lifts up his voice or his pen to publish the counsel of God to man in the present complex state of society, that he cannot sound an alarm to the wicked, without putting some of the righteous in fear; nor can he minister consolation to the latter, without at least the hazard of having his message misapplied by the perversity of the latter." (Pg. xvi )

by Matthew Mead published in 1856, reprinted Diggory Press.

What It Is That Saves A Soul

2009-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

The following is an excerpt from a publication offered by Chapel Library. Check out their material at : http://www.mountzion.org/

WHAT WE ARE SAVED FROM J C Philpot

But if we wish to know WHAT IT IS THAT SAVES A SOUL, we must know what that state is out of which it is saved. If we have not the beginning, we cannot have the middle nor ending. But our modern professors and preachers never had a beginning to their religion. They were pious from childhood; or they had the advantage of religious parents; or they were brought up at the Sunday School; or they sat under a gospel minister; or a good book fell into their hands and made them pious; or they became serious, and impressed with the necessity of religion; or they married a religious wife, or husband, and so they became religious, too. Such, and similar accounts, are daily given to the public in pious periodicals, related in conversation, or given in at church meetings, and implicitly received by universal charity as a true experience and as a genuine work of grace. But where is one to be found out of a thousand who can tell how the Lord began with him, and what were his feelings under His divine teachings? Who can describe the path by which he has been led, the ups and downs which he has experienced, the changes through which he has passed, the vessels from which he has been successively emptied, and the conflicts in which he has been engaged?

Who of a thousand professors, can speak feelingly of the wormwood and the gall of sin, the poisoned stings of guilt, the arrows of God in the conscience, the mire and filth of a desperately wicked heart, the strugglings, sinkings and wrestlings, the alternate hopes and fears, the beams of light and the shades of darkness, the short-lived confidence and the soon-returning despondency, and all the varied experience of an awakened soul? Self-loathing and self-abhorrence in dust and ashes, gloomy forebodings of eternal punishment, cries unto God out of the pit of guilt, succeeded by fits of sullen silence, alternate repentance and hardness of heart, being now overcome by sin and now mourning and sighing over his weakness against it - such exercises as these, how few speak of with that feeling, unction and power, which show that they have passed through them! Or, again, the heavy burden of sin, the daily weight of evil, the floods of infidelity and atheism, the torrents of filth, lust, and obscenity, the sudden rushings in of blasphemous thoughts, dreadful imaginations, foul ideas, horrible cursings, and all the heavings up of the filthy bed of a sensual and devilish heart - what minister in a thousand carries any evidence in his preaching that such a track has been trodden by him?

But if salvation implies a previous state from which it is a deliverance, then I say that it is childish folly to talk of being saved if we know nothing experimentally of WHAT WE ARE SAVED FROM. If a man ask me, then, "What is it which saves a soul" I answer, "Why do you ask that question? Before anything about salvation can be known, there is a previous lesson to be learned. If you have not learned this, you have nothing to do with the other. You might as well think of learning vulgar fractions without first learning to read. But what is your motive for wishing an answer to this question? To learn a few notions, to inform your judgment, to adopt a sound creed? If this be your motive, my business lies not with you. You have to go and first learn another lesson, and until you have been taught this, I can give your question no answer."

Salvation is a gift, the choicest and richest gift which the hands of a Triune God, Whose name is Love, can bestow. It is a portion, an inheritance, an estate, a treasure, and eternal reality. The full possession, the entire enjoyment, the complete acquisition of this predestinated weight of glory, is indeed reserved until a future state; but the earnest, the first-fruits, the early ripe clusters, the first dew-drops of this eternal inheritance, are given to the elect while upon earth. The everlasting enjoyment of the presence and glory of Christ is often compared in Scripture to a wedding. Thus we read ( Rev. 19:7) of "the Lamb's wife," and of "the marriage of the Lamb." So the church is said to be "brought unto the King in raiment of needlework," as the bride in eastern countries was brought by the father (Gen.29:23) to the bridegroom. But we read of "espousal" also, which always preceded the celebration of the marriage. "I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals" (Jer. 2:2). "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (II Cor.11:2). So Joseph was espoused to the virgin Mary, before they came together (Matt. 1:18); that is, before they became man and wife.

Now this espousal as a necessary prelude to marriage, though it was not the same thing. And, therefore, a betrothed virgin was punished as an adulteress by the Levitical law ( Deut. 22:24), if she was unfaithful to her espoused husband. To be betrothed had the nature of marriage in it, though it was not the same as marriage. The parties did not live together, and were not put in possession of each other. Thus, it is in this life that the spiritual betrothment takes place, and the spiritual marriage in the life to come. "I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies; I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord" ( Hosea 3:19-29).

