In the Sermon on the Mount, (Matt. 5:1-48; 6:1-34; 7:1-29) we are challenged by Jesus Christ Himself as to what kind of character we should have as Christians. Christ directs us to what should define our outer way of life and our inner habit of mind.
There is no other section of Scripture that brings Christians face to face with their humanity and the grace of salvation as the Sermon does. As Christ masterfully expounds on the Kingdom of Heaven, He presents believers with the perfect standard of the Christian life. He challenges the genuineness of our words and actions, allowing us to know exactly where we stand in relation to the Kingdom. Both humbling and encouraging, it is the greatest message ever preached.
The Sermon on the Mount begins with what is called “The Beatitudes” (Matt. 5:1-12) The Beatitudes give us the character of those who are the true children of God. The first four Beatitudes focus on our relationship to God, and the second four on our relationship to our fellowman.
A discussion on the meaning and applications of the Sermon is inexhaustible. That being said, I would like to discuss a very specific aspect of the Sermon, that being the topic of Mercy (Matt. 5:7). Even more specifically, I would like to discuss the “Ministry of Mercy” carried out in the lives of “Children in Need — the abused and neglected”.
James 1:27 tells us Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Today, approximately 500,000 children in the US are caught up in the court and child welfare maze because they are unable to live safely at home. Imagine you, a Christian, being empowered to minister to these children in need.
The basic idea of the Greek word translated merciful is “to give help to the wretched, to relieve the miserable.” Here the essential thought is that mercy gives attention to those in misery. A synonym for mercy would be compassion. An important distinction is that mercy is not simply feeling compassion. Mercy exists when something is done to alleviate distress. Mercy is compassion in action.
One can only imagine how wretched and miserable a child would be who has and now may be experiencing neglect, verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and seperation from parents.
If you desire to walk out James 1:27 and Matt. 5:7, consider becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate, in doing so you would be empowered to make a lifelong difference in the lives of abused and neglected children. This child advocacy program is not Christian in its founding, but remember, we are to be salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16), in the world, not of the world; a light in a dark place. This program provides Christians a truly unique opportunity to be “Ministers of Mercy”.
Please pray and ask God how you might be involved in life transforming ministry to children in need.
These essays are the most influential in forming the evangelical and Reformed view of Scripture in the twentieth century. They are around 100 years old, but the exegetical arguments still hold up. The book is a formidable work of godly scholarship. It is the starting point for most current discussions of biblical authority and inerrancy. Warfield’s view was not original, though some have claimed that it was. His was the traditional position of orthodox Christianity. But he was creative in his powerful defense of that position.
Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, volume one of four, on “Prolegomena.” English translation (Baker, 2003).
Bavinck’s theology is the most important work of Reformed systematic theology in the past century. The section on Scripture is marvelously comprehensive and nuanced. In my judgment, there is no difference between his position and that of Warfield, but his vocabulary and emphasis are different. He and Warfield give us “two witnesses,” coming from different cultures, testifying to the truth of Scripture as God’s word.
Meredith G. Kline, The Structure of Biblical Authority (Eerdmans, 1972).
This is the most important breakthrough in the doctrine of Scripture since Warfield. Shows that Scripture has the character of a written treaty, of which God is the author, and to which believers must be committed without reservation. I have disagreed with Kline on some other matters, but I believe this book contains a powerful argument. Kline shows that the idea of a written, authoritative word of God is essential to God’s plan of redemption.
These are cogent articles by the old (around 1946) Westminster Seminary faculty, dealing with various aspects of biblical authority. I keep coming back especially to John Murray’s “The Attestation of Scripture” and Cornelius Van Til’s “Nature and Scripture.” Murray gives a concise, definitive exposition of Scripture’s self-witness. Van Til shows that both general and special revelation are necessary, authoritative, clear, and sufficient for their respective purposes, and that they stand opposed to the worldviews of non-Christian philosophies.
No question about it, God has blessed me and my wife with three wonderful biological children. I make that distinction because we are in the process of adopting from China. Please pray for us when you think about it.
