Living a Life on Loan: Finding Grace at the Intersections

When you go to a baseball game you might hear something like:
"PROGRAMS... GET YER PROGRAMS HERE!!!"

Now when you go to a Pastor / Teacher conference you might hear this:
"PROGRAMS... GET YER PROGRAMS HERE!!!"

Well that's exactly what you've got here. Another program. Below is a review that I did just based on the author's and co-author's own assessments or synopsis of their book. I have only been through some of the lessons offered to my students, but I've seen and heard enough to get the sense of this "PROGRAM"

And pretty soon our church is going to take a Sunday and suspend the normal day of worship that belongs to God and employ a tactic that is supposed to help us as a congregation "reach out" to those outside the church. Talk about another tactic that is just another distraction to keep us from preaching the Gospel that is already rarely preached in the first place.

Anyone wanna talk about spiritual warfare???
THIS IS SPIRITUAL WARFARE!!!
God have mercy on us and our flock for letting this wolf sneak in without even a challenge.
Please pray for me and my church, and help me to see what eternal good can come out of this mess.

Living a Life on Loan: Finding Grace at the Intersections
by Rick RusawEdition: Hardcover

Distraction from Christ
By Chris Allen

This book has many facets of it that are compelling and motivating. However, I can get this sort of thing outside of the Christian Church. The Mormons do these things recommended by this book and they do it very, very well. My main concern about a book like this is that it really doesn't lend to us a focus on Christ but a focus on the world around us. This external focus of the church is just a distraction for the church as a whole and it is not found in the bible except if you were to stretch bible verses out of context. The people of the church will do the things this book suggests when the church commits itself to preaching the Word of God pointing to Christ and Him Crucified. This is what motivates believers to love those outside of the church and to share what we believe and why we believe it. This book is making the Gospel of Christ easier to swallow. If they like us maybe they'll like our Jesus. But, the Bible says: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Christ the Wisdom and Power of God 18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."[a] 20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
So, we are called to preach Christ and Him crucified, and people will either reject this as foolishness or they will stumble over it. Or God's Grace will penetrate their hearts and they will be humbled by this message and they will cry out to God... "Have mercy on me a sinner"
I believe that Rick Rusaw and those who read it are truly genuine in their pursuit of reaching out to those outside of the church and I commend them for their desire to reach out. I just think this is mis-guided and I don't see this pattern in the Bible and I see it as a distraction for the Church from Christ and what Paul always said... I only preach Christ and Him crucified. So if you want to go and intentionally reach out to those around you in your community, you can do that through many organizations as a citizen of your country. But, as a citizen of Heaven and the body of Christ reach out with love and share the Gospel message for all of us are sinners and fall short of the Glory of God.
Grace and Peace to you all.

Chris Allen
Coram Deo!!!

Faith That Works

Here is a devotional offered by Truth for Life. The ministry of Alistair Begg. A wonderful Pastor and Teacher.
This is a good message on today's broadcast about "Faith that Works".

Grace and Peace,
Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

today's devotional September 24, 2008 "I slept, but my heart was awake." - Song of Solomon 5:2 "Paradoxes abound in Christian experience, and here is one: The spouse was asleep, and yet she was awake. The only one who can read the believer's riddle is he who has lived through this experience. The two points in this evening's text are: a mournful sleepiness and a hopeful wakefulness. 'I slept.' Through sin that dwells in us we may become lax in holy duties, lazy in religious exercises, dull in spiritual joys, and completely indolent and careless. This is a shameful state for one in whom the quickening Spirit dwells; and it is dangerous in the highest degree." read more >
today's broadcast: "Do What It Says! Part B" Faith That Works listen now >
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Cultural Faith: Is It Real?

Faith.  The gift of God that comes through Grace, because of Christ we are saved by God from God. 
Is salvation based upon our decision, or do we decide because we are already saved?  We have nothing to boast about. 

(Ephesians 2:8-10)  8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christos, Sola Scriptura, Sola Deo Gloria!

Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone Scripture Alone, All the Glory to God Alone!
Grace and Peace,

 

Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

Sorry for the tiny text below.  I tried to fix it but now I'm on my way to catch a plane.  G&P.

