THIS IS MODERN DAY CHRISTIANITY

This video of Rick Warren on Comedy Central needs no comment except to say the real laughing is going on by the enemy of souls.

THE SPECIAL DUTIES OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH TOWARDS GOD

by Richard Baxter

THOUGH I put your duty to your parents first, because it is first learned, yet your duty to God immediately is your greatest and most necessary duty. Learn these following precepts well.

Direct. I. Learn to understand the covenant and vow which in your baptism you made with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, your Creator, Redeemer, and Regenerator: and when you well understand it, renew that covenant with God in your own persons, and absolutely deliver up yourselves to God, as your Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, your Owner, your Ruler, and your Father and felicity. Baptism is not an idle ceremony, but the solemn entering into covenant with God, in which you receive the greatest mercies, and bind yourselves to the greatest duties. It is but the entering into that way which you must walk in all your lives, and avowing that to God which you must be still performing And though your parents had authority to promise for you, it is you that must perform it; for it was you that they obliged. If you ask by what authority they obliged you in covenant to God, I answer, by the authority which God hath given them in nature, and in Scripture; as they oblige you to be subjects of the king, or as they enter your names into any covenant, by lease or other contract, which is for your benefit; and they do it for good, that you may have part in the blessings of the covenant; and if you grudge at it, and refuse your own consent when you come to age, you lose the benefits. If you think they did you wrong, you may be out of covenant when you will, if you will renounce the kingdom of heaven. But it is much wiser to be thankful to God, that your parents were the means of so great a blessing to you, and to do that again more expressly by yourselves which they did for you; and openly with thankfulness to own the covenant in which you are engaged, and live in the performance and in the comforts of it all your days.

Direct. II. Remember that you are entering into the way, to everlasting life, and not into a place of happiness or continuance. Presently therefore set your hearts on heaven, and make it the design of all your lives, to live in heaven with Christ forever. O happy you, if God betimes will thoroughly teach you to know what it is that must make you happy; and if at your first setting out, your end be right, and your faces be heavenward! Remember that as soon as you begin to live, you are hasting towards the end of your lives: even as a candle as soon as it beginneth to burn, and the hour-glass as soon as it is turned, is wasting, and hasting to its end; so as soon as you begin to live, your lives are in a consumption, and posting towards your final hour. As a runner, as soon as he beginneth his race, is hasting to the end of it; so are your lives, even in your youngest time. It is another kind of life that you must live for ever, than this trifling, pitiful, fleshly life. Prepare therefore speedily for that which God sent you hither to prepare for. 0 happy you, if you begin betimes, and go on with cheerful resolution to the end! It is blessed wisdom to be wise betimes, and to know the worth of time in childhood, before any of it be wasted and lost upon the fooleries of the world. Then you may grow wise indeed, and be treasuring up understanding, and growing up in sweet acquaintance with the Lord, when others are going backwards, and daily making work for sad repentance or final desperation. Eccl. 12:1, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, (of all things here below,) I have no pleasure in them."

Direct. III. Remember that you have corrupted natures to be cured, and that Christ is the Physician that must cure them; and the Spirit of Christ must dwell within you, and make you holy, and give you a new heart and nature, which shall love God and heaven above all the honour and pleasures of the world: rest not therefore till you find that you are born anew, and that the Holy Ghost hath made you holy, and quickened your hearts with the love of God, and of your dear Redeemer. [1] The old nature loveth the things of this world, and the pleasures of this flesh; but the new nature loveth the Lord that made you, and redeemed and renewed you, and the endless joys of the world to come, and that holy life which is the way thereto.

Direct. IV. Take heed of loving the pleasures of the flesh, in over-much eating, or drinking, or play. Set not your hearts upon your belly or your sport; let your meat, and sleep, and play be moderate. Meddle not with cards or dice, or any bewitching or riotous sports: play not for money, lest it stir up covetous desires, and tempt you to be over-eager in it, and to lie, and wrangle, and fall out with others. Use neither food or sports which are not for your health; a greedy appetite enticeth children to devour raw fruits, and to rob their neighbours' orchards, and at once to undo both soul and body. And an excessive love of play doth cause them to run among bad companions, and lose their time, and destroy the love of their books, and their duty, and their parents themselves, and all that is good. You must eat, and sleep, and play for health, and not for useless, hurtful pleasure. [2]

Direct. V. Subdue your own wills and desires to the will of God and your superiors, and be not eagerly set upon any thing which God or your parents do deny you. Be not like those self-willed, fleshly children, that are importunate for anything which their fancy or appetite would have, and cry or are discontent if they have it not. Say not that I must have this or that, but be contented with any thing which is the will of God and your superiors. It is the greatest misery and danger in the world, to have all your own wills, and to be given up to your hearts' desire. [3]

Direct. VI. Take heed of a custom of foolish, filthy railing, lying, or any other sinful words. You think it is a small matter, but God thinketh not so; it is not a jesting matter to sin against the God that made you: it is fools that make a sport with sin Prov. 14:9; 10:23; 26:19. One lie, one curse, one oath, one ribald, or railing, or deriding word, is worse than all the pain that ever your flesh endured.

Direct. VII. Take heed of such company and playfellows, as would entice and tempt you to any of these sins, and choose such company as will help you in the fear of God. And if others mock at you, care no more for it, than for the shaking of a leaf, or the barking of a dog. Take heed of lewd and wicked company, as ever you care for the saying of your souls. If you hear them rail, or lie, or swear, or talk filthily, be not ashamed to tell them, that God forbiddeth you to keep company with such as they, Psal. 119:63; Prov. 13:20; 18:7; 1 Cor. 5:12; Eph. 5:11.

Direct. VIII. Take heed of pride and covetousness. Desire not to be fine, nor to get all to yourselves; but be humble, and meek, and love one another, and be as glad that others are pleased as yourselves.

Direct. IX. Love the word of God, and all good books which would make you wiser and better; and read not play-books, nor tale-books, nor love-books, nor any idle stories. When idle children are at play and fooleries, let it be your pleasure to read and learn the mysteries of your salvation.

Direct. X. Remember that you keep holy the Lord's day. Spend not any of it in play or idleness: reverence the ministers of Christ, and mark what they teach you, and remember it is a message from God about the saying of your souls. Ask your parents when you come home, to help your understandings and memories in any thing which you understood not or forgot. Love all the holy exercises of the Lord's day, and let them be pleasanter to you than your meat or play.

Direct. XI. Be as careful to practice all, as to hear and read it. Remember all is but to make you holy, to love God, and obey him: take heed of sinning against your knowledge, and against the warnings that are given you.

Direct. XII. When you grow up, by the direction of your parents choose such a trade or calling, as alloweth you the greatest helps for heaven, and hath the fewest hinderances, and in which you may be most serviceable to God before you die. If you will but practice these few directions, (which your own hearts must say have no harm in any of them,) what happy persons will you be forever!

[1] 2 Cor. v. 17; Rom. 8:9, 13; John 3:3, 5, 6.
[2] 1 Cor. 10:31.
[3] Psal. 81:10-12.

Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism

Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism was held November 26-28, 2007, hosted by Lifeway and jointly sponsored by Founders Minstries and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Get the audio here.

Protevangelium of James

IMPORTANT DEBATE SCHEDULED!

Dr. James White will be debating Dr. Bart Ehrman. You can read about the debate at this link:
Debate

Why do I think this debate is important? Dr. Ehrman has written a number of books that attack the trustworthiness of the scriptures. These books are quoted by Muslims and Atheist when they attack Christianity. Since he is quoted by many who are against Christianity then it is important Christians are knowledgeable about who Dr. Ehrman is and with his writings. We also need to be equipped to answer his criticisms. Dr. White is a great debater and will provide Christians with a great resource once the debate DVD is available.

I would like to provide links to informatioan bout Dr. Ehrman:

Here are three links to the Issues ETC program in which they covered Dr. Ehrman's writings.

1
2
3

Here is a link to a NPR program about Ehrmans's writings:
This program is not from a christian point of view

Religion: Bart Ehrman's 'Misquoting Jesus'
Dec-14-2005, Fresh Air from WHYY
...and intention -- changed the Bible. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why is the result of years of reading the texts in their original languages. Ehrman...

Search from the Book of the Lord

by Thomas Boston


Several things are implied in Isaiah 34:16, "Search from the book of the Lord, and read:"

1. That man has lost his way, and needs direction to find it, Psalm 119:176, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant." Miserable man has blurred vision in a directionless world, which is a dark place, and has as much need of the scriptures to guide him, as one has of a light in darkness, 2 Pet. 1:19. What a miserable case is that part of the world in that lacks the Bible? They are vain in their imaginations, and grope in the dark, but cannot find the way of salvation. In no better case are those to whom it has not come in power.

2. That man is in danger of being led farther and farther wrong. This made the spouse say, "Tell me, O you whom I love, Where you feed your flock, Where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself By the flocks of your companions?" Song 1:7. There is a cunning devil, a wicked world, corrupt lusts within one's own breast, to lead him out of the right way, that we had need to let go of, and take this guide. There are many false lights in the world, which, if followed, will lead the traveller into a mire, and leave him there.

3. That men are slow of heart to understand the mind of God in his word. It will cost searching diligently before we can take it up, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me," John 5:39.
Our eyes are dim to the things of God, our understanding dull, and our judgment is weak. And therefore, because the iron is blunt, we must put too the more strength. We lost the sharpness of our sight in spiritual things in Adam; and our corrupt wills and carnal affections, that favour not the things of God, do blind our judgments even more: and therefore it is a labour to us to find out what is necessary for our salvation.

4. That the book of the Lord has its difficulties, which are not to be easily solved. Therefore the Psalmist prays, "Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law," Psalm 119:18.
Philip asked the eunuch, "Do you understand what you are reading?" and he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" There are depths there in which an elephant may swim, and will exercise the largest capabilities, with all the expertise they may be possessed of. God in his holy providence has so ordered it, to stain the pride of all glory; to make his word the more like himself, whom none can search out to perfection, and to sharpen the diligence of his people in their inquiries into it.

5. That yet we need highly to understand it, otherwise we would not be commanded to search into it. "Of the times and seasons," says the apostle, "you have no need that I write to you;" and therefore he wrote not of them. There is a treasure in this field; we are called to dig for it; for though it be hid, yet we must have it, or we will waste away in our spiritual poverty.

6. That we may gain from it by diligent inquiry. The holy humble heart will not be always sent empty away from these wells of salvation, when it undertakes itself to draw. There are shallow places in these waters of the sanctuary, where lambs may wade.

Praise for the Incarnation

by John Newton



Sweeter sounds than music knows
Charm me in Immanuel's name;
All her hopes my spirit owes
To his birth, and cross, and shame.

When he came, the angels sung,
"Glory be to God on high;
" Lord, unloose my stamm'ring tongue,
Who should louder sing than I?


Did the Lord a man become,
That he might the law fulfil,
Bleed and suffer in my room,
And canst thou, my tongue, be still?


No, I must my praises bring,
Though they worthless are and weak;
For should I refuse to sing,
Sure the very stones would speak.


O my Saviour, Shield, and Sun,
Shepherd, Brother, Husband, Friend,
Ev'ry precious name in one,
I will love thee without end.

The Ten Marks of a Flesh-Pleaser

by Richard Baxter

The signs of a flesh-pleaser or sensualist are these:


1. When a man in his desire to please his appetite, does not do it with a view to a higher end, that is to say to the preparing himself for the service of God; but does it only for the delight itself. (Of course no one does every action conciously with a view to the service of God. Nevertheless, the general manner or habit of a life spent in the service of God is absent for the flesh-pleaser.)

2. When he looks more eagerly and industriously after the prosperity of his body than of his soul.
3. When he will not refrain from his pleasures, when God forbids them, or when they hurt his soul, or when the necessities of his soul call him away from them. But he must have his delight whatever it costs him, and is so set upon it, that he cannot deny it to himself.

4. When the pleasures of his flesh exceed his delights in God, and his holy word and ways, and the expectations of endless pleasure. And this not only in the passion, but in the estimation, choice, and action. When he had rather be at a play, or feast, or other entertainment, or getting good bargains or profits in the world, than to live in the life of faith and love, which would be a holy and heavenly way of living.

5. When men set their minds to scheme and study to make provision for the pleasures of the flesh; and this is first and sweetest in their thoughts.

6. When they had rather talk, or hear, or read of fleshly pleasures, than of spiritual and heavenly delights.

7. When they love the company of merry sensualists, better than the communion of saints, in which they may be exercised in the praises of their Maker.

8. When they consider that the best place to live and work is where they have the pleasure of the flesh. They would rather be where they have things easy, and lack nothing for the body, rather than where they have far better help and provision for the soul, though the flesh be pinched for it.

9. When he will be more eager to spend money to please his flesh than to please God.

10. When he will believe or like no doctrine but "easy-believism," and hate mortification as too strict "legalism." By these, and similar signs, sensuality may easily be known; indeed, by the main bent of the life.

KJV ONLYISM

A few days ago I posted an article about a sermon series on KJV Onlyism. Here is the link to the original article :
KJV

Pastor Harold Chase who preached the series has graciously agreed to interact with our comments and questions about the series. I believe this will be beneficial to all the readers.

Jin Leavenworth who is one of the contriobutiors to the blog has been listening to the series and has written his first houghts. Here they are:

Wow! This is going to be the exact series that I've been needing. Ihave been truly looking for a good, studious work on the subject devoidof any preconceived notions, half truths, and especially venom and"striving."

Great discussion in the first lesson on the intro totextual criticism! Challenging to say the least. I can see a kindredjourney of spiritual growth that the Lord has me on and that you'vealready taken. I too am tired of "Fundamentalism's" attitude. Truthwith the wrong attitude is useless. I too still hold to the KJV andwould, at this point, label myself as "TR Only" and not KJV-only...thefirst lesson really sparked my interest and I'm looking forward to youshowing how you believe the KJV to NOT be solely based on the TR (forthe NT) as I've always been taught.

I think I'd also (on the side) like to see how you came to theconclusion that Baptists (or should I really say true NT churches) areprotestant and came through the dark ages from within the R. Catholicchurch. This isn't what I've always believed but I'm open to your inputon why you hold that position.

I know not all Anabaptists held to trueNT beliefs and that some were heretics...but wouldn't the churcheswithin the Catholic church also be held to the same criticism. Mybelief is that the Lord has always had a believing remnant of local NTchurches (with and w/o the name "Baptist") on them (Matt 28- Lo I amwith you always) and that they existed in hiding mainly through that dark period of the Dark Ages...there is truly not much history writtenon them, and much of what was written was predominately written by theopposition (R. Catholics).

It's hard to write on the run! Keep the faith, keep serving the Lord and thanks for the great series- Iam very much enjoying it, expecting to learn and I'm definitely willingto change and mature in my faith and service to our wonderful Lord. Allfor His glory!

Bro Jim Leavenworth
Victory Baptist Church

The Knowledge of God

Here is one of my favorite selections from Calvin's Institutes Of The Christian Religion.

CHAPTER 1

The Knowledge of God And Of Ourselves Mutually Connected; Nature Of The Connection
Sections.

1. The sum of true wisdom--viz. the knowledge of God and of ourselves. Effects of the latter.
2. Effects of the knowledge of God, in humbling our pride, unveiling our hypocrisy, demonstrating the absolute perfections of God, and our own utter helplessness.
3. Effects of the knowledge of God illustrated by the examples,
1. of holy patriarchs;
2. of holy angels;
3. of the sun and moon.

1. Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other.

For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone.

In the second place, those blessings which unceasingly distil to us from heaven, are like streams conducting us to the fountain. Here, again, the infinitude of good which resides in God becomes more apparent from our poverty. In particular, the miserable ruin into which the revolt of the first man has plunged us, compels us to turn our eyes upwards; not only that while hungry and famishing we may thence ask what we want, but being aroused by fear may learn humility.

For as there exists in man something like a world of misery, and ever since we were stript of the divine attire our naked shame discloses an immense series of disgraceful properties every man, being stung by the consciousness of his own unhappiness, in this way necessarily obtains at least some knowledge of God.

Thus, our feeling of ignorance, vanity, want, weakness, in short, depravity and corruption, reminds us (see Calvin on John 4:10), that in the Lord, and none but He, dwell the true light of wisdom, solid virtue, exuberant goodness. We are accordingly urged by our own evil things to consider the good things of God; and, indeed, we cannot aspire to Him in earnest until we have begun to be displeased with ourselves.

