Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
Smyrna 155 A.D-The night is cold and damp. There’s great anticipation that something is going to happen. It is the Asia minor city of Smyrna. There’s feasting around the corner. The proconsul Statius Quadratus is present, and the asiarch Philip of Tralles is presiding over the games. Eleven Christians have been brought, mostly from Philadelphia, to be put to death. This is pattern of life in the first century –Anno Dommini.
Andrea Ferrari is a Reformed pastor in Italy. He opens up to the challenges faced by him, the church and his mission field.
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Studying The Heidelberg Catechism has helped me come to understand the Sovereignty of God. First published in 1563, this is a document of the Reformed Christian faith which is used by many churches. Many people especially if you are like me (from a Word of Faith and Charismatic background with bits and pieces of gleaned aberrant theology) come to find a lot of theological depth in the different questions and answers with scriptural references in this Reformed document. I for one would get worried that the devil would ‘make me backslide’ or come against me on a vengeance trip and cause me to fearfully ‘lose my salvation’. What if a generational curse pursued me all my life and couldn’t be broken by my pastor? What if I didn’t tithe enough or sow enough seed to guarantee a good standing with Jesus? What if…what if …what if? However starting with the first question of this Catechism one comes to learn the depth of the riches of the grace of God. I have come to learn that my comfort in life and death has a lot more to do with Jesus to whom I belong. Oh how comforting! How very comforting? One good study guide that I would recommend on The Heidelberg Catechism is this one by G.I Williamson. It has numerous scripture references and is well structured for either individual or family study. Now, the very first question of the Catechism causes me to smile with confidence not in myself or my ability but in my God and faithful Savior.
Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my Own,
but belong body and soul, in life and in death-
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Martin Luther (10 November 1483 -18 Feb 1546)
Photo HT Via FB.
How little must the presence of God be felt in that place, where the high functions of the pulpit are degraded into a stipulated exchange of entertainment, on the one side, and of admiration, on the other! and surely it were a sight to make angels weep, when a weak and vapouring mortal, surrounded by his fellow-sinners, and hastening to the grave and the judgment along with them, finds it a dearer object to his bosom, to regale his hearers by the exhibition of himself, than to do, in plain earnest the work of his Master, and urge on the business of repentance and of faith, by the impressive simplicities of the gospel.-Thomas Chalmers
One book that I plan to read:
It’s amazing what youth will eat. I love sushi, but it’s quite different than eating a live goldfish. I sat near the back of the crowd and watched with a curious sea-sickness—gazing at the teenage wonder while keeping one eye on the nearest trash can! A loud unified chant shook the entire room: “Mar-cus, Mar-cus.” And down it went, to the praise of cheering youth. He was the envy of every guy and the disgust of every girl. The champion collected his prizes and walked off the stage with a hero-notch on his belt.
“So what can we do next week,” I thought to myself. “There’s no way I can top eating a live goldfish.” I was helping out with the youth program at the time, and we had been gradually escalating the “shock factor” to attract more youth. And, for all intents and purposes, it seemed to work. Every week, we saw new youth, who occasionally seemed to embody a little of the “shock factor” themselves… …Read More!
That person has profited well in the knowledge of himself when he is crushed and frightened by understanding his wretchedness, poverty, nakedness, and disgrace. For there is no danger that a person will lower himself too much, provided he understands that he must recover in God what he lacks in himself. — John Calvin
Monergism has a link to 36 free sermons by John Calvin. Click here.
Disillusioned Emergent preacher Rob Bell confused many people in his time as pastor. It is not surprising therefore to see that the man he left in charge of Mars Hill church Amusement Centre in Grand Rapids is himself disillusioned as to whether to call himself a Christian or part time follower of Christ. He ends up serving up dregs of muddied water….
This time in a new video trailer for a book by Shane Hipps called “Selling Water by the River: A Book About the Life Jesus Promised and the Religion that Gets in the Way.” In an age where we need clarity now more than ever, this muddies the waters of confusion ever more, but in an oh-so-fresh and appealing way…
Many Christians around the world are martyred today, not because they say they “follow” Jesus, but because of who they are: Christians.
Lighthouse Trails reported that Emerging church leader, Erwin McManus says his “goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ.” In McManus’ book, The Barbarian Way, he says that the “greatest enemy to the movement of Jesus Christ is Christianity [i.e., Christians].” …Read More!
79 Year old man, with many health problems, handing out Gideon New Testaments on the campus of a local University.
Evangelisim: What’s my excuse?
Photo HT via FB.
Ever thought of getting a Bible for a Muslim, Hindhu or Chinese friend or new convert who has English as a second language? Or wondered which version to get your 8 year old who wants to read the Bible from cover to cover? The Bible (narrative and illustrated version) could be the one you need. Dr Keith J. White, inspired by William Tyndale and Pandita Ramabai has tested this version for over 15 years with people from all over the world. He has also seen different people come to understand and grasp fundamental aspects of Christian doctrine through reading the Bible. The Bible, which is a New International Reader’s version is ideal for parents to read aloud to their children or for teachers in classrooms. It is a wonderful single column Bible that makes Bible study easier and coupled with over 5,000 notes and over 500 colourful paintings and illustrations by Andy Bisgrove. (I managed to get a copy for my library…okay my wife got it and here it is)
This is one of the most radical editions of the Bible since Gutenberg. It has 500 original illustrations, and has been produced for people of all ages from non-Christian and non-western cultures and backgrounds. Text is set crisply and without interruption using a simple method to denote the primary narrative (single column as in a novel or short story). The rest of the Bible (lists, laws, poetry, letters etc) is set in double column. There are thousands of notes in the margins; maps are placed where needed; so that the first-time reader knows help is at hand should it be needed. The Bible version used is the NIrV (created for readers of English as a second language). …Read More!
Were you there when they crucified your Lord?
Did your eyes drink in sin’s grievous reward?
Gaze on the gallows on which God hung?
See his thorn-gorged brow, his torrid tongue?Were you there when they mocked the Lord of life?
Did you feel Mary’s heart, pierced with a knife?
Watch the blood flood down, the spear burst in?
See God give his life, for mankind’s sin?You were there when they crucified your Lord.
You are bound to him in deepest accord.
He’s flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone,
His life and his death, they are your own. – Chad Bird
HT Via FB
I hope this letter is an encouragement to somebody. It’s an excerpt from a post at “Raising godly children”…
Dear stay-at-home mum,
You scan blogs and read books about being a good mom. You find some helpful tidbits here and there, often from women who are grandmothers now. Women you can learn from but who seem to have forgotten the struggle. They seem to have it all together.
In your heart, you want to be the kind of mom who trains up kids to make a difference for the kingdom. You know it’s an honor to be entrusted with these kids. You know you’ve only got one shot. You want to be the mom who teaches them the Bible, models how to pray, and trains them up in the fear of the Lord.But most of the time you feel like you’re barely holding it all together.Your house cleaning can’t keep up with your kids’ mess-making.
“We should always look upon ourselves as God’s servants, placed in God’s world, to do his work; and accordingly labour faithfully for him; not with a design to grow rich and great, but to glorify God, and do all the good we possibly can.” — David Brainerd
I have never thought that kicking a ball that is burning with vivid scorching flames would make one more spiritual. How does a soccer match make you “more spiritual”? Thanks for asking, you see…
For these players have been preparing for these football matches for 21 days – praying and fasting and learning to ‘tame fire’.