New Article from Pulpit Magazine

Cultural Faith: Is It Real? Posted: 12 Sep 2008 02:11 AM CDT (By Lee Duncan) * Lee serves as the Director of Educational Partnerships at The Master's College.  Every four years the United States goes through the democratic, sometimes painful, election process to select a new president. Television and radio ads inundate the electorate with every conceivable spin that promotes certain candidates while denigrating others. Many Americans stop answering their phones at home because they cannot take any more pre-recorded sales pitches. Every day we hear news reports, read articles, or receive mail about everything from foreign policies to economic policies to educational reform ideas — all with the theme of how to bring "change" to America. In recent elections there has been a much greater emphasis on the personal faith of the candidates, including how often they attend church, who is their pastor, what they think about God, and how their faith might influence their leadership and decision-making. A new kind of politically correct version of faith is emerging among many candidates and it prompts a question: is it real faith? Not that long ago "faith" was a word that described a particular set of doctrinal beliefs that identified a person's convictions that affected their lives and decisions. People would claim a certain denomination or doctrinal view as "their faith," determined by allegiance to some written authority or church teaching. Even though not everyone agreed what source was the ultimate authority, at least most people agreed that an outside source was needed as a basis of truth.  That is no longer the case in America. Today the term faith is used to say that a person believes in something of their own choosing; it does not rely on an external source but each creates his own truth. Political candidates can stand up and say they have faith without having to submit to the authority of God or Scripture; their faith is their own and frankly, they tell us, it is none of our business what specifically they believe because is it personal.  This is not genuine faith, it is a cultural faith.  Our modern American culture has changed faith into a personal, nebulous, changing, and relative expression of spirituality. Political candidates stand up and say, "I have faith and it is personal." From the position of an outsider, one might conclude that almost every candidate is a Christian who is committed to God. However, after further review, their faith is often nothing more than an admission that they believe in something that they don't want to talk about.  Unfortunately, that seems enough for the average citizen because to most Americans religion is personal and we certainly don't want to pry! Modern Americans are willing to accept that one who has faith is religious, regardless of what that faith entails. In reality, to state that you have faith today simply means that you consider yourself a spiritual person and that you have the right to believe whatever you choose. Faith is without accountability. Biblical faith is something altogether different; it is based on an outside authoritative source that identifies that truth comes from God and is totally consistent with His Word, the Bible. The essence of the word "faith" is that it is a belief or trust in a higher power. Faith is a moral and spiritual quality of fidelity to God and confidence in His Word. "Faith is not simply the assent of the intellect to revealed truth; it is the practical submission of the entire man to the guidance and control of such truth" (Unger, 1957, p. 341). "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).  Faith is based on evidence that we can't see (Heb. 11:1) and is a gift from God. God grants faith and then sustains faith through His eternal power. True faith submits to the Word of God; it is God's view that we follow, His Word that we obey, and His will that we seek.  Political candidates, and yes, most Americans, see faith as something that is individual and that allows every person to believe whatever he or she thinks is right. All they have to do is say, "I have faith," or "I am a person of faith," and they are excused from explaining what they believe and by what authority they make claims to truth. Politicians say that God's Word is informative, it is comforting, it is motivating, it is inspiring, but never will you hear one of them say, "It is authoritative." Americans like their faith the way they define it and don't want to be confined to a set of writings that has been handed down through the centuries. This is how political candidates can claim to be Christians but promote views that absolutely disagree with the Bible. They have faith all right, but not a biblical faith. Their faith is of their own making and there is no outside authority to which they must submit. It is a convenient faith, an easy faith, but ultimately, a coward's faith because they never have to be accountable for what they believe. Cultural faith is taking over America, but it is not genuine saving faith. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6), God is the only source of truth (John 17:17), and God's Word is His inspired message to mankind (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  Unless faith is connected to these truths, then it is not faith at all.

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Is Divine Election Unfair?

God's Divine Sovereignty is something that... depending whether it is accepted or not affects how a church is run.  It affects, worship, evangelism, tithing, teaching, the church's view of the covenants, and the church's view of eschatology, view of prayer, and the power of God's Word being preached and proclaimed and many other areas.  It is often stated in church  that we believe in God's sovereignty but in practice we sure don't show it.  And our American legacy of Charles Finney and a Pelagian view(emphasis on the decision of the believer as being sovereign), has us embracing all kinds of programs and things that are distractions from the sovereignty of God. 

 

Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

New Article from Pulpit Magazine

Is Divine Election Unfair? Posted: 02 Sep 2008 02:47 AM CDT (By John MacArthur) In spite of the clarity with which Scripture addresses this topic, many professing Christians today struggle in their acceptance of God's sovereignty — especially when it comes to His electing work in salvation. Their most common protest, of course, is that the doctrine of election is unfair. But such an objection stems from a human idea of fairness, rather than the objective, divine understanding of true justice. In order to appropriately address the issue of election, we must set aside all human considerations and focus instead on the nature of God and His righteous standard. Divine justice is where the discussion must begin. What is Divine justice? Simply stated, it is an essential attribute of God whereby He infinitely, perfectly, and independently does exactly what He wants to do when and how He wants to do it. Because He is the standard of justice, by very definition, then whatever He does is inherently just. As William Perkins said, many years ago, "We must not think that God doeth a thing because it is good and right, but rather is the thing good and right because God willeth it and worketh it." Therefore God defines for us what justice is, because He is by nature just and righteous, and what He does reflects that nature. His own free will and nothing else is behind His justice. This means that whatever He wills, is just; and it is just, not because of any external standard of justice, but simply because He wills it. Because the justice of God is an outflow of His character, it is not subject to fallen human assumptions of what justice should be. The Creator owes nothing to the creature, not even what He is graciously pleased to give. God does not act out of obligation and compulsion, but out of His own independent prerogative. That is what it means to be God. And because He is God, His freely determined actions are intrinsically right and perfect. To say that election is unfair is not only inaccurate, it fails to recognize the very essence of true fairness. That which is fair, and right, and just is that which God wills to do. Thus, if God wills to choose those whom He would save, it is inherently fair for Him to do so. We cannot impose our own ideas of fairness onto our understanding of God's working. Instead, we must go to the Scriptures to see how God Himself, in His perfect righteousness, decides to act.