For what man is not disposed to rest in himself? Who, in fact, does not thus rest, so long as he is unknown to himself; that is, so long as he is contented with his own endowments, and unconscious or unmindful of his misery? Every person, therefore, on coming to the knowledge of himself, is not only urged to seek God, but is also led as by the hand to find him.

2. On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity.

Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also --He being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree less defiled delights us as if it were most pure just as an eye, to which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly white.

Nay, the bodily sense may furnish a still stronger illustration of the extent to which we are deluded in estimating the powers of the mind. If, at mid-day, we either look down to the ground, or on the surrounding objects which lie open to our view, we think ourselves endued with a very strong and piercing eyesight; but when we look up to the sun, and gaze at it unveiled, the sight which did excellently well for the earth is instantly so dazzled and confounded by the refulgence, as to oblige us to confess that our acuteness in discerning terrestrial objects is mere dimness when applied to the sun.

Thus too, it happens in estimating our spiritual qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity.

3. Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates, holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God. When we see those who previously stood firm and secure so quaking with terror, that the fear of death takes hold of them, nay, they are, in a manner, swallowed up and annihilated, the inference to be drawn is that men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.

Frequent examples of this consternation occur both in the Book of Judges and the Prophetical Writings;[49] so much so, that it was a common expression among the people of God, "We shall die, for we have seen the Lord." Hence the Book of Job, also, in humbling men under a conviction of their folly, feebleness, and pollution, always derives its chief argument from descriptions of the Divine wisdom, virtue, and purity. Nor without cause: for we see Abraham the readier to acknowledge himself but dust and ashes the nearer he approaches to behold the glory of the Lord, and Elijah unable to wait with unveiled face for His approach; so dreadful is the sight. And what can man do, man who is but rottenness and a worm, when even the Cherubim themselves must veil their faces in very terror? To this, undoubtedly, the Prophet Isaiah refers, when he says (Isaiah 24:23), "The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign;" i.e., when he shall exhibit his refulgence, and give a nearer view of it, the brightest objects will, in comparison, be covered with darkness.

But though the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves are bound together by a mutual tie, due arrangement requires that we treat of the former in the first place, and then descend to the latter.

Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

Good morning everyone

It is Saturday and I am spending the day preparing my sermons for tomorrow. As is my usual practice I check out sermonaudio to see what is going on. Today I found two things I think everyone should know about:

1. Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. They have created a sermonbaudio page! No sermons have been added as of yet but I would encourage everyone to keep checking their page until they add some sermons. Here is the link:
Seminary

2. Something new for your I-Pod: I sent an e-mail the other day to sermonaudio and suggested they make it easier to subscribe to the sermons of entire denomination or group of churches. They listened and have made it so simple.

Here is the announcement they posted on the sermonaudio site:
New! Podcast By MINI or Denomination! You can now podcast sermons by entire MINI groups, church groups, or denominations. Simply select any MINI or denomination group and click on the orange podcast button!

For example: You want to hear all of the reformed baptist sermons each week. You simply go to the reformed baptist page at this link: Reformed

One you are there look for this:



You will then simply click it and you will see
Select Podcast Format Help
• XML Podcast Feed (RSS)
• Apple iPod+iTunes
• Microsoft Zune

If you are using an ipod simple choose the apple ipod+itunes option.
i-tunes will open and you will be subscribed. Every time a new sermon is posted by a reformed baptist church the sermon will automatically be available to you in your i-tunes library.

If anyone needs help doing this please let me know and I can help.


Have a great day and remember to ensure you spend some time preparing for the Lord's Day:

I always tell people to make sure you:
1. Have your clothes ready for tomorrow so you don't have to scramble around in the morning looking for a sock or a tie :)

2. Make sure you have bibles and any other thing you need to take to Church ready.

3. Get plenty of sleep. Going to church tired usually means you will not get much out of it.

4. Pray: Pray for your Pastor and all who will attend the service. Pray God will bless the preaching of his word.

5. Confess: Spend sometime before God confession any sin that could effect your time in church.

6. Be excited. We should always go to church with a joyful heart that we get the opportunity to attend the house of God and be with God's people.

Have a great day and a blessed Lord's Day

TD Jakes and Joel Osteen

THE CHURCH OF YODA

The following is from NPR.

Daniel Jones noticed, as did many other people, that more than 390,000 people across England and Wales had claimed "Jedi" as their religion on the U.K.'s 2001 census. An Internet campaign may have driven up those numbers, but the results held a deeper meaning for Daniel and his brother Barney. That census report became their impetus to start the U.K. Church of the Jedi.

Daniel took on the name Master Morda Hehol and opened the main chapter in Anglesey, Wales, where he lives. Another is open in Surrey, England, and they've had calls from would-be Jedis in Washington and Colorado, people hoping to open chapters stateside. It's no joke to Daniel, who was atheist before adopting Jediism.

"We don't have a deity, we have the Force," says Daniel. "It's more like self-belief. If you believe in yourself, and you manipulate the Force, you can achieve great things."

Services have been held in his backyard garden, with plans to move to a building soon.

"The first part of the sermons we do 'Theory of the Force.'" The group then moves on to classes. "It may be lightsaber training, one month. The next month it may be technology and mind control."

Yes, that includes Jedi Mind Tricks.

You can listen to an audio report on this story at this link: Yoda

THE ADVENTURES OF A BI-VOCATIONAL PASTOR

This post will be edited throughout the night. I hope to have all the errors removed sometime tomorrow. In the mean time just enjoy reading about my night but please ignore the punctuation errors for now :)

Being a pastor is a difficult job being a bi vocational pastor is an adventure! Well not really but being a bi vocational pastor is a very unique experience with many difficulties attached.

You have been to school you have planned and dreamed of the day you would be a pastor. The day finally arrives you are now a pastor however something else happens that you did not plan on, you still have to keep a full time job to support your family.

So now in reality you have 2 full time jobs. By day you are just another worker they may know you are a pastor but they think things like, if he was a good pastor he wouldn't be working here! They see your ministry as more of a hobby for you and not a real job. At church you are called pastor and they don't really think about the fact that you have another job.

They expect you to be prepared when you preach and to be there when they need you. In some ways the bi-vocational pastor finds themselves in a frustrating place. They see themselves as Pastor but they spend over 40 hours a week with people who don;t see them that way. They ask week after week, "hey, what are you doing this weekend?" You have told them a thousand times that you will be preparing for your sermons but they never seem to understand.

Many times they ask you what are you going to do when you leave this job and you will tell them again that you are a pastor and that is what you are going to be doing but they never seem to get it! Back at the church people seem to completely forget that you have spend 40 hours during the week doing your other job. You still have to prepare the sermons, Sunday school lessons etc.

Many forget that you have a family that you have to at least say hi to sometimes! I am writing all of this because of where I am right now. My other job has required of me this week to work from 4:00pm Thursday until 7:00am Friday. My job basically is to answer phones and ensure patients medical needs are properly addressed. I am by myself in a room with a phone, TV, security camera monitors.

I have brought with me a very large back of books, my I-Pod loaded with sermons and news programs and of course a lot of food! So for the next 15 hours I am going to share with the readers of the Preaching Today blog what happens through the night. Because I am a bi-vocational pastor I have some things I must do. Prepare for my sermon Sunday morning. I am preaching on 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. I also need to prepare for the Sunday School lesson. I am teaching through the Puritan Catechism and we are on the section dealing with the attributes of God. I also need to prepare for the Sunday night sermon. I will be preaching on Zechariah 13. So there is a upside for working this shift tonight, I have more time to study then I usually have.

The downside is trying to stay awake and then tomorrow trying to revert back to a day schedule so I can be ready to preach Sunday morning!

I have the weather channel on the T.V. keeping up with the winter storm that is moving into the area. They are expecting freezing rain overnight into the morning. If this happens I will be responsible for ensuring all the employees are called if the leadership decides to delay the report time tomorrow.

On my I-Pod I just listened to the latest news from Africa. It is a podcast by the BBC. I have always been interested in the country of Africa and this way I can hear the latest news everyday.

The key story that has been the focus of many programs the last few week is the crisis in Kenya. I have been posting information about the situation of the Worldview blog. You can read the article at this link: http://www.worldvieww.blogspot.com/


Next on my I-Pod I listened to world news from the BBC.

One major story was about the wall being built on the border between Mexico and the United States.

Another story that was featured was:
Social networking websites could be "romanticising" suicide, an MP claims after the deaths of seven young people from her area in the past year.
You can read the story at this link: Suicide


Going to take a break and eat.

I am back, it is 7:19pm I have a little over 11 hours to go!

Next up on my I-Pod is the White Horse Inn. The title of the program is, Christless Christianity!
Here is the description on the program:
Christless Christianity Countless sermons in churches across the country focus on moralistic concerns and personal transformation. But has Christ gotten lost in the shuffle? Have we inverted Paul's warnings by intentionally preaching ourselves, and not Christ crucified? On this edition of the White Horse Inn, the hosts introduce the new theme for 2008: Christless Christianity!

Here is a link to an article about the same subject: Christless

It is 7:54pm and the bad news is that I already feel tired! I did not sleep in today so it is going to be a long night. As I am listening to the White Horse Inn I am looking at the 1 Corinthians text for Sunday. The good news is that for the most part it is a simple text and I should not have much difficulty in getting it ready. The struggle is going to be tomorrow. When I get off work it will be 7:00am and I am going to feel like I am ready to die. If I go home and sleep to long then tomorrow night I will not want to sleep so then I will be messed up come Saturday!


The White Horse Inn program is over and everyone should take the time to listen.

Next up on my I-Pod is a chapel message from Baptist Bible College.

The text is John 9:4

The speaker states that the verse is about time management.

He has three points:

1. You have to accept your identity: We have to understand that we are the Lord's we are not our own. We have a calling on our life.
2. You must accept responsibility.
3. We have to seize opportunity.


Many stories in the sermon but one thing seriously missing! There is not real teaching about the text. For example:

What is the context?

How does verse 4 connect with the context?

Does the use of terms like, day and night have significance considering the context is Jesus healing a person who is born blind?

no answers were even hinted at for these kinds of questions.

Some of the points may have been good application for the text but the text was never truly taught or interpreted!

The sermon was all about us and Jesus in a sense was forgotten even though the verse was about Jesus!

It is now 8:40pm and I still have many hours to go!

As I sit here I am thinking about just how amazing I-Pods are. I can sit here all night and listen to sermons and programs from all over the world. Christians should use this technology for their own spiritual growth and churches should ensure people can obtain their sermons with an I-Pod.

I just went outside and wow, it is cold!

Still listening to the message from Baptist Bible College. It is just so sad that this is being preached at a Bible college and when this sermon is over I will have not really learned anything about the bible! In fact I will have learned very little about the text! Yes he makes some very good points but why can't pastors expound the Scriptures and then add points of application at the end?

We have the typical closing story at the end. It is a sad story about a gentleman who died on September 11, 2001. The man is Todd Beamer who was on flight 93.

Sermon over and I know no more about John 9 then I did before I listened to the sermon.

It is now 9:00pm I have 10 hours left!


Next up on my I-Pod is the, Orthodixe podcast. I have been saying for the past year that the Greek Orthodox church is growing and that most Christians have no idea what they believe or teach. So I have been listening to Orthodox podcast for 2 years to ensure I can offer and intelligent opinion and engage in a meaningful conversation about the subject.

Here is the link to the blog that is connected to the podcast:
http://southern-orthodoxy.blogspot.com/

The podcast was hilarious! You can listen to it yourself at this link:
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/orthodixie


Next up on my I-Pod more Eastern Orthodox podcasts: The Illumined Heart Podcast.
The subject is one that should keep me on the edge of my seat :)
St. John Chrysostom on Marriage and Monasticism.

You to can share in the excitement and listen to the program at this link:
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/P32/

I took a break from the podcast called Jim Leavenworth one of the contributors to this blog. I then ate a apple Cinnamon role! Lots of sugar and I drank a coke lots of caffeine, not very healthy but I feel more awake for now.

Back to the podcast. It is 10:34PM I am still listening to the Illumined Heart podcast. It is a very interesting conversation with a lot of information about church history.

It is 11:23pm the podcast has ended. Next up on my I-Pod more Greek Orthodox podcast. The Illumined Heart podcast on the subject of God: Essence and Energies.

The program is going to deal with Greek philosophy. The program brings to light the idea that in Christianity we believe that God is:

1. Transcendent: This means God is outside of his creation

2. Omnipresent. God is present everywhere at the same time.

These are both true yet seem to be in conflict.

We have a transcendent God who is yet present everywhere.

While listening I checked out Theopedia.com and did a search and found this:

Transcendence of God
From Theopedia

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV)
The transcendence of God is closely related to his sovereignty. It means that God is above, other than, and distinct from all he has made - he transcends it all. Paul says that there is "one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:6). Scripture says elsewhere, "For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods (Psalms 97:9; cf. 108:5).

To affirm God's transcendence and deny his immanence is to arrive at deism. To deny his transcendence and affirm his immanence is to arrive at pantheism.

It is now 12:40am. I have taken some time to walk around and basically try to wake myself up.

It is now 1:10am I have turned on Redeemer Broadcasting, it is a Christian radio network committed to the historic Christian faith. We serve our listeners on both FM radio and internet streaming. Redeemer programming is heard on WFSO Olivebridge 88.3 FM, in areas west of Kingston, NY. The signal is further repeated via translators on 105.3 FM in Kingston, Rhinebeck and Poughkeepsie, NY; and on 90.7 FM in Jefferson Heights and Catskill, NY. We offer fine sacred music, Christian teaching, sermons, news, helps for the family, home schooling helps, and engaging interviews.
Redeemer is committed to historical Biblical Christianity. We seek to be thoroughly Biblical, comprehensively catholic, and true to the Reformation faith. We affirm the historic faith as presented in the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, and in the great statements of the Reformation such as the Canons of Dordt, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Belgic and Westminster Confession and Catechism.

You can listen to them via the Internet at this link: http://www.redeemerbroadcasting.org/

It is 5:40am. The last couple of hours has been rough. I stopped listening to anything and walked around. When I get home I am going to be so tired. I did not get to study as much I hoped. I have a lot to do before Sunday

KJV ONLYISM

Tonight I have to work from 4:00pm until 7:am! To get ready for this pleasant experience, I stayed up most of the night so I could sleep some today. During the night, I was listening to sermons on my Ipod when I came across a sermon dealing with the KJV and the NKJV.

Most of my formal training for ministry has occurred at KJV only schools. I have attended KJV only churches in the past as well.

Over time I have moved away from such a strong KJV only position. So the sermon last night was very interesting, since it became apparent that the church and the pastor at one time were KJV only supporters but over time have changed their position.

The sermon was part of a very large series. What I want to do today is to point everyone to some of the specific sermons in the series and then provide a link to the entire series.

The sermon series is from Minnesota Valley Baptist Church. Here is a description of the church:

MVBC is a Baptist church preaching the sovereign grace of God in salvation, holding firmly to the doctrines of grace commonly known as Calvinism. The Lord has been very gracious to MVBC, having formerly embraced Arminianism, quick prayerism, antinomianism, and a gospel of lasciviousness that rejects the necessity of the Lordship of Christ in salvation. The Lord brought MVBC to understand the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, the total depravity and inability of man, being dead in trespasses and sins, and the necessity of regeneration to see or enter the kingdom of God, understanding that regeneration must precede repentance and faith. God in His grace caused MVBC to see the unity of the work of the Godhead in His unconditional election before the foundation of the world, the irresistible grace and effectual call of the Godhead, and the limited atonement and particular redemption of God’s elect which actually accomplished the redemption of His people.

Here is a link to the churches web-site: MVBC

Here are some of the sermons in the series:

Historical Background of Onlyism Before the KJV Debate

Historical Background of Onlyism Fueling the KJV Debate

Translations And Their Underlying Texts

Erasmus' Textual Work

English & Greek Translations That Impacted The KJV

King James And His Translators

KJV Marginal Notes, Questionable Words, Constant Changes, Revision of the KJV,...

The Historical Rise Of King James Onlyism & The Historical Rise Of The Majority...

An Overview Of The New King James Version Translation #1

An Overview Of The New King James Version Translation #2

I would challenge everyone at Victory Baptist Church to take the time to listen carefully and take notes. Most of the men who are contributers to the Preaching Today blog also came from KJV only backgrounds. I would challenge them to listen as well and post comments and thoughts about the sermon series. I am going to contact the pastor who preached the sermon and let him know about the article. I hope he will be willing to interact with any questions anyone may have.