When they are ready, the tough 60 minutes of football begins – played in bare feet with a burning coconut which has been soaked in kerosene for two days. The burning matches take place over 60 minutes – and the players may go through four coconuts before the game is over.
Each coconut soaks for two days, ensuring it is drenched with flames and ready to burn.
Then the players place the ball in the centre-spot, and prepare to play – lighting a match to the match-day ball.
A pastor recently penned a letter to the editor in his town newspaper. Well, apparently this had been a regular occurrence for the man. This time the letter was written under a different set of circumstances. Robert Jennings was writing his last letter and post as he was battling a terminal illness. I am told after publishing this letter many doors have opened to the gospel in this small town….
Dear Editor:
Terri and I moved to Sedalia with one child in 1983 to pastor a new church which has met at Highway M Chapel since 1987. Alas, pancreatic cancer showed up two years ago. Apart from divine intervention, I’m near the end of the road. Permit a farewell to my dear community.
In the almost 30 years we have raised our five children, lived our lives, gone in and out of the businesses, talked on the sidewalks, preached indoors and out, and I’ve written maybe 300 letters to the editor. This appears to be the last. The song writer says, “Time, like an ever-rolling stream bears all its sons away.”
Especially being a Christian, I’ve known that life is brief, death is certain, and an appearance before the Judge of all the earth is coming. Yet, my life is more of a “disappearing vapor” than I imagined. Indeed, the one great thing in life is to be ready to die. It is simple, but big. Yes, I’d like to stay on with my family, with my church, and with the souls of men to try to serve. But God’s will is sovereign. And, I am ready to die, in that I was saved from my sins by the grace of Christ 41 years ago. …Read More!
“Natural man is a fallen creature, he is morally corrupt, and he is Hell-bent on autonomy or self-government. He hates God because God is righteous, and he hates God’s laws because they censor him and restrict his evil. He hates the truth because it exposes him for what he is and troubles what is left of his conscience. Therefore fallen man seeks to push the truth—especially the truth about God—as far from him as he can possibly remove it. He will go to any extent to suppress the truth, even to the point of pretending that there is no such thing as truth, or that if it does exist, it cannot be known or have any bearing on our lives.” ~ Paul Washer
Are you wrestling with the thoughts that you may not be saved? Do you question whether your faith in God is genuine? Perhaps you feel like you’ve had a conversion experience in the past but your not sure if you’re a true convert. Below are five questions to ask yourself and explanations that provide general proofs of a genuine work of salvation. I hope that these provide helpful insight to you:
1) Is there present belief in God?
We are never to depend upon a previous testimony of something we did years ago such as pray a prayer or sign a card or walk down an isle for an altar call, we must presently be confessing Jesus Christ as Lord through faith.2) Is there a habitual impenitent sin in your life?
A true Christian will not habitually and impenitently practice a lifestyle of sin. (1 John 1. 5-10). This does not mean that we will ever be sinless, this side of heaven, but that we who are in the light do not seek to remain in darkness.
This is a rather interesting list of types of friends on Facebook. I still haven’t verified who the original writer is but here it goes:
1) The “Lurker” Never posts anything or comments on your post, but reads everything, and might make reference to your status if they see you in public.
2) The “Hyena” Doesn’t ever really say anything, just LOLs and [ROFLs] at everything.
3) “Mr/Ms Popular” Has 4367 friends for NO reason
For some reason Michael Patton’s “Beginner’s Guide to Christianity” has left me rolling on the floor. Okay, (crawling back into the chair) here is an excerpt and read with a pinch of salt:
1. “Heads bowed, eyes closed . . .”: During a church service, you may hear a preacher abruptly break into this unexpected dialogue with the audience: “Heads bowed, eyes closed. If you have accepted Christ into your heart [more later], I want you to raise your hand.” Don’t get scared. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. It is not a fancy way to steal your money or pull anything sneaky. It is the preacher’s way of helping the uncomfortable seeker feel more at ease about accepting Christ. It is best if you just follow instructions here.
2. “Into the Word”: This is a portion of an important phrase that may be communicated by seasoned Christians in many different contexts. It always has reference to the Bible. Yes, I know, the Bible is more than one word, in fact it is thousands, but once you are a Christian, it becomes singular and has a definite article, “the,” attached to it. If you hear someone say, “Are you in the Word?,” this is another way of saying, “You need to read the Bible if you are going to be spiritual like me.” IMPORTANT: This has no relation to the phrases, “Word to your mother,” “Word up,” or just plain “Word.”
3. Backslidden: This has no reference to the past event of sliding down a hill on your back. It is used to refer to those Christians who are now suspect in their original confession due to their current participation in a particular sin.
Prosperity preachers and politicians are alike. They promise what they know they cannot fulfill. They say if you give them your votes you will see how they will make the birds sing louder, turn the grass green, make the sky blue and build bridges in deserts, make the chicken of farmers lay more eggs. Nick apparently made a couple of promises to students that he knew he wouldn’t keep….no, never keep. Once they gave him their votes and he had won the elections, he didn’t do what he promised – he actually did what the students had feared all along. Then the poor students realised they had been sold hot air. Nothing became of all the promises. So Nick was “poked” to explain…you will love this. He came clean…told them he had taken them for a long long ride.The students liked his embarrassing apology that they immortalised it in a hit song….
At least some one was honest! Who is next then? 😉
My dear Lord, I can but tell Thee that Thou knowest I long for nothing but Thyself, nothing but holiness, nothing but union with Thy will. Thou hast given me these desires, and thou alone canst give me the thing desired. My soul longs for communion with Thee, for mortification of indwelling corruption, especially spiritual pride. How precious it is to have a tender sense and clear apprehension of the mystery of godliness, of true holiness! What a blessedness to be like Thee as much as it is possible for a creature to be like its creator! Lord, give me more of Thy likeness; enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness; engage me to live more for Thee. Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual experiences, and when I feel at ease after sweet communings, teach me it is far too little I know and do. Blessed Lord, let me climb up near to Thee, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle with Thee, and pant for deliverance from the body of sin, for my heart is wandering and lifeless, and my soul mourns to think it should ever lose sight of its beloved. Wrap my life in divine love, and keep me ever desiring Thee, always humble and resigned to Thy will, more fixed on Thyself, that I may be more fitted for doing and-suffering. ~Puritan Prayers
Many people go to a comedy show to get their regular weekly or daily fix of laughter and happiness. A shot in the arm to numb you from the worst of times you are going through. But there are somethings that a good laugh or pep talk can’t fix. A good pastor prepares his flock for “the best of times and the worst of times”. The seasons of life come to all of us as this comedian (Anthony Griffith) narrates in this nine minute clip: Where do you put your hope during the fickle seasons of life?
Harvard University used to be a place of astute academic excellence. The key words there are “used to be”. These days the academics are either gullible or lazy. Speaking of which Harvard has lazily made its way into the news again. BBC reports…
[A Harvard divinity professor] Karen King unveiled [a supposed 4th-Century Coptic script] at a conference in Rome. She said researchers had identified the words “Jesus said to them, ‘my wife'”, which might refer to Mary Magdalene.
Christian tradition holds that Jesus did not marry – but Ms King said in early years it was subject to debate. The provocative find could spark debate over celibacy and the role of women within Christianity, she added. But the announcement sparked scepticism from some theologians.
Jim West, a professor and Baptist pastor in Tennessee, said: “A statement on a papyrus fragment isn’t proof of anything. It’s nothing more than a statement ‘in thin air’, without substantial context.”