… Edwards maintains, that fallen man suffers moral inability and there are certain things that he simply cannot do. First, (Edwards explains to the Indians in the latest preaching on this text), [December 1751] men cannot make satisfaction for their sins; only God can do that. Second, men cannot earn a righteousness that makes them acceptable before God; only he can provide that. Third, men cannot change their hearts which, yet, must be changed by God. This alone is enough to demonstrate that Edwards was no incipient Arminian. John Calvin never enunciated the sinner’s moral inability more explicitly and lucidly. The sinner suffers total moral inability to save himself or to cooperate in his regeneration.
Every week, Drew has various publishers pitch him authors to interview on the show. Some he interviews, many he doesn’t. Never before though, has Drew endorsed a book as strongly as this one The Shack. A work of fiction, written by an unknown author & self published. Having only spent a few hundred dollars on marketing, The Shack has sold almost half a million copies in the last 10 months! WHY? Since finding out about The Shack, many of Drew’s friends have gone out and bought entire boxes of the book. This week, the author of this incredibly spiritually healing book joins us LIVE, in studio.
He’s baaaack! This time Paul joins us to share his own personal journey. If you’re not sure what The Shack is all about. A work of fiction, written by an unknown author & self published. Having only spent a few hundred dollars on marketing, The Shack has sold almost half a million copies in the last 10 months! WHY? Since finding out about The Shack, many of Drew’s friends have gone out and bought entire cases of the book.
David Lee of Justice for All tells the story of Emmitt Till and describes the use of graphic abortion images as putting a face on abortion much as the open-casket image of Emmitt Till put a face on Racism.
Jim R. Sibley, director of “The Pasche Institute of Jewish Studies“, brings us the following insightful article on the obstacles to the evangelization of the Jewish people.
Bill and Gloria Gaither will be hosting the 19th annual Family Fest in May and will be featuring The Shack author William Paul Young. The Gaithers have been a popular Christian music team for many years. Lighthouse Trails is sorry to see they will be including The Shack author in this year’s event. The Shack, a fiction story that has been at the top of the New York Times Best Seller List for 41 weeks, is presented as a Christian book but has serious New Age implications including the Black Madonna (goddess) theme.
Note: Consider supporting this blog by going to Westminster Bookstore or Monergism Books when looking for great deals on Christian books. — Shane Trammel
You cannot help but love Conrad Mbewe, who pastors a church in Zambia. Not only does he have a strong South African accent, and a comforting preaching style, he is a good expositor of Scripture and strongly stands for God’s Word.
Also, consider listening to this recent message by Pastor Mbewe.
D. A. Carson at Omaha Bible Church on Making Sense of Suffering.
Dr Carson spoke 3 times on Saturday on the topic of Making Sense of Suffering. The messages were not stand alone but rather they built upon each other. Carson gave us 6 theological pillars for understanding suffering. Carson helped us to see suffering from the view of the beginning (Genesis) and the end (Revelation). He also did not spare a healthy and hearty explanation of how the gospel is at the very heart of understanding suffering. Overall, it was, in my somewhat bias view, one of the best conferences I have been to.
Open Doors believes that every Christian who is persecuted should be remembered and supported by other Christians. One way that you can help is to buy a pair of “Walk in their Shoes” shoelaces.
The funds will go towards financially supporting and raising awareness of the THOUSANDS of ’secret’ persecuted Christians. To visit the Walk in their Shoes website click here.
Welcome to Secret Church. Close the door behind you and step quietly. Here in this secluded place, under cover of night, we join together to study God’s Word, the Bible, and to identify with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted even now in countless places around the world.
Right now, more than 200 million Christ-followers around the world are being punished, persecuted–even killed–because of their faith in Jesus Christ. This is not ancient history.
For security reasons and out of respect for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, we do not use names of specific people on this website when speaking of the persecuted church. Consider, however, persecution of Christians and the state of the Church as it exists in the world today:
In parts of Central Asia where the state religion is mandated, Christians are considered traitors to their country and their families. Family members are beaten, and then thrown out of their house and onto the streets.
In the Middle East and parts of Western Asia and Africa, laws prohibit Christians from evangelizing, and forbid citizens from choosing Christianity over the religion into which they were born. Christians caught sharing God’s Word are chased out of town, beaten, or worse.
In 1960, more than 70 percent of the Church worldwide was still Western (white and middle-class). But indigenous mission movements were beginning to emerge out of indigenous churches. Since the 1980s the non-Western Church has grown at such a rate that the Church worldwide is now more than 70 percent non-Western.