Here is the link to the entire series:

KJV

Joel Osteen: A Case Study in American Religion

The White Horse Inn is one of my favorite things to listen to. The latest program is one that no one should miss!

Joel Osteen: A Case Study in American ReligionWhy is Joel Osteen so popular? Is he a faithful representative of the Christian Faith, or is his message more about self-help and personal motivation? On this edition of the White Horse Inn, the hosts will examine the theology of this bestselling author as they continue their series "Christless Christianity."

To listen follow this link: Osteen

Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

As Christians we need to be aware of what people are reading and how it could possible impact the church. Today I want to let everyone know about a book that is growing in popularity and in it's impact on the church.



















I found the following news story about the book. Please read the story carefully and think about how the message of this book may impact the church:

Here is the link:
Unknown Christian author’s book skyrockets to best-seller list

THE LION IN WINTER

Today I listened to the Back to God Hour on my I-Pod. The program was very interesting and I recommend everyone take the time to listen.

Here was some of the scripture passages: : I Peter 5:8; I John 3:8; Revelation 5:5-6

Listen to audio version

Blog of the Day Award

The Preaching Today blog just won the Blog of the Day Award!

Here is the link: Award

Blog of the Day Awards offers the best selection of weblogs and famous blogs on a variety of topics. Selection of Best Blogs of the Day is usually done a few days ahead of time based on nominations up to that point. Criteria include content, quality, creativity, and the personal opinion of the judges. Judges grant up to four awards each day in recognition of outstanding nominees who are recommended by visitors to the site and by a panel of judges who bestow the honor of a Daily Blog Award upon the recipients. Being named a Blog of the Day Awards Winner can be the crowning achievement of a lifetime of work or it can be the beginning of a new chapter in the life of a blogger. Presentation of these awards can bring acclaim and notoriety beyond their wildest imaginings. The accolades and praise heaped upon winners of these prestigious awards can be best described as fabulous and the stuff of legends. We don't care what blog hosting platform your weblog is hosted on. We want the best blogspot blogs, the best wordpress blogs, the best typepad blogs and so forth. If you know a weblog that should be nominated for these Daily Weblog Awards or if your own blog seems to be a likely candidate for the prize, nominate it by submitting a comment to the most recent award post.

The Lost Archive

I was just given the link to the following story.


The Lost Archive
Missing for a half century, a cache of photosspurs sensitive research on Islam's holy text
By ANDREW HIGGINS
January 12, 2008; Page A1

Koran under critical scrutiny

The following was found at the World Blog:

Koran under critical scrutiny

Textual criticism — the discipline of scouring ancient manuscripts for error — may be coming to the Koran, thanks to the discovery of some 450 rolls of film in Germany that capture the evolution of Islam’s ancient holy book over time. (The scholar in charge of them, now dead, apparently lied and said they were destroyed during a bombing raid in World War II.) The Wall Street Journal reports here that the discovery team’s research director says it could lead to the first “critical edition” of the Koran, putting it under harsh lights long reserved for the Bible.

To read the rest of the article follow this link: Koran

Spiritual Morphine

Today I came across an interesting article in the latest edition of the Touchstone Magazine. The article is entitled,

Spiritual Morphine
The Delusory Hope of Dying on Your Own Terms
by Kristina Robb Dover


I do not agree with everything in the article however I believe it will give everyone many things to think about and ponder. As always I welcome your comments.

Here is the link to the article: morphine

IS THIS TO EXTREME?

Please take the time to listen to the following sermon:

Negligent Attitudes Toward the Lord's Day

It was preached at First Baptist Church in Parker, TX

In the first 5 minutes of the sermon the pastor speaks about an issue that he feels is worthy of Church Discipline. My questions to everyone is simple, Do you agree with their position or do you think it is to extreme? Please post your comments.

Here is the link to the sermon:

Lord's Day

SCIENCE VIDEOS

Answer in Genesis has made some great videos available online:

Here are the links to the latest series:

Did Neanderthals and Modern Humans Share a Common Gene Pool? part 1

Did Neanderthals and Modern Humans Share a Common Gene Pool? part 2—

Did Neanderthals and Modern Humans Share a Common Gene Pool? part 3—

Need Something To Listen To?

The following post was found at aomin.org

In the New York area, only one radio show dares to address relevant topics important to Christians. Chris Arnzen's Iron Sharpens Iron is a live daily broadcast featuring a variety of topics, guests and controversial issues.

For those you with basic questions about Calvinism, a recent show featured a Pastor's roundtable discussing the basics.

For those of you beyond the basics, Chris interviewed Dr. Joel Beeke on a program entitled, "Meet The Puritans."

For those of you worried about Armageddon in the Middle East, Chris interviewed Gary DeMar on the theme of his controversial book Last Days Madness.

For those of you though simply trying to live each day of your life to the glory of God, Chris presented a show entitled Christians in the workplace striking a balance.

I didn't believe it till I heard these interviews, but there are still followers of Sun Myung Moon (the "Moonies") around. Chris presented two shows discussing the recent activities of the Moonies. Of particular importance are their new methods of infiltrating evangelical Christianity virtually undetected. Part one had a few Moonies call in, Part two can be found here.

Remember Evangelicals and Catholics together? Hold on, now get set for Evangelicals and Muslims together! A document was recently created and signed by a number of Muslim clerics, scholars and intellectuals entitled "A Common Word Between Us And You." A subsequent document was created and signed by a number of noteworthy Evangelical Christians titled: "Loving God & Neighbor Together." Chris devoted two programs to address this "unity" between Muslims and Christians.
In the first program, Chris and Steve Camp discussed, ""Peace At Any Price: Ecumenism Gone Mad." In the second program, Chris interviewed David Wood (contributor to Answering Islam).

Islam’s New Tactic

I received the following e-mail and I think it contains some very important information:

Dear friends,

Richard Bennett is my friend, in agreement with the 1689 LBCF and a former
Roman Catholic priest. His materials are well-researched and reliable,
addressing important issues fearlessly and faithfully.

This latest is a shocking expose of "Christian leaders" compromising with Islam, and even
asking forgiveness of Allah (!), including Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, and
many others. I encourage you to be aware of this widespread apostasy from
biblical Christianity in our day.

http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles_pdf/IslamsTactics.pdf



Yours in the gospel,

D. Scott Meadows, Pastor

JOEL OSTEEN

This past Thursday, Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, devoted an edition of his daily radio program to examining the teaching of Joel Osteen. [You can listen to the program HERE.

THE LOST TOMB OF JESUS PART 2!

How shocking! The Talpiot Tomb theory is back in the news at the beginning of the Easter season! Who would have guessed

A Two-Fold Apologetic Procedure

I am currently taking the Foundations in Creation Apologetics course. It is offered through Answer In Genesis. Here is the link to the courses they offer: Education

Here is a section from my reading assignment

Taken from Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen

Chapter 14: A Two-Fold Apologetic Procedure

“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
Paul could stake his apologetic for Christian faith on this set of rhetorical
questions (1 Cor. 1:20), knowing that the word of the cross destroys the world’s
wisdom and brings its discernment to nothing (v. 19). The unregenerate heart,
with its darkened mind, evaluates the gospel as weakness and folly (vv. 18, 23),
but in actual fact it expresses God’s saving power and true wisdom (vv. 18, 21,
24).

What the world calls “foolish” is in reality wisdom. Conversely, what the world
deems “wise” is actually foolish. The unbeliever has his standards all turned
around, and thus he mocks the Christian faith or views it as intellectually
dishonorable. But Paul knew that God could unmask the arrogance of unbelief
and display its pitiable pretense of knowledge: “the foolishness of God is wiser
than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (v. 25). Although the
unbeliever sees the Christian faith as foolish and weak, that faith has the strength
and intellectual response to expose “worldly wisdom” for what it truly is: utter
foolishness. God has chosen the (so called) foolish things of the world in order
that He might put to shame those who boast of their (so called) wisdom (v. 27).
In the face of God’s revelation the unbeliever is “without an apologetic” (cf. Rom.
1:20, in the Greek). His intellectual position has no worthwhile credentials in the
long run. When he comes up against the intellectual challenge of the gospel as
Paul would present it, the unregenerate is left with no place to stand. The
outcome of the encounter is summarily expressed by Paul when he declares,
“Where is the wise? Where is the disputer of this world?” The fact is that God
makes foolish the wisdom of this world, and thus the genuinely wise unbeliever is
not to be found. The man who can adequately debate and defend the outlook of
this world (i.e., unbelief) has never lived. Rejection of the Christian faith cannot
be justified, and the intellectual position of the unbeliever cannot be genuinely
defended in the world of thought. The Spiritual weapons of the Christian
apologist are mighty before God unto the casting down of every high imagination
that is exalted against the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:4–5). The unbeliever, as
we saw in the last study, is a fool in the scriptural perspective, and as such his
position amounts to a hatred of knowledge (Prov. 1:22, 29); his intellectual attack
on the gospel stems from “knowledge” which is falsely so called (1 Tim. 6:20).
The apologist should aim to put this pretense of knowledge (which is, at base, a
hatred of knowledge) to shame; he should manifest the foolishness of this world’s
“wisdom.” This calls for much more than a piecemeal attempt to adduce vague
probabilities of isolated evidences for the reasonableness of Christianity. It
requires, instead, the full scale demonstration of the unreasonableness of anti-
Christianity in contrast to the certainty of truth to be found in God’s word. Dr. Van
Til writes:

The struggle between Christian theism and its opponents covers the
whole field of knowledge… Christian theism’s fundamental contention is
just this, that nothing whatsoever can be known unless God can be and is
known… The important thing to note is the fundamental difference
between theism and antitheism on the question of epistemology. There is
not a spot in heaven or on earth about which there is no dispute between
the two opposing parties (A Survey of Christian Epistemology, den Dulk
Christian Foundation, 1969, p.116).

The method of reasoning by presupposition may be said to be indirect
rather than direct. The issue between believers and non-believers in
Christian theism cannot be settled by a direct appeal to “facts” or “laws”
whose nature and significance is already agreed upon by both parties to
the debate… The Christian apologist must place himself upon the position
of his opponent, assuming the correctness of his method merely for
argument’s sake, in order to show him that on such a position the “facts”
are not facts and the “laws” are not laws. He must also ask the non-
Christian to place himself upon the Christian position for argument’s sake
in order that he may be shown that only upon such a basis do “facts” and
“laws” appear intelligible…

Therefore the claim must be made that Christianity alone is reasonable for
men to hold. And it is utterly reasonable. It is wholly irrational to hold to
any other position than that of Christianity. Christianity alone does not
crucify reason itself… The best, the only, the absolutely certain proof of
the truth of Christianity is that unless its truth be presupposed there is no
proof of anything. Christianity is proved as being the very foundation of the
idea of proof itself. (The Defense of the Faith, Philadelphia: Presbyterian
and Reformed, 1995, pp.117–118, 396).

The fool must be answered by showing him his foolishness and the necessity of
Christianity as the precondition of intelligibility.

In Proverbs 26:4–5 we are instructed as to how we should answer the foolish
unbeliever—how we should demonstrate that God makes foolish the so called
“wisdom” of this world. “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be like
unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit.”
The two-fold apologetic procedure mentioned by Van Til above is here described.
In the first place, the unbeliever should not be answered in terms of his own
misguided presuppositions; the apologist should defend his faith by working
within his own presuppositions. If he surrenders to the assumptions of the
unbeliever, the believer will never effectively set forth a reason for the hope that
is in him. He will have lost the battle from the outset, constantly being trapped
behind enemy lines. Hence Christianity’s intellectual strength and challenge will
not be set forth.

But in the second place the apologist should answer the fool according to his
self-proclaimed presuppositions (i.e., according to his folly). In so doing he aims
to show the unbeliever the outcome of those assumptions. Pursued to their
consistent end presuppositions of unbelief render man’s reasoning vacuous and
his experience unintelligible; in short, they lead to the destruction of knowledge,
the dead-end of epistemological futility, to utter foolishness. By placing himself on
the unbeliever’s position and pursing it to its foolish undermining of facts and
laws, the Christian apologist prevents the fool from being wise in his own conceit.
He can conclude, “Where then is the wise dispute of this world?!” There is none,
for as the history of humanistic philosophy so clearly illustrates, God has made
foolish the wisdom of the world. It is confounded y the “foolish” preaching of the
cross.

Always Ready, Covenant Media Foundation, 1996, pp. 59–62.

Available at
http://www.answersbookstore.com/

CHURCH RESEARCH

I have challenged the team of Preaching Today to research the churches in their areas to see what is going on. I have posted a few things to show the state of the church in Abilene, TX. Today I want to post some reseach done about the church in America.

LifeWay Research: Unchurched Americans Turned Off by Church, Open to Christians

NASHVILLE—A majority of unchurched Americans are turned off by the institutional church and don’t have a biblical understanding about God and Jesus, yet they believe Jesus makes a positive difference in a person’s life and would enjoy an honest discussion with a friend about spiritual matters.

Those are just a few of the findings from a new study of unchurched Americans conducted by LifeWay Research in partnership with the North American Mission Board’s Center for Missional Research. LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources, and the North American Mission Board are both entities of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The results of the study, which polled 1,402 adults who had not attended a religious service at a church, synagogue or mosque in the previous six months, are available at LifeWayResearch.com.

The findings have important implications for Christian churches and individuals who want to effectively reach unchurched people with the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ, said LifeWay Research director Ed Stetzer.

"A full 72 percent of the people interviewed said they think the church ‘is full of hypocrites,’" Stetzer said. "At the same time, however, 71 percent of the respondents said they believe Jesus ‘makes a positive difference in a person’s life’ and 78 percent said they would ‘be willing to listen’ to someone who wanted to share what they believed about Christianity."


Here is the link to the entire article: Church

Here are links to more research. There is a lot to read and think about.

Church Dropout Study
Reasons 18 to 22 Year Olds Drop Out of Church
Results from a recent LifeWay Research study uncover reasons 70% of young adults stop attending church for at least a year between ages 18 to 22.

Parents, Churches Can Help Teens Stay in Church
Comparisons of teens who stay in church and those who drop out reveal several things that parents and churches can do to encourage more teens to stay in church.

Church Dropout Study Podcast Part 1
Church Dropout Study Podcast Part 2
Listen as Dr. Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, and Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research, discuss the study results.

Church Dropouts How Many Leave Church and Why Powerpoint
Teen Influences on Church Dropouts Powerpoint
Church Dropouts Faces of Young Adults Ages 18_22 Powerpoint

What is Free Will?

The question of free will is one that is often debated.

Watch R.C. Sproul teach on this subject:

What is Free Will?

First Temple seal found in Jerusalem

The Following is from the Jerusalem Post

A stone seal bearing the name of one of the families who acted as servants in the First Temple and then returned to Jerusalem after being exiled to Babylonia has been uncovered in an archeological excavation in Jerusalem's City of David, a prominent Israeli archeologist said Wednesday.

The 2,500-year-old black stone seal, which has the name "Temech" engraved on it, was found earlier this week amid stratified debris in the excavation under way just outside the Old City walls near the Dung Gate, said archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who is leading the dig.

According to the Book of Nehemiah, the Temech family were servants of the First Temple and were sent into exile to Babylon following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

The family was among those who later returned to Jerusalem, the Bible recounts.

The seal, which was bought in Babylon and dates to 538-445 BCE, portrays a common and popular cultic scene, Mazar said.

The 2.1 x 1.8-cm. elliptical seal is engraved with two bearded priests standing on either side of an incense altar with their hands raised forward in a position of worship.

crescent moon, the symbol of the chief Babylonian god Sin, appears on the top of the altar.
Under this scene are three Hebrew letters spelling Temech, Mazar said.

The Bible refers to the Temech family: "These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city." [Nehemiah 7:6]... "The Nethinim [7:46]"... The children of Temech." [7:55].

The fact that this cultic scene relates to the Babylonian chief god seemed not to have disturbed the Jews who used it on their own seal, she added.

The seal of one of the members of the Temech family was discovered just dozens of meters away from the Opel area, where the servants of the Temple, or "Nethinim," lived in the time of Nehemiah, Mazar said.

"The seal of the Temech family gives us a direct connection between archeology and the biblical sources and serves as actual evidence of a family mentioned in the Bible," she said. "One cannot help being astonished by the credibility of the biblical source as seen by the archaeological find."

