Oikodomē

The Precious Word of God

2011-01-18T21:22:00.001-05:00

Here’s a clip of the Kimya tribe of Papua, Indonesia as they receive the first complete translation of the New Testament in their language. The overwhelming joy of receiving God’s word in their own native language. How much more should we (in the west) be thankful for.

Such a profound prayer by the pastor who is filled with much gratitude and thankfulness!

The month that you had set, the day that you had set, has come to pass today. Oh my Father, my Father, the Promise that you gave Simeon that he would see Jesus Christ and hold Him in his arms before he died. I also have been waiting under that same promise, O God. You looked at all the different languages and chose which ones will be put into Your Word. You thought that we should see Your Word in our language. Today, the day you had chosen for this to be fulfilled, has come to pass. You have placed it here in our land. And for all this, O God, I give You praise.

Christ & Contemporary Art

2010-11-15T22:27:00.001-05:00

Being both an artist and a Christian (of which I am both, but not presenting them as two separate attributes) in this post-modern society is viewed as a dichotomy waiting to subdue or compromise one of the other. There exist this tension between both camps – as opposed to the harmony of poetic beauty of art and Christianity during the middle ages – and neither side will come in agreements with the other and usually if it does so, it comes at a cost, where it is met on a middle ground often by compromise resulting in a bizarre form of syncretism.

I don’t mean to make an error of hasty generalization, but it’s often the case that most Christians (stigmatized by the liberal emergent types) will view artistic pursuits, predominantly by Christian artist, with a higher degree of scepticism. Understanding that most scepticism arises due to the object of scepticism failing to meet a particular model resulting in a sense of mistrust that leads and carries on generations turning those mistrusts into dispositional prejudices, a Christian who wishes to pursue a particular genre of art (most of which arise from some sort of retaliation to a subduing grand narrative) and who wishes to contribute to the universal church is often overlooked as “non-functionary” and “unpractical” serving no purpose whatsoever to building the church. But I beg to differ, the potential for art to become an instrument in pursuing the great commission and building the universal body of Christ is still untapped and waiting to be accommodated.

Nonetheless, I encourage Christian artist (whatever genre and aspect) to anchor their ships to the harbour of the gospel and scripture. Withholding yourselves from settling to pursue your creative endeavours to mere abstractions and alien vernaculars which lay contrary to the vernaculars of sound biblical truths. This is not an anti-art proposition, but merely an expression to guide Christians to strive for excellence in maintaining the integrity of orthodoxy in their creations. Unlike artists who do not follow the Christian faith and whose mandate is primarily the deconstruction of conventionalism, a Christian artist should find peace knowing that what proceeds from sound ideas is therefore good and does not pose as a threat to distortion of truth. Thus, as opposed to finding meaninglessness, one will find the establishment of meaningfulness between the truth pertaining to Christ and the expressionism (don’t think Edvard Munch) of art and other fields that can be categorized under orthopathos (true emotions).

But on the other hand, let me no longer add to this issue but give to you Makoto Fujimura’s latest project (copy from crossway.org):

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In Celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible

Makoto Fujimura, one of the century’s most highly regarded artists, has illuminated the Four Holy Gospels. Fujimura is known for his use of traditional Japanese Nihonga techniques and his passion for reconnecting Christian faith with fine art. This will mark the first time in nearly 400 years that an illuminated book of the four Gospels has been undertaken by a single artist.

Fujimura - 4 Holy Gospels from Crossway on Vimeo.

The Four Holy Gospels is based on the ESV translation of the Bible and also coincides with the 400^th anniversary of the King James Version (KJV) Bible, published in 1611. The ESV is a direct descendant of the KJV Bible; first published in 2001, the ESV carries forward this classic Bible translation legacy.

Fujimura explains, “By using the ESV translation, we honor the King James Version by allowing contemporary vernacular to reflect the timeless truth of the Bible. This project brings a reconciled whole of the Gospels to a new century and a global audience.”

Editions of The Four Holy Gospels will be available January 31, 2011. An exhibition of the works featured in The Four Holy Gospels will take place from December 9 through January 9 at the Dillon Gallery in New York City. You may download the preview PDF here.

A Face-Lift

2010-11-09T23:01:00.001-05:00

First off, I wish to apologize to all my readers for the lack of frequent updates with this blog. I’ve been quite busy looking for work and have dedicated much of my time to my portfolio/homepage (do check it out!).

Just to sort of kick start this hiatus that Oikodome went through, I’ve decided to give it a facelift. The new look is a lot cleaner, simpler, and modern. Although being a traditional snob, I hope to see the incorporation of orthodox principles through the form of a contemporary modernisation. The blog will still be dedicated to ensuring excellent posts as it already does.

Feedbacks are welcome!

- C.Varthoumlien

This Too Shall Pass, So Persevere!

2010-09-30T21:42:00.001-04:00

“When we are foiled, let us believe we shall overcome; when we have fallen, let us believe we shall rise again. Jacob, after he received a blow which made him lame, yet would not give over wrestling (Gen. 32:25) till he had obtained the blessing. So let us never give up, but, in our thoughts knit the beginning, progress and end together, and then we shall see ourselves in heaven out of the reach of all enemies.” – Richard Sibbes

John Piper’s First Graphic Novel

2010-09-29T21:49:00.001-04:00

Being an avid fan of the graphic novel genre, I find combining both Piper – who has equipped, and encouraged me abundantly in my Christian walk – and the upcoming release of “The Gadarene” would prove to be something I won’t be missing out!

God, Became Man

2010-09-28T23:43:00.001-04:00

“Why art thou proud, O man? God for thee became low. Thou wouldst perhaps be ashamed to initiate a lowly man… He, since He was God, became man: do thou, O man, recognize that thou art [emphasis mine] man. Thy entire humility is to know thyself.” – St. Augustine of Hippo

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)

The Only Sufficient Motive For Evangelism

2010-09-02T23:37:00.001-04:00

“Love for God is the only sufficient motive for evangelism. Self-love will give away to self-centeredness; love for the lost will fail with those whom we cannot love, and when difficulties seem insurmountable, only a deep love for God will keep us following his way, declaring his Gospel, when human resources fail. Only our love for God –and, more important, his love for us—will keep us from the dangers which beset us. When the desire for popularity with men, or for success in human terms, tempts us to water down the Gospel, to make it palatable, then only if we love God will we stand fast by his truth and his ways.”
- John Cheeseman (The Grace of God in the Gospel)

The Bible Is Primarily Not About You

2010-08-26T12:04:00.001-04:00

If so, then what is it all about?

Dr. Tim Keller at The Gospel Coalition (2007)

"There is more of His glory in the Word than there is in the whole creation of heaven and earth" (Burroughs, Gospel Worship, 226).

Why is Christ the only answer to our problem of sin?

2010-08-21T22:14:00.001-04:00

"Of all the great founders of religions, Christ is the only one who will come alongside us, claiming to be our Creator incarnate, come to deal with the problem of guilt of our sin by means of His sacrifice on the cross so that we can receive forgiveness and peace with God. To ask why we must think that Christ is the only way to God is to miss the point completely. For Christ does not, in that sense, compete with anyone for the simple reason that no one else claims to deal with this fundamental problem. He is the only one in the running. How can it be narrow-minded or arrogant to accept from Christ when no one else offers?”
- Dr. David Gooding

The Humility of Calvin's Calvinism by Burk Parsons

2010-08-18T00:57:00.001-04:00

The following is an excerpt from John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine & Doxology edited by Burk Parsons

As the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves, so the only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever he leads. Let this, then, be the first step, to abandon ourselves, and devote the whole energy of our minds to the service of God. By service, I mean not only that which consists in verbal obedience, but that by which the mind, divested of its own carnal feelings, implicitly obeys the call of theSpirit of God.1? —John Calvin

It has not been my habit to refer to myself as a Calvinist; if memory serves, I have never done so, primarily because I don't think John Calvin would want me to. In fact, whenever another Christian asks me what I am (with the seeming hope of determining my particular denominational affiliation), I respond simply, "I am a Christian." Nevertheless, if I were ever truly pressed on the matter of being a Calvinist, I suppose I would respond by saying, "Yes, I am a Calvinist because I am a Christian, and I am a Christian because I believe the gospel."?

Continue reading the article here.

Thanks to Monergism ministry for providing and hosting the article.

And Can It Be That I Should Gain?

2010-08-16T11:50:00.001-04:00

Written by Charles Wesley and first published in 1738.

“Expressing an inexpressible wonder,
I long to be released, so that I may cry;
”Holy is the LORD, who causeth hearts to thunder”,
and that I may be free, to express the oversupply.”
- C. Varthoumlien

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviors blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Tis mystery all: thImmortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Fathers throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adams helpless race:
Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and natures night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach theternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach theternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Forgiven Little?

2010-08-05T10:12:00.001-04:00

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

[36] One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. [37] And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, [38] and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. [39] Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” [40] And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

[41] “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” [44] Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” [48] And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” [50] And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
(Luke 7:36-50 ESV)

The desire to love God even more is a blessing to a Christian, and many times people (including myself) have sought to see this emanating from their lives. But why is it difficult to grow in love for God? Jesus’ parable to Simon provides a clear solution: we need to learn and see the gravity of our sins by the foot of the cross. Hence, unless we learn that we are forgiven of much, much of our love will not be towards Christ our redeemer. For if we love little towards God, we have settled to be forgiven of little.

- C. Varthoumlien

(Video) What is the Gospel?

2010-07-20T12:26:00.001-04:00

Brought to you by the guys at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The Titanic’s last hero: John Harper

2010-07-19T01:24:00.001-04:00

A young Scotsman, who survived the tragic mishap, tells of an extraordinary story of how he was saved. He had been on the Titanic the night it struck the iceberg. Clinging to a piece of floating debris in the freezing waters, “suddenly",” he said, “a wave brought a man near, John Harper. He, too, was holding a piece of wreckage.

“He called out, ‘Man, are you saved?"’

“‘No, I am not’ I replied.

“He shouted back, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.’

“The waves bore [Harper] away, but a little later, he was washed back beside me again. ‘Are you saved now?’ he called out.

“‘No,’ I answered. ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’

“Then losing his hold on the wood, [Harper] sank. And there, alone in the night with two miles of water under me, I trusted Christ as my saviour. I am John Harper’s last convert.”

Taken from Moody Adams, The Titanic’s Last Hero: Story About John Harper (Columbia, SC: Olive Press, 1997), 24 – 25.

A Pardoned sinner – Robert Murray M’Cheyne

2010-07-18T20:54:00.001-04:00

“I often pray, ‘Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be made.’” - Robert Murray M’Cheyne

“I feel, when I have sinned, an immediate reluctance to go to Christ. I am ashamed to go. I feel as if it would do no good to go – as if it were making Christ a minister of sin, to go straight from the swine-trough to the best robe – and a thousand other excuses; but I am persuaded they are all lies, direct from hell. John argues the opposite way – ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father;’ This is God’s way of peace and holiness. It is folly to the world and the beclouded heart, but it is the way.” - Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Abide With Me – Henry F. Lyte (1847)

2010-07-18T13:27:00.001-04:00

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Book Recommendation – What is the Gospel?

2010-07-06T09:15:00.001-04:00

What is the Gospel? A question which most Christians will answer based more on their personal understanding of it as opposed to what the Word of God actually says it is.

Forwarded by D. A. Carson and endorsed by a handful of other eminent Christians, comes a book that seeks to point Christians to the gospel –amidst the entire muddle –on what it really is as presented in the New Testament by the earliest Christians. Titled simply as “What is the Gospel”, Greg Gilbert who serves as an assistant pastor to Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington DC, presents the gospel that is very much centred on the cross. He summarizes the presentation of the gospel as noted from the apostles in Acts and in Romans by Paul as consisting of four central subjects which are: God, man, Christ, and a response. I highly recommend this book if you find yourself still confused on what scripture says is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Here’s a video of him talking about his book.

Jonathan Rourke Impersonates C.J. Mahaney

2010-07-05T02:24:00.002-04:00

Humour for the soul :)

Jonathan Rourke as CJ Mahaney from Resolved on Vimeo.

The Romans Road

2010-07-04T00:43:00.001-04:00

I use this method of sharing the gospel quite often, considering that it is easily accessible (using my iPhone) and that it has strong biblical references all from Romans. You simple use the following verses from Romans and follow them in a sequence. Thanks to Matt Slick from CARM.org for the tip!

Rom. 3:10 “As it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one...”
Rom. 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Rom. 5:12, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned."
Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Rom. 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Rom. 10:9-10, "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
Rom. 10:13, "For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

Pray that it will be a blessing to you!

One Society, One Family

2010-07-04T00:26:00.001-04:00

"Christ has brought it to pass that those whom the Father has given Him should be brought into the household of God: that He and His Father and His people should be as one society, one family--that the Church should be as it were admitted into the society of the blessed Trinity."

- Jonathan Edwards

Your “Testimony” Is Boring

2010-05-30T07:28:00.001-04:00

While working on my testimony for my baptism. I came across this article by Michael S. Horton titled “When Your ‘Testimony’ Is Boring”. It proved to be of a great help to me and definitely worth checking out if your baptism is coming up or perhaps practically any time when sharing your testimony. Horton, grounds much of the order of salvation to Christ, turning our ill notions of “how we came to know Christ” into something more Christ centred, giving all credit to him.

“The process [emphasis his] of repentance and sanctifying conversion is not a goal to which we strive, but a reality from which we live.” Horton

Link to the article

- C. Varthoumlien

The Prodigal

2010-05-07T02:44:00.001-04:00

One of my favorites from the album “Sons & Daughters” by Sovereign Grace Music.

“ This animation is built on 1 John 3:1, and a song by Sovereign Grace Music entitled Prodigal Which, in turn, is based on Christ's parable of the prodigal son. As humans we, by our nature, run from and hate God and anything that would bind us to Him - Yet in His great love He sent Jesus Christ to bear all our punishment and to bring us into the love filled, all satisfying arms of our Father God. Consider Him and His love for YOU as you watch this, that He would call us His own children.”

- actionJones

The Drama of Doctrine – Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer

2010-03-26T15:33:00.002-04:00

Kevin J. Vanhoozer (b. 1957) is the Blanchard Professor of Theology at Wheaton College Graduate School. He was previously Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) where he taught from 1998-2009. From 1990-1998 he was Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies at New College, University of Edinburgh and previously taught at TEDS from 1986-1990. Vanhoozer received a B.A. from Westmont College, an M.Div from Westminster Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, England having studied under Nicholas Lash.

Vanhoozer's The Drama of Doctrine was named best book in theology in the 2006 Christianity Today Book Awards. In this book, Vanhoozer proposes a way of doing theology that corresponds to its subject matter: doctrine is direction for the fitting participation of the individual and the church in the ongoing "theodrama," the reconciling action of the triune God. Theology is faith seeking understanding of the theodrama, but understanding demands not only that we comprehend but that we also perform the Scriptures, the script that forms and transforms the people of God.

- Taken from Theopedia.com

Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer - "Gospel Theater: Staging, Scripting, Directing" from Southeastern Seminary on Vimeo.

Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer - Gospel Theater: Rehearsing, Improvising, Performing from Southeastern Seminary on Vimeo.

We Are Far Too Easily Pleased

2010-03-07T08:44:00.001-05:00

Directed by Tristan Carnahan of Desiring God; excerpts from C.S. Lewis’ book The Weight of Glory.

“If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (The Weight of Glory, 26)

It reminds me of a quotation by Malcolm Muggeridge:

"It is difficult to resist the conclusion that 20th century man has decided to abolish himself. Tired of the struggle to be himself, he has created boredom out of his own affluence, impotence out of his own erotomania, and vulnerability out of his own strength. He himself blows the trumpet that brings the walls of his own cities crashing down. Until at last, having educated himself into imbecility, having drugged and polluted himself into stupefaction. He keels over, a weary battered old brontosaurus and becomes extinct.”

A Critique of “The Five Love Languages”

2010-03-06T16:58:00.001-05:00

I have been asked a couple of times this question: “what is your love language?” To be honest, I never knew how to answer them. It wasn’t because I didn’t know what these ‘languages’ were, but because I knew there was something more than what affinity people simply adhered to ‘naturally’. Gary Chapman, known for his best-selling book, The Five Love Languages, proposed a set of 5 love languages (henceforth, 5LL) which are: affirming words, quality time, gift giving, physical affection, and acts of service. Since the release of this best-seller (and the series that followed it), Chapman’s concept of this model has entered much colloquiality.