Wolf-Peter Funk, a noted Coptic linguist attending the same conference as Ms King, said there were “thousands of scraps of papyrus where you find crazy things,” and many questions remained about the fragment.
Ms King said the document, written in ancient Egyptian Coptic, is the first known scripture in which Jesus is reported to cite his wife. She said the 4th-Century text was a copy of a gospel…
There is a general complacency in the world today. Scoffers laugh at Christians and their message of “repentance for the day of the Lord is nigh”. The zeal of some has waned and they have eased into slumber and a malaise. There is little regard for the things of God in popular circles. I am reminded of this story…
Did you hear about the farmer who agreed to a contest with his neighbor, an atheist? The atheist said, “Tell you what. You plant your crops and work your field 6 days a week, taking Sundays off to worship God. I’ll work my field 7 days a week and in the fall we’ll see who has the biggest crop.” When October came and the crops were gathered in, the atheist dropped by to see the results. Sure enough, his harvest was larger than the Christian’s. “What do you say now?” he sneered. The Christian replied, “God doesn’t settle all His accounts in October.”
That good old day is coming when the Just Judge and Holy God will settle all accounts surely. Are we ready?
My friend Jim West gets many questions thrown at him from all over the world. He faithfully responds to each and every one of them honestly (and yup, he pulls no punches)! Recently he was asked this one…
Dear Jim,
You seem to talk about depravity a lot. Why don’t you spend more time pointing out the good in people?
Sincerely,
Samantha
Children are usually impressionable. The early stages of development are especially very foundational in laying down sound or erroneous doctrinal beliefs which may remain for a long time. Some where in Sydney as members of the religion of peace gathered, an 8 year old girl took centre stage…
Shocking footage has emerged of a girl as young as eight speaking of her love for Jihad and the Syrian uprising during a video filmed at a Muslim conference in Sydney.
The little girl made the controversial comments as she addressed a crowd at an Islamic gathering, while the Australian city continued to deal with the fallout from violent riots at the weekend.
The girl – named only as eight-year-old Ruqaya – was filmed speaking during a ‘Muslims Rise’ conference held by the Australian chapter of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bankstown, west Sydney.
Authorities are now investigating the background of the little girl, who was filmed describing her love of jihad – a holy war or spiritual struggle – as well as the violent uprising in Syria and the global community, which is known as Ummah, it was reported.
There’s an iPhone and iPad app (there’s an android version too) called the “Fighter Verse App” that many Christian parents are finding helpful in aiding to memorise Scripture. The Paquettes have used it and here is their conclusion:
In order for us to be intentional about our kids memorizing Scripture this year, James and I have sat down and made a plan through December. During carpool to school each morning, (approx. 8 minutes), we use this time to have our girls memorize Scripture. For 3 years now, they have memorized over 50 verses. After we made the plan, I thought, why not post it on my blog so others can follow along too, or ask me about it to make sure we are keeping up [also see video above]!
The beauty and legacy left by the Olympic and most especially Paralympic games has moved a couple of people to rightly ask if we could all re think abortion laws.
James Parker, who [was] serving as a chaplain at the Paralympic Games, contrasted existing abortion laws – which permit abortion if the baby is likely to be seriously handicapped – with advertising for the Paralympic Games praising the abilities of Paralympians. …Read More!
There is a lot to learn from the Genesis account in the Bible. However there seems to be a cluster of people who suggest that God has been keeping information from us and have come up with rather flimsy reasoning and pathetic exegesis upon which a lot of Christian doctrine does make an enormous frown. The first concept is the concept of Lucifer’s flood.
There have been attempts by some Christians to reinvent the Genesis account of the creation in order to make it compatible with the theories of modern geology and evolution. Of these attempts, there are three that are most popular: theistic evolution, progressive creation, and the gap theory, from which the term Lucifer’s flood, also known as the Luciferian flood, is derived. There is only one reason why Christians attempt to compromise God’s Word in this manner—they have accepted the claims of modern geologists and evolutionists that the earth is millions, if not billions, of years old, and they look for ways to squeeze these unfounded millions of years into the Genesis account.
Basically, the gap theory, which for some incorporates the so-called Lucifer’s flood, teaches that many millions of years ago God created a perfect heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1). At that time, Satan was ruler of the earth, which was inhabited by a race of men without any souls. Satan rebelled, and sin entered the universe after Satan’s rebellion and fall from heaven and brought God’s judgment in the form of a flood named for him—Lucifer’s flood. All the plant, animal and human fossils upon the earth today were caused by this flood and do not bear any genetic relationship with the plants, animals and humans living today. This flood is said to have occurred between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, and it was this Luciferian flood that reduced the world to a state described as “without form and void” in Genesis 1:2.
Is going to work a burden and at times an endless chore? Do you feel that you are only “serving God” when you join the church choir or become a minister in church? It’s high time you thought again about what God has given you and where he has placed you. Quoting Gene Edward Veith:
The word “calling,” or in its Latinate form “vocation,” had long been used in reference to the sacred ministry and the religious orders. Martin Luther was the first to use “vocation” to refer also to secular offices and occupations. Today, the term has become common-place, another synonym for a profession or job, as in “vocational training.” But behind the term is the notion that every legitimate kind of work or social function is a distinct “calling” from God, requiring unique God-given gifts, skills, and talents. Moreover, the Reformation doctrine of vocation teaches that God himself is active in everyday human labor, family responsibil-ities, and social interactions.
For instance, to take one of Luther’s examples, we pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God give us our daily bread, which he does. He does so, not directly as when he gave manna to the Israelites, but through the work of farmers and bakers-and we might add truck drivers and retailers. In effect, the whole economic system is the means by which God gives us our daily bread. Each part of the economic food chain is a vocation, through which God works to distribute his gifts. Similarly, God heals the sick. While he can and sometimes does do so directly, in the normal course of things he works through doctors, nurses, and other medical experts. God protects us from evil, with the vocation of the police officer. God teaches through teachers, orders society through governments, proclaims the Gospel through pastors.
Quoting Donald S. Whitney writing to Ministers:
I’m writing these clothing tips specifically to help the minister (and anyone else) who sometimes must dress up, but who feels some need for guidance on the matter and cannot afford to spend a great deal on clothes. I am no expert on haberdashery, nor do I want this piece to give me a reputation as one. These are simply things I was taught while growing up, as well as a few other pointers I’ve picked up in the decades since. Having observed many young ministers who seem not to have received much guidance in this area, it occurred to me that I might be able to help by condensing what I’ve learned over the decades into something practical they can read in ten minutes…
SUITS
Your first and best suit should always be navy blue or black and relatively—if not completely—solid, that is, without pinstripes, checks, etc. Ministers used to refer to this as their “Marryin’ and buryin'” suit, as it was the most appropriate one for the most formal of occasions in which they most frequently found themselves. Such a suit is versatile, too, as it is fitting not only for weddings and funerals, but for any other suit- wearing occasion. …Read More!
Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been freed!
Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor who captured the hearts of millions as he stood firm in his faith while facing execution, has been acquitted of apostasy.
Two organizations that have closely been monitoring the case and have sources in Iran reported Saturday that Nadarkhani, who went on trial early Saturday, has been released from prison and is at home with his family.
Much prayer still continues for religious freedom and for the persecuted church worldwide.
Many are still hesitant at this piece of news about the anti trinitarian and Oneness Pentecostal pastor but for now the general feeling is of relief as he is reunited with his wife and little children.