The find will be announced by Mazar at the 8th annual Herzliya Conference on Sunday.
The archeologist, who rose to international prominence for her recent excavation that may have uncovered King David's palace, most recently uncovered the remnants of a wall from Nehemiah.

The dig is being sponsored by the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem research institute where Mazar serves as a senior fellow, and the City of David Foundation, which promotes Jewish settlement throughout east Jerusalem.

Here is a Picture of the seal:

Here is a link to the story: Seal

WHE WE USE THE CATECHISM

When I became the Pastor of Victory Baptist Church one of the things I introduced my congregation to was the use of a Catechism. The catechism I chose was the Puritan Catechism which was edited by Charles Spurgeon.

Many may ask why we use a catechism? To answer that question I am posting a section from the Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson. I believe he does a great job answering the question of the use of catechisms.





Body of Divinity
By Thomas Watson

1. A Preliminary Discourse on Catechizing

"If you continue in the faith grounded and settled." Col. 1:13.

Intending next Lord's day to enter upon the work of catechizing, it will not be amiss to give you a preliminary discourse, to show you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of true religion. "If you continue in the faith grounded and settled."

I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith.

II. The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded.

I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. It is the apostle's prayer, "May the God of all grace establish, strengthen, settle you." That is, that they might not be meteors in the air—but fixed stars. The apostle Jude speaks of "wandering stars". They are called wandering stars, because, as Aristotle says, "They do leap up and down, and wander into several parts of the heaven; and being but dry exhalations, not made of that pure celestial matter as the fixed stars are, they often fall to the earth." Now, such as are not settled in true religion, will, at one time or other, prove wandering stars; they will lose their former steadfastness, and wander from one opinion to another. Such as are unsettled are of the tribe of Reuben, "unstable as water," like a ship without ballast, overturned with every wind of doctrine. Beza writes of one Belfectius, who his religion changed as often as the moon. The Arians had every year a new faith. These are not pillars in the temple of God—but reeds shaken every way. The apostle calls them "damnable heresies." A man may go to hell as well for heresy as adultery!
To be unsettled in true religion, argues lack of judgment. If their heads were not giddy, men would not reel so fast from one opinion to another.

To be unsettled in true religion, argues lightness. As feathers will be blown every way, so will feathery Christians. Therefore such are compared to infants. "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming." Ephesians 4:14. Children are fickle sometimes of one mind sometimes of another, nothing pleases them long. Just so, unsettled Christians are childish; the truths they embrace at one time, they reject at another; sometimes they like the Protestant religion, and soon after they have a good mind to turn Papists.

[1] It is the great end of the word preached, to bring us to a settlement in true religion. "And he gave some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the edifying of the body of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children." The word is called "a hammer". Every blow of the hammer is to fasten the nails of the building; so the preacher's words are to fasten you the more to Christ; they weaken themselves to strengthen and settle you. This is the grand design of preaching, not only for the enlightening—but for the establishing of souls; not only to guide them in the right way—but to keep them in it. Now, if you be not settled, you do not answer God's end in giving you the ministry.

[2] To be settled in true religion is both a Christian's excellence and honor. It is his excellence. When the milk is settled it turns to cream; now he will be zealous for the truth, and walk in close communion with God. And his honor. "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness." It is one of the best sights to see an old disciple; to see silver hairs adorned with golden virtues.

[3] Such as are not settled in the faith can never suffer for it. Sceptics in religion hardly ever prove martyrs. Those who are not settled, hang in suspense; when they think of the joys of heaven they will espouse the gospel—but when they think of persecution, they desert it. Unsettled Christians do not consult what is best—but what is safest. "The apostate (says Tertullian) seems to put God and Satan in balance, and having weighed both their services, prefers the devil's service, and proclaims him to be the best master: and, in this sense, may be said to put Christ to open shame." He will never suffer for the truth—but be as a soldier that leaves his colors, and runs over to the enemy's side; he will fight on the devil's side for pay.

[4] Not to be settled in the faith is provoking to God. To espouse the truth, and then to fall away, brings an ill report upon the gospel, which will not go unpunished. "They turned back and were as faithless as their parents had been. They were as useless as a crooked bow. They made God angry by building altars to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols." Psalm 78:57-58. The apostate drops as a wind-fall into the devil's mouth!

[5] If you are not settled in true religion, you will never grow. We are commanded "to grow up into the head, even Christ." But if we are unsettled there is no growing: "the plant which is continually replanted, never thrives." He can no more grow in godliness, who is unsettled, than a bone which is out of joint can grow in a body.

[6] There is great need to be settled, because there are so many things to unsettle us. Seducers are abroad, whose work is to draw away people from the principles of true religion. "These things have I written unto you, concerning those who are trying seduce you." Seducers are the devil's agents. They are of all others, the greatest felons—who would rob you of the truth.
Seducers have silver tongues, which can pawn off bad wares; they have a sleight to deceive.

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Ephesians 4:14. The Greek word there is taken from those who can throw dice, and cast them for the best advantage. So seducers are impostors, they can throw a dice; they can so dissemble and sophisticate the truth, that they can deceive others. Seducers deceive by wisdom of words. "By good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple." They have fine elegant phrases, flattering language, whereby they work on the weaker sort.

Another sleight is a pretense of extraordinary piety, so that people may admire them, and suck in their poisonous doctrine. They seem to be men of zeal and sanctity, and to be divinely inspired, and pretend to new revelations.

A third cheat of seducers is—laboring to vilify and nullify sound orthodox teachers. They would eclipse those who bring the truth, like black vapors which darken the light of heaven; they would defame others, that they themselves may be more admired. Thus the false teachers cried down Paul, that they might be received, Gal 4:17.

The fourth cheat of seducers is—to preach the doctrine of liberty; as though men are freed from the moral law, the rule as well as the curse, and Christ has done all for them, and they need to do nothing. Thus they make the doctrine of free grace a key to open the door to all license to sin.

Another means is—to unsettle Christians by persecution. 2 Tim 3:12. The gospel is a rose which cannot be plucked without prickles. The legacy Christ has bequeathed, is the CROSS. While there is a devil and a wicked man in the world, never expect a charter of exemption from trouble! How many fall away in an hour of persecution! "There appeared a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns; and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven." The red dragon, by his power and subtlety, drew away stars, or eminent professors, who seemed to shine as stars in the skies of the church.

To be unsettled in good, is the sin of the devils. They are called, "falling stars;" they were holy—but mutable. As the vessel is overturned with the sail, so their sails being swelled with pride, they were overturned. 1 Tim 3:3. By unsettledness, men imitate lapsed angels. The devil was the first apostate. The sons of Zion should be like mount Zion, which cannot be removed.

II. The second proposition is, that the way for Christians to be settled—is to be well grounded. "If you continue grounded and settled." The Greek word for grounded is a metaphor which alludes to a building that has the foundation well laid. So Christians should be grounded in the essential points of true religion, and have their foundation well laid.

Here let me speak to two things:
[1] That we should be grounded in the knowledge of fundamentals. The apostle speaks of "the first principles of the oracles of God." In all arts and sciences, logic, physics, mathematics, there are some rules and principles which must necessarily be known for the practice of those arts; so, in divinity, there must be the first principles laid down. The knowledge of the grounds and principles of true religion is exceedingly useful.

(1.) Else we cannot serve God aright. We can never worship God acceptably, unless we worship him regularly; and how can we do that, if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of true religion? We are to give God a "reasonable service." If we understand not the grounds of true religion, how can it be a reasonable service?

(2.) Knowledge of the grounds of true religion much enriches the mind. It is a lamp to our feet; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals, is the golden key which opens the chief mysteries of true religion; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity, exactly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colors; it helps us to understand many of those difficult things which occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many Scripture knots.

(3.) It furnishes us with unshakable armor; and weapons to fight against the adversaries of the truth.

(4.) It is the holy seed of which grace is formed. It is the seed of faith. Psalm 9:10. It is the root of love. "Being rooted and grounded in love." The knowledge of the fundamental principles conduces to the making of a complete Christian.

[2] This grounding is the best way to being settled: "grounded and settled." A tree, that it may be well settled, must be well rooted; so, if you would be well settled in true religion, you must be rooted in its principles. We read in Plutarch of one who set up a dead man, and he would not stand. "Oh," said he, "there must be something within." So, that we may stand in shaking times, there must be a principle of knowledge within; first grounded, and then settled. That the ship may be kept from overturning, it must have its anchor fastened. Knowledge of principles is to the soul—as the anchor to the ship, which holds it steady in the midst of the rolling waves of error, or the violent winds of persecution. First grounded and then settled.

Use one: See the reason why so many people are unsettled, ready to embrace every novel opinion, and dress themselves in as many religions as fashions; it is because they are ungrounded. See how the apostle joins these two together, "unlearned and unstable." Such as are unlearned in the main points of divinity, are unstable. As the body cannot be strong which has the sinews shrunk; so neither can that Christian be strong in true religion, who lacks the grounds of knowledge, which are the sinews to strengthen and establish him.

Use two: See what great necessity there is of laying down the main grounds of true religion in a way of catechizing, that the weakest judgement may be instructed in the knowledge of the truth, and strengthened in the love of it. Catechizing is the best expedient for the grounding and settling of people. I fear one reason why there has been no more good done by preaching, has been because the chief heads and articles in true religion have not been explained in a catechetical way. Catechizing is laying the foundation. To preach and not to catechize, is to build without foundation. This way of catechizing is not novel, it is apostolic. The primitive church had their forms of catechism, as those phrases imply, a "form of sound doctrine," and "the first principles of the oracles of God." God has given great success to catechizing. By thus laying down the grounds of true religion catechistically, Christians have been clearly instructed and wondrously built up in the Christian faith.

It is my design, therefore (with the blessing of God); to begin this work of catechizing the next Sabbath day; and I intend every other Sabbath, in the afternoon, to make it my whole work to lay down the grounds and fundamentals of true religion in a catechetical way. If I am hindered in this work by men, or taken away by death, I hope God will raise up some other laborer in the vineyard among you, who may perfect the work which I am now beginning.

BOOKS YOU SHOULD OWN

If you do not own this set of books I would strongly suggest you either buy the books seperate or the entire set.

PURITAN PAPERBACKS

The Complete 38 Volume Set

Baxter, Bunyan, Bridge, Brooks, Flavel, Owen, Rutherford, Sibbes, Watson and more

Incredibly popular, Banner's Puritan Paperback series brings to life some of the most challenging, spiritual works that you will ever read, by men who breathed Christlikeness in ways that each one of us should be powerfully drawn to.

Each book is conveniently sized to fit easily into a briefcase or purse.

Purchased separately, the entire set would cost over $320; now all 38 titles (including Watson's just released 'The Great Gain of Godliness' and John Owen's 'Temptation: Resisted and Repulsed') is available for only $209.95, Puritan Paperback Bundle Includes ALL 38 Titles of Banner of Truth's collection.

Here you will meet such notables as John Bunyan, Thomas Watson, John Owen, Richard Baxter, Richard Sibbes, Thomas Brooks, Joseph Alleine, Samuel Bolton, Jeremiah Burroughs, John Flavel, Samuel Rutherford and others.

Some of the books included are:

Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

Come and Welcome by John Bunyan

Communion with God by John Owen

Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson

Dying Thoughts by Richard Baxter

Godly Man's Picture by Thomas Watson

Letters of Samuel Rutherford by Samuel Rutherford

Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks

Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by J. Burroughs

Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter

True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton and 25 more

This set would be great for a church library, a new believe, or a pastor.

Here is a link to purchase the set:

Puritans

Treasure for your soul

The Following was written by:

HENRY LAW
(1797-1884)


Blessed are those who find their constant pleasure-ground in the luxuries of the Bible!

They commune with the mind of God.
They listen to a heavenly voice.
They bask in rays of purest light.
They feed in wholesome pastures of refreshment.
They fear no poison from the weeds of error.
No devious path can lead their steps astray.
Wisdom from above sweetly guides them.

The Spirit, the ultimate Teacher of His people, instructs the students. They advance safely, happily—from grace to grace.

The lessons are as vast as the mine from which they spring.
They are as pure as the realms to which they call.

They warn of sin—its filth, its misery, its end.
They unfold Jesus—in all the glories of His redeeming love.
They exhibit holiness—as the only road to a holy heaven.

Reader, heed a salutary admonition.
Study the Bible, as holding treasure for your soul.
Study in the earnestness of prayer.
Study with eternity outspread before you.
Study with the humility of a poor sinner before a speaking God.
Study with faith devoutly grasping every word.

Do not close the volume without inquiring . . .
Is sin more hateful to me?
Is the world more worthless in my estimation?
Is the flesh more treacherous in my sight?
Is Jesus brought nearer to my adoring soul?
Is my heart won to more entire devotedness?
Am I more resolute to live for Him, who died for me?

'Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens

A director who shares the ideas of Iran's hardline president has produced what he says is the first film giving an Islamic view of Jesus Christ, in a bid to show the "common ground" between Muslims and Christians.

Nader Talebzadeh sees his movie, "Jesus, the Spirit of God," as an Islamic answer to Western productions like Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," which he praised as admirable but quite simply "wrong".

"Gibson's film is a very good film. I mean that it is a well-crafted movie but the story is wrong -- it was not like that," he said, referring to two key differences: Islam sees Jesus as a prophet, not the son of God, and does not believe he was crucified.

Talebzadeh said he even went to Gibson's mansion in Malibu, California, to show him his film. "But it was Sunday and the security at the gate received the film and the brochure and promised to deliver it," though the Iranian never heard back.

Even in Iran, "Jesus, The Spirit of God" had a low-key reception, playing to moderate audiences in five Tehran cinemas during the holy month of Ramadan, in October.

The film, funded by state broadcasting, faded off the billboards but is far from dead, about to be recycled in a major 20 episode spin-off to be broadcast over state-run national television this year.

Talebzadeh insists it aims to bridge differences between Christianity and Islam, despite the stark divergence from Christian doctrine about Christ's final hours on earth.

"It is fascinating for Christians to know that Islam gives such devotion to and has so much knowledge about Jesus," Talebzadeh told AFP.

"By making this film I wanted to make a bridge between Christianity and Islam, to open the door for dialogue since there is much common ground between Islam and Christianity," he said.
The director is also keen to emphasise the links between Jesus and one of the most important figures in Shiite Islam, the Imam Mahdi, said to have disappeared 12 centuries ago but whose "return" to earth has been a key tenet of the Ahmadinejad presidency.

Talebzadeh made his name making documentaries about Iran's 1980-1988 war against Iraq, an important genre in the country's post-revolutionary cinema.

But such weighty themes, and his latest film on Jesus, compete with domestic gangster thrillers and sugary boy-meets-girl love stories, the movies that continue to draw the biggest audiences in the Islamic Republic.

The bulk of "Jesus, the Spirit of God", which won an award at the 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, faithfully follows the traditional tale of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament Gospels, a narrative reproduced in the Koran and accepted by Muslims.

But in Talebzadeh's movie, God saves Jesus, depicted as a fair-complexioned man with long hair and a beard, from crucifixion and takes him straight to heaven.

"It is frankly said in the Koran that the person who was crucified was not Jesus" but Judas, one of the 12 Apostles and the one the Bible holds betrayed Jesus to the Romans, he said. In his film, it is Judas who is crucified.

Islam sees Jesus as one of five great prophets -- others being Noah, Moses and Abraham -- sent to earth to announce the coming of Mohammed, the final prophet who spread the religion of Islam. It respects Jesus' followers as "people of the book".

Iran has tens of thousands of its own Christians who are guaranteed religious freedoms under the constitution -- mainly Armenians, though their numbers have fallen sharply since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Every Christmas, Ahmadinejad and other officials lose no time in sending greetings to Christian leaders including the pope on what they describe as the "auspicious birthday of Jesus Christ, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH)."

In this year's message, Ahmadinejad said that "peace, friendship and justice will be attained wherever the guidelines of Jesus Christ (PBUH) are realised in the world."

Shiite Muslims, the majority in Iran, believe Jesus will accompany the Imam Mahdi when he reappears in a future apocalypse to save the world.

And Talebzadeh said the TV version of his film will further explore the links between Jesus and the Mahdi -- whose return Ahmadinejad has said his government, which came to power in 2005, is working to hasten.

Shiites believe the Mahdi's reappearance will usher in a new era of peace and harmony.
"We Muslims pray for the 'Return' (of Imam Mahdi) and Jesus is part of the return and the end of time," Talebzadeh said.