EMILY’s List wins elections. Since our founding, we have helped elect 79 pro-choice Democratic women members of Congress, 15 senators, 9 governors, and hundreds of women to state and local office.
EMILY’s List has also become one of the largest financial resource for minority women seeking federal office. Click here to learn more about our work with women in color seeking office.
“While the media spent much of December and January chattering about the selection of mega-church pastor Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation, Obama was quietly filling his administration with members of the abortion lobby. NARAL’s former legal director, Dawn Johnsen, will serve as assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel. Secretary of Health and Human Services-designate Tom Daschle, who led the fight in the Senate against the ban on partial-birth abortion, will help devise the health care plan, which Obama promised would cover abortions. Melody Barnes, a onetime Planned Parenthood board member, left her job at the left-wing Center for American Progress to serve as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Ellen Moran left her job as executive director of Emily’s List, a pro-choice political action committee, to head the White House communications team. And just in case pro-choicers still doubted whether they had the president’s ear, Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, Jackie Norris, was once a Planned Parenthood board member too.” — Source
It’s only recently that I have started reading biographies of preachers, theologians, pastors, etc. It has been a great joy to read biographies on Spurgeon, Edwards, Lloyd-Jones, Machen, Owen, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, Brainerd, Wilberforce, Newton, Pink, and now Van Til.
It has been a blessing to gain insight into who these men were and their contribution to the Christian faith. Reading about Cornelius Van Til has been no less insightful and beneficial. Reading the book Cornelius Van Til: Reformed Apologist and Churchman (American Reformed Biographies) has given me a deep appreciation for Van Til’s place in the history of the Christian faith.
“Muether does a masterful job of tracing the personal history of this ‘father of presuppositionalism.’ I could not put this book down.” - K. Scott Oliphint, Professor of Chruch History at Westminster Theological Seminary and editor of the book The Defense of the Faith (Cornelius Van Til)
In 1944, at the suggestion of former student H. Evan Runner, Van Til wrote the widely distributed pamphlet Why I Believe in God … In this dialogue with an imaginary skeptic, Van Til admitted that God was for him the “all-conditioner,” who thoroughly shaped his belief in God. He then demanded that the unbeliever make a similar acknowledgment. “If you want to say that belief was poured down my throat, I shall retort that unbelief was poured down your throat.
Religious neutrality, in other words, was impossible. If one is not for God one is against God, and to be without bias is simply to have a particular kind of bias.
The following links will point you to a free electronic copy of the book Martyn Lloyd Jones - Preacher by John Peters. Rich Text Format | Word Format
From the Martyn Lloyd-Jones Recordings Trust
Martyn Lloyd-Jones was possibly the greatest British preacher of the twentieth century. His ministry at Westminster Chapel and his writings earned him respect and affection throughout the world. He had a decisive influence on many individuals and on evangelicalism as a whole.
Now John Peters who (like the Doctor) is a Welsh- speaking Welshman, has written the first complete account of The Doctor’s life and achievement. It includes personal reminiscences by men and women whose lives were changed by Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
True Christianity (MP3) (J. C. Ryle, “What Is Needed?” 1895)
(1) True Christianity has always taught the inspiration, sufficiency, and supremacy of Holy Scripture. It has told men that “God’s written Word” is the only trustworthy rule of faith and practice in religion; that God requires nothing to be believed that is not in this Word; and that nothing is right which contradicts it. It has never allowed reason, or the voice of the Church, to be placed above, or on a level with Scripture. It has steadily maintained that, however imperfectly we may understand it, the Old Book is meant to be the only standard of life and doctrine.
(2) True Christianity has always taught fully the sinfulness, guilt and corruption of human nature. It has told men, that they are born in sin, deserve God’s wrath and condemnation, and are naturally inclined to do evil. It has never allowed that men and women are only weak and pitiable creatures, who can become good when they please, and make their own peace with God. On the contrary, it has steadily declared man’s danger and vileness, and his pressing need of a Divine forgiveness and atonement for his sins, a new birth or conversion, and an entire change of heart.
(3) True Christianity has always set before men, the Lord Jesus Christ as the chief object of faith and hope in religion—as the Divine Mediator between God and men, the only source of peace of conscience, and the root of all spiritual life. The main things it has ever insisted on about Christ, are—the atonement for sin He made by His death, His sacrifice on the cross, the complete redemption from guilt and condemnation by His blood, His victory over the grave by His resurrection, His active life of intercession at God’s right hand, and the absolute necessity of simple faith in Him. In short, it has made Christ the Alpha and the Omega in Christian theology.