If you live in the US here is a free book by R.C Sproul. This book was one of my first primers in the Reformed faith. It answers a lot of questions and does ground you into solid foundational truths of Christianity.
Strange happenings in China this week…
For a river known as the “golden watercourse,” red is a strange color to see.
Yet that’s the shade turning up in the Yangtze River and officials have no idea why.
The red began appearing in the Yangtze, the longest and largest river in China and the third longest river in the world, yesterday near the city of Chongquing, where the Yangtze connects to the Jialin River.
The Yangtze, called “golden” because of the heavy rainfall it receives year-round, runs through Chongqing, Southwest China’s largest industrial and commercial center, also known as the “mountain city” because of the hills and peaks upon which its many buildings and factories stand.
The red color stopped some residents in their tracks. They put water from the river in bottles to save it. Fishermen and other workers who rely on the river for income kept going about their business…
I think I will ask Pat Robertson why this river has turned red. He always has an explanation. Maybe somebody made another pact with the devil.
Quoting Charles Spurgeon:
“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”—2 Corinthians 2:15-16.
And the first sense is this. Many men are hardened in their sins by hearing the gospel. Oh! ’tis terribly and solemnly true, that of all sinners some sanctuary sinners are the worst. Those who can dive deepest into sin, and have the most quiet consciences and hardest hearts, are some who are to be found in God’s own house. I know that a faithful ministry will often prick them, and the stern denunciations of a Boanerges, will frequently make them shake. I am aware that the Word of God will sometimes make their blood curdle within them; but I know (for I have seen the men) that there are many who turn the grace of God into licentiousness, make even God’s truth a stalking-horse for the devil, and abuse God’s grace to pall ate their sin. Such men have I found amongst those who hear the doctrines of grace in their fulness. They will say, “I am elect, therefore I may swear; I am one of those who were chosen of God before the foundation of the world, and therefore I may live as I list.” Read more of this post
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A woman brought her dirty laundry to the river, she was so ashamed of her dirty clothes, that she didn’t want to take them out of the basket in the presence of other women. So she dipped the entire basket of clothes in to the water several times and then took them back home. Sometimes that’s the way we confess our sins. We admit them to God very quickly and in one big bundle. We are not honest with God, or the people around us.
HT De Encourager via FB.
Some one has been working hard. Here is a collection of hymns of worship. Enjoy!
A very interesting development of late has led me to ask, is the digital age phasing out the printed Bible?
DETROIT — Not too long ago, the sight of someone using an electronic device during a worship service might lead an observer to assume that person was not fully engaged. But not anymore. Reading the Bible used to mean reading a book, but increasingly, people are getting the Word on smartphones, iPads and other electronic devices.
So then, what will happen to the printed Bible? The last word has not been written on that, but experts speculate that its unchallenged reign is over.
“The Bible is sort of the flagship of the printed book culture,” said Timothy Beal, author of “The Rise and Fall of the Bible” (Mariner, 2011, $15.95). “The printed word is losing its place as the dominant medium for reading.”
He pointed to the traditional family Bible — once commonplace in many homes — as evidence of the decline in printed Bibles. “Most families don’t have them anymore,” he said. “The family Bible as we know it is already a thing of the past in most families. What was once a perfect product during its time has become kind of an artifact.”
Hardcover Bibles are no longer always found in hotel rooms worldwide, either. Last month, a hotel in Newcastle, England, replaced the hardcover Bibles in all 148 guest rooms with Amazon Kindles, preloaded with Bibles. It’s exploring doing the same in all 44 hotels the InterContinental Hotels Group owns worldwide.
Another hotel — the Damson Dene, in England’s Lake District — replaced nightstand Bibles with the popular novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.” …Read More!
I came across this Facebook profile page and got a little interested in what was written. Some may think it’s one of the worst self profiles:
About X: I stand guilty in a court that rules over all humanity in justice. I am an adulterer; I am a lier; I am a thief; I am prideful; I am a glutton; I am a coveter… I am also guilty of enjoying the wrongs I partake in, so much so that I hate what is right and call it evil. I am wretched and filthy in the eyes of the Judge of all the Earth, and I know He shall do what is right and just.
I, just like all of humanity lost and in slavery to sin, deserve to slide off this world into the lake of fire and never know what it is like to look upon my Creator with love and joy on His face. Instead I will fall into the hands of a wrathful God who takes no pleasure in destroying the wicked but must do so as He is also perfectly just and perfectly holy; everything I am not.
But, the Judge has done something tremendous. He sent His Son, conceived by His Spirit and born of a virgin, to take my sin and bear the wrath of the Judge that was due me. This Son, Jesus, then resurrected by the power of God, gave me His perfect righteousness and obedience in exchange, and became my perfect lawyer, presenting me before the Judge as acquitted. Why me? …Read More!
Conrad Mbewe is a pastor from Africa (in his own words he lives in a country where there’s water, water, water and more water…a delightful place for a Baptist pastor) and he asks a pertinent question on African missionary endeavours.
Conrad: One experience that often refreshes my heart when I visit the USA is when I meet Christians telling me that they are sensing a call to go as missionaries to Africa or Asia and are actively praying and preparing to that end. I often ask myself the question, “Why don’t I hear this back home? Why are our own people not thinking about taking the gospel to far away lands that desperately need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ? Doesn’t God want to use Africans in missions too?”
Excerpt from A Letter from Kabwata. Continue here!
One book that I would recommend (if you are looking and searching for a gift as a birthday, wedding or anniversary present) is The Valley of Vision. It has wonderful thoughtful poems and prayers like this prayer-poem called Paradoxes….
O Changeless God,
Under the conviction of the Spirit I learn that
The more I do, the worse I am,
The more I know, the less I know,
The more holiness I have, the mores sinful I am,
The more I love, the more there is to love.
O wretched man that I am!O Lord,
I have a wild heart
And cannot stand before thee;
I am like a bird before a man.
How little I love thy truth and ways!
I neglect prayer,
By thinking I have prayed enough and earnestly,
By knowing thou hast saved my soul. …Read More!
[Quoting A.W. Pink] This is a very solemn question, and we must restrict ourselves to what the Scriptures say by way of reply.
“You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”. (Deuteronomy 13:3).
From those words it is clear that God allows teachers of error for the same reason as He does persecutors of His people: to test their love, to try their fidelity, to show that their loyalty to him is such that they will not give ear unto His enemies. Error has always been more popular than the Truth, for it lets down the bars and fosters fleshly indulgence, but for that very reason it is obnoxious to the godly. …Read More!
In the world we live in there is a never ending battle for the hearts and minds of people. There are countless ideologies and teachings that are relentlessly vying to capture our imaginations and thoughts. As Christians we must guard the deposit of the gospel that has been put in us by growing in sound doctrine. Here are 6 humble tips (of course you could add a few more to these):
1) Give heed to the preached Word. Listen attentively as your pastor expounds God’s Word each week. Discuss the sermon afterward with friends and family.
2) Study the Scriptures diligently. Aim for breadth and depth. That is, read through all of Scripture in order to see the big picture. But also, study smaller portions such as individual books, in the most detail you can manage. Read them over and over again. Meditate on them. Memorize them. Gaining a broad and deep grasp of Scripture is the most important way to grow in the knowledge of God.
3) Read good books. …Read More!