"Should we, as artists, stand idle until that time? Don't we have to make an effort?"

Here is the link to the original story: Movie

GOD CHANGED HIS MIND

"God was so blessed by Moses that he changed his mind"

That is a qoute from a sermon preached by David McQueen OF Beltway Park Baptist Church. The name of the sermon was Extreme Faith and you can find the audio for the sermon at this link: Sermons

In response to the above quote I wanted to post an article on the immutability of God:

Abstract of Systematic Theology
by
Rev. James Petigru Boyce, D. D., LL. D.,Joseph-Emerson-Brown Professor of Systematic Theologyin The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary


THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD.

By the immutability of God is meant that he is incapable of change, either in duration of life, or in nature, character, will or happiness. In none of these, nor in any other respect is there any possibility of change.

1. This is implied in his absolute perfection. Perfection permits neither increase as though he lacks, nor decrease as though he can lose. Change must be for the worse or for the better, but God cannot become worse or better.

2. It arises in like manner from the pure simplicity of his nature. That which is not and cannot be compounded cannot be changed.

3. It is expressly taught by the Scriptures in the following as well as in other particulars. A few passages out of many are referred to in support of each.

(a) They declare him to be unchangeable in duration and life: Gen. 21:33; Deut. 32:39, 40; Ps. 9:7; 55:19; 90:2; 102:12; Hab. 1:12; Rom. 16:26; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:16.

(b) They affirm the unchangeableness of his nature: Ps. 104:31; Mal. 3:6; Rom. 1:23; James 1:17.

(c) They also assert that his will is without change: Job 23:13; Ps. 33:11; Prov. 19:21.

(d) His character is also said to be immutable, as for example his justice: Gen. 18:25; Job 8:3; Rom. 2:2; his mercy: Ex. 34:7; Deut. 4:31; Ps. 107:1; Lam. 3:22, 23; Mal. 3:6; his truth: Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Mic. 7:20; Rom. 3:3; 11:2, 29; 2 Tim. 2:13; Titus 1:2; his holiness: Job 34:10; Hab. 1:13; James 1:13; and his knowledge: Isa. 40:13, 14, 27, 28.

The immutability thus set forth in the Scriptures and implied in the simplicity and absolute perfection of God is not, however, to be so understood as to deny in him some real ground for the Scripture statements of emotional feeling in the exercise of love, pity, longsuffering and mercy, or of anger, wrath and avenging justice.

We could as well deny some real ground for the attributes of love, justice and truth which are at the basis of these emotions. We must never forget that we know but little, if anything, of the mode of operation of the divine mind. We are sure that we have to think and speak of it erroneously when our thoughts or words involve successive emotions in God or such as have beginning or end. And yet the only way in which change in him in such emotional acts could occur would involve both beginning, and end, and succession. Wherefore, we know that whatever possibility of change in God appears is due only to our own imperfection of knowledge and in-capacity to form true conceptions.

It is also true that the unchangeableness of God is not incompatible with such outward activity and relations as exist in connection with Creation, Providence and Redemption. But as this has not been so readily admitted, it may be well to consider more particularly the objections which have been made.

I. It is objected that a change must have taken place in God in the creation of the universe. It is claimed that he must then have formed a new purpose, and must have passed from a state of rest to one of activity.

(a) But this objection is based upon a forgetfulness of the fact, that in him there is no succession, and no change of time from one moment to another. The creation of the universe is no less an outward act than is the time in which it has existence. It appears in time and with time. But with God there is no time and no relation of time, exclusive of time itself. There was not before its creation. There will not be when there shall be no more time in creation. We may not be able to understand how this is, but we know that the fact must be so.

It is on this account that the purpose of God to create was not a new one, formed at one time and not at another. On the contrary, that purpose, and, indeed, his whole will is eternal. Whatever may have given rise to that purpose, does not exclude this fact.

(b) There was nothing outside to influence him. He was moved entirely by his own will. Whether that will was altogether voluntary, or arose from some necessity in his nature, we need not now consider. If it was either the one or the other, in either event it was eternal, for if his nature be eternal, then any necessity of his nature is an eternal necessity, and any purpose he forms, whether of necessity, or voluntarily, must be eternal volition. So much for the objection, based upon a supposed new purpose.

That from a transition from rest to labour is equally baseless. It supposes labour and toil in God. But the Scripture account of creation, as well as the dictates of reason, forbid this. There was no laborious work of God. There never is; there never can be. His infinite power compasses his infinite will, in the mere wishing. Neither in the creation nor in the sustentation of the universe is there in God any of that busy, careful thought, and protracted weary effort by which man maintains government or sustains the lives of those dependent on him.

This view of God's creation accords with reason. It alone is worthy of an all-wise, all-powerful, independent and self-existent God.

It is established by Scripture. Heb. 11:3. "By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which do appear."

The whole account of the creation in Genesis, Chap. 1:1, to chap. 2:3, is full of this truth. In every case it is simply, "And God said," &c.

Psalm 33:9. "For he spake, and it was done; he commanded and it stood fast."
When it is said that he rested on the seventh day, no more is implied than that he ceased as to further creation; for the sustentation of the universe requires constantly the same exercise of power and will as its creation.

II. It is again objected, that the Scriptures represent change in God, when they speak of him as "repenting" of the acts which he had done.

Gen. 6:6. "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."

1 Sam. 15:35. "And the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel."
Ps. 106:45. "And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitudes of his mercies."

Amos 7:3. "The Lord repented concerning this: It shall not be saith the Lord."

Jonah 3:10. "And God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them."

In reply to this objection, it may be stated that these are merely anthropopathic expressions, intended simply to impress upon men his great anger at sin, and his warm approval of the repentance of those who had sinned against him. The change of conduct, in men, not in God, had changed the relation between them and God. Sin had made them liable to his just displeasure.

Repentance had brought them within the possibilities of his mercy. Had he not treated them differently then there would have been change in him. His very unchangeableness makes it necessary that he shall treat differently those who are innocent and those who are guilty, those who harden themselves against him and those who turn toward him for mercy, with repentant hearts. So far as the first of these passages is concerned, it is simply a protest against the great wickedness into which the race of man has fallen.

The Scriptures show that God has had a purpose with reference to such sin, which, from the beginning, contemplated the fall of man and the different stages of wickedness by which in various ages that fall has been accompanied. These statements differ widely from those which declare love, pity, or anger, for there is no emotion in God correspondent with the outward declaration.

III. Again it has been objected that God must be changeable or he could not answer prayer. It is said if his purposes stand forever and he changes not his will, then there is no place for prayer.
It is unquestionably true that God promises to answer prayer. It is also true that prayers have been answered, and that the course of human events has thus been different from what it would have been had there been no prayer and no answer to it.

But the mistake arises from supposing that there has been change in God's purpose or action from what he always contemplated.

The difficulty is not one that affects prayer only; it arises as well in connection with labour, or with any other act, by which, through man, a new force is introduced into the universe.

It proceeds from the fact that man, being a voluntary agent, may act according to choice at any moment of his life. That choice puts his action outside of the mere mechanical movements of the universe. Over these it is admitted that God has absolute control, and that his purpose relative to them has no change. But it is thought, that if man can choose one thing, or another, or can do, or not do, any special act he pleases, then so much of the future being dependent upon and resultant from his act or volition, God must change his purpose to correspond with that act or volition.

To this it may be replied that, even without explanation, we know that such cannot be the case, for this would take away the independence of God. It would make his volitions dependent upon those of man. If it be therefore true, that man cannot be a free agent, without such mechanical action, on his part, as would leave God free, we know that free agency does not belong to him. But we are so fully conscious of our free agency, that that consciousness becomes to us the highest revelation from God that it has real existence. If prayer then be offered, the only doubt about it, as a power and force, the effect of which does not change, is whether God answers it.

And, in his word he has so plainly taught this, as to leave no room for doubt.

In what aspect, then, are we to regard prayer? Evidently in this simple way; that it is a secondary cause, which has a place, like all other secondary causes, which, like other such, is necessary to produce the result, to which God has given means of efficient entrance into the working of the universe, the existence of which has been as fully known and purposed as any other secondary cause, and the presence of which can in no way take God by surprise, nor render any new purpose or action on his part necessary.

So far then from changing his purpose when he answers prayer, God is in reality only carrying out that purpose. But even if we he not able to explain how any will or act of ours can be at the same time as fixed and certain with God, as if it were a decree about some mechanical action of the universe, or were his own personal purpose, and at the same time he perfectly voluntary with man, so that man can either will or not will, do or not do, as he may himself choose, we are perfectly sure that it must he so, from our consciousness of ourselves, and our certainty of what is the nature of God.

IV. It is further objected, that there was change in God, in the act of the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity.

The objection is met here, because this is the most suitable place in our course to do so, though the explanation may not be fully comprehended, until we have discussed the Trinity, and the relations of the persons of the Godhead in it.

It is based upon a misconception of the scripture doctrine of the incarnation.

1. It was not the divine nature, which became incarnate, but simply one of the persons subsisting in it.

2. No change took place in the divine nature. The human and divine natures of the Son of God were so related to his person and to each other, that while he was truly God and truly man, possessing every characteristic of each, the two natures remained entirely distinct, each with its own peculiarities and properties. The divine nature was in no degree affected. The Son of God, therefore, was as truly divine after, as before the incarnation.

3., So distinct were these natures, that in becoming man, the Son took not simply a human body, but also a human soul. These were united with the personality with which he subsists in the divine nature, but not with the divine nature itself. Christ lacked nothing to make him as separate from God in his human nature as any other man, except separate human personality. He united his human nature to himself by subsisting in it in the same personality with which he subsists in the divine nature.

4. The Son has not divine nature separate from the Father and the Spirit, so that we can say his divine nature in the exclusive sense, in which we speak of the human nature of Paul and Peter. Human nature is distributed among individual men, so that each one has his own, and in no wise partakes with another. But the one divine nature is common to the three persons.

These statements will show why God has not been changed in the act of incarnation.

(1.) There would have been change, had the human nature been so united to the divine, as to add to it such qualities, properties and conditions as do not belong to God. These may be possessed by a divine person in the human nature he has assumed, for thus is there no change in his nature as God, but they cannot be transferred to the divine nature without making it finite as well as infinite, material as well as spiritual, fallible as well as infallible, mortal as well as immortal. These contradictory states may exist in the one person, but cannot in any such compounded nature.

(2.) There would have been change, had the divine nature become the soul of the human nature. This would have made that nature subject to human passions and appetites, to human frailties and imperfections, and liable to pain, suffering, and temptation, and to limitation in goodness, knowledge, power and wisdom.

The knowledge therefore of the true doctrine of the incarnation shows conclusively, that in it there has been no change in God.

V. It is alleged that God cannot be without change, because he suffered during the incarnation of Christ.

The argument is that the declarations about Christ's suffering are made, not simply of the human nature, but of both natures combined, and that thus we are taught, that it was not merely man, but God also that suffered. This position is assumed by some who maintain that Christ had a complete human, as well as divine nature, not a mere human body, but also a rational soul. It is necessarily also the position of those who claim that he had no human soul, but that his divine nature took the place of a rational soul.

The reply to this argument is that the Scripture statements do not teach that the divine nature suffered. This is nowhere said. They teach that the second person of the Trinity, who became man, suffered. But they plainly refer that suffering to his human nature only. They teach us, that in the relations of his natures to his person, he preserved unchanged the properties and qualities which belonged to them separately, and that this was especially true of the divine nature. There were, indeed, some communications from the divine nature to the human, but none from the human to the divine. But while thus distinct, they were united together in a single personality, and by such a union, that whatever might be said to be true of or to be done or to be suffered by either of the natures, might in like manner be affirmed of the person in whom they were united. It is because of this that Christ, the Son of God, is said to have suffered. He did this in his human, though not in his divine nature. The scripture declarations that Christ suffered, are no proof that God suffered, or that God can change in this respect.

But there are those who do not receive the above statements as an exposition of the teachings of Scripture on this point They claim, as necessary, an interpretation which asserts suffering of the divine nature. Those, indeed, who hold that the divine nature is in the place of the human soul, are forced to maintain such an interpretation.

It is in reply to both of these that the unchangeableness of the divine nature is presented as conclusive against any such interpretation. Against their position are adduced the numerous statements of scripture asserting that God does not change, and that he is immutable in his nature, and in his various perfections.

There are also arguments from reason, by which the same error may be refuted. So incontestable are these statements and reasonings that the objectors readily admit that there is no power or being who can change God contrary to his will, and that the idea of enforced suffering is revolting.

The possibility of change and suffering in God, they conceive, therefore, to result from his own will and his own voluntary choice.

This raises the question of the possibility of voluntary suffering on the part of God.

If this be possible, it must arise in one of two ways; either the nature of God is essentially such as to admit suffering, or the will of God is capable of so changing his nature for a time, as to enable it to suffer. In the first instance the essence of God itself is supposed to remain unchanged, but to be capable of existing in different states at the dictation of his will. In the other, the essence itself is changed by the will, and made capable of that, which otherwise it could not have.

In the first case God could suffer, because of the contingent conditions of his life liable to the action of his will, just as we can inflict suffering upon ourselves.

In the last case, the nature of God would be so dependent on his will that be could change it at pleasure.

This last view, however, is based upon an erroneous conception of the relation of the will of God to his nature. That relation is not causal. The will does not create the nature nor confer upon it its powers nor exercise a controlling influence upon it. It is the nature that influences the will.

It is because he is holy, just, and good, that he wills holiness, justice, and goodness, and wills these in himself, because he alone is the infinitely holy, just, and good. His will, therefore, so far from causative, is only approbative and complacent, and his essence can in no degree be affected by it. If this were not so, the nature of God must be the effect of the will of God as a cause, and must be dependent upon that will.

The foundation of all excellence, righteousness and holiness would he, not what God is, but what he happens to will at any one time, and would make him differ again and again should he so will.

And such will would be capricious; for in making the will superior to the nature, there is taken away all reason for choice in God to good or ill, or in one direction or another, and he is left, without motive, to accidental or capricious volition only.

Moreover, if God is capable of this kind of change in any respect, he is so in all others, for the power of the will to effect one modification in the divine nature, necessarily involves the power to effect any or all other such.

As the will, therefore, cannot change the essence of God, but is itself controlled by that essence, it is not possible that it can confer the power to suffer, which otherwise God would not have.
If, therefore, this power of suffering be not inherent in the divine nature, it can have no existence.

But if this be inherent in the divine nature, it must be a quality necessarily and constantly belonging to the nature of God, and must, therefore, be destructive of the blessedness so fully and eminently ascribed to God in the Scriptures, or it must exist there after the manner of the contingent conditions of our life, because of which we can pass from a state of happiness into one of suffering, and back to happiness again; and its passage from one of these states to the other, most be the result of the exercise of a divine volition.

But with God there can be no such contingent conditions.

1. The very nature of his necessary existence forbids this.

2. The language of scripture "I, the Lord, change not," (Mal. 3:6), and "with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning," James 1:17, is expressly contrary to such a supposition.

3. The contrast drawn in the Bible between God and men in respect to change, is distinctly based upon that contingency in man, to which there is no similarity in God.

4. The truth and faithfulness of God are magnified in the Scriptures by the fact of their exercise where man would thus change, but where God does not, because he is fixed and constant. The passage, "I change not" is presented in a context, where the will of God might be presumed to induce change, and the assertion that this is his nature is made to show why that will would not so affect him.

5. In addition to all of this, such contingent conditions or states are incompatible with the nature of his eternity, which, as being without succession, excludes change; as well as with his simplicity which denies separation between his essence and his attributes, and therefore gives no room for change; while they are absolutely excluded by the perfection of God, which cannot be always asserted of him if the states or conditions of his being can be changed, unless in all these states he could be equally perfect in all respects, which surely cannot be affirmed of the two states of happiness and suffering.

WEDDING DRESS

Marks of a Healthy Church

The following article was written by Ligon Duncan

The Marks of a Healthy Local Church

What are the qualities of a healthy local congregation of Christians? There are many, but are are some of central importance. Here are ten important marks or qualities of a healthy local church.

1. Expository Bible Preaching

2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Every healthy local church has a strong commitment to expository Bible preaching. Now expository Bible preaching is not a style but a principle. It’s controlling concern is to expound what Scripture says in a particular passage, carefully explaining its meaning and applying it to the congregation. It is a commitment to hear God's Word and recover the centrality of the Word in our worship. The next generation of preachers must be trained to appreciate the difference between preaching that is Bible-based and preaching that merely uses the Bible as a starting point to discuss the matter at hand.