(4) True Christianity has always honored the Person of God the Holy Spirit, and magnified His work. It has never taught that all professing Christians have the grace of the Spirit in their hearts, as a matter of course—because they are baptized, or because they belong to a Church. It has steadily maintained that the fruits of the Spirit are the only evidence of having the Spirit, and that those fruits must be seen! It has always taught, that we must be born of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, sanctified by the Spirit, and feel the operations of the Spirit—and that a close walk with God in the path of His commandments, a life of holiness, love, self-denial, purity, and zeal to do good—are the only satisfactory marks of the Holy Spirit.
Such is true Christianity. Well would it have been for the world, if there had been more of it during the last nineteen centuries! Too often, and in too many parts of Christendom, there has been so little of it—that Christ’s religion has seemed extinct, and has fallen into utter contempt!
This is the Christianity which, in the days of the Apostles, “turned the world upside down!” It was this which emptied the idol temples of their worshipers, routed the Greek and Roman philosophers, and obliged even heathen writers to confess that the followers of the “new superstition,” as they called it, were people who loved one another, and lived very pure and holy lives!
Let it never be forgotten, that its leading principles are those which are least likely to please the natural man. On the contrary, they are precisely those which are calculated to be unpopular and to give offense. Proud man does not like to be told that he is a weak, guilty sinner—that he cannot save his own soul, and must trust in the work of another—that he must be converted and have a new heart—that he must live a holy, self-denying life, and come out from the world.
Yet, this is the Christianity which is doing good at this day, wherever real good is done. The only religious teaching which can show solid, positive results—is that which gives prominence to the doctrines which I have endeavored to describe. Wherever they are rightly taught, Christianity can point to fruits which are an unanswerable proof of its Divine origin. There are myriads of professing Christians who have no life or reality in their religion—and are only nominal members of Christ’s Church. Except for going to church on Sundays, they give no evidence of true Christianity. If you mark their daily life—they seem neither to think, nor feel, nor care for their souls, or God, or eternity. Men and women who crowd churches on Sundays—and then live worldly selfish lives all the week—are the best and most efficient allies of the devil.
True faith is not a mere “mental assent” to certain theological propositions—but a living, burning, active principle—which works by love, purifies the heart, overcomes the world, and brings forth much fruit of holiness and good works. Let us live as if we really believed every jot and tittle of Scripture—and as if a dying, risen, interceding, and coming Christ, were continually before our eyes!
“WE MAY, in the next place, behold the glory of Christ, with respect to His office, in the actings of God toward Him after His discharge of it in this world, in His own exaltation.
These are the two heads to which all the prophecies and predictions concerning Jesus Christ under the Old Testament are referred—His sufferings and the glory that followed (I Pet. 1:11). All the prophets testified beforehand “of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” So when He Himself opened the Scriptures to His disciples, He gave them this as the sum of the doctrine contained in them: “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26). The same is frequently expressed elsewhere (Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:5—9).
So much as we know of Christ, His sufferings and His glory, so much do we understand of the Scripture and no more.
These are the two heads of the mediation of Christ and His kingdom, and this is their order which they communicate to the Church—first sufferings, and then glory: “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (II Tim. 2:12). They only deceive themselves who design any other method of these things. Some would reign here in this world; and we may say, with the apostle, “Would you did reign, that we might reign with you.” But the members of the mystical Body must be conformed to the Head. In Him, sufferings went before glory; and so they must in them. The order in the kingdom of Satan and the world is contrary to this. First the good things of this life, and then eternal misery, is the method of that kingdom (Luke 16:25).
These are the two springs of the salvation of the Church, the two anointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole earth, from which flows all the golden oil whereby the Church is dedicated to God and sanctified. [The reference here is to Zechariah 4.] This glory of Christ in His exaltation, which followed on His sufferings, is what we now inquire into.”
“The Shack” by William P. Young by Tim Challies. A downloadable more comprehensive review in .pdf here.
(Tim Challies’ review may be the most comprehensive and popular to date.)