In a nutshell, the book shows us that we each have one primary love language, and we must become somewhat like a polyglot, speaking many different languages. We are to not only express and communicate which of the 5LL is our primary, but we must also learn to speak the languages of our loved ones.

Nevertheless, Chapman points out why such dysfunctions within relationships exist. We tend to love others by simply loving them the way we would want them to do for us, while still disregarding their interests completely. Thus, our simple attempts to love others still misfire. The 5LL, at its best, addresses this ignorance and clumsiness. Offering couples constructive and pragmatic advice. However, the whole model within its structured form of principles and methods, fails to address why our tank needs incessant filling in the first place. The root of relational problems cannot be treated pragmatically, but it must be dealt with deductively, meaning the root of the problem must precede the result of the problems. We ought to be fixing the why questions, before we fix the how questions.

David Powlison, in his article, “Love Speaks Many Languages Fluently”, summarizes Chapman’s philosophy as such:

I’ll find out where you itch, and I’ll scratch your back, so you feel better. Along the way, I’ll let you know my itches in a non-demanding manner. You’ll feel good about me because your itches are being scratched, so eventually you’ll probably scratch my back, too. [1]

According to Powlison, Chapman’s 5LL model “fails the class ‘Human Nature 101’. [And] Like all secular interpretations of human psychology (even when lightly Christianized),” says Powlison, “it makes some good observations and offers some half-decent advice (of the sort that self-effort can sometimes follow)”[2]. The 5LL doesn’t take in consideration the “perverse unwillingness and inability to love”[3] resulting from the radical falleness of the human heart; it “leaves fundamental self-interest unchallenged, [but] … plays to self-interest”[4].

“Chapman’s model”, says Powlison further on, “is premised on a give-to-get economy”[5]. A gloried form of the “I scratch your back, and you scratch mine” or rather, “I scratch your back (and then it’s likely you’ll scratch mine)”, where the hope of filling someone’s “love tank” is still contingent on yours being filled. It still views the problem through the “lens of ‘my needs’ (even if it reads a book teaching it to call itself a need)”[6]. This is unlike what Jesus instructed, “Expect nothing in return” (Luke 6:35).

Finally, Powlison in his article further dissects each of the 5LL and compares it to the love of Christ. Which being, “the greatest love ever shown [that] does not speak the instinctively self-centered language of the recipients of such love”[7]. Fundamentally, the love of Christ “speaks contrary to your ‘love language’ and ‘felt needs’”[8]. “Life in the kingdom”, says Powlison, “is much more complex than just lining up one abstract model against another abstract model”[9].

- C. Varthoumlien

_____________________

[1] (Powlison 6)

[2] Ibid., p. 5.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid., p. 7.

[7] Ibid., p. 9.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid., p. 10.

Haiti - “A Call To Fasting & Prayer”

2010-03-03T21:01:00.001-05:00

Haiti - "A Call To Fasting & Prayer" from anthony gehin on Vimeo.

On February 12, 2010, President Préval of Haiti called his nation to 3 days of fasting and prayer. Over 1 million Haitians attended this epic event.

lovinghandsministryhaiti.com

What is the solution to arrogant orthodoxy?

2010-02-19T13:16:00.001-05:00

DugDownDeep_Shook.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.

Why Theology Matters

2010-02-19T11:20:00.001-05:00

Here’s a clip that illustrates why it does. Good job to the guys that made this!

DugDownDeep_Carnahan.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.

The Gospel Coalition Canada Conference

2010-02-16T03:02:00.001-05:00

Conference Topics

Christian Faithfulness in the Last Days: The Need for the Gospel Coalition
D. A. Carson | 2 Tim 3:1-4:8

The Functional Centrality of the Gospel
Mike Bullmore | 1 Cor 15

New Beginning: What Is the Gospel and How Does It Work?
D. A. Carson | John 3:1-21

Entrusted with the Gospel: Communicating the Gospel in a Post-Christian Age
Mike Bullmore | 1 Thess 2:1-16

For more information click on the banner.

The Gospel-Centred Singleness

2010-02-07T17:08:00.001-05:00

Being part of the series: “The Gospel Centred Home”, my pastor Paul W. Martin, concludes the series with “The Gospel-Centred Singleness” today. Keeping all biasness aside, I must admit that it was one of the best sermon on singleness I’ve heard up till now; reasons being the constant emphasis on the centrality of the Gospel. I do hope you would be edified by this talk as much as I was. This talk is applicable to both singles and married couples.

The Outline:

The Gospel proves that singleness is not a state of incompleteness.
The Gospel teaches that God deals with all people as individuals/singles first and primarily.
The Gospel makes marriage temporary.
The Gospel elevates Christ's family above the natural family.
Some people may choose life-long singleness for the sake of the Gospel.
Undesired singleness must be brought to the Gospel.
If someone desires to end their singleness, it must be for the sake of the Gospel.

UPDATE:: 15:12 - 17:46 is missing, will try and get a hold of a fresh copy.

The Power of the Cross

2010-01-31T20:08:00.001-05:00

A great song that speaks of the immeasurable glory of the cross.

We sang this song today at church, It was beautiful!

The Parable of the Sower Explained

2010-01-15T15:27:00.001-05:00

In Matthew 13.18-23, Jesus explains "The Parable of the Sower" to His disciples in response to their question regarding why He chose to speak to the crowds in parables. It is evident that the disciples understood what Jesus was trying to convey in the parable. Their receptive hearts to “the secrets of the kingdom of heaven” is a clear example of the fulfilment of the fourth scenario: where the seeds feel on good soil, only because they heard His word and understood it.

Much of the crowd, in comparison to Jesus’ disciples, were dull in their hearts; their eyes and their ears were closed. They were spiritually deprived of the knowledge of the kingdom, and were dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1) –- This is a good example of an unregenerate state.

God in His sovereignty, uses parables as a sifting tool to call before Him those whom the Father has given unto Him (John 6:44). It is what separated the disciples from the Pharisees who, because of their hardened state, where driven to frustrations because they could simply not make sense of Jesus’ plain parables (John 10:24).

So how are we to know if we belong to Christ? How are we to know if we are part of His flock? Simply by this, we will “understand with [our] heart” (Isaiah 6:10), and we will hear His voice (John 10:27), because we have been drawn to Him by the Father.

In conclusion, among the four scenarios of "The Parable of the Sower", Which one do you associate with when the word of God has been preached to your heart? how do you respond?

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. this is what was sown along the path” (Matthew 13:19).
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20).
“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Matthew 13:21).
“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty” (Matthew 13:22).

So I encourage you brothers and sisters, examine yourself in light of scripture, for you very well might still be dwelling in that euphoric joy that has absolutely no root. Pray that God may test your fruitfulness, so that you may progress with righteous confidence that He indeed had begun a good work in you, and will indeed complete it (Philippians 1:6).

- CHELMS VARTHOUMLIEN

Stubborn or Strong Conviction by John G. Reisinger

2010-01-13T18:33:00.001-05:00

[from - http://www.the-highway.com/stubborn-or-strong_conviction_Reisinger.html]

“How do I know when I am being stubborn or when I am being strong in a right conviction?”

Other people are stubborn, but I have strong convictions. ‘You may not be prepared to admit the truth of the above, but it is often our attitude when someone differs from us. I am sure you have met some stubborn people, and I hope you have been fortunate enough to meet some good men of strong convictions. The obvious problem is ‘How do I know when I am being stubborn or when I am being strong in a right conviction?’ How does one know the difference? When should we ‘give in’ for the sake of peace and when would it be the sin of compromise? When does standing firm violate the law of love, and when is it essential to the cause of truth? These are difficult questions that every true Christian must face. We who hold the Doctrines of Grace are going to be more and more faced with them.

I am sure we all despise the argumentative dogmatist who wants to argue about every jot and tittle. Every “i” must be dotted just so and every ‘t’ must be crossed in a precise manner or else there is cause for a major war. However, we must never think that every person who refuses to conform to the majority is of this temperament. We must not think it a virtue to accept everything from everybody without question. Many ‘pious’ souls have caused more trouble than the worst of the dogmatists, even if they have never been blamed by others or felt guilty themselves.

The man who will not face problems is the church’s biggest enemy. Vance Havner is right when he says, ‘The appeaser does more harm than the opposer.’ J. C. Ryle is also right when he blames the appeaser for running the church and losing the truth. The appeaser will not attempt to discern the difference between stubbornness and conviction. Why? He thinks it is because he loves God and his fellow men, but such is not really the case. Either he does not care which is right or else he does not have the courage to side with true conviction when he does see it. He loves peace more than anything, but actually his love of peace is fear of getting hurt in a battle. The ‘peace at any price’ gentlemen (and he is almost always the nicest of all gentlemen) will do anything and sacrifice everything to keep from getting involved in a situation that requires choosing a side, defending a position, and making enemies of those who disagree. He is neither stubborn nor a man of strong convictions.

As I write these lines, I think of two different men that I learned to know in very intimate relationships. One was more feared than he was ‘liked.’ He had few, if any, enemies who hated him, but he also had few real friends. Those who really knew him loved him. He was an extremely gentle man, but as firm as steel when it came to the truth of God’s Word. He cared for no man’s applause or approval, but ordered his entire life by the law and gospel. Many professing Christians ridiculed his ‘narrow’ view. He often had the charge of ‘bigot’ come down on his head. He was excluded and shunned by the generation of ‘open minded’ Christians. However, I never once knew him to knowingly violate his conscience or what he believed was his duty in the light of God’s Word in order to be ‘accepted.’

The second fellow was just the opposite. He was ‘liked’ by all but feared by none. His personal life was beyond reproach as far as ‘worldliness’ was concerned. He loved and cared for his family. He was respected by neighbors and friends. He was also a gentle man, but not in the same sense as the other man. The second man was not directly concerned about man’s approval, but he was afraid of man’s disapproval. He lived by one rule, PEACE AT ANY PRICE. He would willingly endure any hardship or abuse without a word. Under no circumstance would he take another person to task or force an issue that might cause hard feelings. He was not excluded and shunned by others, nor was he called narrow-minded and bigoted. It is with sadness that I must say that this man did violate conscience and truth. He sinned, not by doing what he believed was wrong, but by refusing to do what he knew was his duty if he knew such a course of action would cause trouble of any kind.

I remember how I used to pity both of these men. I pitied the first one because he did not seem to enjoy a lot of the ‘good times’ that other people did. He would refuse to participate in anything that was questionable. He felt it wiser to ‘give God and his personal testimony the benefit of any doubt’ than to accept the easy answer that ‘all Christians do this.’ Other things were skipped, not because they were questionable, but simply because there were far more profitable ways to spend either the time or money that would be involved. I think I pitied him most when, knowing his actions would bring him under the scorn of many he loved, he would nonetheless wholeheartedly pursue his duty. But you know, I could never conscientiously try to talk him into changing. Oh, I tried to ‘reason’ with him about some things, but I did not expect him to change. In fact, if I would have been honest, I know I would have been forced to admit that I really hoped he would not listen to me. Looking back I realized I was glad to know that God had some men who would not bend to or for anyone except Himself. I even admired him for things which I did not have the courage to follow myself.

I also pitied the second fellow but not in the same way or for the same reason. I pitied him for the way people took advantage of him. He was such a nice guy that no sacrifice was too great for him to make in order to please people. I think I pitied him far more when, knowing his clear duty in a given situation would force him to take a stand against another person, he would run away from the whole problem. I pitied him when I thought of him looking in the mirror as he shaved, and as he felt the hurt and ache inside that always comes when we betray the truth by silence.

If anyone asks me if I know these two men and what I think of them, the same thing always comes into my mind. I always think of the second man as a nice guy, a real swell fellow. He is one of the nicest fellows I know. I never once thought of the first man as a nice guy. I always think of him as a Godly Christian, a man whose fear and love of God forced you to think about God and His holiness.

I often pray for courage to be like the first man. I have no trouble at all being a ‘nice guy’, but nice guys don’t move men toward God. Nice guys don’t leave behind them a trail of men and women who testify to have seen and felt the power of another world because they saw a living example. No, nice guys leave behind a lot of people who gladly acknowledge, ‘He was a swell fellow.’ I think we should be so wedded to the truth of God’s Word that people will not remember our niceness but our God and truth. Let them even call us stubborn if they want to, but let us so cleave to the truth in doctrine and practice that they are forced to think about God and eternity.

The Altar of Cynicism by John Sartelle

2010-01-13T18:30:00.001-05:00

[from - http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/altar-cynicism/]

People lose their souls to many gods. There are the popular gods like money, sex, and power. But there is one unusual god to which men lose their souls, and maybe that god has seduced more people than any of the more famous or obvious gods that live in our hearts.

Cynicism is the god of the thinking person. Cynicism at first sight is not attractive, and thus, it does not seem seductive or powerful.

It was the god with whom Solomon battled from the beginning of Ecclesiastes to the end. Oh, he spoke of living for money, sex, and power, but what did he conclude? He concluded that they were void of meaning. They were carafes that looked like they were filled with wine, but they contained only colored water. Solomon surveyed all the gods. In fact, he was intimate with each of them. But the one that came the nearest to owning his soul was cynicism. He looked at everything — his money, his power, his work, his brilliance, even his relationships with his wives and friends. He concluded that all of these were useless. There was nothing or no one who delivered what they seemed to promise. These gods that he had loved with all his might went back on their word; they double-crossed his soul. Thus: “Vanity of vanities…all is vanity” (Eccl. 12:8). The Hebrew word translated vanity means empty, transitory, unsatisfactory. His gods were empty and could not satisfy. They could not be trusted.

Last year I read a very powerful book in which the protagonist had everything (money, power, prestige, family, sex), but he “woke up” to discover how empty his life was. So he set out to find a reality that could be trusted. Along the way his wife, parents, and friends all proved unfaithful and untrustworthy. In the end, he sailed out of the harbor into the ocean alone on his boat with no direction. He had lost his soul to cynicism. Every god, every man, every woman, every institution he trusted let him down. But then he, too, had proved to be unfaithful and untrustworthy, because like all of us he had lied, he had failed to deliver when others trusted him. He, himself, had not been faithful. In the end he became cynical. He kept saying, “To hell with it, to hell with it all.”

This is where cynicism takes hold: with our realization that nothing or no one can be totally trusted, and we can’t even point the finger of accusation at others because we ourselves cannot be trusted. We must number ourselves among the unfaithful and untrustworthy. Cynicism is the temple to which we finally come after stopovers at the houses of all the other gods. It is the temple at the end of “temple row.”

At the last, Solomon was saved from his cynicism. Ecclesiastes did not end like the book I read. Solomon did not sail out of the harbor into an endless ocean of emptiness. He did not end his story with the words, “To hell with it, to hell with it all.” He came to the sanctuary of a changeless God — a God who made incredible promises of grace and then kept His word. He came to a God who forgave unfaithful and untrustworthy people. He came to a God who said, “I will be faithful to my covenant with you. I will be faithful even though you have not been faithful to Me.”

Don’t expect more from your deities than they are able to deliver. Money will fail you, pleasure will fail you, power will fail you; friends, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, and children will fail you. Solomon was right about that. And when they do, many of us are devastated. In our bitterness and resentment we go to the temple of cynicism. But there is a gospel for cynics. There is a gospel that says to us, “Of course, all of these will fail you. Of course, they are unfaithful and untrustworthy, and so are you.” So, in the words of Solomon, let’s hear “the conclusion of the matter.”

Don’t give up; there is one more temple. It is the temple that welcomes the unfaithful and untrustworthy. Above the door are words of grace: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” (Isa. 55:1–2).

The cynic comes to this temple and finally finds One who will not betray him and who will never fail him. This God has declared that the sun and moon will fall from the sky before His word and promises can be broken. He went to the extreme of sacrificing His own Son to keep His promise, to be faithful to His oath of justice. He has never lied. He has never broken His word. Here is One who is trustworthy. And surprisingly, He has invited the unfaithful and untrustworthy to come and live with Him. The way His creation treated Him, we would expect Him to be cynical. Yet, He speaks grace to the very people who failed Him. Former cynics no longer go about every day saying, “Vanity of vanities…everything is vanity.” They are singing a new song, one about an amazing grace that saves wretches.