2. Biblical Worship

John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

1 Corinthians 14:33-40 (selected) “God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. . . . If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. . . . But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.”

Every healthy local church has a strong commitment to worship that is biblical in form and content. The Psalmist tells us that worship is giving unto the Lord the glory due his name (Psalm 29:1-2). But where do we find the substance of and our direction for our gathered, corporate worship? The Bible. Much that is amiss in modern worship practice would be corrected if we took for our principle of direction: “Sing the Bible, Pray the Bible, Read the Bible, Preach the Bible.” We ought to strive to be sure that all that we sing is scriptural, that our prayers are saturated with scripture, that much of the word of God is read in each public service, and that the preaching here is based on the Bible. We need churches, church plants and church planters committed to a high view of public worship. This will have to be deliberately inculcated and fostered if the generations to come are going to follow in the good way.

A. This will entail, by the way, a rediscovery of the psalms in evangelical Christian public worship – or “inclusive Psalmody.” We need deliberately to re-include the psalms in our worship. “Exclusive psalmody” is the view that we should only sing psalms in our congregational praise. It is a time-honored position held by many in the reformed and presbyterian tradition, and we esteem those who do so highly. However, we also believe there is ample and important biblical reason to also sing biblically sound hymns and songs of human composition (not the least of which is the biblical imperative that the redeemed praise the Redeemer for the redemption [see Psalm 98 and Revelation 5], and that explicitly and not merely implicitly and typologically). Nevertheless, the big problem in the PCA is not advocacy for exclusive psalmody but rather the practice of exclusive hymnody (or as one chap has wryly put it “exclusive chorusody”!). What is being excluded and ignored in our circles is the psalms – which are at the heart of the worship tradition of every major historical branch of Christianity. Hence, the book of Psalms, as God's divinely inspired hymnbook, should be amply and regularly sung from, along with Scripturally sound hymns in our services.

B. A commitment to biblical public worship will also entail a new commitment to Morning and Evening Worship. If we believe, with the majority of Christians in all ages (and with the Westminster Divines!), that the Old Testament Sabbath command has a weekly new covenant fulfillment in the Christian Lord’s Day (and we’ll argue for this under our next point), then we will believe that the whole of that day (following the explicit one day in seven pattern of the old covenant of grace) is to be spent in worship, deeds of mercy, necessity and witness, and rest. If that is the case, then both prudential factors and the testimony of history indicate that the best way to help the Lord’s people keep the Lord’s Day (as opposed to the Lord’s hour or the Lord’s morning, or even the Lord’s Saturday night!) is to frame the first day of the week with gathered praise: morning and evening. And such is not without Biblical precedent. Sinclair Ferguson once said to me that those who wished to do away with the Lord’s Day evening service “betrayed a fundamental misunderstanding of the theology of Lord’s Day experience.”

C. A commitment to biblical public worship also means promoting in the local church a Theology of Lord’s Day Experience. We need to resuscitate a high view of the Lord’s Day in our circles. We understand that there will be differences in our specific practice, but the big picture and the central message needs to be displayed and trumpeted again. As J.C. Ryle bluntly put it: “As a rule there is a general flight of steps down from ‘no sabbath’ to ‘no God’.” Protestantism cannot survive without the Lord’s Day, but some of our own brethren are working for its extinction with all good intentions, and our culture is obstructing and tempting our people at every turn. We want to recapture the Spirit of M’Cheyne “A well-spent sabbath we feel to be a day of heaven upon earth . . . we love to rise early on that morning, and to sit up late, that we may have a long day with God” and Baxter “What fitter day to ascend to heaven, than that on which He arose from earth, and fully triumphed over death and hell. Use your Sabbaths as steps to glory, till you have passed them all, and are there arrived.”

D. Finally, a commitment to biblical public worship will also include the promotion of Family Worship. We use the designation “Family Worship” as synecdoche for the whole of family religion, and we recognize that the church today needs a revival of older principles and practice in this area too. We need to encourage family worship (including singing, Scripture reading and prayer), along with family attendance of the corporate worship of the church. The catechisms, too, are almost lost tools that would supply antidotes to many of our current problems. A sense of the strategic role of parents in the Christian nurture of their children needs to be freshly pressed home. If the prime and main focus of our promotion of spiritual life in covenant children is on Sunday School, Youth Programs, retreats and conferences, VBS, and various other special Christian Educational emphases (as wonderful and helpful as these can be), then we will neglect the plan that God himself established for the discipleship of covenant children: godly parents living, talking and teaching the faith in the home.

3. Biblical Theology (or Westminister Calvinism)

2 Timothy 1:13-14 “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”

Every healthy local church has a strong commitment to robust, biblical, theology for life and ministry. In our relativistic and irrational age, healthy churches unapolgetically embrace propositional truth, the importance of teaching, and historic, orthodox, protestant, Reformed, theology. We live in an anti-teaching age. One of the things that will set apart a mature congregation from an immature one is the congregation’s recognition and embrace of the importance of theology for life. We can no longer rest in the false dichotomies that pit evangelism against discipleship, or love for people versus love for God’s truth, or love of God versus love of theology. We must vigorous press for aggressive evangelism and discipleship, love for people and truth, love for God and love of theology. It must be both/and, not either/or in our churches. That means that we need pastors and elders who embody these combinations, and who have a spirit of respect and energy for the rich, biblical, Reformed theology summarized in our Confession. A healthy congregation does not merely acquiesce to the importance of truth/theology, but personally and corporately embraces it in theory and practice, in faith and life.

4. Shared Vision for Evangelism/Church Planting/Missions

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 “. . . you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Every healthy local church has a strong commitment to outreach, in the various forms of local evangelism, broader church planting or world missions. We need pastors and elders who love God’s word, who embrace sound Reformed theology and who have a zeal for souls. We need church leaders who have heard and are endeavoring to respond faithfully to Paul’s call to Timothy, who have Paul’s twin attributes of heat and light and share his energy for the work of evangelism and church establishment. Men who have as a genuine aim in their ministry both the drawing in and building up of the Lord’s people in response to Jesus’ commission and promise. Bonar said “We take for granted that the object of the Christian ministry is to convert sinners and edify the body of Christ.” Durham adds: “This is the great design of all preaching, to bring them within the covenant who are without, and to make those who are within the covenant to walk suitably to it. And as these are never separated on the Lord’s side, so should they never be separated on our side.” As one Christian has put it, when a church ceases to be evangelistic, it soon ceases to be evangelical.

5. Biblical Piety

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Every healthy local church has a strong pastoral and congregational expression of biblical piety. We live in an “anti-piety” era in the Reformed community. But piety is just “the life of God in the soul of man” (to borrow Scougal’s phrase). We do not mean that true spirituality is merely soulish or disembodied, James 1-2 will correct that misunderstanding quickly, as will Romans 12:1-2. But in the Bible, true religion flows from the heart. Evangelicals used to understand that. But one does not have to be a sleuth to detect a marked deficiency of piety in the ministry and experience of the church in our own time. We can remember giants in the land, and we feel ourselves midgets. Indeed, for some, the very word “piety” is held in great suspicion as the vestigia of a kind of pietistic revivalism that we are better off without. And yet Calvin himself viewed the Institutes, the Institutes mind you, as a “sum of piety” rather than a summa theologia. We need to foster personal piety in the ministry and congregation. We need to recognize our own spiritual poverty and challenge one another to strive for devotion in love to God and experience of the love of Christ. The healthy church manifests a robust, biblical piety.

6. A Biblical Understanding of the Gospel and Evangelism

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Every healthy local church has a sound congregational understanding of the nature of the Gospel and the task of evangelism. The Gospel is the heart of Christianity. Yet many today are confused about what it is! Some view the Gospel as something that makes people’s lives better (only partially true), some think the Gospel is “God loves you,” (again, only partially true), but the Biblical Gospel is that God loves sinners at the cost of his Son. Anything less than this rich, full, biblical presentation of the Gospel will produce spurious conversions. The whole truth is that we are dead in sin and in need of spiritual life, and God graciously grants that life by his Son - that is Good News! We must tell the next generation this wonderful truth and pray that they imbibe it. Furthermore, how someone shares the Gospel (evangelism) is closely related to how he understands the Gospel. We need to be more concerned to know and teach the Gospel itself than to teach people methods and strategies to share it. Indeed, what we want our people to be excited about is the Gospel itself. Biblically, evangelism is presenting the Good News freely and trusting God to convert people. We must cultivate a Gospel-embracing and Gospel-sharing people, if we are to be faithful in the days to come, and to see healthy congregations growing.

7. A Biblical Understanding of the Law and Sanctification

Romans 3:31 “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”

Philippians 2:12-13 “. . . work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Every healthy local church has a biblical understanding of how Christians grow in grace and what role the God’s moral law plays in that essential aspect of the Christian life. It is essential to healthy discipleship that a Christian understand something of the ongoing role of the law in the Christian life (the third use of the law) and the grace dynamic of the Holy Spirit’s uniting of us to Christ by faith. Neither of these things should be set over against one another or de-emphasized in the balance of our instruction on Christian growth. Sanctification is both active and passive, both monergistic and (asymmetrically) synergistic, both by the standard of the law and by the power of the Spirit, both responsive to biblical imperatives and dependent on the grand indicative of union with Christ, both inward and outward, both individual and corporate. Evangelicalism stills tends to present theories of sanctification in one of two equally erroneous camps: legalism and passivism (or neo-nomianism and antinomianism). Neither does justice to the richness of New Testament teaching on the subject. Neither is Confessionally sound. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey” is still a good summarization of the emphases of a life that flows out of union and communion with Christ. Healthy congregations evidence the corporate effects of a corporate understanding and embrace of a biblical view of the law and sanctification.

8. A Biblical Understanding of Conversion and Discipleship

1 Timothy 1:5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Every healthy local church has a biblical understanding of conversion and Christian discipleship. The spiritual change each person needs is so radical, so near the root of us, that only God can do it. We need God to convert us. Conversion should not be equated with or stereotyped as an emotionally heated experience, but it must evidence itself by its fruit if it is to be what the Bible regards as a true conversion. Our people must have experienced such a real conversion and have started down the road of understanding it biblically if we are to be a healthy church. And the nature of conversion dictates the nature of discipleship. We must, today, be concerned with church growth and health in combination. And that means we must pay attention to the dynamics of discipleship - not simply with growing numbers, but with growing, healthy members. Though many Christians measure other things, the only certain observable sign of growth is a life of increasing holiness, rooted in Christian self-denial. These concepts are nearly extinct in the modern church. Recovered for today, true discipleship would build the church and promote a clearer witness to the world. But again, this radical concept must be taught and propagated to another generation if a vital church life is to flourish in PCA churches in the third millennium.

9. A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership and Discipline

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

Matthew 28:19-20 (selected) "Go therefore and make disciples . . . baptizing them . . . teaching them to observe all that I commanded you . . . .”

Acts 2:42-45 “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”

Every healthy local church has a strong commitment to biblical standards for membership and a pastoral and faithful practice of biblical church discipline. Membership must be the reflection of a living commitment to a local church in attendance, giving, prayer and service or it is worthless. To be a member is knowingly to be traveling together as aliens and strangers in this world as we head to our heavenly home. But we live and minister in a day of unparalleled lack of commitment, so we must restore a high view of what it means to be a church member. This will necessarily entail a revival of biblical church discipline, which is merely the pastoral inculcation and administration of mutual accountability in the life. When we are united to Christ by faith, we are united to all who are united to Christ by faith. This mutual accountability is visibly manifested in the way we care for, look after, encourage and challenge one another to the life of godliness in the local church. The whole church has an interest in the spiritual health of every individual member. Especially church officers, and especially elders as shepherds should seek to promote true Christian discipleship and mutual accountability among the flock. We should long to be a godly and close Spiritual family in PCA churches, but this will not happen unless we work at it.

10. A Biblical Understanding and Deployment of Church Government

Ephesians 4:8-13 (selected) “ . . ."WHEN HE [Christ] ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." . . . And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

Every healthy local church has a strong congregational understanding of and commitment to biblical church government. Luke and Paul both thought church government mattered. Luke, three times in the book of Acts, connects biblical church government and discipline with church growth and health. Paul tells us that Jesus gave officers (and therefore church government) to the church as a gift necessary for our edification. Yet many are indifferent to the matter of church government and order. We need unapologetic presbyterians planting churches and training officers, if we are going to see church health and growth the way the New Testament anticipates. But we live in a place and time that doesn’t know or care much about church government. Furthermore, most of our members are totally unfamiliar with historic presbyterian polity. We ignore commitment in this area at our peril.

Answers Research Journal

Cutting-edge creation research. Free. Answers Research Journal (ARJ) is a professional, peer-reviewed technical journal for the publication of interdisciplinary scientific and other relevant research from the perspective of the recent Creation and the global Flood within a biblical framework. All published papers will be available to download free of charge 24/7 from the journal’s website, enabling people anywhere in the world to print out as many copies as they want, whenever they want, and email the papers to friends and colleagues. Join us in building the Creation model.

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You can check out the Journal site at this link: Creation

How To Stay Pure

We live in a society that is perhaps more sexually charged than ever. Sexual sin is now considered acceptable in almost every area of society. Now the world does what it does because it's lost, but the problem lies in professing christians who engage in the same immoral activities and accept the same views as this fallen world does. The apostle Paul warns believers not to be conformed (fashion oneself according) to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is high time that believers put on the mind of Christ about this area of sexual purity. Ephesians 5:3 "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;" Fornication (sexual immorality) is not becoming for a believer. Here are just a few thoughts we should consider if we are serious about purity.

1. All Sin Begins In The Heart
Mark 7:21-23 This passage tells us that it's not the things that are from outside of us but from within us that defile us and that all sin including sexual sin begins in the heart. James 1:14-15 "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Since the fall of the human race into sin our flesh has an innate appetite for sin. Romans 7:18-24 After we are saved there is a battle that occurs in the believer between the spirit and the flesh. Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." And the battlefield is the heart. If you keep your heart pure you will follow the directions of the Spirit, but if you defile your heart (or mind) you will do what the flesh says to do.

2. We Must Guard Our Heart
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." We are told here that we are to keep or guard our heart, because out of it are the issues (outflowings, boundaries) of life, that is that everything we do is an outflow of the heart and it is in the heart that the boundaries of our lives are set. If we violate our heart we will violate those boundaries and there is no end to the sin that we can fall into. How do I guard my heart? By controlling what we allow to enter it. Lot was a man who violated his heart and ended up destroying his whole family and even committing the heinous sexual sin of incest with his daughters. 2 Peter 2:7-8 "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds);" Lot vexed (tormented) his righteous soul (heart, mind etc..) by seeing and hearing the conversation (lifestyle) of the wicked. Do you watch gratuitous sex scenes in movies or look at pornographic material? You are viloating your heart and guaranteeing that you won't retain your purity. Do you listen to sexually explicit language whether in song, movies, or even in conversation with your friends? These things stir up the flames of lust, and will make it unlikely that you will retain sexual purity. I need to avoid these things at all cost. And on the positive side I need to fill my heart and mind with good, pure, wholesome things. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Of course we find these things in the word of God and we should meditate on these things because that is how we renew our minds.

Cinema Saturdays

For my first State of the Church post, I have the following from the Beltway Park Baptist Church web-site:

Come laugh so hard you may pee in your pants at our comedy nights, or hang on to your seat through a thriller action movie! You can’t go wrong with good food, friends, primo entertainment, and a great night of hanging out!
• Who: 9th- 12th grade students
• When: Second Saturday of every month
• Where: Beltway Park upstairs in the GPYM Headquarters


This is exactly what churches all across America need to do! I believe teenagers everywhere are suffering due to a lack of entertainment. Since society has failed to entertain our young people, it is high time the church rose up and provided the best entertainment avaliable. Just think of the lives we could change if churches everywhere made young people pee their pants! (yes I am being sarcastic)

You can view the Beltway Park Church web-site at this link: Beltway Park Baptist Church

STATE OF THE CHURCH FOR 2008

It is now 2008 and it is time to consider the sate of the church in America. The Preaching Today blog has 5 people who can post articles. Matt is located in Idaho, John is located in Oklahoma and rest in Texas. If each person will begin to research the churches in your area. Look for the following:

What do they have planned for 2008?

What are they preaching on?

What books are they recommending or using for study groups?