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Intentional Living?

Grace and Style

This is Grace Community Church's position on musical style of worship. Sometimes our preferences whether tradition or contemporary get in the way of True Worship. We come to church to hear from God, through Word and Sacrament. The word either preached or sung. Rod Rosenbladt from the WHI said that "even if the Pastor blows it in His sermon, we should still be able to hear about Christ and Him crucified during the Liturgy." This means that if the Pastor doesn't preach what he is supposed to the rest of the service ought to point us to Christ and Him Crucified and that our sins are forgiven. Especially during the Lord's Supper and Baptism. Also, don't forget that Jesus said that Mary was doing the right thing just sitting there listening to her Lord, while Martha was busy doing things that Martha thought were the right things to be doing. I think our churches are always trying to do the Martha thing when we should be doing the Mary thing. "Don't just do something... sit there!!" (Rosenbladt)

Grace and Peace,

Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

New Article from Pulpit Magazine

Grace and Style Posted: 15 Aug 2008 02:01 AM CDT What is Grace Church's view on musical style in the church? The Bible does not prescribe a particular style of music as being solely acceptable to God, nor does it condemn any particular styles. But it does contain principles that we can apply to any situation and ascertain what course of action will please God. When it comes to choices about what style to use in the church, we should apply the principle of appropriateness. At Grace Church, our Sunday worship services contain musical styles that are appropriate for all ages ‑‑ we try to be careful not to distract anyone present by using music that could be considered controversial in any way. But in our youth meetings and events at The Master's College, more contemporary styles are often played or sung. We require the lyrics in the latter to be doctrinally sound and clearly understandable. Some churches and Christian schools teach that any music with a drumbeat or electric guitar is worldly and sinful. We do not do so at Grace Church because the Bible tells us "not to exceed what is written" (1 Corinthians 4:6). We cannot add to the Scripture without subtracting from its effectiveness in our lives. If we elevate personal preference and man-made tradition to the level of God's Word (Mark 7:6-15), we risk entangling people in the bondage of legalism and diverting them from the true issues of sanctification (Romans 14:17). Here are five questions you can ask when evaluating music: 1. What is the lyrical content of the song? Are the words true? Are they biblically accurate? 2. Does the way in which the lyrics are presented cheapen the message? 3. Does the song make you conscious of the Lord, and draw you to Him, or does it distract from true worship? 4. Do the musical style and performance promote and facilitate a worshipful atmosphere? Or do they somehow undermine the truth and purity of the lyrical content? 5. Is the life‑style of the musician honoring to God?

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The Bible and Archaeology

Here is a really good article from Pulpit Magazine about how Archeology continues to provide evidence to the trustworthiness of the Bible. 

 

Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

New Article from Pulpit Magazine

The Bible and Archaeology Posted: 08 Aug 2008 02:01 AM CDT (By Nathan Busenitz) The following comes from Nathan's new book, Reasons We Believe: 50 Lines of Evidence that Confirm the Christian Faith (Crossway). Today's article is adapted from part of reason no. 13, regarding archaeological evidence for the Bible's trustworthiness. Recent interviews with leading archaeologists in Israel have again confirmed the historical and geographical trustworthiness of the Bible.[1] "Serious scholars, even if they're not believers, even if they do not think this is a sacred text, still consider it to be history, because things match up so well," says archaeologist Steven Ortiz who has been working in Israel for over 20 years. He continues, "[T]here isn't anything to contradict or anything to make me wary of the testimony of Scripture."[2] Speaking specifically of the Old Testament, Denis Baly notes that "the historical material in the [Old] Testament must be taken with great seriousness. It is primary evidence for the history of the time, and no honest historian or archaeologist should treat it as anything else."[3] Echoing this sentiment, Aren Maeier of Bar Ilan University acknowledges the fact that "You can't do archaeology in Israel without the Bible."[4] Their consensus on the importance of the biblical text to Israeli archaeology echoes the words of Yale archeologist Millar Burrows, who wrote over a half-century ago, "On the whole, archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the scriptural record. More than one archaeologist has found his respect for the Bible increased by experience of excavation of Palestine."[5] More recently, after an extensive study of Old Testament data, renown archaeologist and Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen (of the University of Liverpool) has written: What can be said of historical reliability? Here our answer—on the evidence available—is more positive. The periods most in the glare of contemporary documents—the divided monarchy and the exile and return—show a very high level of direct correlation (where adequate data exist) and of reliability. . . .  In terms of general reliability . . . the Old Testament comes out remarkably well.[6] The testimony of archeology continually confirms the trustworthiness of the Bible. As Norman Geisler, Dean of Southern Evangelical Seminary, correctly points out, "While many have doubted the accuracy of the Bible, time and continued research have consistently demonstrated that the Word of God is better informed than its critics."[7] Henry Morris presses the point even further, asserting that there is "not one unquestionable find of archaeology that proves the Bible to be in error at any point."[8] On the other hand, notes Josh McDowell, "numerous discoveries have confirmed the historical accuracy of the biblical documents, even down to the occasional use of obsolete names of foreign kings."[9] Those are statements no other religious book can make. Yet they correspond directly to the Bible's own claim to be true. * * * * * ENDNOTES: [1] "The Archaeologists I", video presentation, SourceFlix Productions (uploaded August 10, 2007) http://www.sourceflix.com/vid_arch_1.htm (accessed September 2, 2007). This clip highlights the testimony of a number of leading archaeologists who are currently working in Israel and who affirm the importance of the Bible to their work. It is part of a larger documentary to be released in 2008. [2] Steven Ortiz, transcribed from "The Archaeologists I," video presentation. [3] Denis Baly, God and History in the Old Testament (New York: Harper & Row, 1976), 19. [4] Aren Maier, transcribed from "The Archaeologists I," video presentation. [5] Millar Burrows, What Mean These Stones? (New Haven, CT: American Schools of Oriental Research, 1941), 1. [6] Kenneth A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 499–500. [7] Norman Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), 52. Cf. Thomas Lea's commentary on 1, 2 Timothy, Titus NAC (Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1992), 239, where he notes that "any errors in the field of history would undermine the confidence of the reader in the theological trustworthiness of Scripture." [8] Henry Morris, The Bible and Modern Science (Chicago: Moody, 1956), 95. [9] Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, 89.  Along these lines, Jens Bruun Kofoed in Text and History (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2005), 4–5 responds to skeptics of the Old Testament by arguing that it is much more historically reliable than many scholars claim, and that "it must be included in rather than excluded from the pool of reliable data for a reconstruction of the origin and history of ancient Israel."