And now a very strange thing has happened. These former cynics now give the grace they received to those who have been unfaithful and untrustworthy to them.

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From Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul. © Tabletalk magazine. Website: www.ligonier.org/tabletalk. Email: tabletalk@ligonier.org. Toll free: 1-800-435-4343.

Christ The Only Way-R.C. Sproul

2010-01-11T01:41:00.001-05:00

The Gospel-Driven Life by Harry L. Reeder III

2009-12-08T07:32:00.001-05:00

When I was asked to participate in this column* designed for older Christians to share insights and encouragements to younger believers, I had no doubt what issue to address — the Gospel-driven life.

The Gospel of saving grace in Jesus is the foundation, the formation, and the primary motivation for the Christian life.

The Gospel message brings you to Christ as the sure foundation for eternal life. The Gospel message provides direction for the formation of your new life. The Gospel message provides the primary motivation for a maturing life. The importance of living a Gospel-driven life is why Paul reminded the Corinthian church that when he was “with them” he was determined to maintain their focus upon the Gospel, by preaching “Christ and Him crucified.” Adding emphasis, he declared, “I did not come to baptize, but to preach the Gospel” (see 1 Cor. 1:17). He was not demeaning baptism, but rather underscoring that the Gospel is essential to evangelism and disciple-making.

Early in my Christian life, I thought the Gospel was the message to win people to Christ, then, in disciple-making, one moved on to “deeper things.” What a fallacy! You never move beyond the Gospel. You go deeper and higher with the Gospel, but never beyond the Gospel. The Gospel is what defines how to be a Christian man, woman, spouse, parent, and citizen. The Gospel brings the reign of Christ’s kingdom to our hearts and throughout the world. The Gospel blessings give joy to the Christian life and the ability to rejoice even in suffering. The Gospel imperatives direct our new desire to lovingly obey our Lord. The Gospel provides the foundation, the formation, and the motivation as it ignites our loving obedience to Christ as we discover the transforming truth that “He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

A steady delivery of brochures to my office offer conferences that will help the church “make the Gospel relevant.” Betsy Childs, a daughter of our church and writer for Ravi Zacharias, in commenting on this phenomenon, writes: “Why would we think the Gospel is irrelevant?” She is right. Nothing is more relevant than the Gospel. To be sure, we must understand the issues of our age and connect meaningfully with people for effective evangelism and discipleship, but nothing is more relevant than the Gospel message, which announces: When there was no way for man to be right with God, He made a way, through Christ, His Son, who is “the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him]” (John 14:6). The Gospel message reveals that God’s love has met God’s holiness at the cross. Therefore, our salvation is by the power of God and the unfailing righteousness of God.

Most religions have a commonality. They tell you what you must do to gain salvation. In contrast, the Christian Gospel declares what we do is not the answer, but the problem. I am convinced the greatest words in the Bible are: “But God.” “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you…” (Rom. 11:22).

In Romans 1:15 Paul declares that a key to his desire to come to Rome is because he is “eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” The “you” are identified in verse 7 as “the loved by God and called to be saints.” In other words, Christians. Paul was eager to preach the Gospel not only to the lost but also to the Christians. Paul obviously believes that the Gospel is essential to both evangelism and discipleship as it provides the foundation, the formation, and the motivation for the Christian life.

When I was sixteen, my father bought me a car at an auction for $75. It was a pink ’57 Ford, which Dad insisted was “coral.” I couldn’t drive a pink car to school! I then heard words that in a not-to-distant future my children would hear, “Son, a poor ride is better than a proud walk.” It was said so convincingly I knew it was probably in the Bible. Then my Dad opened the hood, and to my surprise, underneath was a 390 engine with two four-barrel carburetors. The car had been a South Carolina State Interceptor (a highway patrol car). Nothing had more power under the hood. Space and conviction prevents me from detailing the surprises that Corvettes and Roadsters would get after they looked laughingly at my pink ’57 Ford while sitting side by side at stoplights. It didn’t look like much, but there was power under the hood.

Young Christian, the world despises the Gospel in its simplicity and disdains the vessels entrusted to carry and proclaim it. But there is power under the hood. Live the Gospel, believe and preach the whole Gospel — the Gospel blessings that declare who you are in Christ, the Gospel imperatives that call you to your new life for Christ. This Gospel transforms the hearts, minds, and wills of sinners. Thankfully, it continues to transform mine. Preach it to yourself, to each other, and to the lost, and know the joys of the Gospel-driven life.

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Dr. Harry L. Reeder III is senior minister of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

*In order to promote the unity and growth of the body of Christ, Generation to Generation endeavours to provide the wisdom of elders to younger readers and convey what young Christians need to hear as they mature in the Christian faith.

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From Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul. © Tabletalk magazine.
Website: www.ligonier.org/tabletalk. Email: tabletalk@ligonier.org.
Toll free: 1-800-435-4343.

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I’m also hoping to read this book soon by Michael Horton:

Anxiety by Arthur W. Pink

2009-12-07T20:08:00.001-05:00

“Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.”

- Psalm 55:22 (E.S.V.)

"Be anxious for nothing" (Phil. 4:6). Worrying is as definitely forbidden as theft. This needs to be carefully pondered and definitely realized by us, so that we do not excuse it as an innocent "infirmity." The more we are convicted of the sinfulness of anxiety, the sooner are we likely to perceive that it is most dishonouring to God, and "strive against" it (Heb. 12:4). But how are we to "strive against" it? First, by begging the Holy Spirit to grant us a deeper conviction of its enormity. Second, by making it a subject of special and earnest prayer, that we may be delivered from this evil. Third, by watching its beginning, and as soon as we are conscious of harassment of mind, as soon as we detect the unbelieving thought, lift up our heart to God and ask Him for deliverance from it.

The best antidote for anxiety is frequent meditation upon God's goodness, power and sufficiency. When the saint can confidently realize "The Lord is My Shepherd," he must draw the conclusion, "I shall not want!" Immediately following our exhortation is, "but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God." Nothing is too big and nothing is too little to spread before and cast upon the Lord. The "with thanksgiving" is most important, yet it is the point at which we most fail. It means that before we receive God's answer, we thank Him for the same: it is the confidence of the child expecting his Father to be gracious.

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought (anxious concern) for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:25,33)

The Sufficiency of Scripture

2009-12-05T21:42:00.001-05:00

A collection of quotations pertaining to the sufficiency of scripture in every facet of a Christian's life:

“The fanaticism which discards the Scripture, under the pretense of resorting to immediate revelations is subversive of every principle of Christianity. For when they boast extravagantly of the Spirit, the tendency is always to bury the Word of God so they may make room for their own falsehoods.” - John Calvin

"Some persons think they can know God by means of their own human reason. But reason is a blind ally spiritually. It has always been the great minds exercising their powers apart from the Word of God who have produced the great heresies. Some think they can discover God by listening to a so-called 'inner voice.' But the voice is often nothing more than an expression of their own inner desires. Quite a few think that spiritual truths can be verified by supernatural events or miracles. But the Bible everywhere teaches that even miracles will not lead men and women to understand and receive God's truth unless they themselves are illuminated by the Bible (see Luke 16:31). I believe that we can state categorically that there is no knowledge apart from Jesus Christ and that there is no knowledge of Jesus Christ apart from a knowledge of the Bible." - James Montgomery Boice

“I have convenanted with my Lord that he should not send me visions or dreams or even angels. I am content with this gift of the Scriptures, which teaches and supplies all that is necessary, both for this life and that which is to come.” - Martin Luther

“Even though [the Bible] is an ancient document, every person in every situation in every society that’s ever existed can find in this book things that endure forever. Here’s a book that never needs another edition. It never needs to be edited, never has to be updated, is never out of date or obsolete. It speaks to us as pointedly and directly as it ever has to anyone in any century since it was written. It’s so pure that it lasts forever.” - John MacArthur, You Can Trust the Bible, Moody Press, 1988, p. 21-22.

This weapon is good at all points, good for defense and for attack, to guard our whole person or to strike through the joints and marrow of the foe. Like the seraph’s sword at Eden’s gate, it turns every way. You cannot be in a condition that the Word of God has not provided. The Word has as many faces and eyes as providence itself. You will find it unfailing in all periods of your life, in all circumstances, in all companies, in all trials, and under all difficulties. Were it fallible, it would be useless in emergencies, but its unerring truth renders it precious beyond all price to the soldiers of the cross. - C.H. Spurgeon, Spiritual Warfare in a Believer’s Life, Sermon Matthew 4:4.

“The sufficiency of Scripture means that we don’t need any more special revelation. We don’t need any more inspired, inerrant words. In the Bible God has given us, we have the perfect standard for judging all other knowledge. All other knowledge stands under the judgment of the Bible even when it serves the Bible.” - John Piper, Thoughts on the Sufficiency of Scripture, February 9, 2005. www.DesiringGod.org.

"Sola Scriptura makes is a transformation in your trust. Your conviction and confidence is no longer in psychology, social theory, corporate business models, or modern marketing techniques, but rather in the fully sufficient Word of God. For personal life, family life, church life – indeed, for ALL of life: vocational, political, community, etc. – the comprehensive principles, precepts, practices, and prudence of the Word of God is your safe and sure guide. No longer will you live life as a practical humanist, but rather you will approach all issues “epistemologically self-conscious” since there is no moral neutrality in the universe." - John Thompson, The Sufficiency of Scripture: By What Standard? April 3, 2003, www.visionforumministries.org

Preoccupation With Self

2009-12-05T15:52:00.001-05:00

Let us continually seek to forget ourselves, so that we can labour seeking towards Christ.

“The average person in the world today, without faith and without God and without hope, is engaged in a desperate personal search throughout his lifetime. He does not really know where he has been. He does not really know what he is doing here and now. He does not know where he is going. The sad commentary is that he is doing it all on borrowed time and borrowed money and borrowed strength; and he already knows that in the end he will surely die! Man, made more like God than any other creature, has become less like God than any other creature. Created to reflect the glory of God, he has retreated sullenly into his cave; reflecting only his own sinfulness. Certainly it is a tragedy above all tragedies in this world that man, made with a soul to worship and praise and sing to God's glory, now sulks silently in his cave.” – A.W. Tozer

“The great hymns of the church are on the way out. They are not gone entirely, but they are going and in their place have come trite jingles that have more in common with contemporary advertising ditties than the psalms. The problem here is not so much the style of the music, though trite words fit best with trite tunes and harmonies. Rather it is with the content of the songs. The old hymns expressed the theology of the Bible in profound and perceptive ways and with winsome memorable language. Today’s songs are focused on ourselves. They reflect our shallow or nonexistent theology and do almost nothing to elevate our thoughts about God. Worst of all are songs that merely repeat a trite idea, word, or phrase over and over again. Songs like this are not worship, though they may give the church-goer a religious feeling. They are mantras, which belong more in a gathering of New Agers than among the worshiping people of God.” - James Montgomery Boice

“In space, astronauts experience the misery of having no reference point, no force that draws them to the center. Where there is no "moral gravity"- that is, no force that draws us to the center- there is spiritual weightlessness. We float on feelings that will carry us where we were never meant to go; we bubble with emotional experiences that we often take for spiritual ones; and we are puffed up with pride. Instead of seriousness, there is foolishness. Instead of gravity, flippancy. Sentimentality takes the place of theology. Our reference point will never serve to keep our feet on solid rock. Our reference point, until we answer God's call, is merely ourselves. We cannot possibly tell which end is up.” - Elizabeth Elliot

“Preoccupied with ourselves, we have lost the grace of being thankful. It is sad to live in a world where there is no one to thank because we have ourselves become the cause and source of all good things.” John Hannah, To God be the Glory, Crossway, 2000, p. 11.

“Self-belittlement, self-exaltation, and self-pity all indicate a preoccupation with self. Inordinate attention to self is the exact opposite of God’s commandments to love Him and others. A self-focus also prohibits the development of a Christlike servant attitude in you. If you try to save your life by focusing on self, you will reap certain consequence; instead of saving your life, you will lose it.” Biblical Counseling Foundation
Self-Confrontation Manuel, Lesson 9, Page 4.

“Children are rude because they are so naturally egocentric. It’s their needs, their comforts, their feelings that they demand be met- usually at the expense of weary parents. Of course, self-centeredness is natural, expected behavior in infancy and tolerable in toddlers, but it becomes downright unbearable in school-age children. Proper manners can be a most effective tool in teaching children that they are not the center of the universe. And as the realization grows, they will be well on their way to becoming civilized rather than savage.” Kent and Barbara Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Family, Crossway Books, 2004, p. 124.

Only In Him

2009-12-05T15:34:00.001-05:00

Though this narrow path we tread, may we continue to look towards God, for apart from Christ, we can do nothing.

"…until God reveals himself to us, we do not think we are men, or rather, we think that we are gods; but when we have seen God, then we begin to feel and know what we are. hence springs true humility, which consists in this, that a man make no claim for himself, and depends wholly on God." John Calvin(Commentary on Isaiah 6:5)

“In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not of sense. And just as the faith of salvation comes through hearing the message of the gospel (Romans 10:17), so the faith to trust God in adversity comes through the Word of God alone. It is only in the Scriptures that we find an adequate view of God’s relationship to and involvement in our painful circumstances. It is only from the Scriptures, applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, that we receive the grace to trust God in adversity.” - Jerry Bridges

“God is able to work with or without human means. Though He most often uses them, He is not dependent upon them. Furthermore, He will frequently use some means altogether different from that which we would have expected. Sometimes our prayers for deliverance from some particular strait are accompanied by faith to the extent we can foresee some predictable means of deliverance. But God is not dependent upon means that we can foresee. In fact, it seems from experience that God delights to surprise us by His ways of deliverance to remind us that our trust must be in Him and Him alone.” – Jerry Bridges

“Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt. All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence with them.” Hudson Taylor

Principle vs. Pragmatism by R.C. Sproul

2009-11-30T16:05:00.001-05:00

Some years ago, I drove along the Pennsylvania Turnpike about two o’clock in the morning with a friend after having spent all day at a steel corporation in eastern Pennsylvania dealing with labor management issues. My companion was a man who had lost his job as a highly paid executive in the industry for being too concerned about the welfare and dignity of the laborers in his plant. As we were making this drive in the wee hours of the morning, I noticed my friend was at the point of exhaustion, and so I asked him the question: “Why are you doing this?” He looked over at me as if to indicate that my question was a foolish one, and he replied simply: “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

In stark contrast to that, in this past year I have witnessed the worst type of corruption within the church that I have seen in my lifetime. I was chairing the board of a Christian institution of learning as we dealt with a question of the propriety of the teaching of one of the professors. The task of the board was to guard the purity of the doctrine of the institution. The motion was made to suspend the professor for a brief period of time in order to give him an opportunity to amend his views. As chairman, I did not vote, but the motion carried by a vote of eight to two.

During the discussion, one of the men who voted against the resolution asked this question: “Can’t we deal with this question in a more pragmatic way?” Another board member responded by saying, “No, it is our responsibility to act not according to pragmatism but according to principle.” The motion to suspend was passed by a margin of eight-to-two. The pragmatist who was outvoted, instead of submitting to the vote or bringing in a minority report, went around the board and did everything in his power to have the board’s decision overthrown. Accomplishing this, his next move was to see to it that board members with whom he disagreed were ousted from the board. Through Machiavellian machinations of corruption, this pragmatist was able to succeed. In his wake, he left the demolition of a strategically important institution of Christian learning.

What is pragmatism? Pragmatism is the only philosophy native to America. Pragmatism eschews any hope of discovering ultimate truth. It is sceptical with respect to objective principles of righteousness and defines truth as “that which works.” In this philosophy, the end always justifies the means. The driving force behind decisions within the scope of pragmatism is the force of expediency.