How is the preaching? Are the listeners learning about the bible or just hearing a spiritual talk?

Are there any new doctrinal trends that should be noted?

Most of this information can be learned by just searching for web-sites for churches in your area.

Listen to the sermons from churches in your area as well.

I think this could be a very informative series of post and will allow the readers of this blog see what is happening the American church. So to the rest of the Preaching Today team, get busy!

When we are lepers in our own eyes!

Thomas Watson, "The Doctrine of Repentance


"Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices!" Ezekiel 36:31

A true penitent is a sin-loather. If a man loathes that which makes his stomach sick, much more will he loathe that which makes his soul sick! It is greater to loathe sin—than to leave it.

The nauseating and loathing of sin, argues a detestation of it.

Christ is never loved—until sin is loathed.

Heaven is never longed for—until sin is loathed.

When the soul sees its filthiness, he cries out, "Lord, when shall I be freed from this body of death! When shall I put off these filthy garments of sin—and be arrayed in the robe of Your perfect righteousness!

Let all my self-love be turned into self-loathing!"

We are never more precious in God's eyes—than when we are lepers in our own eyes!
The more bitterness we taste in sin—
the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ!

Dealing With Sin In Our Children

Dealing With Sin In Our Children

by Arthur Hildersham
1563-1632

Taken from his sermons on Psalm 51:7
preached on May 22, May29, and June 12, 1627



The doctrine that sin is passed from parents to children serves to exhort and stir us up who are parents to do our uttermost to work grace in our children, and so cure the deadly wound that we have given them, and to preserve them from perishing by that poison and infection that we have conveyed upon them.

To better enforce this necessary exhortation, I will give you certain motives that may provoke us all to this care.
The motives are of three sorts:
Some of them respect our children and our duty towards them.
Some of them respect ourselves and our own comfort.
Some of them concern our duty towards God and the respect we should have unto His glory.
I will also show you the means that we must use to this purpose.

The Motives

Motives Respecting Our Children
Of the first sort of motives, there are two principally.
First, our love to our children binds us to it. Nature moves us to love them, and has given bowels of pity and compassion towards them when we see them in any misery. The Lord has been pleased to set forth His mercy and compassion towards His children by the compassion of a mother. Isaiah 49:15: "Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?" And by the compassion of the father in Psalm 103:13: "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him." He is worse than a beast who does not love his children, and does not grieve to see them in misery. Lamentations 4:3: "Even the sea monsters draw out the breast; they give suck to their young ones."

The apostle teaches us in Romans 1:31 that they who are without this natural affection have extinguished in themselves the very light of nature and are, in God's just judgment, given up unto a reprobate mind. And what love can we bear to our children if we have no care for their souls? The nature of true Christianity is to seek the good of their souls whom we love.
1 Corinthians 8:1: "Charity edifieth." See how Abraham expressed his love to Ishmael in Genesis 17:18: "O that Ishmael might live in Thy sight." Thus did Solomon's parents in Proverbs 4:3-4: "I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me and said unto me, 'Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.' "

No, this is the only way to express true love to their bodies and their outward estate also. No lands or possessions that we can leave them can give us the assurance that they shall live comfortably in this life as this will do, if we can be a means to breed saving grace in their hearts.
1 Timothy 4:8: "Godliness hath the promises even of this life."


Second, we admit that we are not bound to love them above others, yet we are bound in justice to make amends for the wrong we have done them. There is no man whom we have hurt in body, goods, or good name, but we are bound in conscience to do what we can to make satisfaction to him. See the equity of God's law in this point, Exodus 21:19, "He that smote him shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed." How much more are we bound to take care that our own children may be thoroughly healed of that wound that we have given them in our souls, of that filthy disease that we have infected them with?


Next time we will look at motives respecting ourselves.

EVENING THOUGHTS

By Octavius Winslow, Leamington, Dec. 1856.

Jesus only. Matthew 17:8

Is not this the motto of every true believer? Whom does his heart in its best moments, and holiest affections, and intentest yearnings, supremely desire? The answer is, "Jesus only."

Having by His Spirit enthroned Himself there, having won the affections by the power of His love and the attractions of His beauty, the breathing of the soul now is, "Whom have I in heaven but You, and who is there on earth that I desire beside You?" Blessed is that soul, the utterances of whose heart are the sincere and fervent expressions of a love of which Christ is the one and supreme object! Oh, to love Him more! Worthy, most worthy is He of our first and best affections.

Angels love Him ardently and supremely; how much more should we, who owe to Him a deeper debt of love than they! Let the love of Christ, then, constrain us to love Him, in return, with an affection which shall evince, by the singleness of its object and the unreserved surrender of its obedience, that He who reigns the sovereign Lord of our affections is—"Jesus only."

In all the spiritual circumstances of the believer's history, it is still "Jesus only." In the corrodings of guilt upon the conscience, in the cloud which veils the reconciled countenance of God from the soul, where are we to look, save to "Jesus only"?

In the mournful consciousness of our unfaithfulness to God, of our aggravated backslidings, repeated departures, the allowed foils and defeats by which our enemies exult, and the saints hang their heads in sorrow, to whom are we to turn, but to "Jesus only"?

In the cares, anxieties, and perplexities which gather around our path, in the consequent castings-down of our soul, and in the disquietude of our spirit within us, to whom shall we turn, but to "Jesus only"?

In those deep and mysterious exercises of soul-travail, which not always the saints of God can fully understand—when we see a hand they cannot see, and when we hear a voice then cannot hear; when we seem to tread a lone path, or traverse a sea where no fellow-voyager ever heaves in sight; the days of soul-exercise wearisome, and its nights long and dark—oh! to whom shall we then turn, save to "Jesus only"?

Who can enter into all this, and sympathize with all this, but Jesus? To Him alone, then, let us repair, with every sin, and with every burden, and with every temptation, and with every sorrow, and with every mental and spiritual exercise, thankful to be shut up exclusively to "Jesus only." And when the time draws near that we must depart out of this world, and go unto the Father, one object will fix the eye, from which all others are then receding—it is "Jesus only."

Ah! to die, actually to die, must be a crisis of our being quite different from reading of death in a book, or from hearing of it in the pulpit, or from talking of it by the way-side. It is a solemn, an appalling thing to die! But to the believer in Jesus, how pleasant and how glorious! "Absent from the body," he is "present with the Lord."

Jesus is with him then. The blood of Jesus is there, cleansing him from all his guilt; the arms of Jesus are there, supporting him in all his weakness; the Spirit of Jesus is there, comforting him in all his fears; and now is he learning, for the last time on earth, that as for all the sins, all the perils, all the trials, and all the sorrows of life, so now as that life is ebbing fast away, and death is chilling, and eternity is nearing, "Jesus only" is all—sufficient for his soul. Believer! look to "Jesus only"—lean upon Him, cleave to Him, labor for Him, suffer for Him, and, if need be, die for Him; thus loving and trusting, living and dying for, "JESUS ONLY."

IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART

Caterers for their lusts!

(Thomas Watson, "The Beatitudes " 1660)


"If I regard iniquity in my heart" Psalm 66:18

What is it to regard iniquity in the heart?

When we INDULGE in sin. When sin not only lives in us—but when we live in sin. Some will leave all their sins, but one. Jacob would let all his sons go, but Benjamin. The fowler holds the bird fast enough by one claw. Just so, Satan can hold a man by one sin.

Others HIDE their sins. Many deal with their sins as Moses' mother dealt with her son. She hid him in the basket, as if she had left him—but her eye was still upon him—and in the end, she became his nurse (Exodus 2:9). Just so, many seem to leave their sins—but they only hide them from the eye of others. Their heart still goes after them, and at last they nurse and give breast to their sins.

To regard iniquity is to DELIGHT in iniquity. Though a child of God sins—yet he does not take a delight in sin. "I do the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15). But the wicked make a recreation of sin. They "delight in wickedness" (2 Thessalonians 2:12). Never did one feed with more delight on a meal he loves—than a wicked man does upon the forbidden fruit!

To regard iniquity is to make PROVISION for sin. "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."
(Rom. 13:14). The wicked are caterers for their lusts.

This is to make provision for the flesh—when one studies to satisfy the flesh and provide fuel for lust. Thus Amnon made provision for the flesh (2 Samuel 13:5). He pretends to be sick, and his sister Tamar, must be his nurse. She must serve his food to him—by which means he defiled her virginity. It is sad when men's concern is not to be holy—but to satisfy lust!

Devotional Study On Numbers 6:22-27

With the new year well under way our pastor has challenged us to make 2008 a year of spiritual growth. Here is one of my devotionals, I hope it is a blessing.

Numbers book background copied from MacArthur Bible Handbook.

Title
The ancient Greek title given was arithmoi from which we get the word arithmetic. Latin translators later gave the book the title numeri which English has borrowed its word numbers.Name is based on chapters 1-4 and chapter 26 where the people were counted or numbered. This book recounts the history of Israel during almost thirty-nine years of wandering in the wilderness.

Author & Date
It is the fourth book of the Law or Pentateuch.
It was written by Moses during the final year of his life.
Numbers must be dated 1405b.c. since it is foundational to the book of Deuteronomy which is dated in the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the exodus.

Background & Setting
Most events are set in the wilderness.
The word "wilderness" is used forty-eight times in Numbers.
The land was for the most part useless except for the tending of the flock.
Israel camped in the wilderness in Sinai. It was at Sinai the Lord entered into the Mosaic covenant with them.

Key Words
Sacrifice-from the verb meaning to slaughter for an offering.
Anointed-a verb meaning to wet or dab a person with olive oil.
Vow-is a voluntary commitment to do something that pleases God or to abstain from certain practices to demonstrate devotion to God.
Elders-a word that means "aged" or "old". In the O.T. the word refers to a feeble person or a mature person.

Key People
Moses- A great prophet and leader who acted as Gods mouth piece to explain His law.

Aaron- First high priest of Israel and brother of Moses.

Miriam- Sister of Moses & Aaron

Caleb- One of the men sent to scout Canaan also one of only two people to see the exodus and the promised land.

Joshua- Moses' successor as leader of Israel and one of only two people to see the exodus and the promised land.

Eleazar- Son of Aaron who succeeded him as high priest of Israel.

Korah- Levite who assisted in the tabernacle, killed because of rebellion against the Lord.

Balaam- Prophet & sorcerer who half heartedly obeyed God, attempted to lead Israel into idol worship.

I did read all MacArthur had on Numbers but for times sake did not write it all down. I found two things that really stuck out in the background study.


1. The wilderness was useless except for tending the flock.
When we see this world and the things in it as useless its then that we as the flock can be fed and tended. There is God and His flock and nothing else.

2. Only two people saw the exodus and the promise land ( Caleb & Joshua ).
It was estimated there were around 2.5 million people in the wilderness and only two entered into the promise land. Many are called out but few are chosen!

Now to the text.

Numbers 6:22-27

Verses 22-23 God speaks to Moses and tells him to deliver a message to Aaron the high priest and his sons. The high priest would bless the children of Israel by delivering this message. Which shows that blessing comes from Gods word and the high priest. Our High Priest being Jesus Christ.

Verse 24 The Lord is going to bless and keep. ? Not sure about the bless part here, the best I can tell He is going to benefit them by keeping them. Keep gives the idea of placing a hedge of thorns around to protect, also to guard, preserve, save, watch, and observe.

Verse 25 The Lord is going to look upon them with grace & mercy. God is showing favor.

Verse 26 The word countenance and face in the previous verse are the same word
( strongs #6440). So God is repeating Himself saying I'm looking on you, showing favor and this favor comes with grace and peace. God is facing them showing a peace with God.

Verse 27 The priest will put Gods name upon His children. This is Gods name being put (strongs #7760) or imputed to those he has found favor in by the high priest.

LESSONS
1.The blessing of Gods children comes from and through the high priest ours is Jesus Christ in whom we receive all spiritual blessings.The blessings found in the text are grace, peace, and the giving of his name. Three ways to get a name. (a). Your born with it. (we are born again) (b). Your adopted (we have been adopted into the family of God) (c). Your married (we are betrothed to Christ) This is so awesome I can hardly contain myself. This should make us love and serve Him more not to mention protecting the most wonderful and perfect name on earth!!

2.The text says God is looking on us with favor. He is watching. We should take the time weed out that sin in our lives. This is more than Him knowing all and seeing all, He is focused on His children. With that being said go and sin no more.

Is Barack Obama a Muslim?

I am constantly angered by how many Christians will read something and then repeat it or even post it on the Internet even thought they have never researched the claim! I have seen so many false things forwarded by Christians via e-mail that it makes me think that some Christians don't seem to care about something called truth! Christians should be the most careful and best researchers. We believe in truth we claim to defend truth yet many Christians spend their time spreading lies and misinformation. One classic example of this is the Barack Obama story.

Here is what a christian sent to me in an e-mail:

Who is Barack Obama?
Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice.
If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scarey to think of what lies ahead ofus here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it.

We checked this out on "snopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself.

Who is Barack Obama?Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHIEST from Wichita, Kansas.

Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia ?

When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocate to Indonesia. Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta.
He also spent two years in a Catholic school.
Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school."
Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that that he is not a radical.
Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.
Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta.Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad a gainst the western world.
Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegience nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.
Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy.The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the insideout, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!!Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?...... NOT ME!!

There is so many lies in this e-mail I don't even know where to start. The e-mail claims they checked snopes.com when in fact they did not!

Snopes has a great article in which they examine each claim made about Obama, You should do yourself a favor and read it. Here is the link:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp

Epiphany

January 6 is the day that many christian traditions remember Epiphany

The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal."

Three Major events are remembered:

BAPTISM OF JESUS

VISIT OF THE WISE MEN

MIRACLE AT CANA

Epiphany has been a day remembered since around 361 A.D.

For many Protestant church traditions, the season of Epiphany extends from January 6th until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent leading to Easter. Depending on the timing of Easter, this includes from four to nine Sundays. Other traditions, especially the Roman Catholic tradition, observe Epiphany as a single day, with the Sundays following Epiphany counted as Ordinary Time. In some western traditions, the last Sunday of Epiphany is celebrated as Transfiguration Sunday.

Here is the Lutheran lectionary. This will indicate the readings and how long Epiphany is celebrated in the Lutheran tradition:

Epiphany Jan. 6

Epiphany

Is. 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-11
(12-15)
Eph. 3:1-12

Matt. 2:1-12

Jan. 13
The Baptism of
Our Lord
Is. 42:1-9

Psalm 29

Rom. 6:1-11

Matt. 3:13-17

Jan. 20
Second S. a. the
Epiphany

Is. 49:1-7

Psalm 40:1-11

1 Cor. 1:1-9

John 1:29-42a

Jan. 27
Third S. a. the
Epiphany

Is. 9:1-4

Psalm 27:1-9
(10-14)

1 Cor. 1:10-18

Matt. 4:12-25

Feb. 3
The
Transfiguration of
Our Lord
Ex. 24:8-18

Psalm 2:6-12

2 Peter 1:16-21

Matt. 17:1

If you take the time to read the scriptures you will get and Idea of the theme for Epiphany.

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

Spiritual discernment is good for more than just making monumental decisions according to God’s will. It is an essential, day-to-day activity that allows thoughtful Christians to separate the truth of God from error and to distinguish right from wrong in all kinds of settings and situations. It is also a skill—something that any person can develop and improve, especially with the guidance in this book.

Written by a leading evangelical blogger, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment is an uplifting, scripturally grounded work that explains the need for discernment, its challenges, and the steps that will cultivate it. Author Tim Challies does not do the discerning for readers; he simply shows them how to practically apply scriptural tools, principles, and wisdom so that their conclusions about everything—people, teachings, decisions, media, and organizations—will be consistent with God’s Word.

“Tim Challies is one of the finest young evangelical thinkers of our day. He combines keen insight with theological maturity and spiritual depth. The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment should help form the Christian character of a new generation of evangelicals. Indeed, we must hope so.”
R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Unfortunately, in our time, even among Christians, discernment is long in demand and short in supply. This is but one reason I’m so delighted to commend to you The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. Tim Challies reminds us that the Bible commands us to cultivate discernment, but he doesn’t stop there. He tells us how, biblically.”
Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi

“The many fans Tim Challies has won through his highly regarded blog will discover in this book the motivation that drives his incisive analysis of cultural events and trends—a keen respect for truth and a passionate commitment to biblical discernment.”
Nancy Pearcey, author, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity

“This book is simple, clear, well-written, accurate, and even insightful. I read it all. I liked it all. I will recommend it often.”
Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC

“I’ve simply never read a more thorough, practical, and biblically sound treatment of this subject. Anyone wanting to study biblical discernment should not miss this book.”
Don Whitney, Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality and Senior Associate Dean, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

You can order the book here: Discernment

MORNING THOUGHTS

By Octavius Winslow, Leamington, Dec. 1856.