The Faulty Foundations of The Shackpart 1, part 2, part 3 & part 4 by Pastor Alan Dunn.
(Another very in depth review.)
Abortion is one of the most common surgical procedures in the world, but the average person knows almost nothing of its gruesome reality. Year after year, it lurks in the shadows, quietly destroying almost 4,000 innocent human beings a day in the U.S. and 130,000 a day worldwide. In the U.S., this is happening because seven Supreme Court Justices decided that abortion was a constitutionally protected act. Without a vote, without public debate, abortion came in through the back door, never having to bear up under the weight of significant public scrutiny. Today, abortion is a billion-dollar industry which enjoys the support of very influential people in very high places. High schools and universities go to great lengths to graphically expose the dangers of smoking, drunk-driving and STD’s, but take a pass when it comes to abortion.Abort73.com exists to tell you what almost no one else is, so please, don’t make up your mind until you’ve taken the time to examine the facts. You are standing on the threshold, so come a little further. We dare you to know.
Take a moment here to consider a time in history, January 1973. This video gives us an historic look at the slew of high-profile events which largely kept the public’s eye off the Supreme Court’s tragic rulings in Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton.
President Obama promised that a top priority of his administration would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) into law and eliminate all common-sense abortion laws nationwide. Even if FOCA isn’t brought up right away, the President and Congress can eliminate many federal abortion laws such as restrictions on federal funding for abortion that have been in place since the 1970s.
I’ve slowly read this section from Horatius Bonar’s The Everlasting Righteousness (pp. 33-36) several times. My heart sings each time I read it. I hope your heart breaks forth in praise for the Lamb.
We are never done with the cross nor ever shall be. Its wonders will be always new and always fraught with joy. “The Lamb as it had been slain” will be the theme of our praise above. Why should such a name be given to him in such a book as the Revelation, which in one sense carried us far past the cross, were it not that we shall always realize our connection with its one salvation; we shall always be looking to it even in the midst of the glory; and we shall always be learning from it some new lesson regarding the work of him “in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”? What will they who here speak of themselves as being so advanced as to be done with the cross say to being brought face to face with the slain Lamb, in the age of absolute perfection, the age of the heavenly glory?
You fool! Do you not know that the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ endures forever and that you shall eternally glory in it, if you are saved by it at all?
You fool! Will you not join in the song below, “To him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood”? Will you not join in the song above, “You were slain, and here redeemed us to God by your blood”? And do you not remember that it is “the Lamb as it had been slain” that “the seven spirits of God are sent forth into all the Earth”? (Rev. 5:6)
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Thursday backed a woman’s “right to choose” on the 36th anniversary of a landmark Supreme Court decision that gave women a constitutional right to abortion.
“On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters,” Obama said in a written statement.
“I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.”
The 1973 Supreme Court decision, enshrined as “Roe v. Wade” for the key figures in the case, gave the United States some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the world.
Roe v Wade galvanized conservative religious groups against abortion and made it a hot-button political issue, even though surveys have shown that more Americans are pro-choice — in favor of a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion — than pro-life, or against abortion.
Even a survey conducted last year by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) showed that only 11 percent of Americans favored a total ban on abortion.
Obama’s statement was “like a breath of fresh air for those of us who’ve been locked in the abortion wars for so long,” Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, told AFP.
“This represents a new way of thinking that will serve women a lot better in the future, while protecting the rights that were established by Roe v Wade,” he said.
In his statement, Obama spoke of the need for “affordable contraception, accurate health information and preventive services” in order to “prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion and support women and families in the choices they make.”
No one was available for comment at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops or at the pro-life American Life League (ALL), which in a statement issued last week slammed Obama’s “radical support for abortion on demand.”
“Obama promises to be the most virulently pro-abortion president in history. Millions more children will be endangered by his radical abortion agenda,” the ALL statement said. (Original Source: Yahoo News)
Note: Consider supporting this blog by going to Westminster Bookstore or Monergism Books when looking for great deals on Christian books. — Shane Trammel
Just this evening I discovered a wonderful resource, a booklet by Jim Ellif called The Eaglet.
The Eaglet presents the good news about Christ in a colorful story that engages both children and adults. Parents, grandparents, pastors, Bible study leaders and loving Christians everywhere will find it an important resource for explaining what it means to believe in Christ.