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THE SUBMERGING CHURCH

I had a good chuckle reading this on Steve Camp's blog.  I hope you don't mind me sharing this with you.

Grace and Peace,
Chris

---

THE SUBMERGING CHURCH
...the latest trend in the emerging/emergent culturally irrelevant church growth movement

Top ten signs that you are visiting
a Submerging Church:

10.) The usher asks if you prefer the smoking or non-smoking section
9.) Regular attendees earn cash bonus points to local brewery
8.) Sunday School has been replaced by contemplative-walk-abouts
7.) Baptismal tank has a wave-maker machine
6.) Fifty dollar cover charge at the door (featuring open bar and local dance band - woman must wear red)

5.) Pew Bibles are The Message

4.) Sign out front has latest pastors name written with dry erase markers
3.) Chris Rock humor from pulpit mandatory to be considered missional
2.) Worship team performs their favorite Zeplin medley; altar call is "Stairway to Heaven."
1.) Banner across front of sanctuary reads, "Today's Worship Service Brought to You by Chevrolet."

Posted by SJ Camp at 2:38:00 PM

 

Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

Ten Effects of Believing in the Five Points of Calvinism

Ten Effects of Believing in the Five Points of Calvinism
by Dr. John Piper 

(April 20, 2002)

These ten points are my personal testimony to the effects of believing in the five points of Calvinism. I have just completed teaching a seminar on this topic and was asked by the class members to post these reflections so they could have access to them. I am happy to do so. They, of course, assume the content of the course, which is available on tape from Desiring God Ministries, but I will put them here for wider use in the hope that they might stir others to search, Berean-like, to see if the Bible teaches what I call "Calvinism."

1. These truths make me stand in awe of God and lead me into the depth of true God-centered worship.
I recall the time I first saw, while teaching Ephesians at Bethel College in the late '70's, the threefold statement of the goal of all God's work, namely, "to the praise of the glory of his grace" (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

It has led me to see that we cannot enrich God and that therefore his glory shines most brightly not when we try to meet his needs but when we are satisfied in him as the essence of our deeds. "From him and through him and to him are all things. To him the glory forever" (Romans 11:36). Worship becomes an end in itself.

It has made me feel how low and inadequate are my affections, so that the Psalms of longing come alive and make worship intense.

2. These truths help protect me from trifling with divine things.
One of the curses of our culture is banality, cuteness, cleverness. Television is the main sustainer of our addiction to superficiality and triviality.

God is swept into this. Hence the trifling with divine things.

Earnestness is not excessive in our day. It might have been once. And, yes, there are imbalances in certain people today who don't seem to be able to relax and talk about the weather.

Robertson Nicole said of Spurgeon, "Evangelism of the humorous type [we might say, church growth of the marketing type] may attract multitudes, but it lays the soul in ashes and destroys the very germs of religion. Mr. Spurgeon is often thought by those who do not know his sermons to have been a humorous preacher. As a matter of fact there was no preacher whose tone was more uniformly earnest, reverent and solemn" (Quoted in The Supremacy of God in Preaching, p. 57).

3. These truths make me marvel at my own salvation.
After laying out the great, God-wrought salvation in Ephesians 1, Paul prays, in the last part of that chapter, that the effect of that theology will be the enlightenment of our hearts so that we marvel at our hope, and at the riches of the glory of our inheritance, and at the power of God at work in us – that is, the power to raise the dead.