I while ago my friend Andy wrote a very interesting piece on the consequences of ignoring the Atonement. Was Jesus’ life simply an example for us to follow or did he come as the Lamb of God to take away sins of those who would believe?[Andy writes] In the early days of liberal theology, it was the vogue to claim that Jesus’ death was the result of His zeal. He shot His mouth off too many times about religious and moral truth, until, finally, His opponents could take no more and had Him assassinated. The theological axe-to-grind of this view was their rejection of the atonement as an objective, meritorious, vicarious sacrifice – in short, as a substitionary death.Evacuating Christ’s death in such a way, all that remained was His example. Not many evangelicals (a term I am growing increasingly uncomfortable with) would espouse such a radical view regarding Christ’s death, but the accompanying view of His life as merely a pattern or example, has clung on with tenacity in the best of circles. …Read More!
Recently we have lost a couple of friends and church members through sudden tragedy and disease. In fact this week we will be going for a funeral of a family friend. I hope these thoughts on Heaven will encourage you the way they have lifted my spirits.
If You and I really saw Heaven people often say, “Here’s the revelation that God has given us, but why is ther so little about heaven?” They would like to know what it is like there, what we are to look forward to. Dear me, they should not be troubled; they should thank God that we are told so little. Do you know why? Heaven – the glory – is so wonderful that if our lord had described it in our language and our categories, his words would have detracted from it. Our language is fallen; it is utterly inadequate. So the Bible gives us pictures; it gives us symbols. People often become obscurantist about these or literalize them and take a stand on them. That is not the way. These are pictures, representations. We are told that we only see now “through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12); we see “as in a glass the glory of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). We could not stand anything more. If you and I really saw heaven, we would be blinded; it might even kill us – we could not take it.
~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones (The Secret Things of God)
HT Martyn Lloyd Jones on Facebook.
Looking at the Chick Fil-A saga. There is no timely message than what Paul Washer said a while ago. Listen to this:
Looking at Hymn writers and the background to most of our most loved hymns of today, the story of Horatio Spafford is one that is rather sad but quite encouraging in itself.
This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled, ‘It is well with my soul’, you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words, “When sorrows like sea billows roll … It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.
Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio’s legal career and business endeavors. The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords’ only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.
Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest — DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer ‘Ville de Havre’ across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned.
He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: “Saved alone.”
This week I am reading The Sovereignty of God by A. W Pink. In the chapter dealing with salvation he asks some pertinent questions. And in real Pinkish style answers them from Scripture.
O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out”
Romans 11:33
“Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9); but the Lord does not save all. Why not? He does save some; then if He saves some, why not others? Is it because they are too sinful and depraved? No; for the apostle wrote, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom 1 am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15). Therefore, if God saved the “chief” of sinners, none are excluded because of their depravity. Why then does not God save all? Is it because some are too stony-hearted to be won? No; because of the most stony-hearted people of all it is written, that God will yet “take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19). Then is it because some are so stubborn, so intractable, so defiant that God is unable to woo them to Himself? …Read More!
The same-sex marriage question has always provoked lively debate of late. Every body has an opinion. Its true opinions are like noses – every body has one. There is a vast variety of opinions on the issue of marriage equality within the gay and lesbian community. A recent panel discussion in Sydney during a Sydney Writers Festival asked a provocative question: Why get married when you could be happy? One female speaker was rather forthright:
It’s a no-brainer that we should have the right to marry, but I also think equally that it’s a no-brainer that the institution of marriage should not exist [cheers from the audience].
That causes my brain some trouble. And part of why it causes me trouble is because fighting for gay marriage generally involves lying about what we are going to do with marriage when we get there—because we lie that the institution of marriage is not going to change, and that is a lie. The institution of marriage is going to change, and it should change. And again, I don’t think it should exist. And I don’t like taking part in creating fictions about my life. That’s sort of not what I had in mind when I came out thirty years ago. I have three kids who have five parents, more or less, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t have five parents legally….
As the 2012 London Olympics are underway, there are a couple of Christian mission groups traversing the landscapes of the beautiful City of London preaching the gospel. I am greatly encouraged by their zeal and passion. I am also encouraged by the stories of those coming to embrace Jesus Christ from all walks of life. Looking at the history of Christianity, England was instrumental in being the first place through which the Reformation came to the English speaking world. Many lost their lives for believing in the Authority of Scripture over the authority of the Papacy.
Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer are some of the examples of Reformers in England. Hugh was a British clergyman, Bishop of Worcester, and Protestant martyr during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I of England. He was burnt at the stake as a “heretic” in Oxford (1555). Hugh’s memorable last words to his friend Nicholas as they were burnt were:
Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out. ~ Hugh Latimer
Times and seasons come and go. Olympics are here in London today but will be gone tomorrow. How I pray that God will indeed raise up a people with a zeal for the Authority of Scripture in our days too. For the time is soon coming and may probably be here now when men will not adhere to sound doctrine even in the church. A time is coming and is already here when holding Christian beliefs will be tantamount to being “intolerant” and “bigotted”. …Read More!
The opening ceremony of the Olympics in every host nation always tells the story of … whatever! The Summer 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony celebrations were whatever you wanted to make of them. That may sound post modern but look, we all got what ever we wanted. Didn’t we? Booms, blasts and Bond! Oh yes, we even saw Her Majesty become a Bond girl. There was a high speed river chase in a super boat. An adrenaline pumping helicopter dash with a heroine leaping into a gaping hole of pyrotechnics. Industrial action (pun intended)! Health care service was given a make over. Ancient pagan worship and modern dance entertained us with one titillating love story. Or so we thought. Even the conspiracy theorists got enough fodder when they saw Illuminati pyramids surround the arena. How about the Christians? Well there was the Christian hymn “Abide in me” to keep conservatives happy. It was a vague after-note some still say after it was edited out by American media. The bigger story was to be a diverse celebration of Life, humanity and death.
Speaking of which do we ever think of life here after? Maybe the answer was hidden in the tallest animated symbol of all in the Olympics stadium. Do you mean the hideously monstrous “death” effigy?
The Truthinator recently run an interesting interview with an anonymous guest who was once Emergent. It is a highly recommended interview. Here is a quick teaser:
Truthinator: Since you came from an Emergent Church background, please describe what attracted you to them and how long you stayed. Also, when did you become a Christian and did the Emergent Church have anything at all to do with exposing you to God’s truth (Gospel)?
Guest: The church I attended since I was a teenager was a Pentecostal church. They had increasingly become more and more charismatic. Biblical teaching was shallow. I had a huge hand, however, in my biblical illiteracy. I just took everything that was taught and said as the truth. I had no discernment. I started feeling disillusioned with church. There were things that just seemed so wrong but I couldn’t explain it. My husband and I were married for two years when we decided to go to Bible college at Prairie Bible college. It was there that what I found to be troublesome with my home church became clear. I started ‘asking questions’ and being critical of where I came from. I started examining everything. I discovered the weak theological background of where I came from. I discovered how unbiblical my church was. But then, I was wrong too. I started thinking in a postmodern mindset. I can’t exactly pinpoint how or where it came from, but I think it may have started before I went to college. At least the foundation for it was there already. I started dabbling in relativism. There were so many people around me who would nurture that sort of thing. It was fun. I felt so enlightened and so much more smart than the narrow minded fundies in the church. I felt at the time that I had a righteous indignation against the behind the times church filled with legalists (or so I thought that’s what they were). I became liberal in my religion and liberal in my politics. I would spew things about how theology is in flux, about how the gospel is saving lives and feeding hungry people, about how we have to take care of the poor or we are hypocrites. I showed deep disdain for the preaching of the Word, though I didn’t realize it at the time. I would cheer on Tony Campolo, Brian Mclaren and all those guys who seemed to ‘get it’ where no one else did. …Read More!