We have worked extremely hard both in art/design and content to present Christ as clearly as possible in this booklet. I think you will appreciate the beauty and message in your copy of the newly-designed Eaglet, but I especially want you to distribute it broadly. We’re hoping it will be an unusually effective tool for your churches and communities, and that many will come to Christ through it.”—Jim Elliff, author.
An older version of this booklet is available as a PDF here.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama is considering issuing an executive order to reverse a controversial Bush administration abortion policy in his first week in office, three Democratic sources said Monday.
Obama’s second full day as president falls on the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States.
The sources said Obama may use the occasion to reverse the “Mexico City policy” reinstated in 2001 by Bush that prohibits U.S. money from funding international family planning groups that promote abortion or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion services. It bans any organization receiving family planning funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development from offering abortions or abortion counseling.
The “Mexico City policy,” commonly referred to by critics as “the global gag rule,” was devised by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 at a population conference in Mexico City.
President Bill Clinton lifted the ban in January 1993 as one of his first acts as president, but President George W. Bush reinstated it in his first executive order on January 22, 2001, the 28th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
At the time, critics — including Planned Parenthood — called the move a “legislative ambush.”
Bush defended the action, saying then: “It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortion or actively promote abortion.”
President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in that case.
Translation: Obama will do everything in his power to secure the right of women to kill their children if they so choose. Only their unborn children mind you. Exactly the ones who have no voice and can not defend themselves.
To be sure, to champion the termination of the unborn makes you an enemy of God; one whom God will surely judge. We, you and me, and the unborn child, all are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27); formed and knitted in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). Abortion is an assault on God’s divine right as giver of life.
As expected, Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop, delivered his prayer at the “Opening Inaugural Event” for President-elect Obama. (video here)
No real surprises here. Bishop Robinson prayed to the “…God of our many understandings…” By any account, given the coverage of what was to be expected from Robinson’s prayer, the Bishop’s prayer was no surprise, but shocking none the less. When you consider the fact that the bible is replete with references to “the only true God”, “the Lord God of Israel”, “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”. God, understood in truth, is hardly a God of many understandings.
Scripture makes it abundantly clear that there is only one God, one Lord, one Savior.
If not convinced, consider for your own study this small sampling of Scripture pointing to the “one true God”
Jer. 10:10, John 17:3, Acts 3:13, Ephesians 4:4-6.
1 John 5:20 sums it up nicely:
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
One final thought here. Is it just me, or is it obvious to others that Bishop Robinson’s prayer completely excluded any “call of justice” for the unborn. A holocaust of immense proportion, the senseless murder of 1.2 million babies annually in the U.S. alone, not even mentioned in Robinson’s prayer. (see Abort73.com)
pray earnestly for Bishop Robinson that the true God of the Bible would grant him godly sorrow leading to repentance from sin, genuine saving faith to believe, and the grace to confess and know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Being mindful of 2 Tim. 2:24-26, it is important that we remember to correct our opponents with gentleness. Lord help us keep our motives pure and our own hearts clean before You.
Bishop Robinson said he had been reading inaugural prayers through history and was “horrified” at how “specifically and aggressively Christian they were.”
“I am very clear,” he said, “that this will not be a Christian prayer, and I won’t be quoting Scripture or anything like that. The texts that I hold as sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer.”
Bishop Robinson said he might address the prayer to “the God of our many understandings,” language that he said he learned from the 12-step program he attended for his alcohol addiction.
Specifically and aggressively Christian. As though this were a bad thing. Maybe Mr. Robinson needs to take a hard look at scripture before he rules out using it in his prayer.
Psalms 1:
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Themelios is an international evangelical theological journal that expounds and defends the historic Christian faith. Its primary audience is theological students and pastors, though scholars read it as well. It was formerly a print journal operated by RTSF/UCCF in the UK, and it became a digital journal operated by The Gospel Coalition in 2008.
Themelios is published three times a year exclusively online at www.theGospelCoalition.org. It is presented in three formats: iPaper (a Flash-based interface that allows flexible viewing without requiring you to download the document ), PDF (for downloading and citing pagination) and HTML (for greater accessibility, usability, and inï¬ltration in search engines). Themelios is copyrighted by The Gospel Coalition. Readers are free to use it and circulate it in digital form without further permission (any print use requires further written permission), but they must acknowledge the source and, of course, not change the content.