Joseph Charles Philpot (1802 – 1869) was known as "The Seceder". He resigned from the Church of England in 1835 and became a Strict & Particular Baptist. While with the Church of England he was a Fellow of Worchester College, Oxford. For 26 years, he held a joint pastorate at Stamford and Oakham. In addition for over twenty years, he was editor of "The Gospel Standard", where many of his sermons first appeared.

"My desire is to exalt the grace of God; to proclaim salvation alone through Jesus Christ; to declare the sinfulness, helplessness and hopelessness of man in a state of nature; to describe the living experience of the children of God in their trials, temptations, sorrows, consolations and blessings." - J. C. Philpot

New Year's Eve

2009-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling a little better now so I thought I'd update you on our New Years Eve event held at the church.

We had a very good turn-out with some new faces and some that haven't visited for a while. Our special event of the night began with the showing of a new video on Pilgrim's Progress. It is a modernized version, which gave me some trepidation earlier, but was well done. Bunyan could certainly drive home spiritual truth with his allegorical characters. Some guests had to leave immediately after the showing and we hope to follow up with them. The remainder enjoyed some table and group games with numerous snacks and treats. My wife and I left shortly before midnight (that's the longest I've stayed up for years). The pastor and his family stayed the night as did several others. My wife and I met them at the church the next morning for a Brianna breakfast (pancakes, sausages, farm fresh eggs, etc. prepared by one of the young ladies who attend church). She did a very good job.

All-in-all I think everyone had a good time. I know I did.

For me personally New Years Day holds a special place on my calendar as I mark my conversion from that day in 1977. That day was a culmination of many providential events leading up to me repenting of my sin and placing my trust and my life in The Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and I've never looked back.

To you who know the Lord, continue on the narrow path as with those other pilgrims who have went before us and continue with us. To you who have not repented and placed your life in the Lord Jesus Christ.....an eternity in hell waits for you unless you find the Savior. Ask, seek, knock (Matthew 7:7ff).

And by the way,

Happy New Year!

Another Passing Era

2009-01-15T09:52:00.009-06:00

For some of you that have kept up with this post you are aware of my father's death last year. On early Tuesday morning my mother also passed away.

My wife and I were called at about 1:15 a.m. by the nursing home staff and informed of her death. When we arrived at the nursing home we were met by the head nurse and ushered in mom's room. Mom had been ill for some time with congestive heart failure. The nurse stated mom seemed to be feeling better due to a medication change and she spoke with her often during the evening. The nurse said she stayed with mom through the evening but when she left to check on other residents and returned mom had died.

My sisters have been given the task of funeral arrangements and as of this posting nothing has of yet been determined.

I'd appreciate your prayers especially for the ability to speak to my siblings and friends about the hope in the Lord Jesus Christ that overcomes the grief associated with death.

UPDATE

For those interested, a memorial service is scheduled for mom at the Grace Bible Church in Bruce, Wisconsin, on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at 1 p.m.

Medieval Mistakes

2009-01-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

The following article is taken from the Founders Journal · Winter 2002 · pp. 27-29, by Sinclair Ferguson.

Although provoked by the indulgences peddled by Johannes Tetzel, the very first proposition which Luther offered for public debate in his Ninety Five Theses put the axe to the root of the tree of medieval theology: "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' he meant that the entire life of believers should be one of repentance." From Erasmus' Greek New Testament, Luther had come to realize that the Vulgate's rendering of Matthew 4:17 by penitentiam agite ("do penance") completely misinterpreted Jesus' meaning. The gospel called not for an act of penance but for a radical change of mind-set and an equally deep transformation of life. Later he would write to Staupitz about this glowing discovery: "I venture to say they are wrong who make more of the act in Latin than of the change of heart in Greek!"

Is it not true that we have lost sight of this note that was so prominent in Reformation theology? We could well do with a Luther redivivus today. For a number of important reasons evangelicals need to reconsider the centrality of repentance in our thinking about the gospel, the church and the Christian life.

One of our great needs is for the ability to view some of the directions in which evangelicalism is heading, or perhaps more accurately disintegrating. We desperately need the long-term perspective which the history of the church gives us.

Even within the period of my own Christian life, the span between my teenage years in the 1960s and my forties in the 1990s, there has been a sea-change in evangelicalism. Many "position" which were standard evangelical teaching are now, after only three decades, regarded as either reactionary or even dinosauric.