Every ground of boasting is removed. Brokenhearted joy and gratitude abound.

The piety of Jonathan Edwards begins to grow. When God has given us a taste of his own majesty and our own wickedness, then the Christian life becomes a thing very different than conventional piety. Edwards describes it beautifully when he says,

The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires: their hope is a humble hope, and their joy, even when it is unspeakable, and full of glory, is humble, brokenhearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit, and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior (Religious Affections, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959, pp. 339f).

4. These truths make me alert to man-centered substitutes that pose as good news.
In my book, The Pleasures of God (2000), pp. 144-145, I show that in the 18th century in New England the slide from the sovereignty of God led to Arminianism and thence to universalism and thence to Unitarianism. The same thing happened in England in the 19thcentury after Spurgeon.

Iain Murray's Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1987), p. 454, documents the same thing: "Calvinistic convictions waned in North America. In the progress of the decline which Edwards had rightly anticipated, those Congregational churches of New England which had embraced Arminianism after the Great Awakening gradually moved into Unitarianism and universalism, led by Charles Chauncy."

You can also read in J. I. Packer's Quest for Godliness (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1990), p. 160, how Richard Baxter forsook these teachings and how the following generations reaped a grim harvest in the Baxter church in Kidderminster.

These doctrines are a bulwark against man-centered teachings in many forms that gradually corrupt the church and make her weak from the inside, all the while looking strong or popular.

1 Timothy 3:15, "The church of the living God [is] the pillar and bulwark of the truth."

5. These truths make me groan over the indescribable disease of our secular, God-belittling culture.
I can hardly read the newspaper or look at a TV ad or a billboard without feeling the burden that God is missing.

When God is the main reality in the universe and is treated as a non-reality, I tremble at the wrath that is being stored up. I am able to be shocked. So many Christians are sedated with the same drug as the world. But these teachings are a great antidote.

And I pray for awakening and revival.

And I try to preach to create a people that are so God-saturated that they will show and tell God everywhere and all the time.

We exist to reassert the reality of God and the supremacy of God in all of life.

6. These truths make me confident that the work which God planned and began, he will finish – both globally and personally.
This is the point of Romans 8:28-39.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died- more than that, who was raised- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

7. These truths make me see everything in the light of God's sovereign purposes – that from him and through him and to him are all things, to him be glory forever and ever.
All of life relates to God. There's no compartment where he is not all-important and the one who gives meaning to everything. 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Seeing God's sovereign purpose worked out in Scripture, and hearing Paul say that "he accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11) makes me see the world this way.

8. These truths make me hopeful that God has the will, the right, and the power to answer prayer that people be changed.
The warrant for prayer is that God may break in and change things – including the human heart. He can turn the will around. "Hallowed be thy name" means: cause people to hallow your name. "May your word run and be glorified" means: cause hearts to be opened to the gospel.

We should take the New Covenant promises and plead with God to bring them to pass in our children and in our neighbors and among all the mission fields of the world.

"God, take out of their flesh the heart of stone and give him a new heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 11:19).

"Lord, circumcise their hearts so that they love you" (Deuteronomy 30:6).

"Father, put your spirit within them and cause them to walk in Your statutes" (Ezekiel 36:27).

"Lord, grant them repentance and the knowledge of the truth that they may escape from the snare of the devil" (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

"Father, open their hearts so that they believe the gospel" (Acts 16:14).

9. These truths reminds me that evangelism is absolutely essential for people to come to Christ and be saved, and that there is great hope for success in leading people to faith, but that conversion is not finally dependent on me or limited by the hardness of the unbeliever.
So it gives hope to evangelism, especially in the hard places and among the hard peoples.

John 10:16, "I have other sheep that are not of this fold, I must bring them also. They will heed my voice."

It is God's work. Throw yourself into it with abandon.

10. These truths make me sure that God will triumph in the end.
Isaiah 46:9-10, "I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, "My counsel shall stand that I will accomplish all my purpose'"

Putting them altogether: God gets the glory and we get the joy.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org.
Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

Posted by SJ Camp at 2:00:00 PM 10 iron sharpens iron

 

Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

Christians and the Sabbath

This is a good article about the Sabbath and how it points to the reality of Jesus Christ who becomes our Sabbath.  We "rest" in Christ.  This is another example how everything points to Christ.  We had a similar discussion in Sunday School yesterday going through the book of Romans Chapter 1 and talking about the Law.  The main question that was being asked was "is the Gospel really necessary to be heard for people to come to faith in Christ?"  How do you think I responded to that question?  That was Pandora's box to me to all kinds of other questions and there really wasn't a lot of time left in the class to get a good handle on it, but it was a good discussion.   I'm looking forward to next week.