JANUARY 4.
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen." 2 Corinthians 13:14.


The doctrine of the Trinity is to the Christian the key of the Bible. The Spirit imparting skill to use it, and the power, when used, it unlocks this divine arcade of mysteries, and throws open every door in the blest sanctuary of truth. But it is in the light of salvation that its fitness and beauty most distinctly appear- salvation in which Jehovah appears so inimitably glorious- so like Himself. The Father's love appears in 'sending' His Son; the Son's love in 'undertaking' the work; the Holy Spirit's love in 'applying' the work. Oh, it is delightful to see how, in working out the mighty problem of man's redemption, the Divine Three were thus deeply engaged. With which of these could we have dispensed? All were needed; and had one been lacking, our salvation would have been incomplete, and we would have been eternally lost. In bringing to glory the church they thus have saved, the sacred Three are solemnly pledged. And in the matter of prayer, how sustaining to faith, and how soothing to the mind, when we can embrace, in our ascending petitions, the blessed Three in One. "For through Him (the Son) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."

Top 10 Religous Stories of 2007

The following was found at the Sharpening Iron blog:

by Dan Burrell

Another year has rolled by, and it’s time for my annual list of Top 10 Religious Stories for the last 12 months. In years past, I issued the “Top 10 Fundamentalist Stories” and “The Top 10 Fundamentalist and Evangelical Stories.”

Last year, I offered two lists—one for fundamentalists and one for evangelicals. But this past year was a relatively slow one, so it’s back to a combined list.

Doing a combined list is awkward at best for a variety of issues. Most fundamentalists don’t like to be connected to evangelicals and vice versa. I’m also one of those folks who isn’t completely comfortable with either “term” when being used to describe me.

I’m a self-identified “theological fundamentalist,” but I have rejected much of the baggage that the term has accumulated over time. From a big-picture view, secular observers would associate me with the evangelical wing of Christianity, but I have multiple “issues” with modern Evangelicalism.

There is one positive element to a combined list, however. These lists are notorious for causing debate and even a bit of controversy. By combining the two groups into one, I’m sure to incite even more angry retorts, flaming e-mails, and calls for my impeachment. So . . . let’s let the fun begin!

The Top 10 Stories Impacting Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism in 2007

10. Answers in Genesis Opens New Creation Museum
Ken Ham’s Answers in Genesis organization opened a $27 million young earth museum designed to explain creation science and to challenge Darwinism. The 60,000-square-foot museum, located in Petersburg, Kentucky, drew more than twice the projected attendance during its first six months of operation.

9. Supreme Court Upholds Legislation Prohibiting Partial-Birth Abortions
In a close 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to state legislation that prohibited partial-birth abortions. The procedure involves delivering a viable baby except for its head, then puncturing the skull and sucking out the brains, collapsing the skull, and delivering the dead remains. This ruling marks a long-awaited victory in the courts, reducing the scope of legalized abortions—an issue that has motivated many “religious right” voters for the last quarter century to elect conservative presidents who would appoint life-friendly justices to the high court.

8. Pastor Bob Gray (Jacksonville, FL) Faces Child Molestation Charges and Passes Away Before His Trial
In a scandal that has shaken many fundamentalists and the Bible Belt city of Jacksonville, Florida, Pastor Bob Gray of the Trinity Baptist Church—one of America’s earliest so-called mega-churches—was charged with multiple counts of child molestation involving little girls and at least one boy who attended the day school sponsored by his church. Mere days before the beginning of his trial, Gray fell at home, sank into a coma, and never recovered. He died without facing earthly justice.

7. Passing On: the Deaths of Falwell, Kennedy, Ruth Graham, Fremont, Roberson, Malone
Multiple strong leaders went home to be with the Lord, further marking the end of an era of iconoclastic leadership among Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals. Most notable was the sudden death of Jerry Falwell (more on this later). In addition, we lost Dr. D. James Kennedy, senior pastor of the venerable Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and founder of Evangelism Explosion; Ruth Bell Graham, wife of America’s evangelist Billy Graham; Dr. Walter Fremont, longtime dean of education at Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) and Christian school pioneer; Lee Roberson, founder of Tennessee Temple University and Seminary and longtime senior pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church (both in Chattanooga, TN); and Tom Malone, one-time fundamentalist firebrand and founder of Midwestern Baptist College (Pontiac, MI).

6. Frances Beckwith Converts to Catholicism
Frances Beckwith, president of the Evangelical Theological Society, waited until his term expired, then converted (actually reconverted) to become a full member of the Roman Catholic Church. Such a decision seemed to underscore the suspicion of many theological conservatives and fundamentalists that mainstream evangelicals are adrift in a theological mushiness that fails to note or define the significant differences between Catholicism and evangelical and Reformed/Protestant Christianity.

5. “Religious Right” Drifts Politically
Disillusionment with politics in general, disappointment with the Bush administration on multiple levels, a resurgence of evangelical social activism that lends itself to more liberal politics, and the lack of a clearly viable conservative Republican candidate for the presidency has, thus far, watered down the influence of religious conservatives in the 2008 presidential contest. Confusing endorsements by Bob Jones III (Romney) and Pat Robertson (Giuliani) led to criticism of the endorsers, while few seemed to follow their lead. In recent weeks, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has caught on with some values voters, but some leaders (like Phyliss Schlafly of Eagle Forum) have loudly questioned even his conservative credentials. (In addition, others have noted that the former Southern Baptist pastor did not publicly side with inerrantists in the on-going conflict with the SBC.) James Dobson has even suggested the option of running a third-party candidate if the Republicans nominate a pro-abortion candidate like Rudy Giuliani. Whether the religious right will coalesce around a Republican nominee remains to be seen.

4. Hybels Admits That Seeker-Driven Philosophy Is Flawed
After completing a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their programs and philosophy of ministry, the leaders of Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL) have admitted that what they have taught millions of pastors, church leaders, and converts to “do” is “not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ.” Pastor Bill Hybels confessed, “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ’self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.” Talk about a big “oops” on that one.

3. Death of Iconic Leadership
The 1900s was a century of “icons” in Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism. Larger-than-life individuals often built followings bordering on personality cults. Sunday, Jones, Rice, Criswell, Lee, Roberson, Norris, Hyles, Graham, Rogers, and scores of others had thousands (if not millions) of supporters composed of mere admirers to ardent sycophants. They could, with a single sermon or a press release, influence elections, draw 10s of thousands, sell millions of dollars worth of product, or make front-page articles in newspapers. Today’s generation tends to be far less loyal to individuals and far more cynically minded toward those who would claim to be spokesmen. The frequent scandals of the last quarter century along with the rise in Internet “conversations” (blogs, discussion boards, forums, and forwarded e-mail newsletters) that question, challenge, and debate endlessly and provide a seeming “equal voice” to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection have diluted, if not muted, the voice of many powerful leaders (and egos). Today’s generation of believers don’t want to be told for whom to vote, what to read, or how to behave. They are more likely to ask “why” and “says who?” than previous generations were. The children of yesterday’s Fundamentalism are better educated, more cynical, more sophisticated, and less likely to follow in their parents’ footsteps than previous progeny. They are far more influenced by the culture and far less influenced by dogmatism. This change will demand better generational dialogue, patience, thoughtful discourse, and thorough explanations if historic positions are to be passed on to future descendants.

2. The Growth of Distance Learning
The distance-learning trend is not limited to the world of religious conservatives, but is definitely impacting how we educate and train our future spiritual leaders. Internet-based learning systems, distance learning programs, and nonresidential forms of higher education are exploding across the spectrum. In evangelical and fundamentalist circles, the pacesetter tends to be Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA), which is approaching an enrollment of 25,000 distance learning students. At one time, correspondence schools were the only form of distance learning available, and many were so substandard that the degrees obtained through that method were the cause of smirks among academicians. Today’s distance learning programs are accredited and innovative, and often contain practical observational and practicum strategies that make them ever more popular. The flexibility of distance-learning programs also appeals to those who want to take longer to complete a degree, to stay in their hometowns, or to keep their current jobs. As this trend spreads beyond graduate schools to include undergraduate programs, the impact on residential-oriented Christian colleges could be significant. Accredited programs, particularly for colleges who are eligible to provide GI-related tuition assistance for their students, are exploding with growth and have the greatest potential for influencing the next generation of graduates.

1. The Death of Jerry Falwell and the TRBC/LU Transition
On May 15, 2007, even network news channels interrupted their regular scheduling to report on the death of Jerry Falwell. From CNN to Fox News, commentators spent hours discussing and debating his influence on American politics, society, and religion. Falwell, no stranger to controversy from within and without evangelical and fundamental circles, was a large-than-life personality who wrapped his unique style of leadership and dogma in a warm, amiable package. His ability to defuse tension with humor; his knack for remembering names, faces, and details; and his seemingly unending visions and big dreams made him hard to dislike personally, though many took umbrage with him positionally. What has been striking since his death has been the smoothness of the transition within the myriad ministries he founded in Lynchburg, Virginia. A transition plan was reportedly laid out several years ago that included a colossal life insurance payout that left Liberty University debt free for the first time in its existence. Jonathan Falwell assumed leadership of the church ministries while Jerry Falwell Jr. took the reins at the university. Jonathan is by far the superior communicator, and according to reports as many as 1,500 new members have joined Thomas Road Baptist Church since he assumed the senior pastor position. The church now ranks in the top 10 largest churches in America. Jerry Jr. is known to be an astute businessman and planner, but he is far less comfortable in the public eye than was his father or is his brother. Yet enrollment at the university continues to climb, with more than 10,000 resident students expected this year in addition to the 20,000-plus students in the distance-learning programs. Neither son is perceived to be as politically oriented as his father. Few mega-ministries have experienced similarly smooth generational transfers. If this transfer continues as it started, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for “Liberty Mountain” in the sleepy southern town of Lynchburg, Virginia.

Honorable Mentions:
Certainly a few “honorable” mentions could be considered, including the following:

The investigation of multiple high-profile (mostly charismatic) ministries by Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa for financial irregularities

The tragic shooting of four young people at the Denver Youth With a Mission training center and at New Life Church in Colorado Springs

The forced resignation of Richard Roberts from the presidency of Oral Roberts University

The switch of alliances by well-known former fundamentalist Joe Zichterman, the former professor at Northland Baptist Bible College (Dunbar, WI) who aligned with Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL)

Appointment of Dr. Chuck Phelps as president of Maranatha Baptist Bible College (Watertown, WI)

Appointment of the Rev. Jim Edge as president of Baptist Bible College (Springfield, MO)

Appointment of the Rev. David Melton as president of Boston Baptist College

Disaffiliation of most Southern Baptist colleges in North Carolina from the state convention

Application for affiliation with the Tennessee Southern Baptist Convention by Tennessee Temple University (Chattanooga, TN)

Infamous Huckabee “floating cross” ad

Evangelicals and environmental activism

The rise of anti-Christian books from atheist authors like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris

Persecution of Christians in Turkey, Iraq, India, Afghanistan, China, Burma/Mynamar, and other countries

Grave illness of former ABWE president Dr. Wendell Kempton

Serious illness and recovery of Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Growing controversy due to Joel Osteen’s theology and lack of clarity during media interviews

Dedication of the Billy Graham Library, which brought three former presidents together in Charlotte, North Carolina

Efforts by Democratic presidential candidates to reach out to “values voters”

Continuing rift over gay ordination in Episcopalian denomination as conservatives revolt

That’s my list for 2007. Let the debating begin!

The House of Yahweh Part 4: Their Heretical Christology

We're continuing our look at the heretical cult called the House of Yahweh. Last time we looked at their faulty Bibliology- their view of Scripture. To sum it up, when the Word disagrees with the doctrine of Mr. Hawkins the simple fix is to change Scripture. Now we are going to look at their faulty view of the Lord Jesus Christ- their "Christology" or doctrine of Christ.

This is really the only area that I usually will engage the typical cults that knock on our doors- Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. When you think about it, Christology and Bibliology are inseparably linked. The written word of God and the living Word of God rise and fall together…the written word reveals the living Word. Since they are not holding to sound bibliology they will not hold to sound Christology.

The following discussion will focus on Jesus Christ and His nature and what the HOY believes about Him. Consider this warning:

• I John 2:18-24- “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (20) But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (21) I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. (22) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father:”

Now they would say that they don’t deny that He is the Messiah…but they really do because the Messiah they preach is NOT the Messiah of Scripture…they deny the Messiah in many ways…and by denying the Messiah, they deny the Father whom they appear to hold to so tightly.

1. Denial of the Virgin Birth: They don’t mix their words on this one…and it seems to be a sore spot with them. Listen to the discussion I had with them. When first asked about Jesus Christ they said this (their words in red):

“He was born as each one of us was. He was a man, not some god-man or supernatural being, He was a flesh and blood being who Scripture tells us was born of a mother and father and prophesied to be the promised Messiah.”

I wanted to make it 100% clear so I clarified and this is what they said, speaking of the virgin birth they said:

"Have you ever heard of such a thing before? This is not a "normal" thing in birth is it. We have to live by the Holy Scriptu res and what they teach."

The only scriptures they cite for proof that He is not God (in the email exchange) are:

Romans 1:3-4 Concerning His Son, Yahshua Messiah our King, Who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, And declared to be the Son of Yahweh with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; [The book of Yahweh] This says nothing other than that He was of the lineage of David and was flesh…doesn’t refute the virgin birth at all!

Galatians 4:4 But when the appointed time had fully come, Yahweh sent forth His Son, coming into existence from a woman, coming into existence under the subjection of the Law [Book of Yahweh] Of course he came into existence from a woman…but not from a man. This text suggests the virgin birth!

I Yahchanan (John) 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, to see whether they are of Yahweh; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you will know the Spirit of Yahweh: Every spirit that confesses that Yahshua Messiah started in the flesh is of Yahweh, And every spirit that does not confess that Yahshua Messiah started in the flesh is not of Yahweh. So this is the spirit of the Anti-Messiah which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. First of all they put a meaning, “started in”, for the Greek word ercomai that’s not in any Greek lexicon I’ve ever seen in an attempt to try and support their own point. Contextually though they miss the point. This doesn’t refute the virgin birth…if you read I John it’s obvious John was refuting forms of Gnosticism that taught Jesus was a ghost or phantom (docetism).

When I presented the clear teaching of Isaiah and Matthew on the virgin birth they stopped talking to me…there is no mistaking that Scripture teaches the virgin birth…consider especially Matthew 1:18-25:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. (20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, (23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (24) Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: (25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

2. Denial of the Deity of Christ: Again, they are pretty clear that they don’t believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. Here is the interchange we had:

I asked them, “do you believe that Jeshua (Jesus) is God?”, to which they replied…

“He was a man, not some god-man or supernatural being, He was a flesh and blood being who Scripture tells us was born of a mother and father and prophesied to be the promised Messiah… Think about how deceived this world is to believe that Yahshua was some sort of pre-existent "God" This is completely foreign to the Holy Scriptures and the Prophecies concerning the Messiah. The prophets all knew and spoke of Him as a man, a man just as you and I, yet was without sin (the breaking of Yahweh's Law - I John 3:4). He set the example for each of us to follow - to become perfect in the eyes of Yahweh.”

They deny His preexistence and teach that He was a created being, a man who obeyed God’s laws and thus was a good example for us to follow. There is no way to cover all the Scriptures that teach that He was God, the second person of the Trinity but I do wonder how they’ve changed Scripture to remove the clear teaching of the following verses that so clearly teach the deity of Christ:

John 20:27-29- “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. (28) And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. (29) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

John 5:18- “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

John 8:56-59- “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (57) Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (59) Then took they up stones to cast at him:”

John 17:5- “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

Colossians 1:14-17- “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Conclusion: If someone teaches that Jesus Christ was only a man and not deity, that he is not eternal, that he was not born of a virgin then that person is clearly NOT CHRISTIAN! The House of Yahweh has denied the Son of God and thus has denied the Father. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that people will follow them, after all, the pastor of the largest church in America, Joel Osteen, says that Mormons are Christians and we all believe in the same Jesus. Check the Bible folks! Next time we'll look at their denial of the Trinity.