If we take an even longer-term view, however, we face the alarming possibility that there may already be a medieval darkness encroaching upon evangelicalism. Can we not detect, at least as a tendency, dynamics within evangelicalism which bear resemblances to the life of the medieval church? The possibility of a new Babylonian or (more accurately, following Luther) the Pagan Captivity of the Church looms nearer than we may be able to believe.

Consider the following five features of medieval Christianity which are evident to varying degrees in contemporary evangelicalism.

1. Repentance

Repentance has increasingly been seen as a single act, severed from a life-long restoration of godliness.

There are complex reasons for this--not all of them modern--which we cannot explore here. Nevertheless, this seems self-evident. seeing repentance as an isolated, completed act at the beginning of the Christian life has been a staple principle of much of modern evangelicalism. It is sad that evangelicals have often despised the theology of the confessing churches. It has spawned a generation who look back upon a single act, abstracted from its consequences, as determinative of salvation. The 'alter call' has replaced the sacrament of penance. Thus repentance has been divorced from genuine regeneration, and sanctification severed from justification.

2. Mysticism

The canon for Christian living has increasingly been sought in a 'Spirit-inspired' living voice within the church rather than in the Spirit's voice heard in Scripture. What was once little more than a mystical tendency has become a flood. But what has this to do with the medieval church? Just this. the entire medieval church operated on the same principle, even if they expressed it in a different form: the Spirit speaks outside of Scripture; the believer cannot know the detailed guidance of God if he tries to depend on his or her Bible alone.

Not only so, but once the 'living voice' of the Spirit has been introduced it follows by a kind of psychological inevitability that it is this living voice which becomes the canon for Christian living.

This view--inscripturated Word plus living voice equals divine revelation--lay at the heart of the medieval church's groping in the dark for the power of the gospel. Now, at the end of the second millennium we are on the verge--and perhaps more than the verge of being overwhelmed by a parallel phenomenon. The result then was a famine of hearing and understanding the Word of God, all under the guise of what the Spirit was still saying to the church. What of today?

3. Sacred Powers

The divine presence was brought to the church by an individual with sacred powers deposited within him and communicated by physical means.

Today an uncanny parallel is visible wherever cable TV can be seen. Admittedly it is no longer Jesus who is given by priestly hands; now it is the Spirit who is bestowed by physical means, apparently at will by the new evangelical priest. Special sanctity is no longer confirmed by the beauty of the fruit of the Spirit, but with signs which are predominantly physical.

What we ought to find alarming about contemporary evangelicalism is the extent to which we are impressed by performance rather than piety. The Reformers were not unfamiliar with similar phenomena. In fact one of the major charges made against them by the Roman Catholic Church was that they did not really have the gospel because they lacked physical miracles.

4. Spectators

The worship of God is increasingly presented as a spectator event of visual and sensory power, rather than a verbal event in which we engage in a deep soul dialogue with the Triune God.

The mood of contemporary evangelicalism is to focus on the centrality of what 'happens' in the spectacle of worship rather than on what is heard in worship. Aesthetics, be they artistic or musical, are given a priority over holiness. More and more is seen, less and less is heard. There is a sensory feast, but a hearing famine. Professionalism in worship leadership has become a cheap substitute for genuine access to heaven, however faltering. Drama, not preaching, has become the 'Didache' of choice.

This is a spectrum, of course, not a single point. But most worship is to be found somewhere on that spectrum. There was a time when four words would bring out goose-bumps on the necks of our grandfathers: 'Let Us Worship God'. Not so for twentieth-century evangelicals. Now there must be colour, movement, audio-visual effects, or God cannot be known, loved, praised and trusted for his own sake.

5. Bigger means better?

The success of ministry is measured by crowds and cathedrals rather than by the preaching of the cross and the quality of Christians' lives.

It was the medieval church leaders, bishops and archbishops, cardinals and popes, who built large cathedrals, ostensibly Soli Deo Gloria--all this to the neglect of gospel proclamation, the life of the body of Christ as a whole, the needs of the poor and the evangelism of the world. Hence, the 'mega-church' is not a modern, but a medieval phenomenon.

Ideal congregational size and specific ecclesiastical architecture thankfully are matters of indifference. That is not really the central concern here. Rather it is the almost endemic addiction of contemporary evangelicalism to size and numbers as an index of the success of 'my ministry'--a phrase which can itself be strikingly contradictory. We must raise the question of reality, depth and integrity in church life and in Christian ministry. The lust for 'bigger' makes us materially and financially vulnerable. But worse, it makes us spiritually vulnerable. For it is hard to say to those on whom we have come to depend materially, 'When our Lord Jesus Christ said "Repent!" he meant that the whole of the Christian life is repentance.'