The first openly gay Episcopal bishop will say a prayer at the Lincoln Memorial for one of President-elect Barack Obama’s first inauguration events. — From ABC NEWS
This is the first of many first no doubt to be associated with the Obama Presidency. Christians, if ever their were a time to humble ourselves and pray it is now (2 Chronicles 7:14). It is my humble opinion that many influential Christian leaders are encouraging the Christian community to pray the wrong prayer with respect to Obama and his Presidency. These Christian leaders are praying and asking others to pray blessings upon Obama.
Congratulations again President-elect Obama. May God bless you and strengthen you as you embark on a historic journey. — Bishop T.D. Jakes
The Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders. I am honored by this opportunity to pray God’s blessing on the office of the President and its current and future inhabitant, asking the Lord to provide wisdom to America’s leaders during this critical time in our nation’s history. — Rick Warren
When asked “Are you looking forward to an Obama administration? A change?”, Pat Robertson had this to say …. I am remarkably pleased with Obama. I had grave misgivings about him. But so help me, he’s come in forcefully, intelligently. He’s picked a middle of the road cabinet. And so far, if he continues down this course, he has the makings of a great president. So, I’m very pleased so far. (This is a stagaring quote from Robertson)
Note: Emphasis in italics are mine.
The cry from our Christian leaders should be that Obama turn from his wicked ways, come to faith in Christ, and lead our nation as a true man of God. It is appropriate, as many have pointed out, to use 1 Timothy 2:1-5 as a model for whom we should pray, how we should pray, and for what we should pray. It’s unfortunate however that many apply this portion of scripture in very broad terms. John Piper, in his message, Pray for Kings and All in High Positions, make this point. You will want to read through and maybe even listen to this message from Dr. Piper.
In closing, there is no question, that as Christians, we should pray for our leaders. The critical issue here is that we pray as God would have us to pray. So my prayer today is that our prayers would be Spirit lead and not something of our own invention.
Here Spurgeon establishes the Christ-Centeredness of his ministry during his very first sermon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
I would propose that the subject of the ministry as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshippers, shall be the person of JESUS CHRIST. I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist; I do not hesitate to take the name of Baptist; but if I am asked what is my creed, I reply: “IT IS JESUS CHRIST.” My venerated processor, Dr. Gill, has left a Body of Divinity, admirable and excellent in its way; but the Body of Divinity to which I would pin and bind myself for ever, God helping me, is not his system or any other human treatise, but Christ Jesus, Who is the sum and substance of the gospel, Who is in Himself all theology, the incarnation of every precious truth, the all-glorious embodiment of the way, the truth and the life. — Delivered on Monday Afternoon, March 25th, 1861 by the Rev. C. H. SPURGEON
By accenting the centrality of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (historia salutis), and by incorporating faith union with Christ into the deepest structure of its soteriology (ordo salutis), [1] Reformed theology in the tradition of John Calvin offers an expansively rich conception of salvation in Christ, [2] and affirms a robust theology of justification in Christ. Believers are justified in Christ by receiving through faith alone the imputed righteousness of the crucified and resurrected Son of God. [3] Reformed theology therefore affirms the central redemptive significance of union with Christ and maintains staunchly the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, received by faith alone, as the sole ground for the believer’s justification.
Notes:
[1] Soteriology is the study of the application of redemption to believers in Jesus Christ. Historia salutis focuses on the once for all accomplishment of salvation in the humiliation and exaltation of Christ. Ordo salutisconcerns the definitive and ongoing application of redemption in Christ to believers. What has been accomplished by Christ in his death and resurrection (historia salutis) is given in Christ to all believers (ordo salutis).
Breaking news: Planned Parenthood offers Christmas gift certificates
And just when you thought you could no longer be shocked. Well, sit down. Planned Parenthood of IN is selling Christmas gift certificates. And yes, they can be used toward abortion.
… celebrating the most important crisis pregnancy of all time by selling gift certificates, perfect for the woman who has everything but moral fiber…. And it’s so much easier than finding the perfect “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament.
Gift certificates have become a popular holiday gift option, but a controversial new one, already has people talking.For the first time, Planned Parenthood in Indiana is offering gift certificates. The organization said a big increase in calls and visits from newly unemployed and uninsured Hoosiers prompted what it calls the unusual, yet practical gift option.