We remember in the days of the trial of Jesus of Nazareth, two of the important players were Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate. Both men made their decisions to have Jesus executed on the basis of expediency (Mark 15:15; John 11:45–53). Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate were pragmatists with a vengeance.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch with a ranking senator of the United States Congress. During our discussion, I raised an ethical issue that the Senate faced at that time and asked him why the Senate didn’t act on that particular issue. He replied that he agreed with me that the Senate certainly should act on it, but he added that they could not do it that year because it was an election year. I moved to my second question and asked about another issue that needed the Senate’s attention. Again he agreed that it should be addressed, but not that particular year because it was an election year.

After we got to the sixth or seventh question where the mantra was repeated again (“not this year because it’s an election year”), I looked at the senator and asked, “Is there anybody up here on Capitol Hill who thinks about the next generation instead of the next election?” I guess it was too idealistic of me to think that our nation’s leaders would be a bit more concerned for the welfare of the nation than for their own political war chest. No nation (or Christian institution, for that matter) can survive when its leaders are driven by a spirit of pragmatism or make their decisions according to political expediency.

Expediency is an obscene word. It is the word that is ever and always at war with principle. A person who is a Christian is called of God to live by biblical principles. The principles that the Bible reveals to guide our steps are the necessary elements for authentic righteousness. Take away principle, and righteousness is slain in the streets. We need an awakening in the culture and in the church to principle — to working according to truth and to living according to biblical revelation. Without principle, the church as well as the culture will decay, and the church will become a mere echo of the unprincipled pragmatism of secularism.

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Dr. R.C. Sproul is founder and president of Ligonier Ministries and senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's in Sanford, Florida, and he is author of the book Faith Alone.

For more than thirty years, Dr. R.C. Sproul has thoroughly and concisely analyzed weighty theological, philosophical, and biblical topics in Right Now Counts Forever, drawing out practical applications for the Christian in his own engaging style.

But Only God

2009-11-30T01:17:00.001-05:00

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

1 Corinthians 3:7

How often we forget this…

The Background of Paul Washer's "Shocking Youth Message"

2009-11-29T18:34:00.001-05:00

The “Shocking Youth Message” if you haven’t seen it yet.

When He is come

2009-11-29T16:12:00.001-05:00

"Though nowadays we hear of persons being healed before they have been wounded and brought into a certainty of justification without ever having lamented their condemnation, we are very dubious as to the value of such healings and justifyings.

This style of things is not according to the truth. God never clothes men until He has first stripped them, nor does He quicken them by the gospel till first they are slain by the law. When you meet with persons in whom there is no trace of conviction of sin, you may be quite sure that they have not been wrought upon by the Holy Spirit, for 'when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.' Great care must be taken that faith is exercised upon Christ for a complete salvation and not part of it."

- C.H. Spurgeon

Of Him – John Calvin

2009-11-11T09:20:00.001-05:00

“If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth… If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross (Gal 3:13); if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge.”

- Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.16.19.

(REPOST) Celebrating Reformation Day

2009-10-31T13:58:00.001-04:00

On this day, October 31st, back in 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther posted a proposal at the doors of Wittenburg, Germany, to debate the doctrine and practices of indulgences. This proposal is commonly called as the 95 Theses. This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought. Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg's main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices.

So in honour of our brother, the man himself and his 95 Theses:

"Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.

When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.

As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward repentance) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven.

The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law.

The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.

God never remits guilt to anyone without, at the same time, making him humbly submissive to the priest, His representative.

The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive, and, according to the canons themselves, none applies to the dead.

Accordingly, the Holy Spirit, acting in the person of the pope, manifests grace to us, by the fact that the papal regulations always cease to apply at death, or in any hard case.

It is a wrongful act, due to ignorance, when priests retain the canonical penalties on the dead in purgatory.

When canonical penalties were changed and made to apply to purgatory, surely it would seem that tares were sown while the bishops were asleep.

In former days, the canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution was pronounced; and were intended to be tests of true contrition.

Death puts an end to all the claims of the Church; even the dying are already dead to the canon laws, and are no longer bound by them.

Defective piety or love in a dying person is necessarily accompanied by great fear, which is greatest where the piety or love is least.

This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, whatever else might be said, to constitute the pain of purgatory, since it approaches very closely to the horror of despair.

There seems to be the same difference between hell, purgatory, and heaven as between despair, uncertainty, and assurance.

Of a truth, the pains of souls in purgatory ought to be abated, and charity ought to be proportionately increased.

Moreover, it does not seem proved, on any grounds of reason or Scripture, that these souls are outside the state of merit, or unable to grow in grace.

Nor does it seem proved to be always the case that they are certain and assured of salvation, even if we are very certain ourselves.

Therefore the pope, in speaking of the plenary remission of all penalties, does not mean "all" in the strict sense, but only those imposed by himself.

Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when they say that a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's indulgences.

Indeed, he cannot remit to souls in purgatory any penalty which canon law declares should be suffered in the present life.

If plenary remission could be granted to anyone at all, it would be only in the cases of the most perfect, i.e. to very few.

It must therefore be the case that the major part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of relief from penalty.

The same power as the pope exercises in general over purgatory is exercised in particular by every single bishop in his bishopric and priest in his parish.

The pope does excellently when he grants remission to the souls in purgatory on account of intercessions made on their behalf, and not by the power of the keys (which he cannot exercise for them).

There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.

It is certainly possible that when the money clinks in the bottom of the chest avarice and greed increase; but when the church offers intercession, all depends in the will of God.

Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed in view of what is said of St. Severinus and St. Pascal? (Note: Paschal I, pope 817-24. The legend is that he and Severinus were willing to endure the pains of purgatory for the benefit of the faithful).

No one is sure of the reality of his own contrition, much less of receiving plenary forgiveness.

One who bona fide buys indulgence is a rare as a bona fide penitent man, i.e. very rare indeed.

All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

We should be most carefully on our guard against those who say that the papal indulgences are an inestimable divine gift, and that a man is reconciled to God by them.

For the grace conveyed by these indulgences relates simply to the penalties of the sacramental "satisfactions" decreed merely by man.

It is not in accordance with Christian doctrines to preach and teach that those who buy off souls, or purchase confessional licenses, have no need to repent of their own sins.

Any Christian whatsoever, who is truly repentant, enjoys plenary remission from penalty and guilt, and this is given him without letters of indulgence.

Any true Christian whatsoever, living or dead, participates in all the benefits of Christ and the Church; and this participation is granted to him by God without letters of indulgence.

Yet the pope's remission and dispensation are in no way to be despised, for, as already said, they proclaim the divine remission.

It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, to extol to the people the great bounty contained in the indulgences, while, at the same time, praising contrition as a virtue.

A truly contrite sinner seeks out, and loves to pay, the penalties of his sins; whereas the very multitude of indulgences dulls men's consciences, and tends to make them hate the penalties.

Papal indulgences should only be preached with caution, lest people gain a wrong understanding, and think that they are preferable to other good works: those of love.

Christians should be taught that the pope does not at all intend that the purchase of indulgences should be understood as at all comparable with the works of mercy.

Christians should be taught that one who gives to the poor, or lends to the needy, does a better action than if he purchases indulgences.

Because, by works of love, love grows and a man becomes a better man; whereas, by indulgences, he does not become a better man, but only escapes certain penalties.

Christians should be taught that he who sees a needy person, but passes him by although he gives money for indulgences, gains no benefit from the pope's pardon, but only incurs the wrath of God.

Christians should be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they are bound to retain what is only necessary for the upkeep of their home, and should in no way squander it on indulgences.

Christians should be taught that they purchase indulgences voluntarily, and are not under obligation to do so.

Christians should be taught that, in granting indulgences, the pope has more need, and more desire, for devout prayer on his own behalf than for ready money.

Christians should be taught that the pope's indulgences are useful only if one does not rely on them, but most harmful if one loses the fear of God through them.

Christians should be taught that, if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence-preachers, he would rather the church of St. Peter were reduced to ashes than be built with the skin, flesh, and bones of the sheep.

Christians should be taught that the pope would be willing, as he ought if necessity should arise, to sell the church of St. Peter, and give, too, his own money to many of those from whom the pardon-merchants conjure money.

It is vain to rely on salvation by letters of indulgence, even if the commissary, or indeed the pope himself, were to pledge his own soul for their validity.

Those are enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid the word of God to be preached at all in some churches, in order that indulgences may be preached in others.

The word of God suffers injury if, in the same sermon, an equal or longer time is devoted to indulgences than to that word.

The pope cannot help taking the view that if indulgences (very small matters) are celebrated by one bell, one pageant, or one ceremony, the gospel (a very great matter) should be preached to the accompaniment of a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

The treasures of the church, out of which the pope dispenses indulgences, are not sufficiently spoken of or known among the people of Christ.

That these treasures are not temporal are clear from the fact that many of the merchants do not grant them freely, but only collect them.

Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, because, even apart from the pope, these merits are always working grace in the inner man, and working the cross, death, and hell in the outer man.

St. Laurence said that the poor were the treasures of the church, but he used the term in accordance with the custom of his own time.
We do not speak rashly in saying that the treasures of the church are the keys of the church, and are bestowed by the merits of Christ.

For it is clear that the power of the pope suffices, by itself, for the remission of penalties and reserved cases.
The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God.
It is right to regard this treasure as most odious, for it makes the first to be the last.
On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is most acceptable, for it makes the last to be the first.
Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets which, in former times, they used to fish for men of wealth.
The treasures of the indulgences are the nets to-day which they use to fish for men of wealth.
The indulgences, which the merchants extol as the greatest of favours, are seen to be, in fact, a favourite means for money-getting.
Nevertheless, they are not to be compared with the grace of God and the compassion shown in the Cross.
Bishops and curates, in duty bound, must receive the commissaries of the papal indulgences with all reverence.
But they are under a much greater obligation to watch closely and attend carefully lest these men preach their own fancies instead of what the pope commissioned.
Let him be anathema and accursed who denies the apostolic character of the indulgences.

On the other hand, let him be blessed who is on his guard against the wantonness and license of the pardon-merchant's words.
In the same way, the pope rightly excommunicates those who make any plans to the detriment of the trade in indulgences.
It is much more in keeping with his views to excommunicate those who use the pretext of indulgences to plot anything to the detriment of holy love and truth.
It is foolish to think that papal indulgences have so much power that they can absolve a man even if he has done the impossible and violated the mother of God.
We assert the contrary, and say that the pope's pardons are not able to remove the least venial of sins as far as their guilt is concerned.
When it is said that not even St. Peter, if he were now pope, could grant a greater grace, it is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.
We assert the contrary, and say that he, and any pope whatever, possesses greater graces, viz., the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as is declared in I Corinthians 12 [:28].
It is blasphemy to say that the insignia of the cross with the papal arms are of equal value to the cross on which Christ died.
The bishops, curates, and theologians, who permit assertions of that kind to be made to the people without let or hindrance, will have to answer for it.
This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult for learned men to guard the respect due to the pope against false accusations, or at least from the keen criticisms of the laity.
They ask, e.g.: Why does not the pope liberate everyone from purgatory for the sake of love (a most holy thing) and because of the supreme necessity of their souls? This would be morally the best of all reasons. Meanwhile he redeems innumerable souls for money, a most perishable thing, with which to build St. Peter's church, a very minor purpose.
Again: Why should funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continue to be said? And why does not the pope repay, or permit to be repaid, the benefactions instituted for these purposes, since it is wrong to pray for those souls who are now redeemed?
Again: Surely this is a new sort of compassion, on the part of God and the pope, when an impious man, an enemy of God, is allowed to pay money to redeem a devout soul, a friend of God; while yet that devout and beloved soul is not allowed to be redeemed without payment, for love's sake, and just because of its need of redemption.
Again: Why are the penitential canon laws, which in fact, if not in practice, have long been obsolete and dead in themselves,—why are they, to-day, still used in imposing fines in money, through the granting of indulgences, as if all the penitential canons were fully operative?
Again: since the pope's income to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of indigent believers?
Again: What does the pope remit or dispense to people who, by their perfect repentance, have a right to plenary remission or dispensation?
Again: Surely a greater good could be done to the church if the pope were to bestow these remissions and dispensations, not once, as now, but a hundred times a day, for the benefit of any believer whatever.
What the pope seeks by indulgences is not money, but rather the salvation of souls; why then does he suspend the letters and indulgences formerly conceded, and still as efficacious as ever?
These questions are serious matters of conscience to the laity. To suppress them by force alone, and not to refute them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christian people unhappy.
If therefore, indulgences were preached in accordance with the spirit and mind of the pope, all these difficulties would be easily overcome, and indeed, cease to exist.
Away, then, with those prophets who say to Christ's people, "Peace, peace," where in there is no peace.
Hail, hail to all those prophets who say to Christ's people, "The cross, the cross," where there is no cross.
Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hells.
And let them thus be more confident of entering heaven through many tribulations rather than through a false assurance of peace.

Sola Scriptura!
Sola Fide!
Sola Gratia!
Solus Christus!
Soli Deo Gloria!

Matthew Smith - My Lord, I Did Not Choose You

2009-10-24T19:08:00.001-04:00

A good rendition of the 19th century classic hymn, My Lord I Did Not Choose You, written by Josiah Conder.

C.H. Spurgeon: From Every Sin

2009-10-21T01:21:00.001-04:00

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Lord, save me from my sins. By the name of Jesus I am encouraged thus to pray. Save me from my past sins, that the habit of them may not hold me captive. Save me from my constitutional sins, that I may not be the slave of my own weaknesses. Save me from the sins which are continually under my eye that I may not lose my horror of them. Save me from secret sins; sins unperceived by me from my want of light. Save me from sudden and surprising sins: let me not be carried off my feet by a rush of temptation. Save me, Lord, from every sin. Let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Thou alone canst do this. I cannot snap my own chains or slay my own enemies. Thou knowest temptation, for Thou wast tempted. Thou knowest sin, for Thou didst bear the weight of it. Thou knowest how to succor me in my hour of conflict; Thou canst save me from sinning and save me when I have sinned. It is promised in Thy very name that Thou wilt do this, and I pray Thee let me this day verify the prophecy. Let me not give way to temper, or pride, or despondency, or any form of evil; but do Thou save me unto holiness of life, that the name of Jesus may be glorified in me abundantly.

-- C.H. Spurgeon

Brothers, tell them not to serve God

2009-09-12T19:40:00.001-04:00

For this post, I would like to share an article written by John Piper. It deals with the issue of serving; and how we must, at one side, serve only God, and at the other side, humble ourselves and receive His act of mercy and servitude. This article gave me a fresh perspective to the doctrine of sanctification; and how we shouldn’t make God the “beneficiary or our beneficence” (Piper).

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We have all told our people to serve God. Scripture says to "serve the Lord with gladness." But now it may be time to tell them not to serve God. For Scripture also says: "The Son of Man . . . came not to be served."

The Bible is concerned to call us back from idolatry to serve the true and living God (1 Thess. 1:9). But it is also concerned to keep us from serving the true God in the wrong way. There is a way to serve God that belittles and dishonors Him. Therefore, we must take heed lest we recruit servants whose labor diminishes the glory of the all-powerful Master. If Jesus said that He came not to be served (Mark 10:45), service may constitute rebellion.

God wills not to be served: "The God who made the world and everything in it . . . [is not served] by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all men life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:25-26). Paul warns against any view of God which makes Him the beneficiary of our beneficence. He informs us that God cannot be served in any way that implies we are meeting His needs. It would be as though a stream should try to fill a spring that feeds it.

"He Himself gives to all men life and breath and everything."

What is the greatness of our God? What is His uniqueness in the world? Isaiah says, "From of old no one has heard or perceived by ear, no God has seen a God besides Thee, who works for those who wait for Him" (Isa. 64:4). All the other so-called gods make man work for them. Our God will not be put in the position of an employer who must depend on others to make his business go. Instead He magnifies His all-sufficiency by doing the work Himself. Man is the dependent partner in this affair. His job is to wait for the Lord.

"No Help Wanted"

What is God looking for in the world? Assistants? No. The gospel is not a "help wanted" ad. Neither is the call to Christian service. God is not looking for people to work for Him. "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show His might in behalf of those who heart is blameless toward Him" (2 Chron. 16:9).

God is not a scout looking for the first draft choices to help his team win. He is an unstoppable fullback ready to run touchdowns for anyone who will give him the ball.