Newsletter from Guyana

2009-01-07T06:00:00.001-06:00

The following is a newsletter from our friend John Hunter who, with his wife Kathy, has been ministering in Guyana, South America. John is "filling in" for Pastor Almond Katryan who is on a sabbatical in the U.S. and is expected to return to Guyana sometime this year.

Greetings from Guyana,

The new year is here as a gift from God! Happy New Year to you! We here in Guyana had a joint service between the three major groups New Year's eve: #57 Baptist Mission, Roadside Baptist Church and the Corriverton Baptist Church hosted by Corriverton Baptist. The evening was one of our high points in our time here. The service was well attended. We sang and had 3 specials through the evening. Two from Ellen White and Katie Matthews from Rhinelander, Wisconsin. I spoke from Acts 1:9-11 on the duty of Christians to be witnesses until Jesus returns. Some seemed greatly moved by the message of God's Word. We also had some speak of what they wanted the Lord to do in the New Year as well as some special prayer requests, all of which we then carried to the Lord in prayer. After that we all went downstairs for a typically American meal of spaghetti, home-made dinner rolls, cookies and watermelon. Katie and Ellen worked all day with the help from friends to prepare it. Most really enjoyed the meal. We played games until the New Year and then we took many of the folks home which gave us more opportunities to speak of Christ's power to forgive and give strength to live for His glory. I could hardly ask for a better New Year's Eve. Katie and Ellen are proving to be a real hit with the people and a great help to Kathy and I. Everyone loves them although they make quite a stir in the market; two very tall, very white girls.

The Churches want to have evangelistic meetings in the late January or early February as soon as the rainy season is over. They would like me to speak. Please pray that the Lord would be pleased to bless us with souls for whom He died. It is sure He has a people and we long to be a means in His hand to the salvation of some of these people.

The building at #57 Village is going on well, but prices seem to go up constantly. We have spent over $4,000,000 Guyana dollars which is $20,000 US and will probably need another $10,000 US before we are done. The building is 50' x 22' because of the narrowness of the lot but that is quite common here. We would have liked to go wider but were unable. The people at #57 have had a real spirit of cooperation in the project for which we give God praise. Our deceased Brother Sonny would have been pleased. He had a real heart for this project and we miss him. But Christ be praised; He does all things well.

The Lord seems to be moving among His people. Please pray that what we desire might prove to be true and much more as the Lord pleases.

Kathy says the girls have taken Guyana by storm and are ambitious and enthusiastic in their desire to serve the Lord any way possible while they are here. They have a real heart for seeing souls saved and being as busy as they can be. Her knees have begun to bother her more but not to the point of needing to return to the States. By God's grace, we will be able to stay until our flight out in April. The Katryans want us to stay until they return the first week of May so we can discuss everything. That would be a major expense as we got our tickets in 2 sections, so it would be 4 penalties plus any change in the cost of the flights. We continue to seek the Lord about our future. We look forward to meeting the newly called Pastor at Sovereign Grace Baptist in Anniston, Jon Cardwell from California.

Happy New Year again. May you be found with a renewed determination to serve Him. Join some here who are reading the Bible through in a year. May Jesus Christ be King in all our lives as He deserves and commands.

In Christ,

John Hunter

THIS JUST IN.......

Ellen White and Katie Matthews have posted some of their experience in Guyana at the following blogsite:

http://ellenandkatieinguyana.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

Enjoy.

No New Post Today

2009-01-03T13:14:00.002-06:00

I generally like to post something at the beginning of the week and at mid-week but today I'm feeling pretty bum due to a head cold. It's hard to concentrate and function properly with the continually blowing and coughing and difficulty in focusing on any subject.

I'm hoping to give everyone an update on our New Years Eve festivities....maybe by Wednesday.

Don't neglect assembling together, pray for the church and the pastor.

Six Words

2008-12-31T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this but here it is:

Some have reported that the idea was inspired by an old story about writer Ernest Hemingway, who reportedly won a bar bet by composing a story in only six words. Hemingway is said to have called it his best writing. His submission: "For sale: baby shoes, never used."

Taking it further some have used that idea as an amusing parlor game of sorts: Sum up your life in six words, if you can.

Here are some entries:

"Frankly, it is all about me."