The one thing that can add agony to the agony of the lost is, the being shut up forever in hell with those they have helped to bring there… I do not believe there exists a more miserable being, even amongst the lost themselves, than a lost minister shut up in hell with his congregation.~Brownlow North
[HT Michael Mckinley via 9 Marks]
You [fail] yourselves by leaving your children in a state of ignorance, for you heap upon yourselves the consequences of their sins as well as your own. When a child breaks one of God’s commandments, it is his sin; but it is also the father’s if he never taught the child what the commandment of God was. Wicked children become heavy crosses to their parents. When a father or mother must trace the source of wickedness to his or her neglect in training the child, cross is laid upon cross and the load becomes unbearable. Can there be a greater heartache in this life than to see your own child running full speed towards hell, and know that you were the one who outfitted him for the race? …Read More!
The two perpetual temptations in worship are to believe that older is automatically better and that there is no maturing in the church while on the other hand a second temptation is to believe that there is very little to learn from the early church worship. The second temptation assumes that newer is automatically better. For this group, worship music is to a large degree culturally defined, but the culture is only the newest one. Let’s be clear, while the first error does exist, it is the second error which is the great temptation of our age. We must move on – they beckon and argue. We must be relevant. The great sin of our age (it seems)is to look old. But before you make an overhaul in church music to become either “traditional” or “contemporary and relevant” here are 5 things to consider:
1. We should be grateful for what we have. We live in an age of complainers. We whine about everything, including church music. Yes, there is always room for improvement. Yes, we all cringe at certain songs. Yes, it would be nice if we had the Psalms that were not paraphrased set to music. Yes, it would be nice if we had better contemporary music. But God has been good to us. We have a great musical heritage from Ambrose to Luther to Wesley. We have more and more Psalms being set to music every year. Growth comes from gratitude not from grumbling.
2. Any reformation in church music must be built on the foundations of love for Christ and love for his people. If we seek reformation because we want to be “traditional” or because we want to be “relevant” we are going to make fundamental mistakes. Love for Christ and love for the Church form the center.
3. Singing in worship revolves around two primary things: faithfulness to God’s Word and the voice of the people. Everything else is important, but secondary to these two things. This is why our fathers chanted. They could chant the Word of God exactly as it is. And chanting highlighted the voice of the people.
“(Today’s Christian is) someone who has made the decision to be an emotionally well-adjusted, self-actualized risk-taking leader who knows his purpose, lives a no regret life of significance, has overcome his fears, enjoys a healthy marriage, is an attentive parent celebrating recovery from all their hurts, their habits, their hang-ups, and that practices biblical stress relief techniques, is financially free from consumer debt, fosters emotionally healthy relationships with his peers, attends a weekly life group, volunteers regularly at church, tithes off his gross, and has taken at least one humanitarian aid trip to a third world nation……Never once do you read in that modern contextualized interpretation that a Christian is one who sees their sin, confesses their sin, repents of their sin, and receives the gift of salvation in Christ alone. That’s how far we’ve come. So Christianity now is dictated and defined by culture.” ~ Jim Murphy
Excerpt from Jim Murphy’s barn burning sermon, The Subtlety of Satan which is a must listen-to if you haven’t.(Click here)
You have heard of conspiracy theories. They are all over the place. Trying to join the dots is like chasing rabbits through rabbit holes. Should a Christian be interested in conspiracy theories?
Who killed JFK? What is the Illuminati? Was there equipment on the space shuttle that caused earthquakes? If God reveals the answer to any of these speculations, we should be thankful He has brought light to our mysteries. If not, we should leave well enough alone—especially if dwelling on those mysteries brings fear.
On one level, conspiracy theories are entertaining. Trying to connect the dots through disparate historical events brings a sense of order to chaos. Speculating about mysteries incites a titillating anxiety of the future that relieves boredom and distracts from more pressing dilemmas.
To be enabled to form a clear, consistent, and comprehensive judgment of the truths revealed in the Scripture, is a great privilege; but they who possess it are exposed to the temptation of thinking too highly of themselves, and too meanly of others, especially of those who not only refuse to adopt their sentiments, but venture to oppose them. We see few controversial writings, however excellent in other respects, but are tinctured with this spirit of self-superiority; and they who are not called to this service (of writing) if they are attentive to what passes in their hearts, may feel it working within them, upon a thousand occasions; though so far as it prevails, it brings forcibly home to ourselves the charge of ignorance and inconsistence, which we are so ready to fix upon our opponents. I know nothing as a means more likely to correct this evil, than a serious consideration of the amazing difference between our acquired judgment, and our actual experience; or, in other words, how little influence our knowledge and judgment have upon our own conduct. This may confirm to us the truth and propriety of the apostle’s observation, “If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.” Not that we are bound to be insensible that the Lord has taught us what we were once ignorant of; nor is it possible that we should be so; yet because, if we estimate our knowledge by its effects, and value it no farther than it is experimental and operative (which is the proper standard whereby to try it), we shall find it so faint and feeble as hardly to deserve the name. …Read More!
Joel Beeke is one preacher I really love. He recently went to Mozambique in Africa. He reports:
Sunday I preached in an all-black Dutch Reformed church on the outskirts of Maputo, with a handful of white missionaries present. The thirty-minute journey from the motel to the church, often over bumpy roads, enabled me to see the poor sections of Maputo. The church itself is a large structure built by some Dutch Reformed South Africans at their mission’s expense. A new pastor named Gabriel was installed a few weeks ago. Gabriel and his wife come from a rural ministry. They are sweet, humble, warm, and welcoming people; every indication I have and heard indicates that they will do very well in this church, God helping them.
The church service was 2 ¼ hours long. The first 1 ¼ hours was largely singing: first, congregational singing, then about 100 children singing, followed by the older women singing, and then the younger women singing. The congregational singing consisted largely of the psalms; the songs sung by the three groups were not, but the words were edifying, though a bit repetitious for our Western standards. Typical of the Africans, the congregation sings with all their heart and with their bodies as well, which includes lots of clapping, constant moving of the feet, and swaying of the body. Some of the women also sing at certain points with a very high-pitched “warble” (I don’t know how to describe it) that is very unique and quite beautiful. …Read More!
One more teaser from the puritan devotional Voices From The Past by Richard Rushing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
The closet and solitary prayer is a necessary duty, and a profitable one. It does much for the enlargement of the heart. When a man seeks to deal most earnestly with God, he should seek retire- ment, and be alone. Christ in his agonies went apart from his dis- ciples. It is notable that when Jacob sought to wrestle with God, it is said, ‘And Jacob was left alone’ (Gen. 32:24). When he had a mind to deal with God in great earnestness, he sent away all his company. A hypocrite finds a greater flash of gifts in his public duties; but he is slight and superficial when he is alone with God. Usually God’s chil- dren are able to most affectionately pour out their hearts before him in private. Here, they find their affections free to wrestle with God. Here, one finds most communion with God, and enlargement of heart. In private we are wholly at leisure to deal with God in a child-like liberty. Now, will you omit this duty where you may be most free, without distraction, to let out your heart to God? The sweetest experiences of God’s saints are when they are alone with him. Without seeking God often, the vitality of the soul is lost. ~ Thomas Manton
So a new believer who has just come to faith in Christ comes to you. Do you spur him to holiness or do you tell him well there is still a second grace and a “Second Blessing” after conversion that he should seek after? (The Charismatic Movement actually believe there is a “Third Blessing“). The questions on a “Second Blessing” etc are common among many Evangelicals. I prefer to search the scriptures to determine if these teachings are true. I came across this admonition from J.C Ryle and I think I agree with him:
That there is a vast difference between one degree of grace and another–that spiritual life admits of growth, and that believers should be continually urged on every account to grow in grace–all this I fully concede. But the theory of a sudden, mysterious transition of a believer into a state of blessedness and entire consecration, at one mighty bound, I cannot receive. It appears to me to be a man made invention; and I do not see a single plain text to prove it in Scripture. Gradual growth in grace, growth in knowledge, growth in faith, growth in love, growth in holiness, growth in humility, growth in spiritual-mindedness–all this I see clearly taught and urged in Scripture, and clearly exemplified in the lives of many of God’s saints. But sudden, instantaneous leaps from conversion to consecration I fail to see in the Bible. …Read More!