“People are making really tough decisions about putting gas in their car and food on their table, so we know that many women especially put healthcare at the bottom of their list to do,” said Chrystal Struben-Hall, VP of PP of IN.The certificates come in $25 increments. They can be used for everything from birth control to $58 examinations that include breast exams and pap tests. Men who receive healthcare at PP can use them too.
“They can be seen for sexually transmitted disease screenings, HIV tests and general prostate exams and those kinds of things,” said Struben-Hall.
Some Hoosiers… asked if the gift certificates could be used towards abortions. The answer is yes. But, PP said that’s not the purpose of the gift certificates.
Struben-Hall said, “They really are intended for preventative healthcare. We decided not to put restrictions on the gift certificates so it’s for whatever people feel they need the services for most.”…
Oh, please.
Planned Parenthood, this generation’s King Herod, you know, the guy who ordered the mass slaughter of babies when Jesus was born.
A View From the Field
Read the highlights taken from a few of our field reports from Peru. This month we highlight the lives and ministries of Miguel Salazar Ruiz, Miguel Sanabria, and Arturo Marin.
An Impossible Yet Powerful Gospel
The Church needs men who will stand before the opposing masses with nothing to help them or defend them except the Gospel and the God who has promised to work through it… Then we shall see the power of God manifested in the genuine conversion of the greatest sinners.
The Lozi: Answering the Call
Shannon Reece has recently moved from Hannibal, Missouri, to Muscle Shoals. He and his brother Sean and their families are called to church planting among the Lozi of Zambia. Read the touching account of Shannon’s call.
You may not change your view on U2 after reading this book, none the less, Worldliness is a gift to the church and a must read for anyone open to evaluating how gospel-centered their consumption of media, clothes, etc. is.
From the forward by John Piper:What does it look like when the blood of Christ governs the television and the Internet and the iPod and the checkbook and the neckline? Most people have never even asked this question, let alone answered it. The idea that lines might come into being freely and lovingly (and firmly) as the fruit of the gospel is rare. That’s why this book is valuable.
The book has six chapters:
C. J. Mahaney, “Is This Verse in Your Bible?” [1 John 2:15]
Do Not Love the World — 1 John 2:15-16 is at the heart of this book
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.
In addition to purchasing the book (or if you’re not ready to purchase it yet), you can download extended excerpts from the book for free. Download the foreword by Dr. Piper and the opening chapter by C.J. (“Is This Verse in Your Bible?”) as a PDF here. And recently a series of excerpts on modesty was posted, from chapter five (titled “God, My Heart, and Clothes”). Read this entire chapter online here.
C.J.’s message from the 2002 New Attitude Conference, “Do Not Love the World” (1 John 2:15) is another tool for resisting the sin in our fallen world—and in our own hearts. (This conference message eventually grew into the first chapter of Worldliness.) You can watch, listen to, or download the message at C.J.’s sermon archive.
Note: Consider supporting this blog by going to Westminster Bookstore or Monergism Books when looking for great deals on Christian books. — Shane Trammel
Herman Bavinck’s article “The Problem of War” was originally published in 1914, translated into English by Stephen Voorwinde and published in the Banner of Truth magazine (July-Aug 1977) pp. 46-53. It has been reissued by permission of the publisher, retypeset, and now presented online (for the first time) as a downloadable PDF. Click over to the free article archive to download other articles.
Special thanks to our friend Steve Burlew and the Banner of Truth staff for their work in making this valuable translated article available online!
Consider this great sermon series by Dr. Steve Lawson. He explains the Doctrines of Grace, following the familiar acronym TULIP, with crystal clarity, Biblical integrity, and contagious passion.
When The Gospel Coalition Council Members met last May, they individually answered on video about 130 frequently asked questions. Now each individual video can be embedded onto a blog. Check it out.
Here is one of these videos by Mike Bullmore answering the question, “How are we to interpret natural disasters? Are they necessarily a sign of God’s judgment?”
April 9, 2009 
The basic idea of the Greek word translated merciful is “to give help to the wretched, to relieve the miserable.” Here the essential thought is that mercy gives attention to those in misery. A synonym for mercy would be compassion. An important distinction is that mercy is not simply feeling compassion. Mercy exists when something is done to alleviate distress. Mercy is compassion in action.
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