"Child, adult, wife, mom, widow, me."

"Not what I expected, but fun."

What would be the six words that sum up your life?

Send in your entry .... you can remain anonymous.

Exposition

2008-12-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

"The preached Word, applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit, is the essential instrument through which God shapes His people. As the Reformers remind us, it is through preaching that Christ is present among His people."

From "He Is Not Silent" by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., published by Moody Publishers, 2008, pg. 69.

Remember THE Reason?

2008-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

I ran across the following portion of a sermon by Charles Spurgeon in a post by Dan Phillips.

I recall reading a small tract which quotes this portion of Spurgeon's sermon regarding Christmas and the unbiblical warrant for celebrating the holiday but this is the first time I have read his position on using the holiday as a means of preaching to the celebrants. I think this perhaps balances Spurgeons thoughts on the subject.

"WE HAVE NO superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English; and, secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. Superstition has fixed most positively the day of our Saviour's birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred. Fabricius gives a catalogue of 136 different learned opinions upon the matter; and various divines invent weighty arguments for advocating a date in every month in the year. It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very long after the Western church had set the example, that the Eastern adopted it. Because the day is not known, therefore superstition has fixed it; while, since the day of the death of our Saviour might be determined with much certainty, therefore superstition shifts the date of its observance every year. Where is the method in the madness of the superstitious? Probably the fact is that the holy days were arranged to fit in with heathen festivals. We venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Saviour was born, it is the twenty-fifth of December. Nevertheless since, the current of men's thoughts is led this way just now, and I see no evil in the current itself, I shall launch the bark of our discourse upon that stream, and make use of the fact, which I shall neither justify nor condemn, by endeavoring to lead your thoughts in the same direction. Since it is lawful, and even laudable, to meditate upon the incarnation of the Lord upon any day in the year, it cannot be in the power of other men's superstitions to render such a meditation improper for to-day. Regarding not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of his dear son."
From Joy Born at Bethlehem, preached December 24, 1871.

As Mr. Phillips observes, "...even though the association is bad, preaching about the incarnation any day of the year is good..."

Although, for the record, I will do without the 'over-the-top' holiday schmaltz, santa clause, falsity, etc., so celebrated today.

So, What's New?

2008-12-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

The following was sent to my wife and I thought worth posting in keeping with the wisdom of Solomon.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (Eccl. 1:9)

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refitted, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest (the nation) become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

Who wrote that sage advice? Cicero. In 55 B.C. The nation referred to is Rome. Cicero was a Roman statesman and constitutionalist of the first level.

For those who refuse to believe the Scriptures but want to know how our nation will fare if it continues on the path it has chosen crack open a history book (preferrably one that hasn't been tampered with by the "factually-challenged", i.e. the revisionists of the past half century). Read what happened to the Roman Empire as it degenerated more and more. As our nation follows in the Roman Empire's footsteps it will certainly come to the same end.

May our Sovereign God wake our nation up!

...my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway....Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity. (Jeremiah 18:15-17)

A Plea

2008-12-17T06:00:00.002-06:00

My Dear Sister in Christ,

You have now been absent from the body for over a month now - failing to attend the services of the church and absenting yourself from the Lord's table. We have spoken on the telephone and both shared thoughts regarding your situation and one of the questions I posed to you was, "What biblical evidence do you give for taking the route you are taking and absenting yourself from the church you so faithfully have been attending?" What biblical reason can you give for leaving the local church you helped to begin and covenanted with others "..to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines..."?

Is your leaving a result of the Pastor hurting your feelings? You complain that the preaching has been directed to you or against you? Does this wound your conscience? Would you prefer he spoke ‘smooth things'? Is the preaching not supposed to ‘stir the conscience'? If he was wrong have you forgiven him?

Or perhaps, you feel that he is unconcerned about your soul? That he fails to pray for you? That he does not try and meet your spiritual needs as much as possible?

Perhaps you feel the church lacks a proper understanding of the fundamentals of the gospel? Is the soteriology of the church in error? Do you feel that the church does not care for each member of the body? Do you feel unloved by its members? Do you not observe any evidence of God's grace upon the church?

You state that you have a difference of opinion in your interpretation of some doctrine in the Bible that necessitates your leaving the church but also acknowledge that you have an interpretation that many faithful preachers do not hold. Is this an adequate reason?

So, you leave off attending your church to travel some distance to another church to hear someone who you describe as a good preacher. That is for now. What will you do when he says or does something that you feel isn't correct? When he preaches something you disagree with? Things that you feel are directed against you or are offensive to you? What will you do when the church doesn't feel so caring? When you have a disagreement with them?