What does God want from us? Not what we might expect. He rebukes Israel for bringing Him so many sacrifices: "I will accept no bull from your house. . . . For every beast of the forest is Mine. . . .If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world and all that is in it is Mine" (Ps. 50:9-12).

But isn't there something we can give to God that won't belittle Him to the status of beneficiary? Yes. Our anxieties. It's a command: "Cast all your anxieties on Him" (1 Peter 5:7). God will gladly receive anything from us that shows our dependence and His all-sufficiency.

The difference between Uncle Sam and Jesus Christ is that Uncle Sam won't enlist you in his service unless you are healthy and Jesus won't enlist you unless you are sick. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). Christianity is fundamentally convalescence. Patients do not server their physicians. They trust them for good prescriptions. The Sermon on the Mount is our Doctor's medical advice, not our Employer's job description.

Our very lives hang on not working for God. "To one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due. And to one who does not work but trust Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Rom. 4:4-5). Workmen get no gifts. They get their due. If we would have the gift of justification, we dare not work. God is the workman in this affair. And what He gets is the glory of being the benefactor of grace, not the beneficiary of service.

Nor should we think that after justification our labor for God begins. Those who make a work out of sanctification cry down the glory of God. Jesus Christ is "our righteousness and sanctification" (1 Cor. 1:30). "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?" (Gal. 3:2-3). God was the workman in our justification, and He will be the workman in our sanctification.

Religious "flesh" always wants to work for God. But "if you live according to the flesh you will die" (Rom. 8:13). That is why our very lives hang on not working for God, both in justification and sanctification.

Servants of the Heavenly Master

But shall we not then serve Christ? It is commanded: "Serve the Lord" (Rom. 12:11). Those who do not serve Christ are rebuked (Rom. 16:18). Yes, we will serve Him. But before we do, we will ponder what to avoid in this service. Surely all the warnings against serving God mean that in the idea of service lies something to be avoided. When we compare our relationship with God to the relationship between servant and master, the comparison is not perfect. Some things about servanthood should be avoided in relation to God. Some should be affirmed.

Who then shall we serve and not serve? Psalm 123:2 gives part of the answer: "Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He have mercy upon us." The good way to serve God is to look to Him for mercy.

Any servant who tries to get off the divine role and strike up a manly partnership with his Heavenly Master is in revolt against the Creator. God does not barter. He gives mercy to servants who will have it, and the wages of death to those who won't. Good service is always and fundamentally receiving mercy, not rendering service.

But it is not entirely passive. Matthew 6:24 gives another clue to good service: "No once can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

How does a person serve money? He does not assist money. He is not the benefactor of money. How then do we serve money? Money exerts a certain control over us because it seems to hold out so much promise of happiness. It whispers with great force, "Think and acts so as to get into a position to enjoy my benefits." This may include stealing, borrowing or working.

Money promises happiness, and we serve it by believing the promise and walking by that faith. So we don't serve money by putting our power at is disposal for its good. We serve money by doing what is necessary so that money's power will be at our disposal for our good.

I think the same sort of service to God must be in view in Matthew 6:24, since Jesus puts the two side by side: "You cannot serve God and mammon." So if we are going to serve God and not money, then we are going to have to open our eyes to the vastly superior happiness which God offers. Then God will exert a greater control over us than money does.

We will serve by believing His promise of fullest joy and walking by that faith. We will not serve by trying to put our power at His disposal for His good, but by doing what is necessary so that His power will be ever at our disposal for our good.

Obedient Beneficiaries

Of course, this means obedience. A patient obeys his doctor in hopes of getting well. A convalescent sinner trusts the painful directions of his Therapist, and follows them. Only in this way do we keep ourselves in a position to benefit from what the divine Physician has to offer. In all this obedience it is we who are the beneficiaries. God is ever the giver. For it is the giver who gets the glory.

And that, perhaps, is the most important thing of all. The only right way to serve God is in a way that reserves for Him all the glory. One "who renders service [must do it] as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that God may be glorified" (1 Peter 4:11). How do we serve so God is glorified? We serve by the strength He supplies. When we are at our most active for God, we are still the recipients. God will not surrender the glory of the benefactor, ever!

So let us work hard, but never forget that it is not us but the grace of God which is with us (1 Cor. 15:10). Let us obey now, as always, but never forget that it is God who works in us both the will and the deed (Phil. 2:13). Let us spread the gospel far and wide and spend ourselves for the sake of the elect, but never venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought in us (Rom. 15:18). In all our serving may God be the giver and God get the glory.

And until the people understand this, brothers, tell them not to serve God!

January 1, 1995

John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Its been a awhile

2009-09-09T17:07:00.001-04:00

My last blog post was back in July and I feel I’ve left this blog quite barren. But for some of you that may have found encouragement by my blog, I thank God for it. I am back here in Canada, and currently focusing on reorienting myself from a bunch of things: emotionally, academically, etc.

I hope to kick start my blogging habits soon, till then, check out my previous posts, or the resources on the side.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Year of the LORD’s Favour

2009-07-18T17:15:00.001-04:00

My mother found great delight when I shared with her this verse from Isaiah (thanks to Christnotes for those daily verses)

ISAIAH 61:1-3 (ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, a that he may be glorified.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Being sanctified by His truth

2009-07-05T03:00:00.001-04:00

Sir Spurgeon here presents a systematic presentation of his soteriological conviction:

“Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God infuses into man that new living principle by which he becomes "a new creature" in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways—mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh are subdued and kept under; and vivification, by which the life which God has put within us is made to be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. This is carried on every day in what is called "perseverance," by which the Christian is preserved and continued in a gracious state, and is made to abound in good works unto the praise and glory of God; and it culminates or comes to perfection, in "glory," when the soul, being thoroughly purged, is caught up to dwell with holy beings at the right hand of the Majesty on high. But while the Spirit of God is thus the author of sanctification, yet there is a visible agency employed which must not be forgotten. "Sanctify them," said Jesus, "through thy truth: thy word is truth." The passages of Scripture which prove that the instrument of our sanctification is the Word of God are very many. The Spirit of God brings to our minds the precepts and doctrines of truth, and applies them with power. These are heard in the ear, and being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do of God's good pleasure. The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We only progress in sound living as we progress in sound understanding. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Do not say of any error, "It is a mere matter of opinion." No man indulges an error of judgment, without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold fast the truth, for by so holding the truth shall you be sanctified by the Spirit of God.” – C.H. Spurgeon

Homesick

2009-06-13T04:18:00.001-04:00

On May 20th, 2009, my father breathed his last. Leaving my family to be with the Lord; glorified and sanctified fully he is now. I thank God for His grace, for He redeemed my father from his fleshy fatalisms.

A song by Mercy Me – Homesick, was quite impressed unto my heart the year before. The sentiments from it, harmonized well with my soul. I wasn’t capable of understanding it, but I do now. Now, I’m quite homesick. Here is the song:

Grace Alone by R.C. Sproul

2009-06-08T16:48:00.001-04:00

Soli Deo gloria is the motto that grew out of the Protestant Reformation and was used on every composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. He affixed the initials SDG at the bottom of each manuscript to communicate the idea that it is God and God alone who is to receive the glory for the wonders of His work of creation and of redemption. At the heart of the sixteenth-century controversy over salvation was the issue of grace.

It was not a question of man’s need for grace. It was a question as to the extent of that need. The church had already condemned Pelagius, who had taught that grace facilitates salvation but is not absolutely necessary for it. Semi-Pelagianism since that time has always taught that without grace there is no salvation. But the grace that is considered in all semi-Pelagian and Arminian theories of salvation is not an efficacious grace. It is a grace that makes salvation possible, but not a grace that makes salvation certain.

In the parable of the sower we see that regarding salvation, God is the one who takes the initiative to bring salvation to pass. He is the sower. The seed that is sown is His seed, corresponding to His Word, and the harvest that results is His harvest. He harvests what He purposed to harvest when He initiated the whole process. God doesn’t leave the harvest up to the vagaries of thorns and stones in the pathway. It is God and God alone who makes certain that a portion of His Word falls upon good ground. A critical error in interpreting this parable would be to assume that the good ground is the good disposition of fallen sinners, those sinners who make the right choice, responding positively to God’s prevenient grace. The classical Reformed understanding of the good ground is that if the ground is receptive to the seed that is sown by God, it is God alone who prepares the ground for the germination of the seed.

The biggest question any semi-Pelagian or Arminian has to face at the practical level is this: Why did I choose to believe the gospel and commit my life to Christ when my neighbour, who heard the same gospel, chose to reject it? That question has been answered in many ways. We might speculate that the reason why one person chooses to respond positively to the gospel and to Christ, while another one doesn't, is because the person who responded positively was more intelligent than the other one. If that were the case, then God would still be the ultimate provider of salvation because the intelligence is His gift, and it could be explained that God did not give the same intelligence to the neighbour who rejected the gospel. But that explanation is obviously absurd.

The other possibility that one must consider is this: that the reason one person responds positively to the gospel and his neighbour does not is because the one who responded was a better person. That is, that person who made the right choice and the good choice did it because he was more righteous than his neighbour. In this case, the flesh not only availed something, it availed everything. This is the view that is held by the majority of evangelical Christians, namely, the reason why they are saved and others are not is that they made the right response to God’s grace while the others made the wrong response.

We can talk here about not only the correct response as opposed to an erroneous response, but we can speak in terms of a good response rather than a bad response. If I am in the kingdom of God because I made the good response rather than the bad response, I have something of which to boast, namely the goodness by which I responded to the grace of God. I have never met an Arminian who would answer the question that I’ve just posed by saying, Oh, the reason I’m a believer is because I’m better than my neighbour. They would be loath to say that. However, though they reject this implication, the logic of semi-Pelagianism requires this conclusion. If indeed in the final analysis the reason I’m a Christian and someone else is not is that I made the proper response to God’s offer of salvation while somebody else rejected it, then by resistless logic I have indeed made the good response, and my neighbour has made the bad response.

What Reformed theology teaches is that it is true the believer makes the right response and the non-believer makes the wrong response. But the reason the believer makes the good response is because God in His sovereign election changes the disposition of the heart of the elect to effect a good response. I can take no credit for the response that I made for Christ. God not only initiated my salvation, He not only sowed the seed, but He made sure that that seed germinated in my heart by regenerating me by the power of the Holy Ghost. That regeneration is a necessary condition for the seed to take root and to flourish. That’s why at the heart of Reformed theology the axiom resounds, namely, that regeneration precedes faith. It’s that formula, that order of salvation that all semi-Pelagians reject. They hold to the idea that in their fallen condition of spiritual death, they exercise faith, and then are born again. In their view, they respond to the gospel before the Spirit has changed the disposition of their soul to bring them to faith. When that happens, the glory of God is shared. No semi-Pelagian can ever say with authenticity: To God alone be the glory. For the semi-Pelagian, God may be gracious, but in addition to God’s grace, my work of response is absolutely essential. Here grace is not effectual, and such grace, in the final analysis, is not really saving grace. In fact, salvation is of the Lord from beginning to end. Yes, I must believe. Yes, I must respond. Yes, I must receive Christ. But for me to say yes to any of those things, my heart must first be changed by the sovereign, effectual power of God the Holy Spirit.
Soli Deo gloria.

__________________________________________________________

Dr. R.C. Sproul is founder and president of Ligonier Ministries, and he is author of the books A Taste of Heaven and Getting the Gospel Right. For more than thirty years, Dr. R.C. Sproul has thoroughly and concisely analyzed weighty theological, philosophical, and biblical topics in Right Now Counts Forever, drawing out practical applications for the Christian in his own engaging style.

__________________________________________________________

From Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul. © Tabletalk magazine.
Website: www.ligonier.org/tabletalk

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna

2009-05-19T04:23:00.001-04:00

I would like to share a letter in this blog post, not from me, but from our Apostolic Fathers; commonly known as the Martyrdom of Polycarp. Although the author of this letter is unknown, it was recorded by Eusebius, who claims to have received it through a letter addressed to the Church of Philemelium by the Church of Smyrna. The work details Polycarp's death at the age of 86, martyred under the hand of the Roman empire, possibly under the reign of Marcus Aurelius (121-180 C.E.).

Polycarp resided in Asia Minor as bishop of Smyrna, a disciple of the apostles, in particular John the Apostle. Together with Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp is recognized as one of three chief Apostolic Fathers. The sole surviving work by Polycarp is the infamous Letter to the Philippians, which Irenaeus of lyons – the one who recorded it -- describes it as “powerful” (Adv. Haer., III.3.4.).

Because the letter is quite lengthy, I will be only sharing chapter 13 to chapter 17. I do hope, as our Apostolic Fathers did, that we “might become his imitators, ‘not thinking of ourselves alone, but also of our neighbours.’ For it is the mark of true and steadfast love, not to wish that oneself may be saved alone, but all the brethren also.”

CHAPTER 13

The preparations for burning him

1 These things then happened with so great speed, quicker than it takes to tell, and the crowd came together immediately, and prepared wood and faggots from the work-shops and baths and the Jews were extremely zealous, as is their custom, in assisting at this. 2 Now when the fire was ready he put off all his clothes, and loosened his girdle and tried also to take off his shoes, though he did not do this before, because each of the faithful was always zealous, which of them might the more quickly touch his flesh. For he had been treated with all respect because of his noble life, even before his martyrdom. 3 Immediately therefore, he was fastened to the instruments which had been prepared for the fire, but when they were going to nail him as well he said: "Leave me thus, for He who gives me power to endure the fire, will grant me to remain in the flames unmoved even without the security you will give by the nails."

CHAPTER 14

His last prayers

1 So they did not nail him, but bound him, and he put his hands behind him and was bound, as a noble ram out of a great flock, for an oblation, a whole burnt offering made ready and acceptable to God; and he looked up to heaven and said: "O Lord God Almighty, Father of thy beloved and blessed Child, Jesus Christ, through Whom we have received full knowledge of thee, the God of Angels and powers, and of all creation, and of the whole family of the righteous, who live before thee! 2 I bless thee, that Thou hast granted me this day and hour, that I may share, among the number of the martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, for the Resurrection to everlasting life, both of soul and body in the immortality of the Holy Spirit. And may I, to-day, be received among them before Thee, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as Thou, the God who lies not and is truth, hast prepared beforehand, and shown forth, and fulfilled. 3 For this reason I also praise Thee for all things, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee through the everlasting and heavenly high Priest, Jesus Christ, thy beloved Child, through whom be glory to Thee with him and the Holy Spirit, both now and for the ages that are to come, Amen."

CHAPTER 15

The fire is lighted

1 Now when he had uttered his Amen and finished his prayer, the men in charge of the fire lit it, and a great flame blazed up and we, to whom it was given to see, saw a marvel. And we have been preserved to report to others what befell. 2 For the fire made the likeness of a room, like the sail of a vessel filled with wind, and surrounded the body of the martyr as with a wall, and he was within it not as burning flesh, but as bread that is being baked, or as gold and silver being refined in a furnace. And we perceived such a fragrant smell as the scent of incense or other costly spices.

CHAPTER 16

Polycarp's death

1 At length the lawless men, seeing that his body could not be consumed by the fire, commanded an executioner to go up and stab him with a dagger, and when he did this, there came out a dove, and much blood, so that the fire was quenched and all the crowd marvelled that there was such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect. 2 And of the elect was he indeed one, the wonderful martyr, Polycarp, who in our days was an apostolic and prophetic teacher, bishop of the Catholic Church in Smyrna. For every word which he uttered from his mouth both was fulfilled and will be fulfilled.

CHAPTER 17

The treatment of the corpse

1 But the jealous and envious evil one who resists the family of the righteous, when he saw the greatness of his martyrdom, and his blameless career from the beginning, and that he was crowned with the crown of immortality, and had carried off the unspeakable prize, took care that not even his poor body should be taken away by us, though many desired to do so, and to have fellowship with his holy flesh. 2 Therefore he put forward Niketas, the father of Herod, and the brother of Alce, to ask the Governor not to give his body, "Lest," he said, "they leave the crucified one and begin to worship this man." And they said this owing to the suggestions and pressure of the Jews, who also watched when we were going to take it from the fire, for they do not know that we shall not ever be able either to abandon Christ, who suffered for the salvation of those who are being saved in the whole world, the innocent for sinners, or to worship any other. 3 For him we worship as the Son of God, but the martyrs we love as disciples and imitators of the Lord; and rightly, because of their unsurpassable affection toward their own King and Teacher. God grant that we too may be their companions and fellow-disciples.