Grace and Peace,
Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

New Article from Pulpit Magazine

Christians and the Sabbath Posted: 28 Jul 2008 02:01 AM CDT Are the Sabbath laws binding on Christians today? We believe the Old Testament regulations governing Sabbath observances are ceremonial, not moral, aspects of the law. As such, they are no longer in force, but have passed away along with the sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood, and all other aspects of Moses' law that prefigured Christ. Here are the reasons we hold this view: In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul explicitly refers to the Sabbath as a shadow of Christ, which is no longer binding since the substance (Christ) has come. It is quite clear in those verses that the weekly Sabbath is included, with the phrase "a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day" refering to the annual, monthly, and weekly holy days of the Jewish calendar (cf. 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 31:3; Ezekiel 45:17; Hosea 2:11). The Sabbath was the sign to Israel of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:16-17; Ezekiel 20:12; Nehemiah 9:14). Since we are now under the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13), we are no longer required to observe the sign of the Mosaic Covenant. The New Testament never commands Christians to observe the Sabbath. On the other hand, each of the other nine commandments are reiterated in the New Testament. In our only glimpse of an early church worship service in the New Testament, the church met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Nowhere in the Old Testament are the Gentile nations commanded to observe the Sabbath or condemned for failing to do so. That is strange if Sabbath observance were meant to be an eternal moral principle. There is no evidence in the Bible of anyone keeping the Sabbath before the time of Moses, nor are there any commands in the Bible to keep the Sabbath before the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai. When the Apostles met at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), they did not impose Sabbath keeping on the Gentile believers. The apostle Paul warned the Gentiles about many different sins in his epistles, but breaking the Sabbath was never one of them. In Galatians 4:10-11, Paul rebukes the Galatians for thinking God expected them to observe special days (including the Sabbath). In Romans 14:5, Paul forbids those who observe the Sabbath (these were no doubt Jewish believers) to condemn those who do not (Gentile believers). The early church fathers, from Ignatius to Augustine, taught that the Old Testament Sabbath had been abolished and that the first day of the week (Sunday) was the day when Christians should meet for worship (contrary to the claim of many seventh-day sabbatarians who claim that Sunday worship was not instituted until the fourth century). Sunday has not replaced Saturday as the Sabbath. Rather the Lord's Day is a time when believers gather to commemorate His resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week. Every day to the believer is one of Sabbath rest, since we have ceased from our spiritual labor and are resting in the salvation of the Lord (Hebrews 4:9-11). So while we still follow the pattern of designating one day of the week a day for the Lord's people to gather in worship, we do not refer to this as "the Sabbath." John Calvin took a similar position. He wrote, There were three reasons for giving this [fourth] commandment: First, with the seventh day of rest the Lord wished to give to the people of Israel an image of spiritual rest, whereby believers must cease from their own works in order to let the Lord work in them. Secondly, he wished that there be an established day in which believers might assemble in order to hear his Law and worship him. Thirdly, he willed that one day of rest be granted to servants and to those who live under the power of others so that they might have a relaxation from their labor. The latter, however, is rather an inferred than a principal reason. As to the first reason, there is no doubt that it ceased in Christ; because he is the truth by the presence of which all images vanish. He is the reality at whose advent all shadows are abandoned. Hence St. Paul (Col. 2:17) that the sabbath has been a shadow of a reality yet to be. And he declares elsewhere its truth when in the letter to the Romans, ch. 6:8, he teaches us that we are buried with Christ in order that by his death we may die to the corruption of our flesh. And this is not done in one day, but during all the course of our life, until altogether dead in our own selves, we may be filled with the life of God. Hence, superstitious observance of days must remain far from Christians. The two last reasons, however, must not be numbered among the shadows of old. Rather, they are equally valid for all ages. Hence, though the sabbath is abrogated, it so happens among us that we still convene on certain days in order to hear the word of God, to break the [mystic] bread of the Supper, and to offer public prayers; and, moreover, in order that some relaxation from their toil be given to servants and workingmen. As our human weakness does not allow such assemblies to meet every day, the day observed by the Jews has been taken away (as a good device for eliminating superstition) and another day has been destined to this use. This was necessary for securing and maintaining order and peace in the Church. As the truth therefore was given to the Jews under a figure, so to us on the contrary truth is shown without shadows in order, first of all, that we meditate all our life on a perpetual sabbath from our works so that the Lord may operate in us by his spirit; secondly, in order that we observe the legitimate order of the Church for listening to the word of God, for admin-istering the sacraments, and for public prayers; thirdly, in order that we do not oppress inhumanly with work those who are subject to us. [From Instruction in Faith, Calvin's own 1537 digest of the Institutes, sec. 8, "The Law of the Lord"].

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Pragmatism: Trend or Trap?

I had a great week at a youth camp called Fun in the Son.  You can visit their website at FunSon.com

The week focused on teaching the teens to know what they believe and why the believe it.  "But in your hearts, set apart Jesus as Lord, and always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you have, but do this with gentleness and respect."  1 Peter 3:15  (I did this from memory, so I hope I got it right).

The Gospel  was well presented throughout the week.

Grace and Peace,

Chris
www.Reform-Shire.blogspot.com
Coram Deo!!!