I'm afraid you're beginning a long, lonely, unbiblical trip that has many problems along the route. Problems that can be avoided by returning to the church you are a member of that wants to grow with you together in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have many good qualities that the Holy Spirit can use enabling you to contribute to the growth of the church.

We're not perfect. Our pastor is not perfect. I am not perfect. I have lots of questions but seek to resolve them by working in the church. I believe that Christ intends His church to grow and we are to be His instruments used by the Spirit of God. This takes work and charity and love and patience and......well you get the idea.

Christ has provided us with the analogy of His church as a body to help us understand our inter-dependence upon, not independence of, one another. You are part of our body........and we miss you.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ....So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-7,13 )

The Confrontation

2008-12-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

The following is adapted from the book, "A Simple Way to Pray" by Dr. Archie Parrish, which I thought appropriate to share in this time that some think our world is falling apart.

"One of the most significant events in what would become the Protestant struggle took place in Worms, Germany in the year 1521.....

On April 17, 1521, the marshal of the empire escorted Martin Luther, wearing his monk's robes, from his lodgings to the assembly diet. The archbishop of Treves asked him two questions: Would he acknowledge those books that were laid upon a bench before him to be his productions, and would he recant the opinions contained in them? .... after hearing the titles read, he answered, "Yes". However, to the second question, at the suggestion of his counselor, he requested that he be allowed until the next day to consider his answer.

That night in his room Luther prayed:

‘The bell has been already cast, judgment has been pronounced. Ah God, ah God, O You, my God. Stand by me; do this, You must do it, You alone! The matter is not mine, it is Yours. O God, do You not hear? My God, art Thou dead? No, You cannot die; You only hide Yourself. Stand by me. Lord, where do You tarry? Where art You, O my God? Come, come! I am ready, even to forsake my life for this, submissive as a lamb, for righteous is this cause which is Yours. And should my body perish for this cause, should it fall to the ground, year, be broken to fragments, yet Your Word and Your Spirit are enough. And all this can happen only to the body; the soul is Yours and belongs to You and will remain forever with You.'

In the quiet of his room Luther might have thought about John Huss (1372-1415), who had been burned at the stake for seeking reforms similar to those that he now sought. The words of his prayer show that Luther knew that what he said to the diet the next day might soon result in a similar sentence for him. Luther's heart turned to God in Psalm 46, which was written at a time when the psalmist saw the world falling apart. This at this time of Luther's great crisis this psalm became a major source of encouragement. Psalm 46 reads:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

After meditating on this psalm, Luther wrote:

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He, amid the flood
O'er mortal ills prevailing......."

The rest, as they say, is history.

A Simple Way To Pray (pg. 21) - Published by Serve International, Inc., Marietta, GA. rev. 2005.

Nothing Changes

2008-12-06T06:00:00.002-06:00

Under the heading of "nothing new under the sun".....

Regarding the practice of "Pastoral Visitations" and the 'busy-ness' of today's family...

"Indeed, amid the artificial arrangements of modern society, the great difficulty often is to find any time suitable for such visitations, families being so variously occupied with the employments of active life, and so seldom for any length of time gathered together in their respective homes."

From "Pastoral Theology" by Patrick Fairbairn, first published in 1875.
(Old Paths Publications, Audubon, NJ)

An Expositional Listener

2008-12-02T08:24:00.002-06:00

"...expositional listening benefits the gathered congregation. Repeatedly, the New Testament writers exhort local churches to be unified - to be of one mind. Paul writes to one local church, "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there may be no divisions among you, but that you may be united in the same mind and the same judgment" (1 Cor. 1:10; see also Rom. 12:16; 2 Cor. 13::; 1 Pet. 3:8). As we gather together in our local churches and give ourselves to hearing the voice of God through his preached Word, we're shaped into one body. We are united in understanding and purpose. And that unity testifies to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 17:21). But if we listen with our own interests and agendas in mind, if we develop "private interpretations" and idiosyncratic views, we risk shattering that unity, provoking disputes over doubtful matters, and weakening our corporate gospel witness."

An excerpt from "What Is A Healthy Church Member" by Thabiti Anyabwile - Publ. by Crossway Books, Wheaton, Il - 2008 - (pg. 21)

Another Quotable

2008-11-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

"I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?"

Quotable

2008-11-23T06:34:00.003-06:00

"If a church wants a better preacher, it only needs to pray for the one it has."