Apostolic Fathers, Kirsopp Lake, 1912 (Loeb Classical Library)

Refuge

2009-05-11T23:07:00.001-04:00

O Lord, Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible, order things that they may neither hinder, nor discourage me, nor prove obstacles to the progress of Thy cause. Stand between me and all strife, that no evil befall, no sin corrupt my gifts, zeal, attainments. May I follow duty and not any foolish device of my own. Permit me not to labour at work which Thou wilt not bless, that I may serve thee without disgrace or debt. Let me dwell in Thy most secret place under thy shadow, where is safe impenetrable protection from the arrow that flieth by day, the pestilence that walketh in darkness, the strife of tongues, the malice of ill-will, the hurt of unkind talk, the snares of company, the perils of youth, the temptations of middle life, the moumings of old age, the fear of death. I am entirely dependent upon Thee for support, counsel, consolation. Uphold me by Thy free Spirit, and may I not think it enough to be preserved from falling, but may I always go forward, always abounding in the work Thou givest me to do. Strengthen me by Thy Spirit in my inner self for every purpose of my Christian life. All my jewels I give to the shadow of the safety that is in Thee—my name anew in Christ, my body , soul, talents, character, my success, wife, children, friends, work, my present, my future, my end. Take them, they are Thine, and I am thine, now and for ever.

Bennett, Arthur G. The Valley of Vision A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 2003.

*also available online*

Lecrae

2009-05-01T22:07:00.001-04:00

Back in circa 1998, I was quite influenced by hip-hop artists such as Cypress Hill, Mos Def, De La Soul, Eminem etc. As the years progressed, my inclination in music gradually shifted to something more vile (haha). A few days ago, I came across a Christian reformed hip-hop artist Lecrae who gave me a fresh re-introduction to this sub-culture; I see great potentials in this man.

“that's why it's Christ in my rhymes That's why it's Christ all the time. My whole world is built around him He's the life in my lines. I refused to waste my life he's too true ta chase that ice. Here’s my gifts and time cause I'm constantly trying to be used to praise the Christ. If he's truly raised to life then this news should change your life
and by his grace you can put your faith in place that rules your days and nights” – Lecrae, from the album Rebel

Jesus Is Mine!

2009-04-11T00:31:00.000-04:00

Recently, I have been reading a lot of John Newton’s works and truly it is a blessing to see a man with a burning passion for the glory of God. Here are some quotes from him:

“Jesus is mine! I’m now prepared to meet with what I thought most hard; Yes, let the winds of trouble blow, And comforts melt away like snow; No blasted trees, or failing crops, Can hinder my eternal hopes; Though creatures change, the LORD’S the same, Then let me triumph in his name.” - John Newton

"O wondrous love! to bleed and die, To bear the cross and shame, That guilty sinners, such as I, Might plead Thy gracious Name." - John Newton

“From hence we may observe, that believers who have most knowledge, are not therefore necessarily the most spiritual. Some may and do walk more honorably and more comfortably with two talents, than others with five. He who experimentally knows his own weakness, and depends simply upon the Lord, will surely thrive, though his acquired attainments and abilities may be but small; and he who has the greatest gifts, the clearest judgement, and the most extensive knowledge, if he indulges high thoughts of his advantages, is in imminent danger of mistaking, and falling at every step; for the Lord will suffer none whom he loves to boast in themselves. He will guide the meek with his eyes, and fill the hungry with good things; but the rich he sendeth empty away. It is an invariable maxim in his kingdom, that whosoever exalteth himself, shall be abased; but he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.” – John Newton, More Than A Calvinist.

Filling Up What is Lacking

2009-03-18T20:08:00.001-04:00

The story of Joseph the Masai Warrior.

Joseph the Masai Warrior - John Piper from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Holy Spirit, Come

2009-03-15T16:35:00.001-04:00

“[I] never try to frighten people into the kingdom of God. I do not even call people forward at the end of a service. I know that when the spirit of God has dealt with them, has changed them, and has given them new minds and hearts, they will come and tell me or tell somebody else. I do not want an immediate decision because I know that even I can produce decisions. A man’s eloquence or the use of lights or music can produce decisions. But I do not do that. I simply put the truth before people, and it is the Spirit of the living God alone who can apply that truth, and he does.”

- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones , from Courageous Christianity, 299.

The Rebel’s Guide to Joy – The Life of Horatio Spafford

2009-03-15T15:54:00.001-04:00

Horatio Spafford was no stranger to suffering and tragedy - a life marked by the loss of 6 of his 8 children among other calamities. In midst of his greatest sorrows he penned the words "...whatever my lot though hast taught me to say it is well with my soul", words which encourage us to fight for joy in Christ even when death itself threatens to overtake.

"Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation."—Psalm 35:3.

2009-03-06T03:02:00.001-05:00

What does this sweet prayer teach me? It shall be my evening's petition; but first let it yield me an instructive meditation. The text informs me first of all that David had his doubts; for why should he pray, "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation," if he were not sometimes exercised with doubts and fears? Let me, then, be of good cheer, for I am not the only saint who has to complain of weakness of faith. If David doubted, I need not conclude that I am no Christian because I have doubts. The text reminds me that David was not content while he had doubts and fears, but he repaired at once to the mercy-seat to pray for assurance; for he valued it as much fine gold. I too must labour after an abiding sense of my acceptance in the Beloved, and must have no joy when His love is not shed abroad in my soul. When my Bridegroom is gone from me, my soul must and will fast. I learn also that David knew where to obtain full assurance. He went to his God in prayer, crying, "Say unto my soul I am thy salvation." I must be much alone with God if I would have a clear sense of Jesus' love. Let my prayers cease, and my eye of faith will grow dim. Much in prayer, much in heaven; slow in prayer, slow in progress. I notice that David would not be satisfied unless his assurance had a divine source. "Say unto my soul." Lord, do Thou say it! Nothing short of a divine testimony in the soul will ever content the true Christian. Moreover, David could not rest unless his assurance had a vivid personality about it. "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation." Lord, if Thou shouldst say this to all the saints, it were nothing, unless Thou shouldst say it to me. Lord, I have sinned; I deserve not Thy smile; I scarcely dare to ask it; but oh! say to my soul, even to my soul, "I am thy salvation." Let me have a present, personal, infallible, indisputable sense that I am Thine, and that Thou art mine.

--- C.H. Spurgeon

Do these mysterious stones mark the site of the Garden of Eden?

2009-03-01T02:07:00.000-05:00

by TOM COX

For the old Kurdish shepherd, it was just another burning hot day in the rolling plains of eastern Turkey. Following his flock over the arid hillsides, he passed the single mulberry tree, which the locals regarded as 'sacred'. The bells on his sheep tinkled in the stillness. Then he spotted something. Crouching down, he brushed away the dust, and exposed a strange, large, oblong stone.

The man looked left and right: there were similar stone rectangles, peeping from the sands. Calling his dog to heel, the shepherd resolved to inform someone of his finds when he got back to the village. Maybe the stones were important.

They certainly were important. The solitary Kurdish man, on that summer's day in 1994, had made the greatest archaeological discovery in 50 years. Others would say he'd made the greatest archaeological discovery ever: a site that has revolutionized the way we look at human history, the origin of religion - and perhaps even the truth behind the Garden of Eden.

Continue reading...

A Boomer in the Pew

2009-02-25T01:59:00.000-05:00

As a celebration to their first birthday, the folks at Boomer in the Pew blog is giving away a brand new calfskin version of the ESV study bible. Just follow this link to register yourself for that lucky draw!

The Love of God - A.W. Pink (Part 4)

2009-02-15T06:20:00.001-05:00

Continued...

6. It is holy. God’s love is not regulated by caprice passion, or sentiment, but by principle. Just as His grace reigns not at the expense of it, but "through righteousness" (Rom. 5:21), so His love never conflicts with His holiness. "God is light" (1 John 1:5) is mentioned before "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God’s love is no mere amiable weakness, or effeminate softness. Scripture declares, "whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Heb. 12:6). God will not wink at sin, even in His own people. His love is pure, unmixed with any maudlin sentimentality (emphasis mine).

7. It is gracious. The love and favor of God are inseparable. This is clearly brought out in Romans 8:32-39. What that love is from which there can be no "separation," is easily perceived from the design and scope of the immediate context: it is that goodwill and grace of God which determined Him to give His Son for sinners. That love was the impulsive power of Christ’s incarnation: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Christ died not in order to make God love us, but because He did love His people, Calvary is the supreme demonstration of Divine love. Whenever you are tempted to doubt the love of God, Christian reader, go back to Calvary.

Here then is abundant cause for trust and patience under Divine affliction. Christ was beloved of the Father, yet He was not exempted from poverty, disgrace, and persecution. He hungered and thirsted. Thus, it was not incompatible with God’s love for Christ when He permitted men to spit upon and smite Him. Then let no Christian call into question God’s love when he is brought under painful afflictions and trials. God did not enrich Christ on earth with temporal prosperity, for "He had not where to lay His head." But He did give Him the Spirit "without measure" (John 3:34). Learn then that spiritual blessings are the principal gifts of Divine love. How blessed to know that when the world hates us ,God loves us!

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Pink. A.W. Attributes of God. Granbury: PBM Desktop Publications, 2009.

The Love of God - A.W. Pink (Part 3)

2009-02-15T06:19:00.000-05:00

4. It is infinite. Everything about God is infinite. His essence fills heaven and earth. His wisdom is illimitable, for He knows everything of the past, present and future. His power is unbounded, for there is nothing too hard for Him. So His love is without limit. There is a depth to it which none can fathom; there is a height to it which none can scale; there is a length and breadth to it which defies measurement, by any creature-standard. Beautifully is this intimated in Ephesians 2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us: the word "great" there is parallel with the "God so loved" of John 3:16. It tells us that the love of God is so transcendent it cannot be estimated.

No tongue can fully express the infinitude of God’s love, or any mind comprehend it: it "passeth knowledge" Eph. 3:19). The most extensive ideas that a finite mind can frame about Divine love, are infinitely below its true nature. The heaven is not so far above the earth as the goodness of God is beyond the most raised conceptions which we are able to form of it. It is an ocean which swells higher than all the mountains of opposition in such as are the objects of it. It is a fountain from which flows all necessary good to all those who are interested in it (John Brine, 1743).

5. It is immutable. As with God Himself there is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17), so His love knows neither change or diminution. The worm Jacob supplies a forceful example of this: "Jacob have I loved," declared Jehovah, and despite all his unbelief and waywardness, He never ceased to love him. John 13:1 furnishes another beautiful illustration. That very night one of the apostles would say, "Show us the Father"; another would deny Him with cursings; all of them would be scandalized by and forsake Him. Nevertheless "having loved His own which were in the world, He love them unto the end." The Divine love is subject to no vicissitudes. Divine love is "strong as death ... many waters cannot quench it" (Song of Sol. 8:6,7). Nothing can separate from it: Romans 8:35-39.

"His love no end nor measure knows,
No change can turn its course,
Eternally the same it flows
From one eternal source."

---

Pink. A.W. Attributes of God. Granbury: PBM Desktop Publications, 2009.

The Love of God - A.W. Pink (Part 2)

2009-02-15T06:16:00.000-05:00

Continued....

2. It is eternal. This of necessity. God Himself is eternal, and God is love; therefore, as God Himself had no beginning, His love had none. Granted that such a concept far transcends the grasp of our feeble minds, nevertheless, where we cannot comprehend, we can bow in adoring worship. How clear is the testimony of Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." How blessed to know that the great and holy God loved His people before heaven and earth were called into existence, that He had set His heart upon them from all eternity. Clear proof is this that His love is spontaneous, for He loved them endless ages before they had any being.

The same precious truth is set forth in Ephesians 1:4,5, "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him. In love having predestinated us." What praise should this evoke from each of His children! How tranquilizing for the heart: since God’s love toward me had no beginning, it can have no ending! Since it be true that "from everlasting to everlasting" He is God, and since God is "love," then it is equally true that "from everlasting to everlasting" He loves His people.

3. It is sovereign. This also is self-evident. God Himself is sovereign, under obligations to none, a law unto Himself, acting always according to His own imperial pleasure. Since God be sovereign, and since He be love, it necessarily follows that His love is sovereign. Because God is God, He does as He pleases; because God is love, He loves whom He pleases. Such is His own express affirmation: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" (Rom. 9:19). There was no more reason in Jacob why he should be the object of Divine love, than there was in Esau. They both had the same parents, and were born at the same time, being twins; yet God loved the one and hated the other! Why? Because it pleased Him to do so.

The sovereignty of God’s love necessarily follows from the fact that it is uninfluenced by anything in the creature. Thus, to affirm that the cause of His love lies in God Himself, is only another way of saying, He loves whom He pleases. For a moment, assume the opposite. Suppose God’s love were regulated by anything else than His will, in such a case He would love by rule, and loving by rule He would be under a law of love, and then so far from being free, God would Himself be ruled by law. "In love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to"—what? Some excellency which He foresaw in them? No; what then? "According to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:4,5).

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Pink. A.W. Attributes of God. Granbury: PBM Desktop Publications, 2009.

The Love of God - A.W. Pink (Part 1)

2009-02-15T06:12:00.001-05:00

Even though Valentines has come to pass, The Love of God endures forever. I thought it be best if I post this book section by A.W. Pink (1886 - 1952), a Christian Evangelist and Biblical scholar, on Love as an attribute of God.

There are three things told us in Scripture concerning the nature of God. First, "God is spirit" (John 4:24). In the Greek there is no indefinite article, and to say "God is a spirit" is most objectionable, for it places Him in a class with others. God is "spirit" in the highest sense. Because He is "spirit" He is incorporeal, having no visible substance. Had God a tangible body, He would not be omnipresent, He would be limited to one place; because He is spirit He fills heaven and earth. Second, God is light (1 John 1:5), which is the opposite of "darkness." In Scripture "darkness" stands for sin, evil, death; and "light" for holiness, goodness, life. God is light, means that He is the sum of all excellency. Third, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). It is not simply that God "loves," but that He is Love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature.

There are many today who talk about the love of God, who are total strangers to the God of love. The Divine love is commonly regarded as a species of amiable weakness, a sort of good-natured indulgence; it is reduced to a mere sickly sentiment, patterned after human emotion. Now the truth is that on this, as on everything else, our thoughts need to be formed and regulated by what is revealed thereon in Holy Scripture. That there is urgent need for this is apparent not only from the ignorance which so generally prevails, but also from the low state of spirituality which is now so sadly evident everywhere among professing Christians. How little real love there is for God. One chief reason for this is because our hearts are so little occupied with His wondrous love for His people. The better we are acquainted with His love—its character, fullness, blessedness—the more will our hearts be drawn out in love to Him.

1. The love of God is uninfluenced. By this we mean, there was nothing whatever in the objects of His love to call it into exercise, nothing in the creature to attract or prompt it. The love which one creature has for another is because of something in them; but the love of God is free, spontaneous, uncaused. The only reason why God loves any is found in His own sovereign will: "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved thee" (Deut. 7:7,8). God has loved His people from everlasting, and therefore nothing of the creature can be the cause of what is found in God from eternity. He loves from Himself: "according to His own purpose" (2 Tim. 1:9).

"We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). God did not love us because we loved Him, but He loved us before we had a particle of love for Him. Had God loved us in return for ours, then it would not be spontaneous on His part; but because He loved us when we were loveless, it is clear that His love was uninfluenced. It is highly important if God is to be honored and the heart of His child established, that we should be quite clear upon this precious truth. God’s love for me, and for each of "His own," was entirely unmoved by anything in them. What was there in me to attract the heart of God? Absolutely nothing. But, to the contrary, everything to repel Him, everything calculated to make Him loathe me—sinful, depraved, a mass of corruption, with "no good thing" in me.

"What was there in me that could merit esteem,
Or give the Creator delight?
‘Twas even so, Father, I ever must sing,
Because it seemed good, in Thy sight."

Continued...
--

Pink. A.W. Attributes of God. Granbury: PBM Desktop Publications, 2009.

"She was healed immediately." - Luke 8:47

2009-02-15T00:39:00.000-05:00

"She was healed immediately." - Luke 8:47

"ONE of the most touching and teaching of the Saviour's miracles is before us to-night. The woman was very ignorant. She imagined that virtue came out of Christ by a law of necessity, without His knowledge or direct will. Moreover, she was a stranger to the generosity of Jesus' character, or she would not have gone behind to steal the cure which He was so ready to bestow. Misery should always place itself right in the face of mercy. Had she known the love of Jesus' heart, she would have said, "I have but to put myself where He can see me—His omniscience will teach Him my case, and His love at once will work my cure." We admire her faith, but we marvel at her ignorance. After she had obtained the cure, she rejoiced with trembling: glad was she that the divine virtue had wrought a marvel in her; but she feared lest Christ should retract the blessing, and put a negative upon the grant of His grace: little did she comprehend the fulness of His love! We have not so clear a view of Him as we could wish; we know not the heights and depths of His love; but we know of a surety that He is too good to withdraw from a trembling soul the gift which it has been able to obtain. But here is the marvel of it: little as was her knowledge, her faith, because it was real faith, saved her, and saved her at once. There was no tedious delay—faith's miracle was instantaneous. If we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, salvation is our present and eternal possession. If in the list of the Lord's children we are written as the feeblest of the family, yet, being heirs through faith, no power, human or devilish, can eject us from salvation. If we dare not lean our heads upon His bosom with John, yet if we can venture in the press behind Him, and touch the hem of his garment, we are made whole. Courage, timid one! thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God."

---- C.H. Spurgeon

Re: Unrelated to Blog

2009-02-14T03:49:00.001-05:00

I have just recently taken an initiative in starting another blog. This blog on the contrary, focuses more on the fine art. If you are inclined more towards that stream do drop by. Oikedome will still certainly get more consideration as always.

Grace & Peace to you all.

The Attributes of God - A.W. Pink

2009-02-06T23:42:00.000-05:00

"A spiritual and saving knowledge of God is the greatest need of every human creature. The foundation of all true knowledge of God must be a clear mental apprehension of His perfections as revealed in Holy Scripture. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served nor worshipped...Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only truly known in the soul as we yeild ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments."

A.W. Pink The Attributes of God pg. 7-8

The Gospel

2009-02-03T04:04:00.000-05:00

"We must have the full message. . . 'deliver the whole counsel of God'. . . . It starts with the Law. The Law of God ... the demands of a righteous God, the wrath of God. That is the way to bring men and women to conviction; not by modifying the Truth.... We must confront them with the fact that they are men and that they are fallible men, that they are dying men, that they are sinful men, and that they will all have to stand before God at the Bar of Eternal Judgement....And then we must present to them the full-orbed doctrine of the Grace of God in Salvation in Jesus Christ. We must show that no man is saved 'by the deeds of the Law', by his own goodness or righteousness, or church membership or anything else, but solely, utterly, entirely by the free gift of God in Jesus Christ His Son. . . . We must preach the full-orbed doctrine leaving nothing out-conviction of sin, the reality of Judgement and Hell, free grace, justification, sanctification, glorification. We must also show that there is a world view in the Bible ... that here alone you can understand history-past history, present history, future history. Let us show this great world view, and God's Eternal purpose.... Let us at the same time be very careful that we are giving it to the whole man ... the gospel is not only for a man's heart, that you start with his head and present Truth to it ... Let us show that it is a great message given by God which we in turn pass on to the mind, to the heart, to the will. There is ever this danger of leaving out some part or other of man's personality... Let us be certain that we address the whole man-his mind, his emotions and his will."

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones The Weapons of our Warfare pg. 21-22

Should the average Christian care about theology?

2009-02-02T03:03:00.000-05:00

"A fair question! - but there is, I think, a convincing answer to it. The questioner clearly assumes that a study of the nature and character of God will be unpractical and irrelevant for life. In fact, however, it is the most practical project anyone can engage in. Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives.

As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesman to fly him to London, put him down without explanation in Trafalgar Square and leave him, as one who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it.

The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul."

J.I. Packer, Knowing God, p.17

Drifting From God

2009-01-15T04:21:00.000-05:00

PEOPLE DO NOT drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.

D. A. Carson, For the Love of God

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/october/48.136.html

Only A Branch

2009-01-09T18:40:00.000-05:00

"I am the vine, Ye are the branches. "John 15:5

'Tis only a little Branch,
A thing so fragile and weak,
But that little Branch hath a message true
To give, could it only speak.

"I'm only a little Branch,
I live by a life not mine,
For the sap that flows through my tendrils small
Is the life-blood of the Vine.

"No power indeed have I
The fruit of myself to bear,
But since I'm part of the living Vine,
Its fruitfulness I share.

"Dost thou ask how I abide?
How this life I can maintain?--
I am bound to the Vine by life's strong band,
And I only need remain.

"Where first my life was given,
In the spot where I am set,
Upborne and upheld as the days go by,
By the stem which bears me yet.

"I fear not the days to come,
I dwell not upon the past,
As moment by moment I draw a life,
Which for evermore shall last.

"I bask in the sun's bright beams,
Which with sweetness fills my fruit,
Yet I own not the cluster hanging there,
For they all come from the root."

A life which is not my own,
But another's life in me:
This, this is the message the Branch would speak,
A message to thee and me.

Oh, struggle not to "abide,"
Nor labor to "bring forth fruit,"
But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,
As the Vine's Branch to the root.

So simple, so deep, so strong
That union with Him shall be:
His life shall forever replace thine own,
And His love shall flow through thee;

For His Spirit's fruit of love,
And love shall thy life become,
And for evermore on His heart of love
Thy spirit shall have her home.

-- FREDA HANBURY

A Thousand Questions

2009-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

A video that spoke thousands to me [played during Winter Conference 2008, after Ken Cochrum challenged hundreds of students]

Evil & The Purposes of God

2009-01-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

“The mystery of iniquity is at work in the world during this interim time, and it is not always clear how its malignant work is being checked, overridden, or woven into the glorious purposes of God. We need to remember, though, that while Judas betrayed Christ, and woe to him for doing so, it was God’s plan that Christ was thus betrayed. Evil by its very nature opposes the purposes of God, but God, in his sovereignty, can make even this evil serve his purposes.”

- David F. Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Eerdmans, 2008), 206.

-- taken from http://firstimportance.org/

What Should We Pray For?

2009-01-03T00:49:00.001-05:00

January 1, 1995 By John Piper

One way to answer this question is to look at what the early church prayed for. Here is a list gathered from the New Testament. It can guide you in how you pray. I suggest that periodically you pray through this list just to test whether your prayers are leaving out anything the New Testament included. We don't have to pray all of these each time we pray. But over time it would be good if our prayers had the breadth and depth of the New Testament prayers.

They called on God to exalt his name in the world.

Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name (Matthew 6:9)

They called on God to extend his kingdom in the world.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10 ).

They called on God that the gospel would run and triumph.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed on and triumph, as it did among you (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

They called on God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13; cf. Ephesians 3:19).

They called on God to vindicate his people in their cause.

And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? (Luke 18:7).

They called on God to save unbelievers.

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved (Romans 10:1).

They called on God to direct the use of the sword.

"Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying through all prayer and supplication on every occasion . . ." (Ephesians 6:17-18)

As an athiest, I truly believe Africa needs God - Matthew Parris

2009-01-02T20:01:00.001-05:00

Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.

But this doesn't fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.

First, then, the observation. We had friends who were missionaries, and as a child I stayed often with them; I also stayed, alone with my little brother, in a traditional rural African village. In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.

At 24, travelling by land across the continent reinforced this impression. From Algiers to Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, then right through the Congo to Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, four student friends and I drove our old Land Rover to Nairobi.

We slept under the stars, so it was important as we reached the more populated and lawless parts of the sub-Sahara that every day we find somewhere safe by nightfall. Often near a mission.

Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers - in some ways less so - but more open.

This time in Malawi it was the same. I met no missionaries. You do not encounter missionaries in the lobbies of expensive hotels discussing development strategy documents, as you do with the big NGOs. But instead I noticed that a handful of the most impressive African members of the Pump Aid team (largely from Zimbabwe) were, privately, strong Christians. “Privately” because the charity is entirely secular and I never heard any of its team so much as mention religion while working in the villages. But I picked up the Christian references in our conversations. One, I saw, was studying a devotional textbook in the car. One, on Sunday, went off to church at dawn for a two-hour service.

It would suit me to believe that their honesty, diligence and optimism in their work was unconnected with personal faith. Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man's place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.

There's long been a fashion among Western academic sociologists for placing tribal value systems within a ring fence, beyond critiques founded in our own culture: “theirs” and therefore best for “them”; authentic and of intrinsically equal worth to ours.

I don't follow this. I observe that tribal belief is no more peaceable than ours; and that it suppresses individuality. People think collectively; first in terms of the community, extended family and tribe. This rural-traditional mindset feeds into the “big man” and gangster politics of the African city: the exaggerated respect for a swaggering leader, and the (literal) inability to understand the whole idea of loyal opposition.

Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won't take the initiative, won't take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.

How can I, as someone with a foot in both camps, explain? When the philosophical tourist moves from one world view to another he finds - at the very moment of passing into the new - that he loses the language to describe the landscape to the old. But let me try an example: the answer given by Sir Edmund Hillary to the question: Why climb the mountain? “Because it's there,” he said.

To the rural African mind, this is an explanation of why one would not climb the mountain. It's... well, there. Just there. Why interfere? Nothing to be done about it, or with it. Hillary's further explanation - that nobody else had climbed it - would stand as a second reason for passivity.

Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.

Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.

And I'm afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.

-- Matthew Parris

Parris, Matthew. "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God | Matthew Parris - Times Online." Times Online | News and Views from The Times and Sunday Times. 02 Jan. 2009 <http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece>.

The words that often fall on our deaf ears?

2008-12-20T06:02:00.001-05:00

These past few weeks have been insightful, particularly on Gods providence over me and how he uses his word to manifest much greater glory. After suggesting to Becky to read up on the book of James with steadfast keenness and sincerity, she is now posting and updating her blog to certain verses and passages that convey exhortation and words that sometimes seem to fall on deaf ears. It strikes me, how easily is it for us to fall victim to skimming verses and words in the bible. Do we skim the book and only cease to extract meaning only on sentences that seem more important to us?

Certain verses from James have been coming to my attention lately, from Becky posting verses (and also from 'random' places) such as:

"But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors" (Jas 2:9)

"Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and let it have it's full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (Jas 1)

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (Jas 4:17)

It strikes me how odd it is that only now do these verses implicate more meaning and conviction to me than before. How awful is the thought of missing out on others? My thirst for his word grows even more, knowing that I failed to inscribe depth unto my heart when I read from the word. I find great pleasure to confide in a God who is eternal and never changing, and the one who ordained each and every word in the bible. How ignorant would it be from us to skim even a period from it?

I'll Be Honest

2008-12-20T04:29:00.001-05:00

What is I'll Be Honest?

I'll Be Honest is a web site that is focused on bringing Glory to God through video testimonies of Christians who have overcome the devil in their life through the Grace of God. Everysingle person alive battles the devil on a daily basis, and it is of great encouragement to see someone else testify to the saving power of the Grace of God. IBH is also focused on spreading the renown of Jesus Christ to the world through Open-Air Preaching and evangelism so that Christ might send revival!

Paul Washer - Narrow Way of the Regenerate - Sermon Jam from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Testimony of realizing the Lordship of following Christ from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

I'll Be Honest - What We are About from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Christian Perseverance (An Exposition of Hebrews) A.W. Pink

2008-12-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

spiritual faith eyes the Promiser, and is assured that He cannot lie. A spiritual hope embraces the promises, esteems them above all silver and gold, and confidently anticipates their fulfillment. But between the present moment and the actual realization of our hope lies a rugged path of testing, in which we encounter much that wearies, disheartens and retards us. If we are really walking in the path of God’s appointment, there will be oppositions to meet, fierce persecutions to be endured, grievous troubles to be borne. Yet, if our valuation of God’s promises be real, if our anticipation of their fulfillment be genuine, the comfort and joy they afford will more than offset and over-balance the effects of our trials. The exercise of hope will alone deliver from fainting and despondency under continued afflictions.

An Exposition of Hebrews - A.W. Pink

Boss or Father

2008-12-07T01:36:00.000-05:00

“How can the inner workings of the heart be changed from a dynamic of fear and anger to that of love, joy, and gratitude? Here is how. You need to be moved by the sight of what it cost to bring you home. The key difference between a Pharisee and a believer in Jesus is inner-heart motivation. Pharisees are being good but out of a fear-fueled need to control God. They don’t really trust him or love him. To them God is an exacting boss, not a loving father. Christians have seen something that has transformed their hearts toward God so they can finally love and rest in the Father.”

- Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God (New York, NY: Dutton, 2008), 86.

Through The Precious Blood - Sovereign Grace Music

2008-11-30T07:47:00.000-05:00

Through The Precious Blood (From Come Weary Saints 2008)
Words & Music by Mark Altrogge

You have ordained every breath we take
In pleasure or pain, there is no mistake
Gladness and grief, both are in Your hand
And sufferings brief carry out Your plan
And our fleeting sorrows
Will yield an endless prize
When some bright tomorrow
We’ll see You with our eyes, and

Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Through the precious blood of Christ

Father of lights, Giver of all grace
Your mercies crown our lives all our days
River of Life, quench our thirsty souls
For no true delight does Your love withhold
And in every season
We are satisfied
For just one reason
Christ was crucified, and

All good gifts, every good thing
Comes to us freely, so freely
All good gifts, every good thing
Comes to us freely, so freely
Through the precious blood
Through the precious blood

Gospel remorse

2008-11-29T01:03:00.001-05:00

“Legalistic remorse says, ‘I broke God’s rules,’ while real repentance says, ‘I broke God’s heart.’ Legalistic repentance takes sin to Mt. Sinai, gospel repentance to Mt. Calvary. Legalistic repentance is convicted by punishment, gospel repentance becomes convicted by mercy.”

- Timothy Keller, Church Planter Manual

Everyday By Sovereign Grace Music (Album - Come Weary Saints)

2008-11-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

In Your grace,
You know where I walk,
You know when I'll fall,
You know all my ways

In Your love,
I know You allow,
but I cannot grasp,
to bring You praise

Thank You for the trials, for the fire, for the pain
Thank You for the strength, knowing You have ordained
every day

You great power,
shone when I'm weak,
You helped me to see,
loving this place,

perfect peace is filling in my mind
and drawing my heart, to praise You again.

In my uncertainties,
Your word is all I need,
to know You are with me everyday

------

John Piper on the prosperity gospel

2008-11-10T10:42:00.001-05:00

Grace To You

2008-11-10T02:33:00.001-05:00

It is a blessing to have all the sermons now available to us from Grace To You, a media ministry run by Pastor John MacArthur.

LINK

A Conversation with Paul Washer

2008-11-08T15:19:00.001-05:00

Grace Upon Grace Upon Grace

2008-11-06T01:37:00.000-05:00

Modern hymn from Keith and Kristyn Getty

Persecution in India is 'Religious Genocide,' says Ministry

2008-11-06T01:27:00.000-05:00

By Ethan Cole

Christian Post Reporter

Tue, Nov. 04 2008 03:31 PM EST

The persistent and vicious attacks against Christians in India have a Christian ministry leader who has been going into the persecution hotspot of Orissa state calling the violence “religious genocide.”

“This has been a religious genocide according to the U-N definition of genocide, where persistently and systematically it is planned and not stopped,” maintains Ramesh Landge, founder and director of Cooperative Outreach of India (COI), according to Mission Network News.

“It falls in that category of genocide, and we do agree with that.”

Landge, whose ministry works with U.S.-based Partners International, has been visiting the eastern state of Orissa, where the anti-Christian campaign is most fierce, to help the displaced Christians there.

More than 50,000 Christians have been displaced by the violence, and 30,000 of them live in relief camps while others hide in the jungles.

Since mid-August, over 4,000 Christian homes, churches and businesses have been destroyed by Hindu militant mobs. The number killed in the clashes, overwhelmingly Christian, range from 40 to nearly 100 depending on the source.

"There has been a lot of intimidation. There has been a lot of persecution. People have not been able to go back [to their homes],” Landge said. “If they do go back, the Hindu fundamentalists parties want them to reconvert."

But the ministry leader readily emphasized that although Christians have been suffering they have not renounced their faith and are continuing to stand strong as followers of Jesus Christ.

"This is the very first time in Indian history that such a long onslaught against Christians has taken place, and in a sustained way,” he observed. “In a way, the government was part of it. They never tried to stop it. They were just silent spectators.”

The global ministry Partners International, which supports local Christian ministries in the least Christian regions of the world, is trying to help provide relief items to the displaced, especially since winter is nearing, Landge informed.

He asks Christians elsewhere to help by praying for those being persecuted, advocating on their behalf in their respective countries, and donating to help physically ease the suffering of those being persecuted.

----
From The Christian Post

Celebrating Reformation Day // repost from last year

2008-10-31T02:30:00.000-04:00

On this day, October 31st, 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther posted a proposal at the doors of Wittenburg, Germany, to debate the doctrine and practices of indulgences. This proposal is commonly called as the 95 Theses. This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought. Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg's main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices.

So in honour of our brother, the man himself and his 95 Theses:

When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.

As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward repentance) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven.

The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law.

The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.

God never remits guilt to anyone without, at the same time, making him humbly submissive to the priest, His representative.

The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive, and, according to the canons themselves, none applies to the dead.

Accordingly, the Holy Spirit, acting in the person of the pope, manifests grace to us, by the fact that the papal regulations always cease to apply at death, or in any hard case.

It is a wrongful act, due to ignorance, when priests retain the canonical penalties on the dead in purgatory.

When canonical penalties were changed and made to apply to purgatory, surely it would seem that tares were sown while the bishops were asleep.

In former days, the canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution was pronounced; and were intended to be tests of true contrition.

Death puts an end to all the claims of the Church; even the dying are already dead to the canon laws, and are no longer bound by them.

Defective piety or love in a dying person is necessarily accompanied by great fear, which is greatest where the piety or love is least.

This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, whatever else might be said, to constitute the pain of purgatory, since it approaches very closely to the horror of despair.

There seems to be the same difference between hell, purgatory, and heaven as between despair, uncertainty, and assurance.

Of a truth, the pains of souls in purgatory ought to be abated, and charity ought to be proportionately increased.

Moreover, it does not seem proved, on any grounds of reason or Scripture, that these souls are outside the state of merit, or unable to grow in grace.

Nor does it seem proved to be always the case that they are certain and assured of salvation, even if we are very certain ourselves.

Therefore the pope, in speaking of the plenary remission of all penalties, does not mean "all" in the strict sense, but only those imposed by himself.

Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when they say that a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's indulgences.

Indeed, he cannot remit to souls in purgatory any penalty which canon law declares should be suffered in the present life.

If plenary remission could be granted to anyone at all, it would be only in the cases of the most perfect, i.e. to very few.

It must therefore be the case that the major part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of relief from penalty.

The same power as the pope exercises in general over purgatory is exercised in particular by every single bishop in his bishopric and priest in his parish.

The pope does excellently when he grants remission to the souls in purgatory on account of intercessions made on their behalf, and not by the power of the keys (which he cannot exercise for them).

There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.

It is certainly possible that when the money clinks in the bottom of the chest avarice and greed increase; but when the church offers intercession, all depends in the will of God.

Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed in view of what is said of St. Severinus and St. Pascal? (Note: Paschal I, pope 817-24. The legend is that he and Severinus were willing to endure the pains of purgatory for the benefit of the faithful).

No one is sure of the reality of his own contrition, much less of receiving plenary forgiveness.

One who bona fide buys indulgence is a rare as a bona fide penitent man, i.e. very rare indeed.

All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

We should be most carefully on our guard against those who say that the papal indulgences are an inestimable divine gift, and that a man is reconciled to God by them.

For the grace conveyed by these indulgences relates simply to the penalties of the sacramental "satisfactions" decreed merely by man.

It is not in accordance with Christian doctrines to preach and teach that those who buy off souls, or purchase confessional licenses, have no need to repent of their own sins.

Any Christian whatsoever, who is truly repentant, enjoys plenary remission from penalty and guilt, and this is given him without letters of indulgence.

Any true Christian whatsoever, living or dead, participates in all the benefits of Christ and the Church; and this participation is granted to him by God without letters of indulgence.

Yet the pope's remission and dispensation are in no way to be despised, for, as already said, they proclaim the divine remission.

It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, to extol to the people the great bounty contained in the indulgences, while, at the same time, praising contrition as a virtue.

A truly contrite sinner seeks out, and loves to pay, the penalties of his sins; whereas the very multitude of indulgences dulls men's consciences, and tends to make them hate the penalties.

Papal indulgences should only be preached with caution, lest people gain a wrong understanding, and think that they are preferable to other good works: those of love.

Christians should be taught that the pope does not at all intend that the purchase of indulgences should be understood as at all comparable with the works of mercy.

Christians should be taught that one who gives to the poor, or lends to the needy, does a better action than if he purchases indulgences.

Because, by works of love, love grows and a man becomes a better man; whereas, by indulgences, he does not become a better man, but only escapes certain penalties.

Christians should be taught that he who sees a needy person, but passes him by although he gives money for indulgences, gains no benefit from the pope's pardon, but only incurs the wrath of God.

Christians should be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they are bound to retain what is only necessary for the upkeep of their home, and should in no way squander it on indulgences.

Christians should be taught that they purchase indulgences voluntarily, and are not under obligation to do so.

Christians should be taught that, in granting indulgences, the pope has more need, and more desire, for devout prayer on his own behalf than for ready money.

Christians should be taught that the pope's indulgences are useful only if one does not rely on them, but most harmful if one loses the fear of God through them.

Christians should be taught that, if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence-preachers, he would rather the church of St. Peter were reduced to ashes than be built with the skin, flesh, and bones of the sheep.

Christians should be taught that the pope would be willing, as he ought if necessity should arise, to sell the church of St. Peter, and give, too, his own money to many of those from whom the pardon-merchants conjure money.

It is vain to rely on salvation by letters of indulgence, even if the commissary, or indeed the pope himself, were to pledge his own soul for their validity.

Those are enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid the word of God to be preached at all in some churches, in order that indulgences may be preached in others.

The word of God suffers injury if, in the same sermon, an equal or longer time is devoted to indulgences than to that word.

The pope cannot help taking the view that if indulgences (very small matters) are celebrated by one bell, one pageant, or one ceremony, the gospel (a very great matter) should be preached to the accompaniment of a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

The treasures of the church, out of which the pope dispenses indulgences, are not sufficiently spoken of or known among the people of Christ.

That these treasures are not temporal are clear from the fact that many of the merchants do not grant them freely, but only collect them.

Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, because, even apart from the pope, these merits are always working grace in the inner man, and working the cross, death, and hell in the outer man.

St. Laurence said that the poor were the treasures of the church, but he used the term in accordance with the custom of his own time.
We do not speak rashly in saying that the treasures of the church are the keys of the church, and are bestowed by the merits of Christ.

For it is clear that the power of the pope suffices, by itself, for the remission of penalties and reserved cases.
The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God.
It is right to regard this treasure as most odious, for it makes the first to be the last.
On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is most acceptable, for it makes the last to be the first.
Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets which, in former times, they used to fish for men of wealth.
The treasures of the indulgences are the nets to-day which they use to fish for men of wealth.
The indulgences, which the merchants extol as the greatest of favours, are seen to be, in fact, a favourite means for money-getting.
Nevertheless, they are not to be compared with the grace of God and the compassion shown in the Cross.
Bishops and curates, in duty bound, must receive the commissaries of the papal indulgences with all reverence.
But they are under a much greater obligation to watch closely and attend carefully lest these men preach their own fancies instead of what the pope commissioned.
Let him be anathema and accursed who denies the apostolic character of the indulgences.

On the other hand, let him be blessed who is on his guard against the wantonness and license of the pardon-merchant's words.
In the same way, the pope rightly excommunicates those who make any plans to the detriment of the trade in indulgences.
It is much more in keeping with his views to excommunicate those who use the pretext of indulgences to plot anything to the detriment of holy love and truth.
It is foolish to think that papal indulgences have so much power that they can absolve a man even if he has done the impossible and violated the mother of God.
We assert the contrary, and say that the pope's pardons are not able to remove the least venial of sins as far as their guilt is concerned.
When it is said that not even St. Peter, if he were now pope, could grant a greater grace, it is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.
We assert the contrary, and say that he, and any pope whatever, possesses greater graces, viz., the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as is declared in I Corinthians 12 [:28].
It is blasphemy to say that the insignia of the cross with the papal arms are of equal value to the cross on which Christ died.
The bishops, curates, and theologians, who permit assertions of that kind to be made to the people without let or hindrance, will have to answer for it.
This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult for learned men to guard the respect due to the pope against false accusations, or at least from the keen criticisms of the laity.
They ask, e.g.: Why does not the pope liberate everyone from purgatory for the sake of love (a most holy thing) and because of the supreme necessity of their souls? This would be morally the best of all reasons. Meanwhile he redeems innumerable souls for money, a most perishable thing, with which to build St. Peter's church, a very minor purpose.
Again: Why should funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continue to be said? And why does not the pope repay, or permit to be repaid, the benefactions instituted for these purposes, since it is wrong to pray for those souls who are now redeemed?
Again: Surely this is a new sort of compassion, on the part of God and the pope, when an impious man, an enemy of God, is allowed to pay money to redeem a devout soul, a friend of God; while yet that devout and beloved soul is not allowed to be redeemed without payment, for love's sake, and just because of its need of redemption.
Again: Why are the penitential canon laws, which in fact, if not in practice, have long been obsolete and dead in themselves,—why are they, to-day, still used in imposing fines in money, through the granting of indulgences, as if all the penitential canons were fully operative?
Again: since the pope's income to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of indigent believers?
Again: What does the pope remit or dispense to people who, by their perfect repentance, have a right to plenary remission or dispensation?
Again: Surely a greater good could be done to the church if the pope were to bestow these remissions and dispensations, not once, as now, but a hundred times a day, for the benefit of any believer whatever.
What the pope seeks by indulgences is not money, but rather the salvation of souls; why then does he suspend the letters and indulgences formerly conceded, and still as efficacious as ever?
These questions are serious matters of conscience to the laity. To suppress them by force alone, and not to refute them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christian people unhappy.
If therefore, indulgences were preached in accordance with the spirit and mind of the pope, all these difficulties would be easily overcome, and indeed, cease to exist.
Away, then, with those prophets who say to Christ's people, "Peace, peace," where in there is no peace.
Hail, hail to all those prophets who say to Christ's people, "The cross, the cross," where there is no cross.
Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hells.
And let them thus be more confident of entering heaven through many tribulations rather than through a false assurance of peace.

Sola Scriptura!
Sola Fide!
Sola Gratia!
Solus Christus!
Soli Deo Gloria!

Reformation Study Bible for Any Amount

2008-10-29T23:21:00.000-04:00

Celebrate Reformation Week with a genuine leather Reformation Study Bible (ESV) for a donation of any amount.

Reformation Study Bible for Any Amount

The Great Goddesss Numbers

2008-10-25T11:35:00.001-04:00

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest:
for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and
the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians
3:12-13)

The emphasis today in Christian circles appears to be on
quantity, with a corresponding lack of emphasis on quality. Numbers,
size and amount seem to be very nearly all that matters even among
evangelicals. The size of the crowd, the number of converts, the size
of the budget, the amount of the weekly collections: if these look good
the church is prospering and the pastor is thought to be a success. The
church that can show an impressive quantitative growth is frankly
envied and imitated by other ambitious churches.

This is the age of the Laodiceans. The great goddess Numbers is
worshiped with fervent devotion and all things religious are brought
before her for examination. Her Old Testament is the financial report
and her New Testament is the membership roll. To these she appeals as
arbiters of all questions, the test of spiritual growth and the proof
of success or failure in every Christian endeavor.

A little acquaintance with the Bible should show this up for the
heresy it is. To judge anything spiritual by statistics is to judge by
another than scriptural judgment. It is to admit the validity of
externalism and to deny the value our Lord places upon the soul as over
against the body. It is to mistake the old creation for the new and to
confuse things eternal with things temporal. Yet it is being done every
day by ministers, church boards and denominational leaders. And hardly
anyone notices the deep and dangerous error. SOS, 153.

“Oh Lord, convict us! Forgive us! Deliver us! Amen.”

(A.W. Tozer, Tozer on Christian Leadership, October 25)

Winter Conference 2008 Support Raising Idea

2008-10-25T01:17:00.000-04:00

So Winter Conference is about 2 months away from now and I have to somehow fund myself for the conference. I have to raise $240.

What is Winter Conference?

Winter Conference is a 5 day conference designed to encourage, train, and mobilize students to help Change the World; by being equipped for a lifetime of ministry.

Students are taught and challenged by great speakers, led into worship through praise and prayer, and motivated and challenged through seminars.

There will also be a day of outreach where students will apply what they will learn and go out to reach Toronto.

The theme this year is based from Luke 24:32 where two of Jesus’ followers had an Encounter with him that changed their lives forever. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while heopened to us the Scriptures?” Luke 24:32

Date: Saturday Afternoon, Dec 27, 2008 – Thursday Morning, Jan 1st, 2009

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so for this year I decided that I will design posters with certain biblical themes or verses which can be used as a decorative piece; selling them about $15 to $25 each (just to compensate printing cost too)

May grace and peace be with you

Chelms "VAR"

The Essense of Idolatry

2008-10-24T04:06:00.000-04:00

"The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him---and of her."
-A.W. Tozer

Memorization - Hebrews (Ryan Ferguson)

2008-10-24T04:03:00.000-04:00

Intense.

Ten Indictments (A Historical 21st Century Message)

2008-10-23T13:23:00.000-04:00

Paul Washer preached at the Revival Conference event in Atlanta, Georgia tonight with what I believe is to be a historical staggering message for America. I encourage you to email this sermon to everyone you know and get it out on blogs etc. We are going to work on getting up photos and video of the message in God's timing. A reformation is coming and God is in charge! May we come back to Biblical Truth again and to the message of True Regeneration!

Ten Indictments (A Historical 21st Century Message) by Paul Washer
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=17378&commentView=itemComments

Preached Wednesday, October 22nd at the Revival Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Paul Washer delivers an urgent appeal to the Christians and churches in North America that many have been believing a false gospel and have false assurance of their salvation. He lists 10 indictments against the modern church system in America. This is a historical urgent message, tell others and spread the message. We need a reformation and revival of a biblical standard!

Delight in God

2008-10-20T21:12:00.000-04:00

mon“Delighting in God to the Glory of God for the Good
of All People”

Paul W. Martin (Pastor at Grace Fellowship Church)

I recommend listening to this sermon at least twice.

The Blood of Jesus Christ Cleanses From All Sin

2008-10-16T07:15:00.000-04:00

“Our sins are great; every sin is great; but there are some that in
our apprehension seem to be greater than others. There are crimes that
the lip of modesty could not mention. I might go far in this pulpit
this morning in describing the degradation of human nature in the sins
which it has invented. It is amazing how the ingenuity of man seems to
have exhausted itself in inventing fresh crimes. Surely there is not
the possibility of the invention of a new sin. But if there be, ere
long man will invent it, for man seemeth exceedingly cunning, and full
of wisdom in the discovery of means of destroying himself and the
endeavor to injure his Maker. But there are some sins that show a
diabolical extent of degraded ingenuity — some sins of which it were a
shame to speak, of which it were disgraceful to think.

But note here: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin.’ There
may be some sins of which a man cannot speak, but there is no sin which
the blood of Christ cannot wash away. Blasphemy, however profane, lust,
however bestial; covetousness, however far it may have gone into theft
and rapine; breach of the commandments of God, however much of riot it
may have run, all this may be pardoned and washed away through the
blood of Jesus Christ. In all the long list of human sins, though that
be long as time, there standeth but one sin that is unpardonable, and
that one no sinner has committed if he feels within himself a longing
for mercy, for that sin once committed, the soul becomes hardened,
dead, and seared, and never desireth afterwards to find peace with God.”

- Charles Spurgeon, The Evil and Its Remedy