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New Article from Pulpit Magazine

Pragmatism: Trend or Trap? Posted: 24 Jul 2008 02:01 AM CDT (By John MacArthur) By God's grace, I have been the pastor of the same church now for nearly forty years. From that vantage point, I have witnessed the birth and growth of menacing trends within the church, several of which have converged under what I would call evangelical pragmatism — an approach to ministry that is endemic in contemporary Christianity. What is pragmatism? Basically it is a philosophy that says that results determine meaning, truth, and value — what will work becomes a more important question than what is true. As Christians, we are called to trust what the Lord says, preach that message to others, and leave the results to Him. But many have set that aside. Seeking relevancy and success, they have welcomed the pragmatic approach and have received the proverbial Trojan horse. Let me take a few minutes to explain a little of the history leading up to the current entrenchment of the pragmatic approach in the evangelical church and to show you why it isn't as innocent as it looks. Recent History The 1970s, for the most part, were years of spiritual revival in America. The spread of the gospel through the campuses of many colleges and universities marked a fresh, energetic movement of the Holy Spirit to draw people to salvation in Christ. Mass baptisms were conducted in rivers, lakes, and the ocean, several new versions of the English Bible were released, and Christian publishing and broadcasting experienced remarkable growth. Sadly, the fervent evangelical revival slowed and was overshadowed by the greed and debauchery of the eighties and nineties. The surrounding culture rejected biblical standards of morality, and the church, rather than assert its distinctiveness and call the world to repentance, softened its stance on holiness. The failure to maintain a distinctively biblical identity was profound — it led to general spiritual apathy and a marked decline in church attendance. Church leaders reacted to the world's indifference, not by a return to strong biblical preaching that emphasized sin and repentance, but by a pragmatic approach to "doing" church — an approach driven more by marketing, methodology, and perceived results than by biblical doctrine. The new model of ministry revolved around making sinners feel comfortable and at ease in the church, then selling them on the benefits of becoming a Christian. Earlier silence has given way to cultural appeasement and conformity. Even the church's ministry to its own has changed. Entertainment has hijacked many pulpits across the country; contemporary approaches cater to the ever-changing whims of professing believers; and many local churches have become little more than social clubs and community centers where the focus is on the individual's felt needs. Even on Christian radio, phone-in talk shows, music, and live psychotherapy are starting to replace Bible teaching as the staple. "Whatever works," the mantra of pragmatism, has become the new banner of evangelicalism. The Down-Grade Controversy You may be surprised to learn that what we are now seeing is not new. England's most famous preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, dealt with a similar situation more than 100 years ago. Among churches that were once solid, Spurgeon and other faithful pastors noticed a conciliatory attitude toward and overt cooperation with the modernist movement. And what motivated the compromise? They sought to find acceptance by adopting the "sophisticated" trends of the culture. Does that sound familiar to you? One article, published anonymously in Spurgeon's monthly magazine The Sword and the Trowel, noted that every revival of true evangelical faith had been followed within a generation or two by a drift away from sound doctrine, ultimately leading to wholesale apostasy. The author likened this drifting from truth to a downhill slope, and thus labeled it "the down grade." The inroads of modernism into the church killed ninety percent of the mainline denominations within a generation of Spurgeon's death. Spurgeon himself, once the celebrated and adored herald of the Baptist Union, was marginalized by the society and he eventually withdrew his membership. The Effects of Pragmatism Many of today's church leaders have bought into the subtlety of pragmatism without recognizing the dangers it poses. Instead of attacking orthodoxy head on, evangelical pragmatism gives lip service to the truth while quietly undermining the foundations of doctrine. Instead of exalting God, it effectively denigrates the things that are precious to Him. First, there is in vogue today a trend to make the basis of faith something other than God's Word. Experience, emotion, fashion, and popular opinion are often more authoritative than the Bible in determining what many Christians believe. From private, individual revelation to the blending of secular psychology with biblical "principles," Christians are listening to the voice of the serpent that once told Eve, "God's Word doesn't have all the answers." Christian counseling reflects that drift, frequently offering no more than experimental and unscriptural self-help therapy instead of solid answers from the Bible. Christian missionary work is often riddled with pragmatism and compromise, because too many in missions have evidently concluded that what gets results is more important than what God says. That's true among local churches as well. It has become fashionable to forgo the proclamation and teaching of God's Word in worship services. Instead, churches serve up a paltry diet of drama, music, and other forms of entertainment. Second, evangelical pragmatism tends to move the focus of faith away from God's Son. You've seen that repeatedly if you watch much religious television. The health-wealth-and-prosperity gospel advocated by so many televangelists is the ultimate example of this kind of fantasy faith. This false gospel appeals unabashedly to the flesh, corrupting all the promises of Scripture and encouraging greed. It makes material blessing, not Jesus Christ, the object of the Christian's desires. Easy-believism handles the message differently, but the effect is the same. It is the promise of forgiveness minus the gospel's hard demands, the perfect message for pragmatists. It has done much to popularize "believing" but little to provoke sincere faith. Christ is no longer the focus of the message. While His name is mentioned from time to time, the real focus is inward, not upward. People are urged to look within; to try to understand themselves; to come to grips with their problems, their hurts, their disappointments; to have their needs met, their desires granted, their wants fulfilled. Nearly all the popular versions of the message encourage and legitimize a self-centered perspective. Third, today's Christianity is infected with a tendency to view the result of faith as something less than God's standard of holy living. By downplaying the importance of holy living–both by precept and by example–the biblical doctrine of conversion is undermined. Think about it: What more could Satan do to try to destroy the church than undermining God's Word, shifting the focus off Christ, and minimizing holy living? All those things are happening slowly, steadily within the church right now. Tragically, most Christians seem oblivious to the problems, satisfied with a Christianity that is fashionable and highly visible. But the true church must not ignore those threats. If we fight to maintain doctrinal purity with an emphasis on biblical preaching and biblical ministry, we can conquer external attacks. But if error is allowed into the church, many more churches will slide down the grade to suffer the same fate as the denominations that listened to, yet ignored, Spurgeon's impassioned appeal. Make it your habitual prayer request that the Lord would elevate the authority of His Word, the glory of His Son, and the purity of His people in the evangelical church. May the Lord revive us and keep us far from the slippery slope of pragmatism.

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My Visit to Mars Hill Bible Church (Part 2) - (By Nathan Williams)

New Article from Pulpit Magazine

Back from Mars (Part 2) Posted: 11 Jul 2008 03:24 AM CDT (By Nathan Williams)  My Visit to Mars Hill Bible Church (Part 2) Yesterday I began telling about my experience of attending Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, MI., which is pastored by Rob Bell. Today, I'd like to finish that discussion by talking about the sermon that was preached while I was there. Unfortunately, on the Sunday when I went Rob Bell wasn't teaching. I guess he gets some time off during the summer to recover from his speaking tour and to prepare for his next one. Instead of having one guest preacher, we had two. I've never experienced tag team teachers, but it was certainly a unique approach. The teachers for the morning were Don Perini and Jeanette Banashak. Both serve as professors at nearby Cornerstone University. Don is the assistant professor of youth ministry and also teaches creativity. Apparently a class on creativity is required for every student at Cornerstone. Jeanette serves as an instructor in youth ministry at Cornerstone and also recently began serving as an elder at Mars Hill. These two were specifically asked to speak on creativity because it is one of their specialties. They announce a couple of times during the message that they will be teaching a multi part class in the coming months at Mars Hill on creativity. The dual teaching method creates an interesting dynamic. One person sits on a stool on stage while the other does his (or her) teaching. Instead of one person teaching the first part of the message and the other preaching the second half, they rotate several times throughout the message. The title for the message the morning I was there was "A Journey to Unleash Your Creative Potential." Don began the morning by lamenting the fact that as we grow older we tend to play less games and tend to be less creative. The busyness of life creeps in and we no longer take the time to play and imagine. Once Don finishes his introduction, Jeanette asks us to open to Matthew 28 and take a look at the great commission. She reminds us that we are supposed to be making disciples and baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. She makes the connection between the Trinity and the discipleship commanded in the great commission. Then she asked us to flip over to Genesis 1. She noted that the first verb in the Bible is to create and that obviously our God is a creative God. Since Genesis 1:26 tells us that we are made in the image of God, we must learn to be creative like God is creative. Then she explained that since God is a Trinity the Trinity must hold some clues as to how God is creative and therefore how we should be creative. I mentioned in yesterday's post that when we entered the worship center we were greeted with quotes on the overhead projectors. One of the main quotes that continued to cycle through as we waited for the "gathering" to start was a quote by Dorothy Sayers. After getting back home and doing some research I realized that much of the teaching on creativity and the Trinity comes from a book by Sayers called The Mind of the Maker. The entire message was based on the idea that every bit of human creativity resembles the Trinity. The creative idea we have is like God the Father, the action that we perform because of that idea is like the Son, and the influence and power of that creative idea is like the Holy Spirit. Once Jeanette taught this background it was easy to see the shape the message would take. Jeanette taught the philosophy and theology (I use that term loosely) behind creativity and then Dan gave us practical insight into becoming more creative. For example, after Jeanette taught on the idea of creativity and that being analogous to God the Father, Dan taught on the top ten places for creative ideas to come to us. After the section dealing with Jesus and the creative idea being put into action, Dan taught on several habits of creative people. The ultimate point of the message was for us to learn to be creative and then use that creativity for something useful. The Sayers quote which they kept using throughout the lesson was "…that we may redeem the Fall by a creative act." When one actually begins to break that down and think it through, it's a scary thing to be teaching people. The point of the message was that we can use our creativity to redeem the fall. In other words, our world is in a rough situation. All of the pain and hardship in society comes as a result of the fall. We must use our creativity to fix the problems created by mankind's fall into sin. Sadly, throughout the message there was no mention of the gospel of Jesus Christ being what redeems men from the fall. In the end, the tag-team talk consisted of little more than some vaguely inspiring teaching about using creativity to meet the physical and temporal needs of those in our community. Noticebly missing was the centrality of the gospel. Needless to say, my trip to Mars Hill Bible Church confirmed in my mind what I have often heard said concerning much of the Emerging Church. This movement is really just old liberalism with cooler glasses and a penchant for mystery and postmodernism.

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