There is a lot of theological depth and richness in the Puritan prayers and Poems. Just drawing a lot of encouragement from reading through them.
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.
J.D. Greear of Christianity Today has written an interesting post which asks pertinent questions on cliches that Evangelicals use and how these cliches have muddied the waters (caused many to doubt their salvation and led countless to have false assurances) …
If there were a Guinness Book of World Records record for “amount of times having asked Jesus into your heart,” I’m pretty sure I would hold it.
By the time I reached the age of 18 I had probably “asked Jesus into my heart” 5,000 times. I started somewhere around age 4 when I approached my parents one Saturday morning asking how someone could know that they were going to heaven. They carefully led me down the “Romans Road to Salvation,” and I gave Jesus his first invitation into my heart…
So I prayed the sinner’s prayer again. And again. And again. Each time trying to get it right, each time really trying to mean it. I would have a moment when I felt like I got it right and experienced a temporary euphoria. But it would fade quickly and I’d question it all again. And so I’d pray again.
I walked a lot of aisles during those days. I think I’ve been saved at least once in every denomination…
A 2011 Barna study shows that nearly half of all adults in America have prayed such a prayer, and subsequently believe they are going to heaven, though many of them rarely, if ever, attend a church, read the Bible personally, or have lifestyles that differ in any significant way from those outside the church.
In loving memory of Jim Bublitz who went to be with the Lord not more than two days ago, I will feature this post from his blog – The Old Truth.
In the 19th century, R.L. Dabney wrote –
“All the leading Reformers, whether in Germany, Switzerland, England or Scotland were constant preachers, and their sermons were prevalently expository”; the purpose was to explain the meaning of Scripture. So he says, “We can assume with safety that the instrumentality to which the spiritual power of the great revolution of the Reformation – was mainly due to the restoration of scriptural preaching”.
Martin Luther in 1533 said, “The Word of God is the greatest most necessary, most important thing in Christendom.” And it is. I’ll tell you what, you turn away from the Book and you have endless problems. You turn away from the Book and Jesus becomes a clay toy, you can shape Him any way you want. Truth becomes a clay toy, you can shape it any way you want…
See, people want to reinvent Jesus, shape Him any way they want.
The message The Subtlety of Satan, by Pastor Jim Murphy of First Baptist Church of Johnson City, N.Y. is one that you must listen to. I listened to it while I was on vacation in Wales during the second week of July and could hardly wait to share it.
I found a concise summary/transcript on The Steak and a Bible blog:
Murphy clearly traces the disintegration of Christianity and its falling away from the truth of the gospel and into more and more error through history – from the attacks on the authority of scripture in the late 1940s, through 1960s liberalism, to modern day mysticism and contemplative spirituality. But in the final ten minutes of the message it becomes crystal clear that this is not mere academics for Pastor Murphy, he is brokenhearted by the error he sees within his own church body and frustrated by the lack of discernment which is due entirely to people not knowing and studying the Bible.
Here is just part of what he told his congregation (and what nearly moved me to tears):
“Now is the time for clarity. No more messing around. No more experimentation. No more dabbling into these dangerous practices. Now is the time for clarity and that clarity comes through discernment: this ability to think Biblically. The ability to read a book and see what it is saying aside from the warm fuzzy you got from it. Discernment takes time and it takes work and shame on you for not taking the time and effort. Shame on you.”
Jared Wilson has come to appreciate the “simple church” concept, but that has not been without set backs as he faced the daunting task of under-programming the church he pastors. We are all usually inundated with endless opportunities for activity from other churches, advertised “movements” local and national (which are good at getting people excited and distracted), and “good ideas” from our own community (which we are reluctant to deny lest we break someone’s heart). But Jared rightly notes that what all this so often amounts to is a church that is merely busy, and busy does not always equal diligent or faithful. I love these 10 reasons to under program a church.
1. You can do a lot of things in a mediocre (or poor) way, or you can do a few things extremely well. Craig Groeschel has some good things to say about this subject. Also check out Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger’s Simple Church, a book not without its weaknesses but with a strong premise.
2. Over-programming creates an illusion of fruitfulness that may just be busy-ness. A bustling crowd may not be spiritually changed or engaged in mission at all. And as our flesh cries out for works, many times filling our programs with eager, even servant-minded people is a way to appeal to self-righteousness.
Many have walked down the aisle at altar calls a dozen times. They try Christianity for a while and then fall away. After another emotional sermon appeal they walk the isle in tears and a few weeks later the cycle is repeated. It’s now called “trying Christianity again” or “getting saved again”. How many times can one walk down an altar or keep “trying Christianity”?
The Bible says that once you are saved, you are never the same again; you are a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17). If you have gone back to your old ways, then most probably you were never saved (1 John 2:19). If, however, you were saved, then God won’t let you stay in rebellion for long. He will deal with you in whatever way is necessary to bring you back into fellowship with Him.
Did you become a Christian by going to church or by asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins? The latter makes you a Christian, the former doesn’t.
You don’t try Christianity to see if it works, or if your life gets better. …Read more!
-You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit._ – Matthew 7:16–17One’s basic character—attitudes, inner motives, loyalties, standards—eventually manifests itself in his or her life. Christians produce good fruit in their attitudes and actions. But unbelievers, especially false prophets, will eventually manifest bad fruit.
False teachers can hide their true fruit for a time behind ecclesiastical trappings, evangelical vocabulary, and false fellowship. But how they behave when not around Christians will soon enough reveal their true loyalties and convictions. …Read More!
This letter was excerpted from here. Please read through it and understand the uncomfortable nature of the topic and also appreciate the genuineness of the pastor’s resolution to safe guard his flock and young people.
Come out from among them and be separate, says the LORD. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you
– 2 Corinthians 6.17
Dear Friends,
With a somewhat heavy heart I must write to you regarding separation from error. I have a heavy heart because I know that these are matters which can cause upset and contention. But these are matters which we must be very clear about.
From time to time I receive invitations to join our church with various organisations or events. One such well-meaning invitation was to an event called ‘Arise *****’. We understand that over 5,000 people gathered at ******* Stadium for a time of prayer, worship and so forth. We surely rejoice in one sense, that so many people cared enough about their faith to come together.
This event saw many churches in the area joining together. Surely it is mean-spirited to raise any objection to so many people who seem to long for God’s blessing, gathering together? But that is not the case. In order to foster this ‘unity’, many simple truths of the Word of God are ignored. We see the Roman Catholic church simply accepted as equal to any other church. We see outright liberal denominations given the same courtesy. What foolishness can have seized us if we think that God will be pleased to bless those of his children who are ‘unequally yoked together’ (2 Cor 6) with those who deny the clear teaching of His Word?
Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4
It’s summer time in London. One way to know it is that time of the year is when you see the Arab aristocracy descending into central London and splashing a little money. Okay, a lot of money. This year the Ramadan gold rush has brought Bugatti Verons, Lamborghinis and many other super cars to Oxford street.
Some one asked, ‘Does it mean that the oil reach Arabs are more godly than the rest of us lesser mortals? How is it that they have been given the stuff of which mortal dreams are made of? Well, listen to this…
And delight thyself in Jehovah This delight is set in opposition to the vain and deceitful allurements of the world, which so intoxicate the ungodly, that despising the blessing of God, they dream of no other happiness than what presents itself for the time before their eyes. This contrast between the vain and fickle joys with which the world is deluded, and the true repose enjoyed by the godly, ought to be carefully observed; for whether all things smile upon us, or whether the Lord exercise us with adversities, we ought always to hold fast this principle, that as the Lord is the portion of our inheritance, our lot has fallen in pleasant places, as we have seen in Psalm 16:5, 6. We must therefore constantly recall to our minds this truth, that it can never be well with us except in so far as God is gracious to us, so that the joy we derive from his paternal favor towards us may surpass all the pleasures of the world.
Contrary to urban mythologies spawned by ignorant sooth sayers and idle whisperers Calvinism is not about trends in fashion. It’s actually far from having a high view of man. So, if it’s not about v-neck t-shirts or tight skinny jean pastors, then what is Calvinism about? I am glad you asked. You see…
Calvinism, also known as reformed theology, is a movement within orthodox Protestantism that … adheres to a very high view of scripture and seeks to derive its theological formulations based solely on God’s word. It focuses on God’s sovereignty, stating that God is able and willing by virtue of his omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, to do whatever He desires with His creation. It also maintains that within the Bible are the following teachings: That God, by His sovereign grace predestines people into salvation; that Jesus died only for those predestined; that God regenerates the individual to where he is then able to and wants to choose God; and that it is impossible for those who are redeemed to lose their salvation… …Read More!
I have many times tried to read just a paragraph of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion and made it to only the end of the first sentence to just munch over and over what he meant. I love reading snippets and quotes from his works from time to time. Calvin was an extremely brilliant exegete of the scriptures and his work is still respected to this day. I came across this year plan to go through The Institutes in a year and thought I would just post it. You sure will have learnt a whole lot of Systematic Theology by the time you will have completed. Karl Bart once said:
John Calvin is a cataract, a primeval forest, a demonic power, something directly down from Himalaya, absolutely Chinese, strange, mythological; I lack completely the means, the suction cups, even to assimilate this phenomenon, not to speak of presenting it adequately. What I receive is only a thin little stream and what I can then give out again is only a yet thinner extract of this little stream. I could gladly and profitably set myself down and spend all the rest of my life with just Calvin.
Rightly said there Karl! I guess I too would have loved to listen to him teach through the book of Job or Ephesians.
Finally, to introduce the student to the study of the Scriptures Calvin wrote this following text. This program is no substitute or supplement for regular reading of God’s Word. Rather, the former is designed to serve as a aid to the latter.
Grant, Almighty God, that, since to a perverse, and in every way a rebellious people, thou didst formerly show so much grace, as to exhort them continually to repentance, and to stretch forth thy hand to them by thy Prophets, — O grant, that the same word may sound in our ears; and when we do not immediately profit by thy teaching, O cast us not away, but, by thy Spirit, so subdue all our thoughts and affections, that we, being humbled, may give glory to thy majesty, such as is due to thee, and that, being allured by thy paternal favor, we may submit ourselves to thee, and, at the same time, embrace that mercy which thou offerest and presentest to us in Christ, that we may not doubt but thou wilt be a Father to us, until we shall at length enjoy that eternal inheritance, which has been obtained for us by the, blood of thine only-begotten Son. Amen
Amen!!
Get a free kindle plus ePub or ebook of The Institutes. [ Ps: Amazon has very cheap versions too!]
Many Calvinists grow up in the rich Reformed tradition, but some of us became Calvinists later in life. We began as naive foaming in the mouth Arminians always on the look out for “those rabid Calvinists who worship Calvin” but as we studied the Bible closely became graciously closet Calvinists till we were able to hold our own ground in the Reformed faith. (Disclaimer: Calvinists do not worship John Calvin). I must therefore emphasise this, before we continue that one’s theological stance must always be based on balanced scriptural and doctrinal integrity rather than popular sentimentality or trending fads. I will now gladly introduce you to a new fledgling club. A couple of Wesleyans seem to appreciate Calvin for his theological views as John Starke (The Gospel Coalition) found out as he interviewed Fred Sanders (Patheos)….
John Starke: Recently you had a fun post, “Calvinists Who Love Wesley.” From what I know of you, I’m tempted to call you a “Wesleyan who loves Calvin.” Is that fair? What about the Calvinist and Reformed tradition do you find compelling? Where is it strongest?
Fred Sanders: Definitely sign me up for the “Wesleyans who love Calvin” club. I teach excerpts from The Institutes every year, and I’ve worked through the whole book cover to cover five times (three with students in seminar). There is no better way to learn the craft of theology than to work through The Institutes. Calvin shows his work: he always lets you know what he’s after, what he’s afraid of, and why he’s doing things. He brings you along with him, and requires an active and responsive reader who is willing to make costly decisions all along the way. …Read More!
There is place for missions and aid appeals. However Darren Carlson is looking at a very pertinent issue. The draw backs of short term mission trips and aid initiatives….
I have seen with my own eyes or know of houses in Latin America that have been painted 20 times by 20 different short-term teams; fake orphanages in Uganda erected to get Westerners to give money; internet centers in India whose primary purpose is to ask Westerners for money; children in African countries purposefully mutilated by their parents so they would solicit sympathy while they beg; a New England-style church built by a Western team in Cameroon that is never used except when the team comes to visit; and slums filled with big-screen TVs and cell phone towers.
I have seen or know of teams of grandmothers who go to African countries and hold baby orphans for a week every year but don’t send a dime to help them otherwise; teams who build houses that never get used; teams that bring the best vacation Bible school material for evangelism when the national church can never bring people back to church unless they have the expensive Western material; teams that lead evangelistic crusades claiming commitments to Christ topping 5,000 every year in the same location with the same people attending.
Short-term missions is fraught with problems, and many wish such trips did not exist, at least in the common form today.
Pastor Baitswitch had finally managed to get the right ingredients for his church choir.
But they seemed to have forgotten whom they would be worshipping. 😉
Well, if you are ready and armed with a Bible then here we go with a few easy trivia questions 😉
A: What is the shortest verse in the Old Testament?
B: Where in the Bible do you find a father who had 88 children?
C: Saul was the first king of Israel. Who was the second? (It wasn’t David)
D: Who is the only person in the Old Testament mentioned as being buried in a coffin?
E: How many times does Eve’s name appear in Genesis?
F: Who are the only three angels mentioned in the Bible by name? …More Questions!
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 
Wiersbe on Calvinism
Warren Wiersbe’s Commentaries are such a wealth of Biblical teaching broken down into simple mouth sized chunks that one can nibble on endlessly. Well, okay I really like them. Take for example when it comes to dealing with the doctrine of God’s Unconditional election: